Re: Shedding innocent blood
From: (name witheld)
You mean half of theUS Israel Europe who drop bombs, etc. knowing full well innocents will be killed. And the armies of "god" who killed and killed women and children who did nothing but be born in the wrong spot? And what about "god" himself who wiped out the entire world with a flood, certainly must have been SOME innocent blood mixed in there. -dd
You mean half of the
Dear (name witheld), you bring up a complicated issue.
Except for doing things like missionary work (see Acts 5:29), the scriptures teach:
Titus 3:1 PUT them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
AofF 12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
Do you remember when David wanted to kill Uriah, a very righteous and devoted soldier in David's army, in order to get Uriah's wife Bath-Sheba? David was already having sex with her secretly (she had no choice in the matter as David was king).
2 Sam. ¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
Uriah was killed, but God blamed David:
2 Sam. 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
So, in the battle, Uriah was killed. But did God blame the enemy soldier who killed this righteous man? No, David was responsible as the scripture says. Thus, David became a murderer of innocent blood, and was cursed. Peter noted that David's body was not among the righteous who were resurrected after Christ's resurrection:
Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Because soldiers are to be subject unto their kings, presidents, etc., then the leaders shoulder the responsibility of their wars. If a president declares an unjust war, then all who are killed by that war are on his head.
If a soldier takes liberties with his own powers in a war, and deliberately murders innocent people when it could have been avoided, then that soldier will be held accountable. If he is following orders, and inadvertently and unavoidably kills innocents as collateral damage, then the leader who unjustly declared the war is responsible.
The scriptures are pretty clear on this:
1John Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
But can a murderer repent?
Alma 39:6 For behold, if ye deny the Holy Ghost when it once has had place in you, and ye know that ye deny it, behold, this is a sin which is unpardonable; yea, and whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea, I say unto you, my son, that it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness.
The light of God comes from the Light of Christ, which every man is born with:
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Romans For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Those who hold the truth in unrighteousness and deny the Light of Christ in them are fools according to Paul, and they are without excuse.
The principle of killing innocent blood is symbolic of the innocent blood of Christ being shed:
Deut. 19:9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:
10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
11 ¶ But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel
Matt.27:3 ¶ Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
D&C 132:27 The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.
Elder McConkie declares that King David will inherit the Telestial Kingdom
But as the Book of Mormon says, it is not easy to obtain forgiveness. For one thing it depends upon how much Light of Christ one has when he is so disposed to take innocent life. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is also the Light of Christ, but is in far greater proportion than the minimal amount given at one's birth, which is generally regarded as one's "conscience."
D&C 132:24 This is eternal lives—to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law.
25 Broad is the gate, and wide the way that leadeth to the deaths; and many there are that go in thereat, because they receive me not, neither do they abide in my law.
26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man marry a wife according to my word, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, according to mine appointment, and he or she shall commit any sin or transgression of the new and everlasting covenant whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they commit no murder wherein they shed innocent blood, yet they shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into their exaltation; but they shall be destroyed in the flesh, and shall be delivered unto the buffetings of Satan unto the day of redemption, saith the Lord God.
I think "sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise" is having your "calling and election made sure," or receiving "the sure word of prophecy" - in other words, God is calling you a god, and then you mess up big time by breaking your marriage vows, BUT do not kill innocent blood. In such rare cases, they are delivered over to Satan to be buffeted (No picnic!) for undisclosed period of time, before justice decides enough and frees them to continue their quest for Celestial glory.
2 Peter Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: …
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Apparently, our god Joseph Smith [who received his calling and election] did some transgressing and his God is requiring of him to pay the penalty for it? Do not know - that is between he and God. But God will justify him in the end.
D&C 132:60 [July 1843] Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph; for I will justify him; for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands for his transgressions, saith the Lord your God.
One more verse to be added to the discussion above:
Job And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
God created us, He can end us. Therefore, in no wise, can God be accused of murdering innocent life as you suggest.
Act And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
God has determined before each of us were born, while we were still in the pre-existence, how long he would permit us to live. We agreed to those conditions before we came here.
ddd
