WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING: CAFETERIA MORMONS

Commentary by Dale Jennings

When our church leaders speak the Lord’s words, they expect us to listen and obey. We know that it is only by exact obedience that we can be sure that Satan won’t slowly turn up the temperature on our pot until we are spiritually boiled to death. Strict faith and obedience to each and every word from God is why the real danger that the church faces today isn’t from ISIS or Obama or even Caitlyn Jenner. No, what threatens to destroy God’s work today are cafeteria Mormons.

Cafeteria Mormons have the false, satanic idea that they can pick and choose what words of God they want to listen to and obey. They love one apostle (usually Uchtdorf!) and resist God’s word as given by others (like Packer!). They love some scriptures, like King Benjamin’s speech or Christ letting the prostitute off the hook, but disregard others, like how it was obedience and not grace that saved Noah or how God commanded Abraham and Nephi to kill when God found it necessary.

What cafeteria Mormons fail to realize is that each and every word of scripture, of revelation, and in the manuals and handbooks go together perfectly, completely, and harmoniously. It is either all true or it is all false—that is just how it is. If this offends your ideas and if you want to reject the Biblical truth of how Jacob used rods to produce more striped, speckled, and spotted lambs for himself (Genesis 30) or if you want to reject how God used a sea monster to punish Jonah, then you can kick against the pricks and jeopardize your soul.

When cafeteria Mormons are truly wolves in sheep’s clothing is when they start to infect others with their diseased doubts. They show an appalling lack of humility when they question a church policy or when they wonder aloud if social or cultural ideas influence God’s revelations to His chosen vessels. Sometimes they claim “personal revelation,” but we all know that no personal revelation that is really from God would ever be even slightly different from what God tells His leaders. The Comforter confirms—that is all! Case closed.

Of course some of these deceived and too often deceiving “Mormons” assemble in apostate groups and conferences or exchange ideas in that cesspool of falsehood that is the “Bloggernacle,” but they are sometimes even seen in our stakes, wards, or homes. Every effort should be made to avoid them, and thereby quarantine their infectious ideas. It may seem unkind or cruel, but we know that God has commanded his righteous in ancient times to kill every apostate man, woman, and child, and it is better that we insulate ourselves from them and their wickedness to avoid dealing with doubts or questions about God’s words. Avoiding, shunning, and shaming those who fail to successfully doubt all of their doubts is clearly God’s loving way of keeping His innocent and trusting sheep safe.