August 17, 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Copper Hills 8th Ward,

This is my 11th postcard. You’ve received my postcards, three times each year. Because my mailing list is outdated, you may be receiving this, and yet, not be a member of the LDS church. If this is the case, please pardon me, or feel free to read what I have to say.

We read in 2 Nephi 32:5, “for behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”

Is this true, or not? I’ve asked the First Presidency, thirty-four times over the last year, to please answer this question, but they won’t. And, neither will President Bohne answer this question. Also, six months ago, I invited each of you to answer this question, but no-one has.

If you’re interested, I’d like to explain why I believe no-one will verify or deny the truth of 2 Nephi 32:5.

If church participants were to say that 2 Nephi 32:5 is true, then they’d also be saying that the church’s governing method is false, for members have been strongly urged, to hearken to the counsel of their leaders, with the threat of excommunication if they won’t, rather than it being taught that the Holy Ghost is meant to show them all things what they should do.

And, if church participants were to say that 2 Nephi 32:5 is false, then they couldn’t say the Book of Mormon is true, so they won’t say that it’s false.

Thus, church participants are caught, where they’ll neither acknowledge the truth of 2 Nephi 32:5, nor deny the truth of this passage.

Ever since I was excommunicated 9 years ago, in 2007, for believing what’s stated in 2 Nephi 32:5, that the Holy Ghost is meant to show me all things I should do, I’ve sought to reason with church leaders about it, but they won’t let go of their desire that they be the ones to show me what I should do.

Over and over again, as a condition of the restoration of my church membership, rather than instructing me to be led by the Holy Ghost in all things, leaders have insisted that I must agree to hearken to their counsel.

So, basically, they’ve asked me to denounce the truth of 2 Nephi 32:5.

Also, because Christ’s atoning sacrifice made it possible for the Holy Ghost to show us all things we should do, in my opinion, if we deny the truth of 2 Nephi 32:5, we’re also denying Christ.

So, my answer to church leaders is this, “I will not hearken to your counsel, but will continue to be led in all things by the Holy Ghost, because I refuse to deny Christ’s atoning sacrifice for me, which made it possible for the Holy Ghost to show me all things I should do.”

Christ’s atoning sacrifice satisfied the demands of justice for all law based sin. Hence, the gap between us and God was bridged, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that we can now, through the merits of Christ, connect directly with God, and experience enlightenment, being forgiven and made worthy, that we might be transformed by the Spirit, line upon line and precept upon precept, until that perfect day.

Explained in the Old Testament, New Testament, and D&C 50:10-25, the new covenant is about being led by the Holy Ghost, where the light within us grows brighter and brighter, the laws of God being written on our hearts over time, until that perfect day.

The idea that we’re to hearken to the counsel of our leaders, that we must obey all gospel law given through our leaders to become worthy of the Holy Ghost, actually causes us to deny the mercy and sacrifice of Christ.

There’s nothing we can do to be worthy of the Holy Ghost. It’s only when we feel the most unworthy and undeserving that the Holy Ghost can come and transform us little by little until we’ve been perfected, which is a state where we realize that all glory goes to God for our salvation.

In other words, we’re not supposed to keep the commandments of God in order to have His Spirit to be with us, but we’re to humble ourselves, believe in the atonement of Christ, and receive the Spirit, that we might be transformed by it, so that the commandments of God will be thus written on our hearts.

This is what Paul was trying to explain when he stated that salvation is by grace through faith and not of works lest any man should boast. He explained that those who seek to be justified by obedience to law, who seek to save themselves, have fallen from grace. And, it’s he who taught that those who are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God.

Paul even went so far as to declare that the letter killeth and the Spirit giveth life. Those who seek to save their lives through obedience to law, deny Christ’s atonement, and will end up losing their lives, where those who are humble, who allow the Holy Spirit to guide and transform them, will be saved.

Basically, what I’m trying to say, with scripture to back it up, is that the Holy Ghost can truly show us all things we should do, that through the atonement of Christ we are made worthy of the Spirit, that if we will simply believe in the atonement, the Holy Ghost will then guide us to a greater state of light from wherever we’re at in our lives, that if we aren’t seeking to be led by the Holy Ghost in all things, then we’re not believing in the atonement.

Now, please don’t be angry with me for saying all this. I know it doesn’t quite agree with what leading church puppeteers have told you, but the truth is, 2 Nephi 32:5 is LDS scripture, and it’s quite hypocritical for the church to not practice what it preaches.

I’m just saying, 2 Nephi 32:5 is true, and because I believe it’s true, I was excommunicated.

So, what do each of you think, is 2 Nephi 32:5 true, or is it false?

Who out there believes enough in the atonement of Christ that they can say this scripture is true?

Sincerely,

Aaron McMillan

P.S.

Jesus taught, “if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Thus, we can judge whether or not we’re disciples of Christ, by whether or not we’re free or in bondage.

It’s been my experience, and I invite you to compare this with your own, that whenever I’ve sinned, it’s obvious that I’ve sinned, because I know that I’m in bondage to that sin after committing it. In other words, just like the scriptures teach, all sin leads to bondage.

Also, it’s been my experience, that whenever I’ve turned to God for deliverance from the bondage of sin, whenever I’ve sought for His grace, the Holy Ghost has enlightened me and written laws of light on my heart, which have empowered me to escape that bondage.

Basically, it’s been my experience, that whenever I’ve sought to be led by the Holy Ghost, when I’ve paid attention to each prompting or insight, it’s delivered me out of some sort of bondage, where I’ve felt freer from Satan’s grasp, where I’ve experienced more joy, light, strength, and peace afterward.

In the New Testament, Paul explained that the gospel of Christ is meant to deliver us from all bondage, that if we’re governed by law, or commandments, as was the case under the Old Testament covenant, rather than by the Holy Ghost, we’re in bondage.

In essence, when church leaders require our obedience to their counsel, rather than encouraging us to seek for divine deliverance from sin, not only do we remain in bondage to sin, but we’re also led to a situation of even more bondage, the bondage of their authoritarian rule over us.

This is why, in the New Testament, it’s written that Christ admonished his apostles to not exercise authority over those in their care.

Paul taught that the letter of law killeth, but the Spirit giveth life, because any bondage, including the bondage of being ruled by authoritarian dictates, killeth, where the Spirit, which giveth life, seeks to deliver us from all bondage.

The LDS church is somewhat dishonest with people, I believe, when confirming their baptisms, when they say unto them, “receive the Holy Ghost,” for this is not their true expectation.

If they were honestly expressing their expectation, they would say to the newly baptized, “we say unto you, obey all church dictated law, and be brought into bondage under that law.”

The straight and narrow path leading to life, which, according to scripture, “few will find,” is that of deliverance from all bondage, through receiving the Holy Ghost.

Basically, what I’m trying to say, is that only through allowing the Holy Ghost to show us all things what we should do, as taught in 2 Nephi 32:5, can we obtain that bright life, of being delivered from the bondage of all sin, including the sin of fearing church leaders who want our blind obedience.

And, D&C 50:10-25 teaches the same thing, that if we receive counsel, without it being accompanied by inspiration from the Spirit of truth, it’s not of God for us to receive it, that we’re to receive only light from the Spirit, and continue in that light, it growing brighter and brighter until that perfect day.

It’s been many years since I first approached church leaders about a church position that wasn’t being written on my heart by the Holy Ghost. And, I know now, that it wasn’t being written on my heart, because it contains ideas that lead people into bondage.

But, the church excommunicated me anyway, for not accepting it.

Basically, there’s a double standard in the church. On the one hand, they teach us, in 2 Nephi 32:5, that the Holy Ghost will show us all things we should do, but then, on the other hand, if we don’t hearken to the dictates of church leaders, if we don’t allow them to show us what we should do, we will most likely be excommunicated from the church.

So, this begs the question in my mind, is 2 Nephi 32:5 true, or false?

As you know, I believe it’s true, but what say each of you?

Isn’t it interesting, that the First Presidency hasn’t been willing to answer this question?

If you’re interested, please click here to read my thirty-fourth request of the First Presidency to either verify or deny the truth of 2 Nephi 32:5.