Why do Mormons warn about a personal relationship with Christ?

Question

Mormon Apostle and apologist Bruce McConkie warns: "I shall speak of our relationship with the Lord and of the true fellowship all saints should have with the Father. I shall set forth what we must believe relative to the Father and the Son in order to gain eternal life...many false and vain and foolish things are being taught in the sectarian world and even among us about our need to gain a special relationship with the Lord Jesus...gaining a special relationship with Christ is both improper and perilous...now I know that some may be offended at the counsel that they should NOT strive for a special and personal relationship with Christ...you have been warned, and you have heard the true doctrine taught" (from a speech given at a B.Y.U. devotional on March 2, 1982).

SirNetwork called me a liar and said I added to McConkie's speech. He emailed me and challenged me to publically announce it if he was able to prove me wrong. He has a link to McConkie's speech which is from the BYU website. Here is a faction of my list of websites where the exact words I'm accused of adding are clearly stated. The easiest way to find this statement is to click on edit in your tool bar, type in "improper" and it will highligt it in the text. Funny how the BYU version is different from every other version of the same speech. Mormons are notorious from changing and deleting doctorine. Need proof of that too? I got it.

http://www.challengemin.org/warning.html

http://www.zionsbest.com/relationship.html

http://emp.byui.edu/marrottr/RelationshipWithGod.htm

http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.asp?boardID=5605&discussionID=329653

http://www.challengemin.org/warning.html

http://www.leaderu.com/offices/michaeldavis/docs/mormonism/jesus.html

This is what the BYU version says about our relationship with Christ:

It is a fine and sacred line, but clearly there is a difference between a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord, which is IMPRPOER, and one of worshipful adoration, which yet maintains the required reserve between us and him who has bought us with his blood

Answer 1

Short answer: the counsel, abusively abridged here, is to seek Christ when one is mature enough to follow his teachings.
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NOTE: I originally called shadowbox78 a liar because I did not search the page correctly. This was a mistake on my part and I apologize profusely for being a jerk. With that said, misquoting a speech is lying in its' own right.

One example:
"...gaining a special, personal relationship with Christ that is both improper and perilous...."

The "..." indicated where you left something out. Without your edits, it is normally followed by:

"I say perilous because this course, particularly in the lives of some who are spiritually immature, is a gospel hobby which creates an unwholesome holier-than-thou attitude."
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Let's play more of this game:
"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, "

or is it:
"...Jesus was born...of Herod the king"
So, by your tactics, Herod is the father of Christ!

Is that what the scripture says? Did the meaning change a little?
To quote George Costanza:
"Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?"
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Shadowbox78, it's ironic that the part you omitted describes how to avoid creating an holier-than-thou attitude when dealing with other followers of Christ. Using sarcastic, rhetorical questions to browbeat those of different faiths is a low tactic and a misuse of this forum. You are not interested in the answer and seem only willing to demean, belittle, and demonize LDS rather than open a spirit of discussion and education on both sides.
Look at the responses you get. I mean... read them. You constantly use this tactic! Is Christ's message one of hate and belittlement in your church? Is this how you talk with your family? For example:
"Dad said... that if I come for the barbecue...the mailman....will be sliced to 1/4 inch thick and marinated...unless I can go to the mall instead..."

Using dishonest abridgement to spread your view of what truth is nullifies your points and hurts Christianity as a whole in the eyes of others.

Answer 2

In October, 1976 at a General Conference talk, James E. Faust counseled people to have a personal relationship with the Savior. He was a Seventy at the time, but a couple of years later he was called to be an apostle.

Answer 3

Elder Bruce has made many, many statements regarding what he thought of just about every subject imaginable, and remains a source of embarrassment to the church. Essetially, if one studies the writings of McConkie, you come away with the notion he was angry, bigoted, unreasonable, extreme and a religious terrorist with a typewriter.

At least Elder Paul Dunn, who lied his as$ off whenever he got the opportunity, was a friendlier guy.

It is too bad mormons do not read the writings of the General Authorities "Opinions" (formerly scripture) as they show an insight as to how their parents and grandparents got into this type of mindset.

Denying it those statements ever existed is both childish and once again, shows how detached the church is from reality.

Answer 4

some people are able to hear bits of information comming from the future... it sounds like he's heard things... because the truth of the man they call Jesus is just being sorted out.... he is not for christians he's a shaman he didn't die 2000 yrs ago but lives today.... the pope and the catholic church is looking to put him to death because he is a very stong shaman and will be able to bring new natural knowledge to the planet... knowledge that the church has always intended to keep private for themselves.... the church has interfered with many such people in history, people like naustodamus... like micheal angelo... the return of shaman, witch doctors... healers and philosophers.... nature loves sharing it's information with humanity and the church has done all it could including the murder of civilizations and societies that knew and valued these people... very few strong in the spirit have been able to talk outside the christian rhetoric for a long time without being confronted with violence.... those days are finally ending... the test is if this man and a woman like him would live or die... they lived to beat the church.... now doors of wisdom can open up.

Answer 5

Read the intire talk and dont take excerpts out and make them mean what you want them to mean. You see the little (...) means that they are skipping sentences if not paragraphs in between. Read the talk to see the whole truth and not what is portrayed on here. It talks about not focusing all your time on getting a personal realtion ship with christ because those who do usually get a pride full Hollyer than thou attitude which deters the true meaning of christ and the gospel. READ THE TALK. that is the best information i can give.

Answer 6

It's the same reason that JWs warn against believing in a trinity. Anything that would be detrimental for followers of their cult would harm their business organizations (Church of LDs for Mormons, and Watchtower for JWs). What business would want to lose members and ultimately lose money?

Answer 7

Having a personal relationship is just a bunch of words. The relationship is imaginary and goes on in your head. But a preacher said something to that effect one day, and some people smiled, so other preachers repeat the same sermon. Anything to get through the Sunday sermon and get the weekly paycheck.

Answer 8

Now, that's odd...
I didn't know that.

Here's another one for you...
I had a friend (we attended the same class) who was a JW. I had a membership at the local YMCA...knew she liked to swim, so I invited her to use the pool with me.
Nothing doing.
When I asked her why, she told me that she could not, because the YMCA is a Christian organization.
And yet, at least one gal I knew was a Wiccan used it daily....

Go figure.....

Answer 9

I know this is true because it goes contrary to what your preisthood holder might have ot say to you, many times I told my Dad, that God had spoken to me, and he would get tired of this and finally said that God could not talk to me, that "you cannot go to heaven until you learn to properly clean a house." and other things, that God contricted my father in, I was inly allowed the burning feeling, and a testimony.

Answer 10

seems like mcconkie is a little insecure with himself. lol.

his stance on a relationship with christ could be related to the awkward love between a father and son. well, two that both have issues expressing emotions.

there is a love there, but speaking of it would make you effeminate. interesting...