The following is my response to a comment on my video, All Priesthood Keys–an LDS counter-perspective.

---

I actually don’t like and don’t listen to John Dehlin and I don’t know who Jacob Isbell is. And so, just for transparency, my major influences these past 20 years have been John Pontius, then Denver Snuffer, and now Robert Smith who has the UpwardThought website and channel.

I still very much value my Patriarchal Blessing. I believe it was inspired.

The reality is that the church has radically changed in the last 25 years. The brethren are not teaching what the Book of Mormon teaches. I wrote a book about this entitled, The Book of Mormon–A Witness and a Warning.

The doctrine of not asking questions or not asking forbidden questions is something Hugh Nibley warned about. And there is a reason why we have bedrock scriptures to test all doctrines against. The Book of Mormon was given for us in our day. Living prophets do not supersede the bedrock of the Book of Mormon. Those who believe they do have fallen prey to cultism.

The current core doctrines of the church are “follow the prophet” and “attend the temple.” These doctrines serve to replace faith in Christ and repentance. This is not the doctrine of Christ. The current leadership does not teach that we must have perfect faith and quit sinning, being filled with charity, in order to be saved. The Book of Mormon emphatically does.

You can choose who and what you want to believe, but only belief in the truth will save you. Choose wisely.

---

In response to another comment or question asking about what ALL priesthood keys means, I wrote this:

The LDS people believe that certain religious activities require special authority (or keys) from God. They believe that only the leaders of the LDS church hold these keys of authority. The First Presidency is the top leadership committee of the LDS church. They believe that they hold ALL priesthood keys. Priesthood denotes something God can and would do. So to say the First Presidency holds all priesthood keys is to say they could do, and have the power and authority to do, anything that God could and would do, which is absolutely absurd and ridiculous!

---

Another response to another comment:

As a professional pilot, I have lived in several places throughout the United States. I have participated in several wards and stakes. I have been a temple ordinance worker in two temples over a period of 3 years. I’ve served on numerous presidencies and leadership committees. I’ve religiously participated in General Conference for most of my life. I know very well what the church teaches and does. Much is good. Much is also not good. What they teach as the requirements for salvation is completely off base. Basically, they teach that temple worthiness according to their set standards will get you into the Celestial Kingdom. Many leaders teach that you should follow the prophet no matter what, no matter what your conscience tells you. They do not teach that direct obedience to God is the most important. They do not teach the necessity for complete repentance, or perfect faith, or to be filled with charity. They teach that we should simply follow the mainstream of the church, be active and faithful in doing what good members do, and endure to the end doing so. As long as anybody actively does things they know are wrong or less than what is best they are in wilfull rebellion against God and have not repented. 2 Nephi 9, Mosiah 2-5,. and Alma 5 teach a very different gospel than what the church preaches. We need to be honest, objective, and dispassionate in our assessment of these things. It doesn’t matter how much we love the church leaders or the institution. We must judge the product of what is taught and done. My book has nothing to do with my experience. I prove my points by what the LDS leaders have said compared with what the Book of Mormon says. I don’t have an ax to grind. I am simply stating the facts and raising the warning voice. I am testifying of the Book of Mormon and the reality of what God stands for. I think that is a good thing. Being a part of a great, glorious, global church is not going to save anyone. We need to repent by bringing ourselves into alignment with God. You don’t need an institution to do that.

---

I added this to the video description:

Priesthood Keys, or the Keys of the Kingdom, do not denote authority; authority is given by the Holy Ghost, not primarily through ordination or any kind of institutional authority. Such physical acts simply represent what should have transpired directly between God and man. Priesthood is your ability and probability of doing what God would do in your place. Your priesthood is commensurate with your holiness, or righteousness, or likeness to God. The more you are aligned with God, the greater your priesthood. This is done through faith and repentance. Through faith you learn of Christ and exert likeminded works of righteousness. Through repentance, you come into alignment with Christ. Priesthood is a function of righteousness. It is not a magical power or authority gained by ordination, or a priesthood line of authority, or by waving a magic wand. The keys of the priesthood teach us how to become like God. They set the standards for progressive levels of righteousness. Bestowing priesthood keys is a matter of teaching and transmitting truth. In this context, historical and scripture statements found in the histories and scriptures actually make sense. The reality is that anytime you do a good work that Jesus would do, you are acting in the capacity of a priest, or priestess, or priesthood. Priesthood is a function of faith and righteousness. Anyone can exercise the holiness of the priesthood. Anyone can be favored of God through righteousness. Anyone. Making the priesthood a club of exclusivity is not reflective of the priesthood. Nobody owns priesthood; it is God’s; he enables priesthood by inspiring truth and urging us toward acts of goodness. This is the paradigm of the priesthood.