During profit Russell M. Nelson’s recent BYU devotional he gave five “truths”. The third truth was, “God loves every one of us with perfect love”. He says, “Everything He does is motivated by His yearning desire. The entire reason we are on this earth is to qualify to live with Him forever.”

One definition of love is “unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the good of another”. That seems like perfect love, doesn’t it? So if God loves us with perfect love, why then must we qualify to go back to him? Seems a little selfish. It’s almost like the measuring sticks at the entrance of a roller coaster. I love you, but you must have this much love to enter.

Rusty says God already loves us with perfect love. But the whole purpose of our existence is to qualify for more love so that He’ll allow us the great privilege to return to Him? If he already loves us with a perfect love, why did He send us away knowing the vast majority of us wouldn’t make it back to the Celestial Kingdom? The plan of salvation as presented in church seems so simple and makes perfect sense because they tell you how simple and how much sense it makes, and you can’t disagree. It’s given from God, who are we to question it? But if one takes the time to think through the convoluted plan as they’ve outlined, it only makes sense in the framework they present it in. It only makes sense if one can agree this is from God and He must have his reasons for such an elaborate plan that really kicked off when two people in a magic garden were eating fruit naked and talking to snakes.

Now, I’m a father. I understand the argument of giving rules to your kids to protect them. I make rules for my kids for that reason. I don’t want them playing in the streets and talking to strangers for their own safety. And if they keep the rules, they’ll return to me every night. If they don’t, they won’t. I get that. But I’ve only got this current mortal life, and if I lose them, they’re gone. I’m not a god. I can’t create a world and eternal beings to populate it. I can’t resurrect people. If I could do all that, I wouldn’t need to make rules because if my kids did something dumb, I could heal them, resurrect them, transport them, feel no pain, change the chemistry of their brain to want to obey me. I could do anything.

Not being a god, I don’t have “perfect love”. So if my kid really truly messes up, sure it will upset me. Maybe I will feel like not talking to them for awhile, or withholding privileges. If they grow up and hate me and don’t want to talk to me anymore, it will hurt. But could that maybe be a by product of being a fallible human being, incapable of a perfect love and understanding, and an imperfect knowledge of how to raise children? If I was an all-powerful, all-knowing god, I could give my kids agency and still raise them in a way that they could all be successful and live in harmony with me, don’t you think?

According to Mormon scripture, “this life is the time to prepare to meet God”. This life is what determines our eternity. So isn’t it a little strange then, that God supposedly raised us himself, taught us everything we need to know, then wiped our hard drive and sent us essentially to day care. It’s like okay, I could do the perfect, best job of parenting you, but I’m going to let someone else raise you and I hope they do a good job and love you the way I would! Hopefully you make it back to me in the eternities being raised by fallible humans, subject to mental illness, laziness, abuse, neglect, apathy, etc. But once you’re 8 years old you should know better and keep my rules that my babysitter is giving you! But don’t worry, I love you sooooo much, I’ll send prophet’s and apostles to tell both you and your babysitter what you need to do to qualify for eternal life with me. I hope you make it! Good luck!

With such high stakes for salvation, why would God leave it up to fallible humans to raise HIS children to return to HIM? This perfect plan of salvation with perfect love doesn’t make any sense. Unless it’s just a control mechanism.

The plan of salvation is a way to bring order to chaos. These are the rules, follow them or don’t, here is the outcome. Many people need that written down and memorized so that they feel grounded and can focus in their day to day life. Because without a plan mapped out for the foreseeable future and beyond, if this is all chaos and there is no purpose to existence, why bother keep going to a job they hate? Why bother stay married to an abusive or neglectful spouse? Why bother keep living if there isn’t a better afterlife waiting to take away your crippling depression and give you purpose and meaning? Aren’t you glad we have all the answers? By the way, we haven’t received your tithes and offerings for this month. God needs you to give us your money. It’s an eternal law that you should be obedient. If you’re not paying you’ll go to hell, the scriptures say that. Gosh, I love you so much!

But don’t worry! Because another one of Rusty’s truths is PROOF that he loves us with perfect love! That truth is that Jesus loves you so much that he gives prophets and apostles to teach his divine, unalterable, universe governing laws so that you can be obedient and earn your spot in his Celestial Kingdom with him where you can feel his perfect love. But if you don’t, you will be cut off forever from his presence.

Rusty is quite literally saying that he is God’s gift to mankind. So you’re welcome.

God reveals those eternal life saving rules to us through his prophets and apostles, so listen up. They’re God’s rules, got it? Not man’s. You can’t question those rules, though you sometimes might be tempted to. You gotta understand, Rusty’s got your back. Oh, and here’s an example so you know he’s for serious:

Perhaps I can illustrate this through policy adjustments regarding those who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) and their children… Consider the policy announced in November 2015 related to the advisability of baptism for the children of LGBT parents. Our concern then, and one we discussed at length and prayed about fervently over a long period of time, was to find a way to reduce friction between gay or lesbian parents and their children. Because parents are the primary exemplars for their children, we did not want to put young children in the position of having to choose between beliefs and behavior they learned at home and what they were taught at Church. We wanted to facilitate harmony in the home and avoid pitting children and parents against each other. Thus in 2015, the policy was made to assist children and their parents in this circumstance, namely that children being raised by LGBT parents would not automatically be eligible for baptism at age eight. Exceptions to this policy would require First Presidency approval. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve have continued to seek the Lord’s guidance and to plead with Him in behalf of His children who were affected by the 2015 policy. We knew that this policy created concern and confusion for some and heartache for others. That grieved us. Whenever the sons and daughters of God weep—for whatever reasons—we weep. So, our supplications to the Lord continued. We also took note of LGBT parents who sought permission from the First Presidency for their children to be baptized. In nearly every case where the LGBT parents agreed to teach their children about—and be supportive of—the covenant of baptism, the requested exception was granted. As a result of our continued supplication, we recently felt directed to adjust the policy such that the baptism of children of LGBT parents may be authorized by bishops without First Presidency approval, if the custodial parents request the baptism and understand that a child will be taught about sacred covenants to be made at baptism. We also determined that LGBT parents may request that a baby be named and blessed by one who worthily holds the Melchizedek Priesthood. It is important that these parents understand that ward members will contact them periodically, and that when a child who has been blessed reaches eight years of age, local leaders will recommend that the child be baptized. Finally, we also clarified that homosexual immorality would be treated in the eyes of the Church in the same manner as heterosexual immorality. Though it may not have looked this way to some, the 2015 and 2019 policy adjustments on this matter were both motivated by love—the love of our Heavenly Father for His children and the love of the Brethren for those whom we serve. Because we feel the depth of God’s love for His children, we care deeply about every child of God, regardless of age, personal circumstances, gender, sexual orientation, or other unique challenges.

Okay so…God instituted a new policy through his chosen prophets, seers, and revelators. After a few years, it became clear that this policy was not popular, and it upset people. It even upset those who made the policy. They prayed and supplicated the Lord until He reversed (somewhat) the policy (wasn’t reversed as of the publication of the revised May 2019 Handbook 1, so was it really reversed?).

Because the prophet and apostles are more finely attuned to feeling God’s love for his children, they care deeply about every child of God, including the gay ones that are not allowed to be baptized. They feel God’s perfect love for all His children, so it makes even them sad when God’s 2015 policy results in dead gay kids. And nobody likes dead kids. So they convinced God to change his mind because they know He really loves everyone. But not every gay kid is allowed. Only the ones that are presented to them and interrogated, and with their blessing, allowed into God’s kingdom. Oh, and they have to be celibate or get married and make babies with someone they can’t love perfectly. Can’t you see that God’s love and their love is like, totally there?

God allegedly created everything. He created the gay kids just as they are (even the church acknowledges now that being gay is not a choice). Like Rusty says, even they can qualify for enough of his love if they just don’t do any gay stuff, like exist and want to be baptized, or have kids that want to be baptized, or love another person selflessly and be loyal to them. See? He’s motivated by love. All that He does for his kids is through unselfish, benevolent loyalty to his children.

I’m sorry, is that confusing? It’s because He loves them! He wants them to be so happy and return to live with Him because He sent them away to learn from someone else what they need to do to be happy and return to live with Him. He loves them so much, and all He expects is that they do everything the way He wants or they can burn in Hell.

It almost seems like if Rusty says the word “love” enough in a talk, you’ll forget about all the other things he said that don’t seem like love at all. As the quote often misattributed to several different dictators propagandists says, “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.”

In the context of Mormonism, there are eternal laws and if you break them and you don’t grovel before a being who loves you with perfect love and beg and plead the way the church tells you, you will forever be cut off from his presence. Such a heavy hand of justice from someone who loves with perfect love. Where is the benevolence? Where is the loyalty? Where is the selflessness?

Rusty wrote on this topic before in the Ensign in an article titled Divine Love. In that article, he said, “Divine love is perfect and infinite. Their love is divine by definition. Scriptures also describe it as perfect.” He also says, “Divine love is universal. God “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Jesus is the light of the world, giving life and law to all things. “He inviteth … all to come unto him … ; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female.” Wow, that all sounds good, right? So much love, universal meaning for everyone, okay, this is good! But then he says, “Divine love is also conditional. While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional. The word does not appear in the scriptures. On the other hand, many verses affirm that the higher levels of love the Father and the Son feel for each of us—and certain divine blessings stemming from that love—are conditional.“

So what then is Nelson’s idea of “perfect love”? I guess he made it pretty clear that perfect love is “conditional love”. I will love you if…

If you really truly care for someone, you would do anything for them, no matter what. You would put their happiness above your own. So it seems pretty selfish to me that God’s eternal plan has an elite club at the top and he cuts his own children off forever for decisions they made after He pawned them off to be raised by someone else.

Now add in the mix that if you’re gay, you can’t find happiness in companionship with someone you really love or you’ll be kicked out and cut off forever from His perfect love.

He then says that people like me who argue love should be unconditional are Anti-Christs and deceived. Ouch. Well, I guess given all Rusty’s conditions, I shouldn’t expect any love from him. He uses the fallacious argument that the only way to really truly be happy is to be obedient to God. God only loves you if you’re obedient.

If you have to earn or qualify for someone’s love, is it really worth having?

Wouldn’t you rather be loved for who you are, unconditionally?

If that is perfect love, I don’t want or need it in my life.

I say these things for the love of God, amen.

Brother Ghost