"This Is Not My Doctrine"

There is only one place in all of scripture (that I am aware of) where the Lord specifically states that something is not His doctrine. Right after baptism is explained in detail in 3 Nephi 11, the Lord says:

28 And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.

29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

30 Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.

The Doctrine of Christ specifically forbids disputations, contentions, and anger. When those things are present in a religious message given to you (actually present and not just perceived to be present), you can know with a surety that it is not a message given by God and you may safely ignore it. If you ever give a religious message and you are disputing or contending with others (actually disputing or contending and not just perceived to be doing so), you can know with a surety that you are not aligned with the Doctrine of Christ.

Throughout history, there have been times when a message from God may have looked like those very things that the Lord forbids. It is a difficult thing for some people to hear the truth. It can seem downright mean! How can you tell the difference between the actual presence of disputations, contention, and anger on one hand and the perception of those things on the other hand? How can a messenger of the Lord condemn false religious notions without disputing? How can a righteous person spread the Gospel without contending against those that would abuse the word of God for their own wicked purposes?

Here is the key: There should be no disputations “among you”. There should be no contention “one against another”. Those who preach the Gospel have no need to dispute or contend with those who lack the Gospel because, if it has to be done at all, the Lord will do it for them. If anyone is qualified to dispute and contend, it can only be Him. You and I are not qualified. The Lord said, “this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.” The doctrine of Christ is meant to resolve all of these things. Therefore, it is your responsibility to point people to the doctrine and then those that will hear it will hear, and those that will contend against it may do so.

Regarding contention, Isaiah 49:25 says, “But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” Ether 4:8 says, “And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh.” The Lord takes care of everything, including any contention (as we may perceive it) that might be necessary. In most cases the only consequence for those that contend with the Lord is the inability to learn more (which is a big deal).

Related to disputations, D&C 50:10-12 says, “And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand; Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face. Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand.” There is no reason to dispute with those that do not understand the Gospel because the Lord will take care of it with His own reasoning (reasoning is related to disputations).

How do you point people towards the Lord so that you can avoid contentions and disputations? One of the primary reasons God has provided you with His holy word in scriptures is so that you may point people in the right direction so that they may know the doctrine. D&C 11:21 says, “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.” True prophets teach out of the scriptures. Angels teach out of the scriptures. Even the Lord Himself teaches out of the scriptures. God’s word, not your own word, is what convinces men.

Mosiah 1:5 says, “I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things [the plates of brass], which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.” Keeping the commandments of God requires a foundation in the word of God as found in the scriptures. The traditions and words of men, no matter how prized, only lead to unbelief.

Cease your contentions, your disputations, and your anger. When men are unconvinced by a message from the Lord, let them take it up with Him, according to His doctrine. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”.