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Steven Covey: Mormon Devil

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IF you have this man’s books, you must repent of the spiritual adultery of seeking wisdom outside of the LORD and burn them at once or devils will have access to you and your family and home. See Devil’s and Inanimate Objects

What Does Motivational Teacher Stephen Covey Really Believe?

Dr. Michael H. Reynolds

PROVO, UT—Stephen Covey is a world renowned teacher, motivational leader and time management consultant. He, his Covey Leadership Seminars, books and other materials are sought after by Christian denominations, churches, businesses, schools, universities and seminaries. Many defend him strongly while others are wary of this member of the LDS church from Utah who has served his church as a missionary, bishop, mission president, and regional representative of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles along with his duties as a professor at the J.W. Marriott school of business at BYU.

In his best selling book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Covey says: “To the degree which we align ourselves with correct principles, divine endowments will be released within our nature enabling us to fulfill the measure of our creation.” What are these principles and endowments that Mr. Covey speaks of? What does he really believe about God, Jesus, the trinity, salvation by grace and other essential Christian doctrines?

Let us take a few moments and ask him by using The Divine Center, a book written by Covey which states in clear terms just what he believes. It was first published in 1988 by Bookcraft, an unofficial Mormon publishing house. In interview format we will ask him just what Stephen Covey believes and let him give the answers. The page numbers that follow are from the book The Divine Center.

*Mr. Covey, you are a world renowned author and speaker and many people from many different walks of life look to you for advice and help. What do you see as your main purpose in writing and speaking?

“For many years I have felt and seen the need for an organizing principle in life, a principle that would enable us to get a handle on things . . . My central purpose is to invite readers to examine their faith and lives from a fresh perspective or angle and consequently deepen their commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (p. IX)

*That certainly sounds good, except that most historical Christians would speak of deepening their commitment to the person of Jesus. Who do you see Jesus to be?

In quoting Apostle Bruce R. McConkie Mr. Covey said, @”Our relationship with the Son is one of brother or sister in the pre-mortal life…”(p. 72)

*What kind of relationship do you think people should have with Jesus?

“I am not indicating any kind of `special’ relationship with him or any other approach that scriptures and modern day prophets would not clearly sanction.”(p.67-68)

*How do you view the relationship between the centrality of Christ in a person’s life and the concept of grace?

“Rather naturally we associate that emphasis with such false concepts as easy salvation by grace alone….We should not allow apostate doctrines and interpretations to preempt in any degree the unquestioned centrality of the Savior to the true gospel we enjoy and to our individual lives.” (p. 68)

*Mr. Covey, I am sure that we would both agree that the church is very important in the life of a Christian. What do you see as the purpose of the church?

The purpose of the Church is to help save all of the living and the dead. To do this it has three essential missions: to preach the gospel to those who have not received it; to perfect the Saints, or those who have received it; and to redeem the dead. (p. 51)

*One of the essential doctrines of historical Christianity is the doctrine of the trinity. What do you think of this doctrine and what do you think it does?

“One of the great behavioral consequences of the apostate doctrine of the Trinity, in which God manifests himself in different ways, is to lead people to believe that we are a creation of God rather than his literal offspring.” (p.82)

*Well, that is not exactly what the Christian doctrine of the trinity is. But for the time being we’ll let that slide. It does bring to mind another point. What do you think of the doctrine of God?

“…Elder Lorenzo Snow (a former prophet of the LDS Church) summarized in his couplet: `As man now is, God once was; As God is, man may become.” (p.81).

*Mr. Covey, how do you think that you can convey your concepts and the LDS gospel to non-Mormons?

“I have found in speaking to various non-LDS groups in different cultures that we can teach and testify of many gospel principles if we are careful in selecting words which carry our meaning but come from their experience and frame of mind.” (p.240)

ConclusionThe Divine Center was obviously written for a Mormon audience and as such we can get to know the real Stephen Covey. Nothing is hidden behind vague statements about God, the scriptures or words like principles and endowments. In the pages of this book Mr. Covey states that the doctrine of the trinity is apostate, denies the concept of salvation by grace alone, gives a completely heretical view of God and offers a purpose for the church that no historical/biblical Christian would ever recognize. The Divine Center shows that not only is Stephen Covey a member of the LDS church, but his own beliefs which form the basis of his principles in all of his other books are clearly and directly opposed to evangelical Christian doctrine. Devil’s and Inanimate Objects

The Joy of the Bible [podcast]

Articles

The Only Way Up is Down [podcast]

Chapter 8 from the book Raised Up (narration)

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

The Down and Up Principle of God’s Kingdom

“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root DOWNWARD, and bear fruit UPWARD.” Isaiah 37:31

The Scriptures follow a pattern of death and resurrection, a downward death and upward life. See if you can observe such a truth in the following verses:

“The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth UP all those that be bowed DOWN.” Psalms 145:14

Do you possess the blessed desire to be raised up by the Almighty? According to His divine wisdom given us in His precious Precepts, in order to be “raised up” we must first be “bowed down.” The LORD will not raise up any person who is still alive in his own power – He only raises up “those that be bowed down” in sincere humility before His majesty (Ps. 145:14; Jn. 12:23-25; Rom. 8:11).

“Those that be bowed down” will “take root downward” and be raised up in blessed fruitfulness (Isa. 37:31).

In order to “bear fruit upward,” one must first be planted in the house (kingdom) of the LORD and “take root downward” in the rich soil of His truth. The resurrection life of Jesus and ample fruitfulness will be the result.

Going deeper in God necessitates going down deeper into death and burial with Christ! Read Romans 6. There are no shortcuts (Galatians 5:24). Christ’s kingdom is a cross economy – one of utter humility and death to self that He might reign (John 12:23-25; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).

“And whosoever shall exalt himself (upward) shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

“He must INCREASE, but I must DECREASE.” John 3:30

“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat FALL INTO THE GROUND (downward) and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (upward). He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life (downward) in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (upward).” John 12:23-25

“Humble yourselves (downward heart posture) in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10

The life of Christ will raise a man upward and this is after that man bows down his life or humbles himself under the mighty hand of God – first at initial salvation then in the consecrated life that brings God glory. Blessed resurrection life is the upward result of the life planted downward and this is the place from which ministry springs. Look at what the apostle Paul wrote in this regard:

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12

Jesus declared to us that He came to make captives free from sin and Satan – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:31-32, 36).There is chain-shattering, freeing power (liberty) in the redeeming blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Ghost (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:36; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 12:11). The divine promise is that when one bows down before the LORD, every yoke shall be broken by Him who is above all (Isa. 58). No stronghold or bond of Satan has power when Christ’s blood is applied in sincere repentance and by the power of the Holy Ghost! The saint who is raised up after being bowed down, will glorify God in rich fruitfulness being “changed into the same image (Christ’s) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

It is the divine Person of the Holy Ghost who raised up the LORD who was bowed down before His Father in death in order to purchase His Church with His own sinless blood (Acts 20:28). In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit with His resurrection power who raises up those who be bowed down before His throne of grace.

“And he (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God… And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.” Luke 13:10-13, 16-17

There can be no resurrection until there is first a death. A seed is dead or dormant then is planted and then germinates and brings forth bud, then a stalk and ultimately fruit – but first it must be buried downward in order to bear life-giving fruit upward. The life buried with Christ will be lifted up by divine power and bear much fruit to God’s glory (Jn. 15:8).

“But if the Spirit of him that raised UP Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised UP Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive upward) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11

Our LORD had to first die and be buried “downward” in order to be raised “upward” by the Father in resurrection life to raise up and justify all those who would call upon Him in repentance (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 10:13). In order for fruit to be borne “upward,” the disciple must first be planted “downward” in “the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Isa. 37:31; Phil. 3:10).

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Romans 6:3-5

“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12

He created man with a choice (Josh. 24:15). In the end there will be “the resurrection of life” and also “the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28-29). Each of us will be in one of these resurrections – either everlasting life or eternal death (conscience separation from God in hell). The entrance into Heaven or termination into hell will hinge upon whom we served – God or self (Rom. 6:16).

Real promotion comes only from the Giver and Sustainer of all life – from the north (Heaven).

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalms 75:6-7

That person who freely chooses to believe God, taking Christ at His Word, bowing under His infinite Majestic glory, will be raised up both now and forever and eternally glorified with the Alpha and Omega (Phil. 2:5-11; 2 Thess. 2:13-14).

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” Psalms 92:12-14

PRAYER: Please draw me deeper into You LORD Jesus. Father in Heaven, You sent Your only begotten Son to die for me in order that I might be raised up in new life in this brief life and eternally. I love You Jesus and ask You to lead me to that crucified life that you lived when here on earth and as You gave Your life blood on the cross to save Your people. Please quicken me by Your Holy Spirit and fill me afresh O LORD, that this life You gave might be fully one with You and fruitful and pleasing to Thee. Lord, I am watching and praying in light of Your soon return. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

If you truly desire to know more about how to really know the LORD, go here okay: Born Again: What is It?

Sign up for free email devotional HERE… The Moments with My Master email devotional is sent out for the edification of the body of Christ.

PEACE with GOD

Feedback:

“Awesome message. Thank you for sharing it. I would like to encourage everyone to read this and to look at the scriptures in their own Bibles! Wonderful message.” Linda C.

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