“But,” said Lulu, “I know that is the way the Bible tells us we may be saved, and the only way, and I’ll believe the Bible—God’s own word—though every human creature should contradict it.”
“So will I,” Marian said firmly. “I’ll never forget the good teaching of my minister and Sunday-school teacher in old Scotland. Everything they taught they proved by Scripture; and from them I learned that man’s teachings are not worthy of the smallest consideration, if they do not agree with the teachings of God’s word.”
“And I’ve learned the same from papa. How good our Heavenly Father was to give us His holy word, that we might learn from it just what he would have us believe and do! I feel sorry for the poor heathen who haven’t it, and I want to do all I can to send it to them.”
“Have you ever read anything of Scotland’s martyrs, who laid down their lives for the love of Jesus and his word?” asked Marian.
“Yes, indeed; and papa has told me about them; as well as of martyrs who suffered in other parts of the world. How strange it is that men should want to persecute each other so, and pretend they do it to please God, who is so kind and merciful. You know the Bible says he proclaimed himself to Moses:
“‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.’”
“How do you explain that?” asked Marian; “I mean the not clearing the guilty, yet forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin?”
“For Jesus’ sake, you know,” returned Lulu. “Papa explained it to me, saying ‘God’s law does not call him guilty for whom Christ has borne the punishment.’”
“Ah, yes, I see; Christ takes the sinner’s guilt and gives him of his righteousness; and to try to add some of our own is like fastening filthy rags on a beautiful white wedding garment; and what better is it to try to pour some of the sinner’s own polluted blood into that pure fountain opened for sin and uncleanness?”
“Not one bit better, and Mormonism cannot be a true religion; indeed, there can be but one true religion, I know—that which teaches salvation through the blood and righteousness of Christ.”