While driving today I saw a billboard with the message “sinners welcome” on it. It was from a church (not mine) in an area where my church is the main religion.
The implication seemed to be “sinners are welcome here, but not at other churches.” (At the very least this seems disingenuous.)
But it also got me thinking about being welcome and other minutiae of language and doctrine.
Another between the lines message seemed to be that “sinners are unlikely to ever be anything else, so come on down.” This message essentially denies the need for Christ, and creates a “safe space” type of church, essentially communicating: ” we don’t have the power or the will to improve you, so come be mediocre with us.”
Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation
Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith 6:7
It’s worth noting (and accepting as fact) “For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (DC 1:31).
A perfect God cannot have imperfection dwell in his presence. This is clearly different from where and how you choose to worship, but you should choose to worship in a way that bridges the difference (invites you as a sinner to come and by participating in worship eventually makes you worthy of the presence of God.
(Isaiah 1:18, the story of Naaman’s seven washings come to mind)
It isn’t enough to go where you are welcome as a sinner, you must go where the entire intent of the process is to refine you as Malachi suggests in Malachi 31-4.