Modern professed Christians have repeated the mistake of the Jews: they assume that their religious affiliation will cause God to pour out his blessings upon them, even when they often and knowingly rebel against him:
6 ...For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
27 ...Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles...have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel...hath not attained to the law of righteousness. (Romans 9)
During his ministry, the Lord corrected this belief by saying:
...That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)
We do not need to wonder what the Lord would say of his modern feigned followers. Predicting this situation, he said of these:
13 ...Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? (Isaiah 29)
That “marvelous work and wonder,” among other things, is the public proclamation that one’s allegiance to God is measured by one’s outward alignment with what they inwardly believe is right, not outward alignment with traditions taught by the leaders of organized religions—men who neither know nor follow Jesus Christ and who actively teach their congregants to disobey him.
Hearken, O ye people who profess my name, saith the Lord your God; for behold, mine anger is kindled against the rebellious, and they shall know mine arm and mine indignation, in the day of visitation and of wrath upon the nations. (D&C 56:1)
Modern Christians would do well to consider the following parable taught by Jesus:
28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. (Matthew 21)
A disciple of Jesus Christ is known not by his vernacular, his church attendance, or his practice of church traditions, rituals, or rites. A disciple of Christ is one who acts, desires, and thinks like Jesus.