Discovering the Whole Truth

If we think we see the whole truth then we are deceived. God said this through His prophet, Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Line upon line, precept upon precept He will reveal Himself to us. I love this video clip taken from a speech that was given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/discovering-truth

Here is the whole speech by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. I highly recommend it:  https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2013/01/what-is-truth?lang=eng

(“What Is Truth?” [Brigham Young University devotional, Jan. 13, 2013], speeches.byu.edu).

“A Bible, A Bible” or Choosing to Gain Knowledge of Light and Truth

Teachings of Joseph Smith

The gospel of Jesus Christ embraces all truth; the faithful accept the truths God has revealed and put aside false traditions.

“Mormonism is truth; and every man who embraces it feels himself at liberty to embrace every truth: consequently the shackles of superstition, bigotry, ignorance, and priestcraft, fall at once from his neck; and his eyes are opened to see the truth, and truth greatly prevails over priestcraft. …

“… Mormonism is truth, in other words the doctrine of the Latter-day Saints, is truth. … The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion is, that we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation or without being circumscribed or prohibited by the creeds or superstitious notions of men, or by the dominations of one another, when that truth is clearly demonstrated to our minds, and we have the highest degree of evidence of the same.”⁵

In January 1843, Joseph Smith had a conversation with some people who were not members of the Church: “I stated that the most prominent difference in sentiment between the Latter-day Saints and sectarians was, that the latter were all circumscribed by some peculiar creed, which deprived its members the privilege of believing anything not contained therein, whereas the Latter-day Saints … are ready to believe all true principles that exist, as they are made manifest from time to time.”⁶

“I cannot believe in any of the creeds of the different denominations, because they all have some things in them I cannot subscribe to, though all of them have some truth. I want to come up into the presence of God, and learn all things; but the creeds set up stakes [limits], and say, ‘Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further’ [Job 38:11]; which I cannot subscribe to.”⁷

“I say to all those who are disposed to set up stakes for the Almighty, You will come short of the glory of God. To become a joint heir of the heirship of the Son, one must put away all his false traditions.”⁸

“The great thing for us to know is to comprehend what God did institute before the foundation of the world. Who knows it? It is the constitutional disposition of mankind to set up stakes and set bounds to the works and ways of the Almighty. … That which hath been hid from before the foundation of the world is revealed to babes and sucklings in the last days [see D&C 128:18].”⁹

“When men open their lips against [the truth] they do not injure me, but injure themselves. … When things that are of the greatest importance are passed over by weak-minded men without even a thought, I want to see truth in all its bearings and hug it to my bosom. I believe all that God ever revealed, and I never hear of a man being damned for believing too much; but they are damned for unbelief.”¹⁰

“When God offers a blessing or knowledge to a man, and he refuses to receive it, he will be damned. The Israelites prayed that God would speak to Moses and not to them; in consequence of which he cursed them with a carnal law.”¹¹

“I have always had the satisfaction of seeing the truth triumph over error, and darkness give way before light.”¹²

Gaining knowledge of eternal truths is essential to obtaining salvation.

“Knowledge is necessary to life and godliness. Woe unto you priests and divines who preach that knowledge is not necessary unto life and salvation. Take away Apostles, etc., take away knowledge, and you will find yourselves worthy of the damnation of hell. Knowledge is revelation. Hear, all ye brethren, this grand key: knowledge is the power of God unto salvation.”¹³

“Knowledge does away with darkness, suspense and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is. … In knowledge there is power. God has more power than all other beings, because He has greater knowledge; and hence He knows how to subject all other beings to Him. He has power over all.”¹⁴

“As far as we degenerate from God, we descend to the devil and lose knowledge, and without knowledge we cannot be saved, and while our hearts are filled with evil, and we are studying evil, there is no room in our hearts for good, or studying good. Is not God good? Then you be good; if He is faithful, then you be faithful. Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, and seek for every good thing [see 2 Peter 1:5].

“… A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth. Hence it needs revelation to assist us, and give us knowledge of the things of God.”¹⁵

Joseph Smith taught the following in April 1843, later recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 130:18–19: “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.”¹⁶

Joseph Smith taught the following in May 1843, later recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 131:6: “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.”¹⁷

We obtain knowledge of eternal truths through diligent study and prayer.

George A. Smith, while serving in the First Presidency, reported: “Joseph Smith taught that every man and woman should seek the Lord for wisdom, that they might get knowledge from Him who is the fountain of knowledge; and the promises of the gospel, as revealed, were such as to authorize us to believe, that by taking this course we should gain the object of our pursuit.”¹⁸

The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote the following to a man who had recently joined the Church: “You remember the testimony which I bore in the name of the Lord Jesus, concerning the great work which He has brought forth in the last days. You know my manner of communication, how that in weakness and simplicity, I declared to you what the Lord had brought forth by the ministering of His holy angels to me for this generation. I pray that the Lord may enable you to treasure these things in your mind, for I know that His Spirit will bear testimony to all who seek diligently after knowledge from Him.”¹⁹

The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote the following to a man who wanted to learn more about the Church: “Study the Bible, and as many of our books as you can get; pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, have faith in the promises made to the fathers, and your mind will be guided to the truth.”²⁰

“The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, O man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity—thou must commune with God. How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of God, than the vain imaginations of the human heart! …

“… Let honesty, and sobriety, and candor, and solemnity, and virtue, and pureness, and meekness, and simplicity crown our heads in every place; and in fine, become as little children, without malice, guile or hypocrisy. And now, brethren, after your tribulations, if you do these things, and exercise fervent prayer and faith in the sight of God always, He shall give unto you knowledge by His Holy Spirit, yea by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost [see D&C 121:26].”²¹

We gain knowledge of eternal truths a little at a time; we can learn all things as fast as we are able to bear them.

“It is not wisdom that we should have all knowledge at once presented before us; but that we should have a little at a time; then we can comprehend it.”²²

“When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave.”²³

Joseph Smith and his counselors in the First Presidency gave the following instructions to the Saints who were gathering to Nauvoo: “To those who … can assist in this great work, we say, let them come to this place; by so doing they will not only assist in the rolling on of the Kingdom, but be in a situation where they can have the advantages of instruction from the Presidency and other authorities of the Church, and rise higher and higher in the scale of intelligence until they can ‘comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length, and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.’ [Ephesians 3:18–19.]”²⁴

“God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him … from the least to the greatest [see Jeremiah 31:34].”^25. https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-22?lang=eng#note23-

“This is good doctrine. It tastes good. I can taste the principles of eternal life, and so can you. They are given to me by the revelations of Jesus Christ; and I know that when I tell you these words of eternal life as they are given to me, you taste them, and I know that you believe them. You say honey is sweet, and so do I. I can also taste the spirit of eternal life. I know that it is good; and when I tell you of these things which were given me by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you are bound to receive them as sweet, and rejoice more and more.“ https://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/05/the-king-follett-sermon?lang=eng

Does God Change His Mind?

I have turned to the Lord and His word several times in my life when the Lord has revealed to me step “D” and when I take steps “A” and then “B” the revelation changes to go a different route and what I thought was the final destination, “D” never materializes. I have thought that maybe I did something wrong or was unworthy. Yes, that is always true, I am a sinner, but He knew who I was and who I’d be while pursuing the path towards “D”. Did someone else’s agency affect what God was going to have me do? Then I’d ask, “well, if God is omniscient, which He is, then He knows the end from the beginning and someone else’s agency wouldn’t affect a revelation He had given me. But, several times I know He has prompted me to move forward towards “D” only to redirect my path. So, what happened? I have noticed that feeling or knowing “D” helped me take the necessary steps that would help me get somewhere else He wanted me to go or to learn certain lessons to mold me into more and more of His character. “D” moved me from my perch and then once I had moved He could redirect me. The laws of physics would indicate that it’s easier to redirect a moving object than a stationary one. Did the Lord change His mind or did I just not understand the total mind of God when I received the revelation? The answer is clear. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Even though His thoughts and ways are higher than mine, He still speaks according to my language. Nephi said this, “For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding“ (2 Nephi 31:3).

So, this appears to be one answer to the question, “Does God change His mind?” So, the next question is, does my answer above fully work for all the times in our lives the revelation from God seems to change? Experience and scripture have taught me that there is further light and knowledge on this subject that merits more pondering and pleadings to God. Some answers have come.

I think there are some very clear scriptures that give some very interesting insights as to why God might change the course of action from a previous decree from Him. Where it appears He says one thing and then does another. Look at what God decreed to Moses concerning the children of Israel He had freed from bondage in Egypt. 

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people” (Exodus 32:7-14).

Here God was wrath with the people and wanted to consume them (v. 10) but Moses interceded for his people and reminded God of the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. After hearing His servant, Moses, it reads, “the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people” (Exodus 32:14). In the New Testament we learn that the Greek word for repentance is a change of heart or mind...a new perspective. In this experience with Moses and the children of Israel, God changed the manner in which He was going to deal with them. He would extend a grace period to them in which they’d have more time to repent and turn unto Him before deciding to destroy them. The Joseph Smith Transation says this, “And the Lord ​said unto Moses, If they will repent​ of the evil which ​they have done, I will spare them, and turn away my fierce wrath; but, behold, thou shalt execute judgment upon all that will not repent of this evil this day. Therefore, see thou do this thing that I have commanded thee, or I will execute all that which I had​ thought to do unto ​my​ people” (JST Exodus 32:14). It’s clear that He will spare them if they repent. The Lord would change His word that He was going to “consume them.” 

Over and over in scripture the phrase is used that the Lord repented of the evil that He had decreed. The Lord’s character, perfection and attributes don’t change, but what He does changes according to our faith and repentance. Samuel the Lamanite declared what would happen to the people if they didn’t repent. They didn’t repent and many were destroyed. Abinadi told the people if they didn’t repent than they’d be placed in bondage. He is commanded to go back and this time he says if they don’t repent then they’ll be destroyed. The second time Alma repents and so do several others. Limhi’s people eventually repent too. Later, Limhi’s people and Alma’s people are both put in bondage because neither they nor those that followed them repented the first time Abinadi delivered his message from the Lord. Both groups repented after Abinadi’s second message and both were preserved and freed from the bondage justice demanded. But neither group was destroyed because they repented. Some valuable lessons in these principles. 

We need to be careful not to put God in a box. He prompts the fathers of the stripling warriors to bury their weapons of war and then the stripling warriors are miraculously preserved as they take up their weapons of war. He commands us not to kill and then He tells Nephi to kill Laban. Instead of being frustrated with the laws of God, we must learn the laws of God, live them with exactness that we might receive the Holy Ghost. As we become more and more familiar with His voice of revelation, we will be ready to follow every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God. 

President Nelson has encouraged us to come to live by revelation. I believe it is because He knows the way is getting more treacherous and we will not know what to do unless we know how to communicate with Father. He said this, “In a coming day, only those men who have taken their priesthood seriously, by diligently seeking to be taught by the Lord Himself, will be able to bless, guide, protect, strengthen, and heal others. Only a man who has paid the price for priesthood power will be able to bring miracles to those he loves and keep his marriage and family safe, now and throughout eternity” (The Price of Priesthood Power, President Russel M. Nelson, April 2016 General Conference).

He said this in our last general conference. I thought it was incredibly significant that there were several talks about following the prophet and then what did the Lord’s prophet tell us to do...receive personal revelation from the source of light and truth. 

He said, “Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”

You don’t have to wonder about what is true. You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.

I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things--that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”

Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe!” (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, President Russel M. Nelson, April 2018). 

Some would fear that they might get the wrong answer and kill Laban and break a commandment of God when they simply misunderstood the revelation. How do we know we are following revelation from the correct source? President Nelson answered this too, “Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work” (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, President Russel M. Nelson, April 2018). 

As we diligently seek Him, we become familiar with light. Alma taught this, “...whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good...” (Alma 32:35). 

The Lord also shared these pearls, “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.

68 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

69 Remember the great and last promise which I have made unto you; cast away your idle thoughts and your excess of laughter far from you” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:67-69). 

As we seek the Light of the world, we will learn to love light and seek it more and more where we can discern revelations that come from God. Live by faith in Him and all things will work for thy good. I testify that when we go forward with our faith in Him, He opens the way and delivers us. I have seen it in my own life, even though I am imperfect. His grace is real. If we give our hearts to Him, He will honor us. It is vital that we seek to know Him. He will teach us of His ways and lead us to perfect peace, His Son. 

Eternal Life and Exaltation

This is a big topic but I’d like to discuss a piece of it here. I could include many more quotes by the prophets but time constraints allow me to mention only a few.

In Alma 7:11-13 we learn more why the Savior came down to a mortal experience and went through what He did. Before mentioning these verses let us remind ourselves what eternal life is. In John 17:3 we learn that, “this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” So, eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ. That is the great purpose of why we are here. We learn that God’s whole work and glory is to bring about our exaltation or eternal life (Moses 1:39). Since we know this, what can we expect to go through?

Alma 7:11-13 tells us what the Savior went through and why He went through it. Here is what the account says, “11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.”

He had to experience it even through the Spirit could have taught Him how to succor us, He had to go through it in the flesh to really minister to us appropriately.

President Henry B. Eyring interprets these verses in this way too. He said, “My purpose today is to assure you that our Heavenly Father and the Savior live and that They love all humanity. The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of Their infinite love. God gave us the gift of living in mortality so that we could be prepared to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life. Then our spirits will be changed. We will become able to want what God wants, to think as He thinks, and thus be prepared for the trust of an endless posterity to teach and to lead through tests to be raised up to qualify to live forever in eternal life.

It is clear that for us to have that gift and to be given that trust, we must be transformed through making righteous choices where that is hard to do. We are prepared for so great a trust by passing through trying and testing experiences in mortality. That education can come only as we are subject to trials while serving God and others for Him.

In this education we experience misery and happiness, sickness and health, the sadness from sin and the joy of forgiveness. That forgiveness can come only through the infinite Atonement of the Savior, which He worked out through pain we could not bear and which we can only faintly comprehend.

It will comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Savior’s promised relief that He knows, from experience, how to heal and help us. The Book of Mormon gives us the certain assurance of His power to comfort. And faith in that power will give us patience as we pray and work and wait for help. He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but He chose to learn by His own personal experience. Here is the account from Alma...” (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/adversity?lang=eng 

General Conference, April 2009, Adversity).

It now makes perfect sense why we go through similar challenges and experiences as the Savior did. That we might truly come to know Him and thus fulfill the measure of our creation, to become as He is. As we come to know Him, then we can succor those that stand in need of His succor. So, everything that is difficult for us to go through can be explained with a correct understanding of the doctrine of Christ and what eternal life truly is.

When I ask myself, “how can I learn more about the Savior from this experience, then I began to receive real answers about the injustices of life.

Isaiah taught, “3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed“ (Isaiah 53:3-5).

Next time you or I feel hated by men, misunderstood, falsely accused, unjustly treated, or that you are suffering because of the sins of others; look to the example of Jesus Christ and how He handled these same situations. We can learn to handle them as the Savior did and at the same time rejoice that the Lord trusts us enough to allow us to go through these experiences that we might become more like Him and that much closer to eternal life.

I have noticed that if I learn from the experiences the way Christ would have me, that then He sends people to me that are going through similar experiences so that I can turn them to the Savior to learn why they are going through these horrible situations and experiences. The only way to make sense of life is a correct understanding of the purposes of God, to make gods out of us, to help us become as They are.

Joseph Smith explains these principles so well in a funeral sermon, the King Follett discourse. Here is: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/04/the-king-follett-sermon?lang=eng

I know God lives and loves us. He will succor us in our afflictions if we turn to Him. He has all the answers and is the truly the great healer. True doctrine understood changes our attitudes and behavior and our reaction to our trials. We can truly be grateful for the excruciating experiences we are allowed to go through by a loving Father and Mother in heaven. They went through them and now They must allow us to go through them that we might learn through experience and thus become a great benefit to our fellow brothers and sisters.

“One Thing Which is of More Importance Than They All”

I read Alma 7:7 today, “For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all--for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people.”

That is so applicable to today. There is so much we can talk about. Right now the NBA Playoffs are going on. There is much of strife in the world and tragedies and joys all around us, but what is the most important thing we could talk about and point our minds and hearts forward to...the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

We have seen the signs of His coming and those signs continue to manifest themselves. According to our calendars, we are at the end of the sixth seal, we have seen impressive solar eclipses and the blood moon tetrad. Men’s hearts are failing them and the gospel is going to all the world. Marvelous works are being done through the power of the priesthood of God. We are seeing the world powers gather near Armaggedon. The list goes on and on. We are told that signs follow those that believe (Mark 16:17; Mormon 9:24; Ether 4:18; Doctrine and Covenants 58:64, 63:9, 68:10, 84:65). What a wonderful time to be alive and to be believing!!!

These scriptures listed make it clear that signs follow after faith and that we are not to seek signs that we might have faith. That is so key. I’d encourage you to study these verses listed for they shed great light on the signs of the second coming and their purpose. I have seen many who seek for signs before they will act in faith. When things don’t happen according to their timing, then they switch directions and quit preparing for the coming of the Lord because their faith was centered in the signs, not in Christ. I have also seen many who see the signs and continue to live lives of faith and dedication to the Lord. Seeing the signs fulfilled brings them great hope and comfort to patiently move forward with faith in the coming of their Redeemer and King who will make all things right and usher in the peace of the millennium. 

It’s interesting at the time shortly before the signs given by Samuel the Lamanite in the Book of Mormon were to be manifest, the believers were severely persecuted. We are seeing that today. Many have seen the signs but they don’t want to believe that Christ really will come and that we need to repent and be prepared in every way; spiritually, temporally, emotionally and mentally. The prophets have spoken and told us how to be ready for His coming. If we heed their words and the voice of the Spirit and the Lord, Jesus Christ, we will be ready and rejoice in the days ahead. It truly will be great and terrible, great for the righteous and terrible for the wicked. 

Unbelief

I was in Alma 7 this morning. It is one of the most important chapters, in my opinion, in describing what it will take for us to gain eternal life. John 17:3 states that, “this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” So, eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ. Alma 7:11-13 explains that for Jesus Christ to KNOW how to succor His people, He would have to experience all things in the flesh and not just learn them in the spirit. So, if we are to truly come to know God and Jesus then we will have to suffer similar things they did so that we might truly succor others. Succor is to “run to or help.” I’ve noticed in my life, especially while serving as a bishop, that the Lord gave me specific circumstances in my life so I could truly know what others were going through and how to help them. The way to help them always included looking at the Savior’s life and realizing that the unjust experience was helping us know what Jesus truly felt like as He was unjustly treated in His earthly experience. So, if someone truly seeks eternal life, to KNOW God and Jesus, that person can expect to be tried by fire. 

So, I was excited to get to these verses but verse 6 caught my attention. It reads, “But behold, I trust that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I trust that you do not worship idols, but that ye do worship the true and the living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins, with an everlasting faith, which is to come” (Alma 7:6).

The first thing Alma mentions to the people of Gideon is his hope that they are not in a state of “unbelief.” As I’ve pondered and studied over the Book of Mormon, I have come to realize that the “enemies of Christ” that President Benson said the Book of Mormon will help us identify, include two major culprits; pride and unbelief. They go hand in hand. Unbelief can be tricky to identify in ourselves. Sometimes we know we have it but it requires us to let go of our “beliefs” that we might be open to receiving more light and knowledge, truth. 

There are many examples in the scriptures of the children of God growing from one belief to the next. King Limhi was willing to let go of false traditions of his father and people to be open to listening to Ammon preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Saul, became Paul, because he hearkened, listened and obeyed, to the Lord when He told him he was kicking against the pricks and was fighting against the Lord. Saul was deeply committed to what he “believed.” He was even so entrenched in “believing” he saw things clearly in the word of God that he was “unbelieving” to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. He had studied the word of God under Gamaliel. The Bible Dictionary says this of Gamaliel, “A Pharisee, a doctor of the law, held in honor with all the people (Acts 5:34). He was a celebrated Jewish teacher who belonged to the more liberal school. His influence carried great weight in the Sanhedrin (5:35–40). Paul had been one of his pupils (22:3).” 

Nephi “believed” so much in the holy word of God, to not kill, that he struggled with “unbelief” to the promptings of the Holy Ghost to kill Laban. 

These are just a couple examples of conversion. I would suggest that all of us are in a state of “belief” at the very moment we are struggling in a state of “unbelief.” The fact that one isn’t translated, in the presence of Jesus Christ or in the presence of Father, as John 14 explains, denotes that we are “unbelieving.” For if we “believed” then we would be exercising faith and following “every word that proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:44). In light of this conversation listen to this great revelation given to the prophet, Joseph Smith:

43 And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.

44 For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.

47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.

48 And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world.

49 And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.

50 And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.

51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.

52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.

53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received--

55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written--

58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. (Doctrine and Covenants 84:43-58)

The rest of the section is incredible too but this part specifically points out the gravity of the sin of “unbelief.” 

Nephi, a great prophet in the Book of Mormon warns us by saying, “A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible.” (2 Nephi 29:3-14). Just before this chapter in chapter 28, he gives us a marvelous sermon on “unbelief.” The whole chapter must be read and pondered and prayed over. He sums up some of his thoughts at the end by saying, “Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!  For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have” (2 Nephi 28:29-30).

Ether gives an incredible sermon on “belief” versus “unbelief” in Ether 3-4. After describing the Brother of Jared seeing the Lord, he says this, “For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things--it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things” (Ether 3:26). He continues to teach us that if we don’t break the veil of unbelief then we will never receive the blessing of seeing what the Brother of Jared saw. If we do truly believe then we will see the beginning and the end, the Lord and all things (Ether 4). 

Is “unbelief” an enemy to Christ? Is “belief” a friend to Christ? Absolutely! Do we all “believe” something? Yes! Are we all in a state of “unbelief?” I would agree with Ether and all the holy prophets, if we aren’t actively in the presence of deity and being shown all things then there is still some “unbelief” that needs to be rooted out of us. Once we come to this realization, Ether 4 is a good place to begin and then we eventually see how all the scriptures are trying to teach us to break the veil of “unbelief” and truly come unto Christ and be perfected in Him. What a great challenge and opportunity!

It’s easy to see “belief” and “unbelief” in others but harder to see in ourselves. In our family scripture study this morning (I had to leave this entry for a moment to do with them) we read, “Behold, we are not of your faith; we do not ‘believe’ that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we ‘believe’ that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you” (Alma 44:9). So interesting. We all believe and we all have unbelief. The Book of Mormon teaches us to break away from false traditions and false beliefs and embrace the truth that God and Jesus Christ are waiting to give us. That we might fully embrace the full gospel of Jesus Christ, to come unto Him and be perfected in Him, is my humble prayer for me and all of you, I so invite in the holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Thoughts on Revelation...How we know if Revelation is from Jesus Christ

Alma 6:8 was interesting to me this morning. Alma taught the word of God to the people in Gideon and this is what and how he taught, he declared the “word of God unto the church which was established in the valley of Gideon, according to the revelation of the truth of the word which had been spoken by his fathers, and according to the spirit of prophecy which was in him, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who should come to redeem his people from their sins, and the holy order by which he was called.” 

There is a lot of meat in there. He taught the word of God, “according to the revelation of the truth of the word which had been spoken by his fathers...”. “The revelation of the truth of the word,” indicates to me that only those words others have spoken that the Spirit of revelation dictated were true. We are entitled to know “by the power of the Holy Ghost...the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5). That same spirit is what settled upon him as he taught by the spirit of prophecy. He had this because of the testimony he had of Jesus Christ. Wow! That is so powerful!

In our family scripture study we were in Alma 44. We read the first 6 verses. It was powerful to me to identify the enemies of Christ, that President Benson taught are revealed to us in the Book of Mormon. The enemy described here is one that seeks for power over others to bring them into bondage. Bondage is being forced to do what others ask you to do. Moroni was the opposite. He sought for power to ensure that he and his people could exercise their liberty to choose and worship and live their religion as they saw fit. We must measure everything we do and our interactions with others in that light. Even if we want others to keep their faith we must never use a position of power to force someone to use their agency to live their religion the way we feel is best. At that point we have crossed the line and are then using the means of the evil one, seeking for power to bring someone into bondage and to force them to follow the dictates of our conscience instead of theirs.