Joseph Smith Jr. taught, “… 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. …” (Teachings, of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 149).
Also: “It is the privilege of every Elder to speak of the things of God; and could we all come together with one heart and one mind in perfect faith the veil might as well be rent today as next week, or any other time. …” (TPJS, p. 9).
Quoted here as found in, (Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign June 1971, “The Lord’s People Receive Revelation”).
These teachings along with Doctrine and Covenants 93:1, the Lectures on Faith and the King Follet Discourse by Joseph Smith are portions of the gospel of Jesus Christ that opened my mind and heart to believing in the gifts and blessings God desired to give me and all of us.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). As we hear the word of God it resonates with our Spirit and opens our minds and hearts to believing and thus in a state of belief we go on to acting in order to receive. Just as explained in Alma 32. We have to keep teaching and searching out true doctrine or we and the hearer are famished for the word and belief is diminished or altogether lost. Where there is no belief there is no faith. Thus, we are damned in our progress and the purpose of our creation is lost.
We must teach the simple, pure doctrine of Christ. We must follow Him and do the works He has done that we might come to know Him.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). In other words, eternal life is knowing Him.
“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). God’s whole purpose is to create an experience for us that we might come to know Him.
“Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.
7 And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be” (2 Nephi 32:6-7).
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen” (Moroni 7:48).
Jesus “suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by His people” (Mosiah 15:5). Why? Because He taught the truth and did those things His Father asked Him to do. And why was He willing to teach truth and do what His Father asked of Him? Because of love.
True disciples of Christ will teach truth and do those things their Father asks them to do. They will suffer themselves to be mocked, scourged, cast out and disowned by their people. All this because of love. The same motivation our Lord had. In the process we will come to know Him and thus receive eternal life.
May we have the faith to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.
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