Joseph Smith wrote a letter to the Saints while in Liberty Jail from which have been derived some sections in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 121-123). In addition to what we find in the D&C, the letter also contained valuable information that was never canonized and therefore, unfamiliar to many saints today. In the letter written between 20 and 25 March 1839 Joseph explains the following:
"If anything should have been suggested by us, or any names mentioned, except by commandment, or thus saith the Lord, we do not consider it binding; therefore our hearts shall not be grieved if different arrangements should be entered into. Nevertheless we would suggest the propriety of being aware of an aspiring spirit...
To Joseph, when a prophet was acting as a prophet he spoke like a prophet. Joseph made many "thus saith the Lord" pronouncements (D&C 56:14; D&C 86:1, 8; D&C 124:1; etc). His direction to the saints was that unless the brethren had put forth a "commandment," or spoken "thus saith the Lord," they could make arrangements to suit their needs and circumstances. They could seek guidance in living their religion according to the dictates of God's Spirit to them and their families. Joseph was incarcerated and not with the saints, yet they wondered at the continued operation of the church and how to conduct themselves. Joseph explained that he did not consider even the leaders' opinions "binding" upon the saints.
In the same letter, Joseph went on to teach that "outward appearance" is not always the best way to judge a man; he must be judged by his words and deeds. For "lips betray the haughty."
He spoke out against the use of flattery:
"Flattery also is a deadly poison. A frank and open rebuke provoketh a good man to emulation; and in the hour of trouble he will be your best friend; but on the other hand, it will draw out all the corruptions of corrupt hearts, and lying and the poison of asps is under their tongues; and they do cause the pure in heart to be cast into prison, because they want them out of their way" (HC 3:295).
Lastly, there is a verse in D&C 121 which was pulled from Joseph's letter that reads as follows:
"God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now" (D&C 121:26).
In the original letter there was a sentence that preceded that verse that helps you understand what is actually required to obtain that unspeakable gift and knowledge. That paragraph of the letter began by saying:
"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, that has not been revealed since the world was until now" (HC 3:296).
Oh, what we miss out on when we fail to consider context.
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The Prophet Abinadi, Part 3
The Prophet Abinadi,
Part 3
Continuing with Mosiah
11:21-25
Abinadi prophesies that Noah and his people will be
destroyed. The Lord will “deliver
them into the hands of their enemies,” and “they shall be brought into
bondage,” and “I will suffer them that they be smitten by their enemies” (vv. 21-24). This was the prophecy given to him of the
Lord to utter. It was easy to be
understood by all who would hear.
Whether or not they understood how it was to be accomplished, Abinadi’s
prophecy made the king and his priests angry precisely because they clearly
understood what the message was.
Prophecy is not always this clear or easy to interpret
before the prophesied event actually occurs, but once the event has happened it
is apparent that it had been foretold by prophecy. There is a reason for this. Despite a perfect knowledge of all that is, was, and ever
will be, the Lord must preserve the agency of man, and not allow prophecy to
control the event (D&C 130:7).
“Therefore, having some difficulty in attaching specific meaning to the
prophecy is exactly in keeping with prophecy's traditional way of communicating
an event” (Snuffer).
When it comes to a message of repentance however, and in
communicating the necessary consequences for rejecting such a message, the Lord,
in mercy, will always be very clear.
The Lord has been clear with us in the last days, just as he
has in the past. The Book of
Mormon has provided us with clear prophecies for our own day. 3 Ne. 16 contains what Hugh Nibley
called the “great warning” and “great prophecy” of the Book of Mormon. The scriptures to which he referred are
rarely considered.
“But wo, saith the
Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles – for notwithstanding they have
come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of
the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been
cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them;
“And thus commandeth
the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against
my gospel, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up
in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the
whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and
of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and
whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things,
and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will
bring the fullness of my gospel from among them” (3 Ne 16:8, 10).
The Lord says that the Father commanded him to say these
things. The prophets prophesy
declaring “thus saith the Lord.”
Here we have the Lord himself prophesying declaring thus “saith the Father.” The prophecy states that “when the
Gentiles shall sin against my gospel”
(you can’t sin against the gospel unless you’ve got the gospel), “and shall
reject the fullness of my gospel,”
the “fullness” will be brought from among them. What does this mean?
Has this prophecy uttered by Christ been fulfilled? If not, will it at some point be
fulfilled? If not, why not? Is it because the Gentiles won’t be
“filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all
manner of hypocrisy,” but with honesty, truth, and virtue? Take a look around.
The prophecy goes on to say:
“But if the Gentiles
will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered
among my people, O house of Israel.
“And I will not suffer
my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread
them down, saith the Father.
“But if they will not
turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer
my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall
tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is
thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot
of my people, O house of Israel” (vv. 13-15).
Whether or not this occurs is dependent upon the willingness
of the Gentiles to “repent and return unto [Christ], saith the Father.” Though the word “if” appears, granting
unto the Gentiles a choice in the matter, Christ goes on to say that it is only
after the house of Israel (the seed of Lehi) has been given “this land for
their inheritance” that the words of the Prophet Isaiah “shall be fulfilled”
(vv. 16-17).
Now back to Abinadi.
There were two major consequences the people would face if they rejected
the message to repent. The first
is what we’ve already covered: they would be brought into bondage and smitten
by their enemies. The other
consequence of their failure to repent is that “when they shall cry unto me I
will be slow to hear their cries,” and “I will not hear their prayers.”
In another place the Lord uses slightly different words to
clarify the same intended consequence of Israel failing to repent:
“And when ye spread
forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many
prayers, I will not hear” (Isa. 1:15).
Many books have been written, and many talks have been given
in an attempt to help us all make some revelatory breakthrough. Too many of us are wondering why we
can’t seem to get an answer from heaven, and think that if we eat more peas and
shave every day it will do the trick.
Good ideas are helpful, especially if based upon formulas given by the
Lord in scripture (you might find a basis for eating peas in D&C 89, for
example. You’ll have a harder time
backing up modern Mormon culture with the scriptures, however). But unless you are willing to consider the
reality of “your minds” being “darkened,” good ideas get you nowhere (D&C84:54). The heavens will remain as
brass over your head.
Are the revelations given to Joseph Smith about “the
children of Zion” being “under condemnation” true (D&C 84:54-58)? That sounds serious. Is it serious? President Benson believed that
revelation applied to the saints in his day. Can you prevail upon God for answers if your mind is
darkened, or if you are under condemnation? Or “when ye spread forth your hands” will he hide his eyes
from you? How might we first
prevail upon God to remove the condemnation? Have you ever asked God if you are really under condemnation? Where much is given much is required
(D&C 82:3).
Why is it our common, shared experience to say our rote and
vain prayers and wonder if revelation is real in our day? To wonder whether visions are real, and
if angels really do visit men and women (Moro. 7:36-37)? Just read early church history for one
week and you’ll decide there’s an appreciable difference in the experiences of
Joseph and his companions and ours today.
It’s a frustrating and inviting experience. It should bother you.
It’s good to let it bother you.
Let it bother you unto repentance and faith in Christ, and not unto
destruction. If these ideas bother
you and cripple your spirituality, then discard them. If these ideas bother you and motivate you to repent and
return to Christ, then know that it is of God.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)