Don't be frightened, dear Blog reader, this isn't a proselytizing entry. Just some thoughts from my personal Bible study. I hope you can relate, or at least get into it for what it's worth. so, here goes. let's start with a quote, shall we?
"In good speaking should not the mind of the speaker know the truth of the matter
about which he is to speak?"
Plato Phaedrus
And some more words of wisdom:
"Today the admonition is relevant: Choose this day whom ye will serve. Either in
religion we serve a belief that encourages man's growth or we serve a belief that
keeps him immature. The two beliefs are basically and forever incompatible."
The Mature Mind, by H.A. Overstreet,Copyright 1949 W.W. Norton & Company Inc.
"First, our faith is pledged to one living and true God, this God being indescribable, unchangeable, incomprehensible,and, of course,unnameable. But yet in our daily communications with, and our applications to him, he has given us his name,or his several names, according to his relations to us, and they are found no where, only in in his ark of his holy temple-there where he presents himself to us his strengh and power. He calls himself Eloi,which means Almighty In Strengh, that he can do what he will without effort; that he does the greatest thing as easy as he does the least. This makes him different from all beings. In is holy ark he records himself Elaah-existence without beginning, and no contingency as to his end. Again he records himself Hhelejon-unchangeable; that is nothing but his own will can change him. Again he records his name Jah- knowledge that comprehends without being comprehended. Again he is written Adonai-full and free, and freely full. Combining the several names we have Jehovah-the Hebrew God."
From "Report of Caiaphas to the Sanhedrin Concerning the execution of Jesus" , found in the "Records of Jerusalem Sanhedrin",by Eliezer Hyran,B24.Taken in Constantinople,Oct.16.1883 as published in "The Arcko Volume or The Archaeological Writings of the Sanhedrin and Talmuds of the Jews" Copyright 1975 by Keats Publishing Inc.
Now we know that God told Moses that he had appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai-God Almighty, but he didn't reveal the fullness of his name Yahweh.Exodus 6:3
By the way, Jehovah is the rendering of the Tetragrammaton:the vowels of God's personal name Y-H-W-H with the vowels of Adonai. YAHOWAH It is rendered Jehovah in English King James. In most English Bibles God's personal name is translated as "the LORD"
"Hear O Israel,the LORD thy God is One God"
The First of the Ten Commandments says we are to have no other Gods besides him. Worship God and him only shall ye worship. If I should propound that we shouldn't put the emphasis on Jesus so much as we should Heavenly Father, I am not discounting the Savior. Of course not. My premise is that the word "God" refers to Deity; the CENTRAL and SOLE object of worship, prayer, and pondering. Some in the Church may say,"Oh NO Margarito, you have to worship God, i.e. Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus. 2 gods, Get it?" But then in Socratic fashion my next question would must be,"Well then what about the Holy Ghost? Isn't he god too? So we have 3 gods? How do we worship him? We don't pray to him do we? We pray to heavenly Father. We pray to "God", don't we?"
Well what am I to do with this? Remember how the Ethiopian in the New Testament was reading scripture but didn't know what it meant? One of the Apostles was carried away in the Spirit to teach that Ethiopian and once he had heard the truth he wanted to be baptized on the spot!
" God may reveal Himself to us alone. In thought, in word, in deed, undone or done. And while no school may hear of us, we hear their cry:' I am Saved, I am Saved!'
-Oh simpleton!"
Omar Khayyam, in his Rubaiyat, With A true History, Life, and Biography of the Persian Poet, and Astronomer and Statesman, by Otoman Zar-Adust K.Ka'nish. Copyright 1924 by Mazdaznan Press.
Romans 11:33,"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out."
So here I am. I have all this great information and it's just swell but I don't know Jesus. And I really want to know Jesus. Man, I've seen Passion of The Christ, Jesus Christ Super Star, but I yearn for deeper knowledge. I want to get heavy into the lord. So,suppose a Jesus Freak comes along and asks,"Man,do you know Jesus? If you don't you're going to hell for all time. You've got to know Jesus! Later will be too late. You have to know NOW!"
"Well what do I do?" I ask.
"All you have to do is ask Jesus to save you. If you do this in faith you'll be born again and you won't have to worry about anything. Just pray to Jesus. It's all about Jesus baby.Here take this."
And he hands me a copy of "Living Gospels, The Paraphrased Gospels and The Book of Acts" Special Edition For The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.Copyright by Tyndale House Publishers 1966. .He tells me not to worry.It's written in simple language so anybody can understand.Besides all I have to do is ask and God will reveal it to me.He tells me to start with the book of John. So I do. I read John1:1 which is rendered,"Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been with God. He has always been alive and is Himself God."
So Christ was before anything else! BEFORE ANYTHING! And Christ IS God! WOW Jesus Christ is God! Heavy! I'm saved! I'm saved! Thank you Jesus! And so Jesus becomes "the vocal point" of my faith. Later on down the road I discover that Christ isn't Jesus last name but is a title meaning Messiah. I think,Gee I didn't know that. What else don't I know about my Savior?
From the Greek, Editorial Interlineation.Copyright Samuel Bagster and Sons,Ltd 1958,2ND Zondervan Printing 1976: Romans 10:17,"Then who believe the hearing of us? Then faith is from hearing, and the hearing through a word of Christ."
Now, suppose I have a testimony as a member of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints? I have been taught by proper Authorities and Baptized, Confirmed, Keep my Covenants and have the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then things are are horse of another color.
"The Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith."D&C 42:12
I hear someone asking,well, Man of God, "Where does one go to learn more truth?...Did not Elder McConkie....say that such doctrine would come directly from God, not from man?...Did he[Joseph Smith] not seek truth anywhere it might be found? Ultimately your salvation is between you and your lord."
My first response is what more truth do you want?
By the Spirit ye shall know the truth of all things.
Of course truth comes from God not from man. But when the Prophet receives God's revelation he is not revealing his truth. He is speaking the word of God because the Spirit of God is in him.
Gnostics believed that they could find truth within them selves. That they didn't need to hear the word of god.That the truth of god was in them and through their own struggles/personal quests they could come to know "truth".
While it is true God blessed us with truth and knowledge before our premortal birth,it is the Holy Ghost that quickeneth the Spirit of truth in us.Or makes us alive to the truth.If we keep our covenants God promises the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Christ's promise is,"When He, the Spirit of truth,is come,He will guide you into all truth.(John 16:13,14)
As far as Joesph Smith seeking truth anywhere he could find it. No. I don't believe so.Even as a young teenager Smith sought wisdom/truth from above.He never ceased seeking truth from one source and one source only,even Almighty God the Father.
But I am sure critics and detractors don't mean to contend that vision quests,spiritualism/channeling,divination,Ouija boards,chanting,yoga exercises,philosophy,metaphysics/any occult or hidden doctrine,mystery school ritual,positive thinking/dianetics;ect. or any type of human intuitive knowing(gnosticism again) is better than or more profitable than or even comparable to praying, pondering,and obeying the scriptures. Why would they, or anyone contend such a thing? I mean why would a person even consider going to outside sources for the truth of things when we have the greatest knowledge ever revealed to mankind,The Restored Gospel Of Jesus Christ?Is there any other higher truth than that?
God gives his children free agency. I am free to choose.In this sense the issue is between God and me but Salvation is Universal.
We are to study to show ourselves approved of God.
Say I'd like to study John 1:1. I pray first for the Holy Ghost to enlighten my mind. In Jesus name I pray. By the power of the Holy Ghost I pray.
I begin with reference material,namely the King James Bible.I see that the word Christ in the Paraphrase is literally"The Word".In the beginning was The Word.Hmmm,that still doesn't help me. Who is The Word?
References from "Aid To Bible Understanding" Compiled by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society,Brooklyn,N.Y. : "In the Christian Greek Scriptures,The Word(Greek "ho Logos")...The Authorized Version and the Douay Rhiems Version read : In the beginning was the word,and the word was with God,and the word was God....Greek translation in the Empatic Dialott reads : In the beginning was the word and the word was with God,and a god was the word....In the beginning was the LOGOS and the LOGOS was God.
From Grolier Online Multimedia Encyclopedia : ...Logos (from the Greek verb lego,"to say")..Heraclitus was the earliest Greek thinker to make logos a central concept. he urges that attention be paid to the logos,which "governs all things" and yet is something people "encounter every day"...In the 3rd century BC Stoics borrowed the idea of logos from Heraclitus (neither Plato nor Aristotle had given the term prominence) and used it for the immanent ordering principle of the universe-represented, at the level of language, by humankind's ordered discourse...Nature and logos are often treated as one and the same...Humans are urged to"live consistently with logos"....In the New Testament John gives a central place to logos;the biblical author describes logos as God,the creative Word,who took on flesh in the man Jesus Christ. Many have traced John's conception to Greek origin's-perhaps trough the intermediacy of eclectic texts like the writings of Philo of Alexandria. More recently,however,scholars have emphasized that the Old Testament contains a doctrine of the Word of God,and in Aramaic paraphrases the"Word of God"takes on some of the functions of God. Later Christian thinkers clearly incorporated the Stoic logos doctrine;logos was associated particularly with Christ and later,in Arianism,no longer identified with God.
Martha C Nussbaum
Copyright2000 Scholastic Library Publishing,Inc.
By the way I learned an interesting bit of knowledge about the phrase,"In the beginning", from a book titled "Fascinating Bible Facts, People, Places,& Events",Compiled by a David M Howard Jr. Associate Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.And by a Gary M. Burge,Associate professor in the Department of Biblical and Theological Studies at North Park College,Chicago.
Copyright1992 Publications International,Ltd Lincolnwood,Illinios.
They write,"In the Hebrew Bible Rabbis interpreted some words standing for entire phrases. They taught that each letter of certain words represented a word from the bible. For example the first letter in the bible,Br'shyt, was said to represent several phrases one of which was,"in the beginning God saw that Israel would accept the Torah."
Well now,that's a dandy piece of information. I'm glad I know that about the Hebrew Rabbis rendering of "in the beginning".I guess. I mean who knew anyway? But I don't know if this little tid bit is tantamount to Divine Knowledge essential to salvation and exaltation. Personally it doesn't speak to me that way.I can take it or leave it.. No doubt some one will disagree with my feelings but they are just that,my feelings. If this bit of info. helps some one else grow spiritually more power to them. I'm happy for them. But as I say for me it just doesn't lend any understanding to my mind of the meaning/truth found in John 1:1.
That Jesus had a premortal existence.That he was one with the Father.For the higher truths and all it implies I must need go to the Prophets.For without the Prophet,Apostles,70's,Teachers of God's Church I am lost in a sea of disconnected data with no central processing unit. It just doesn't work.
Returning to John 1:1
.
Now from Matthew Henry's Commentary In One Volume,Copyright 1960 by Marshall,Morgan,&Scott,Ltd : "The evangelist(John)here lays down the great truth he is to prove,that Jesus Christ is God,one with the Father...His existence in the beginning was The Word. This bespeaks his existence, not only before his incarnation,but before all time, The world was from the beginning,but the word was in the beginning. The Word had a being before the world had a beginning. He that was in the beginning never began,and therefore was ever."
At this point I'd like to pose a question to "those who have hears to hear",is this a true interpretation of the scripture? That the person Jesus had no beginning? That he ever was? What do you think? What does the church teach? And lastly whom will you believe?
1 Corinthians 2:11,10 "The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God;".."for the Spirit of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God,".."for the Spirit searcheth all the things, yea, the deep things of God."
In a letter to Nancy Rigdon, dated 1842, the prophet Joseph Smith wrote, "Be wise to-day 'tis madness to defer.
Next day the fatal precedent may plead;
Thus on till wisdom is pushed out of time
Into eternity. Our heavenly father is more liberal in his views, and boundless in his mercies and blessings than we are ready to believe, and at the same time is as terrible to the workers of iniquity, more awful in the executions of his punishments, and more ready to detect every false way than we are apt to suppose him to be. He will be inquired of by his children-he says ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, but if ye will take that which is not your own, or which I have not given you, you shall be rewarded according to your deeds, but no good thing will I with hold from those who walk uprightly before me, and do my will in all things, who will listen to my voice, and to the voice of my servant whom I have sent, for I delight in those who seek diligently to know my precepts, and abide by the laws of my kingdom, for all things shall be made known unto them in mine own good time, and in the end they shall have joy." (from "Personal Writings of Joseph Smith" Copyright Desert Book Company 2002)
Also in this excerpt from a Revelation given Pres. Woodruff,"Let my servants call upon the lord in nightly prayer, retain the Holy Ghost as your constant companion, and act as you are moved upon by that spirit, and all will be well with you."(from "Waiting For World's End" The Dairies of Wilford Woodruff, Copyright Signature Books, Salt Lake City 1993)
To have a testimony means to be aware that God has borne witness within ones soul by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ.
The following is an excerpt from: The Father and The Son: A Doctrinal Exposition By The First Presidency And The 12 Apostles, The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, 1916. "The 1st principle is Faith in Jesus Christ .....That by obedience to the Gospel men may become sons of God, both as sons of Jesus Christ and, through Him ,as sons of His Father is set forth in many revelations given in the current dispensation. Thus we read in an utterance of the Lord Jesus Christ to Hyrum Smith in 1829:" Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I am the life and light of the world. I am the same who came into the world. I am the same who came unto mine own and mine own received me not; but verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as received me, to those will I give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on my name.Amen"
Now, I realize that some may retort that it is a "Great thing to keep your baptismal covenants....But ( it ) doesn't stop there...We are to actively seek....and on our own....to grow spiritually and have further light."
My answer would be, that I would reckon it's a "great thing" to keep our baptismal covenants! It's the "...and on our own." part that concerns me.
Moroni 6:4 " And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the Church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer,relying upon the merits of Christ,who was the author and the finisher of their faith."
2 Nephi 31:19 " And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotton into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits off him who is mighty to save."
Are we dear reader, admonished to grow spiritually and have further light on our own? I must say that I don't know anywhere else to go for further light that would shine brighter than the one who is the light!
Still others will say, "We are to actively seek and study and pray."
That is correct, I think. My only concern is where you are seeking and searching. What are you studying and to whom are you praying?
Some might assert that we are to test all things by the spirit of God, even the words of the Prophets...what, they will ask, do you do when the scriptures contradict the general Authorities?
This is a very revealing question . It shows a lack of faith. Without which it is impossible to please God.
Maybe I should ask you to explain when the General Authorities have ever not lined up with scripture? When was it that the Church ever contradicted scripture? Why would you contend such a thing?
Oh ye of little faith, who taught you to doubt? Who caused you to lose your faith? Who sowed disbelief in your mind? Don't you know that Jesus Christ himself established his Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it?
Only believe,and doubt not, dear seeker after Truth.
Another might ask," Show me in the scriptures where the Lord tells us to follow the prophet?"
Alright, here goes. It's right here in D&C 21:1,4,5 "Behold, there shall be a record kept among you; and in it thou shalt be called a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church through the will of God the Father, and the grace your Lord Jesus Christ....Wherefore,meaning the Church,thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he reciveth them,walking in all holiness before me;For his word ye shall receive,as if from my own mouth,in all patience and faith."
And now mockers and apostates; unfaithful ones , let me inquire of you, why are you teaching disobedience, which is in direct opposition to the revealed truth of God Almighty?
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness...Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isaiah 5-20,21
Priesthood power is God's power. What more truth or higher knowledge do you seek?
"I advise all to go on to perfection...A man can do nothing for himself unless God direct him in the right way;and the priesthood is for that purpose." From Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith,compiled by Joseph F. Smith page364,Salt lake City 1938
It would only be fair to remind readers that the scriptures teach that there are consequences for disobedience : D&C "And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of the prophets, and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people." Also take heed to verse 9 0f D&C Section 1. It talks about the fate that awaits "the unbelieving,and rebellious"It says,"Yea.verily,to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured upon the wicked with out measure-"
I heard another doubter that only the "milk" of the gospel is taught in Church, not the "meat".
The milk of the gospel? To the contrary, the fullness of God's Restored gospel is taught. What is the fullness of the gospel?
Perfection, Sanctification, Exaltation.
"I am Almighty God. Walk thou before me, and be thou perfect."Genesis 17:1
"For I am the LORD your God, ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy, for I am holy...."Leviticus 11:44
"For the lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act."Isaiah 28:21
"For the preparation wherewith,I design to prepare mine apostles to prune my vineyard for the last time, that I may bring it to pass my strange act, that I may pour out my spirit on all flesh.D&C 95:4
"What I have said unto you must needs to be left without excuse;
That wise men and rulers may hear and know that which they have never considered;
That I may do my act, my strange act, and perform my work, my strange work, that men may discern between the righteous and the wicked, saith your God." D&C 101:95
At the start of this post I quoted John 1:1,"In the beginning was the Word...ect." Is that the whole story? Who else was in the beginning?
"Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; That which is spirit even the spirit of truth."D&C93
"And I gave unto them this knowledge in the day I created them..."Moses 7:32
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,and if children of God,joint heirs with Christ."Romans:14,16,17
"The great and grand secret of salvation, which we should continually seek to understand through our faithfulness, is the continuation of the lives, Those of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints who will continue to follow after the revelations and commandments of God to them,who are found to be obedient in all things, continually advancing little by little towards perfection and the knowledge of God,they,when they enter the spirit world and receive their bodies, will be able to advance faster in the things pertaining to the knowledge of the Gods, and will continue onward and upward until they become Gods,even the sons of God!" From The Essential Brigham Young,page 225Copyright Signature Books,Salt lake City1992
Jesus said,"Ye are gods."
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed unto the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18
The Good news is the the Messiah came to redeem his children on Earth.
Where did he suffer? Isiah says he was bruised for our iniquities, by his strips we are healed. He died for our sins.
"For God so loved the world he gave is only begotten son.That whoever should believe in him will have eternal life","He who does not have love does not have God.For God is Love."
And only love abides.
"We know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away....For we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as I am known...And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:9,10,12,13
Someone once wrote: "If you find yourself getting "divine" inspiration to contrary to what the Prophet says, or find yourself differing in opinion from the established Church doctrines, or if you find yourself citing some historical incident as proof that the Prophet is not a Prophet any more, I suggest you start paying your tithing and attending sacrament meeting again. I also suggest a meeting with your bishop in which you confess your feelings and admit they are not right."
Well said, I would concur completely! Good and sound advice spoken like one who knows.
I just want to conclude by stating that I know my Church is true, I am thankful for the Restored Gospel;which is the Salvation of the World,and I am thankful for His Prophet, Apostles, General Authorities,and Teachers and for the fellowship of the Saints.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Margarito Martinez
Phoenix,Arizona
I bid you Peace