Why does Our Learning the Mysteries Matter So Much to Our Salvation?

The Book of Mormon contains warnings and guidance of how we must treat the days of our probation, just as does the corrected JST Bible.

But, has the LORD warned us to both "repent and remember ... the Book of Mormon ... and ... to do according to that which [HE] ha[s] written"?

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— (D&C 84: 57.)

What happens to the LORD's People as they begin to lose "knowledge" of HIM and HIS "mysteries"?

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hosea 4: 6.)

Have we reached the point where we "are destroyed for lack of knowledge"?  Is it possible to be destroyed as a People, and not even know it?

What made Nephi different than his brothers Laban and Lemuel?  What attitude did Nephi possess that eventually made him into one of the greatest prophets to have ever lived?

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord;

and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father;

wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. (1 Nephi 2: 16.)

What desire drove Nephi to "cry unto the LORD"?  Why di the LORD 'visit' Nephi?

What does it mean to "draw near unto [the LORD] with [our] mouth, and with [our] lips do honor [HIM], but have removed [our] hearts far from [HIM]"?

Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men— (2 Nephi 27: 25.)

How was it possible that Laman and Lemuel could not see that the people at Jerusalem were destroyed and awaiting the time when they would be "carried away into captivity"?

And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him.

And after this manner of language did my brethren murmur and complain against us.  (1 Nephi 17: 22.)

How could the people at Jerusalem devoutly keep "the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses" and yet not be 'righteous'?  What were they lacking that they awaited 'captivity'?

Have we been promised greater knowledge and understanding if we will but receive what has already been offered to us?

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

For whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance;

But whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (RLDS JST Matthew 13: 9-11; LDS Matthew 13: 11; LDS JST Matthew 13: 10 - 11.)

Did the Savior really intend to imply that if we aren't constantly receiving greater knowledge and greater understanding, then that we are slowly losing even that which we think that we have retained?

Has Nephi, son of Lehi, warned us to never feel that we have received enough of the revelations of the LORD?

Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! (2 Nephi 28: 27.)

Can we ever have enough of the revelations of the LORD?

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! (2 Nephi 28: 29.)

Can we remain stationary (with the status quo) or must we always be moving in one of two directions?

Forward or backward (Friday, April 16, 2010)

I got asked about loss of teachings or practices within the LDS community.  My response is as follows.

It makes no difference whether it is an individual or a community, we are all on a single path that goes two ways - forward or backward. We are either gaining, or we are losing.  We cannot stand still.

Whether a group or a person, we are either gaining (restoring) light and truth, or we are losing (apostatizing) from light and truth.  This world is a world of change.  Nothing remains the same.  Everywhere you see either growth, or decay.  These forces are at work everywhere. They are also at work within you.

You either search out new truth, find it, live it, and thereby become restored to truth, or you back away from it.  If you are backing away, losing it, neglecting it, and discarding it, you are in the process of apostasy.

In a restoration process, there are moments along the way which are marked and notable.  Having the inspiration of the Spirit, or feeling the remission of your sins, or receiving revelation, or having a visit of an angel are notable.  The culmination of the restoration would be to return to God's presence.  Should that happen, through the Second Comforter's ministry, then you have been restored in full.

What are the two directions again?

Forward or backward (Friday, April 16, 2010)

 ... Quickly, at the institutional level, we have at one end of full restoration, a return to Zion, and the Lord dwelling among them.  At the other we have a society whose wickedness and abuse of children is so far spread that fire comes down from heaven to destroy them.  Complete restorations and complete apostasies are rare.  What history is made up is the description of struggling along the path.  We ebb and flow back and forth, without becoming fully ripe either way.

Christ promised at the end of time there there would be a ripening.  "Wheat" and "tares" will ripen.  Then there will be a harvest. (Matt. 13: 37-42.) However, the haphazard manner of the harvesting makes a full return of Zion before His coming seem unanticipated by the Lord's teachings. (Matt. 24: 39-40.)  Modern revelation gave us that opportunity.  We clearly have not done so, and at present seem clearly not interested in doing so.  That is a subject for another time, however.  As Christ put it, we need to seek for our individual, complete restoration because the group will not.

There are two ways - forward or backward.  It is not required that you finish the course in a day; but times are coming in which the environment will require of you a greater commitment as "wheat" on the one hand, or leave you to descend into becoming a "tare" on the other.  So the direction you are on now is quite important.  Either you are restoring truth or you are discarding it.

How important is it for us to be constantly seeking 'increasing light'?

What happens to the knowledge and understanding that we already have if we aren't constantly seeking more 'light' and 'truth', even directly from our LORD Jesus Christ?

Increasing Light (Thursday, February 25, 2010)

For the Gospel, teaching is a matter of increasing light in the one learning.  To do that the student must learn how to improve their obedience to true principles.  Only someone's obedience to truth will lead them to greater truth.  The teacher's obedience cannot and does not benefit the student of the gospel if the student is unwilling to receive greater light and truth by obedience.

The necessary obedience is not obedience to a man, or men, or a set of rules devised by men.  It is not even obedience to a rigid set of commandments. Obedience and fidelity must be directed to the Lord.  No matter how well someone may teach for doctrine the commandments of men, those who hear will never gain more than a form of godliness, without any power.

We all must progress in the same way Christ did.  He grew from grace to grace, until as last He was called the Son of God.  He had the fullness of grace and truth. Read John's testimony again found in the beginning of D&C 93. Pay attention to the first verse of Section 93, because it is the summary of what John's testimony will include.

The teachings are real.  Increasing light is real.  But each must gain it in the very same way as Christ and all those who have followed Him gained it.

Whether our teachers are capable of teaching greater things, are we still required to seek "increasing light" in our own lives?

Why did King Benjamin, as a "true messenger", desire of all those present to hear his words and to hearken unto his message so that they could understand 'the mysteries of God'?

And these are the words which he spake and caused to be written, saying:

My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day;

for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view. (Mosiah 2: 9.)

Why did King Benjamin desire "that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to [our] view" (or to the understanding of those who heard his voice that day)?  Why did King Benjamin connect real understanding with "the mysteries of God [being] unfolded to [our] view"?

What was so important about the plates that Lehi brought to the Americas?

For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates; for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time.

I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.  (Mosiah 1: 4-5.)

Why is "read[ing] and understand[ing] of his mysteries" so important to our salvation?

Why would King Benjamin emphasize the benefit of the plates being that they contained access to the "mysteries of God"?

And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying:

My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God.  (Mosiah 1: 3.)

Why does King Benjamin connect "not knowing the mysteries of God" with "suffer[ing] in ignorance"?

And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: 

It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God;

nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. (Alma 12: 9.)

What is given unto the righteous who seek knowledge from the LORD?

The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure. (Isaiah 33: 5-6.)

What is our 'stability' in Zion in the last days?

Why does Isaiah connect 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' with 'stability' and 'strength of salvation'?  What happens when our 'wise men' have relied upon their own wisdom and not sought for the 'mysteries' of the LORD?

Difference between Being Spiritual and Religious by Avraham Gileadi Ph.D. (30 - 3. 16. 2011)

Many people throughout all ages have led religious lives that aren’t spiritual, though they may mistake one for the other. Typically, when his people’s spiritual practices turn into hypocrisy, God springs a surprise that separates the true from the false: “My Lord says, ‘Because these people approach me with the mouth and pay me homage with their lips, while their heart remains far from me—their piety toward me consisting of commandments of men learned by rote—therefore it is that I shall again astound these people with wonder upon wonder, rendering void the knowledge of their sages and the intelligence of their wise men insignificant’” Isaiah 29:13–14).

When the materialistic lifestyle of God’s people causes their religion to become a superficial version of what it once was, they may not even be aware of it: “O you deaf, listen; O you blind, look and see! Who is blind but my own servant, or so deaf as the messenger I have sent? Who is blind like those I have commissioned, as uncomprehending as the servant of Jehovah—seeing much but not giving heed, with open ears hearing nothing?” (Isaiah 42:18–20). God’s answer is to restore the truth, in part through the Book of Isaiah: “In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind see out of gross darkness” (Isaiah 29:18; 30:8–9).

What will the LORD do to our 'wise men' in the day that our 'spiritual practices turn into hypocrisy'?

Is it possible that Isaiah saw our day and provided warnings directly to us in America?

The Struggle within America—Isaiah Saw It All! by Avraham Gileadi Ph.D (1. - 5. 20. 2010)

Many regard Isaiah’s prophecy as a sealed book. Who does it address, only people in the past? A key to this mystery exists in the linear and synchronous structures that govern the Book of Isaiah. These enable us to read it as a prophecy about the past but also as a prediction of the future. The Book of Isaiah, in other words, serves a twofold purpose. Without taking anything away from what happened in the past, it uses the past as an allegory of the future. In that case, persons and nations of Isaiah’s day typify ones who perform similar roles at the end of the world. The names of past persons and nations function as codenames for their endtime counterparts.

The importance of understanding Isaiah’s message increases daily as world events line up like planets for the fulfillment of his prophecy. Under the codename “Egypt”—the great superpower of Isaiah’s day—America is predicted to suffer spiritual decline, political ineptitude, economic collapse, internal anarchy, and invasion by a foreign military world power from the North—a latter-day “Assyria.” On the other hand, a community of covenanters in “Egypt” will turn back to Jehovah, who will send them a savior and deliver them. In the end, at the commencement of the millennial age, America will again become “my people”—a covenant people of God (Isaiah 19).

What would we know about America and its destiny if we sought to understand the 'mysteries' that Isaiah has attempted to disclose about our day?

So, if seeking 'increasing light' is so important, what role do the 'mysteries' play in our seeking 'increasing light'?

Knowing the mysteries (Friday, October 5, 2012)

Despite the millions of Mormons, we live in a very small church. We cross paths with one another after years of living in different states or different parts of the world.

As a result of how small our community is, I have run into people after years of separation and often times been astonished by the difference in them. One of the increasingly frequent things I have noticed comes from a verse in Alma.

Alma taught, "They that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction." (Alma 12:11.)

I have noticed that the vindication of this doctrine is unrelated to whether my friends have had administrative success in the church. Many of those who have lost understanding and who preach against "knowing the mysteries of God" do so because they have had local administrative positions.

Alma connects losing knowledge of God's mysteries directly to being "taken captive by the devil" and being "led by his will down to destruction." So when these friends preach to me against the mysteries and claim they have no desire to know about them, I am troubled in my heart.

The less we trust the teachings of the Book of Mormon the more we draw distant from God. 

Are our leaders 'foolishly' rejecting the 'mysteries' that we should be seeking even more earnestly as we approach the very last days, just as Nephi himself sought to know the 'mysteries' and was visited of the LORD on account of such righteous 'desire'?

Joseph Smith History, Part 2 (Tuesday, May 1, 2012)

...

 Or, in other words, Joseph has the Lord borrow from Jude 1: 4: "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

And Isaiah 29: 13: "Wherefore the Lord said, 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."

And from Titus 1: 14: "Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth."

And 2 Tim. 3: 5: "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

 ...

Which again, begs the question: "Why?" Why do prophets resort to the scriptures to explain the truth as revealed to them? Why does a new revelation get put into the words of an earlier revelation? Why does a stunning new truth come forth as an exposition of the already familiar words of scripture?

In perhaps his greatest sermon, Joseph drew from and expounded on the scriptures to proclaim new doctrines, unheard of by those who had studied the Bible for two thousand years. As he did so he remarked: "It has always been my province to dig up hidden mysteries --new things-- for my hearers. Just at the time when some men think I have no right to the keys of the Priesthood --just at that time I have the greatest right." (TPJS p. 364.) He goes on to expound from the Bible on the true meaning of "eternal judgment" and the resurrection, "salvation for the dead," the plurality of Gods, Abraham's teachings, eternal glories and the pre-mortal exaltation of some who lived on the earth. "Sons of God who exalt themselves to be Gods, even before the foundation of the world." (TPJS p. 375.) He used as his text the Bible.

Prophets see the meaning behind the words of scripture, and not the words themselves. This is because having been taught by angels and the Lord, they know the intent. Hence Joseph's proclamation that it is his "province to dig up hidden mysteries --new things" using the scriptures. They are not a sealed book to them.

In like manner the Lord spent most of the day of His resurrection opening the scriptures in a private conversation between Himself and two disciples while they walked on the Road to Emmaus. "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24: 27.) The Lord could do this because the Lord was there when they were written, and they reflect His mind and His teachings. Therefore, He could see clearly within them the teachings about Him.

Is there value in searching the 'mysteries of Godliness'?  If so, then what is holding us back?

What say ye?