D&C21:4 Wherefore,
meaning the church, thou shalt give heed
unto all his words and commandments
which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all
holiness before me; (bold added).
D&C 28:2 But,
behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, no one shall be appointed to receive
commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith,
Jun., for he receiveth them even as
Moses.3 And thou shalt be obedient
unto the things which I shall give unto him, even as Aaron, to declare
faithfully the commandments and the revelations, with power and authority unto
the church. (bold added).
Notice there is a condition which God has set upon the
Prophet - he must first “receive” the words and commandments from God, before
he should require the Saints to give heed to those words and commandments. This
part of the verse is generally skipped over by most Saints, they assuming that
everything that is said or written by the Prophet or any of the General Authorities
is automatically inspired verbatim from God. If that were truly so, then we
should expect that regardless of what prophet or authority is speaking, he or
she would utter the self-same words
that any other would speak, if some other prophet had been chosen by God to
reveal the same revelation.
But what we find instead is a
variety of personal input. Some prophets will pepper or flower their inspired
thoughts more than others using different imagery and figures of speech. For
example, instead of saying as God might have dictated it to their minds, “I
felt inspired this morning to say to you…,” they might instead say, “On this
superb and glorious morning, I was constrained by the Holy Ghost, to say to one
and all….” In other words, there is a filtering process that occurs when God
reveals a matter to be given through a Prophet, namely, the ego or pride system
which every individual, including prophets, has. And as this has been the case
in all ages, we may correctly deduct that God is not much bothered by this
filtering of His inspiration.
A classic case of this is the Apostle Paul. Because of
Paul’s upbringing as a Pharisee, and a zealous one too, and because of his
disposition toward things that needed to be righted, such as the demise of the
Law of Moses, and because he was rather dramatic in many of his expressions of
the Gospel, even to the point of contradicting himself *, the Apostle Peter
warned the Saints of Paul’s writings:
2 Peter 3:15 And account that
the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking
in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (bold added).
* As an example, Paul’s
instructions how to treat apostates, or those that have backslid from the
faith:
2 Thess. 3:6 Now we command you,
brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and
not after the tradition which he received of us. … 14 And if any man obey not
our word by this epistle, note that man, and
have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (bold
added).
If one is to admonish another as
a brother, then one cannot withdraw totally from that person. One must have
company with him in order to admonish him.
Further, regarding the treatment of
these fallen:
2 Tim. 25 In meekness instructing those that
oppose themselves; if God peradventure
will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
Titus 1:13 This
witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them
sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; (bold added).
So, we must or must not withdraw
ourselves from the fallen, we must or must not have some company with them, and in meekness
or sharply rebuking them to help them to repent?
I am sure if we could sit down
with Paul and if he was so disposed, he could elucidate these teachings to make
them consistent. And it is so with most teachings of the prophets, but not all.
Perhaps, if Peter were given the
same inspiration which Paul received, he would have conveyed that inspiration
in a manner not so hard to be understood. This then illustrates that what goes
into the prophet’s mind from God, likely comes out modified from what went in.
But as Peter cautioned, we should not wrestle with these revelations, but
rather we should try to understand the intent.
Gal. 2:11 But when
Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be
blamed.
One of the two, or both or
neither, Peter and Paul was inspired and the other was not, causing this
dissension the Bible relates.
But what if a Prophet sees a need
to say something, but God is not disposed to reveal anything about it at the
time? This did not stop Paul from giving his own point of view, based on his own
understanding. For example:
1 Cor. 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the
Lord, Let not the wife depart from her
husband:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to
her husband: and let not the husband
put away his wife.12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord:
If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with
him, let him not put her away.13 And the woman which hath an husband that
believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving
wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are
they holy. 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a
sister is not under bondage in such cases:
but God hath called us to peace.16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou
shalt save thy husband? or how
knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? (bold added).
Verses 10 and 11 are inspired
from the Lord. But Paul admits that what he says as recorded in verses 12 and
onwards is from himself and not from
the Lord. But might there be instances where the prophet thinks he is getting
something from the Lord but is not? Yes.
Consider Moses who ruled his
nation of the elect of God with ill-gotten inspiration by making himself the
sole judge over them all. It took his father-in-law Jethro’s inspiration to fix
it.
Exo. 18:14 And when
Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the
people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from
morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto
his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: 16 When
they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and
I do make them know the statutes of
God, and his laws. 17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. (bold added).
Jethro then advised Moses to
divide up the work with a number of righteous judges to do the task of judging:
Exo. 18:23 If thou
shalt do this thing, and God command thee so,
then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their
place in peace.
24 So Moses hearkened
to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
Note that Moses inquired of God all
the day long to settle matters requiring judging. But God, with all that
enquiring by Moses, never told Moses to delegate the job. Apparently, Moses never
asked. It took inspiration by Jethro to correct the situation. Now, Jethro was
senior to Moses, so perhaps God wanted it done this way to illustrate the line
of authority. But Moses generally got his inspiration directly from God, and not
through Jethro.
Consider also the Prophet Joseph
Smith who felt inspired that God acquiesced in the matter of giving Martin
Harris some of the Book of Mormon text, which then fell into enemy hands,
whereby God rebuked Joseph for a time (see D&C 10:1,2). Then he realized that
what he thought was a yes was a no. Or, in the case of Joseph who thought he
was getting a revelation from God send Oliver Cowdery and Hiram Page on mission
to Toronto, Canada, to sell the copyright to the Book of Mormon, to raise money
for the Church. The mission failed and they returned without any funds.
According to David Whitmer,
Joseph went again to the Lord and received the answer “Some revelations are of God; some revelations are of man; and some revelations are of the devil” (An Address to All Believers in Christ, David Whitmer, p.31).
Joseph went again to the Lord and received the answer “Some revelations are of God; some revelations are of man; and some revelations are of the devil” (An Address to All Believers in Christ, David Whitmer, p.31).
Then there are the many cases of
conflict in varying accounts between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the
Gospels regarding the life and ministries of Jesus.
Joseph Fielding Smith reluctantly
and coarsely admitted his error that man would never leave the earth to
travel to the moon, etc. – it was not in the providence of God to permit it.
We will
never get a man into space. This earth is man's sphere and it was never
intended that he should get away from it. The moon is a superior planet to the
earth and it was never intended that man should go there. You can write it down
in your books that this will never happen. (address at a stake Conference referred to in D.
Michael Quinn, Elder statesman: A Biography of J. Reuben Clark (Salt
Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 2002) p. 498. Source: Wikipedia: Joseph Fielding Smith.
To this and a few other such quotations
on the subject, Joseph Fielding Smith replied to a question about his
prediction:
"Well,
I was wrong, wasn't I?" (Personal reminiscence
of David Farnsworth provided to FAIR
21 November 2010. The press conference took place on 23 January 1970).
When all the other children
of Adam have had the privilege of receiving the Priesthood, and of coming into
the kingdom of God, and of being redeemed from the four quarters of the earth,
and have received their resurrection from the dead, then it will be time enough
to remove the curse from Cain and his posterity. (JD 2:143, Brigham Young)
The end of the Millennium is reserved for the
resurrection of Telestials, the morning is for Celestials.
Those being resurrected with celestial bodies, whose destiny is to inherit a celestial kingdom, will come forth in the morning of the first resurrection. … They are Christ’s, the firstfruits, …(Mormon Doctrine, p. 640.)
Those being resurrected with celestial bodies, whose destiny is to inherit a celestial kingdom, will come forth in the morning of the first resurrection. … They are Christ’s, the firstfruits, …(Mormon Doctrine, p. 640.)
Furthermore, Joseph Smith explained that all Saints have their blood changed to
that of the seed of Abraham, by the Holy
Ghost, as part of their admittance into His Church.
This first Comforter or Holy
Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in
expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect
with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than
one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon
the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham,
it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the
pure spirit of intelligence; while the
effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make
him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of
Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. (DHC 3:380, bold added)
This includes Blacks as well as
every other race. Thus, in the eyes of God, we are no longer German, Indian,
Black, Asian, etc. – we are of one race,
the seed of Adam, and in the Church the seed of Abraham as well. If God thinks
that way, so should we.
Acts 17:26 And hath
made of one blood all nations of men
for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; (bold added)
But I digress. Lesson: The
Biblical prophets as well as those appointed in these latter-days are not free
from error. Joseph Smith also taught, while in Liberty Jail:
… if
there should be any corrections by the word of the Lord, they shall be freely
transmitted, and your humble servant will approve all things whatsoever is
acceptable unto God. 4. 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; DHC, Vol. III,
p.295, 296. (bold added).
Elder Bruce R McConkie, quoting
in part President Joseph Fielding Smith of the Quorum of the Twelve, taught a
valuable doctrine that all Saints should consider.
With all their inspiration
and greatness, prophets are yet mortal men with imperfections common to mankind
in general. They have their opinions and prejudices and are left to work out their
own problems without inspiration in many instances. Joseph Smith recorded that
he “visited with a brother and sister from Michigan, who thought ‘a prophet is
always a prophet’; but I told them that a
prophet was a prophet only when he was acting as such.” (Teachings, p.278.)
Thus the opinions and views even of prophets may contain error unless those
opinions and views are inspired by the Spirt. Inspired statements are scripture
and should be accepted as such. (D. & C. 68:4.)
Since “the spirits of the prophets
are subject to the prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32), whatever is announced by the
brethren as counsel for the Church will be the voice of inspiration. But the
truth or error of any uninspired utterance of an individual will have to be
judged by the standard works and the spirit of discernment and inspiration that
is in those who actually enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost.
President Joseph Fielding
Smith has said: “It makes no difference what is written or what anyone has said, if what has been said
is in conflict with what the Lord has
revealed, we can set it aside. My words,
and the teachings of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do
not square with the revelations, we need not accept them. Let us have this
matter clear. We have accepted the four standard
works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every
man’s doctrine.
“You cannot accept the books written by the authorities of the Church
as standards of doctrine, only in so far as they accord with the revealed word in
the standard works.
“Every man who writes is
responsible, not the Church, for what he writes. If Joseph Fielding Smith
writes something which is out of harmony with the revelations, then every
member of the Church is duty bound to reject it. If he writes that which is in
perfect harmony with the revealed word of the Lord, then it should be
accepted.” (Doctrines of Salvation, vol.
3, pp.203-204) (Mormon Doctrine, pp608,
609)
The books, writings
explanations, expositions, views, and theories of even the wisest and greatest
men, either in or out of the Church, do not rank with the standard works. Even
the writings, teachings, and opinions of the prophets of God are acceptable
only to the extent they are in harmony with what God has revealed and what is
recorded in the standard works. When the living oracles speak in the name of
the Lord or as moved upon by the Holy Ghost, however, their utterances are then
binding upon all who hear, and whatever is said will without any exception be
found to be in harmony with the standard works. The Lord’s house is a house of
order, and one truth never contradicts another. (Doctrines of salvation, vol.3, pp.203-204.) (Mormon Doctrine, p.765).
Brigham Young said the following
in a discourse:
Were the former and Latter−day Saints, with their Apostles, Prophets
Seers, and Revelators collected together to discuss this matter, I am led to
think there would be found a great variety in their views and feelings upon
this subject, without direct revelation from the Lord. It is as much my right
to differ from other men, as it is theirs to differ from me, in points of
doctrine and principle, when our minds cannot at once arrive at the same
conclusion. I feel it sometimes very difficult indeed to word my thoughts as
they exist in my own mind, which, I presume, is the grand cause of many
apparent differences in sentiment which may exist among the Saints. (Brigham Young, April 17, 1853, JD 2:123).
Joseph once said he taught the
Saints correct doctrine and then encouraged them to govern themselves. I think
God does the same thing.
I teach them correct
principles and they govern themselves.” (John Taylor quoting Joseph Smith, Millennial Star, Nov 15,18 51, p.339 .)
God has given us the basics along with some meat to digest,
and now expects us to individually make the most of it, to govern ourselves. Essentially,
God wants a thinking folk in His Kingdom, humble as a child, but intelligent
and prepared to actively engage themselves in the process of becoming gods. We should not, according to the
scriptures, need to be commanded in all things:
D&C 58:26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in
all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and
not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
The Church and the Prophets are
here for guidance, motivation and encouragement. The Priesthood is authority given of God
through the Church to organize us for entrance into His kingdom. Further, it is
given to bless us, and to provide proper administration and ordinances of the
Church and Kingdom, etc.
He who is commanded in all things
is a slothful servant. The Prophets of the Church have access to an enormous
amount of history and doctrine from which they can glean promptings and opinions about most
anything. Some will err. Most will not. If it is not something that God regards
as crucial to our salvation, He might let it slide. Perhaps God will add a
little to what they wish to say, perhaps God has something valuable to convey.
To a greater or lesser extent the inspiration comes, and then goes through the
filtering process of the personality of the individual, finally emerging for us
to peruse, incorporate and apply as we can. As President Joseph Fielding Smith advised,
if perchance it is out of harmony with truth as revealed, we are obligated to
“reject it.” If it is in “perfect harmony” with revealed truth, then it “should
be accepted.”
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