From my perspective as a teacher of dietary lifestyle, I know the following: I cannot help anyone to receive all the help they need to make necessary dietary transitions in their own lives. I can teach the principles, I can provide helpful principle-based recipes, I can answer questions, and I can discern issues quite readily. However, I do not live in anyone's skin but my own skin 24/7 and unfortunately I cannot be at the crossroads when others really need the help in the moment. Therefore, about two years ago I came to fully realize the critical importance of teaching others to enable the Savior as their personal coach in these matters. Those who have learned how to do so, have learned that he can help you far better than I can to actually enable the principles, the recipes, the ideas, and so forth that I diligently seek to share. In a flash of intelligence, he can help you when you aren't even sure what to fix as you browse your refrigerator or pantry. He enables you to be taught more perfectly than anyone else could ever teach you, and he is available as your private mentor for no charge whatsoever.
Well, a prophet faces a similar dilemma to the one I experienced teaching diet. We have a bit of a mistaken or incomplete notion of the purpose of a prophet. He can provide timely guidance and counsel, but if you had only a few words to describe his true mission statement, it would be the following, "To Teach Others How to Be Prophets." Start a topic and figure out why this is the primary role of a prophet and why it is critical that you not only live daily with the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation, but that salvation isn't possible to anyone who does not become a prophet.
Just as the pathway to a successful dietary lifestyle is very customized, so too is the path of salvation. General Authorites are like a really good general nutritionist. They teach how to receive and live by revelation, but they certainly cannot receive for you what the Lord's will is for you today. We must go beyond a prophet's general and wise counsel directly to the Lord if we are to be taught more perfectly what has been given to us generally. God alone is available 24/7 and requires that we come to Him for instruction and timely help. We are not to wait upon the Prophet, any more than we would wait upon the Road to Damascus for a visit from an angel. Rather, we are to seek the Lord's Spirit and to heed it daily. All revelation, including that which we receive from Prophets fulfill one central role in our lives, to provide the added understanding that we need today, which enables us to walk in obedience to greater light and knowledge today.
As our lives so move forward daily, we only are grateful for the light that comes that enables further ascension and we care not from whence it comes, be it a ministering angel, from God's own voice, or from the silent whisperings of the spirit. Each provides specific light we must come to terms with if that light is to have any saving power in our lives. Ultimately, only the spirit of prophecy and revelation that operates within us daily through faith, repentance and a continual remission of our sins, and obedience and submission to greater light, enables us with greater faith and knowledge. If we hold back regarding any light we receive, our faith grows dormant in that thing and it does us no good, whether we receive it from the quiet and insubstantial whisperings of the spirit, or as the dews from heaven, or from an angel, or from God's own voice. None of this adds to our faith or knowledge unless we act upon the light given. Therein we render the veil to a degree and the Lord's power and influence then operates more fully in our physical worlds.
A Prophet's primary role is to instruct us sufficiently in repentance, faith, action, and obedience that the spirit of prophecy and revelation comes to flow to us daily and we become independent in our relationship with God, the only one who can take us beyond the "general" to the customized path we must walk.
When I awoke this morning I was impressed thoroughly that we must become entirely confident and capable of receiving all the light and knowledge we need from the Lord. There is no other way. It's the only way. I'm sure President Monson would say as did Moses, "I would that all my people were prophets."
Dear everyone,
ReplyDeleteI'm moving the last posts on our discussion about Zion from Jim's website over to here so that we can continue our discussion here instead of on his website about "Healthful Living" where is doesn't fit.
We started changing to this new topic about "The Purpose of Prophets" this morning with this post from Buffy:
Buffy Snell:
I'd say we are discussing two different Zions--yours and the one envisioned by the brethren.
You said, “If it is a type for us to consider, then what is it that causes us to resist it so utterly and to believe that the New Jerusalem will be based upon the laws of our own Constitution?”
It’s the brethren Jim-- are you saying that they are all wrong (Benson, Romney, President Palmer, etc.) ?
from Buffy Snell:
ReplyDeleteJim-
I am really struggling to figure out why you envision a Zion which is so different from what the brethren have told us it will be. I've given numerous quotes, by prophets, that tell us exactly what Zion will be like. Yet you've consistently ignored them and have even gone so far as to call their prophetic foresight "Mosaic like thinking."
It also sounds as though you are being critical and accusatory of Elder Nelson, for which I am truly astonished. Are you saying that you consider yourself more enlightened than the prophets and apostles of the Lord?!
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ReplyDeleteHI Guys! This will get us started
ReplyDeleteDo you all know what "Social Doctrine" is? In the Church we have 3 levels of doctrine: 1) Gospel Doctrine, 2) Church Doctrine, and 3) Social Doctrine. Gospel Doctrine is truth; it never changes; it can't. Church Doctrine changes as the understanding, ideas, and decisions of Church leaders evolve. An example of this could be that we used to seal people to friends until the understanding came that sealings were meant for family lines. Another example of Church Doctrine was blacks not holding the priesthood. Many people, including some apostles, believed that this was Gospel Doctrine. They were wrong. It was Church Doctrine. It changed.
Now, Social Doctrine is a whole different thing. It consists of beliefs by the members of the Church that have become so common to the general membership that they are believed to be Church Doctrine or even Gospel Doctrine, whereas, they are actually NOT doctrine at all. An example of this is "taking the Sacrament with your right hand". :) I bet there is hardly a person in the U.S. Church who doesn't believe this is Church or Gospel Doctrine! True? A few years ago I was in the Stake YW's Presidency with a woman who worked for the RS General Board. She said someone brought this up once, so they researched it and IT COULD BE FOUND NOWHERE. It was neither Gospel nor Church Doctrine.
So, when it comes to any belief, it is really important to know whether the idea is Gospel Doctrine, Church Doctrine, or Social Doctrine. Right now there is a rampant idea in the Church that although the G.A.'s are human and can make mistakes like any other person, they can't actually make a doctrinal error or an error that could lead anyone astray.
With fondness I tell you the following example of this idea being false:
About 7 years ago Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk in Conference about the importance of using prayer language when we pray. He explained how using "thee" and "thou" etc., are important for showing our respect and reverence for our Heavenly Father. Now that sounds logical and true, but guess what? It's false. I have a masters in linguistics, and I know the history of where thee and thou come from and what they mean. If any of you speak a foreign language, you'll know that most foreign languages have two sets of pronouns -- formal and informal (or familiar). Formal pronouns are used when speaking to someone you don't know well, or if a child is speaking to an adult outside their family. Informal/familiar pronouns are used within families, when speaking to close friends, and when speaking to children and animals. English is a Germanic language which long ago dropped the use of the informal/familiar pronouns "thee" and "thou", etc. It only kept the formal pronoun YOU. Using "thee" and "thou" is not a form of respect (nor disrepect either). It's a form of familiarity. It's the same thing as calling your father "papa", "dad", or "daddy" rather than calling him "sir". So when we use prayer language, we are showing Heavenly Father that we recognize Him as our papa. We're family. If you look in the scriptures in any other language, you'll see they are only using the informal/familiar pronouns, just like our scriptures use thee and thou.
Remember that Dallin H. Oaks was a JUDGE before he became an apostle. How are judges referred to? "Your Honor". They are to be respected and unquestioned at all times. What they say goes. Period. If they don't like what you're doing, they can hold you in contempt of court and have you thrown in jail. This is Elder Oaks' background. He's probably never had any exposure to linguistics and the history of our language. Does this make him a false prophet? No. It means we're believing social doctrine when we don't know or believe that he could make such an error.
There has always been one "key" that is above all other keys. It is the Golden key that can never rust. The Savior said, "Come Follow Me." He provides each person who enters this earth with His light. No man is above another man in his right to live and walk within that light. Those who yield to that light or "trust" in it sufficient to live their lives according to it, receive greater and greater light. As one continues in that light, a time comes when they enter directly into the Savior's presence in this lifetime.
ReplyDeleteChrist invites all to receive the spirit of prophecy and revelation, and he teaches that we are each individually responsible to come to a fullness of knowledge between good and evil. No man, including prophet or apostate is ever to come between our souls, this pure light, and God. That pure light alone is the only "Golden Key" that exists. Therein alone are we to place our full trust. Placing our "full trust" in a prophet is idolatry and all true prophets understand exactly why it is idolatry when we transfer our full trust from the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation, to them. Moses understood this principle perfectly and declared, "I would that all my people were prophets."
To recognize social doctrine, from pure doctrine, from church doctrine does not place one on the road to apostacy. Allowing the spirit of criticism into our hearts toward one another or our leaders places us upon the road to apostacy. Pure love is the only thing that assures us the continual flow of the sspirit, therefore, when we seek to criticize our leaders and become filled with the spirit of criticism, the Spirit of the Lord departs from us. We are then easily led to err, or in other words to apostasy.
Our greatest obligation in life is to obtain a fullness of knowledge directly from God. We are commanded to do so. Prophets are our guides, they warn us, teach us, call us to repentance, and seek in all ways at all times to enable us more fully with the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation, without which we cannot be saved.
Buffy, you ask, "What difference does it make?" Alma, speaking of our church in our day described the difference when he declared that we would be bound down by false and foolish traditions and the false precepts of man and we would declare, "All is Well in Zion, Zion Prospereth." The Lord in our day said that his entire vineyard has become corrupt and even the very elect do err. Did he lie?
We are never to allow anyone to come between our souls and God. That prophets may counsel, yes, that they may warn, yes, that they may instruct us and edify us, yes, that they may call us to repentance when we err, yes; but they can never replace the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation which we must each receive and live by if we are to be saved.
Anyone who does not do so, cannot Come Fully Unto Christ. He is the only Master; there is none other. If you do not believe this, do as I have done and ask him. If you ask with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, there is no doubt what you will receive. He will teach to to love and support your leaders, but to never allow them to come between the Spirit of Truth that is within you and Him -- not ever. He is the only guarantee.
If we can agree on this one point alone, then we can explore, without the spirit of criticism, which the holy spirit will not tolerate, Alma's concerns about false and foolish doctrines. Perhaps if we can acknowledge that he was a true prophet and accurately prophesied of our time, then perhaps we may also begin to understand the condemnation under which we now labor as a church -- as often spoken of by President Benson.
Then, if we can understand this condemnation purely, perhaps we can lovingly help one another cease to labor in such a manner. Perhaps!
Allie, thank your for this edifying instruction. I remembered standing before an earthly judge to plead in behalf of my son. It was neither inviting, nor an experience that was in the least just. By comparison, as I have "left off" with the formal and have gone before God simply and in a trusting spirit of familiarity, as I would have my children do if they needed my help, His Spirit pours out upon me, sometimes he speaks to me plainly, and always he answers my prayers. Who'd of thought that Thee and Thou were the familiar forms of expression or that latin scriptures and scriptures in others languages always use the familiar form. It rings true with all that is in my soul, for I know Him to be a just, loving, and inviting judge that is nothing like the earthly judges who demand absolute formality.
ReplyDeleteIt is critical to know God truthfully and not according to any false precepts that may have an "appearance" of truth, but are not pure truth. Only pure truth and pure doctrine has any power to save and exalt. Anything less does not and we must come to know the difference by the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation we are all commanded to possess.
Hi Buffy,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found your way to the blog. Welcome here!
I didn't tell the story about Dallin Oaks to "find fault with him"; and I know exactly what the spirit of apostasy is -- by personal experience.
Here's the deal, -- but first your question about where I've come up with the distinction between Church Doctrine and Gospel Doctrine: I've heard about this all my life in the Church. Where have you been? Sometimes Church Doctrine is better termed Church Policy. But sometimes the concept of doctrine fits better than policy. This isn't the most important point (although we can go into more if you want. One good example of the importance of this distinction is DIVORCE. I'd be happy to go into detail on this if you don't get it yourself.) The critical point is social doctrine.
As for all your quotes about the spirit of apostasy, they are true -- if there is a spirit of criticism and apostasy present. But, you see, this is exactly what I'm talking about with SOCIAL DOCTRINE. We have taken profound covenants such as "not speaking evil of the Lord's anointed" and turned them into Social Doctrine that says "never let yourself know anything about the Church or Church leaders on any level if it is negative because this would be speaking evil of the Lord's anointed". We have twisted the incredible blessing of having the true Church once again restored to the earth into an idea that the Brethren know everything and everything they do is the mind and will of the Lord.
What do people do when that is their mentality if an apostle seals their son-in-law to his adulterous girlfriend in the temple after he's left their daughter and their grandchildren? Are people filled with a spirit of apostasy when they are tragified by having a friend disfellowshipped or excommunicated because she refused to have an affair with her stake president? Are we on the verge of apostasy when we see the Church doing the same kind of cover-ups about sexual abuse going on in the Church as happened with the Catholics?
It is not being critical of the Brethren to know these things, although these are certainly things that could drive a person and have driven many people into a spirit of apostasy. If these things happen to you or someone you love, you don't get to not know them. But let me tell you right now that another or worse tragedy than any of these things is when the people/family/friends around the person this is happening to won't believe and help them because "such things can't happen in the Lord's true Church."
I raise my arm to the square and sustain the Brethren, just like sustain my bishop. They've all got horrific stewardships to care for, and it's our job to play ball and support them and not undermine their attempts to deal with the many cans of worms in the Church caused by the hardness of our hearts. But at the same time, we're undermining our own chances for eternal life when place too much responsibility for our salvation on the Brethren and don't take responsibility for it ourselves.
Dallin Oaks was the visiting GA to our stake conference in Provo a few years ago, and he said, "We're GENERAL authorities and what we speak is GENERAL counsel to the people. You have to have personal revelation to know what you should specifically do beyond general guidance." Do you see how huge this is?
"The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important ability that can be acquired in this life." Julie Beck
In my next post I'll talk about how the Word of Wisdom is a perfect example of my point. Be thinking about what you think about it.
Hey, everyone, If you don't know this already, you can hit the "subscribe by email" link just below the "Post a Comment" screen on the right, and it will send you email notifications when there's new post here.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be fabulous to be able to talk about the false and foolish traditions and the false precepts of man under we will labor (or are laboring) in the last days. But I agree with what Jim said that we can only do this if we are in enough agreement to move forward with an edifying spirit.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I've come clear on the difference between Church Doctrine and Church Policy. Policy is the current set of accepted operating procedures for the Church on the earth at any given time. Policy changes with every new edition of the Church Handbook. Where can singles attend church? -- singles wards, no back to home wards, no singles wards, no ... It's a gigantic can of worms and they're doing the best they can to try to solve it.
On the other hand, Church Doctrine is the "official stand" of the Church on eternal matters (if they even have a stand): Can we progress from one kingdom to another in the next life? Can we repent in the next life? Can evil spirits ever repent? What does "murder whereby ye shed innocent blood" mean? Is the Adam-God Theory true?
It seems that the Church has gotten away from saying very much about such things nowadays, whereas in the past, they used to say tons, and Church Doctrine was whatever people believed the Church leaders were saying. I believe that we still, however, have a big thing of social doctrine going on in the Church that when GA's give their opinions on something, it is Church Doctrine.
Topics such as these are a different matter than when a GA gives counsel on how we should live our lives currently, which counsel is "easily" (or not so easily) confirmed or not by the Holy Ghost.
Dear family and friends, last night I was informed of the third suicide Mom and I have been intimately connected with in the last two months. First, a friend that lived a couple blocks away from us, Second, a friend's son in Salmon, Idaho last week, and now my cousin's son two days ago in Rexburg, Idaho. Additionally, I've spent countless hours with another friend who is presently processing a great loss. I have grieved with him as I have experienced his pain with him.
ReplyDeleteThese are times which try the hearts, minds, and souls of man. Jesus alone can comfort, guide, and succor us perfectly and alone possesses the power to do for us that which no man can do. He alone is available to us 24/7 to help us navigate the storms that are upon us and before us. Learn to call upon his always.
To my children for whom this blog is kept and over whom I have direct stewardship, I say to you we must simplify our religion to one common denominator; we must accept the Savior's invitation, "Come Follow Me." He alone is perfect and worthy of our trust. Never trust any man's opinion about anything when the Lord's spirit does not confirm his words to your soul. Do not assume that the words of every church leader will be the words of the Savior. In every dispensation there have been Judas wolves that enter into the very highest leader-ship positions. Only if you are possessed of the spirit of truth will you know the difference.
Some of the first apostles of this dispensation were also the very men responsible for the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. The Highest Priesthood holders at the time of Christ were responsible for his death. The highest priesthood holders at the time of Abinadi were responsible for his death.
You alone are responsible to carry the spirit of revelation within you so that you may walk perfectly in his light. There is no other guarantee under heaven. As you forsake "all" sin, come unto Lord, call upon his name, keep his commandments, and obey his voice you will be filled with the spirit of prophecy and revelation and will come to see the Lord's face in your lifetimes. He will enable you to be redeemed from this fallen state, to become an heir of the heavenly family and to Eternal Life.
And, if you do this, no apostate, no well-meaning but errant do-gooder, which you must love, and no errant priesthood leader can ever lead you astray. As the prophet Joseph counseled, "Allow no one to come between you and the Lord's Spirit that resides within you."
Turn fully to the Savior for he alone is sufficient to enable you to successfully confront and conquer the Goliath's which you will be called upon to face. It is an exciting time to live and becomes more so as we begin to receive the pure doctrines of the priesthood, just as fast as we will receive them. Go forth and claim your unchanging scepter of righteousness and receive a dominion that will flow to you forever and ever.