I’ve lately been pondering on, studying, praying about, and discussing with a couple of friends the concept of faith. As I was meditating on several related principles, they suddenly came together in a way that sounded very much the same as things I already believed, but felt different. I’d like to share and hope you find this beneficial.
Faith
Faith begins with hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). I believe this means more than reading the scriptures, or hearing words delivered by a messenger, but it is the actual moment those words become revelation from God directly to you.
Saving faith is only ever exercised in God—not in his messengers, servants, or even the scriptures, but in Him alone. As Jesus told the Pharisees: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me, but ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:39-40).
Many people throughout the years have built up entire religions around their false interpretations of the words God spoke to someone else. Yet, until these words jump off the page and are directed towards you specifically, they are not living. The Prophet Joseph taught that “there is no salvation between the two lids of the Bible” (TPJS p. 319).To his uncle Silas, he wrote:
Perhaps you may be surprised at this assertion, that I should say for the salvation of his creatures in these last days, since we have already in our possession a vast volume of his word which he has previously given.
But you will admit that the word spoken to Noah was not sufficient for Abraham, or it was not required of him to leave the land of his nativity and seek an inheritance in a strange country upon the word spoken to Noah, but for himself he obtained promises from the hand of the Lord and walked in that perfection, that he was called the friend of God.
Isaac, the promised seed, was not required to rest his hope alone upon the promises made to his father Abraham, but was privileged with the assurance of his approbation in the sight of Heaven by the direct voice of the Lord to him.
If one man can live upon the revelations to another, might I not with propriety ask why the necessity then of the Lord’s speaking to Isaac as he did, as is recorded in the twenty-sixth chapter of Genesis? For the Lord there repeats, or rather promises again, to perform the oath which he had previously sworn to Abraham, and why this repetition to Isaac? Why was not the first promise as sure for Isaac as it was for Abraham? Was not Isaac Abraham’s son, and could he not place implicit confidence in the veracity of his father as being a man of God? …
The same might be said on the subject of Jacob’s history. Why was it that the Lord spake to him concerning the same promise, after he had made it once to Abraham and renewed it to Isaac? Why could not Jacob rest contented upon the word spoken to his Fathers? When the time of the promise drew nigh for the deliverance of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, why was it necessary that the Lord should begin to speak to them?
“The promise or word to Abraham was that his seed should serve in bondage, and be afflicted four hundred years, and after that they should come out with great substance. Why did they not rely upon this promise, and when they had remained in Egypt, in bondage four hundred years, come out without waiting for further revelations, but act entirely upon the promise given to Abraham that they should come out?
Paul said to his Hebrew brethren that God might more abundantly show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel. He confirmed it by an oath. He also exhorts them, who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises.
Notwithstanding, we (said Paul) have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, yet he was careful to press upon them the necessity of continuing on until they, as well as those who then inherited the promises, might have the assurance of their salvation confirmed to them by an oath from the mouth of him who could not lie; for that seemed to be the example anciently, and Paul holds it out to his Hebrew brethren as an object attainable in his day.
And why not? I admit that by reading the scriptures, of truth, the saints in the days of Paul could learn, beyond the power of contradiction, that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had the promise of eternal life confirmed to them by an oath of the Lord; but that promise or oath was no assurance to them of their salvation, but they could, by walking in the footsteps and continuing in the faith of their fathers, obtain for themselves an oath for confirmation that they were meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in light.
To exercise faith in God, the word of God must first be delivered to you by direct revelation. Scriptures and messengers can frequently serve as a catalyst, but it must ultimately come from God: “for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost, the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men” (2 Nephi 33:1; cf. Moroni 7:31-32, D&C 1:38, D&C 68:4). This is why, for example, missionaries ask people to pray about the Book of Mormon. The moment the reader receives revelation, it becomes God’s word and not someone else’s.
We are all held accountable and ultimately judged according to the light we receive in this life (Moroni 7:18, Alma 12:8-15). This is a universal yet dynamic standard. Every single person—from your religious neighbor, to your agnostic co-worker, from someone living in California today to someone living in China 3,000 years ago—has some portion of God’s word, greater or lesser. It is the living voice of the living God. It’s their perception of light, and revelation. And they will all be judged according to the light and revelation they received.
As a quick note on that: if the purpose of this life was to get everyone to join the LDS church, it would be an abysmal failure. With the largest population of members to date, Latter-day Saints make up only about ~0.2% of the world’s population. Even though we frequently say work can and is being done for the dead, providing them an exception in the afterlife, what exactly was the purpose of the life they did live?
Every life is eternally significant, and divinely planned; God is at work, speaking to his children wherever they may be: “The Lord deals with this people as a tender parent with a child, communicating light and intelligence and the knowledge of his ways as they can bear it” (TPJS p. 305). “For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true” (Alma 29:8).
Faith in God’s revealed word is ultimately the principle upon which we are judged, and the only principle upon which we are saved. This is why the Prophet speaks of exercising “faith in God unto life and salvation” (Lectures on Faith 3:3). Now, it’s also worth noting that eventually all things will be revealed to all people, but we’ll come back to that at a later time.
Grace and Knowledge
There’s so much quibble about grace in the protestant sphere. The best way to understand grace is as knowledge. And not just facts, or acquired information, but the direct revelation of God’s word to you. It’s to have a real encounter with Him in any degree (Mosiah 18:6). And that word, delivered in any degree, is always a gift.
We are saved and sanctified by the Truth (a personal knowledge of he who is the Word of God) (John 17:17). It is by grace (or knowledge/revelation) we are saved, through faith. And that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).
That grace, or knowledge, is sufficient to transform us, if we will receive it. Knowing how and why Jesus would act in any given scenario is a massive gift; we simply cannot imagine what he would do, or how he could/would do it. And when you encounter and feel that living knowledge, you encounter him in some degree—and yielding to that influence will change you. It will knock you down and rearrange you.
It’s in this way we can understand Joseph Smith’s comments that “knowledge saves a man,” and “a man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge.” Our best ideas or most sincerely held beliefs are not alone sufficient to transform us: “Salvation cannot come without revelation” (TPJS p. 160). We must actually come to know God and Christ to be partakers of eternal life (John 17:3).
Peter addressed the church in his day saying, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:2-4).
Commenting on this passage, the Prophet Joseph taught:
Contend earnestly for the like precious faith with the Apostle Peter, “and add to your faith virtue,” knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity; “for if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Another point, after having all these qualifications, he lays this injunction upon the people “to make your calling and election sure.” He is emphatic upon this subject—after adding all this virtue, knowledge, etc., “Make your calling and election sure.” What is the secret—the starting point? “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” How did he obtain all things? Through the knowledge of Him who hath called him. There could not anything be given, pertaining to life and godliness, without knowledge. Woe! woe! woe to Christendom!—especially the divines and priests if this be true.
Salvation is for a man to be saved from all his enemies; for until a man can triumph over death, he is not saved. A knowledge of the priesthood [the order and manner of the Son of God] alone will do this.
TPJS p. 305
It is furthermore the case that only by acting on God’s revealed word to you can you be transformed and receive the assurance that course of life you are pursuing is agreeable to his will (for more on this, I would suggest revisiting the entirety of Lecture 6 from the Lectures on Faith). As in Alma’s analogy of planting and nourishing the seed, acting on revelation will lead to successively greater knowledge and revelation, which will in turn inspire greater faith, leading to a perfect knowledge. On another occasion, the Prophet taught:
Now for the secret and grand key. Though they might hear the voice of God and know that Jesus was the Son of God, this would be no evidence that their election and calling was made sure, that they had part with Christ, and were joint heirs with Him. They then would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Then, having this promise sealed unto them, it was an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast. Though the thunders might roll and lightnings flash, and earthquakes bellow, and war gather thick around, yet this hope and knowledge would support the soul in every hour of trial, trouble and tribulation. Then knowledge through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the grand key that unlocks the glories and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.
Compare this principle once with Christendom at the present day, and where are they, with all their boasted religion, piety and sacredness while at the same time they are crying out against prophets, apostles, angels, revelations, prophesying and visions, etc. Why, they are just ripening for the damnation of hell. They will be damned, for they reject the most glorious principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and treat with disdain and trample under foot the key that unlocks the heavens and puts in our possession the glories of the celestial world. Yes, I say, such will be damned, with all their professed godliness. Then I would exhort you to go on and continue to call upon God until you make your calling and election sure for yourselves, by obtaining this more sure word of prophecy, and wait patiently for the promise until you obtain it, etc.
TPJS p. 298-299
Establishing the Cause of Zion 