Answers
In seeking answers to our spiritual questions it is wise to inquire of the Lord, because he knows all things. When Nephi asked his brethren if they had inquired of the Lord in connection to their effort to understand the words of Isaiah, they indicated that they had not because the Lord would not answer them. (They of course didn't know whether the Lord would answer them or not because they had not asked. Thus, their own feelings of unworthiness may have prevented them from trying to seek revelation.) If we do not inquire of the Lord we may find ourselves ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth. It is good to keep an open mind, but not so open that someone can come by and dump a whole bunch of garbage into it. If we demand better and better answers it may become impossible to answer our questions in a satisfactory way. There are children of God who would not consider the answer good enough even if an angel with a message from our Father in Heaven appeared unto them to deliver his message to them. As we seek for truth, we must ultimately obtain it from God because the conclusions of the scholars, academic professionals, and scientists are always tentative and are often overturned and reversed as more evidence become available. The Lord has already directed the Brother of Jared to write a history of the world from the beginning of it to the end and when this record becomes available it will re-affirm and establish every truth contained in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
We gain a testimony of the truth through the ministration of the Holy Ghost. Once we understand and apply the truth we become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We sometimes hear people say that they have “lost their testimony.” It is my belief that the witness of the Holy Ghost leaves an indelible impression upon our souls which is not able to be lost. Once we know the truth we have a testimony from God that will remain with us. Our conversion however can be lost and the strengthening or weakening of our conversion is a daily process.
Is it possible that when a person (who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) begins to lose the desire to be converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, that they must seek new ideas and intellectual concepts to help them to accommodate their new course of action? Could it be that the person begins to resent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because, in their mind, it is the Church which makes them feel guilty? (Rather than the light of Christ within them in the form of their own conscience.) A Saint may begin to feel as though the only way to find happiness and peace is to depart from the Church so that they will no longer need to feel guilty. Joseph Smith taught that happiness comes from knowing that the course of our life is pleasing unto God. Any departure from the Covenant path is not able to bring us happiness because of the testimony of the truth that we have in our own heart. The only way to shut out the light of Christ completely is to live in such a way the Holy Ghost stops trying to entice us to do what is right. This course of action is not a way to find peace or happiness. As long as we are able to feel anything, there will be guilt inside for not living according to the truths that we have been given through the Holy Ghost. A far better course of action is to return to the Covenant path as soon as it is possible for us to do it and to resume the happiness that we once enjoyed.
In writing questions about the problems people have with the history and doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some have indicated that they are sincerely trying to understand better answers to their questions. I feel that some who publicly question the Lord’s Kingdom on the earth have a perfect knowledge of their fraud and that they are only claiming to seek better answers so that they can take the words of anyone from the Church who responds, and try to twist them and use them to further justify their departure from the Church. It is a terribly difficult, forbidden, long and winding path which is followed once a person start trying to silence their conscience. It appears to me that the Church has often followed the example of Jesus Christ when he was before Pilate wherein he answered him nothing. Why would the Savior answer Pilate nothing? I believe it was because he knew that Pilate was not asking the questions with a willingness to alter the course of his life according to the answers. Pilate was merely seeking justification for condemning Jesus Christ so that he could give the people what they wanted without feeling guilty about it.
The Book of Mormon talks about how John the Beloved was given the assignment to reveal certain things about the future:
1 Nephi Chapter 14
18 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
19 And I looked and beheld a man, and he was dressed in a white robe.
20 And the angel said unto me: Behold one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
21 Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been.
22 And he shall also write concerning the end of the world.
23 Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; and at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men.
24 And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou see.
25 But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them.
26 And also others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel.
27 And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel.
28 And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a small part of the things which I saw.
29 And I bear record that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of the Lord did make them known unto me.
In this passage we see that our Father in Heaven and his Son Jesus Christ knew exactly what the book of revelations would contain, over six hundred years before it was written. They were also well aware of the fact that the words would be altered in an inaccurate and impure way so that they would have errors and mistakes in them. Prophets who are also seers are able to read from the heavenly library from every addition, past, present and future. 1 Nephi 1:11 describes the Prophet Lehi being given one of these heavenly book and being invited to read from it.
The Book of Mormon does not claim to be perfect and indicates that if there are mistakes they are the mistakes of men. We are encouraged to avoid condemning the things of God because of the mistakes of men. Prophets are not perfect and there is a long history contained in the Old Testament which clearly shows that the Prophets from the past have not been perfect. The Savior is the only perfect person who has lived on the earth. It is the devil that tries to persuade the Saints of God that Prophets and the Scriptures that they write must be perfect or they are completely false.
In Mormon 9:31 we read:
31 Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.
And from the Book of Mormon Title Page:
And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.
