I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents. Therefore having been taught somewhat in all the learning of my father.
Nephi equates being a good parent with teaching children in ALL of the learning that an individual may posses. The children may not retain all of this learning, but if our desires are to live according to the definition that Nephi gives of being a "good" parent: we will teach them.
This principle was emphasized in the days of Joseph Smith. On May 6, 1833 The Lord explained, "I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth." A commandment given to all Latter-Day saints to bring up your children in light and truth.
Previously in the same discussion the Lord told Joseph, "The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words light and truth."
A few months earlier He explained, "The Word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ."
So the first truth restored in The Book of Mormon that we encounter is the reality that all parents have a command from God to bring up their children in light. Whatsoever is truth, is light. Whatsoever is light, is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Which is His glory. Which glory is intelligence.
Earlier in the process of the restoration came a warning, however. The Lord explained to Joseph's brother Hyrum that, "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men." This warning is puzzling in our day. We are not familiar with a process of how to obtain the Word of the Lord unless it means simply to purchase scriptures. Hyrum did have scriptures available to him at this point. However, not the Book of Mormon as it had not been published yet...
So on one hand we are commanded to teach our children after the all of our learning. While at the same time we are warned against declaring the word of the Lord until we have first obtained the word of the Lord.
-What does it mean to obtain the Word of the Lord?
-What does that look like?
-Why the warning of not declaring before first obtaining?
Going back to the discussion the Lord gave to Joseph on May 6, 1833 He stated, "that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers." The warning of declaring before first obtaining is given because we don't/shouldn't want to be responsible for passing on disobedience to God to anyone, especially our future generations due to the traditions of our fathers which traditions we are not adequately trained to differentiate from the Word of the Lord.
In speaking of faith, Mormon explained, " ...so great was [The Brother of Jared's] faith in God, that when God put forth His finger He could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of His word which He had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.
And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, (because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith) the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore He showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil."
If we go back and read the Brother of Jared's account preserved within the Book of Ether, we find that -after praying that he, his family and friends not be confounded- he later petitioned the Lord to know whether it were His will to lead the Brother of Jared, his family and friends out of the land where they currently resided and into a new land of promise.
He received a promise that the Lord would lead this group to such a place. As a result of obtaining this promise, the quote cited above indicates that the Brother of Jared was able to posses the faith necessary to enter into the presence of the Lord; to see not only His finger but His face and whole body; and to commune with Him there.
Obtain is not a passive verb. It is an action verb. It requires effort from the person doing the obtaining. If effort is not exerted then the appropriate word to use would not be obtain but rather received.
We have a commandment to bring up our children in light. We are warned against the folly of declaring God's word when we have not obtained it.
The Book of Mormon has restored the light to understand the escape from this conundrum.
1 comment:
Here is the "promise" contained in the "word." which the brother of Jared had previously received.
It's found in JST Genesis 14: 27-32. "And thus, [Melchizedek] having been approved of God, he was ordained a high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch. it being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God; AND IT WAS DELIVERED BY THE CALLING OF HIS OWN VOICE, (in other words, His "word.") according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name. For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath of himself; that everyone ordained after this order and calling should (notice this is not "shall" but offers the promise if one continues on) have power, BY FAITH, to break mountains, to divide seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course; to put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, TO STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD; to do all things according to his will, according to his command.....etc."
There's the "promise" that gIves all who have or will, the faith to "see Him."
Now, all one has to figure out is what having the calling by his own voice fully entails, and seek for it himself.
And of course, since Moses knew this and could write it, Melchizedek also certainly knew it, thus getting this same information back into the brother of Jared's time frame. And now we know it also because of Joseph Smith, thus putting this knowledge into our hands also.
But, what do we do with such knowledge? I can hear JS's answer loudly, "why just exactly what the brother of Jared did with it. Exercise the faith it develops, and go see Him!"
Keith
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