The Search for Truth

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Amonhi
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The Search for Truth

Post by Amonhi »

After reading some of the recent posts, I thought I would start this topic... I have done this exercise for myself and even re-evaluated my thoughts on this regularly. The question is, "How do we go about finding truth safely?" This is basic progression... If we are finding new truths and applying them or living according to what some call "The highest truth we know", then we are progressing. If we are not finding new truth or applying it in our lives then we are damned.

But, as "Gone Fishing" and others on this forum have shown us, there are risks to searching. What if we learn something that we feel proves our previous understanding of truth to be false or no longer applicable? What is our search for truth causes us to loose faith in our church or church leadership?

The question is, "How do we go about finding truth/progressing safely?"

I will leave this to open discussion and may throw in a thought or two now and again, but will start with one one my own criteria, and a few thoughts.

One of my criteria is "The Law of Universal Application." This law says that the greatest or most pure truths can be universally applied. For example, in this discussion it would mean that whatever process of finding truth we come up with must able to be equally applicable to everyone and help everyone to progress or learn new truthsf. Even if they are not members of the LDS Church. So, for example, if you say that we do "x" to find new truths, then we must be able to apply it to non-members and it will help them to find new truth as well. Let me demonstrate this principle as it may be hard to understand without a very specific example....

If I were to say, "I accept only truth that is taught and approved by the living prophet." Realizing that the Prophet is my religious leader, if I were to apply this principle to someone of another faith, like a Catholic, then they would say, "I accept only truth that is taught and approved by the living pope." (This is one of their beliefs BTW, living popes supersede dead ones...) If this is a valid way to discover new truth and thereby progress, then both the Catholic and I would be lead to and accept the same truths... In this case, the belief does not apply universally and so is not a good way to discern truth.

A Mormon might say, "If the Catholic is seeking new truth correctly, then they would join the Mormon church." But the Law of Universal Application says that the Catholic would say exactly the same thing except vise versa, "If the Mormon is seeking new truth correctly, then they would join the Catholic Church."

I have two more thoughts before turning this over to open discussion...

When people seeking truth are lead to the LDS Church, we say that they are following the Holy Ghost or God or doing well. When they use the same tools and techniques they used to join the church and those tools and techniques cause them to leave the church we say they are deceived by the devil, misguided, confused or doing poorly. This is why so many people feel that it is good for prospects or potential converts to apply Moroni's promise by studying it out and praying for an answer as long as it leads them to join the church. But once we join the church, many people feel and teach that this process is no longer viable and that you cannot trust your personal revelation and you must follow the prophet or check your personal revelation against the prophet. Even your personal interpretation of the scriptures now must be in line with the prophet and church or you can't trust it. As we search for the principles by which we can progress, we must realize that these principles will be eternal, not just applicable for here and now or for new converts or for seasoned members. Eternal progression is obtained by learning the principles by which we eternally progress. And this is a way by which we learn who God is. Knowing God is knowing how to eternally progress, like God does.

Finally, if we are built on the rock, we cannot fall. The fear of learning something that makes us fall is only found in those who are not built on the rock. If you are built on Sand, then you fear the rain, the wind, and the floods. You are afraid of truly seeing. Your vision becomes focused on only those things which support your current beliefs. The result is that you are not a seeker of truth. Your are a seeker of affirmations. You cannot look at a thing with an unbiased eye. You cannot accept when you or your truth giver is wrong, until the truth giver or their progenitors declares it.

You can always recognize a truth seeker because they we see and accept the truth before it becomes mainstream or taught openly by the leadership. They will even disagree with the leaders until persuaded otherwise. In some cases, they will disagree with their leaders and the masses until their leaders or the masses are persuaded… (I guess I just alluded to another principle by which we seek truth, but I will let someone else nail it firmly to the floor…)

Peace and love,
Amonhi

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Jake
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Jake »

Amonhi wrote: The question is, "How do we go about finding truth/progressing safely?"
Great to see you here again, Amonhi.

It's a trick question. I don't think it can be done safely. We risk everything when we come to this mortal realm. Christ risked all coming here. His route was NOT safe and He was NOT guaranteed that He would complete His mission. We have to take risks as we progress or we won't go anywhere. Staying safely in the mainstream will float us right down to the Telestial kingdom.

We have to obtain and use the Holy Ghost, and trust in God. Progress requires us to trust God and let go of the things of the world. It is a hard and dangerous climb. There is simply no way to do it safely. Thankfully, as we fall short and recognize it, the atoning grace of the Lord helps us to overcome.

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Jeremy
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Jeremy »

Define "safely".

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Simon
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Simon »

Build on the rock Of Christ, be aware that he often chooses the "weak, simple and unexpected" means to teach truth. Watch God's creation how it testifys of truth and learn from that. Study the scriptures and seek personal experiences with he Lord. Be prepared to get a response. Trust in that experiences. Testify of truth.

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Enoch
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Enoch »

"How do we go about finding truth/progressing safely?"


I would say does it lead me to be more kind, charitable, patience, humble? Does it help me to love God and his children more? Does my mind expand? Does understanding come? Do I feel enlightened? At the end do I feel joy?

Amonhi
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Amonhi »

Videre faciem Dei wrote:Great to see you here again, Amonhi.
Thanks!
It's a trick question. I don't think it can be done safely. We risk everything when we come to this mortal realm. Christ risked all coming here. His route was NOT safe and He was NOT guaranteed that He would complete His mission. We have to take risks as we progress or we won't go anywhere. Staying safely in the mainstream will float us right down to the Telestial kingdom.

I knew this would come up! I agree with you. It isn't safe... BUT then again, it is even less safe to not discover your lies, your false beliefs, those which hold you back and which hurt you daily and ultimately if not corrected will hurt you eternally.

If we refuse to learn how to learn and progress, then we will not qualify for the CK. On the contrary, if we learn how to learn and progress then we qualify for the CK regardless of the number of errors we still believe for the still reason that we will progress past our errors eventually whereas a person who has not learned to learn and progress is limited and damned or halted in their progression and cannot inherit more. This is to say that eternal progression means that we can obtain the CK without knowing everything. It does not require that everything we know be true. We can even believe in lies and make it to the CK if we know how to progress, because we have all eternity to learn truth. But we have a limited time to show that we value truth above all else. If we value anything more than truth then we are damned and unable to progress. For example, if a person were to ignore or even fight against truth for the sake of defending a religion, a politician, friend, child, etc. then they have made a decision that is contrary to eternal progression. This doesn’t mean that you have to point out everyone’s errors as you suppose them to be. This means that you look for truth even to accepting that it may make us or those institutions we support look bad. Fortunately, we expect that if we or our groups are progressing, we should find faults with them regularly with the understanding that if you cannot see the faults you cannot correct them and progress… To say there is no fault is to say that there is no progression. The lack of progression is called damnation. Even God looks for faults in himself/herself. Satan does not.

Regarding our progression: God, in his wisdom, provided us with the veil. Having lost our memories, we are able to learn and progress in this world while making mistakes and yet remain innocent, like a child, until we KNOW the truth. One of the differences between sin and transgression is "Knowledge" the other is "Will" or "intent". If we act having a certain knowledge and have the intent to do evil, then we sin. If we lack either "will/intent" or "knowledge", then we transgress. The beautiful thing about this is that Transgressions are covered by the atonement WITHOUT conditions. Sins on the other hand require repentance to receive forgiveness. When I say that transgression requires knowledge, I do not mean the belief in something simply because the prophet said it. I mean knowing it first hand. Even though the prophet Alma told the taught the people, he said that this only caused them to have reason to believe but that even though he was the prophet and was teaching them, this did not give them the knowledge enough to sin.
"17 Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.
18 Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.
19 And now, how much amore cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?" - Alma 32:17-19
Alma then goes on to tell the people how to prove his words to see if they are true via a planting the seed to see what kind of fruit it created, good or bad. Through this process the seeker of truth is still innocent not having knowledge enough to sin. Eventually Alma says we can gain a perfect knowledge of a particular principle and our faith becomes dormant in that thing only while we continue to seek new truths following the same pattern.

My point being that because we have a lack of knowledge, we are considered innocent as we search for truth. So, if we learn something that we feel is right or true and begin living our lives according to that supposed truth, we are and remain innocent even if what we believe is wrong or not true. This does not mean that we magically avoid the natural consequences of our actions and beliefs. We can’t avoid that without loosing our agency.

So, the seeker is in a better position because they learn errors and have a way to overcome the errors via their seeking for new truths. The damned are unfortunately stuck with their errors because they are too afraid of finding truth that might contradict what they have invested their entire lives into. They feel the foundation shifting under them and it shakes them to the core.

If the seeker learns error, then they are not worse off than having kept the error they previously held. They accepted the new error because it made more sense to them than the previous error they used to believe. They have progressed…

“Elder Pelatiah Brown, one of the wisest old heads we have among us, and whom I now see before me, has been preaching concerning the beast which was full of eyes before and behind; and for this he was hauled up for trial before the High Council.

I did not like the old man being called up for erring in doctrine. It looks too much like the Methodist, and not like the Latter-day Saints. Methodists have creeds which a man must believe or be asked out of their church. I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammelled. It does not prove that a man is not a good man because he errs in doctrine.” –TotPJS, Section Six 1843-44, p.288

It is wonderful that God's plan was designed with the understanding that we would not know everything when we turned eight or even eighty eight.
We have to obtain and use the Holy Ghost, and trust in God.

This is great advice. What do those who do not have a certain and sure connection with the Holy Ghost do? Let’s say either those who have never received the Holy Ghost, those who have received it but are not able to recognize it or those to whom the Holy Ghost has gone silent for the purpose of helping the person to stand on their own or to encourage them to become more like God by requiring them to make a decision using their own free will, intellect and knowledge of true principles? How do those who do not have or recognize the Holy Ghost find the truth?

I will also submit that the Holy Ghost has no power to persuade a person who has bad philosophies which prevent them from progressing. It cannot teach them anything they are not ready and willing to receive without causing them damage. How do they make themselves ready and willing to receive so that the Holy Ghost can teach them?

I really liked your post. I thought the same thing as I wrote the first post. :) Thank you.

Amonhi

Amonhi
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Amonhi »

Jeremy wrote:Define "safely".
Without risking our salvation or exaltation, if is it possible...(hint ways to interpret this statement...my interpretation is the unconventional way.)

Amonhi
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Amonhi »

Simon wrote:Build on the rock Of Christ, be aware that he often chooses the "weak, simple and unexpected" means to teach truth.
ie. not sources that appear great and honorable...Like teaching truth through the man dressed in camel hair and a leather belt like John the Baptist or by the bum on the street or the most unlikely source.
Watch God's creation how it testifys of truth and learn from that.

Be Observant
Study the scriptures and seek personal experiences with he Lord. Be prepared to get a response.Trust in that experiences.

Draw your own conclusions based on your own experience. I laugh when I see people who believe something because someone or something said it even when their own personal experience defies it. #-o

Great post... Thank you.

Amonhi

Amonhi
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Amonhi »

elijahsson wrote:I would say does it lead me to be more kind, charitable, patience, humble? Does it help me to love God and his children more? Does my mind expand? Does understanding come? Do I feel enlightened? At the end do I feel joy?
Well, you will never have an issue recognizing a false prophet! LOL, excellent! This would be, "Plant the seed and see what it produces."

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laronius
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by laronius »

"But once we join the church, many people feel and teach that this process is no longer viable and that you cannot trust your personal revelation and you must follow the prophet or check your personal revelation against the prophet."
Amonhi, you will not find this idea taught anywhere in the Church. Just because we don't feel the Spirit contradicts the brethren on the matters that pertain to our salvation doesn't mean we don't believe in listening to the Spirit.

But to answer your question, the Lord told us a long time ago:

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

John14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

It is clear the Lord intends for us to listen to both.

Thomas
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Thomas »

laronius wrote:
"But once we join the church, many people feel and teach that this process is no longer viable and that you cannot trust your personal revelation and you must follow the prophet or check your personal revelation against the prophet."
Amonhi, you will not find this idea taught anywhere in the Church. Just because we don't feel the Spirit contradicts the brethren on the matters that pertain to our salvation doesn't mean we don't believe in listening to the Spirit.

But to answer your question, the Lord told us a long time ago:

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

John14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

It is clear the Lord intends for us to listen to both.
So which one has the higher ranking, a prophet or the Holy Spirit?

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laronius
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by laronius »

Thomas wrote:
laronius wrote:
"But once we join the church, many people feel and teach that this process is no longer viable and that you cannot trust your personal revelation and you must follow the prophet or check your personal revelation against the prophet."
Amonhi, you will not find this idea taught anywhere in the Church. Just because we don't feel the Spirit contradicts the brethren on the matters that pertain to our salvation doesn't mean we don't believe in listening to the Spirit.

But to answer your question, the Lord told us a long time ago:

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

John14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

It is clear the Lord intends for us to listen to both.
So which one has the higher ranking, a prophet or the Holy Spirit?
When Noah told the people a flood was coming it was not a matter of which one to listen to. We need both.

log
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by log »

laronius wrote: But to answer your question, the Lord told us a long time ago:

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

John14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

It is clear the Lord intends for us to listen to both.
Amos 3:7 is more properly translated as follows.
“For the Lord Yhwh doesn’t do anything without revealing his council to his servants the prophets.”
That is what marks a true prophet - standing in the divine council - as opposed to a prophet who may only have received the first comforter. Without a man having stood in that council, Amos 3:7 doesn't support the position you're taking with it.

Thomas
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Thomas »

If one tells you do something different then the other, which one do you listen to? Do you obey God or man? Can you be saved without personal revelation? Joseph Smith said no? Following a prophet will not save you.

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FoxMammaWisdom
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by FoxMammaWisdom »

laronius wrote:Amonhi, you will not find this idea taught anywhere in the Church.
I disagree. I have seen it first hand, too much.

We are to cast off the natural man, NOT follow the arm of the flesh, and follow the spirit - as the Holy Ghost IS the mind and will of God. If I follow the mind and will of God via the Holy Ghost, and a church leader disagrees, then they are in the wrong, NOT the Holy Ghost. They are flesh.

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TZONE
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by TZONE »

What if like abraham's great sacrifice, we were asked by God to forsake the church? We would be shunned, persecuted, called apostate, inactive, non member, etc... etc...

The sacrifices we are asked to do NEVER coinicde with a church or organization. Only with our INDIVIDUAL salvation. And when we follow that and keep covenants through sacrifice, we WILL ALWAYS be right before our God and have authority from him to do his will.

PunaGabe
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by PunaGabe »

Stay worthy! Prayer 3 times a day (kneeling) and study and ponder the Book of Mormon. Then you will have no problem tuning into the spirit and whatever you search for you will find.The Spirit will let you know right away if its good or bad. Just my opinion! :)

log
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by log »

You undersell that, PunaGabe.
Alma 34:17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.

20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.

21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

28 And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.

29 Therefore, if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men.

30 And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance.

31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.

32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

35 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.

36 And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb.

37 And now, my beloved brethren, I desire that ye should remember these things, and that ye should work out your salvation with fear before God, and that ye should no more deny the coming of Christ;

38 That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.

39 Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing.

40 And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;

41 But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.

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TZONE
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by TZONE »

Amen, 3 times a day!

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=28386" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or, 3 formals, and constantly informal throughout the day.

I referenced this article on that...

"Joseph once said, citing the book of Daniel, "You must make yourselves acquainted with those men who like Daniel pray three times a day toward the House of the Lord" (Teachings, p. 161).

What's the significance of facing the temple? Apparently it can help recall both the promises the Lord has made to us in the temple and the promises we have made to Him-covenants in the House of the Lord. When President Wilford Woodruff dedicated the Salt Lake Temple he offered a specific prayer that people who had there committed their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ and were now assailed with temptation or trouble but were unable to get to the temple to supplicate the Lord might face the temple as they prayed, and that the Lord would honor their prayers. (See N.B. Lundwall, comp., Temples of the Most High [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], p. 127.)"

And,

http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/book-mormon ... sus-prayed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Original_Intent
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Original_Intent »

laronius wrote:
"But once we join the church, many people feel and teach that this process is no longer viable and that you cannot trust your personal revelation and you must follow the prophet or check your personal revelation against the prophet."
Amonhi, you will not find this idea taught anywhere in the Church. Just because we don't feel the Spirit contradicts the brethren on the matters that pertain to our salvation doesn't mean we don't believe in listening to the Spirit.

But to answer your question, the Lord told us a long time ago:

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

John14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

It is clear the Lord intends for us to listen to both.
I think that you think that many people here say not to follow the prophet.

I, at least, say don't follow the prophet blindly. Never become so spiritually lazy that you do not seek spiritual confirmation even if you already accept the counsel as true.

That's the only issue that I have - I definitely KNOW that many people follow a path of 1) receive a testimony that the church is true, and that the president of the church is a prophet (or worse, receive a testimony that the church is true and infer that the president of the church must therefore be a prophet) and then from then on, they wait for their bi-annual dollop of revelation to come over the pulpit in SLC. I know this is the case because my own mother feels this way, when I discussed personal revelation with her, she literally said that is what the prophet is for - to receive personal revelation for us. She is a lifelong member and has served in pretty much any calling that a woman can at the ward level. And I know also that she is far from alone.

What I find ironic is they say "follow the prophet" and then ignore the counsel to strive to receive personal revelation when it is taught at GC! They simply do not want to do the work, they want the thinking to be done for them, just tell me what to do, as long as it isn't too much trouble.

Not saying you think this, but again I know from personal experience that its not an uncommon mindset.

Personal revelation, not the president of the church, is the rock that must be built upon.

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Simon
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Simon »

I think this is the whole point.. Don't make prophets the Rock upon which you build, but Christ alone.

Squally
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Squally »

if the holy ghost says one thing and
the church leader says another,

the church leader is right,
and the holy Ghost (and God and Jesus Christ) are probably wrong.

Sooner or later that prophet will stand and convince the Godhead of their mistake---- I am sure......

Personal revelation from God is trumped by men on earth who lead the church with office and authority,

If there is ever a contradiction ---trust in the arm of flesh over the Holy Ghost or Godhead!!! Don't risk following God as you are being deceived if it goes against the arm of flesh. Follow a man instead where there is safety and a very large crowd of followers.
Last edited by Squally on January 10th, 2014, 6:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Simon
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Simon »

Squally wrote:if the holy ghost says one thing and
the church leader says another,

the church leader is right,
and the holy Ghost (and God and Jesus Christ) are probably wrong.

Sooner or later that prophet will stand and convince the Godhead of their mistake---- I a sure......

Personal revelation from God is trumped by men on earth who lead the church with office and authority,

If there is ever a contradiction ---trust in the arm of flesh over the Holy Ghost or Godhead!!! Don't risk following God as you are being deceived if it goes against the arm of flesh. Follow a man instead where there is safety and a very large crowd of followers.
This is death eternal, to trust man, and their only true church :ymdevil:

rproe67
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by rproe67 »

I'm having a terrible time lately. So I've prayed to know truth, I asked that I not be deceived, to know the Spirit, asking Heavenly Father to show me my unbeliefs, and I'm willing to accept whatever answers I receive. The last few days I read things that are really trying my faith in the "church", which I've been a member of all my life. I pray to know if this is the adversary turning me from the church, or if there's some false belief I need to be rid of...

My mother is as Original_Intent's that we should rely on the prophet for personal revelation. I don't believe this, but I feel that I have a lot on my plate and I don't know where to start. Does anyone else feel this way?!

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Simon
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Re: The Search for Truth

Post by Simon »

rproe67 wrote:I'm having a terrible time lately. So I've prayed to know truth, I asked that I not be deceived, to know the Spirit, asking Heavenly Father to show me my unbeliefs, and I'm willing to accept whatever answers I receive. The last few days I read things that are really trying my faith in the "church", which I've been a member of all my life. I pray to know if this is the adversary turning me from the church, or if there's some false belief I need to be rid of...

My mother is as Original_Intent's that we should rely on the prophet for personal revelation. I don't believe this, but I feel that I have a lot on my plate and I don't know where to start. Does anyone else feel this way?!
It is a difficult situation. I think the best place to start is what you do already, to pray, and besides that to study the BOM, for it will answer many of your questions. I would not worry too much about the church. Take the good you find within and do your best to be his church. Things that the Lord wants you to know, or to do, will come in a way you will understand them.

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