From: B S TURNER Owner
Spiritually Won Knowledge #10
Ignorance of the things of God is prevalent among men (inside the Church and out) because of sin. The same sin which causes men to destroy each other in the world keeps men in the church divided. That sin is the sin of apostasy… (Arthur Oakman, The call of Christ in an Age of Dilemma)
Have we become so satisfied with where we are that we have fallen into apostasy? Some may have heard the word but not understand the meaning. Apostasy is defined as “the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.”
But, you would say, we have not abandoned our religious beliefs, as a matter of fact we have separated ourselves from the very organization that abandoned the truth many years ago. True statement, but when you look at where we are today what do you see?
3 Nephi 1:39 Insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen, imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men, and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people;
Group after group appearing on the horizon, each with their version of spiritual and worldly organization. And members who are as dedicated to the group they are in as they were to the original organization. Are you beginning to see the problem?
Ether 1:111 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you;
Again it is mentioned about the veil of unbelief…
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
How timely is this scripture today written so many years ago? We are told that the god of this world is blinding us. Both in and out of the church we are “wresting the scriptures” to prove points of doctrine and structure. But I am not sure that we see what is really happening. The body is being ripped apart, eaten within by the very people that claim to have insight.
Oakman goes on to say “Foreknowledge, insight, and vision go inseparably with righteousness. Blindness of mind accompanies perversion of spirit.” Can we test this comment scripturally?
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
I am not sure that we really understand what Oakman is talking about here. There are three gifts that we can obtain so that we all can see past the veil. Foreknowledge, insight, and vision are not man made or man taught gifts, these can only be recognized as they are manifested to us by the Holy Spirit. And these gifts are not for a select few – they are for you and me.
All are given equally when it comes to spiritual things. The question is do you want others to determine your spiritual path? This is exactly what you are doing if you are not reading and trying to understand what the fruits of the Spirit will bring to every man woman and child if we were to cling, no, feast upon the word of God.
Here is a verse from 1 Nephi that enlightens us to the promise if we were to pray at this level for the people…
1 Nephi 1:4-7
Wherefore it came to pass that my father Lehi, as he went forth, prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.
And it came to pass, as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard, he did quake and tremble exceedingly.
And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen;
And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.
Not to many years past we were given this insight by Earl Curry as he sat in the Temple.
You lack wisdom and foresight in these matters, and you scarcely try to find the wisdom that your loving Father would give to you were you to cease trusting so much in your own selves, and were a faithful body of men, deeply concerned about this lack of progress, to come together asking for their eyes to be opened that they might see how to do these things, even under the difficulties of this present hour. Moreover, more than one hundred years ago you were commanded to lift a warning voice to the world, setting forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination of these last days. This has not been and is not being done with the strength, the intelligence, the prophetic insight and foresight, or even as with a loud voice, which these days of increasing commotion demand. Very few see deeply concerning this warning. Very few understood that which the Lord has caused to be written concerning the last days. Very few even ask to be shown what lies ahead. And so, the warning voice that you lift is feeble indeed. You are fearful of wild and extreme interpretations. You seem to have lost confidence that your Lord and your God knew what He was talking about when He inspired His prophets to place His warning word in the scriptures. All this can rapidly change when you will come together and ask to see truly that which was in the heart of your Lord when He caused His words concerning these last days to shine forth. This you ought to do. This you must do if you would discharge the responsibility that has been placed on you.
Such great insight in the passage out of Nephi and the message from the book “The Endowment”…The Apostle Paul also had foreknowledge, insight, and vision. He tells us that in 2 Corinthians 4: 18 and 5: 7
2 Cor. 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Cor. 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight;
We too have that same promise, can you see it?
Brian
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