REVELATION

If God speaks, we win and all of our opposition loses. Those who oppose the church are opposing revelation. They won’t be able to find revelation anywhere else. Without revelation this gospel of Jesus Christ would not exist. Without revelation Joseph would not have seen the first vision. The priesthood and its keys would not be restored. President Hinckley would not be a prophet and none of the church’s members would receive it on a personal level. All that we have as a church comes from revelation. We would be the same as any other religion without revelation. The message that our missionaries take is that God speaks. They carry the message of revelation. We don’t need culture; we need pure doctrine that bears the label of Revelation. If God speaks, then we have the answer, if he doesn’t, then we are part of the confusion.

The word doctrine is from doctor which means teacher so our doctrines are our teachings. When someone asks, “is it true?” that is a different matter than doctrine. The issue isn’t what are we teaching, it is what is the truth. There is a difference between what can be taught and what is true. As a teacher, you are not obligated to tell everything you know.

Revelation comes as you are prepared for it. Revelation can be immediate and personal. It’s not just for prophets. We can know God’s will now and for ourselves, however keep in mind that puny preparation proceeds puny revelation. Revelation is rejected in the name of loyalty to revelation. The more that we are open and prepared spiritually for revelation the more we will receive revelation. We have to have revelation to know God’s will. We each have a purpose on this earth and we must meet that purpose to obtain eternal life. Imagine your life without personal revelation or any kind of revelation. We would be living on our own.

Malachi 4:5 – 6 contains a prophecy and to know that this prophecy has been translated correctly we can turn to 3 Nephi 20. You then know if you have a correct translation. Moroni quotes Malachi and not only that but he modifies and expands the prophecy. What Moroni is doing is he is changing scripture. This is the essence of our religion that by revelation one can expound or give a more correct translation on the verse. Could Joseph Smith have done the same thing, expanded on Moroni’s prophecy? Yes he could have. Could a seminary teacher or another member? No they absolutely cannot. If we speak by the spirit of revelation we will be what a Mormon is, otherwise we are as the other religions who only profess falsehoods.

What the Holy Ghost inspires and reveals can be shared, but perhaps not with each office of the church. We need to be able to accept and respect revelation for what it is along with its limits. The Holy Ghost can take you beyond the period that ends the sentence and when to take a class with you. If you don’t have the courage to teach what you are inspired to teach, then you shouldn’t be a teacher. The church doesn’t send a tape recorder to class; it sends a teacher so that they can be inspired to meet the needs of the class. A teacher is not a parrot. The teacher needs to be sure that he isn’t changing the absolutes.

There are two kinds of principles in the church. The first is the principle of absolutes which is defined as those things that cannot be changed that are absolute. The second is the conditional. When the language of symbolism doesn’t have to be one right answer is the principle of that which is conditional. Hold to the absolute and allow the conditional to be moved. Remember when teaching that puny revelation can come from puny preparation. There is not need to be a robot. We must be Mormon and use the Holy Ghost for direction. The principle of revelation is alive and well, it is real, and it doesn’t lend itself to easy answers. If you can’t go beyond the period that ends the sentence, you have no right to be the teacher in the classroom.

The Lord teaches us an interesting principle in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:28, 39, 43 says that although they have heard the commandment before the Lord now makes it personally his by saying, “But I say unto you.” Teach the way Jesus taught. Jesus did it knowingly. If you believe it to be true teach it as your own. You wouldn’t share your testimony by saying that your dad knows the gospel is true.

The Jews rejected Christ by holding onto the scripture. Jesus deliberately broke laws to practically yell that what the written code is wrong. Jesus made his point by breaking these laws. He performed miracles on the Sabbath and commanded others to do many things on the Sabbath in order to be healed. The Lord continued to do this to prove his point.

1 Nephi 10:17-19 teaches the absolute answer that yes the Holy Ghost was available during the time of the Old Testament. The Holy Ghost is given to all those who seek him. Mysteries are learned by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Be careful of becoming one who says the words of 2 Nephi 28:27. Build on the rock of revelation and not on sandy foundations or one who doesn’t want to receive more of the word of God. Those who don’t want to receive more aren’t learning line upon line, here a little there a little. Revelation is given to those that appreciate it. He that receives it will be given more.

We learn in Joseph Smiths history, verse 74, that Joseph’s mind was opened to new understanding as he read. As he read and was enlightened a process began, the scriptures were laid open unto him. He was reading the same words but now was seeing a different picture. Whenever we teach a text of scripture, God sees how much we understand or how much we want to see. Knowledge comes by revelation. Revelation comes line upon line.

It is absolutely impossible for anybody to reject a truth without accepting darkness in its place. When light is not present darkness takes its place. It is impossible to accept a true teacher and accept falsehood. Where truth is concerned there is no darkness or neutrality. There is no grey with absolutes. You can’t build strong testimonies out of weak doctrine.

We have enough missionaries coming home each year to close down 27 missions. 5,200 a year quit their mission early. We are raising a generation on sugar who can’t work or build on strong doctrine. Are we raising the bar as teachers? Living prophets annoy people; the dead ones don’t talk back to us, so we get along with them easily. Prophets don’t teach to live easy course of life. Truth can be hard to follow for some and it will be disputed and opposed for that. Those that prefer the dark will oppose the light of truth. It is a teachers purpose to teach truth.

Studying commentary isn’t the best way to study the scriptures. Study scripture from scripture and realize that some scripture can be more true than others. Joseph Smith had more knowledge and was wiser after four years of experience at being a prophet. For example Matthew 5-7 is a good translation but 3 Nephi 12-14 is better and the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew is the best translation.

We must take advantage of the blessings of this gospel. We have been blessed with the Holy Ghost and revelation. We need immediate and personal revelation. We can’t be with God without revelation. Our revelations will be disputed; it will be rejected by those who want to keep us in the sphere of darkness with everyone else. We must recognize them and the teachings of our prophets. Revelation has given us the true gospel of Jesus Christ.