Denver Snuffer has said before (paraphrasing) that belief is associated with the Holy Ghost, faith is associated with angels, and knowledge is associated with God Himself. I have pondered a lot about what this means, and today I had a bit of an epiphany while responding to a comment on a discussion forum.
There is a commonly believed idea that a testimony that comes from the Holy Ghost is superior to testimony that comes from angels or from the Lord Himself. This idea is FALSE! Do not believe it. If you content yourself with the Holy Ghost without seeking the presence and testimony of God Himself, you damn yourself.
This idea goes at least as far back as Joseph Fielding Smith. It is not surprising to me that he made the following comment:
“When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even of the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sink deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:151).
It would seem that the author had a different understanding of who and what the Holy Ghost is than I do. How can he say that the witness of the Holy Ghost is greater than having Jesus Himself appear unless he has experienced these things and can judge between them? It saddens me that this doctrine is taught in our gospel "doctrine" classes. Oh, how the Lord must weep at this. This idea causes people to stop at a witness of the Holy Ghost rather than pressing forward to stand in the presence of the Son. In essence, by following this belief you deny the fullness of the gospel.
This goes back to the comments on my last post about belief, faith, and knowledge. If the Holy Ghost tells you that Jesus lives, you have belief. You believe that Jesus lives, but you have no proof. If an angel testifies that Jesus lives, you have faith. You have acted in such a manner that a being who has been in the presence of Jesus has testified of it to you. You have an eyewitness testimony, which is greater than mere belief. If Christ testifies that He lives, you have knowledge, you have proof that He lives because you have seen Him.
Which is better to you? For me, I will choose knowledge over faith or belief. You cannot honestly say that it is better to know Christ from a distance (by the Holy Ghost) than it is to know Him in person. Knowing Christ is the very definition of eternal life. Until you KNOW Him, you do not have knowledge and you do not have eternal life.
Angels speak By the holy ghost. Therefore, Angel and the Holy Ghost speak the same thing the "words of Christ".
ReplyDelete2 Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?
3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost;", so if an angel visits their witness will be clear as one man speaks to another BUT their words ARE the "power holy Ghost". See verse 3. The power of the holy Ghost are the words of Christ, for the angels speak the "words of Christ" other-wards by the "power of the holy ghost". So if an angel visits its the SAME (voice).
Though the Holy Ghost speaks the word of Christ... Hearing Christ's words actually out of Christ's mouth is the ultimate purpose of the Holy Ghost.
ReplyDeleteThat gift of the Holy Ghost, within you, is unto sanctification. It is to guide you to the second comforter.
The word of Christ through the divinity inside you, the Holy Ghost is great... Hearing the Words of Christ from Divinity Himself is BETTER.
Jared, amen and amen! A thousand amens! Now, if only we could teach that in Gospel Doctrine class...
ReplyDeleteOn July 18, 1918, 30+ years after being called as an apostle, Joseph Fielding wrote to his two sons on missions and stated, "...I did not live in the days of our Savior; he has not come to me in perosn. I have not beheld him. His Father and he have not felt it necessary to grant me such a great blessing as this. Bit is is not necessary. I have felt his presence. know that the Holy Spirit has enlightened my mind and revealed him unto me, so that I do love my Redeemer, I hope, and feel it is true, better than everything else in this life. I would not have it otherwise."
ReplyDeleteHe spoke only of what he knew. Had he me the Savior I suspect his opinion would have been changed.