Latter-day Commentary

In the priesthood session of the April 2003 General Conference, President Hinckley delivered a landmark address on the subject of loyalty.   In his remarks he said, “Each of us has to face the truth of the matter—either the church is true, or it is a fraud.  There is no middle ground.  It is the Church and kingdom of God or it is nothing.”

An earlier prophet, Joseph Fielding Smith wrote something similar in the Doctrines of Salvation: “Mormonism, as it is called, must stand on the story of Joseph Smith.  He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen.  There is no middle ground.”

There can be no gray area

Referring to the historical events of the area around Palmyra, New York, President Hinckley said: “They either happened or they did not. There can be no gray area, no middle ground.”   In a similar manner, Apostle Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “Joseph Smith must be accepted either as a prophet of God or else as a charlatan of the first order.”

President Benson endorsed this all or nothing view.  He said, “Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon…if it can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation, and the restored Church.”

They were all wrong

Such black and white statements go all the way back to the beginnings of the LDS church.  When the prophet Joseph asked God which church he should join, he “was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong.”  If all the churches of Joseph’s day were wrong, what does that say about the numerous churches of our day?

The Lord later said to Joseph in Section one of the Doctrine and Covenants that the church Joseph organized was “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.”  If you look, you can find dozens of similar statements by prophets and apostles throughout the history of our church, all very bold in their declarations.

Divisive and exclusivist

Of course, statements like these are labeled divisive and exclusivist by many people outside our church, but also, increasingly by members on the fringe of the church, also known as the disaffected Mormon underground.  The DAMU is nothing new.  There have been cultural Mormons and Jack Mormons throughout the history of our church.

Of all the objections to the church that I have encountered over the past few years I have been blogging, this one seems to be the most common and the most offensive.  For some, it is an extremely difficult proposition to accept this black or white, all or nothing approach to truth in religion.  I have spent considerable time pondering why this is so.

Good and truth in all religions

Joseph Smith taught that we accept truth from whatever source it may come.  Joseph F. Smith said, “We are willing to receive all truth, from whatever source it may come; for truth will stand, truth will endure…”  Modern prophets have said that there is much good and truth in all churches and religions.  This statement doesn’t seem too limiting.

President Hinckley: “We recognize the good in all churches. We recognize the value of religion generally. We say to everyone: live the teachings which you have received from your church. We invite you to come and learn from us, to see if we can add to those teachings and enhance your life and your understanding of things sacred and divine.”

Something unique to add

What can the LDS faith add that is unique and will bless the lives of those who accept its teachings?  The most unique thing we offer can be found in the temples.  It is the sealing power that is exercised to unite families in an eternal bond that will remain in effect after this life is over.  That is an amazing claim that no other church can make.

We teach that the sealing power is a part of the priesthood authority that we claim was delivered to Joseph Smith via angelic messengers.  I don’t know of any other church that asserts that angels have come and ordained their leaders or conferred upon them keys and powers that will bind on earth and in heaven.  That is a fantastic declaration!

Our eternal nature

The older I get, the more important that claim becomes to me.  If I know nothing else, I know that there is a spiritual side of my existence.  I have had too many experiences of a spiritual nature that have helped me to understand this truth.  Others may claim that there is nothing more to man than skin, muscle and bones, but I believe differently.

Because of that very basic and core fundamental belief about myself, I am concerned about what my purpose is in life and what happens after death.  I am so grateful to be a part of a community of faith, a church that believes as I do that life is eternal and that what we do with our lives will have a significant impact on the quality of life hereafter.

Importance of the temples

That belief in life eternal is not unique, but the idea that we can do something to ensure that the relationships we enjoy here continue in the hereafter is very unique indeed.  I have had dialog with visitors to my blog who claim that God would never be so mean as to separate a loving couple who cherished and served each other all their mortal lives.

I’m not going to point you to any statements from church leaders that teach otherwise but I will say this: before you go making claims about how God should behave, you might want to be absolutely sure of what God has said on the subject.  I can’t think of anything about which I would want to be surer.  My eternal happiness depends on it.

Book of Mormon is still the key

Back to the point of the essay and why prophets have said that there can be no middle ground when it comes to things like authority and revelation and Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.  My mother, who was a convert to the church, once said to me that as an investigator, she could accept everything about it except the Book of Mormon.

It wasn’t until much later in life when she took an Institute class on the subject that she really began to understand just how important it is to our claims of divine origin.  I love the fact that we do not have the plates to “prove” the historicity of the book.  Prophets have taught that the Book of Mormon is a great sifter of those who are honest in heart.

The power of a divine witness

I know there are those who have said that they have tried and failed to obtain a witness of the veracity of the Book of Mormon.  I have had dialog with people both inside and outside the church who have struggled with this.  I confess that I cannot offer a perfect empathy because I received a witness of the truthfulness of the book many years ago.

Because of that divine manifestation to me, not just once but on several occasions, I have never doubted the Book of Mormon, or the claims of the prophet Joseph Smith. I understand why the prophets have said that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion and why our claims of divinity rest upon the veracity of that book.  I also agree with the statement that the strength of this church is in the testimony of each member.

The promise of personal revelation

One of my evangelical visitors once called this security that I feel, the Mormon bubble.  He says it is not logical but it makes perfect sense to me.  You can throw out all kinds of arguments about the Book of Abraham, Polyandry, Post-manifesto plural marriage, the Kinderhook Plates or any one a few dozen other things that can be found on the Internet.

None of them bothered me when I first learned about them and none of them do now.  I have written essays on dozens of these objections and have come to the conclusion that they really aren’t the real problem with why people doubt or leave the church.  In my opinion, those who struggle with these doubts have not received personal revelation.

Summary and conclusion

I know that a testimony is a very sacred and personal subject.  I also know that making a generalization like I just did will bring all kinds of protests.  But I stand by it as truth.  If a man has received a witness from God that the Book of Mormon is true then God has a responsibility to help that man as he goes through the ensuing trials of that testimony.

I know that God will help the honest in heart keep their testimonies strong and vibrant.  If we study we are going to find out things that will test our witness.  We will then have the opportunity to strengthen and deepen it.  That’s what opposition is for.  We do not have to wallow in doubt.  But those who doubt are welcome while they work things out.

Anybody who has researched The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to even a small degree has encountered this promise from the Book of Mormon as found in Moroni 10:4:

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Primary children are taught about this promise early in their youth. Investigators are presented with this challenge as part of their discussions with the missionaries. It is the subject of countless discourses in General Conference as well as lessons in Sunday School, Seminary and Institute.

The best online source to explain this promise that I have found is on lds.org. The church has done a wonderful job of expanding on how we can know for ourselves if the things that are taught by the missionaries and from official LDS sources like lds.org contain God’s truth. To quote:

How we can know for ourselves

“Your Heavenly Father is the source of all truth. He loves you and wants to answer your questions. Therefore, He will help you recognize the truth as you sincerely seek it and ask Him for guidance. You can know if the things you are learning are true if you ask your Heavenly Father in prayer. He desires for you to know the truth, and you can receive an answer from Him through the Holy Ghost.

“As taught in the Bible, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23). These feelings from the Holy Ghost are personal revelation to you that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true. You will then need to choose whether you will live in harmony with the knowledge you have received.

“As the Savior taught in the Bible, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7). Feelings from the Holy Ghost are personal revelation to you that confirm the truth of the Book of Mormon and the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.”

The opposing viewpoint

A simple Google search reveals dozens of sites you can visit that present persuasive arguments why this is not a good way to ascertain truth for yourself. They offer their opinion that, “It is not a good idea to rely on our feelings.” Well, if you can’t trust your feelings, what can you trust?

Their response is that we should only trust the Bible and they then go on to quote a few Old Testament scriptures in an attempt to prove that the heart of man is unreliable and should not be trusted. That’s a very sad approach to life. I act upon my own feelings above anything else.

They also suggest that it is a bad idea to pray about the Book of Mormon by asking, “should you pray about robbing a bank or murdering someone?” They answer that you should not because it is just common sense that we don’t do those things. Sorry, that’s simply a bad analogy to me.

My personal experience

In the Fall of 1961 our family was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the example of a co-worker. My mother was a schoolteacher in Glendora, California and the school principal was a member of the LDS Church. He was not obnoxious about it.

When a little girl in her class sharing time told about dressing in white and being baptized into the Mormon Church, mother asked the only LDS person she knew, her principal Bob Walker. She trusted him because he had always been fair and honest in dealing with her on other issues.

He asked if the Stake Missionaries could visit us and explain more. Mother agreed. They taught us the lessons and most of the family were soon baptized members of the church. I had to wait a few years until I turned eight years old. I started attending Primary and Sunday School.

Reading from the Book of Mormon

As part of our family tradition, mother read to me or had me read to her every night at bedtime. I have fond memories of Peter Rabbit and many other children’s books. About this time mother started reading the Book of Mormon in earnest and asked if I would like to read it with her.

Although I was only five years old in 1962, I remember reading the Book of Mormon with her every night for many months. We would alternate chapters. She would mark difficult words and the dates we read. I wish I still had that old copy of the Book of Mormon in the brown cover.

We would then have our nightly prayer together. I specifically remember the warm, sweet comfortable feelings I had as we read and prayed. Now you may say that I was just feeling the love of my mother, but I contest that it was the Spirit of the Lord that I was feeling.

Witnesses in my youth

We studied the Book of Mormon my first year in seminary during my High School years. I was the class president. The teacher challenged the students to put Moroni’s challenge to the test. I remember thinking I did not have to because I already knew the Book of Mormon was true.

Nevertheless, I recall kneeling in prayer one night after finishing my reading assignment. I thanked Heavenly Father for my seminary teacher and told him about the challenge. I then asked, “Is the Book of Mormon true?” The answer was immediate, but then I already knew.

I had the same experience in later years at college which I have written about previously. This revelatory experience was much more powerful and long-lasting. It was coupled with a burning desire to know my standing before the Lord and to know his will for me in my life.

Personal revelation is real

I wish that Google searches revealed more personal stories of other members of the LDS Church who have shared how they have felt the burning of the bosom in their lives. The experience is not unusual and, in fact is very common. The Holy Ghost can be our constant companion.

Yes, I know there are those members of the church who say they have never felt the burning of the bosom. Some of them have written about it extensively on the ex-Mormon sites. I do not doubt that some of their testimonies are real to them. Mine is real to me. I have felt it.

Sometimes we forget about the rest of the promise as found in Moroni 10:5 – “And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things.” I find that to be one of the best parts of the promise. We can ask God to confirm any truth to us, not just the Book of Mormon.

Summary and conclusion

To Babs, who wrote in the comments on my post on Multiple versions of the First Vision, “…you better be finding something more than a ‘burning in the bosom’ on which to hang your trust,” I say, sorry. I trust this burning in the bosom more than I trust anything else in my life.

The Holy Ghost is a wonderful guide. I am so grateful for this marvelous gift of the Holy Ghost that is promised to those who are baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This gift helps me to walk in the light, even in this sometimes cold and dark world.

I know the burning of the bosom is real. I have felt it many times. It is more than just a feeling. It is often accompanied by enlightenment and illumination. There is no doubt in my mind that God’s promises are real. This one as found in Moroni 10:4 is one of the best and sweetest.