There never was a time, I suppose, in the history of the world when so much knowledge was in the possession of men. Surely knowledge has been increased, but at the same time, the doctrine taught in this prophetic saying by Paul is true: men are ever learning, but apparently never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
We have been informed that it has been said that our present system of education has taken man apart. It has done more. It has made a brute of him, and given him a brute ancestor, instead of placing him on the platform as a son of God, the offspring of God, where he properly belongs.
The Prophet did say that a man cannot be saved in ignorance, but in ignorance of what? He said that a man could not be saved in ignorance of the saving principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not many of the great and the mighty, those who form and control the thoughts of the people of today, are going to find salvation in the kingdom of God. Why? Because they have not found the way; they are not walking in the light of truth. They may have knowledge, but they lack intelligence.
Intelligence is the light of truth, and we are informed that he who has intelligence or the light of truth will forsake that evil one. A man who has intelligence will worship God and repent of his sins; he will seek to know the will of God and follow it.
Now I understand that knowledge is very important, but there is a great fund of knowledge in the possession of men that will not save them in the kingdom of God. What they have got to learn are the fundamental things of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have got to learn to have faith in God. They must learn to obey him. They have got to learn his commandments, his ordinances, and keep them, and unless they do, all their learning and all their knowledge will be of little benefit to them.
Now I say it boldly, all the knowledge that a man can gain in this world or beyond this world, independent of the Spirit of God, the inspiration of the Almighty, will not lead him to a fulness. . . .
So with all our boasting, with all our understanding, with all the knowledge that we possess and let me say that this great knowledge that has been poured out upon men, and all that is truth, has come from God but with it all, unless we humble ourselves, and put ourselves in harmony with his gospel truth, and seek for the light which comes through the Spirit of truth, which is Jesus Christ, we will never gain a fulness of knowledge.
I realize that it must eventually come to pass in the case of those who gain the exaltation and become sons of God, that they must, in the eternities, reach the time when they will know all things. They must know mathematics; they must know all the principles of science; they must be prepared in all things by learning, by study, by faith to comprehend these principles of eternal truth, even as our Father in heaven comprehends them; and unless men will put themselves in harmony with him and his Spirit and seek the light which comes through that Spirit, they never will reach the goal of perfection in these things. It is, however, knowledge of the principles, of the gospel that will save men in the kingdom of God.
Brother Joseph F. Merrill never lost sight of the kingdom of God. Nothing that he ever received in his secular training ever influenced him against the fundamental teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He learned to evaluate truth. He knew that not all truth was of the same importance that some things were of far greater importance than others. No matter how great a truth may be, or how important it may be to the benefit of the human family, there is nothing that can be obtained through the secular education that can take the place of a knowledge of the kingdom of God.
The fact that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God and the Redeemer of the world is worth more than all that Brother Merrill learned in relation to electricity, or the physical sciences, as important as they are; and he realized that.
To know how atoms are constructed is a wonderful thing, and to know how many elements there are; but that knowledge will not take a man into the kingdom of God, although it may be, and is, important.
To learn to control electricity and make it serve man, to give him light and power and heat, and otherwise become useful, is important; but it never will be as important in this world as to know that a man must repent and be baptized for the remission of his sins.
Brother Merrill learned these truths, and to him the kingdom of God and the way to eternal life were far more important than all the learning, the training, that he received in the great colleges of the land.
I marveled at his energy. Apparently he never got tired; he loved the truth. He loved the truth of science, but he loved more the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Before his brethren he has stood on his feet and borne testimony that God lives, that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world, the Only Begotten Son of God. He has informed us of how he obtained that testimony. He knew that Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of God. He knew that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored, and in all the years of his training in physics and electrical energy he never lost sight of the kingdom of heaven, and he was always active in some capacity in the Church.
It is not every man, you know, that can take courses such as were taken by Brother Merrill in the great colleges of this land, and still hold faithful and true to the fundamental teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of them fail. They fall by the wayside. They let the philosophies of man warp their better judgment. They cease to pray. They begin to forget the Lord, and before they are aware, they are out of touch with the things of a spiritual nature. They have lost the Spirit of the Lord. No man in this Church can afford to take a course that would deprive him of the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Now the man who is dilatory, the man who is unfaithful, the man who is not willing to keep the commandments of the Lord in all things, lays himself open to deception, because the Spirit of the Lord is not with him to lead and direct him and to show him the way of truth and righteousness; and therefore, some error comes along and he absorbs it because he cannot understand and realize the difference between truth and error.
I have been asked the question, what evidence we have that there is a life after death. One rather prominent educator has recently declared that we have no evidence whatever of a life after death, because no one has ever returned. I dispute that statement and declare that it not true.
The best evidence that we have or that we may receive of eternal life, of the resurrection or restoration of the spirit and body after death, is that which comes to us through obedience to the gospel and the testimony of the Spirit of the Lord. There is no greater evidence than this.
The Savior said: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
That is a key that unlocks the door to knowledge of our eternal existence. If men will follow that instruction, they will know the truth, and they will realize that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world; that he arose from the dead and on the third day after his resurrection appeared to his disciples. Not only that, but that the graves were opened, as the scriptures say, "And many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy, city, and appeared unto many."
Christ has also given us this counsel: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
Then again he said this: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
And that is the burden of these scriptures. That is the testimony of the disciples of the Lord. John, in writing to the saints, declares in his first epistle:
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."
Now these passages of scripture, I say, form a key by which the mysteries of eternal life are unlocked. There is no need for any man being in darkness or declaring that he has no evidence of life after death, and that no one has ever returned.
Instead of being the statement of someone wise and learned, such statement as that is a statement of ignorance. We may all know the truth; we are not helpless. The Lord has made it possible for every man to know the truth by the observance of these laws, and through the guidance of his Holy Spirit who is sent purposely to teach us when we comply with the law, so that we may know that truth which makes us free. So this is the best way in which to learn the truth of immortality and the resurrection of the dead.
Gospel truths appeal more to the spirit, that is, they are spiritually discerned. A man may know a thing to be true by the teaching of the Spirit, but he may not be able to explain it to others. This may not be in keeping with modern worldly teaching, but it is true nevertheless. Revelations through the Spirit of the Lord, many times, cannot be explained.
"And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father."
The best educated man in the world may not be able to comprehend the simple truths of the gospel because his soul is not in tune; he has not been enlightened by the Spirit of the Lord. He, therefore, fails to see and feel the significance of these principles. They cannot be seen except through the touch of the Holy Ghost. For this reason Alma explained to Zeezrom how gospel light may be known. Said he:
"It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
"And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
"And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell."
The Lord promised the saints that he would reveal to them the mysteries of his kingdom on certain conditions, as we read in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 76:1-10. These truths cannot be understood except by obedience to the law of the gospel on which the reception of this knowledge is based. It was for the same reason the Lord told Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
To understand spiritual things, a man must have spiritual discernment, that is, guidance by the Holy Ghost. For this reason we are confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The Lord expects us to use our faculties and has given us reason as a measuring rod to measure truth under certain conditions. Primarily in the search after gospel truth, there must be the teaching of the Spirit -Spirit speaking to spirit-and this comes only through obedience to gospel law.
The man who will not "do his will" may search forever, but in vain; but cannot find it! It is not to be found in psychology, in biology, or sociology, no matter what other truth may be found therein. When we hearken to the Spirit who guides into all truth, we will see that the truth revealed is reasonable and consistent with all other truth.
Only by the aid of the Holy Ghost, and through obedience to the principles of the gospel, will a man eventually attain to the knowledge of all truth. In other words, those who will not make their lives conform in every particular to the Divine Life; who will not adjust their lives through faith and repentance and obedience to all divine law, will never be in a position to comprehend truth in its fulness. Therefore, only in the celestial kingdom will the fulness of the truth be attained.
All who will not place their lives "at-one" with the Father and the Son cannot comprehend the things of God. They are foolishness unto them. For this reason so many of the learned men in the world fail to comprehend the gospel and teach theories and philosophies at variance with revealed truth which they cannot understand. We are in that day when the people are "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
The truth endures forever. It is always new. It grows brighter with use. We love it the more we come in contact with it, which is not the case with falsehood.
Every institution of learning, no matter where it is or what it is, should be teaching eternal truth, and what, ever is taught that does not conform to truth must eventually perish. Further, that which we learn in all the experiences of life, should be with the ultimate aim of eternity in view.
The man who is guided by the Holy Spirit and who keeps the commandments of God, who abides in God, will have the clearest understanding and the better judgment always, because he is directed by the Spirit of truth. And the man who relies upon himself, or the knowledge of other men, will not have as clear a vision as will the man who abides in the truth and is directed by the Holy Spirit.
A man cannot receive the fulness of truth except in the kingdom of God, in other words, if you please, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No man no matter how great his education, no matter how much he studies in the things of the world, no matter what he does in the eternities to come will ever reach the goal of perfection in truth or the fulness of light and understanding outside of the kingdom of God. And when I say the kingdom of God, I have reference to the celestial kingdom.
Let me read this verse: "And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things." And that is the promise that is made to us as members of the Church if we will walk in the light of the Spirit of truth, or the Comforter, and in the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, keeping the commandments of God.
You can not get a fulness anywhere else. Men may search; they may study; they may learn, of course, a great many things; they may lay up a great fund of information; but they will never be able to come to the fulness of truth and the brightness spoken of in this revelation unless they are guided by the Spirit of truth, the Holy Ghost, and keep the commandments of God.
The man who seeks God and is guided by the Spirit of truth, or the Comforter, and continues in God, will grow in knowledge, in light, in truth, until eventually there will come to him the perfect day of light and truth.
Now, we will not get all that in this life. It is impossible for a man to reach that goal in the few years of mortal existence. But what we learn here, that which is eternal, that which is inspired by the Spirit of truth, will continue with us beyond the grave, and then we shall go on, if still continuing in God, to receive light and truth until eventually we shall come to that perfect day.
Reason is all right when intelligently used. There is not a principle of the gospel that will not appeal to the reason of man, for every principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ is reasonable, clear and easily understood with the aid of the Spirit of truth. But man cannot determine, upon the strength of his own reason, unaided by the Spirit of God, the power and saving grace of the gospel principles and expect to find out God. He cannot do it!
While the principles of the gospel are reasonable and we can employ reason in the discussion of them all, and while all truth is in perfect accord with all other truth whether it is taught in philosophy, biology, or sociology, or in any other branch of science yet we must understand that we must walk by faith as well as by sight in the discovery of truth. This is true in any field of research. There is no scientific study where those engaged do not walk by faith. Moreover, in all our consideration of the principles of the gospel and the salvation of men, we must not lose sight of the fact that the things of God are known only by the aid of the Spirit of God, and cannot be discerned by the spirit of man.
One can learn more and get nearer to the truth by heeding the testimony of the servants of the Lord and hearkening to the teachings of the Spirit of the Lord, than one can possibly do by following the commandments and the teachings of men who have received their understanding and their learning in the spirit and in the wisdom of man.
We are to try the spirits. We should prove them to know from what source they come.
How are we going to prove the spirits and understand which are right and which are wrong unless we ourselves are walking in the light? Unless we have been studying and pondering over the principles of the gospel, we may be deceived. If we have not had in our hearts the spirit of prayer, of faith, of humility, and have been obedient to our Eternal Father, then how are we going to distinguish between these spirits and discover what comes from God and what comes from man or from some evil source? . . .
There is no need for men to shut their eyes and feel that there is no light, only as they may depend upon their reason, for the Lord has always been willing to lead and direct and show the way. He has sent messengers from his presence. He has sent revelation. He has commanded that his word be written, that it be published, so that all the people might know it.
It is a requirement that is made of us, as members of this Church, to make ourselves familiar with that which the Lord has revealed, that we may not be led astray, for the Lord has said there are many spirits abroad in the land. Some of them are the spirits of men. Some are the spirits of devils; but he has given unto us his Spirit, if we will receive it, and that Spirit leads and directs in all truth. How are we going to walk in the truth if we do not know it?
We declare, "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." This being true, it becomes necessary for us to understand all that he has revealed, and that which he is now revealing; otherwise we are not in touch with his work and cannot know his will concerning us, for we do not comprehend it.
There is no valid excuse on the part of any member of the Church for a display of ignorance of the fundamental principles of the gospel as they are now revealed and published for the benefit of the world, for our attention has been forcibly called to them, and we have been commanded to make ourselves familiar with them by study and also by faith. They are accessible and within the reach of all.
It is a thing most desirable, in order to bring to pass the exaltation of the saints, that all the members of Church should become acquainted, intelligently, with all that the Lord has revealed through his servants the prophets. By so doing we may become acquainted with his will and understand the reason for each of the commandments he has given, and learn to be obedient to the laws and ordinances which have been prepared for our salvation.
The Lord hates inexcusable ignorance concerning the life-giving principles of the gospel, which, from time to time, since the beginning, he has declared to a perverse people through his chosen prophets, that all who would repent and receive the truth might be instructed in all things which are essential to their education in heavenly things.
The Lord is greatly pleased with his children when they devote their time and energies in study and reflection, with the desire to gain a perfect knowledge of these great principles and commandments, for without a knowledge of them, and obedience to them, we cannot be saved.
The promise has been made to all those who will receive the light of truth and through their research and obedience endeavor to acquaint themselves with the gospel, that they shall receive line upon line, precept by precept, here a little and there a little, until the fulness of truth shall be their portion; even the hidden mysteries of the kingdom shall be made known unto them; "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." All these are heirs of salvation, and they shall be crowned with glory, immortality, and eternal life, as sons and daughters of God, with an exaltation in his celestial kingdom.
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Thus the Apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the saints of Rome in reference to the inspired writings of the ancient prophets.
Again, to Timothy he wrote: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
For these reasons he advocated that the saints of his day should study the prophetic writings of the servants of the Lord that they might increase their knowledge of the sacred scriptures and grow in grace before the Lord, in the understanding of the doctrines of the Church, and thereby receive comfort in the hope of eternal salvation.
In that day when Paul wrote to Timothy and the Roman saints, copies of the Bible were not to be had, for the books which compose our holy scriptures had not been compiled. Neither could they all be found in the archives of each of the churches. Fortunate, indeed, were the members of any branch of the Church, in that day, who possessed a full set of the books of Moses, the writings of the ancient prophets, and a very limited sprinkling of the epistles of the apostles. The four gospels had not been written, and the saints depended almost solely upon the testimony of the living witnesses for the teachings of the Son of God.
Such books as they had were written by hand on parchment and in the form of a scroll. These were usually kept and guarded very sacredly by the learned scribes or priests, who confined such writings with jealous care within the sacred precincts of the synagogues, where they were not exhibited to the public gaze of the common people, or subject to their profane touch.
The art of printing was unknown in that day, and the writing of the sacred books required a great deal of patience, time, and skill, in order that they might be produced even for use in the synagogues, or meeting places of the people. Therefore, the study of the scriptures such as they were fortunate enough to have by the people at large, in that day, was a privilege that was great indeed.
The art of reading and writing was not then universal, but was confined almost exclusively to the class of scribes who copied the sacred writings, and were considered also to be the interpreters of the sacred word, and to the priests and teachers who were trained to be instructors of the people.
Yet, with their limited opportunities, the saints were commanded by the apostles of old, and even by the Lord our Redeemer himself, to make themselves familiar with the writings of all the prophets; and, with the great handicap under which they labored, many of the primitive saints became exceedingly skilled in the knowledge of the gospel of the Lord and zealous advocates of the written word.
It would be well if we would follow the counsel the Lord has given us, which is: "And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived." Treasuring up his word is far more than merely reading it. To treasure it one must not only read and study, but seek in humility and obedience to do the commandments given, and gain the inspiration which the Holy Spirit will impart.
The discussion of mysteries and doctrines only partly revealed can await the coming of the Lord, for then "he shall reveal all things Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof."
The fundamental principles of the gospel all that has to do with the salvation of man are very clear and can be understood by those with ordinary intelligence. To spend time discussing useless questions which have no bearing on our salvation, and have no relationship to the commandments and obligations required of us by the plan of salvation, is just a useless pastime.
Whether we are right or wrong in the field of the mysteries, will make no difference so far as our individual acts are concerned, and will neither exalt nor damn us, providing we do not make a fetish of our notions or get off on a tangent and destroy ourselves.
I realize that it is impossible to satisfy every soul in regard to many questions. The Savior failed to satisfy all who heard his teachings. To many he was inconsistent: he was the friend of publicans and sinners; he was a winebibber, he healed the sick by the spirit of Beelzebub; some of his habits, for instance, nonconformity with Jewish ceremonial washing before eating, were condemned.
If we will seek the Spirit of the Lord for guidance in humility, with "a broken heart and a contrite spirit," we will not find many difficulties that we cannot surmount, the apparent inharmonies will vanish away, and we will be able to see the wisdom of the Almighty in all that he has revealed.