Let Us Reason Together
by Joseph Warren Grammar
by Joseph Warren Grammar
When Oliver Cowdery attempted to translate some of the Book of Mormon from the plates, as did the Prophet Joseph Smith, things did not go very well. Being a little upset because of the lack of success, the Lord said to him: “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.” (D&C 9:7-8.)
Yes, we are told to seek, and we shall find; ask, and we shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto us.” But first we have a duty, as did Oliver; that duty is to first study things out before we ask. We are to use our God-given intellect to reason things out and arrive at our own conclusions, then ask Him if those conclusions are correct.
It Is Written
Our Creator gave us His written words of inspiration to guide us in learning of Him and His ways, but if we do not use the scriptures, other than to simply read interesting stories or to fulfill church assignments, then what good are they other than sheer entertainment?
The scriptures are not for amusement, they are to teach and guide us as we study the words the Lord had His Prophets record. All through holy writ God declared, “as it is written in the law” (Neh. 10:34); “as it is written in the law of Moses” (1 Kings 2:3); “as it is written in the law of the Lord” (2 Chron. 31:3); “as it is written in the book of this covenant” (2 Kings 23:21); “behold, it is written in the book of Jasher” (2 Sam. 1:18); “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me” (Psalms 40:7). Why, may we ask, has God so stressed that His word be written if it is not for our learning? Jesus, Himself, encouraged both His disciples and critics to search the written word when He simply said, “it is written”:
“But he [Jesus] answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4); “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt. 4:7); “He [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6); “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8).
After His resurrection, as two disciples were traveling on the road to Emmaus, the resurrected Jesus drew near and traveled with them as they were discussing the miraculous story of the day. They not knowing He was the resurrected Christ, Jesus expounded the scriptures to them concerning the event: “Then he [Jesus] said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he [Jesus] expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25-27.) Jesus didn’t tell them to believe every word that they heard, or trust their belief system or personal emotions concerning the stories they had heard of His resurrection. No! He directed them to the written word that they might learn therefrom.
After that event, the glorified Christ appeared to the remaining eleven Apostles. While visiting with them He emphasized the written word as found in scripture: “And he [the resurrected Christ] said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:” (Luke 24:44-46.) You see, He referred them to the written law and the prophets, and “opened” their “understanding” of the “scriptures.”
It is so important that we have an understanding of holy writ that in Third Nephi, Jesus gives us a commandment to study one of His holy prophets, that Prophet being Isaiah: “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.” (3 Ne. 23:1.) Not only are we to search the words of Isaiah, but He has given us a “commandment” to “search” them “diligently” — not just read, but “search” — not just casually, but “diligently” — and not if we want to or not, it is a “commandment.”
So important is it that we diligently study the holy word that the Lord’s fury was kindled against the people of old Jerusalem because they neglected this important duty during their time of prosperity. Turning to the Book of Zechariah we read what God had to say to His people:
7. Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the FORMER PROPHETS, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
8. And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,
9. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
10. And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
11. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the FORMER PROPHETS: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.
13. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts:
14. But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. (Zech. 7:7-14.)
When Jerusalem, and the land around about, was prosperous, the people neglected the word of the Lord as was written by the former prophets. From this scripture it is evident that, even though past prophets were dead and gone, their words were still to be considered as Godly advice and observed.
For example, verses 9 and 10 provide us with principles pertaining to how we ought to treat one another. But the purpose of presenting this scripture is found in verse 11 and 12. The Lord’s people refused to obey; they shrugged their shoulders at what God had said in the past; they rejected truth; and they hardened their hearts against the words of former or past prophets.
Since the people of the Lord were proud, rejected His written word, and would not hear the words of God, He would NOT hear their cries. Consequently, they were scattered and dispersed among the nations of the earth. And even though prophecy states that they will be gathered, yet, to this date, they have not been gathered.
Considering how God has handled His people in the past, can we get an idea of how He must feel about us, today, when WE neglect the words of His “former prophets” because we now claim to have “living prophets”? Many refuse to reasonably consider truths and evidences presented by those past men of God, whom many, today, call “dead” prophets.
Reasoning Together
Considering the fact that we previously mentioned the importance of the words of Isaiah, let’s turn to the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah was a former prophet who prophesied of the end time church. At one point, through this prophet, the Lord simply says to us, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:...” (Isa. 1:18.)
Now, what is this “reason together” business? Shouldn’t we just follow the whims and advice of others, perform in accordance to past tradition, believe what we have always believed without a little reasoning behind it all? Do we believe something because other people believe it, or because we were told we must believe it? Do we believe something because we once believed it, and think we should still believe it? Do we take the time to think about why we believe a certain thing?
God said, “let us reason together.” Yet this idea of reasoning flies in the face of the willful apathetic or blissful ignorant. Trying to activate the mind of the comfortable complacent can be just as challenging and strenuous as striving to get an indolent couch-potato to furrow a one-acre plot with nothing put a hand plow — near impossible. As Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, once said, “It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into.”
Reasoning must be based upon something sound, such as the written word of God, and not just upon faith or a belief. Not only is there such a thing as TRUE faith, but faith can also be based upon a erroneous principle, resulting in a FALSE faith. The Christian has faith in his belief, the Jew believes in his faith, the Moslem, the Hindu, the Buddhist, the Pagan, etc., they all have just as strong a faith and belief as anyone else has in their religion. And how about the Communist who just as ardently believes in his cause as the Capitalist does in his; and the list could go on. There is such a thing as FALSE faith or belief, which can be exhibited just as intensely as those having true faith.
Our Creator has provided us with scripture, the written word of God, to help us learn truth, make prudent decisions, and arrive at reasonable conclusions. But when we neglect this valuable resource He has provided, we are no more than those of old Jerusalem as we spurn the Lord, shrug our shoulders, refuse truth; and harden our hearts against the words of God through former prophets. Upon this subject the noted Theologian, Dr. James F. Clarke, once said, “God, who has given the Bible, has also given us our reason with which to examine and understand it; and we are guilty before Him if we bury this talent in the earth . . .”
There is a little poem which I have quoted elsewhere in some of my writings which pertains to this subject of thinking and reasoning. With a little latitude, I would like to present it here:
Deception of Emotion
An important aspect of reasoning together is being aware of the false elusion provided by those who “carry their emotions on their sleeves,” so to speak. Many are adept at simply weeping and wailing in an attempt to prove their sincerity or fain spirituality. However, emotion can be misleading and may not be the result of the Holy Spirit. In warning his followers of just this sort of thing, the Savior said,
1. TAKE heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
16. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. (Matt. 6:1, 5, 16.)
The displaying of a sad countenance is not necessarily a sign of true faith, even the hypocrite or those of a false faith can flaunt a drawn and saddened face and shed tears. All of this is not reason, it’s the manipulation of emotion. The Holy Spirit is sweet, peaceful, and serene; emotion can be deceiving. Claudian, the last of the great Roman poets, stated, “He is next to the gods whom reason and not passion impels.” And Thomas Huxley put it this way, “Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.”
Of all the religions and political philosophies the world over, everyone cannot be right, regardless of how compassionate and lovie-dovie one tries to be, the wicked can love one another (Matt. 5:46). Consequently, neither strong faith or sincere belief provide firm evidence of truth, neither does the display of emotion. But the scriptures give a firm foundation for truth upon which a true faith can be established — affording evidence upon which people may reason together.
Our Ways Are Not the Lord’s Way
Of course it is true that we cannot out-think the Lord. Much of what He has done, does do, and will do, cannot be logically and reasonably explained because we are not infallible as He is. Isaiah points this out in these words: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9.)
We, as mortals, mostly see things in the ways of the worldly, while our Savior sees things with an immortal heavenly view. To us, things are worldly; but the Lord says, “... all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created.” (D&C 29:34.)
In 3 Nephi 23:1, above, we learned of the “commandment” to “search” the words of Isaiah “diligently.” When we consider the next two verses of that same chapter we understand why the words of Isaiah are so important. In those two verses the Lord said, “For surely he [Isaiah] spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake.” (3 Ne. 23:2-3.) Isaiah spoke of ALL THINGS concerning the Lord’s people — that’s you and I. And he wrote of God’s people in the future as he prophecies of them; again, that’s you and I. So let’s turn to the First Chapter of Isaiah and read just a few verses of what he has to say about us here in the last days — as we sit smugly believing all is well.
2. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
3. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
5. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. (Isa. 1:2-6.)
The children of the Lord are the Children of Israel. In verse 2 He let’s us know that, not only Israel in the past, but Israel in the last days (that’ us) have rebelled against him. Remember what we read in 3 Nephi 23: all things that he [Isaiah] spake HAVE BEEN and SHALL BE; meaning, what has gone before will happen again in the future. Therefore, as our ancient ancestors of God’s church rebelled against Him in the past, so shall we, of His church in the last day, do the same.
Likewise, as our ancestors became corrupt, they also fell away from God and would not consider Him nor His word, just as Zechariah pointed out. In all, Isaiah makes some serious accusations in these verses, not only about the church in earlier times, but of the latter-day church as well — “People laden with iniquity ... corrupters ... forsaken the Lord ... gone away backward.” All of this, of course, means that not only they, but we as well, have lapsed into apostasy.
The entire body of the church is considered as we read that, “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the feet even unto the head there is no soundness in it.” In other words, this is referring to the lowest to the highest member of the church, with the head representing leadership. Why, may we ask, could this be so?
That Ye May Understand
Part of the answer to the above question, lies in the fact that most people are happy just to follow tradition and the council of man than rely upon the Spirit of the Lord for inspiration, and also lack the incentive to search the written word for reasonable answers. The late American humorist, Don Marquis, said, “If you make people think they’re thinking, they’ll love you; but if you really make them think, they’ll hate you.” Even though humor is intended in this statement, there is also a bit of truth contained in it. A lot of people do not like to be forced to think. It’s like leading the proverbial horse to water, you can’t make them do what is best for them.
The young man, Joseph Smith, was not content with the religious matters of his day, and he had a question with which he approached God. That question was: Which church is right? Did he get an answer? Yes he did. There is hardly a section in the Doctrine and Covenants that was not received as a answer to a question.
When people are content, they have no questions; and without asking questions, there will be no answers. This being so, man is doomed to the will of those over them in religion, politics, science, education, economics, etc. As Hosea, one of the former prophets, once said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6.)
So, even though we know that God’s ways are not our ways, He has still given us a measuring rod with which to reason together and consider His ways. That rod is the word of God, where it is written in scripture.
Yes, we are told to seek, and we shall find; ask, and we shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto us.” But first we have a duty, as did Oliver; that duty is to first study things out before we ask. We are to use our God-given intellect to reason things out and arrive at our own conclusions, then ask Him if those conclusions are correct.
It Is Written
Our Creator gave us His written words of inspiration to guide us in learning of Him and His ways, but if we do not use the scriptures, other than to simply read interesting stories or to fulfill church assignments, then what good are they other than sheer entertainment?
The scriptures are not for amusement, they are to teach and guide us as we study the words the Lord had His Prophets record. All through holy writ God declared, “as it is written in the law” (Neh. 10:34); “as it is written in the law of Moses” (1 Kings 2:3); “as it is written in the law of the Lord” (2 Chron. 31:3); “as it is written in the book of this covenant” (2 Kings 23:21); “behold, it is written in the book of Jasher” (2 Sam. 1:18); “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me” (Psalms 40:7). Why, may we ask, has God so stressed that His word be written if it is not for our learning? Jesus, Himself, encouraged both His disciples and critics to search the written word when He simply said, “it is written”:
“But he [Jesus] answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4); “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt. 4:7); “He [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6); “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8).
After His resurrection, as two disciples were traveling on the road to Emmaus, the resurrected Jesus drew near and traveled with them as they were discussing the miraculous story of the day. They not knowing He was the resurrected Christ, Jesus expounded the scriptures to them concerning the event: “Then he [Jesus] said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he [Jesus] expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25-27.) Jesus didn’t tell them to believe every word that they heard, or trust their belief system or personal emotions concerning the stories they had heard of His resurrection. No! He directed them to the written word that they might learn therefrom.
After that event, the glorified Christ appeared to the remaining eleven Apostles. While visiting with them He emphasized the written word as found in scripture: “And he [the resurrected Christ] said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:” (Luke 24:44-46.) You see, He referred them to the written law and the prophets, and “opened” their “understanding” of the “scriptures.”
It is so important that we have an understanding of holy writ that in Third Nephi, Jesus gives us a commandment to study one of His holy prophets, that Prophet being Isaiah: “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.” (3 Ne. 23:1.) Not only are we to search the words of Isaiah, but He has given us a “commandment” to “search” them “diligently” — not just read, but “search” — not just casually, but “diligently” — and not if we want to or not, it is a “commandment.”
So important is it that we diligently study the holy word that the Lord’s fury was kindled against the people of old Jerusalem because they neglected this important duty during their time of prosperity. Turning to the Book of Zechariah we read what God had to say to His people:
7. Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the FORMER PROPHETS, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
8. And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,
9. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
10. And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
11. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the FORMER PROPHETS: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.
13. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts:
14. But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. (Zech. 7:7-14.)
When Jerusalem, and the land around about, was prosperous, the people neglected the word of the Lord as was written by the former prophets. From this scripture it is evident that, even though past prophets were dead and gone, their words were still to be considered as Godly advice and observed.
For example, verses 9 and 10 provide us with principles pertaining to how we ought to treat one another. But the purpose of presenting this scripture is found in verse 11 and 12. The Lord’s people refused to obey; they shrugged their shoulders at what God had said in the past; they rejected truth; and they hardened their hearts against the words of former or past prophets.
Since the people of the Lord were proud, rejected His written word, and would not hear the words of God, He would NOT hear their cries. Consequently, they were scattered and dispersed among the nations of the earth. And even though prophecy states that they will be gathered, yet, to this date, they have not been gathered.
Considering how God has handled His people in the past, can we get an idea of how He must feel about us, today, when WE neglect the words of His “former prophets” because we now claim to have “living prophets”? Many refuse to reasonably consider truths and evidences presented by those past men of God, whom many, today, call “dead” prophets.
Reasoning Together
Considering the fact that we previously mentioned the importance of the words of Isaiah, let’s turn to the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah was a former prophet who prophesied of the end time church. At one point, through this prophet, the Lord simply says to us, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:...” (Isa. 1:18.)
Now, what is this “reason together” business? Shouldn’t we just follow the whims and advice of others, perform in accordance to past tradition, believe what we have always believed without a little reasoning behind it all? Do we believe something because other people believe it, or because we were told we must believe it? Do we believe something because we once believed it, and think we should still believe it? Do we take the time to think about why we believe a certain thing?
God said, “let us reason together.” Yet this idea of reasoning flies in the face of the willful apathetic or blissful ignorant. Trying to activate the mind of the comfortable complacent can be just as challenging and strenuous as striving to get an indolent couch-potato to furrow a one-acre plot with nothing put a hand plow — near impossible. As Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, once said, “It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into.”
Reasoning must be based upon something sound, such as the written word of God, and not just upon faith or a belief. Not only is there such a thing as TRUE faith, but faith can also be based upon a erroneous principle, resulting in a FALSE faith. The Christian has faith in his belief, the Jew believes in his faith, the Moslem, the Hindu, the Buddhist, the Pagan, etc., they all have just as strong a faith and belief as anyone else has in their religion. And how about the Communist who just as ardently believes in his cause as the Capitalist does in his; and the list could go on. There is such a thing as FALSE faith or belief, which can be exhibited just as intensely as those having true faith.
Our Creator has provided us with scripture, the written word of God, to help us learn truth, make prudent decisions, and arrive at reasonable conclusions. But when we neglect this valuable resource He has provided, we are no more than those of old Jerusalem as we spurn the Lord, shrug our shoulders, refuse truth; and harden our hearts against the words of God through former prophets. Upon this subject the noted Theologian, Dr. James F. Clarke, once said, “God, who has given the Bible, has also given us our reason with which to examine and understand it; and we are guilty before Him if we bury this talent in the earth . . .”
There is a little poem which I have quoted elsewhere in some of my writings which pertains to this subject of thinking and reasoning. With a little latitude, I would like to present it here:
Though man a thinking being is defined,
Few use the great prerogative of mind.
How few think justly of the thinking few!
How many never think, who think they do.
—Jane Taylor
Few use the great prerogative of mind.
How few think justly of the thinking few!
How many never think, who think they do.
—Jane Taylor
Deception of Emotion
An important aspect of reasoning together is being aware of the false elusion provided by those who “carry their emotions on their sleeves,” so to speak. Many are adept at simply weeping and wailing in an attempt to prove their sincerity or fain spirituality. However, emotion can be misleading and may not be the result of the Holy Spirit. In warning his followers of just this sort of thing, the Savior said,
1. TAKE heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
16. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. (Matt. 6:1, 5, 16.)
The displaying of a sad countenance is not necessarily a sign of true faith, even the hypocrite or those of a false faith can flaunt a drawn and saddened face and shed tears. All of this is not reason, it’s the manipulation of emotion. The Holy Spirit is sweet, peaceful, and serene; emotion can be deceiving. Claudian, the last of the great Roman poets, stated, “He is next to the gods whom reason and not passion impels.” And Thomas Huxley put it this way, “Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.”
Of all the religions and political philosophies the world over, everyone cannot be right, regardless of how compassionate and lovie-dovie one tries to be, the wicked can love one another (Matt. 5:46). Consequently, neither strong faith or sincere belief provide firm evidence of truth, neither does the display of emotion. But the scriptures give a firm foundation for truth upon which a true faith can be established — affording evidence upon which people may reason together.
Our Ways Are Not the Lord’s Way
Of course it is true that we cannot out-think the Lord. Much of what He has done, does do, and will do, cannot be logically and reasonably explained because we are not infallible as He is. Isaiah points this out in these words: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9.)
We, as mortals, mostly see things in the ways of the worldly, while our Savior sees things with an immortal heavenly view. To us, things are worldly; but the Lord says, “... all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created.” (D&C 29:34.)
In 3 Nephi 23:1, above, we learned of the “commandment” to “search” the words of Isaiah “diligently.” When we consider the next two verses of that same chapter we understand why the words of Isaiah are so important. In those two verses the Lord said, “For surely he [Isaiah] spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake.” (3 Ne. 23:2-3.) Isaiah spoke of ALL THINGS concerning the Lord’s people — that’s you and I. And he wrote of God’s people in the future as he prophecies of them; again, that’s you and I. So let’s turn to the First Chapter of Isaiah and read just a few verses of what he has to say about us here in the last days — as we sit smugly believing all is well.
2. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
3. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
5. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. (Isa. 1:2-6.)
The children of the Lord are the Children of Israel. In verse 2 He let’s us know that, not only Israel in the past, but Israel in the last days (that’ us) have rebelled against him. Remember what we read in 3 Nephi 23: all things that he [Isaiah] spake HAVE BEEN and SHALL BE; meaning, what has gone before will happen again in the future. Therefore, as our ancient ancestors of God’s church rebelled against Him in the past, so shall we, of His church in the last day, do the same.
Likewise, as our ancestors became corrupt, they also fell away from God and would not consider Him nor His word, just as Zechariah pointed out. In all, Isaiah makes some serious accusations in these verses, not only about the church in earlier times, but of the latter-day church as well — “People laden with iniquity ... corrupters ... forsaken the Lord ... gone away backward.” All of this, of course, means that not only they, but we as well, have lapsed into apostasy.
The entire body of the church is considered as we read that, “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the feet even unto the head there is no soundness in it.” In other words, this is referring to the lowest to the highest member of the church, with the head representing leadership. Why, may we ask, could this be so?
That Ye May Understand
Part of the answer to the above question, lies in the fact that most people are happy just to follow tradition and the council of man than rely upon the Spirit of the Lord for inspiration, and also lack the incentive to search the written word for reasonable answers. The late American humorist, Don Marquis, said, “If you make people think they’re thinking, they’ll love you; but if you really make them think, they’ll hate you.” Even though humor is intended in this statement, there is also a bit of truth contained in it. A lot of people do not like to be forced to think. It’s like leading the proverbial horse to water, you can’t make them do what is best for them.
The young man, Joseph Smith, was not content with the religious matters of his day, and he had a question with which he approached God. That question was: Which church is right? Did he get an answer? Yes he did. There is hardly a section in the Doctrine and Covenants that was not received as a answer to a question.
When people are content, they have no questions; and without asking questions, there will be no answers. This being so, man is doomed to the will of those over them in religion, politics, science, education, economics, etc. As Hosea, one of the former prophets, once said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6.)
So, even though we know that God’s ways are not our ways, He has still given us a measuring rod with which to reason together and consider His ways. That rod is the word of God, where it is written in scripture.
“And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church,
and let us reason together, that ye may understand.”
and let us reason together, that ye may understand.”
