Question: How can we be meek enough to be
taught of God?
“Behold, I have seen your
sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your sacrifices in
obedience to that which I have told you. Go, therefore, and I make a way
for your escape, as I accepted the offering of Abraham of his son Isaac.”
Doctrine and Covenants 132:50
“Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are
honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice- yea, every
sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command – they are accepted of me.” The
Doctrine and Covenants 97:8
Members of the Restored Church believe that we must be willing to sacrifice
anything He requires so to be worthy of Him, to be taught of Him, and to find
Him.
In the search for God, to know Him, we must
give up, or turn from, the vanities of this life, (from the faith and fear of
man), and turn to the faith and fear of God.
“For in the multitude of dreams
and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.”
Ecclesiastes 5:7
“For, behold, you should not
have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of
God, and despise his words- Yet you should have been faithful; and he would
have extended his arm and supported you against all fiery darts of the
adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.” Doctrine
and Covenants 3:7-8
“I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die,
and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy
maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of
the earth; and [thou] hast feared continually every day because of the fury of
the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? [A]nd where is the fury of the
oppressor” Isaiah 51:12-13
“O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that
fear thee: which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons
of men!” Psalms 31:19
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be
the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart
departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and
shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the
wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD
is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out
her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall
be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease
from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17: 5-8
The vanities of the world have no power and no
value.
“Are there any among the
vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers?
art thou not he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee; for thou
hast made all these things.” Jeremiah 14:22
Why should we give so much of our time to
things that provide us no good thing? So much the better to look to God, the
being that holds all power and all truth. The fear of the Lord begins with
first gaining a knowledge that He is. Moses was commanded by God to teach the
people about Him, so they would learn to fear Him.
“Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in
Horeb, when the LORD said unto you, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that
they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth,
and that they may teach their children.” Deuteronomy 4:10
“And all Israel shall hear, and
fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.”
Deuteronomy 13:11
The messenger of the initial fear of God can
be any person. It is that first moment of learning of Him and believing.
“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” Psalms 34:11
The fear of the Lord with faith in Him, is
prerequisite to covenanting with Jesus Christ through baptism, and gaining the
knowledge of God.
“Thou shalt fear the LORD thy
God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” Deuteronomy 6:13
“The secret of the LORD is with
them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Psalms 25:14
Those that fear the Lord must also trust Him.
Trust in Him through fear of Him creates meekness which enables us to be
teachable. If we understand that He is the most powerful being in the universe
and that He has our best interest at heart, we can give ourselves to Him, be
faithful in Him, and be meek enough to be taught of Him.
“Ye that fear the LORD, trust in
the LORD: he is their help and their shield.” Psalms 115:11
“It is better to trust in the
LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than
to put confidence in princes.” Psalms 118:8-9
“Trust in the LORD with all
thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes:
fear the LORD and depart from evil. It
shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8
We must trust the Lord, despite whatever trial
He may require of us.
“Though he [God] slay me, yet
will I trust in him. …” Job 13:15
Through the fear of the Lord, you can begin to
become wise. Wisdom is gained by experience and by the Holy Spirit. It is just
as in Christ’s atonement, faith, baptism, and obedience in Him precedes the
gift of the Holy Ghost to guide us (gaining wisdom).
“The fear of the LORD is the
instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.” Proverbs 15:33
“[T]he fear of
the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job
28:28
“The fear of the
LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
Proverbs 9:10
“Then they that feared the LORD spake
often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of
remembrance was written before him for them
that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine,
saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked,
between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Malachi 3:16-18
“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:2
There is a difference from starting to fear
the Lord because you begin to acknowledge the reality of God, to understanding the fear of the Lord,
understanding and knowing what He is
and why you should fear Him. The fear
of the Lord grows with your understanding of Him.
“Then shalt thou understand the
fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:5
“The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop
her mouth. Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of
the LORD.” Psalms 107:42-43
Growing in the knowledge of God requires
teachers. The Aaronic Priesthood is able to teach a level of knowledge about
God.
“And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD. …” 2 Chronicles
30:22
Yet, as we know, Levites are not able to
perfect.
“If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under
it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another
priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order
of Aaron?” Hebrews 7:11
Perfection is only by the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Modern revelation tells us that the fulness of the knowledge of God can only be
found though the Melchizedek Priesthood. That is correct as perfection is only
through this priesthood.
“And this greater priesthood administereth
the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.” Doctrine
and Covenants 84:19
Seeking the Lord through fear of the Lord is
the process of knowing God, of finding perfection. Perfection is to know Him,
to know because you have become like Him because He has shown you what He is by
His own example to you in your own redemption.
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
“Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty
unto perfection?” Job 11:7
To fear God leads to power, love,
righteousness, life, and a sound mind.
The fear of man (motivated by the adversary) brings personal weakness,
deficiency in love, sin, death, and an unsound mind. To fear man is spiritual
death.
“The fear of the LORD is to hate
evil: pride, and arrogance. …” Proverbs 8:13
“The fear of the LORD tendeth to
life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited
with evil.” Proverbs 19:23
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of
love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy
1:7
“The fear of man bringeth a
snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” Proverbs
29:25
“In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall
have a place of refuge. The fear of the
LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” Proverbs 14:26-27
“The LORD is my light and my
salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom
shall I be afraid?” Psalms 27:1
The fear of man is strange doctrine that will
make us brutish idolaters of vanities. These vanities will destroy us.
“Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great,
and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for
to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations,
and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of
vanities.” Jeremiah 10:6-8
“Every man is brutish in his
knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten
image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their
visitation they shall perish.” Jeremiah 10:14-15
To fear the Lord is a commandment, also to
love Him, to seek Him, and to keep His commandments. We should do so for our own benefit.
“And the LORD commanded us to do
all these statutes, to fear the LORD
our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is
this day.” Deuteronomy 6:24
“And now, Israel, what doth the
LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his
ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and
with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes,
which I command thee this day for thy good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13
“Seek the LORD, and his
strength: seek his face evermore.” Psalms 105:4
“O fear the LORD, ye his saints:
for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer
hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall
not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach
you the fear of the LORD.” Psalms 34:9-11
These commandments are reflected in the Restored Church's sacramental prayer, which requires us to remember the Lord, and keep His
commandments, then partaking of the divine nature. The atonement of Jesus
Christ is the fear of the Lord. The discovery of God is made inside our own
spirits, our own hearts.
“[B]ehold, the
kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21
“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin,
but ye have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” Romans 6:17
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Romans 10:9-10
The knowledge of
God found through the fear of the Lord is infinitely precious. It is treasure.
“That their hearts might be comforted, being knit
together in love, and unto all riches of
the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery
of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In
whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3
“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge
rather than choice gold. For wisdom is
better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be
compared to it.” Proverbs 8:10-11
“And wisdom and
knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.”
Isaiah 33:6
To find the
treasure of the knowledge of God, we must be meek enough to be willing to give
up, to sacrifice, whatever God requires, so we know that we do not fear man but
only God. We must obey Him and perform our sacrifices.
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven: and come and follow me.” Matthew 19:21
“And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither
do thou any thing unto him: for now I
know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son from me.” Genesis 22:12
“Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field; the which when a man
hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath,
and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant
man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price,
went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-45
“But lay up for
yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
Matthew 6:20
“By humility and the fear of the
Lord are riches, and honour, and life.” Proverbs 22:4
If
you love and fear God more than anything and seek Him, if He is your treasure, you
will find the knowledge of Him.
“He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37
“For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21
“And ye
shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord the God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38
“O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the
faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye
that hope in the LORD.” Psalms 31:23-24
“[Y]our heart shall live that seek God.” Psalms 69:32
As the knowledge of God is to be found in our
hearts, it is no surprise that He is Love.
“He that loveth not knoweth not
God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:8
This treasure, the wisdom
and knowledge of the love of God, is not lifeless gold and silver, but is the
fruits of eternal life. When we gain knowledge we fill the house of God with
precious treasure, and we ourselves become strong.
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give unto you the spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what riches of the glory of
his inheritance in the saints.” Ephesians 1:17-18
“Through wisdom is
an house builded; and by understanding is it established: and by knowledge
shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man
is strong; yea, a man of knowledge
increaseth strength.” Proverbs 24:3-5
“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge
rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things
that may be desired are not to be compared to it. I wisdom dwell with prudence,
and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The
fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,
and the forward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am
understanding; I have strength. By me
kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even
all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek
me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and
righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my
revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of
the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit
substance; and I will fill their
treasures.” Proverbs 8:10-21
By the fear of the
Lord we can gain eternal life and become a tree of life (spiritual maturity).
“The fruit of
the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
Proverbs 11:30
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he
meditate day and night. And he shall be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in
his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper.” Psalms 1:1-3
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness. Faith, meekness, temperance. …” Galatians
5:22-23
“The righteous
shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
Psalms 92:12
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto
them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness; that they might
be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might
be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3
The knowledge of God is much more than simply knowing
the definition of any number of given terms. To know what the definition of
mercy is, is different from knowing what mercy feels like, to feel its power,
to receive and to give it, how mercy comes from strong hearts, and how its
grace can change everything. That is why we can gain knowledge through the
trials of a mortal life, so we can know.
“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil. …” Genesis 3:22
“And again I say unto
you as I have said before, that as ye
have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his
goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your
sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would
that ye should remember, and always
retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his
goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble
yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord
daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which
was spoken by the mouth of the angel.” Mosiah 4:11 The Book of Mormon
The knowledge of God is in Christ’s love, it
is the glory He received from His Father.
“And the glory which thou gavest
me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and
thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may
know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am;
that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me
before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not
known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me
may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:22-26
Knowing Christ’s love will perfect us. Experiencing
the love of God through His atonement gives us knowledge. It helps us to
understand godliness. It brings us into
His fulness, which as we have previously seen, is His rest. The trials of mortality
are required for us to truly understand God’s love, and to become as He is.
“And to know the love of Christ, which
passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
Ephesians 3:19
Gaining the knowledge of God is more important
than any other thing we may do to please God.
“For I [the Lord] desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings.” Hosea 6:6
We must look toward Christ.
“But charity is the pure love of
Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last
day, it shall be well with him.” Moroni 7:47 The Book of Mormon
As we grow into the knowledge of God through
fear in Him, it comes with our growth in strength of the Spirit. Through the
Spirit the fear of man is cast away, and we come to know ourselves as we are, the
sons and daughters of God.
“Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love
casteth out fear.” Moroni 8:16 The Book of Mormon
“[T]he love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were
yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:5-6
“And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart;
and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the
Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with
hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until
the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.” Moroni 8:26 The
Book of Mormon
“For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
Romans 8:14-16
Finding Him, little by little, means that we
emulate Him by loving others and seeking their salvation also. The stronger in
God’s love we grow, the more our faith and hope grows, the greater ability we
develop to look to the needs of others. We also find rest and peace for
ourselves.
“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” Psalms 66:16
Through the fear of God, we will together find
one heart, we will find Zion.
“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way,
that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children
after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not
turn away from them, to do them good; but I
will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea,
I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with
my whole soul.” Jeremiah 32:38-41
“And of Zion it shall be said,
This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish
her.” Psalms 87:5
If we fear God, we can make His strength our
strength. By submitting to Him and
trusting Him, in our weaknesses we can become strong. Quit literally. By casting fear of man out of our hearts and
fearing only Him, His strength becomes ours.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but
be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“Fear thou not; for I am with
thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy
God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee
with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10
“And if men will come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be
humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves
before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong
unto them.” Ether 12:27 The Book of Mormon
“I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according
to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” Colossians
1:10-13
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,
in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2
Corinthians 12:9-10
Knowing this is very helpful. If we find
ourselves anxious, nervous, or afraid, in most cases we can examine at ourselves
and the beliefs we are holding that are causing those emotions. Then we can
turn to the Lord to help us overcome them.
This life, though difficult, is for our good.
Don’t fear what man may do. But perfect your faith, perfect your fear in God.
“If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils
among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in
perils by land or by sea; If thou art accused with all manner of false
accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the
society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn
sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine
offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to
thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us?
O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be
thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison,
and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb; And
if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the
sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the
billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if
the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way,
and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after
thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and
shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou
greater than he? … [F]ear not what man
can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.” Doctrine and Covenants
122:5-8, 9
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