Drunk With The Wine of Self Deception

As clear and as often as the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, identifies its main message as repentance, I've often wondered why so few in history have repented, and why so few in our generation, including active church members, will repent before the Lord's second coming.

But it has been that way since the beginning of our history which began with Adam and Eve. After Adam and Eve had been taught and baptized, they taught their children all the things that they had learned including the reality of their fall, their condition as a result of the fall, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the atonement and the need to repent (Moses 6:47-60). 

According to Enoch, Adam taught these things, and many believed, and were saved from their sins, but many did not believe, and perished in their sins.

Hundreds of years later when the "children of men were numerous upon all the face of the land...Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts;..." (Moses 6:15). The result was that the majority of the generation of Adam did not repent and would not hearken unto the voice of God and rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ which had been given to Adam and Eve. 

Many years later, Enoch, who was "taught in all the ways of God" (Moses 6:21), heard a voice from heaven saying 

"Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people and say unto them--Repent, for thus saith the Lord; 

I am angry with this people...

for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off" (Moses 6:28). 

This voice from heaven also said to Enoch, "And for these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark; and...(they) have not kept the commandments, which I gave unto their father, Adam" (Moses 6:28), which commandments are repentance, baptism by water and by the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end in faith in Jesus Christ (Moses 6:51-52).

From this account we learn some of the reasons why people who have been taught refuse to repent. 

1. They had allowed Satan 

to have great dominion among them.

 

2. They sought their own counsels in the dark.

3. They hardened their hearts 

against the word of God. 

4. They saw themselves as righteous and were content with their religious observances.

Many had gone astray and because their children were not taught the ways of God, many generations were affected. And those many generations had also gone astray and denied Christ.

I have been able to identify from scripture several other reasons, or perhaps symptoms, of those who refuse to repent. All are related to whether people believe Christ. One in particular stands out because it is generational.

I was reading in Mosiah 26 concerning those children of the people who were alive at the time King Benjamin delivered the words given him by an angel of the Lord, and how this rising generation did not believe the words spoken by King Benjamin. And because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God. 

Unbelief in this sense appears to be the same as the hardening of the heart against the word. We learn that these people were not as numerous as the people of God, but because of dissensions among the church they became more numerous. They deceived many with flattering words and caused many to commit sins and needed to be admonished by the church. They were therefore eventually brought before Alma. There were many witnesses against them who testified of their iniquity. Those who did not believe included the sons of Mosiah.

Alma had not yet had this experience and did not know what to do and so his first response was to bring them before king Mosiah. But king Mosiah delivered them back into the hands of Alma to be judged. Alma then inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning them. 

It is recorded that the voice of the Lord came to Alma to instruct him. The Lord told Alma that he was blessed because he believed the words of Abinadi and the people who believed the words Alma spoke to them were also blessed. (Note how God's words became Abinadi's and Abinadi's words became Alma's.)

From this instruction, which was all written down by Alma, we learn what it means to be numbered among the people of His Church. Keep in mind the difference between those who are numbered among His Church and those who are just members of record of the organized church.

He instructs Alma that those who believed Alma's words would be His people. They were blessed because they were willing to bear His name. He then says that those that will hear His voice shall be His sheep, and shall be received into His Church. 

He defines His Church as: "whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye shall receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive" (Mosiah 26:22). To those who believe is the promise given that they shall have a place eternally at His right hand. We know from his statements to Alma that to believe is to believe His words, for His words testify of Him.

The Lord then tells Alma that he that will not hear His voice, the same shall not be received into His church. (This is true today of those who may be members of record of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but not of His Church.) 

As to those who transgress against the Lord (as opposed to those who transgress against each other--see verse 32 below), he shall be judged by Alma according to the sins which he has committed, but if he confess his sins, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, he shall be forgiven. And as often as His people repent He will forgive them their trespasses against Him.

Alma is also instructed that each member is to forgive each other their trespasses. Then the Lord tells Alma: "whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people" (Mosiah 26:32). 

Alma then wrote down all the words which the Lord spoke to him, and he went and judged those that had been taken in iniquity (failure to repent), according to the word of the Lord. And those who repented of their sins and did confess them were numbered among the people of the church. And those who would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were blotted out. (To confess does not mean to identify and confess each sin like a Catholic confession, but an admission of being a sinner, of needing the atonement, and turning to the Lord.)

Later when Alma taught the people, first in Zarahemla and from thence throughout all the land, "it came to pass that whosoever did belong to the church that did not repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God—I mean those who were lifted up in the pride of their hearts—the same were rejected, and their names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the righteous" (Alma 6:2). This verse also clarifies what it means to "trespass against the Lord" i.e., being lifted up in the pride of their hearts, another way of saying they take strength unto themselves and do not rely wholly or alone upon the merits of Christ.

A latter-day revelation to Joseph Smith repeats this same doctrine. "Behold, this is my doctrine--whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church. Whosoever declareth more or less than this the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church" (D&C 10:67-68).

And what did Alma and other laborers in the vineyard teach those of His Church? "And now all these things did Alma and his fellow laborers do who were over the church, walking in all diligence, teaching the word of God in all things (Mosiah 26:38).

What are some of the reasons this rising generation did not believe the words delivered by an angel to King Benjamin? 

1. They do not believe Christ. 

The Book of Mormon prophet-writers used much space in their records to teach of Christ, to rejoice in Christ, to prophesy of Christ and to persuade men to believe the words of Christ. 

They knew that those who would believe the words of Christ would repent, and those who did not believe the words of Christ would not repent. 

They used every way in their means to persuade men that they should believe that Christ should come and that He would pay the demands of justice for those who would believe Christ and repent. 

This they did through experiencing their own lost and fallen state and their own experience of Christ's atonement. 

Those who do not believe Christ do not believe in repentance of their sins. Because repentance is the process by which we come unto Christ and the commandment unto all, believing Christ or even just a desire to believe Him will lead them to Him. 

Believing Christ will lead us to repentance. Putting our faith in Christ will lead us to repentance, which is the process of turning to Him. Salvation comes to all those who believe on His name, this being the intent of His sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which over-powereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith in Christ unto repentance. Because believing Christ or the lack thereof determines whether on not a person will repent, all the reasons listed below can be traced to the non-belief, notwithstanding they may give lip service to believe Christ.

2. Perhaps this rising generation was not taught the ways of God by their parents, and therefore was not taught to understand the necessity for and the doctrine of repentance. Of course there are many who are not taught the ways of God by their parents, perhaps because their parents did not or do not believe Christ. 

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have been commanded to teach our children to understand the doctrine of repentance before they reach the age of 8 years old. (D&C 68:25). Of course if we don't, then those children who do not understand the doctrine of repentance may be part of a large multitude of people who do not repent, even while remaining active in the Church. And even though they have been baptized of water, they have not been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost--they have never really repented because they don't understand. They were baptized but were not taught that they were baptized unto repentance.

Children were taught to read the word of God, but not taught to search, hear and know of themselves the word of God. 

3. Perhaps this rising generation was taught the word of God but at some point hardened their hearts against the word of God or did not believe the word. Like in the Parable of the Sower there could have been a number of reasons for no longer nourishing the words which they were taught. They, therefore, did not believe His words. They did not hear or perceive or no longer heard or perceived.

4. Or maybe they professed a belief in God (gave lip service), but did not really believe Him or that they needed to repent or in other words they did not believe God!

Isaiah's description of the Lord's people being drunk with the wine of self deception is an appropriate analogy (Isaiah 28:7,15) as we liken Mosiah 26 unto us who were once a rising generation and to the rising generation in the church today.

"Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not from strong drink. The Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep" (Isaiah 29:9). He says that religious leaders are also drunk with the wine of self deception (Isaiah 28:7).

Because we may be drunk with the wine of self deception we will make--

Dangerous Assumptions

What happens when we don't do as Nephi counseled to "liken all scriptures unto to us" (1 Nephi 19:23)?

We make erroneous assumptions that may be validated by the pulpit narrative, but not by the scripture narrative. 

For example we may assume

That we are of the House of Israel and not identified with the Gentiles, and therefore do not apply anything said about the Gentiles, either historically or prophetically, to ourselves.

We will assume that we aren’t among those same Gentiles “in Zion” (2 Nephi 28:21, 24, 32) who “are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men” (2 Nephi 28:14)

We will assume that we are not among those who don’t search the scriptures and repent of their error (cf. Jacob 7:23; Alma 14:1; 17:2 33:2; 3 Nephi 10:14) but who are “at ease in Zion” and assume “all is well” (2 Nephi 28:24–25).

We will assume that we aren’t among those who “hearken unto the precepts of men,” who disallow “the power of God” in their lives, void “the gift of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:26), and Deny the power and gifts of God (Moroni 10).

We will assume that we are not of those who say, “We have received, and we need no more” (2 Nephi 28:27, 29), who get “angry” when confronted with “the truth of God” found in the scriptures when it conflicts with their “precepts of men” (2 Nephi 28:28, 31). That we aren’t among those who end up denying the Lord God when his “arm”—his servant in the Book of Isaiah—“is lengthened out all the day long” (2 Nephi 28:32).

And will we assume that because we are the good guys we will be ceremoniously ushered into His presence? He will say "depart from me. Ye never knew me."

Or we may fall into that category who can see that the organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has many problems, both historically and presently, and who leave the fold without the Good Shepherd to lead them. They fail to distinfuish Christ's Gospel from the Church.

More Blessed Are They Who Humble Themselves Because of the Word (Alma 31-35)

Alma's use of the word of God in teaching the humble Zoramites is another example of just how powerful the word of God is in teaching others who do not believe in Christ, and how Alma uses the word of God to teach regardless of the people and their circumstances. The Zoramites were perverting the ways of the Lord and teaching that there would be no Christ, trusting in their being chosen and religious, and Alma, along with his sons Shiblon and Corianton, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, went among the Zoramites to "preach unto them the word." They knew that "the preaching of the word...had (a) more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else..." (Alma 31:5;7).

The Zoramites were a religious people who prayed to God in their weekly services, acknowledging God's holiness and thanking him for electing them to be his holy children. But they denied Christ and thought others who believed in Christ were led away after the foolish traditions of their brethren. (Alma 31:14-18). 

To the Zoramites, belief in Christ was a foolish tradition, but could this also apply to those of us who do not put our faith in Christ by relying wholly upon His merits and not upon any of our merits or on the merits of the Church? Alma sought out the Zoramites because he knew that they were perverting the ways of the Lord.

Knowing of the existence of a man named Jesus Christ, or even verbally acknowledging Him as our redeemer, is not the same as believing Him through His words, or believing what He says. And it is not possible to believe what He says unless we know what He has said.

Alma described the Zoramites as a 'wicked and perverse people and he saw "that their hearts were set upon gold, and upon silver, and upon all manner of fine goods. Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting, in their pride" (Alma 31:24-25). Cf with Ephraimite Gentiles today. What particularly grieved Alma was that they cried unto God with their mouths, "while they are puffed up, even to greatness, with the vain things of the world" (Alma 31:27-28). They worshiped God with their mouths "and yet" their hearts were set upon their riches. And so Alma, his sons and his brethren prayed unto God that they may "have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ" (Alma 31:34).

After their prayers, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and did separate themselves one from another, knowing that the Lord would provide for them. "And it came to pass that they did go forth, and began to preach the word of God unto the people..." (Alma 32:1). After having some success with people who were described as poor as to things of the world; and also were poor in heart, Alma and Amulek encountered the Zoramites who had been cast out of their synagogues because of their exceeding poverty.

When Alma met the outcast Zoramites "he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word" (Alma 32:6). He tells them that sometimes when a person is compelled to be humble, he seeketh repentance (Alma 32:12). He then adds as so many of the other Book of Mormon prophet writers taught, "whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved" (Alma 32:13).

Compare this with what we are taught concerning our afflictions--we will be comforted. That's it. Nothing about repentance. 

But Alma then makes a distinction between those who are compelled to be humble because of their circumstances and those "who truly humble themselves because of the word" (Alma 32:14 emphasis added). He says that we are more blessed without being compelled to be humble, and he explains why: "in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God" (Alma 32:16 emphasis added). (Note that humility can come because of our belief in the word of God.) We are more likely to believe God's words if we are not compelled to believe, but just desire to know and believe. Also there is no need to see a sign from heaven in order to believe.

Associated with the humility that can come because of the word is the idea that if we truly humble ourselves because of the word, we will repent and find mercy (Alma 32:13-15). Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things, but the means to hope for things which are true, but not seen. God is merciful to those who believe on His name, and this is why He desires that we believe, "yea, even on his word" (Alma 32:21-22). Note the connection between Christ and His words. This is the reason He imparts his word by angels unto men, so that men will begin to have faith in Christ (Moroni 7:25; 31-32).

Alma tells the Zoramites that they cannot know of a surety that his words are true, but they can come to know that they are true by experimenting on his words. The idea that we do not have to believe anything that is not true, and that we can know the truth for ourselves through God's words and the Spirit of Revelation, is unique in world religions today. 

This also means that knowing God comes from God and not from other people no matter the authority or position. But it also puts a burden on us that perhaps we may fall on the side of His words which will lead us to the justice of God, His wrath or His anger. God's word will judge us and we will be found on one side or the other. His word is a sharp two-edged sword and there is no neutral ground when it comes to His word. We either believe it or we don't, and if we believe it, we will believe in Christ and repent and find mercy. If we don't we choose the justice of God. We will never be able to complain to God that we didn't know or did not have the opportunity to know. 

The experiment that Alma gives is as scientific as any experiment can be. First he tells us that if we "will awake and arouse (our) faculties" (use our mind, our ears that we may hear, and our eyes that we may see). If we but exercise just a particle of faith, which he describes and no more than a desire to believe, and then let this desire work in us to the extent that we can give place for a portion of his words. This is the meaning of the 'good' soil or 'good' ground, in the parable of the sower. It is receptive soil or a receptive heart which allows the word to be planted in our hearts. Comparing the word to a seed, give place that this seed be planted in our hearts. I have often thought why the heart? What is it about the heart in scripture that makes it the place where His word is planted? For some reason the heart is deemed by the Lord as the processor of our wants and desires, and by planting the seed in the heart we can perhaps replace what is in our hearts. Certainly by being enticed by one or the other (good or evil), we are putting ourselves in a better position to choose good, and the word is the catalyst to do so.

Alma explains that a particle of faith is "no more than a desire to believe" (Alma 32:27), but we must allow this desire to work in us so that we can give place in our heart for a portion of the Lord's words. By comparing the word to a seed, Alma is recognizing that most of us know what a seed is, and how to tell a good seed from a bad seed--a good seed will grow if put in receptive soil, watered and gets the right amount of sun. We can see if the seed is good if it grows. The word of God is the same. Like a seed we can tell if it is good or bad if it grows, and Alma's explanation of how this happens can be put to the test by each one of us. If the word is good "it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me" (Alma 32:28 emphasis added).

Alma then teaches us that it is the word that will strengthen our faith, for as the seed swells and sprouts and begins to grow, our faith will be strengthened (Alma 32:29). This is consistent with Paul's statement that "...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17), and Moroni teaching us that as angels ministered to the children of men by teaching the word of God, "men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith (because of the word), they did lay hold upon every good thing..." (Moroni 7:25;31-32).

Alma understood that they still had questions and they desired "to know whether they should believe in one God, that they might obtain the fruit of which he had spoken, or how they should plant the seed, or the word of which he had spoken... or in what manner they should begin to exercise their faith" (Alma 33:1). Alma responds by reminding them that they thought they could not worship God because they had been cast out of their synagogues. Relate this response to ourselves keeping in mind that the Zoramites were a 'religious' people and they needed a place to worship. Alma says "if ye suppose that ye cannot worship God, ye do greatly err, and ye ought to search the scriptures" (Alma 33:2). There it is again--we err because we do not search the scriptures! He then uses the scriptures to teach these Zoramites the answers to their questions. "Do ye remember to have read what Zenos, the prophet of old, has said concerning prayer or worship? For he said: 

"Thou art merciful, O God, for thou has heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness...thou wast merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field.... When I did turn to my house thou didst hear me in my prayer... And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me... thou are merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee, and not of men, and thou wilt hear them" (Alma 33:3-8).

Alma reminds them that the Lord does not require that they only worship Him in their buildings, and he tells them further that God did hear Zenos because of his sincerity and because of His Son who had been merciful unto him. Because of His mercy, Zenos tells God that he will "cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy..." (Alma 33:10-11).

Alma then asks those who had been cast out of their synagogues "do you believe those scriptures which have been written by them of old" (Alma 33:12). So much for 'dead prophets' vs living prophets! "If ye do, ye must believe what Zenos said; for, behold he said: Thou has turned away thy judgments because of thy Son" (Alma 33:13). 

I love the next question Alma asks. "I would ask if ye have read the scriptures? If ye have, how can ye disbelieve on the Son of God? (Alma 33:14)

Alma then quotes from Zenock and Moses who also testify of Christ. Zenock was stoned to death because he testified of Christ. 

"For behold, he said: Thou art angry, O Lord, with this people, because they will not understand thy mercies which thou hast bestowed upon them because of thy Son.

"And now, my brethren, ye see that a second prophet of old has testified of the Son of God, and because the people would not understand his words they stoned him to death" (Alma 34:16-17).

Moses' testimony is worth quoting here as it is foolishness unto those who claim to believe, who give lip service, but who do not believe because they do not search the scriptures.

"Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.

But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.

O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?

If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works" Alma 33:19-22).

Foolishness indeed! Just look? No way! There is no religion in just looking!

Alma then desires that they plant the word in their hearts so that it will begin to grow as they nourish it with their faith. No word about being religious active members. Nothing about following Alma. Only about Christ because Christ is the word, is in the word and the word is in Christ. And if they do plant and nourish the word by their faith "it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life" (Alma 33:23).

Alma then sits down on the ground (not the stand) and Amulek testifies of Christ reminding them that they can worship (pray to) God anywhere. He makes them look beyond the mark to Christ. 

"And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save" (Alma 34:14-18).

Amulek's words in Alma 34 deserve your attention and your searching. They are some of the greatest words recorded in the Book of Mormon, and that is saying a lot because of all the great words recorded there.

Let's look at some more of what He said.

"For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.

Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another" (Alma 34:9-11).

And a few more.

"Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. ...and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you (Alma 34:19;27). 

"...if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross" which shall be "trodden under foot of men" (Alma 34:29).

"Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world" (Alma 34:34).

And so much more!

If only these words were taught in our Sacrament meetings, our classrooms, our conferences, and in our homes. But sadly they are not. Other than perhaps the verse about praying to increase our flocks. So I ask you to read and re-read Alma 34. Plant His words and nourish them. Put off religion and search His words. His call to repentance is not just to the Zoramites, but to us who "treat lightly" the words we have received (D&C 84:54). 

This message is to us the Ephraimite Gentiles, the members of record of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but who are not yet members of His Church which is made up of only those who are repenting and enduring to the end by validating their repentance and putting all their faith in Christ and relying alone on His Merits. (D&C 10:67-70).

And who would object to this? The religious Zoramites who were angry "because of the word, for it did destroy their craft (as in priestcraft); therefore they would not hearken unto the words (Alma 35:3). And not only were they angry they spied on those who had been taught by Alma and Amulek!

"And they sent and gathered together throughout all the land all the people, and consulted with them concerning the words which had been spoken.

Now their rulers and their priests and their teachers did not let the people know concerning their desires; therefore they found out privily the minds of all the people (Alma 35:4-6).

"And it came to pass that after they had found out the minds of all the people, those who were in favor of the words which had been spoken by Alma and his brethren were cast out of the land" (Alma 35:6). 

They wanted to know who believed the words of God. Not only did they cast them out of their synagogues and out of their land, they conspired to take their lives. 

Prophetic isn't it?

Continually Hold Fast to the Word of God

In the vision of the tree of life, Lehi talks about two groups of people, one of which did 'press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron,' and another which did 'press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron. The first group did partake of the fruit of the tree of life, but because of others mocking them, fell away 'into forbidden paths and were lost. The second group 'came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.' Nothing more is said of this second group, and we can assume that they did not fall away into forbidden paths, the seemingly only difference being that continually holding fast to the word of God as opposed to just clinging to the word of God, caused them to fall down and partake of the fruit (I Nephi 8:24-30). See also Mosiah 3 where the word of God caused those that heard it to fall down to the earth.

So the question arises as to whether other scriptures give us some indication of what it means to continually hold fast to the word of God. But before we  do lets examine possible meanings of what it means to cling to the word of God. While the dictionary does say clinging can include holding fast, perhaps the more accurate meaning is to adhere to or remain attached to the idea of the word of God as opposed to the more detailed meaning of holding fast, or as planting His words in our hearts and being continually nourished by His words, as set forth hereinafter. Perhaps we cling to the idea or the book, maybe even read, but we do not search the words diligently.

There are many words and phrases that we can link to the phrase continually hold fast to the rod of iron and in this manner the Lord gives us a more complete definition of the phrase, so that we do not have to guess at its meaning or attempt to use our own ideas to define it. 

By means of rhetorical links between words and phrases--the ideas they have in common--we can thus understand what it means to continually hold fast to the rod of iron or the word of God. In this way the Lord tells us what His words mean.

And in this case the phrase we link to is the word of God. In other words whenever we see the phrase word of God, or similar phrase such as words of Christ or word of the Lord, and we are being told how others respond to the word of God, then we can link that desired response to the phrase continually hold fast, thereby giving us a more elaborate and comprehensive explanation.

A first link is given by Nephi immediately after answering his brothers' question as to what was meant by the rod of iron. Nephi answers that it is the word of God, and "whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish...." And then Nephi exhorts them "to give heed unto the word of God" (2 Nephi 15:23-25 emphasis added). He thereby adds the words hearken and heed in explaining what it means to 'hold fast unto it.' 

He did this by way of exhortation with all the energies of his soul and with all the faculty which he possessed. Nephi admonished them to remember to keep the commandments of the Lord always and in all things, thereby linking the words remember and commandments to what it means to continually hold fast. There are multiple instances in the scriptures where the words hearken, heed, and remember are used in connection with the word of God.

Let's examine a few other links. Note that all links are italicized. One of my favorites is in Alma 37. Here Alma is ending his teaching of the word of God to his son Helaman and he compares the word of God to the Liahona. Alma tells Helaman that "it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ...as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass" (Alma 37:44). He then asks "is there not a type in this thing? For just "as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course...shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise" (Alma 37:45 emphasis added). If, however, we are slothful in giving heed to the word of Christ then we will not prosper as to things which are spiritual. He then adds: "The way is prepared, and if we will look to God we may live forever" (Alma 37:45-46).

Without as much detail I will list some for your reference and further research.

Alma tells us to plant the word in our hearts (Alma 32). The Lord tells us to live by and to treasure up in our minds continually the words of life (D&C 84:44;85). We are admonished to hear the word of God and to open our ears. Nephi tells us to feast upon the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:4).

We are cautioned to not harden our hearts against the word (Alma 12). Alma also encourages us to adhere to the word of God (Alma 60:34), and to believe in the word of God (Alma 5:11). Give diligent heed to words of eternal life (D&C 84:43).

Moroni uses the admonition to be nourished by the word of God (Moroni 6:4). 

Other links include teach, impart, declare, preach, write and speak the words of God. Hear and hearken unto the voice of God through His words. Come unto Christ through His words. Desire more, and hunger and thirst after His words. Search His words diligently. Receive His words. Is the word of God found in you? And after you have received His words pray and fast that you may receive the spirit of revelation and the spirit of prophecy. Know the truth by diligently searching the word of God.

Other rhetorical links include search/search diligently the word of God (Alma 14:1;17:2;33:2). Live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (D&C 84:44). Expound upon the word of God (Alma 18:38; 22:13; 3 Ne 23:14; 26:3). Speak with tongue of angels (2 Ne 31:14).. Write, read and understand (Mosiah 1:5; 3 Nephi 10:14). For more detail click the links which appear hereafter. 

And faith comes by hearing the word of God.

If ye have read the word of God, how can you disbelieve on the Son of God (Alma 33:14). He who denies God's revelations has not read the scriptures (Morm 9:8). By the Lord's power, men can read his words to each other (D&C 18:35). Hear the voice of God in his words (D&C 18). Bring up children in light & truth (D&C 93:40, i.e. the word of God is light & truth (D&C 84:45).

Even though this is not a comprehensive list of all links associated with the word of God, it is easy to see how the Lord uses words and then links them through ideas that they have in common to other words and phrases to open up to us a more complete picture of what He has revealed to us. Even through His parables He is further describing the words of His Father to illustrate how we may or may not respond to His words. The best example may be the Parable of the Sower where He describes the seed being sown as the word of God, and how the word can be received or rejected by us, but if we plant His words in our hearts (where it becomes the good soil because of the word), it will grow within us and be found in us at the last day. 

And perhaps it is the type of soil that differentiates 'clinging and 'holding fast.' The tree of life has grown in the hearts of those who hold fast.

And finally Christ taught only the words of His Father.