Elect or Elite?

I previously wrote a post called "By This Ye May Know" where I asked the question why does God want us to know who has heard His voice? Is it because he wants us to know His elect, those He has chosen? He has given us a fool proof method so we can recognize His elect--by the language they speak. They do not speak guile, but teach others His words because they have heard His voice. This post was inspired by Avraham Gileadi and much of what I include here is from him. 

We recognize the elite of the world by the wealth, power, and influence they wield, especially when oppressing the common people. But do we easily discern the elect of God or, at times, do we confuse the two? The term “elect” (Hebrew bechir) is the same as the word “chosen” (bechir) from the verb “to choose” (bachar) and is akin to the idea of “firstborn” (bechor). As there have always existed persons who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” (Luke 18:7–14), let us take a look at God’s definition of his elect.

 

Remembering that it is God who chooses his elect, not they themselves, we discover that Jesus defines his elect 

1. as those who “hear my voice and harden not their hearts,” 
2. who “believe in me and hearken unto my voice,” 
3. who “hear my voice, and shall see me, and 
4. who shall not be asleep, and shall abide the day of my coming, 
5. for they shall be purified, even as I am pure” (Doctrine & Covenants 29:7; 33:6; 35:21), 
6. who are “chosen because of their faith” (3 Nephi 19:28), and
7. whom he delivers out of their end-time afflictions (Mark 13:20).

By implication, therefore, those who aren’t chosen are persons 

1. who don’t hear his voice, and who harden their hearts 
2. who don't believe in Him and who do not hearken unto His voice, 
3. who do not hear His voice and who do not see Him,
4. who are asleep and who do not abide the day of His coming, 
5. who are not purified even as He is pure, 
6. who are not chosen because of their lack of faith, and 
7. who aren’t delivered from end-time afflictions. 

We also observe this contrast in end-time prophecies such as: “There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24)—knowing that the elect are not deceived or they would not be his elect.

 

Further contrasted with the elect is a category of people who consist of ¹“many who have been ordained among you, ²whom I have called but few of them are chosen,” ³who are “not chosen” because they ⁴“have sinned a very grievous sin, in that ⁵they are walking in darkness at noonday,” who are ⁶“not chosen” because “their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men,” and who ⁷“err in many instances because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds” (Doctrine & Covenants 33:4; 95:5–6; 121:35).

 

Says Paul of those whom God chooses to overturn the works of humanity’s elites: “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:27–28). That the “wise” and “mighty” and “things that are” include those from among his own people appears from the following:

 

“First, the rich and the learned, the wise and the noble; And after that cometh the day of my power; then shall the poor, the lame, and the blind, and the deaf, come in unto the marriage of the Lamb, and partake of the supper of the Lord, prepared for the great day to come” (Doctrine & Covenants 58:10–11). At that end-time turning point, political, academic, business and ecclesiastical elites who “fared sumptuously” (Luke 16:19), who were “regarded as noble” (Isaiah 32:5), who “have their reward” in this world (Matthew 6:2) are cast off.

 

Multiplying today are many who, “after they had tasted of the fruit [of the Tree of Life], were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost” (1 Nephi 8:28). Joining the ranks of elites, they “trust in themselves that they are righteous, and despise others,” repudiating the Lord’s church, his saints, and thus Christ himself as they tout their narratives devoid of light and divine inspiration. Are these elites not the false Christs and prophets of our day who are deceiving many?

Alma Believes the Words of Abinadi

The previous post, see link below, shows how God defines the righteous and the wicked by how we respond to His words.

The setting is in the land of Nephi-Lehi and Zeniff had conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons. Noah did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. In his wickedness he laid heavy taxes upon the people of one-fifth of all they possessed in order to support his wicked lifestyle. He consecrated new priests who lived off of the taxes collected from the people. 

The people also became idolatrous, being deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests. A more complete description is found in Mosiah 11:1-19.

In this setting a man named Abinadi, who was among them, goes forth among the people and begins to prophesy, saying: "Behold, thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me, saying, Go forth, and say unto this people, thus saith the Lord--Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms; and except they repent I will visit them in mine anger" (Mosiah 11:20 emphasis added).

Again and again and again he says "except they repent and turn to the Lord their God" (Mosiah 11:21;23;25), this being the message from the Lord. Like Samuel the Lamanite, Abinadi just shows up, having been told what to say, and faithfully tells them what the Lord has told him.* In other words he is armed with the word of God, and being armed with the word of God he spoke with power and authority.

How did these people respond to the words of Abinadi (the words of God)? "Now the eyes of the people where blinded; therefore they (the people) hardened their hearts against the words of Abinadi.... And king Noah hardened his heart against the word of the Lord, and he did not repent of his evil doings" (Mosiah 11:29 emphasis added).

However, one of the priests of Noah did believe the words of Abinadi. "There was one among them whose name was Alma, he also being a descendant of Nephi. And he was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken...." (Mosiah 17:2). This is significant because of what happens after Alma believes the words of God, and the fact that the word of God is the instrument used by the Lord to cause men to repent and turn to Him. But not only did Alma believe the words which Abinadi had spoken, but he "did write all the words which Abinadi had spoken" (Mosiah 17:4 emphasis added). 

Note: We can either harden our hearts against the word of God, or we can believe the word or God. There are only two choices.

How was it that Alma was able to write down all the words which Abinadi had spoken. For the answer we go to John 14:25 where the Lord told His disciples that the Comforter or Holy Ghost who was to be sent by His Father "would bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." So with the Holy Ghost, it would be possible for Alma to write all the words of Abinadi, as the Holy Ghost would bring all the words spoken by Abinadi to Alma's remembrance.

After having believed the words of God, Alma repents and turns to the Lord, and begins to teach the words of Abinadi (Mosiah 18:1). Alma taught the words to as many as would hear them. Many did believe him and gathered in a place called Mormon to hear Alma teach the words which had been spoken by Adinadi. Remember that he had written all of Abinadi's words, and Abinadi's words now became his words because God had given them to him. 

Alma also ordained priests to teach the people, and "he commanded them that they should teach nothing save it were the things which he had taught" (Mosiah 18:19 emphasis added and note that he does not say the words which Abinadi had taught, but the words which He, Alma, had taught. They are the same because they are the words of God). He specifically commanded them "that they should teach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people" (Mosiah 18:20 emphasis added).

Moving ahead in the record, Alma knew from the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them and so he fled into the wilderness and came to a very beautiful and pleasant land. Once there Alma reminds the people that he himself "was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused (him) sore repentance; nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear (his) cries, and did answer (his) prayers, and made (him) an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of (them) to a knowledge of his truth" (Mosiah 23:9-10 emphasis added). The truth meaning the word of God which is truth, light, spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ (D&C 84:45).

As a result of king Noah and others hardening their hearts against the word, they suffered the Justice of God. Remember that Abinadi told them that Christ stands betwixt them and Justice" (Mosiah 15:9). And if we refuse His mercy then we will suffer the judgment of God. 

A note about God's justice. Martin Luther described his profound struggle with his sins and his inability to satisfy God's perfect standard of righteousness, which led him to an intense alienation from God.

He said:

"Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction (his acts of penance). I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners, and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God, and said, 'As if, indeed, it is not enough, that miserable sinners, eternally lost through original sin, are crushed by every kind of calamity by the law of the decalogue, without having God add pain to pain by the gospel and also by the gospel threatening us with his righteousness and wrath!'"

He felt that no matter how hard he tried to be righteous or to confess all his sins, he could never meet the demands of God's perfect law.

He felt perpetually condemned by his own corrupt nature, and his inability to stop committing actual sins, which constantly put him under God's righteous judgment.

Before his pivotal theological breakthrough, he understood the "righteousness of God" (in passages like Romans 1:17) as God's active standard of justice by which he judges and punishes sinners, which terrified him.

This profound struggle was eventually resolved when he realized that the "righteousness of God" in Romans 1:17 is a passive righteousness—the righteousness that God imparts to the believer through faith in Christ, not a righteousness achieved by works.

Hence: Christ stands between us and God's justice! But only if we are repenting! 

The Church began to grow and King Mosiah gave permission to Alma to organize and establish churches throughout the land of Zarahemla. These churches met together so that they could "hear the word of God" (Mosiah 25:20). And there "was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God" (Mosiah 25:22). There were many who would not believe and who therefore "could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened" (Mosiah 26:3). Because of their unbelief these people "remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state; for they would not call upon the Lord their God" (Mosiah 26:4).

The Lord thereafter spoke to Alma and told him: "Thou are blessed because of thy exceeding faith in the words alone of my servant Abinadi. And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou has spoken unto them" (Mosiah 26:15-16).

The Lord then tells Alma that "he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep" (Mosiah 26:21). All the words that the Lord spoke to Alma he also "wrote them down that he might have them" (Mosiah 26:33). Alma did regulate all the affairs of the church and all those who were over the church did walk in all diligence, "teaching the word of God in all things" (Mosiah 26:38 emphasis added).

If we follow this thread of the word of God from God to Abinadi, from Abinadi to Alma, from Alma to the members of the Church, and from Alma to his son Alma, and from Alma the younger to his three sons, we see that the common thread throughout the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and our response to the word of God is to either believe them or harden our hearts against them. We harden our hearts against them when we set our hearts upon other things, and worship other gods. To those that hear the word of God and believe the word of God, they are to also teach the word of God. Which is what Alma the Younger did after his father prayed that Alma the Younger would "be brought to the knowledge of the truth" (Mosiah 27:14), or in other words, come to a knowledge of the truthfulness of the word of God. And after the angel visited Alma the Younger, he did come to a knowledge of the truth and spent his entire life teaching others the word of God.

Through a diligent study of the Book of Alma, we can see the power of God's word, and trust in the power for good in teaching the word of God. Mormon uses "the word of God" 47 times in the first 43 chapters of Alma, and also uses "the word," "his word," or "the word of the Lord," at least another 50 times. In each of the major episodes of the first 42 chapters, Mormon emphasizes a different aspect of the word of God. In the last 20 chapters, he recounts a long fourteen-year period of war both to accentuate the consequences of hardening our hearts against the word of God, and to the protection that comes from heeding it.

A brief summary of the Book of Alma will show us the thread of the word of God from God to Abinadi, to Alma, to Alma the Younger and to all those who heard the word of God from Alma the Younger and their reaction to it. In chapters 5-16 Alma seeks to reform the Churches in Zarahemla, Gideon and Amoniah by preaching the word of God. In these chapters we can also see the effect the word of God had on Zeezrom. In chapters 17-29, the sons of Mosiah turn thousands to Christ using the word of God. In Alma chapter 30, we see Alma using the word of God to silence Korihor and the word of the devil. This chapter is the focal point for the entire book of Alma. 

See Revelations 19 for a description of the word of God as the only weapon used by the Lord to judge and make war. 

Alma uses the word of God with Korihor, which leads to Christ himself silencing Korihor and all those who teach humanism and worship of the creature rather than the creator. The word of God triumphs over the word of satan (humanism--faring in this life according to our strength, genius and management).

In chapters 31-35, Alma and Amulek teach the Zoramite poor the process of conversion through planting the word of God in their hearts. In chapters 36-42 Alma teaches his sons the word of God and prepares them to teach the word of God. And in chapters 43-63 the power of the word of God is dramatized.

We are part of this thread having received these words from the Lord through Abinadi, Alma, Alma the Younger, and Mormon who recorded them. And now through me as well. Will the power of His word be with you in its purity, or will it be a watered down version as Isaiah prophesied? Will you have armed yourselves with the sword of truth, which is the word of God? 

For example, in Mosiah 26 we read of those who were little children at the time that King Benjamin delivered to his people the words given him by the angel of the Lord. We are told that "they did not believe the tradition of their fathers. They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ" (Mosiah 26:1-2). And "because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened" (Mosiah 26:3 emphasis added).

Is this because they, or at least this group, had not been taught the word of God given by King Benjamin to their parents or grandparents? Or could it be that they were taught but did not believe the words? Could this have been the reason they did not believe in the "tradition of their fathers?" Could it be that because they had not been taught the word of God, or did not believe, when they were younger, that when they got older "they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened?" We do know that the sons of Mosiah were numbered among these unbelievers (Mosiah 27:8), and we have a hint that they, like Alma the Younger, choose not to believe the words they had been taught, and so their not believing was a choice. They had hardened their hearts against the word. 

Regardless of whether the children at the time of King Benjamin where not taught or just chose to not believe what they were taught, the result was the same--they did not heed the Lord's call to repentance, and remained in their lost, carnal and fallen state being subject to the Justice of God. We also know that after the visitation by the angel, Alma and the sons of Mosiah, while they had been taught the word of God by their fathers, still needed to be brought to a knowledge of the truth of the word of God, which only begins with a desire to believe the words. So reading the words or even hearing the words, must be followed up with receiving the words in our hearts with a desire to believe them. There the words can swell, enlighten and bring us to a knowledge of the truthfulness of the words. This is, after all, the message of Alma 32-34.

Note the pattern of how the word of God was taught from father to son, and to others.

From God to Abinadi

From Abinadi to Alma

From Alma to Alma

From Alma to Helaman

From Helaman to Helaman

From Helaman to Nephi

From Nephi to Nephi

From all these to me

From God personaly revealed

From me to you*

From you to ???

What have we done with the word of God we have received? I think our pattern would be more like this:

The Word of God--

Stays in the scriptures

On our tables and

In our phones

Nibbled on

Left by the way side 

Choked by the cares

Seldomly searched

Not treasured up

Not feasted upon.

Replaced by talks,

Success in the world

From father to son 

From father to daughter,

From son to son,

From daughter to daughter. 

From friend to friend

From member to member.

See And By This Shall Ye Know

“Wo unto all

Wo Unto All...those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall (2 Nephi 28:28).

This post is very personal for me. As one who has searched the scriptures diligently and one who loves the words of God, I am saddened by those who either "tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God" or who just don't care because they believe that just because they are active church members they need no repentance or no one reminding them of the Lord's commandment to repent.

And for me this includes close friends and family. I mistakenly assumed that especially these would receive His words "with gladness" and not be angry, be bothered or apathetic, or worse, think His words do not apply to them (2 Nephi 28:28), or perhaps believe the messenger can't possibly be armed with the sword of truth.

As Jehovah forewarns, a wayward people's typical response when a prophet appeals to them to repent is to harden their hearts and dull their senses. And who is a prophet in this case? Anyone who has been called to "say nothing but repentance" unto this generation, which includes me.

I found this great promise in Malachi, and while it encourages me and tells me there are some who will speak "often one with another," I am also reminded that far too many will not speak the same language. Malachi said:

"Then those who feared Jehovah spoke often one with another. And Jehovah heard (it) and took heed, and a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared Jehovah and who thought on his name. They will be mine, says Jehovah of Hosts, in the day I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then will you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked--between him who serves God and him who serves him not" (Malachi 3:16-18).

I wonder however--must the few who fear God and love the truth be compelled to speak only "one with another," and not with God's people in general, so as to avoid persecution? Or even one's own children, grandchildren or friends?

This is true even though I shared a very personal revelatory experience about my being called by my Savior to learn His words and teach them to others, and to say nothing but repentance.

As I received either silence or push back from what I was sharing, I began to examine my motives for sharing. Perhaps it was me or the manner in which I was sharing. Was I attempting to find some praise or acceptance? Was I trying to justify myself to them? Did I come across as wanting to be the light, the intelligent one, the one who knew more? Was I being motivated by the Love of Christ in wanting to share and teach my friends and family? I knew I would come up short in each of these evaluations, but also realized that my motivations were good. I wanted to share the light and truth that I had received. Not only was I compelled to, but I wanted to more than anything. You can imagine the disappointment to be rejected so completely. After all, what right did I have to call others to repentance? 

But I knew that my motivations were good because "my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children," and that I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of their souls.

Were His words not understood, too hard to hear or just not applicable?  I was told that I was not giving enough praise to those who were active church members with terrific kids. They had, after all, done a great job in raising their kids in the church. They were all active and sent many kids on missions. Why should they be told they needed to repent?  

I must admit that I felt some responsibility for teaching them that it was all about being active. Isn't this a good example of religion verses truth and how religion can displace the gospel? My role in teaching them traditional religion is a big part of my motivation to now labor diligently to teach them the word of God. 

I do it to please God. But sometimes pleasing God means we make others happy; other times pleasing God means we make others very mad. This from my friend Timothy Merrill in his owlofthedesert.com/blog illustrates this point.

"The point I want to make is this: We must never seek to please others.  

That sounds kind of selfish, doesn't it? Well, we aren't here to please ourselves, either. 

Unfortunately, the whole business of religion is about pleasing others and ourselves, isn't it?  

We please our priest, or pastor, or bishop, or spouse, or parents, [or children] or ourselves, when we follow their traditions or rules, their teachings and commandments, their religious observances and ways of doing things.  It makes us feel good to be so . . . good!

But what happens when God calls us apart? 

What happens when God calls you to leave the 99 and go after the one?

What happens when God calls you to abandon the things that you were taught by your parents were right, as He did when he called Abraham to forsake the the foolishness of his idolatrous father, Terah?

I suspect that made Terah quite upset. After all, Abraham was more concerned with pleasing God than being a dutiful son!"

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galations 10-12).

I am therefore concerned and rightly so. Having seen, through prophecy, many of the endtime events, how can I not be worried for those I love the most? Coming to terms with spiritual truths can cause this worry and concern. How we see ourselves and how Isaiah and Book of Mormon prophets see us are very different.

While some of us will acknowledge that Book of Mormon prophets saw our day (Mormon 8:34–41), should we not also admit that what they saw seldom matches our high opinion of ourselves?

The Lamanites’ anciently receiving the gospel and becoming more righteous than the Nephites, has an endtime parallel or sequel: 

“And the Lamanites had become, the more part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith. For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they did reject the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying which did come among them. Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy” (Helaman 6:1–3).

But seeing that the hearts of his people began to wax hard, and that they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word, Helaman was exceedingly sorrowful.

But I have learned that as the truth of God “cuts to the heart” persons who are determined to live less than the truth (cf. Acts 5:33; 7:54; Mosiah 13:7), one who loves the truth may expect a less-than-kind response from people whose paradigms aren’t scripturally based. This I now know firsthand and like Helaman I am exceedingly saddened.

But no longer surprised. In other words, our darkened minds and the condemnation that rests upon us—because we accept only our cosmetic rendering of the scriptures, misread their meaning, and underrate their importance—are even now sealing upon our heads God’s imminent judgments.

Those who believed in him, Jew and Gentile, were those who “received the word with all readiness of mind” and “searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11–12). Those that don't search (as opposed to read) the scriptures daily do not receive His words with all readiness of mind. Why? Because their minds are on other things.

Assuming all is well denies the possibility of disease already in the heart, just hidden from sight or diagnosis because of a bit of a Catch-22. So how exactly do you find something that you refuse to look for (the Catch-22) because you believe it can’t be there? Or you believe it won't affect you or those you love? 

Why do we 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)—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)? 

Or why do we assume that we aren’t among those who “hearken unto the precepts of men,” who disallow “the power of God” in their lives and void “the gift of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:26)—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)? 

What course should we as endtime Ephraimite Gentiles follow, to search the scriptures for what they say or to suffer God’s “scourge and judgment” for not repenting of making wrongful assumptions (Doctrine & Covenants 84:54–58) even as we ostracize persons who believe the truth (Isaiah 66:5)?

Shall we as the Ephraimite Gentiles continually fail to discern that our idolatrous lives are sabotaging our salvation, as we imagine that God will not intervene?

“Must-see” movies, sports, entertainments, theme parks, fashion malls, mansions, investments, time shares, cruises, trips, religion, and so forth, aren’t these simply diversions? With lives cluttered by the trappings of Babylon—television, video games, smart phones, adornments, designer clothes, sports vehicles, wave runners, can we honestly say, “What evil fruit”?

If spiritual blindness results from infatuation with idols as the prophets declare, how better is it defined than by those who “see but don’t perceive,” who “hear but don’t understand” (Isaiah 6:9)?

Despite the fact that the scriptures we currently possess originate hundreds of years apart, they nevertheless synchronize and intertwine like one grand tapestry of truth that testifies to their divinity. And as the centerpiece of that tapestry—through which all interconnect and cohere—shines the Book of Isaiah. To understand Isaiah’s and Book of Mormon prophecy for what it is, therefore, is to understand all other scriptures—where each fits in the totality of God’s Word.

And that first and last commandment (also described as the greatest of all gifts) to all people everywhere especially Ephraimite Gentiles--to repent--and all words of God and all events connecting everything to repentance is to shine the light of God upon each of us, personally and intimately. But can we behold His light?

The worst thing in the world is trying to teach third-base-truths to someone in the dugout, who either wants to stay in the dugout or has no desire to get to third base. Anyone who hasn't passed first base will not understand the truths found on second base, much less third base. But does it mean we should not point out to all within our sphere of influence that there is a third-base, and that third base leads to home?

Faith Comes By Hearing the Word of God

King Benjamin (through words delivered to him by an angel) gives us the formula for faith in Christ (and the necessity of) when he asks: has the "knowledge of the goodness of God at this time awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state... (Mosiah 4:5)?  When King Benjamin had finished speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by an angel of the Lord, "he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them" because they had "viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth" (Mosiah 4:1-2). 

I had often wondered about this. How could these people have fallen to the earth? How did they experience their own carnal state? Why had the fear of the Lord come upon them? Why hadn't I had a similar experience? 

I began to wonder how they had come to this experience, and what brought them there. 

As I searched more, I realized that it was caused by the words delivered by the Angel to King Benjamin. 

Could I gain a knowledge of the goodness of God only by and through His Words? 

Could His words cause me to fall to the earth by experiencing my own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth? 

If so how could just His words cause such an experience? 

There had to be more than words, I thought. One day, I was reading in D&C 84 and read with interest the verse which told me to "live by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God" (D&C 84:44). I had read this before and had looked at his word, but only as a guide for me. I had also thought the rod of iron spoken of by Lehi and Nephi as just a guide. But as I read the next verse it hit me for the first time how His words could have caused such a reaction in the people who had listened to and heard the words delivered by an angel to King Benjamin! 

"The word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ" (D&C 84:45). I heard His voice in these words and knew that His words, because they are His light and spirit, can, by themselves cause us to fall down in fear of the Lord, and cause us to experience our nothingness and His goodness. 

In other words we cannot separate His words from Him--His words are Him--His light and His spirit! If we fail to immerse ourselves in what He has revealed (and caused to be written) we will never come to a knowledge of (nor will we ever experience) the goodness of God and our own worthless and fallen state. We will run the risk of worshiping an imaginary God, a God we will have created out of the imaginations of our hearts. 

And in doing so, we will stumble on that stumbling stone where all people stumble who have not received the word of God--we will not seek righteousness through faith in Christ and repentance, but will attempt to seek righteousness through behavior, performance, works and religion (Romans 9:31-33). 

I have often been puzzled as to why Paul says that "...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Why didn't he say 'faith comes by reading the word of God?' I had been taught that we should 'read' the scriptures daily, so why didn't Paul say read, instead of hear. Could it be, I wondered, if perhaps we hear His voice in His words? It didn't take much searching of His words to discover that we do, in fact, hear His voice in His words.  

"These words are not of men nor of man, but of me...for it is my voice which speaketh them unto you..." (D&C18:33-36). 

In fact God taught men how to write so His words could be recorded for us to hear His voice, not just read His words. In fact we will not hear His voice in His words if we do not search them and treasure them up. 

It never ceases to amaze me, however, how lightly we treat His words, and how lightly I had treated them. It is no wonder that we are under condemnation for treating lightly the words we have received from our Father in Heaven (D&C 84:54-55). Not only have we treated His words lightly, but we have not believed them (D&C 84:54). "And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked..." (D&C 84:52-53). 

Keeping in mind that we hear His voice through His words (D&C 18:34-36), if we are not ''acquainted' with His voice, it is because we have not 'heard' His words. 

From the time of Adam, the Lord has made it very clear what our conditions are in this life:  

"Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe. Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God" (Moses 6:48-49). 

It is one thing to 'understand' the effect of the fall on us, and yet another thing altogether to experience our own carnal and fallen state. And yet it is only through the experiencing of our own lost and fallen state, that we recognize the need for the atonement, and can exercise our trust and faith in Christ. 

If, however, we harden our hearts against His word, then His word will not "be found in us" (Alma 12:13). The idea of His word being found in us is introduced by Alma, and denotes the importance of the word as truth, light and spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ. For when His word is found in us, then is His light and spirit found in us. 

When we receive His light and compare it to our own light, then we begin to experience the darkness within us, and turn to His light by putting our faith and trust in Him instead of in our own meager spark (Isa 50:11).

Without putting our faith in Christ, we will remain "in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state...and (will be) without God in the world" (Alma 41:11). You may ask how can you be without God in the world when you pray to Him daily and come to Church to worship Him? Without faith in Him, these actions are merely a 'form' of worship, and are not counted unto us as righteousness. 

When, however, we turn to Him by experiencing our lost and fallen state, we are repenting and are, therefore, in a state of His righteousness. When we are not repenting we are in a state of wickedness. There are only two ways, and in order to remain in a state of His righteousness we must be repenting--always remembering our nothingness in comparison to His Goodness. This is godly sorrow, and only godly sorrow brings about repentance. And how do we experience this Godly sorrow? By His words being in us! By hearing His voice! In this way we all have our own "On the Road to Damascus" experience by hearing the voice of God along the way. As we feast upon His words we will hear Him say to us, "I am God, hearken unto my voice!"

Nephi, through the use of the words of Christ, tells us how we enter into the Lord's way. He tells us about a strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life, and that we enter into this strait and narrow path through a gate, which gate, he tells us, is repentance and baptism (2 Nephi 31:17-18). He then asks us, after we have gotten in the way "if all is done" (2 Nephi 31:19)? 

Then he answers his own question: "Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save" (2 Nephi 31:19). 

And it is only by continually being "nourished by the good word of God" that we can stay in the right way "relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who (is) the author and the finisher of (our) faith" (Moroni 6:4:).

So we enter into the way because of His word, and we stay in the way because of His word. Faith comes through hearing His words. We are born again and a mighty change is wrought in our hearts as a result of His words (Alma 5:13). His words bring us to a knowledge of the truth. We truly humble ourselves because of His words  (Alma 32:14). Our souls are illuminated by the light of the everlasting word (Alma 5:7).

Through His words we know that repentance and baptism is the gate by which we enter into His way. 

Through his words we know that we endure to the end through faith in His name relying wholly upon His merits. 

Through His words we know that whenever we begin to 'take strength unto ourselves' we are no longer relying wholly upon His merits, and are therefore not enduring in faith in Him to the end.  

Only His words get us in the way and keep us there because not only do His words tell us what repentance is, but by the power of His words, we are brought before the alter of God, to call on his name and confess our sins before Him (Alma 17:4; 36:24-26).

All too often we allow the precepts of men to color our definitions of faith and repentance, and believe me when I tell you, that these precepts are like noxious weeds that grow in our minds and hearts. These noxious weeds cause us to pervert the truth, and can lead us to believe that we are on the strait and narrow path, when we are, in reality, in the large and spacious building. They choke the good seed of the word of God. And how do we get rid of these noxious weeds? We must replace these noxious weeds with His words. We are only nourished by the good word of God.

Alma makes it clear that "...if (w)e will awake and arouse (our) faculties, even to experiment upon (His) words, and exercise a particle of faith... (Alma 32:27), we will know that the seed is good, if we do not cast it out by our unbelief. How will we know that the seed is good? Because it will begin to grow within you, "it beginneth to enlarge" your soul and "it beginneth to enlighten" your understanding and "it beginneth to be delicious unto" you (Alma 32:30). It "shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life" (Alma 32:41). The tree's "most precious fruit" is the result of faith, diligence, patience, and long suffering in nourishing the word of God (Alma 32:42-43).

The knowledge of Good (God's righteousness) and evil (everything else) is the most basic and most important knowledge we can have, and we only get this knowledge through His word. The word repent, according to His words, is to turn to the righteousness of God, and turn away from everything else.

Turning toward Him and His light is the description of repentance. But what is the effect on us of our turning toward Him? He said "if men 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" (Ether 12:27).

Consider this: you are driving east on Interstate 80 in the morning. There are no clouds and the sun is shining on your windshield. You can see all the bugs, dirt and streaks on your windshield. So you stop and 'clean' your windshield, only to find that as you continue toward the light, your windshield is still not clean, and the more light that shines on it the dirtier it appears. Even more light would cause more 'dirt' to appear. If however, you turn back and go west away from the light your windshield will appear to be very clean. It is the same with us. By shining His light on us, turning toward His light or toward the voice which is His words, we see ourselves as we really are. This is what caused the people to fall to the earth after seeing themselves in the light of the words delivered by the angel to King Benjamin. 

Turning away from Him causes us to see ourselves as we think we are. This is the deception spoken of by Isaiah that causes us to 'see' ourselves as being something we are not.

Let me again briefly share my own experience:

I would not have described myself as a Sinner when I was younger or even in my middle age years. Only other people were sinners, those bad people who committed terrible acts and transgressions, none of which I had committed. I had been taught that the Gospel was about my righteousness, my goodness, my worthiness and my works. To have been called as a Bishop I had to be righteous. Right? I lived the word of wisdom, was morally clean, had a temple recommend and paid my tithing.  I had to be good. Right?

I can't remember when I first began to realize that I had been living a perverted gospel, and that I had been deceiving myself into thinking that I was good. But the more I searched His words and listened to them, the more I realized that I was worshiping a false image--an image of myself as a good guy in a world with a lot of bad guys. 

But something changed when I read Romans 10:1-4. I realized I had been going about to establish my own righteousness, and had not submitted myself to the righteousness of God--something I would never have learned had I not 'heard' His voice through His words.

I learned that repentance is the process of turning to God and His Goodness. I began to see myself as I really am. Even though I was born innocent, there were flaws in my nature, weaknesses in my character and evil in my heart. Soon everything I was reading and hearing in the scriptures was telling me: It is not about your righteousness, but about Christ's. I began to experience my own lost and fallen state, and it was then and only then that I realized the need in my own life for the Atonement and the mercy which was introduced to us through Christ's Atonement. And I knew I needed and wanted His mercy.

When I realized that there are divers ways and means whereby we can commit sin, even so many that we cannot number them (Mosiah 4:29), and that one sin no matter how small, subjects me to the Justice of God, hope for me came only in my Savior. I began to rely wholly upon His merits and knew that because of His mercy it was possible that I could be found guiltless at the judgment bar. He would pay for my sins. He would save me from my sins. He would begin to take away my capacity or disposition to sin. I would no longer be under the bondage of sin.

His words caused me to see myself as I really am. Seeing myself in the light of His words, I came to recognize the darkness within myself, and desired to come to the light. Only those who believe they earn their way by performance, will not want to have the light shined upon them. But unless we see ourselves as the Publican, the Prodigal Son and the Lost Sheep, we will not turn to the light and put all our faith and trust in Him who is mighty to save. Alma does not say that none but the performers or none but the active are saved, rather he says, "none but the truly penitent are saved" (Alma 42:24).

The words of Christ made it clear to me that we do not 'live' our way to eternal life, but that we 'die' our way there by experiencing our lost and fallen state, our own carnal and natural state, and by experiencing the evil and darkness that is within each of us. This requires that we do not put our faith in ourselves, but in our Savior and turn to him with a broken heart and contrite spirit, desiring a new heart and to become new creatures (Mosiah 27:25). 

This requires that we actually believe Him when says that He is the way and the only way, and that He sent messengers to tell us of our lost and fallen state and what He had appointed for us in this life, and "made known unto (us) the plan of redemption...and this he makes known...according to (our) faith and repentance..." (Alma 12:29-30). He called on men in the name of His son (this being the plan of redemption) saying: "If ye will repent and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son" (Alma 12:33).

The more we receive of the word of God, the more it transforms us into His likeness. Even as Christ personifies the word of God (John 1:1), we personify that portion of His word which is found in us. 

When His words become our words then we speak with the tongue of angels and by the power of the Holy Ghost (2 Nephi 31 & 32).

This promise comes with a warning, however, that "the time speedily cometh that the Lord God will cause a great division among the people" (2 Nephi 30:10), and this division is caused by His words: those who hear His words and believe them on the one hand, and those who do not on the other. Moreover, don't mistake the words of men for the word of God. 

Men can and do speak His words, but we must know His words to discern when others are or are not speaking His words. For this reason we are told to search and treasure up His words so that when others speak we can know when they are speaking the word of God (D&C 1:38).