Believest thou the words which I shall speak? 2

 

Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. 

And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;

For I am no respecter of persons…. 

How many really believe that the Lord is no respecter of persons.  Or better, how many really have faith that the Lord is no respecter of persons? 

Perhaps thou shalt say:

 This man is special; he was visited when he was 14, or 15.  These things are reserved for only a select few.  I have had not special experiences, so I must not be special.
  

Or perhaps thou shalt say:

Aunt Betty was love incarnate.  She worked tirelessly her whole life to feed the poor and every week in the temple, she took her own names through. She had scripture study each night, magnified all her callings, paid a full tithe, cured cancer and won the Nobel peace prize.  I remember as she lay dying, she told me not to worry, that she would finally get to see the face of the Savior, and she was ready. If she did not, how can I?

Is this not a form of unbelief?  Are you not making your own judgment, based on your own limited wisdom and knowledge that either Aunt Betty SHOULD have obtained the heavenly gift, OR that you would have to do MORE (not different) that she did?  Do you do this on a smaller scale?

If these things seem to clash, then what one do you trust?  In what idea have you placed your faith? 

Do you have faith in the perceived discrepancies or in the promise that the Lord is no respecter of persons? 

Do you know God cannot lie?

Believest thou the words which I shall speak?

In lectures on faith Lecture Third we read:

Let us here observe, that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.

First, the idea that he actually exists. 

…it was that the knowledge of the existence of God came into the world, and by what means the first thoughts were suggested to the minds of men that such a Being did actually exist; and that it was by reason of the knowledge of his existence that there was a foundation laid for the exercise of faith in him, as the only Being in whom faith could center for life and salvation; for faith could not center in a Being of whose existence we have no idea, because the idea of his existence in the first instance is essential to the exercise of faith in him. Romans 10:14: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (or one sent to tell them?) So, then, faith comes by hearing the word of God

So, for all of us, we have obtained the first thing necessary in order to exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. We have heard the word of God, and it has awoken in us a desire to have a productive and fruitful faith. Necessary to this is:



Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes.



The faith we are trying to produce is unto life and salvation. It is the kind of faith that brings angels to appear unto the children of men., that they may in all things be prepared to converse with the Lord through the veil. for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men,The central character or attribute to build this foundational faith on is simply that God cannot lie.



In Ether 3 we read that the brother of Jared, having knocked, was once again brought to the veil, wherein the Lord parts the veil and asks a question. Then the brother of Jared, having conversed with the Lord though the veil says, “Lord, show thyself unto me”

And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?
And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.
Now because of the knowledge of the brother of Jared he could not be kept from beholding within the veil

The Lord and Moroni specifically say that it is this knowledge that brings him back into the presence of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Father and the Son.

We have a further witness of this faith through Enos: 

.. there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away. 

Ether 3 and 4 blend together. In the original Book of Mormon there was no chapter break at all there, chapter two starts where our chapter five starts now. There is a continuous flow from chapters three to four of thought and it is all part of Moroni’s aside.

And as such I want to jump to chapter 4, but I ask you, Believest thou the words which Christ shall speak? 

And in that day that (YOU) shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that (YOU) may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto (YOU) the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto (YOU) all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.
Come unto me, O ye Gentiles (YOU), and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.

The brother of Jared's faith in the Lord was knowing the correct character or attribute that God cannot lie. when you know that, the Lord will open the heavens:

for (saith Jesus Christ)I am he who speaketh. And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut