LeGrand L. Baker

Category: Priesthood

  • Letter to an Excommunicated Friend

    Chauncey C. Riddle
    c. 1984

    Dear Friend:

    I was saddened to hear of your excommunication from the Church. It is plain that my understanding of authority in the church is not the same as yours. May I share my views with you?

    I see the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be a program for perfecting our relationships with other beings. The program is simple, having only two steps. We must learn to love God with all of our heart, might, mind and strength. When we are full of that love for Him then He can and will teach us how to love our neighbor as He loves us.

    Crucial Point: We cannot know how to love others as our Father loves us in any natural way. When we feel love for others and try to help them as we see fit, that is probably a good thing but is clearly not the pattern of God’s love for us. His love for us proceeds out of a perfection of character and an omniscience that no human desire can begin to match. Thus, when we suppose that we can love our neighbor in a godly way by doing what we think is best, we are appointing ourselves to be gods, a bit of pride which is hardly justified.

    The Gospel gives as a formula for loving God. It is

    (1) to put our whole faith and trust in Jesus Christ,
    (2) to repent of all of our sins,
    (3) to make the covenant of baptism under one whom has authority from Christ,
    (4) to receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands of one whom has authority from the Savior
    (5) to endure to the end of becoming as Christ and knowing Him by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To love God is to become as He is and to come to know Him, to be one with Him.

    It is my understanding that there are three basic levels of progress through which the Holy Spirit will lead us into oneness with our Godhead.

    The first level is to turn as away from being like the world. To this end are we given the Ten Commandments which are a preparation for joining the Church. If we keep the Ten Commandments and follow the Holy Spirit by joining the Church then certain other outward opportunities are given to us, such as keeping the word of wisdom, paying tithes and offerings, doing good for others, being active in and filling callings in the Church, and receiving priesthood and the temple ordinances. In all of this, we show our love for the Lord, our acceptance of Him. Through all of this, the Holy Spirit guides us as we humbly seek help in prayer.

    The second level is the opportunity to unite with the Priesthood authority which the Savior has placed in His Church to help to bring us to the Father. He has appointed officers in the Church for the perfecting of the Saints. We cannot grow past the first level until we carefully support, work with, pray for and love all those whom He, the Savior, has appointed to preside over us in our families and in the Church. To love God is to love His work and the instruments by which He does His work on the earth: His priesthood authorities. We need to love and support them with all of our heart, might, mind and strength is to reject the Savior who appointed them to preside over us. If we do support them, the Holy Spirit will guide us as we humbly seek help in prayer. (Cf. 1 Samuel 26:7–12.)

    Crucial point: Either this is the True Church of Jesus Christ or it is not. If it is not, then all of us should withdraw from it. If it is the true Church then every presiding authority is appointed of Jesus Christ and must be so honored loved, sustained and obeyed as such. It will not do to say that the President of the Church has the true authority but our bishop or stake president does not; that is inconsistent because every stake president and bishop is appointed and removed under the authority of the President of the Church.

    When we have found ourselves fully united, in divine love, with the priesthood authority which is over us, then and only then can we go on to the third level, perfection. It is only then that we shall be given the power to perfect every word, every thought, every feeling, every hope, every desire under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit as we seek that help through humble prayer. Then we really do love the Lord with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. Then we achieve that oneness with the Lord.

    If we are able to but do not unite with the priesthood authority which the Savior has established on the earth, that is a rejection of the Savior, a declared rejection of love for Him. In that condition we cannot keep the first great commandment; which also means that in that condition we cannot keep the second commandment. To pretend to love mankind and to try to make the world a better place while rejecting the Savior and His priesthood authority is a self-contradiction. Only through the priesthood structure of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is there any real hope for a righteous means of bringing the misery and woe of mankind to an end and to bring to all men the opportunity of true happiness, love and accomplishment.

    Do you see that in my opinion when a person’s stake president or bishop asks him to repent and he will not, that is prima facie evidence he has jumped the track and is listening to the wrong spirit? The only cure that I know of is to start back at the beginning, as a little child, and to work up through level one until level two can be approached gain, to become one with the priesthood authorities over us. To me, a person who claims to have been wronged by his stake president, or that his stake president has exceeded authority in excommunicating him, has rejected this church as The Church of Jesus Christ, and in the process has rejected real love for the Savior and real love for mankind.

    I plead with you to reconsider, to go back to the first works and seek the waters of baptism. I know that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ and that His power, authority, and love are in the priesthood structure of this Church.

    In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

    C. C. Riddle

  • Father to Son: A Dialogue on Priesthood

    Ensign, April, 1976

    By Chauncey C. Riddle

    Son. Dad, the bishop talked with me this morning about receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood. He said that one of the things I should do is talk to you about what it really means to have the priesthood.

    Father. I’m grateful the bishop gave you that assignment, Paul, because priesthood is very special to me. We have discussed the priesthood many times before, so where would you like to begin? Do you have some special questions?

    Son. Let’s pretend I have never heard about priesthood before. Could I ask you some basic questions to help me see the whole picture at once?

    Father. Fire away.

    Son. First of all, what is it?

    Father. Simply stated, priesthood is the delegated power and authority to represent Jesus Christ.

    Son. But why Jesus? Why don’t we represent our Father in heaven?

    Father. Are you thinking about the fact that all human beings are children of God the Father?

    Son. Yes. And so is Jesus.

    Father. That is true, but there is something different about our Savior. He was our eldest brother when we lived with our Heavenly Father. Then he was given a very special assignment. He was chosen by the Father to organize this earth, to people it with others of the Father’s children, to govern it, and to bless, through the atonement, each person who would come here. The rest of us didn’t get that assignment; it was a stewardship given to one person only.

    Son. You don’t mean that he has to do all those things all by himself!

    Father. No, indeed. He has many who help him, and that is precisely where priesthood comes in. But the Savior is the head. He is the one to whom the Father has given total responsibility for this earth and all things that pertain to it. The Father so loved us that he sent Jesus to create this world, then sent him into this world to suffer and die that he might save us.

    Son. But why was Jesus chosen to be that one, the Savior?

    Father. I’m sure I don’t know all the reasons, but one I do believe: I think the Father chose Jesus to represent him because of the great and pure love that Jesus had in the premortal existence. Jesus loved the Father and obeyed him in all things. But he also had a pure love for others, for us. Because Jesus’ love was pure, with no shred of selfishness or self-seeking in it, the Father knew he could trust Jesus to be solely responsible for this earth.

    Son. Didn’t anyone else have that pure love?

    Father. My guess is that there were others. But the Father’s house is a house of order. He appointed one only to be the head. When he, the Father, speaks to men, he has only one thing to say to them at first. He says to men, “This is my beloved son. Hear him.” (Joseph Smith 2:17; see also, e.g., Matt. 3:17, 17:5.) Those who keep that commandment can receive all blessings on earth and in heaven through him, through Jesus Christ. Thus the Savior has become the great High Priest, the only source of the blessings of the Father for this earth. When we receive the priesthood it is the Savior’s authority we receive. That’s why it is called “The Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God.” (See D&C 107:3)

    Son. I can see why there should be only one person to represent the Father. But I’m still worried about all the other people who also had, or have, great love for the Father and for others. What happens to them?

    Father. I believe that many of those who also have that pure love are the noble and great ones that father Abraham mentioned. The Savior makes them his rulers on earth. (See Abr. 3:22-23.)

    Son. That’s kind of hard to believe when you look at some rulers during the different dispensations of time.

    Father. Indeed, if you look at most temporal rulers. The scriptures aren’t talking about kings, generals, and presidents, however. The Savior’s rulers are those who he appoints to transmit the blessings of eternity to their fellowmen. They are the bearers of his priesthood.

    Son. You are saying that the Savior chooses out of the people of this earth certain ones of those who have pure love and gives them his priesthood so they can bless others? That sounds good, but I have a hard time relating that idea to what I see in the Church. I see some good people who have the priesthood. But I also see some others who don’t seem to have much love for anybody, let alone pure love.

    Father. ‘Tis high to be a judge, Paul. But I agree with you. We can’t honestly say that everyone who has been ordained to the priesthood is what he ought to be.

    Son. The way you are describing it, it sounds as if a person would have to be perfect to exercise the Savior’s priesthood fully.

    Father. Scary though it sounds, that is very near to the truth as I understand it. When the Savior was telling his disciple in Judea about what is expected of us, they began to despair and asked, “Who, then, can be saved?” His answer is the only hope; he told them that with man, such perfection is impossible, but that with God all good things are possible. (See Matt. 19:23-26.) Does that answer make sense to you?

    Son. I guess that means men can’t be perfect unless God helps them.

    Father. Right! That is part of what the scriptures mean when they say we are saved by grace — but only after we do all we can. (See 2 Ne. 25:23.)

    Son. I hate to be pessimistic, but I still can’t believe that most of the people I know in the priesthood have a perfect love.

    Father. Paul, the thing that is remarkable is not that some people don’t have that perfect love: the miracle is that some do. It helps if we separate beginnings and endings.

    The beginning is that no human being as he is naturally upon the earth is smart enough or good enough to represent the Savior perfectly and show forth the pure love in blessing others. So there needs to be a process of enlarging and purifying someone who is to represent the Savior.

    The beginning of that process is accepting the gospel; we must confess our weakness and covenant with the Savior in baptism to take upon us his name, to remember him always, and to obey all the instructions he gives to us. Those are the promises you priests repeat every time you consecrate the bread in the administration of the sacrament.

    Son. Yes, I remember those ideas. But are promises enough?

    Father. Not enough, but the necessary beginning. When we make those promises at baptism we are then given the blessing of having, and the commandment to receive, the Holy Ghost.

    Son. When we are confirmed?

    Father. Right. The privilege of having the Holy Ghost is one of the most marvelous things any person can have, for that influence teaches us how to begin to think and feel as the Savior does, and brings us instruction from the Savior. You remember that John the Baptist baptized with water. But he knew that the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost that the Savior would bring was so much greater that he felt he was not worthy to untie the Savior’s shoes. It is the transforming power of the Holy Ghost that helps us to change so that we can be worthy and honorable bearers of the holy priesthood.

    Son. How does the Aaronic Priesthood fit into this?

    Father. Just as John came baptizing with water to prepare disciples whom the Savior could then baptize with the Holy Ghost, so the Aaronic Priesthood is given as a preparation for receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood. You learned as a deacon to pass the sacrament and to collect fast offering. As a teacher you began home teaching. As a priest you have been privileged to consecrate the emblems of the sacrament and to begin missionary work and perform baptism. All this time you have worked with the bishop in projects around the chapel, on the welfare farm, and in helping people in the ward. Now which of the fellows your age are being given the Melchizedek Priesthood?

    Son. Right now it’s the ones who have done a good job as priests.

    Father. Sure. If a young man has learned to be diligent, faithful, and obedient in temporal matters, that is a marvelous preparation to become a minister in spiritual matters. When he goes on his mission at age nineteen he is already a veteran in the service of our Savior. The attitudes and habits that a faithful priest has are his foundation for all of the callings of the higher priesthood. If he has learned to work under the authority of the priesthood in the Church and to live by the promptings of the Holy Spirit, then he is ready to do the work of love. Make no mistake, Paul: whether you serve as a missionary, as a worker in the Church organization, or as a husband and father, your real success in these priesthood callings will be measured by the depth and purity of your selfless love and concern for others.

    Son. Are you saying that it’s difficult to show your love for others if you have never learned to be orderly and efficient in temporal things?

    Father. I am indeed. A missionary who is lazy or unkempt or disobedient has a hard time convincing people that the restored gospel is something special. An elders quorum president who never keeps track of anything has a difficult time motivating anyone to excel. A husband who won’t work hard to provide for his family or who thinks first of his own pleasure is surely not going to lead his family to the Savior.

    Son. I can see how all these things as functions of the Aaronic Priesthood are good. But there’s got to be more to it than that.

    Father. And there is. We have been talking only about the foundation of pure love. We must add to that foundation great knowledge, skill, wisdom, and the ability to understand people and their needs. These things are all gifts of the Spirit. Those who repent of their sins and who then hunger and thirst to bless others are filled with the Holy Ghost. Then those gifts begin to flow to them.

    Let’s look at a precious scripture, Paul. Could you turn to Doctrine and Covenants 121? The part from verse 34 to the end is so important that I think every bearer of the priesthood would do well to commit it to memory, word perfect, and repeat it to himself often.

    Notice verses 34 and 40. We are told that many are called but few are chosen — and why? Verse 35 tells us we must not be turned aside by desires for things of the world or the honors of men. Our objective in the priesthood should be to serve and to bless.

    Verse 36 shows us that we cannot use the priesthood except by the powers of heaven; specifically I understand that to mean that we must have the Holy Spirit with us to exercise the priesthood. It says further that we can’t have the powers and gifts of the Spirit unless we are living righteously.

    Verse 37 tells us that if we let the things of the world turn us aside, the Holy Spirit will withdraw from us, and when it is gone, our power in the priesthood is gone. We must be honest, true, chaste, benevolent — all the good things — to use the priesthood power properly and righteously.

    Verse 38 recounts how people who won’t repent are disappointed in their priesthood opportunities. Then they turn and fight the priesthood.

    Verse 39 witnesses that most people who receive the priesthood try to use it by force and domination instead of out of purity and love.

    Now I hope you see that verse 40 answers the question you had about brethren of the priesthood who don’t seem to manifest much love. They have been given the opportunity to repent and do the works of love, but most people who are ordained to the priesthood — as it says here, “called” — do not rise to the occasion. Thus, few are chosen; few will have that priesthood eternally.

    You see, we don’t accept the gospel and come into the Savior’s church because we are perfect, but rather that we may become perfect. We don’t receive the priesthood because we are like the Savior, but so that through doing his work, we may grow to be as he is. In his great love he labors with us, helping us grow step by step, calling by calling in the kingdom. I’m sure he sorrows when those who bear his priesthood turn away and value the things of the world more than eternal life.

    Now do you see why I said that there is a difference between beginnings and endings? All of us are unworthy in the beginning, but some grow to be worthy of it in the end.

    Son. Dad, I want to serve the Savior and to bless others. What can I do to be sure that I won’t turn away?

    Father. The best that I know, Paul, is to plead with the Lord every day for help, then to hold fast to the iron rod. (See 1 Ne. 15:23-25.) I suppose the biggest temptation we have is just to let go of the rod, to take a vacation from righteousness. I think it helps to focus on the positive side. If we keep in mind what we can do and should do, that makes Satan’s temptations less alluring. Notice Doctrine and Covenants 121, verses 41 and 42. We are to use our priesthood “by persuasions, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, by love unfeigned; by kindness and pure knowledge.” If we looked at ourselves in the mirror every morning and let those words pass through our minds, perhaps we would become like Nephi of old and tremble at the very thought of sinning.

    Son. Isn’t it discouraging, thinking how good we have to be?

    Father. It could be. And I get discouraged sometimes. But I am spurred on by things I can hope for. Hand me that Inspired Version of the Bible, Paul. Notice here in Genesis 14 what it says about Melchizedek and the priesthood. If we are willing to press on, we are promised that when we are faithful and it is right to do so, we will be able to divide seas, to break mountains, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God. I long to be able to heal the sick, to bless those who mourn, to lead Mother and all of you children to the Savior. I long to live in a Zion where the Savior will rule personally and all will know him. But I know that these good things can be only as we learn to exercise the holy priesthood in the full power of righteousness. Then we can fulfill the promises of the Lord in that beautiful passage in Mosiah 8: “Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.” (Verse 18.)

    Son. I hope we can do it, Dad.

    Father. We can if we stick together and reinforce each other, Paul. The greatest thing in my life has been the unfolding of the understanding I have of the goodness of the Savior to us. Most of that has come since I received the priesthood and began to serve in the Church. I’m so thankful for the special people who have stood at the crossroads of my life and taught me of the love of the Savior.

    Son. Who were they?

    Father. There were several, but let me mention three in particular.

    One was my deacons quorum adviser. He taught us deacons much about the gospel. I can still see him sitting on the little chairs of the Junior Sunday School room, with tears streaming down his face as he told us about the atonement and how the Savior loved the Father and us enough to be perfect.

    Another was the stake high councilor who worked with me when I was a struggling student and elders quorum president. He taught me to love the words of the prophets and to know how to live by the Spirit. He was also the stake patriarch. He gave me a blessing that has strengthened and guided me ever since.

    The third person has had the most profound effect of all That person is your mother, Paul. When we were married in the temple we were babes in the woods. We often laugh now at how naive and innocent of understanding we were. But we began to grow together. We read the scriptures together. We worked in the Church together. We suffered and we scrimped and saved together. Sometimes we were hard on each other because we were afraid. But one of the great blessings of my life has been your mother’s love for me, Paul. That has given me courage and strength and has taught me what love is truly all about.

    The people who have helped me have shown me that we need each other. My guess is that we can become like the Savior only by working together so that we grow together in his likeness.

    Son. I hope I can work with people who love the Lord.

    Father. The most precious opportunity you will have to do that will be in your marriage, Paul. All of the functions and purposes of marriage and family are connected inseparably with the operations and authority of the holy priesthood. If you do what you know you should, you and your wife will build an eternal priesthood kingdom in which to bless your own posterity forever.

    I hope you will seek out one of our Father’s daughters who is strong in the faith and is willing to grow in spirituality. Your temple marriage will give you a priesthood opportunity as big and as wide as eternity. If you and your wife can learn to love each other and your children purely and selflessly in the gospel bonds, you will come to know that joy for which man was created.

    Son. Dad, I’m grateful for this understanding.

    Father. If you can stand one more idea, Paul, please consider this: The people who you will be called to serve on your mission or in the Church already exist. Your wife is somewhere, known or unknown to you now. The children you will have already exist, somewhere. I think the important things are to love and bless all of these people now. Don’t wait until you are called or married. If you can love them now, you will keep yourself clean and you will be striving to grow in love for the Savior, in spirituality, and in righteousness. Then when your callings come, you will be ready to bless, to love with a pure love. Would you turn to the fifteenth chapter of John and read verses 5 through 12?

    Son.

    “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

    If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

    If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

    Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

    As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

    If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

    These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

    This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

    [photos] Photography by Eldon Linschoten

    Chauncey C. Riddle, professor of philosophy and dean of the Graduate School at Brigham Young University, serves as a Sunday School teacher in the Orem 16th Ward, Orem Utah Sharon Stake. 

  • A STATEMENT CONCERNING PRIESTHOOD

    (Written about 1970)

    The Primacy of Personal Revelation

    The Primacy of Personal Revelation

    The first question which must be settled in any serious discussion is, “On what basis can we agree?” Stating this another way, it is to say, “What kind of evidence is necessary and sufficient to settle the problem at hand?”

    In all matters pertaining to the gospel or to the conducting of the affairs of the Kingdom of God on the earth, the justification for any principle, policy or act is spiritual. For a thing to be spiritual means that it is explicitly not physical or empirical, but relates to the conscience within each person, his feelings of right or wrong. This spirituality is declared to be a form of revelation from the true and living God which all men are invited to test and to experiment with in their own consciousness. Spirituality is a matter of faith, trusting the revelations of God personally received. It does not need physical evidence but rests secure in the tried and true whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

    Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

    The power of reason in man, though important and desirable, is not sufficient to discern truth. It cannot because of what it is: reason is the power of correlating and ordering of ideas. It cannot certify truth in either the spiritual or the physical realm, but is limited to making explicit the consequences of our premises and the detection of inconsistency. The folly of those who claim to base their ideas solely in reason is that they must uncritically adopt premises with which to begin reasoning. Given correct initial assumptions, reason can marvelously detail the consequences. But success in either the spiritual or physical realm does not attend those who proceed with unaided reason.

    President McKay gives us this insight:

    There comes to my mind now the following words of the writer, John Dryden, which I think are applicable to the spiritual part of our work, getting the Holy Ghost, and rising above the temporal, selfish envious things which are contrary to the calling of any high priest, seventy, elder, priest, teacher, or deacon in the church:

    “Dim as the borrowed beams of moon and stars to lonely, weary, wandering travelers, is reason to the soul.” Notice that comparison—“Dim as the borrowed rays of moon and stars to lonely, weary, wandering travelers,” (on the earth) “is reason to the soul. And as on high those rolling fires discover but the sky, not guide us here, so reason’s glimmering ray was lent, not to assure our doubtful way, but lead us upward to a brighter day.”

    That day is faith, a realization of the enjoyment of the Spirit of God. What the sun is to the earth, so that Holy Spirit is to man, and the 40,000 assembled tonight—or 30,000, whatever  the number may be—are entitled—each individual is entitled to that glorious light of the Holy Spirit.

    That is why we like to have every young man and every young woman utilize his or her time intelligently, usefully, to bring the soul in harmony with the spirit, that we all might be partakers of his divine nature. That is the privilege, fellow workers, of all who hold the priesthood of God. [Conference Report, Oct. 1961 p. 90]

    Nor can the body senses of man supply him with the truth he needs about spiritual matters. Physical evidence is patently insufficient to determine if there is a spirit in man, or if man lives after death,–or indeed if we will live physically tomorrow or next year. In all the great questions of life and of mortality, physical evidence cannot be a decisive influence in attaining conclusions. Paul reminds us of what every honest student of spiritual matters has discovered:

    But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [I Cor. 2:9-14]

    Each man must then turn to his own conscience to discern the things of God. Our own reason and the senses of the flesh, wonderful though these powers are, cannot enable us to know the truth of spiritual things nor to work the works of righteousness. This is the meaning of justification through faith, and of the idea that the just live by faith. Paul, who himself once fought against these things bears us further witness:

    For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. [Romans 8:5-8]

    The crucial question then becomes, “What is the order of the church in establishing the ways of God, in bringing a unity of the faith?” The answer is that there are three witnesses by which these things are done and established.

    The first witness is the testimony of living prophets. Paul explains the position of the leaders of the church as follows:

    And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:[Ephesians 4:11-15]

    The role of the prophet is thus to explain to the children of men the things of God. But how are men to know which are true prophets? They will know only spiritually. If they humbly ask the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, to tell them who are true prophets, it will be revealed unto them personally, in their own heart and mind. If they have the courage of their honest convictions, they can accept and learn great things from the prophets of God. It will be as though God himself were addressing them:

    Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. [D & C 1:37-38]

    The second witness is the records left by former prophets, the scriptures. The scriptures are not given as systematic complete treatises on the things of God. They are in general but fragments  and sketches, giving glimpses of truth to those who can discern. About three things they are plain and emphatic:  The unique position of Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind, the importance of acceptance of and obedience to the prophets of God, and the place of personal revelation in enabling men to be godly. But to whom are these three ideas plain and emphatic? These are the burden of the scriptures to those human beings who are spiritual, whose hearts are honest and broken. The scriptures are discerned spiritually; their true meaning cannot be assured by either reason or the physical senses, or both. But      to the spiritual person they become a wondrous doorway to the truths of eternity. Once spiritually discerned, these truths are delightfully agreeable to reason and are attested by all the mighty physical handiwork of God. But they must first be spiritually discerned.

    The third witness is that of the Holy Spirit. It is one thing to have a spiritual witness of the calling and message of a prophet of God. It is a second thing to have a spiritual witness of the truth and meaning of the Holy scriptures. But it is quite a different thing to be taught directly by the Holy Spirit. In the first and second cases, one is in the presence of something physical, something tangible, the person of the prophet on the one hand and the printed text of the scriptures on the other; these physical, tangible aspects before us provide a bridge to the unseen, spiritual aspects of the universe. When we are honest in our hearts; they act as catalysts to our spiritual inquiry. But when a person has made profitable spiritual inquiry in response to the prophets and the scriptures, and has lived in accordance with the truths and directions gained in that connection, he is sooner or later prepared to be taught truths and receive instruction directly from the Holy Spirit without need of the physical aid. This is somewhat analogous to the use the Prophet Joseph Smith made of the Urim and Thummim in receiving the initial sections of the Doctrine and Covenants; as he grew in spirituality, he did not have the same need for the physical catalyst.

    Once attuned to be able to receive instruction directly from the Holy Spirit one cannot profitably either disclaim the continuing need of living prophets and written scriptures or reject the schooling and preparation which led him to his spirituality. There is more than one source of personal revelation. Our double guarantee that we are not being misled by the adversary is first that we remain in unity with those who preside over us in the priesthood, and second, that any revelation we accept is in harmony with the scriptures. The true God is not the author of confusion. The adversary delights in confusion. Present and continuing unity with living and dead prophets is our key to living by the Holy Spirit sent from God. To achieve unity of understanding in that we perceive the sameness of the message of the living prophets with that of the scriptures with that which we feel in our hearts is one measure of our redemption. If we see contradiction and disunity, it is either because we are dealing with false prophets or scriptures, or because we are as yet unredeemed.

    The insinuation that a person who has not become one with the prophets, the scriptures and the Holy Spirit is yet in his sins is unredeemed, is of course offensive to those who have not attained this unity. Yet the message of the prophets is clear: until a man subdues his animal passions and gains communion with the infinite, he is not yet spiritual. He must come down into the depths of humility, as a little child, repent of his sins, and seek, as a child, to gain spiritual discernment of and unity with the words of living prophets. In this manner such and one can begin to understand and accept the things of God.

    Many persons claim they would be faithful to the Lord if only he would give them sure knowledge first. They often wish for physical, public scientific evidence that the gospel is true before they will repent. But the fruit of the gospel is righteousness: every man blessing his neighbor. Those who can accept the gospel because of the assurance of the Holy Spirit are those who love righteousness for its own sake. Those who demand physical proof of the gospel before they will live it are those for whom righteousness is but an expedient, a way to appease the wrath of God.

    The foregoing ideas distinguish two kinds of people: those who perceive the unity of the prophets and who themselves have the spirit of prophecy, and those who do not. The former are called by the scriptures the sons of God; the latter are called the sons of men. This distinction does not wholly follow lines of church membership. If any man wishes fully to understand any matter pertaining to the kingdom of God which is not a part of the fundamental gospel message which prepares a person for baptism, he must first become a son of God.

    The sons of men historically have looked upon the sons of God with both resentment and envy. This resentment and envy has been the source of persecution in every dispensation. To bear this persecution patiently, returning good for evil, is one of the opportunities for a son of God to prove his faith. The particular point of attack on the church varies from age to age, but the point is always the same: the righteous are persecuted because they live not after the manner of the flesh, but they believe and act according to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit:

    And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

    And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his kingdom. [2 Nephi 2:28-29]

    But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever. [2 Nephi 9:18]

    The sum of all this is the answer to the question, “How do you prove this or that in your church?”, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The answer on all points of doctrine and policy is that “proof” is spiritual. When a person has the confirming comfort of the Holy Spirit, he has the necessary and sufficient evidence. He can accept the living prophets and the scriptures, understanding them by the Holy Spirit, but not depending upon them for final evidence.

    The spoken words of the prophets and the written words of the scriptures, may be classified as signs. Signs follow those that believe, for signs are the physical manifestations of the presence of the gifts of the Spirit. One would expect to hear words and to see writings on important gospel topics from men of God. But it is not solely upon these that the sons of God depend. They depend on the spiritual witness that gives unity and light to all that the prophets do and say; they seek after the gifts of the spirit. They do not seek for signs, but do enjoy them. If there were no signs, the sons of God would search elsewhere for the gifts, knowing that signs always follow the gifts of the spirit.

    To say to a living prophet of God, “Prove to me that you are right on such and such a point,” is an admission that the speaker lacks the gifts of the spirit. As one of the sons of men he seeks after a sign. Having rejected the only real proof of the truth of what the prophet says, he then asks for some tangible evidence—which kind of evidence is always inconclusive, since any physical event can be explained away by an infinite number of possible explanations. In the end, however, even signs will condemn the unrighteous, because the signs given from God have a unity and consistency that defies natural explanation. Witness the many failures in attempting to explain away the greatest of all signs of the latter-days: the Book of Mormon.

    He who asks the prophet for a sign is fully in accord, intellectually, with the person who says, “Prove that to me out of the scriptures.” Proof-texting is also seeking after signs. It is righteous to read the scriptures as a key to gaining the spirit, but to make the written text into a proof or a final authority is to ignore Paul’s plain warning:

    Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

    Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

    Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in the tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

    And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

    Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

    Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.    [II Cor. 3:1-6]

    Why, then, use scriptures at all? Why quote them as above in this writing? The answer is that these quotations, being signs or physical evidences of the gifts of God, are occasions to pause and receive spiritual edification. That edification comes not through the printed word, but in the presence of it, reverencing it as a thing coming from God, but treasuring above all the spiritual uplift and insight gained while looking at the written word.

    Again, this is not to despise the text of the scriptures. Even after all the difficulties of translation and the deliberate changes made in the Bible, it stands with the latter-day scriptures as a great monument to the mission of the Savior and will stand as a sign to condemn the unspiritual at the last day. It is evidence of the very kind which most of the sons of men profess to believe.

    The following statements on priesthood are offered in the context of the foregoing comments. They are offered as explanations, not proof; their warrant is spiritual.

    What the Priesthood Is

    The Holy Priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God. One prerequisite for receiving the priesthood is to be a son of God, having been born again of water and of spirit. The priesthood consists of three aspects:

    [[end of recording]]

  • The Marks of a Saint

    Religion Lecture Series- 1966

    Chauncey C. Riddle

    The Savior said that signs (physical evidences, marks) would follow his disciples who truly believe in Him.

    And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

    They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:15-18)

    What are the marks of a latter-day saint?

    The hallmark of a true disciple of the Savior is success. Such an one will not put his hand to doubtful or unworthy causes. He seeks a commission from the Lord, and when so commissioned the Lord assures that he need not fail, and will not, if faithful. Essential individual marks are as follows:

    1. Self-control. A latter-day saint is not given to highs and lows, to anger or depression, to compulsive action of any kind. Eating, sleeping, exercise, personal appearance, and properties are all well-ordered, Health and strength are sufficient to the tasks undertaken. Learning, giving and becoming a better person all during life.

    2. Family oriented. Being a father or mother is seen as the greatest mission in this world. The sacrifices necessary to being part of a good family are gratefully made.

    3. Priesthood oriented. Learning and faithfully fitting into the priesthood structure of the family and the church as evidenced by faith acceptance and discharge of callings. Missionary, genealogy, welfare and church service are pursued with enthusiasm and ingenuity. Concern for the poor is always evident.

    4. Skilled in subduing the earth. An honorable occupation will be pursued to provide economic benefits for family and for the kingdom. Whatever one’s profession, one will be skilled in doing many things with one’s hands.

    Active in promoting political freedom. Will be supportive of causes that increase the freedom and agency of man, including just punishment of those who misuse that freedom and agency. Will honor every man in his station but recognize no one worthy to rule mankind except Jesus Christ.