Prophet Joseph Smith: "Nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God" (Times and Seasons, April 1, 1842, 744. In Joseph Smith Papers).”
Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37. “Whoso Treasureth Up My Word, Shall Not Be Deceived”
From the Savior’s words, it is evident that placing a high priority on the word of God will be critical in overcoming the deceptions of the last days. Commenting on this scripture passage, Elder Bruce R. McConkie discussed what it means to treasure up the Lord’s word: “It is not sufficient merely to know what the scripture says. One must treasure it up, meaning take it into his possession so affirmatively that it becomes a part of his very being; as a consequence, … one actually receives the companionship of the Spirit” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:662).
Joseph Fielding Smith: “One of the responsibilities which the Lord has placed upon the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that they search the scriptures and lay up a store of knowledge, otherwise they cannot have the guidance of the Holy Ghost, notwithstanding they have been baptized and confirmed. Those who are ignorant of the gospel truths and unacquainted with the teachings that the Lord gave to the Fathers, cannot have the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord. Such people leave themselves open to temptation and deception by wicked, unscrupulous souls and are in grave danger of being led into folly and forbidden paths because they have no foundation in faith on which to build.” (Answers to Gospel Questions Bundle)
1 Nephi 11
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
1 Nephi 15
23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?
24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.
25 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.
Although the mists of darkness envelop the people who are clinging to the iron rod, it is only as we let go that we are led into wide and strange roads.
1 Nephi 8
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree
1 Nephi 12
17 And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.
1 Nephi 8
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.
It is important to note here that even those who had commenced on the path were not safe from the temptations, but what of those who had partaken of the fruit? Surely they were safe?
1 Nephi 8
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
Mormon has seen our time and is speaking to us, this is an epistle to us; church members. In 8:38 he teaches that people become ashamed because of the praise of the world. We do love our money and our substances more than we love our God. We have not learnt that one lesson found in D&C 121:35 Many are called but few are chosen, why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men. We are so distracted choosing to seek after riches and the vain things of the world that we become uncomfortable, apologetic, embarrassed and then ashamed of the things of God.
"The reasoning of men overrides the revelations of God, and the proud let go of the iron rod." (President Ezra Taft Benson, Beware of Pride n April 1989)
The very first consequence of letting go of the iron rod is to lose the Holy Ghost, this is what opens us up to being deceived or overpowered by the mists of darkness.
We have the right to the guidance of the Holy Ghost, but we cannot have that guidance, if we willfully refuse to consider the revelations that have been given to help us to understand and to guide us in the light and truth of the everlasting gospel. We cannot hope to have that guidance when we refuse to consider these great revelations which mean so much to us both temporally and spiritually. Now if we find ourselves in this condition of unbelief or unwillingness to seek for the light and the knowledge which the Lord has placed within our reach, then we are liable or in danger of being deceived by evil spirits, the doctrines of devils, and the teachings of men. And when these false influences are presented before us, we will not have the distinguishing understanding by which we can segregate them and know that they are not of the Lord. And so we may become prey unto the ungodly, to the vicious, to the cunning, to the craftiness of men.” (President Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, p.43)
What are the revelations that if we refuse to consider will result in losing the guidance of the Holy Ghost? The great revelations that mean so much to us both temporally and spiritually? Being unwilling to seek for the light and knowledge the Lord has placed within our reach and therefore being deceived by evil spirits, the doctrines of devils and the teachings of men?
“Scripture study is commanded. The Lord is not trifling with us when he gives us these things, for "unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." (Luke 12:48.) Access to these things means responsibility for them. We must study the scriptures according to the Lord's commandment (see 3 Nephi 23:1-5). Spencer W. Kimball, (“The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball”, The Gospel: Spiritual Development)
Our Father in Heaven has given us tools to help us come unto Christ and [hear Him]… [One such] tool is to study the word of God in the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. We talk to God through prayer. He most often communicates back to us through His written word. To know what the voice of the Divine sounds and feels like, read His words, study the scriptures, and ponder them. Make them an integral part of everyday life. If you want your children to recognize, understand, and act on the promptings of the Spirit, you must study the scriptures with them. Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures. Choose to take time to study them. Feasting on the word of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it! (Elder Richard G. Scott, October 2014, "Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority")
Search the scriptures—search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation. No; for when men receive their instruction from Him that made them, they know how He will save them”. (Joseph Smith Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 11–12)
As we cling to the iron rod and make our way through the mists of darkness, it is vital we ensure doctrinal purity! This includes accessing and using authorised sources to make sure we know the correct doctrine.
"Because we need the Holy Ghost, we must be cautious and careful not to go beyond teaching true doctrine. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth. His confirmation is invited by our avoiding speculation or personal interpretation…We invite the Holy Ghost as our companion when we are careful to teach only true doctrine. (Henry B. Eyring, The Power of Teaching True Doctrine, April 1999)
“We can also learn truth through other trustworthy sources. However, sincere seekers of truth should be wary of unreliable sources of information. We live in a time when many “call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Satan is the father of lies and seeks to distort truth and persuade us to turn away from the Lord and His appointed servants. As we turn to the Lord’s divinely appointed sources for answers and direction, we can be blessed to discern between truth and error. Learning to recognize and avoid unreliable sources can protect us from misinformation and from those who seek to destroy faith.” (Doctrinal Mastery Core Document, Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge)
“As we seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our efforts to hear Him need to be ever more intentional. It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His truths. “We simply cannot rely upon information we bump into on social media. With billions of words online and in a marketing-saturated world constantly infiltrated by noisy, nefarious efforts of the adversary, where can we go to hear Him? “We can go to the scriptures. They teach us about Jesus Christ and His gospel, the magnitude of His Atonement, and our Father’s great plan of happiness and redemption. Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval. As we feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to respond to difficulties we never thought we would face.” (President Russel M Nelson, Hear Him)
I know as we cling to the iron rod and use authorized sources to ensure doctrinal purity we will have the right to the Holy Ghost. As we strive to qualify for this blessing I know the Lord will protect us from evil and temptation and we will not be led astray. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
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