There has been an uproar about prophets ever since Joseph Smith became one. Many times I wondered why people would resist a prophet so much. It seems this is a repeat of what occurred within the scriptures, that a prophet of God is rejected and scorned. What I have noticed is that a prophet that speaks in the name of God, for God, for salvation and redemption, having no interest in self-profit is shunned, while a prophet that appeases the interests of the world and people is praised. This exact pattern exists in the Bible as well as in the Book of Mormon. Still, it seems incomprehensible that people would not accept and not see a true prophet of God.
I believe that this involves the power of free choice which each one of us possess. I refer to the power that each of us have and exercise when either accepting Joseph Smith as the prophet of God or not. There must be a reason or cause that leads people to have such a difficult time with accepting the reality of a prophet and why people do not humble themselves and act in faith, asking God? Why they are so resistant to the idea of submitting themselves. What I have realized, at this point, that it is easier for people to not bother seeking the truth on the matter. Why is this?
People tend to lean to their own understanding, their chosen beliefs and what makes up these beliefs. It is what makes their self-pride and this has a lot to do with this, because each person wants to feel and believe something that appeals to them. This is why it is easier for people to follow their own habits and manners than take a move that requires an act of faith. It is faith that people cannot exercise. This leads to question as to whether the majority do not know how to exercise faith or is it that they simply do not want to? I say it is both.
True faith brings vision from God. The ability to experience vision brings comprehension of spiritual things, like prophet-hood. Whereas personal beliefs merely brings more of the same, which is what they believe. You are what you believe, and this is from Romans 2:1, where it is said that those that judge also do the same themselves. For a person to be able to judge, he/she must be able to believe it first, hence, they are what they believe.
I see this problem all the time. Such as in the work place, with fellow employees that seem to do the same job “less” than what is required or less than a good job. Where they are told or it is suggested they should improve to do better, but what occurs? They continue on with the same pattern of mediocrity or inadequacy. With God’s words in the Bible, when he said that he who has faith in little will have faith in much? Yet he who is unjust in little will be unjust in much? This flows to say that he who has no faith in little, will have no faith in much.
To believe or accept that a real prophet of God exists, requires faith.
People who have no personal interest in faith will then adhere to personal belief and opinion. This falls into that part that they will not exercise that little faith to what little is required and as a result will not exercise faith in much. Hard for people to change, isn’t it?
Faith is far more potent than belief. Is this not why Paul the apostle said that faith is the acceptance of things not seen and most people cannot believe things that are not before them. To see and accept a prophet as true, requires spiritual vision, a type of comprehension that requires faith. When people do not bother with true faith, there is no vision and no comprehension of prophet-hood, and when there is no comprehension, then how can they understand the word of God? – they cannot.
When people refuse or fail to exercise faith, this becomes the “out of sight” which leads to the “out of mind” and when people only exercise their manner of belief, faith and spiritual sight is absent. When faith is absent, belief cannot access or gain insight or revelation and when insight and revelation is absent, then all sorts of doubt and/or fear takes hold. This is where Satan reins and controls, because all personal beliefs are subject to the carnal mind and this mind is the enmity of God. Is this not the opposition we see to God’s prophets? That all things of a carnal mind will reject all things of God and as such reject faith! So those who care not of faith but only their beliefs are of a carnal mind, an enmity to God.
People will follow their beliefs before they take the risk required to exercise faith. In their beliefs is the absence of a prophet, since faith is required to accept a prophet. People act on their beliefs and because of this, we see many differences between people within and outside the Church. Some believe the prophet is real, but when their beliefs are challenged or tasked with adversity, their beliefs fail and so will their belief in the prophet. When people base their acceptance of Joseph Smith in faith, which is true faith in God, then these people withstand the challenges and adversity, remaining faithful.
The fights and struggles with the doctrine of this Church occurs in the realm of personal beliefs, it does not occur in the realm of faith. A struggle in developing faith is not the same as a struggle with belief. Faith always seeks the source of all understanding, while personal belief seeks to sustain itself.
This all seems to downplay belief, making it impossible to use to develop faith. Well that is not true. A person who has a belief to seek the truth can exercise this belief in a faithful way and this is a good mix, but to exclude faith from belief is a bad separation for in all separation from God there is darkness, for faith is the manner which we can retain that connection with God.
Is it not true that we can do nothing without faith?
So it is.
Amen
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