Joseph Smith Biography

(Grace) #1

Without Disclosing My True Identity


These new ideas are presented to the people by the authors of the Book of Mormon as
“the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world
from you.”^69 They are the “mysteries of God”^70 that very, very few people understand.^71
And the only way these new ideas can be, first, considered, and then accepted, is if the
people begin to “rend that veil^72 of unbelief which doth cause them to remain in their awful
state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind.”^73
The Book of Mormon is very clear in presenting the fact that even it does not contain
the “greater part”^74 of the real truth. Throughout the book’s presentation, it is well
documented that the reader is only receiving a “lesser part”^75 and that “the great and
marvelous things”^76 are being hid from them as they always have been “from the
foundation of the world.”^77


The Opportunity the Book of Mormon Presents to the World


NOT ONE THING IN THE BOOK OF MORMON PRESENTS REALITY AS IT

REALLY IS—LITERALLY AND OPENLY AS THE REAL TRUTH. The pride of the learned
that keeps them in a state of blindness comes from their dissection of the scriptures and the
profundity of their pronouncements as to interpretation. Students subscribe to the
philosophies of their adored teachers (“philosophies of men mingled with scripture”), all of
whom glory in their unique variations. Diverse followings and religions are created around
favored and accepted interpretations and beliefs. However, well did the words attributed to
Paul in the New Testament express the intrinsic failure of all who would come after him, even
all of whom would have access to scripture as well as the learned ones and priests who would
pretend to expound upon them: they would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth.”^78
What is missing from the Bible and the Book of Mormon? These books fail to contain
even one literal, factual statement about our Universe, our creators, and our own origins
and destiny that can be considered as anything but superstition or words upon which
theories (which are man’s ideas about truth) are based. What they do contain are hints as to
the proper manner of conduct among us as fellow humans. Every word of scripture dances
around true reality without ever actually making any statement of true reality. This is the
way that the divine structure of the Book of Mormon supports free will—teaching people on
their current level of understanding and accepted tradition.
Ultimately, the authors of the Book of Mormon were concerned about providing
stories and illustrations that were based on elements of common sense, which, as described
above, is the Holy Ghost in every mortal. And even as readers were looking from without for
the Holy Ghost, the advanced authors, without revealing themselves, reached inward into
the heart of every reader to help them find and listen to the Holy Ghost, “and they knew it
not.”^79 Therefore, the stories presented in the Book of Mormon are only allegorical
presentations based on actual events; after all, the book itself states that the “great and
marvelous things” are hid up from the people.
How, then, can people be given the opportunity to learn new truths, even “the great
and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from
[them],”^80 without taking away their free will to believe as they choose to believe? Consider
how the Book of Mormon presents a concept that is not supported by the Bible:

Free download pdf