Believing Too Much?

2000-2-11 22:02:00

Let me pose an interesting consideration for Mormon readers.

In Joseph Smith's teachings, the Articles of Faith, as well as the scriptures, we are promised that revelation has not stopped but continues. There are many promises that "knowledge will be poured out upon the heads of the saints." Joseph even went so far as to say:

"A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth. Hence it needs revelation to assist us, and give us knowledge of the things of God."

Now the interesting thing is that since the death of Joseph Smith in 1844 there has been no revelation given to the Mormon Church nor any of it's offshoots that shed any light on higher principles of any kind that I can see. Yet if we look at the teachings of Blavatsky, Bailey and even some of mine, many principles and additional knowledge is revealed.

So what's the deal here? Has God just been silent, sitting on his throne doing nothing for over 150 years or perhaps he has been talking to many outside the church as promised in the Book of Mormon?

To me it would be sad that if the only usable higher knowledge that has been revealed in all this time is through some tricky devil who gives us nine truths so we will buy into one lie. I for one would rather sift through material with 90% truth than the alternative for most Mormons, which is nothing.

Of course the orthodox Mormon would argue that the authorities are giving out revelation all the time. But the last "inspired" utterance that came forth when I was still in the church was that we were supposed to clean up our yards. That's not the kind of revelation that true seekers are looking for.

When one looks at all that is out there he will find that much of it is from human imagination and astral entities. But there are numerous true revelations having nothing to do with traditional Mormonism that will help all who are willing to receive. Here's another great statement from Joseph Smith:

"I believe all that God ever revealed, and I never hear of a man being damned for believing too much; but they are damned for unbelief." (DHC, Vol.6, Ch.22, p.477)

Do the New Agers believe too much? Maybe this is the true road to salvation. Perhaps the New Agers are much more like the original Mormons than the current crop are.