Where is the Lord God of Joseph Smith?

I have listened to this talk that Bruce R. McConkie gave and it is absolutely a favorite of mine now. It is so powerful. I searched for a written version to copy and paste, but it is only available in audio form. You have to listen to it to understand the title of this post. I thought about explaining it, but that would ruin the fun. 🙂

The phrase that jumped out to me was, “God stands revealed or he remains forever unknown.” I googled it and found the phrase but it is slightly more descriptive than what was said in this audio. 

“God stands revealed or he remains forever unknown, and the things of God are and can be known only by and through the Spirit of God.” The Lord’s People Receive Revelation – Ensign June 1971 – ensign https://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/06/the-lords-people-receive-revelation?lang=eng

There is no real way of summarizing the talk, it is so powerful and you should listen to it over and over again pondering its meaning and allowing the Spirit to teach us how we can apply it into our lives immediately. We are responsible before God for our own journey back to him. We must learn to seek Him out through revelation. Please go and listen to this talk. 

Below are some highlights to the talk that I quoted above, although an entirely different talk, it has the same underlining spur to seek out God and His Christ through revelation. Enjoy!

The Lord’s People Receive Revelation – Ensign June 1971 – ensign Highlights

17.8%: 

And so it is with the revelations and visions of eternity. They are around us all the time. This Tabernacle is full of the same things which are recorded in the scriptures and much more. The vision of the degrees of glory is being broadcast before us, but we do not hear or see or experience because we have not tuned our souls to the wave band on which the Holy Ghost is broadcasting.

Joseph Smith said: “The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” And, “No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [Deseret Book Co., 1968], p. 328.)

23.9%: 

Moroni said: “… by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moro. 10:5.)

24.9%: 

The Comforter knoweth all things; he is commissioned to bear witness of the Father and the Son, to reveal, to teach, and to testify—and he is broadcasting all the truths of salvation, and all the knowledge and wisdom of God, out into all immensity all of the time.

35.6%: 

And may I say that the only way to gain true religion is to receive it from the Lord. True religion is revealed religion; it is not a creation of man’s devising; it comes from God.

38.9%: 

Salvation comes from God, on his terms, and the things men must do to gain it can be known only by revelation.

40.1%: 

God stands revealed or he remains forever unknown, and the things of God are and can be known only by and through the Spirit of God.

47%: 

Background image by: Pete Huu https://flic.kr/p/tPtnBM

From an eternal perspective what each of us needs is a Ph.D. in faith and righteousness. The things that will profit us everlastingly are not the power to reason, but the ability to receive revelation; not the truths learned by study, but the knowledge gained by faith; not what we know about the things of the world, but our knowledge of God and his laws.

59.4%: 

It is the privilege and the right of every member of the Church to receive revelation and to enjoy the gifts of the Spirit. 

71.4%: 

“Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.” (1 Ne. 15:3, 7–11.)

74.2%: 

It is the right of members of the Church to receive revelation. Joseph Smith said: “… God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what he will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them. …” (Teachings, p. 149.)

92.7%: 

Religion comes from God by revelation and deals with spiritual things; and unless and until a man has received revelation, he has not received religion, and he is not on the path leading to salvation in our Father’s kingdom.