Importance of Qualified Experts

If you want to do something and you were looking for an instructor to teach you, you would want someone who can teach you from experience.  In every area of life, we recognize the value of experience.  But for some reason, when it comes to our spiritual direction and instruction, so many of us are willing to learn from and follow those who neglect or refuse to provide their qualifications.

If you have not yet had the spiritual experiences yourself and are looking for guides who are qualified to teach you how to breach the veil and see the heavens for yourself, it would be useful to know if your chosen leaders have done so for themselves or not.  It puts their teachings and directions into proper perspective.

Imagine if you went to a doctor’s office and while in the waiting room you discovered that the only qualification the physician had or provided was their title or position at that clinic.  Then, when you went to interview the doctor to see if they would sufficiently be able to instruct you in your physical health, you asked them about their qualifications and experience and they responded by telling you that it is not proper to ask such questions or that information like that is too special to share with you no matter how much you would respect and honor it.

Here’s the thing, they would be right IF they were not endeavoring to instruct and lead others. Once they accept a position of leadership as an assumed expert in which they endeavor to direct others to accomplish a goal, it becomes a right of those they lead to know if they have themselves achieved that goal or not.  

For the sake of our spiritual progression, we need to know the qualifications of the people leading us.  If we believe that they can bring us to Christ but they have never been in his presence themselves, then they really don't know what they are doing.  If they haven't breached the veil themselves, they are guessing and hoping you can live their instructions better than they can. But they may not have considered that the reason they have not achieved the goal for themselves is not their ability to live according to their own instructions but that their instructions are based on the traditions of men and will never lead you correctly.  

We can tell you these things with certainty because we have each breached the veil and stood in the presence of God and His Savior.  We know the path and are able to lead those who do not until they too know the path and can, in turn, lead additional others until all equally know the path.

This is one of the Lord’s goals as spelled out in the Doctrine and Covenants.

17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;
18 And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—
19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—
20 But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; - D&C 1:17-20

For this prophecy to be fulfilled, YOU, the reader, must learn to speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world. That is the Lord’s will for you and everyone you know. Everything we do should be preparing us for that end. Before we can speak for the Lord, we must come to know the Lord for ourselves.

If we are learning from any person or group, then it is important that we know if they are able to teach and lead us to the goals we are seeking to achieve.  If they have not experienced the blessings the Lord has in store for us, then the chances of them leading us to the results we desire are slim.  In such instances, it becomes a case of the blind leading the blind.

Even the greatest of scholars are limited in their knowledge if they haven’t had personal experience.  Anyone who knows enough to lead someone else to a blessing or experience will most certainly know enough to have had the experience for themselves.  If they have not, then they do not know enough to teach you to have it either.  

Jesus criticized the leaders of his day for leading the people without having first hand personal experience saying,

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” - Matt. 23:13

We read the scriptures to learn from these spiritual experts so that we can become spiritual experts ourselves by having the same experiences they have had.  They therefore want us all to be prophets.

“And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” – Numb. 11:29

They want us all to make our calling and election sure.

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” - 2 Peter 1:10

And ultimately, they want us all to be equal with Christ and God.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:" - Philippians 2:5-6

“They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace;
95 And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion. - D&C 76:94-95

 And because God is no respecter of persons, (Acts 10:34), any blessing that is available to one is available to all.

The Difference Between Faith and Knowledge

One of the main points of Alma 32 is that a person has faith in a thing until that faith is verified and becomes knowledge.

"And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."- Alma 32:21

We are not given knowledge at first because knowledge brings with it risk.

"Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.
19 And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?" - Alma 32:18-19

Therefore, in God's wisdom, He has blessed us with the Veil of forgetfulness so that we are not accountable for pre-mortal knowledge while we learn to master our physical bodies. Until we are brought back into Christ's direct presence, we only have faith in him. But when we are brought into his presence and see him and experience his spirit and love for ourselves, then and only then can we rightly claim knowledge of Christ. We see this process clearly as the Brother of Jared is brought back into the presence of the Lord.

13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.
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19 And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
20 Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him." - Ether 3:13, 19-20

Until the Brother of Jarod saw Christ, he had faith. This is an important point to understand because as Alma pointed out, there is a big difference between transgressing against faith and sinning against knowledge. It is not possible to become a Son of Perdition until after you have the knowledge that comes from making your calling and election sure and being brought back into Christ's presence. You cannot possibly sin against knowledge until you have received that knowledge. Alma points out that when "your knowledge is perfect in that thing, your faith is dormant; and this because you know." (Alma 32:34)

Faith comes as a result of receiving the testimony of the Holy Ghost. It is not knowledge by firsthand experience but a belief on faith as a result of hearing the witness of the Holy Ghost telling you that Jesus is the Christ. This is the first experience a new convert is expected to have that qualifies them for Baptism. It is not the greatest witness we are able to have or the only witness we are instructed by the scriptures to have. It is the first experience we have at the beginning of our spiritual life as Christians. Anyone who shares their testimony of Christ born by the Holy Ghost is sharing a witness equal with a new convert who qualifies to be baptized.

The witness of Christ is born of direct firsthand experience with Christ in person or vision. It is accompanied by the spirit to an indescribable degree. This interaction with Christ often includes physical actions like hugging, holding hands, touching feet, touching or seeing the scares of his crucifixion, and other such naturally expected interactions. While the experience includes the witness of the Holy Ghost, anyone who has had this type of experience will agree that the experience is far more powerful than the simple witness of the Holy Ghost alone.

The Difference is Real and Significant

As an example of the difference between a testimony of Christ born of the spirit and the knowledge of Christ through vision, we can look to the experiences of Apostle David B. Haight. Elder Haight was called to be an Apostle January 8, 1976. He had a testimony of Christ through the spirit but was not a witness of Christ by firsthand experience. Ignorant to the power of a first-hand experience with Christ, he did not know there was a greater knowledge that could be had. Naturally, in his ignorance, he testified that he had knowledge of Christ but also humbly acknowledged that he had never seen which means that his "knowledge" was by the witness of the spirit. For over 13 years, while still serving as an Apostle, he testified to people regarding his "knowledge" of Christ and gave his Apostolic witness of Christ by the spirit before he had a deeper experience that was more powerful by which he could say he knew the difference between a witness by the spirit and a vision.

In his first General Conference talk as an Apostle, he concludes by sharing the following testimony.

"God bless us with faith in Christ—the faith Christ stressed when he appeared to the eleven. Thomas, you recall, wanted proof—wanted to personally see what had been described to him. The Savior said, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29.)

I have not seen, but I know. I have always known, but now I have received a greater assurance and pray that I will always know that this is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that it has been restored in our day, that God is a reality. I know that he lives, that man was created in his image and likeness. I know that Jesus of Nazareth, born of Mary, is the Christ, the Son of God, and that there is no other name under heaven by which man can be saved. I know that he lives now—today—and that salvation is only through him; that he will bring us back, if worthy, to the presence of God, our Eternal Father." - How Great the Wisdom and the Love, Elder David B. Haight

Unfortunately, if you have never been in Christ's presence, you have no way to understand the power and majesty of that experience or to compare that experience with that of the witness of the Holy Ghost. People who have no way to compare it will often teach that the most powerful witness we can have is the Holy Ghost simply because that is the most powerful experience they have had.

"I bear you my testimony that I know the Savior lives, that the most powerful witness you can have that He lives comes when the power of the Holy Spirit bears witness to your soul that He does live. More powerful than sight, more powerful than walking and talking with Him, is that witness of the Spirit by which you shall be judged if you were to turn against Him." - President and Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Harold B. Lee

Thirteen years after Elder David B. Haight gave his first testimony as an Apostle, he had a greater witness of Christ through a vision he received while unconscious from a medical crisis. The vision was powerful and gave him a new level of understanding and knowledge with which he could compare against his previous experiences with the spirit.  In the following General Conference, he shared the following.

"I had never doubted nor wondered. But now I knew, because of the impressions of the Spirit upon my heart and soul, these divine truths in a most unusual way.

I was shown a panoramic view of His earthly ministry: His baptism, His teaching, His healing the sick and lame, the mock trial, His crucifixion, His resurrection and ascension. There followed scenes of His earthly ministry to my mind in impressive detail, confirming scriptural eyewitness accounts. I was being taught, and the eyes of my understanding were opened by the Holy Spirit of God so as to behold many things.
...
During those days of unconsciousness I was given, by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, a more perfect knowledge of His mission. I was also given a more complete understanding of what it means to exercise, in His name, the authority to unlock the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven for the salvation of all who are faithful.
...
I cannot begin to convey to you the deep impact that these scenes have confirmed upon my soul.
...
I testify to all of you that our Heavenly Father does answer our righteous pleadings. The added knowledge which has come to me has made a great impact upon my life. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a priceless possession and opens the door to our ongoing knowledge of God and eternal joy. Of this I bear witness, in the holy name of Jesus Christ, amen." -

Elder David B. Haight clearly expressed that seeing in vision had a more profound and deep impact on his soul than the witness he previously had by the spirit without the vision. He considered this an "unusual" experience which gave "added knowledge" to his faith. This experience for him was clearly more powerful than the simple witness of the spirit he had previously had. This was by no means the experience of having one's calling and election made sure or receiving the second comforter, but it was clearly a greater experience than he was used to. (Jospeh smith said, "Now for the secret and grand key.  Though they might hear the voice of God and know that Jesus was the Son of God, this would be no evidence that their calling and election was made sure, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God.")

If you are following inexperienced guides, you will be seeking for the same blessings they are seeking, walking in darkness hoping to find what they have not found for themselves. But, because you don't know their qualifications, you will not realize that they are acting on the same unverified faith as you, but with confidence enough to gather unwitting followers. You will do what they tell you, thinking that you are doing exactly what you need to do without receiving the promised blessings. Ultimately when so many of their followers fail to receive the blessings promised, they will have to tell you that the promised blessings are out of your reach, unimportant or unnecessary and that you shouldn't be seeking those blessings anyway. To do anything else will make obvious and clear the fact that your guides do not know the path they are endeavoring to guide you on.

If you follow such guides, you will find that despite being an honorable person who had a testimony of Christ, you are being “blinded by the craftiness of men”, therefore you will inherit a Terrestrial glory.

“And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament.
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75 These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men.
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79 These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God. - D&C 76:71-79

For this reason, it is important to know if your guides are qualified to lead you to back to Christ's presence and the crown of glory. Do not accept ambiguous answers that some experiences are too sacred to share, or that it is improper to ask about and discuss such things. If someone is claiming to be an expert that can help you achieve your goals, they are obligated to provide their credentials.

Beyond the obligation for those who endeavor to lead others, it is a privilege for anyone who has experienced Christ's presence to be a witness of their Savior to the world. There is no reason to act embarrassed or ashamed of your witness any more than there is to be ashamed of a testimony of Christ given by the spirit. If it is good for a person who has a testimony by the spirit to share their faith regarding the Savior in hopes of building the faith of others, it is so much more a blessing for a witnesses of Christ to proclaim they know Christ lives because they've stood in his presence and felt his overwhelming love and acceptance. While they may not reveal every detail about what they saw and were taught, they will not miss an opportunity to bear their personal witness of Lord Jesus Christ which only builds faith and encourages others to do the same.

All Elliaison Contributors have made their calling and election sure. We have each met with the Lord in person, most of us on several occasions. We have been held in his loving arms and learned from him personally as he ministered to us directly. We know the path that leads to eternal life because we have walked it from beginning to end. We are not writing from a position of theory and we do not offer a testimony of Jesus Christ by way of faith. We speak from a position of knowledge as direct witnesses of Christ. We know Christ because we've met Christ!

These experiences are not reserved to a select or special few. Just as receiving the Holy Ghost is a gift available to all people, so too are all the other gifts of having your calling and election made sure, receiving the Second Comforter and visions of eternity. These are blessings for all of us to have.

Having this knowledge, the first and most important thing we can tell you is to trust no man and learn to listen to the spirit which is the voice of God. Accept only those things which are witnessed to you by the spirit of truth. In this way, you learn not from us or anyone else, but from God directly.

"And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
20 If it be some other way it is not of God." - D&C 50:19-20

"34 These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;
35 For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them;
36 Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words." - D&C 18:34-36

We bare our witness of Jesus Christ and the principles taught here, in the name of our friend, amen.