The Rock or Sure Foundation

Build upon my rock, which is my gospel; - D&C 11:24

           We are all familiar with the parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock and the foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The winds blew, rain came down, the flood waters rose and when it was all finished, the sandy foundation was swept away in the storm leaving the foolish man’s house fallen.  It is written, “and great was the fall of it.”  But about the wise man’s house it was written, “the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;  and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.”  (Matt. 7:24-27)

           “The Rock” is “The Gospel”, (D&C 11:24).  The focus of the Gospel is to have the Holy Ghost which will teach us all things.  This “Personal Revelation” is the key which unlocks all doors.  Christ asked Simon Peter, “But whom say ye that I am?”  Peter responded, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  The record continues,

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:  for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;  and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." - Matt. 16:13-18

Here we have an interesting comment by Jesus who tells Simon that he is blessed because “Flesh and Blood” did not reveal who Christ was.  It was “My Father which is in Heaven” that revealed it.

           There are two ways we can know a truth.

• • Flesh and Blood – A man or woman that we presume to be an Authority.
  • The Holy Ghost – The ONLY true authority who speaks for God the Father.

           The one is certain and the other is not. The Holy Ghost is never wrong.  Never.

           Unfortunately, even the best of men is wrong.  This is the same concept expressed in the term “Arm of Flesh”.

“Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost."  - 2 Ne. 28:31

           From other sources, we hear of statements like “the philosophies of men mingled with scripture”.  These also refer to the same issue.  Even this article which you are reading now, is, and should only be, considered the philosophies of men mingled with scripture.  We have all seen how men will take scripture and bend it to fit their philosophies.  It has caused the great apostasy in which man began to rely on man.

           The term apostasy refers to the periods of time in which man was not able to communicate with God.

           During those times, man still had leaders who claimed to be ordained by God in some way.  Obedience to these leaders was considered the people’s best hope for salvation.  The leaders then told the people what God said and the people were expected to follow their leader’s counsel.  This caused a darkening of the minds of the people who stopped thinking for themselves and asking God for confirmation through His spirit.  Hence, “the dark age”.

           The Great apostasy was ended when a simple boy learned that he could ask God himself, and did, and got an answer.  Then he taught others to go to God.  He taught us to seek God and his truth through the principles of the gospel.  This was the end of the apostasy or falling away.

           Every member today is expected to have communicated with God, even if only in the smallest degree, before joining the church.  (We ask everyone before they join, “Do you have a testimony...”)  This communication is the reason that we are no-longer in apostasy.  The moment we start again relying on any individual to speak to God for us, we have entered into apostasy.  We have allowed a man to take God’s place in our lives and thereby begin building our house on a foundation of sand.

”Do not brethren, put your trust in man though he be a bishop, an apostle, or a president.  If you do, they will fail you at some time or place; they will do wrong or seem to, and your support is gone; but if we lean on God, He never will fail us. When men and women depend on God alone, and trust in Him alone, their faith will not be shaken if the highest in the Church should step aside. Perhaps it is His own design that faults and weaknesses should appear in high places in order that His Saints may learn to trust in Him, and not in any man or men. (George Q. Cannon, Millennial Star, 53:674-74)

           The insight into these terms is that the spirit does NOT have flesh, for it is a spirit.

           That is where we place our trust.  We are never told to trust in any man or set of men, even Christ himself said,

“He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.  And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.  And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not:  for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” John 12:44-47

           Christ further emphasized the importance of following the spirit by pointing out that it is more important to follow the spirit than any man even himself, the “Son of Man”.  (See LDS Bible Dictionary “Son of Man”).

“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." - Matt. 12:31-32

           The Lord spoke to Joseph Smith revealing the goal of his gospel and the eventual outcome.  In this instance the Lord pointed out that not only should we not trust in the arm of flesh, but we should not encourage or expect others to put their trust in us by counseling them.  Rather we should encourage them in the Gospel to trust in the spirit which teaches all men to do well.

“…all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—  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—  But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;” D&C 1:18-20

           With this new understanding, we can clearly see that the rock is the rock of personal revelation and the sand is the sand of others revelation.  If we are to build on the rock, we MUST commune with God ourselves and know the truth for ourselves in a way that can only be known by the spirit’s sweet witness.  We must fill our own lamps with our own oil that our lights burn strong and long.  This ability to commune with the heavens is not a thing that can be given to another.  The path is narrow such that we must traverse it alone.  Bruce R. McConkie quoted Joseph Smith by saying,

“Salvation cannot come without revelation [and I am not now speaking about the revelation that gave the dispensation in which we live--  I am speaking of personal revelation to individuals];  it is vain for anyone to minister without it.   No man is a minister of Jesus Christ without being a Prophet.  No man can be a minister of Jesus Christ except he has a testimony of Jesus;  and this is the spirit of prophecy.   Whenever salvation has been administered, it has been by testimony.  Men of the present time testify of heaven and hell, and have never seen either;  and I will say that no man knows these things without this."  (Teachings, p. 160.)  (Doctrines of the Restoration, Chapter 8, McConkie)

           There are guides, prophets, who have been there and know the path from personal experience.  But, they are only guides and cannot travel the path for us.  We must work out our own salvation.