"Lord, to whom shall we go?" Charting the Course of the Church from Here to the Second Coming": Part 8

Wise Virgins?

Are we wise or foolish virgins?

Since the parable of the 10 virgins is about the Second Coming, I thought this is as good a place to start as any. 

The parable of 10 virgins describes those who were waiting for the Bridegroom to show up, just like us!

I find it fascinating that all of the virgins had lamps, all of them had oil, and all of them were waiting to celebrate.

So what was the difference between them?

Lucky for us, the Lord interpreted his parable, so this should be easy.

    For they that are wise
    and have

     (1) received the truth, and

     (2) have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and

     (3)  have not been deceived― 

    verily I say unto you,
    they shall not be hewn down
    and cast into the fire.

(D&C 45:57)

   (1) How do we "receive the truth?"

Well, "truth" is light.  Truth is the word of God.  Truth is things as they really are and really will be.  How do know the truth of all things?

   * By the power of the Holy Ghost.

    (2)  How do we "take the Holy Spirit for our guide?"

Well, the Spirit is light.  The Spirit is truth.  The Spirit is the word of God, which is a lamp unto our feet.  How are we led by the Spirit?

    * By the power of the Holy Ghost.

   (3)  How do we avoid "being deceived?"

Am I deceived?  How would I even know?  Well, what do the scriptures teach is the antidote for deception?

    Beware lest ye are deceived;
    and that ye may not be deceived
    seek ye earnestly the best gifts.

(D&C 49:8)

Where do the "best gifts" of the Spirit come from?  That's right!

    * By the power of the Holy Ghost.

(Are we starting to see a pattern?)

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

​The Lord has many, many mouths and a multiplicity of tongues.

No wonder his voice is as the sound of the rushing of great waters, like tributaries falling from cliffs into a common pool.

With so many voices, how can we discern which words are His?

Well, it doesn't matter which tongue is moving ― it only matters if the words they speak are given by the Holy Ghost.

   Whatsoever they shall speak
   when moved upon by the Holy Ghost
   shall be scripture,
   shall be the will of the Lord,
   shall be the mind of the Lord,
   shall be the word of the Lord,
   shall be the voice of the Lord,
   and the power of God
   unto salvation.

(D&C 68:2)

You see, the Lord speaks through all of us from time to time.  We each have the light of Christ in us.  

God speaks through angels.  He speaks through nature.  He speaks through music.  He can even speak through a hobo arising from an all-night bender (I mean, the Holy Ghost spoke through Caiaphas ― the man who tried and crucified Christ (John 11:49-52), for heaven sake).

So let's see what all these "mouths" that God speaks through have in common:

   1.  Holy Men and Women.  "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21).

   2.  Holy Ghost.  "The Holy Ghost also is a witness to us" (Hebrews 10:15).

   3.  Wisdom.  "We speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth" (1 Cor. 2:13).

   4.  Angels.  "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3).

   5.  Conscience.  "My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 9:1).

   6.  Joy.  "Taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost" (Alma 36:24).

   7.  Babes.  "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise" (Matthew 21:16).

   8.  Miracles.  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost" (Hebrews 2:4).

. . . and my personal favorite way that God speaks . . .

   9.  Love.  "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts the by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).

Are we getting the message? 

The most important thing is following the Holy Ghost, who bears record of Christ.

Deny Not the Gifts of God

I wrote in Part 6 of this Series:

"The Brethren are no better and no wiser than we are.  Why can I say that?  Because we all have the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We all have the greatest Source of sanctification and knowledge there is."

So, in deciding whether we are wise or foolish virgins, we should ask, "Are we being led by the Holy Ghost, or by mortal authorities?"

Let's look at this inside-out. 

What would be the worst way to prepare for the Second Coming?

   (1)  Reject the truth;

   (2)  Don't take the Holy Spirit for our guide; and

   (3)  Be deceived.

Well, now I am feeling a bit "foolish."

Because I think that list sums up Babylon pretty well.  It sums up the Great and Abominable Church and the Great and Spacious Building, too. 

And it certainly sums up the Sectarianism mess we find ourselves in, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof" (JS-H 1:19). 

Say, what are those "chains of darkness" Satan has in the back of his Ford pickup?  How does the devil encircle us in the bonds of captivity?  What is the cause of our spiritual lethargy and sleepiness?  

   "Awake, and arise!"

The Church is the New . . . "Baby-Sitters Club?"

Welcome to the Club!  We're going to have so. much. fun.  

I didn't do much babysitting growing up (being a boy), but I do have two younger siblings that I helped put to bed when my parents were out late at night. 

Isn't it wonderful the moment you lie the baby down in the crib sound asleep, and you tip toe out of their room, gently closing the door behind you, and you get this sense of freedom flooding over you?  

   Time to watch some T.V.!

Well, the way we're taught to "follow the prophet unquestioningly" is putting us to sleep. 

   It is baby formula mixed with arsenic.  

The FDA needs to issue a recall of this baby formula because it is spiritually killing us.

Are we quieting the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost because we're so focused on priesthood keys and the arm of flesh?

Have we buried our conscience and spiritual light under the bushel of the Brethren?

As an example (I take no position on the Covid vaccine) someone recently commented on President Oaks' daughter talking about the vaccine as though it were Moses's staff and said something like, "It doesn't matter what reasons a person has for not getting the vaccine.  The only thing that matters is whether we follow the living prophet unquestioningly.  It doesn't matter whether he's right or wrong."

   "Awake, and arise!"

What did Moroni mean when he said:

   Deny not the gifts of God,
   for they are many;
   and they come
   from the same God.

(Moroni 10:8)

Do we deny the gifts of God when we defer to priesthood authority rather than to the urgings of the Spirit to us?

Do we deny the gifts of God when we give preeminence to the gifts of those who preside over us over our own gifts?

   I would exhort you,
   my beloved brethren,
   that ye remember
   that Every. Good. Gift.
​   cometh of Christ.

(Moroni 10:18)

   "Awake, and arise!"

Pick Our Team

Do we want to be like the foolish virgins who squashed their gifts and who ran out of oil by:

   (1)  rejecting truth from the Holy Ghost in following men and women who taught for doctrine the commandments of men; 

   (2)  following counsel given by our leaders even if it is not in accord with the words of Christ and the Holy Ghost; and

   (3)  being deceived in believing our leaders are greater source of guidance than the Holy Ghost, and by suppressing our own gifts from God?

Or do we want to be like the wise virgins whom Christ dressed in a wedding garment, saying:
​
    Well done,
    thou good
    and faithful
    servant:
    thou hast been
    faithful.

(Matthew 25:21)

To whom are we "faithful?"   

"Awake, and arise!"