Every righteous prophet and teacher from Adam to Noah to Jesus to Joseph Smith has attempted to help those who do not have the Holy Ghost to get it. Once they get it, they tell us to "follow the spirit, it will tell you all things that you should do". This is what given God power to lead and direct men Himself. Telling you all things that you should do includes finding, recognizing and accepting new scripture, righteous teachings, warnings, ordinances, etc. It includes knowledge of God, and how to pray. It IS the foundation of being a Christian because without it, you are not qualified to be a member of Christ's church.TheDuke wrote: ↑July 26th, 2022, 4:10 pm I think these last few statements are the ones looking at the wrong mark. If you read Isaiah, the DS is more than a teacher or prophet or messenger. He is a ruler, a warrior, a general, and it is his deeds as much as his teachings that will astound people and prepare for the return.
I can understand the concept of messenger vs. message, but that is not true of Moses, JS, or DS. If you miss them you miss the Lord as you wouldn't even have scriptures to read or enough knowledge of god to pray or a foundation to be Christian against. What you say may be true of RMN or Hinckley or Samuel, or Amos, but not of the DS. Try reading Isaiah again and see if the references to the DS are as just a messenger instead of almost a son (in Isaiah's hierarchy well above normal messengers).
Name a blessing that cannot be received without knowing the Davidic Servant? (Hint: D&C 76:50-70 tells us all the requirements and blessings of the Celestial kingdom. There is no mention of a requirement that we know or recognize the Davidic Servant. The very first requirement is that we have a testimony of Jesus, believe on his name and were baptized after his burial.)
Name something that we should do that we will not be instructed to do if we are following the Holy Ghost? (Hint: the Holy Ghost will tell you all things that you should do.)
Name something that we will not learn if we only learn that which is witnessed by the Holy Ghost? (Hint: The Holy Ghost will teach you all things.)
Even when Jesus himself is teaching us, we still feel, recognize and follow the Holy Ghost which tells us what He is saying is true.
If you are looking for the Davidic Servant, without the Holy Ghost, you may not recognize him and if you do and join his group without entering in at the door/gate, you will be considered a thief and a robber among the flock and not part of the flock. (As Jesus pointed out in John 10:1.)
If you are following the Holy Ghost, which tells you all things that you should do, then you will be led, (like Anna and Simeon were to the temple to meet the baby Jesus), where you will meet whomever the Lord desires you to meet. And you will do whatever the Lord desires you to do. If the Lord desires you to meet and support the Davidic Servant, then you will do so by following the Holy Ghost.
If the Davidic Servant is the Holy Ghost then, "I say to you, Receive the Holy Ghost". If he/she is not, then "I say to you, Receive the Holy Ghost". Trust not in the arm of flesh, even if it is Jesus or the Davidic Servant or an angel of light. Put your trust in that SPIRIT which leadeth to do good.
To support any other plan or path is to discredit the Holy Ghost and say that something or someone else is better to lead us. It is to say that we cannot trust the Holy Ghost to show us all things that we should do and that it will not teach us all things as well as someone else can. It is to blaspheme against the Holy Ghost which literally means to place something or someone else above the Holy Ghost as the leader or director of your lives. You can blaspheme Jesus and you can blaspheme God the Father, and still be forgiven. But if you blaspheme the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven in this world or the next.Doctrine and Covenants 11:12
12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.
Peace,
Amonhi