“While
serving in the Seventy, Elder Dean L. Larsen explained that the Israelites in
ancient times ‘got themselves into great difficulty’ because they ‘placed
themselves in serious jeopardy in spiritual things unwilling to accept simple
basic principles of truth.
“They
entertained and intrigued themselves with ‘things that they could not
understand’ (Jacob 4:14). They were apparently afflicted with a pseudo-sophistication
and a snobbishness that gave them a false sense of superiority over those who
came among them with the Lord’s words of plainness. They went beyond the mark
of wisdom and prudence and obviously failed to stay within the circle of
fundamental gospel truths, which provide a basis for faith.
“They
must have revelled in speculative and theoretical matters that obscured for
them the fundamental spiritual truths. As they became infatuated by these
‘things that they could not understand’, their comprehension of and faith in
the redeeming role of a true Messiah was lost, and the purpose of life became
confused. A study of Israel’s history will confirm Jacob’s allegations (In
Conference Report October 1987, 11-12 or Ensign November 1987m 11) (as quoted
in Book of Mormon Student Manual p 121)
To
understand how the Jews came to ‘look beyond the mark’ it is worthy to ‘mention
that by the time Jesus came among them, they had convoluted the Law of Moses
into 613 rabbinical laws which they lived by. So obsessed they were with these
laws that they considered them more important than the Law of Moses itself. These
laws became their distraction from the fundamental gospel truths.
When
one of the Pharisees, who was a lawyer, asked Jesus ‘which is the great
commandment in the law’, He answered there were really only two and all the others
stem from them: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On
these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt 22:34-40)
In
essence, Jesus was saying, compared to your 613, ‘the yoke of my gospel is easy
and my burden is light, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest’ (see Matt 11:29,30). The Jews chose the 613 laws
instead and accused Him of being a sinner because He would not conform to the
traditions of the Elders. His refusal became one of the main accusations the
Jewish Council had against him that led to His death.
When
I was studying for my University degree some years ago, I undertook a subject in
philosophy. I was very excited to study the Greek philosophers, the cream of
the top according to the wisdom of the world. I actually thought I would become
wise. It was my worst subject. So much so that my professor called me to ask me
if I understood what I was learning. And no, I did not understand one iota of
the ridiculous theories regarding the meaning of life that I was being fed. In
comparison to my clear understanding of the simple Plan of Salvation that I
knew, the theories of these philosophers were ludicrous. The simple gospel of
Christ with its Plan of Salvation was what attracted me to the Church in the
first place. It was all the meaning of life I needed.
Philosophy
of men is the cradle of the Great Apostasy. Within mere 30 years following
Christ's ascension into heaven, the profound and simple truths of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ started to be blended with philosophies of men and eventually 'the
wisdom of God was rejected as foolishness. The miracles of the Atonement, the
Resurrection, and the ordinances were diluted and deleted. Men, blinded to the
wisdom of God by their own intellectual conceit, added and subtracted at will
from the truths revealed by God. Gradually and inevitably, these precious
truths were changed, perverted, and lost. The simple was embellished, the holy
corrupted, the truth falsified' (see The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His
Apostles, p. 229).
Under
the Saviour's admonition to take the Gospel to other nations, Paul and the
Apostles took the Gospel beyond the walls of Jerusalem to dispersed Jews, then
Samaritans and then the Gentiles, more specifically, the Mediterranean world
ruled by the Roman Empire. The Gospel which they preached was grounded in the
eyewitness testimony of Jesus for many had seen the Saviour following His
resurrection, therefore, their testimony and message was not based on Christ's
teachings alone but more importantly, on their witness of His resurrection
which left no room for speculation.
This
non-speculative nature of the Christian faith conflicted with the philosophical
conjecture in the Mediterranean which was heavily under the Hellenic influence,
meaning Greek philosophy. Where Jews sought signs, Greeks sought wisdom and it
is the wisdom of men which they revered more than the simple truths of the
Gospel. With time the Christian resistance to Greek philosophy broke down and
the strange admixture of Christian truth with pagan philosophy and practice
constituted the Great Apostasy (see The Life and Teachings of Jesus and
His Apostles, p 233).
Unfortunately,
the ‘pseudo-sophistication’ persists today. Some of us are learning and never
coming to the knowledge of the truth….mostly because we think there is greater
truth out there than we already possess.
Some
years ago a friend from my ward told me he was invited into a newly formed LDS
study group. He was an educated man, in a managerial position, who loved to
study theology. The man who issued the invitation to him made it clear that the
study group was exclusively for educated, professional people in the Church. My
clever and unpretentious friend replied: oh you mean no lowly skilled labourer
is allowed? Nobody for instance like……a carpenter…..?!?!?!?
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