"And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the county.
And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen."
This reminded me of the verse I read a couple days ago in Mark 13:22
"For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect."
So my question was how am I to know who to listen to? Christ himself warned us to not be deceived by false Christs and false prophets. I think that might partly explain why the Apostles questioned what the others were saying. Am I to believe anyone that says they saw Christ? Even later in the chapter Christ tells the signs to look for but some of these signs I know have been found among false prophets. So how is one to know what to do in the matter? After much pondering and searching I think I found my answer.
"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
For as the ligthning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the son of man be.
For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together."
(Matthew 24:26-28)
"And now I show unto you a parable. Behold, wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together; so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth."
(JST-Matthew 1:27)
"And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;
Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked."
(Doctrine and Covenants 29:7-8)
It's the principle of witnesses again. Mary, the other women, the apostles on the road to Emmaus were all witnesses. Christ did not appear to only one person, but did so to several in a short period of time. The witnesses were of the saints that followed Him. Those already gathered together as his elect.
I don't think the resurrected Lord's upbraideth the disciples for doubting the words of others at first. I think it was that they continued to doubt after having three separate witnesses among the faithful, included two other apostles. My son sent me this the other day and we had much discussion on it.
President Ezra Taft Benson shared the following three questions we can ask ourselves to avoid being deceived:“1. What do the standard works have to say about it? …“The Book of Mormon, Brigham Young said, was written on the tablets of his heart and no doubt helped save him from being deceived. …“2. The second guide is: what do the latter-day Presidents of the Church have to say on the subject—particularly the living President? …“3. The third and final test is the Holy Ghost—the test of the Spirit. … This test can only be fully effective if one’s channels of communication with God are clean and virtuous and uncluttered with sin. Said Brigham Young:“‘You may know whether you are led right or wrong … for every principle God has revealed carries its own convictions of its truth to the human mind. …“‘What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to utter destruction!’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1963, 16–17).
Interesting that the first means of not being deceived is not the Holy Ghost. This connects with Christ's apostles having not yet received the gift of the Holy Ghost at this point either. The scriptures, the prophet (other apostles), come before the Holy Ghost in the matter. Why is that? Because "This test can only be fully effective if one’s channels of communication with God are clean and virtuous and uncluttered with sin." I would propose then that when the channel of the Holy Ghost is clouded it is when we can be deceived. That is why the first two means are always there to guide us. I love how merciful God is to prepare a way to help us stay on the covenant path, and not be deceived.
As I watched the bible video "Christ Appears on the Road to Emmaus" I find all the council of President Ezra Taft Benson appear in that exact order. Christ as he walked with the two apostles on the road to Emmaus said "O, fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken." Which would have been to recall the words of the prophets in the scriptures, and what He said to them as a great prophet while still living. Then the witness of the Holy Spirit came.
Day 1548
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