Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 8:19-20

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 8:19-20

"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

I had an interesting experience this morning. I have a couple of members of the church's YouTube channels that I listened to. One of them hadn't posted in a while and today they did, so I listened to it. Oddly, I had listened to a similar discussion just the other day from someone else. They quoted the same scriptures, and even quoted the same prophets, but each had different interpretations of what it meant. It seriously made me think of Joseph Smith, Jr.'s experience.

"...but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong."

(Joseph Smith History 1:8)

This confusion and strife was not with different denominations, it was inside the same church. I reflected on how Joseph handled this.

"At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture."

(Joseph Smith History 1:13)

The conclusion I came to after this experience was to decide I won't list to either of them. Truly, I need to spend my time more wisely and prayerfully study the subject myself through the scriptures, words of the prophets and materials that have been through the church Correlation Committee for doctrinal purity. The words some may be saying are "familiar in spirit", but it does not mean their understanding is of God.

When I first undertook to seriously read and ponder the scriptures every day the spirit told me, "Read the scriptures, not books about the scriptures". That was the best advise I ever listened to. I have learned far more on my own being taught by the Spirit then a book or podcast about them could have ever done.

Day 2846