Joseph Smith, in his Lectures on Faith noted that "Three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. First, the idea that he actually exists. Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes. Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will."[1] In other words, in order to have faith we must first believe there is something to have faith in, know what He is like, know how to please Him and then actually do those things that are pleasing to Him. If any of these elements are imperfect and lacking, so also will our faith be imperfect and lacking.
The Doctrine of Omniscience
For our purposes today, let's focus on just one element of His character, perfections and attributes. It is an attribute that we often give verbal assent to, but that, when examined closely, has some startling implications. The attribute about which I wish to speak is God's omniscience--the fact that He knows all things. On this subject, Elder Neal A. Maxwell once questioned why we are sometimes hesitant to explore this doctrine as well as its implications. He asked:
Why, therefore, is the resistance to them so often present? Is it a lack of humility? Or, once accepted, is it that these truths carry unwanted implications and heavy responsibilities with them? Is it because we are not yet ready? Is it that these truths seem almost too much to comprehend? Probably it is all of these. Therefore it is not because we refuse even to think about these doctrines; rather, it is that when we have explored them somewhat, we return from such a brief reconnaissance less than anxious to make further sorties in that direction. This is a pity, however, because our adoration for and appreciation of God will be measurably increased as we increase our understanding of Him and His plan of happiness.[2]
For the next few minutes we have together, let us faithfully and fearlessly explore the doctrine of God's omniscience and some if its implications.
Of all the attributes that God possesses, perhaps one of the most important is His omniscience. Joseph Smith noted that "without the knowledge of all things God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures."[3] Please remember that; we'll come right back to it. Without His omniscience, He wouldn't be able to save us.
Sometimes, because of the startling implications of this doctrine, we try to "democratize deity" to borrow a phrase from Elder Maxwell.[4] Because we can't explain how He knows all things, we sometimes say that, "Well, we lived with him for so long in premortality that He knows us so well that He knows what we'll do in any given situation." While it is true that we were with Him in premortality for a long time, that is not the source of His knowledge. 2 Nephi 2:24 reads, "But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things." 2 Nephi 9:20 asserts that, "...he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it." Further, when Moses visited with the Lord on the mountain, he learned perhaps one way that God knows all things: "...there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all."[5]
Please note that all things are present with God. Thus, in the words of Elder Maxwell again, "God's omniscience is not solely a function of prolonged and discerning familiarity with us--but of the stunning reality that the past and present and future are part of an 'eternal now' with God!"[6] In these and other scriptural passages about God's omniscience, there are no qualifiers. There is no parenthetical expression that says that He struggles a bit with factorial analysis of variance or may not understand astrophysics very well. There are only simple, clear assertions that He knows all things. And by all things, it means, well, all things!
Omniscience and Agency
Perhaps one of the struggles we have with His omniscience is that we wonder if we truly have agency if God knows beforehand all the things we are going to do. We feel like our agency bumps up against His omniscience. If you will permit a short personal experience, it may illustrate this point.
When I was younger, like you, I was taught that God knows all things, and I did worry about how that impacted my agency. So, being somewhat spiritually immature, I would work our little experiments in my mind. For example, I would think, "Okay, I'm going to put my hand in my pocket, but He knows I'm going to put my hand in my pocket," so at the last second I'd pull my hand away and then think "but He knew I was going to try to fake Him out, so did I really have a choice?" It is true, I was pretty spiritually immature. Since then, I've come to be grateful that He knows everything.
A familiar example from Joseph Smith's life can illustrate why each of us should be eternally grateful for God's omniscience. By June 14, 1828, the prophet had translated 116 pages of manuscript from the plates.[7] Joseph Smith had been helped by a wealthy man roughly twice his age--Martin Harris. Martin's wife, Lucy, was not supportive of the work, and even after having a dream that told her she was fighting against the work of the Lord, still criticized the work. To allay her fears, Martin asked for permission to show her the 116 pages, and though permission was granted after multiple requests, this action did not gain the Lord's approval (you see, permission and approval are not the same thing). As a result, and as is commonly known, the 116 pages of manuscript were lost.
We can imagine what Joseph might have felt as he lamented, "All is lost! All is lost! What shall I do? I have sinned--it is I who tempted the wrath of God. I should have been satisfied with the first answer which I received from the Lord."[8] What is it that might have been lost? Perhaps in Joseph's mind, in addition to the 116 pages that were lost, the work of the Restoration had been destroyed because he feared man more than God.[9]
This event, though traumatic for the young prophet, did not take the Lord by surprise. While Joseph wouldn't be able to retranslate the 116 pages because of the changes that had already been made (see D&C 10), the Lord had provided a way for him about 2400 years in advance.
Nephi was merrily keeping a record of what happened to his family when, in 1 Nephi 9, he received a prompting to make a duplicate set of plates. Please notice what he says about this prompting in relation to God's omniscience:
Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words.[10]
About 1,000 years later, as Mormon was compiling the record, he found the duplicate record that Nephi had made and received a similar prompting to include it in the record. Again, please notice his words regarding God's omniscience:
And this I do for a wise purpose for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.[11]
Neither Nephi nor Mormon knew why they included the duplicate record, but the Lord knew and so do we. Think of it, brothers and sisters, the Lord prepared a way for Joseph Smith to overcome his big mistake 2,400 years ahead of time! He could not have done that were he less than omniscient.
It is my testimony to you that God has prepared a way for you too. He knew you were coming. He knows where you will be. He knows what problems you will face, and I promise that He has already prepared a way for you just like He did for Joseph Smith. In the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we learn that the Lord is no respecter of persons;[12] if He prepared the way for Joseph Smith, He'll do the same for us.
Now, please remember that earlier we discussed that Joseph Smith taught that God could not save any portion of His creations if He were not omniscient. Here is one reason why His knowledge is that important and why we should be eternally grateful for His omniscience. Brothers and sisters, the year now is 2013. The Savior atoned for our sins nearly 2,000 years ago. How could He have atoned for our sins (and I testify that He did in reality atone for us) if He didn't know exactly what those sins were going to be? Imagine that He overlooked or forgot a single sin, and that single sin happened to be yours. Your debt to justice would therefore not be completely paid. Imagine what would happen then. Not a pleasant thought, is it? And please keep in mind that it wasn't just the sins of the world He atoned for, it was your sins and it was my sins that were individually atoned for. Please listen to the Holy Ghost as you hear former Presiding Bishop, Bishop Merrill J. Bateman's words about this:
The Savior, as a member of the Godhead, knows each of us personally. Isaiah and the prophet Abinadi said that when Christ would "make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed" (Isa. 53:10; compare Mosiah 15:10). Abinadi explains that "his seed" are the righteous, those who follow the prophets (see Mosiah 15:11). In the garden and on the cross, Jesus saw each of us and not only bore our sins, but also experienced our deepest feelings so that he would know how to comfort and strengthen us...The Savior's atonement in the garden and on the cross is intimate as well as infinite. Infinite in that it spans the eternities. Intimate in that the Savior felt each person's pains, sufferings, and sicknesses. Consequently, he knows how to carry our sorrows and relieve our burdens that we might be healed from within, made whole persons, and receive everlasting joy in his kingdom.[13]
The Savior could not have atoned for us individually had he not known what our individual sins, infirmities, pains, and sorrows were going to be. Not only does the atonement grow out of God's mercy, it also grows out of His omniscience. Our worry about our agency being threatened by God's omniscience should be swallowed up in our gratitude that He knows all the dumb stuff we are going to do and has prepared a way for us to overcome those things. And frankly, we should be much more concerned about becoming entangled in sin and having sin impinge on our agency than we are about God taking our agency. He will not do that.
Implications of God's Omniscience
Having discussed the doctrine of God's omniscience, we can press forward to the implications that His omniscience has for us. Sometimes this impact can be felt on a daily basis.
Implication #1: Prophecy.
On occasion, we hear people, sometimes even members of the church, share their opinion that the Brethren are old, out-of-date, and antiquated. Some even dismiss prophetic teaching as mere opinion. Brothers and sisters, if we do this we do it at very grave spiritual peril. If we have true prophets (and I testify that we do), and an omniscient God (and I testify that we have that too), prophecy is much more than mere prediction and prophetic counsel is much more than opinion. It is revelation direct from an omniscient God. To reject prophetic counsel, therefore, is to reject Him who reveals that counsel. It is no wonder that in the scriptures, rejection of the prophets inevitably led to destruction.One of the sad common threads of each destroyed society, from the flood, to Sodom and Gomorrah, to the Jaredites and Nephites and at all points in between, is that each society rejected the prophets. Some societies killed the prophets while others cast them out.
In the preface to the Doctrine and Covenants revealed to Joseph Smith, the Lord issued a stern warning: "The day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people."[14] While the destruction may not be a physical destruction right now, there is a spiritual destruction that comes. Perhaps that is why, in Doctrine and Covenants 21, we are commanded to "give heed unto all his words and commandments...for his word ye shall receive as if from mine own mouth."[15]
Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed, "Any Church member not obedient to the leaders of this Church will not have the opportunity to be obedient to the promptings of the Lord."[16] Setting at naught the counsel of leaders, therefore, takes the influence of the Holy Spirit from our lives, leaving us to ourselves, and trusting in the arm of flesh has never ended well for those who have tried it.
Sometimes prophetic counsel may contradict our own opinions or views. Sometimes we may need to humble ourselves and come before the Lord in the spirit of "not my will but thine, be done."[17] Sometimes we may even need sincere repentance. When dealing with prophets sent by an omniscient God though, that is what is required. If we are willing to try on such humility for size, we just might find it to be more comfortable than our worldly pride.
In addition, following the prophets always leads us closer to God, and the time is already upon us that we and our families need the safety that comes from following the prophet. Elder Neal A. Maxwell noted:
It is exceedingly important for members of the Church to get experience following the prophets in little things, so that they can follow in large matters. By following the prophets in fair weather we become familiar with their cadence, so that we can follow them in stormy times too, for then both our reflexes and our experience will need to combine to help us; the stresses will be so very real.[18]
Here, I make a sincere plea: please follow the prophet both in the big and little things. I promise that doing so will bring blessings and safety.
Related to setting aside prophetic counsel is not even seeking that counsel and further, sometimes not even seeking the Lord's guidance through prayer. Sometimes, we decide what will be convenient for us. We decide, "I don't want to go on a mission until..." or, "I don't want to get married until..." or, "We can't start having children until..." and then follow with a phrase related to our own plans and convenience. May I suggest we take into account prophetic counsel and submit such decisions to the Lord to ask what He wants us to do? Isaiah's words related to this are sobering: "Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand--ye shall lie down in sorrow."[19] It takes humility and courage to follow prophets and promptings, but the rewards are certainly worth it. When we choose to follow an omniscient God when He speaks, whether through promptings or prophets, things turn out better.
Implication #2: you'll be asked to do hard things, and that is okay.
Each of us has probably heard the sentiment that this world is just so wicked now that for someone to get married and start a family during this time may not be wise. Can't we just wait for the millennium to start so that all the wickedness will be taken away and our children can "grow up without sin unto salvation."[20] Other difficulties in the latter-days can cause us to shrink and wonder if we are equal to the task. Brothers and sisters, it isn't a mistake that you were born when you were. God, who knows all, knows you and the state of the world you are living in. The timing and place of your birth was not a mistake. Those determinations were made by one who "doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world."[21] You can press forward with faith and courage that He knows that you are equal to the task. He knows you. He knows the children He is going to send to your family. He has measured you and measured them and matched you up perfectly.
The Old Testament king, Hezekiah, was asked to do something difficult too. The Assyrian army had marched toward Jerusalem, leaving destruction in its wake. None of the cities were able to withstand the siege of the Assyrians, and smoke from their destruction would have been visible from Jerusalem at that time.[22] Hezekiah knew from a prophet, Isaiah, that they would be put under siege and had already had workers tunnel over 1700 feet through stone to bring water within the walls of Jerusalem, but this wasn't enough to deliver the people. In those dire circumstances, Hezekiah received a letter from the Assyrian king that said, "Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?"[23]
Hezekiah turned to the Lord, took that letter into the temple, and spread it out before the Lord. Please listen to the Holy Ghost as you hear the words of Hezekiah's prayer:
O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou are the God even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the Living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord even thou only. [24]
The same omniscient God who hears and answers our prayers answered this humble plea. Isaiah prophesied that they wouldn't even shoot an arrow into Jerusalem[25] and indeed, an angel smote the Assyrian army before they could destroy Jerusalem.[26]
Brothers and sisters, not only does God know what situations we will find ourselves in, He can do something about it. Though there will be bumps in the road, you are equal to those bumps and can overcome them, which leads us to our final implication: difficulties will come, but the Savior knows perfectly how to see us through them.
Implication #3: Difficulties will come, but the Savior knows perfectly how to see us through them.
It is interesting that of all the attributes of the Savior that Isaiah could have emphasized, of everything the prophet could have taught, he seems to be intrigued by the fact that the Savior would be "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."[27] In a time of his own severe trial, Joseph Smith learned that "the Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?"[28] There is no depth of sorrow and anguish that the Savior does not understand. And the price He paid to know and understand us was a heavy price indeed.
President Henry B. Eyring taught something that I'd like to use as a preface for this discussion. He said:
It will comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Savior's promised relief that He knows, from experience, how to heal and help us. The Book of Mormon gives us the certain assurance of His power to comfort. And faith in that power will give us patience as we pray and work and wait for help. He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but He chose to learn by His own personal experience.[29]
This is what Alma meant when he said, in Alma 7:13, "Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh." To gain a view, and I hope a greater appreciation, for what the Savior did let's start with Him and His disciples in the upper room.
After the last supper, after Judas was dismissed and after they had sung a hymn, the Savior and His disciples left the upper room to proceed toward the Garden of Gethsemane. As the map from the LDS edition of the scriptures shows, the traditional spot of the upper room was on the Southwest corner of Jerusalem, near the Hinnom valley. Now, I must confess that I don't know which direction the Savior went to travel toward Gethsemane, but I have a hunch that he avoided passing through the midst of Jerusalem, seeking privacy and solitude for Himself and His disciples. Now, please keep in mind that the last supper was a Passover meal, and each Passover coincides with a full moon. While we don't know what the weather was like, it is possible that the full moon illuminated their path as they proceeded toward Gethsemane.
Just as an aside, the valley that they would have walked along, the Hinnom valley, was formerly a place where gruesome sacrifices to false gods were made. Because of that, at the time of Jesus, the garbage from the city was burned there. The valley, with its continual burning, became known as Gehenna, or as we say it in English, hell. It is interesting to think that the Savior possibly passed symbolically through hell on His way to confront all the fury of hell.
The path that the Savior may have walked is on the left side of the photograph, while Gethsemane is just off the screen in the right side. As the Savior would have proceeded along this path, the graveyard that is in the foreground would have soon come into view. We can only imagine what His thoughts might have been as he saw those whited sepulchers for perhaps the first time that night, gleaming in the light of a full moon. He knew what He was about to do, and he certainly knew that He would soon be joining the hosts of the dead. I wonder what feelings He had as He viewed those tombs.
When He arrived in Gethsemane, and as the atoning process had begun, he cried out "Abba, Father, All things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." Finite, mortal minds cannot really comprehend what was happening to the Savior at that moment, but what we can understand is that in some way, the Savior was taking upon himself not only our sins, but also, according to Alma, our pains, sicknesses, and infirmities.[30] To quote Elder Holland:
To the thoughtful follower of Christ, it is a matter of surpassing wonder that the voluntary and merciful sacrifice of a single being could satisfy the infinite and eternal demands of justice; atone for every human misdeed; bear every mortal infirmity; feel every personal heartache, sorrow, and loss. But I testify that is exactly what Christ did for every one of us. I bear solemn witness that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the compassionate foundation and central fact in God's eternal plan for our salvation and our happiness.[31]
May I add my witness that the Savior did just that? He knows us perfectly because He suffered perfectly for each one of our personal heartaches, sorrows, and losses. Truly, He is acquainted with grief. Because of His perfect understanding, He also knows perfectly how to succor us--how to run to our aid. Because of His omniscience, we can be sure that, to paraphrase Elder Maxwell again, the temperature on the furnace of affliction will not be too high.[32] He knows just what we need to refine, purify, and teach us.
Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace when other sources cease to make me whole?
...Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only one.[33]
Conclusion
So far, I've tried to be fairly impersonal and let the doctrine stand for itself without much commentary nor personal experience. Now, in conclusion, I'd like to be very personal. I'd like to bear my witness, given to me by the power of the Holy Ghost, that there is a God in Heaven. He is our Father. He loves us. He knows us personally, even better than we know ourselves. He sees all things as if they were one eternal now. There was a time early in our marriage that my wife and I were driven to a place from which we had no power to extricate ourselves. I'll spare you the details, but competent medical professionals didn't give us much hope of keeping our firstborn child, a son. Heavenly Father knew we were coming though and prepared a way for us. He raised up a doctor who believes in miracles. He gave my good wife the courage and faith of Job. He taught us that because He was willing to give up His son, we would have the opportunity to keep our son. In each step along the way, we knew that He knew. I am grateful for His omniscience, and I have felt His guiding hand in putting me in the right place at the right time to learn what I needed to for employment, to meet my wife whom I love, to guide me to where He wanted me to be employed, and to help us raise four wonderful children. I am grateful for His son, and I know that His Son atoned for us. I also know that none of these things would be possible without His omniscience. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Lecture 3: 2-5
[2] 1979, p. 1-2
[3] Lectures on faith 4:11
[4] 1979, p. 25
[5] Moses 1:6
[6] 1979, p. 8
[7] Church History in the Fulness of Times p. 47
[8] CHFT p. 48
[9] D&C 3:7
[10] 1 Nephi 9:5-6
[11] Words of Mormon 1:7
[12] D&C 1:35
[13] 1995, p. 13 ff
[14] D&C 1:14
[15] v. 4-5
[16] qtd. in Maxwell, 1979 p. 104
[17] Luke 22:42
[18] 1979 p. 102
[19] 2 Nephi 8:11, see also Isaiah 50:11
[20] D&C 45:58
[21] 2 Nephi 26:24
[22] Frank, 1975, p. 121
[23] Isaiah 37:10-11
[24] Isaiah 37:16-20
[25] Isaiah 37:33
[26] Isaiah 37:36
[27] Isaiah 53: 3
[28] D&C 122:829 2009, p. 24
[30] Alma 7:11-13
[31] Special witnesses
[32] 1979, p. 46
[33]1985, Hymn #129
Additional
- Bateman, M. J. (1995). "The power to heal from within." Ensign (CR), May 1995, p.13 ff.
- Church History in the Fulness of Times (2ne ed). (2003). Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve.
- Eyring, H. B. (2009). "Adversity." Ensign (CR), May 2009, p. 24.Frank, H. T. (1975).
- Discovering the biblical world. Maplewood, New Jersey: Hammond.
- Holland, J. R. (ND). Special witnesses of Christ. Retrieved May 2, 2013 from http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/special-witnesses/video/elder-jeffrey-r-hollandMaxwell, N. A. (1979). All these things shall give thee experience.
- Smith, J. (1834). Lectures on faith
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1985). Hymns