Having a loose association of fellowship with people of a variety of true and false beliefs is not convenient. It is not comfortable, safe or broad. It does not bring an authoritative set of beliefs where one can easily see and determine what is true and what is false. We must rely on the Lord and the Lord alone to bring to pass his "strange act". The Lord, in his description of this said on that day, all idols must be thrown down so that truth could come forth. Therefore care must be taken for yourself.

See article: Ezekiel 14 and The Lord's Strange Act

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A Reminder

"Do not let a personal revelation displace your attention from the scriptures. Our scriptures are sufficient for our day." (Denver Snuffer, April 10, 2015)

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Prophets and entropy

I have been struck by how much of the message which Samuel the Lamanite and Abinadi both deliver have previously been the subject of Nephi's prophecies. Almost every bit of Samuel the Lamanite and Abinadi's messages are first included within Nephi's message. It is possible that both of these later Book of Mormon prophets were "restoring" to new generations the message originally taught by Nephi which had fallen into neglect.

The entire message of Joseph Smith was to restore what had been here before and become lost. The work of scholar Margaret Barker suggests that Jesus Christ was restoring First Temple theology and earlier lost traditions.

If the gospel was originally preached to Adam (and I think it was) then every prophet from that day until now has simply been restoring what was once here. Prophets fight the law of entropy. Mankind keep losing truths and prophets keep bringing them back.

One of the great "signs" that there is a true prophet on the earth is the restoration by them of truths which have fallen into disuse or neglect. True prophets are at war with entropy and decay. (Denver Snuffer, March 20, 2010)

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3 Nephi 11:36

Because he asked, he met God. Walking into the grove near his home that morning he was a foolish and ignorant boy. Walking back he was a prophet. Though it would be many years following that encounter before he appreciated how far he would have to go to gain knowledge of godliness and the mysteries of salvation. But all of his study and effort was informed by the scriptures and revelation. In my view, this is how it should be.

Scriptures are an essential anchor of understanding. All truths should find a comfortable setting inside existing scripture. If a notion or teaching is jarringly contradictory of existing scripture, then there must be a very good reason or explanation before it should be accepted. It has been my experience that revelation does not contradict, but opens up meaning of the scriptures. This was Joseph's and Oliver's experience, as well. (JS-H 1: 74.) (Denver Snuffer, September 29, 2010)

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What's Wrong?

I believe He will not give an original revelation to reveal what He has already revealed to us in scripture. Instead He requires us to first study His words, then when scripture becomes unable to answer the inquiry, He shows us by revelation how to see what is there before us. Some of the greatest things I have beheld by revelation I have then found to be already described in scripture. I just did not have the eyes yet to see it.

Trust God, but follow His pattern.

If on the day of His resurrection Christ spent the day expounding scripture; 

And if Moroni spent the night teaching and reteaching from the scriptures;

And if I spent a year on an assignment expounding scripture;

THEN look to your scriptures. See if you have any assistance studying them. Let them prove to your satisfaction the Holy Ghost can and will speak to you. (Denver Snuffer, October 9, 2014)

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Themes from Email

Teaching your own revelations to others is easy. But that will produce vanity and pride in the teacher, and the student is prone to be misled and likely to displace worship of God to the teacher. (See D&C 76: 99-103.) I confine what I do to expounding the scriptures. There is never any reason to notice the teacher if attention is focused on the scriptures which bear testimony of Christ.

Revelations come from many sources, only one of which is steadfast and true. (D&C 46: 7-9.) Just because you receive a revelation does not mean it comes from God. You must labor even after you receive revelation to determine if what has been received comes from the right source. The scriptures are the best way to measure such things.

...Any time a teaching, doctrine or precept appeals to the vanity or pride of the audience, it should be questioned. Flattery is of the Devil. (2 Ne. 28: 9-12; Jacob 7: 2.) On the other hand, if it brings you down into the depths of humility, provokes repentance and an abandonment of sin, it is from God. (Denver Snuffer, May 29, 2014)

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Boise Talk

"At length Joseph recomposed himself and posed the question: “Which should I join?” Verse 19 retells: “I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." This response is a mixture of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Paul all woven together. Joseph’s account uses words of Scripture to compose a brief commentary sweeping from the Old Testament to the New Testament in the language of prophets we all recognize, condemning the entirety of the Christian world." (Denver Snuffer, September 10, 2013)

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See article: Heaven Teaches Using Scripture

It might even be said using or hearing the scriptures in this way is a "key" of discernment.

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From a friend:

I think it is very easy to reconcile the quote above. I think the word "displace" is the crux.

Are our personal revelations aligning with, fulfilling, supporting and finding additional vindication in scripture? Do they open our eyes further to what is implied and hidden within scripture? This certainly would not displace the scriptures, it would support and strengthen them.

Or are the personal revelations pushing us to set scripture aside, let go of their teachings, consider ourselves 'graduates' of a sort, and reducing their application and relevance to our understanding and action? Does a revelation teach us to let go of the teachings in scripture for any reason, as opposed to refining and adjusting and expanding our understanding of the truths? I think this would be to "displace" the scriptures, and we should be discerning of these things.

If Christ overcame Satan in their square-off by quoting scripture, if Joseph's training to open a dispensation consisted almost entirely of learning scripture and having it expounded, if Christ's ministry -- mortal and resurrected -- was built around fulfilling, ratifying and expounding scripture, then the importance of scripture seems to me like it can't be overstated.

The mysteries do indeed involve teachings and other things not written in scripture, but they do not "displace" scripture. They harmonize with the scriptures and ratify their validity, opening them further to reveal even more truth within. If revelations do not harmonize and cooperate fully with scripture, I personally do not buy the righteousness of the source.

I think this is included in what God meant when He said He doesn't excuse Himself (D&C 1:38). He doesn't tell us one thing in scripture, then tell us something personally which actually displaces His own words to us in scripture. I believe this even applies to Abraham.

Whatever happened with him sacrificing Isaac, we have only secondhand scriptural accounts, and I'm convinced that God didn't actually ask Abraham to disobey God (His word in scripture). That would be a changeable God. I believe that what God asked went against Abraham's understanding of scripture, but in the end, in some way, what transpired fully aligned with scripture rather than defied it. But we don't have a record presently explaining the semantics, it is a mystery. But I don't think Abraham should be waved as a flag declaring that God will ask us to defy His own words. I think we may well be asked to defy our flawed and incomplete understanding of them, to come out on the other side of obedience with a fuller understanding of God's unchangeable consistency and wisdom in His words.