Knowledge of or about?

Isaiah 11 LDS chapter heading:

"The stem of Jesse (Christ) will judge in righteousness—The knowledge about God will cover the earth in the Millennium—The Lord will raise an ensign and gather Israel"

Isaiah 11:9

"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

In what is a seemingly minor mistake is the knowledge and attitude of the LDS compilers, authorities and reviewers revealed.

 

Knowing:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3)

Is quite different than knowing about:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know about thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3, Correlated Version)

 

Knowledge "about" is what the LDS Church is currently trying to distribute. However it is impossible for an organization or an individual, no matter who it is, to distribute knowledge "of". Moses couldn't do it, Joseph couldn't. That's why these prophets diligetly worked to try to sanctify the people. Meaning, getting them to take the initiative to come into the presence of God.1 To be redeemed and sanctified by Him.

This is why it is folly in the extreme to teach "follow the prophet", "listen to us, we will never lead you astray." They, without knowing, have substituted themselves as an idol, thinking they can distribute knowledge "about" when they don't even have knowledge "of" for themselves. As a result of this we lose more and more until we are taken captive.2

 

Notes

1. "Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also; And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel; Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb." (D&C 84:23-27)

2. "It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell." (Alma 12:10-11)

"A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth. Hence it needs revelation to assist us, and give us knowledge of the things of God." (Joseph Smith, HC 4:34)