If any man will do his will,
he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God,
or whether I speak of myself.
do:
TG Good Works
TG Obedience
will:
TG God, Will of
know:
TG Testimony
TG Truth
He Shall Know of the Doctrine
By Elder Kenneth Johnson
Of the Seventy
"It is only in doing the will of the Lord that we come to know of a surety the eternal value of gospel principles.
He Shall Know of the Doctrine
How
do we judge the value of the gospel in our lives? Do we really
appreciate our indebtedness to the Savior? In exploring my own feelings,
I often ponder the scriptures. Is my interest motivated in the same way
as those of whom we read in John?
“When
the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his
disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for
Jesus.
“And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?” (John 6:24–25.)
The Joseph Smith Translation of John 6:26 offers this insight:
“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye desire to keep my sayings, neither because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (emphasis added).
...
Many who
witnessed the Savior during his mortal ministry had only a superficial
understanding of what he did and who he was. This is substantiated by an
incident that followed Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand:
“And
when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their
synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath
this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
“Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
“And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” (Matt. 13:54–56.)
It
would appear that many who associated with Jesus saw him as a great
miracle worker or teacher but not as the Son of God. How do we progress,
then, to real understanding? I believe the answer is revealed in the
words of the Savior to the Jews: “If any man will do his will, he shall
know of the doctrine” (John 7:17).
I am grateful that I was brought up in a home where Christian
values were taught and observed, although without benefit of the
knowledge of the restoration of the gospel. Later, as I was invited to
explore the message of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, each new doctrine required deep consideration,
often resulting in a change of lifestyle. But those changes did not come
about as a result of passive belief or mere intellectual assent. The
proof was in the doing, in the exercise of faith. As I learned and
tested gospel principles new to me, I invariably found them to be true.
...
President
Heber J. Grant often quoted the saying “That which we persist in doing
becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing is changed, but
our power to do is increased” (Bryant S. Hinckley, Heber J. Grant:
Highlights in the Life of a Great Leader, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book
Co., 1951, p. 49).
Each
new principle of truth implemented in our lives combines in a
culminating testimony of the divine source of that truth. President
Brigham Young expressed his belief that “every principle God has
revealed carries its own convictions of its truth to the human mind” (Journal of Discourses,
9:149). My experiences as I grew in the gospel bore out these
statements about learning eternal truths, especially the relationship
between obedience and testimony, on doing and knowing.
...
This transition within ourselves is described in the words of the Savior to the Jews, recorded in John 8:31–32:
“If ye continue in my word [I suggest that one could interpret this to
mean, “If ye continue to live in harmony with my doctrine”], then are ye
my disciples indeed;
“And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” These
words reinforce the relationship between doing and knowing.
To
me there is an analogy between engaging in a physical fitness program
and applying and knowing about gospel principles in our lives. When we
regularly engage in physical activities, the benefits may not be
dramatically apparent. However, when illness, injury, or lack of desire
interrupt our fitness programs for a prolonged period, we experience
great difficulty in regaining the level of fitness we previously
enjoyed.
Some become so discouraged that they do not persist but settle for a lesser level of fitness.
This
can be true of living in harmony with gospel principles. The benefits
may not always be noticeable, and this may cause some to question the
reality of the doctrine and thus to lose faith and discontinue Church
activity. Those who work their way back to spiritual fitness usually
discover a greater appreciation for the gospel. Others slip away, and
walk no more with the Lord.
...
Possibly
there are doctrines that may not be easily tested in practical terms.
Nevertheless, I believe the key that opens the way to our personal
understanding of the plan of salvation, with a personal assurance
regarding the blessings of the Atonement of the Savior in our own lives,
is found by faithful adherence to gospel principles.
There
is another truth regarding the relationship of doing (being obedient or
keeping the commandments) and knowing (having the truth of the gospel
made known to us through our application of it). This additional truth
concerns the Lord’s practice of testing our hearts and minds relative to
our new knowledge. He does this so that through our overcoming a trial,
we will, in a sense, have the truth of the gospel indelibly stamped
upon our souls. Our understanding and our heart become further purified,
almost as gold—and our inner surety after having our trials will be
rich. For example, the Lord instructs Mormon to not put certain
information on the plates that we were to receive in the last days
because it “is expedient … to try their faith, and if it so be that they
shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made
manifest unto them” (3 Ne. 26:9).
The
story of Job is the story of one who learned through this process in
his own life. He was stripped of all that would seem to be precious. But
through living righteously during his period of testing, he discovered
something even more precious: God “knoweth the way that I take: when he
hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
A
testimony of the restored gospel is like a fabric with divine doctrine
and eternal principles woven together to create a vision of such
exquisite beauty that only those who follow the prescribed pattern of
doing it—that is, of living the gospel—may discover its truths.
No
other means can fully develop the potential of the human soul. As we do
the Lord’s will, we really can know of the truth of the doctrine, and
after our faith and trust have been tried, our personal knowledge will,
as ourselves, “come forth as gold.” "
By Elder Kenneth Johnson
Of the Seventy
"It is only in doing the will of the Lord that we come to know of a surety the eternal value of gospel principles.
He Shall Know of the Doctrine
How
do we judge the value of the gospel in our lives? Do we really
appreciate our indebtedness to the Savior? In exploring my own feelings,
I often ponder the scriptures. Is my interest motivated in the same way
as those of whom we read in John?
“When
the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his
disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for
Jesus.
“And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?” (John 6:24–25.)
The Joseph Smith Translation of John 6:26 offers this insight:
“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye desire to keep my sayings, neither because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (emphasis added).
...
Many who
witnessed the Savior during his mortal ministry had only a superficial
understanding of what he did and who he was. This is substantiated by an
incident that followed Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand:
“And
when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their
synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath
this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
“Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
“And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” (Matt. 13:54–56.)
It
would appear that many who associated with Jesus saw him as a great
miracle worker or teacher but not as the Son of God. How do we progress,
then, to real understanding? I believe the answer is revealed in the
words of the Savior to the Jews: “If any man will do his will, he shall
know of the doctrine” (John 7:17).
I am grateful that I was brought up in a home where Christian
values were taught and observed, although without benefit of the
knowledge of the restoration of the gospel. Later, as I was invited to
explore the message of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, each new doctrine required deep consideration,
often resulting in a change of lifestyle. But those changes did not come
about as a result of passive belief or mere intellectual assent. The
proof was in the doing, in the exercise of faith. As I learned and
tested gospel principles new to me, I invariably found them to be true.
...
President
Heber J. Grant often quoted the saying “That which we persist in doing
becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing is changed, but
our power to do is increased” (Bryant S. Hinckley, Heber J. Grant:
Highlights in the Life of a Great Leader, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book
Co., 1951, p. 49).
Each
new principle of truth implemented in our lives combines in a
culminating testimony of the divine source of that truth. President
Brigham Young expressed his belief that “every principle God has
revealed carries its own convictions of its truth to the human mind” (Journal of Discourses,
9:149). My experiences as I grew in the gospel bore out these
statements about learning eternal truths, especially the relationship
between obedience and testimony, on doing and knowing.
...
This transition within ourselves is described in the words of the Savior to the Jews, recorded in John 8:31–32:
“If ye continue in my word [I suggest that one could interpret this to
mean, “If ye continue to live in harmony with my doctrine”], then are ye
my disciples indeed;
“And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” These
words reinforce the relationship between doing and knowing.
To
me there is an analogy between engaging in a physical fitness program
and applying and knowing about gospel principles in our lives. When we
regularly engage in physical activities, the benefits may not be
dramatically apparent. However, when illness, injury, or lack of desire
interrupt our fitness programs for a prolonged period, we experience
great difficulty in regaining the level of fitness we previously
enjoyed.
Some become so discouraged that they do not persist but settle for a lesser level of fitness.
This
can be true of living in harmony with gospel principles. The benefits
may not always be noticeable, and this may cause some to question the
reality of the doctrine and thus to lose faith and discontinue Church
activity. Those who work their way back to spiritual fitness usually
discover a greater appreciation for the gospel. Others slip away, and
walk no more with the Lord.
...
Possibly
there are doctrines that may not be easily tested in practical terms.
Nevertheless, I believe the key that opens the way to our personal
understanding of the plan of salvation, with a personal assurance
regarding the blessings of the Atonement of the Savior in our own lives,
is found by faithful adherence to gospel principles.
There
is another truth regarding the relationship of doing (being obedient or
keeping the commandments) and knowing (having the truth of the gospel
made known to us through our application of it). This additional truth
concerns the Lord’s practice of testing our hearts and minds relative to
our new knowledge. He does this so that through our overcoming a trial,
we will, in a sense, have the truth of the gospel indelibly stamped
upon our souls. Our understanding and our heart become further purified,
almost as gold—and our inner surety after having our trials will be
rich. For example, the Lord instructs Mormon to not put certain
information on the plates that we were to receive in the last days
because it “is expedient … to try their faith, and if it so be that they
shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made
manifest unto them” (3 Ne. 26:9).
The
story of Job is the story of one who learned through this process in
his own life. He was stripped of all that would seem to be precious. But
through living righteously during his period of testing, he discovered
something even more precious: God “knoweth the way that I take: when he
hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
A
testimony of the restored gospel is like a fabric with divine doctrine
and eternal principles woven together to create a vision of such
exquisite beauty that only those who follow the prescribed pattern of
doing it—that is, of living the gospel—may discover its truths.
No
other means can fully develop the potential of the human soul. As we do
the Lord’s will, we really can know of the truth of the doctrine, and
after our faith and trust have been tried, our personal knowledge will,
as ourselves, “come forth as gold.” "
