Tradition
"The difference between relying upon tradition and relying upon a Spirit-led belief is the difference between moving in the dark and living with the light. Throught the Spirit you can become reconnected with God. You are alive again. You can receive an experience which will form an anchor to your belief and prevent you from ever being blown off course by winds of false doctrine again." (Denver Snuffer)
"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not." (Ether 12:4-5)
Ether's was referring to an anchor received in this life, achieved by faith, not after we die.
"Now, there is some grand secret here, and keys to unlock the subject. Notwithstanding the apostle exhorts them to add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, &c., yet he exhorts them to make their calling and election sure. And though they had heard an audible voice from heaven bearing testimony that Jesus was the Son of God, yet he says we have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place. Now, wherein could they have a more sure word of prophecy than to hear the voice of God saying, This is my beloved Son, &c.
"Now for the secret and grand key. Though they might hear the voice of God and know that Jesus was the Son of God, this would be no evidence that their election and calling was made sure, that they had part with Christ, and were joint heirs with Him. They then would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Then, having this promise sealed unto them, it was an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast. Though the thunders might roll and lightnings flash, and earthquakes bellow, and war gather thick around, yet this hope and knowledge would support the soul in every hour of trial, trouble and tribulation. Then knowledge through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the grand key that unlocks the glories and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Then I would exhort you to go on and continue to call upon God until you make your calling and election sure for yourselves, by obtaining this more sure word of prophecy, and wait patiently for the promise until you obtain it." (Joseph Smith, HC 5:20)
The mind of man has great power to wrestle a plain doctrine down until there is nothing left to it; to dissolve it until it fits into thier faithless beliefs; to rob it of its saving power. Joseph put it this way: "There has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation. It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger for a wedge and a pumpkin for a beetle. Even the Saints are slow to understand." (HC, 6:184)
This is what the Savior meant when he explained His parable:
"When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side." (Matthew 13:19)
"And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers." (D&C 93:39)
The Lord said our traditions are the very mainspring of corruption:
"...that spirit which hath so strongly riveted the creeds of the fathers, who have inherited lies, upon the hearts of the children, and filled the world with confusion, and has been growing stronger and stronger, and is now the very mainspring of all corruption, and the whole earth groans under the weight of its iniquity. It is an iron yoke, it is a strong band; they are the very handcuffs, and chains, and shackles, and fetters of hell." (D&C 123:7-8)
Cast off all your false traditions wherever you find them. Listen to the whisperings of the still small voice and be not afraid to, in faith, go where it leads.
"The world is full of technicalities and misrepresentation, which I calculate to overthrow, and speak of things as they actually exist." (Joseph Smith, HC v. 5 p. 344)
"And I would to God that this temple was now done, that we might go into it, and go to work and improve our time, and make use of the seals while they are on earth.
"The Saints have not too much time to save and redeem their dead, and gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten, and the consumption decreed falls upon the world.
"I would advise all the Saints to go to with their might and gather together all their living relatives to this place, that they may be sealed and saved, that they may be prepared against the day that the destroying angel goes forth; and if the whole Church should go to with all their might to save their dead, seal their posterity, and gather their living friends, and spend none of their time in behalf of the world, they would hardly get through before night would come, when no man can work; and my only trouble at the present time is concerning ourselves, that the Saints will be divided, broken up, and scattered, before we get our salvation secure; for there are so many fools in the world for the devil to operate upon, it gives him the advantage oftentimes." (Joseph Smith referring to the still incomplete Nauvoo Temple 5 months before his death. HC v. 6, ch. 8, p. 184, Emphasis in original.)
As members of the church, we have become compulsively obsessed with appearances and give little attention to substance. We fixate on these gnats leaving no time in our minds for contemplating how to rescue the fallen soul and the oppressed. The fallen soul, in our mind, becomes the man who does not conform to the image or our ideal that has been handed down by our traditions. We see these things and they disturb us, when what should be disturbing is a lack of revelation, prophecy, visions, ministration of angels, speaking in tongues.
We deserve the Savior's rebuke today of the whited sepulcher.
The man who is inspired by the devil cannot help but preach his apostate doctrines and persecute the followers of Christ. Those inspired by the Holy Ghost cannot help but preach the doctrines of Eternity. Those who are not inspired have no desire to preach but quitely follow established traditions. These are those lukewarm souls who God promised to spew out of his mouth.
