Diamond Test

We Believe All That God Has Revealed

Boyd K. Packer

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles April 1974 General Conference

“The prophets of the past have recorded their revelations. And together with the sacred history that surrounds their being given they constitute the scripture. The Bible is, of course, the best known example.  In the Church we do something that very few do any more: We read the Bible…

When we announce that we have scripture other than the Bible, we are asked of course, “Well, where did you get these revelations? Where did these books come from?”

In response to these questions, we immediately speak of translation through the use of the Urim and Thummim of records prepared by ancient prophets; we speak of visions; we speak of visitations of angelic messengers from the presence of God; and we speak without hesitation of interviews with the Lord himself.

Many consider these explanations to be strange stories and hesitate even to appear to take them seriously. They reject the idea that processes of revelation, which were matter-of-fact in Biblical times, operate today.

We have, nonetheless, these scriptures. We got them from somewhere. We say, “Handle them; read them; test them. See for yourself.” Unfortunately, most men are reluctant even to examine them.

They remind me of the characters in a parable written a few years ago by Dr. Hugh Nibley. And I would like to quote part of his parable:

‘A young man once long ago claimed he had found a large diamond in his field as he was plowing. He put the stone on display to the public free of charge, and everyone took sides. A psychologist showed, by citing some famous case studies, that the young man was suffering from a well-known form of delusion.  An historian showed that other men have also claimed to have found diamonds in fields and have been deceived.

A geologist proved that there were no diamonds in the area but only quartz: The young man had been fooled by quartz. When asked to inspect the stone itself, the geologist declined with a weary, tolerant smile, and a kindly shake of the head.  An English professor showed that the young man in describing his stone used the very same language that others had used in describing uncut diamonds: He was, therefore, simply speaking the common language of his time. A sociologist showed that only three out of 177 florists’ assistants in four major cities believed the stone was genuine. A clergyman wrote a book to show that it was not the young man but someone else who had found the stone.

Finally an indigent jeweler pointed out that since the stone was still available for examination the answer to the question of whether it was a diamond or not had absolutely nothing to do with who found it, or whether the finder was honest or sane, or who believed him, or whether he would know a diamond from a brick, or whether diamonds had ever been found in fields, or whether people had ever been fooled by quartz or glass, but was to be answered simply and solely by putting the stone to certain well-known tests for diamonds.

Experts on diamonds were called in. Some of them declared it genuine. The others made nervous jokes about it and declared that they could not very well jeopardize their dignity and reputations by appearing to take the thing too seriously.  To hide the bad impression thus made, someone came out with the theory that the stone was really a synthetic diamond, very skillfully made, but a fake just the same. The objection to this is that the production of a good synthetic diamond, for the farm boy, would have been an even more remarkable feat than the finding of a real one.’ (Lehi in the Desert and the World of the Jaredites, Bookcraft, 1952, pp. 136–37.)…

The truth is, simply, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God—nothing more and not one whit less!”

An Important Announcement

THE DOOR OPENED WIDER

(From the book To The Rescue, the Biography of Thomas S. Monson by Heidi Swinton, pg 394)

“President Kimball led the group in prayer to receive the Lord’s confirmation.  They surrounded the altar in prayer and President Kimball ‘told the Lord at length that if extending the priesthood was not right, if the Lord did not want this change to come in the Church, he would fight the world’s opposition.’  Elder Monson would later note that had the revelation not come, President Kimball ‘would have defended the previous policy to his dying breath.’

Later that day, Elder Monson met with Bill Smart, editor of The Deseret News and quietly told him, ‘Reserve space for an important announcement tomorrow.’

Smart inquired what was coming.

‘I can’t say anything now; it is confidential.’

‘Can you tell me whether to put it on the front page or on B-1 (the front page of the local news section)?’

Elder Monson replied, ‘You will know when you see it.’

The next morning, June 9^th, the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve and all other General Authorities met again in a special session at 7AM.  ‘During the meeting, President Kimball reviewed with the Brethren the decision concerning the revelation that all worthy male members might receive the priesthood.  Every person in the room expressed himself individually and voluntarily as being in favor and sustaining the presentation by President Kimball as a revelation from the Lord.’

The announcement ran not only on the front page of The Deseret News but on the front pages of major newspapers across the country, including the New York Times and the Washington Post.  Both Time and Newsweek magazines stopped their press runs to insert the story in their upcoming weeklies.  Most commentary spoke favorably of what some called ‘a sudden move’ by the LDS Church…

The Lord’s direction that the holy priesthood should now go to all who were worthy, without exclusion of nationality or race, opened wider the door for the fulness of the gospel to be taken to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.”

To Die or Not to Die

Gen. Conf. October 1973 by ELRay L. Christiansen, Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“I have often said: You can’t repent too soon because you don’t know how soon it will be too late.

One of my distant Scandinavian relatives who was thriving financially in Denmark came with his family as converts to the Church to America and his family was directed to settle in Sanpete County. He was quite well-to-do…(and) he became so interested and involved in his possessions that he forgot about the purpose of his coming to America…

The bishop would call upon him and implore him to become active as he used to be, and he would promise them that in the future when he got certain things settled that he would do it. Finally he was growing old, and they came and said to him, ‘Now, Lars, the Lord was good to you when you were in Denmark. He has been good to you since you have come here. See all of the things that you possess. We think now, since you are growing a little older, that it would be well for you to spend some of your time in the interests of the Church. After all, you can’t take these things with you when you go.’

He stopped. He was shocked, and he said, ‘Vell, den, I vill not go.’ But he did. And so will we. It is time today to begin the program and process of repenting!”