The barrier of your willingness to obey

Footnotes

There is a limit to how much God can reveal about himself to someone who doesn’t fully live up to all they already know about him.¹ You have to forsake your sins in order to come to know God.² While you continue to sin, or do anything that is contrary to his character so far as you understand it, you will remain ignorant of the aspects of his character that lie beyond your present understanding.³ A person cannot know God much better than they already do if they do not first obey what they already know about him. Why would you expect God to reveal more of himself to you if you still ignore or rebel against anything he has already shown you,⁴ when doing so would only increase the negative consequences that must follow willful rebellion against God?⁵ It is both dishonest and ineffectual to seek to know more about him before deciding to live up to what you already understand about him. Jesus frequently appealed to what his listeners already knew, but were failing to live. He knew that in order to progress closer to him, they first had to live according to what they already knew. In one particularly poignant exchange,⁶ he pointed out that the group of Jews to whom he spoke thought they had eternal life because of what the scriptures said, though they did not live what they said, particularly about him. He said their lack of belief in him was because they claimed to believe in Moses, yet didn’t do what he said.

When you reconcile to what you know, you receive more.⁷ When you ignore, resist, or reject what you know, you lose even what you have.⁸ Anytime you do less than the best you know, you make any additional revelation from him less likely⁹ until and unless you turn back to the invitation to improve that you refused before.¹⁰

Deciding to live as you sincerely believe he would in your place best orients you to the experiences that will teach you more about how he is.¹¹ If God was willing to reveal as much about himself as he already has while you were still estranged from him, how much more will he reveal to you after you align your life with how you understand him to be?¹²

Light and truth are taken away through disobedience.¹³ If you are disobedient to your present understanding of what is best or how God is, your understanding of both will deteriorate,¹⁴ often without your recognition of the reduction. Every time you do less than your best, you reduce your ability to do what is best in the future.¹⁵ The greater the knowledge you sin against, the more difficult it is for you to see and correct your faults in order to obtain forgiveness.¹⁶

Sanctification begins and continues¹⁷ as long as you are fully submitted to God. Sanctification requires continued obedience to all you know.¹⁸ Just one sin takes you out of the way.¹⁹ Those who turn away from new truth stand condemned by God²⁰ until and unless they repent and return to him. Those previously blessed by God will be punished for new disobedience against him.²¹

Eternal life requires diligently seeking to learn more about God²² and living everything you know as soon as it is revealed.²³ In plain terms, you diligently search for more truth, and continue reconciling yourself to everything you learn.²⁴ In order to remain in the stream of full blessings from God, you must continuously exercise full diligence²⁵ in learning more about him and full obedience to all you learn.²⁶

Jesus reveals more of himself based upon an individual’s diligence in seeking to learn more and obedience to what they are taught.²⁷ A person’s willingness to integrate present knowledge into their character and actions actually increases their capacity to receive greater truth. The Lord said that perception of his light is controlled by how well we live what we already know about him.¹⁰⁰⁹ In order for him to reveal more about himself to you, you first need to live up to what he has already shown you.¹⁰¹⁰ God reveals more of himself to those who live up to what they already understand about him.

To walk with God, you must first stand with God. You begin walking with God by fully applying your understanding of his example to your life.¹⁰¹¹ As you increase in your understanding of God, you continue to walk with him by identifying new ways in which you differ from him and making the changes needed to remain reconciled to him.¹⁰¹² Until you are willing to reconcile yourself to how you believe God to be, you are not ready to learn more about how he actually is.

If you want to learn more about God, live up to what you already know about him. As you apply everything you know about God so far, he will teach you more about himself, enabling you to advance. You must be fully obedient to everything you know in order to obtain more knowledge from God. As you heed God’s influence within you and fully emulate it in your thoughts, feelings, and actions, he will expand his influence within you.

Footnotes

1. And there are none that doeth good except those who are ready to receive the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth unto this generation (D&C 35:12) ↩
2. O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead. (Alma 22:18) ↩
3. Only those who live in accordance with what they already know about the Father can perceive or recognize more about the Father. (John 6:46, Author’s Reflection) ↩
4. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. (3 Nephi 26:10) ↩
5. For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation. (D&C 82:3) ↩
6. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:39-47) ↩
7. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Matthew 13:12) ↩
8. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13) ↩
9. Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2) They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble. In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me. Verily I say unto you, notwithstanding their sins, my bowels are filled with compassion towards them. I will not utterly cast them off; and in the day of wrath I will remember mercy. (D&C 101:7-9) ↩
10. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:20-21) ↩
11. ...feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do....if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do. (2 Nephi 32:3, 5) ↩
12. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10) ↩
13. “And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience...” (D&C 93:39) ↩
14. And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received. (D&C 1:33) ↩
15. And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have. (D&C 60:3) Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. (Luke 8:18) ↩
16. For behold, if ye deny the Holy Ghost when it once has had place in you, and ye know that ye deny it, behold, this is a sin which is unpardonable; yea, and whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea, I say unto you, my son, that it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness. (Alma 39:6) Nevertheless, he has sinned; but verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness, who have not sinned unto death. (D&C 64:7) Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them. (D&C 58:42-43) ↩
17. And ye must practise virtue and holiness before me continually. Even so. Amen. (D&C 46:33) ↩
18. But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. (Mosiah 4:30) For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him. (D&C 3:4) ↩
19. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10) ↩
20. Ye call upon my name for revelations, and I give them unto you; and inasmuch as ye keep not my sayings, which I give unto you, ye become transgressors; and justice and judgment are the penalty which is affixed unto my law. (D&C 10:4) ↩
21. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. (Ezekiel 18:24) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 1:5-7) ↩
22. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62) ↩
23. And again, I would that ye should learn that he only is saved who endureth unto the end. Even so. Amen. (D&C 53:7) ↩
24. ...press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20) ↩
25. And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7) ↩
26. But blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life....Wherefore, let every man beware lest he do that which is not in truth and righteousness before me. (D&C 50:5,9) ↩
27. And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: 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. (Alma 12:9) ↩

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