Even when we try to live as a part of “Zion” in our generation, we find the techniques of Wall Street and Hollywood are adopted and adapted to market the views of “Zion.” We find that even as we act in good faith, seeking good ends, we still lapse into using the tools and techniques of Babylon. For us, that seems almost commonsensical and appropriate. Why not use good marketing, social science tools, surveys, focus groups and psychology to augment and support honest efforts to advance the cause of Zion (Nephi’s Isaiah, Pg. 304-305)?

It looks good, sounds good, and “proves” useful in clinical settings. So why can’t psychology be part of God’s work? Why wouldn’t we? It makes the most sense after all. It’s easier to understand than studying the scriptures and finding them applicable to our daily lives.

Why do the tools used in God’s work matter so much?

With confidence and without confusion, Nephi answers that question with this contrast: We have, on the one hand, the “arm of flesh,” competing with, on the other hand, the “Spirit.” For the “arm of flesh,” Nephi has nothing but derision. He even pronounces “woes” upon those who rely upon such tools. He would have us rely instead upon the Spirit. The “arm of flesh” we find in Babylon’s tools, cannot be adapted to the cause of Zion with long-term success. Zion must be built on the Lord’s terms, if it is to be built at all. Whole generations in the past have lived wanting, but never seeing, Zion. They were not willing to flee Babylon, and therefore could never put Zion together using the tools of Babylon. They could never find how to overcome this dilemma. Nephi has given us the key to figuring this out. However, unless we grasp Nephi’s teachings on this important point, we will not live to see Zion established in our day either (Nephi’s Isaiah, Pg. 305).

The arrogant teachings of a scholar cannot replace the teachings of the Spirit. Their tools will not aid in the long-term success of Zion. The process in becoming a Zion person has its foundation based on the Lord’s terms, not psychology. Watering down the scriptures only provides the illusion of a lower bar of requirement for us. Changing definitions of words does not change the commandments and warnings laid out in the scriptures. The teachings of man maintain the façade of self-improvement, but ultimately lead to focus on self instead of God.

But woe to those who have been given the law, who have all of God’s commandments, like we do, and who transgress them and waste the days of their probation — because their state is awful. How crafty is the Evil One’s plan! How vain, weak, and foolish are mankind! If they’re educated, they think they’re wise, and they don’t follow God’s counsel. They set it aside, thinking they know better themselves. As a result, their wisdom is foolishness, and doesn’t benefit them, and they will perish. But it’s good to be educated if they also follow God’s counsels (CoC 2 Nephi 6:8-9).

We have been given the law and God’s commandments, including a living and breathing covenant. And despite having covenanted to use the scriptures to govern ourselves in our daily walk in life, we find ourselves slowly setting aside God’s counsel because we think we know better. We have our education to prove it, after all. This wisdom is foolishness and will not benefit, because it is not real wisdom. Ultimately, it cannot serve as a steady foundation for a people of God.

Mankind is weak because they do not hear God’s word and do not use it as guidance. As a result, they do not keep God’s commandments. This includes us, for do we not call “Lord! Lord!” and yet fail to do the things which He says? God commands you to hear His sayings (not any other man’s) and then do them.

And why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man who built a house, and dug deep, and laid the foundation on a rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock. But he who hears and does not is like a man that, without a foundation, built a house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great (Luke 5:13).

You cannot receive salvation by anyone other than the Lord. You must come to Him for His paths are righteousness. The way for man is narrow, but straight and only God is the gatekeeper. But what keeps the Gatekeeper from letting you in?

And the worldly, the educated, and those who are rich, who are inflated with pride because of their knowledge, education, and wealth — they’re the ones He looks down upon. And unless they abandon these things and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, He won’t allow them through the gate. Real wisdom and real understanding will be hidden from them forever, and shared only with the holy ones to give them joy (CoC 2 Nephi 6:11).

It is the holy ones who experience joy through receiving real wisdom and real understanding, of which includes the word of God. He looks down on the worldly and those who believe their education and knowledge make them wise. Unless they abandon the teachings of the world and consider themselves fools before God, real wisdom and real understanding will be hidden. Is it offensive to God to replace teaching the scriptures with teachings founded in psychology among a group of people that covenanted to use the scriptures as their daily guide? Have our meetings, conferences, and conversations slowly rooted themselves in the philosophies of man with a sprinkling of God’s words to appease those who took the covenant? Has faith been diverted from the scriptures to the arm of flesh?

The phrase “arm of flesh” in the Book of Mormon was replaced with “scholarly arrogance of man” in the Covenant of Christ. This is quite applicable to our day as we live in a society that currently worships psychology. It is a god to us because we look to it for answers and healing. Society trusts man to unravel the mysteries that keep us from finding peace of mind. It puts their faith in the education of others and forgets that God has already laid out the path to salvation in the scriptures. Why has God been rejected? Why are we failing to find success amongst ourselves as Covenant Christians in using the scriptures to solve our problems?

Laman and Lemuel could not understand the words of God that Lehi spoke to them because they didn’t ask the Lord. And they didn’t inquire of God because they didn’t keep God’s commandments. In pursuing another path other than God’s, they didn’t have the faith necessary to approach God and receive answers. Therefore God’s word could not bring them joy (CoC 1 Nephi 4:2). So they rejected the scriptures and God’s blessings. They rejected Lehi and sought to kill Nephi.

But all things have been done in the wisdom of Him who knows all things. Adam fell for people to exist, and we exist to experience joy. And the Messiah comes at the appointed time to rescue mankind from the Fall. Then because they’re rescued from the Fall, they’re free to act, knowing good from evil, to act for themselves and not to be acted on. However, mankind will be punished based on the law on the great and last day, according to the commandments God has given. So people act freely in this life, and this creation lets people choose freely. They’re free to choose liberty and eternal life by obeying mankind’s Mediator, or instead choose captivity and death by letting the accuser lead them. The accuser wants all mankind to become miserable like he is (CoC 2 Nephi 1:10).

We get to choose to keep God’s commandments. In keeping His commandments, we learn the correct tools necessary to bring about Zion and to experience joy. If we are miserable, then the tools we are using are the tools taught by the world and the accuser. That does not mean the scriptures failed us. It means we failed to complete the steps necessary to attain the wisdom and understanding that leads to repentance, faith, and receiving God’s blessings. God cares about that distinction being made.

I believe this idea is demonstrated in the Lord making it a point to have the Book of Mormon translated by an “uneducated” man.

However, the Lord God will tell the one to whom He’ll entrust the book: Take these words that are unsealed and give them to another, so he can show them to the well educated, saying: Please read this. And the well educated will say: Bring the book here and I’ll read the words. Now he’ll say this because he wants attention from the world and to make money, not for God’s glory. And the man will reply: I can’t bring the book because it’s sealed. Then the well educated will say: I can’t read it. Therefore the Lord God will give back the book and its words to the one who isn’t well educated. Then the man who isn’t well educated will say: I’m not well educated. And the Lord God will tell him: The well educated won’t read the words — they’ve rejected them. But I’m able to do My own work; so you must read the words that I’ll give you. Don’t do anything with the sealed things; I’ll reveal them at the right time. I’ll show mankind that I’m able to do My own work. When you’ve read the words I’ve assigned you, and obtained the witnesses I’ve promised you, then you must seal up the book again and hide it away to Me, so I can keep the words you haven’t read safe until I see fit in My own wisdom to reveal all things to mankind. For I Am God, and I Am a God of miracles. I’ll show the world I Am the same yesterday, today, and forever; that I don’t do anything among mankind unless it’s according to their faith (CoC 2 Nephi 11:20).

God separates His work from the work of man so that we cannot look back and claim it was done by our wisdom. The tools of Babylon, the doctrines of man, have no place in the process of bringing about Zion.

And the Lord will also tell the one who will read the words assigned to him: Because these people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their respect for Me is taught by the doctrines of men, therefore I’ll proceed to do a marvelous work among these people, yes, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise and learned will pass away, and the understanding of their prudent will become confused (CoC 2 Nephi 11:21). 

Nephi, in his great prayer to the Lord, said: “I won’t put my trust in the scholarly arrogance of man, because I know those who trust in arrogant fools are cursed. Indeed, those who put their trust in the vain teachings of a man and trust them as if they were truth are cursed. Yes, I know God will give freely and abundantly to those who ask; yes, God will give to me if I don’t ask improperly. Therefore I’ll lift up my voice to You; yes, I’ll cry to You, my God, the rock of my righteousness. I’ll never stop calling out to You, my rock and my everlasting God. Amen.”

God is the Gatekeeper that will open to those who knock and answer those who ask. But that requires you to lay down your trust in the teachings and philosophies of the world and trust in God. The accuser attempts to mimic what belongs to God. Oftentimes, he brings it so close to the truth that those whose foundation is not built on the word of God can easily be deceived. In taking the guidance of man, you may believe yourself to be doing good, and yet fail to keep the Lord’s commandments.

If the Gentiles then obey the Lamb of God, He’ll reveal Himself to them in word and power and in person, in order to remove barriers to their belief, and if they don’t harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, they’ll be included with your father’s descendants — indeed, they’ll be included as part of the house of Israel. And they’ll become a blessed family in the promised land forever. They won’t be enslaved anymore, and the house of Israel won’t be embarrassed anymore. And the great pit dug for them by that utterly wicked church, which the accuser and his followers founded so that he could take people’s souls down to hell — that great pit dug for people’s destruction will be filled with those who dug it, to their complete destruction, says the Lamb of God — not the destruction of the soul, but throwing it into that endless hell. This is according to the accuser’s imprisonment, and according to God’s justice as well, upon all those who insist on doing wicked and corrupt things in God’s sight (CoC 1 Nephi 3:25).

In reference to this scripture, Denver shared:

Notice that people arrive here because of the “abominable church” that will always be ready to preach to you false, vain and foolish doctrines. They will offer anything to distract you and keep you from seeing the Lord “bring again Zion.” They will use the words of Zion to preach a false faith. They are “abominable” because their false teachings are clothed in the vocabulary of truth.

 “Abominable” has been replaced with “utterly wicked” in the Covenant of Christ. Utter wickedness because they clothe false teachings in the vocabulary of truth. This is what the accuser does.

Continuing:

At that day even the very elect will be the targets of deception. Those claiming falsely to be “prophets” will arise and lead away many. They will show great wonders, spacious and glorious buildings, feats of charity and good will. But the elect will not be deceived, though they may be troubled. They will not be deceived because they treasure up His words. They know His voice, recognize when it speaks, and will use it to keep them from deception. They will have entertained angels, who will have gathered them, and will be waiting for His return (DS Blog).

We are never free from the threat of deception. Receiving a covenant and a name requires us to live by and keep it. Avoiding deception from those who speak so close to the truth requires a foundation built on the word of God – treasuring up and keeping His words. This requires time and practice. It cannot be purchased or borrowed from another fellow virgin of the ten virgins. Studying and applying the philosophies of men mingled with scripture does not help us better understand and recognize God’s voice. It leads away with the grand show of wonders and feats of charity and good will. It mimics the real thing without being the real thing.

Real wisdom and understanding comes only from God.

And again, truly I say unto you my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that you shall call upon me while I am near. Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and you shall find me, ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Whatever you ask the Father in my name, it shall be given unto you that is expedient for you. (T&C 86:11).

If you believe that God is not drawing near, that you cannot find Him, that you haven’t received, and that the Gatekeeper hasn’t opened the gate, do not harden your heart and turn to the doctrines of man for answers.

The Lord said, “… for my elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts (T&C 9:3).” Laman and Lemuel hardened their hearts because they did not consistently keep God’s commandments.

I said to them: Have you asked the Lord? They replied: We haven’t — the Lord doesn’t reveal any such thing to us. Then I asked them: Why don’t you keep the Lord’s commandments? Why are you determined to damn yourselves because of the hardness of your hearts? Don’t you remember what the Lord has said? — if you choose not to harden your hearts and ask Me in faith, believing you will receive, consistently keeping My commandments, these things will certainly be revealed to you (CoC 1 Nephi 4:2).

In The Second Comforter, Denver stated:

This process of gaining light and truth by keeping the commandments is no small thing. Acquiring light and truth is acquiring “intelligence” in the scriptural meaning of the term. It is explained in these words: “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” (D&C 98: 36.) Here we see how significant these things are. Light and truth, or intelligence, are the same thing. They are also synonymous with the glory of God. These are acquired through keeping the commandments. God wants us to have light and truth. He wants to give it to us. The way He can and does give it to us is through the commandments He has provided. We accept that invitation and keep the commandments, then we accept God’s offering to us. We receive what He offers. We get light and truth. This is a simple process and God has made it universally available. Whether or not you have access to a good school, you have access to light and truth. Whatever language you speak, or circumstance you live in, you have access to light and truth. It is available to all.

Not understanding what God is asking of us though the scriptures drives us to use the tools of psychology to bring about Zion. This does not signify the scriptures’ failure to contain adequate stories, explanations, and tools. It signifies that we have failed to consistently keep the Lord’s commandments. We should work on softening our hearts through keeping God’s commandments so that we can ask, receive, and better recognize the truth and light that God is so eager to bestow on us.