Gnosis.

Gnosis:

When I decided to pursue further knowledge concerning some of these things, I had some people ask me, “Why are you reading Denver Snuffer's blog page?” I had others ask me, “Why haven't you asked the Lord?” Reasonable questions.

At the time, I was in the “study it out in your mind” phase of revelation. You have to read and study in the “study phase” of the process. You have to pray and ask for inspiration, insight, and the ability to understand during the “study phase” of the process. You have to “think it out in your mind” during the “study phase”; and, that's where I was when people asked me their questions. I was also trying to elicit a response and input from those whom I thought might know. I also presented some of my initial theories and tested the waters, before jumping in and making up my mind.

After a particularly inspirational day at Church, I came home and continued my Gospel studies and writings. During my nightly prayers, I suddenly felt moved upon to ask my questions. I asked my questions and the answers popped quickly and easily into my mind; and, it went that way for a number of hours.

Here's some of my questions and some of my answers:

Q. Is it necessary for my eternal salvation and exaltation to know if Thomas S. Monson has seen Christ face-to-face or heard His voice?

A. “No. That issue is between Thomas Monson and Jesus Christ, and simply has no bearing on your own personal salvation or exaltation.”

Q. Is it essential for my exaltation to believe or know if any of the modern-day living LDS Apostles have seen Christ or spoken with Him?

A. “No. That issue is between them and Jesus Christ, and it's simply not binding on you and does not apply to you.” Interesting.

Q. Is it necessary for my exaltation to know if Joseph Smith saw Jesus Christ and the Father? Is it necessary to have a testimony of the First Vision?

A. “Yes. As a Latter-day Saint in this dispensation, this knowledge and this testimony is absolutely essential for your personal salvation and exaltation.”

The question that popped immediately in my mind, “Why?”

A. “It's because the First Vision is in the Pearl of Great Price and the Pearl of Great Price has been canonized, voted upon, and sustained in the General Conferences of the LDS Church. As a Latter-day Saint seeking exaltation, it is vital that you sustain and accept the First Vision as true, because it is in the Standard Works of the LDS Church.”

Q. Is it necessary for me to have a testimony or a witness of the Book of Mormon and believe that it is the word of God?

A. “Yes, absolutely. The Book of Mormon has been voted upon and sustained in the General Conferences of the LDS Church, and the book and its contents are fully binding on you and absolutely necessary for your exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom.”

Q. Is acceptance of the Doctrine and Covenants or a testimony of that book necessary for my exaltation?

A. “Yes.”

Q. Why, I asked!

A. “For the same reason. The book has been canonized in the LDS Church; and thus, acceptance of the book and a willingness to keep the covenants in that book are necessary for your exaltation. Furthermore, the book is 'voted upon' or sustained in the LDS Temple Endowment. Thus, as an endowed Latter-day Saint, the Doctrine and Covenants is fully binding on you by covenants that you have already made in the Temple of God.”

Q. What about the Bible?

A. “Yes, as far as it is translated correctly. The Bible is part of the Standard Works, and thus a testimony of the book and acceptance of the book and compliance to the commandments (especially the Ten Commandments) in the book are necessary for your salvation and exaltation. Particularly study the Gospel of John, the Ten Commandments, the Book of Isaiah, the Psalms, the testimony of Paul, and the Sermon on the Mount – many of these things are included or duplicated in the Book of Mormon for a reason, after all.”

Q. What about the Word of Wisdom? Is it necessary?

A. “Yes, as long as it is taken in wisdom and used with prudence, moderation, and understanding. It's particularly important to break and overcome all your addictions. It's important to achieve and maintain sobriety. Eat well-balanced meals, with lots of fruits and vegetables and nuts. Go sparingly on the meat. One meat-meal a day is fine, but the meat-meal is not supposed to be meat and nothing but meat. The meat is supposed to be a small portion of the meal and surrounded by vegetables, salads, fruit, nuts and other goodies when you put the meat down. Go sparingly on the bread, especially the white bread. A slice a day is fine. Half a loaf of bread for every meal is not fine – it will give you the dreaded bread-basket. Go sparingly on the soda pop – once a week or once a month is fine. Soda pop for every meal will make you fat, give you diabetes, and slowly kill you. Don't go fanatical about it all. A slice of chocolate cake once a month is just fine; but, a slice of chocolate cake for every meal is not fine! A coke or pepsi to keep you awake during a long drive is just fine if you find it necessary; but, coke and pepsi for every meal is NOT fine and is a violation of the Word of Wisdom. If you have a sick tummy or migraine headache, a cup of Green Tea once or twice a year as medicine is perfectly fine and will have you right-as-rain within a couple of hours. Green Tea morning and night is a violation of the Word of Wisdom.” And so forth. This Q&A went on for awhile.

Then I started to ask the million-dollar questions.

Q. Is it necessary for my eternal salvation and exaltation to believe and to know that Denver Snuffer saw Jesus Christ and spoke with Jesus Christ?

A. “No. That situation is between Denver Snuffer and Jesus Christ, and it is no longer binding on you. In fact, it never was binding on you.” That answer was a relief and brought a great deal of peace to my soul.

Q. Is it necessary for my exaltation to sustain Denver Snuffer as a Prophet of the Lord?

A. “No. He is NOT one of the Twelve Apostles, and Denver's status and standing with the Lord is not binding on you in any way, shape, or form. That issue is between Denver Snuffer and Jesus Christ, and nothing more.”

I asked a lot of questions about Denver's excommunication from the LDS Church, and I got a bunch of different answers here and there over time.

A. “That issue is between Denver Snuffer, his Bishop and Stake President, and Jesus Christ. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. It was fine for you to have hoped that he wouldn't be excommunicated, but now that he has been excommunicated, that issue is between him and the Lord and has nothing to do with you, because you are not Denver's Bishop or Stake President. Relax. Move along. Nothing to see here.”

Q. Did Denver Snuffer really see Jesus Christ and talk with Jesus Christ?

A. “That issue is between Denver Snuffer and Jesus Christ. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. If he saw the Savior, then wonderful. If he did not, it doesn't matter anyway. It has nothing to do with you. It doesn't concern you. And it isn't the least bit binding on you. The same applies to Thomas S. Monson and the other LDS Apostles. That issue is between them and the Lord. A testimony or knowledge of it is NOT necessary for your own personal salvation.”

Q. Why?

A. “Their encounters with the Lord, both great and small, are not included in the LDS scriptures and have not been canonized; therefore, their experiences with the Lord are not essential for your salvation and exaltation.”

Interesting.

Q. Is knowledge of the Denver Snuffer book, “The Second Comforter”, or a testimony of the book necessary for my personal salvation and exaltation?

A. “No.”

Q. I then asked why?

A. “The book has not been voted upon in General Conferences of the LDS Church, has not been canonized, and has not been added to the Standard Works of the LDS Church. If the book was necessary for your exaltation, it would have already been voted upon in General Conference and included in the Pearl of Great Price and printed in the 2013 Edition of the LDS Scriptures. Since the book is not there, it is not binding upon you; and thus, it's not necessary for your eternal salvation and exaltation. Knowledge of Denver Snuffer and his books is NOT necessary for your salvation and exaltation; if it were, these books would have already been included in the LDS Scriptures by now.”

I also got the distinct impression that it is perfectly acceptable to own the “Second Comforter” book, to read the book, and to like the book – which I do and have done.

A. The following are some of the impressions that came to my mind, “If the book helps you in your own personal quest to experience the Second Comforter, then so much the better! That matter is between you and the Lord, and will be taken care of in the Lord's own due time. Enjoy the book and make use of it, if you can. However, if you are one of the millions of Latter-day Saints who haven't heard of the book, haven't read the book, or can't afford to buy the book, God is NOT going to hold it against you. Knowledge of the book and a testimony of the book simply are NOT necessary for your exaltation as a Latter-day Saint; however, a Temple Endowment is. The LDS Scriptures are necessary for your salvation and exaltation, but Denver's “Second Comforter” book is not.”

I thought that information was good to know, because I know many Latter-day Saints who have never heard of Denver Snuffer, have never read any of his books, or couldn't afford to buy his books even if they wanted to.

Q. Do I have to accept and sustain Denver Snuffer as a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator in order to be saved and exalted.

A. “No. Denver is not one of the LDS General authorities, and Denver is not one of the LDS Apostles. That whole issue is between Denver Snuffer and the Lord. It has nothing to do with you.”

Q. Do I have to sustain Thomas S. Monson as the current Prophet and President of the LDS Church and sustain the LDS Apostles as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators in order to be saved and exalted in the Celestial Kingdom?

A. “Yes. This issue is at the very core of being a Latter-day Saint. That's why these men are voted upon and sustained each and every General Conference and Ward Conference, because sustaining and accepting them is necessary for your exaltation and eternal salvation. They have stewardship over you and are duly anointed and authorized to serve you; and, they will be held accountable to the Lord if they fail to do so. Therefore, if you fail to sustain them, you are equally accountable to the Lord for that failure and it will actually cost you your exaltation if you refuse to sustain them. Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom is an LDS-Church related issue and an LDS Temple Endowment issue; therefore, failure or refusal to sustain your LDS Church Leaders and failure to receive your Temple Anointings and Temple Endowment will naturally block you from receiving entrance into the Celestial Kingdom. Excommunication from the LDS Church would block you from entering into the Celestial Kingdom, unless you get the situation resolved.”

Q. Do I need a Temple Endowment in order to be exalted in the Celestial Kingdom?

A. “Yes. Every person who is exalted in the Celestial Kingdom will need some kind of Temple-like experience either in this life or in the next, in order to enter into the Celestial Kingdom. That's just the way it works. All of the true Prophets and Patriarchs before us have received some kind of Temple experience or Mountain-top experience or Temple Endowment with the Lord, as an essential part of their salvation and exaltation. If they didn't receive that kind of experience before, they will have to receive it sometime in the future, before they can be exalted and enter into the Celestial Kingdom of God.”

Q. Do I have to go to church in order to be saved and exalted?

A. “The Lord is perfectly understanding and merciful. If you are so sick that you cannot leave your bed or walk out of the house, then no, you do not have to go to church in order to be saved. The Lord understands. However, receiving the sacrament and renewing your covenants on a regular basis are necessary for your exaltation and necessary for your progress while you are alive here on this earth. If you are chronically crippled or ill so that you cannot get to church, then the proper course is to talk to your Bishop, Home Teachers, or Quorum leaders and request that the Priests bring the sacrament into your home each Sunday so that you can continue to receive those blessings. On the other hand, if you are using each and every Sunday for boating, golfing, hunting, partying, and getting drunk, then your lack of church attendance will indeed threaten your exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom.”

Q. There are exclusive forums and blogs on the internet for the people who sustain Denver Snuffer as their personal Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. Is it necessary for my exaltation, to be a member of one of these forums or blogs?

A. “No. Those exclusive forums are simply a marketing ploy to generate traffic and income for the owners of the website. If you find benefit or inspiration on the Bloggernacle, then fine; but, if it's leading you to apostasy or excommunication from the LDS Church, then beware.”

Q. Do I have to keep any of these revelations to myself, or couch them in metaphor and mystery and secrecy?

A. “No. These revelations you have received are common knowledge and common sense and are fully and freely available to every Latter-day Saint who is willing to look and see. You haven't received anything that you need to keep quiet about, and you can talk about it all you want.”

So, in conclusion, no special knowledge or secret knowledge was revealed to me, just a calm assurance that I was on the right track. No magic or voodoo. No voices or earthquakes. No thunder or lightening, just a calm still feeling that my questions had been heard and answered, to my satisfaction. Good enough. I share what I discovered, because the impression came upon me that it was perfectly fine to do so; it is all common knowledge after all, equally available to every Latter-day Saint on the planet. All they have to do is look and see, and choose to accept and understand.