Stronger than any of the evidences thus far considered is another kind
of evidence which may be called spiritual, being the testimony of the
Holy Spirit in the soul. This testimony has been promised to every one
who is willing to "do the will of God."
{425} When the Holy Spirit enlightens and operates upon the heart
and mind of man, he is made to perceive intuitively, as it were, the
perfect truth of the message of which we speak. Having received this
testimony, a man is no longer dependent upon demonstrations for his
belief. His eyes are opened; he can see for himself.
What a miserable existence we should have on this earth if everything
had first to be "proved" to us before we would accept it as truth. We
see that the sun shines; we hear the harmony of music; we feel or we
are conscious of our existence. Such facts we do not require anybody to
prove to us. So is it when our spiritual nature has been quickened and
called into activity by the operations of the Holy Spirit. We "see the
kingdom of heaven;" we feel and are conscious of its blessings through
our spiritual senses. This is the testimony of the Spirit in our soul,
and the strongest evidence that can be produced.
When we are told through the Gospel that "Ye have strayed from Mine
(God's) ordinances," and "broken His everlasting covenant," and that
"every man walketh in his own way," we feel this to be true. When the
word of revelation declares that men stand incriminated before the bar
of God, not only for the _acts_ of transgression, but also for a deep
and inveterate _habit_ of ungodliness in the innermost recesses of the
soul, we feel this to be so. If man, when honestly searching himself,
found that, after all, he is good enough, and his desire is to serve
God, to keep His commandments; that his highest anxiety is to promote
not his own interests but the kingdom of God, then he might feel that
the message which depicts man as a sinner, outwardly and inwardly, is
not from God. But through the aid of the Spirit he feels the truth
of the Gospel when it condemns sin, and is (with the Prophet) led to
acknowledge the "_corruption_ of human nature," as such. (Pearl of
Great Price, p. 92.)
This is not all. Through the same Spirit he is led to feel that the
provisions made through the Gospel are more than sufficient to restore
himself and the human family at large, and even inanimate creation, to
all its original beauty and glory. Is man guilty? Here is the pardon
provided. Is he corrupt? Here is provision made for his edification.
Is he surrounded by temptation? Here is divine strength imparted unto
him. Is he surrounded by problems, many of which he cannot solve? Is he
dying and fears a coming eternity? Has he lost his dearest upon earth,
and feels as if life itself were lost? Oh, here are remedies for all
wants. Here is a Gospel {426} that opens the eternities to the eye
once dim by tears, perhaps, and for the views the soul here perceives,
all earthly troubles vanish like a light cloud, and the following
words of Paul become clear: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy, to be compared to the glory which Shall be
revealed to us." (Rom. viii, 18). Thus it is observed that the message
given is precisely what we in our fallen condition wanted, and, let us
say, what we might expect from a merciful Father.
To this comes also that the experience of the believer in the message
harmonizes exactly with the promises or threatenings accompanying it.
Joseph the Prophet frequently told what would be the experience of
those who would be faithful and of those who would not be faithful
to their covenants made with God. Each promise of blessing to the
faithful, each warning to the unfaithful, is a prediction, the
fulfilment of which adds to the strength of the testimony. This
experience grows with our growth, and multiplies with every step of our
progress in the knowledge and love of truth.
It must be added, however, that this spiritual and experimental
evidence is of value only to the believer, who already enjoys the
testimony. But to him it is sufficient were it even alone. He cannot
sometimes understand that it is possible for anyone to doubt what he
himself already "feels," "sees," and "perceives" to be true. He has the
witness within himself and needs no other; for he knows that Joseph the
Prophet was a man sent from God, just with the same degree of certainty
and in the same way that he knows Jesus is the Christ.