Know the Lord?

In light of this post, I wanted to ask the question of whether or not we really are supposed to know The Lord.

Is it necessary to know Him for ourselves?

Is what we have enough, if we faithfully receive all our ordinances (from baptism, temple, etc), follow the prophet, be patient to the end, go to church every Sunday, etc.? Is this enough? Is this knowing The Lord?

Is knowing The Lord the same as having a witness of His name?

I'm not going to answer any of the questions above. I'm simply going to post a few scriptures and turn you over to the Lord in prayer for your answers.

From the scriptures:

Matt 25:10-12 JST And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, ye know me not.

Hebrews 8:10-11 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 

John 17:20-26 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold me in my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. 

O righteous Father, the world hath not know thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. 

D&C 112:25-26 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

3 Nephi 14: 21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Proverbs 8: 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

In the words of David, 1 Chronicles 16: 10-11 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.

Revelation 3:20 Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

JST Matt 7:7-8 Say unto them, Ask of God; ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened. 

And then said his disciples unto him, They will say unto us, We ourselves are righteous, and need not that any man should teach us. God, we know, heard Moses and some of the prophets; but us he will not hear. 

And they will say, We have the law for our salvation, and that is sufficient for us. 

Then Jesus answered, and said unto his disciples, Thus shall ye say unto them, 

What man among you, having a son, and he shall be standing out, and shall say, Father, open thy house that I may come in and sup with thee, will not say Come in, my son; for mine is thine, and thine is mine?

D&C 93:1 Verily thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

D&C 130:3 John 14:23--The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.

In the words of Moroni, Ether 12:39-41 And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things; 

And only a few have I written, because of my weakness in writing.  

And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.

The Testimony of Christ

In D&C 76, one of the requirements of the Church of the Firstborn, who are also the heirs of the Celestial Kingdom, is that they have received the testimony of Christ, to be contrasted with Terrestrial heirs who did not receive this testimony in the flesh. I offer another few questions to consider.

Is having the testimony of Christ the same thing we get up and say in Fast & Testimony meeting?

Is having a testimony of Christ more than what we think it is?

Is it knowing Him as Moroni and others knew Him?

Is having the testimony of Christ, actually Christ having a testimony of our faithfulness?

Concluding Questions

What does knowing the Lord mean for me?

Is it a righteous desire?

Is it a necessary desire?

Will I choose to know Him for myself?

How can I come to know The Lord?

If you truly want to know the answers to any of these for yourself, lacking knowledge, then ask, seek, knock. Turn to Him who does not lack for knowledge.

What is knowing God worth to you?

Alma 22: 15-18 And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yeah, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy. 

But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest. 

And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying: 

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. 

vs. 23 ...And the king stood forth, and began to minister unto them. And he did minister unto them, insomuch that his whole household were converted unto the Lord.