Latter-day Gnosis: Joseph Smith's Teachings on the Knowledge Required for Salvation

You are familiar with the faith vs. works debate, but what is the role of knowledge in salvation? Read my article to find out what the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and Jesus Christ have to say on this subject.

Illustration by the author

Salvation is a complicated subject. There are so many different angles on it... Is it by faith or works? Is it a one-time event or a lifelong process? Just when I thought I had all these intricacies sorted out, I encountered another conundrum: Is knowledge required for salvation? And, if so, what knowledge?

 In my childhood, I was taught the basics of salvation; according to the Articles of Faith, salvation comes “through the atonement of Christ...by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.” These laws and ordinances include faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. These four steps were often portrayed as rungs on a ladder leading to heaven. As my understanding of the gospel expanded, I realized that there are more than four rungs on this proverbial ladder. One of these additional rungs is knowledge.

Is knowledge required for salvation? According to Joseph Smith, the answer is yes:

“It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” (D&C 131:6)

“… A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge…” (History of the Church, 4:588)

“Knowledge is necessary to life and godliness. Woe unto you priests and divines who preach that knowledge is not necessary unto life and salvation. Take away Apostles, etc., take away knowledge, and you will find yourselves worthy of the damnation of hell. Knowledge is revelation. Hear, all ye brethren, this grand key: knowledge is the power of God unto salvation.” (From a discourse given on May 21, 1843, quoted by Martha Jane Knowlton Coray)

“Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” (D&C 130:18-19)

In addition to teaching that knowledge plays a part in salvation, Joseph taught that knowledge is the defining attribute of God. This makes sense given that salvation is a process of becoming like God:

“The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” (D&C 93:36)

The Mysteries of God

After pondering the teachings of Joseph Smith on knowledge, I began to pick up on a similar theme in the Book of Mormon. Throughout this book, there are several references to something called the “mysteries of God.” In each of these references, the mysteries are described as hidden knowledge that can only be obtained through diligent seeking. Note the pattern in the following scriptures:

“For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come….” (1 Nephi 10:19)

“Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God….” (Alma 26:22)

“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. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.” (Alma 12:9-10)

These descriptions of the mysteries of God left me with some questions: What exactly is this knowledge that is reserved for the faithful? And how does God protect it from those who are unworthy?

To Know God

As I pondered these questions, I came across some teachings of Jesus that gave the answers:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)

“…no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27)

The mysteries of God were starting to make sense: The hidden knowledge wasn’t information; it was knowing God. To actually know God, and not just know about Him, is something that is non-transferable. The only way to gain this knowledge is through one’s own personal seeking. Also, as Jesus explained, the Father can only be known through the assistance of the Son. I was starting to see a connection between the “mysteries” and the first principle of the gospel: faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith Becomes Knowledge

The scriptures teach that faith can eventually transform into knowledge. We learn about this in Alma’s famous analogy of the seed. In this analogy, a seed is nourished through faith, and as the seed grows into a tree, the faith becomes a “perfect knowledge.” Note how faithfully nurturing the seed parallels the diligent seeking required to receive the mysteries of God:

“And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good. And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know…And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof....” (Alma 32:33-34, 42)

Knowledge is Salvation

One thing I learned from my studies is that knowledge isn’t a step on the ladder to salvation; knowledge is salvation. Jesus didn’t say that knowing God leads to eternal life, but that knowing God is eternal life. In his vision of the Kingdoms of Glory, Joseph Smith described those in the Celestial Kingdom thus:

“They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known….” (D&C 76:94)

My interpretation of this scripture is that those who inherit the Celestial Kingdom will know God as well as He knows them. From this, it can be inferred that the Celestial Kingdom is more of a state of knowledge than a physical location. How well we know God determines the degree to which we are saved.

The Endowment

The concept of salvation through receiving hidden knowledge is central to the temple Endowment. This pattern is evident in Brigham Young’s explanation of the ordinance:

“Let me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, comp. John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941, p. 416)

I have often wondered about “key words, signs, and tokens” enabling me to enter God’s presence. It’s hard for me to understand how this fits in with the concept of the Judgement. Based on the scriptures, I believe that I will stand before God personally to be judged, and He will know exactly who I am and if I am worthy of exaltation. So, given that God will already know me, how do “key words, signs, and tokens” come into the picture?

I have been able to make sense of this conundrum by viewing the Endowment as a symbolic template for life. In the Endowment ceremony, we learn that obedience leads to knowledge, and knowledge grants admission into God’s presence. According to my interpretation of the ordinance, the signs and tokens are not the actual knowledge needed for admission into God’s presence; they are symbols of the only knowledge that is truly secret and truly has power to save. That knowledge is to be personally acquainted with God.

The Brother of Jared's Experience

The concept salvation through knowing God is further supported by the experience of the Brother of Jared in the third chapter of Ether. Many scholars have noted the parallels between the Endowment and the brother of Jared's experience with God on the mountain. The most obvious of these is how the brother of Jared first speaks to the Lord through the veil, then sees His finger, then passes through the veil to enter His presence. The brother of Jared is allowed to pass through the veil because he knows of God's reality beyond any doubt:

“…the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you… And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting. Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him.” (Ether 3:13,19-20)

Faith, Works, and Knowledge

Although the idea of salvation through knowledge might seem incompatible with the concept of faith-based salvation, the two can be seen as parts of the same process. As illustrated in Alma chapter 32, faith in God eventually develops to knowledge of Him if we are diligent. Likewise, salvation through knowledge also fits in with the principle of being judged by our works. As a King Benjamin explained, good works cause us to become acquainted with Heavenly Father:

“For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13)

In sharing these thoughts on knowledge, I am not trying to teach a new doctrine or redefine salvation. I don’t pretend to know wether salvation comes by faith, works, or knowledge. Ultimately, salvation can’t be attributed to one single principle of the gospel. As mortals, we can’t fully comprehend exaltation, and the process by which we are exalted is also beyond our understanding. Joseph Smith said this best:

“When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave.” (King Follett Sermon, April 7, 1844)

Notes:

For more information on the similarities between Ether 3 and the temple, see the Book of Mormon Central article, Why did Mormon use temple imagery while telling the brother of Jared Story? (https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/why-did-moroni-use-temple-imagery-while-telling-the-brother-of-jared-story)