Where to Start?

The best resources available to us to study the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are as follows:

• The Scriptures
• Lectures on Faith by Joseph Smithhttp://lecturesonfaith.com/(considered scripture)
• The Teachings of Joseph Smith (from The Words of Joseph Smith or Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith)

If you are ready to learn the knowledge that God awaits to shower you with, you need to study the above resources prayerfully. If you do, I promise that you will be taught by the Holy Ghost as I have. 

You will also begin to see just how much we have strayed from the Gospel of Jesus Christ that was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

The following are false traditions that have hijacked the restoration and are commonly taught in our day as to what we must do to in order to be saved:

• Follow the Living Prophet
• Read the Ensign
• Watch General Conference Every 6 Months
• Pour Over the Words Spoken at General Conference afterwards until the next General Conference
• Attend Weekly Church Meetings
• Frequently Participate in Family History and Temple Work
• And Much More...

These things are distractions, these things eat up the precious little time we have. Not all of the things in the above list are bad per se, but focusing on these things interferes with our growth and progression. If you're still reading this, you probably think I'm some kind of heretic! Allow me to present you with a challenge...

Alma 32 describes a process that each of must go through if we want to obtain knowledge in the following verses:

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

Notice what we must do in order for the seed to begin to work within us. We can not cast it out by our unbelief. We can't be doubtful, we can't reject it by adhering to current beliefs that may be wrong. The scriptures use the word unbelief to mean more than just a lack of belief...it also means a belief in something that is not correct. 

Also notice the fruits (or how we tell) whether or not the Word is good? It's more than just a good feeling (however that can be part of it). Notice we will feel our souls enlarge, we will feel edified in our learning by our understanding being enlightened. Both our heart and mind will tell us that the seed is good. 

 29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
 30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
 31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.
 32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.
 33 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.
 34 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, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.

Again, notice that it is more than just a good feeling, but it's an "enlightening." It's as if you were in a dark room and you shined a flashlight straight ahead. The flashlight would illuminate the way before you and you would see. The Holy Ghost operates in a very similar way. Once you "see" something by the Holy Ghost illuminating you with a piece of knowledge (that already existed, you just haven't seen it yet) you know it is real, you know it exists because you have seen it. 

 35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good..."

Here you go...it is light, that flash light. The Holy Ghost illuminates us with light and intelligence. 

 I urge each of you to "experiment on His word" and test this process for yourselves to see if what I'm saying is true. For the next year, use the three resources I outlined above (and others as the Spirit leads you to them) as the focus of your gospel study. Make sure to do so prayerfully, asking God to teach you. After all, what do you have to lose? If you have a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith as I do, why not begin a more in depth study of what he actually taught? What do you have to lose?