Every once in a while I come across a scripture that is quoted, commented on, and interpreted in a way that was not intended by the author. Some of these scriptures are interpreted to mean something entirely different than a wider reading of the text indicates. Take for example this scripture from Isaiah 28:10:
“ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little.”
The LDS Church teaches this scripture is a good thing; how the Lord will reveal light and truth a little at a time. We are taught that this is a blessing. The light of the gospel will be revealed a little at a time and builds upon previous revelations. Elder David A. Bednar said this in a recent conference talk:
“The Lord’s pattern for spiritual development is line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take.
Elder Benjamin De Hoyas said this in his April 2017 Conference address:
“The Lord has always revealed His will to us “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Therefore we should not be surprised by what may seem like small things because of their simple and repetitive nature.”
It is good that we receive knowledge that builds upon other knowledge, otherwise it wouldn’t make any sense to us. D&C 98:12 says “For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith.” This idea, though, is quite different then what the author of Isaiah intended. Let’s read the whole scripture reference in Isaiah 28 that puts “line upon line” in its true meaning.
First let me set the tone of chapter 28 for you. Isaiah 28 begins, “ Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower…” For the rest of the chapter Isaiah continues in this vein. Ephraim will be trodden down, with only a small residue receiving a “diadem of beauty”. The priests and prophets have erred in vision because they have drunk strong drink. They are part of the reason for Ephraim’s fall, but the people are not blameless. The priests and prophets only taught what was popular, what the people wanted to hear. And so, because the people are unwilling to receive the fulness of light and knowledge,
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.” (Isaiah 28: 10-13)
I like Gileadi’s comment on these verses:
“Although Jehovah wants to give his people “instruction” and “revelation” they are but babes and sucklings who haven’t developed far enough to digest more than milk: “Everyone who uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe” (Heb. 5:13). Ephraim’s mode of learning is still “line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little”…”Assonance and alliteration parody their rote method of learning that consists of parroting back what their leaders teach.” (Avraham Gileadi, Apocalyptic Commentary of the Book of Isaiah, p.170)
If you read Isaiah 28:10 in original Hebrew you get the sense that Isaiah is making fun of the Ephraimites. Isaiah mimics the way babies talk. Where we might say a baby talks like this: “dah dah, goo goo”; in Hebrew, “precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little” is translated from this: “saw lasaw saw lasaw qaw laqaw qaw laqaw zeir sam zeir sam”. It sounds a bit like gibberish, even to the Hebrews. Isaiah loves a play on words to get his points across. He demonstrates it is by “stammering tongue” that they hear the word of the Lord. Light and knowledge sounds like nonsense to them, so the Lord cuts off or limits what He gives them.
As Latter-Day Saints we tend to understand “line upon line” as a legitimate and preferred way of the Lord to communicate with us. Revelation comes to us as a trickle so that we can absorb it and lay the basis for further light and knowledge. That is one of the reasons we get the same Sunday school lessons over and over, the same conference talks rehashed, and a very restricted list of topics for teaching and discussion. That is not the intent of Isaiah 28 at all. If you read the entire chapter you will find that Isaiah is warning us of exactly what the church practices today. Repetition, limited interpretation, limited scope of approved topics, and, did I mention repetition?
Reading 2 Nephi 28:30 and D&C 98:12, “precept upon precept, and line upon line” seems to indicate that this is the Lord’s preferred way of revealing light and knowledge to His people. But here are a few considerations to ponder:
- 2 Nephi 28:30 says: “…thus sayeth the Lord I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept…and blessed are those who hearken…for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more;” After a person receives line upon line, if he is faithful, he will receive more. Only after a person has received milk and has moved on from “line upon line” will he be ready for bread and then meat. It is a test. Once we have proven faithful we will be allowed access to the whole spectrum of light. We will no longer have to be subjected to the same lesson, the same doctrinal concept over and over again.
- Joseph Smith stated, “I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions.” ( Joseph Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p.520) Hence he had to be careful, revealing only a small part of the knowledge of God. The members of the church were content to be limited to “line upon line”.
- Isaiah 28:10-13 was meant as a curse to Ephraim, and ultimately to Judah. Because the people could not, nor would not, endure sound doctrine in its fulness, the Lord curtailed the amplitude and frequency of new knowledge being revealed. Are we seeing the same phenomenon today?
- I would consider that the revelations that accompanied Joseph Smith’s ministry to be a full throttle outpouring of knowledge. The Book of Mormon, revelations included in the Doctrine and Covenants, the re-translation of the Bible, the Pearl of Great Price, and his recorded sermons and writings was not a “line upon line” trickle of knowledge. This was not the Lord revealing here a little and there a little, but a light switch was turned on to cause an outpouring of the knowledge of God and salvation.
- Consider the brother of Jared. He received a revelation of the entire history of the world in one sitting. Mormon wrote that only when the Gentiles have exercised faith in the Lord and been sanctified, will the Lord reveal to them what he revealed to the brother of Jared.
- Joseph Smith once said that if we could gaze through the veil for a moment we would learn more about heaven then all the books written.
- The fulness of the gospel encompasses the revelation of Christ to us. This is a revelation where nothing will be held back from us.
It seems then, that the Lord wants to give us as much light and knowledge as we can take in. In fact, He gives us more than we can fully understand. The “line upon line” mode of communication is a second rate means for those who are struggling with milk. Since Joseph Smith we have had to be content with the “line upon line” pace of heavenly knowledge revealed to us. Because the levels of knowledge revealed to us has dropped to somewhere near zero since Joseph Smith, the LDS church has become content with what was given during that short period of time between 1828 and 1844. In order to rationalize the lack of new revelation the authorities of the church have resorted to some logical gymnastics to explain why.
“…I do not even believe that there is a single revelation among the many God has given to the church, that is perfect in its fulness. The revelations of God contain correct doctrine and principles, so far as they go; but it is impossible for the poor, weak, low, groveling, sinful inhabitants of the earth to receive a revelation from the Almighty in all its perfections. He has to speak to us in a manner to meet the extent of our capabilities.” Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 2:314.
“It is a good thing for us not to attempt to advance new doctrine, or new and advanced thought in relation to principles and doctrines pertaining to, or presumed to pertain to the gospel of Jesus Christ, without weighing it carefully, with the experience of years, before you attempt to make a doctrinal test and to advance it to the people of the Lord. There is so much simple truth, necessary to be understood, that has been revealed to us in the gospel that it is extreme folly in us to attempt to go beyond the truth that has been revealed, until we have mastered and can comprehend the truth that we have. There is a great deal within our reach that we have not yet mastered.” Joseph F. Smith, James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965–75),p. 97
I recall a quote by Gordon B. Hinckley in an interview with either Mike Wallace or Larry King when asked if he received revelation. His answer was something like this, “We don’t need new revelation, we don’t pay attention to all the ones we have now.” Or something like that. The idea conveyed is that the Lord has given us all that he is going to give us until we decide to accept it and live it. There is truth in the statement by President Hinkley, but it highlights what I am presenting here, that we will continue to learn “line upon line” until we are ready to receive more. We are content to receive knowledge this way. And by acceding to contentedness with this condition we damn ourselves and reject the fulness.
The author of the Book of Job asks the question, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12). Where, indeed, is the fountain of understanding? Christ is the fountain of all knowledge. He knows and comprehends all (D&C 88:41). He is the gatekeeper for the dispensing of all this knowledge, and “If you are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done…” (D&C 50:29). At that point, we are no longer cursed to receive small incremental nuggets of light; we can ask anything and the Lord will answer.
There is a curious statement in Moses 6:61 which declares: “Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgement.” I suggest that all the knowledge is there within us, waiting to be poured out upon us when we are ready to be fed with meat. When you are dissatisfied with being subjected to rote memorization, repetitive reinforcement of concepts, and the same doctrine drummed into us over and over again, as the curse of “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line” insinuates, then you will be ready to begin to open the doors to the treasure house, “the record of heaven”.