Knowledge Does Not Equal Obedience

I recently learned the story of a man named William McClellin.  Before I begin the story I want to make it clear that I am not judging McClellin in any way.  I recognize that I am at lease as prone and able to commit the mistakes that McClellin.  I guess that is the lesson of the story, but we will get to that.

William was a very well educated, talented and smart man.  Through prayer and study he came to know that the Book of Mormon was given of God and translated by the prophet Joseph Smith.  He then desired to meet Joseph Smith and upon meeting him asked Joseph Smith what the Lord would have him do.  Joseph received a revelation from the Lord on the behalf of William McClellin in which the Lord answered five questions which McClellin had asked the Lord in private.  Thus, William McClellin had a sure witness that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

William began to obey the commandments that were given him by the Lord, but he faltered in his obedience.  He did things in direct disobedience to things the Lord had commanded him.  He went through several cycles of sin and repentance.  At one point he was even called to be one of the first twelve apostles of this dispensation.  But again he faltered and fell away from what he knew was true.  By searching his journal, in which he bore his soul, we understand what his life was like.  He spent years of his life growing more and more bitter against the truth that he knew.  He knew what he should do and knew that he wasn't doing it and thus he was required by his actions to find a justification for the difference between his knowledge and his actions.  While he was antagonistic against Joseph Smith he never once denied the witness he had received that Joseph was a prophet of God, even though he very much wished he could.

The moral of this story is found in the title of the post.  Knowledge does not equal obedience.  We may have at times found ourselves thinking, "how could that person have fallen, they know so much and their testimony is so strong."  This thought is supported by a false assumption that knowledge equal obedience.

We cannot let our guard down.  We cannot assume that we have reached a point in our climb towards heaven that we cannot fall from.  The Kingdom of our God is a very high kingdom and to get there we must be climbing up steeply.  There are not plateaus in the path where we can stop and rest and not risk falling backwards.  We must always be on our guard and make every step sure so that we do not slip backwards and fall.  Even those closest to the top can still fall.