Frequently heard criticisms - "What you teach is false because those close to you have not seen the Lord"

Before criticizing people who claim to be in the service of God, it is a good idea to screen your actions against the example of those who condemned Jesus.

Step 1: Express the situation in the form of a generalized principle.

Step 2: Search the life of Jesus to see whether the application of that principle would cause you to reject Jesus. If so, repent.

As an example, here is one criticism people have levied against me from time to time. Here is one case (yes, this is an actual quote from an actual email sent to me from a person I have never met):

"I also find it comical you 'work tirelessly' to write and write and write and blog and blog and blog and blog - attempting to convince others to seek the Lord face to face yet, that which you teach others to do - you can not do yourself. I know from good authority that your wife and children have yet to receive the Lord face to face."

Sidestepping the fact that this person neither their "good authority" has any idea what they are talking about, let's apply the pattern.

The principle this person is asserting that the value of a purported messenger is based upon the number of people who receive the fruits they claim.

By this criteria, Jesus was an abject failure. Exactly zero of the people alive during his lifetime fully attained to the fruit he promised, and even those who received it partially were in the extreme minority. His disciples did not even have the gift of the Holy Ghost during his life. Would you reject Jesus for that?

We could trace this principle through many other situations that would obviously demonstrate how wrong it is. For example, hopefully, this person and those like him would not throw away the scriptures as worthless because those who do not read them fail to receive any of the blessings promised therein.

Jesus said:

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17)

He did not say "my doctrine will force all people to magically demonstrate the fruits of what they neither believe nor practice."

Now, about the validity of the way into the Lord's presence, as described.

The Lord said:

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; (D&C 93:1)

I solemnly testify to you that this is absolutely true. Anyone who does this will obtain the promised outcome.

The path is to unfailingly doing all things you imagine the Lord doing in your place, and never doing any of the things you can't imagine him doing in your place. Anyone who does this will not do it for very long before they not only see the Lord, but know him.

I am not alone in stating this, nor in experiencing it for myself. Since the foundation of the world, many people have testified of the same.

Are there many people who have followed this path and failed to attain the outcome promised ? Is there even one? If so, I have not heard from them. I have yet to hear of anyone--including the many  people who have stood against what I have taught--who has testified that they have come to sinlessness.

I would suggest that those who cannot say this have bigger problems than what they presume is the unrighteousness of others. They ought to first focus on fixing what they know is wrong with themselves before setting out to fix others.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. (Matthew 7) 

It would be good for this person and all those like him to awaken to the truth of their criticisms: They are not saying these things because they have valid reasons to believe them. They are saying them because they are thrashing for a way to avoid feeling bad about the fact that they know that they are not good people.They falsely believe that if they can soil the messenger, they can reject the message.

God's words come from God, not man, even when they come through men. No matter how many lies you tell or poor judgments you make about God's messengers, his message still stands. No amount of dishonest malevolence is going to free you from your guilt or lift you from your sin. Only obtaining and living God's word will do that.

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8)

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)