"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
"Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." (Isa. 29:13-14.)"Where do we find these precepts of men to which Isaiah refers?" Elder LeGrand Richards of the Council of the Twelve asked during the April 1969 general conference."Shouldn't the average son of God want to know if he is worshiping God through the precepts of men? Or, if he is privileged to live until the Lord performs that marvelous work and a wonder, wouldn't he like to have a part in it?
"Compare this situation to Paul's statement to the Ephesians when he said there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." (Eph. 4:5.)
Elder Richards said:
How things have changed! Why? Because men, without divine guidance, could not agree in their interpretation of the scriptures. Jesus understood that without divine guidance men could not properly interpret the scriptures, for he said:
" `Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures.' (Matt. 22:29.) Hence the need of the voice of authority to differentiate between the doctrines that are the precepts of men, as Isaiah states, and the truths revealed from heaven in the restoration of the gospel, for we did not get our teachings through man's interpretation of the scriptures, but by the revelations of the Lord to His latter-day prophet.
"A whole book could be written on the difference between the man-made doctrines to which Isaiah refers and the truths revealed from heaven which constitute the marvelous work and a wonder that the Lord promised through Isaiah would cause the wisdom of their wise men to perish and the understanding of their prudent men to be hid."
Elder Richards mentioned several of the doctrines of men that have polluted the truths of the Lord. Among those mentioned are the false teachings that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are three persons of one substance, and that God, who is infinite in being and perfection, is a spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions.
Elder Richards spoke also of the false doctrines taught by many churches that children are born in sin, and that marriage is for this life only.