Through his Spirit God is everywhere.
"Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
If I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea:
Even there shall thy hand lead me,
And thy right hand shall hold me."—Psalm 139:7-10.
But on special occasions, the presence of God, or his messengers, have had special manifestations.
When the law was given on Sinai, the presence of God was manifested in a dark electric cloud. The lightnings flashed, the thunders rolled, the voice of the Lord came like trumpet blasts. The entire mountains shook. (Ex. 19:16-19)
Then, when the tabernacle was all completed and dedicated, a cloud descended on it and the glory of the Lord filled it. All Israel could see this cloud by day, and the fire by night, and follow its indications. (Ex. 40:34-38)
When the temple of Solomon was dedicated, “the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.” (1 Kings 8:10-11)
This manifestation of the presence of God among his children has been called the “Shekina,” a word that means “to dwell in a tent,” to “tabernacle.” John, in his Gospel (1:14) says, of our Lord: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” That is, he “tabernacled” among us. 2
There was a rabbinical saying to the effect that, “Where two or three are together to study the Torah”—the Law of Moses—“the Shekina is in their midst.” Our Lord, it will be recalled, said to his disciples, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”; (Matt. 28:20)
The “presence of the Lord” means, first, his omnipresence. The Lamanites were not outside this all-embracing sphere. But it means, secondly, the special manifestations which God gives his children, “that through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his presence in the world of glory” (D. and C. 76:118). From such special manifestations the Lamanites had cut themselves off. They no longer had revelations, and were, therefore, on the road to moral degeneration and final destruction. For,
"Where there is no vision, the people perish;
But he that keepeth the law, happy is he."—Prov. 29:18.
These two lines must be read together. They mean that when revelation is withdrawn, lawlessness takes its place. But the end of lawlessness is destruction.