Outcasts Of Israel

The argument has been made countless times and is especially loud in our day that all that is required of us in this life is to be a good person and this will suffice. No belief beyond that is really important. Whether there is a God or not, just living our lives the best way that we know how is all that matters.

Intellectually and logically, I can see where they are coming from and can see why those who espouse this belief would outright reject any religious dogma or association.

I would go so far as to say that religion has imposed more misery, heartache and suffering upon humankind than anything else and this is especially true when one adds the state “religions” (where institutions or individual leaders become the God of the people) like socialism, communism and fascism to the umbrella of religious belief systems.

So whats wrong with just living our lives being as good as we can and leaving it at that?

I would posit that if someone who believes this were to be taken to that fiery realm where God dwells, they would think it a hell and would immediately wish to depart. Why? Because just being a good person did not and cannot equip them with what is necessary to abide the presence of God and is wholly inadequate to prepare us to abide a future in glory.

Here are 3 reasons that why the “being a good person” belief system alone does not provide one with the necessary tools to be able to live with God.

Denial of Satan as a Real Entity
The Book of Mormon teaches (and I agree and add an independent witness) that one tool of Satan is to create an environment where it seems silly and ignorant to believe in such a being or to create an environment that we believe that all is well with our current trajectory in life.

Nephi teaches some important things about the strategic plan so to speak of this enemy to our souls, an enemy insidious and cunning and one that poses such a danger that to not believe in his existence is akin to spiritual bondage and an arrest in our potential progression:

19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;
20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.
23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. (1 Nephi 11:19-23)

Peter teaches correctly that:

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Paul also taught about this and testified of some tools that have been made available to all in order to come off triumphant against evil:

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6)

Joseph Smith recorded the revelation giving us the relationship between truth, error and evil in the following way:

24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
25 And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.
26 The Spirit of truth is of God . . . (D&C 93)

Anything that is not true is either a direct or indirect influence of evil or of the spirit of that wicked one who is always setting out to lie and deceive the human family. Just being a good person is not enough to contend with the evil and deception of this world especially if the evil isn’t even acknowledged or believed to exist.

In order to confront evil we really do need some better tools than just being a good person or else an evil spirit might one day say to us “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”

Limitation of our own Righteousness
Any righteousness that we think we possess as mortal fallen mankind is as a filthy rag before God. Even the most righteous among us being exposed to the heavenly realms would exclaim as Isaiah did “wo is me, I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips. . .”

The Apostle Paul taught that:

9 . . . for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3 selected)

King Benjamin, a righteous king who loved somewhere on the americas approximately 124 years before the birth of Jesus gave a discourse which was prompted by an angelic visitation. In addition to testifying of the impending birth of a world wide Savior, he also taught the people about our own unworthiness before God:

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. (Mosiah 2:21)

No matter how good we are or how righteously we attempt to live our lives, we all fall short. We all offend the universal laws of light and truth that are upheld by God. We are all sinners and are unworthy to dwell in the same condition and estate as those who have overcome such weakness and can endure God’s presence. With man, receiving salvation on our own terms i.e. by just being a good person is impossible but with God, all things are possible.

The Need for Grace
To take us lowly creatures and transform us into people who would be comfortable in God’s presence takes exactly the pathway that each of us are on in this life and nothing less. There is the gift of grace that is available to each of us through our God and his condescending to come down and bring it to us and sadly most people will reject what is being offered.

As Isaiah testifies who will believe the report? Who will understand what the condescension of God really means? While conversing with an angelic emissary many hundreds of years before Christ was born, Nephi was taught:

12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.
13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! (1 Nephi 11:12-21)

This word condescension although not used very much in our day really is the best way to describe the Messianic role of Jesus. From Websters 1828 dictionary we get this definition:

Condescend: To descend from the privileges of superior rank or dignity, to do some act to an inferior, which strict justice or the ordinary rules of civility do not require. Hence, to submit or yield, as to an inferior, implying an occasional relinquishment of distinction.

Could there be a better definition and foreshadowing of Israel’s Messiah and God?

Isaiah was another witness for the future role of the Savior of the people:

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isaiah 53)

So when the word grace is used; by it I mean receiving that from God which we neither earned nor deserve despite our best efforts and intentions; the merciful arm of grace represents the potential for the justice of God to be satisfied in his own condescending sacrifice so we don’t have to bear our own due. His stripes can heal us; no degree of our own goodness or righteousness or good works will suffice. We either suffer for the penalty of a broken law or we learn how God provided in the gift of his Son “a more excellent way”. Christ himself taught the more excellent way in the example of his own life and by teaching the specifics of his doctrine as recorded by ancient prophets (see 2 Nephi 31-32 and 3 Nephi 11-21).

The witness of this grace is testified of throughout the Bible and the Book of Mormon and I leave you a few selected examples from Mormon’s sacred compilation for your examination:

6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.
7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.
9 Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.
10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. (2 Nephi 2:6-9; Book of Mormon, written approx. 570 BC)

23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.
25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.
26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:23-26; Book of Mormon, written approx. 570 BC)

48 I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
49 And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again. (Alma 5:48-49; Book of Mormon, written approx. 83 BC)

14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.
15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.
16 I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled.
17 And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled.
18 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. (Words of Christ to the ancients of America 3 Nephi 9; Book of Mormon, approx 33 AD)

And lastly here are the final few verses in the 1000 year old prophetic record known to us as the Book of Mormon. They are penned by Moroni who was the last of the prophets to leave us a witness of the grace of God and of Jesus Christ.

30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen. (Moroni 10:30-34; Book of Mormon, approx 420 AD)

So in conclusion, yes being a good person is a great start – but is not enough to get us to the ultimate goal of eternal life. Living our lives by that inner voice and light that helps us to recognize right from wrong is so very important however there are more tools made available that can help us ascend higher and to receive all that our God wishes for his children to have.

Recognizing evil for what it is; acknowledging that our own efforts will never be sufficient and learning to lay hold upon the grace of God are gifts and tools given to us by a loving Father to help us achieve our ultimate potential; to become one with Him and like Jesus, become a king and a priest and even a son (or daughter) of the Most High God.

Taking a cursory look back upon the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to today, one often makes the conclusion that we have been and currently are a blessed people. After all, we have built many temples and cities (see Hosea 8:14).  We are exquisitely rich with an accumulated liquid reserve of at least 120 billion dollars in assets but with all the current property under the various umbrella organizations directed by the church, we are fast approaching becoming a trillion dollar organization (see Revelation 3:17).

We generally enjoy the praise of the world for our strong values and good lives. Members of the church are found in all echelons of political and corporate power. We wear the finest of twined linens to our meetings and we wear the whitest of white of shirts under our matching suit coats. Our temples are lavishly adorned with exquisite materials and built to the most exacting of standards.

Contemplating these things might even cause us to relax and put up our feet as we sail upon the “good ship Zion” towards celestial bliss. We may be tempted to say to ourselves that “all is well in Zion” because she prospers. Many may feel a real sense of pride because we perceive our beliefs and our church to be more “true” than everybody else’s.

Now I don’t want to be accused of ingratitude for what has been preserved by the church and handed down to us today. Largely because of the church, we have more of the words of the Lord namely in the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, the Book of Mormon and the JST of the Bible; all of which have greatly blessed my life and opened my eyes to the mysteries of God.

As flawed as they were, we have received a great spiritual legacy from the Prophet Joseph and his contemporaries and by what has been preserved by the stewards of the foundational restoration movement from Brothers Brigham to Russell Nelson. This however does not mean that we haven’t inherited falsehood along with the dews of heaven. In fact the Lord has said in many ways that anything more or less than his truth actually is from a dark source and cometh of evil.

Because we have been given much we have a tendency to believe that we enjoy a fullness of what the Lord was intending for our spiritual forefathers. If we think we have it then we do greatly err and neither understand our history nor the scriptures and neither understand the power of godliness. Confusing what we have inherited today for the fullness has and does cause many to stumble and fall and to end up casting aside essential truths because of the falsehoods that we have inherited along with these truths.

I am an active member of the church but I see things from a different perspective. Once I cast aside the traditions of the fathers that are incorrect and see the current state of the church today it saddens me to see how we are wandering in darkness and calling it noon day, as if there is not more to be restored.

It may be that we really were rejected to a degree for treating lightly the commandments of the Lord (see D&C 124:31-32). What more evidence do we need of a fall from grace than being run out of Nauvoo, to have no more new oracles of God, no more prophecy and revelation, no more miracles, no more charismatic gifts.

Even the leadership succession crisis was evidence that we were even at that time perhaps an abandoned people. The only other legitimately ordained prophet who was to succeed Joseph at the head of the church was killed before Jospeh died (Hyrum Smith).

If we are using the world’s yardstick to prove divine favor do not the Catholics have greater buildings, more temples and superior real estate holdings and more members? Where are the fruits of our actual divine favor today? No matter how many times we ascend up unto the Rameumptom and declare how great and highly favored we are, it doesn’t make it so.

Is it possible that we have been cast loose into the world for a season to await the redemption of Zion? We likely do not possess the order of the Melchizedek priesthood as described in JST Genesis 14 which apparently was taken away. The charismatic gifts of the spirit are all but vanished. Our faith and love is waxing cold. The day of miracles is passing us by. The eyes of the prophets seem to have been closed.

There is ample evidence that these things are so however this doesn’t mean that the church doesn’t have a role in accomplishing the Lords work upon the earth, it just means that this role may have been downgraded to a preparatory one as opposed to the role given to a people who actually attain the fullness from the Lord. We may have been relegated to this preparatory role because of the iniquities of our spiritual fathers of the restoration.

No longer do the Elders go forth in the power of the Lord to bind up the testimony and seal up the law however I do believe that sharing the restored truths of the gospel and allowing others to make sacred covenants as taught by the LDS church is an important preparatory work.

Now the great question to be asked is will we be faithful over a few things that we have been entrusted with and prove to the Lord that we are worthy of weightier responsibilities? Will we bury our talent or will we multiply it to the glory of our God? Will we be faithful enough to be numbered among the house of Israel and not sin against and reject the gospel or will we continue on as the salt that has lost its savor thenceforth good only to be trodden down under the foot of the Lord’s people? (See 3 Nephi 16)

There is only one remedy that will prepare this people to receive more of what the Lord is willing to give and that is repentance: Church-wide-sackcloth-and-ashes-humility-and-repentance. But who will declare it? With all the technology at our disposal, who is issuing the voice of warning? We need to become as a little child and be taught by the Lord himself the truths that we lack. We need to discard all false precepts and traditions and be ready for the marvelous work and a wonder that is upon us, which foundations were laid by Joseph but were not completed.

There is no need to leave the church because of the many follies and mistakes that riddle our history. I only bring this up so that we can season our testimonies and our pride with grace and humility so that we can be taught more and be willing to cast aside any false beliefs we may have accumulated by our association in the church.

I also write these things to give hope to those who correctly perceive the disconnect between our collective traditional narrative and reality. This disconnect causes so many to lose faith and to discard everything; the false along with the true and this saddens me. Only a true understanding of our history and our current status will allow those who have discovered unsavory things to put all the pieces of this puzzle into its correct context.

Even as a potentially downgraded church, there are many things that are true including the additional words of the Lord restored to us through Joseph as well as the authority to administer the outward ordinances. The commandment to partake of the Sacrament in memory of Christ and to stand as witnesses of Christ in all that we do is true. The divine injunction to receive the Holy Ghost is true. It is still important to bear one another’s burdens and show forth charity to all and to stand as a witness to God at all times and in all places and to spread forth the Word of the Lord to as many as will receive it.

It may be that we are called upon as a church body to wait a little season for another chance to prove faithful and receive that which has been lost to us. It could very well be that false traditions in the church may prevent us from recognizing some of the truths of God, however it is important to realize that only in truth is there a way forward, anything more or less than this comes from evil.

Will there will be a remnant of this people who will be gathered again with the House of Israel? Who will declare the marvelous work and a wonder that is upon us, who will declare it? Who will abide the day? Who will rise up and lift up the voice; and with the voice together sing, and who shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion? Who will break forth into joy and sing together as the Lord makes bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth see the salvation of God?

It is my humble prayer and petition that some remnant of this people, even the current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be found worthy for these great blessings according to the worthiness, grace, merits and mercy of the Holy Messiah. No amount of vitamins will prepare us for what is coming; no amount of “preps”, no amount of trusting in the arm of flesh; but perhaps repentance can so that we can get out from under the curses and limitations that we have inherited and truly be a blessed, even a Zion people.

Most people have only the capacity and ability to discern truth that is within their current  level of progression.  Some who are humble can receive truth that is a little greater than what they know. If somebody teaches them something much higher there is the risk of the message being rejected because it falls too far outside of traditions that are held onto more tightly than the hearer wishes to search for truth.  In other words, the comforts of their traditions have a stronger pull than their desire to consider something outside of what they previously had considered before. 

This is why the Savior taught the people in parables so as to not outright condemn them because of their lack of ability to receive truth presented in a straight forward manner.  

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3, selected)

There are consequences for not receiving light and truth when it is presented to you, however teaching in parables allowed Christ to have the greatest potential impact for those with eyes to see and ears to hear, while at the same time having the least amount of condemnation for those who didn’t.  There is a law regarding teaching of others eternal truths from heaven and this was taught by Alma:

9 . . . It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. (Alma 12)

Some traditions that we inherit from our parents, culture, church, society etc. are good and can lead us to not harden our hearts and thus facilitate us going on to receive the greater portion of God’s Word which is truth.  Lamentably most of our inherited religious traditions do the opposite and cause us to harden our hearts against the truth. 

How do we know which traditions we are giving more heed to in our lives?  It is simple: What are the fruits of living your traditions?  Do you commune with God? Do you walk with Him?  Is He teaching you His mysteries. Do you receive revelation on a regular basis?  Does He command you to walk in ways that are different and higher than those around you? Do you speak with the tongue of Angels? Are you kind and loving towards others who could never benefit you?  Do you forgive those who offend even if they never will ask for it? Do you receive answers to whatsoever thing you ask for in faith?  I will let Moroni give his definitions:

35 . . . Has the day of miracles ceased?
36 Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?
37 Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.
38 For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made. (Moroni 7)

True religious traditions if fully lived will allow one to progress to the point of having these experiences; the caveat being that false traditions that might impede these things need also to be done away.  There are only 2 ways possible to limit our progression to God.  

1) Not seeking light and truth

2) Not living up to the light and truth you possess

Likewise seeking light and truth and living it to the fullest will eventually lead to only one one gate and path.  That path is the WAY and the gate is Christ.

Religious traditions can limit us by fostering complacency, minimizing the need to seek for more truth and by placing barriers as to where and by whom truth can come.  Joseph Smith referred to this as placing stakes or limits around God. We must be aware of this and take great care that this doesn’t happen in our lives.

Here is a key that can be used to help us discern the religious traditions we possess.  If our traditions would have caused us to reject the Savior and His teachings in His day in favor of religious orthodoxy or following the religious leaders themselves instead of Messiah, then we may know as clear as day from night that the tradition is false and can be limiting us in our day from coming unto Christ.

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. (Mark 7)

The Jews at the time of Christ had fossilized traditions that were not of God but simply the precepts of men.  When their Messiah walked amongst them and taught them, their hearts were too hardened by these false traditions to recognize the Light and Life of the world who was in their midst. 

These same obstacles to receiving truth are just as prevalent and ingrained in our day amongst all religions and sects. What traditions of men do we falsely ascribe to God today?  It’s an interesting question to ponder but be prepared to have your world shaken if you take this question all the way out to its logical conclusion.

Moroni teaches us that by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things (See Moroni 10:3). Many people equate the Holy Ghost with a soothing feeling and conformation that what they already believe is true.  The Holy Ghost is a revelator and when one experiences revelation then things can and will be revealed that are hidden and which we didn’t know before.  Revealed truth isn’t always something that causes us to “feel good” but as revealed truths are pondered in our mind, they will be confirmed eventually as peace to our hearts.   

Even things revealed by the Holy Ghost are limited by the degree of progression we had obtained when the revelation was given.  God can bring greater resolution to any principle insomuch as we are prepared to receive it and live it.  He is not in the business of condemning us, for the Lord only does that which is of the most benefit to the world and this applies to us individually as well. So we should always be ready to learn more and not let what we currently know limit us to the further light and knowledge the Lord is willing to send to us.

All truth received by man in this life is at best an incomplete picture compared to how God understands the same concept or compared to  a “knowledge of things as they [really] are, and as they were, and as they are to come” (see D&C 93). This is because God’s ways are so much higher than ours and He is limited in what he can reveal based on our heed and diligence to the light and truth previously given. Fossilizing a tradition around incomplete truth is what all religions in the world today do and have done since the beginning of time.  This gives the enemy of our souls a great advantage over the sons of Adam.  It gives Lucifer a tool to blind us and deceive us through our erroneous religious traditions all the while we  think we are doing our God’s will.  Yes that means YOUR religion as well as MINE.  We certainly are not immune from this as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It would be better to make pursuit of truth our religion, that way whatever is true can always be incorporated into it.  The cannon of this religion would not only open but would be endless.

The Latter-day Saints can also be potentially limited in their progression because the members many times limit themselves to the light that comes from their leaders, especially those whom they consider to have the spirit of prophecy, seership and revelation.  Since these leaders are mortals in the flesh and subject to the same limitations of their potentially false traditions based on incomplete truth; then this means trusting in their arm will limit our progression at best to what these leaders have attained but probably many steps lower.  It is prudent and wise to receive light and truth and discard error no matter the source and to trust in the Light of Christ for truth.  If any leader teaches according to the spirit of truth then all will be edified but it is the truth that they teach and live that should be followed, not the person per se. If someone is a conduit to teach truth then blessed are they but they need not be idolized and fawned over; you follow others in the flesh at your own potential spiritual peril. Your path and ascension to God should not be based on the blessings or limitations of others.  It should be based on the Spirit and Light of Christ as Moroni beautifully taught:

16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.
19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.
25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. (Moroni 7, selected)

The only person we can safely follow is Christ for He is the embodiment of truth and light or in other words everything he did and taught was in accordance with His Fathers will.  As he learned more, he reconciled His life to it and was obedient and onward he progressed as the witness of John teaches us:

12 And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;
13 And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness. (D&C 93)

We are called upon to likewise climb the same mountain of truth line by line, precept by precept, grace for grace, here a little, there a little.  The key is to always live your life according to what you know and in this  way you will always be given more.

Following truth while not trusting in the arm of flesh is completely compatible with the practice of sustaining our leaders.  There is only 1 man on the earth that can give the doctrines and precepts for the Church I belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is sustained by the membership of the Church as a prophet, seer and revelator.  He is the President of the Church and his decisions are binding upon the Church regardless if the decisions are based on the word of the Lord to him; or his best wisdom along with the counsel of his brethren of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; or based on tradition, or just simply the precepts of this man.  Either way it is binding upon the Church however members of the Church have the responsibility to discern which of these it is.  Here is a recent example to show the importance of this concept:

A few years ago the Church came up with a policy that children of same sex couples were to be denied baptism until they were 18 years of age.  The president of the Church at the time was Thomas Monson who was apparently suffering from dementia and other health related challenges.  Russell Nelson intimated to a group of church members in Hawaii shortly thereafter that this decision was revelation from the Lord thus pinning the responsibility on this church policy on God.  Within 3 Years the policy was rescinded under the leadership of Russell Nelson.  So either this decision to withhold baptism to a willing recipient based on the “sins of Fathers” was the Lord’s will for a few years or this was just a precept of men that was reversed.  It absolutely matters because it is folly to attribute every rule and precept of the Church to God himself.  Many people have a hard time believing in the “Church Handbook God” but it is much closer to reality to realize that the policies and practices of the Church come from many sources, including the revealed word of the Lord; and the traditions of the Fathers; and the precepts of men, some of which may not be in complete agreement with the Lord’s will. It is our duty to discern the difference so that we don’t let the limitations and traditions of those in the flesh to derail our faith in Christ and the truths that come from Him.

The 25th verse of Moroni 7 teaches us how God has ordained for mankind to have faith in that which is true.  He uses “the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God.” This is very interesting.  In D&C 1:38 we have the Lord stating:

What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. 

So here is another key in the discerning of our traditions.  The voice of the servants of the Lord (I would add when speaking truth and moved upon by the Holy Spirit) is the same as His voice.  Talk about speaking truth to power! Based on the patterns in all of scripture it is readily apparent that His servants can come from anywhere.  They can come as a root out of dry ground, they can come from outside our religious traditions, they can come without any apparent beauty or authority or bonafides or without any earthly people sustaining them.  If your religious tradition doesn’t allow for this then maybe its time to rethink that particular tradition and see how it came into your paradigm.  Most likely it came from the arm of the flesh and not from God. This doesn’t mean you need to leave your religion, but rather like a careful gardner digging out weeds or a shipman scraping barnacles off the hull of his ship, false traditions and beliefs serve no benefit and on the contrary, can severely limit our progression to God.  Just as a gardner doesn’t neglect their garden when weeding and the shipman doesn’t destroy his boat by scraping barnacles off; neither do we need to leave our religion just because we find some weeds or barnacles.  These things are inevitable in our fallen telestial world.  There may come a time however where what the Lord reveals to you is so  incompatible with many of your dogmatized religious traditions and creeds that you need to find something more compatible with the word of the Lord to you.  I say this in a very broad sense to all religions in general, from the plethora of non-Christian ones to the 30,000 + different Christian sects.

Now here is the invitation I make to any who will hear my voice.  I humbly invite you to get on your knees and search diligently in the light of Christ and ask God the Eternal Father in the name of His Son which traditions that YOU hold onto that need to be abandoned.  I will continue to do the same.  I promise that He will answer and teach you and replace those traditions with something more true which will help draw you closer to Him.

The thought came to be the other day regarding the importance of increasing our awareness of things as they really are. This telestial world is a world of lower level truth mixed with a lot of deception. By this I mean that almost everything around us that we think is noble and worthwhile and good may very well be foolishness and vanity when viewed from a terrestrial vantage point and this is especially the case when viewed from a celestial vantage point.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55)

This concept makes it all the more important to see things as they really are. Why? So that we can reconcile our lives to greater truth. This is what repentance is under ideal circumstances. It is learning the good which comes from God and abandoning lower levels of behaviors, thoughts, actions etc. Although there are gradations of sin however all sin and rebellion will have to be abandoned if one wishes to be in the presence of God.

So as we ascend higher and closer to the divine, we learn of His ways more and more and we have the opportunity to reconcile our life to His greater truths. Thus awareness necessitates repentance and true repentance begets further awareness and the cycle repeats itself until we are complete and have found ourselves transformed into Christ’s likeness and image or we quit and settle for something less.

This process of ascension is only possible by the Grace of the Father and his Anointed One in helping us along the way, for without them, we can do nothing. Thus it really is by grace that we are saved after all we can do. Most people choose for themselves much less than what is available to them as Jesus taught:

For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me. (D&C 132:22)

If we receive Christ in this life it means that we have chosen to become as He is and also to suffer in a similar way as He did. Granted nobody can suffer the magnitude of what He did and retain their mortal life however the way that leads to exaltation and becoming one with God is the way of loneliness, sorrow, suffering, persecution and sacrifice. This is the lot that every single person chooses when they wish to receive greater light and truth while abiding in a telestial existence.

One who obtains truth is under divine mandate to teach others and this stirs up the darkness and chaos in the world to the point that you will be fought against and rejected; very few will believe your report. Most people love a lie. They love this life and the false comforts it can bring. We are called upon to hate our lesser false lives and lose the deceptions that most think constitutes their whole lives in exchange for a more clear sense of what is really true and real.

Here are a few examples to show these concepts:

24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
25 And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.
26 The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth
27 And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.
28 He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.
36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.
37 Light and truth forsake that evil one. (D&C 93, selected)

19 And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. (Abraham 4)

From these scriptures we learn various important concepts that can help us progress and draw closer to God.

We learn that when God uses the word intelligence that what He means by that is light and truth. We also have a definition of what is truth which is in essence reality, or in other words things as they really are, not as we wish them to be or in our limited understanding reason them to be; but as they really are or were or are to come. We learn that God has received and reconciled His life to the greatest amount of truth and so He is the most intelligent of beings. We learn that His knowledge and ways are so much higher than ours.

If we will learn from Him then this necessarily means that we will be exposed to the limits of what we think we know. We will learn that what we thought we knew was either wrong or severely limited and incomplete. This may be uncomfortable to some however to the pure in heart they will rejoice in correction and relish the opportunity for improvement.

How do we get more light and truth? We seek for greater awareness of reality then we repent and reconcile our lives to this greater awareness. As we do this we will receive more commandments to live by. When we see the commandments for what they really are, opportunities to become more like God, we can keep them and live by them with more enthusiasm and purpose. This is how we grow in intelligence and is in fact the only thing we can take with us when we leave this life. This mortal life is the appointed time for us to receive truth and inasmuch as it is within our power to help others to receive it as well. This should be our principal labor of mortality. Jesus taught that:

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. (John 9:4)

Alma expounded this concept when teaching the Zoramites:

32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. (Alma 34)

Joseph Smith taught us that:

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (D&C 130)

So based on these concepts the most expedient thing for us mortals to do is to search for light and truth, then repent and reconcile our lives to it by obedience and continue to strive to receive more. One who lives their life in this way will continually find that the things they previously thought were true are incomplete in many ways. Much like the allegory of Plato’s cave, the shadows on the wall are real and true but are not a complete representation of reality. In order to know more than what’s experienced in the cave we must venture outside and risk having the our reality turned inside out, and risk having the blinding light of the sun shine forth and expose our ignorance.

That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. (D&C 93:24)

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

May we live our lives so that we can always recognize the Light, reconcile our life to it by repentance, that we may be one with Christ as He is with His Father and fulfill the great prayer that He desired for us is my invitation to all who may come across these words.

In my interactions with people it appears that rare is the person who is willing to lay everything upon the altar so to speak in pursuit of truth and who is willing to accept the consequences and sacrifices for following it. The pull of our traditions, our factions our religions is so strong that it takes a great deal of effort and anguish to be willing to accept that many of the things we believe and have incorporated into our paradigms are actually incorrect or at the very least incomplete. The cognitive dissonance of this concept makes the very act of accepting divine truth a most valiant and noble accomplishment for any who walk this earth. The concept is described by Jesus as losing your life but only those who do can truly find their lives and the true purpose thereof. This is my feeble attempt at describing this process.

In his final hours of mortality Jesus proclaimed what the purpose of His life was:

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then?
Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.
Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. (John 18, selected)

Here was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords submitting to an earthly authority magnitudes his inferior in order to fulfill two purposes: 1) To personify what true Kings (and Priest’s) unto to the most High God actually do; they sacrifice, they condescend on behalf of their subjects so that their subjects can one day receive everything that they have attained. They serve those who don’t merit it because of the love that they have for their fellow man.  2) He came to this earth to bear witness unto the truth and to gather together those who are “of the truth”. The rightful king of this earth submitted so that the righteous work of his Father could be done which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of mankind. Only in Christ’s mission could this be done.

His whole mission included the truths that he taught, the path that he marked for us to follow and the ultimate sacrifice that he willingly undertook in order for us to have the opportunity to be in a real sense un-damned. If we compare our potential destination of eternal progression to a river naturally flowing in its course, then being damned is simply being stopped in our progression much like a river is stopped by a damn. The only way to reverse the damning or stoppage of our progression is by this one man’s effort who is Christ. This is the only way. This is why the mission of the Messiah is so essential to every person who has ever lived or ever will live in this world. He effected an opportunity to be at one with His Father just like He was. This is the at-one-ment or atonement.

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

No one else in the history of the world made such seemingly preposterous claims to truth; Not Muhammad, not the Buddha, not Socrates, nor plato; not Isaac Newton or Einstein or John Calvin neither Martin Luther. No Pope, no Apostle no Priest or King; nobody did and taught what Jesus did. Nobody accomplished what He accomplished yet who has believed this report? That He is the door of the sheep and anybody claiming what He claimed either before Him or after is a a thief and a robber (see John 10); A thief who is trying to get into the fold by another way, a robber of light and truth that God would have us know. Either Jesus was a deluded megalomaniac or maybe he actually was teaching to the world pure truth, things as they really are, as they really were and as they are to come. That is the sword that he brought down upon the earth; The sword of truth and we either are found on one side or the other. We accept the gift or we reject it. We believe that He is Truth or we reject it. There is no middle ground once the sword comes to you.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 12:12)

Truth is a gift and is completely free however this does not mean it is without effort on our part. It takes effort to seek for something better; it takes humility and becoming like a child to recognize we are in need everyday of more; more light and more truth to supplant the false traditions that every person living in this world has accumulated. It takes more of a transformation of our very lives into the image of Him who paid such a high price in providing opportunities for us to ascend higher. It takes faith, it takes diligence, it takes an honest and upright heart or at the very least a desire for this to take place in our life.

For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift. (D&C 88:33)

There have been and will be plenty of false Christs and false prophets as it must needs to be. One has to only experience the real thing to discern the imposters. Only in Him was the sacrifice so complete because He was the Lamb of God, without blemish, without sin who was offered up for any who will receive it. This was taught by many true messengers and witnesses before His birth and one of them, Amulek who lived in the century before Christ bore testimony to this fact and we have his witness:

8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.
9 For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice. (Alma 34:8-10, Book of Mormon)

Only the Christ was able to satisfy the universal demands of justice which requires a penalty be paid for a broken law. It required an infinite and eternal sacrifice. No other human was worthy to effect a sacrifice for sin. He is the sacrificial lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. If we will repent and receive Him then He will become our adopted spiritual Father in a sense to help us truly become sons and heirs, daughters and heiresses of His Father, the Most High God. Everyone who is of the truth will hear His voice and will learn from Him.

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (Matthew 11:27, KJV)

In his condescension for us he wore out his life bearing witness of the truths and doctrine of His Father. The truths He taught are universal and for every person ever born, now living and who is to come in the future including those who identify at Muslim, Shinto, Buddhist, heathen, atheist, Jew, gentile, Christian, LGBQT, conservatives, socialists, agnostic, secularists etc. But before salvation can be attained we must know the rules or the laws by which God is operating and has given to us.

34 And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same.
35 That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still. (Doctrine & Covenants 88)

We either abide by God’s laws or we remain unclean and barred from God’s presence, it’s that simple. God is not trifling with us in any way. He has caused His truths and laws to be able to reach many people in the past from the first man onwards. In our dispensation he is causing these truths to be able to reach all peoples upon the earth so that none may be left without excuse. And in order to know the rules or laws that God instituted for the salvation of the human family we must have a messenger or a witness as to what these laws are. God’s word is distilled down to mankind via people who, like Christ have condescended to earth to help brings souls to the truth. When these people have actually received the word of the Lord and teach it, then it behooves us to hearken to what they say.

What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. (D&C 1:38)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10)

It is a blessing to the inhabitants of the earth to have the Lord’s true servants and those whom He has sent to teach His laws. We have some of their words filtered down to us in the limited scriptures of traditional Christianity. We have even more of the Lord’s true witnesses’ words recorded in restoration scripture including The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine & Covenants. All these are words which came from people inspired by God to teach His truth to the inhabitants of the earth. When one reads the word of the Lord with an open heart and mind then the portion that is actually true and transmitted correctly will penetrate our very hearts and will begin to enlighten us and we will grow closer to God in knowledge, wisdom, attributes and character. Moroni, a prophet in America around 400 AD testifies that:

13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.
15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. (Moroni 7, Book of Mormon)

Now that same light and spirit and truth that inspired the prophets and apostles of old can and does inspire people on the earth today. There are people on the earth today who have received enough of the light and truth and spirit of the Lord so as to qualify to teach these truths to others as a witness and servant of Christ. There are 12 apostles of Jesus Christ on the earth today as well as the Presiding High Priest of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who can teach the truths of God. I suspect there are others sprinkled throughout the earth who are not circumscribed by the LDS faith who also have attained this calling from God. The difficult part is to discern who is a true witness and even more important is to discern all the truths of God that they can teach you. Everybody would claim that their religious leaders in their faith traditions are these true witnesses and messengers so there must be a better way to discern. Here’s a concept that might help, instead of trusting in the messenger solely because of station, calling, position, standing or authority, maybe a better way is to discern God’s truth from their message and by their fruits. This takes work. This takes a humble and willing heart to be able to “see” correctly. Our eye needs to be single to the glory of God.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6)

No man can receive the gift that Christ gives without repentance, which in the original Hebrew and Greek means to completely change course and direction, to change our minds, our knowledge, and the very essence of who we are and to turn around and face the source of light and truth and to receive it into our lives. It is to trust God completely. This very act presupposes that the course we were on before was not correct. Therefore as soon as we can exercise enough faith to believe Christ and in the salvation that He offers our first reaction will be to fall down and recognize how wrong we are, how stubborn, how prideful, how our ways are so much lower than His ways; what we thought was true was so far off base of what is actually true; and we correct course and face the source of the light and truth for us, who is Christ.

After we have changed course because of the knowledge of the goodness of God and His Son, we seek for a rebirth, we seek to show by token and sign that we are born again but now our Father is not of the flesh but is Christ. The sign we show is baptism by immersion. Our old life is buried in the water and we arise as new creatures. This witnesses that we are willing to keep the laws of Christ and that we are willing to do everything that he may command us to do in the future. After baptism hands are laid upon our heads and someone with authority from God confers the gift of the Holy Ghost which is akin to having a more direct connection to the mind and will of God. This was taught by true witnesses of old including Paul:

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; (Acts 19)

Sometime during this process of exercising faith in Christ, repenting of all our sins and being baptized by water, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, there is a baptism that the Father baptizes us with which is described as by being of fire. Our sinful polluted fleshy desires are replaced by more truth and more purity as the purifying fire of God consumes the dross and impurities of our flesh. Those who have received this have no more desire to commit sin, no more desire to rebel against any truth or commandment from God. This process is what being born again means. They are born again both of water and the spirit. Jesus taught this to one of his followers nicodemus:

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God . . . Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3, selected)

The first introductory part of being born again is necessary to even see that there is a better way, a kingdom if you will, that comes from above. Those in this process will recognize that there is a higher way of living and are starting to see more clearly in that the scales of deception and unbelief that is the default condition in this fallen state of mortality will begin to fall away. This leads to pursuit of greater light and truth and to a new life born of water and the spirit.

Those who attain these things are beginning to follow the doctrine of the Father which was taught by Christ and all true messengers before and after him. This is the path back to the presence of God. People at this point of their spiritual journey are at the gate of the path that leads to eternal life. A path already tread by Jesus who is our great exemplar. Now as we have entered the gate we are not finished but are just starting out our new lives as children of Christ, His disciples. We are to use the gift of the Holy Ghost to incorporate all of God’s truths into our life and to live them. This encompasses all the He taught in the scriptures especially the sermon on the mount in the Bible and His laws as taught to the ancient inhabitants of the Americas after his resurrection (see 3 Nephi 11-22, Book of Mormon) as well as anything new that He will teach you. We are called upon to press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, feasting upon His word and receiving and living by more light and truth. His grace will allow us to become more than we could ever become on our own. It allows us to continue the climb as if ascending the mountain top. When it appears that there is no more strength to carry on, when it is impossible to forgive any more or to love those who despitefully use us or to stand as a witness of truth in a world of wickedness and deception, trying to reach those who don’t care; He will lift us up even as upon eagles wings. Now those on this path will not be content to be alone in their knowledge of a Savior rather they will dedicate their time and use their influence to act as Christ did over 2000 years ago. They will sacrifice their comfort, their wills, their possessions, their good names and their very lives to bear witness unto the truth. John Jacques summed up the preeminence of truth when he penned these words:

Oh say, what is truth? ’Tis the fairest gem
That the riches of worlds can produce,
And priceless the value of truth will be when
The proud monarch’s costliest diadem
Is counted but dross and refuse.

Yes, say, what is truth? ’Tis the brightest prize
To which mortals or Gods can aspire.
Go search in the depths where it glittering lies,
Or ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies:
’Tis an aim for the noblest desire.

The sceptre may fall from the despot’s grasp
When with winds of stern justice he copes.
But the pillar of truth will endure to the last,
And its firm-rooted bulwarks outstand the rude blast
And the wreck of the fell tyrant’s hopes.

Then say, what is truth? ’Tis the last and the first,
For the limits of time it steps o’er.
Tho the heavens depart and the earth’s fountains burst,
Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore.

The Gospel that I bear witness of is truth, it is the fairest gem we could ever obtain, it is even a pearl of great price. This is the good news. This Gospel is the Father’s plan for all the inhabitants of the earth and because Christ was faithful and true and accomplished what he was sent to do, it is our turn to learn of Him, to walk in the meekness of his spirit and to rise up, repent, follow our master and accomplish what we were sent upon the earth to do within our own spheres of influence. Christ is Truth and is the good news that we should all be seeking for. I humbly invite you to consider these words to see if any of them resonate with you and to ask God if they are true and what He wants you to do with your life.

I think it would be surprising to most mainstream members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to learn that there were/are over 450 documented sects and offshoots within the umbrella of “Mormonism.” All of these groups use as a spiritual foundation the restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. Many of these groups have their own “prophets” and “apostles.”

Some of these various church leaders have done abominations in the name of God and their religion. Currently one of these “prophets” is in jail charged with rape of a 12 year old. (Warren Jeffs, prophet to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) It might also be surprising to know that many of these groups use the same hymn books and scriptures as published by the most popular and largest of these “Mormon” restorationist sects, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I find it disturbing that the popular children’s song “Follow the Prophet” is so entrenched within some of these groups. This song, in my opinion, can be a recipe for spiritual disaster especially if you happen to choose the wrong “prophet” and decide to follow him. So here is a new version of the song using the same tune but with lyrics more appropriate for the only sure person that we can all follow without hesitation regardless of sect or creed:

Follow the Savior
(To the tune of “Follow the Prophet” from the Childrens Hymn Book, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Jesus the Anointed, born as Mary’s son
Came to cry repentance, and the vic’try that he won
Many were offended, and this man they fought
Only few believed the atonement that he wrought

Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior don’t go astray.
Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior,
He is the way!

Jesus the Messiah, born to Israel
Came with real author’ty, but no one could tell
There were all believing, philosophies of men
Blinded by traditions of the Sanhedrin

Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior don’t go astray.
Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior,
He is the way!

Jesus the deliverer, lowly as a lamb
Nobody believed that he was the great I AM
As Isaiah taught us, with His stripes we’re healed
He becomes our father, this the word revealed.

Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior don’t go astray.
Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior,
He is the way!

Spiritual salvation, the Jews did not expect
Entrenched in their traditions, their pride they did not check.
Expectations of a king, to sit on David’s throne
Instead they scorned their God, the wine press tread alone.

Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior don’t go astray.
Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior,
He is the way!

As a tender Father, His promise He’ll fulfill
Seeking out the chosen, as they learn His will
Israel will be gathered, his lands to be regained
He’ll then know his God, and come to him again.

Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior don’t go astray.
Follow the Savior, follow the Savior, follow the Savior,
He is the way!

In the Gospel of John chapter 9 we have the account of the man born blind from birth. It appears that the circumstances were arranged from before the foundation of the world that Jesus should come across this man. Absent from this account is any request or manifestation of faith from this poor afflicted beggar. John simply tells us Jesus spit upon the ground, made clay and anointed the eyes of this blind man and had him go and wash in the pool of Siloam, after which he saw.

When his disciples asked the Lord who sinned the blind man or his parents that he was born that way, Jesus taught that this particular affliction was to show forth the works of the Father.

After those in the village saw him who before was a blind beggar, they all marveled and word soon spread to the local authorities of the day. They kept asking him and even dragged his parents into an inquisition wanting to know if this wasn’t a trick to deceive the people (similar to the account in 3 Nephi 2 when the signs and wonders of God were deemed to be “wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people.”)

The parents not willing to take the matter to its logical conclusion and admit that Jesus was a man sent of god with works testifying to his divine mission, punted back to their son. Their testimony was that, yes he was their son, and yes he was born blind, but since he was of age they could ask him directly any further questions about this supposed miracle. They feared man more than God for they did not want to be cast out from the synagogue.

24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. (John 9:24-34)

This miracle brought a sword down upon the people and their spiritually bankrupt leaders. The above quoted interactions between the pharisees and the healed man are very revealing.

The sword of truth divides asunder all falsehood and separates in a perfect way the teachings and precepts of man from the truth of God. This single act was a perfect exposing of the hypocrisy of the ecclesiastical leaders of the day who boasted in having Moses as their spiritual father but who did not see the very God of Moses within their midst.

Centuries of Talmudic teachings and precepts of Rabbis had hidden and buried the plain and simple truths of God found in the Law and the Prophets of the traditional Hebrew Scriptures.

Now is this account applicable to us today? If a man endowed with power from God (end time messianic figure or Davidic servant etc.) were to come once again among us to “restore again that which was lost unto [us], or which [the Lord] hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood” or show forth mighty preaching and works to testify of the veracity of his calling and anointing, what would we say?

This is not even allowed to be considered in the church today because of the precepts of men which teach that there will never be a need for any outside restoration because we possess the fullness already and that if any future restoration or revelation is needed it has to come through the apostles and prophets of the LDS church.

Gods hands are tied, he is not allowed to send another Abinadi or Samuel because there could never be a future need for this. With this thinking we put up stakes or limits as to what the Lord can do and how he can accomplish his work. Would we say to a future true servant of Christ who may come outsde the establshed LDS hierarchy:

“Our leaders come through Joseph, we know not from whence this man comes.”

“Surely the Lord would have given a commission to do such works only to us for we are the true church and the Lord is well pleased with us.”

“God is a god of order and He doesn’t operate through outside channels.”

“All such talk surely must be from imposters, apostates and false Christs.”

“We have are own prophets and seers what need is there for this man?”

Nephi gave a warning to the latter day readers of his words, stating that in a future day some would do the following:

. . . they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.
5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;
6 Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work. (2 Nephi 28:4-6)

It is very easy to glibly assign Nephi’s warnings to all the non-believers, who by the way would never even read his words, or to those who would never even accept the restored gospel, or to assume this is referring to the state of the churches before the restoration however this may not be the completely correct interpretation.

I am afraid that the culture we have inherited from our fathers would lead us to reject any truth and anyone who comes outside the ecclesiastical hierarchy and this is very alarming.

Now let me make it clear that I am not claiming to be anybody of importance.  I am a sinner in need of the grace of God and his Christ as much as anybody.  I am not “steadying the ark” or saying that we need an Abinadi to come to us.

I don’t pretend to know of any anointed servant of Christ outside of the current church leadership whom I sustain in their offices. I will however raise my voice in warning that we reject truth from God at our own peril no matter who it may come from, even if it were to come from one who is marred, or a man of sorrows, or if from someone with no apparent beauty that we should desire him or with no bonafides or authority; for the days of Christ are a type and shadow of events in the end times and since now the covenant people of Lord are the Gentiles (who have the assimilated blood of Israel, principally from Ephraim within them) who have accepted the gospel.

We are now like unto the Pharisees, Sadducees and Sanhedrin of the end times. We must be careful that we don’t make the same mistakes that they did because of pride and loftiness, for the lofty branches will be cut off to make room for the natural branches, that the last may be first and the first may be last. If we are blind, we can pray that the Lord will anoint our eyes that we may see with the eye of faith the great and marvelous work that is upon us.

The Lord bids us come, even the bridegroom says come, eat and drink, come buy milk and honey, without money or price. His yoke is easy and his burden light, especially when compared to the burdens placed upon us in Babylon the Great. He is the true vine and we are but branches which are expected to produce good fruit, even like unto the natural fruit.

As such we can expect that the Divine Husbandman will prune us that we might produce more. Wo be unto us if we say we see and we are bereft of fruit. May we have eyes to see, ears to hear and humble hearts to perceive that which is coming.

5 But behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many who have been ordained among you, whom I have called but few of them are chosen.
6 They who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noon-day. (D&C 95:5-6)

Moroni was a prophet of Jesus Christ who lived in 400 AD America and he was sure witness of Him. He is a witness that the Bible “which proceedeth forth from the mouth of the Jews” is true. He is a witness that Jesus is the very Messiah that the Jews rejected and that his salvation is for all peoples both Jew and Gentile. Listen to his final concluding message which he added to the record of his father Mormon:

38 And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.
39 And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things; (Ether 12, Book of Mormon)

29 And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true.
30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen. (Moroni 10, Book of Mormon)

Now I, an Outcast of Israel write unto you Gentiles; all ye Mormons, Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodist, other Christians, Muslims, Buddhist, agnostics, atheists etc. I write unto you who are the remnants of Joseph, even the Lamanites in the promised land and I write unto the Jews and those who are scattered throughout the world. I would invite you to examine the Book of Mormon and read it and ponder its message and if you do with a sincere heart, willing to let go of some of the traditions of your fathers which may not be 100% grounded in truth, you will come to know Jesus, not only what he did but who he truly is. I would invite you to feast upon this record for you will learn the things which you should do. You will draw closer to Christ and learn how to be perfected in Him.

The Lord has restored the fullness of his good news for our benefit. He has restored the covenants of the fathers so that our hearts may be turned to them, to receive what they received. He has restored the priesthood that allows us to enter the gate and to receive and live the Doctrine of Christ, even faith, repentance, the baptism of fire and the holy ghost. I would invite you to humble yourselves before God and ask him in prayer if these things are not true. The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever and he still works by a mighty hand for he is a God of miracles. But only those who humble themselves as a little child can receive these things, can receive Christ. Please don’t let your religion stop you, don’t let your traditions stop you or limit your progression and reception of Christ and his truths. Please don’t let your religious traditions stop the increase in knowledge that the Lord is willing to give you. Don’t let apathy and ignorance stop you. If you think you have enough then you cannot be taught more. If you think the Bible is all of God’s word to his children you are placing limits on what He can do. If you think that all is well in your life because you are a member of the true church I would invite you to reconsider your state before God. If you think that Jesus was just a good moral teacher then there is perhaps more that this teacher can show you.

The heavens were opened in a miraculous way when the Lord began a marvelous work and a wonder to begin the restoration and restitution of all things, a time of refreshing, a time when the stagnant philosophies of men mingled with scripture were to be supplanted by the oracles of God. This was accomplished through a true prophet (even in the midst of so many false ones) who’s name was Joseph.  May we all be willing to receive what the Lord is willing to give us and let it begin with receiving more of His word into our lives.

It is confusing to some members of the church to understand how the word Gentile is used by the Savior and the prophets of the Book of Mormon. We have a cultural heritage of considering ourselves the House of Israel and the non-members as Gentiles. This is also true, in a sense, but the title of this post is referring to who the Book of Mormon writers refered to as Gentiles and we will use this book with some corroborating evidence from the Doctrine and Covenants to sort this mystery out.

The very title page of the Book of Mormon gives us an important clue. This was penned by Moroni and it states the purpose of the book that his father Mormon painstakingly compiled:

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites–Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile--Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation–Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed–To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof–Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile–The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

So the book is written for three groups of people; the Lamanites (the Nephites having been all destroyed), the Jews and also to the Gentiles. It also says that the book will come forth by the Gentiles. So the Book is for the whole world and the introduction states the purpose “which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever–And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.”

So this paragraph should be all the evidence one needs to determine who are the Gentiles that the Book of Mormon authors referred to. It is the people who first received the book and were inheritors of the restoration. The Gentiles would then be charged with taking the message of the restoration of the covenants of the Lord and the fullness of the good news to the other groups. Even though those who received the book and covenant had the blood of scattered Israel in their veins and even though we receive a spiritual inheritance through our patriarchal lineage, we are still considered the Gentiles in the eyes of the Book of Mormon prophets.

Nephi reports what his father Lehi taught regarding what he learned about this from his visions:

And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the olive tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer. (1 Nephi 10:14)

So this reinforces the idea that the Gentiles (wild branches) would receive the fullness of the gospel and then the remnant of the house of Israel (natural branches) would receive the gospel and come unto their redeemer who is Christ and be grafted unto their mother tree.

Laman and Lemuel didn’t understand this part about the Gentiles and their younger brother Nephi explained it to them in plainness:

And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed— (1Nephi 15:13)

There are many more scriptures from the Book of Mormon all the way to the end that reinforce this concept so much so that it is beyond dispute or rational argument who the prophets of the Book of Mormon referred to as Gentiles. It is us! Those in the land of promise who would receive the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the convents and gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here are the words of Mormon regarding who the Gentiles would be:

6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;
7 But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.
8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.
9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. (3 Nephi 26:6-9)

Notice that Mormon is repeating what Jesus taught about how the Gentiles would first receive “these things” which is referring to the very words he was compiling which is the Book of Mormon.  Who received the book first and what group of people has spread this message far and wide?  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the Gentiles spoken of in reference to receiving the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the gospel.

To finish let me leave you with some revelations given to the Prophet the restoration Joseph Smith regarding who the Gentiles might be:

And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the truth and the word of God–Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come. (D&C 19:26-27)

The Book of Mormon is the word of the Lord to the Gentiles and then in the future would go to the other groups.

That through your administration they may receive the word, and through their administration the word may go forth unto the ends of the earth, unto the Gentiles first, and then, behold, and lo, they shall turn unto the Jews. And then cometh the day when the arm of the Lord shall be revealed in power in convincing the nations, the heathen nations, the house of Joseph, of the gospel of their salvation. (D&C 90:9-10)

Again here we see the gospel is to go to the Gentiles first and then to Jews and then the heathen nations as well as the house of Joseph which lineage the Lamanites belong to.

I will end with the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple which was the first temple in this dispensation. Joseph said that he received this dedicatory prayer by the spirit of prophecy and revelation:

Now these words, O Lord, we have spoken before thee, concerning the revelations and commandments which thou hast given unto us, who are identified with the Gentiles. But thou knowest that thou hast a great love for the children of Jacob, who have been scattered upon the mountains for a long time, in a cloudy and dark day. We therefore ask thee to have mercy upon the children of Jacob, that Jerusalem, from this hour, may begin to be redeemed; (D&C 109:60-62)

Despite the blood of Israel running in the veins of those who first accepted the Book of Mormon and the restoration, they were still “identified with the Gentiles” because that’s how the Book of Mormon prophets referred to them.

There are at least 4 groups or time periods of Gentiles referenced in the Book of Mormon.

1. The non-Jewish people who first accepted the original Gospel shortly after the Savior died.

2. The Europeans who were led to the promised land.

3. The descendants of these Europeans who would receive the  Book of Mormon and the restoration of the gospel. (I would submit that we are this 3rd group of Gentiles.)

4. The current inhabitants of the world who do not have the gospel who are not Jews or Lamanites or who are not members of the lost tribes of Israel.

Many of the warnings of the Book of Mormon prophets apply to this 3rd group of gentiles who would actually be receiving and reading the Book of Mormon and establishing the “Holy Church of God” since the first 2 groups of Gentiles would not even have access to the book however some of Nephi’s warnings do appear aimed at this 4th group as well, especially 2 Nephi 29 where he states the Gentiles will say “A Bible, a Bible we have got a Bible and there cannot be anymore Bible.”

In a future post we will examine the various Gentile warnings and use the scriptures to see which group they may apply to.  This is a key to understanding the message of the Book of Mormon which surely is another testament of Jesus Christ.

In 3 Nephi 24 and 25 the Savior gives the people 2 chapters from Malachi (4 and 5 as it reads in our Old Testament) and explains that, “These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given . . .”

These are some of the same scriptures that the Angel Moroni quoted to Joseph when he visited him:

38 Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
39 And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. (Joseph Smith – History)

It has always caused me to ponder and to ask why is this the case? What is it about his coming that will utterly waste the whole earth without the promises made to the fathers being planted into our hearts? What is it that pertains to the priesthood that needs to be revealed to us in order for us to abide the day?

The Angel also quoted these verses from Malachi to Joseph, albeit with a little variation:

37 For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (JS-H)

Who or what is coming that will burn us if we don’t obtain an order of priesthood and promises that pertain to it?

These Malachi verses are so important that the resurrected Lord gave them to the children of Lehi in America when he learned that they were not had in their records. Nephi quoted them in part in 2 Nephi 26:4. They were so important that the Angel Moroni quoted them 4 separate times to Joseph Smith. They were also repeated and given by revelation in D&C 64:24 and again in 133:64.

There is a key to understanding these verses and it is found in the Joseph Smith translation of Genesis 14. These verses shed light on an order of priesthood that these “Fathers” Enoch and Melchizedek obtained. Maybe their promises need to be planted in our own hearts and obtained by us so that Zion can be established and so we can abide they that come and the day that is coming.

26 Now Melchizedek was a man of faith, who wrought righteousness
27 And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained an high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch,
28 It being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God;
29 And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.
30 For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;
31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.
32 And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven.
33 And now, Melchizedek was a priest of this order; therefore he obtained peace in Salem, and was called the Prince of peace.
34 And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world;
35 And hath said, and sworn with an oath, that the heavens and the earth should come together; and the sons of God should be tried so as by fire. (Genesis 14, JST)

It is said that the Father dwells in everlasting burnings, think about this for moment. This last verse says that the joining of the heavens and the earth is associated with the sons of God (i.e. the covenant people of the Lord) being tried by fire.  Perhaps Seraphs who abide with God in this holy state are the ones who are coming and the uninitiated and unprepared will not be able to abide.

There seems to be a connection here between a power of this order and calling of the priesthood (by which those possessing it may break mountains, divide the seas, dry up waters, turn rivers out of their course, put at defiance the armies of nations, divide the earth, break every band, stand in the presence of God, become translated and obtain heaven) and a protection from the events of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. The spirit and power of Elijah is so much more than inspiration to seek after our dead ancestors and providing ordinances for them.

Russell Nelson, speaking as president of the quorum 12 apostles taught in the April 2016 general conference: “In a coming day, only those men who have taken their priesthood seriously, by diligently seeking to be taught by the Lord Himself, will be able to bless, guide, protect, strengthen, and heal others. Only a man who has paid the price for priesthood power will be able to bring miracles to those he loves”. Notice he didn’t say we will need to be taught by prophets, presidents, priests or even the Holy Ghost however important these teachers may be. These talks are carefully worded, and his message was deliberate. We need to be taught by the Lord himself in this coming day of which he (and perhaps Malachi) make reference to.

Let me leave you with a different way of seeing the restoration as started by the prophet Joseph Smith in this dispensation of the fullness of times. It is a common belief that the return of a new testament church was the restoration. I am inclined disagree with this. I submit to any who may read these words or hear my voice that the Lord was restoring a covenantal relationship and the ability to receive the order of the priesthood that is described in Genesis 14. The Lord was restoring the knowledge and covenants so that we could become sons and daughters of God. The restoration of promises which were made to our fathers Adam, Noah, Enoch, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob etc., all of whom lived before any new testament type of church.  These blessings and promises need to be planted in us and in our hearts. The church was established as a vehicle, not the end goal.  Here is a scripture that captures the essence of the restoration.

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5-6)

As we learn from the scriptures, the Jews rejected the fullness of this covenantal relationship but nevertheless continued on as God’s chosen people, albeit in a limited state having a lesser law. The question that we must ask ourselves today is how much of this covenant and order and calling of priesthood do we currently possess? How much did our spiritual fathers of the restoration accept and did they reject anything like the jews did? Is there more to be obtained? Ask the Lord if you lack wisdom about these things. I add my witness to James and Joseph that He gives to all men liberally who ask in faith, and he upbraids not.