Earlier this week I was doing one of my typical word searches in the scriptures, in this case on lds.org, and discovered something unbelievable. Something that suggests the LDS church is filtering scriptural searches on their website so that certain references don’t come up. It suggests active attempts to prevent the casual searcher from coming across information that does not reflect kindly on the claims of the modern church.

Here’s what I did. In the search bar on lds.org I inserted the word “restoration.”  Ten scriptures came up in the D&C. As I looked through the list I could not find a reference to D&C 77:15, a scripture I have known about for some time which refers to the two prophets who would preach to the Jews “at the time of the restoration.” Why on earth would this scripture be excluded? I checked my spelling to make sure I hadn’t made a typing mistake. I went to section 77 (which can be accessed on lds.org if you just go directly to it) and typed the exact phrase from verse 15 in the search bar “at the time of the restoration.” Nothing came up with that phrase! Now I am really curious. How about a search on any number of other key words and phrases from section 77?

I proceeded to do a search on the following terms all of which are embedded in D&C 77: sea of glass; sanctified; four beasts; figurative; felicity; seven seals; hidden; four angels; Elias; trumpets; and, two prophets.

SECTION 77 NEVER COMES UP!

Let that sink in for a minute. It NEVER EVER comes up. Someone has decided to exclude section 77 from the results of all scriptural searches on the LDS church’s official website. I wanted to think that this could just have been a coincidence, but the evidence was overwhelming for a deliberate exclusion by someone in church headquarters.

As another blogger is known to say (shout out to you Watcher):

Un-FREAKING-believable!

Why? What is contained in Section 77 that is so dangerous to the narrative of the LDS church? What’s in there that would potentially provoke a decision to try to hide information that is plainly manifest in the scriptures.

Section 77 is a bit different than most revelations in the D&C. What makes it unique is that the entire section is a question and answer session between Joseph and the Lord about various verses in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. The only other example of this question and answer format in the D&C is section 113. As a test, I also ran searches on key words in section 113 and discovered that indeed, they did show up. The church is not blocking search results for section 113.

In section 77, verse 8 is the first area that could cause serious indigestion for the modern corporate church.

8. Q. What are we to understand by the four angels, spoken of in the 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness.

As we can see, Revelation 7:1 is referring to four angels who commit the everlasting gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people in the last days. Importantly, they have the sealing power to seal up individuals unto eternal life, or to damn those who do not repent.

Contrast this with what is taught in the church that:

1. The church has the everlasting gospel to commit to the world
2. The church is spreading the everlasting gospel through it’s missionary program
3. The church is the sole custodian of the sealing power via the chosen 15.
4. Via the “2nd Endowment” selected members are sealed up unto eternal life and themselves given the sealing power. (This doctrine is not openly taught, but is reported to be taking place in temples under the personal administration of one of the Twelve).

What Revelation 7:1 and the explanation given by the Lord in section 77 DOES NOT say is that the current leaders of the Lord’s people will continue to grow the ranks of the elect and dispense the everlasting gospel and administer the sealing power prior to the Lord’s return in glory. The foregoing is largely the narrative taught by the corporate church. This scripture seriously calls that into doubt which is why it could be seen as a serious threat.

9. Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?

A. We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things.

This verse refers to an angel (resurrected person) who is identified as Elias (Elijah) the restorer who will be instrumental in sealing the servants of God (making their calling and election sure) prior to Christ’s return. There are all sorts of heartburn-inducing truths taught in this verse. It confirms that:

1. Elijah the restorer must return to gather the tribes of Israel. In other words, the modern church is not the one to gather the tribes of Israel.
2. This Elijah will oversee the dispensing of the sealing power, not the chosen 15.
3. The true purpose of sealing has nothing to do with marriage. Contrast this with church teachings that “families are forever” and that we need to seal families together via temple ordinances. I have addressed what the scriptures teach about sealing in a previous blog post accessible here.

Joseph taught “How shall God come to the rescue of this generation? He will send Elijah the prophet…”  Notice the future tense of “will send” as Joseph taught this long after the appearance of Elijah in the Kirtland Temple. Section 77 is another witness to the futurity of these events.

11. Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel—twelve thousand out of every tribe?

A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.

Verse 11 teaches that the angels previously mentioned will ordain 144,000 high priests to administer the everlasting gospel and bring people in the last days into Christ’s true church. The modern corporate church claims to have the fulness of the priesthood and routinely ordains high priests within its ranks. Instead, this scripture clarifies that the restoration of priesthood power will be from heaven-sent messengers, not from the current leaseholders of the Lord’s vineyard in SLC.

This doctrine is corroborated by D&C 113:7-8:

7 Questions by Elias Higbee: What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to?

8 He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost.

Finally, the zinger and the beginning of my scripture search which sent me down this rabbit hole.

15. Q. What is to be understood by the two witnesses, in the eleventh chapter of Revelation?

A. They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers.

Verse 15 clearly places the “restoration” in the future. No one I know in any sector of the religious community is arguing that this prophecy about the two prophets has been fulfilled. I have written in a previous blogpost about how the marvelous work is a future event. Those additional evidences can be accessed here.

One can see how troubling this could be to church leadership. It contradicts the story we have all been told about the restoration happening at the time of Joseph Smith. It directly challenges the timelines and narratives of the church. It challenges the authority claims of the church.

Further, this should be a cautionary warning to those who believe that we need to “preserve the restoration.” While I appreciate and love those who are seeking for Zion, the scriptures make it clear that it will not be rebuilt organically. Messengers are to return with true priesthood power to usher in the Lord’s “Strange Act” and “Marvelous Work.” Understanding these things will prevent you from being led astray by voices who would convince you otherwise.

Finally, I would be intensely curious to see if anyone else has a similar experience with the church website. Clearly the church wants to direct you to certain scriptures because they always sort by “relevance” rather than by “book” and you can’t change that default setting. You have to go in and change it every time you do a search. Very annoying! Do they really think they can get away with this?

Keep Searching.

In the two previous parts of this series we have discovered that knowing the Lord involves dealing justice to the poor and the needy among us. We also reviewed from scripture the condemnations that rest upon the leaders of the Lord’s people who steal from the poor by requiring tithes of those who barely have means to support themselves. In this final installment we are going to explore the law of common consent and how church leaders set at defiance the word of the Lord by failing to disclose how church finances are allocated.

In D&C 26:2 (given July 1830) the Lord says:

And all things shall be done by common consent in the church, by much prayer and faith, for all things you shall receive by faith. Amen.

This principle is further reiterated nearly 4 years later when the laws concerning the operation of the United Order are set forth (D&C 104:71).  With regards to taking money out of the treasury the Lord states:

And there shall not any part of it be used, or taken out of the treasury, only by the voice and common consent of the order.

Here we have two witnesses from the Lord that financial affairs are not to be kept hidden from the church membership. Rather, the consent of the membership is required to appropriate moneys in the church.

In 1838 there was a proposal made to pay Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith salaries for their work on behalf of the church in the amount of $1,100 apiece which was the equivalent of three times the average workers salary at the time. Despite being approved by the high council, when it was noised abroad to the churches that such an arrangement had been made it caused such an uproar that the salary agreement was rescinded at the next high council meeting. (See Richard S. Van Wagoner, Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess, Chapter 17. See also D. Michael Quinn, LDS Church Finances from the 1830s to the 1990s, Sunstone, June 1996, p. 21).

Anyone who is familiar with my blog will look at the date this proposal took place and realize that it was many years after the people had rejected the covenant and that both Joseph and Sidney were under the burden of making an intercessory atonement for the people. Their desire for material comforts and wealth is consistent with their taking upon themselves the sins of the people and acting them out.

Since Joseph’s death the church has been very inconsistent and sporadic in sharing financial information with it’s members.  As documented by D. Michael Quinn in LDS Church Finances cited above, the definition of tithing has changed over the years as has the application of consequences for the non-payment of tithes.  More significant, however, is the lack of transparency that has hidden from public view the poor financial decisions that plagued the church up through the 1950s and the use of tithes for private gain by some church leaders.

For example, there are a number of church leaders who took personal loans from church funds and then had those notes cancelled without repayment to the church.

Three weeks before he died in 1877, Brigham Young obtained a cancellation of his debts to the church extending all the way back to 1849.

In 1879, John Taylor, as president of Zion’s Savings Bank and Trust, had two notes for $50,000 destroyed by the vice-president of the bank. He also convinced the Twelve to allow him a $10,000 claim for sugar machinery.

Quinn also documents:

“Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and Joseph F. Smith did not use their office as Church president to cancel their personal indebtedness, yet they allowed tithing funds to serve as a loan pool for prominent Mormons.”

Among the debtors was Apostle Heber J. Grant for a cash loan of $34,000.”

As President of the Church, Heber J. Grant convinced his counselors to accept $30,000 worth of stock at face value (who knows what the true market value was) to cancel the loans.

“In 1930, First Counselor Anthony W. Ivins computed that the Church lost $900,000 in personal loans to Presiding Bishop Charles W. Nibley. Upon his appointment as second counselor in the First Presidency in 1925, Nibley had used stocks and bonds to repay his indebtedness to the Church.”

The point of sharing these vignettes is to highlight that there have indeed been abuses in the use of church funds that have been allowed to perpetuate largely because of the lack of transparency in the process in violation of the Lord’s stated law of common consent. Who knows what is going on today? I am not suggesting their are wholesale abuses. We just don’t know. We don’t know what amount of nepotism is reflected in the choice of contractors for building work and any number of the hundreds and thousands of contracts that the church enters into in their business dealings every year. We don’t know what the chosen 15 are paid, directly or indirectly. We don’t know how much goes to support the church bureaucracy, or how much goes to support BYU or any number of other endeavors.

What we do know is that since 1959 the church books have been completely and utterly closed to public view and scrutiny by the common membership. This was initially to disguise deficit spending to build meetinghouses under the theory that “if we build it they will come.” It took nearly a decade to recover under the leadership of financial wizard N. Eldon Tanner. The financial veil that was placed over church finances in 1959 was then firmly in place to disguise the financial successes that have been the hallmark of the church during the last 50 years.

Every general conference we are greeted by the church auditing department with an insipid non-disclosure that assures us that “in all material respects, contributions received, expenditures made, and assets of the Church for the year [insert latest year] have been recorded and administered in accordance with approved Church budgets, policies, and accounting practices.”

This is meaningless mumbo jumbo. It tells us nothing of substance about how our tithing dollars are being spent. We have no clue how much is spent on the poor which is the primary stated purpose of tithing as indicated by the Lord. When the saints rejected the covenant in 1834, Joseph and Oliver took a covenant of tithing FOR THE POOR and for the continuation of blessings.

As church members we should not sit idly by and allow our leaders to violate the law of common consent. We have been indoctrinated into believing that every change in policy or position or procedure is somehow a revelation from God. This is done subtly through implication without actually having to come out and say “Thus saith the Lord.”

Jeremiah has some choice words for those who take such liberties:

Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour [endlessly quoting one another]

Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith [directly or by implication].

Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.

Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the Lord answered thee? and, What hath the Lord spoken? (Jeremiah 23:30-32, 37)

My question is therefore identical to what the Lord instructs us to ask of our leaders. Exactly what has the Lord said to you? What has he answered? Did he tell you to close the books in contravention to an earlier revelation? If so, bring forth the new revelation. Let us see it and scrutinize it and decide for ourselves as a church whether it is indeed the Lord speaking or the precepts of men. It is really very simple.

There is an online petition that you can access here to petition the leaders of the church to open the books. I have very little hope that they will do so based on prophecies within the scriptures. For me, however, I believe it is important to make our voices heard in defense of the Lord’s word to us in the latter days.

In putting together this series it has become increasingly clear to me just how far afield we have traveled from what the Lord wants us to be doing with our tithes. His economic system is one of voluntary equality via covenant which allows each to fully develop their talents as documented in the parable of the talents. The systematic oppression of the poor via today’s tithing scheme in the name of the Lord can be labelled as none other than an abomination.

Finally, the following scripture is SO APROPOS today as so many are willing to hang on every word that comes from the pulpit of the conference center:

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means [church empire of businesses and wealth]; and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof? (Jeremiah 5:30-31)

Keep Searching.

In Part 1 of this series we explored what it truly means to know the Lord. We discovered through scripture that doing things in His name does not necessarily mean that any one of us knows His character–that the only way to know Him is to do the works which He did, especially with regards to the poor and the needy among us. This is His pure religion.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.  (James 1:27)

We also learned that condemnation rests upon those who profess his name and yet fail to know Him. Continuing with that theme there are many scriptures which condemn the leaders of God’s people for actually stealing from the poor.

O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths. The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof; for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that ye beat the people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor saith the Lord God of hosts.  (Isaiah 3:12-15, 2 Nephi 13:12-15)

Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up. They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up. They wear stiff necks and high heads: yea and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men. (2 Nephi 28:12-14)

The ancient prophet, Moroni, was shown in vision our day and had this to say:

Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. (Mormon 8:35-36)

He then goes on to list their sins:

For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

I used to think that these scriptures only applied to other churches. Certainly, Moroni was not talking about the LDS church, right? Through my study of scripture and the historical record I have come to know otherwise. It is hard to avoid the descriptors “all gone astray” and “even every one have become polluted”.

When the Lord brought forth His law of consecration in Section 42 it was a perfect economic law under which those who were in need received consecrated (tithed) donations from those who had a surplus. These properties were placed in the Lord’s storehouse for distribution under the direction of the bishop. This allowed the disadvantaged the basic necessities of life and the ability to develop their talents and abilities without worrying about the constant imperative to put food on the table or provide shelter.

Under the Lord’s law there was never the requirement to pay one tenth of one’s income if means were insufficient to cover basic living expenses. The poor were never called upon to show their faith by paying tithes and offerings in anticipation of the Lord stepping up and blessing them directly. Rather it was up to the leaders of the people to bless them by “bringing all the tithes into the storehouse.” In fact, Malachi 3:10 can be read as a rebuke of the priests for not placing the tithes in the storehouse for the poor. It is a rebuke for the people not living the law of consecration — they have “gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them.” They have rejected the Law of the Lord which requires consecration and are therefore robbing God by not living his sacred laws which provide generously for the poor.

What few understand is that the Law of Tithing found in D&C Section 119 is really just a restatement of the Law of Consecration. After consecrating surplus properties, you are required to continue year-by-year to cast one-tenth of your SURPLUS into the treasury of the Lord. No surplus means no need to contribute. If you can’t put food on the table you don’t go into debt in hopes of blessings from the Lord.

And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually, and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord. (D&C 119:4)

Websters 1828 dictionary defines interest as “surplus advantage” and “personal profit”. This was the understanding of the word in Joseph’s day. Nowhere in the definition is “income” the equivalent of interest.

Yet that is exactly how this scripture has been interpreted by those who rule over us. We are led to believe that we should tithe one-tenth of our gross income without regards to taxes, or basic living expenses.  By interpreting the scripture in that way the poor are deprived of the means to support themselves. They are being robbed and spoiled.

Instead of placing money in the storehouse for the poor, tithes are used to adorn our churches and temples with the finest of materials and workmanship. The gold leaf, the fancy designs, the expensive marble are all testament to the fact that we don’t recognize what the Lord truly sees as important.

Do we “know” the Lord more by participating in a masonic-based temple endowment ceremony in over-the-top ornate buildings or by easing the burdens of the poor and needy among us? Does the Lord really require us to build all these impressive structures in order to worship him? The greatest spiritual blessings since the restoration were poured out in the relatively plain Kirtland Temple. Those spiritual blessings haven’t been matched in subsequent generations. Does anybody not wonder why?

Our fine sanctuaries and our fine clothing testify against us. Our system of tithing has become wholly corrupt with spiritual blessings withheld from those who do not “pay” the required price in cold, hard cash.There are reports of baptisms being denied until an investigator actually pays tithes and offerings. The spoil of the poor is in our houses (temples). The priests have eaten up the vineyard and they grind upon the faces of the poor by how they their appropriate tithing funds. In Part 3 we will examine how the authorities are violating the Lord’s directives in the scriptures by withholding financial information from church members.

Keep Searching.

Of all the sermons preached by Joseph Smith, perhaps no other sermon has been more instrumental in reshaping the doctrines of Mormonism than what is commonly known as the King Follett Discourse.  Given only a few short months prior to Joseph’s murder, this talk fundamentally changed how Mormons view the Godhead and each of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  In it, Joseph, introduces the notion that God the Father was once a man as we are who lived upon an earth similar to ours.  Over time He was able to attain to Godhood under the direction of some other God in one eternal round of multiple Gods. This discourse introduced to the members the idea that they too could become Gods under the direction of our Father and His Son.

Following Joseph’s death, the temple theology that supports this doctrine was implemented under the direction of Brigham Young and continues in the church today. When one understands that by this time the church had already “been rejected as a church with [their] dead” (D&C 124:32) and that Joseph was providing an intercessory offering on behalf of the saints who had rejected the fulness, it is easier to understand how the Lord could use Joseph to test his people and fulfill his words in The Book of Commandments, chapter 4:

  5 And thus, if the people of this generation harden not their hearts, I will work a reformation among them, and I will put down all lyings, and deceivings, and priestcrafts, and envying, and strifes, and idolatries, and sorceries, and all manner of iniquities, and I will establish my church, like unto the church which was taught by my disciples in the days of old.

 6 And now if this generation do harden their hearts against my word, behold I will deliver them up unto satan…

What could be more apropos than for the Lord to fulfill his promise to turn them over to satan for a period of chastisement than to introduce a concept of God that is inconsistent with the scriptures and which recreates God in the image of man?

A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT

To fully comprehend just how earth shattering this doctrinal shift was you have to go back to the “doctrine” portion of the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, which we know today as the Lectures on Faith (“Lectures”). Despite being accepted as scripture by the church in 1835, the Lectures were removed from the canon in 1921 by a church committee without any vote of the membership.  The reason the Lectures had to be removed was because they taught doctrine inconsistent and incompatible with the view of the Godhead taught by Joseph in the King Follett Discourse and which had made it into the canonized revelations as Section 130 of the Doctrine and Covenants:

 22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.  Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. (D&C 130:22)

Of note is that this section (130) was placed in the D&C in 1877 under the direction of Brigham Young and it does not purport to be a revelation, rather just instruction given by Joseph in 1843.

Consider some of the teachings found in the Lectures:

1. There are 2 personages in the Godhead, not 3.
2. God, the Father, is a personage of spirit, glory and power.
3. Jesus Christ, the Son, is in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle in the form and likeness of man and after the image of his Father.  He is called the Son because of the Flesh, possessing the mind with the Father.
4. The Holy Spirit is the mind of God.

If these concepts sound alien to you, it is because the Lectures describe a concept of God completely different from how you were raised in the church. However, this was what was taught in the School of the Prophets to men who had been ordained to the highest priesthood. It is an almost trinitarian view that is surprisingly consistent with the Book of Mormon (see Mosiah 15).

The Lectures are also very clear that one must know the true character of God in order to exercise faith in Him unto salvation.

19 An acquaintance with these attributes in the divine character, is essentially necessary, in order that the faith of any rational being can center in him for life and salvation. For if he did not, in the first instance, believe him to be God, that is, the creator and upholder of all things, he could not center his faith in him for life and salvation, for fear there should be a greater than he, who would thwart all his plans, and he, like the gods of the heathen, would be unable to fulfill his promises; but seeing he is God over all, from everlasting to everlasting, the creator and upholder of all things, no such fear can exist in the minds of those who put their trust in him, so that in this respect their faith can be without wavering.

20 But secondly: Unless he was merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, long suffering, and full of goodness, such is the weakness of human nature, and so great the frailties and imperfections of men, that unless they believed that these excellencies existed in the divine character, the faith necessary to salvation could not exist; for doubt would take the place of faith, and those who know their weakness and liability to sin, would be in constant doubt of salvation, if it were not for the idea which they have of the excellency of the character of God, that he is slow to anger, and long suffering, and of a forgiving disposition, and does forgive iniquity, transgression and sin. An idea of these facts does away doubt, and makes faith exceedingly strong.

21 But it is equally as necessary that men should have the idea that he is a God who changes not, in order to have faith in him, as it is to have the idea that he is gracious and long suffering. For without the idea of unchangeableness in the character if the Deity, doubt would take the place of faith. But with the idea that he changes not, faith lays hold upon the excellencies in his character with unshaken confidence, believing he is the same yesterday, to-day and forever, and that his course is one eternal round. (Lecture 3:19-21)

FLIMSY GROUNDS

When Joseph introduced the concept of God once being a man, he was doing so on very flimsy scriptural grounds during a time when his eyes were being covered because of the iniquity of the people (2 Nephi 27:5).  This doesn’t mean that we dismiss everything he said. Rather, greater scriptural scrutiny is required to determine whether or not he is acting as the Lord’s right arm to “test” the people to see whether they will be true to His gospel or whether he is acting in the capacity of a prophet teaching a true principle.  Unrealized by many is the fact that there is precedent in the Old Testament for the Lord to use prophets to test his people.

 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

A reading of the discourse reveals a somewhat defiant Joseph who at one point says: “Mark it, Elder Rigdon!” with reference to the scripture Joseph is using to justify his position. Considering the fact that one of Sidney’s roles was to “call upon the holy prophets to prove his words” (D&C 35:23) and that Sidney had largely ceased to act in that capacity for many years, Joseph appears to be expressing frustration that he is not getting that support.

I wish I was in a suitable place to tell it, and that I had the trump of an archangel, so that I could tell the story in such a manner that persecution would cease forever. What did Jesus say? (Mark it, Elder Rigdon!) The scriptures inform us that Jesus said, as the Father hath power in himself, even so hath the Son power—to do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious—in a manner to lay down his body and take it up again. Jesus, what are you going to do? To lay down my life as my Father did, and take it up again. Do you believe it? If you do not believe it you do not believe the Bible. The scriptures say it, and I defy all the learning and wisdom and all the combined powers of earth and hell together to refute it. Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. And I want you to know that God, in the last days, while certain individuals are proclaiming His name, is not trifling with you or me.

What did Jesus do? Why, I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. My Father worked out His kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to My Father, so that He may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt Him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take His place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of His Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all His children. It is plain beyond disputation, and you thus learn some of the first principles of the gospel, about which so much hath been said.

Although Joseph doesn’t quote the reference to the scripture he is using to draw his conclusions it appears that he is talking about John 5:

 v 19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

 v 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

 v 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

The problem is that while somewhat logical, Joseph’s reasoning is not consistent with numerous other scriptures. Also, if you think about it, his logic implies that to ascend the ladder to godhood one must become a savior, such as Jesus Christ, of another world sometime down the line because if Jesus had to do what he had seen his father do to become a god, then we must tread that same path.

Interestingly, the editors of the Nauvoo Expositor cite the plurality of Gods doctrine as one of the “many items of false doctrine” in the church:

Among the many items of false doctrine that are taught the Church, is the doctrine of many Gods, one of the most direful in its effects that has characterized the world for many centuries. We know not what to call it other than blasphemy, for it is most unquestionably , speaking of God in an impious and irreverent manner. It is contended that there are innumerable gods as much above the God that presides over this universe, as he is above us; and if he varies from the law unto which he is subjected, he, with all his creatures, will be cast down as was Lucifer: thus holding forth a doctrine which is effectually calculated to sap the very foundation of our faith, and now, O Lord! shall we set still and be silent, while thy name is thus blasphemed, and thine Honor, power and glory , brought into disrepute? See Isaiah c 43, v 10; 44, 6-8; 45, 5,6, 21, 22; and book of Covenants, page 26 and 39. (Nauvoo Expositor, June 7, 1844)

Notice how the Expositor identifies the fact that the false doctrine of multiple Gods ultimately undermines and enervates faith in God, because as the Lectures clearly demonstrate, we have to believe in his true character as an unchangeable being from everlasting to everlasting in order to have confidence and faith in him.  There are a plethora of scriptures supporting the view of God described in the Lectures.

2 Nephi 27:23 For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.

Mormon 8:8  For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.

Moroni 9:9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?

D&C 20:12 Thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.

D&C 35:1 Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever.

Deuteronomy 4:35 …the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.

Isaiah 46:9 For I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.

Mark 12:29-34  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

This is an extremely small sample to verify the point — there are literally pages more if you look for them. Elder Bruce R. McConkie had this to say about the lectures:

In my judgment, it is the most comprehensive, inspired utterance that now exists in the English language–that exists in one place defining, interpreting, expounding, announcing, and testifying what kind of being God is. It was written by the power of the Holy Ghost, by the the spirit of inspiration. It is, in effect, eternal scripture; it is true. (Bruce R. McConkie, “The Lord God of Joseph Smith,” January 4, 1972, in Speeches of the Year (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1972).

How Elder McConkie reconciles the above statement about the Lectures on Faith with the doctrines from the King Follett Discourse that have fully infiltrated the Church I have not a clue. You cannot, in my humble opinion, believe both simultaneously. They are mutual exclusive doctrines. Either you believe one or you believe the other. No amount of tortured logic gets you to a place where they are compatible.

What I believe we have done in modern Mormonism is bring God down to our level by believing in a God who was once a man. In the process we have downgraded Jesus Christ to our “elder brother” — a term never used in the scriptures and which was introduced by Joseph in the sermon.  Instead we should be focused on the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh and understand the fact that “God himself [came] down among the children of men, and [redeemed] his people” (Mosiah 15:1)  This is a God who condescended through His Son to take on flesh in order to save us from the effects of sin on condition of repentance. Christ is in the bosom of the Father. These things were all taught in the Lectures on Faith, belief in the God taught there was good enough for the high priests who received their calling and election — the promise of eternal life — long before a single brick was laid in the city of Nauvoo where Joseph gave the discourse.

We need to repent of changing “the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like to corruptible men.” (Romans 1:23)  Reading and understanding the true doctrine as contained in the Lectures is a first step which I highly recommend. You can access a copy online here.  May the Holy Spirit (the mind of God) guide you along the way.

Keep Searching

Many times in holy writ the Lord applies the metaphor of blindness and deafness to those who would not seek to understand his teachings, including those of his chosen people:

“That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” (Mark 4:12)

The implication is that the opportunity to be truly converted is being rejected because of an unwillingness to “see” and “hear” the true message from the Lord.  Isaiah is full of the same imagery regarding the last days:

“And in that day [referring to the time when the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon shall come forth] shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.” (Isaiah 29:18)

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.” (Isaiah 35:5)

“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” (Isaiah 42:7)

One of the most compelling scriptures along these lines, however, is in the Joseph Smith Translation of Isaiah 42:19-23:

“For I will send my servant unto you who are blind; yea, a messenger to open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf; And they shall be made perfect notwithstanding their blindness, if they will hearken unto the messenger, the Lord’s servant.  Thou art a people, seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears to hear, but thou hearest not.  The Lord is not well pleased with such a people, but for his righteousness’ sake he will magnify the law and make it honorable.  Thou art a people robbed and spoiled; thine enemies, all of them have snared thee in holes, and they have hid thee in prison houses; they have taken thee for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.”

Here we have the Lord promising to send a servant to His people who are blind, and who will regain their spiritual eyes and ears if they will hearken to the servant.  In their current condition they see and hear many things, but don’t understand.  To me, this is a very clear reference to the marvelous work that will commence during the third watch when the “first laborers in the last kingdom” return to finish the mission they failed to complete in the second watch.  It is a future event, which highlights the uncomfortable fact that “those who call themselves after my [the Lord’s] name” are the blind and the deaf.

Fortunately, the Lord is still in charge and will not forsake his people:

“And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight.  These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods. Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.” (Isaiah 42:16-18)

When one realizes the simplicity of the fulness of the gospel and the fact that we have changed the ordinances, and added additional ornamentation well beyond the baptism of water, fire and the Holy Ghost, will we not as a people be “ashamed” for trusting in our idols of brethren worship and extraneous temple ritual?  Will we not be ashamed at our materialism and lack of understanding of the celestial law of consecration?  Isaiah speaks prolifically about the children of Israel, and yet we still don’t see ourselves reflected in his words.

Isaiah has some harsh things to say about the watchmen who are also blind.  I am hesitant myself to use such strong language against the leaders of the church because I believe that what is going on in the modern LDS church is largely the result of institutional inertia over many generations.  As a pilot myself I can totally relate to President Uchtdorf’s analogy to getting off course by small degrees, leading to significant deviations over time.  I often ask myself if they are actively trying to deceive, or are they just blind to the realities of the scriptures and church history that is the primary subject of this blog.  My conclusion today is that they are blind — believing that they have the fulness of the priesthood and truly speak for the Lord when in fact there is much evidence to the contrary.

Just the other day I commenced writing down all the evidences I could think of that the modern Mormon church is in a state of apostasy.  As of today, I am up to 20 and will publish my list at some point down the line.  My only hesitation to publishing my list right now is that I am sure there are many more evidences to add to it, and my purpose is not to destroy faith.  Without a proper understanding of the Joseph’s intercessory offering and the fact that the Lord has not forsaken his people despite their blindness, it is very easy for people to pull the ripcord and lose all faith entirely.  Spiritual maturity and a willingness to search the scriptures are required for true understanding.  In my experience, few people are willing to pay the price in the form of time and effort, leaving them vulnerable to easy answers provided prolifically by doubters and skeptics.

So let’s conclude with Isaiah’s description of the blind watchmen with a few of my comments interspersed:

“His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant (they don’t understand the true history), they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark (they are not warning the people to repent and prepare for Zion as they should); sleeping, lying down loving to slumber.  Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough (they need to keep building church portfolios and investments, while neglecting the poor and even oppressing the poor through a corrupt tithing system), and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every on for his gain, from his quarter (they rely upon the wisdom of men to build up their view of Zion while fully embracing the economy of Babylon).  Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant (we continue to stumble along teaching that all is well if we just do our missionary work, pay tithing and build temples and meetinghouses throughout the world–this kingdom we are building will get bigger and bigger until it fills the whole earth).

As I am writing this another scripture comes to mind from 2 Nephi 28: 13-14:

“They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries (temples); they rob the poor because of their fine clothing (suits, white shirts and ties — the “uniform” of the priesthood); and they persecute the meek and poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up (it’s all about self reliance and the gospel of success — we are righteous if we are blessed with material possessions).  They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations (celestial polygamy, masonic temple endowment), they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ (note that it doesn’t say followers of the brethren); nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.

So there you have it.  We are institutionally blind and deaf.  Individually we can choose to open our eyes and ears to the simple truths of the fulness of the gospel.  The choice is yours.

Keep Searching.

For those who are wondering, I have been somewhat absence from blogging recently because I have been engaged in writing a book about the intercessory offering and atonement of Joseph Smith.  This project has taken much of my time and energy because I believe an understanding of Joseph’s atonement is essential to comprehending true LDS history and what is about to transpire prior to Christ’s return in glory to the earth.  My goal is to write something that is accessible to the average reader and takes them through the various historical facts and scriptural evidences in a logical and readable format.  The challenge in taking up this project is that much effort must be expended to clear the ground of the traditions of men that impede the average latter-day saint from seeing what is so very clear to those who have taken up the charge to search diligently. Imparting years of searching into a book that can be read in 2 hours is a daunting task.  Ultimately, I believe, only those who are willing to search under the influence of the Holy Ghost will actually “get it” in the end.  Regardless, I feel compelled to proceed.

One falsehood encumbering the ground of Mormon history revolves around the Nauvoo Expositor and the “lies” that were supposedly perpetuated by the one and only edition of that publication.  As we know, the destruction of the press set in motion a series of events ultimately resulting in Joseph’s death at Carthage.  I recently read a blog which quoted the primary manual for teaching children in church as saying “Some enemies of the church believed that if they got rid of Joseph Smith, the church would fall apart.  These men started a newspaper in which they told many vicious lies about Joseph.  (Primary Manual 5, Lesson 37).

This is quite a bold assertion by the church, and so this blogger challenged readers to expose the vicious lies of the Nauvoo Expositor with the promise of $50 to anyone who could clearly demonstrate something asserted in the paper was a lie.  Several people came forward with assertions of lies, all of which were easily rebutted from historical evidence.

I recently spent considerable time reading and studying that document.  I made a point to pick up a reproduction of the original print copy at Joseph’s red brick store (owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly the RLDS) when I visited Nauvoo some months back.  Praise the Lord that he entrusted some of those key historical sites to the CoC for preservation over the years, including the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible which sheds incredible light on important doctrines relative to our day, including the doctrine of the three watches.

As an aside, the Masonic Hall, owned and operated by the LDS church in Nauvoo has been renamed the “Cultural Hall” and presented as a place for cultural entertainment.  Upstairs where masonic temple rituals were enacted, the church has placed quilts, furniture and clothing appropriate for the time period.  Having heard that there was a worn circle in the floor in the center of the room from the masonic ritual, I looked to see if it was there only to discover that a heavy rug had been tacked to the floor.  I tried to lift the rug when beyond the gaze of the tour guide sister missionaries but was disappointed in my attempts although I could feel what appeared to be an indented worn surface as I stepped on the floor, but I couldn’t be sure.  Amazing how subtle changes over time in our history become articles of faith to future generations.

In my opinion, the Nauvoo Expositor is required reading for all who seek to know what was going on in Nauvoo as opposed to blindly accepting the LDS narrative of enemies perpetuating vicious lies.  On the contrary, when you understand the motives of the publishers it was to effect a reformation in the church — a return to the true doctrines originally taught when the saints had the fulness and were seeking to establish Zion.  William Law, former member of the First Presidency, was the principal actor in the Nauvoo Expositor drama, but was also assisted by his brother, Wilson, a Brigadier General in the Nauvoo Legion, Francis Higbee, Chauncey Higbee, Charles Foster and Robert Foster among others.

William Law, whose photo you see above, was a late-comer to the restoration movement.  He joined the church in 1836, some years after the rejection of the fulness by the Gentiles, and following the pentecostal experiences in Kirtland.  He also missed the turmoil in Kirtland with the Safety Society debacle as he was in Canada, finally moving to Nauvoo with a group of Canadian converts in 1839.  He was called to the First Presidency in 1841.

Over time, he became troubled by certain teachings and practices of Smith, most prominently celestial polygamy, which ultimately lead to his being dropped as a counselor to Joseph in proceedings that he considered did not comport with proper and legal procedure within the church.  It is clear from the Expositor that William had sought to get Joseph to admit publicly that he had erred with regards to the polygamy doctrine, something Joseph was unwilling to do.

I am only going to include here a few excerpts from the Expositor to whet your appetite.  You can see a full transcription of the text here.

We all verily believe, and many of us know of a surety, that the religion of the Latter Day Saints, as originally taught by Joseph Smith, which is contained in the Old and New Testaments, Book of Covenants, and Book of Mormon, is verily true; and that the pure principles set forth in those books, are the immutable and eternal principles of Heaven, and speaks a language which, when spoken in truth and virtue, sinks deep into the heart of every honest man.–Its precepts are invigorating, and in every sense of the word, tend to dignify and ennoble man’s conceptions of God and his atributes [sic].

We are earnestly seeking to explode the vicious principles of Joseph Smith, and those who practice the same abominations and whoredoms; which we verily know are not accordant and consonant with the principles of Jesus Christ and the Apostles; and for that purpose, and with that end in view, with an eye single to the glory of God, we have dared to gird on the armor, and with God at our head, we most solemnly and sincerely declare that the sword of truth shall not depart from the thigh, nor the buckler from the arm, until we can enjoy those glorious privileges which nature’s God and our country’s laws have guarantied to us-freedom of speech, the liberty of the press, and the right to worship God as seemeth us good.-We are aware, however, that we are hazarding every earthly blessing, particularly property,and probably life itself, in striking this blow at tyranny and oppression: yet notwithstanding we most solemnly declare that no man, or set of men combined, shall, with impunity, violate obligations as sacred as many which have been violated unless reason, justice and virtue have become ashamed and sought the haunts of the grave, though our lives be the forfeiture. 

Many of us have sought a reformation in the church, without a public exposition of the enormities of crimes practiced by its leaders, thinking that if they would hearken to counsel, and shew fruit meet for repentance, it would be as acceptable with God, as though they were exposed to public gaze, “For the private path, the secret acts of men, If noble, for the noblest of their lives,” but our petitions were treated with contempt; and in many cases the petitioner spurned from their presence and particularly by Joseph, who would state that if he had sinned, and was guilty of the charges we would charge him with, he would not make acknowledgment, but would rather be damned; for it would detract from his dignity, and would consequently ruin and prove the overthrow of the Church. We would ask him on the other hand, if the overthrow of the Church was not inevitable, to which he often replied, that we would all go to Hell together, and convert it into a heaven, by casting the Devil out; and says lie, Hell is by not means the place this world of fools suppose it to be, but on the contrary, it is quite an agreeable place: to which we would now reply, he can enjoy it he is determined not to desist from his evil ways; but as for us, and ours, we will serve the Lord our God! 

It is absurd for men to assert that all is well, while wicked and corrupt men are seeking our destruction, by a perversion of sacred things; for all is not well, while whordoms and all manner of abominations are practiced under the cloak of religion. Lo! the wolf is in the fold, arrayed in sheep’s clothing, and is spreading death and devastation among the saints: and we say to the watchmen standing upon the walls, cry aloud and spare not, for the day of the Lord is at hand-a day cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate. 

It is a notorious fact, that many females in foreign climes, and in countries to us unknown, even in the most distant regions of the Eastern hemisphere, have been induced, by the sound of the gospel, to forsake friends, and embark upon a voyage across waters that lie stretched over the greater portion of the globe, as they supposed, to glorify God, that they might thereby stand acquitted in the great day of God Almighty. But what is taught them on their arrival at this place?- They are visited by some of the Strikers, for we know not what else to call them, and are requested to hold on and be faithful, for there are great blessings awaiting the righteous; and that God has great mysteries in store for those who love the lord, and cling to brother Joseph. They are also notified that Brother Joseph will see them soon, and reveal the mysteries of Heaven to their full understanding, which seldom fails to inspire them with new confidence in the Prophet, as well as a great anxiety to know what God has laid up in store for them, in return for the great sacrifice of father of mother, of gold and silver, which they gladly left far behind, that they might be gathered into the fold, and numbered among the chosen of God.–They are visited again, and what is the result? They are requested to meet brother Joseph, or some of the Twelve, at some insulated point, or at some particularly described place on the bank of the Mississippi, or at some room, which wears upon its front–Positively NO Admittance. The harmless, inoffensive, and unsuspecting creatures, are so devoted to the Prophet, and the cause of Jesus Christ, that they do not dream of the deep laid and fatal scheme which prostrates happiness, and renders death itself desirable; but they meet him, expecting to receive through him a blessing, and learn the will of the Lord concerning them, and what awaits the faithful follower of Joseph, the Apostle and Prophet of God, When in the stead thereof, they are told, after having been sworn in one of the most solemn manners, to never divulge what is revealed to them, with a penalty of death attached that God Almighty has revealed it to him, that she should be his (Joseph’s) Spiritual wife; for it was right anciently,and God will tolerate it again: but we must keep those pleasures and blessings form the world, for until there is a change in the government, we will endanger ourselves by practicing it-but we can enjoy the blessings of Jacob, David, and others, as well as to be deprived of them, if we do not expose ourselves to the law of the land. She is thunder-struck, faints recovers, and refuses. The Prophet damns her if she rejects. She thinks of the great sacrifice and of the many thousand miles she has traveled over sea and land, that she might save her soul from pending ruin, and replies, God’s will be done and not mine. The Prophet and his devotees in this way are gratified. 

Our hearts have mourned and bled at the wretched and miserable condition of females in this place; many orphans have been the victims of misery and wretchedness, through the influence, that has been exerted over them, under the cloak of religion and afterwards, in consequence of that jealous disposition which predominates over the minds of some, have been turned upon a wide world, fatherless and motherless, destitute of friends and fortune; and robbed of that which nothing but death can restore. 

It is difficult–perhaps impossible–to describe the wretchedness of females in this place, without wounding the feelings of the benevolent, or shocking the delicacy of the refined; but the truth shall come to the world. The remedy can never be applied, unless the disease is known. The sympathy, ever anxious to relieve, cannot be felt before the misery is seen.–The charity that kindles at the tale of woe, can never act with adequate efficiency, till it is made to see the pollution and guilt of men, now buried in the death-shades of heathenism.–Shall we then, however painful the sight, shrink from the contemplation of their real state? We answer, we will not, if permitted to live. As we have before stated, it is the vicious principles of men we are determined to explode. It is not that we have any private feelings to gratify, or any private pique to settle, that has induced us to be thus plain; for we can respect and love the criminal, if there is any hope of reformation: but there is a point beyond which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. 

The next important item which presents itself for our consideration, is the attempt at Political power and influence, which we verity believe to be preposterous and absurd. We believe, it is inconsistent, and not in accordance with the christian religion. We do not believe that God ever raised up a Prophet to christianize a world by political schemes and intrigue. It is not the way God captivates the heart of the unbeliever; but on the contrary, by preaching truth in its own native simplicity, and in its own original purity, unadorned with anything except its own indigenous beauties. Joseph may plead he has been injured, abused, and his petitions treated with contempt by the general government, and that he only desires an influence of a political character that will warrant him redress of grievances; but we care not-the faithful followers of Jesus must bear in this age as well as Christ and the Apostles did anciently; although a frowning world may have crushed him to the dust; although unpitying friends may have passed him by; although hope, the great comforter in affliction, may have burst forth and fled from his troubled bosom; yet, in Jesus there is a balsom for every wound, and a cordial to assuage an agonized mind. 

Among the many items of false doctrine that are taught the Church, is the doctrine of many Gods, one of the most direful in its effects that has characterized the world for many centuries. We know not what to call it other than blasphemy, for it is most unquestionably, speaking of God in an impious and irreverent manner. It is contended that there are innumerable gods as much above the God that presides over this universe, as he is above us; and if he varies from the law unto which he is subjected, he, with all his creatures, will be cast down as was Lucifer: thus holding forth a doctrine which is effectually calculated to sap the very foundation of our faith, and now, O Lord! shall we set still and be silent, while thy name is thus blasphemed, and thine Honor, power and glory, brought into disrepute? See Isaiah c 43, v 10; 44, 6-8; 45, 5,6, 21, 22; and book of Covenants, page 26 and 39. 

It was in Rome, and about the twelfth century, when Pope Innocent III, ordered father Dominic to excite the Catholic princes and people to extirpate heretics. But it is in this enlightened and intelligent nineteenth century, and in Nauvoo–a place professing to be the nucleus o the world, that Joseph Smith has established an inquisition, which, if it is suffered to exist, will prove more formidable and terrible to those who are found opposing the iniquities of Joseph and his associates, than ever the Spanish inquisiton did to heretics as they termed them. 

You get the idea.  William has a way with words and he doesn’t mince them! It appears that the publication of the Expositor was a last resort after having attempted to get Joseph to return to the purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the scriptures, cease his teachings on polygamy and refrain from the abuses of power he was perpetuating. Of course, Joseph declined to do so, even though there is evidence he recognized that he had been deceived with respect to polygamy and sought to move away from those practices during the waning months of his life, including very compelling evidence by William Marks, Stake President in Nauvoo.  Following Joseph’s death, Brigham vilified those responsible for the press, branding them as enemies and traitors.  Additionally, Brigham introduced into the Masonic-based temple endowment an “Oath of Vengeance” which obligated inductees as follows:

“You and each of you do covenant and promise that you will pray and never cease to pray to Almighty God to avenge the blood of the prophets upon this nation, and that you will teach the same to your children and to your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation.”

All of which takes us to the title of this post.  How on earth does this  oath comport with the gospel of Jesus Christ?  The Book of Mormon clearly teaches that vengeance is the purview of the Lord ONLY, not of men.

Behold what the scripture says—man shall not smite, neither shall he judge; for judgment is mine, saith the Lord, and vengeance is mine also, and I will repay. (Mormon 8:20)

The Nephites in the Book of Mormon always lost when they took vengeance into their own hands. It is a recurring theme throughout the book.  Likewise, John Corrill and Ebenezer Robinson, both of whom have written contemporary accounts of the saints in Missouri, observe that conditions materially worsened for the saints when they ceased to turn the other cheek and live the pure gospel.  When they start to take matters into their own hands and retaliate (Danites anyone?) things go downhill quickly, ultimately resulting in their expulsion from Missouri.  It appears as no coincidence to me that the rejection of the covenant of consecration coincides with their challenges, including the spirit of vengeance and retaliation which infiltrated the saints.

The Lord told the saints in Missouri that they would “never cease to prevail” if they would hearken to observe all the words which the Lord their God would speak to them. This is not a story of the old settlers in Missouri kicking the saints out, but rather the story of a people who break the covenant of consecration and reap the consequences.

If as a people for generations we have sworn an oath to take vengeance on our “perceived” enemies then we don’t really believe the scriptures or the gospel.  Satan is run rampant among us as he “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4)

One day we will understand that William Law, in publishing the Nauvoo Expositor, was acting in his place as a counselor to Joseph to work a reformation.  One day we will realize that he has a divine calling to be accomplished in the Third Watch.  Read what the Lord has to say about William in Section 124.

97 Let my servant William Law also receive the keys by which he may ask and receive blessings; let him be^ahumble before me, and be without ^bguile, and he shall receive of my Spirit, even the ^cComforter, which shall manifest unto him the truth of all things, and shall give him, in the very hour, what he shall say.

98 And these ^asigns shall follow him—he shall heal the^bsick, he shall cast out devils, and shall be delivered from those who would administer unto him deadly poison;

99 And he shall be led in paths where the poisonous serpent ^acannot lay hold upon his heel, and he shall mount up in the ^bimagination of his thoughts as upon eagles’ wings.

100 And what if I will that he should ^araise the dead, let him not withhold his voice.

101 Therefore, let my servant William cry aloud and spare not, with joy and rejoicing, and with hosannas to him that sitteth upon the throne forever and ever, saith the Lord your God.

102 Behold, I say unto you, I have a mission in store for my servant William, and my servant Hyrum, and for them alone; and let my servant Joseph tarry at home, for he is needed. The remainder I will show unto you hereafter. Even so. Amen.

Healing the sick…Poisonous serpents…Raising the dead…A special mission with Hyrum. The Lord never spoke like this about Brigham Young, and yet untold thousands were taught to hate this man, because he had the temerity to listen to the spirit and seek for a reformation–a reformation that even Joseph acknowledged was necessary when he said the following on July 16, 1843:

“…Hyrum held the office of prophet to the church by birth-right & he was going to have a REFORMATION and the saints must regard Hyrum for he has authority”

William Law and Hyrum were the one’s called to reform the church.  Their mission in the Second Watch was a failure.  They will return again to fulfill what has been prophecied by the Lord.  It will all be fulfilled.  As an institution we must repent of the vicious lies we have told about the likes of William Law.  We must repent of the false oaths we have sworn under the guise of piety in holy houses of the Lord.  Only then will we be able to see clearly the purposes of the Lord in our history, and fully understand what is shortly to come.

Keep Searching

One of the profound results of understanding the doctrine of the three watches is that I read the scriptures from a whole new paradigm. Things that I had never really noticed before take on new meaning. It is like a treasure hunt with new and fascinating discoveries all along the way.

For those of you unfamiliar with the doctrine of the three watches, it is taken from JST Luke 12:41-57 in the which the Lord visits the earth 3 times prior to his coming in glory. Here are a few excerpts:

For, behold, he cometh in the first watch of the night, and he shall also come in the second watch, and again he shall come in the third watch.

And verily I say unto you, He hath already come, as it is written of him; and again when he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, blessed are those servants when he cometh, that he shall find so doing;

And they said, Who then is that faithful and wise servant?

And the Lord said unto them, It is that servant who watcheth, to impart his portion of meat in due season.

Blessed be that servant whom his Lord shall find, when he cometh, so doing.

Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

But the evil servant is he who is not found watching. And if that servant is not found watching, he will say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants, and the maidens, and to eat, and drink, and to be drunken.

The Lord of that servant will come in a day he looketh not for, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him down, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

And that servant who knew his Lord’s will, and prepared not for his Lord’s coming, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

But he that knew not his Lord’s will, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required; and to whom the Lord has committed much, of him will men ask the more.

We are currently living in the time of the second watch just prior to the opening of the third watch which will usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times and the marvelous work and a wonder.  See my previous post here for evidence that the marvelous work is a future event.

So as I was reading the other day in 3 Nephi 22 I ran across this little gem that the Lord specifically left for us to read in the latter-days.

v7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.

v8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

Boom! It hit me like a ton of red Nauvoo bricks. He is talking about us today and the 4 generations when the saints will be scattered after they break the covenant, prior to the final gathering. Unbelievable! Right there in front of our faces the Lord is quoting Isaiah (see Isaiah 54) to tell us of his mercy and love, but also that he has indeed forsaken (chastened) us for a “small moment.”

These golden nuggets are all over in the scriptures.

“Send you AGAIN”

“Laying the FOUNDATION of a great work”

Joseph’s use of the future tense when referring to the return of Elijah, etc. etc.

It’s there if we look for it.

Praise the Lord for his kindness and mercy. Praise the Lord for his wisdom in informing us regarding the latter days for all those who have eyes to see and ears to listen. The information is right there in plain sight for all those who are willing to follow the Lord’s commandment to search.

Recently, the mainstream press has reported on “Mormon Preppers” and their various beliefs and preparations for what they see as imminent earthquakes, tribulations, destructions, etc.

You can read one such article here:

http://www.sltrib.com/home/2935776-155/some-mormons-stocking-up-amid-fears

While not diminishing the need to be prepared, I am struck by how naively latter-day saints fall for the so-called “visions” that others have had and interpret them to be authoritative in some way. Several books have recently been published about visionary experiences had by certain members including Spencer’s “Visions of Glory” in 2012 and more recently two books by Julie Rowe entitled “The Time is Now” and “A Greater Tomorrow.”

LDS communities have always been a hotbed of revelatory “rumor” about the last days and how it is going to go down. These books, along with facebook posts and conference calls have recently fanned the flames into an inferno, causing many to rush out, stock up and even cash out 401k accounts and buy gold — because, of course, we all know that salvation is found in the shiny metal.

Why are we so susceptible to these voices? I would suggest two reasons. The first is that despite being constantly told to follow the Brethren, the Brethren are not providing the revelatory direction people desire in troubled times. Instead we get the same old tired instruction spoken of in Isaiah 28:20

For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

BTW Isaiah 28 is a great chapter about the “Drunkards of Ephraim” that is worthy of a complete post in and of itself someday.

In other words, the doctrine taught by the church is not satisfying to the members and is insufficient. We are not being led to Zion or to live the celestial law. Instead we are fed counterfeit doctrines that lead us to believe all is well in Zion if we just do our missionary work and attend the temple.

For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples (Hosea 8:14)

I challenge anyone to come up with with another people for which that scripture could reasonably apply.

The narrative that I have heard many times from the Brethren is that the church will continue to grow until one day the Lord will say “enough” and make His appearance. This was the final message from Elder Holland at a recent stake conference I attended. See “Don’t Conflate the Church with the Gospel” for more details on his talk. Unfortunately, that narrative has no support in the scriptures which leads to the second and most fundamental reason we are seduced by these voices:

WE ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY GROUNDED IN THE SCRIPTURES!

If we were we wouldn’t be tossed to and fro by every latter-day rumor regarding the last days.

We wouldn’t believe that “energy healing” as promoted and sold (priestcraft anyone?) by Julie Rowe et al is a method from God to heal us and will be practiced under the direction of Christ during the millenium and in tent cities prior.

We wouldn’t believe that the current brethren are going to lead us to Zion. Instead, we would understand from D&C 101 and 103 that it is in fact Joseph who will redeem Zion with power. We would understand that will take place only after the priesthood which we have lost (See D&C 124:28 and 3 Ne 16:10) is restored again to the earth (See D&C 113: 7-10).

We would know that Joseph continues to hold the keys whether in this world or in the world to come. (See D&C 90:3)

We would comprehend that Zion will not be established “with haste nor by flight” (See D&C 101:68, 3 Nephi 20:42, D&C 58:56, etc)

We would understand that the most pressing need among the saints is to repent of their idolatry, including their worship of the Brethren, before the Lord sends one “mighty and strong” to set in order the house of God (See D&C 85:7) and that vengeance will begin “upon my house” and shall go forth “from my house” (See D&C 112: 25).  Those are reasons enough to be prepared, but the real preparation needs to be a spiritual awakening from the slumber of complacency.

Our blindspots are legion. We would understand that cursed is he who puts his or her trust in the arm of flesh (See 2 Ne 4:34) whoever they may be. As we have chronicled here before, the only way to avoid deception in the last days is to treasure up the words of Christ and take the Holy Spirit as our guide. Those who trust only in their feelings and are not conversant with the holy word of God are setting themselves up to be tossed to and fro. They will be deceived.

There is hope. The restoration will commence and the marvelous work go forth. Click here for evidences that the marvelous work is a future event. The Lord has also promised in JST Isaiah 42:

19 For I will send my servant unto you who are blind; yea, a messenger to open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf;
20  And they shall be made perfect notwithstanding their blindness, IF they will hearken unto the messenger, the Lord’s servant.
21  Thou art a people, seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears to hear, but thou hearest not.
22  The Lord is not well pleased with such a people, but for his righteousness’ sake he will magnify the law and make it honorable.
23  Thou art a people robbed and spoiled; thine enemies, all of them, have snared thee in holes, and they have hid thee in prison houses; they have taken thee for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

The scriptures testify that blindness will be removed from those of us who sit in darkness if we hearken to the messenger who will be sent to complete his mission. In the meantime we MUST become conversant with God’s word by SEARCHING the scriptures. Many false voices have arisen to fill the void left when we don’t search. We must not hearken to them, except and to the extent that their message is wholly and completely consistent with the words of Christ AND the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. The day is close at hand for the return of the servants. For that we should all be prepared.

Searcher