THE THREE NEPHITES FROM A CATHOLIC'S PERSPECTIVE

VERY interesting stuff here. I have a co-worker that I had know for quite some time as a very good man (has the love of Christ about him and loves to serve others) who one day just opened up to me and shared the following story with me and even showed me the scars on his abdomen that are a testament to the hell he had been through.

After I learned of his vision of heaven and of the apocalyptic future that he had while on the hoary edge of life, I then posed the question, "Why did God choose to save you over all the other people that have expired under far less exigent circumstances??", his response was, "I have been saved to fight (physically) the final battle between good and evil". That pretty much floored me as he claims to be a pretty good shot at 1000 yards. He also is in his 50's and not getting any younger. Like my Jewish (wannabe) survivalist co-worker, these people are being prompted to lay up for difficult times ahead without any of the cultural baggage that someone who is LDS may have propelling them to do the same.

We may be in for some interesting times ahead....very interesting indeed!

His experience in his own words:

I always believed in a higher spirit and discovered that many people had unknowing to me at the time come into my life and were gently nudging me towards our lord.

It all started with a bad car accident back in approx 1983 where the Lord spoke to me in a black void. He stated to me that I was living my life in a very bad manor and that I needed to straighten my life up as I had a purpose to complete. He never stated what that purpose was and to this day I still do not know. But this event started to open the understanding there was much more out there and it also scared me and I had night mares for a year.

It left me with visions of our time here on earth. The lord left a mental vision of how our life was to be. Before we are born into the womb and while we are in the womb we know who our parents are going to be and what our life is to be like. We have the choice to accept this or go back into this long line. It was like walking up to a podium and the man there had a large book and you could see what your life would be like. The he explained this life in the vision of a huge oak tree and how we lived our life depended which branch we go down when we die and there are thousands of branches and we are at the base of the tree when we enter this life. All knowledge of this is severed when we are born from the womb.

In 1998 I was confirmed and baptized in the Catholic faith at ST Hubert’s church in Langley, WA.

Shortly after Baptism I had to travel for a job assignment to Mobile Alabama. During this job assignment I became deathly ill and it came upon me within moments. I drove myself home with terrible pain in my abdomen and waited for my wife to take me to the hospital.

When we reached the hospital emergency room of the University of South Alabama Mobile branch they examined me. The wanted to send me home with pain medicine but my wife would not let them and requested more tests.

When the received the results of the tests they discovered I had pancreatitis and admitted me to the hospital. They assumed I was a drunk even though I did not drink alcohol very often and put me in the drunk ward and medicated me for the pain where they assumed the pancreatitis would abate.

I laid there for three weeks continually getting worse and they were at a loss for an explanation. The head hospital surgeon came into my room the day before Valentines day 1999 and stated that if she did not operate the next day I would be dead. So on Valentines Day I went in for the first of 3 major operations.

I was awake mentally for the first surgery as the medication did not put me all the way under but they had no way of telling that. I listen to them operate on me and how bad of shape I was in. The doctors were consulting what they should do to save me.

After 12 hours of surgery they returned me to ICU where I could hear my wife and family carrying on and crying. I was so mad inside with what was happening but could not communicate to them as I was on paralytic drugs. I wanted to tell them I was alive in there. The priest anointed me with oil but I could only hear him do this.

I was on a ventilator for 7 days. I was fighting to stay alive and also trying to let my family know I was listening by trying to move my body. Finally after 4 days I could flutter my eye lids when my wife would speak to me and she knew at that point I was alive and she could communicate with me. I could feel her despair and I think that helped her know I was still there.

After a week they removed the ventilator and I could speak again. She said she had some bad news to tell me and I stated I already knew as I could hear every word that was spoken during surgery and also in the room.

I had open abdominal irrigation for a month due to all the toxins in my body the necrotic pancreatitis caused due to blockage from gal stones. Much of my inside had to be cut away and I had no skin covering over my belly only plastic with tubes in and out both sides of me.

This was a huge struggle for me and being a man of mild faith I was weak. After several more major surgeries they took skin grafts from my leg and fashioned a cover for my belly.

This became infected with MRSA and my health continued to fail. I remember one day I was having a conversation with my wife and also with the other side at the same instance. She could not see the people but I could. She couldn’t understand even though I explained it to her. I did not recognize any of the people.

I continued to get worse with the infections and complications. During the first surgery they took 90% of my pancreas and I was supposed to never lead a normal life again per the doctor’s.

I finally reached my breaking point and wanted to be taken home to die there. I could no longer take the pain and anguish I felt. It broke me to the lowest point a man can be at. I gave myself over to the lord at this point. It was a peaceful time after that. I had a dream that 3 angles would visit me in the morning to heal me. The next morning I saw them as they came into my room. They stood at the foot of my bed but never spoke to me just smiled. I told them I knew why they were there and found it funny they couldn’t even work the stethoscope they carried. They laid their hands on my legs and looked upward and spoke but I could not fully hear them or understand the words. They left just as they appeared. They appeared to be normal men with beards neatly trimmed and appeared to be Caucasian but darker complex. Not 3 minutes later a nurse came into my room. I asked her who those interns that were in my room a few minutes ago. She stated no one had been in the room all morning.

After this event I started to heal, regenerate my pancreas and left the hospital with in 2 weeks. I had follow up closure surgeries and some minor surgeries and later went back to work after several months.

Since this experience I have shared my story with those who wanted to listen. The hospital staff never thought I would ever leave or even if I did my life would not be normal. I was their miracle!

Today I live a completely normal life with some minor discomfort at times and have come back to ST Hubert’s parish where I joined the Knights of Columbus to try and give back for the grace I received from the Lord that day. I do not know what he saw in me to save my life but it changed me forever.

I still to this day do not know my purpose is but I take every day as they come now and try to listen to the Lord when he speaks to me. I speak with him daily and hope he hears my worries for humanity as we are close to destroying ourselves. This was another vision I was left with but keep mostly private.


Robert M
Langley, WA.

Written December 13th 2010

THE GENTILES SHALL BE TREAD DOWN AND THE FAITHFUL REMNANT WILL TREAD OVER THEM

I have never heard it said like this. The Lamanites will prevail over the wicked inhabitants of this land that scourged them. The following 30 years will be interesting as this plays out:




Elder John Nicholson, writer for a Church publication, wrote about the conversion of the leader of the Goshute Indians and most of his tribe. The conversion was accomplished by the labors of the Three Nephites.



The subject as to who the Indians or Lamanites are has been so frequently treated upon in The Instructor that the writer supposes that most of his readers already know who and what they are, and he will therefore confine himself mainly to narrating circumstances connected with and making allusions to what appears to be a great movement that is going on among them at the present in this part of the country. The Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ have preached the gospel among them a good deal, especially in past years, but apparently without any visible effect; but their eyes are now being opened to the principles of truth, and hundreds of them are being baptized.

Here is a quotation concerning the Lamanites; the 12th paragraph of the 12th chapter of the Second Book of Nephi, Book of Mormon.

"And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written, and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed. And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews. And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; [100] wherefore they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers. And then shall they rejoice, for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God, and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and delightsome people."

Let us see whether this prediction of the great prophet is beginning to be fulfilled. The following dispatch was published in the Deseret Evening News on the 2nd of June last:

"Deep Creek, Utah; June 2, 1874

One hundred Indians were submerged and confirmed into the `Mormon' faith here yesterday, by Indian Interpreter Lee, from Grantsville, and three others whom he deputized as assistants; sixty minutes were consumed in the operation, a heavy rain prevailing at the time."

The interpreter mentioned in the foregoing is Elder William Lee, of Grantsville, and the assistants alluded to were Elders William H. Lee, of Tooele (not a relative of the other), Edwin Tadlock, President of the Deep Creek Branch of the Church, and James Worthington, of the latter place.

The circumstances which led to the sending of that dispatch to the News should be interesting to every Latter-day Saint, as showing plainly that the Lord is working visibly among the remnant of His people, in fulfillment of the predictions concerning them, and in confirmation of His promises to their fathers. The writer will give them, as accurately as his memory will serve him, as he received them from the lips of Elder William Lee, and as he assured him he had received them from the lips of Torbuka, a leading chief of the Goshutes. [101] The narration has also been confirmed to the writer by other parties more or less acquainted with the incidents.

It appears that some time last spring Torbuka and the greater portion of his band were encamped some distance west of Deep Creek, and that one night he had a singular and very pleasant dream, in which he thought he saw a beautiful meadow, through which flowed a fine stream of clear water. He thought he saw Elder Lee, who told him that himself and people must wash in that stream. In the morning when he awoke, he had very pleasant feelings. He arose, and, as there was a creek nearby, he told his people they must go and wash themselves in it, and they did so, he doing the same himself.

Subsequently Torbuka was sitting alone in his tent, when a man entered, whom he afterwards described as having a white or rather a grey beard, and a very handsome countenance. As may be imagined, he had peculiar feelings on seeing this stranger enter so suddenly. He gazed at this personage for a few moments, when he, the stranger, addressed Torbuka, the substance of his words being that the time had come for the Indians to be buried in water, baptized; that the "Mormons" were their friends; that they had a book which told about their fathers, that Brigham held communion with God, and they must hear him. He also told Torbuka that the enemies of the Indians had driven, robbed, plundered and abused them, but that the time when their enemies could do that was nearly past, that the time had almost arrived when those who had wronged them would be like the "dry wood upon the mountains, that would be consumed, and they," the Indians, "would walk over the ashes."

The stranger then left, and Torbuka, being curious to know in what direction he had gone, [102] walked towards the corner of a bluff, around which the Personage had turned, but when he reached that point, so that he could see the open country, the stranger had disappeared, but in what manner Torbuka did not know.

After this two Personages together visited Torbuka in the same manner, and, after repeating what the first visitor had said, word for word, departed in the same manner. Torbuka said that one of the two was considerably taller. than the other.

Subsequently one of the Personages appeared again to Torbuka, making the third visitation, and the things that had been uttered at the two previous visits were exactly repeated.

The writer understood from Brother Lee that the most of the foregoing was related by Torbuka himself, in the vestry of the Grantsville Meeting House, in the presence of several brethren, Brother Lee interpreting.

Those were the incidents that led to the subsequent circumstances which caused the sending of the dispatch to the News; for after those plain manifestations Torbuka soon made up his mind as to how he would act. He gathered as many of his people together as he could reach and started for Deep Creek. On arriving there, about the latter end of May, he caused a dispatch to be sent to Interpreter William Lee, at Grantsville, asking him to come to him, as himself and people were waiting to hear what he had to say, and to do as he should advise.

By counsel of Bishop John Rowberry, Brother William H. Lee took his team and wagon and went with Brother William Lee, interpreter, to Deep Creek, where they found Torbuka and his people awaiting their arrival.

Interpreter Lee preached the gospel to them, explaining the principles thereof in as simple a manner as he could, to meet their [103] capacities. At the conclusion of his remarks he said to them: "All you who wish to do as I have told you, according to the commands of the Great Spirit," or words to that effect, "follow me!" and he walked off towards a stream about half a mile distant, and was followed by all the members of the tribe present, men, women, and children.

On arriving at the stream one of the brethren went into the water, while the others stood on the bank, and while he in the water baptized the Lamanites in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, by authority from Jesus Christ, as they went forward, those who stood on the bank confirmed them by the ordinance of the laying on of hands, those confirmed being seated on a chair, which had been taken there for the purpose, while the ordinance was attended to.

So much in earnest were these poor Lamanites that the women actually held out their little children to the Elder who was in the water that he might baptize them also, and were only satisfied when they were informed that children were not baptized until they were eight years old, but that they could be blessed by the servants of God, and afterwards the little ones were taken in the arms of those Elders and blessed.

While the baptisms and confirmations were proceeding, as stated in the dispatch, the rain commenced to pour down, but this was not heeded, and the good work went on until all had been brought into the fold by the door of baptism, after the likeness of the burial of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and coming up out of the water after the likeness of His resurrection.

Those Lamanites rejoiced, as did also the brethren who administered to them the sacred [104] ordinance of the gospel, a spirit of peaceful solemnity resting upon all.

Besides the baptizing and confirming of over a hundred of those people, as above described, seven of the most intelligent of the men were ordained Elders, and instructed in the duties of the calling of that office, and subsequent events give every indication that they have been very industrious and zealous in telling their brethren in various parts of the things they had received.

As Elders William Lee and William H. Lee were passing through Skull Valley on their return home on the 7th of June, they met with fifteen others of the tribe, whom they then baptized and confirmed, administered the sacrament of the Lord's supper to them, and blessed their children. (Juvenile Instructor, 9:224+)

THREE NEPHITES - QUOTE BY BRIGHAM YOUNG

SOMETIMES WE ENTERTAIN ANGELS IN OUR MIDST - COMPLETELY UNAWARES:

Brigham Young who recognized the ministry of the Nephites, said in 1859:

Pretty soon you will see Temples reared up, and the sons of Jacob will enter into the Temples of the Lord. . . . There will be strangers in your midst walking with you, talking with you; they will enter your houses and eat and drink with you; go to meeting with you, and begin to open your minds, as the Saviour did the two disciples who walked out in the country in the days of old. . . . They will expound the Scriptures to you, and open your minds, and teach you the time of Salvation; they will use the keys of the holy Priesthood and unlock the door of knowledge, to let you look into the palace of truth. You will exclaim. That is all plain: Why did I not understand it before? And you will begin to feel your hearts burn within you as they walk and talk with you.

Though Brigham Young does not mention the Nephites specifically here, it is generally considered by scriptural explicators that the Three Nephites were meant.