In the end-time scenario that the scriptures depict, evil comes to a head when the great and abominable church of the devil "gather[s] together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God" (1 Nephi 14:13), when many of the Gentiles "unite themselves to that great and abominable church" and fight against Zion (2 Nephi 6:12), when the disbelieving Gentiles "contend against the word of the Lord" at the time he shows the repentant Gentiles the things the Brother of Jared saw (Ether 4:7-9), and so forth. When those with whom God covenants pass the test of remaining loyal through the opposition that inevitably rears its head, he empowers them over their enemies. Only at that point does "the power of the Lamb of God" descend upon the "saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord," they becoming "armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory" (1 Nephi 14:14).
Passing the test of overcoming opposition by enemies-be they within or without the church-sanctifies the proxy saviors of God's people so that thereafter they are no more called Gentiles but "saints"-that is, sanctified ones, or "holy ones" (cf. Isaiah 4:3; 13:3; 62:12; Doctrine & Covenants 1:36). Hence, Nephi's definition of those who constitute "saints": "The righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it" (2 Nephi 9:18). Further definitions of "saints" include persons who offer up prayers on behalf of others (3 Nephi 5:14; Mormon 9:36), who are "caught up unto the church of the Firstborn, and received into the cloud" (Doctrine & Covenants 76:102), who "stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem" (Doctrine & Covenants 84:2), but who were erstwhile persecuted by "the mother of abominations" (Doctrine & Covenants 88:94).
Here is the link to the whole talk (thanks to a reader for posting this in the comments of a previous post):
http://www.josephandjudah.com/2016/05/serving-as-kings-and-queens-of-gentiles.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+JosephAndJudah+%28Joseph+and+Judah%29&m=1
Now, to see if Scott can get permissions for the Spencer portion of this conference. We talked on the phone yesterday and it sounds as if it were quite the event - lots of good people. John Pontius' widow (not sure if she is re-married or single at this point) was there. Quite a few people I would love to meet were there - and me on the outside once again..... :(
One day, I will be able to get to more of this kind of thing......
I went to this! It was awesome! There was one presentation that we didn't prefer about women in the priesthood but other than that a very interesting conference.
ReplyDeleteCool cool cool! These are my kind of posts! The ones that build us up for the coming days instead of filling us with dread and fear. Sorry IRAQ.....bro...Freudian slip.
ReplyDeleteAll sounds great ! thank you
ReplyDeleteGileadi is great
ReplyDeleteIf you really want to know about the future of us,
the Gentiles, and the gospel going back to
The House of Israel, then read by him
"The last days- types and shadows from the Bible and the book of Mormon"
Gileadi knows Isaiah
better than anyone in the world.
http://www.isaiahexplained.com/
I believe Gileadi fulfills the prophecy in the B of M that in the latter days the words of Isaiah would be made plain unto the understanding of men.
He was initially excommunicated falsely then reinstated by Neal Maxwell (see below)
the truth about him - please read this below
http://www.deilataylor.com/avraham-gileadi-resources/
taken from this site
"Many people avoid all of Avraham Gileadi’s scholarly inspirational work because he was identified with the September Six excommunicated. His book The Last Days was considered inconsistent with standard understanding of the meaning of Isaiah. His excommunication was later “expunged” at the request of
Apostle Neal Maxwell —
Avraham is a Mormon today, attends the temple and is active in his ward. It was a sad story — his excommunication and I read about it from the daughter of the stake president who had a first hand account of what happened." You can read that transcript here.
also http://www.deilataylor.com/avraham-gileadi/
Avraham Gileadi Testimony
ReplyDeleteLast Updated 12th June 2012
Responses to Wikipedia Article Dated 12th June 2012
"Having attempted over the years to correct erroneous statements about me that others have made under my name on Wikipedia—only to have them intentionally or non-intentionally replaced by the same ones as before—I feel constrained to clarify several things in regard to myself for the benefit of those who might otherwise be prejudiced toward my life’s work on the Book of Isaiah. First, although I am a Hebrew scholar and literary analyst, I was never a “Mormon historian” or “researcher of Mormonism,” considering the literary analysis of the writings of Isaiah and their scriptural connections of themselves worthy of a life’s commitment. Second, as I taught college at Brigham Young University by way of supporting my family only during my academic years (1973–1981), I was never “terminated” as either a teacher or professor. I thus can’t be considered to have a “post-termination career.” Third, although I was excommunicated in 1993 from the LDS church in a disciplinary council that began a wave of several thousand excommunications on the Wasatch Front in the 1990s, in my case—as not a single charge was true or supported by evidence—all record of it was expunged from the church’s records nearly a decade ago in a tacit admission that the church had made a mistake. In other words, as my excommunication from the church was a non-event so far as the church is concerned, it doesn’t define me as a person. Yet there are those who take it on themselves to define me as such throughout the current Wikipedia article, attaching it even to my listed name. Fourth, while several prominent writers who were excommunicated in 1993 pleaded their cause in the media at that time and thus embarrassed the church, I never did so, even though my family, reputation, work, etc. were adversely affected by the church’s action. Yet those same prominent writers were evidently glad to see me among their number and to ascribe to me the very same questioning of the church’s authority and “speaking against church doctrine or leadership” in which they engaged, as the current Wikipedia write-up asserts. As I have never been asked to change my conclusions that derive from applying several methodologies of literary analysis to researching scriptural texts, my supposedly “challenging the exclusive right of leaders to define doctrine” is a non sequitur. In short, the above writers have no evidence of any such spurious claims and I ask them to desist from their calumnies. As in this instance, the abject practice of citing anti-Mormon sources to supply the “truth” or of defaming the messenger whose findings happen not to coincide with your opinion is further unbecoming of Wikipedia, whose goal is to convey information to the world, not misinformation. Fifth, I appeal to anyone who studies the contributions I have made over many years of researching the Book of Isaiah to check out for himself the scriptural evidence I present instead of depending on hearsay, preconceived ideas, or popular opinion. A major part of the opposition I have received (though I confess I have caused some by my own follies) has been the nature of Isaiah’s message itself. Because to certain defenders of religious orthodoxy Isaiah’s message has seemed controversial, therefore by them I have been deemed controversial. Admittedly, Isaiah’s paradigm of end-time realities, while terribly indicting of those who profess to be God’s covenant people in that day, also holds out hope for those who dare to search their souls and let go of all things materialistic and ungodly. And as a new paradigm that is grounded in the truth of God inevitably wins out in the end, so the prospect exists that Isaiah’s message to the world will ultimately bear good fruit."