I had a fair comment that deserves a few minutes on my lunch break:
You as a huge BY guy has to admit he made some mistakes. I believe he was Prophet of God as well, but as a mortal was susceptible to error at times. I have always been confused about the Adam/God thing, and some of his polygamy stances. The fact that future Prophets outright condemn them.That certainly can bring up concerns. What’s your take? This isn’t a gotcha, it’s an actual question I wrestle with.
I usually just delete anything that is a "gotcha". I am positive that a guy who lived what Brigham lived through would have made some mistakes. I have a sneaking feeling that he was not all that upset about what happened at MMM other than the bad press it gave the Saints in the Gentile presses. Quite frankly, I might have just gone there myself if, after getting our arses handed to us so many times in the past and seeing so many of my people suffer, to have some unrepentant Missourians come through and talk trash about how they did not get the job done in Missouri (and there was still an extermination order on the books in Missouri until 1976), with a bad case of PTSD, do you blame the beaten woman for squeezing the trigger on the boyfriend? Nope, you kind of feel that a cosmic score was leveled against the sonnuvabuck. I tend to lean towards vigilante justice and never think a sad thought once when a child molester is off'd by a guy in prison (who likely was diddled as a kiddled) who has life without parole and nothing to lose other than a double life sentence... No tears here. Justice served on this side of the veil of tears. God can sort it out.
As I have always maintained, BY was imperfect but I will NEVER judge him based on today's measuring stick nor based on my experience, because I never had to welcome people I was responsible for into my home who had frozen body parts because they had to escape religious persecution. I have never had to do a fraction of the things he did, nor pass through the sorrows. I also know that Joseph loved him. If he was faithful to Joseph and good enough for him, then he is good enough for me. Very simple. And anyone who actually begins to give belief to the whole bizarre theory that BY was in on the plot on JS's life is simply out of their minds and I literally sever ties to them as they must kick against the pricks on their own and I literally do not want to be around when the collateral damage hits. I have a practice of staying the hell away from the wicked. You could not pay me enough to be on the West coast where they are trying to normalize pedophilia and so much else - because I know what is impending. And it will be a disaster for them. The key to spiritual survival as well as physical survival, is to surround yourself with those who are at a minimum level, or better. The bar is high for those that God will take into the Millennium as seed stock. In order to qualify, we need to be on order with those found in the City of Enoch. That is extremely high....
Lastly, we have a treacherous time in the sandbox which they must be in to navigate the world. In the days of rainbow activism, wokeness, cancelling and so much else - without deciding to withdraw altogether, they have to keep the Jews in the attic while saluting those goose-stepping by in the street below. It is a balance. Our key, is to make sure we don't throw them under the bus when they come to bring us food, etc and pounce on them for having observed them giving the salute to the nazi faithful. We (and they) really need to be harmless as doves, wise as serpents as Jesus quoted.
The key thing is, do we have an abiding testimony of the Restored Gospel including the Book of Mormon and do we have a firm grasp on the Iron Rod.
All else is of little consequence when compared with the bigger picture.
PART 1)
ReplyDeletePolygamy, to include LDS Members struggling with that concept, can be rest assured of one thing, This is Christ Church irregardless of what they may personally think and the Priesthood Authority of God continues to be passed down in succession from one prophet to the next. We have done some research into this and have come to our own conclusion on this and Based on the evidence and scriptures I share in the video below, that the Pristhood Keys to govern Christ's Church are still on the earth with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
https://youtu.be/omZTtur1uTE
I know some people may claim that a couple of quotes in the video above that I use may be 2nd or 3rd hand accounts from Joseph Smith. Nonetheless there were similar scriptures in Doctrine and Covenantes and many other saints who claim to have heard similar quotes from Joseph Smith about the Priesthood never being taken from the earth and by staying with the majority of the Twelve and a majority of the saints, they would not be led astray as long as they remained faithful. The Link below gives additional references to what I share in the Video.
http://etherscave.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-key-that-will-never-rust-majority-of.html?m=1
Arguements have it that Brigham Young did not adhere to the full teachings of the gospel, but instead added to it many of his own thoughts and ideas that were incongruent with correct gospel principles. For example Blood Atonement, Adam God Theory and the Priesthood Ban, and those have been corrected for the most part by current church leadership.
Ultimately in the end, despite any personal conflicts, what matters most is what God says about this church. As far as I am concerned God has the final word on this matter. What most members in the church don't realize is that God has never given anyone a revelation to leave this church. They are always told to stay and told that this is Christ's Church. My friend and I spent 10 years of our lives searching for an account of someone recieving a revelation to leave and we could not find one and when I spent three days fasting and praying questioning my own faith I was again given an answer it was true.
PART 2)
ReplyDeleteMany people will say the #1 thing that keeps them in the church and confirms the Church to be true is the Book of Mormon. In our 10 years of research we came up with 18 pillars of truth that confirm the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to be True. While the Book of Mormon is a one of the Pillars and is one of the most powerful witnesses of the restoration, it still doesn't fix problems of those struggling with some of the issues that became a part of the church after Joseph Smith's Death.
The only Pillar of Truth that solves the problem %100 of the time is personal revelation. Some people try to make the claim that all churches believe they are the one true church and promise their members that if they pray about it they will get a revelation from God that their church is true. We debunk this theory in one of our DVD's (DVD 14) with a member of our church who went around to different churches asking them 1. If they believe they are the one true church and 2. If yes then do they promise their members that they will receive a witness from God that it is true when they take it to God in prayer. He could not find one church. He could find people that believed this but he could not find a church that taught and promised their members answers to their prayers. We are the only church that has a revelation from Jesus Christ himself as stated in Doctrine and Covenants 1:30 that this is the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth and this can be backed up everytime with personal revelation from God when someone sincerely takes it to God in Prayer and fasting.
As our Prophet Russel M Nelson has said, "Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true." These Testimonies below and the millions of members in the church who have received God's Witness need no other explanation.
Firm and Steadfast in the Faith of Christ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5RCW8LqgM0&t=1s
Elane Durham Testimony from book "I Stand all amazed."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ybv1Kw9ho
Revelation from God about Joseph Smith and Brigham Young brought Leo wineger back to the church
https://youtu.be/zlHop8Yu1uM
Darius Gray's Testimony - No way in hell he would join the LDS Church. In prayer he hears Gods Voice.
https://youtu.be/WcZD3zsJass
LDS Church Position on Vaccine - What It Does NOT Mean
https://youtu.be/bJkZTD5X1NM
Conclusion: From all of this it's important to realize that although someone may disagree or have issue with the actions and false teachings of past historic figures of the church, such as Brigham Young. Inspite of this and the weaknesses of men, we as members need to strengthen our individual faith in Christ. Likewise we need to collectively strengthen those around us so that as everyone does there part, the entire church and body of a christ can be a worthy representation of what we claim this church to be which is Jesus Church with it's keys and authority to act in his name.
PART 3)
ReplyDeleteWith this said I think the underlying question and concern that was not addressed that should be asked is this: How do we know when a Prophet is speaking by his own wisdom or by revelation And when are we obligated to follow his council and when if ever is it okay to not follow council that he might give?🤔
My simple answer to this question is to do all we can to have unity of the faith and follow our Prophet when he speaks on behalf of the Lord ( Ephesian 4:11-14) so that we don't have contention among us (3 Nephi 11: 28-30 ) and split up into 40,000 different denomination which only leads to confusion and division as we show in DVD 10 and 11.
Acording to Joseph Fielding Smith this Quote describes when we might consider not following the words of a modern day Prophet.
It makes no difference what is written or what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what the Lord has revealed, we can set it aside. My words, and the teachings of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do not square with the revelations, we need not accept them. Let us have this matter clear. We have accepted the four-standard works (Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants), as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man’s doctrine
However if all I rely on is my own interpretation of scriptures in discerning to follow the Prophet, I could be susceptible to the human error and personal biases.
Here is what I have discovered to help me navigate through difficult issues in church history especially in more recent times with the encouragement to get the shot. It's called the Collective Witness Model and to me it is the most effective Model that I have discovered in navigating difficult issues in the church.
https://youtu.be/omi6rKpWfoQ.
PART 4)
ReplyDeleteIf I were to take this Collective witness Model and apply it to the encouragement to get the shot. It is not hard at all to make up my mind because:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-message-covid-19-august-2021
1. BASED ON REASON AND LOGIC, 2. SCRIPTURES AND 3. PERSONAL REVALATION following the prophet to get the shot fail on all three. I am not going to explain it here. I am sure you can figure that out yourself but the fact that so many members were willing to blindly get the Jab without even studying it out in their minds, looking at the facts or praying about it made me ponder just how many members would follow the Prophet in hypothetical situation if he went along with the government and encouraged members to get a chip in their right hand and told members not to worry because It has nothing to do with what was spoken in the Bible. I wonder just how many members would blindly go get their chip just like they got their Vaccine.
I think Joseph Smith said it best to describe the state of church membership today.
We have heard men who hold the Priesthood remark, that they would do anything they were told to do by those who presided over them, if they knew it was wrong: but such obedience as this is worse than folly to us; it is slavery in the extreme; and the man who would thus willingly degrade himself, should not claim a rank among intelligent beings, until he turns from his folly. A man of God, who seeks for the redemption of his fellows, would despise the idea of seeing another become his slave, who had an equal right with himself to the favour of God; he would rather see him stand by his side, a sworn enemy to wrong, so long as there was place found for it among men. Others, in the extreme exercise of their almighty (!) authority, have taught that such obedience was necessary, and that no matter what the Saints were told to do by their Presidents, they should do it without asking any questions.
When the Elders of Israel will so far indulge in these extreme notions of obedience, as to teach them to the people, it is generally because they have it in their hearts to do wrong themselves, and wish to pave the way to accomplish that wrong; or else because they have done wrong, and wish to use the cloak of their authority to cover it with, lest it should be discovered by their superiors, who would require an atonement at their hands. [1]
“President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel – said the Lord had declared by the Prophet [Ezekiel], that the people should each stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish Church – that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls – applied it to the present state [1842] of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall – that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves...”
I like it.....
DeleteI have to admit I did not pray about it. In fact I usually don't pray about wether I should step out of the way of Mack truck barreling down the road. I already had sufficient information from KTKK radio, Jack Stockwell, Paul Jensen, and Joel Skousen and all the sources they presented on top of the fact that our government has been behind so much mayhem even before they reveled their hand with 911.
I realized in my youth, around age 13 that the Gospel was more about reason and logic, when as my Sunday school teacher was discussing the Plan of Salvation, I was amazed at how perfect and beautiful it was, as the HG testified to me. I didn't ask for it. It just came. Maybe it was in answer to a private prayer from the teacher as she looked pretty exasperated dealing with these little rats.
Point is, I hear of many who claim to receive some revelation or witness of the spirit that taking the jab was ok. Which tells me that maybe their particular shot, that one time would not have the mRNA drug in it, or they cannot decipher the spirit, as the spirit does not typically work on demand, at least for me. Or maybe you will have to learn how to accept the cold hard realities of making Prideful choices based upon your own preconceptions and the old adage "well everyone else is doing it" as the Spirit permits you to act foolishly. I think the first impressions and feelings we have initially usually are the right ones. For me they are fleeting. In my art work I try to remember the first impressions I get and follow in that direction. A persons preconceptions may easily interrupt that message.
Fear is another telltale sign of Satan's influencing our choices as the Spirit does not use fear, which makes it even more difficult to perceive a correct choice. My daughter called me arrogant and was angry with me because I would not get a shot like the rest of the world and as the prophet was instructing us. That was fear speaking. I only have a sick feeling as to what may or may not yet happen to my daughter and son in law in the future, as this mRNA is seen by Dr. Peter Mercola as being a permanent attachment to who knows what sort of damage it may cause aside from what we currently know.
Thanks for the sincere answers and by the comments made. I’be always admired BY throughout my life, but certainly didn’t know of some of the historical issues. It seems that lately people, members and non, have really been throwing shade his way. I believe pretty much what you all (both) have said. Just wanted others thoughts on the man and his ways. Again, not a gotcha, but a sincere question. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked this Midnight Mormons episode on BY. I like how they are “Mormon” apologists with a bit of an irreverent sense of humor. I certainly can relate. https://youtu.be/UdujVZuyAoI
ReplyDelete