I HAVE A FRIEND IN UTAH WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS COMING. HER QUESTION IS WHY WE HAVE NOT HAD A WARNING FROM THE BRETHEREN ON THIS THING. I WILL ANSWER THAT QUESTION (ACCORDING TO MY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE/SPECULATION ON THE SUBJECT). IN THE MEAN-TIME, HERE IS SOMETHING FROM ONE OF MY BEST SOURCES OF INFO, LDSFREEDOMFORUMS.COM (CLICK LINK):
Re: Elenin evidence to judge for yourself
Postby Zkulptor » Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:04 pm
Rass922 wrote:
Zkulptor wrote:Rass,
What do you think would be the best and worse case scenario? Do you feel this will change the way we live? or maybe just fireworks in the sky? and when will we see this happen?
Consider as that brown dwarf moves closer to Earth the changes will continue to escalate; in other words, it won't go zero to sixty in thirty seconds. The changes will continue to escalate, both in quantity and intensity. Eventually something big will snap, but overall you will "see" it coming even before it is visible in the sky just by watching the increase in earth changes.
I suspect however that once something big does happen (and that can include more than just a tectonic plate moving -- tides rising worldwide, a first-world city evaporated by an incoming bolide or a massive earthquake,the possibilities are endless) you will see a panic that will suck up survival commodities in a heartbeat. Then whatcha gonna do?
I wonder if this is the event Elder Scott spoke about according to Elias Returns ( member here)... he said the following was stated 6 months prior to his post, he posted this Monday January 24th 2011 , so it has been almost a year since this was said, I am not saying this is Church Doctrine, I am just wondering about what said brother posted... food for thought...:
Elias Returns wrote:WOW!......this is an exciting post. We had Elder Kim B. Clark from BYU-Idaho preside over our last Stake Conference and he had stated a certain conversation that he had 6 months prior with Elder Scott at dinner. Elder Scott had stated " that the Brethren of the Church are very concerned, because we as a Church do not have enough teachers (missionaries) available to help teach the massive amount of new members that are going to be coming into the Church in the next couple of years. We know that we are close to the Saviors return, and that the times ahead will get much, much worse. And because of what is coming, we will see millions coming into the Church for help, and as a place of refuge from what is coming. This will happen very soon, and we need to get our Brothers and Sisters prepared to help."
This was a word for word account given by Elder Clark, as written down from both myself and my wife who both attended, together, this Stake Conference.- (Disclaimer Added to protect our good name) :D
I believe that this will happen after AOA, because that is when as we are counseled through modern revelation and direction by the GA's that the cleansing in His own House will start as well as the cleansing of America, such as wars, scourges, food shortage, economic collapse and such. The time I feel is very close, and no we won't know when AOA takes place, but I have a feeling we will right afterwards. :wink:
Showing posts with label CLEANSE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CLEANSE. Show all posts
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
JOSEPH SMITH'S LAST DREAM IN CARTHAGE JAIL
Joseph Smith was a man of visions and dreams and truly bore his namesake's (Joseph of Egypt) legacy well. He truly was a direct descendant of that line. I am not aware of any other person (that at least has recorded it) who has excelled at this gift more than Joseph Smith. And while he was mocked and scorned for that gift, I aspire to the same gift and would be satisfied to have just a crumb of what he possessed for myself.
I have enjoyed stunning dreams that have predicted down to the most minute detail, things of the future including very mundane things related to work and relationships. I have been quite shy on the visions detail, but that will come over time and if there is a divine need for it in my life. I will share more of these remarkable dreams over time - not in a manner of boasting - but as encouragement to others to seek after their gift. In being silent about these remarkable manifestations (unless we are expressly forbidden to share them with the world), we do the devil's work in that God's glory is not manifest and that gift or the seeking for the gift is not encouraged among other budding in the gifts of the Spirit. I have a wonderful little 8 yr old girl who has watched me try (poorly, I might say) to exercise my non-gift for piano playing. In seeing me, she has been encouraged to hop on the bench and start plunking. In her plunking, my wife and I recognized a fluidity in her motion and an ear for tone that most kids do not have. We, instead of discouraging her, and telling her that she must only play that when no one else is around for fear of embarrassment, have encouraged and praised her openly and she has blossomed (with some good piano teachers) into a great little pianist whom I think will go far with her gift. So it is with spiritual gifts - they are suppressed in the church with such zeal that there is little incentive to even try. Gifts of healing the same - and I cite some of the trials that Iohani Wolfgramm went through as he exercised that fantastic gift (which I have also been given). Not to be critical here, but people are not shown how to exercise that gift properly - and a few of those that have done it have been swatted down for it by people, quite frankly, who are faithless and who will find themselves on the left hand as the corrupt teachers they have been who made their adherents into twice the children of hell that they were - in the final analysis. The proud and wicked and hypocritical can't take being shown up by the weak and the unlearned - it drives them mad with jealousy - a type of rage that is only documented in those who dealt with Jesus, Abinadi and Nephi among others. I have felt it among the wicked around me who have begun to find out what I stand for - and increasingly so, among those in the church. In the Church, it is mild to moderate now, but it will increase with time as disparity grows in the membership. It will get to the point, that if Jesus were to appear incognito, the general membership would vote to put the radical (from their perspective) to death again. To illustrate my point, here is Joseph's last dream the night before he was murdered. I will not narrate it - I leave it to you to decide for yourselves what the interpretation is, but remember what he told Emma when she sent a runner for him after he had crossed the Mississippi River to head to the Rocky Mountains the night before he was taken into custody. Also, remember the Book of Mormon was written for (to shred) us (the general membership of the Church) and not the Catholics or Protestants or some other group that may never have the pleasure of reading it:
Sobering - really quite sobering, from my perspective anyway.
I have enjoyed stunning dreams that have predicted down to the most minute detail, things of the future including very mundane things related to work and relationships. I have been quite shy on the visions detail, but that will come over time and if there is a divine need for it in my life. I will share more of these remarkable dreams over time - not in a manner of boasting - but as encouragement to others to seek after their gift. In being silent about these remarkable manifestations (unless we are expressly forbidden to share them with the world), we do the devil's work in that God's glory is not manifest and that gift or the seeking for the gift is not encouraged among other budding in the gifts of the Spirit. I have a wonderful little 8 yr old girl who has watched me try (poorly, I might say) to exercise my non-gift for piano playing. In seeing me, she has been encouraged to hop on the bench and start plunking. In her plunking, my wife and I recognized a fluidity in her motion and an ear for tone that most kids do not have. We, instead of discouraging her, and telling her that she must only play that when no one else is around for fear of embarrassment, have encouraged and praised her openly and she has blossomed (with some good piano teachers) into a great little pianist whom I think will go far with her gift. So it is with spiritual gifts - they are suppressed in the church with such zeal that there is little incentive to even try. Gifts of healing the same - and I cite some of the trials that Iohani Wolfgramm went through as he exercised that fantastic gift (which I have also been given). Not to be critical here, but people are not shown how to exercise that gift properly - and a few of those that have done it have been swatted down for it by people, quite frankly, who are faithless and who will find themselves on the left hand as the corrupt teachers they have been who made their adherents into twice the children of hell that they were - in the final analysis. The proud and wicked and hypocritical can't take being shown up by the weak and the unlearned - it drives them mad with jealousy - a type of rage that is only documented in those who dealt with Jesus, Abinadi and Nephi among others. I have felt it among the wicked around me who have begun to find out what I stand for - and increasingly so, among those in the church. In the Church, it is mild to moderate now, but it will increase with time as disparity grows in the membership. It will get to the point, that if Jesus were to appear incognito, the general membership would vote to put the radical (from their perspective) to death again. To illustrate my point, here is Joseph's last dream the night before he was murdered. I will not narrate it - I leave it to you to decide for yourselves what the interpretation is, but remember what he told Emma when she sent a runner for him after he had crossed the Mississippi River to head to the Rocky Mountains the night before he was taken into custody. Also, remember the Book of Mormon was written for (to shred) us (the general membership of the Church) and not the Catholics or Protestants or some other group that may never have the pleasure of reading it:
Joseph related the following dream which he had last night:
"I was back in Kirtland, Ohio, and thought I would take a walk out by myself, and view my old farm, which I found grown up with weeds and brambles, and altogether bearing evidence of neglect and want of culture. I went into the barn, which I found without floor or doors, with the weather-boarding off, and was altogether in keeping with the farm.
"While I viewed the desolation around me, and was contemplating how it might be recovered from the curse upon it, there came rushing into the barn a company of furious men, who commenced to pick a quarrel with me.
"The leader of the party ordered me to leave the barn and farm, stating it was none of mine, and that I must give up all hope of ever possessing it.
"I told him the farm was given me by the Church, and although I had not had any use of it for some time back, still I had not sold it, and according to. righteous principles it belonged to me or the Church.
"He then grew furious and began to rail upon me, and threaten me, and said it never did belong to me nor to the Church.
"I then told him that I did not think it worth contending about, that I had no desire to live upon it in its present state, and if he thought he had a better right I would not quarrel with him about it but leave; but my assurance that I would not trouble him at present did not seem to satisfy him, as he seemed determined to quarrel with me, and threatened me with the destruction of my body.
"While he was thus engaged, pouring out his bitter words upon me, a rabble rushed in and nearly filled the barn, drew out their knives, and began to quarrel among themselves for the premises, and for a moment forgot me, at which time I took the opportunity to walk out of the barn about up to my ankles in mud.
"When I was a little distance from the barn, I heard them screeching and screaming in a very distressed manner, as it appeared they had engaged in a general fight with their knives. While they were thus engaged, the dream or vision ended."
Both Joseph and Hyrum bore a faithful testimony to the Latter-day work, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and prophesied of the triumph of the Gospel over all the earth, exhorting the brethren present to faithfulness and persevering diligence in proclaiming the Gospel, building up the Temple, and performing all the duties connected with our holy religion.
Sobering - really quite sobering, from my perspective anyway.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
USING THE BOOK OF MORMON TO PREPARE FOR THE TRIALS AHEAD
I THOUGHT THIS WORTHY OF SHARING:
Using the Book of Mormon to Face the Tests Ahead
M. Catherine Thomas
Our dispensation will embrace the greatest extremes of any day: the tares will be of greater virulence than any preceding period. President Ezra Taft Benson has declared: "Wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society (see D&C 1:14-16; 84: 49 - 53). It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before." But, at the same time, the wheat will exhibit greater quality than ever before (D&C 86:1-7), because the Church and kingdom of God are increasing in strength, six, and faithfulness. "It [the Church] has never been better organized or equipped to perform its divine mission"
Thus in the midst of the worst trials ever known among the children of men, the Saints will finish up the work of this dispensation under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not a defensive position we wish to take but rather a powerful moving forward to establish all of the will of the Lord in preparation for His coming. We need not shrink before the onslaught but prepare to go out to meet the Bridegroom (D&C 133:10)
We will never meet all of the challenges of this dispensation unaided. The forces about to be unleashed against the world will be sufficient to decimate the entire population (D&C 5:19). Only those who have learned how to take the Holy Spirit for their guide will be able to read the signs and abide those days (D&C 45:57); only those who have studied how to draw on the grace, on the divine enabling power of the Lord Jesus Christ, will escape through the means the Lord will provide (D&C 63:24). We will have to be a people who understand personal revelation. We will have to live in direct contact with the temporal world, but we will have to know how to be guided by the heavenly, unseen world.
It is possible to make a long list of specific things we would have to do to endure to the end. But, the real question is this: What is the quintessential preparation from which all other preparations naturally follow? The Lord has provided the answer, and it lies in the inspired use of the Book of Mormon - in particular, the use of the Book of Mormon as an instrument of personal revelation. Nearly every description of the tests that the Saints will undergo makes it clear that only personal revelation will make faithful endurance possible. Inspired uses of the Book of Mormon lie at the very core of the Saints preparation so that they, as the children of light, will not be overtaken as by a thief in the night, at the Lord's appearance (D&C 106:4-5). Prophets through the ages have looked at our day and warned us of the trials that lie ahead. President Heber C. Kimball "often used the language, 'A test, a test is coming.'"
"We think we are secure here in the chambers of the everlasting hills, where we can close those few doors of the canyons against mobs and persecutors, the wicked and the vile, who have always beset us with violence and robbery, but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall; for I say unto you there is a test, a TEST, a TEST coming, and who will be able to stand?"
"This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with victory. To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess this personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not till you obtain it. If you do not you will not stand...
"...The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?"
President Heber C. Kimball was quoted later with respect to the intensity of the tests:
"The judgments of God will be poured out upon the wicked, to the extent that our elders from far and near will be called home; or in other words, the Gospel will be taken from the gentiles, and later on will be carried to the Jews.
"The western boundaries of the State of Missouri will be swept so clean of its inhabitants that as President Young tells us, 'when we return to that place there will not be as much as a yellow dog to wag his tail.'
"Before that day comes, however, the Saints will be put to the test that will try the very best of them.
"The pressure will become so great that the righteous among us will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes...
"Then is the time to look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall."
President Ezra Taft Benson expanded on the nature of the tests we will face and confirmed that the process has already begun:
"There is a real sifting going on in the Church, and it is going to become more pronounced with the passing of time. It will sift the wheat from the tares, because we face some difficult days, the like of which we have never experienced in our lives. And those days are going to require faith and testimony and family unity, the like of which we have never had."
"The great destructive force which was to be turned loose on the earth and which the prophets for centuries have been calling the 'abomination of desolation' is vividly described by those who saw it in vision (see Matthew 24:15, Joseph Smith - Matthew 1:12,32). Ours is the generation to realize how literally these prophecies can be fulfilled now that God, through science, has unlocked the secret to thermonuclear reaction.
"In the light of these prophecies, there should be no doubt in the mind of any priesthood holder that the human family is headed for trouble. There are rugged days ahead. It is time for every man who wishes to do his duty to get himself prepared - physically, spiritually, and psychologically - for the task which may come at any time, as suddenly as the whirlwind."
"We will live in the midst of economic, political, and spiritual instability. When these signs are observed - unmistakable evidences that His coming is nigh - we need not be troubled, but 'stand in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come' (D&C 87:8). Holy men and women stand in holy places, and these holy places consist of our temples, our chapels, our homes, and stakes of Zion, which are, as the Lord declares, 'for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth' (D&C 115:6). We must heed the Lord's counsel to the Saints of this dispensation: 'Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord' (D&C 133:10).
"This preparation must consist of more than just casual membership in the Church. We must be guided by personal revelation and the counsel of the living prophet so we will not be deceived. Our Lord has indicated who, among Church members, will stand when He appears: 'At that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins' (D&C 45:56). The Lord has given the sobering revelation that in the midst of the latter-day trials, Church members will feel the Lord's refining power as he forges the Saints into a force for fulfilling his divine purposes:
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: [and the world is the children of the wicked] the angels come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: [out into the world to be burned] there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth"
(Matthew 13:47-50, JST text in brackets).
"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord ... But purify your hearts before me ... Cleanse your hearts and your garments, lest the blood of this generation be required at your hands"
(D&C 112:24-33; italics added; see also 88:74).
This refining process will prepare a purified Church membership to meet the Lord Jesus Christ. President Benson warned:
"It is well that our people understand this principle, so they will not be misled by those apostates within the Church who have not yet repented or been cut off. But there is a cleansing coming. The Lord says that his vengeance shall be poured out 'upon the inhabitants of the earth ... And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me ...' (D&C 112:24-26). I look forward to that cleansing; its need within the Church is becoming increasingly apparent."
"Yes, within the Church today there are tares among the wheat and wolves within the flock. As President Clark stated, 'The ravening wolves are amongst us, from our own membership, and they, more than any others, are clothed in sheep's clothing because they wear the habiliments of the priesthood ... We should be careful of them.'"
Yet, even as we witness the steady crescendo of sorrows spreading throughout the earth, it is apparent that the Lord has at least a twofold purpose. On the one hand, the wicked will be purged from the Church and from the earth; on the other, the saints will be purified and refined:
"Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand; and who can abide the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap; and he shall sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi [the priesthood holders of today; D&C 84:32-34] and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord and offering in righteousness. Let us, therefore, as a church and as a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord and offering in righteousness"
(D&C 128:24, italics added).
The present and the future do not hold so many terrors if we believe the Lord's reassuring words that the refining process is under his benevolent control:
"Fear not thine enemies, for they are in mine hands and I will do my pleasure with them.
"My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom"
(D&C 136:30-31).
President John Taylor commented on the necessity of the Saints' being tested but of the insignificance of the pain of the testing process in relation to the great destiny of the Saints:
"It is necessary that we pass through certain ordeals, and that we be tried. But, why is it that we should be tried? There is just the same necessity for it now that there was in former times. I heard the prophet Joseph say, in speaking to the Twelve on one occasion:
'You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God.' ...
"But, all these personal things amount to but very little. It is the crowns, principalities, the powers, the thrones, the dominions, and the associations with the Gods that we are after, and we are here to prepare ourselves for those things. We are after eternal exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of God."
In fact, Zion will be built by those who are purified by their sufferings, and have learned to endure suffering in order to obey the Lord's every command. Zion will have to suffer in order to be redeemed because her citizens have not learned to obey: "Were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now.
"But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them. And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself.
"And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer"
(D&C 105:2-6).
The sacrificing to obey unlocks the blessings and powers of heaven:
"Verily I say unto you, all among them [the Saints] who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits are contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice - ye, every sacrifice, which I, the Lord, shall command - they are accepted of me. For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit"
(D&C 97:8-9).
"Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation ... It is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that the are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God ...
"... And in the last days, before the Lord comes, he is to gather together his saints who have made a covenant with him by sacrifice."
Elder John Taylor encouraged the Saints to cleave to the Lord as the night darkens: "In relation to events that will yet take place, and the kind of trials, troubles, and sufferings which we shall have to cope with, it is to me a matter of very little moment; these things are in the hands of God, he dictates the affairs of the human family, and directs and controls our affairs; and the great thing that we, as a people, have to do is to seek after and cleave unto our God, to be in close affinity with him and to seek for his guidance, and his blessing and Holy Spirit to guide us in the right path. Then it matters not what it is nor who it is that we have to contend with, God will give us strength according to our day."
Another source of reassurance is the knowledge that our coming to the earth at this time in the earth's history was no random event. We were prepared before we came to earth to do the work we would be called to do (see D&C 138:56). President Benson has taught:
"For nearly six thousand years, God has held you reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord. Some individuals will fall away; but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head - even Jesus Christ. While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. That is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God. ...
"Make no mistake about it - you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time than there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized. Now is the great day of the devil's power. But it now is also the great day of the Lord's power, with the greatest number ever of priesthood holders on the earth."
Having faith in our premortal preparation, we can find unique blessings in realizing that the personal tests we face were specially suited to our individual, spiritual needs. Perhaps the greatest insight to come out of this realization is that the Lord orchestrates the details of the lives of his seeking and obedient Saints. With his orchestration of their individual trials comes also deliverance from those trials. Elder Bruce R. McConkie listed the tasks that lie ahead of these premortally prepared Saints, tasks that will require a greater commitment to spiritual principles than ever before:
"We have yet to gain that full knowledge and understanding of the doctrines of salvation and the mysteries of the kingdom that were possessed by many of the ancient Saints. O that we knew what Enoch and his people knew! Or that we had the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon, as did certain of the Jaredites and Nephites! How can we ever gain these added truths until we believe in full what the Lord has already given us in the Book of Mormon, in the Doctrine and Covenants, and in the inspired changes made by Joseph Smith in the Bible? ...
"We have yet to attain that degree of obedience and personal righteousness which will give us faith like the ancients: faith to multiply miracles, move mountains, and put at defiance the armies of nations; faith to quench the violence of fire, divide seas and stop the mouth of lions; faith to break every band and to stand in the presence of God. Faith comes in degrees. Until we gain faith to heal the sick, how can we ever expect to move mountains and divide seas? "We have yet to receive such an outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord in our lives that we shall all see eye to eye in all things, that every man will esteem his brother as himself, that there shall be no poor among us ... As long as we disagree as to the simple and easy doctrines of salvation, how can we ever have unity on the complex and endless truths yet to be revealed?
"We have yet to perfect our souls, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, and to walk in the light as God is in the light, so that if this were a day of translation we would be prepared to join Enoch and his city in heavenly realms. How many among us are now prepared to entertain angels, to see the face of the Lord, to go where God and Christ are and be like them? ....
"We have yet to prepare a people for the Second Coming....
"Shall we not now, as a Church and as a people and as the Saints of the latter days, build on the foundations of the past and forward in gospel glory until the great Jehovah shall say: 'The work is done, come ye, enter the joy of your Lord; sit down with me on my throne; thou art now one with me and my father.'"
On another occasion, Elder McConkie made a sobering statement on the necessity of the development of our faith:
"It may be, for instance, that nothing except the power of faith and the authority of the priesthood can save individuals and congregations from the atomic holocausts that surely shall be."
President Brigham Young also observed that, in general, the Saints are not prepared for the blessings that the Lord anticipates bestowing on them: "Jesus has been upon the earth a great many more times than you are aware of. When Jesus makes his next appearance upon the earth, but few of this Church and kingdom will be prepared to receive him and see him face to face and converse with him; but he will come to his temple. ...
"When all nations are so subdued to Jesus that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, there will still be millions o the earth who will not believe in him; but they will be obliged to acknowledge his government. You may call that government ecclesiastical, or by whatever term you please; yet there is no true government on earth but the government of God, or the holy Priesthood. Shall I tell you what that is? In short, it is a perfect system of government - a kingdom of Gods and angels and all beings who will submit themselves to that government. There is no other true government in heaven or upon the earth. ...
"Is man prepared to receive that government? He is not. I can say to these Latter-day Saints, You are not prepared to receive that government. You hear men and women talk about living and abiding the Celestial law, when they do not so much as know what it is, and are not prepared to receive it. We have little here and a little there given to us, to prove whether we will be abide that portion of law that will enable us to enjoy a resurrection with the just. ... "... We have line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, and it is something that accords with the capacity of finite beings, and you improve upon this, and the Lord will open your minds to receive more, and let you see the order of the eternal priesthood; but if you do not live your religion, you cannot receive more."
Many of us are not yet living our religion. The Saints can reach for more. In the foregoing statements of the Lord and his prophets and apostles, one common observation is that amidst the latter-day trials, the Saints will need familiarity with the Lord's voice.
For example, President Heber C. Kimball said, "Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand:" President Ezra Taft Benson remarked on the current state of the Saints' preparedness to meet the Savior:
"Watchmen - what of the night? We must respond by saying that all is not well in Zion. As Moroni counseled, we must cleanse the inner vessel (Alma 60:23), beginning first with ourselves, then with our families, and finally with the Church. ... "... It takes a Zion people to make a Zion society, and we must prepare for that."
Obviously our responses to the Lord's direction have as yet been inadequate to achieve that state of preparation, even though the Lord has made it abundantly clear that the instrument of preparation for the Second Coming is the Book of Mormon. That book is the instrument by which the citizens of Zion will have cleansed the inner vessel.
The Saints, evidently, are still under condemnation for their neglect of the Book of Mormon, the very tool that has the most power to prepare the Church for the advent of the Savior. Upon reflection, we realize that the Saints have not yet adequately made the connection between the comprehensive use of the Book of Mormon and the light that each of them will need to withstand the trials of the latter days. President Benson exclaimed: 'That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion' (D&C 84:58). We have felt that scourge and judgment!
Perhaps some have thought that a testimony and a general knowledge of the Book of Mormon were sufficient fulfillment of the Lord's injunction. But a testimony of the Book of Mormon is not an end in itself. It is only the most rudimentary beginning. The next step, after learning that the book is true and can be trusted as a source for doctrine and the Spirit, is to learn its multiple uses and virtues. Here is the Lord's fuller text to the Church about using the Book of Mormon:
"Your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received -
"Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
"And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
"And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written - That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to pour out upon the children of Zion.
(D&C 84:54-58 italics added).
The Church apparently does not yet know all the uses and virtues of the Book of Mormon. It seems that the Lord would like us to use the Book of Mormon in ways it has not been used before and that he is waiting for us to ask his help to that end. President Benson, in urging us to get more deeply in into that book, pointed to the relationship between scripture study and the power of the Spirit in our life: "I urge you to recommit yourselves to a study of the scriptures. Immerse yourselves I them daily so you will have the power of the Spirit to attend you in your callings. Read them in your families and teach our children to love and treasure them. Then prayerfully and in counsel with others, seek every way possible to encourage the members of the Church to follow your example. If you do so, you will find, as Alma did, that 'the word [has] a great tendency to lead people to do that which [is] just - yea, it [has] more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which [has] happened unto them' (Alma 31:5)."
In that statement, President Benson has connected immersion in the scriptures with the gift and power of the Spirit. Several other Brethren have likewise pointed out the link between personal revelation and a spiritually skilled use of scripture. For example, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said: "I sometimes think that one of the best-kept secrets of the kingdom is that the scriptures open the door to the receipt of revelation." However talented men may be in administrative matters; however eloquent they may be in expressing their views; however learned they may be in the worldly things - they will be denied the sweet whisperings of the Spirit that might have been theirs unless they pay the price of studying, pondering, and praying about the scriptures."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks declared: "As a source of knowledge, the scriptures are not the ultimate but the penultimate. The ultimate knowledge comes by revelation...
"A study of the scriptures enables men and women to receive revelations ... because scripture reading puts us in tune with the Spirit of the Lord." Elder Boyd K. Packer taught; "Buildings and budgets, and reports and programs and procedures are very important. But, by themselves, they do not carry that essential spiritual nourishment and will not accomplish what the Lord has given us to do ... The right things, those with true spiritual nourishment, are centered in the scriptures." One reason that some Church members are not reaping the full reward of scripture study may be that they do not know how vital the reward could be. The Lord promises that we can hear or feel his voice in the scriptures, that we can receive messages in and above what is printed on the page, and that we can repeat that experience over and over again. Scripture reading and feasting on scripture can take on new meaning.
Those who haven't heard the voice may find the scriptures less interesting than other literature. Perhaps some are afraid to hear what the Lord has to say, and so they may read the scripture with a protective veil over their mind and then say they are bored with the scripture. The real problem may be that they are afraid to hear the voice. But the Lord says to us today, "Resist no more my voice" (D&C 108:2). It appears that the Lord intends an intersection between the daily orbit we move in and the orbit of the Book of Mormon. A power is set in motion when we become deeply involved in what the scriptures are saying to us personally. The Lord has said that "the Book of Mormon and the Holy Scriptures are given of me for your instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things" (D&C 33:16).
Several other scriptures also show that the printed word can yield the living spirit of prophecy to the alert and prepared reader. In the very first chapter of the Book of Mormon, Lehi learned this connection between feasting on the scripture and receiving the power of revelation: "As he read [a book of scripture given him by the Lord] he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord" (1 Nephi 1:12). Nephi said, "And now, when my father saw all these things [scriptures on the plates of brass], he was filled with the Spirit and began to prophesy" (1 Nephi 5:17). Jacob made the same connection: "Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea" (Jacob 4:6). The four sons of Mosiah "waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God" (Alma 17:2-3).
The Lord, speaking of scripture, said: "These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; ... for it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you ...; wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words" (D&C 18:34-36). To hear the voice of the Lord in the scripture simply means to feel the Spirit of the Lord, because the Lord speaks "by the voice of my Spirit: (D&C 75:1). Furthermore, the Lord's "voice is Spirit" (D&C 88:66).
Thus there is a relationship between the written scripture and the voice of the Lord, or personal revelation. The same Spirit that gave the written word quickens it as one who is prepared reads it. Taking all these insights together, we may conclude that if we wish to guide our life by the Spirit, we cannot do it without also being a spiritual student of the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon itself teaches the progression from feasting on the word of Christ to hearing the voice of Christ through the Holy Ghost: "Fest upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do ... if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3 - 5).
The stories and principles and doctrines in the Book of Mormon are vitally important to the Latter-day Saints, but we soon discover that an important principle taught by the book is that no collection of writings can tell a person what to do in all circumstances. Many of life's challenges are designed to require divine insight and divine power and divine direction to meet them. Therefore, perhaps no principle is stressed as much as getting the Spirit of the Lord, who "will show you all things what ye should do," as a constant guide.
We can see how the voice of the Lord is a vital component of the gospel plan - not just for prophets but for all of us. Ultimately everyone who hopes to see the face of the Lord and to remain in his presence must learn to discern and obey the voice of the Lord. That skill is essential for the serious candidate for exaltation.
Elder Richard G. Scott explicitly stated that the Book of Mormon is like a personal Liahona or Urim and Thummim: "What does the Book of Mormon mean to you? ... "If you have not yet drunk deeply from this fountain of pure truth, with all of my soul I encourage you to do so now. Don't let the consistent study of the Book of Mormon be one of the things that you intend to do, but never quite accomplish. Begin today. "I bear witness that it can become a personal 'Urim and Thummim' in your life."
Indeed, the Book of Mormon describes itself as a Liahona. A primary use of a Liahona or a Urim and Thummim is as a physical symbol to teach the dynamics of revelation. They increase faith until one has learned to get revelation without sole dependence on the physical instrument. How important it is to realize that scripture, as another form of Liahona or Urim and Thummim, instructs our spirits in the processes of revelation.
The link between a tangible object of revelation and the process of receiving revelation without an instrument is illustrated in the Prophet Joseph's training under the Lord. The Lord started Joseph Smith out with the Urim and Thummim; later, Joseph was able to receive revelation without using it, thus showing that a Liahona and Urim and Thummim, seer stones, and scripture are all variations of the sacred instruments by which a person is taught how to receive increasingly detailed revelation - revelation that is often outside the imagination or experience of the person being so trained. Joseph's experience in translating the Book of Mormon by the Urim and Thummim actually prepared him to be the founding prophet, seer, and revelator of this dispensation.
Alma understood this relationship between instruments of revelation and scripture. In Alma 37, Alma used a succession of words that suggests that relationship: records, plates of brass, Holy Scriptures, mysteries, holy writ, interpreters, Gazelem, seer stone, counseling with the Lord, and Liahona. When the Nephites used their Liahona, they had miracles every day; whenever they grew lazy and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence, they lost their way and became hungry.
Alma taught that the ball, director, compass, or Liahona was prepared by the Lord as a type of the word of Christ: "For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the Promised Land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way" (Alma 37:44-46). It is possible that "vale of sorrow" means not only this mortal life as a whole but the individual vales of sorrow that the Saints come upon in their lives. That is, the Lord has given the Saints a Liahona to carry them out of their individual and collective vales of sorrow.
One problem of mortality is the inadequacy of our present language to provide vocabulary to describe spiritual experience. When missionaries try to teach investigators what the Spirit is, they have to do it by analogy or by metaphor; thus, when they see the Sprit working on an investigator, they will say "That's it! What you are feeling right now is the Spirit of the Lord!" Elder Boyd K. Packer taught: "We do not have the words (event eh scriptures do not have the words) which perfectly describe the Spirit. The scriptures generally use the word voice, which does not exactly fit. These delicate, refined spiritual communications are not seen with our eyes, nor heard with our ears. And even though it is described as a voice, it is a voice that one feels, more than one hears."
We identify the Spirit mostly by feeling, and in the scripture the Lord teaches us what the Spirit feels like. If we think we have to feel something extraordinary in hearing the voice of the Lord in scripture, we might miss the subtle impressions of the Spirit. Many people have experienced the movement of the Spirit in their souls as they read scripture. On some occasions, feelings come, or maybe tears, perhaps heightened appreciation, or a sense of peace on a particular matter, a sense of unexplainable happiness, or a sense of the Lord's love. If we are asked on such an occasion what we heard from the Lord in that experience with the scripture, we might not be able to articulate an answer. Nonetheless, we have felt something sweet, something very tender. That was the spirit of prophecy, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On other occasions, we may be reading along when an issue or problem in our life comes to mind, maybe even a subject unrelated to the scripture being read, and suddenly we just know what to do about it. All these are instances of feeling the voice of the Lord to ourselves. We could develop this skill to a high degree and enjoy a living relationship with the Lord, in which the Lord could teach us many wonderful things. To develop such a skill we must invest time and experience, labor in the Sprit, and make scripture study a part of our daily life, but it is within the capability of any serious seeker.
The Book of Mormon teaches us how to receive a revelation from scripture: "I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them. And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things" (1 Nephi 16:28-29). By studying the spiritual conditions under which the Book of Mormon was translated, we can learn more about the process of receiving the Sprit from the scripture. Joseph Smith showed the way. David Whitmer described what the Prophet had to go through to get the spirit of prophecy so that he could translate:
"At times when Brother Joseph would attempt to translate ..., he found he was spiritually blind and could not translate. He told us that his mind dwelt too much on earthly things, and various causes would make him incapable of proceeding with the translation. When in this condition he would go out and pray, and when he became sufficiently humble before God, he would then proceed with the translation. Now we see how very strict the Lord is, and how he requires the heart of man to be just right in his sight before he can receive revelation from him."
On another occasion David Whitmer recorded: "He [Joseph Smith] was religious and straightforward man ... He had to trust in God. He could not translate unless he was humble and possessed the right feelings towards everyone. To illustrate so you can see the right feelings towards everyone. To illustrate so you can see: One morning when he was getting ready to continue the translation, something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something that Emma, his wife, had done. Oliver and I went upstairs and Joseph came up soon after to continue the translation but could not do anything. He could not translate a single syllable. He went downstairs, out into the orchard, and made supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour - came back to the hose, and asked Emma's forgiveness and then came upstairs where we were and then the translation went on all right. He could do nothing save e was humble and faithful."
This account is highly instructive. We must approach the scripture in the same way that the scripture was given to one who was in a state of humility, of desire, of courage, of forgiveness of others. We can prepare ourselves to hear the word of the Lord by realizing that in opening up the scriptures, we are about to have a conversation with the Lord. Thus we approach such an encounter in a spiritual, prayerful, thoughtful, and solemn way. We read trying to feel, to listen, to hear, and even to make notes. Our heart must be prepared to be written on; we must want to hear what the Lord wants to say to us, what the Lord's counsel is to us. So we approach the scripture with as much humility as we can, with willingness to repent and to grow.
Whenever we feel that movement of the spirit in our own soul, we are feeling the voice of the Lord to us - the Lord is speaking to us individually. We are connected by the Spirit in that moment to our Savior. IN this way, the Book of Mormon can bring us to Christ is the main objective of all scripture. Simply, we feast on the words of Christ, and, if we have prepared, he speaks to us through feelings and impressions and happiness and even words, and thus we come to Christ as we study scripture and hear his voice.
This kind of immersion in reading, this knowledge of the Book of Mormon, this learning to discern, to hear or feel, and then to obey the voice of the Lord to us personally may do more to prepare the Saints for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ than nearly any other activity we could engage in. President Benson urged the priesthood holders of the Church: "One of the most important things you can do as priesthood leaders is to immerse yourselves in the scriptures. Search them diligently. Feast upon the words of Christ. Learn the doctrine. Master the principles that are found therein. There are few other ways to gain greater inspiration as you serve.
"But that alone, as valuable as it is, is not enough. You must also bend your efforts and your activities to stimulating meaningful scripture study among the members of the Church. Often we spend great effort in trying to increase the activity levels in our stakes.
"We work diligently to raise the percentages of those attending sacrament meetings. We labor to get a higher percentage of our young me on missions. We strive to improve the numbers of those marrying in the temple. All of these are commendable efforts and important to the growth of the kingdom. But when individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, these other areas of activity will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow ...
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success'" (Joshua 1:8; italics added)."
President Benson also spoke on the centrality of the scriptures to the work that the Saints must do in the winding-up scenes of this dispensation:
"In the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers o the few decades just prior to Christ's coming to America. By careful study of that time period we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet."
"My beloved brothers and sisters, I bear my solemn witness that these books [the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants] contain the mind and the will of the Lord for us in these days of trial and tribulation. They stand with the Bible to give witness of the Lord and His work. These books contain the voice of the Lord to us in these latter days. May we turn to them with full purpose of heart and use them in the way the Lord wishes them to be used."
It is clear that as wickedness increases, the Saints need a compensatory blessing to carry the Lord's work forward. We have been promised that very blessing. President Benson declared: "I bless you with increased understanding of the Book of Mormon. I promise you that from this moment forward, if we will daily sup from its pages and abide by its precepts; God will pour out upon each child of Zion and the Church a blessing hitherto unknown." Finally President Benson has spoken on how we will get from where we are now to that day when our Savior appears and the Saints stand before him prepared:
"Only a Zion people can bring in a Zion society. And as the Zion people increase, so we will be able to incorporate more of the principles of Zion until we have a people prepared to receive the Lord." When the Saints have assumed their individual responsibility to possess the Spirit of the Lord in the ways that the Lord has instructed, all other preparations will follow, and we will have a people not only ready to stand in the midst of the trials preceding the Second Coming but able to rejoice under the sanctifying and prospering hand of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Using the Book of Mormon to Face the Tests Ahead
M. Catherine Thomas
Our dispensation will embrace the greatest extremes of any day: the tares will be of greater virulence than any preceding period. President Ezra Taft Benson has declared: "Wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society (see D&C 1:14-16; 84: 49 - 53). It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before." But, at the same time, the wheat will exhibit greater quality than ever before (D&C 86:1-7), because the Church and kingdom of God are increasing in strength, six, and faithfulness. "It [the Church] has never been better organized or equipped to perform its divine mission"
Thus in the midst of the worst trials ever known among the children of men, the Saints will finish up the work of this dispensation under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not a defensive position we wish to take but rather a powerful moving forward to establish all of the will of the Lord in preparation for His coming. We need not shrink before the onslaught but prepare to go out to meet the Bridegroom (D&C 133:10)
We will never meet all of the challenges of this dispensation unaided. The forces about to be unleashed against the world will be sufficient to decimate the entire population (D&C 5:19). Only those who have learned how to take the Holy Spirit for their guide will be able to read the signs and abide those days (D&C 45:57); only those who have studied how to draw on the grace, on the divine enabling power of the Lord Jesus Christ, will escape through the means the Lord will provide (D&C 63:24). We will have to be a people who understand personal revelation. We will have to live in direct contact with the temporal world, but we will have to know how to be guided by the heavenly, unseen world.
It is possible to make a long list of specific things we would have to do to endure to the end. But, the real question is this: What is the quintessential preparation from which all other preparations naturally follow? The Lord has provided the answer, and it lies in the inspired use of the Book of Mormon - in particular, the use of the Book of Mormon as an instrument of personal revelation. Nearly every description of the tests that the Saints will undergo makes it clear that only personal revelation will make faithful endurance possible. Inspired uses of the Book of Mormon lie at the very core of the Saints preparation so that they, as the children of light, will not be overtaken as by a thief in the night, at the Lord's appearance (D&C 106:4-5). Prophets through the ages have looked at our day and warned us of the trials that lie ahead. President Heber C. Kimball "often used the language, 'A test, a test is coming.'"
"We think we are secure here in the chambers of the everlasting hills, where we can close those few doors of the canyons against mobs and persecutors, the wicked and the vile, who have always beset us with violence and robbery, but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall; for I say unto you there is a test, a TEST, a TEST coming, and who will be able to stand?"
"This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with victory. To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess this personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not till you obtain it. If you do not you will not stand...
"...The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?"
President Heber C. Kimball was quoted later with respect to the intensity of the tests:
"The judgments of God will be poured out upon the wicked, to the extent that our elders from far and near will be called home; or in other words, the Gospel will be taken from the gentiles, and later on will be carried to the Jews.
"The western boundaries of the State of Missouri will be swept so clean of its inhabitants that as President Young tells us, 'when we return to that place there will not be as much as a yellow dog to wag his tail.'
"Before that day comes, however, the Saints will be put to the test that will try the very best of them.
"The pressure will become so great that the righteous among us will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes...
"Then is the time to look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall."
President Ezra Taft Benson expanded on the nature of the tests we will face and confirmed that the process has already begun:
"There is a real sifting going on in the Church, and it is going to become more pronounced with the passing of time. It will sift the wheat from the tares, because we face some difficult days, the like of which we have never experienced in our lives. And those days are going to require faith and testimony and family unity, the like of which we have never had."
"The great destructive force which was to be turned loose on the earth and which the prophets for centuries have been calling the 'abomination of desolation' is vividly described by those who saw it in vision (see Matthew 24:15, Joseph Smith - Matthew 1:12,32). Ours is the generation to realize how literally these prophecies can be fulfilled now that God, through science, has unlocked the secret to thermonuclear reaction.
"In the light of these prophecies, there should be no doubt in the mind of any priesthood holder that the human family is headed for trouble. There are rugged days ahead. It is time for every man who wishes to do his duty to get himself prepared - physically, spiritually, and psychologically - for the task which may come at any time, as suddenly as the whirlwind."
"We will live in the midst of economic, political, and spiritual instability. When these signs are observed - unmistakable evidences that His coming is nigh - we need not be troubled, but 'stand in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come' (D&C 87:8). Holy men and women stand in holy places, and these holy places consist of our temples, our chapels, our homes, and stakes of Zion, which are, as the Lord declares, 'for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth' (D&C 115:6). We must heed the Lord's counsel to the Saints of this dispensation: 'Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord' (D&C 133:10).
"This preparation must consist of more than just casual membership in the Church. We must be guided by personal revelation and the counsel of the living prophet so we will not be deceived. Our Lord has indicated who, among Church members, will stand when He appears: 'At that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins' (D&C 45:56). The Lord has given the sobering revelation that in the midst of the latter-day trials, Church members will feel the Lord's refining power as he forges the Saints into a force for fulfilling his divine purposes:
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: [and the world is the children of the wicked] the angels come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: [out into the world to be burned] there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth"
(Matthew 13:47-50, JST text in brackets).
"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord ... But purify your hearts before me ... Cleanse your hearts and your garments, lest the blood of this generation be required at your hands"
(D&C 112:24-33; italics added; see also 88:74).
This refining process will prepare a purified Church membership to meet the Lord Jesus Christ. President Benson warned:
"It is well that our people understand this principle, so they will not be misled by those apostates within the Church who have not yet repented or been cut off. But there is a cleansing coming. The Lord says that his vengeance shall be poured out 'upon the inhabitants of the earth ... And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me ...' (D&C 112:24-26). I look forward to that cleansing; its need within the Church is becoming increasingly apparent."
"Yes, within the Church today there are tares among the wheat and wolves within the flock. As President Clark stated, 'The ravening wolves are amongst us, from our own membership, and they, more than any others, are clothed in sheep's clothing because they wear the habiliments of the priesthood ... We should be careful of them.'"
Yet, even as we witness the steady crescendo of sorrows spreading throughout the earth, it is apparent that the Lord has at least a twofold purpose. On the one hand, the wicked will be purged from the Church and from the earth; on the other, the saints will be purified and refined:
"Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand; and who can abide the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap; and he shall sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi [the priesthood holders of today; D&C 84:32-34] and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord and offering in righteousness. Let us, therefore, as a church and as a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord and offering in righteousness"
(D&C 128:24, italics added).
The present and the future do not hold so many terrors if we believe the Lord's reassuring words that the refining process is under his benevolent control:
"Fear not thine enemies, for they are in mine hands and I will do my pleasure with them.
"My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom"
(D&C 136:30-31).
President John Taylor commented on the necessity of the Saints' being tested but of the insignificance of the pain of the testing process in relation to the great destiny of the Saints:
"It is necessary that we pass through certain ordeals, and that we be tried. But, why is it that we should be tried? There is just the same necessity for it now that there was in former times. I heard the prophet Joseph say, in speaking to the Twelve on one occasion:
'You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God.' ...
"But, all these personal things amount to but very little. It is the crowns, principalities, the powers, the thrones, the dominions, and the associations with the Gods that we are after, and we are here to prepare ourselves for those things. We are after eternal exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of God."
In fact, Zion will be built by those who are purified by their sufferings, and have learned to endure suffering in order to obey the Lord's every command. Zion will have to suffer in order to be redeemed because her citizens have not learned to obey: "Were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now.
"But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them. And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself.
"And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer"
(D&C 105:2-6).
The sacrificing to obey unlocks the blessings and powers of heaven:
"Verily I say unto you, all among them [the Saints] who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits are contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice - ye, every sacrifice, which I, the Lord, shall command - they are accepted of me. For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit"
(D&C 97:8-9).
"Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation ... It is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that the are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God ...
"... And in the last days, before the Lord comes, he is to gather together his saints who have made a covenant with him by sacrifice."
Elder John Taylor encouraged the Saints to cleave to the Lord as the night darkens: "In relation to events that will yet take place, and the kind of trials, troubles, and sufferings which we shall have to cope with, it is to me a matter of very little moment; these things are in the hands of God, he dictates the affairs of the human family, and directs and controls our affairs; and the great thing that we, as a people, have to do is to seek after and cleave unto our God, to be in close affinity with him and to seek for his guidance, and his blessing and Holy Spirit to guide us in the right path. Then it matters not what it is nor who it is that we have to contend with, God will give us strength according to our day."
Another source of reassurance is the knowledge that our coming to the earth at this time in the earth's history was no random event. We were prepared before we came to earth to do the work we would be called to do (see D&C 138:56). President Benson has taught:
"For nearly six thousand years, God has held you reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord. Some individuals will fall away; but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head - even Jesus Christ. While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. That is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God. ...
"Make no mistake about it - you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time than there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized. Now is the great day of the devil's power. But it now is also the great day of the Lord's power, with the greatest number ever of priesthood holders on the earth."
Having faith in our premortal preparation, we can find unique blessings in realizing that the personal tests we face were specially suited to our individual, spiritual needs. Perhaps the greatest insight to come out of this realization is that the Lord orchestrates the details of the lives of his seeking and obedient Saints. With his orchestration of their individual trials comes also deliverance from those trials. Elder Bruce R. McConkie listed the tasks that lie ahead of these premortally prepared Saints, tasks that will require a greater commitment to spiritual principles than ever before:
"We have yet to gain that full knowledge and understanding of the doctrines of salvation and the mysteries of the kingdom that were possessed by many of the ancient Saints. O that we knew what Enoch and his people knew! Or that we had the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon, as did certain of the Jaredites and Nephites! How can we ever gain these added truths until we believe in full what the Lord has already given us in the Book of Mormon, in the Doctrine and Covenants, and in the inspired changes made by Joseph Smith in the Bible? ...
"We have yet to attain that degree of obedience and personal righteousness which will give us faith like the ancients: faith to multiply miracles, move mountains, and put at defiance the armies of nations; faith to quench the violence of fire, divide seas and stop the mouth of lions; faith to break every band and to stand in the presence of God. Faith comes in degrees. Until we gain faith to heal the sick, how can we ever expect to move mountains and divide seas? "We have yet to receive such an outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord in our lives that we shall all see eye to eye in all things, that every man will esteem his brother as himself, that there shall be no poor among us ... As long as we disagree as to the simple and easy doctrines of salvation, how can we ever have unity on the complex and endless truths yet to be revealed?
"We have yet to perfect our souls, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, and to walk in the light as God is in the light, so that if this were a day of translation we would be prepared to join Enoch and his city in heavenly realms. How many among us are now prepared to entertain angels, to see the face of the Lord, to go where God and Christ are and be like them? ....
"We have yet to prepare a people for the Second Coming....
"Shall we not now, as a Church and as a people and as the Saints of the latter days, build on the foundations of the past and forward in gospel glory until the great Jehovah shall say: 'The work is done, come ye, enter the joy of your Lord; sit down with me on my throne; thou art now one with me and my father.'"
On another occasion, Elder McConkie made a sobering statement on the necessity of the development of our faith:
"It may be, for instance, that nothing except the power of faith and the authority of the priesthood can save individuals and congregations from the atomic holocausts that surely shall be."
President Brigham Young also observed that, in general, the Saints are not prepared for the blessings that the Lord anticipates bestowing on them: "Jesus has been upon the earth a great many more times than you are aware of. When Jesus makes his next appearance upon the earth, but few of this Church and kingdom will be prepared to receive him and see him face to face and converse with him; but he will come to his temple. ...
"When all nations are so subdued to Jesus that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, there will still be millions o the earth who will not believe in him; but they will be obliged to acknowledge his government. You may call that government ecclesiastical, or by whatever term you please; yet there is no true government on earth but the government of God, or the holy Priesthood. Shall I tell you what that is? In short, it is a perfect system of government - a kingdom of Gods and angels and all beings who will submit themselves to that government. There is no other true government in heaven or upon the earth. ...
"Is man prepared to receive that government? He is not. I can say to these Latter-day Saints, You are not prepared to receive that government. You hear men and women talk about living and abiding the Celestial law, when they do not so much as know what it is, and are not prepared to receive it. We have little here and a little there given to us, to prove whether we will be abide that portion of law that will enable us to enjoy a resurrection with the just. ... "... We have line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, and it is something that accords with the capacity of finite beings, and you improve upon this, and the Lord will open your minds to receive more, and let you see the order of the eternal priesthood; but if you do not live your religion, you cannot receive more."
Many of us are not yet living our religion. The Saints can reach for more. In the foregoing statements of the Lord and his prophets and apostles, one common observation is that amidst the latter-day trials, the Saints will need familiarity with the Lord's voice.
For example, President Heber C. Kimball said, "Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand:" President Ezra Taft Benson remarked on the current state of the Saints' preparedness to meet the Savior:
"Watchmen - what of the night? We must respond by saying that all is not well in Zion. As Moroni counseled, we must cleanse the inner vessel (Alma 60:23), beginning first with ourselves, then with our families, and finally with the Church. ... "... It takes a Zion people to make a Zion society, and we must prepare for that."
Obviously our responses to the Lord's direction have as yet been inadequate to achieve that state of preparation, even though the Lord has made it abundantly clear that the instrument of preparation for the Second Coming is the Book of Mormon. That book is the instrument by which the citizens of Zion will have cleansed the inner vessel.
The Saints, evidently, are still under condemnation for their neglect of the Book of Mormon, the very tool that has the most power to prepare the Church for the advent of the Savior. Upon reflection, we realize that the Saints have not yet adequately made the connection between the comprehensive use of the Book of Mormon and the light that each of them will need to withstand the trials of the latter days. President Benson exclaimed: 'That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion' (D&C 84:58). We have felt that scourge and judgment!
Perhaps some have thought that a testimony and a general knowledge of the Book of Mormon were sufficient fulfillment of the Lord's injunction. But a testimony of the Book of Mormon is not an end in itself. It is only the most rudimentary beginning. The next step, after learning that the book is true and can be trusted as a source for doctrine and the Spirit, is to learn its multiple uses and virtues. Here is the Lord's fuller text to the Church about using the Book of Mormon:
"Your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received -
"Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
"And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
"And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written - That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to pour out upon the children of Zion.
(D&C 84:54-58 italics added).
The Church apparently does not yet know all the uses and virtues of the Book of Mormon. It seems that the Lord would like us to use the Book of Mormon in ways it has not been used before and that he is waiting for us to ask his help to that end. President Benson, in urging us to get more deeply in into that book, pointed to the relationship between scripture study and the power of the Spirit in our life: "I urge you to recommit yourselves to a study of the scriptures. Immerse yourselves I them daily so you will have the power of the Spirit to attend you in your callings. Read them in your families and teach our children to love and treasure them. Then prayerfully and in counsel with others, seek every way possible to encourage the members of the Church to follow your example. If you do so, you will find, as Alma did, that 'the word [has] a great tendency to lead people to do that which [is] just - yea, it [has] more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which [has] happened unto them' (Alma 31:5)."
In that statement, President Benson has connected immersion in the scriptures with the gift and power of the Spirit. Several other Brethren have likewise pointed out the link between personal revelation and a spiritually skilled use of scripture. For example, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said: "I sometimes think that one of the best-kept secrets of the kingdom is that the scriptures open the door to the receipt of revelation." However talented men may be in administrative matters; however eloquent they may be in expressing their views; however learned they may be in the worldly things - they will be denied the sweet whisperings of the Spirit that might have been theirs unless they pay the price of studying, pondering, and praying about the scriptures."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks declared: "As a source of knowledge, the scriptures are not the ultimate but the penultimate. The ultimate knowledge comes by revelation...
"A study of the scriptures enables men and women to receive revelations ... because scripture reading puts us in tune with the Spirit of the Lord." Elder Boyd K. Packer taught; "Buildings and budgets, and reports and programs and procedures are very important. But, by themselves, they do not carry that essential spiritual nourishment and will not accomplish what the Lord has given us to do ... The right things, those with true spiritual nourishment, are centered in the scriptures." One reason that some Church members are not reaping the full reward of scripture study may be that they do not know how vital the reward could be. The Lord promises that we can hear or feel his voice in the scriptures, that we can receive messages in and above what is printed on the page, and that we can repeat that experience over and over again. Scripture reading and feasting on scripture can take on new meaning.
Those who haven't heard the voice may find the scriptures less interesting than other literature. Perhaps some are afraid to hear what the Lord has to say, and so they may read the scripture with a protective veil over their mind and then say they are bored with the scripture. The real problem may be that they are afraid to hear the voice. But the Lord says to us today, "Resist no more my voice" (D&C 108:2). It appears that the Lord intends an intersection between the daily orbit we move in and the orbit of the Book of Mormon. A power is set in motion when we become deeply involved in what the scriptures are saying to us personally. The Lord has said that "the Book of Mormon and the Holy Scriptures are given of me for your instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things" (D&C 33:16).
Several other scriptures also show that the printed word can yield the living spirit of prophecy to the alert and prepared reader. In the very first chapter of the Book of Mormon, Lehi learned this connection between feasting on the scripture and receiving the power of revelation: "As he read [a book of scripture given him by the Lord] he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord" (1 Nephi 1:12). Nephi said, "And now, when my father saw all these things [scriptures on the plates of brass], he was filled with the Spirit and began to prophesy" (1 Nephi 5:17). Jacob made the same connection: "Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea" (Jacob 4:6). The four sons of Mosiah "waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God" (Alma 17:2-3).
The Lord, speaking of scripture, said: "These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; ... for it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you ...; wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words" (D&C 18:34-36). To hear the voice of the Lord in the scripture simply means to feel the Spirit of the Lord, because the Lord speaks "by the voice of my Spirit: (D&C 75:1). Furthermore, the Lord's "voice is Spirit" (D&C 88:66).
Thus there is a relationship between the written scripture and the voice of the Lord, or personal revelation. The same Spirit that gave the written word quickens it as one who is prepared reads it. Taking all these insights together, we may conclude that if we wish to guide our life by the Spirit, we cannot do it without also being a spiritual student of the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon itself teaches the progression from feasting on the word of Christ to hearing the voice of Christ through the Holy Ghost: "Fest upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do ... if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3 - 5).
The stories and principles and doctrines in the Book of Mormon are vitally important to the Latter-day Saints, but we soon discover that an important principle taught by the book is that no collection of writings can tell a person what to do in all circumstances. Many of life's challenges are designed to require divine insight and divine power and divine direction to meet them. Therefore, perhaps no principle is stressed as much as getting the Spirit of the Lord, who "will show you all things what ye should do," as a constant guide.
We can see how the voice of the Lord is a vital component of the gospel plan - not just for prophets but for all of us. Ultimately everyone who hopes to see the face of the Lord and to remain in his presence must learn to discern and obey the voice of the Lord. That skill is essential for the serious candidate for exaltation.
Elder Richard G. Scott explicitly stated that the Book of Mormon is like a personal Liahona or Urim and Thummim: "What does the Book of Mormon mean to you? ... "If you have not yet drunk deeply from this fountain of pure truth, with all of my soul I encourage you to do so now. Don't let the consistent study of the Book of Mormon be one of the things that you intend to do, but never quite accomplish. Begin today. "I bear witness that it can become a personal 'Urim and Thummim' in your life."
Indeed, the Book of Mormon describes itself as a Liahona. A primary use of a Liahona or a Urim and Thummim is as a physical symbol to teach the dynamics of revelation. They increase faith until one has learned to get revelation without sole dependence on the physical instrument. How important it is to realize that scripture, as another form of Liahona or Urim and Thummim, instructs our spirits in the processes of revelation.
The link between a tangible object of revelation and the process of receiving revelation without an instrument is illustrated in the Prophet Joseph's training under the Lord. The Lord started Joseph Smith out with the Urim and Thummim; later, Joseph was able to receive revelation without using it, thus showing that a Liahona and Urim and Thummim, seer stones, and scripture are all variations of the sacred instruments by which a person is taught how to receive increasingly detailed revelation - revelation that is often outside the imagination or experience of the person being so trained. Joseph's experience in translating the Book of Mormon by the Urim and Thummim actually prepared him to be the founding prophet, seer, and revelator of this dispensation.
Alma understood this relationship between instruments of revelation and scripture. In Alma 37, Alma used a succession of words that suggests that relationship: records, plates of brass, Holy Scriptures, mysteries, holy writ, interpreters, Gazelem, seer stone, counseling with the Lord, and Liahona. When the Nephites used their Liahona, they had miracles every day; whenever they grew lazy and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence, they lost their way and became hungry.
Alma taught that the ball, director, compass, or Liahona was prepared by the Lord as a type of the word of Christ: "For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the Promised Land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way" (Alma 37:44-46). It is possible that "vale of sorrow" means not only this mortal life as a whole but the individual vales of sorrow that the Saints come upon in their lives. That is, the Lord has given the Saints a Liahona to carry them out of their individual and collective vales of sorrow.
One problem of mortality is the inadequacy of our present language to provide vocabulary to describe spiritual experience. When missionaries try to teach investigators what the Spirit is, they have to do it by analogy or by metaphor; thus, when they see the Sprit working on an investigator, they will say "That's it! What you are feeling right now is the Spirit of the Lord!" Elder Boyd K. Packer taught: "We do not have the words (event eh scriptures do not have the words) which perfectly describe the Spirit. The scriptures generally use the word voice, which does not exactly fit. These delicate, refined spiritual communications are not seen with our eyes, nor heard with our ears. And even though it is described as a voice, it is a voice that one feels, more than one hears."
We identify the Spirit mostly by feeling, and in the scripture the Lord teaches us what the Spirit feels like. If we think we have to feel something extraordinary in hearing the voice of the Lord in scripture, we might miss the subtle impressions of the Spirit. Many people have experienced the movement of the Spirit in their souls as they read scripture. On some occasions, feelings come, or maybe tears, perhaps heightened appreciation, or a sense of peace on a particular matter, a sense of unexplainable happiness, or a sense of the Lord's love. If we are asked on such an occasion what we heard from the Lord in that experience with the scripture, we might not be able to articulate an answer. Nonetheless, we have felt something sweet, something very tender. That was the spirit of prophecy, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On other occasions, we may be reading along when an issue or problem in our life comes to mind, maybe even a subject unrelated to the scripture being read, and suddenly we just know what to do about it. All these are instances of feeling the voice of the Lord to ourselves. We could develop this skill to a high degree and enjoy a living relationship with the Lord, in which the Lord could teach us many wonderful things. To develop such a skill we must invest time and experience, labor in the Sprit, and make scripture study a part of our daily life, but it is within the capability of any serious seeker.
The Book of Mormon teaches us how to receive a revelation from scripture: "I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them. And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things" (1 Nephi 16:28-29). By studying the spiritual conditions under which the Book of Mormon was translated, we can learn more about the process of receiving the Sprit from the scripture. Joseph Smith showed the way. David Whitmer described what the Prophet had to go through to get the spirit of prophecy so that he could translate:
"At times when Brother Joseph would attempt to translate ..., he found he was spiritually blind and could not translate. He told us that his mind dwelt too much on earthly things, and various causes would make him incapable of proceeding with the translation. When in this condition he would go out and pray, and when he became sufficiently humble before God, he would then proceed with the translation. Now we see how very strict the Lord is, and how he requires the heart of man to be just right in his sight before he can receive revelation from him."
On another occasion David Whitmer recorded: "He [Joseph Smith] was religious and straightforward man ... He had to trust in God. He could not translate unless he was humble and possessed the right feelings towards everyone. To illustrate so you can see the right feelings towards everyone. To illustrate so you can see: One morning when he was getting ready to continue the translation, something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something that Emma, his wife, had done. Oliver and I went upstairs and Joseph came up soon after to continue the translation but could not do anything. He could not translate a single syllable. He went downstairs, out into the orchard, and made supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour - came back to the hose, and asked Emma's forgiveness and then came upstairs where we were and then the translation went on all right. He could do nothing save e was humble and faithful."
This account is highly instructive. We must approach the scripture in the same way that the scripture was given to one who was in a state of humility, of desire, of courage, of forgiveness of others. We can prepare ourselves to hear the word of the Lord by realizing that in opening up the scriptures, we are about to have a conversation with the Lord. Thus we approach such an encounter in a spiritual, prayerful, thoughtful, and solemn way. We read trying to feel, to listen, to hear, and even to make notes. Our heart must be prepared to be written on; we must want to hear what the Lord wants to say to us, what the Lord's counsel is to us. So we approach the scripture with as much humility as we can, with willingness to repent and to grow.
Whenever we feel that movement of the spirit in our own soul, we are feeling the voice of the Lord to us - the Lord is speaking to us individually. We are connected by the Spirit in that moment to our Savior. IN this way, the Book of Mormon can bring us to Christ is the main objective of all scripture. Simply, we feast on the words of Christ, and, if we have prepared, he speaks to us through feelings and impressions and happiness and even words, and thus we come to Christ as we study scripture and hear his voice.
This kind of immersion in reading, this knowledge of the Book of Mormon, this learning to discern, to hear or feel, and then to obey the voice of the Lord to us personally may do more to prepare the Saints for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ than nearly any other activity we could engage in. President Benson urged the priesthood holders of the Church: "One of the most important things you can do as priesthood leaders is to immerse yourselves in the scriptures. Search them diligently. Feast upon the words of Christ. Learn the doctrine. Master the principles that are found therein. There are few other ways to gain greater inspiration as you serve.
"But that alone, as valuable as it is, is not enough. You must also bend your efforts and your activities to stimulating meaningful scripture study among the members of the Church. Often we spend great effort in trying to increase the activity levels in our stakes.
"We work diligently to raise the percentages of those attending sacrament meetings. We labor to get a higher percentage of our young me on missions. We strive to improve the numbers of those marrying in the temple. All of these are commendable efforts and important to the growth of the kingdom. But when individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, these other areas of activity will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow ...
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success'" (Joshua 1:8; italics added)."
President Benson also spoke on the centrality of the scriptures to the work that the Saints must do in the winding-up scenes of this dispensation:
"In the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers o the few decades just prior to Christ's coming to America. By careful study of that time period we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet."
"My beloved brothers and sisters, I bear my solemn witness that these books [the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants] contain the mind and the will of the Lord for us in these days of trial and tribulation. They stand with the Bible to give witness of the Lord and His work. These books contain the voice of the Lord to us in these latter days. May we turn to them with full purpose of heart and use them in the way the Lord wishes them to be used."
It is clear that as wickedness increases, the Saints need a compensatory blessing to carry the Lord's work forward. We have been promised that very blessing. President Benson declared: "I bless you with increased understanding of the Book of Mormon. I promise you that from this moment forward, if we will daily sup from its pages and abide by its precepts; God will pour out upon each child of Zion and the Church a blessing hitherto unknown." Finally President Benson has spoken on how we will get from where we are now to that day when our Savior appears and the Saints stand before him prepared:
"Only a Zion people can bring in a Zion society. And as the Zion people increase, so we will be able to incorporate more of the principles of Zion until we have a people prepared to receive the Lord." When the Saints have assumed their individual responsibility to possess the Spirit of the Lord in the ways that the Lord has instructed, all other preparations will follow, and we will have a people not only ready to stand in the midst of the trials preceding the Second Coming but able to rejoice under the sanctifying and prospering hand of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A GREAT DIVISION WITHIN THE CHURCH IS COMING
I have always wondered what the great division in the Church will be - which Brigham Young said will cause the bands to tighten ever more until his description, we will be about ready to burst.
This day vision may hold the answer:
This day vision may hold the answer:
A VISION
A VISION by Bro Thomas Caidon of Logan 7 or 8 years ago which he reported and Bro. B Riches wrote down March 28, 1885.
I seemed to stand away north beyond all the settlements that have since been made and looking towards the south, I saw many settlements that had been made even as far as the vision of my mind could gage.
The people seemed to be in trouble and many were leaving their homes to get out of the way of being persecuted. After this had been going on for sometime I saw a small thread like line lying on the ground and it was drawn from the north to the south, beyond any of the settlements that were then made. I also saw many of the settlements of the saints that have since been made and the line extended south beyond them all.
It seemed that but few persons noticed it at the time, but as the thread grew larger more persons began to see it and began to choose for themselves on which side of the line they chose to live. Some preferred the east and others the west, and others preferred standing over the line with one foot on each side and seemed undecided as to which side they would go. As they seemed to want to wait to see which would be the safest side to be on. While others again would stand on one side for awhile and then cross over back and forth for some time and seemed to want to keep friends with both sides in order to insure their safety.
As the trouble increased and the people were looking for more difficulty to come along as though they expected some great calamity to come upon them. The line constantly increased in size until it was difficult to cross and then they who stood with a foot on each side found it impossible to remain so. The most part seemed to go to the east side. I then wondered why this separation took place and found those who stood on the west side were those who chose to keep all the Commandments of God. While those on the east side were those who had been accustomed to finding fault with the brethren and the presiding officers of the Church. Those who did not have a testimony for themselves that this was the work of God, and were afraid of the finger of scorn and the words of Calumny* of the unbelieving world. They seemed to wonder if this was the work of God, why He did not come and deliver them from the destruction that seemed to await them.
Those on the west side seemed to stand further away from the line than those on the east side and they also seemed to anticipate danger and retreated further away into the mountains and other places of safety.
I then heard a great noise and looked to the southeast and saw great black clouds that rested upon the earth. Under the clouds there appeared to be an immense mob like army and they seemed to be rolling west toward the line. They came with the clashing of arms and other war like demonstrations, and with great threatening against the people on the west side of the line with full determination to destroy them. When they were within a few miles of the line those people who were on the east side with a hope of saving themselves from being destroyed started towards the army and even a few who were on the west side came up to the line and threw themselves over and started towards the army also. When they met the army they were all utterly destroyed by their advancing columns. This scene seemed to cause me much trouble of mind to see so much suffering and destruction of lives of men, women and children who had once identified themselves with the people of God. I prayed to the Lord that he would stay this great army lest the LDS would be destroyed also.
After much prayer and supplication I saw a bright light in the heavens in a southeasterly direction. Under the light was a beautiful white cloud and the light and cloud moved towards the earth. Then I saw two personages on top of the cloud who were surrounded by the light. These came down and stopped within about 20 feet of the line. One of them seemed much older than the other and pointed to the one on His right hand side, then I knew it was our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
Then I looked towards the army and I saw the black clouds entirely gone and those who composed the army fought with each other until they were utterly destroyed. After which, I looked towards the west and saw the saints coming toward the personages who still remained above the line with cheerful countenances. I felt to rejoice at the deliverance and I cried out with my heart full of gratitude for this deliverance. I wondered if I was asleep or awake, I stretched out my hand to pinch my arm to make sure which it was, but this I know, my eyes were open. I was much fatigued in body but buoyant in spirit.
Copied from J H ? Nov 3, 1892
G Windous
*Calumny The act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciciously calculated to damage another's reputation.
Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary
Monday, December 27, 2010
EUROPEAN WARS OF DESOLATION
THIS IS YET IN THE FUTURE AT THE HANDS OF THE MUSLIM INVADERS. THE ONLY PEOPLE TO SUCCESSFULLY REPEL THEM WILL BE THE IRISH, IN PART DUE TO GEOGRAPHY AND IN PART DUE TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF GUERRILLA TACTICS NOT LONG AGO FORGOTTEN.
Elder Orson Pratt said in 1879:
"When that day shall come there shall be wars, not such wars as have come in centuries and years that are past and gone, but a desolating war. When I say desolating, I mean that it will lay these European nations in waste. Cities will be left vacated, without inhabitants. The people will be destroyed by the sword of their own hands. Not only this but many other cities will be burned; for when contending armies are wrought up with terrible anger, without the Spirit of God upon them, when they are left to themselves, there will be no quarter given, no prisoners taken. But a war of destruction, of desolation, of the burning of the cities and villages, until the land is laid desolate. That is another thing that will come before the coming of the Son of Man." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 20:151, given on March 9, 1879.)
Elder Orson Pratt said in 1879:
"When that day shall come there shall be wars, not such wars as have come in centuries and years that are past and gone, but a desolating war. When I say desolating, I mean that it will lay these European nations in waste. Cities will be left vacated, without inhabitants. The people will be destroyed by the sword of their own hands. Not only this but many other cities will be burned; for when contending armies are wrought up with terrible anger, without the Spirit of God upon them, when they are left to themselves, there will be no quarter given, no prisoners taken. But a war of destruction, of desolation, of the burning of the cities and villages, until the land is laid desolate. That is another thing that will come before the coming of the Son of Man." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 20:151, given on March 9, 1879.)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
ANOTHER NDE NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE DESCRIBING THE CLEANSING OF AMERICA
THIS IS SOME GOOD STUFF FROM A GUY NAMED STORM WHO WENT FROM RABID ATHEIST TO LOVING MAN OF GOD. WHICH MIRRORS WHAT I BELIEVE IT WILL BE LIKE FOR MANY WHO HAVE GONE ASTRAY AND WHOM GOD HAS REDEEMED. I COULD RELATE TO THIS PRETTY HEAVILY - WE BECOME SO BOGGED DOWN IN THE THINGS OF THE WORLD THAT WE CAN REALLY LOSE OUR PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT. TRULY GOD LOVES ALL OF HIS CHILDREN AND WE ARE SUCH BAD KIDS!! I LOVE MY LORD AND SAVIOR THAT GIVES ME THE CHANCE AT REDEMPTION AND IN LIVING WITH MY LOVING FATHER ONCE AGAIN.
HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS AS MUCH AS I DID:
AS A FINAL NOTE, I THOUGHT IT INTERESTING THAT HE NOTED THAT IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS FOR GOD TO COMPLETE THE WORK OF THE USHERING IN OF THE MILLENNIUM. IT MAY BE THAT WE HAVE THE CLIMACTIC (SECOND COMING) EVENTS OCCUR IN THE NEXT 10-25 YEARS, BUT THE ACTUAL BUILDING OF THE NEW JERUSALEM AND ESTABLISHMENT OF GOD'S GOVERNMENT COMPLETELY UPON THE EARTH - THE TRANSITION OF ALL OF THAT - MAY TAKE UPWARDS OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE YEARS YET.
I HAVE FELT THAT TIME LINE TO BE THE CORRECT ONE FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW AND THIS EXPERIENCE RESONATES WITH ME AS BEING A CORRECT EXPERIENCE. WHAT AN EXCITING TIME WE ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK UPON! TO LIVE IN A PERFECT SOCIETY IS BEYOND ANYTHING MY IMAGINATION CAN CONJURE. I AM FILLED WITH JOY AT THE THOUGHT BECAUSE THE HUMAN POTENTIAL WORKING TOGETHER FOR GOOD AND COLLECTIVELY KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS WILL STAGGER OUR MINDS. IF WE COULD ONLY DO IT SPONTANEOUSLY AND NATURALLY WITHOUT HAVING TO BE "COURSE CORRECTED" FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE. THAT IS MY ONLY SADNESS - FOR THERE WILL BE MUCH SORROW AS WE PASS THROUGH THAT CONSTRICTING AND PERFECTING POINT.
HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS AS MUCH AS I DID:
The therapy was their love, because my life's review kept tearing me down. It was pitiful to watch, just pitiful. I couldn't believe it. And the thing is, it got worse as it went on. My stupidity and selfishness as a teenager only magnified as I became an adult – all under the veneer of being a good husband, a good father, and a good citizen. The hypocrisy of it all was nauseating. But through it all was their love.
When the review was finished they asked, "Do you want to ask any questions?" and I had a million questions.
I asked, for example, "What about the Bible?"
They responded, "What about it?"
I asked if it was true, and they said it was. Asking them why it was that when I tried to read it, all I saw were contradictions, they took me back to my life's review again – something that I had overlooked. They showed me, for the few times I had opened the Bible, that I had read it with the idea of finding contradictions and problems. I was trying to prove to myself that it wasn't worth reading.
I observed to them that the Bible wasn't clear to me. It didn't make sense. They told me that it contained spiritual truth, and that I had to read it spiritually in order to understand it. It should be read prayerfully. My friends informed me that it was not like other books. They also told me, and I later found out this was true, that when you read it prayerfully, it talks to you. It reveals itself to you. And you don't have to work at it anymore.
My friends answered lots of questions in funny ways. They really knew the whole tone of what I asked them, even before I got the questions out. When I thought of questions in my head, they really understood them.
I asked them, for example, which was the best religion. I was looking for an answer which was like, "Presbyterians." I figured these guys were all Christians.
The answer I got was, "The best religion is the religion that brings you closest to God."
Asking them if there was life on other planets, their surprising answer was that the universe was full of life.
Because of my fear of a nuclear holocaust I asked if there was going to be a nuclear war in the world, and they said no. That astonished me, and I gave them this extensive explanation of how I had lived under the threat of nuclear war. That was one of the reasons I was who I was. I figured, when I was in this life, that it was all sort of hopeless; the world was going to blow up anyway, and nothing made much sense. In that context I felt I could do what I wanted, since nothing mattered.
They said, "No, there isn't going to be any nuclear war."
I asked if they were absolutely sure there wasn't going to be nuclear war. They reassured me again, and I asked them how they could be so sure. Their response was: "God loves the world."
They told me that at the most, one or two nuclear weapons might go off accidentally, if they weren't destroyed, but there wouldn't be a nuclear war. I then asked them how come there had been so many wars. They said that they allowed those few to happen, out of all the wars that humanity tried to start. Out of all the wars that humans tried to create, they allowed a few, to bring people to their senses and to stop them.
Science, technology, and other benefits, they told me, had been gifts bestowed on humanity by them – through inspiration. People had literally been led to those discoveries, many of which had later been perverted by humanity to use for its own destruction. We could do too much damage to the planet. And by the planet, they meant all of God's creation. Not just the people, but the animals, the trees, the birds, the insects, everything.
They explained to me that their concern was for all the people of the world. They weren't interested in one group getting ahead of other groups. They want every person to consider every other person greater than their own flesh. They want everyone to love everyone else, completely; more, even, than they love themselves. If someone, someplace else in the world hurts, than we should hurt we should feel their pain. And we should help them.
Our planet has evolved to the point, for the first time in our history, that we have the power to do that. We are globally linked. And we could become one people.
The people that they gave the privilege of leading the world into a better age, blew it. That was us, in the United States.
When I spoke with them about the future, and this might sound like a cop-out on my part, they made clear to me that we have free will.
If we change the way we are, then we can change the future which they showed me. They showed me a view of the future, at the time of my experience, based upon how we in the United States were behaving at that time. It was a future in which a massive worldwide depression would occur. If we were to change our behavior, however, then the future would be different.
Asking them how it would be possible to change the course of many people, I observed that it was difficult, if not impossible, to change anything on Earth. I expressed the opinion that it was a hopeless task to try.
My friends explained, quite clearly, that all it takes to make a change was one person. One person, trying, and then because of that, another person changing for the better. They said that the only way to change the world was to begin with one person. One will become two, which will become three, and so on. That's the only way to affect a major change.
I inquired as to where the world would be going in an optimistic future one where some of the changes they desired were to take place. The image of the future that they gave me then, and it was their image, not one that I created, surprised me.
My image had previously been sort of like Star Wars, where everything was space age, plastics, and technology. The future that they showed me was almost no technology at all.
What everybody, absolutely everybody, in this euphoric future spent most of their time doing was raising children. The chief concern of people was children, and everybody considered children to be the most precious commodity in the world. And when a person became an adult, there was no sense of anxiety, nor hatred, nor competition. There was this enormous sense of trust and mutual respect.
If a person, in this view of the future, became disturbed, then the community of people all cared about the disturbed person falling away from the harmony of the group. Spiritually, through prayer and love, the others would elevate the afflicted person.
What people did with the rest of their time was that they gardened, with almost no physical effort. They showed me that plants, with prayer, would produce huge fruits and vegetables. People, in unison, could control the climate of the planet through prayer. Everybody would work with mutual trust and the people would call the rain, when needed, and the sun to shine. Animals lived with people, in harmony.
People, in this best of all worlds, weren't interested in knowledge; they were interested in wisdom. This was because they were in a position where anything they needed to know, in the knowledge category, they could receive simply through prayer. Everything, to them, was solvable. They could do anything they wanted to do.
In this future, people had no wanderlust, because they could, spiritually, communicate with everyone else in the world. There was no need to go elsewhere. They were so engrossed with where they were and the people around them that they didn't have to go on vacation. Vacation from what? They were completely fulfilled and happy.
Death, in this world, was a time when the individual had experienced everything that he or she needed to experience. To die meant to lie down and let go; then the spirit would rise up, and the community would gather around. There would be a great rejoicing, because they all had insight into the heavenly realm, and the spirit would join with the angels that came down to meet it. They could see the spirit leave and knew that it was time for the spirit to move on; it had outgrown the need for growth in this world. Individuals who died had achieved all they were capable of in this world in terms of love, appreciation, understanding, and working in harmony with others.
The sense I got of this beautiful view of the world's future was as a garden, God's garden. And in this garden of the world, full of all beauty, were people. The people were born into this world to grow in their understanding of the Creator. Then to shed this skin, this shell, in the physical world, and to graduate and move up into heaven there, to have a more intimate and growing relationship with God.
[Webmaster note: In Howard Storm's book, "My Descent into Death" (2000), Storm describes the future of mankind as given to him by light beings he encountered during his NDE in 1985. Storm tells how they told him, in 1985, that the Cold War would soon end, because "God is changing the hearts of people to love around the world." Storm states, "Since the time in 1985 when I was told these things about the future the Cold War ended with little bloodshed due to the hearts of people being unwilling to tolerate oppressive regimes."
Storm described what the light beings told him concerning the way things will be on Earth in about 2185. He asked the light beings the question: "Will the United States be the leader of the world in this change?"
The light beings replied, "The United States has been given the opportunity to be the teacher for the world, but much is expected of those to whom much has been given. The United States has been given more of everything than any country in the history of the world and it has failed to be generous with the gifts. If the United States continues to exploit the rest of the world by greedily consuming the world's resources, the United States will have God's blessing withdrawn. Your country will collapse economically which will result in civil chaos. Because of the greedy nature of the people, you will have people killing people for a cup of gasoline. The world will watch in horror as your country is obliterated by strife. The rest of the world will not intervene because they have been victims of your exploitation. They will welcome the annihilation of such selfish people. The United States must change immediately and become the teachers of goodness and generosity to the rest of the world. Today the United States is the primary merchant of war and the culture of violence that you export to the world. This will come to an end because you have the seeds of your own destruction within you. Either you will destroy yourselves or God will bring it to an end if there isn't a change."
Storm states, ".... I don't know if the richest country in the history of the world is doomed to lose God's blessing or if the people of the United States will become the moral light of the world. How long will God allow the injustice to continue? The future lies in the choices we make right now. God is intervening in direct ways in human events. May God's will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!"
Howard's light being friends told him more about the new world to come. According to them, God wished to usher in the kingdom within the next two hundred years. In order to do so, God had rescinded some of the free will given to creatures, in favor of more divine control over human events. This new world order, according to Howard, will resemble some near-death descriptions of heaven. People will live in such peace and harmony and love that communication will be telepathic, travel instantaneous and the need for clothing and shelter eliminated. The lion will indeed lie down with the lamb.]
"The quickest way to change the world is to be of service to others. Show that your love can make a difference in the lives of people and thereby someone else's love can make a difference in your life. By each of us doing that and working together we change the world one inner person at a time." - Dannion Brinkley, a near-death experiencer
AS A FINAL NOTE, I THOUGHT IT INTERESTING THAT HE NOTED THAT IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS FOR GOD TO COMPLETE THE WORK OF THE USHERING IN OF THE MILLENNIUM. IT MAY BE THAT WE HAVE THE CLIMACTIC (SECOND COMING) EVENTS OCCUR IN THE NEXT 10-25 YEARS, BUT THE ACTUAL BUILDING OF THE NEW JERUSALEM AND ESTABLISHMENT OF GOD'S GOVERNMENT COMPLETELY UPON THE EARTH - THE TRANSITION OF ALL OF THAT - MAY TAKE UPWARDS OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE YEARS YET.
I HAVE FELT THAT TIME LINE TO BE THE CORRECT ONE FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW AND THIS EXPERIENCE RESONATES WITH ME AS BEING A CORRECT EXPERIENCE. WHAT AN EXCITING TIME WE ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK UPON! TO LIVE IN A PERFECT SOCIETY IS BEYOND ANYTHING MY IMAGINATION CAN CONJURE. I AM FILLED WITH JOY AT THE THOUGHT BECAUSE THE HUMAN POTENTIAL WORKING TOGETHER FOR GOOD AND COLLECTIVELY KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS WILL STAGGER OUR MINDS. IF WE COULD ONLY DO IT SPONTANEOUSLY AND NATURALLY WITHOUT HAVING TO BE "COURSE CORRECTED" FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE. THAT IS MY ONLY SADNESS - FOR THERE WILL BE MUCH SORROW AS WE PASS THROUGH THAT CONSTRICTING AND PERFECTING POINT.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
AMERICA'S FUTURE - MARK E PETERSON
I just got this fresh from LDS Freedom Forum and thought it was worth posting. I have not verified any of it:
Post subject: America's future by Mark E. Peterson.
New postPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 6:04 pm
AMERICA'S FUTURE
The future of the United States is glorious, but a cleansing must precede its final destiny.
As has been seen, the establishment of this nation was a necessary early step toward the final acts of the great latter-day drama of the Lord. The restoration of the gospel and the kingdom of God is, of course, likewise prologue to the coming of the Savior.
To restore the kingdom of God is one thing; to bring its mission to fruition is quite another. But it will come—and on this land. Indeed it will be glorious.
The kingdom of God is now on earth. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The kingdom of heaven is yet to come, to be merged with the kingdom of God when Christ reigns.
President Joseph F. Smith defined the kingdom of God like this: "What I mean by the kingdom of God is the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, over which the Son of God presides, and not man. That is what I mean." (Gospel Doctrine, p. 72.)
In October of 1831 the Lord gave a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, section 65 of the Doctrine and Covenants, in which he said: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
It was like the message of John the Baptist heard again in modern times.
Giving an insight into the future events and the meaning of it all, the Lord then continued:
The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto men on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.
Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom.
Again how like it is to the Baptist's warning at the first advent of Christ. The Lord then added:
Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth.
Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thine enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever. (Italics added.)
It is a remarkable revelation, and it will be fulfilled here in America. The great modern city of New Jerusalem will be built in Jackson County, Missouri (see D&C 57), in the heartland of America. That is what the centuries of preparation were all about.
The Prophet Joseph declared that "the whole of America is Zion itself from north to south, and is described by the Prophets, who declare that it is the Zion where the mountain of the Lord should be, and that it should be in the center of the land." (History of the Church, 6:318-19.)
Jackson County is equidistant from coast to coast and from border to border in the United States. It is the center of the land, and there the city of Zion, or the New Jerusalem, will be built, a place of refuge and peace for the latter days.
How important this is! What a great destiny! How wonderful is the future of America!
It is just as we say in our tenth Article of Faith:
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion will be built upon this [the American] continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
And it is as Isaiah said so long ago when he looked to our day: ". . . for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3), and this to all the world.
By revelation in July 1831, the Lord designated Jackson County as the place for the city of Zion. (See D&C 57 and 58.)
The presiding brethren went from Kirtland to Independence, Missouri, where, under the direction of the Prophet Joseph, that land was dedicated by Sidney Rigdon on August 2, 1831. The Saints from Colesville, who had settled in Kew County, Missouri, were directed by the Prophet in laying the first log "for a house, as a foundation of Zion, in that place." The log was carried by twelve men representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Wrote the Prophet: "It was a season of joy to those present, and afforded a glimpse of the future, which time will yet unfold to the satisfaction of the faithful." (Joseph Fielding Smith, Essentials in Church History, Deseret Book, 1974, p. 110, Italics added.)
The words of President Rigdon as he consecrated the land are the interesting: "I now pronounce this land consecrated and dedicated unto the Lord for a possession and inheritance for the Saints, and for all the faithful servants of the Lord to the remotest ages of time. In the name of Jesus Christ, having authority from Him. Amen." (History of the Church, 1:196. Italics added.)
The faithful Saints made a heroic effort to build the city at that time, as the Lord had directed. Great divine promises were made to them if they would do so faithfully. But there were dissonants among them who hedged up their way and who caused discontent and even enmity among some of the Saints, and this was displeasing to the Lord.
It was the plan of the Lord that the city of Zion should actually be started at that time, or he would not have called his people there for that purpose. But he can only work on righteous principles, and when his people do not observe his commandments, he cannot work through them.
As he projected the city of Zion at that time, he said that "the city of New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation." (D&C 84:4.) That was his instruction. He was ready to proceed with this great undertaking—if the people were worthy and able. He had given revelation commanding the Saints to gather there to build the city and the temple. Many had already arrived, and many more were expected.
As the Lord described the temple to them—the building they were invited and commanded to erect—he said that "this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house." (D&C 84:5.)
Some of those Saints were later to see this very thing take place at the Kirtland Temple, where indeed the glory of the Lord was present.
But the promises thus made by the Lord for Jackson County rested upon the obedience and righteousness of the Saints. He gave them the opportunity, one of the most blessed in the latter days, to erect the temple and city of Zion. But they could not—or did not.
A number of the brothers and sisters became rebellious and by doing so made it impossible for the Lord to use them in this holy enterprise, the building of Zion. Their stubbornness cancelled out all of the sacred promises so far as they themselves were concerned and forced an indefinite postponement of their fulfillment.
Hence, in their day neither the city nor the temple could be built as the Lord had promised them if only they had been faithful. By their wickedness they forfeited this great privilege. The work now must await a later and more righteous generation of Saints.
Because of the Saints' lack of harmony, the Lord allowed the mobs to come upon them all, worthy and unworthy alike, and the whole colony was driven out, the obedient, as usual, being compelled to suffer with and because of their disobedient brothers and sisters.
Since such impressive promises had been made concerning the building of the city and its temple at that time, and since now all seemed to be lost, the Prophet Joseph was deeply disturbed. He could not understand why the Lord had allowed the mobs to so afflict the Saints. He pleaded in humble prayer for an answer and was told:
1, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions.
Behold, I say unto you, there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances.
They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble.
In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me. (D&C 101:2, 6-8.)
Thus the Lord withdrew his promised blessing, allowing the mobs to prevail, and the Saints were forced to leave their Zion.
Were the plans of the Lord then to be frustrated? No! They never are! But in this, as in other instances where the people have disobeyed, he simply postponed his plans. And so he said: "Therefore, in consequence of the transgressions of my people, it is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion." (D&C 105:9.)
So all was postponed: the building of the city, the construction of the great temple, the gathering of the people to that place. The promises that had been made were for the time being suspended.
But all this was only a postponement. Otherwise, plans were not changed. "Zion shall not be moved out of her place," the Lord promised; the Saints will yet return "to build up the waste places of Zion—And all these things that the prophets might be fulfilled. And, behold, there is none other place appointed; neither shall there be any other place appointed. . . ." (D&C 101:17-20.)
So in the Lord's own time the city will yet rise in its glory. In the Lord's own time his temple will yet be erected. A new generation will be allowed to carry on instead of those who began it, but who, "because of transgression," were not permitted to continue it. Transgressors cannot build the city of Zion nor its temple, for "Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself." (D&C 105:5. Italics added.)
But Jackson County—in the United States—is still the place for it, and its development will be a part of the future destiny of America.
In writing to N. E. Seaton, a publisher in Rochester, New York, on January 4, 1833, the Prophet Joseph said:
The city of Zion spoken of by David, in the one hundred and second Psalm, will be built upon the land of America. "And the ransomed shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads" (Isaiah xxxv: 10); and then they will be delivered from the overflowing scourge that shall pass through the land. But Judah shall obtain deliverance at Jerusalem. See Joel ii:32; Isaiah xxvi: 20 and 21; Jeremiah xxxi:12; Psalm 1:5;Ezekiel xxxiv: 11, 12 and 13. These are testimonies that the Good Shepherd will put forth his own sheep, and lead them out from all nations where they have been scattered in a cloudy and dark day, to Zion, and to Jerusalem. . . . (History of the Church, 1:315. Italics added.)
In the same letter he predicted that the United States will be cleansed of the wicked by pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake "to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel." (Ibid.)
The overflowing scourge he refers to is mentioned by the Lord in section 5 of the Doctrine and Covenants, wherein he says:
For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming.
Behold, I tell you these things, even as I also told the people of the destruction of Jerusalem [Matthew 24]; and my word shall be verified at this time as it hath hitherto been verified. (D&C 5:19-20.)
It is referred to likewise in Doctrine and Covenants 45:31.
But the Prophet, as above quoted, says the righteous will be delivered from this affliction. Also in the United States, the Ancient of Days, Father Adam, who is Michael the archangel, will come prior to the final day, there to meet the Saints and the Savior. That will be at Adam-ondi-Ahman, which again is in Missouri.
President Wilford Woodruff quoted Brigham Young as saying, "Joseph, the Prophet, told me that the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri. When Adam was driven out he went to the place we now call Adam-ondi-Ahman. Daviess County, Missouri. There he built an altar and offered sacrifices." (Matthias F. Cowley, Wilford Woodruff: History of his Life and Labors, Bookcraft, p. 481.)
Tribulations will not deter the work of the Lord. Both latter-day movements—the pouring out of tribulations upon the wicked and the forward march of the kingdom of God—will go forward simultaneously, neither one obstructing the other.
Said President Joseph F. Smith:
The kingdom of God is here to grow, to spread abroad, to take root in the earth, and to abide where the Lord has planted it by his own power and by his own word in the earth, never more to be destroyed nor to cease, but to continue until the purposes of the Almighty shall be accomplished, every whit that has been spoken of it by the mouths of the holy prophets since the world began. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 76.)
President John Taylor made this declaration:
It has been asked . . . whether this kingdom will fail. I tell you in the name of Israel's God it will not fail. I tell you in the name of Israel's God it will roll forth, and that the things spoken of by the holy prophets in relation to it will receive their fulfilment. But in connection with this I will tell you another thing: A great many Latter-day Saints will fail, a great many of them are not now and never have been living up to their privileges, and magnifying their callings and their priesthood, and God will have a reckoning with such people, unless they speedily repent. (Gospel Kingdom, p. 137. Italics added.)
President Taylor further said:
When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States, the elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations. This is part of the program, and as long as we do what is right and fear God, he will help us and stand by us under all circumstances. (Gospel Kingdom, p. 219.)
President Harold B. Lee said:
. . . this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. . . . I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ." (Ye Are the Light of the World, Deseret Book, 1974, p. 351. Italics added.)
If we have any doubt about the part the United States will continue to play in this great unfolding drama, President Brigham Young's words will reassure us:
When the day comes in which the Kingdom of God will bear rule, the flag of the United States will proudly flutter unsullied on the flag staff of liberty and equal rights, without a spot to sully its fair surface; the glorious flag our fathers have bequeathed to us will then be unfurled to the breeze by those who have power to hoist it aloft and defend its sanctity.
How long will it be before the words of the prophet Joseph will be fulfilled? He said if the Constitution of the United States were saved at all it must be done by this people. It will not be many years before these words come to pass. (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 360.)
After its cleansing, the United States will go on under righteous leadership, as the "home base" of the Lord's latter-day operations, looking toward the glorious coming of the Holy One of Israel.
Through all the tribulations, the Saints who obey the commandments will be preserved to complete their work.
Said the prophet Nephi concerning these days:
For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.
Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.
Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of the earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel.
For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off.
And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh. (2 Nephi 22:16-19, 22.)
And then Nephi concludes:
And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come according to the flesh.
But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent. (1 Nephi 22:27-28.)
(Mark E. Petersen, The Great Prologue [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1975], 112.)
Post subject: America's future by Mark E. Peterson.
New postPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 6:04 pm
AMERICA'S FUTURE
The future of the United States is glorious, but a cleansing must precede its final destiny.
As has been seen, the establishment of this nation was a necessary early step toward the final acts of the great latter-day drama of the Lord. The restoration of the gospel and the kingdom of God is, of course, likewise prologue to the coming of the Savior.
To restore the kingdom of God is one thing; to bring its mission to fruition is quite another. But it will come—and on this land. Indeed it will be glorious.
The kingdom of God is now on earth. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The kingdom of heaven is yet to come, to be merged with the kingdom of God when Christ reigns.
President Joseph F. Smith defined the kingdom of God like this: "What I mean by the kingdom of God is the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, over which the Son of God presides, and not man. That is what I mean." (Gospel Doctrine, p. 72.)
In October of 1831 the Lord gave a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, section 65 of the Doctrine and Covenants, in which he said: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
It was like the message of John the Baptist heard again in modern times.
Giving an insight into the future events and the meaning of it all, the Lord then continued:
The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto men on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.
Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom.
Again how like it is to the Baptist's warning at the first advent of Christ. The Lord then added:
Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth.
Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thine enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever. (Italics added.)
It is a remarkable revelation, and it will be fulfilled here in America. The great modern city of New Jerusalem will be built in Jackson County, Missouri (see D&C 57), in the heartland of America. That is what the centuries of preparation were all about.
The Prophet Joseph declared that "the whole of America is Zion itself from north to south, and is described by the Prophets, who declare that it is the Zion where the mountain of the Lord should be, and that it should be in the center of the land." (History of the Church, 6:318-19.)
Jackson County is equidistant from coast to coast and from border to border in the United States. It is the center of the land, and there the city of Zion, or the New Jerusalem, will be built, a place of refuge and peace for the latter days.
How important this is! What a great destiny! How wonderful is the future of America!
It is just as we say in our tenth Article of Faith:
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion will be built upon this [the American] continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
And it is as Isaiah said so long ago when he looked to our day: ". . . for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3), and this to all the world.
By revelation in July 1831, the Lord designated Jackson County as the place for the city of Zion. (See D&C 57 and 58.)
The presiding brethren went from Kirtland to Independence, Missouri, where, under the direction of the Prophet Joseph, that land was dedicated by Sidney Rigdon on August 2, 1831. The Saints from Colesville, who had settled in Kew County, Missouri, were directed by the Prophet in laying the first log "for a house, as a foundation of Zion, in that place." The log was carried by twelve men representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Wrote the Prophet: "It was a season of joy to those present, and afforded a glimpse of the future, which time will yet unfold to the satisfaction of the faithful." (Joseph Fielding Smith, Essentials in Church History, Deseret Book, 1974, p. 110, Italics added.)
The words of President Rigdon as he consecrated the land are the interesting: "I now pronounce this land consecrated and dedicated unto the Lord for a possession and inheritance for the Saints, and for all the faithful servants of the Lord to the remotest ages of time. In the name of Jesus Christ, having authority from Him. Amen." (History of the Church, 1:196. Italics added.)
The faithful Saints made a heroic effort to build the city at that time, as the Lord had directed. Great divine promises were made to them if they would do so faithfully. But there were dissonants among them who hedged up their way and who caused discontent and even enmity among some of the Saints, and this was displeasing to the Lord.
It was the plan of the Lord that the city of Zion should actually be started at that time, or he would not have called his people there for that purpose. But he can only work on righteous principles, and when his people do not observe his commandments, he cannot work through them.
As he projected the city of Zion at that time, he said that "the city of New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation." (D&C 84:4.) That was his instruction. He was ready to proceed with this great undertaking—if the people were worthy and able. He had given revelation commanding the Saints to gather there to build the city and the temple. Many had already arrived, and many more were expected.
As the Lord described the temple to them—the building they were invited and commanded to erect—he said that "this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house." (D&C 84:5.)
Some of those Saints were later to see this very thing take place at the Kirtland Temple, where indeed the glory of the Lord was present.
But the promises thus made by the Lord for Jackson County rested upon the obedience and righteousness of the Saints. He gave them the opportunity, one of the most blessed in the latter days, to erect the temple and city of Zion. But they could not—or did not.
A number of the brothers and sisters became rebellious and by doing so made it impossible for the Lord to use them in this holy enterprise, the building of Zion. Their stubbornness cancelled out all of the sacred promises so far as they themselves were concerned and forced an indefinite postponement of their fulfillment.
Hence, in their day neither the city nor the temple could be built as the Lord had promised them if only they had been faithful. By their wickedness they forfeited this great privilege. The work now must await a later and more righteous generation of Saints.
Because of the Saints' lack of harmony, the Lord allowed the mobs to come upon them all, worthy and unworthy alike, and the whole colony was driven out, the obedient, as usual, being compelled to suffer with and because of their disobedient brothers and sisters.
Since such impressive promises had been made concerning the building of the city and its temple at that time, and since now all seemed to be lost, the Prophet Joseph was deeply disturbed. He could not understand why the Lord had allowed the mobs to so afflict the Saints. He pleaded in humble prayer for an answer and was told:
1, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions.
Behold, I say unto you, there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances.
They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble.
In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me. (D&C 101:2, 6-8.)
Thus the Lord withdrew his promised blessing, allowing the mobs to prevail, and the Saints were forced to leave their Zion.
Were the plans of the Lord then to be frustrated? No! They never are! But in this, as in other instances where the people have disobeyed, he simply postponed his plans. And so he said: "Therefore, in consequence of the transgressions of my people, it is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion." (D&C 105:9.)
So all was postponed: the building of the city, the construction of the great temple, the gathering of the people to that place. The promises that had been made were for the time being suspended.
But all this was only a postponement. Otherwise, plans were not changed. "Zion shall not be moved out of her place," the Lord promised; the Saints will yet return "to build up the waste places of Zion—And all these things that the prophets might be fulfilled. And, behold, there is none other place appointed; neither shall there be any other place appointed. . . ." (D&C 101:17-20.)
So in the Lord's own time the city will yet rise in its glory. In the Lord's own time his temple will yet be erected. A new generation will be allowed to carry on instead of those who began it, but who, "because of transgression," were not permitted to continue it. Transgressors cannot build the city of Zion nor its temple, for "Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself." (D&C 105:5. Italics added.)
But Jackson County—in the United States—is still the place for it, and its development will be a part of the future destiny of America.
In writing to N. E. Seaton, a publisher in Rochester, New York, on January 4, 1833, the Prophet Joseph said:
The city of Zion spoken of by David, in the one hundred and second Psalm, will be built upon the land of America. "And the ransomed shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads" (Isaiah xxxv: 10); and then they will be delivered from the overflowing scourge that shall pass through the land. But Judah shall obtain deliverance at Jerusalem. See Joel ii:32; Isaiah xxvi: 20 and 21; Jeremiah xxxi:12; Psalm 1:5;Ezekiel xxxiv: 11, 12 and 13. These are testimonies that the Good Shepherd will put forth his own sheep, and lead them out from all nations where they have been scattered in a cloudy and dark day, to Zion, and to Jerusalem. . . . (History of the Church, 1:315. Italics added.)
In the same letter he predicted that the United States will be cleansed of the wicked by pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake "to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel." (Ibid.)
The overflowing scourge he refers to is mentioned by the Lord in section 5 of the Doctrine and Covenants, wherein he says:
For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming.
Behold, I tell you these things, even as I also told the people of the destruction of Jerusalem [Matthew 24]; and my word shall be verified at this time as it hath hitherto been verified. (D&C 5:19-20.)
It is referred to likewise in Doctrine and Covenants 45:31.
But the Prophet, as above quoted, says the righteous will be delivered from this affliction. Also in the United States, the Ancient of Days, Father Adam, who is Michael the archangel, will come prior to the final day, there to meet the Saints and the Savior. That will be at Adam-ondi-Ahman, which again is in Missouri.
President Wilford Woodruff quoted Brigham Young as saying, "Joseph, the Prophet, told me that the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri. When Adam was driven out he went to the place we now call Adam-ondi-Ahman. Daviess County, Missouri. There he built an altar and offered sacrifices." (Matthias F. Cowley, Wilford Woodruff: History of his Life and Labors, Bookcraft, p. 481.)
Tribulations will not deter the work of the Lord. Both latter-day movements—the pouring out of tribulations upon the wicked and the forward march of the kingdom of God—will go forward simultaneously, neither one obstructing the other.
Said President Joseph F. Smith:
The kingdom of God is here to grow, to spread abroad, to take root in the earth, and to abide where the Lord has planted it by his own power and by his own word in the earth, never more to be destroyed nor to cease, but to continue until the purposes of the Almighty shall be accomplished, every whit that has been spoken of it by the mouths of the holy prophets since the world began. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 76.)
President John Taylor made this declaration:
It has been asked . . . whether this kingdom will fail. I tell you in the name of Israel's God it will not fail. I tell you in the name of Israel's God it will roll forth, and that the things spoken of by the holy prophets in relation to it will receive their fulfilment. But in connection with this I will tell you another thing: A great many Latter-day Saints will fail, a great many of them are not now and never have been living up to their privileges, and magnifying their callings and their priesthood, and God will have a reckoning with such people, unless they speedily repent. (Gospel Kingdom, p. 137. Italics added.)
President Taylor further said:
When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States, the elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations. This is part of the program, and as long as we do what is right and fear God, he will help us and stand by us under all circumstances. (Gospel Kingdom, p. 219.)
President Harold B. Lee said:
. . . this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. . . . I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ." (Ye Are the Light of the World, Deseret Book, 1974, p. 351. Italics added.)
If we have any doubt about the part the United States will continue to play in this great unfolding drama, President Brigham Young's words will reassure us:
When the day comes in which the Kingdom of God will bear rule, the flag of the United States will proudly flutter unsullied on the flag staff of liberty and equal rights, without a spot to sully its fair surface; the glorious flag our fathers have bequeathed to us will then be unfurled to the breeze by those who have power to hoist it aloft and defend its sanctity.
How long will it be before the words of the prophet Joseph will be fulfilled? He said if the Constitution of the United States were saved at all it must be done by this people. It will not be many years before these words come to pass. (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 360.)
After its cleansing, the United States will go on under righteous leadership, as the "home base" of the Lord's latter-day operations, looking toward the glorious coming of the Holy One of Israel.
Through all the tribulations, the Saints who obey the commandments will be preserved to complete their work.
Said the prophet Nephi concerning these days:
For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.
Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.
Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of the earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel.
For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off.
And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh. (2 Nephi 22:16-19, 22.)
And then Nephi concludes:
And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come according to the flesh.
But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent. (1 Nephi 22:27-28.)
(Mark E. Petersen, The Great Prologue [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1975], 112.)
Friday, February 26, 2010
PESSIMIST OR REALIST?
I just got on Facebook and have connected with an old friend - whose father (my old Scoutmaster), was more of a father (time-wise) than my own. My old friend asked me why the change in my tone from when we were teenagers (I have always been a driven overachiever and optimist - and still am). I thought my response was worth sharing - along with an anonymous comment from a reader from a previous blog topic that shows how personal revelation begins to work within us as the light begins to turn on and our path is illuminated:
Since most do not read comments, I had to re-post this one. FASCINATING how (she?) arrived at the revelatory point she arrived at. Line upon line.
HERE GOES:
R_____,
I can definitely see your mom's positive tone coming out there.... Sorry - not to come across as bitter. You might say I have become a little more 'wistful' or more of a cold hard realist. Moroni's admonition to wake up to the awful sense of our situation rings loudly in my mind as of late. We are in serious trouble - and most do not comprehend it. Yes, I do focus on all of the great blessings that I enjoy such as family, financial prosperity, etc. I personally think this is the most exciting time to be alive in the history of the world. But it is akin to being in a rubber raft on class 5 water - there will be a share of scares and spills, etc. along with the fun ride. If you were to ask yourself where we are right now (as a nation, church, world) and ask yourself where we need to be when Christ comes again - law of consecration, law of chastity, unity, etc. the gulf is massive and widening alarmingly..... Then ask yourself what will close that gap - we DO have to get from point A to point B...... If you are introspective and thoughtful, you will be alarmed as well, I think. I project a very difficult ride that has been prophesied for millennia (I am not saying anything new).
If you were to read up on a few of the topics on my blog you would probably have a better sense of where I am coming from. It is a hodge-podge of alot of different stuff - but one of the topics is the impending cleanse of America that will be upon us in the next decade or two:
http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=5757956529743198857&searchType=ALL&txtKeywords=&label=CLEANSE
I think I even have a topic in there that I dedicated to our old friend Tal of anti-Mormon PBS special fame - you might find interesting (second one down in the series):
http://woodyoubelieveit.blogspot.com/search/label/WICKED%20AND%20ADULTEROUS%20GENERATION
I know, I know - very heavy stuff. I think you will remember that I have always been pretty intense and focused. That intensity and focus has settled on a pragmatic approach to what is undeniably coming our direction. What we hear over the pulpit is couched for general consumption. Personal musings and revelation are left more to the blogosphere and other forums - and Glenn Beck. I mentioned that I would not blog it, but a former bishop (who is tied into Joel Skousen and the Utah preparedness scene) has it from consultants that many of the GAs have full shelters in place for some hard times. Do they share it across the pulpit - no, but they are prepared to a level for coming difficulties that most of us cannot imagine. I think you are still in a bishopric and, as one of the watchmen on the tower, have a great ability to influence others for good. Not in a "sky is falling" sense, but more of a general undercurrent of preparedness and cautioning. You have to remember, the closer you are to it, the worse it is. If you were living as close to Seattle as I am, you would feel things more acutely than you are closer to Zion. Its pretty much the spiritual freak show over here - folks that think that my five children should have ended up in a planned parenthood clinic bio-hazard waste bin and that animals have rights over people, and that a 3 month live-in girlfriend is a LTR..... You can definitely say I am fed up with our moral decline and have decided that the time soon comes that it is in our best interests to find a more "spiritually conducive" environment - wherever that might be.
Better get back to sleep - 5am comes soon. Happy to talk more of this stuff if you have any questions. You are one of the few personal acquaintances I have shared the blog with - so consider yourself privileged..... (wink). It is my dark side, you know :)
And do have a great day.
[IRAQ].
Since most do not read comments, I had to re-post this one. FASCINATING how (she?) arrived at the revelatory point she arrived at. Line upon line.
HERE GOES:
Anonymous said...
I don't normally blog and not on personal spiritual matters but I just feel pushed to send this. A couple years ago I started getting the powerful impressions to move to what would be considered the Rockies. Not in a vision or dream but repeatedly over the period of months as I pondered about moving to this location I was moved by the powerful promptings of the Holy Spirit but not in haste but soon as God would direct. In pondering it over and over with the same promptings I started preparations for this move. When studying I bounce around to different gospel topics and found a reference to Joseph Smith statement about the place and living the United Order for 166 years, but it was not until that I came across your web sight and the words ‘TO YOUR TENTS O ISRAEL" and the words of our Prophet calling out the members to soon stand in Holy Places because of some pending tribulations, that the spirit started to return my mind and soul back to the previous experiences. I don't know what the details are that will take place, how correct the events are you have presented in your books or will these events occur soon or in 10 years but something is building to the time to move quickly.
I also got a strong impression when I ran across this on your web sight…
"Another quote regarding the Civil War itself comes from an interview by Dr. Poulson with David Whitmer, printed in the Deseret News on Friday, August 16, 1878:
Question: When will the temple be built in Independence?
Answer: Right after the great tribulation is over
Question: What do you mean by that?
Answer: A civil war more bloody and cruel than the rebellion. It will be the smashing up of this nation, about which time the second great work has to be done, a work like Joseph did, and the translation of the sealed plates and peace all over."
More over the translation of the sealed plates are now taking place in Salt Lake City by the authorities of the Church. I don't want to add this but the spirit keeps pushing me to state that I think these are the records that John Taylor said to follow across the Colorado river or to be sure not to be behind them. I further felt a strong spirit on the statements about the Sword of Laban with Signs and Tokens which could be the Urim and Thummim . I just pray these things are true and that I will live long enough to have the privilege to read them. More over the last line is when I felt that all of this is connected. I am writing this to you or whom ever it might help because I have been studying end times prophecies and preparing for life's end times tribulations on and off again as the Prophets have directed, as a convert for over thirty years, and have never felt the spirit confirm any end time prophecies until now. It has all been a fun intellectual study until now! I do not feel moved to further put down any details of my promptings but just let others seek out from Our Heavenly Father on what they should do. The only promptings of the spirit I feel I need to share is "when the spirit comes to you in such matters to move quickly to Holy Places and do not cling to all the preparations you have made that must be left behind at your homes, but go quickly and all will be well".
I want to thank you for compiling the experiences of members because as I have heard and read journals of members testimonial experiences I have felt the witness of the Holy Spirit many times which continued to build my testimony. I also just wanted to thank all of the members that have given great sacrifices in their lives to the Restored Gospel and those that have helped me over my many years in the Church. I hope the glorious days are soon at hand for the building of New Jerusalem and will find all is well when we meet in THE TENTS OF ISRAEL.
May 6, 2009 3:07 AM
IRAQ said...
Thank you for sharing!!
What a testimony to me! Those subtle promptings during those quiet times of pondering sometimes seem unusual or out of time - but I have learned through sad experience to pay attention to them.
God bless in your pleadings and the following of those gentle promptings. It truly will be "survival of the spiritaul fittest" when the Lord decides it is time to pull the plug.
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