FOLLOW-ON TO ALPHABITS CREATING MOST "TERROR" PLOTS

Folks - the bogeyman is largely made up and a lie.  That includes our funding of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden; and then turning on them both to suit our purposes.

We have a complicit and naive public - of which I used to be a part.  No more.

Here is what I have been blathering about for the past few years:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-fbis-h ... ts/5331517


The FBI’s History of Supplying Live Explosives to “Terror Suspects”
By Tony Cartalucci
Global Research, April 16, 2013

In late September 2011, AFP reported that a man was charged with “planning to fly explosive-packed, remote controlled airplanes into the Pentagon and the Capitol in Washington.” In its report, “US man charged with Pentagon bomb plot,” AFP stated (emphasis added):

During the alleged plot, undercover FBI agents posed as accomplices who supplied Ferdaus with one remote-controlled plane, C4 explosives, and small arms that he allegedly envisioned using in a simultaneous ground assault in Washington.

However, ”the public was never in danger from the explosive devices, which were controlled by undercover FBI employees,” the FBI said.

Ferdaus was arrested in Framingham, near Boston, immediately after putting the newly delivered weapons into a storage container, the FBI said.

Authorities described Ferdaus as a physics graduate from Northeastern University who followed al-Qaeda and was committed to ”violent jihad” since early last year.

In November 2010, a similar “plot” was engineered, then “disrupted,” also by the FBI – this time in Portland, Oregon. The so-called “Christmas Tree Bomber” attempted to remote detonate a van he believed was filled with explosives, provided by the FBI, before being arrested during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Pioneer Courthhouse Square. The FBI’s official statement regarding the incident revealed that FBI agents had handled, even detonated live explosives with the entrapped suspect at Lincoln County Park in the lead up to the final failed bombing.

The FBI’s official statement titled, “Oregon Resident Arrested in Plot to Bomb Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Portland,” released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on November 26, 2010 stated (emphasis added):

According to the affidavit, on November 4, 2010, Mohamud and the undercover FBI operatives traveled to a remote location in Lincoln County, Ore., where they detonated a bomb concealed in a backpack as a trial run for the upcoming attack. Afterwards, on the drive back to Corvallis, undercover FBI operatives questioned Mohamud as to whether he was capable of looking at the bodies of those who would be killed in the upcoming attack in Portland. According to the affidavit, Mohamud responded, “I want whoever is attending that event to leave, to leave either dead or injured.”

Upon returning to Corvallis that same day, the affidavit alleges that Mohamud recorded a video of himself with the undercover FBI operatives in which he read a written statement that offered a rationale for his bomb attack. On Nov. 18, 2010, undercover FBI operatives picked up Mohamud to travel to Portland in order to finalize the details of the attack.

Earlier this evening, Mohamud was arrested after he attempted to remotely detonate what he believed to be explosives in a van that was parked near the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, the affidavit alleges.

Yet another similar operation was carried out by the FBI in February 2012, where yet another otherwise incapable patsy was provided with live explosives in the lead up to what was ultimately a failed suicide bombing at the US Capitol. USA Today reported in their article, “FBI foils alleged suicide bomb attack on U.S. Capitol,” that (emphasis added):

According to a counterterrorism official, El Khalifi “expressed interest in killing at least 30 people and considered targeting a building in Alexandria and a restaurant, synagogue and a place where military personnel gather in Washington before he settled on the Capitol after canvassing that area a couple of times,” the Associated Press writes. During the year-long investigation, El Khalifi detonated explosives at a quarry in the capital region with undercover operatives. He is not believed to be affiliated with al-Qaeda, officials said.

The frightening trend of the FBI cultivating otherwise incapable “terror” suspects, providing them with and detonating real explosives, before giving them inert or controlled devices to carry out attacks on public targets where mass casualties are averted only at the last possible moment, sets the stage for at the very least, incredible potential for catastrophic blunders, and at worst, false flag attacks.

Has the FBI ever presided over “sting operations” that were actually carried out? The answer is yes. The FBI in fact was presiding over the terrorists who carried out the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The role of the FBI leading up to the deadly attack would most likely have gone unreported had an FBI informant not taped his conversations with FBI agents after growing suspicious during the uncover operation. The New York Times in their article, “Tapes Depict Proposal to Thwart Bomb Used in Trade Center Blast,” reported:

Law-enforcement officials were told that terrorists were building a bomb that was eventually used to blow up the World Trade Center, and they planned to thwart the plotters by secretly substituting harmless powder for the explosives, an informer said after the blast.

The informer was to have helped the plotters build the bomb and supply the fake powder, but the plan was called off by an F.B.I. supervisor who had other ideas about how the informer, Emad A. Salem, should be used, the informer said.

The account, which is given in the transcript of hundreds of hours of tape recordings Mr. Salem secretly made of his talks with law-enforcement agents, portrays the authorities as in a far better position than previously known to foil the Feb. 26 bombing of New York City’s tallest towers. The explosion left six people dead, more than 1,000 injured and damages in excess of half a billion dollars.

What takes shape is an FBI at the center of perpetuating America’s terror menace, not at the forefront of fighting it. With every attack foiled or carried out involving FBI uncover operatives revealed only after successful “stings” or in the case of the World Trade Center bombings, an inconvenient witness stepping forward and revealing the FBI’s role, the first and foremost suspect considered after any bombing on US soil should be the FBI itself.

Recent explosions at the Boston Marathon have left two dead and many more injured. While the public waits to find out who will be blamed, and the role, if any the FBI played in the lead up to the explosions, it would be best to keep in mind the insidious and/or incompetent role the FBI has played during similar events, some of which have occurred recently and in close proximity to the latest explosions.

Already some across the Western media are attempting to draw parallels to the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington – despite the fact that the US is now deliberately funding and arming Al Qaeda in Syria, as well as openly supporting previously listed terrorist organization, Mujahedeen e-Khalq (MEK), in Iran. Vigilance must be kept against Western governments eager to both exploit and perpetuate terrorism and tragedy as well as manufacture it when necessary.

 Here is more - and I do not have time to post all the rest......  Sufficeth to say, we are being set up in the name of "security" and heads need to roll for this.  IF you are LDS and an FBI agent - you need to speedily repent NOW - for I know what principles you have been taught, and I will sit in on a heavenly tribunal (if allowed) and watch every last one of you brought to justice for what you have done to this country by either being complicit or choosing to do nothing when you have become aware.  I know disturbing things about TWA Flight 800 that I am not at liberty to discuss until my employment ceases in a few short years.  There are many in the FBI and other agencies that know much damning truths, as well.  Your day is coming! 

Corruption by parasites will cease with the death of the host - if needs be.  This is how the Lord removed the ulcer that the gads became from this land previously.  A generation of vipers shall not escape the damnations of hell.....

IS THE BINGHAM MINE COLLAPSE A POSSIBLE FULFILLMENT OF BISHOP JOHN KOYLE'S PREDICTION?

I was going to take the family up to the mine on the day of the slide - but could not due to the visitor's center being closed due to instability in the ground around it.  I suppose it would have been one heckuva fun time if we had been there!

According to this article, there are nearly $1 billion in costs associated with cleaning up the slide in the mine.  In order to go deeper into the paying ore body, the mine footprint will have to be widened significantly.   This will require much removal of non-paying overburden in order to make this a reality - expensive, with little or no payback. In order to avoid future slides, the mine sidewall slope will have to be decreased.  Just basic physics here, folks.  I suppose no one should be surprised by these recent developments, considering how steep the walls were at the point of the collapse.

Here is the article from DesNews:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865578331/Kennecott-landslide-impacts-global-copper-industry-Utah-economy.html?pg=all

So, here is the question.  Will they have to go for a closure of the mine - if not only temporarily.  I seem to recall that there would be something like a mine collapse around the time of the collapse of the US and all the things coming about that Koyle spoke of.  I cannot find the specific reference I was thinking of - even on this blog - but Koyle does say that open pit mine will be closed (with no specific reason given).  Here is the link to the search:

https://www.google.com/search?q=+bingham+copper+mine+collapse+john+koyle&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox

I like Koyle - he spoke of the future using things he understood:  farming and mining.  I speak in terms of what I know, so I get that.  I am not much of a farmer nor a miner - so I am intrigued at the language he used.  I think we are in the middle of what he spoke about and would love to hear current stories of the Dream Mine to see if it is stirring to life under the current circumstances.  I cannot help but think that it must be.

My favorite movie is "Joseph: King of Dreams."  I recommend that you watch it (again?).  As odd as it is that my favorite movie is a cartoon, I find much prophetic voice in that movie - both in music and imagery.  I weep every time I watch it - and am grateful for the gift of prophetic dreams that provide comfort and warning.  I watched it last night while commuting on the train.  The last scene was telling wherein all of the brothers (of Joseph) emerged from the North in the midst of a famine to be succored by their younger brother who had prepared a way for their escape from the calamity around them.  How fitting this will be in our near future as the 10 tribes are triumphantly re-united with Joseph (Ephraim/Manasseh) as they return from the North whither the Lord has driven them.  I think Koyle and his visions and experiences play into this successful re-unification as we are once again brought together.  Are you ready for that event?  It will dwarf all others in world history, by comparison.

We should be prepared spiritually for this event - as the wicked will be swept out of the way to make way for a people ready and prepared to live at least a terrestrial existence as we usher in the Millennium.

SLIDING TOWARDS WWIII

As time goes on, I get the feel that there is less and less will to maintain good world relations among nations.  We (the US), is viewed as a world bully - and emerging nations are not willing to put up with it much longer. 

Once we have been neutralized (by natural disaster or financial collapse??), they will move in for the kill.  Of this, I am sure.  Once down, but alive, a move will be made to secure the jugular in an attempt to extinguish our nation (and our sacred Constitution) forever.  The righteous will barely escape.  We will barely escape the jaws of the traps that the gads, who now infest our halls of power, have laid for our demise by way of the NDAA and the creation and power-grabbing of the other alphabit agencies.  Only God will ultimately deliver from the hell that has been created.

As I hear reports of flooding in the midwest, and wonder if this will turn into a drought year - or not - all I can do is wait.  As I drove through Utah and Western Montana recently, I could not help but observe little snowpack on the mountains and reservoir levels well below full pool.  I have to wonder at what this summer will bear in terms of what Bishop John Koyle had to say about four consecutive years of drought.

I am patient and will watch.  I think we are in it - but if Utah experiences a massive wheat crop failure come June/July, then I think I will have my answer.  If so, my wife and I will have already pre-determined that we will move our plan to the next level as things are closer than even we expect.

Here is what got me spun up:

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3d026ec6-a8d1-11e2-a096-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2R3eHafqm

MOST "FOILED" TERRORIST "ATTACKS" ARE SETUPS BY THE ALPHABITS

Most of the attacks that occur, foiled or otherwise, are nursed along to their near fruition, by their alphabit (FBI, ATF, etc) handlers.  I read the initial reports that come out when an attack or near attack occurs, and this is just another one and another incident. 

The results vary - depending on what the objectives of the overseeing agency are and if it fits their agenda to force more control and less freedoms on a naive and trusting population.

Here is what got me spun up:

FBI interviewed dead Boston bombing suspect years ago

In this Feb. 17, 2010, photo, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, left, smiles after acceping the trophy for winning the 2010 New England Golden Gloves Championship in Lowell, Mass. / AP Photo

Updated 6:50 p.m. ET
The FBI admitted Friday they interviewed the now-deceased Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev two years ago and failed to find any incriminating information about him.

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Boston Marathon bombing suspects

As first reported by CBS News correspondent Bob Orr, the FBI interviewed Tsarnaev, the elder brother of at-large bombing suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, at the request of a foreign government to see if he had any extremist ties, but failed to find any linkage.
Both Tsarnaev brothers were legal permanent residents of the U.S. There is no evidence so far that either brother received any tactical training.
CBS News correspondent John Miller reports it is likely Russia asked to have the elder Tsarnaev vetted because of suspected ties to Chechen extremists.
The FBI is likely to have run a background check, running his name through all the relevant databases, including those of other agencies, checking on his communications and all of his overseas travel. Miller reports that culminated in a sit-down interview where they probably asked him a lot of questions about his life, his contacts, his surroundings. All of this was then written in a report and sent it to the requesting government.
This is an issue they've had in the past. They interviewed Carlos Bledsoe in Little Rock, Ark., before he shot up an Army recruiting station in 2009. They were also looking into Major Hasan Nadal before the Fort Hood shootings.
However, the FBI has maintained in those incidents that they took all the steps they were asked to and were allowed to under the law.
Although the FBI initially denied contacting Tsarnaev, the brothers' mother said they had in an interview with Russia Today.
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva said her son got involved in "religious politics" about five years ago, and never told her he was involved in "jihad."
She insisted the FBI "knew what he was doing on Skype" and that they counseled him "every step of the way."

• Did online chatter help the manhunt for Tsarnaev brothers?
• Boston suspects' father calls fugitive son a "true angel," says brothers were set up
• Boston Marathon bomb suspect went to Russia last year, gov't sources say

Tsarnaeva, who is a U.S. citizen currently in Russia, told Russia Today the FBI had called her with concerns about her elder son, although she did not specify when exactly she was contacted.
"They used to come [to our] home, they used to talk to me ... they were telling me that he was really an extremist leader and that they were afraid of him," Tsarnaeva said. "They told me whatever information he is getting, he gets from these extremist sites... they were controlling him, they were controlling his every step...and now they say that this is a terrorist act!"

© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

AN UPDATE ON DR. COHEN AND DOUG MENDENHALL

I have just received some great info on Dr. Cohen and also Doug Mendenhall I would like to share and am in the process of asking for permission to publish it on the blog.

The number one all-time driver of traffic to this blog is whether or not Dr. Cohen has been ex'd from the Church.  Now that I have Mendenhall on the radar, I expect that people trying to do research about him will lead many to the blog.  The piece I did a few days ago on him is already hitting a "hits per day" record for this "dog and pony" blog.....

I also get alot of hits on "Spencer excommunicated" and the same kind of search for Pontius.  I can say those two were legit.  How so?  Simply put, the Spirit has to confirm what someone has said.  That is the easy part of understanding the Spirit.  You hear something and it "feels" right or causes your bosom to burn within you.  Otherwise, there is an empty feeling or a stupor that causes you to forget the thing which you went before the Lord with.

Folks, understanding that simple mechanism will SAVE YOUR LIFE and the lives of those you love.  In the next few years, you will pass through perilous times: and before you perform each simple task each day, you will be constrained to ask the Lord "whether it be right" and will have two possible outcomes.  Which one you choose very well could be the one that saves the proverbial bacon.  People in Boston could have used that very mechanism to save their lives.  A young man who chose to jump off an arch with a rope that was obviously a little too long or the wrong kind could have followed a prompting to not jump that day and would still be alive (the father of a blog friend who is also a doctor, witnessed that event and was there to usher him into the Spirit world).  When planes crash and things go horribly wrong, I always wonder about the people who were in critical decision-making roles; could they have been more spiritually attuned - or was it just simply the will of the Lord.

My wife and I consistently witness miracles in our lives - we call them "threading the needle" - and know that the small things count.  Even the small things such as to when to know when to plant the peas.  God knows all things - we just have to be humble enough to ask, and spiritually attuned to know how to interpret the results we are given from a doting heavenly Parent and those to whom have our best interests in sight, from beyond the veil.

MY WORST FEAR

I do not like to live life in fear, I think there is one source for fear, and its not from God.  When I have been living my life right and have had the Spirit for my guide, I have no fears.  Perfect love casteth out all fear and causes our confidence to wax strong in the presence (virtual or otherwise) of God.  But, having said that, one big fear remains......

That is the fear that the internet will go away or be severely restricted by TPTB.  I have learned so much and been exposed to so much that I otherwise would not have that it really is hard to imagine life without this amazing resource.  Truly, it has been a fulfillment of prophecy in that it has caused the earth to be flooded with knowledge.  It, on the flip side, has been the source of so much evil.  The d'evil and associated minions, both corporeal and non-corporeal have capitalized.  It, like much else, is a great sifter of man.

Right now, its garden and bee-keeping season and I would be lost without this resource.  I bought a conversion van for the family for $1300 a few weeks ago.  The previous owner had parked it in frustration years before due to something that I had not yet discovered when the Lord placed it before me as a solution for my unique situation.  Things seemed to be okay for it mechanically when I made the offer on it, but quickly deteriorated and I was at a loss as to what it could be.  After a trip to Utah, I started it and things really deteriorated to the point it was nearly undrivable with what appeared to be a bad motor, bad transmission and terrible fuel economy along with a very high idle and poor fuel economy.  Using the new worsened symptoms, I did a google search and sifted the results until I found a new common denominator; a bad throttle position sensor (TPS).  I was even able to find a tutorial of how to locate it and replace it.  Four hours and a $40 part (which I found the best deal on online) later, all symptoms were resolved.  Amazing!!

I expect that EMP and general chaos that soon comes to this world will end this great resource.  So, for now, I am enjoying it and cherishing the resource.  Learn as much now as you can about critical skills for making food, clean water, and providing for your families.

GET OUT OF NEVADA WHILE YOU CAN

There are places in this country where I simply WILL NOT live.  The list starts with the murder crapitol of this nation, Chicago.  You could induce me with nothing live there.  I put DC, Connecticut, N.Y. New York and surrounding suburbia, Florida, most of Louisiana, California, Oregon and Washington for Spencer reasons, most of New Mexico,  most of Colorado, the Wasatch Front in Utah and many other parts, Wisconsin - and definitely Nevada.

It has always baffled me how a group of people could elect someone like Harry Reid and keep him in office for as long as they have.  I have been baffled how the Saints have tolerated legal prostitution and widespread gambling - but then I think of Harry Reid and I think I have my answer.  I now have one more reason to be repulsed by Nevada.  This is just so wrong on so many levels.  When people start acting on bad principle as a matter of course, its just a matter of time, of course......

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/14/5340078/nevada-buses-hundreds-of-mentally.html

PERMANENTLY BANNED

Well, I just got the news that I am life-long banned from LDSFF for saying that I did not feel the Spirit at the fireside presentation of Doug Mendenhall's book a week ago.  The head moderator and creator of LDSFF, Brain Mecham is a huge fan and a believer of the New Age crap that Mendenhall was peddling (Jedi mind tricks).  I simply stood up to be counted and chimed in with my opinion and the opinion of everyone who was present at the fireside that I queried - the Spirit simply was not present after the Book of Mormon presenter was finished that evening.  There was subtle undercurrents of Brethren bashing among other things on the part of Mendenhall.  I was able to meet (get close) to his daughter afterwards and I did not feel the light that I expected had she really been a witness to the Savior.  There is a certain glow and feeling that is unmistakably recognizable - its the same feeling/aura that I had the night I received just a portion when I had the dream about my boy.  That was not present with Doug, nor his daughter.  Now - this is a very direct assessment of two people - and I am doing it on purpose.  Serenitylala - who also frequents the forum had the same assessment of what they were peddling and a terse warning of caution to watch out for them.  She stated that she has never been wrong - and I believe it.  She has the gift of discernment in spades and can detect someone who is not an "angel of light".

I will say this - I approach with trepidation anyone who is selling anything (including books).  When knowledge is given freely from God - and you are not a person of means, I say sell plasma or do most anything else, but find a way to get it out freely to people.  The minute you begin to sell it (at a profit), you generally cease to have the Spirit with you over time and motivation for disbursing knowledge and light usually becomes twisted.  If you donate any proceeds after publishing costs, to a good cause, such as Sarah Menet (There is No Death) giving profits to the missionary fund, then you are an acceptable path.  I look forward to the day when we do not have to focus so much on the things of Babylon (money and temporal matters) and can spend a larger portion of our time doing "spiritually value-added" things instead of the baser things.

I found out Doug Mendenhall is advertising a paid conference for teaching his "directed energy" stuff.  Um, I call that priestcraft.  I guess if calling that out on a public forum is bad - then I deserve to get booted....

In the meantime, I will troll for good stuff that is worthy and still post it on this blog and spend less time batting down the anti's on that forum.....

CIVIL WAR IS AT OUR DOORS DUE TO FEDERAL TYRANNY

Folks, there are many things that will lead to the eventual CWII.  The prime factor is the financial collapse that the Feds are preparing for by shutting down dissent and forcing all local authorities to bend to Federal mandate.  Here is the latest mandate that will cause the arrest of Sheriffs which are the highest authority on the County level.  This is in direct opposition to the concept of Nullification, that if a Federal law violates the principles of the Constitution, the Sheriff has the authority to arrest the attempts by higher powers who come into the county to arrest the unjust/unconstitutional law.

Folks - this is disturbing, indeed:

http://12160.info/page/federal-framework-being-set-up-to-arrest-sheriffs

S. KENT BROWN - MATTHEW 24 DISCOURSE

I have this on my i-Pod and listen to it when I am on long drives.

Here is the gem (in blue) of what I got from this on a recent drive from Utah:

As it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man;. . . for until the day that Noah entered into the ark they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. [JS—M 1:41–43]

We notice that, as the scriptures say here and elsewhere, wickedness was more or less the norm in the days of Noah, and everyone evidently assumed that life would continue as it had. Then came the flood, and it changed everything. The warning to those of the last days, of course, is not to assume that all is well and will remain so.

There is much excellent information in it to give clues to what is coming, per the words of our  Savior while He was alive.

You can read it below, or go to the link and click on the audio on the left of the screen.  I love to listen to this kind of thing while I am cooking or working in the garage and the laptop is available.

Here is the link for the audio:

  http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=343

Here is the body of text - but before I post it, I want to say that I feel that the physical voice of our Savior will be very similar to the voice of Kent Brown.  Don't ask why I feel that - because I do not know why - but I just do..... ????

Here is the body of the text:

Jesus' Sermon on the Last
Days: Matthew 24

S. Kent Brown

S. Kent Brown was a BYU professor of ancient scripture and director of Ancient Studies when this devotional address was given on 2 November 1999. More than 11 years ago I visited the remains of an ancient church that sits on the crest of the Mount of Olives. That visit piqued my interest in Jesus’ sermon that Matthew has recorded in chapter 24 of his Gospel. The building itself commemorated Jesus’ sermon, as well as the place of His ascension and His Second Coming. The remains stand atop the site where early Christian tradition recalled that Jesus had prophesied the fall of Jerusalem, the difficulties that His disciples would face, and events of the last days.
The Setting
It was probably on Tuesday of the last week of His life that Jesus climbed the Mount of Olives after leaving Jerusalem. He had spent His day teaching at the temple. As the sun began to sink toward the western horizon at day’s end, Jesus paused high on the slope of the mountain with four of His apostles. They had evidently exited the city by leaving directly from the temple grounds through the so-called Golden Gate, which pierced the eastern wall. They then descended into the Kidron Valley before beginning their ascent.¹ The Gospel of Mark names the apostles who were with Jesus. They were the two pairs of brothers from Galilee: Peter and Andrew, James and John. Thus Jesus spoke the words of His sermon in the presence of the most trustworthy witnesses of that age. I wish to emphasize that this point is not minor. This discourse, detailed in Matthew 24, was to be one of the most significant of Jesus’ mortal ministry.
The place where tradition says that they halted that afternoon cannot be far from where they actually stopped to rest themselves. In fact, it may be the very place. In the area of Gethsemane three paths led from the bottom of the Mount of Olives to the top, and they all converged near the crest where a single path continued eastward to Bethany.
Nowadays there are walls and buildings that block one’s view. But in that era, the view of the city and its temple must have been spectacular. This party of five may have gazed westward across the Kidron Valley to the walls that surrounded the temple Court of the Gentiles. Raising their eyes slightly, they would have seen the sanctuary itself, an imposing edifice built of solid marble and decorated with gold leaf. King Herod had refurbished it handsomely and thereby created an enduring monument, perhaps the most impressive in the entire Roman world.² Looking above and beyond the temple enclosure, these men would have seen the upper city on the west ridge. Now largely in shadow because of the angle of the slanting sunlight, only the tops of buildings and homes would have been clear to their vision. Jesus knew, though the other four did not, that their last evening together would be spent in that part of town. The Last Supper was now only 48 hours away.
Tradition holds that Jesus and His four apostles sat together in a small cave near the crest of the mountain while He spoke the words of His now-famous sermon. Tradition has also associated this spot with other very important events, as we have noted. As a result, Queen Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, founded on this spot a church that was built at the same time as the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.³
Effects
This sermon about the looming fate of Jerusalem and about events of the last days had two notable effects. First, Christians left the city long before it fell to Roman legionnaires in late summer a.d. 70.⁴ In a word, Jesus’ prophecy saved their lives. Second, at least as early as the fourth century, Christian pilgrims would climb the slopes of the Mount of Olives on the Tuesday before Easter to the traditional spot where Jesus delivered His sermon. There they would read together the words of Matthew in chapters 24 and 25.⁵ By then they knew what had happened long ago to Jerusalem in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecies. After all, they had the account of Josephus, who was an eyewitness to much of the carnage. What they did not know, of course, was how Jesus’ predictions about the last days would be fulfilled.
Records
Latter-day Saints stand in a unique position among Christians when it comes to appreciating this sermon. We possess no fewer than seven accounts. There are the three records of the sermon written by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Then there are the revised versions of these chapters in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. One of these latter, the one from Matthew, chapter 24, appears in the Pearl of Great Price as Joseph Smith—Matthew. We find the seventh account in section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This last consists of only a part of the sermon. But the Risen Savior thought it important enough that He repeated at some length what He had shared with His apostles that evening on the Mount of Olives (D&C 45:16–59). There must be reasons for these added records, all coming through the inspired work of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I shall mention one that is obvious.
The added accounts now available through the Joseph Smith Translation and section 45 underline the significance of the sermon. To be sure, early Christians sensed the value of Jesus’ discourse as a definitive statement about the fate of Jerusalem and the events of the last days. But the fact that the Lord inspired the Prophet Joseph to provide additional records to us in our day emphasizes its importance as the Savior’s statement to us in our circumstances.
Apocalyptic
In this connection it is worthwhile observing that Jesus’ prophecy fits comfortably within a type of discourse that students of ancient literatures call apocalyptic. This term derives from a Greek verb that means “to take off a covering”; that is, “to reveal.” The best-known representative of this kind of religious expression is the book of Revelation in the New Testament. One of the chief features of this type of prophecy of the future is the very strong reassurance that God is in charge of events and that He will bring them to proper conclusion. A person does not read far in the accounts of Jesus’ sermon before meeting this kind of assurance. For instance, Jesus predicted that in the last days “you . . . shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars.” Joseph Smith then added, “see that ye be not troubled, . . . Behold, I have told you before” (JS—M 1:23–24). Here, according to inspired words received by Joseph Smith, Jesus reassured the apostles—and ourselves—that we are not to be troubled. In order to lower our anxiety about the way that events might go, He had informed us beforehand.
Here is another example: Jesus soothed believers by saying that, “Although, the days will come, that heaven and earth shall pass away; yet my words shall not pass away, but all shall be fulfilled” (JS—M 1:35). We note the force of Jesus’ prophecy, even in the face terrible calamity: “My words shall not pass away.” And who will guarantee that His words will not pass away? It is my testimony that the guarantor is Christ Himself.
Early Prophecies
One intriguing question, because of where it will eventually lead us, has to do with whether Jesus’ discourse on the Mount of Olives was the first occasion that His disciples had heard such prophecies.
As a matter of fact, Jesus had already given expression to many of these teachings during His ministry. For example, Jesus had spoken directly about His Second Coming long before He arrived in Jerusalem the last time. In Luke, chapter 12, Jesus said, “The Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” The JST version of the same chapter adds, “The coming of the Lord is as a thief in the night.”⁶ Moreover, according to this very chapter in Luke, Jesus had addressed the unexpected character of His Second Coming. He related a story about a steward who does not know when his master will return home. In it, Jesus warned that the “lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware.” The sense of the final judgment also permeates this passage, thus tying it to the last days and the Second Coming. For Jesus said that the lord who finds the servant to have been unfaithful “will cut him in sunder”—that is, dismiss him—“and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers” (Luke 12:46).
These passages, and others,⁷ make it plain that Jesus had already spoken about the last days and His Second Coming before His discourse to His four trusted apostles. Hence, we are justified in viewing Jesus’ Mount of Olives sermon—at least in some of its parts—as a gathering of several strands of His prior preaching into a unified prophecy of the future.
Pattern
In this light there seems to be an interesting pattern in the discourse. In the parts about the future of the city of Jerusalem and the future of His followers, Jesus was rather specific. For instance, He spoke of the impressive buildings in the city lying in ruins, especially the temple. Jerusalem would be surrounded by armies and overrun by “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14; see also Luke 21:20). In addition, the disciples would be hailed before authorities in “the synagogues” and be delivered “into prisons” (Luke 21:12; see also Mark 13:9). Moreover, those in Judea who saw that these evil days were approaching were to flee to “the mountains,” not stopping even to pick up a few clothes (Matthew 24:16–18, Mark 13:14–16, Luke 21:21).
However, when Jesus began to address the situation in the last days, His words became more general, less precise. Was it because His view of the future was somehow dim? Not at all. The records let us know that His view was very clear. But He was evidently unwilling to let the whole view out of the bag, so to speak. He offered enough to warn us in our day about difficulties that we will face. But He spoke in more or less general terms. For instance, when the Lord rehearsed to Joseph Smith what He had said about circumstances that are traceable to people, He said, “In that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion.” Furthermore, “the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound” (D&C 45:26–27). Sound familiar? Yes. And we can tie Jesus’ words to many events and currents in the modern world.
Jesus also spoke about unusual events in nature. For example, He spoke of “signs and wonders” that “shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.” Presumably it would be in the earth that witnesses would “behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.” In the celestial realm, too, “before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven” (D&C 45:40–42). What are these signs and wonders? They could be any number of natural phenomena. We can recall photographs of natural disasters on television that generally match these expressions. One also thinks of modern warfare producing such scenes. So what do these images mean in Jesus’ prophecy? The answer is that we do not know precisely. It could be any such phenomena. Or it could be none of them. We shall know only if, as the Lord says through Joseph Smith, we “shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved” and “have taken the Holy Spirit for [our] guide” (D&C 45:32, 57).
Fulfillment
At this point we might ask whether we can somehow know the meaning of any of the images that the Savior appealed to. To answer, we turn back to the sermon. When Jesus chose to be clear, we sense a very literal fulfillment of His words. For instance, the prophecy that “there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2) was fulfilled to the letter, so to speak. Below what were the temple walls on the west side one can see the fallen, fractured stones of the royal porch named in honor of Solomon. Romans pushed these stones down from their lofty perches after the temple fell into their hands. In addition, one can find evidence here and there that legionnaires hooked their horses to pillars and decorative stones and dragged them off in order to pulverize them with sledge hammers. Not a piece of the temple superstructure remained standing after the Romans finished their devastating work. This fact alone leads me to believe that Jesus’ prophecy of events of the last days will also be fulfilled to the final detail, even though we may not understand certain aspects of His imagery.
The Question
I want now to turn to other parts of the sermon. One of the immediate benefits of the Joseph Smith Translation has been to offer a more correct version of the disciple’s question that coaxed the sermon from Jesus. The Gospel of Mark reports that “one of his disciples saith unto him; Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” (Mark 13:1). But according to JST Matthew 24:1, the request was, “Master, show us concerning the buildings of the temple; as thou hast said; They shall be thrown down and left unto you desolate.” Then, after the party had reached the top of the Mount of Olives, the disciples begged, “Tell us, when shall these things be which thou hast said concerning the destruction of the temple, and the Jews; and what is the sign of thy coming; and of the end of the world?” (JST Matthew 24:4). From these passages, parts of which go back to inspiration received by Joseph Smith, we learn that Jesus had spoken about both the desolation of the temple and the last days on earlier occasions. This observation agrees with our prior point that Jesus had already made parts of the sermon public. The disciples simply wanted a fuller explanation, which Jesus then unfolded to their view.
“Take Heed”
Most of the sources agree that Jesus’ first words in the sermon were: “Take heed that no man deceive you.”⁸ Jesus intended, I believe, that the disciples keep this warning in mind throughout the entire discourse. Jesus’ first point, of course, was that His followers not think that any who came in His name, “saying—I am Christ,” really bore His authority (JS—M 1:6, Matthew 24:5; cf. Mark 13:6, Luke 21:8). Furthermore, they were not to believe that the end had come with the fall of the city and its temple. For “after the tribulation of those days which shall come upon Jerusalem,” He declared, there would “arise false Christs, and false prophets, and [would] show great signs and wonders” (JS—M 1:21–24; cf. Matthew 24:23–25, Mark 13:21–23).
In addition to these possible deceptions that would occur within or soon after the days of the apostles, there was a specific falsehood connected to the last days. It is the deception that “all is well.” This statement, which I have borrowed from 2 Nephi 28:21 and 25, underlies the following in Jesus’ prophecy:
As it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man;
. . . for until the day that Noah entered into the ark they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. [JS—M 1:41–43]
We notice that, as the scriptures say here and elsewhere, wickedness was more or less the norm in the days of Noah, and everyone evidently assumed that life would continue as it had. Then came the flood, and it changed everything. The warning to those of the last days, of course, is not to assume that all is well and will remain so.
How does one avoid such a pitfall? Are there protections? The Lord offers a few clear hints, all tied to Joseph Smith’s work on this sermon. The first represents a modification of a statement by Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew quoted Jesus as saying, “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” The JST version very much intensifies the sense of enduring: “He that remaineth steadfast and is not overcome, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13, JS—M 1:11). It is this set of qualities, then, that is to characterize the faithful. A second virtue appears in a passage that also modifies what we find in Matthew’s Gospel. But the modification is very noticeable and appears this time in D&C 45. In Matthew 24:15 we read, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.” The JST version of Matthew changes this passage but little. However, the Lord’s words in section 45 make major alterations, pointing the statement to the last days. There we read:
There shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land.
But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die. [D&C 45:31–32]
The activity that permits disciples to survive without finding themselves among the wicked is standing in holy places. Such holy places, of course, include temples. Is there something that we can attach to temple worthiness in Jesus’ words? In my view, yes.
A third spiritual security consists in treasuring up God’s word. The relevant saying stands only in JST Matthew. In it Jesus assured His followers, “Whoso treasureth up my words, shall not be deceived. For the Son of Man shall come” (JST Matthew 24:39–40; also JS—M 1:37). Evidently, those who take the Lord’s word seriously hold off a certain kind of deception that otherwise might engulf them.
The fourth promised protection also derives from the Prophet Joseph Smith. In D&C 45, the Savior said:
At that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.
For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. [D&C 45:56–57]
We note that in order to avoid deception we must take the Holy Spirit as our guide. It is a most important means of safety.
The Last Days
We now turn to descriptions of events in the last days. As we have seen, Jesus addressed the issue of natural disasters. We recall His words: “There shall be earthquakes . . . in divers places, and many desolations” (D&C 45:33). One thinks back across the past few months to recall some terrible earthquakes that have led to the loss of thousands of lives. We need mention only Turkey and Taiwan, to name two. Although severe earthquakes have characterized other ages, such phenomena are indicators of the last days, indicators that Jesus underlined in bright colors. What interests me more here, however, is the ultimate purpose that natural disasters might be playing in the divine drama of our day. What might lie behind such frightening events? I shall hazard an answer, but only by appealing to scripture.
At the opening of the seventh seal in the book of Revelation, we read that “there was silence in heaven.” Following the silence, seven angels in turn blew their trumpets, each musical sound heralding a disaster. After the sixth angel had winded the trumpet and disaster had followed, John wrote:
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver . . . :
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. [Revelation 9:20–21]
How shall we understand this passage? On the surface at least, it seems plain that God expected people to repent in the face of disaster. They did not. Instead, they continued to rely on things for security and to pursue their normal lives of indulgence. Jesus said as much to His disciples on the Mount of Olives. Before His coming, He assured them, it shall be “as it was in the days of Noah” (JS—M 1:41). That is, life as people were living it seemed more or less normal. But what God wanted in Noah’s day and—according to scripture—will want in our day is repentance.
In this light we note the very suggestive language of section 43 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In a passage wherein the Lord spoke of calling on the “nations of the earth” to repent, He intoned:
How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind. [D&C 43:25]
From such passages—and there are others⁹—it seems plain to me that in the divine scheme such painful, disrupting occurrences come as a shrill, heavenly voice that begs us to repent. Another voice will be that of missionaries.
Our Place
In this connection, do any of us figure in the scenes of the last days painted by Jesus for His apostles on that spring evening? As we might expect, the answer is yes. How so? Each of us in this room who has served a mission or who will serve a mission, or has or will lead another to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, is a part of that painting. In Joseph Smith—Matthew, the Savior pointedly said, “Again, this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations” (JS—M 1:31). It is we who appear in this part of the painting—as missionaries. For only after we do our part “shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked” (JS—M 1:31).
Jerusalem, Again
From this point on we note a certain vividness returning to Jesus’ words. For He came to speak again of Jerusalem, this time in the last days. He prophesied in D&C 45:47, “Then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations” of the Gentiles.¹⁰ “And then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble” (D&C 45:48). Moreover, as the prophet Zechariah had once declared:
Then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?
Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God.
And then shall they weep. [D&C 45:51–53]
We should add parenthetically that the expression “I am” in this passage pointedly recalls the divine name revealed to Moses on the holy mount (Exodus 3:14). Significantly, Jesus applied this expression to Himself both in His mortal ministry and in postmortal appearances.¹¹ Thus, part of the reason that Jews will recognize Jesus will have to do with His identification of Himself as their God.
Jesus as Servant
In this context of Jesus’ acts in the last days, I want to turn to an important promise that He offered to His faithful followers. Technically, this promise was not a part of His discourse on the Mount of Olives. But I would like to suggest that it was plainly associated with the sermon, at least in the minds of those who heard it. We read the promise in Luke, chapter 12. Let me sketch some background.
All the accounts of Jesus’ discourse report His very strong caution to followers that they be watchful because, as He said, “In such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh” (JS—M 1:48; also Matthew 24:44, Luke 12:40, JS—M 1:46). Matthew and Luke record that Jesus then brought forward several illustrations to emphasize this point. Two invite our attention. In one, He said:
Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. [JS—M 1:49–50; also Matthew 24:45–46, Luke 12:42–43]
For emphasis, Jesus next presented a contrasting case:
But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord delayeth his coming, . . .
The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of. [JS—M 1:51, 53; also Matthew 24:48, 50; Luke 12:45–46]
There is a further point to make about this contrasting pair. In Matthew’s account, these two illustrations appear as part of Jesus’ discourse on the Mount of Olives. According to Luke, however, Jesus had featured these examples on an earlier occasion, specifically in connection with His Second Coming (Luke 12:40; JST Luke 12:44, 49–56). In that episode, Jesus spoke these words to His followers:
Ye yourselves [are] like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. [Luke 12:36–37]
I draw attention to the promise that rests within Jesus’ words. In what can only be considered a major reversal of ancient custom, it is the lord who will serve his servants, even after the late hour of his arrival. Jesus, of course, had made the points elsewhere that, even though He was Lord, He had come as a servant and that His disciples were to follow His example. But this is one of the few passages that I can think of wherein Jesus effectively promised that He would continue His role as servant at His Second Coming.¹² And His words here are vivid with meaning: “I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them” (Luke 12:37). Will such a scene transpire at Jesus’ coming? I believe so. The JST version of Luke makes the case, as it were, by adding the following words directly after this promise: “And now, verily I say these things unto you, that ye may know this, that the coming of the Lord is as a thief in the night” (JST Luke 12:44).¹³
These words make firm the connection between Jesus’ unusual promise and His Second Coming. Jesus, of course, did not repeat this promise on the Mount of Olives. But His contrasting illustrations spoken there about the faithful and unfaithful servants, it seems to me, would have recalled to the minds of the four apostles the earlier occasion when Jesus rehearsed these same illustrations and tied them to this unusually vivid promise of His continuing service in the last days.
Conclusion
As we all know, the topic of the last days invites speculation as no other. And speculation leads one onto unsettled ground. For myself, I have appealed to Jesus’ sermon not only because it stands so prominently within our scriptures but because we have assurance that it will be fulfilled. Why? Because the part about the fall of the temple was fulfilled to the last measure. And if that part came to pass as Jesus had prophesied, there can be little doubt—at least in my mind—that the other parts having to do with our day will also come to pass.
How shall we know about the approach of the end? Jesus offered one clue that is recorded in all of the sources, that of the budding fig tree. He declared:
Now learn a parable of the fig-tree—When its branches are yet tender, and it begins to put forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh at hand;
So likewise, mine elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near, even at the doors;
But of that day, and hour, no man knoweth. [JS—M 1:38–40]¹⁴
We note with interest the image of the budding fig tree. It is an image of hope, of the promise of new growth, of renewed life after winter. Jesus’ caution, as we can also see in other passages, is that we do not know the hour of His arrival.
The uniform picture that Jesus sketched for our era was dark and troubling. But throughout there run bright threads of hope, of expectations fulfilled, if we ourselves are true and faithful. And those threads are illumined particularly in parts of the discourse revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, an observation underscoring that this sermon is for our day. Will our faith be tested? I believe so. Might we see disappointment and heartache and calamity? Again, I believe so. But we live with the ringing reassurance from the Savior both in this sermon and elsewhere that He is in charge. It is that reassurance which allows us to face an uncertain future and to know that He will see us through.
It is my testimony that He is in charge and that He will indeed see us through events ahead, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
1. To be sure, the Mishnah records that a causeway crossed the Kidron Valley, allowing the priests to perform the rite associated with the red heifer as outlined in Numbers, chapter 19 (Mishnah Parah 3.6). But there has been no archaeological confirmation of such a structure. Moreover, this written source speaks of events more than 150 years in the past and may therefore be inaccurate.
2. Josephus, Antiquities 15.11.1–6 (§§ 380–425), and Jewish War 5.5.1–8 (§§ 184–247); see Alfred Edersheim, The Temple (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1983 reprint), 39, 57.
3. Socrates, Ecclesiastical History, 1.17; Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, 2.2. See also John Wilkinson, Jerusalem as Jesus Knew It (London: Thames and Hudson, 1978), 118–22, 173–75; Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, The Holy Land: An Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700, 3d ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992), 128–30.
4. F. F. Bruce, New Testament History (New York: Doubleday, 1971), 376–77. Eusebius repeated a story that, before the attack on Jerusalem, church leaders received a revelation that members were to flee (Ecclesiastical History 3.5.3).
5. Murphy-O’Connor, The Holy Land, 129.
6. Luke 12:40, JST Luke 12:44. This latter statement also appears in 1 Thessalonians 5:2.
7. Luke 12 and 17 both record prophecies of Jesus about the end of time, at times focusing on events and at others dealing with resurrection or judgment. See Luke 12:4–5, 8–9, 21, 33–34, 40, 44, 46–48; 17:20–24, 30; cf. Luke 12:54–56, JST Luke 12:41–44, and JST Luke 17:24, 37–40.
8. Matthew 24:4, Mark 13:5, JST Matthew 24:5, JST Mark 13:10; cf. Luke 21:8, JST Luke 21:8. D&C 45 does not have an equivalent expression.
9. Other passages include Moses 8:4, 22; 1 Nephi 18:20, 19:11; D&C 45:33.
10. Reference to “the nations” in scripture almost always points to Gentiles; see Genesis 10:32, where the term nations translates the Hebrew gôyž¯m. Cf. D&C 43:23–24, etc.
11. See, for instance, John 4:26 (Greek text); 6:35, 48, 51; 8:12, 18, 23–24, 28, 58; 3 Ne. 11:10–11, 14; 15:5, 9; 27:27.
12. There is a hint that Jesus will be the host and, possibly, servant in His promise to drink with His apostles in the coming kingdom (Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:25, Luke 22:18). Cf. also John 6:53–58 and Isaiah 58:8–9.
13. Cf. “the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not” (JST Luke 12:47).
14. Also Matthew 24:32–33, Mark 13:28–29, Luke 21:29–31, JST Matthew 24:41–42, JST Mark 13:45–46, JST Luke 21:29, D&C 45:36–38.
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