It contains deep doctrine pertaining to the LDS Restoration Movement and the Restored Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
One must first learn to swim before one enters into deep waters.
The content provided herein is for those who have been weaned from the breast and yearn for the meat. Those not prepared for the meat can choke on it.
It is for those who have contracted the spirit of watching and have made it through the “Third Watch Boot Camp” which consists of reading every numbered post in chronological order on the above mentioned three watches blog, beginning with the very first post which lays the foundation for the journey you are about to embark on.
AFTER reading the threewatches blog, I highly recommend that you read all of the articles I have posted in the LDSAnarchy Blogsite
If you make it that far and still want more information to read, this blog would be next.
If you cheat and read the information in this site first, you risk getting a big, ugly wart on the end of your nose and you will only be cheating yourself. The content in this blog will make much more sense and be much more meaningful if you lay the proper foundation first.
The deeper doctrines of the kingdom have the ability to either enhance your “testimony” of the restored gospel or expose how frail it is, based on the doctrinal and spiritual foundation you have acquired before you read this information.
Prepare for the journey of your life…. we’re not in Kansas anymore Toto
“I WILL TELL YOU IN YOUR MIND AND IN YOUR HEART” How do we avoid being decieved? Intellectual knowledge? Warm fuzzy feelings? Or searching the word of God so the Holy Spirit can teach us through mind and our heart?
“Bring AGAIN Zion” Why is it that the Nephite Zion was not translated and caught up into heaven like the city of Enoch? Is it that they still have a mission to fulfill here on earth?
Peace and Safety Right before the sudden destruction people will be saying “Pease and Safety”
Back in the late 80′s or early 90′s I wrote an article titled “A Mystical Look at the LDS Restoration Movement“. It spoke about how the events contained in the Book of Mormon took place in North America and more specifically how they intersected with many of the sites of the LDS restoration movement.
In the article I opined that many of the events that took place in Kirtland and relating to the Kirtland Temple were in fulfillment or partial fulfillment to some of the ancient prophecies of Daniel.
I also suggested that when Isaiah spoke of “Jerusalem” with regard to the end times, he was referring to the Jerusalem that would be located in North America, not the old world. Additionally, when latter day revelation mentions “Jerusalem” in section 109 and 124 it is referring to the Kirtland Ohio area, not the old world Jerusalem. (I am not referring to the “New Jerusalem” of end times prophecy, I am referring to “Jerusalem”)
Something I speculated in the article was that the city across the river from Nauvoo that the Lord named “Zarahemla” in section 125, was the same geographical location as the Zarahemla mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
1 WHAT is the will of the Lord concerning the saints in the Territory of Iowa? 2 Verily, thus saith the Lord, I say unto you, if those who call themselves by my name and are essaying to be my saints, if they will do my will and keep my commandments concerning them, let them gather themselves together unto the places which I shall appoint unto them by my servant Joseph, and build up cities unto my name, that they may be prepared for that which is in store for a time to come. 3 Let them build up a city unto my name upon the land opposite the city of Nauvoo, and let the name of Zarahemla be named upon it.
Enter Wayne May
Yesterday I dropped by the preparedness fair at UVC in Provo Utah. While speaking to Wayne May, one of the presenters, and the editor of the Ancient American Magazine, I asked him if he had ever considered the possibility that the city of Zarahemla mentioned in section 125 was in the same location as the ancient Book of Mormon city by the same name.
When I asked the question he smiled and pulled out a special edition of his magazine and showed me an article that told an interesting story.
Apparently, in October of 2010 Wayne was visiting some friends in Nauvoo. In the conversation the same question was posed. This led to the idea that, using descriptions provided by Joseph Smith and others in some historical texts, they go over to the other side of the river and scout around to see if they could ascertain where the Zarahemla of section 125 may have been located. They also wanted to see if there were any signs of an ancient City and Temple.
While on this expedition, Wayne found an earth-berm that looked very similar to other Hopewell sites that he has discovered. This exciting discovery motivated them to utilize Google earth and do further research.
After finding the general area they believed the city to have been located in, they used ground penetrating radar to see if there were any detectable objects buried in the vicinity.
Believe it or not, the scan identifies a wood foundation buried five feet below the surface of the earth. The foundation is a rectangle shape of approximately 180 feet by 120 feet which is about the same approximate dimensions as three other previously identified Ohio Hopewell Temples that have been discovered as well as one ancient Hopewell Temple located in Iowa.
To make a long story short, Wayne and about six or seven other investors have located the owner of the property and made an offer .
They are hopeful that it will go through.
If it does, they will begin doing an archeological dig as soon as the deal closes.
Will this strengthen my mystical testimony of modern revelation and the Book of Mormon if the dig takes place and hard evidence is found to substantiate the Book of Mormon?
Of course not.
Testimony is not built on scientific verification.
“Cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh.”
Nevertheless, it will be fun to see what happens…..
I’ll be watching
(BTW in the article I mention that I had heard that the indians in Ohio once referred to the “Jerusalem Trail” that went through Ohio and that there was once a “Jerusalem County” in Ohio but I could not find verification of either of those two facts. I have since come across this link http://www.knowyourkin.com/getperson.php?personID=I16391&tree=1 It appears to at least validate the fact that there was once a county in Ohio called Jerusalem. I cannot add this to the article footnotes since the anarchy blog does not let me edit articles)
As usual, I have ended up with more to say than I thought and would and therefore, this series will take three posts instead of two.
In part one of this series I pointed out several reasons why I feel that LDS apologetics has been counterproductive. More are on the way.
Of course, one of the main ones is that apologists are running interference for a religious institution that is grossly misrepresenting the truth.
I have mentioned in other posts that the number one priority of apologists should be to defend the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, not an institution run by mortals. they should have the word of God as contained in the scriptures and the Holy Ghost as their foundational measuring yardsticks by which they identify and defend the truth.
Using that as the context for truth, they should applaud the brethren and the church in general to the extent that they are in accordance with the word of God. Conversely, when the brethren and the church are out of the way, they should be just as passionate about bringing those problems to light.
Reason, Logic and Science
Are the gods of this World
Most people, particularly people that are highly educated by the institutions of the world, (including BYU) have been indoctrinated to rely heavily on reason, logic and their own “intellect”. They learn to rely on their own wisdom in conjunction with the accepted institutional teachings of the natural man, ie, “science”.
Modern science often becomes the final authority on determining what truth is when when anti-Mormons are slinging the mud and yet, LDS apologists foolishly play the same game, attempting to use science to support their own claims..
A Babylonian education often seems to breed out not only creativity and the ability to think clearly, but also the ability to discern truth and receive divine inspiration.
I am not saying that all highly educated people are categorically unable to be led by the spirit, however, worldly education is seldom a worthwhile spiritual asset.
I personally know of highly educated people that have not been spiritually neutralized by higher education but they are the exception, not the rule.
There are people that frequent this blog that I have gotten to know who are highly educated and I have huge respect for them because the years of Babylonian brain damage inflicted by the schools of higher learning have not compromised their ability to comprehend light, but again, they are the exception to the rule in my opinion.
Obviously, logic, reason and intellect have a valid purpose and must be used, however, we must to learn to use them in humility under the influence of the Holy Ghost, or they will not produce the desired fruit and will lead us astray.
The fact that most if not all LDS apologists are highly educated people is a huge red flag. Science and the learning of man is the foundational standard upon which many of the so-called scholarly responses by LDS apologists to critiques of the LDS faith is built on.
Frankly, this puts me categorically at odds with the people at FAIR and FARMS that use science in their arguments.
I believe God’s holy and infallible word categorically rejects science and the learning of the natural man as a viable aspect of identifying and confirming truth.
Science is not a Viable Component
of True Christian Apologetics.
True Christian discipleship points people to the mystical faith and mystical teachings contained in the mystical word of God which can only be discerned by the mystical Holy Spirit and the word of God as revealed to living and dead prophets.
A faith-based quest for personal revelation based on what God tells us in scripture and through living prophets (when living prophets are available) is the only possible method for understanding the mystery of Godliness, the mystery of Gods plan of salvation, and the mystery of God’s work among the children of men.
The natural man is an enemy to God and must let go of pride, ego, reliance on uninspired personal intellect and science. He must become as a little child if he is to transcend the deception of Satan’s world that we live in.
A Bias is not Always Bad
I believe one of the great misconceptions of our enlightened time is that an open mind with no preconceived biases is categorically good, and a heart and mind that harbors a an innate preconceived bias is categorically bad.
I don’t think the word of God supports that supposition.
Notice what the Book of Mormon says with regard to the virtue of having a “desire to believe” something good before having a knowledge that it is good and true.
“But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:31)
I believe the above passage implies that the elect of God come to this probationary experience with an innate predisposition to “desire to believe“.
The Seed of Light
The rest of that chapter is well worth the read as it likens God’s word to a seed that grows and how the swelling motions validate that the seed is good.
The admonition is that if the recipient of the word will not “resist the spirit of the Lord“, the seed will “enlarge the soul” and “enlighten the mind” and become “delicious” and “increase your faith” and “strengthen your faith“ until “your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls… because it is LIGHT“.
How simple minded, unscientific and mystical is that?
God Cannot Be Found in a Testtube
The mystical journey of obtaining a spiritual knowledge has nothing to do with archeological discoveries, carbon dating, or DNA research, etc. Every year science finds out that some of the so-called truths it had previously discovered are no longer valid. Do we really want to put our faith and eternal welfare in false knowledge that is continually being debunked?
The physical world around us is seldom what it appears to be, and to muddy the waters even more, both God and Satan can alter the appearances of this world during this probationary process.
We are here to become as a child and exercise faith.
This is what leads to the mystical spiritual rebirth.
Reason, logic and intellect is but a distraction when a person is void of the spirit of God.
I am not saying that the acquisition of facts and knowledge is categorically wrong, only that it must be faith based and viewed under the influence of the Holy Ghost.
The simple, mindless, blind faith that many church members rely on will fail them when they are tried in the refiners fire.
Eternal Life is about belief. It is about accepting Christ’s atonement and the acquisition of spiritual knowledge and the baptism of water, fire and the Holy Ghost.
The acquisition of true spiritual knowledge cannot be conducted from a test tube, a microscope or from carbon dating technology.
As tempting as it is for men to try to use logic, reason, their intellect and the teachings of science to validate spiritual truth, it cannot be done.
It is contrary to the laws of heaven for the uninspired learning and wisdom of men in Satan’s world to identify and validate truth.
As if to summarize the seed-to-light parable in Alma 32, modern revelation reminds us that “every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation“.
The great test of this life is to humble ourselves and learn how to discern and acquire LIGHT by the Holy Ghost. By doing so, our logic, reason and intellect can be illuminated with true intelligence and the eyes of our spiritual understanding can be opened.
Modern science and uninspired intellect is a soul destroying distraction and misdirection.
First Seek to Obtain my Word
Once Hyrum Smith began to be aware that the truth was springing forth, he was anxious to “thrust in his sickle and reap”. He wanted to seek to bring forth and establish Zion by preaching the gospel to his fellow man.
The Lord acknowledges that Hyrum’s desire is the active ingredient in doing much good in this generation.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be done unto you; and, if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation…”
The Lord points out that Hyrum needs to keep the commandments:
“Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength.”
Then the Lord counsels Hyrum that before declaring God’s word, Hyrum needs to obtain it. Following that, we get to the bottom-line of what missionary work, including apologetics, should be about-
“Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.”
The only two things that can ever convince anybody about the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the “Spirit of God” and the “word of God”
Why does the acquisition of truth always have to be about God?
Why does it have be to limited to His Spirit and His Word?
After all, reason, logic, intellect and science is so much fun!
Why can’t we acquire truth and find our way into the strait gate using logic, reason, intellect, and science?
I guess it is a mystery.
“And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel.
13 And they shall observe the covenants and church articles to do them, and these shall be their teachings, as they shall be directed by the Spirit.
14 And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach.”( section 42:12-14)
The Bible and the Book of Mormon are Adequate
Why do we need to limit ourselves to the mystical teachings contained in the Bible and the Book of Mormon and other scriptures containing God’s word?
Why must we be directed by the “spirit”?
If we are not willing to limit our source material to the word of God and be directed by his spirit, we cannot teach?
No wonder LDS apologetics is such an epic disaster!
“I am called by his Holy Spirit to Teach”
33 And king Lamoni said: I believe all these things which thou hast spoken. Art thou sent from God?
34 Ammon said unto him: I am a man; and man in the beginning was created after the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true;
35 And a portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith and desires which are in God. Alma 18:33-35
Why didn’t King Lamoni ask for scientific evidence of what Ammon was telling him?
Wasn’t he being somewhat simple minded to just believe?
And what about Ammon?
Had he been sufficiently trained for the ministry like “Hugh” and all of the other LDS apologists?
Did he have multiple degrees from reputable universities?
Where was his source material?
Didn’t he have access to lots of “published papers” from “credible scholars” that had subjected themselves to a “peer review” before being published in a “distinguished journal”?
Why didn’t he provide scientific data to support what he was teaching?
Can it really be as simple as being taught by the spirit that dwells within the person that manifests faith and desire?
“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.
8 And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many;
Why do the scriptures always emphasize faith and the Holy Ghost instead of logic, reason, intellect and science?
To the extent that the modern brethren and their teachings fail to conform to the holy word of God, members of the church, particularly those who deem themselves to be defenders of the faith, are duty bound to make a full disclosure and acknowledgement of that fact and to withhold support for false doctrines and practices that are offered.
Dehlin, Hamblin and the
Backyard Professor
LDS apologetics has been in the news a lot lately.
The confrontation between FARMS and John Dehlin and the Church’s decision to fire Peterson and his associates and change the direction of FARMS is one of the reasons.
Here is how John Dehlin feels about LDS apologetics:
“I just want to go on record as saying that 20th and 21st century LDS apologetics (FAIR, FARMS, Maxwell institute) will go down as destroying more testimonies than any other single Mormon influence. That’s what happens when you blame the victim, or give very poor and evasive answers to credible issues.“
Of course, since Dehlin has rejected all of the foundational truths of the restoration, his goal is to simply gut the church and reduce it to a protestant version of the same, similar to what has happened to the RLDS/Community of Christ church.
Clearly, the church seems to be withdrawing their support from those who previously ran FARMS and wanting to distance themselves from the way LDS apologetics has been conducted in the past.
In a recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune, Peggy Stack speaks of the new direction that FARMS will be taking in LDS apologetics and concludes her article by implying that the church dispatched Peterson and his associates because they were uncharitable in the way they would defend the faith:
“The new mission statement speaks of “commending and defending the faith,” he says, “which will sometimes involve responding to criticism.” But it has to be done “as charitably as possible,” Hodges says. “We want to cultivate an ethic of hospitality — even in disagreement.”
Another interesting event in LDS apologetics is that recently William Hamblin resigned his association with the Interpreter (the New FARMS created by Peterson) because he has been informed that BYU does not consider the work generated by FARMS scholars to be “serious scholarship”.
And then there is the faith-promoting rumor going around the anti-Mormon community about Grant Palmer and the mystery general authority that has lost his testimony.
Perhaps one of the most significant, but not highly publicized events in the world of LDS apologetics is the relatively recent meltdown of Kerry Shirts, the backyard professor.
That’s right, the LDS chess enthusiast I spoke about earlier in part one of this series is not only known for his passion for chess and his online chess videos, he has also been a prolific LDS apologist for many years.
He once served as the Director of Research at FAIR.
In addition to his love of the game of chess, Kerry Shirts loves to defend his religion.
Perhaps I should say “loved” to defend his religion.
He is one of the LDS apologists that has been waging the war against anti-Mormons for a decade and a half.
Until now.
Many of the LDS apologists tend to be rather caustic and condescending to the critics they debate with online, Kerry has certainly had a few testy moments of his own, however, he is actually a gregarious and upbeat personality that is often liked even by some of the people that he has debated for years.
An example of this is found in a recent post on a Mormon Discussions chat board by an ex-Mormon that began thusly:
“I want to start by offering this thread as a forum to discuss Kerry Shirts. I have always liked Kerry Shirts as a person…“
Kind of nice to have someone you have been arguing with for years state that he has always liked you!
Heck, I really like the guy too and I don’t even know him!
Recently, Kerry shocked and astounded the relatively small world of Mormon apologetics when he read a book by a critical ex-Mormon which resulted in his own crisis of faith and subsequent spiritual meltdown.
Shirts is possibly one of the apologists that was recently alluded to by Rameumpton although I don’t know if the professor has officially left the church.
“Recently, I’ve been thinking about some of the LDS apologist colleagues who have lost their footing and left the Church. I won’t name names, but I am saddened by the loss (theirs and ours) and have long pondered how it could happen.”
Needless to say, the Professor is just one of numerous casualties that the LDS apologetics community has suffered in recent years.
Deconstructing Mormonism
By Thomas Riskas
Apparently a book by Thomas Riskas caused the good professor to begin experiencing spiritual seizures, hemorrhaging, and bleeding from the eyes. He began questioning every belief he had been defending for the previous fifteen years.
This review is from: Deconstructing Mormonism: An Analysis and Assessment of the Mormon Faith (Paperback)
I have been a Mormon Apologist on the Internet now for over 15 years. There is NOTHING I cannot take apart, refute, and show to be fallacious, wrong, incorrect, warped, weird, and wrong headed, …….until now. (See? That’s one of the problems of Mormon apologetics, not to mention Christian apologetics, we get puffed up thinking we can refute anything, which just is not even factually true).
Now for a confession.
I am singularly *unprepared* to deal with this.
What?! An apologist for almost 2 decades ***unprepared***?
Having tackled innumerable anti-Mormon and idiotic pro-Mormon (you simply have no idea how indubitably silly some conservative Mormon apologetics is, I mean you just have NO IDEA!) thinking for years, reading literally hundreds of books of all kinds and types to broaden my education and ability to discuss intelligently the reasons Mormonism is viable?
Am I serious?
Unfortunately, yes, I am.
Here are a few reasons why I feel completely inadequate to the task of taking on Riskas. I, as a Mormon (and the serious VAST majority of all the rest of you Christian in the Western World have had this problem as well, don’t you even pretend you don’t), have been told what to think my entire life…
…We as Mormons are simply never taught HOW to think, we are only taught WHAT to, and we in our simple minded non-thinking, non-critical, naive as sheep way, have simply believed in WHAT we have been told. And everything we read is geared to simply reinforcing what we have been told.
Thomas Riskas has shown me the cost now of being raised and kept in abject ignorance of HOW TO THINK through theology ALL THE WAY TO THE LOGICAL, EVIDENTIAL END. This is ***critical*** to grasp.
I can’t take Riskas on.
I am going to be very, VERY interested in seeing who among Mormon apologists actually bother to carefully read him …
ALL apologists (Mormon, Christian, Muslim, you name em) are deep down actually spooked about their doubts, we just don’t like to admit it. But Riskas brings ALL of this to the absolute forefront for us to finally confront. It’s out, it’s here, we are all unprepared, and good God may we somehow find a way………or not.
If this is the level that intelligent thinking through of faith and spiritual knowledge, and seriously analyzing ALL assumptions has come to, then we are already way behind in order to answer.
I can’t right off the top of my head, think of any Mormon apologists (don’t smirk Christians, Muslims, you haven’t produced much of your own apologists who hold water against the atheists either) on the horizon who has the acumen to deal with Riskas, a startling thought! He decimates and annihilates Robert L. Millet (not really that difficult actually), B. H. Roberts, and John A. Widtsoe, (two stellar LDS apologists and General Authorites around the turn of the last century) but he also refutes quite a bit of Blake Ostler’s ideas (one helluva an accomplishment, Ostler is seriously GOOD!
Elders Oaks, Packer, etc. simply haven’t got a chance against the systematic, logical, and impeccable step by step discussion into the abyss of reality which Riskas takes us into.
For whichever Mormon apologist(s) deciding to take Riskas on, I say this in all sincerity, good luck, I mean it more than I have ever before, you are seriously going to need it.
Trust me, once you read his book you will understand my last sentence here. You are going to need a whole lot more than your faith, or revelations from God, or/and God’s help to refute Thomas Riskas’s new book “Deconstructing Mormonism.” [end quote]
Ok, pick yourself up off the floor, take a few deep breaths and wait a few minutes while you regain your composure.
The Sandy Foundation of LDS Apologetics
It is not my intention to try to embarrass or humiliate Brother Shirts.
To the contrary, I believe that what he did was one of the most courageous acts of personal integrity I have ever seen.
I have no idea how this has affected his relationship with the brethren, his fellow apologists, his friends, members of his ward or even his wife, kids and dog… but I doubt the relationships have been enhanced.
I actually admire him because he is acting in the integrity of his heart. It took a great deal of humility to make some of the admissions he made.
Do I agree with everything he said?
Absolutely not.
But he had enough personal integrity to acknowledge that he no longer knows what he thought he used to know.
I believe he now realizes he was running interference for a storyline that has largely been fabricated.
He certainly didn’t need to bare his soul to the world.
A Sandy Foundation
The purpose of highlighting the above statements from the good professor is to illustrate several things that are hopefully already apparent.
I believe Shirts belief in the Church was built on a sandy foundation.
That goes for virtually everyone member of the church that believes the official storyline.
The point is, that virtually all of his associates over at FARMS and FAIR have been indoctrinated with a storyline that is very problematic.
In turn, they use science and their intellects to defend the faith.
Therefore, I believe they have built their faith on a sandy foundation
First of all, they are defending a storyline that has previously evolved and changed over the years.
It began with Brigham Young but has been greatly refined over the years through the cumulative efforts of the marketing think tank at LDS INC.
All of the apologists have been indoctrinated and are simply using their skills to try to document support for the corporate church, leaders, doctrines, etc.
As the professor says, they have been “taught what to think” by the institution.
Then they use logic, reason, intellect and even science to categorically support and defend whatever the modern church decides to teach.
Obviously, Shirts is not the first LDS apologist to break ranks and fall from grace and he won’t be the last but it takes a rare individual to make this kind of a transition so public.
I am hopeful that it is only a matter of time before the light shines forth, the marvelous work begins, and the spiritual gifts associated with the fulness of the gospel emerge, and the Professor regains his spiritual equilibrium.
In time, I wouldn’t be surprised if the other LDS apologists either have a similar meltdown or they transition rapidly when the light shines forth and repent and become childlike, entering into a spiritual journey into the strait gate.
It is important to not confuse the spiritual knowledge of true faith and spiritual knowledge with the blind faith that the corporate church uses to make merchandise out of the souls of men.
A faith based on fable or in human intellect and trusting in the arm of flesh will never hold up against the naysayers.
It will ultimately deconstruct.
The Gospel of Abraham
I really feel for all Mormon apologists because they have been set up.
They have gospel theory before them pertaining to the fulness of the gospel of Christ, in written form, but that gospel is no where to be found on this earth.
A bait and switch has been pulled on them.
They want to defend the gospel of Christ as outlined in the scriptures but they are the unwitting recipients of the gospel of Abraham.
The true fruits of the real gospel are not on the earth so they go with the best game in town, testify of the Book of Mormon and present the brethren and the church as having the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Before I continue with my own diatribe, I want to post a little more of the professor.
What he has to say is very revealing.
This is where we will begin when we resume in part three.
During the very short time I attended college at Ricks, I became addicted to chess. I had been taught how to play in Jr. High by a friend but I was to proud to join the chess club when I got to high school because it seemed like only the nerds were interested in doing it.
That was too threatening for my fragile self esteem. . ( that was before the world was ruled by billionaire nerds)
At Ricks, I would frequently stay up all night playing it. I didn’t have the patience, intelligence or inclination to read books on the game, I pretty much learned from playing others and following my intuition.
One of my memories of my short lived climb to the top of the chess world was the very first time I graced the inner sanctum used by the chess enthusiasts at the college.
Nobody knew who I was nor that I wasn’t much of a threat.
Conversely, I didn’t know who the better players were.
There was a very tall, heavyset fellow that was having difficulty intimidating anyone into playing him so I confidently told him that I would oblige.
I soon found myself playing one of the best and most arrogant players at the college.
The game lasted for hours and abruptly ended at about 2AM.
I somehow managed to get to within one step of checkmating him before he flew into a fit of rage and swiped the board clean, sending the chess pieces across the room to the surprise of all of the other bewildered players who had previously all been absorbed in their own games.
The funny thing is that I had no idea what I was doing.
His downfall is that he didn’t know that I didn’t know what I was doing.
He was meticulously analyzing, scrutinizing, anticipating and fruitlessly trying to make sense out of every absurd move I was making, based on the assumption that I actually had a well thought out, though unconventional stratagem.
The embarrassing truth is that I was just winging it.
Taking me seriously and assuming that I had a sinister reason for the unusual moves I was making resulted in his demise.
When I returned to play some of the other players a day or two later, I was quickly defeated by just about everyone I played. When he saw me loose to everyone else, he realized that I wasn’t a skilled player. From that time forward, he would routinely dispatch me in less than 30 minutes.
Nonetheless, for a day or two after my first victory, I strutted about the campus thinking I was among the elite chess luminaries of the school.
That first game against the guy that slapped the chess pieces across the room gave me first hand knowledge of how passionate and eccentric chess players can be.
A missionary companion once told me about a chess player that became so deep in thought during a game that he simply stared at the board for hours until he finally looked up and asked his opponent “what is my name?”
If one does a keyword search in Google about chess players that went crazy or simply did crazy things, there are countless stories of famous players that displayed bizarre and eccentric behavior.
It was said by a relative of the great Paul Morphy, that he enjoyed arranging women’s shoes in a half-circle in the middle of his bedroom floor because “it looked pretty”.
Although Aaron Nimzowitsch, was not considered to be completely insane, he was a bit “given to bizarre behavior.” One time in the middle of a very complicated position, in a very important game, he went to the corner of the room and stood on his head.
Akiba Rubinstein, one of the best players of all time, was known to have had a mental disorder his entire life. His wife often warned potential visitors, “Do not stay long… for if you do, he will leave by way of the window.”
Mexican grandmaster, Carlos Torre, once stripped naked on a New York bus. He had the habit of walking around nude and was once picked up for running down Fifth Avenue in New York in the raw. He once consumed 15 pineapple sundaes in a single day.
World champion Alexander Alekhine played in chess events completely drunk, and was known to have urinated on the floor during these events more than once.He married four times in his life. Each of the woman was at least 20 to 40 years older than him.
Former world champion Wilhelm Steinitz was convinced he could move pieces through mental telepathy. He finally died in an insane asylum.
US Champion and blindfold great Harry Pillsbury died broke and insane.Interestingly, blindfold chess was outlawed in Russia because they thought it drove people nuts.
Bobby Fisher is considered to be one of greatest chess players of all time but he dropped out of the limelight in the middle of his astonishing career and lived a very strange, introverted life in exile. Eventually he became very paranoid and hateful towards Jews and America.
It is not surprising that there is a significantly higher suicide rate among chess players than the general population.
The great question that is often debated is “Does chess make you mentally ill or are mentally ill people attracted to chess?”
The Backyard Professor
Kerry Shirts who has affectionately become known at the “backyard professor” is a passionate chess player living in my home state of Idaho. He posts countless videos on how to play chess, on youtube. His love for chess is quite contagious.
Although the professor has not been committed yet, to my knowledge, he may be showing signs of eccentricity in some of the recent videos that he has produced.
Do Reason and Logic Breed Insanity?
We will get back to the good professor later in part two of this two part series. First, I want to present the following observations that were made in 07 on the dangerousidea blog:
“Now, if we are to glance at the philosophy of sanity, the first thing to do in the matter is to blot out one big and common mistake. There is a notion adrift everywhere that imagination, especially mystical imagination, is dangerous to man’s mental balance.
Poets are commonly spoken of as psychologically unreliable; and generally there is a vague association between wreathing laurels in your hair and sticking straws in it.
Facts and history utterly contradict this view.
Most of the very great poets have been not only sane, but extremely business-like; and if Shakespeare ever really held horses, it was because he was much the safest man to hold them.
Imagination does not breed insanity.
Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination.”
I find the musings of the above author/blogger thought provoking.
Is it possible that to much focus on reason and logic breads insanity?
WordPress Analytics
From time to time I check the WordPress analytics to see which websites are referring people to my blog.
On the 29th of March, I noticed the following referrer
It appears to be a restricted site which is designed for members of the FAIR apologetics list of contributors. These are all of the people who have written articles on LDS apologetics for their organization.
It appears that something on my blog has generated some discussion or landed my link on a listing that is contained in their internal site…
I can’t imagine why! LOL
I have also had links pointing to my site from “ thechurchaccordingto.blogspot.com , another password protected site that has been monitoring my posts for a long time and which may possibly be connected to a similar group of people, or at least someone that is monitoring or documenting observations being made about the modern corporate church.
The FAIR Mission
FAIR stands for the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research.
According to their own website their mission is to defend the current doctrines and practices of the modern LDS Church as well as to defend the leaders of the church against any criticism.
Here is what their website says:
“Our mission is to address the charges leveled at the doctrines, practices and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”
IMO that mission statement creates a huge conflict of interest and puts them categorically at odds with the scriptures, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Savior himself.
I believe it causes them to commit treachery against Jesus Christ by putting their primary allegiance in favor of the contemporary doctrines and leaders of a church rather than to the fundamental truths revealed by Christ in his scriptures.
Anytime a false doctrine is taught by the contemporary church, these poor souls have the unsavory task of categorically defending it whether it is correct or not.
They are using their skills in debate, persuasion and sophistry to try and validate the contemporary actions and teachings of the modern institution and individual general authorities. They do this even when those actions and teachings contradict the holy word of God in the scriptures.
Of course the assumption of their mission statement is that everything currently taught must be in accordance with the restored gospel. That, of course, smacks of the dastardly doctrine of infallibility.
The FARMS Mission
Another group of apologists that was sponsored by the church until recently is the prior group of people associated with FARMS.
The mission of FARMS is similar to the mission of FAIR although FARMS has a much broader mission and they were a little more prudent in how they crafted their mission statement.
As I recall, many of their FARMS “scholars” participate in FAIR conferences.
Among other things, FARMS claims to provide “scholarly responses to critics of the LDS faith” based on “ancillary disciplines, including language, history, archaeology, literature, culture, ethnohistory, art, geography, law, politics, philosophy, etc.”
In other words, LDS apologists from FAIR and FARMS rely heavily on reason, logic and the worldly learning of men, ie, science and philosophy, in defending the beliefs of the church.
There has been the better part of two hundred years between the time that the light of the everlasting gospel began shining forth from the first vision until today.
Believers in the LDS restoration now find themselves in a fascinating position of being attacked by skeptics regarding the foundational events of the movement.
Why are members of the LDS church so sure that error and apostasy have not crept into the church?
Did God put any protocols in place to prevent leaders of the church from leading it astray?
The Law of Common Consent
I believe this was the original intent of the law of common consent.
The law of common consent was a protocol that enabled every member of the church to act as a steward in an ordained system of checks and balances that would identify and prevent false doctrine and priestcraft from being introduced into the church by the authorities of the church.
The fact that the D&C provides a protocol for excommunicating the president of the church provides rather strong evidence that God did not provide a cloak of infallibility on church leaders.
Unfortunately, the modern church has corrupted the doctrine of common consent and made it into a litmus test for determining whether a person is loyal to the anointed authorities of the church.
It is my opinion that the doctrines and practices of the modern church, along with the teachings, actions, and even the expenditures of the current leaders of the church, frequently contradict the true gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught in the Bible, Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.
I spend much of my time documenting from the scriptures why the doctrines and teachings of the modern church are contrary to the holy and infallible word of God.
Dedicating My Secret History Series to the LDS Apologists
I have been negligent in resuming my series titled “Exploring the Secret History of the Church” but I hope to resume it in the near future. From time to time I get preoccupied with other interests whilst in the midst of a current series. Hopefully my interest will return in the near future.
I have decided to dedicate that history series to all of the LDS apologists associated with both of these organizations.
My Challenge to LDS Apologists
I am challenging all of the LDS apologists involved with FAIR and FARMS to earnestly read all of the posts on the 20 historical observations that I am going to provide and to sincerely and prayerfully study them out. I invite any questions, observations and critique.
If I am wrong about something, I hope these LDS apologists will please respond in the comments section of my Blog and show me what it is.
I am going to be praying for these apologists. I hope the other readers of this blog will as well.
I believe it is time for the fulness of the gentiles to come in and for the God of Israel to begin lifting the blindness off of latter day Israel (Rom 11:25)
I encourage the readers of this blog to join with me in praying for these well meaning apologists.
If you know any of them personally I hope you will forward the link to this post to them to make sure they are aware of this challenge and the prayers in their behalf.
“Cursed be the man that trusteth in man
and maketh flesh his arm”
I am now going to explain why I believe LDS apologetics have failed so miserably to defend both the true origins of Mormonism as well as the contemporary practices and teachings of Modern Mormonism.
I will also explain why I believe many of the apologists have put themselves at great spiritual risk.
I have suggested a few times in several of my posts that I believe Christianity and Mormonism are mystical religions and that true believers in the atonement of Jesus Christ are “mystics”
I realize that the term probably offends some people because it is not found in the scriptures or traditional LDS culture and it sounds kind of funky, but I feel it is really important to understand it in providing context for what I am going to be saying.
A Mystical Religion
According to Websters, the term mystical refers to a “spiritual.. reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence.”
I would say that the truthfulness of the atonement, the ordinances of salvation and many related Christian teachings are not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence.
If the spiritual reality of what is actually going on in this world is not apparent to the senses or the intelligence of the natural man, how useful is his natural logic, reason and intelligence going to be in identifying and comprehending truth?
Things in this World are NOT what they Appear to Be
The truth is that Satan is the god of this physical world where we live.
We are not playing on our home court.
That is why this world is so deceptive.
Things are not as they appear to the natural man.
The true reality of things as they are, were, and are to come, is not comprehensible to the logic, reason, senses and intellect of the natural man.
The natural man lives in a world of illusion and delusion.
The intellect of the natural man is not capable of leading a person into the spiritual rebirth and into the strait gate that is spoken of in the scriptures.
The learning of the natural man which results in “scientific truth” is also incapable of leading a person into the spiritual rebirth and into the strait gate.
The apostle Paul saw this world as a spiritual war zone that was ruled by the powers of darkness through men in high places. He saw the shield of faith as the defensive armor that could quench the fiery darts of the wicked:
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel..”
The prophet Jeremiah made this ominous observation thousands of years ago:
“Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm”
This warning would be reiterated in 2nd Nephi 4 and then later in 2nd Nephi 28:
“Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Here’s the deal folks-
Science is just a modern term for the precepts and learning of the natural man, ie, “arm of flesh” that are formed by human reason, logic and intellect.
When LDS apologists quote from scientists that are trying to make sense out of this world using their intellect and reason, they bring the promised curse upon their own heads.
These worldly scientists have not received of the spiritual rebirth and are functioning solely off of their own intellect and the learning of other natural men, they are also functioning under the same curse.
That is according to Jeremiah and Nephi, not me.
Blame them for those harsh accusations.
That ominous observation is categorical.
Even if an apologist is using science to support a gospel truth, they are cursed in their efforts because science is out of bounds according to the guidelines God has given regarding the comprehension of truth.
Science is derived from seeing things in the natural fallen world that are not as they appear.
In summary, here are a few of the major reasons that I feel that LDS apologists that rely on science and the learning of the world, have been a miserable failure and have put a curse upon themselves when attempting to rely on their intellect and modern science to craft their arguments.
1- Their first and primary allegiance is in defending the actions and teachings of modern church leaders rather than declaring the truthfulness of the inspired and unchanging word of God in the scriptures.
2- When crafting their apologetic responses they rely on their own intellect, the intellect of church authorities and the intellect of those they are trying to persuade. (intellect speaking to intellect instead of spirit speaking to spirit)
3- They attempt to use positive scientific data that appears to support their side of an argument in defending the church. This is done contrary to the counsel of God.
4- Their methods and the fruits thereof indicates that they have not experienced the spiritual rebirth and have built their own “faith” and “testimonies” on their own reason, logic, intellect, and scientific evidence rather than on personal revelation.
In part two of this series we reviewed excerpts of the Backyard Professor’s diatribe on the Amazon Book Review Page.
After bearing his soul on Amazon, I guess he began getting a lot of flack from various people and he obviously becamefodder for the exMormon Community that is salivating and feeling further justified in their own unbelief given the professor’s new found enlightenment.
In response to the criticism, he posted the following two pontifications on youtube.
Part One
Part Two
His comments in these videos are very revealing and I feel they substantiate some of my previous observations.
Again, it is not my intent to make this a personal attack on the man. I have never met him.
I do, however, love him and I hope that after he regains his spiritual equilibrium that he will return with the rest of the believers, to the waste places of Zion when the servants return and the Father does his own work.
I look forward to sitting down with him and sharing war stories as we have a little fruit of the vine together.
Nevertheless, he has intentionally put himself in the spotlight by posting his videos and that makes him fair game as far is using what he is currently experiencing, and publicly saying, to scrutinize and learn from.
His experience can be helpful to us as we deconstruct LDS apologetics.
I am not necessarily encouraging anyone to watch the above videos as you stand a chance of losing your own spiritual equilibrium by doing so, if your belief is based on the same sandy foundation.
I believe that once a person loses faith and begins relying on their own intellect and the intellect of other mortals to discern truth, a greater veil of darkness envelops them.
I leave it up to the viewer to make their own determinations as to whether this guy is generally emitting light and intelligence or whether the old father of lies is in the background slithering around.
Nevertheless, amid the mosh posh of anti-faith, pro-logic, and reason rhetoric, he does spout some profundities worth noting. Of course that is how old scratch works, he will intermingle some truth in an effort to promote one simple soul destroying lie.
I believe the good professor is currently relying on his own intellect, the intellect of other philosophers, and science, to discern truth at this point in time and I think I understand why. Putting one’s faith in the brethren and the modern teachings of the church poses a much greater threat to a person’s sanity than a blindfolded game of chess.
Here are some of his observations intermingled with some of the scriptural passages that came to mind as I listened to his rant, along with some of my own responses-
Again, I love this man, I prefer to believe that he is simply going through a temporary phase caused by a rude awakening that the modern LDS Church is but an outward shell of what the true church used to be.
I apologize in advance for how random and disjointed the following observations are-
Professor: “apologetics is a dead end, you cease to learn..“
Yes, professor, that is because apologists are not interested in learning by the spirit nor are they capable of teaching by the spirit.
They assume the storyline they have been given is correct and they use their intellect and power of persuasion to defend it.
They are not looking for truth when they do their research, they are attempting to surgically extract evidence to support the predetermined set of beliefs that they have inherited from the church.
Referring to the godless authors and philosophers that the good professor has now embraced as his mentors, he says:
Professor: “these scholars have scientific evidence to back themselves up.. they have the analysis, the critical thinking the Linquistics the logic its all on their side they don’t have faith, they have knowledge. “
The professor is defining knowledge as analysis, critical thinking, linguistics and logic.
He is glorifying in and relying on the human intellect and the natural man who is an enemy to God.
Notice how he has completely departed from God’s definition of what true knowledge is.
Professor: “faith is the admission that we don’t have evidence and therefore we don’t know… I want the knowledge that the scholars are showing me because that makes eminently more sense….I am not anti-intellectual I am completely pro-intellectual…”
Here are a few more morsels of wisdom from the professor:
Professor: “My testimony based on my experience”
That’s the problem, you have not yet experienced the spiritual rebirth and gained the mystical gnosis. Hence, your experience is void of a spiritual testimony.
Professor: “If evidence comes along that logically and coherently explains something better than something I have been taught or told about the rational thing to do is explore that evidence, explore the evidence of the argument and go with the best most quality information. that is entirely rational. we do that every day“
Sounds like you are not open to or seeking the spiritual knowledge that comes from the Holy Ghost, you are relying on logic that coherently explains things.
That cannot lead you into the strait gate.
Professor: “I love B H Roberts “
Of course you love B H Roberts, professor. He is typical of the intellectuals that you now idolize.
He became a “voracious reader, devouring books of history, science, and philosophy” just like you…
and just like the scarecrow in the wizard of OZ, he was awarded a brain from Babylon…. (he graduated first in his class from University of Deseret )
Professor: “Don’t give anything the benefit of the doubt…”
But what about “If you can only desire to believe“?
Is that not giving something the benefit of the doubt?
Professor: “science has taken us beyond a childlike understanding….”
Yes it has!
And that is the problem with science!!!!
Listen to yourself professor. You are contradicting and mocking the admonition of the Master-
“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein..”
More from the good Professor-
Professor: “The anchor is not faith it is knowledge“… (worldly knowledge….science)
Professor: “knowledge is more powerful than faith….”
Hold the phone!
True knowledge can only be derived through the pre-knowledge faith mentioned in Alma 32.
Once knowledge is obtained, it is then empowered by the post-knowledge faith that is mentioned in Hebrews 11 which is the same faith that enabled Noah to prepare the ark, Abraham to offer Isaac, Enoch to be translated and an all-knowing God to create the world.
If faith is the power God used to create this world and all things, it either incorporates all knowledge or it is indeed greater than knowledge.
Perhaps this is why the original D&C included a doctrinal section called “Lectures on Faith” instead of “Lectures on Knowledge”
Here are in some incredible excerpts from part seven of the Lectures on Faith recently noted by a commenter by the name of Ty. Notice the relationship between faith and knowledge-
“From this we may extend as far as any circumstances may require whether on earth or in heaven, and we will find it the testimony of all inspired men, or heavenly messengers, that all things that pertain to life and godliness are the effects of faith and nothing else: all learning, wisdom, and prudence fail, and every thing else as a means of salvation but faith.”
“this is the reason that the Former Day Saints knew more, and understood more of heaven, and of heavenly things than all others beside, because this information is the effect of faith-to be obtained by no other means. And this is the reason, that men, as soon as they lose their faith, run into strifes, contentions, darkness and difficulties; for the knowledge which tends to life disappears with faith, but returns when faith returns; for when faith comes, it brings its train of attendants with it–apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, &c. All these appear when faith appears on the earth, and disappear when it disappears from the earth. For these are the effects of faith and always have, and always will attend it.”
“For where faith is, there will the knowledge of God be also, with all things which pertain thereto revelations, visions, and dreams, as well as every other necessary thing in order that the possessors of faith may be perfected and obtain salvation”
Continuing on with the professor-
Professor: “Philosophy teaches us how to think“
Professor: “science teaches us how to think…”
Heaven forbid..
What can I say professor?
I think I’ll opt for the Holy Ghost as my teacher.
“The natural man is an enemy to God” we have been warned to not trust in arm of flesh.
The Lord has warned that his thoughts and ways are not the thoughts and ways of the natural man.
The following verses come to mind..
“Oh how great is the nothingness of man“!
“by faith ye are saved through grace“
“seek learning, even by study and by faith“
Back to the professor-
Professor: “Intellect is the only sure way to reason and think through things. ”
Professor: “reason is the way we come to knowledge… not the heart the mind“
What about this?
“..behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.”
Yes the heart and mind are very important but where is the source material coming from?
God tells us it is his word in the scriptures and the Holy Ghost.
Avoiding Deception
The scriptures give two ways to avoid deception.
One is to treasure up the word of God.
“And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived..“
The other is to take the Holy Ghost as one’s guide.
“For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived“
It is interesting how the key to avoiding deception is based on treasuring up the scriptures and taking the Holy Ghost as our guide.
I don’t see any emphasis on logic, reason, intellect, etc. in the above admonitions.
Those that become childlike and take the mystical road of faith, relying on the grace of God to obtain spiritual knowledge, will make it into the strait gate.
We need to refuse to get caught up in the intoxicatingly addicting journey of ego, relying on human logic, reason, intellect and science. That road doesn’t lead to the strait gate.
[Editorial Note: the BYP has since unleashed a whole new series extolling the exclusive significance of "empirical evidence" in determining what truth is.
In it, he notes that we have successfully discovered the physical world through the use of scientific instrumentation but nobody has discovered a higher reality with a reflective equilibrium.
He appears to use the term reflective equilibrium to refer to the secondary witness of the masses.
The implication being that if something is not backed up by reflective equilibrium it is not credible.
In other words, the testimony of Joseph and Sidney that they saw God, and the testimony of the three witnesses that they saw the gold plates is of no value because their testimonies are not backed up by the testimony of a huge group of people that share the same knowledge. It appears that he is still descending in his journey of understanding]
OK, my loving castigation of the Backyard Professor now comes to an end.
A New Approach to Apologetics?
Recently an LDS Apologist by the name of Terryl L. Givens wrote a public letter to everyone in the LDS church that is experiencing doubt.
Since I have not been an avid reader of LDS apologetics in the past, I don’t know if the article is typical or if it represents a change of direction that apologetics will be taking in Mormondom, in the future.
Instead of addressing a specific critic or critique regarding a specific topic, it seems to be a catch-all discussion that is addressed to all people within the church who are experiencing doubt, if not a crisis of faith.
Having given a brutal review of the Backyard Professors current diatribes, I thought it only fair to now showcase the thinking of one of his past colleagues, professor Terryl L. Givens, a Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond
The letter begins with-
“I understand that some doubts have arisen in your mind.”
He then goes forth throughout the letter explaining why one should continue to believe.
Interestingly, his opening statements never identify what specific issue is being doubted.
After reading the intro, we are left to wonder-
Is he addressing doubt that God exists?
doubt that Joseph Smith was a prophet?
doubt that the church was restored?
doubt that the Book of Mormon is true?
doubt that the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is the only true and living church on the face of the earth?
Obviously there are a huge number of other sub-issues that people struggle with as well.
His article appears to be addressing all doubts having to do with Mormonism and it provides one or two examples.
The article is very revealing because in the mind of an LDS Apologist and in the mind of most members of the church, it is an all or nothing proposition.
It is either all true or all false.
Here is the deductive reasoning that is typically assumed-
If Joseph was a true prophet, then the Book of Mormon and restored the church are true!
Therefore, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints as it currently exists, 182 years after it was formally organized and 181 years after God declared it to be his TRUE and LIVING Church, is still the only true church.
That is the deductive construct of Mormon thought, even among scholars who should know better.
By taking that assumptive approach, one can quickly dismiss countless historical and doctrinal problems.
Never mind the disruptive warnings of people like H. Verlan Andersen who warned-
“Religious history testifies that, with the single exception of the inhabitants of the City of Enoch, no people to whom the gospel has been given have remained faithful to their covenants for more than a few generations.
Time after time the Lord has established His Church among a group who have lived His commandments for a few years and then fallen away, thus bringing upon themselves His judgments.
This cycle of human folly which so many prophets have noted, has repeated itself with such consistent regularity that any group which finds itself to be the favored recipients of the gospel would do well to assume that their apostasy is certain, and the only question about it is how long it will take.”
Anyway, in his opening statements, Professor Givens admits that he doesn’t know what specific issues the reader might have but assures them that he has probably had them also if in fact he does not still share them with the reader-
” I don’t know for sure what they are, but I imagine I have heard them before. Probably I have entertained some of them in my own mind. And perhaps I still harbor some of them myself.”
I must say that the above declaration doesn’t make me feel like he is going to make some meaningful authoritative observations that will put my mind at ease, and yet, I kind of like this approach because it seems genuine, sincere, and humble.
It is a little more down to earth and self depreciating than the stance that many apologists have taken in the past when arguing with critics.
Of course, he is not responding to angry critics in this letter, just to members who have doubts.
I think his approach may get people to warm up and feel safe as he gets ready to respond to their doubts, even though no specific doubts have been identified.
He continues-
“I am not going to respond to them in the ways that you may have anticipated. Oh, I will say a few things about why many doubts felt by the previously faithful and faith-filled are ill-founded and misplaced: the result of poor teaching, naïve assumptions, cultural pressures, and outright false doctrines. But my main purpose in writing this letter is not to resolve the uncertainties and perplexities in your mind.”
Well now, that is pretty safe.
He is not going to address these doubts specifically in the traditional way that an apologist might have responded in the past.
He does, however, want to discount some of the doubts had by the previous “faithful” and “faith filled” members of the church who have experienced a crisis of faith and left the church.
He does this with the declaration that their doubts have probably been “ill-founded” and “naive assumptions” derived from “cultural pressures” and “false doctrines“.
Hmmm.
After disrespecting those who have lost faith and left the church, as having left the church because of “ill-founded doubts” and “naive assumptions” he is now going to give approval and dignity to those who currently struggle with the same doubts but remain in the Church.
He is going to empower his doubt suffering readers to even celebrate the doubts they struggle with-
“I want, rather, to endow them with the dignity and seriousness they deserve. And even to celebrate them..”
If doubts are being entertained by past members, they are of questionable origin.
On the other hand, doubts entertained by current members should be treated with dignity and even celebrated.
This incredibly ambiguous introduction acknowledges that-
1- the things being doubted by his readers are unknown to him
2- nevertheless, he mysteriously knows that he has had them himself
3- and he probably still has them
4- doubts are unfounded and without merit if they cause someone to leave the church because they are “naive assumptions” derived from “cultural pressures” and “false doctrines“.
5- nevertheless, the mysterious, unknown doubts are to be treated with dignity and celebrated if they are had by people that stay in the church..
I must confess that at this point in reading the letter, the rantings of the good Backyard professor are beginning to sound significantly more lucid and sane to me than the message being conveyed from the University of Richmond professor.
He next provides a hard hitting example of doubt and uses a little reverse psychology by briefly speaking about how the “greatest intellectual” of Mormonism (B H Roberts) got stumped on a Book of Mormon question pertaining to how the descendents of Lehi could have become fragmented into countless Indian languages in just 1,000 years.
“How [are we] to explain the immense diversity of Indian languages, if all are supposed to be relatively recent descendants of Lamanite origin?” To put the problem in simple terms, how, in the space of a mere thousand years or so, could the Hebrew of Lehi’s tribe have fragmented and morphed into every one of the hundreds of Indian languages of the Western Hemisphere, from Inuit to Iroquois to Shoshone to Patagonian? Languages just don’t mutate and multiply that quickly.”
He observes that “Roberts never found an answer to that question, and it troubled him the rest of his life. Some scholars think he lost his testimony of the truthfulness and antiquity of the Book of Mormon as a result of this and other doubts”
He then shares what the moral of the story is pertaining to crisis of faith that was had by the greatest intellect this church has produced:
“here is the lesson we should learn from this story. Roberts’s whole dilemma was born of a faulty assumption he imbibed wholesale, never questioning, never critically analyzing it—that Lehi arrived on an empty continent, and that his descendants alone eventually overran the hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to the Straits of Magellan. Nothing in the Book of Mormon suggests that Lehi’s colony expanded to fill the hemisphere.”
Being a rather simple minded mystic, I remain unconcerned with whether Lehi’s posterity filled the entire continent or a very small geographical area.
I am equally unconcerned about how the Indians came to have so many languages in just 1,000 years assuming they all come from Lehi.
I really just don’t want to assume anything beyond what we know from the BofM or modern revelation on the topic, which is not very much.
In the paper to those who doubt, he provides five false assumptions that often lead to “intellectual tension” and “spiritual turmoil”
Notice how spiritual turmoil in his mind is precipitated by intellectual tension.
Nuff said.
Don’t even get me started on the topic of intellect again.
The first of the five false assumptions that he enlightens us about is titled “The Prophetic Mantle” in which the false doctrine of infallibility is taken up by Givens.
He reveals that prophets are not literally infallible!
He then qualifies the statement by saying they are not fallible in the sense that they are subject to sharing personal opinions about doctrine that are not true.
He then interprets what Wilford Woodruff really meant when he said the Lord would never allow his leaders to ever lead the people astray with soul-destroying doctrines:
“When Pres. Woodruff said the Lord would never suffer his servants to lead the people astray, we can only reasonably interpret that statement to mean that the prophets will not teach us any soul-destroying doctrine—not that they will never err.”
I was a bit taken back with this enlightened reinterpretation of Woodruff’s declaration because I had never interpreted the statement otherwise.
Isn’t it pretty self evident that Joseph Smith and every other President of the Church had entertained personal opinions that were erroneous just like any other mortal?
Secondly, virtually everybody can clearly see that Woodruff was consoling people with the false doctrine that God will never allow his leaders to lead the people astray by teaching false doctrine.
The clarification by Givens, aside from pointing out the obvious, does nothing to explain why Woodruff would insult anybody’s intelligence by teaching such a false absurdity.
Brigham Young and his Adam-God Theory
Shockingly, Givens follows his clarification by giving perhaps the most blatant and sobering example of when a president of the Church did indeed teach a soul destroying doctrine.
The only possible reason Givens would have voluntarily chosen this example is because he knew that critics would bring it up if he didn’t.
Continuing with Givens paper. Givens points out that-
“President Kimball himself condemned Brigham Young’s Adam-God teachings as heresy…”
Yes, indeed Kimball and many other authorities condemned the heresy.
What kind of false doctrine can be more soul destroying than to teach a false concept of who God is?
The scriptures teach us over and over again how fundamentally important it is to know who and what God is.
Christ declared: ” And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
He has emphasized that we must understand what we worship in order to come unto the Father:
“I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.”
Lectures on Faith reminds us that we cannot be saved without gaining a knowledge of the true nature and character of God.
I could keep on going but everyone that might possibly make it this far through my post already knows how supremely important it is to know the true nature and character of God.
Apparently Givens doesn’t find anything soul destroying about teaching falsely about the nature and character of God.
We have the “prophet” of the Church, Brigham Young who is supposed to have an “eye witness testimony” of God, openly acknowledging that he has never seen God, and then he begins contradicting the scriptures and the words of Joseph Smith and teaching falsely about who and what God is.
I find that problematic.
Bother McConkie was apparently a little more passionate and concerned about the false teachings of Brigham Young than Professor Givens.
“Yes, President Young did teach that Adam was the father of our spirits, and all the related things that the cultists ascribe to him. This, however, is not true…. Yes, Brigham Young did say some things about God progressing in knowledge and understanding…
I think you can give me credit for having a knowledge of the quotations from Brigham Young relative to Adam, and of knowing what he taught under the subject that has become known as the Adam God Theory.
President Joseph Fielding Smith said that Brigham Young will have to make his own explanations on the points there involved. I think you can also give me credit for knowing what Brigham Young said about God progressing. And again, that is something he will have to account for.
This puts me in mind of Paul’s statement: “There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” (1 Cor. 11:19.) I do not know all of the providences of the Lord, but I do know that he permits false doctrine to be taught in and out of the Church and that such teaching is part of the sifting process of mortality.
We will be judged by what we believe among other things. If we believe false doctrine, we will be condemned. If that belief is on basic and fundamental things, it will lead us astray and we will lose our souls.
This is why Nephi said: “And all those who preach false doctrines, . . . wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!: (2 Ne. 28:15.) This clearly means that people who teach false doctrine in the fundamental and basic things will lose their souls.
The nature and kind of being that God is, is one of these fundamentals. I repeat: Brigham Young erred in some of his statements on the nature and kind of being that God is and as to the position of Adam in the plan of salvation..
If we choose to believe and teach the false portions of his doctrines, we are making an election that will damn us. “
McConkie makes several contradictory statements in the notorious letter he wrote to Eugene England about Brigham Young. He clearly stated that Brigham Young has some serious explaining to do with the Lord and then he softened his attach on Young by saying that Young contradicted himself, teaching truth as well as falsehood.
Realizing that relegating Young to hell for eternity would put the validity and efficacy of McConkie’s own priesthood and apostolic calling into question he finally suggests that Brig will come out alright after he faces the big guy and gets a few stripes for teaching a doctrine that will send those to hell that believe it.
The points McConkie made clear were that
1- teaching a false doctrine about the nature and character of God was a soul destroying act that would thrust someone into hell
2- That Brigham Young clearly taught false doctrines about the nature and character of God.
3- Those that believe and echo the false doctrines that Brigham Young taught will be damned.
4- Oddly enough, Brigham Young will probably not go to hell after sending people to hell with the false doctrine.
Clearly, even McConkine believed that teaching a falsity about the nature and character of God is a soul destroying doctrine. I would really be curious to hear an example of what Givens believes to be a soul destroying false doctrine!
At the end of the letter to those who doubt, Given’ quotes a non-Mormon philosopher and then extolls the virtues of almost, but not quite, piercing the veil-
“You see, it was in the midst of his perplexity, of his obstinate questions, uncertainties, misgivings, and shadowy recollections that almost but don’t quite pierce the veil, that he found the prompt, the agitation, the catalyst that spurred him from complacency to insight, from generic pleasures to revelatory illumination, from being a thing acted upon to being an actor in the quest for his spiritual identity.
I know I am grateful for a propensity to doubt because it gives me the capacity to freely believe.“
I am not quite sure how someone arrives at the conclusion that they almost pierced the veil, but I find it very fitting that almost piercing the veil is now a virtue to be sought, since not quite piercing the veil is what every president of the Church since Joseph Smith was very good at doing.
I wonder why God never spoke of the virtues of not quite piercing the veil?
“VERILY, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am“
And that acknowledgement is what blows my mind about LDS apologetics.
I can understand why the average member of the church does not comprehend the apostasy of the church because they only have a cursory and indoctrinated understanding of their religion.
They seldom read the scriptures, they get their interpretations of the scriptures from the official manuals, and they are spoon fed on the milk of the preparatory gospel and the sanitized history of the Church that the PTB decide to feed them.
Apologists on the other hand, drink deep into the scriptures and the history of the Church. They have seen the exact same scriptures and historical events that I am going to document and summarize at the end of this post. Yet they keep declaring that the king has on new clothes!
This is why I think that in many respects, the professor that left Mormonism is showing more personal integrity than the one that wrote the above mentioned letter of consolation.
The Craftiness of Men
The scriptures are quite clear that those who end up in a terrestrial glory are among those that “received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh“.
That would include those that almost pierce the veil.
Terrestrial souls are “honorable men” that are “blinded by the craftiness of men“.
In my opinion, herein lies the role of those that devise crafty diatribes using science, sophistry and social pressure to blind the eyes of honorable men as to what the true church and gospel really are.
My concern is that if people are convinced that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is the true and living church, they won’t be receptive to the real deal when the light shines forth.
Knowledge is Essential
With great typological implications, the Lord viewed the Latter day saints, and through the prophet Hosea, he warned that-
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me..’
Did not destruction come upon the early saints?
“destroyed” and “scattered” are terms used to describe what happened to the New Testament Jews
“..and this people shall be destroyed and scattered among all nations“
Is that not typological of what happened to the restoration saints?
Why were the saints cast out of Jackson, Kirtland Far West and Nauvoo?
Instead of being gathered as originally commanded, Latter day Saints can now be found scattered among all nations.
“..seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.“
Truly we forgot the law of the Gospel as contained in section 42.
Consecration was just to difficult.
Polygamy was too much of a temptation.
“As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.”
Have we not sinned against the Lord?
Has the glory of the initial years of the restoration been turned to shame?
Has the Lord not changed the glory of the early years of the restoration into a shameful history of a shameful people?
Why are we mocked by mainstream Christianity as a cult?
It is not because of our righteousness, it is because our religious rituals mock the God of the Bible.
Are we not worthy of their disdain?
Is our history of polygamous spiritual wifery not repulsive even to the morality of many non-Christians?
Yes there may have been a few unique situations anciently when Old Testament patriarchs decided to raise up seed however they were not introducing or endorsing a new marital system for future saints to live. The commandment of monogamy in the New Testament and modern revelation is beyond dispute.
Our history is beyond embarrassing when viewed in light of Biblical Christianity which was initially the foundation upon which the restoration took place!
Compare the state of the restored church in 1831 when the Lord testified that he was pleased with the true and living church, with how corrupt the church became and what the “saints” were doing a little over a decade later!
We have put on the robes and aprons of an apostate priesthood and swapped secret handshakes while swearing by our necks, just like the secret society that the Lord warned us about in section 38.
We are pathetic and shameful!
” and they set their heart on their iniquity.”
Clearly, knowledge is critical. But the type of knowledge that results in the destruction of God’s people is revealed in the rest of the passage-
“..because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.“
If people would obtain a knowledge of the LAW of God, and then obey it, they would not be spiritually destroyed and scattered.
Taking the Book of Mormon Hostage
Since the modern corporate restoration churches have essentially annexed the Book of Mormon into their religious domain, via copyright, marketing, and missionary work, many people discard it and refuse to take it seriously simply because of the apparent lake of spiritual gifts and putrefied fruits associated with it in the form of organized religion.
The Book of Mormon doesn’t need apologists making excuses for it, it truly stands on its own.. if someone sincerely reads it and rejects it based on its own merits, it is because the mystical seeds of light fell on barren ground.
Sadly, many people reject the Book of Mormon without reading it, or, without taking it seriously, because they assume the apostate church represents the fruits thereof.
If the Book of Mormon stood on its own without association with the modern Mormon Church, I believe it would be taken more seriously and accepted by many people who currently won’t even read it with real intent.
Although there are some discerning non-Mormons and even baptist and pentecostal preachers that believe it and preach out of it while discarding the obnoxious priestcraft of modern day church structure of Mormonism, they are the exception, not the rule.
Rejecting The Law
While Bearing a False Testimony
Since LDS apologists love to defend their religion, I am going to provide some criticism for them to defend.
My criticism in this final post of this particular series has to do primarily with two things.
The LAW that has been rejected (resulting in the cursing that followed)
and
The false TESTIMONY that is continuously given by members and apologists.
I challenge Professor Givens or any apologist to debunk my doctrinal and historical summary at the end of this post or demonstrate how the documentation I provide falls under the categories of being “ill-founded and misplaced, the result of poor teaching, naïve assumptions, cultural pressures, and outright false doctrines.
The Church is True?
One of the trademarks of Modern apostate Mormonism is the testimony that the Church is true.
This tradition of bearing testimony of the true church grew out of God’s testimony of the true church in section one of the D&C back in 1831.
I believe that the testimony that God gave of his only true and living church has been greatly misinterpreted and corrupted.
Furthermore, all of the testimonies given by Mormons that the Corporate church is the true and living church constitute the bearing of a false witness.
When the Lord God of Israel spoke through the prophet Malachi about false swearers in the latter days, this is very possibly the kind of false swearing he is speaking about.
Additionally, I believe that the law that God gave to latter day Israel was corrupted by the restored church as prophesied by ancient prophets.
I am therefore going to provide a brief chronology of what has taken place regarding the testimony and the law.
90%+ of my documentation will come from the word of God to his saints. A few interrelated historical events as documented from credible sources will also be included.
God Testifies of the True and Living Church
The very first testimony of the “only true and living church” in these latter days was given by God himself on November 1 1831. The passage reads thusly:
30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church,
***
AND
***
to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness,
***
THE ONLY TRUE AND LIVING CHURCH UPON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH
***
which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually— (section 1)
Again, the above passage of scripture is one of the most abused and misunderstood passages of scripture contained in modern revelation.
It is the foundational scripture that Mormons use to justify themselves every time they bear a false witness about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints being the only true and living church.
Interestingly, the term: “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints” is never even mentioned in scripture until nearly eight long, painful, rebellious years after God bore His testimony about the restored Church. He clearly was not referring to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in section one because it did not exist when that revelation was given.
When the restored Church was formally established in 1830 it was called the “Church of Christ” by revelation (20:1, 38 , 68, 70 , 71, 80, 81, 20:11, 42:78, 101:1, 102:12)
Shortly after the Melchizedek Priesthood and the office of High Priest were restored in June of 1831 the Lord began referring to those that had received the fulness of the priesthood as the “Church of God” (70:5, 10, 107:80) and the “Church of the Firstborn” (78:21)
In other words, shortly after the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored and God began calling men to become High Priests, there was an inner church that presided over the outer church.
The inner church were those that had received the FULNESS of the Gospel and the fulness of the Priesthood. One could argue that the two terms are synonymous.
The outer church was called the Church of Christ while those members of the Church of Christ that had been called to the fulness, were also called the Church of God, or, Church of the Firstborn.
Fulness of the Gospel
Modern revelation only makes specific mention of one person by name that had accepted the FULNESS of the Gospel.
It was William McClellin.
We know from circumstantial evidence that Joseph, Sidney and many other people had received the same fulness of the gospel, but only one person is specifically acknowledged by God in modern revelation as having received it and I believe this is so that it would be obvious to people what the fulness of the gospel entails and that it was ultimately rejected by those that received it.
By doing a keyword search on “fulness” AND “gospel”, we find the only example given in modern revelation of someone that received it.
The Lord makes this observation in section 66 on October 25 1831, shortly after William McClellin had been called and ordained to be a High Priest.
1 BEHOLD, thus saith the Lord unto my servant William E. McLellin—Blessed are you, inasmuch as you have turned away from your iniquities, and have received my truths, saith the Lord your Redeemer, the Savior of the world, even of as many as believe on my name. 2 Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old.
There were many elders who had been in the church longer than William and had done much more to build up the kingdom.
One such elder was Orson Hyde. Many of the elders like Orson Hyde must have wondered what the difference was between the priesthood and calling they had received from Peter James and John vs the priesthood William McLelling had received according to the voice of God out of heaven.
Interestingly, the Lord gave William and three others a revelation just one month after the Lord told McLellin that he was blessed for receiving the fulness of the Gospel. (Section 68)
In the revelation Orson Hyde, who had been made an elder but had NOT been called and ordained to be a High Priest yet, was told what the purpose of his specific priesthood and ordination was.
“MY servant, Orson Hyde, was called by his ordination to proclaim the everlasting gospel, by the Spirit of the living God, from people to people, and from land to land, in the congregations of the wicked, in their synagogues, reasoning with and expounding all scriptures unto them. 2 And, behold, and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth—“
As you can see, the patriarchal priesthood that was restored by Peter James and John, has the right to preach the “everlasting gospel“.
There are three different laws spoken of in section 88 and referred to in section 76:
Celestrial Law
Terrestrial Law
Telestrial Law
The term “everlasting gospel” is not categorically synonymous with the “fulness of the gospel“.
One needs to pay close attention to how these terms are used in the scriptures.
Context is everything.
Orson Hyde had received the everlasting Gospel and was ordained to proclaim the everlasting gospel but he had not personally received the EVERLASTING COVENANT, EVEN THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL like William McClellin had!
Eventually, Orson would receive the fulness of the priesthood by being called and ordained a High Priest.
Understanding the distinction between the two priesthoods and between the everlasting gospel vs the fulness of the gospel is critical.
This is why, after the first harvest, (after the 1440,000 High Priests that have received the fulness of the priesthood-gospel, have been caught up into the cloud) the apostle Peter will fly forth again in the midst of heaven having the “everlasting gospel” to preach unto the terrestrial souls and everyone else that has been left on the earth. (See Rev 14 also See August 8 1839 Discourse of JS where he reveals that the angel is Peter “Who are you? I am Peter, the angel flying through the midst of heaven”)
The portion of the everlasting gospel that Peter and his associates will preach at that time will contain terrestrial law.
Those of the first harvest receive the celestial law, or fulness of the Gospel contained in the everlasting gospel.
Those of the second harvest receive the terrestrial law contained in the everlasting gospel. These are they who “died without law” because they “received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it” and therefore must return to the earth to “be judged according to men in the flesh” (76:72-74, 88:99)
Sections 66 and 68
A male member of the Church receives the “Everlasting Covenant even the Fulness of the Gospel” by receiving the fulness of the Melchizedek priesthood that was restored at the Morley Farm in June of 1831 just like William McClellin and many others did.
“when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel”
We know that the fulness of the Gospel that William McClellin briefly embraced was lost from the earth because the Lord informs us in section 124 that the FULNESS of the priesthood was taken from the earth.
“For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood.“
William McClellin and everyone of the gentiles that briefly received the fulness of the priesthood (gospel) during Joseph’s ministry ultimately rejected it in fulfillment of the Saviors prophecy:
“At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth… I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.
And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them… I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel.“
Clearly this is what happened.
After the Gentiles rejected the fulness of the Gospel (priesthood) the Lord came to his temple in secret and gave the keys of the gospel of Abraham to Joseph and Oliver.
Joseph was informed that “something else must be done for the salvation of the church“
Shortly thereafter, the elders of the condemned and downgraded church took the scriptures containing the KNOWLEDGE of the fulness of the Gospel to the house of Israel scattered in the earth.
The good news is that the last part of the Saviors prophecy informs us that
“But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.“
As discussed in other posts, those who brought forth the Book of Mormon and the revelations contained in the Book of Commandments will return and repent and fulfill their callings.
Getting back to the chronology pertaining to the rejection of the law and the false testimony about the modern church being the same one spoken of by God in sections one-
When the Church of Christ was formally organized in April of 1830 God did not identify it as the TRUE and LIVING Church.
This is because the newly established body of Christ had not had any time to prove they would be true or to manifest the gifts of the spirit that should be present in the church.
This is also because the fulness of the priesthood had not been restored and all of the spiritual fruit (gifts of the spirit) had not been manifested. It had not yet become a LIVING church manifesting all of the fruits thereof.
The reason God waited until 18 months after the formal organization of the church of Christ, to testify that His restored Church was the only true and living church on the face of the earth is because the FULNESS of the priesthood and the inner Church of God, needed to be restored in June of 1831 BEFORE the FULNESS of the Gospel could actually be received by members of the Church of Christ.
Those who have received the “EVERLASTING COVENANT EVEN THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL” by receiving the FULNESS of the PRIESTHOOD, were now members of the only TRUE and LIVINGChurch of GOD.
Here is a listing of the manifestations of the spirit that began to take place beginning with the restoration of priesthood at the Morley Farm according to the testimony of Lyman Wight:
“On the 4th of June 1831, a conference was held at Kirtland, <Ohio> represented by all the above mamed [named] branches; Joseph Smith our modern Prophet presided; and here I again saw the visible manifestations of the power of God as plain as could have been on the day of Pentecost and here for the first time I saw the Melchizedek priesthood introduced into the church of Jesus Christ as anciently; whereunto I was ordained under the hands of Joseph Smith, and I then ordainded Joseph and Sidney and sixteen others such as he chose unto the same priesthood. The spirit of God was made manifest to the heeling of the sick, casting out devils, speaking in unknown tongues, discerning of spirits, and prophesying with mighty power, After the two days the conference broke up receiving the revelation which appointed 28 elders their Mission to Missouri”
1- Healing of the Sick
2- Casting out Devils
3- Speaking in Unknown Tongues
4- Discerning of Spirits
5- Prophesying in Might Power
These spiritual manifestations represent the LIVING aspect of the TRUE and LIVING CHURCH that God was referring to in section one.
The truth is that the true Church of Christ began to come forth out of the wilderness of darkness with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and that restoration of the Aaronic and patriarchal priesthoods that were restored to the earth by angels.
However the Church did not become the TRUE and LIVING Church until the Fulness of the priesthood was restored by the voice of God out of heaven which was followed by the manifestation of the spiritual gifts that Lyman Wight listed.
As prophesied by the Savior, the TRUE and LIVING Church quickly went back into the wilderness of darkness within just a few years after it was offered to the gentiles.
Modern revelation informs us that the true and living church will come forth out of the wilderness of darkness again at a future time. (109:73)
Once a person understands that the fourteen year ministry of the prophet Joseph Smith had to do primarily with laying the FOUNDATION (1:30 18:4, 21:2, 64:33, 101:47) of a future marvelous work (4:1, 6:1, 8:8, 10:61, 11:1, 12:1, 14:1, 38:33, 64:33 ) and they learn about the doctrine of the three watches and how to use these interpretive keys in reading scripture, it becomes apparent that the testimony God gives of His true and living church was emphasizing the following four points:
1- The “foundation” of the restored church had been laid by the time this revelation was given and it needed to include the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
2- The “true and living church” would eventually come forth out of “obscurity and darkness” at a later time in the 3rd watch.
3- In order for God to be pleased with his church it needs to be both TRUE and FAITHFUL to the COMMANDMENTS and LIVING the LAW and MANIFESTING the SPIRITUAL FRUITS
4- When the true and living church does come forth out of obscurity and darkness, the Lord will be pleased with the church collectively, not necessarily with every individual member.
“Out of Obscurity and Darkness”
One of reasons God uses specific, unique phrases in different books of scriptures is so that those who search the scriptures can get the full cryptic meaning of scriptures that are otherwise sealed to those that don’t search.
There are only a handful of places the terms “obscurity” and “darkness” are used together in scripture, but they provide the key to understanding what God was revealing about WHEN the true and living church would come forth for the last time.
Isaiah 29
One can learn about the designated time when the church comes forth out of “obscurity and darkness” in a prophecy given in Isaiah 29.
From this prophecy we find that it comes forth at the time that the “terrible one is brought to nought and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for iniquity are cut off“.
It is also when “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. 23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. 24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.“
1 Nephi 22
Providing a second explanation of the time when the church comes forth out of obscurity and darkness is 1st Nephi 22 which also describes the events that pertain to when the true and living church comes forth out of “Obscurity and Darkness“
According to the Book of Mormon, the designated time is when the Lord God proceeds to make bare his arm in the eyes of all nations, and brings the house of Israel, who have been scattered upon all the face of the earth among all nations, out of captivity and gathers them to their lands of inheritance in North America.
That did not take place during the time of the restoration movement. It has not taken place to date.
We live during the time when the KNOWLEDGE of the Gospel, in written form, without power, is being offered to all the children of Abraham.
At best, it might be described as the preparatory gospel.
The Gentiles will be the STANDARD
The “first laborers of the last kingdom” who are the authentic Gentiles mentioned in scripture, that are to be the “set… up for a standard” when the “marvelous work” finally begins, have not yet returned and been set up as a light to the world.
As you can see, the passage of scripture in section one was primarily referring to the future coming forth of the true and living church.
Nevertheless, we are going to assume that the true and living church did briefly come out at the time the revelation was given, typological to the time the passage has literal reference to.
Continuing on with the chronological sequence of events having to do with God’s restored church-
The restored Church was coming forth out of the wilderness by March of 1829 (section 5).
Everyone that “repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.. whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.” (section 10)
Following that, the Church of Christ was legally organized in April 1830.
The restored Church of Christ was given the LAW of God as contained in section 42 on February of 1831. Please read this section very carefully. This section along with section 20 were the foundational revelations upon which the church was built and upon which missionary work was conducted.
Contained within the law of the Gospel in section 42 is the law of consecration and the law of monogamy.
The Bond and Covenant of Consecration Established 1832
On April 26th 1832 (section 82) the Lord acknowledge that “all of you have sinned” and that “none doeth good, for all have gone out of the way..”.
In other words, the saints had failed to repent and to live the law of the gospel. This ominous declaration was given just six months after God bore witness about being pleased with his true and living church.
He then said, “I the Lord will not lay any sin to your charge, go your ways and sin no more..“.
With that acknowledgement of forgiveness he proclaimed “..but unto the soul that sinneth shall the former sins return“.
In compliance with the law of the gospel contained in section 42, He then commanded nine men to be “bound together by a bond and covenant that cannot be broken by transgression except judgment shall immediately follow in your several stewardships“
The purpose of these stewardships was to “manage the affairs of the poor, and all things pertaining to the bishopric both in the land of Zion and in the land of Kirtland“.
This was the official beginning of living the law of consecration in Kirtland and Zion, with an organized Bishopric officiating over a storehouse.
The Lord had established the governing body, or presiding Bishopric, of the law of consecration that is mandated by Gospel LAW and it was to be “an everlasting order“.
Some of these nine men were from the land of Zion while some of them were living in Kirtland, the Jerusalem of North America.
A Bishop was established in both Kirtland (Jerusalem) and Jackson (the “Land of Zion)
The Church is Pronounced Condemned in 1832
Five months later the the Lord declared that “..vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation and this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.”
“they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the NEW COVENANT” as it is contained in the Book of Mormon and the previous revelations.
The following declaration is rather cryptic.
“I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment..“
What commandment?
“..that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you.“
“THEREFORE, GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD; AND UNTO WHATSOEVER PLACE YE CANNOT GO YE SHALL SEND, THAT THE TESTIMONY MAY GO FROM YOU INTO ALL THE WORLD UNTO EVERY CREATURE“
This cryptic commandment for Joseph Smith and his brethren to cover the earth in missionary work and take the gospel to EVERY CREATURE in ALL THE WORLD was also made to the New Testament Apostles of Christ and to the Book of Mormon Disciples of Christ. (Mark 16:15 Morm 9:22, 68:8, 84:62, 112:28)
History confirms that all three sets of apostolic witnesses from the New Testament, Book of Mormon and LDS restoration movement have not yet fulfilled the mandate from God to go into all the world and take the gospel to EVERY CREATURE but the truth is that the cryptic commandment is to be fulfilled in the end times when all things are RESTORED. All three sets of apostolic witnesses and many others will return and fulfill their callings. God’s unconditional mandate will not return void.
God commanded the faithful elders from all three groups to go into all the world and preach the gospel to EVERY CREATURE.
He then gives numerous unconditional prophecies verifying that these servants will verily obey his command.
Hence, they will return to the earth to complete their assignments.
After the first harvest when the elect have been “caught up” in the clouds, Peter will once again fly in the midst of heaven and be joined with James and unite with John the Revelator who has been tarrying. These three will join with others to begin the taking of the “everlasting gospel” to the terrestrial inhabitants of the earth in every nation, kindred tongue and people (Rev 14)
The mortal terrestrial men who are “on earth” (as opposed to those that are quickened and “caught up” to mount Zion), are those that did not receive a testimony of Christ prior to the catching up of the elect.
Back to the brief chronology of the first few years of the restoration movement-
As you can see, God was not necessarily forgiving the leaders of the LDS restoration of their sins at that time.
He was not commanding the leading elders of the church to go into all the world to bear testimony for the last time, AT THAT TIME!
The history of the church verifies that Joseph, Sidney and the leading elders of the church did not go into all the world to testify to every creature at that time.
The Lord was cryptically stating that when the time comes, four generations later, in the 3rd watch, when He commands his servants to go forth for the last time, THAT IS WHEN THEY WILL BE FORGIVEN WITH THE COMMANDMENT AND AT THAT TIME THEY GO FORTH IN ALL THE WORLD TO EVERY CREATURE!
It is at the time when the first elders of the last kingdom return to the earth to go forth for the last time that-
“I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment..“
The fact that the Lord was not sending them forth for the last time, at that time, is clearly elaborated three months later in section 88 when the Lord proclaims that the “first laborers of the last kingdom” will be called forth at a later time-
“..when I shall send you AGAIN to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you….
..therefore, tarry ye, and labor diligently, that you may be perfected in your ministry to go forth among the Gentiles for the LAST TIME…
to bind up the law and seal up the testimony and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come. That their should may escape the wrath of God..“
Realizing that the final ministry of Joseph and his brethren is to be in a future time, there is still hope, despite the fact that the condemnation of the church was never lifted and the church was finally rejected as a church with their dead.
Covenant of Consecration Proclaimed Broken in 1834
Indeed, two years after establishing the Bishopric on April 26th 1832, and warning the nine men that if the covenant was broken by transgression that judgment would follow, on April 23rd 1834, the Lord declared that the covenant had been broken:
“In as much as some of my servants have not kept the commandment, but have broken the covenant through covetousness, and with feigned words, I have cursed them wit a very sore and grievous curse“.
After acknowledging that “the covenants [had been] broken through transgression, by covetousness and feigned words- therefore you are dissolved as a united order..“
The stewardships of the nine individuals that were bound together in an eternal covenant were dissolved within about 2 years.
This was done that “the innocent among you may not be condemned with the unjust” when the time of restoration comes.
The Name of Christ Taken Out of the Name of the Church
Within about ten days after the covenants of consecration had been broken through transgression, a conference of the church was held for the purpose of changing the name of the Church to the “Church of the Latter day Saints”.’
During a conference held on May 3, 1834, with Joseph Smith acting as moderator, “a motion was made by Sidney Rigdon, and seconded by Newel K. Whitney, that this Church be known hereafter by the name of ‘The Church of the Latter-day Saints.’ Remarks were made by the members, after which the motion passed by unanimous vote” (History of the Church 2:62-63). er, p. 73).
The act of taking the name of Christ out of the name of the Church appears to have been the result of taking the Book of Mormon and modern revelations lightly and perhaps more importantly, the result of having collectively broken the law of consecration.
The Church had not been faithful and true to its covenants.
It was no longer the TRUE and LIVING Church.
It is amazing that over 95% of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints don’t even know that the name of Christ was taken out of the name of the Church as soon as the saints failed in their attempt at consecration in 1834!
He is in essence saying that Joseph, Sidney and Newel did not receive a revelation for the action they took and were uninspired in taking the name of Christ out of the name of the Church.
Tvedtnes goes on to say:
“Significantly, when the Lord finally did speak in 1838, it was the name he gave the church that became official and has remained so ever since. “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (D&C 115:4).
Tvedtnes wants us to believe that the Lord allowed the leaders of the church to make a very serious mistake in taking the name of Christ out of the church He would have us believe that the Lord waits four years before getting around to correcting the problem.
The next problem with the Tvedtnes response is that section 115 is actually a prophecy stating that in the last days, at the time spoken of in Isaiah 60, the name of the saints that are not gathered will be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. (see the cross reference in the footnote for verse 5)
It does appear that the saints adopted extended name that included the name of Christ at that time, but it does not appear to be justified by section 115, since that revelation was a prophecy about a future time.
Shockingly, Tvedtnes downplays the name change in 1834 by saying that by calling the church “The Church of the Latter day Saints” they were “employing a name nearly identical to the one used today.“
Imagine that. Despite what the Book of Mormon says about the importance of Christ’s Church being called by his name, Tvedtnes considers the name of Christ top be an insignificant aspect of the name of Christ’s Church.
Comparing the two names below, he finds them to be “nearly identical”.
“The Church of the Latter day Saints“
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints“
Nearly identical??????
Perhaps more obvious than the fact that 115 was not about changing the name of the church at the time the revelation was given, is the fact that the saints had done nothing significant to alter their standing before God since the name change of the church back in 1834.
To further show that the leaders of the restored church were very deliberate in the name change that they made, compare the name of the Church as printed on the 1833 Book of Commandments with the name of the Church printed on the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants.
1833 Book of Commandments
“Church of Christ”
1835 Doctrine and Covenants
“Church of the Latter day Saints”
Notice also the name of the “Church of the Latter day Saints” on the front of the Kirtland Temple built in 1834
Despite the fact that LDS apologists have tried to minimize the significance of the name change and have implied that it was not done by revelation, their argument smacks of cognitive dissonance.
If the leading brethren were not commanded by God to take the name of Christ out of His Church, and were in error to do so, would that not support the unavoidable conclusion that the Church was in a severe state of apostasy?
Perhaps this is the clincher; when being inspired to craft the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, Joseph and his brethren included the following petition to the Lord that He would reinstatement of the name of Christ within the dedicatory prayer in the Kirtland Temple
“O hear, O hear, O hear us, O Lord! And answer these petitions, and accept the dedication of this house unto thee, the work of our hands, which we have built unto thy name; And also this church, to put upon it thy name“
Joseph, Sidney and other leaders clearly knew what they were doing when the took the name of Christ out of the church and they passionately wanted God’s endorsement for them to restore the name of Christ back into the name of the Church.
Notice how Christ acknowledges and endorses the use of his name in the name of the Church in section 21 given in 1830
“This being an ordinance unto you, that you are an elder under his hand, he being the first unto you, that you might be an elder unto this church of Christ, bearing my name—“
Yet in section 101, given in December of 1833, shortly after Joseph Smith is rebuked by the Lord for not keeping the commandments, He declares that the saints who are not by that time willing to hearken to his voice, “call themselves by his name“.
The emphasis has changed from God calling the saints after the name of Christ to the rebellious saints calling themselves after the name of Christ-
“There is even now already in store sufficient, yea, even an abundance, to redeem Zion, and establish her waste places, no more to be thrown down, were the churches, who call themselves after my name, willing to hearken to my voice.“
The Hope of Zion Delayed
On June 22,1834, (section 105-Zions Camp) just two months after declaring that the covenant of consecration had been broken, the Lord declared that “in consequence of the transgression of my people, it is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion… let those commandments which I have given concerning Zion and her law be executed and fulfilled, after her redemption“
Clearly, the window of time for the establishment of Zion had closed in that generation because of the transgression of the saints, the breaking of the covenant and the rejection of the fulness of the gospel.
The redemption of Zion must wait for the 3rd watch when the Father will do his own work and return with his servants and make his 3rd mystical appearance in the vineyard.
In section 88 the Lord had admonished the saints to “call upon me while I am near—” (88:62) echoing the words of the Lord in Isaiah “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isah 55:6)
The fact that the saints had lost out on the opportunity to establish Zion and live consecration did not change the fact that the Lord had said, “if ye are not ONE ye are not mine“.
Clearly, the true and living church that God had testified of in section one of the Doctrine and Covenants had fled back into the wilderness of darkness along with the spiritual fruits that Lyman Wight had testified of.
Since the Saints had failed to be faithful and true and since they had broken the covenant, they were no longer allowed to be called by Christ’s name.
This necessitated changing the name of the church because it was a fallen, condemned church.
Let me summarize the following sequence of events and declarations of the Lord
March of 1829 (section 5) The Church is beginning to come forth out of wilderness
March of 1829 (section 5 Original Revelation) Lord warns that He will deliver this generation over to Satan if they harden their hearts
April 6 1830 The restored Church is formally organized as the Church of Christ
October 1830 (Section 33) Church has been establish and called forth out of wilderness
January 2, 1831. (Section 38) Saints commanded to go to Ohio to get the Law
February of 1831 (Section 42) The Law of the Gospel is Given
June 1831 Fulness of Priesthood and Gospel Restored at Morley Farm
October 25 1831- section 66 Declaration that the Fulness of the Gospel had been received by William McClellin
November 1 1831 Christ declares that the Church with the fulness of Melchizedek Priesthood is the “True and Living Church” and that it will come forth again out of obscurity and darkness
April 26th 1832 (section 82) Leading High Priests Bound by Covenant to administer Consecration
September 22-23 1832 (Section 84) the Church is under condemnation for taking BofM and revelations lightly.
May 6 1833 (Section 93) “And now, verily I say unto Joseph Smith, Jun.—You have not kept the commandments, and must needs stand rebuked before the Lord“
December 1833 (Section 101) “were the churches, who call themselves after my name, willing to hearken to my voice.“
April 23rd 1834 (Section 104) “the covenants [had been] broken through transgression
May 3, 1834 (HC 2:62-63) Conference of the Church officially removes the name of Christ from the name of the Church and Changes name to “Church of the Latter day Saints”
June 22,1834 (Section 105) Because of Transgression-Zion and her laws must wait for little season
December 5th 1834 (UnPub Rev Pg 73) Condemnation upon leaders and members of the Church. There must be a reformation in ALL THINGS.
March 27 1836 (Section 109) Prophecy that the Church to come forth out of wilderness at later time
April 3 1836 The Lord secretly comes to his temple with a curse to judgment and restores keys to dispensation of Gospel of Abraham instead of dispensation of the fulness of times (See Oliver’s Secret)
June 1837 (HC 2:489) God revealed to me that something new must be done for the salvation of His Church
July 23 1837 (Section 112) “Darkness covers the whole earth and gross darkness the minds of the people, and ALL FLESH HAS BECOME CORRUPT BEFORE MY FACE“
April 26 1838 (Section 115) This is a prophecy of what will happen when the events described in Isaiah 60 take place. (not necessarily the re-institution of the name of Christ into the name of the church)
July 8 1838 (Section 117) Oliver Granger is to pray for the REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST PRESIDENCY ( Definition of Redemption: the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God’s violated law by the atonement of Christ.)
Although the above summary is not conclusive, it provides the major details of how the latter day apostasy had taken place prior to and resulting in the act of taking the name of Christ out of the Church in 1834.
Following that, darkness covered the earth and all flesh became corrupt, even those who had been sanctified.
Finally, after relocating to Nauvoo, the Lord gives the following five warnings in section 124
1- The Fulness of the Priesthood (Gospel) had been lost (124:28)
2- If Saints were not obedient they would be moved out of Nauvoo (124:45-46)
3- They were practicing abominations before the Lord (124:48)
4- Anything more or less than what is contained in The Book of Mormon and the 1835 D&C cometh of Evil (124:119-120)
5- If the Temple was not finished in the sufficient time Church Rejected with their dead (124:31-32)
I believe the summary of events that I have provided are clear and indisputable. They cannot be classified as being ill-founded, misplaced, naive assumptions or false doctrines.
Let me simply end this post and this series by stating I am not an eye witness to anything of significance and therefore cannot provide a valid testimony such as the one that Joseph and Sidney provided (D&C 76:22)
I believe that anyone that has not seen Christ cannot bear a valid testimony of him per the definition given in the scriptures. (D&C 76:22)
Those who testify that the modern, corporate, apostate church is the true and living church of Christ are either ignorant of the facts or intentionally deceiving people.
I do however, firmly believe that the restored gospel is true even though the current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not the TRUE and LIVING Church that God testified of on section one of the Doctrine and Covenants.
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PS
It is not my intent to encourage anyone to leave the corporate church or to stay in it.
It is none of my business how people choose to conduct their lives and who they choose to associate with.
I am simply interested in making sure that people have the opportunity to know what the true and living church looks like so that they will recognize it when it comes forth out of the wilderness of darkness.
The point is this-
No matter how much lipstick you put on a pig, it is still a pig.
Although many representations are made to make the modern church appear to be the same TRUE and LIVING CHURCH that came forth out of the wilderness of darkness and was testified of by God in 1831, in my opinion, based on the word of God and the history of the church, it clearly is not because they don’t keep the law and they don’t have the associated fruits that make the church a living church.
The Bride has not been true to the groom and is therefore not currently a true and faithful church.
The Bride is not the LIVING manifestation and does not show forth the spiritual gifts that accompany the true and living church.
What I believe is not really important.
Everyone should prayerfully study these issues for themselves.
I am simply sharing my research and my interpretations but the only things that people should concern themselves with is the verifiable information from the holy word of God and credible historical sources that are compatible with the historical sequence of events that are so apparent in the scriptures.
I do not believe we have been TRUE
We Latter day Saints have not been TRUE to the bridegroom.
We have not been faithful to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
I believe the prophecies in the scriptures divide apostate Christianity into three groups in the last days-
1- The Whore
2- The Harlots that sprang forth from the Whore
3- The unfaithful wife
Any Catholics, Protestants or Mormons that think they are living the fulness of the Gospel and not under condemnation are greatly deceived.
If we Mormons have any consolation, it is that prophecy declares that at the appointed time, the unfaithful wife, (the wise virgins that were on their way to the marriage) will awake, repent, and have oil in their lamps.
I don’t believe we are the LIVING embodiment of the Gospel
We are not the LIVING manifestation of the Gospel nor do we bear the fruits thereof.
There are no members of that church that are currently LIVING the fulness of the Gospel with the fulness of the Priesthood.
Hence, I do not believe we are the TRUE and LIVING Church spoken of in Section 1:30
There are many active members of the church that know that their are serious problems with the church.
They are aware of some of the false doctrines it teaches.
They are aware of the false ordinances.
They are aware that the full gifts of the spirit that are always associated with the true and living church are not present.
Nevertheless, they choose to remain active members of the church for a host of reasons.
Some believe that we are still the true and living church despite all of the problems they see and all of the information provided in my posts.
Others know that we are not the TRUE and LIVING Church and that we are in a condemned state of apostasy, having been rejected as a church with our dead HOWEVER they still find value in participation for the following reasons-
Some realize the importance of community.
Some don’t feel it is necessary to disrupt family and business relationships until the time of the calling out.
Some want to be associated with other believers in the Book of Mormon, modern revelation and the restoration movement until the time of the mystical calling out.
Some feel that the morals of the church represent a higher standard than those of the world and they want their children to associate with kids of higher moral standards.
Some know that they will be of greater service to their fellowman if they remain in the church where they are given assignments to be of service to others as home teachers, visiting teachers, etc.
Some feel it is important to support that only church organization that is seriously attempting to take the Book of Mormon to the world.
Some feel that there are remnants of patriarchal priesthood offices and responsibilities that are exclusively in the Mormon church handed down from the 12 apostles, for administering the preparatory gospel and preparing people for the fulness.
Some people stay in the church because Hugh Nibley or Avraham Gileadi or Denver Snuffer or their bishop or some other well meaning person told them it is the true church.
Again, it is not my intent to try to influence anyone as to what purpose the LDS church should have in their lives.
That decision is a very personal, prayerful one that each person needs to make for themselves while taking many factors into consideration.
I suspect that visitors to this blog are confused from time to time to see a few of the recommended blogs on my side panel.
Few if any of them would agree with the doctrine of the three watches and most of the other stuff I write about.
The thing you need to realize about me is that I don’t need someone to agree with me in order to learn from them and appreciate the talents and callings God has given them.
Ann Barnhart the crazy militant Catholic girl is someone that I have very little in common with religiously, but I admire so many things about her. It is worth a perusal to see what issues she is passionate about and to provide a backdrop for some issues worth pondering.
Dan Mead at weeping for Zion is absolutely incredible in the depth of his spiritual understanding of Isaiah and John and virtually any passages of scripture that he pontificates on.
Dan doesn’t seem to agree with me that Joseph is one of the primary servants coming back to redeem Zion but that doesn’t bother me,
why?
Because he has produced a credible scenario of his own using the word of God.
That’s all I ask.
People that reject stuff because they “feel” a certain way make me crazy, but people like Dan that drink deep in the scriptures and have a rational belief system based on the Word of God, are a breath of fresh air to me and they are well worth listening to.
He has been on fire lately with his series on John… well worth reading.
I am not sure that Spek over at Justandtrue and I have ever agreed on anything beyond the need for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, and yet, he, like Dan, can explain why he feels the way he does from the word of God.
That is all I ask.
His primary calling seems to be to emphasis the need for the spiritual rebirth.
What greater focus can one have?
Rock over at PureMormonism doesn’t even return my emails. That is how sufficiently I have pissed him off. I suspect it is over the polygamy issue and his belief that Joseph never taught it, which I think he is wrong about.
But that doesn’t change the fact that he is one of the most entertaining and thought provoking LDS researchers and bloggers on the internet.
If the five of us were put in a padded room without food and water and told that we needed to find three things of substance, relating to the gospel, that we agreed on before we could be released, we would probably scratch each others eyes out before starving to death.
So… what is my point?
My point is that one does not need to agree with someone else to be able to learn from them..
..and that, until the time comes when we experience that long awaited “unity of the faith”…
[Editorial Note: I am currently doing a series on another Forum titled "Exploring the Secret History of the Church"..I plan on documenting about 20 or 30 interesting historical events that most members of the Church are unfamiliar with... hence they are, in a sense, "secret historical events".
I have chosen that forum because it is frequented primarily by two opposing groups of people:
A) those who have rejected the restored gospel
AND
B) those that do believe it, but don't believe that Joseph Smith ever did anything seriously wrong that caused the saints to stumble at the LAW.
Historical event #1 has to do with the fact that Joseph and Oliver kept the event documented in section 110 a secret from the saints during their lives although they left a written account for future generations to have.
In this follow up to that topic I am pointing out that the primary reasons that Joseph and Oliver were commanded to keep the visitations secret have to do with:
A) A cursing that was pronounced on the saints,
B) The secret ushering in of the ancient, preparatory gospel of Abraham, even the covenant God made with Abraham, and
C) The sin of treachery that Joseph committed against the wife of his youth..
Since the explanation and associated documentation is rather long, I am posting it here.
To follow along and see other events that will be listed on that forum, click here ]
OK
For years I have made statements on my blog implying that section 110 contains a mysterious and ominous message of doom involving a curse, even though the Lord informs Joseph and Oliver that:
“Your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me lift up your heads and rejoice. Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to my name. For behold, I have accepted this house and my name shall be here and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house…”
While it is certainly good news that their sins are forgiven, it is also curious news.
Why?
Because three years earlier in section 88 the Lord had already announced that their sins had been forgiven. In that revelation the Lord told Joseph, Oliver and others that their names had been recorded in the book of the sanctified and that they were receiving another comforter which is the promise of eternal life:
” Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world.
Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.
This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom” (Section 88)
Clearly, Joseph and Oliver had been forgiven of their sins back at the time of section 88.
The forgiveness of Joseph and Oliver’s sins was yesterdays news.
Why was it being announced again behind the veil in 1836 as something they should now rejoice in, as if the remission of their sins was something that had just taken place?
I think the obvious answer is that they had sinned sometime after their names had been enrolled in the book of the sanctified.
My contention is backed up by a revelation Joseph received on December 5th 1834:
“Verily, condemnation resteth upon you who are appointed to lead my Church and to be saviors of men and also upon the Church; And there needs to be a repentance and a reformation among you, in all things…“
Clearly, Joseph, Oliver and the whole church fell into a condemned state following the entry of their names into the Book of the Sanctified.
The fact that the Lord is now declaring that Joseph and Olivers sins are forgiven is promising but it begs the question, what was the problem? What were the primary sins that had caused them to stumble and why were they being forgiven at that time behind the veil?
Further, why did the Lord not acknowledge that the leaders sitting on the other side of the veil had been forgiven?
Regarding sins that Joseph and Oliver had become entangled in prior to their veil experience, in the case of Joseph Smith, there is strong evidence to suggest that there was some type of serious sin that Joseph Smith had been involved in.
Joseph may have been involved in an affair with a gal named Fanny Alger…
More on this later.
Another observation is that the saints had been promised that all of the pure in heart would “see the face of God” and they were anticipating the endowment of “power from on high“. All of this was to take place in the solemn assembly, one week prior to Joseph and Oliver’s veil experience but it had failed to happen.
Furthermore, the saints were anticipating the “dispensation of the fulness of times” to be ushered in during this time and yet, the dispensation that is secretly ushered in behind the veil was the “dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham“.
“…Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.”
Joseph and Oliver Commanded to Keep Section 110 Secret
As previously pointed out, it seems strange that God would usher in a dispensation of an ancient, preparatory gospel, and command Joseph and Oliver to not reveal it publicly.
They were to only document it in a journal for the saints to discover after the martyrdom.
Brigham Young and his brethren must have been shocked and confused to find this secret revelation containing a brief summary of what took place behind the veil when they obtained the journal having this account documented in it.
They must have been baffled at the fact that an ancient dispensation had been restored to the earth and yet, the Lord apparently didn’t want the church membership to know about it during the Kirtland and Nauvoo eras!
It is really difficult to find any official, authoritative and detailed statements from the modern church leaders explaining and clarifying just exactly what the “gospel of Abraham” even is, let alone, a documented reason why it needed to be restored to the earth in 1836..
Many LDS manuals and publications insinuate that as part of the dispensation of the fulness of times, all previous dispensations need to be restored and gathered into it.
On a BYU website, author Joel A. Flake states:
On April 3, 1836, the keys of the “dispensation of the gospel of Abraham” were committed to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple as part of the restoration of all things in the dispensation of the fulness of times (D&C 110:12).
The problem with this teaching is that the dispensation of the fulness of times had not yet been restored in 1836!
Several years after the vision behind the veil in 1836, while incarcerated in jail in 1842, Joseph Smith would acknowledge that the dispensation of the fulness of times was, at that time, just beginning to usher in:
“…for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time…”
In the above passage, Joseph was acknowledging that the dispensation of the fulness of times had not been ushered in yet. It was just beginning to be ushered in six years after section 110!!
He was speaking about things that needed to be revealed in the future, not about things that had been revealed and ushered in, in the past.
Clearly the Dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham was not being ushered in as part of the “restoration of all things in the dispensation of the fulness of times“, because the fulness of times had not begun.
In previous posts I have provided historical and scriptural documentation to show that the dispensation of the fulness of times that Joseph was still attempting to usher in, in 1842, was never ushered in.
There are only two possible reasons why the general authorities of the church generally remain quiet regarding the true meaning of the term “gospel of Abraham” in section 110
One would be because they don’t know what the Gospel of Abraham is, why it was ushered in, and what section 110 is speaking about.
The other possibility is that…. they do.
Sadly, the dispensation of the fulness of times was never ushered in during Joseph’s life time. Instead, the saints got downgraded to an ancient dispensation pertaining to the preparatory gospel.
Isaiah speaks prophetically about the restoration of the gospel of Abraham in Isaiah 48 and declares that the apostate saints of the latter days are “suddenly” given the declaration of “former things” because they are “obstinate“.
He then reveals that the Lord will defer his anger in the latter days just as he did anciently when Israel rejected the law:
“Nevertheless, for my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off.”
The deferring of God’s anger through an intercessory act is another rabbit hole and another secret historical topic that is intricately interrelated with this topic which will hopefully be discussed again in more detail at another time.
The dispensation of the fulness of times had been predicated on the restoration of the fulness of the priesthood which had been lost and the completion of the Nauvoo Temple by the appointed time. (section 124)
For a detailed analysis of Isaish 48 see the following post:
“Behold, I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly.”
Websters dictionary: SUD’DENLY, adv. In an unexpected manner; unexpectedly; hastily; without preparation.
The prophetic use of the term “suddenly” when referring to a communication from the Lord virtually always has to do with actions he takes when his people are in apostasy and they need some kind of intervention or chastisement.
If you will do a key word search on the word suddenly in the four standard works, you will see an amazing pattern to support this supposition-
Such as when the Lord spoke “suddenly” to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, to chastise Aaron and Miriam.
Another example is the Lord appeared “suddenly” to Paul on the way to Damascus, to chastise him for persecuting the Saints.
A third example is given in Deuteronomy when the Lord warns those that intermarry with the heathen that he will destroy them “suddenly”.
Jeremiah tells us that at the time of the Lords vengeance, Babylon will fall “suddenly”.
A Curse Takes Place at the Temple
When the Lord comes “Suddenly”
In Modern revelation it was prophesied that the Lord would come “suddenly” to his temple with a curse to judgment upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you (speaking to the Saints).
“HEARKEN, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you—
The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you.” (D&C 133:1-2)
I believe the above prophecy in section 133 is referring to the Kirtland Temple and that it applies to what took place as documented in section 110. Keep in mind, however, that virtually all prophecies have a dual fulfillment. (See also Isa 34:5)
All of the above passages support a reoccurring theme. The Lord acts SUDDENLY when an intervention, a chastisement, and something NEW needs to take place, usually as a result of the apostasy of an obstinate person or people.
The Ark of the Covenant in the Kirtland Temple
Another key to interpreting the message of warning and doom carefully implied in the sudden appearance of Christ and three ministering angels to Joseph and Oliver has to do with the following observation:
“We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.”
A Keyword search using “paved work” reveals that the Lord was apparently standing on or above the ark of the covenant and fulfilling the enactment of ancient sayings and statutes pertaining to the ark of the covenant (see Exodus 25:22)
This and other related passages lead to the atonement statute in Lev 16 which supports the previously mentioned intercessory actions of God’s servants who delay the wrath of God by taking the sins of latter day Israel upon themselves.
The FUTURE FAME of the Kirtland Temple
The following passages in section 110 are speaking about the future fame of the Kirtland Temple
“Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house.
And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands; and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so. Amen.”
Although there are a few members of the church scattered throughout the world that have a cursory understanding about the past and future significance of the Kirtland Temple, society in general and people in foreign lands have no idea that the Kirtland Temple exists or that it is significant.
The above declaration in section 110 is speaking about “fame” which spreads to foreign lands.
The 1828 Websters dictionary informs us that fame has to do with a “public report or rumor”, not just an event that is inside knowledge to a certain religious group.
It has to do with a “favorable report”
It has to do with a “report of good or great actions”, A “report that exalts the character, celebrity; renown”.
The Websters uses the “fame of Solomon” as an example as well as the “fame of Jesus” (Matt 4). Fame is to “make famous”
The Kirtland Temple is not currently famous in foreign lands to a great number of people.
But it will be in the near future.
Those who understand the doctrine of the three watches and the promises pertaining to the future events that will take place in the Kirtland Temple, understand that the Kirtland Temple is going to become famous in foreign lands in the near future when the Marvelous Work begins and the dispensation of the fulness of times is ushered in.
I began speaking about this secret event by stating that Joseph and Oliver share a grand secret with each other. That secret was the experience they both had behind the veil in the Kirtland Temple when they experienced what is documented in section 110.
God apparently commanded them to not publicly reveal it to the saints.
Oliver’s Secret
I believe that Oliver had a secret all of his own that was revealed to him as a result of two things.
One was a vision he had prior to the event that is documented in section 110.
The other has to do with something that was revealed to him as a direct result of the event that is documented in section 110.
Oliver could see something about Joseph that Joseph could not see about himself.
Joseph’s Eyes Were Covered
The Book of Mormon profoundly modifies a passage in Isaiah to reveal that the latter day seers (Joseph and others of his associates) would have their eyes covered because of the sins of the latter day saints.
“For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity.” (2 Nephi 27:5)
Joseph the seer had his eyes covered because of the sins of the latter day saints. It was because they took the scriptures lightly and failed to live the law of the gospel which includes that law of consecration..
This is why Oliver could see something about Joseph that Joseph could not see about himself.
Shortly after the visitation in the Kirtland Temple, Oliver became very critical of something Joseph had done.
On the surface, it seems totally bizarre that Oliver would become a militant accuser of Joseph Smith in light of everything that had happened and all they had experienced and been through together.
Oliver accused Joseph of committing a grievous moral sin.
Joseph denied that he had sinned.
Oliver described it as “a dirty, nasty, filthy affair“
Interestingly, Joseph did not deny having had a relationship with Fanny Alger, he denied that he had committed adultery with her, implying that he had married her and therefore the act was not adultery.
According to Bushman, “Joseph never denied a relationship with Alger, but insisted it was not adulterous. He wanted it on record that he had never confessed to such a sin. Presumably, he felt innocent because he had married Alger.” (pg 325 Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling)
Oliver has a Vision of Joseph’s Future
Joseph believed that what he was doing was commanded of God through an angel and that by marrying polygamous wives, he was not committing adultery.
Shortly before the vision behind the veil, Oliver Cowdery wanted to understand more about the mission of Joseph Smith so he gave Joseph a patriarchal blessing that came in the form of a prophetic vision.
Interestingly, this patriarchal blessing/vision was received on September 22, 1835. (Moroni had previously appeared to Joseph Smith on this exact date for about six years in a row!)
In the patriarchal blessing it was revealed to Oliver that Joseph would return from the dead to lead Israel into the land of Zion in the literal fulfillment of the parable of the redemption of Zion and that Oliver would be by Joseph’s side, fulfilling his own prophetic calling ….
“For like Joseph of old shall he be; he shall save the just from desolation by the wise counsel of the Almighty;
12. For by his direction shall they gather into store houses and barns till they overflow with the richness of the fruit of the harvest;
13. And by this means shall the just be saved from famine, while the nations of the wicked are distressed and faint.
14. In due time shall he go forth toward the north, and by the power of his word shall the deep begin to give way; and the ice melt before the Sun.
15. By the keys of the kingdom shall he lead Israel into the land of Zion, while the house of Jacob shouts in the dance and in the song-
16. Joy O my soul in that day, for thou shalt be with him and bear thy part in the keys which are confirmed upon thee for an everlasting priesthood forever and ever-”
This vision is consistent with Isaiah 49 wherein the lamenting servant of the last days appears to have failed in his first attempt to gather Israel but then the Lord reveals to him that he will yet, at the “acceptable time” establish the earth and cause Israel to inhabit the desolate heritages.
The vision Oliver had, revealed that Joseph’s fame would eventually spread to foreign lands:
“His fame shall be sounded in foreign lands, even to the ends of the earth, as well as nigh at home: for in this the times shall change, a prophet shall have honor in his own country.”
“He shall sit in the great assembly and general council of patriarchs, and execute the will and commandment under the Ancient of Days, for he shall have his place and act in his station.”
Joseph Wrestles with an Angel
Despite the visions glowing report of Joseph’s future conquest and successful completion of his responsibilities in restoring and gathering Israel, this amazing prophetic vision curiously begins by revealing that Joseph would need to “overcome” and “prevail” over something in the future.
Joseph would yet “prevail” after “wrestling” with an angel.
It was revealed to Oliver that God would need to “sustain” Joseph during a future time.
Notice the use of these descriptives in the opening passages of the blessing:
“Blessed of the Lord is my brother, for the integrity of his heart and the steadfastness of his soul.
2. Upheld by the aim of the Almighty, he shall never fall, but shall be strengthened by his right hand till he overcomes.
3. Like Jacob of old he shall wrestle with the angel, and as a prince shall he have power with God, and shall prevail.
4. Ever faithful to his friends and true to his word, the goodness of the Most High shall sustain him, and thousands shall stand up to defend him from the hand of his enemies and put forth the hand, and ward off the blow were it needful:
5. But ere his foes are aware he shall be hid under the pavillion of the Lord Jehovah..” (the concept of being hid under the pavilion of the Lord is consistent of the Old Testament prophesy in 2nd Sam 7 that explains that the mercy of God would not depart from Joseph despite his transgression and the associated chastisement he would receive.)
This amazing vision was acknowledging that despite the fact that Joseph had had his name inrolled in the book of the sanctified several years earlier, he was in transgression. He still need to “prevail” and “overcome” in a struggle with an ANGEL.
The fact that Joseph would not ultimately fall and lose his salvation, but would nevertheless need to eventually overcome and prevail over some kind of a stumbling block associated with an angel appears to be one of the grand secrets that Oliver knew about in conjunction with his experience behind the veil.
Oliver had seen in vision that Joseph would wrestle with an angel and eventually prevail, overcome, and repent. He saw this in September of 1835, shortly before the veil experience documented in section 110. He also very possibly knew of the first visit of this angel in Joseph’s life and possibly even the affair with Fanny, before the two of them knelt down behind the veil in the Kirtland Temple.
Even if the affair with Fanny took place after the veil experience, all of the circumstances relating to this amazing string of events makes sense.
Joseph Claimed that an Angel Threatened his Life
Joseph Smith told many people about an angel that commanded him to take plural wives. An account of many of these testimonials can be read at the following link provided by Brian C. Hales, one of the modern day advocates of the false polygamy/spiritual wife doctrine-
According to one account, the angel visited Joseph on four occasions.
The testimony of Mary Elizabeth Rollins states that the angel visited Joseph three separate times between 1834 and 1842 commanding him to take multiple wives. Other documentation suggests that Joseph delayed obeying the angel for a considerable number of years.
“An angel came to him [Joseph Smith] and the last time he came with a drawn sword in his hand and told Joseph if he did not go into that principle, he would slay him.
Joseph said he talked to him soberly about it, and told him it was an abomination and quoted scripture to him.
He said in the Book of Mormon it was an abomination in the eyes of the Lord, and they were to adhere to these things except the Lord speak… [The Prophet reported that] the angel came to me three times between the years of 1834 and 1842 and said I was to obey that principle or he would slay me.”
Clearly, Joseph was not naive about the law of the Gospel he had been instrumental in bringing forth.
The purpose of bringing forth the LAW of the GOSPEL was to enable them to escape the power of the enemy and to prepare them to be endowed with power from on high:
“And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless—
32 Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my LAW; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high” (D&C 38)
He knew full well that monogamy is part of the celestial marital protocol according to the law contained in section 42.
“Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else” (D&C 42:22)
A second witness to the truthfulness of this marital monogamy doctrine is found in section 49 and a 3rd witness was canonized when Oliver’s “Article on Marriage” in included in the D&C.
As mentioned in the testimony of Lightner above, Joseph also had the unmistakable declarations of the Book of Mormon emblazoned upon his mind as well.
And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts, and indulge themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son.
Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none. For I the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts. Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts or cursed be the land for their sakes. (note that the Book of Mormon defines a chaste woman as someone who is married to a man that only has one wife. Further, it warns that the land is CURSED when these commandments having to do with monogamy are violated. Hold this thought until we get to the curse upon the earth mentioned by Malichi and the curse mentioned by Isaiah)
Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredomes committed among them. 6 And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day they shall become a blessed people. 7 Behold, their husbands love their wives and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?
And now it came to pass that Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began to reign in his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father. 2 For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness. 3 And he laid a tax of one fifth part of all they possessed, a fifth part of their gold and of their silver, and a fifth part of their ziff, and of their copper, and of their brass and their iron; and a fifth part of their fatlings; and also a fifth part of all their grain. 4 And all this did he take to support himself, and his wives and his concubines; and also his priests, and their wives and their concubines; thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom.
Riplakish did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, for he did have many wives and concubines.
A Contrary Commandment
This is why Joseph wrestled with the angel over the commandment to take plural wives. It was blatantly contrary to the LAW he had brought forth.
It violated the commandments of God in the Book of Mormon and the law of the Gospel as revealed in section 42 &49.
It is amazing how many LDS men and women will pray and fast to know if the law of multiple wives in section 132 is true without first praying to get a testimony that the Law of celestial monogamy in section 42 & 49 is true!
These conflicting doctrines on celestial marriage cannot both be true.
Once a person receives a testimony that monogamy is integral to God’s law of Marriage as documented in section 42, there is no need to even pray about the contradictory celestial law of marriage contained in section 132, even if an angel presents the revelation. Such is dual mindedness and denial of a previous revelation.
Another Gospel
One of the basic tenants of Biblical Christianity is that a believer in Christ will be accursed if they depart from the faith and accept a different gospel than the one revealed in holy scripture, even if an angel from heaven should command it:
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8–9)
Joseph Taught How to Discern a False Angel
Curiously, Joseph once warned that ministering angels of Satan appearing as angels of light had appeared to members of the church and his caution was that a false angel could be detected by the fact that they would contradict a former revelation:
“There have also been ministering angels in the church which were of Satan appearing as an angel of light:— A sister in the State of New York had a vision who said it was told her that if she would go to a certain place in the woods an angel would appear to her,— she went at the appointed time and saw a glorious personage descending arrayed in white … he commenced and told her to fear God and said that her husband was called to do great things, but that he must not go more than one hundred miles from home or he would not return; whereas God had called him to go to the ends of the earth; and he has since been more than one thousand miles from home, and is yet alive. Many true things were spoken by this personage and many things that were false.—How it may be asked was this known to be a bad angel? … by his contradicting a former revelation“. (Times and Seasons 3 [April 1, 1842]: 747)
The Old Testament confirms the above declaration that the word of the Lord takes precedence over conflicting commandments from angels.
It tells a story of two prophets in 1 Kings chapter 13. The first prophet had received instructions from the word of the Lord on how to proceed on his journey. A second prophet intervenes during the journey and informs the first prophet that he was visited by an angel.
He informs the first prophet that the angel had given a new, different commandment to be given to the first prophet. Because the first prophet was willing to accept the testimony of another prophet and the contrary commandment supposedly from an angel, over the word of God, he was destroyed by a lion. (see 1 Kings 13)
The fact that the angel with the drawn sword was giving Joseph a contradictory commandment is a poignant and sobering fact given Joseph’s above warning to the saints.
Many credible researchers, including Bushman, believe that Joseph’s intimate involvement with Fanny Alger took place sometime between mid 1835 and mid 1836.
This makes perfect sense according to the information being presented in this post and based on the fact that both the Kirtland Saints and the Jackson Saints had failed to live consecration and had rejected the fulness of the gospel by the end of 1834..
The Curse is Caused by Breaking the Everlasting Covenant
And by Breaking the Monogamous Marital Vow
Isaiah reveals that the curse that the prophet Malachi speaks about is caused by transgressing the laws, changing ordinances and breaking the everlasting covenant:
1 BEHOLD, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Consequences of Breaking the Monogamous Covenant
Let us take a close look at one of the greatest mysteries of the gospel which has been hidden in plain sight for about six thousand years in ancient scripture and is reiterated in verses 15-17 of section 49-
“Whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God“ (42:15)
Obviously this verse is not only reiterating what the creation story teaches, it is also reiterating what the LAW of the GOSEPEL contained in section 42 states about marriage;
“Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else” (42:22)
After declaring that marriage is ORDAINED of God, the Lord informs us that
“Wherefore it is LAWFUL that he should have ONE wife…” (42:16)
The 1828 Websters dictionary states this about the term LAWFUL.
1. Agreeable to law; conformable to law; allowed by law; legal; legitimate. That is deemed lawful which no law forbids, but many things are lawful which are not expedient.
2. Constituted by law; rightful; as the lawful owner of lands.
I would submit, based on the fact that marriage is ORDAINED of GOD and that it is CONFORMABLE to and CONSTITUTED by gospel law, that gospel law does not just allow, permit and tolerate marriage but rather that gospel law actually requires marriage.
This is further backed up by the fact that one of the very first commandments that God gives us in Genesis is for the man and woman to leave their parents and to multiply and replenish the earth by uniting with someone of the opposite gender.
After noting that gospel law requires being married to ONE wife, the passage in section 49 continues-
“…and they twain shall be ONE FLESH…”
Again, this, of course, is reiterating what God said in Genesis.
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Gen. 2: 24
I have mentioned in other blogs that I believe this statement is literal when it commands the man and wife to become one flesh. – ( See also Matt. 19: 5-6 Mark 10: 8)
After God separated the female part of Adam out of his body to create his female helpmate, he commanded them to eventually become “one flesh” again. I believe this will happen with Adam and Eve if it has not already happened to them.
There is a deeper reason why monogamy is such a huge issue that is interrelated to the curse that Malachi and Isaiah prophesy about.
The grand secret is contained in the next verse of section 49:
“..and they shall be one flesh, AND ALL THIS THAT THE EARTH MIGHT ANSWER THE END OF ITS CREATION; AND THAT IT MIGHT BE FILLED WITH THE MEASURE OF MAN….” (49:16-17)
Did you catch that?
Eventually the earth will be filled with the MEASURE of man!
What is the measure of man?
Let us consult Webster-
MEASURE, n. mezh’ur.
1. The whole extent or dimensions of a thing, including length, breadth and thickness.
The point being made in the passage of scripture is that eventually the earth will be filled with the WHOLE EXTENT of man in his completeness!
The natural man living on this earth is currently incomplete!
The mortal man and woman are each incomplete beings.
Eventually the earth will be filled with men in their complete form… in their “whole extent or dimension”!
Just to make sure that we understand what the Lord is saying, he continues with a clarification-
THAT IT MIGHT BE FILLED WITH THE MEASURE OF MAN ACCORDING TO HIS CREATION BEFORE THE WORLD WAS MADE“
There you have it.
The earth is not going to be filled with incomplete men like those of us that are living after the FALL OF ADAM.
It will be filled with men who are organized in the same way they were ORIGINALLY created during the spiritual creation documented in the Book of Moses and the JST BEFORE THE WORLD WAS PHYSICALLY MADE!!!!!!!! (which was the same way Adam and Eve were created physically as a composite man from the dust and introduced into the garden
He is not speaking about fallen man.
The earth will not be filled with the natural man who is incomplete and is an enemy to God.
It won’t even be filled with repentant mortal males and females who have been filled with the holy spirit. Why? Because they have not reached their full measure yet!
It will be filled with the measure of men who have been completed and perfected by uniting with their female counterpart.
It will be filled with perfected men who are not singularly male or female but rather they are composite and complete.
This is why we are informed that “neither is the man without the woman [singular] neither the woman without the man [singular] in the Lord“
Additionally, we are informed that those that receive the spiritual rebirth through baptism and “put on Christ” loose their singular gender:
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.“
In the spiritual creation, before this world was made, God created man as a whole, complete composite being containing both male and female spirit. A meshing of male and female spirit is necessary for completion.
Completion is necessary for perfection.
It is only during this temporal probation that the elect male and female spirits are separated with the commandment for men to marry one wife and become one flesh so that they can return to the whole extent in which they were originally created.
It is the transgressing of God’s laws, the changing of the ordinances and the breaking of the everlasting covenant which includes the marital monogamy covenant that causes the earth to be defiled!
The transgressing the laws, changing ordinances and breaking the everlasting covenant involves many things. Among them is sexual immorality and the defiling of the monogamous marital covenant.
The Curse Upon the Earth is Already Going Forth
There is strong reason to believe that since the four generations have expired since the saints rejected the fulness and the intercessory offering took place, this cursing upon the earth spoken of by Malachi and Isaiah, is already going forth.
Before long, everyone shall see it!
Here is a fascinating testimony of someone who has been paying attention and can see the curse that is upon the earth. TPTB are trying to use bioengineering to delay the curse and they are ultimately making things worse-
(Both links contain the same interview. Two are provided in case one is deleted)
Interestingly, one of the first things the servants will do when they get back is to go forth to the notable cities and villages, reproving the world for their ungodly deeds. At this time they will set “forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination in the last days.”
They will explain why the curse mentioned in Isaiah and Malachi and other prophecies is going forth and they will condemn all of the different transgressions. This will include failure to live consecration and sexual immorality that violates the law of monogamous marriage and destroys the purpose for which the earth was created!!
But I digress…
We need to discuss the second thing that happened to Oliver Cowdery to reveal to him the grand secret he understood about Joseph Smith and his transgression.
I have suspected for a long time that the visitations and visions that Joseph and Oliver experienced behind the veil had to do not only with a blessing, but also with a cursing.
In other words, I have felt like the 16 short verses contained in section 110 were not only missing some extremely important aspects of what took place behind the veil, they actually send the surface reader in the wrong direction, on a wild goose chase of sorts.
I have suspected that section 110 is intimately connected with the blessing and the curse the Moses prophesied would fall upon latter day Israel in Deuteronomy 30:30
“AND it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee..”
The above passage is not only acknowledging that latter day Israel will receive both a blessing and a curse, Moses is prophesying that in the day when the apostate latter day saints “call them to mind“, (finally understand what took place and acknowledge their transgressions) it would be a sign that the time has come for latter day Israel to repent and come out of spiritual and temporal captivity:
2 “And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
3 That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.
4 If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:
5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.
The Book of Mormon also speaks of the time when the gentile church will repent of their iniquity and become clean.
“Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.
6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.
7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.
If the scenario I am presenting in this paper is true, the curse that was delayed as a result of an intercessory offering is now going forth and the marvelous work is about to begin and the dispensation of the fulness of times will be ushered in as a portion of believing Gentiles finally repent!
I have suspected that section 110 represents a message of doom and it involves a curse that is unleashed upon the earth. Nevertheless, because of an intercessory act, the curse is delayed.
I have speculated in the past that the short narrative contained in that section is incomplete and that there is some very important narrative missing from the document.
The Missing Portion of Section 110
I believe I have finally found the missing portion of this amazing revelation.
In essence, section 110 is not limited to the 16 verses contained in the Doctrine and Covenants.
I have discovered the other 55 verses that are part of that section.
In all, there are 71 verses that provide much more context and a much more detailed explanation of what was taking place and being revealed when Joseph and Oliver had their spiritual epiphany behind the veil.
As with so many of the hidden treasures of knowledge that we stumble upon, these missing passages have been in front of our eyes the whole time. We have been directed to them every time we read section 110, but we simply haven’t noticed or comprehended the directive because of the blindness that God has put over the eyes of Israel.
Paul spoke of this great mystery pertaining to the blindness that we are in.
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Romans 11:25)
God has been withholding this information from us until an appointed time, until the fulness of the Gentiles comes in again.
I am going to suggest that if what I am about to detail from the additional 55 verses is true, then, it explains and answers all of the questions I posed at the beginning of this commentary on the 1st secret historical event that I am addressing.
It explains why God commanded Joseph and Oliver to not tell about their experience behind the veil publicly.
I am also suggesting that the fact that God is now finally opening our eyes and revealing it to us, is a sign that the fulness of the Gentiles is about to come in and the servants of God are about to return in time to fulfill the parable of the redemption of Zion (section 101) and to set forth clearly and understandingly what the desolation of abomination is and who we can escape the curse that is going forth. (section 84:117)
The key to finding the additional information pertaining to what was revealed behind the veil is embedded in section 110.
Here is the key to finding the remaining 55 verses of section 110:
“Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—
15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—
16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.”
Bingo
We are being told that the appearance of Christ and three ministering angels and every corresponding event that took place behind the veil on April 3rd 1836 marks the appointed time when the words spoken by Malachi have been fulfilled.
In the past I have made the mistake of assuming that section 110 was only directing me to the last three verses in Malachi, having to do with Elijah being sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
By assuming that, I completely missed out on the context of what was being said.
I have now come to realize that all four chapters of Malachi represent a cohesive storyline and that all of the context is applicable to understanding what took place behind the veil on April 3rd 1836.
Any one verse in the four chapters is ambiguous if not unintelligible by itself.
It is critical to have a contextual understanding. One must read all four chapters to fully comprehend what is being communicated.
Perhaps the most blatant and obvious passage in the four chapters that is actually describing the visitation of Christ to Joseph and Oliver behind the veil is chapter 3 verse one:
“BEHOLD, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Again, it is important to remember that ancient prophecies usually have dual if not multiple fulfillments. The Above passage also applies to a future event to take place in Kirtland as well.
The Messenger
Who is the messenger described in this passage?
To understand this, we need to read the previous two chapters to get come clues.
Please notice that the term “my messenger” shows up in the previous chapter.
Chapter 2 of Malachi reveals some amazing and disruptive information about God’s messenger that is spoken about in chapter 3.
But wait, we may as well go all the way back to the beginning of chapter one for context and then we will work our way forward to get the juicy details about God’s messengers.
I don’t have time to do a commentary on all passages in the entire four chapters so I will highlight some of the juicy parts
A Message of Doom
Chapter one begins speaking of the “burden” of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. Some commentators replace the word burden with “doom”.
God Curses Our Blessings
Remember the blessing and cursing prophecy that Moses gave about the latter day Israel in Deuteronomy 30?
Look at this!
“If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.”
God is cursing the blessings of Israel. This is one of the major things that section 110 is pointing us to.
Could this possibly explain why the major gifts of the spirit associated with the fulness of the gospel have not been present in the church since the early days of Kirtland?
Yes a blessing was pronounced behind the veil, but then it was cursed.
God has Corrupted the Seed of the Latter day Israel
God is going to allow “one” to lead the seed of latter day Israel away and corrupt them with false doctrine and priestcraft.
“Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.”
The Covenant of Levi
Joseph and Oliver were designated as the first and second elders of the restored church. They were also referred to as the “sons of Levi” that were to offer an offering unto the Lord.
In this narrative, Joseph God’s latter day servant is referred to as the recipient of the covenant of Levi that received the covenant of life and peace.
The Law of Truth was in his Mouth
He is the latter day servant that initially turned many away from iniquity.
“And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.
The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity“.
This great Levitic Priest is the messenger of the Lord that is to seek the law. Joseph The latter day servant is the one who was commanded to lead the saints to Kirtland where they would receive the law of the Lord containing the law of consecration and the law of monogamy. He was then to lead them to Zion where they would live the law.
“For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”
Ye Are Departed Out of the Way
One of the primary burdens that Malachi needed to reveal is the fact that Joseph God’s latter day servant would depart out of the way shortly after bringing forth the law. He would ultimately cause many to stumble:
” But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Can anyone dispute the fact that Joseph God’s latter day servant did in fact initially introduce “the LAW” in Kirtland which contained the law of monogamy and then, over a decade later he secretly began to introduce a contradictory law, which caused many saints to depart out of the way from the true law?
[Those who don't believe that Joseph ever taught or practiced polygamy may want to read this]
God Made Joseph God’s Servant
Contemptible in the Eyes of the World
” Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.”
This prophecy is unbe-freakin-lievable.
Does the world not consider Joseph Smith to have been contemptible and base when they learn of his secret spiritual wifery in Nauvoo?
How many ex-Mormons and anti-Mormons have accused Joseph God’s latter day servant of being a vile, immoral, base, and corrupt?
Truly Joseph Smith God’s servant of the latter days is considered, base and contemptible by many many people.
This is exactly why Moroni had prophesied well over a decade earlier that the name of God’s servant would be had for good and evil.
According to Malachi, God’s latter day servant began his ministry doing good. He then began doing evil and leading people into error.
Joseph God’s Servant Committed an Abomination Joseph God’s Servant Committed Treachery
Against Emma the Wife of his Youth
10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
11 ¶ Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
14 ¶ Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
This is what I believe Oliver’s secret was. The Lord revealed to Oliver that Joseph’s relationship with Fanny Alger, whether it was a polygamous marriage or not, was in violation of God’s law on Marriage as contained in section 42. Oliver realized that Joseph’s struggle with the angel resulted in him committing treachery against the wife of his youth.
Malachi testifies that Joseph God’s messenger will be cut off for committing treachery against the wife of his covenant.
Joseph God’s Messenger will be “Cut Off”
Because of His Treachery Against Emma his Wife
12 The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.
13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
Was he not cut off from among the living?
Was it not his secret “measures” and the abomination of marriage and taking young girls and other mens wives that played a significant role in the controversy in Nauvoo?
Ok.. this brings us up to chapter 3:1
“BEHOLD, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Elijah the Preparer and Elijah the Restorer
Who is the servant that prepares the way in the above passage?
The storyline indicates that the servant in Malachi 3:1 is the same servant in Malachi chapter 2. It is Joseph the latter day Davidic servant that begins his ministry by turning many away from iniquity but then he departs out of the way and caused many to stumble.
Nevertheless, we know that prophecies usually have multiple fulfillments including both a literal and shadow fulfillment and in some cases, additional types.
Regarding God’s servant that comes to prepare the way, there is another secret that we will discuss more fully later in this series but for now let me just summarize by saying that Joseph Smith revealed that Elijah the preparer is the Elijah of the Old Testament who was transmigrated into the New Testament as John the Baptist to prepare the way before Christ.
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things, asthe prophets have written.
And again I say unto you that Elias has come already, concerning whom it is written, Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and they knew him not, and have done unto him, whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them.
But I say unto you, Who is Elias? Behold, this is Elias, whom I send to prepare the way before me. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist, and also ofanotherwho should come andrestore all things, as it is written by the prophets. JST Matt. 17: 10-14
After preparing the way before Christ in the meridian of time, John the Baptist made an appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration and also during the restoration movement to bestow the priesthood keys of Levi upon Joseph and Oliver.
He did this physically, by hand. (section 13 and JS history).
It appears that Joseph got the keys from Elijah the preparer and became Elijah the Restorer as a result of what happened in section 13 and 110.
This is why the angel Moroni modified the following verse when he quoted it to Joseph Smith and yet Joseph did not change it when be translated the Inspired Version of the Bible:
These passages from Moroni were referring to John the Baptist who is Elijah the Preparer who bestowed the priesthood by hand upon the sons of Levi:
And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijahthe prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
39 He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the childrenthe Promisesmade to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”
The words of Malachi in the King James Bible and also in the inspired version do not match the above changes made by Moroni because they refer to Joseph, the latter day messenger who is Elijah the Restorer.
The grand secret regarding the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1 on April 3 1836 is that the covenant that Christ secretly restored, that the saints delighted in, was the old testament gospel covenant of Abraham.
The latter day saints delighted in that covenant because they had failed to accept the higher law and see the face of God, and they had rejected the fulness of the gospel and they wanted a lesser gospel of carnal works.
The Lord provide an incredible descriptive of what the gospel of Abraham contains from section 84:
“For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.
25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;
26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;
27 Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.”
I realize that some people are going to challenge the possibility that God would allow a true prophet to reveal the law and do great things and then stumble and break the law himself and lead people astray.
The storyline gets even more unbelievable when the fallen servant returns from the dead to fulfill his prophetic assignments.
When a second fulfillment of the passage takes place, the repentant latter day saints will delight in the fulness of the Gospel Covenant.
I would submit however, that as bizarre as this storyline may appear, it is a recurring theme in the Old Testament. There are multiple accounts of it and that Joseph Smith is the only person that fits the profile.
Click here for additional documentation to support this prophetic scenario of the last great servant that stumbles and then recovers.
Conclusion
It is therefore, dear reader, my conclusion that Joseph and Oliver were commanded by God to not publicly reveal what happened behind the veil on April 3rd 1836 because it represented not only a blessing, but an associated cursing. It involved the ushering in of the preparatory gospel of Abraham to an obstinate people, instead of the expected ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times.
Furthermore,
I believe it was revealed to Oliver Cowdery from a vision he had as well as the content contained in the four chapters of Malachi, that Joseph Smith was wrestling with an angel that was giving a false commandment. A commandment the contradicted the previous commandment of God. One that would result in Joseph Smith committing the act of treachery against the wife of his youth, even the wife of his covenant.
Obedience to the commandment of an angel that was contrary to the law of God would cause Joseph and many of the saints to “depart out of the way” and “stumble at the law” and “corrupt the covenant of Levi“.
Clearly, Joseph and Oliver would have gladly revealed what had taken place behind the veil had the event not resulted in a message of doom and cursing.
Goodness knows that the saints desperately needed validation about their status before the Lord.
The saints were in shock and confusion because of the non-event that had take place a week earlier.
The saints had gathered together in a solemn assembly with the promise that the pure in heart would all see God.
As documented by Karl Anderson in his book “The Savior in Kirtland”, not one soul saw God during the solemn and sobering event.
The Church desperately needed some kind of reassurance that God was looking upon them favorably.
They desperately needed Joseph and Oliver to reassure them that Christ had appeared and that the temple was accepted and that all was well.
Indeed Christ did appear and accept the temple and forgive Joseph and Oliver for their sins and pronounce a blessing. Unfortunately, He cursed their blessings also.
He did this in fulfillment of the prophecies contained in Deuteronomy, Malachi, Isaiah and other places in the bible.
Four generations of apostasy needed to expire before the ultimate promises and purposes of the Kirtland Temple could be realized.
It is now time for blindness to be taken off of latter day Israel.
Watch for the return of the servants and keep you eye on the Kirtland Temple.
PS
Another topic closely related to the secret veil experience of Joseph and Oliver has to do with the taking of the knowledge of the gospel from the Gentiles to the House of Israel as prophesied by Christ.
Hopefully everyone is familiar with the ongoing saga between John Dehlin and some LDS apologists (Including Daniel C. Peterson & Gregory L. Smith), that were challenging the motives of John Dehlin. If you are not, you can Google the topic.
The Controversial paper by Gregory Smith that was prevented from being published by a G.A. a year ago, was apparently related in part, to the firing of the staff at the Maxwell Institute.
That paper that has been described as a “hit piece” against Dehlin has now been published by the Mormon Interpreter
The Student Review did a brief article about the published paper.
My comment went into review but was later published, to their credit.
I didn’t think it would be published so I submitted it to Faith Promoting Rumor Blog, responding to a post done by a poster called smallaxe . Smallaxe did not publish my comment so I made the same comments on John Dehlin’s blog at MormonStories. Needless to says, Dehlin also didn’t have the gumption to post my comments either.
I take my hat off to the Student Review for publishing my first comment.
A commentor calling himself Busy Busy Busy responded to my comments wherein I challenged anyone to show me something in the controversial article by Greg Smith that was false. He provided a link to a critique of the controversial paper by Smith, posted on “Mormon Discussions”. His comment is here,
The critique was done by a popular exmo called “Rollo Tomasi”. I am assuming Busy and Rollo are the same person but I am not sure.
I responded back to him on the Student review.
That response has currently been blocked by the student review. I don’t know if it will be released so I thought I would post it here so that Busy and Rollo would know that I didn’t just ignore their comment-
[ Editorial update, the second comment has also been approved. I am impressed with the fairness of the Student Review for allowing a diverse population of respondents with different opinions to make controversial comments]
And I thought the length of my comment showed passion! LOL
I visited your post at Mormon Discussions and I am impressed with your lengthy critique of Greg Smith’s critique of how critical John Dehlin has been of the Mormon Church.
I am not going to lie.
I did not read your whole diatribe.
I didn’t even read most of it.
I am clearly not as invested in this issue as you are.
I am not a member of the church. I am not an angry exmo, or an an angry doubting member or a blissfully happy but incensed card carrying member.
In a sense, I just don’t have a horse in the race, in the same sense that you and many others do.
Nevertheless, having been a member of the church, and still being passionate about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, with a firm belief in the divine mission of Joseph Smith and the literal authenticity of the Book of Mormon, I am nevertheless interested in what is taking place in the world of Mormonism and I care deeply about my brothers and sisters in and out of the church.
If I were to invest the time in reading your whole diatribe, I would no doubt feel compelled to write a CRITIQUE of your CRITIQUE of Greg’s CRITIQUE of how CRITICAL John is of the church. LOL..
.. that would take many hours and I don’t have time to invest in such a project. Apparently you have the luxury of sitting in front of your computer reading and pontificating all day long. I am TRULY envious of your situation.
In my next life, I want to be more like you in that regard.
My challenge in the initial comment that I made was to show me one thing Greg’s paper says that is not true about John.
While I appreciate all the work you went to over on the other chat board, I suspect your efforts in creating your diatribe were not inspired by my challenge and in fact was probably written before you saw my challenge.
I would still love to see just one statement from the article that is categorically not true, posted in this forum, if you have the time and inclination to extract it from your thesis.
Further observations-
In the beginning of your critique, you accuse Gregg of making his attacks against Dehlin, the man, rather than Mormon Stories.
I agree with you but fail to see your point.
For all intents and purposes, Dehlin IS Mormon Stories and he controls much of the outcome.
He is the interviewer.
He controls who gets on his program and he usually controls the questions and the voice inflection and empathy he projects as the interviewer and the whole spirit of the interview.
He largely controls the environment and the outcome.
In that respect, the man is orchestrating the outcome of what Mormonstories is accomplishing.
I believe his responses to the comments of the interviewers have a powerful effect on the adoring audience that John has acquired.
John is anything but neutral and unbiased.
I believe he clearly has an agenda and it transcends what he claims that it is
If one wants to understand what MormonStories is all about, one needs to understand who Dehlin is, what his beliefs are, what motives him and what his personal agenda is.
The only way to determine these things is to scrutinize what John does and says.
I believe that is the spirit and intent of what Greg was attempting to do. He did it from his vantage point because that is the only vantage point he has.
Was he guilty of surgically identifying only the comments John made that verify the points he want to make about John?
Of course he was. That was the purpose of the article. So what?
I see things almost exactly the same way Greg does with regard to MormonStories, and I am not even a card carrying member of the church!
Yet, beyond that common view of that particular situation, I have virtually nothing in common with Greg. We do not share the same religious beliefs and I was incredibly offended when he took it upon himself to challenge the folks at the Firm Foundation for their belief that the Book of Mormon people were inhabitants of North America rather than South America. http://www.firmlds.org/feature.php?id=25
I really don’t resonate with anything else Greg has previously written. I mention this only to clarify that I am not defending his Dehlin “hit piece” because I am a personal friend, or for any other reason than the fact that I believe he is sincere and correct in his perception of what John is trying to accomplish with MormonStories.
I can appreciate the fact that you see John through different eyes than Greg and I do.
I don’t discount that your perception is valid to you, and I don’t think you should question that Greg’s perception about John is valid to him and others, like me.
You also accuse Greg of having the motive to “destroy Dehlin’s reputation and whatever influence he has in the Mormon community.”
Again I must agree with you and again I must ask, what is your point beside pointing out the obvious?
It is a long standing tradition in biblical Christianity for shepherds to guard the flock. That involves identifying those who are trying to damage the church and destroying their credibility with the sheeple.
That is all Greg is trying to do.
I realize that it is unusual and politically incorrect to quote from the New Testament when on a forum like this where the precepts of men rule the day, but I am going to do it anyway.
Here is what Paul said to the elders of a church in Acts 20
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.Therefore watch…”
I believe that people like Greg and his associates at the Interpreter are simply trying to be good shepherds of the flock, trying to protect the members of the church from the grievous wolves that have entered the flock.
Interestingly, the LDS apologists spending 99% of their time fending off the wolves on the outside when the most damage is being done by the wolves on the inside.
This shepherd/wolf theology is actually how Utah Mormonism began.
Brigham Young emerged triumphant over Sidney Rigdon and others to lead a large portion of the church during the succession crisis in Nauvoo and he used the above theology to do it.
Years later Brigham used the Shepherds and Wolves theology to justify his actions.
” The brethren testify that brother Brigham Young is brother Joseph’s legal successor.
You never heard me say so. I say that I am a good hand to keep the dogs and wolves out of the flock. —” (Brigham Young 1860)
Frankly, I think many of the apologists and members of the church are quite perplexed and distraught about the fact that the brethren, everyone from John Dehlin’s Stake President to the top guy in the Ivory tower, have neglected their sacred duty to act in their stewardship’s as protectors of the flock.
The “hit piece” on Dehlin is one frustrated elder’s attempt to warn the sheep that are not being warned by the primary shepherds of the flock.
Let me attempt to simplify things.
(I can do this because I am a simple minded country boy and largely uneducated person)
There are three public foundational beliefs that members of the church are supposed to have in common along with a fourth unwritten belief.
1- A belief that God lives
2- A belief that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God
3- A belief that the Book of Mormon is a true, literal history of an ancient people that Christ visited.
The fourth, un-canonized belief is as follows:
4- The belief that the current prophet of the Church is infallible in the sense that God will not allow him to lead the saints astray. Therefore don’t question or speak ill of him, just shut up and do what you are told.
Okay… how does John do with his report card and see if you really qualified for membership in the only true church.
I am paraphrasing what I have interpreted John to be saying in many of the podcasts that I have listed to.
1- He has publicly stated that he questions the existence of God and that if God does exist, he is something quite different from what Mormonism teaches.
FAIL!
2- He does not believe that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and he is critical of many of Joseph’s teachings and actions, including the uninspired boinking a14 year old girl.
FAIL!
3- He clearly believes that the Book of Mormon is a myth and that there is no legitimate historicity to it.
FAIL!
As you can see, from my point of view, John does not qualify for membership.
The truly amazing thing is that John values his membership and wants to remain in the church. Why!
Even more astounding than that is the fact that the brethren have allowed John to continue spreading his gospel of doubt while using the credibility of being classified as a member in good standing… go figure!
As I have been pondering this discussion and viewed a few of your posts on the other chat board, I find a fascinating dynamic at play here between people like you and me who have strong opinions about how the church should be governed even though it isn’t any of our damn business.
Let me share with you the convoluted dynamic I am seeing in the positions that you and I have taken on this topic.
I invite you to respond and correct me where you think my perceptions are wrong:
YOU-
have studied the controversial things about the history and doctrine of church and have concluded that the restored gospel and the restored church is not true.
Hence you want everybody in the church to learn this information and leave the church except John.
John needs to be in the church right now because he is playing an important role in the church.
His role is to educate people with his podcasts and destroy faith and facilitate people in exiting the church.
John should stay in the church until everyone else has left… then he can come out.
Conversely-
I-
Have studied the same controversial things about the history and doctrine of the church that you have, and concluded that the restored gospel is true even though the current corporate church is stumbing a little bit.
I want members of the church to have the agency of staying in the church if that is where they think they should be.
Included in that agency, I think unsuspecting members of the church should have the right to stay in a relatively insulated environment where they are not exposed to information they do not want to hear.
I think people like John should not have the opportunity to “blindside” first timers to his site that naively visit his site and listen to his podcasts under the illusion and delusion that John is a faithful and active member of the church.
I don’t think John qualifies as as a believing and faithful member of the church. If the shepherds don’t have the gonads to extract him from the church he should provide a disclaimer on his websites that says something like this:
“Attention, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter days Saints, Beware, this site contains controversial information that could be damaging to your faith”
Posted by onewhoiswatching 
