Upward Thought has a post entitled A Critique Directed to Those Who Claim to Believe What Denver Snuffer Teaches. Rob doesn't allow comments on his blog as far as I could tell. Since this post (an anonymous email he received) is directed to those like me, I would like to briefly state my stand (but I will not address all that the email states. If anyone reading that post, like me, is frustrated at the lack of ability to discuss it, feel free to discuss it here).
I will not quote any of the email here. Anyone who is curious should go to Rob's blog to read it.
My reply is simple:
Patience. Give people time to figure it out.
Forgo judgment, criticism, and condemnation. You don't really know what these people should be doing.
First, they should be getting themselves, individually, right with God. Setting their own houses in order as it pertains to their individual souls.
Second, they should work on their marriages (if they have any).
Third, their children.
Fourth, extended family, friends, communities.
There is absolutely no need to rush into living the law of consecration. Learning to help others, learning to agree with how money is to be spent, is a good beginning.
The priesthood that you call Melchizedek is now the holy priesthood after the order of the Son of God. It is no longer divided. It is what men seek because it can only be given by the voice of the Lord, in His own time, not yours.
As far as leaving an apostate church instead of keeping a foot in both camps, the Lord has specifically told some people to stay. There are loving, sincere followers of Christ in that church (if it is the one I think you are referring to) and some of us may be able to lift others up or open their eyes to something better. It is up to the Lord to tell people whether they should stay or not, not you.
What are we doing differently than has already been done? We are seeking the face of Christ - literally, face to face, as one person speaks to another. We are noticing that that which we once thought was virtue is sin, is pride, is an abomination before God. We are partaking of the sacrament of the Lord's supper according to the pattern found in the Book of Mormon. We are baptizing according to the pattern set by Alma the Elder. The Holy Ghost is falling upon us and we are understanding scripture better than we ever have before. It is astonishing what we thought we knew, yet missed.
God is speaking to us - in our minds and hearts, in dreams and visions. We are seeing angels. We are gaining knowledge of things, yet not knowing how we know. The Lord is supporting us in our trials and tribulations. He is pointing out where He is helping us and where we need to improve.
God is in no hurry. Why are you?
Good comment. No wish to argue or contend; just wonder when, where, who and how those who cannot see Denver's veracity think someone will eventually show up to do the work that so desperately needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely wish those who doubt Denver would read his words with an open mind and heart.
If he truly is a messenger of the Lord, it will not go well for those who reject the message he has delivered.
James Russell Uhl
"If he truly is a messenger of the Lord, it will not go well for those who reject the message he has delivered."
DeleteSo true. We need to be careful. I don't think the Lord makes it easy to recognize true messengers if we are steeped in false traditions.
A friend of mine went through the email on Upward Thought's blog and answered the questions on his own blog. I would recommend reading the post. It is eloquent and I find it persuasive.
ReplyDeleteYou can find it here: http://seekthisjesus.com/response-to-a-critique-directed-to-those-who-claim-to-believe-what-denver-snuffer-teaches/
Very well said, Toni!
ReplyDeleteWe do need to be patient. System change is a complex and involved thing, with so many stake-holders. There are so many brothers and sisters out there (almost all!) who have lived their whole church lives under Correlation.
Not only that, I have heard numerous people in the church who express gladness that we have a prophet -- they are so fearful in these challenging times that it is something they can hang onto and trust. They truly perceive that need. I don't think we should try to pry their fingers loose from what they perceive (rightly or wrongly) to be the iron rod. Quite frankly, I feel that is the job of the Holy Ghost, not ours. We must stand open to receive them, but they must perceive the need to change.
For one, I'm grateful that the Lord (at least for now) has counseled me to stay in the church and fulfill my callings. I have the choice opportunity to teach the brothers, and there are many chances to slip in true doctrine from Joseph and the D&C's (both diamond mines of wisdom, which few seem to read these days).
However, I've decided if I ever find myself facing a "court of love" due to my new understandings, that I will resign rather than forcing the good brothers in the SP & HC to subject themselves to the penalties in D&C 121 for unrighteous dominion. I love them too much to permit that to happen.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment!
Freddie S
Thanks for sharing, Freddie. You give a very good witness for staying. God loves all the members and would like to have their eyes opened, I'm sure. Even though the general leaders lost their "authority" does not mean the Lord has given up on individuals who are honest followers of Christ, but are being deceived by the philosophies of men.
ReplyDelete