July
21, 2017
D&C
88: 81 Behold,
I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every
man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.
I
have been warned and it is my duty to warn others. It is not an easy
thing to do. I would much rather believe as I choose and let others
do so as well. However, the obligation to warn is mine. I really do
not want to do this. I have avoided it for many months now. I know
it will offend people. Good people that are trying their best to live
the gospel, people that have shown love and acceptance to me and my
family. People that have pure motives and that give much of their
time, talent and resources to serve others and serve the church. I
don’t judge anyone or claim to be more righteous than anyone else.
I am simply trying to obey the voice of the Lord. It is by His voice
that I do this.
It
is by the sincere desire to know the gospel and through much prayer
and study that I have come to what I know. Joseph Smith taught that
knowledge is what saves a man. I took that to heart and became a
serious student of the gospel. I know Christ is my Lord and my
redeemer. I know he lives. I know the Book of Mormon is true. It took
five years of serious study and communion with the Lord to come to
the knowledge I have. I don’t expect anyone can understand without
that same effort. I don’t blame anyone for not believing what I
say. I have no great social standing or any authority that would
cause people to respect my opinion.
I
know there is much good in the church and that good I embrace. I am
thankful for it but all is not well in Zion. We come from a tradition
that tells us that all is well and that our salvation is all but
assured. But it is the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. It
is a powerful tool of deception. It deceives even those with pure
intent. As Satan says, it is being received very well. It is so
powerful because the truth and light contained in the scriptures is
used. People naturally follow after that because of the goodness of
those words but like Adam, I do not believe the philosophies of men.
Salvation comes from Christ and from Christ alone. He is the way, the
only way. What a terrible fate it would be to arrive at the end of
life and to find our salvation has not been accomplished.
John 17:3 And
this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
You
must know God to receive eternal life. Jesus
Christ describes this relationship as a marriage. He is the
bridegroom. We are to be his bride. This is an intimate relationship.
(Who do you know better than your spouse?) In the parable of the
wise and foolish virgins, it is those who do not know Christ that are
rejected.
JST
Matt 25:9 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they
that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was
shut.
The
ten virgins do not represent those who do not believe in Christ or in
Christ’s gospel. They are the believers. They are his followers.
Christ divides them between those who know him and those who do not.
This is not about knowing leaders or following prophets.
Christ
wants this close relationship with us. He wants to guide our every
step. We can talk with him at any time of the day or night. He is the
author of our salvation. It is He that baptizes us with fire so we
can hear His voice. All He asks is that we humble ourselves and come
unto to Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit. It is that
humility that allows us to be taught by Him. If we think we know all
we need to know, we do not seek for His voice. If we think we should
be following men, we do not seek for His counsel. If we think, all we
need to do is listen to the Sunday school lessons or to conference,
we do not seek for His voice. He will speak to any of us that will be
humble enough to listen. If we listen and obey Him, we can receive
our calling and election made sure. This is the path to salvation. If
you have not heard the voice of God telling you your calling and
election is made sure, then your calling and election is unsure. Your
salvation is not assured.
No
man should stand between us and Christ. The relationship is between
Him and us with no mediator. Christ is the mediator.
Joseph
Smith taught the following:
“The
other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps
understood by few of this generation. After a person has faith in
Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his
sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which
is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself
before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living
by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou
shalt be exalted.
When
the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is
determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his
calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to
receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints,
as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter,
from the 12th to the 27th verses
Now
what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord
Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole
matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have
the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from
time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they
will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens
will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face,
and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom
of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at
when they had such glorious visions--Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the
Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who
held communion with the general assembly and Church of the
Firstborn.”(The
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith-TPJS pg 150).
This
is how to know Christ. This is eternal life. Christ is real and he
wants you to know Him. This is the fullness of the gospel. Book of
Mormon prophecy predicts the Gentiles (us) will reject the fullness
of the gospel. (3Nephi 16:10)
Notice
it says having a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of God? So why
has it been taught within our church to avoid the mysteries?
Knowledge saves a man, knowledge of God and God’s mysteries. What
is the opposite of that? Alma lets us know.
Alma
12:9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It
is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they
are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only
according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the
children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give
unto him.
10
And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the
lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to
him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto
him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
11
And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser
portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries;
and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will
down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.
Those
who do not know the mysteries are bound by Satan and led to
destruction. This is what it means to be damned. To have a hard heart
means, you cannot be taught because you think you know all you need
to know. You erect a dam between yourself and God. You will not seek
after what he offers and if he sends a messenger, you will not
receive him.
The
LDS church started off, in Nov 1831 as the only true and living
church. By Sep 1832, the church was put under condemnation for taking
the Book of Mormon lightly and not living by the principles contained
in the book. This condemnation has been upon us for some time now
and has not been lifted.
D&C
84:54
And
your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and
because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
55
Which
vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56
And
this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
57
And
they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and
remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former
commandments which I have given them, not only to say,
but to do
according to that which I have written—
We
give lip service to the book, and cherry pick a few verses here and
there, but only a superficial study of the book is ever employed
during church instruction. A closer inspection would reveal our
shortcomings. In Alma, chapter one, we read about the teachings of
the anti-Christ, Nehor. He teaches that those who minister in and
preach the gospel should be popular and they should not labor for
their support. He teaches that the laymen should labor for the
support of the minsters. Alma calls that practice priestcraft and
declares that if it were allowed to continue, it would lead to the
total destruction of the people.
Alma
teaches the correct principles, which are: No man is to esteem
himself better than another. The teacher and student are on equal
standing. Those who minister in and preach the gospel are to labor
for their own support. All are to gather to hear the word. Then
minsters and laymen are to return to their labors.
Although
Alma’s system is somewhat employed at the ward level, we have made
the top leaders popular. Their pictures are everywhere in church
buildings, in homes of members, on the covers of manuals and
magazines, on the church website and on the television. (Imagine if
Moses came down from Mount Sinai and instead of giving the Ten
Commandments started passing out pictures of himself, encouraging
everyone to post them in their tents and meeting areas.)
The members stand if a leader enters the room. Top leaders testify
and teach about each other. Lessons are given that center on the
leaders and not Christ. Manuals make leaders the subject being taught
instead of Christ. Members are taught to pattern their lives after
leaders instead of Christ. Whole sacrament meetings center on
leaders, and some meetings only mention Christ in the closing mantra
of talks and prayers. We consider top leaders to be better than us.
Even church rank in the ward and stake level is viewed as a sign of
righteousness or being on a greater standing than others. Top leaders
are praised, honored and give themselves generous compensation for
the work of preaching and running the church. They do not return to
their labors but make a living from preaching the gospel and running
the church. True prophets do not lead people to themselves. They
teach people how to repent and come unto Christ. They teach people
to receive revelation from Christ. True prophets do not take money,
worship and praise for their service. They sacrifice to serve. They
bow and serve others. They don’t expect others to bow or stand for
them.
The
praise and honor we give top leaders is a form of worship.
wor·ship
(wûr′shĭp) n. 1. a. The reverent love and devotion accorded a
deity, an idol, or a sacred
object.
This
praise and honor we give the brethren rightly belongs to our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ and his Father only. They are the only beings
worthy of our worship. I have paid close attention to this for a
couple of years now and the praise given the brethren is many times
more than the praise we give Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, who
suffered and died for our salvation. Every man is our fellow servant
and not worthy of our worship even if he be a prophet, king or pope.
It is hard for us to see this error because most of us have been
raised with the tradition of praising and honoring a man we call a
prophet and those we call apostles.
D&C
93: 39 And
that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through
disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition
of their fathers
False
traditions are an effective toll of deception. Idolatry is a serious
offense to God, one great enough to cause the physical destruction of
those who practice it.
The
current hierarchy of the church does not operate by the terms of the
revelation God gave to Joseph Smith. All one needs to do is read
section 107 of the D&C to see that the First Presidency, the
Quorum of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Seventies and the Stake High
councils were to be equal in authority. This was actually practiced
in Joseph’s day and the Quorum of the Twelve had no authority
within an organized stake. They only held authority within the
mission field and the branches outside of an organized stake.
The
body of the priesthood is supposed to pick the members of the First
Presidency by vote.
D&C 107:
22 Of the Melchizedek Priesthood, three Presiding High Priests,
chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that
office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the
church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church.
Even
Joseph Smith abided by this when he wanted to replace Sidney Rigdon
in the First Presidency but his desire to do so was voted down by the
body of priesthood holders in the church. There was no dictatorship
in Joseph’s day. The church is supposed to run by the common
consent of the members. Now, the vote has turned into a test of
loyalty instead of the true vote it was intended to be. It is now
more like a third world country election, where soldiers with guns
ensure you make the correct vote. The vote is made with threat of
punishment if you vote incorrectly. This is not a correct principle
of the priesthood as there is no power to compel in the priesthood,
only to persuade. There is no power to force or threaten obedience
contained in the priesthood. Only to bless, serve and persuade. Any
leader who would threaten or attempt to coerce obedience says amen to
his priesthood. (See D&C 121). Every member has to the right to
vote their conscience, without the threat of recourse or punishment.
The vote is worthless otherwise. Every member has the right to
express their dissatisfaction with the leadership and vote them down
if they so desire. It is also taught that to point out a fault in
leadership is wrong even if that fault is true. However, this is a
false teaching as it is using priesthood to cover sins. (See D&C
121). Every member, no matter how high their priesthood office is
subject to same laws and discipline as the lowest among us. There is
not supposed to be special treatment for high office. Even Joseph
Smith himself subjected himself to this process, something that would
never happen today.
D&C 107:
81 There is not any person belonging to the church who is exempt from
this council of the church.
82 And
inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood shall transgress, he
shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church,
who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the High Priesthood;
83 And their
decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him.
84 Thus, none
shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all
things may be done in order and in solemnity before him, according to
truth and righteousness.
Soon
after Joseph died, the Twelve rejected the revelation from God on how
the church should operate and instead built an organization patterned
after the militaries of the world, with orders coming from the
general or prophet and everyone in the lower ranks are to obey
without question. The First presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve
no longer accept common consent of the members. The body of the
priesthood no longer chooses the three Presiding High Priests which
form the Presidency of the Church. The equality taught by Alma and
Joseph Smith is long gone and it seems that the gifts of the spirit
associated with the offices are gone as well. We are simply compelled
and threatened to give them titles of prophets, seers and revelators
even though none of them display any of the gifts which should be
manifested by persons with those titles. No revelations, no visions,
no thus sayeth the Lord, no translation of ancient records and no new
scripture. Perhaps God has withheld these gifts because we do not
honor and keep his word. We are taught that they are called by
revelation but there is no revelation saying seniority and outliving
everyone makes you a prophet. If such revelation exists, that
overturns the original revelation, why has it not been revealed?
There is even a story passed around about gaining blessings for
obeying the prophet, even if he is wrong but that is not what Joseph
Smith taught.
“We
have heard men who hold the priesthood remark, that they would do
anything they were told to do by those who presided over them, if
they knew it was wrong; but such obedience as this is worse than
folly to us; it is slavery in the extreme; and the man who would thus
willingly degrade himself should not claim a rank among intelligent
beings, until he turns from his folly. A man of God … would despise
the idea. Others, in the extreme exercise of their almighty authority
have taught that such obedience was necessary, and that no matter
what the saints were told to do by their presidents, they should do
it without asking any questions. When Elders of Israel will so far
indulge in these extreme notions of obedience as to teach them to the
people, it is generally because they have it in their minds to do
wrong themselves.” (Joeph
Smith, Millennial Star, vol.14 #38, pp. 593-595).
The
foundation of the church rests upon Joseph Smith. He is the man who
communed with Jehovah, face to face. Since his death, no leader of
the church has publicly testified of seeing God the Father and Jesus
Christ. Joseph Smith proclaimed that he did see them. If he taught
falsehoods, then the church was built upon a false foundation and is
a false church. His teachings must take primacy. How can we set a
revelation from God aside and run the church according to the
philosophies of men and remain in God’s favor?
We
are also taught the mantra: “Follow the Prophet”. It is the
overriding doctrine of the church. We are taught that he cannot lead
us astray. However, Joseph Smith did not teach us to depend on a
prophet.
“President
Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel--said the Lord had
declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for
himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of
the Jewish church--that righteous persons could only deliver their
own souls--applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints--said if the people departed from the
Lord, they must fall--that they were depending on the Prophet, hence
were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties
devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they
afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy”.(
TPJS Pg.237.)
The
scriptures say, cursed is he that trusts in man.
2Nephi 4: 34 O
Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I
will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is
he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that
putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.
When
the members depend on a man they call a prophet, they neglect the
responsibility that belongs to them. That responsibility is to gain
the spirit and depend on the Lord God. The Book of Mormon teaches us
how to do that. This is the only path to salvation:
2
Nephi 31:13
Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with
full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before
God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto
the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ,
by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into
the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the
Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy
Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout
praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
2
Nephi 32: 3
Angels
speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words
of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of
Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will
tell you all things what ye should do.
This
is the duty that devolves upon us all and the only and true doctrine
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one
God, without end. Amen. D&C 107 contains instructions for the
body of the priesthood to remove the president of the high priesthood
or man we call a prophet for transgression. This does not sound like
the office of a man who can never lead us astray. All men are flawed
and anyone of them can fall from grace. This notion of not being able
to lead us astray is no different than the Catholic doctrine of the
Pope being infallible. We have now come full circle. Back to where we
started from before Joseph Smith.
Chapter
31 of 2 Nephi describes the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, a
topic barely mentioned in church teachings and if it is mentioned, it
is usually described as the laying on of hands. Although it can occur
with the laying on of hands, it is something Christ does to us, not
man.
3 Nephi 9: 20
And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a
contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a
contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy
Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the
time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy
Ghost, and they knew it not.
The
requirement is a broken heart and contrite spirit. Everyone has equal
opportunity to speak with Christ and to come unto him. God is no
respecter of persons.
Joseph
Smith went to great efforts to restore lost knowledge to us. Much of
what he restored and gave to us has been discarded like it was
garbage. We have this picture of linear progression from Joseph Smith
down to us through a line of living prophets but the true picture is
one of ever decreasing knowledge and light. We have lost the
connection with the living vine and no new revelation has been given
to the church for many years. Revelation to the church is obtained by
presenting the words of God to the church and having them vote on it.
If the vote is affirmative, it is to be canonized in our scriptures.
If this is not done, it is not revelation to the church but something
else. Revelation means to reveal. Secret handbooks or anything not
presented for a vote is not revelation to the church nor is any
member bound to live by it. In 1835, the word of God was presented to
the body of the church called the Doctrine and Covenants of the
church. The first seventy pages were comprised of the Lectures on
Faith. The members voted in the affirmative that it was revelation
from God and it was included in our cannon. In 1921, a committee of
apostles overturned that decision, without the authority to do so,
and removed the lectures on Faith from our cannon. Most members today
are unware of this great treasure given to us from God because it is
not included in our cannon and is not used as a source for teaching
materials. Joseph Smith vouched that it was the word of God. It
contains many great truths and defines how the faith to gain eternal
life is obtained. In it, we learn that every man is equal before God
and has equal right to obtain revelation from him and see his face.
Lecture
3: 23
“But it is also necessary that men should have an idea that he is
no respecter of persons; for with the idea of all the other
excellencies in his character, and this one wanting, men could not
exercise faith in him, because if he were a respecter of persons,
they could not tell what their privileges were, nor how far they were
authorized to exercise faith in him, or whether they were authorized
to do it at all, but all must be confusion; but no sooner are the
minds of men made acquainted with the truth on this point, that he is
no respecter of persons, than they see that they have authority by
faith to lay hold on eternal life the richest boon of heaven, because
God is no respecter of persons, and that every man in every nation
has an equal privilege.”
We
must know the correct attributes of God’s character in order to
obtain the faith to lay hold on eternal life. We don’t need to be
an important church leader to see Christ or to commune with him. The
important attributes of God are listed in the Lectures on Faith.
Without knowing them, we cannot have faith, only false belief, no
matter how strongly held the belief is. Faith is had in things that
are true but not seen. Therefore, belief in things that are false can
never be faith.
The
Lectures on Faith also teach us that God does not change. Without
this knowledge man cannot have faith in God. This notion that
doctrine changes from prophet to prophet is a false teaching. We must
have the knowledge that what God requires is the same for all
generations. That what constitutes salvation for one does so for all.
This idea that living prophets trump dead ones is false. God cannot
be Adam one day and not be Adam the next. In Brigham Young’s day,
people were excommunicated for not agreeing with Brigham that Adam
was God. Today, you will be excommunicated for agreeing with Brigham.
If a prophet speaks for God, his teachings will be correct, forever.
Today’s true prophet cannot be tomorrow’s false one. How can you
have faith in God if He is going to change the rules in the middle of
the game?
The
Lectures on Faith also teach us about the law of sacrifice:
Lecture
6. 7
“Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the
sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the
faith necessary unto life and salvation; for from the first existence
of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation
never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things:
it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained
that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of
the sacrifice of all earthly things, that men do actually know that
they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God.
When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has, for the truth's
sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he
has been called to make this sacrifice, because he seeks to do his
will, he does know most assuredly, that God does and will accept his
sacrifice and offering, and that he has not nor will not seek his
face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the
faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.”
You
cannot gain eternal life without the sacrifice of all earthly things.
This is the exact opposite of what the church currently teaches. Now,
we are taught that the gospel brings us temporary, earthly blessings
and eternal blessing both. What did Joseph Smith say about that?
Lecture
6: 8
“It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are
heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their
all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor
with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they in like manner
offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain
the knowledge that they are accepted of him.”
It
is vanity to hold to such a belief. When the next council is held in
the afterlife, and you are looking for your position, will you seat
yourself between Abinadi and Isaiah knowing you sacrificed all
things, even unto death to follow God, like they did or will you
slink to the back, with your head hung low, knowing you lived a life
of comfort and ease?
The
teachings of God found in the Lectures on Faith contain many things
that are contrary to the current church teachings. I would recommend
everyone interested in salvation to study them. Without the knowledge
they contain, eternal life cannot be obtained. To believe so is in
vain. The scriptures tell us there will be weeping, wailing and
gnashing of teeth from those who believe they are God’s elect. The
Lectures on Faith teach hard things. Have we rejected the word of God
because we prefer the smooth easy things?
Isaiah 30:
9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children,
children that will not hear the law of the Lord:
10 Which say
to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us
right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Have
we said, enough of the word of God? Take this back and give us easy
things?
2 Nephi 28: 29
Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and
we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!
The
brethren teach us to stay in the good ship Zion but they no longer
even know what Zion is. Zion is a community of equals, with no rich
and no poor. They own all things in common and all of them know the
Lord. I am not content to stay in the boat. I have stepped out of the
boat and on to the water. Christ calls to me as he called to Peter.
You might ask if this is dangerous. Yes, it is but less so than
staying in the boat. The path to the tree of life is a dangerous one
and many are lost in the mist of darkness but staying in the great
and spacious building is more dangerous. It is certain to fall as is
the ship. To survive one must take the leap of faith and come unto
Christ.
All
churches built up to get gain will fall.
1Nephi 22: 23
For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up
to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the
flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of
the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things
of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all
those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear,
and tremble, and quake; they ar`e those who must be brought low in
the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is
according to the words of the prophet.
The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is now built up to get
gain. With over 100 for profit corporations owned by the church, it
is more a business than a church. The legal name of the church is the
Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints. Its holdings are worth many billions of dollars. No one
outside the very top leadership knows the exact figure. Its assets
include, the City Creek mall, which caters to the elite of society.
The finest most expensive stores in the world can be found there. The
corporation also owns radio and TV stations, an exclusive hunting
lodge, office and apartment buildings and two percent of the state of
Florida. That is just the tip of the iceberg and some of their more
well-known assets. Compare that to Christ who was homeless. (The
Sanhedrin had wealth and power).
The
Book of Mormon was given to us as a warning for us. Every author
writes for his intended audience. We are the ones being warned to
repent and what to repent of. Of what value is a warning for people
who do not believe the book is true or will never read it? It
is only so much wasted paper, gold plates and efforts if it is meant
for people who will never read or believe in the book.
Mormon
8: 35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are
not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your
doing.
36
And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are
none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of
their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying,
and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of
iniquities; and your churches, yea,
even every one,
have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
37
For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine
apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the
poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
There
are so many warnings for us in the Book of Mormon that I can only
include a small portion of them or make this letter 100s of pages
long. The Book of Mormon is scripture for us, right now. In 3 Nephi,
Jesus Christ gives the reader a direct commandment:
3
Nephi: 23 .1 And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search
these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these
things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.
2
For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which
are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must
speak also to the Gentiles.
We
are the Gentiles spoken of in the Book of Mormon so Isaiah is
speaking to us. Christ tells us why we should study Isaiah:
3
And all things that he spake have been and shall
be,
even according to the words which he spake.
It
is because Isaiah not only tells us of what happened in ancient
Israel but is telling us what will be and what is happening now. We
are left without excuse because the scriptures are full of warnings
for us to repent and spell out our sins in detail. Jesus Christ is
telling us that Isaiah is scripture for our day. The book of Isaiah
has a very dim view of us. It should make us pay attention that so
much of Isaiah is in the Book of Mormon. It is there to warn us to
repent.
2
Nephi 28: 12 Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and
false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their
churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up.
13
They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the
poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and
the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up.
14
They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and
wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone
astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ;
nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err
because they are taught by the precepts of men.
2
Nephi 28: 5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel;
and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our
precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the
Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men.
Don’t
we profess that God has given his power to the brethren? Don’t we
claim they hold the keys to salvation?
2Nephi
28: 21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal
security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion
prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls,
and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
Isaiah
says, Ephraim will take refuge in lies:
Isaiah 28: 15
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with
hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass
through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge,
and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
Who
is modern Ephraim?
Pride
instead of humility, neglect and enslavement of the poor, getting
gain by taking advantage of our neighbor, spending vast sums of money
on temples, like King Noah did, and on other fancy buildings instead
of using that money to help the poor, idol worship which is
whoredoms, because we are not faithful to the bridegroom but worship
men and money instead. All these are warnings for us.
Perhaps
the reason there has been an absence of the greater spiritual gifts
is because God put the LDS church under a curse at the time of
Joseph’s death. This is in addition to the condemnation that was
placed in 1832. The evidence of this curse is right before us,
unexamined, in D&C 124. Many of us carry the evidence of our
curse with us to church each week where we bear testimony of how
lucky and blessed we are. God commanded the saints to build the
Nauvoo temple in a timely manner, and to labor with all their might
to build it. God said, they could regain what was lost to them,
which was the fullness of the priesthood but it could only be done it
that temple. This was like a three strikes and you’re out situation
for the church because of their previous failures in Kirtland and
Missouri. The true story of the early church is one of repeated
failure to obey God. The saints could not live consecration in
Kirtland or Missouri. God allowed the saints to be persecuted because
they would not obey him. Here is revelation God gave to the saints
when they were suffering persecutions in both Kirtland and Missouri:
D&C
101: 2. I, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come
upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of
their transgressions;
6 Behold, I
say unto you, there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and
strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by
these things they polluted their inheritances.
You
cannot disobey God without suffering a loss of blessings. We make it
sound as if the law of tithing is just as good and it is no big deal
that the early saints failed to live the higher law. What other laws
do you think we could ignore and still remain God’s holy, chosen
people? The best souls saved for the last days. Perhaps we can’t
live the law of chastity any longer. No big deal, God will give us a
new law. Maybe he will but we gain our inheritance by living the law
of the kingdom we wish to attain.
D&C 88: 22
For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot
abide a celestial glory.
The
early saints failed twice when God gave them an opportunity to try
again in Nauvoo. God
said, if the temple was completed in time, he would consecrate that
spot and make it holy. He would protect the saints and they would not
be moved from their place. But if they would not complete the work in
time, they would be cursed and driven from Nauvoo. They would be
rejected along with their dead. It is quite obvious that the saints
were driven from Nauvoo. God did not protect them or keep them in
Nauvoo. The temple was never fully finished and only the second story
walls were up when Joseph died. Not one stone of the temple remained
a top another shortly after they left Nauvoo. First fire, then a
tornado destroyed the temple, completely. The saints endured
starvation, deaths of children and spouses, loss of homes,
possessions and many other hardships. Joseph was taken from them much
like Moses was taken from the Israelites for their transgressions and
unwillingness to obey God. I believe that much like in Moses’ day,
God allowed the Aaronic priesthood to continue with the church but
the blessings of the Melchizedek priesthood have not been evident.
D&C
107: 18
The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is
to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church—
19
To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the
general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the
communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of
the new covenant.
The
heavens have been shut up and we have not had the presence of the
Father among us although I think, some few have had the presence of
Christ among them.
So
every year we shoot off fireworks and have a parade to celebrate our
cursing. We cannot face our shortcomings so we invent a story about
it that makes us heroic. It is human nature to not admit our faults.
God
has sent us a prophet to declare the heavens are now open again. We
are given a chance to lift the curse. It is much like Israel had to
suffer being captive in Babylon for a time before God would call a
prophet to lead them back.
There
is a pattern found in the scriptures. History always repeats and God
sends a prophet to warn the religious to repent. Our day is no
different. God has sent a prophet to us. He does not ask for money or
worship. He does not ask for authority to compel men. He has warned
us to repent of the sins of our generation and not repeat the ones of
our predecessors. The sign God requires is for us to be re-baptized,
which is another pattern found in scripture. I have listened to that
prophet and have been re-baptized in an attempt to follow the Lord
and show Him my faithfulness that I do not worship men or put men
before God. I do not pay my tithing to the Corporation of the
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints anymore.
I pay a full tithe and pay directly to the poor so that money will
not be wasted to adorn that which has no life. I still have many
faults and do not claim to be righteous. I beg for God’s mercy and
hope he will accept my token of repentance. I invite all to be
re-baptized and to show God that you want to turn back to him.
I
know most everyone will think I am crazy. That is the price one must
pay to obey God. I ask you to consider what Laman and Lemuel said to
Nephi:
1
Nephi 22: And we know that the people who were in the land of
Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and
judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law
of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and
our father hath judged them, and
hath
led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our
brother is like unto him. And after this manner of language did my
brethren murmur and complain against us.
It
is always the same. The religious people lose their connection to the
living vine. God sends a prophet. That prophet is rejected because
the people consider themselves righteous. They think their religious
tradition and their works make them righteous. The people of
Jerusalem were a religious people with a temple, baptism, tithing,
scriptures, synagogues and a set of religious authorities, like our
general authorities, who could trace their authority to Moses. It was
not their lack of adherence to religion that made them apostate but
it was their devotion to religion that made them think they didn’t
need to repent. They couldn’t conceive that the Lord was displeased
with them. We claim to be incapable of repeating the mistakes made
in the past. Joseph Smith did not agree with that. He warned, many
times that God would find another people if we failed him. We are no
different than ancient Israel and the Nephites. We even have a dead
sea and a river named Jordan. The Book of Mormon calls us prideful.
In 3 Nephi 16:10, it says, we will be the most prideful people on the
face of the earth. We call ourselves God’s best generation, held in
reserve for the last days. Why, because we keep a portion of the Word
of Wisdom and don’t drink or smoke, the advice given to the weakest
of the saints? Because we don’t watch R rated movies and don’t
cuss? The reality is, we are under curse for the lack of obeying the
higher laws and like the people of Moses as part of that curse have
been given the law of carnal commandments. (D&C84) It is all
hubris and pride. All of us lie in sin.
D&C
49: 20
But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above
another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.
It
never has been about us. The natural branches are God’s favored
people, not the Gentiles. The gospel will go back under their
stewardship. Sincere prayer, with deep humility and study of the
scriptures will reveal this to you.
I
understand that we as church members do many good things. We do much
to serve each other and to serve God. I believe God is happy for
every good thing we do and for every correct principle we embrace. I
believe he supports us and guides us in every step towards him we are
willing to take. But, there is much more to be had. More he wants us
to do and embrace. He wants us to live a Celestial law so we can
abide a Celestial glory.
God
is looking for a people that will do his will on earth. He is looking
for a people that will set aside their pursuit of money, leisure and
entertainment to do his work. The work he wants done is described in
3 Nephi 21. It is to build Zion and gather Israel. He has given us
another chance to regain what was lost, the fullness of the
priesthood. The spirit has told me the LDS church will never do this
work. They are too occupied with building an earthly kingdom of power
and wealth. To build Zion would require the leaders to come down and
be equal in status with the lay member. It would require the wealthy
members to surrender their wealth to the poor and to come down in
humility with the poor instead of having pride in their wealth. The
traditions within the LDS system are now so entrenched that they
cannot be overcome. The idea of equality is so foreign to us but that
is what Zion and the Celestial Kingdom is all about. God’s word in
the Book of Mormon will be fulfilled. God has said, Zion will be
built, Israel gathered and it will be the Gentiles that do this work.
I hope to be one chosen to help God do this work. I hope and pray I
have the strength to live a Celestial law. I invite you to pray and
ponder about the things I have said.
Thomas
McCulley.