Tag Archives: Book of Mormon

A New Life

04 Wednesday Mar 2020

Posted by in Heritage

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Note: In the years I have spent studying the profound words of Isaiah, two people have been instrumental in my research: W. Cleon Skousen and Avraham Gileadi. The events that brought Gileadi from New Zealand to Israel to Utah are more than coincidences and that is why I would like to share his experience in this entry. Avraham Gileadi is a Hebrew scholar and literary analyst specializing in the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. 

A New Life

by Avraham Gileadi, 1973. Reblogged from here.

In 1968 I left my New Zealand home to settle in Israel. I just came, without great means and not knowing what conditions to expect in this land. The Spirit of God pressed upon me to come here, and being unmarried, I undertook the journey alone.

But before coming to Israel I searched a map of this land for a place where I might go to stay, for I had no relatives here to welcome me. The only map of Israel in my possession was an old biblical map, and on it I found a place by the name of Zerin.

After arriving in Israel I discovered that a kibbutz was built next to the ruins of Zerin and that this was the ancient town of Jezreel, which name the kibbutz had adopted anew. Upon joining this kibbutz I was questioned as to why I chose that place rather than another, but at that time I was at a loss for an adequate reply.

For a few years I worked on the kibbutz, or farming commune, milking cows and helping to build up the land. I began to observe the laws of Moses, and I studied the Bible a great deal, although until I came to Israel I had no background in Judaism.

One day, while I was looking for a book to read in the kibbutz library, the librarian, who was nonreligious, handed me the Book of Mormon and said that I should read it. It had once been left in the library by a young Mormon volunteer worker who had spent a few months on the kibbutz. I was not interested in the Book of Mormon, but this lady, knowing I was spiritually inclined, was insistent that I read it, and so out of curiosity I took it with me.

When I began to read it, I greatly wondered at its contents, as I read of things that I had never supposed existed. I prayed about whether the things contained in the Book of Mormon were true, and indeed, just as promised in the admonition in the book, the Holy Spirit witnessed very strongly in me, and I began to take these writings seriously.

I read the Book of Mormon twice and then sent a letter addressed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, asking for further information. Back came a reply from the Missionary Department, with tracts and a letter of encouragement.

Through the tracts I learned of the existence of two books called the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, and I immediately sent for these also. Many things were pressing to be clarified to my mind, and I desired to have all the scriptural material that was available.

I began to accept the land of America as being a special land of inheritance for the tribe of Joseph since there is scriptural evidence for this in the Torah itself. But several other interesting things began to appear, which till now have been great stumbling blocks to Jews and sectarian Christians alike.

For instance, religious Jewry cannot accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah because he did not accomplish the specific tasks by which the Jewish Messiah may be identified. These tasks or missions are (1) the establishment of the kingdom of heaven, or the political rule of God on the earth, beginning in Israel, (2) the building of the holy temple in Jerusalem, and (3) the restoration of the lost tribes of Israel and the gathering of the covenant people of the Lord out of all the world—in that respective order.

But from the Book of Mormon I learned that the mission of Jesus Christ was to effect an atonement for sin and establish the law of mercy, thereby removing the “curse” (or the strict justice) of the law for all those who accept that atonement.

There exists a Midrash, or handed-down tradition, in Jewish literature that speaks of one man who would die for all mankind; but I ask, how could such an act be valid except by a covenant made with God on behalf of all men? And again, to be valid, witnesses were necessary who should testify concerning the event. The prophet Isaiah actually distinguishes three separate messianic personages when he writes: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” (Isa. 11:1.) Doctrine and Covenants, section 113, explains that the Stem of Jesse is Jesus Christ. [D&C 113]

From a careful identification of the subject of verse 4 (D&C 113:4), I learned that the “rod spoken of, that should come out of the Stem of Jesse,” is the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that he may fit the description of “Messiah the son of Joseph,” concerning whom there is an ancient but well-known tradition in Judaism, that he will precede “Messiah the son of David” and be slain in a war against the forces of evil.

But from various Latter-day prophets I learned of a “son of Jesse” who is still to come and who in the above scripture is identified with the “root of Jesse,”—“unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign and for the gathering of the people in the last days.” (D&C 113:6.)

Again I read that “he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne.” (Zech. 6:13.) Thus, herein lies a most significant point of reconciliation between Jews and Latter-day Saints and one deserving of primary clarification in any spiritual encounter between the two peoples.

From studying these things in the light of the Mormon scriptures, I became increasingly convinced of the truth of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Within a year I earnestly sought to be baptized, but I was unable to locate any Latter-day Saints. At the government information services I was told that the Church had no presence in Israel; and when I followed up addresses of Saints forwarded to me by the Switzerland Mission, I received no answer. It was not until three years after first reading the Book of Mormon that I met any Mormons.

While studying Oral Law in a yeshiva, or Jewish Talmudic school, on Mount Zion, I came across an advertisement of Latter-day Saint services on a torn piece of newspaper. Immediately I contacted the brethren of the Jerusalem Branch, which before President Harold B. Lee’s recent visit to the Holy Land was still called the Israel Group, a non-Israeli congregation of about thirty souls, the majority being children.

For some weeks I secretly attended meetings and further studied the gospel through the favor of the presidency of this branch. Early one morning, the day I left the yeshiva, some brethren gathered at the Pool of Shiloam, and there I was baptized. The day following, at the house of the branch president, I was ordained a priest, both these ordinances having been carried out by President David B. Galbraith and his first counselor, Elder John Tvedtnes, from whom I took further instruction in the gospel.

The Laws of Moses are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In Judaism it is taught that all the law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai and that, therefore, any other law is quite unacceptable.

From the Church’s viewpoint this is correct; but even as is taught in the Kabbalah, or the handed-down, secret teachings of the Laws of Moses, there was a higher law revealed at Sinai that was rejected by the nation of Israel as a whole. It is presumed that this higher law will again be learned in a future day, in the days of Messiah.

Joseph Smith also teaches that Moses, together with Aaron and a few others, did receive the higher law of the gospel but that the rest of the people were cursed with a law or carnal ordinances. Interestingly, it is generally accepted in Judaism that even when the temple will be built again there shall be no more animal sacrifices made therein, at least not as in ancient times.

But what are we to understand from Jesus’ admonition to his fellow Jews when he said: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they observe, that observe and do”? (Matt. 23:2–3.) And has this commandment any application to Jews today?

There appears to be a link between the coming of Elijah the prophet and a renewal of the teachings of the Laws of Moses. We read in the writings of the prophet Malachi: “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” (Mal. 4:4–5.)

Thus we find that in the Doctrine and Covenants all of the Ten Commandments are reiterated by the Savior, some repeatedly; and again, several statutes such as tithing and the marriage laws, are also taught therein. Moreover, we know that the prophet Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, in direct fulfillment of Malachi’s prediction. Incidentally, that date was the feast of the Passover, on which day the Jewish people expect the coming of Elijah, even going so far as to leave a vacant seat for him at the Passover supper held in every religious Jewish home.

From the Book of Mormon we learn that the Nephites, after receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ, “did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the law of Moses; but they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God. …” (4 Ne. 1:12.) Here then we see the setting aside of the carnal rites and ordinances of the law, which, in the words of Paul, served as a schoolteacher until the higher law was accepted—the conclusion being that the carnal law consisted of sacrificial ordinances and other temporal performances, which things Paul likened to “dead works” by which one cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.

On the other hand, the Ten Commandments and the statutes that were given to Moses in Horeb (or on Mount Sinai) are actually a part or the beginning of the higher law itself, for they are taught in the gospel. Malachi speaks of these statutes and judgments as given to all Israel, and it is the teaching of Judaism that all Israel were present at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, some being present in body and others in spirit. Indeed, the Ten Commandments were given to the whole nation of Israel by their Lord and their God himself in a show of power and might, whereupon the people fled, not being able to bear the presence of God for want of faith and sufficient sanctification. Instead they appointed Moses as their mediator, whereupon the Lord gave them the law of carnal performances and ordinances through him.

To an Israelite, therefore, who has not yet entered the covenant of the atonement of Jesus Christ and accepted the higher law of the gospel, these carnal laws are actually still binding, as far as he is able to perform them. Far be it from us, then, to discourage a Jew from his observance upon any other premise than his entry into the new and everlasting covenant. For to one living the law of the celestial kingdom, or the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the carnal or temporal laws become surpassed and are no longer binding, even as one may surpass and no longer be bound by the law of gravity when applying the law of space dynamics to fly to another planet.

In Christ we fly, and carnal things have an end; and inasmuch as we fulfill the celestial law, so far shall we ascend to a higher spiritual plane until we attain to the presence of God.

The New Covenant

18 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in The Doctrine of Christ

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Matthew 26:26  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

the-last-supper-cup

The Greek origin of the term, “Testament” means covenant (διαθήκη). The New Testament of the Bible is a canon of scripture, which teaches us concerning the covenant God made with Abraham, of which Jesus Christ made new.

JST Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then, the law was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made in the law given to Moses, who was ordained by the hand of angels to be a mediator of this first covenant, (the law.)
20 Now this mediator was not a mediator of the new covenant; but there is one mediator of the new covenant, who is Christ, as it is written in the law concerning the promises made to Abraham and his seed. Now Christ is the mediator of life; for this is the promise which God made unto Abraham.

The Book of Mormon, like the Bible, or rather, the New Testament of the Bible, contains the New Covenant. It is not another testament. It is the same “New Covenant” given to the former saints, of which Jesus Christ is the mediator. Therefore, the added title in the current edition of the Book of Mormon, “Another Testament” is a misnomer. It was not part of the original title of the Book of Mormon.

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—
58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

How does one “repent” and remember “the new covenant” of life made unto Abraham? We are told plainly in the Book of Mormon by Moroni, who hid up the record:

Ether 4:13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.

Until one parts the veil as Enoch, Moses, the brother of Jared, and others, one is kept from “remembering” or “knowing” the covenant because of unbelief. It is this unbelief, which keeps one:

1. In an awful state of wickedness
2. Hardness of heart
3. blindness of mind

Or in other words, under condemnation.

The Lord commanded Moroni to write them, and so he did:

Ether 4:4 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.

Prince Ammon

30 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Book of Mormon

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Throughout scriptural history, we read about lineages and genealogies, whether in the Old Testament or in the New Testament. It was evidently customary for the nations of Israel to recognize who was the son of who as far back as tradition holds. This is how we learn in the first chapter of Matthew of Jesus Christ’s birthright to the throne of David, had He chosen to claim it.

When Mosiah discovered the land of Zarahemla, he learns of their genealogy after they had been taught the language of the Nephites and this is how they learned of their common history. There are examples in the Book of Mormon where someone recited his lineage before declaring his message. I believe that Ammon, the eldest son of King Mosiah, was being modest in his record keeping and left out a few parts. I think his introduction to the Lamanite king was more ceremonial than we read about.

I believe it went something like this: Ammon is brought bound before the king and he bows before Lamoni, recites his lineage as it is customary in the land. “Behold, O king, I am Ammon from the land of Zarahemla. I am the son of Mosiah, who is the son of Benjamin, who is the son of Mosiah…who was the son of Lehi who came out of Jerusalem during the reign of King Zedekiah.” And thus we discover that Lamoni was a descendant of Ishmael. Lamoni, the son of the king over all the Lamanites in the land of Ishmael was not ignorant of who the king of the Nephites in Zarahemla was and that before him knelt the heir to the throne in Zarahemla. Lamoni must have thought, “What does the prince of the Nephites want to do with us?”

Alma 17:22 And the king inquired of Ammon if it were his desire to dwell in the land among the Lamanites, or among his people.
23 And Ammon said unto him: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.

Lamoni, awestruck, was impressed–so impressed that he has Ammon’s bands removed.

24 And it came to pass that king Lamoni was much pleased with Ammon, and caused that his bands should be loosed; and he would that Ammon should take one of his daughters to wife.

I don’t think Lamoni was so intent on uniting kingdoms as he was simply wishing to honor the young prince in return. But Ammon politely declined, either because he was already married, perhaps with children back in Zarahemla, or his mind was otherwise simply single in purpose. His only desire was to serve and not rule. And he became King Lamoni’s servant by tending his flocks of sheep. What a fitting task for one who became a shepherd of a Lamanite nation. By the time he had proven himself a strong and loyal servant, his strength and royalty had been acknowledged and recognized:

Alma 18:13 And one of the king’s servants said unto him, Rabbanah, which is, being interpreted, powerful or great king, considering their kings to be powerful; and thus he said unto him: Rabbanah, the king desireth thee to stay.

“Ammon and Lamoni” by Joseph F. Brickley:

I believe it is reasonable to conclude that Ammon had indeed remained with this people after having served them for fourteen years in their land, even long after having brought them back to the land of Zarahemla to inherit the land of Jershon and and lived with them, becoming their high priest. If he was still alive when they migrated north after the civil wars, it is possible that he and his family departed with them:

Helaman 3:12 And it came to pass that there were many of the people of Ammon, who were Lamanites by birth, did also go forth into this land.

An Overflowing Scourge

15 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in Gospel Doctrine

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Jerusalem fell. The Jaredite nation fell. The Nephite nation fell. Each nation was warned about pride, idolatry, idleness and more time and time again since the day Moses led Jacob out of Egypt. He took Israel out of Egypt, but he couldn’t take Egypt out of Israel. Soon after they crossed the Red Sea and Moses left them for a moment, his people began the building of a graven image to worship–a golden calf.

With the blessing of each nation came prosperity. With that prosperity came pride and thereafter their fall. After the Nephite nation fell, the Lamanite nation dwindled in unbelief, bringing us to our day in the gentile nation–America. The last prophet of the Book of Mormon warned us that we will follow in their footsteps and suffer the same fate as they suffered. He revealed to us in great detail how their government had been corrupted and how their entire civilization had been destroyed from within so that we could avoid the same pitfalls.

Ether 8
23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.

Moroni also writes:

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.

Clearly none of us are exempt, especially not those in the Lord’s own house:

D&C 112
23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.
24 Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;

By the time Samuel the Lamanite, a stranger, even a foreigner, had come to warn the “sleeping” Nephites, the likes of Amalickiah, Kishkumen and Gadianton had quietly usurped power at every level of government. Where is our modern day Samuel the Lamanite to warn us? Or have we already been warned time and time again, but we are too caught up in worldly things, like the ancient Israelites were of their world? Are we too busy worshiping our own golden calves to notice that modern day Kishkumens and Gadiantons have take control of every level of our own government for the sole purpose of getting gain?

By now only few have awakened enough to see the pattern of history repeating itself. The Nephites undoing was their own pride and rejection of their Savior and heavenly protector. It is ironic that the Lord gives us exactly what we want. When people decide they don’t need God in their lives anymore, they follow their own wisdom and understanding. This is their greatest folly. So as a nation we are left to our own devices, straying further and further from Him. And when those in the Lord’s own house take lightly the very road map that tells us where all the roadblocks and dead ends are, they receive the greater condemnation for it.

We live in a generation of depravity, social disintegration and worse. It has gotten to the point where our own children don’t have much of a chance OR a choice in life as abortions range in the countless millions. This has become our culture. How much longer before that day of wrath and of burning are upon us? A child could see the writing on the wall. America will be cleansed as will the world.

Have we missed our modern day Samuel the Lamanite? Our Jeremiah? Our Abinadi? Or have they been with us all along? Joseph Smith and John Taylor are two examples:

D&C 45
26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall failthem, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.
27 And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.
31 And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land.

John Taylor, the third LDS president and prophet, received the following vision concerning the “overflowing scourge,” which becomes a “desolating sickness”:

The first thing that I recognized was that I was in the tabernacle of Ogden, Utah…I arose to speak and said that I did­n’t know that I had anything es­pecially to say, ex­cept to bear my tes­timony of the Latter-day work, when all at once it seemed as if I was lifted out of myself and I said, “Yes, I have something to say and that is this: Some of my brethren have been ask­ing, “What is be­coming of us? What is the wind blowing?” I will answer you right here what is coming very shortly.”

I was then in a dream, im­mediately in the city of Salt Lake, and wandering around in the streets and in all parts of the city, and on the doors of the houses I found badges of mourn­ing and I could not find a house but was in mourning…

It seemed strange to me that I saw no person in the streets in all my wan­dering around the coun­try. I seemed to be in their houses with the sick, but saw no funeral proces­sion, nor anything of the kind, but the city looking still and as though the people were praying. And it seemed that they had controlled the dis­ease, but what the dis­ease was I did not learn; it was not made known to me. I then looked over the country, north, east, south, and west, and the same mourning was in every land and in every place…

The next thing I knew I was just this side of Omaha. It seemed though I was above the earth, and look­ing down upon it. As I passed along upon my way east I saw the road full of people, mostly women, with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs, trav­eling to the moun­tains on foot. I won­dered how they would get through with such a small pack on their backs…

I continued east by the way of Omaha and Council Bluffs, which were full of disease. There were women every­where. The state of Illinois and Mis­souri were in a tumult, men killing one an­other, women joining the fight­ing, fam­ily against family in the most horrid manner…I was in Wash­ington and I found desola­tion there. The White House was empty and the Halls of Congress the same, and everything in ru­ins. The people seemed to have left the city and left it to take care of itself.

I was in Baltimore. In the square where the Monument of 1812 stands in front of the Char­les Hotel. I saw dead piled up so as to fill the street square. I saw mothers cutting the throats of their own children for their blood. I saw them suck it from their throats to quench their own thirst and then lie down and die. The water of Che­sapeake Bay was stagnant, and the stench arising from it on ac­count of their throw­ing their bod­ies into it so terrible, that the very smell carried death with it. I saw no man ex­cept they were dead or dying in the streets and very few women. Those I saw were crazy and in an ugly condi­tion. Everywhere I went I beheld the same sights all over the city; it was terrible be­yond description to look upon.

I thought this must be the end; but no, I was seemingly in an instant in the city of Philadel­phia. There eve­rything was still. No living soul was there to greet me. It seemed the whole city was with­out any inhabi­tants. In the south of Chestnut Street and in fact everywhere I went, the putrefaction of the dead caused such a stench that it was impos­sible for any living thing to breathe, nor did I see any living thing in the city.

Next I found myself in Broadway, in the city of New York, and there it seemed the people had done the best they could to overcome the disease, but in wandering down Broad­way I saw the bodies of beautiful women lying, some dead and oth­ers in a dy­ing condition, on the sidewalks. I saw men come out of cellars and ravish the per­sons of some that were yet alive and then kill them and rob their bodies of all the valu­ables they had upon them. Then before they could get back to the cellar they would roll over a time or two and die in ag­ony. In some of the back streets I saw them kill some of their own offspring and eat their raw flesh, and in a few minutes die them­selves. Every­where I went I saw the same scene of horror and de­struction and death and rap­ine.

No car­riages, buggies, or cars were running; but death and de­struc­tion were every­where. Then I saw fire start and just at that moment a mighty East wind sprang up and car­ried the flames over the city and it burned until there was not a sin­gle building left standing there, even down to the waters edge. Wharves and shipping all seemed to burn and follow in common destruction where the “great city” was a short time ago. The stench from the bodies that were burn­ing was so great that it was carried a long dis­tance cross the Hudson Bay and carried death and destruction wherever it pene­trated. I cannot paint in words the horror that seemed to compass me about; it was beyond description of man.

I sup­posed this was the end; but it was not. I was given to understand the same horror was being en­acted all over the coun­try, east, west, north, and south. Few were left alive, still there were some. Immediately after I seemed to be standing on the left bank of the Mis­souri River, opposite e the City of In­de­pendence, but there was no city. I saw the whole state of Missouri and Illi­nois and all of Iowa, a complete desert with no living being there…

This overflowing scourge begins among the Latter-day Saints who “profess” to know the Lord, yet blaspheme. These are the they who partake of the sacrament unworthily, attend the temple unworthily, etc. thus profaning what is holy. It will then spread throughout the nation from coast to coast. I find it interesting that an East wind brings a terrible fire after this scourge leaves the land barren. In ancient times, the East wind brought plagues such as locusts and also famines. I suspect that the great fire in this vision results from the East wind bringing nuclear destruction. We will reap the chaff in the whirlwind what we have sown, as Abinadi prophecied would happen to King Noah. This brings to mind some of Isaiah’s writings, although directed at Jerusalem, that when read in the context of John Taylor’s vision, makes perfect sense:

Isaiah 3
16 Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of theirtinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and theirround tires like the moon,
19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
21 The rings, and nose jewels,
22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.
24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth;and burning instead of beauty.
25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

There was a time when the United States was a beacon of light to the world. Perhaps to many it still is. I know many still believe in its founding principles, myself included, and fight to return to those principles of liberty, free agency, etc. Today, however, it is clear that, little by little, we have been taken over by Amalickiahs, Kishkumens and Gadiantons who tear down our title of liberty, replacing them with false flag operations. And because of our apathy, slothfulness, and preference to be distracted and entertained by modern day golden calves, far too few have “awakened to our awful situation,” which has gotten above us.

The only answer is to return our sights to a loving Father in Heaven whose arm is bare and outstretched all the day long and who can protect us from enemies, both foreign and domestic, when we seek His counsel rather than rely on our own limited judgment. It is tragic, however, that we will inevitably follow right behind the Nephites and the Jaredites and the ancient Israelites and repeat history. But the light at the end of the tunnel is the literal gathering of all the tribes of Israel, the building up of New Jerusalem by the “remnants” (of Joseph) and the final events that lead to the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And the government shall be upon His shoulders. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Times of the Gentiles

09 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Gospel Doctrine

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I think this is one of the most significant entries I will have written. I have struggled for hours to begin to type and piece together what has taken months, if not years to learn, and condense it into a clear and concise article. It is a wonder that Isaiah is able to put so much information into so few words and without a solid background and understanding of the Lord’s work in His vineyard as a whole, which spans dispensations and all the players involved, it is nearly impossible without the spirit of revelation to begin to comprehend his prophecies.

In Isaiah 5 we read the following verses:

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:
29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.
30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Here, Isaiah is prophecying in five verses many significant events that will occur in a span of over a century. In verse twenty-six, the Lord will establish Zion, which will be the ensign unto all nations by means of the restoration of His church and the fullness of the gospel. In the next two verses we read about the rate at which the restored gospel will be carried as the gathering of lost tribes of Israel commences. There is a lot of imagery here that emphasizes a great sense of urgency.

During Isaiah’s time, people traveled by horse, chariot, camel, donkey, on foot, etc. Today, we have cars, airplanes, cell phones, internet, etc. In other words, our hoofs are like flint. Blinding light speed! Wheels like whirlwind. I’m not sure how fast they traveled back then on chariots, but today, cars and trucks speed along highways and airplanes achieve a substantial speed before they take off into the air. We are living in a time of advanced technology.

The last two verses now refers to the role of the remnant of Israel, which was scattered by the Gentiles in the new world. In the Book of Mormon, we have four great commentaries on Isaiah, each by Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi and the Savior Himself. In His visit to the New World, Jesus Christ admonishes the people to search the words of Isaiah and he expounds to them a portion concerning their role:

3 Nephi 20
11 Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them—
12 And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel.
13 And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them.
14 And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land, for your inheritance.
15 And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people—
16 Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
17 Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

Just as the Lamanites became a scourge to the Nephites to “stir them up in ways of remembrance,” so will the Lamanites become a scourge to the Gentiles in the last days. Notice in verse sixteen that they shall be as lions not only among the flocks of sheep, but also the beasts of the forest. None shall be immune. Those who fight against Zion because of their wickedness and also those in Zion who are asleep. As Nephi put it, they will not “search knowledge” and will remain in ignorance, thinking all is well in Zion. These are the foolish virgins of whom Christ spoke during His mortal ministry.

D&C 87 is a short chapter, but in it, the Lord reveals that wars and rumors of wars will abound beginning with the civil war and continue because the Gentiles will not repent:

5 And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation.

We see such a vexing today with weak immigration policies. During this time, people will begin to lose faith and hope. Wars will continue and people will continue to grow in apathy and sin:

In D&C 45 we read:

24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;
25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.
27 And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.
28 And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel;
29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.
30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

In the above quoted scriptures we read about there being a darkness in the land and light in heaven being darkened. And this is probably the saddest part and why Nephi mourned when he wrote to us, telling us that we will not “search knowledge.”

What is this darkness then? There is only one answer–revelation, more specifically–personal revelation. And Jesus Christ tells us why in D&C 84:

53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.
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-
58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

When the Book of Mormon prophets address us, they are addressing the gentiles, both in Babylon and in Zion (aside from the Jew and the remnants of Israel). It was the gentiles who restored the gospel of Jesus Christ and it was the gentiles who were given this privilege, “for thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.”–3 Nephi 21:6

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still under this condemnation today. And because the gentiles do not repent and because the saints have treated lightly their heavenly gift, the Lord has promised to send a cleansing scourge throughout America and it will begin among the weak saints. He gave this revelation in Kirtland, Ohio in 1833:

D&C 97:
22 For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it?
23 The Lord’s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come.
24 For the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works.
25 Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.
26 But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.

And in 1837, the Lord emphasized His revelation again:

D&C 112:

23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.
24 Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
26 First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

Has this already begun? Perhaps it has and we have been given a sign. In 1999, the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah was unprecedentedly hit with a tornado, which swept through a very concentrated area, destroying buildings and causing extensive damage, of which Temple Square and the Assembly Hall was not immune.

The University of Utah’s meteorology department caught dramatic video of the tornado that hit downtown Salt Lake City on August 11, 1999 and can be viewed here and from a news channel here, both on Youtube.

The times of the Gentiles is very nearly fulfilled. In conclusion, I will quote the prophet Orson Pratt, who Brigham Young called the “prophet to the  prophets” for his uncanny ability to get it right:

But the Latter−day Saints are not in darkness; they are the children of light, although many of us will actually be asleep. We shall have to wake up and trim up our lamps, or we shall not be prepared to enter in; for we shall all slumber and sleep in that day, and some will have gone to sleep from which they will not awake until
they awake up in darkness without any oil in their lamps. But, as a general thing, the Saints will understand the signs of the times, if they do lie down and get to sleep. Others have their eyes closed upon the prophecies of the ancient Prophets; and not only that, but they are void of the spirit of prophecy themselves.

When a man has this, though he may appeal to ancient Prophets to get understanding on some subjects he does not clearly understand, yet, as he has the spirit of prophecy in himself, he will not be in darkness; he will have a knowledge of the signs of the times; he will have a knowledge of the house of Israel, and of Zion, of the ten
tribes and of many things and purposes and events that are to take place on the earth; and he will see coming events, and can say such an event will take place, and after that another, and then another…and he will have his eye fixed on the signs of the times, and that day will not overtake him unawares…