Tag Archives: New Jerusalem

Rome or New Jerusalem?

25 Tuesday Nov 2025

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There is NO single work or text outside of the Book of Mormon that explicitly declares America to be the place of the New Jerusalem. Nobody outside of the LDS faith whose keystone is the Book of Mormon has ever considered that America will become the New Jerusalem promised to be established by the descendants of Joseph, son of Jacob/Israel. It’s interesting, then, that Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu is devoting so much energy to make sure that America-whom Benjamin Netanyahu calls the modern day Rome-does not become the New Jerusalem.

The EVERLASTING Covenant (not that everlasting covenant).

25 Thursday Sep 2025

Posted by in Heritage

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Over the last decade or so, I have written numerous times about the “unbelief” of my fellow Latter-day Saints (Mormons to the rest of the world). Over the last two decades, I have written and spoken about the subject of Jesus Christ’s return and the conditions that must be met before He returns in glory. But I missed one scripture – one detail – about the day that He returns with Enoch, that great city which is the heavenly New Jerusalem to meet the New Jerusalem here on Earth.

JST Genesis 9:15 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I will establish my covenant with you, which I made unto your father Enoch, concerning your seed after you.
21 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.
22 And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy;
23 And the general assembly of the church of the firstborn shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch.

Only Noah and his family survived the flood, for which they prepared. If you are reading this, YOU are Noah’s posterity. How many of us today are:

1. Keeping ALL of God’s commandments?
2. Embracing the truth?
3. Looking upward?

1 Nephi 13:37 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.

Who is actively seeking to bring forth Zion? I have talked with people over the years who don’t feel ready or don’t want the Lord to return any time soon. But we must be ready now.

Moses 7:18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

The three characteristics of Zion are:

1. One heart, one mind
2. Dwell in righteousness
3. No poor among them

I have unpacked these at length in other blogs and YouTube videos. Over the years to the displeasure of fellow Mormons, I have repeatedly said over the pulpit, as a gospel doctrine teacher, and as a class member that we can be perfect in this life. We have been commanded to be perfect both in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. And God does not give us a commandment unless He prepares a way for us to keep it (1 Nephi 3:7). I have listened to fellow LDS quote general authorities who say that we don’t have to be perfect now, but one day in eternity, we will become perfect. I have also written about this subject:

Be Ye Therefore Perfect – Today

In the Bible, God called Job and others perfect. God did not wait for them to become perfect in the next life!

Eight years ago, I wrote another blog here, wherein I quoted Jesus Christ:

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.

Jesus has more to say in this chapter and by addressing the Gentiles and the house of Israel, He excludes no one. We are without excuse. 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. And Jesus said so again in D&C 84. Every member of the church should by now be intimately familiar with this section. We are being compared to Moses and the ancient Israelites and their failure.

The Lord commanded Moroni to write the words, 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.

We don’t have the sealed portion of the plates because of our unbelief and because of our awful state of wickedness and because of our hardness of hearts and because of the blindness of our minds. Our unbelief is why we largely refuse to believe in becoming perfect today. So, why worry about these things until it’s too late where there is weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth? Why are we not keeping ALL of God’s commandments? Why are we not looking up in anticipation of Christ’s return? Why are we not actively seeking to bring forth Zion?

Before Charlie Kirk was assassinated, he addressed a group of Mormons in Utah and said, “I think it’s time for you Mormons. You gotta get your mojo back. We need the strong Mormon church back in this country.”

I’ve written a book about this and the anticipation of Zion and what is needed:

By A Thread

Charlie Kirk showed us all up. He went to battle as the armies of Helaman. He gave his life for it. What are we doing? If you do not believe these words, Jesus Christ personally said this continuing in Ether chapter 4:

Ether 4:8 And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh.
9 And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire.
10 And he that believeth not my words believeth not my disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye; for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day.


To All Mormons: An Open Letter

13 Saturday Oct 2018

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Recently members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world learned that President Nelson announced the building of twelve temples. That seemed like a very impressive list. But missing from that list is the temple yet to be built in Independence, Missouri. There in Jackson county sits an empty lot today waiting for Lamanites to build it, assisted by repentant Gentiles. In 1975, During General Conference, President Spencer W. Kimball, giving his First Presidency message said:

“When I was a young man living among the Lamanites more than seventy years ago, the destruction of the Lamanites was a stark reality. It seemed impossible to me that this broken people could ever rise from the destruction and become a mighty people once more, as the Lord had promised. I remember reading the words of President Wilford Woodruff, spoken in a day when the Lamanites were literally the “vanishing Americans”:

“The Lamanites will blossom as the rose on the mountains. I am willing to say here that, though I believe this, when I see the power of the nation destroying them from the face of the earth, the fulfillment of that prophecy is perhaps harder for me to believe than any revelation of God that I ever read. It looks as though there would not be enough left to receive the Gospel.” (Journal of Discourses 15:282.)

For a thousand years after the closing of the Book of Mormon record, these people wandered in spiritual darkness and were scattered upon the American continents and the isles of the sea. They lost their written language, their high culture, and, worst of all, their knowledge of the living God and his work. Faith was replaced by fear, rich language by crippled dialects, and an understanding of God and his ways by idolatry, even human sacrifice. Since the coming of the white man to the Americas, they have been driven mercilessly, killed, and degraded…Someone said, “If my pen might have the gift of tears I would write a book and call it ‘The Indian,’ and I would make the whole world weep,” Only the most brazen soul could fail to weep when contemplating the fall of this people, and yet it was the decree of the Lord that the Lamanites should be preserved in the land, that this remnant of Joseph should again come into their promised inheritance.”–Our Paths Have Met Again

In 1963, while an apostle, Spencer W. Kimball said:

“I’ve known people who have been promised in their patriarchal blessings that they would live to see the temple built and some of them are dying and haven’t seen the temple built. Do you know why? In my estimation, the Lord’s time table is directed a good deal by us. We speed up the clock or we slow the hands down and we turn them back by our activities or our procrastinations. And do you know why I think people who are actually promised that they would live to see the temple built are dying before the completion of the temple? Because we haven’t converted the Indians in large enough numbers; never shall we go to Jackson County until we have converted and brought into this church great numbers of Lamanites. Now you just as well set that down as a basic fact.”–From a copy of the December 1963 talk obtained from President Kimball’s secretary as quoted in Book of Mormon Student Manual (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2nd ed., 1981), 427-28

I have spent a great deal of time studying and writing about the Lamanites of the last days, which resulted in two recent blog entries, which I hope everyone reads or will have read:

To The Lamanites
To The Lamanites, Part 2

Nephi and other Book of Mormon prophets concerned themselves with two distinct categories of people:

1: Jews
2: Gentiles

There is a subset of Jews, which dissented from the covenant people:

3: Lamanites

If you read the title page, it becomes clear. By the end of their civilization, Moroni acknowledges and writes concerning them in his title page:

“Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile…”

He knew that it would be a Gentile who brought forth their record:

“…Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile…”

The Hebrew word for repent is “teshuvah” which literally translated means to return. This is the fulcrum of the message of the prophets of the Book of Mormon. They are calling us to repentance. Ultimately those who will “return” and build the New Jerusalem are:

1: Lamanite remnant
2: Repentant Gentiles

The Book of Mormon did come by way of repentant Gentiles when Joseph Smith and the early saints ushered in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were tasked to take the gospel to the Lamanites, which they attempted briefly, but instead they took the gospel to the rest of the Gentile world. To reiterate what Orson Pratt said, which I quoted in an earlier blog entry:

“We can pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus, to convert these Indian tribes around us, and bring them to a knowledge of the truth, that they may fulfill the things contained in the Book of Mormon. And then when we do return, taking them with us, that they shall be instructed not only in relation to their fathers and the Gospel contained in the record of their fathers, but also in the arts and sciences. They will also be instructed to cultivate the earth, to build buildings as we do, instructed how to build Temples and in the various branches of industry practiced by us; and then, after having received this information and instruction, we shall have the privilege of helping them to build the New Jerusalem. The Lord says—“They,” the Gentiles, who believe in the Book of Mormon, “shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.”

Now, a great many, without reading these things, have flattered themselves that we are the ones who are going to do all this work. It is not so; we have got to be helpers, we have got to be those who cooperate with the remnants of Joseph in accomplishing this great work; for the Lord will have respect unto them, because they are of the blood of Israel, and the promises of their fathers extend to them, and they will have the privilege of building that city, according to the pattern that the Lord shall give…We have got to be sent forth as missionaries to all parts of this American continent. Not to the Gentiles, for their times will be fulfilled; but we must go to all those tribes that roam through the cold regions of the north—British America, to all the tribes that dwell in the Territories of the United States, also to all those who are scattered through Mexico, and Central and South America, and the object of our going will be to declare the principles of the Gospel unto them, and bring them to a knowledge of the truth…

These are some few things pertaining to the redemption of Zion. I would to the Lord that we were righteous enough to know a few more! There are a great many things that I would like to know about the redemption of Zion that I do not know, and I presume that you also would like to know them. But what the Lord has revealed is very plain when connected together; and when we reflect upon it, it is astonishing to us to think that in our day the Lord has decreed to perform such a great work in the midst of the earth. It will be astonishing to us when the time comes for the Lord to gather in, from every part of this great continent, these poor, miserable, degraded Lamanites, that his servants may have power over them in order to bring them to civilization. It looks impossible to us, but remember that that is the day of the Lord’s power, and that then will be fulfilled the saying in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, that the Spirit of the Lord shall be shed forth upon the hearts of those who are ordained to that power; that every man among these remnants of Joseph will hear the Gospel in his own tongue, by the power of the Holy Ghost shed forth upon those who are ordained unto this power. There is such a saying as that in the Book of Covenants, and when that day comes the Lord God will work mightily by signs, wonders and miracles in various ways that will have an influence over these remnants of Joseph to convert them and bring them to a knowledge of the truth, that the prayers of their ancient fathers, and of the Prophets and Elders who once dwelt on this American continent, may be fulfilled upon their heads.” –(source: http://jod.mrm.org/17/289)

We read about this succinctly in some of Moroni’s final words to us:

Ether 13:6 And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.
7 For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not.
8 Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.

New Jerusalem will never be built until the Lamanites in the latter days have been gathered up to accomplish their duty. The world may become dotted with temples and yet if this temple in Independence, Missouri (or be it somewhere else) is not built up and the New Jerusalem established, the Lord will not come. The world will continue to languish in corruption and decay. As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit until all the fruit is equal. The master of the vineyard labors tirelessly that perhaps the tree might bring forth fruit equally. So if you have wondered, like I have, why the Lord delays His coming, it is not He who delays, it is we who delay it.

D&C 49:24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.

The Lamanites cannot do it without the Gentiles. And the Gentiles will never do it without the Lamanites.

Moroni Timbimboo

Moroni Timbimboo, 1888-1975 “Service Is A Way of Life For First Indian Bishop,” Deseret News, March 28, 1970

 

God’s hand in all things

14 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by in Gospel Doctrine

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I was asked to talk today on “How I can learn to see Heavenly Father’s hand in all things.” The key word in that question is see. But in order to see, we must first have our eyes open and if our eyes are open, we need to ask ourselves what it is that we are focused on. In 3 Nephi 13:19-24, we read:

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.

Jesus Christ is telling us to make a choice. We either focus on heavenly things or we focus on worldly things. There is only Zion and Babylon. There are only two churches, as Nephi explained many years before–the church of the Lamb of God and the church of the devil. There must be an opposition in all things and we can only choose one or the other.

When we were baptized and confirmed members of the church, we were commanded to “receive the Holy Ghost.” Only when we have obeyed and truly received this great gift can we know that we have truly been reborn. And one of the changes that is wrought in us by this literal baptism of fire is a powerful willingness to submit or to obey. It is this obedience out of love and faith that will lead us back to the Lord’s presence.

The question then begs to be asked, “have I been born again?” There are two great witnesses, which may be called to answer. The first is evidence in the fabric of your soul. If your life is filled with charity; if you have no more desire to sin; if your soul yearns for prayer and love of the Lord; if you have no more desire to accumulate wealth, power, position, worldly acclaim or honor; if all your hobbies, pastimes and possessions become nothing more than a child’s play things to be put away and forgotten; if these things are true without exception, then you have been reborn.

The second witness is the very source of truth, which is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I remember when I experienced that mighty change of heart in my life. The Spirit poured into me like fire that lasted many days. I knew that I had been reborn. I had received the Holy Ghost, which has been my constant companion ever since. In D&C 88: 63 and 67 we read:

63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.

In ancient Egypt, after Joseph (who was sold into slavery and then freed to protect Egypt from famine) had brought his family to settle in Goshen, his family began to grow into a great nation. These Israelites had found themselves in bondage to Egypt. After their cries to the Lord, He did remember His covenant to bring them out of Egypt and lead them to a land of promise. It was His intention to bring them into His presence and not simply to free them from oppression just so that they could continue in their worldly ways. But to do this, they need to be washed and anointed and receive other ordinances. So Moses was commanded to build a tabernacle. In D&C 84:18-25 we read:

18 And the Lord confirmed a priesthood also upon Aaron and his seed, throughout all their generations, which priesthood also continueth and abideth forever with the priesthood which is after the holiest order of God.
19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.
25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also.

For all intents and purposes, the Israelites had a temple in their midst. Zion was in their grasp. And they rejected it. They enjoyed their freedom and their worldly ways too much. You could take the Israelites out of Egypt, but you couldn’t take Egypt out of the Israelites. And among their acts of idolatry, they built a golden calf to worship as proof.

Just as the Egyptians feared being outnumbered by the growing nation of Israel after Joseph’s death, so too did the early Americans of eastern cities fear being outnumbered by the growing membership of the early latter-day saints after Joseph Smith had restored Christ’s church. It was the Lord’s intention to bring them into His presence with the restoration of both priesthoods and the bringing forth of temple work and the establishment of New Jerusalem. However, because of divisions, contentions and their ultimate failure to follow Joseph Smith west to the Rocky Mountains and instead, convincing him to surrender after much persecution, Joseph was taken from them.

Despite ongoing persecution under Brigham Young’s leadership, the saints managed to build the Kirtland temple where ordinances could be performed. But like the ancient Israelites, the saints had failed to build up Zion. The greater (Melchizedek) priesthood was not taken, however, and Brigham Young led the saints west to the Rocky Mountains where they could try again.

Dispensations earlier, a young man named Enoch preached and prophecied to a very wicked generation. As a result of his great faith and great works, a city was built where they lived the law of consecration and where no poor lived among them. Enoch and his people walked with God and God dwelt among them. They had successfully built Zion. Because of their righteousness, they became a translated city. This is what the Lord was offering Moses and the people of Israel. This is what the Lord was offering Joseph Smith and the early latter-day saints. This is what has been offered to all the children of God in each dispensation since the days of Adam. And this is what God has been offering to us ever since.

Brothers and sisters, we have been under condemnation since the days of Joseph Smith for taking lightly our duty to obtain the fullness of the gospel, which is the fullness of the priesthood, which is the fullness of the Father. It is this fullness that parts the veil and brings us into Christ’s presence as the city of Enoch was brought into Christ’s presence. Remember that the lesser priesthood, which is the Aaronic Priesthood, is what endured with the ancient Israelites after Moses was taken from them. This priesthood contains only the preparatory gospel, which is faith, repentance and baptism.

But the greater priesthood contains much more. With the Melchizedek Priesthood, we can receive the everlasting gospel, which contains the ordinance of the baptism of fire, which is the gift of the Holy Ghost. But there are more. If Joseph Smith had published ten principles and ordinances of the gospel it might look something like this, although there are more:

Faith
Repentance
Baptism (of water)
Baptism (of fire) or gift of the Holy Ghost
Washing and anointing
Endowments
Calling and election
Second Comforter
Translation
Resurrection

In Brigham Young’s journal of discourses, we read that when God dwelt with the people of Enoch, He taught them the great doctrines and principles of translation, for that is a doctrine the same as the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which is among the first principles of the plan of salvation.  And we may also say that the doctrine of  translation, which is intimately connected with that of the resurrection, is also one of the first principles of the doctrines of Christ. In Moses 1:39 we read:

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Brothers and sisters, it is our privilege and our duty to continue on our journey beyond the first four principles and ordinances of the gospel; to purify ourselves continually; to seek our calling and election; to seek further light and knowledge always and to be led by the Spirit and to seek the face of the Lord. This is the purpose of temple ordinances that through our obedience to covenants made and through our worthiness, we can converse with Jesus Christ through the veil and find ourselves in His embrace.

We have been promised that if we ask, we will receive. If we seek, we shall find. And if we knock, it shall be opened. We must learn to take the Spirit for our guide when we are reborn, keeping our eye single to God’s glory, to begin to see His hand in all things. In D&C 84:54-58 we read:

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.

Can we remove this condemnation from us? Nephi takes great length to teach us plainly in his two books that we can. He emphasizes his entire message in a few short verses. In 2 Nephi 32:5-7 we read:

5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.
7 And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be.

Joseph Smith said in a sermon to the saints, “then I would exhort you to go on and continue to call upon God until you make your calling and election sure for yourselves, by obtaining the more sure word of prophecy, and wait patiently for the promise until you receive it.” Many other prophets besides Joseph preached this doctrine. They continually tried to get the saints to develop a Zion stature. To my knowledge, the last prophet to publicly teach this was Marion G. Romney in the April 1977 session of general conference. He gave a beautiful talk. To summarize, he said:

“…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…I should think that all faithful Latter-day Saints “would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God…”

Since 1977, I have not heard another prophet or apostle with the possible exception of Bruce R. McConkie expound on such doctrine in public. Perhaps it is because as a membership that spans the globe, we simply are not seeking these things. Sure, we attend church most Sundays; maybe we do our home teaching assignments; maybe we read our scriptures once in a while; maybe we attend the temple if we can clear our schedules. But this is not enough. This does not make our eye single to His glory. This does not develop within us a Zion stature. We are commanded to serve with all our heart, might, mind and strength. We have made covenants in the temple, especially to live the law of consecration.

The ancient Israelites failed to build Zion as did the early latter-day saints of our dispensation. Only Enoch’s people succeeded in building Zion and thus they escaped the great cleansing that was the flood. Have we bid Babylon farewell and have we begun to build Zion in our hearts and in our homes? Brothers and sisters, another great cleansing is coming and the Lord has declared that upon His house will it begin and from His house will it go forth. He called it a day wrath; a day of burning; a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning and of lamentation.

The second coming of Jesus Christ when He comes in glory with the powers of heaven will not happen until Zion exists on the Earth. Zion will not exist on the Earth until New Jerusalem is built and New Jerusalem will not be built until there are saints who have fully developed an eye single to God’s glory and to His work. We can see His hand in all things as long as we open our eyes and purify ourselves and as Nephi exhorted us: to seek knowledge! In D&C 59:21 we read:

21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.

I testify that the Lord’s hand is in all things even today. I testify that miracles, even great miracles have not ceased, and that angels minister to us today, and that Jesus Christ does visit men today, and that He does open when we knock. In closing, I leave you with the words of the prophet, Mormon, which he wrote in an epistle to his son Moroni, which we read in Moroni 7:

27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
36 Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?
37 Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain…
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.

Amen.