Accepting an Offered Covenant

God extends covenants and mortals can either accept or reject them.

The Book of Mormon is a covenant book which was preserved by God to come forth in the last days in order to restore a covenant people.  It came forth by the power of God through Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830.

It may be surprising to LDS Mormons today that the early Mormon converts never accepted the covenant offered by God through the Book of Mormon.  In fact, the early Saints were put under condemnation by 1832 for not taking seriously the things offered to them by God.

President Ezra Taft Benson reiterated that the Mormon Saints were still under this condemnation in the 1980’s. In his LDS General Conference address of April 1986 President Benson quoted from D&C 84:

“the Lord has stated in section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants that the whole Church is under condemnation: “And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.” (D&C 84:56.) The Lord continues: “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.” (D&C 84:57.)

Raised Mormon during the time of President Benson this talk was a bit shocking and confusing to me.  I had assumed that the LDS Church was founded on the Book of Mormon as that was the book Joseph Smith had translated and which had begun the Church.  As I have learned more about LDS Church History it has been surprising to me to discover that it took Hugh Nibley campaigning in the 1960’s-1970’s before the leadership and membership of the LDS Church began to take the Book of Mormon seriously.

Recently I was speaking with a man named Paul Durham whose father was a leader in the Church Education Department (CES) in the 1960’s.  This man’s father was told by an Apostle of the LDS Church that because he believed in, loved and promoted the reading of the Book of Mormon he would never rise up in the CES department. He then went on to say that Hugh Nibley was tasked by the Lord to write Sunday School lessons based on the Book of Mormon, until that time there had never been any lessons based on this book.  Hugh would finish a lesson and send it in for approval and the lesson would be denied.  This happened over and over again.  Hugh became very frustrated and took his frustrations to the Lord. The Lord assured him that he needed to keep writing the lessons and that it would all be taken care of in time.  A short while later the apostle who was rejecting the lessons died and the apostle who took over chairing the lesson committee went on to approve them.

I grew up reading, studying and loving the Book of Mormon.  I am grateful for it and for the truths it has taught me.  Yet, I had no idea that it is a covenant book until just recently.  In March 2017, I attended the Doctrine of Christ Conference held in St. George, Utah.  During this conference it was put forth that the Lord was again ready to extend a covenant to a repentant people as long as they re-established His word through the scriptures.  Thus, a scripture project is underway to recover that which was lost through corruption and outright disregard for God’s revealed word in order that the Lord might once again offer a covenant to a repentant people.

“We are obligated to repent and return. We may not have created the problem, but we cannot expect God to accomplish the work of what He commanded for man to be do before. Others may have neglected it, but we cannot.

The first step in repenting is to gather the original covenant we were offered in the precise terms in which they were offered. That is a very difficult task that many people have been working to accomplish for over a year. There are lively efforts underway to research and find the right language.

Repentance requires us to first learn the actual language in the terms God provided when His restoration began. Our condemnation in 1832 was provoked by the failure to both “say” and to “do” what was expected of us when He spoke again and commenced the restoration.” Denver Snuffer Jr “Inquiry and Response” March 30, 2017

Today, the LDS Church promotes the Book of Mormon as “another Testament of Jesus Christ”.  While this is true (Jesus Christ is throughout the book), the Church does not teach that the book is a covenant book.  Even President Benson, when he said the church was still under condemnation, did not understand the exact nature of the condemnation.  The LDS Church is under condemnation because they have not remembered the new covenant, they have not even accepted the covenant nor do they even know about it.

In Isaiah’s day he stated, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” (Isaiah 24:5)  The LDS Church today has transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance and broken the everlasting covenant.

Let’s look at just a few of the laws and ordinances contained in the Book of Mormon which the LDS Church has broken:

1.   Baptism: Christ clearly sets out the words which are to be used for the baptismal prayer: “And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying:Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” (3 Nephi 11:24-25) In the 1830’s Oliver Cowdery changed the wording to “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ…” (D&C 20:73)

a.    In 3 Nephi 11:22-23 Christ sets out his Doctrine clearly, “And he said unto them: On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be no disputations among you. Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them—Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them.” Christ requires repentance and a desire to be baptized. That’s it!  Nothing more and nothing less. In the LDS Church today in order to receive baptism  one must agree to a list of demands such as committing to paying tithes, bearing “testimony” of the current President of the Church, etc. 

b.    Baptism by immersion is always the fruit of repentance.[1] Whenever a person desires to repent and turn to face God again baptism by immersion is a part of that process. This practice was done often in the early days of the Church.  Today it is taught that taking the Sacrament each week renews your baptismal covenant.  The only way you can be rebaptized by immersion is if you have been excommunicated from the Church and qualify yourself for baptism back into the Church. In fact, if you desire to be rebaptized while still a member of the Church after the manner practiced by early saints and as taught in the Book of Mormon you can be excommunicated. 

2.   Sacrament: Christ clearly sets out the emblems that should be used for the Sacrament in 3 Nephi 18: bread and wine.  Bread in remembrance of His body; Wine in remembrance of His blood.  As if to reinforce the correct emblems, in 3 Nephi 20 Christ again performs the sacrament for the people, this time providing the bread and wine miraculously.  Christ instructs the people that doing the sacrament with these emblems is a commandment from the Father.  In the LDS Church today wine has been replaced with water and if a person desires to partake of the sacrament in the way commanded by the Father they lose their temple recommend at best, membership at worst.  Not only has the Church changed the emblems of the sacrament they have also changed the words of the sacrament prayer from the word “wine” to the word “water”.

3.   Tithing: Tithing is supposed to go to the poor and the needy, not for the building of fine sanctuaries. (2 Nephi 28:13, 2 Nephi 13:14-15, 2 Nephi 20:2,30; 2 Nephi 26:20; Alma 1:27; Alma 5:55; 3 Nephi 13:1; Helaman 6:39; Helaman 4:12; Mormon 8:37)  Tithing was not obligatory but rather voluntary, it was based on how much money you had and the poor were exempt from paying it: “And again Alma commanded that the people of the church should impart of their substance, every one according to that which he had; if he have more abundantly he should impart more abundantly; and of him that had but little, but little should be required; and to him that had not should be given. And thus they should impart of their substance of their own free will and good desires towards God, and to those priests that stood in need, yea, and to every needy, naked soul.” (Mosiah 18:27-28 as well as Mosiah 4:24,26; and Alma 1:27)

Today in the LDS Church tithing is mandatory for a temple recommend and is 10% of your income, no matter how much or how little money you earn, even if you cannot provide the basic necessities for your family.

4.    Marriage: Jacob 2 clearly teaches that polygamy is an abomination in the eyes of God and that no man should have more than one wife and that no woman should have more than one husband. Yet in the LDS Church, polygamy began being practiced secretly by Brigham Young and other members of the 12 and the Church.  Joseph Smith was not a polygamous nor did he teach the practice, however, as soon as Joseph died those secretly practicing it began doing so openly and then spread false rumors and lies about learning it from Joseph Smith Jr. The LDS Church has since abandoned the practice of polygamy, however, they continue to besmirch the character of Joseph Smith and many people in the Church believe that the practice of polygamy will be reinstated one day because Brigham Young taught that it was necessary for salvation in the highest degree of glory (Celestial Kingdom).

5.   Priestcraft: The Book of Mormon clearly teaches that there shall be no priesthcraft: “He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.” (2 Nephi 26:29) “But behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say: Do this, and there is no iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: Walk after the pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desireth—and if a man shall come among you and say this, ye will receive him, and say that he is a prophet. Yea, ye will lift him up, and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him.” (Helaman 13:27-28)

Those who labored to preach repentance to the people as priests unto them were to also labor for their substance: “And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength.” Alma 1:26

King Benjamin said, “And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day” (Mosiah 2:14)

In the LDS Church today all of the general leadership, as well as mission presidents, receive financial benefits in addition to other “club” perks. It was recently reported that an LDS apostle received a yearly salary of $120,000.[2] These men are seen as a light to the world and they do not seek the welfare of Zion.  By the Book of Mormon’s own definition priestcraft is rampant in the LDS Church today.

These are just a few of the ways that the LDS Church, which claims to have the fullness of the gospel, to believe in and follow the teachings in the Book of Mormon, has corrupted the laws and ordinances in that sacred book of scripture.

I believe in the Book of Mormon.  I believe it means what it says.  I desire to be considered by God a repentant gentile and to enter into and strive to keep any covenants offered by Him including the covenant of the Book of Mormon.

Denver Snuffer Jr stated: “But if even a tiny few gentiles are willing to accept the covenant, God will receive them and accomplish His work through them. It was always the Lord’s expectation that “few” would receive it and walk in a straight and narrow path. Almost all others will reject it and walk in a broad enough path to accommodate every other false religious idea, false promise, incomplete and damning path that competes with the Lord’s invitation to come to Him. But if even a few will accept it, those who do will become at that time part of the covenant people of God, numbered with the remnant, and entitled to inherit this as their land. In turn, God will protect them. If they abide the covenant, He will establish a New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge. His glory and terror will be there, and the wicked will not come unto it.”[3]

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[1] 2 Nephi 31:13, 14, 17; 3 Nephi 7:24, 26; 3 Nephi 11:32-40;Moroni 6:1, 4; Moroni 8:10, 25

[2] https://mormonleaks.io/newsroom/2017-01-09-mormonleaks-releases-4-documents/

[3] Teaching, Denver Snuffer, Jr March 24, 2017

Words of a True Messenger

This weekend my husband and I took one of our daughters and her husband down to St. George, Utah for the Doctrine of Christ General Conference.  We were richly fed in spirit and in friendship. God has been so good to us.  He has brought light and truth into our lives with an added bonus of wonderful people.

Saturday was focused on relationships and spirituality versus religiosity, ascension and the pathway to God. A new version of the scriptures was presented with the idea that we have 6 months to read and review them before we vote on whether or not we will sustain them as binding on us as the covenant, law and commandments from God.

After the conference we bought some wine, bread and cups and hiked up Snow Canyon where a group of us assembled to partake of the sacrament and look at the stars.

Sunday was a pure spiritual feast as we listened to a true messenger, sent from the Lord, to teach us, Denver Snuffer, Jr. as he expounded on the new version of the scriptures, the need for a sustaining vote on the scriptures as well as more information about a future temple which will need to be built in order that God can have a house in which He can dwell here on the earth.  

There was so much information, knowledge and wisdom taught.  I am looking forward to the written version of the talks being made available on the Doctrine of Christ website in order that I may study them in more depth.  

You can find them at this link: http://www.doctrineofchristconference.com/ under past conferences.

Weakness

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness. Ether 12:27-28

If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble...

Over the past few years as I have begun to wake up to my awful state before God, He has shown me many weaknesses. At one point I fell down, overcome, and sobbed to the Lord, begging Him to give me one day of peace only to have the following day bring more trials and struggles.

Life has calmed down and I am not beset by constant awareness of my many shortcomings.  While not an overwhelming, daily disclosure, there are still moments when a weakness is brought to my attention.

Since I can remember I have struggled with having close friends.  I seem to have a little bit of what psychologists term “detachment disorder”.  I recognized this early on in my marriage when we started having children and so I have consciously worked on overcoming it in regard to my husband and children and now grandchildren.  However, I’ve never really taken the time to work on it in regards to my extended family and outside friendships.

If a person proves a bit difficult to be friends with, or is not my ideal friend, I usually slowly fade away.  I’ve even faded away from good friends because I just don’t take the time to make sure to stay friends and involved in their life.

This weakness is also manifest in my easily feeling “left out”.  When people I would like to be friends with seem to regard me as other than a close friend and especially when I find out they are getting together or “hanging out” with their friends and not me I get easily hurt and pull away, finding myself not wanting anything to do with them.

A recent example is that my husband and I are on a team of individuals who are working together on a project we see as assigned by the Lord. The majority of the people on this team are all very close friends.  We are friends with most of them, but not close ones.  It’s like there is an inner circle, which we are not part of, and then the outer circle of friends which we are loosely on.  When we hear that the inner circle has gotten together or when they make decisions together that we are not involved with I find myself pulling away and not wanting anything to do with any of them.

The other day one of the team members sent me a personal email that was a bit condescending, opinionated and rude.  I was pretty hurt and found myself not wanting anything to do with any of them or with the team any longer.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, my husband has the same weakness.  When he read this same email he was pretty upset and protective of me. It made him also want nothing more to do with this team of individuals.  As he turned to God for comfort the idea was impressed into his mind that we need to stope wanting people in this life to like us, to think well of us, etc., we just need Christ, Jesus.

We have a big spiritual event this weekend which I have been excited to go to until recently.  I made plans with some people who are on that outer circle also only to find that they changed hotels from the one we are at to a different one where one of the “inner circle” is staying and made plans to get together with those people.  I find this ironic.  Like God is testing my husband and my resolve to focus on the Savior instead of ourselves. 

It bothered me for a bit and made me want to stay home this weekend. Instead we have determined that if we feel this way, there must be others who also feel this way; we need to stop thinking about ourselves and focus on reaching out and finding those who need our kindness and attention

.

Christ said, “I will show unto them (the gentiles) that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness”.  This is who I am seeking, after all.  I am seeking friendship with the Lord, who is the fountain of all righteousness.  As a gentile, He has given me weaknesses to humble me and to help me to develop the faith, hope and charity to come unto Him which is the mercy I desire to receive.  Perhaps this weakness of mine will become a strength if I can repent, forgive, and think more of others than myself.

My Mother Died

My father called me on Friday, February 17, 2017 a little after 5 pm to tell me that my mother had passed away.  She was 71 years old.  She had lain down to rest and my father was in his home office down the hallway from their bedroom.  He heard her loudly gasp and when he arrived by her side he knew she was gone. He tried administering CPR, but the height of their bed along with his Parkinson’s prevented him from being able to do so effectively. By the time the paramedics arrived they realized that there was no hope in even trying resuscitation efforts.

My father shared with me that five days earlier her body was going into weird contortions and spasms and he gave her a blessing, in faith, using the priesthood authority that he believes he has been given.  During the blessing he heard a voice tell him to release my mother from this life.  My dad couldn’t do it. I’m not sure many people who have loved a spouse for as long as my dad has my mom could have either.

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; … a time to heal; …a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance[1]

Back when I was an active and believing Latter-Day Saint Mormon I had great comfort and “carnal security”[2] in the fact that she had received her endowments and been sealed to my dad in the Salt Lake Temple.  I believed then that “Families are Forever” and that the spirits of those who have been members of the LDS Church would be taken to “Spirit Paradise”.

I have no such comfort today.  I can understand why Alma, in the Book of Mormon, inquired diligently of the Lord:

And now I would inquire what becometh of the souls of men from this time of death to the time appointed for the resurrection? Now whether there is more than one time appointed for men to rise it mattereth not; for all do not die at once, and this mattereth not; all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men. Therefore, there is a time appointed unto men that they shall rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know; and this is the thing of which I do know. And when the time cometh when all shall rise, then shall they know that God knoweth all the times which are appointed unto man.

Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.[3]

I have no assurance in regards to my mother.  I do not know if God judged her righteous and that she is, even now, in a state of paradise where she is resting from all troubles, care and sorrow.  I hope that this is the case, because above all else she craved peace and rest.

Joseph Smith said, “When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave”[4]

Joseph F. Smith, at the age of 80, had been sick for many months and felt very close to the Spirit of the Lord. On the night of October 3, 1918 while pondering on 1 Peter chapters 3 and 4 concerning Christ’s preaching to the spirits in prison, his eyes were opened and he saw the spirit world. The next day, after the LDS Church General Conference, he dictated the vision to his son, Joseph Fielding Smith.  This vision was later canonized and added to the Doctrine and Covenants in 1976 and is known as section 138.[5]  I believe that Joseph F. Smith really did have this vision.  What is not clear is how much of what is now D&C 138 is a correct interpretation of what God was trying to teach him. There is, in my mind, concern that what was “seen” and “understood” was interpreted and flavored by his belief that the LDS Church was the only true church on the earth as well as the doctrine and beliefs he possessed at the time of the vision. Since there is no voice recording of his dictation to his son, nor other witnesses to the proceeding, there is also concern in my mind as to how much of what is now recorded was enlarged, added upon, etc. by his son, Joseph Fielding Smith’s agenda to strengthen the Brethren’s[6] position in the Church as well as the missionary program of the Church.[7]

One thing I have been learning in life is that when God tries to give us more light and knowledge we invariably interpret it based on our current understanding and therefore we generally interpret things partially or even take them to incorrect conclusions. It must be an enormous task for God to teach us, yet he patiently continues to do so whenever we ask to be taught.

I have lost sleep over the past few weeks worrying about, praying about and asking the Lord to give me comfort in regards to my mother and asking Him to teach me. Slowly, He is teaching me.  I know so very little. I believe that the spirits of all men and women, whether good or evil, are taken back to a world of spirits after their mortal body dies. While there they still have the opportunity to learn about the Savior, to repent of their sins and to believe on His name. Nowhere in scripture can I find that the spirit world is divided into separate spheres.  Rather, I believe that Joseph F. Smith saw one spirit world, much like the world we now live in, there are righteous and good people co-mingled with the proud and rebellious and they that do wickedly.  Those trying to be valiant in their testimony of Jesus hear His voice when he calls to them and find themselves in the light, or in other words, paradise.  Those who cannot hear the Savior are in darkness in this life as well as the next, or in other words, prison. According to Joseph F. Smith’s vision, all spirits look upon the absence of their bodies as a bondage. I believe that the world of spirits resembles the Telestial Kingdom or the world in which we presently reside.  In this life and in the next the only way to be free from the bondage of sin and unbelief is to search for the Savior, to hear Him, to see Him, to know Him.

Christ sends His true messengers to us in this life as well as in the next. Their message is the same: faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, repentance and baptism.

I hope that my mom has found the peace and joy that can only come through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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[1] Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

[2] 2 Nephi 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.

[3] Alma 40:7-12

[4] King Follett discourse

[5] https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/you-shall-have-my-word/obscurity-scripture-joseph-f-smiths-vision-redemption-dead

[6] Referring to the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve

[7] See, in particular, verses 53-57

The Mormon Church is a young Catholic Church

A new religion rarely appears in history. When one does, it presents a unique opportunity for us to study the process. Religions begin with an inspired leader, called a prophet, whose confident vision and direct connection to God opens new light and truth into the world. Prophets ask God questions and get direct and specific answers.  If there is no new vision, then the religion won’t survive. But an original, inspired leader is difficult to replicate. Within a short time, the founder’s work is overtaken by others. Doctrine once thought to be part of the foundation of the church is replaced with new doctrine based on changes in public opinion and pressures put upon the church by governing bodies.

                As a church struggles to survive in the absence of an authorized servant, church leaders gather in councils and deliberate about doctrine and current issues. Perhaps the most notable gathering of this kind was the Council of Nicaea, 325 years after the death of Christ. Many of the original texts were altered, rearranged or removed entirely to place all interpretation of scripture squarely in the hands of the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church. These councils established doctrine, which they called “proclamations” and “creeds” that were completely foreign to God’s true church.

                 Mormonism was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith who claimed that he had been visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith claimed to have direct connection to heaven, that when he asked God a question, God answered him. Whether you believe Joseph Smith’s claims or not, he and his followers give us a unique opportunity to witness how founding a religion sets in motion a series of predictable events that happen every time a new religion begins. Perhaps the best way to decipher the transition of Christianity from the original Primitive Christianity to its replacement, Historic Christianity, is to study Mormonism. The Primitive Christian church passed away after the death of the apostles. Mormonism has passed away following the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

                Mormons teach today that the introduction of church councils in Christianity is generally seen as a sure sign of Apostasy. In their Ensign magazine December 1995 it states: “All historical Christian churches agree that revelation for the direction of the church ceased with the last of the apostles”. History shows, in fact, that after the first century, church leaders, in order to decide important issues, did not appeal to heaven for authoritative direction. Instead they relied on men who gathered together in councils, letting their decisions rest on the collected wisdom of mortal beings.

Twelve years later, on 4 May 2007, the official Mormon Church website, LDS.org, stated: “With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications.”  The Mormon procedure is eerily similar to the one practiced by historical Christianity.

                No longer are statements by Mormon Church leaders considered doctrine, even if the Church leader happens to be the president of the Church. A new method has been substituted wherein doctrine is to be established not through revelation, but through a council that meets together and deliberates by weighing the scriptures, the teachings of Church leaders, past practices, and the current social climate, or in other words TRADITION.

                There is nothing wrong with a group of people who believe the same things issuing statements of belief. When well-meaning people come together with good intent (especially when they involve the Lord through prayer) they are entitled to inspiration from God for the benefit of those whom they serve. The problem comes when those statements of belief are substituted for the word of God and placed on the same level as scripture. Many of the Christian Creeds which the Lord called “abominable” prior to the restoration contained truth and light yet “lacked the power of godliness.”

Primitive Christianity as well as Mormonism set out to change the world. Over time their success diverted attention from saving souls to managing people and property. The apostle Paul stated: “the love of money is the root of all evil.”[1] The first believers are persecuted, they sacrifice their lives and property to follow what they believe to be God’s burden laid on them. Because of their sacrifices, they have faith and know they please God and are able to obtain the faith required for salvation.  Successors enjoy the fruit of the founders’ sacrifices.

Over time, the founding church gives way to popular approval. Churches are just as vulnerable to the “love of money” which leads to “all evil” as men are. People can have the gifts of the Spirit, or they can acquire riches in this world, but they cannot have both.

Catholicism grew wealthy from the offerings of its members and the original religion was lost. It became cold, corrupt, violent and cruel as it owned more and more of Europe and ruled over all people within the Roman Catholic boundaries. The transition from persecuted minority to tyrannical majority took three centuries.

History repeats itself; revealing patterns we can identify and learn from. Church councils of Mainline Christianity once decried by the LDS Church as a trademark of apostasy are now the accepted method of establishing doctrine in the modern Church. Official “declarations and proclamations” that are now issued from the LDS Church councils as well as other Christian faiths appear to closely resemble the old Christian creeds we used to condemn.  At the very inception of Mormonism, Jesus Christ told Joseph Smith that creeds were an “abomination” in his sight, and the professors of those creeds were “all corrupt”–that they have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.

Mormonism has followed the same path as the primitive Christian Church, better known as the Catholics, and achieved the same end in less than half the time. If a Christian wants to know how Primitive Christianity was lost to apostasy, the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is where it can be found.  One author recently wrote….“The only difference between the LDS Church and the Catholic Church is 2,000 years.” As it turns out, the LDS Church may be ahead of the curve.

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[1] 1 Tim. 6:10

What's in a Name?

What’s in a name?

Name /nām/

noun

1. a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to.

synonyms:          designation, honorific, title, tag, epithet, label

The power of a name and its value has long been immortalized in prose, poetry, and religious ceremony.  William Shakespeare’s character Juliet soliloquizes, “"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  Yet, when one hears the word, or name, “Rose” an associated image of either a person or a flower immediately enters one’s mind.

So what’s in a name?  It is after all just a way we define a person so that we can tell them apart from someone else.  Names are simply arbitrary labels, yet everyone recognizes himself or herself by a name. It’s the heart of the individual that we should be taking notice of and their fruits whereby we may know them. These are the things that truly define a man.

Throughout scripture prophets, true messengers, even angels are recognized by their name.  These men lived with purpose, determination, courage and criticism and loneliness. They had such profound effect on their sphere of influence in this world that their lives, and their names, continue to be known in history today.

 

Adam, Seth, Enoch, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem (better known as Melchizedek), Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim.  These men are known as the Patriarchal Fathers.  The Fathers whom, as children, we need to turn our hearts to in order that the entire earth will not be wasted at Christ’s coming. As we study their lives and their teachings we come to know their hearts and their fruits. We can measure and judge whether these men were pretenders or if they lived by every word that proceeded forth from the mouth of God.  These “litmus tests” were not just given to us in order to judge men who are long dead. We can use them in order to judge men who are currently living. It is our responsibility and our right to choose if we want to be followers of greater righteousness and who we turn our hearts to.

Today we live in a world full of pretenders yet God still loves his children.  Because we are all wanderers in a lone and dreary world and because it is so easy to be deceived by those who are willing to be paid to preach to us the philosophies of men mingled with scripture it is imperative to seek for true messengers from the Father to teach us.  When we find someone who claims to be a true messenger, we must test the message. It is our responsibility to choose between truth and error. I believe that the Heavens are open again today and that in order to help His children rise up God has sent  a “wild man”[1] among us crying repentance, turning the hearts of the children to Christ and to the (Patriarchal) Fathers, faithfully teaching the words Christ has given him as His servant and bearing an unusual name.  His message has been given to him by Christ.  If you will hear it you will hear the voice of Christ.[2]

Yesterday this man boldly claimed on his website that he is a true messenger, sent from the Father to teach us.  I believe him.  I have read every word this man has written and listened to every lecture he has given and I have found his teachings full of light and truth.  I have found that I am less judgmental and more loving.  I have found that I understand the scriptures more fully.  I have found that I have more of a desire to help the poor.  I have a greater desire to be connected to the patriarchal fathers.  And most importantly I have a greater understanding and desire to follow the path that my Lord and Savior has set forth.  You can read Denver Snuffer’s claims here: http://denversnuffer.com/2017/02/opposing-christian-sects/

It has been said that if “you be noble, and if you are faithful, and if you are true, and if you leave witnesses here among us, it just may be that in some other day, when some other rough challenge like this, is put to the test, and we are all asked, ‘Whom should the Lord send?’ That some of us will look at one of you and say. ‘I trust him! I trust her! I know that she will remain true and faithful. I know that he will do so likewise.’ Because it will be a great while after we have departed this life, before we will have attained to everything that is necessary in order to rise up.” [3]

Let us all continue to pray for and seek true messengers from our Father to teach us that we may understand and know how to worship, and know what we worship, that we may come unto the Father in Christ's name, and in due time receive of his fulness. (paraphrase of Doctrine and Covenants 93:19)

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[1] Moses 6:38

[2] John 10:27-28

[3] Snuffer, Denver C. 40 Years in Mormonism, Lecture 9 “Marriage and Family”

The Testimony of St. John

In June 1830 Joseph Smith, Jr began a project to re-translate the Bible. The main work of revising, correcting, or translating the Bible was done during the three-year period from June 1830 to July 1833. During this time Joseph and his scribes went through the Old and New Testaments of the King James Version and produced nearly 500 pages of manuscript, containing thousands of variant readings and new passages. On March 7, 1831 Joseph was specifically commanded by the Lord to re-translate the New Testament.

When he was finished it was considered an inspired translation and much of the plain and precious things removed from the Bible were restored. He declared: “I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors.” (DHC, vol. 6, p. 57.)

In May 1833, towards the end of Joseph’s re-translation of the Bible he received a revelation on the testimony of John:

Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am; And that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world; And that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one—The Father because he gave me of his fulness, and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men. I was in the world and received of my Father, and the works of him were plainly manifest. And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John’s record is hereafter to be revealed.

And it shall come to pass, that if you are faithful you shall receive the fulness of the record of John. I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:1-6; 18-19; emphasis added)

Is this the testimony of John the Baptist or the testimony of John the Beloved or is it John the Beloved writing or revealing the testimony of John the Baptist?

Regardless of whose testimony this is we are given a beautiful promise that if we are faithful we will receive the fullness of the record of John.

Is this a collective “you” or an individual “you”? Can more than one person receive the “fullness of the record of John”?  If so, could their accounts be different based on their hearts, their desires and their own knowledge? If this revelation is received through vision could each person who receives the vision see different things or an emphasis on different things?  (For example Lehi’s vison of the Tree of Live versus Nephi’s vision)

Does the Lord mean that the while Joseph was re-translating the Bible God had not revealed to him the fullness of John’s record?

In May 1833 when the Lord told Joseph that the fullness of John’s record was  yet to be revealed did God mean a new translation from the original Greek or  a revelation?

Sometime in 2016 Denver Snuffer was asked to take a look at a project which a group of individuals were working on to print scriptures which contain, among other writings of Joseph Smith, his inspired translation of the Bible.  Following are Denver’s words on this subject:

"When I was asked to take a look at the project I had the impression that a new translation of John's Gospel was needed and ought to replace the missing texts. I asked a qualified Greek Scholar to undertake that project and he declined. But the impression remained that it needed to be done.

"I made it the subject of prayer and was told to do the work. I spent a few days working with an English-Greek New Testament, the JS Translation of John, and a Greek Lexicon before becoming hopelessly discouraged by the many options and choices. I prayed about it before retiring for the night and essentially quit. I explained that it would take years for me to accomplish this, and that I was not going to be able to solve the riddles of the text. I went to bed assuming I was done with it.

"In the middle of that night I was awakened and given the solution to every dilemma I had been facing in the work on the text. So the next day I continued on from where I had abandoned the work and, to my surprise, everything was opened to my mind so clearly and continuously that the entire project was completed in less than three weeks. The light of heaven opened the material in a way I had never thought of nor had previously attained to in considering the Gospel of John. At times it progressed so rapidly that I was unable to finish one part before the next came rolling out. Many new and different things were added, and at least one thing was dropped entirely because it was not part of John's original composition. Because of the rapid way it rolled out, once I finished the text I went back to clean up a lot of what had been left as incomplete sentences, run-on sentences, missing words (particularly conjunctions) and cryptic or inadequate explanations. The intent of the writer, John, was revealed, including why some things were included in the text and the manner he wrote.

"When it began it was an attempt at a "translation" but by the time it was completed it was clearly a "revelation" and not merely a translation of a text. Therefore the result does not have my name on it, because I cannot claim any credit for the content. I failed in what I was attempting. What resulted came from heaven." Denver Snuffer

In the hours of February 5 to 6, 2017 The Testimony of St. John was quietly and without fanfare or announcement, uploaded to the website denversnuffer.com.

There are differences between this newly revealed account and the inspired version of Joseph Smith, Jr.  Does this mean that one of the men is wrong and the other is right?  Could it be that when Joseph was re-translating God kept hidden the fullness of John as it was not yet time for the fullness to be revealed just as Doctrine and Covenants 93 suggests?

Today there are those who have taken the scriptures seriously, and as a result the Lord is offering more.  We live in amazing times, the Heavens are open for business once again!

Those who have ears will hear:

http://denversnuffer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The-Testimony-of-St-John.pdf