Malachi
3:10
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
What
does the Lord mean by the statement, “I will open you the windows of heaven,
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive
it”? When a window is opened one can see inside to what was previously closed
off. Could it be that the windows of
heaven are a sort of “veil” that separates us from the presence of God? Could
the opening of heaven’s windows be the actuality of the veil parting and
allowing an individual to see Angels, Jesus Christ, God the Father and the
hosts of Heaven?[1]
Joseph Smith, Jr. taught: “Could you gaze into heaven five
minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was
written on the subject.”[2] If the windows of heaven were opened to you
would you feel that you “had not room enough to receive it”? Joseph Smith, Jr also taught that if we live
up to our privileges the angels cannot be restrained from being our associates.[3] Many people who have had the windows of
heaven opened unto them have described that for weeks afterwards they were
filled to overflowing with love and peace towards all mankind. Joseph Smith, Jr. recorded in his own hand
the following account:
…I cried unto
the Lord for mercy for there was none else to whom I could go and to obtain mercy and the Lord heard my cry in
the wilderness and while in <the> attitude of calling upon the Lord
<in the 16th year of my age> a piller of
fire light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I
was filled with the spirit of god and
the <Lord> opened the heavens upon
me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying Joseph <my son> thy sins are forgiven
thee. go thy <way> walk in my
statutes and keep my commandments behold I am the Lord of glory I was crucifyed for the world
that all those who believe on my name
may have Eternal life <behold> the world
lieth in sin and at this time and none doeth good no not one they have turned asside from the
gospel and keep not <my>
commandments they draw near to me with their
lips while their hearts are far from me and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the
earth to visit them acording to thir
ungodliness and to bring to pass that which <hath> been spoken by the
mouth of the prophets and Ap[o]stles behold and lo I come quickly as it [is?]
written of me in the cloud <clothed> in the glory of my Father and my soul was filled with love and for
many days I could rejoice with great Joy
and the Lord was with me…[4]
Malachi
3:11-12
11
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the
fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time
in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And
all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith
the Lord of hosts.
This
is Zion, a place which will be delightsome, productive, plentiful and
blessed. The people will be of one heart
and one mind, they will dwell in righteousness and there will be no poor among
them[5]. Zion
will be a place of refuge for those who refuse to take up arms against their
neighbors. The residents of Zion will be blessed because “…they shall teach no
more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD:
for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,
saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their
sin no more.”[6]
Malachi
3:13-15
13
¶Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have
we spoken so much against thee?
14 Ye
have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his
ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?
15 And
now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea,
they that tempt God are even delivered.
The
leaders of various institutional churches believe that through their
ordinances, their rites and their traditions they are serving, preaching and
teaching faith in Jesus Christ and salvation through him. However, they “draw near to me with their
lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the
commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power
thereof.”[7] Teachings have crept into modern religion which
tell us there is no hell; and not to worry because “odds are everyone is going
to be exalted”.[8] The most destructive teaching by far is that
there is no need to see the face of Christ in mortality, to have the windows of
heaven opened unto you, individually and personally. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of Twelve
Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints even went so far as
to state in a talk to LDS members in Boise, Idaho in 2015,”Of course, all of
the righteous desire to see the face of the Savior, but, the suggestion that
this must happen in mortality is a familiar tactic of the adversary.” [9] It is a fascinating concept that individuals
who claim that they have a deep faith in the Lord Jesus Christ believe that
they do not need to see him until the here-after. Why would someone not want to see Christ? He has said, “Behold, I stand at the door,
and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with me.”[10] Christ warns those Church leaders who teach
that it is unnecessary to see Him in this life, “But woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye
neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”[11]
And again in Luke 11:52 Christ exclaims, “Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have
taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that
were entering in ye hindered.” Christ
calls these types of leaders, “blind” and taught, “Let them alone: they be
blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall
into the ditch.”[12]
What
is a seeker of Truth to do then?[13] How can we open the Windows of Heaven and see
Christ? Evidence shows that
perspectives, rules, traditions, expectations, assumptions and practices often
serve as barriers that keep us from encountering the living God.[14] Therefore,
it matters how we practice our faith. We
can begin by opening our eyes to false traditions, men and ideas that have
become idols; learning and understanding the true nature of God; developing
faith in him, supplicating him and then waiting patiently on him. In the Lectures
on Faith 3:2-5, Joseph Smith, Jr. taught:
2
Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any
rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and
salvation.
3
First, The idea that he actually exists.
4
Secondly, A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes.
5
Thirdly, An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing, is
according to his will.—For without an acquaintance with these three important
facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive;
but with this understanding, it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in
righteousness unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Denver
Snuffer, Jr. wrote a first -hand, modern account as a guidebook to aid those
seeking to come back into the presence of the Lord. It is titled The Second Comforter: Conversing with the Lord through the Veil,
published in 2006.
[1]
See http://www.immanuelapproach.com/2012/08/15/people-in-scripture-who-saw-god-appendix-5/ Since the New Testament scores of others have
seen God and the Heavenly Hosts; the following is a sampling and is not an
exhaustive list: numerous individuals written about in the Book of Mormon, Joan
of Arc, St. Francis of Asisi, Joseph Smith, Jr., Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon,
Denver Snuffer, Jr., etc.
[2]
Burton, Discourses of the Prophet Joseph
Smith1977; History of the Church 6:50; Smith Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, published 1938; Ehat & Cook The Words of Joseph Smith 9 October 1843, page 254
[3]
Burton, Alma P Discourses of the Prophet
Joseph Smith 1977
[4]
Smith, Joseph, Jr. historical account of his first of many visions of the Lord,
Jesus Christ, written circa 1832; see the following link http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/history-circa-summer-1832?p=1#!/paperSummary/history-circa-summer-1832&p=3;
spelling and grammar kept as original; italicized and bold added for emphasis
[5]
Moses 7:18
[6]
Jeremiah 31: 34; Joseph Smith taught that “the ancient prophets (Jeremiah, for
one) foretold it - "when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye the
Lord; for all shall know Him … from the least to the greatest" (History of
the Church, 3:380). The Prophet Joseph
Smith said that this promise has reference to personal revelation, to a
visitation of the Lord to an individual (see History of the Church, 3:381); for
extensive writings and teachings on the subject of Zion see DenverSnuffer.com
(search Zion) as well as his numerous books and lecture series
[7]
Joseph Smith History 1:19; Matthew 15:7-8 (Holy Scriptures Inspired Version);
Matthew 15:7-9 (KJV); Smith, Robert Teaching
for Doctrines the Commandments of Men, Tradition in Modern Mormonism 2015;
Viola and Barna, Pagan Christianity:
Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices, 2012
[8] 2
Nephi 28:8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be
merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea,
lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy
neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we
die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes,
and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.
Gaskill, Alonzo L Odds
are you’re going to be Exalted, Evidence
that the Plan of Salvation Works, 2008
[9] To
hear Elder Oaks talk in its entirety go here: http://mormonstories.org/boise-rescue-oaks-turley/;
this quote begins just after the 1 hour mark.
[10]
Revelation 3:20 (KJV)
[11]
Matthew 23:13 (KJV); Matthew 23: 10 (Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version)
[12]
Matthew 15:14 (KJV)
[13]
Jesus Christ is the TRUTH: John 14:16 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
[14]
Viola and Barna Pagan Christianity:
Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices, 2012 pg. xxxii-xxxiii
