The Test is Upon Us

The test upon us is so multi-faceted and so complex that none of us can see the end from the beginning.  We are pushing ourselves up hill and that hill is getting steeper by the minute.  So many obstacles will appear in our path back to God, some that will feel like they are going to destroy us or throw us off track and some that we misinterpret and think that they are put in our path to keep us from damnation when in reality they are there to help us come closer to God.

To have all things in common: being in harmony or in common with the mind and will of God.  When a group of people are all in harmony with the mind and will of God, then that group of people, no matter how small, have all things in common, they are of one heart and one mind with God and now with each other.

There are two tests right now that are affecting the majority of people who have woken up to their awful state and have separated or begun to separate from the LDS Church: the temple and the scripture project/offered covenant.

The temple: I understand concerns on not only the cost of the temple but also wondering if we even need one.  I understand the fears that it might turn out to be the most costly, lavish temple in existence (research Solomon's temple, for an example). Those are valid concerns. If God commands it to be built a certain way, a certain dimension, with certain materials, in a certain location and it ends up being incredibly expensive, say the most expensive temple built by man to date, how will we react? Will we declare the temple not of God based on the cost of the project?  Will the cost of the project determine if Denver Snuffer is a "fallen" servant or a "righteous" servant?  One of the common mistakes those of us who have "woken up” are making is that we are throwing everything that is similar to the LDS Church out of our lives.  One of the reasons that the LDS Church is the great whore of all the earth is precisely because she mimics the real thing so closely; there is a razor edge dividing the two which is why it is so confusing and compelling.

The scripture project/covenant: there are beginning to be more and more voices against Denver Snuffer in this scripture project.  Other men who claim to have seen Christ who are turning many away from the path that Christ, through His authorized servant, is trying to take people on.  They have some legitimate arguments.  These men claim that Denver once was on the right path with waking people up from their idolatry, but is now "fallen" or "misguided" as he has turned the people towards "covenanting with him" and not going to God directly. These men are claiming that men do not make covenants, God does and that men do not need a temple, they can rise up on their own and come back into God's presence without the aid of a temple. These sentiments leave me wondering if people really read and understand the teachings of Denver.  It would behoove anyone confused by these men to go back and study the scriptures as well as Denver’s lectures and blog.

A few weeks ago I was praying about some things in regards to the scripture project.  I received a clear answer that one of the many parts of the test underway is for God to see who we, individually, will accept as God's authorized servant.  God revealed to me that many people have been back into His presence and that He has other servants, but that he has only one authorized servant at this time who has been commanded to do this scripture project. John the beloved and the Three Nephites are authorized servants, and interestingly enough, John the Beloved's newly revealed testimony will be included in the new scriptures.

Common consent, or to have all things in common begins with being in harmony, or having commonality with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  Part of knowing the Lord is knowing the mind and will of the Lord and then doing it. If God has sent an authorized servant to us today, then in order to be in common with God means that we need to come to a harmony with Him on who He has sent us and the messages coming through those individuals and then doing what those servants ask of us.

The tests are going to get harder and more difficult, the path steeper and more difficult to climb.  As we continue to strive to follow Christ, to be One with Him, we need to trust Him, Jesus Christ, that He will not lead us astray.  He will never interfere with our agency. He has sent us a servant who has power and authority and is above all else a teacher, that man's name is Denver Snuffer.  I do not believe that I can see Christ, that He will appear to me, if I reject His authorized servant, because recognizing any and all servants He sends to me is acknowledging and seeing God in my life.  

When the flood is raging around you, keep holding on to Christ. Even if you don't understand the obstacles He is placing before you and you can't see the end from the beginning, hold on to Him.  Continually pray that your heart may be softened.  Put your trust in God.  Love him.

We are literally in a lone and dreary world.  Like Adam and Eve we have been praying for true messengers from the Father who can teach us words of eternal life.  Christ has sent us a true messenger.  That messenger can help guide us in our ascent back into the presence of God where we can talk with Him face to face. The Children of Israel did not want to go up onto Mount Sinai to see God because it was terrifying; there were thunderings and lightenings and earthquakes. The people thought they would suffer all manner of pains and die.  It is no different today.  The tasks we are asked to accomplish are getting harder and more difficult, the mountain is being shaken.  I, for one, keep being shaken.  This has not been an easy path for me.  When the temple fund was finally announced, I balked.  I wanted nothing to do with it when I saw the suggested donation amount on Go Fund Me.  I took it to the Lord.  He has softened my heart.  I do not understand yet what the end will be, but I keep praying that He will guide me in this process.  I had finally settled down into some semblance of peace again when the scripture project/covenant was announced.  Once again, I was shaken.  Once again, I have taken it to the Lord and He has been good to me and answered just enough of my questions to keep me going, but not so many that I can see the end.  I still have moments of struggle.  I go to the Lord and to the scriptures at these times.  If anything, these obstacles present to us a chance to turn to the Lord in all energy of our souls, to pray, plead, beg for answers and guidance and comfort from Him.  

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were reading Doctrine and Covenants.  In my head I was complaining about the length of the sections. The next morning I was contacted and asked to submit something to the scripture committee that I had previously written.  I did not want to do it for several reasons.  I went to the Lord in prayer for an entire day and night.  I felt that I was supposed to send it in, but was uncomfortable with how long it was (10 pages!), so I kept editing it, trying to cut it down in length.  As I would ask God for his help, he'd gently remind me that He was the one who gave me the scriptures and quotes to begin with.  I kept complaining, "But, it's way too long."  Christ gently let me know that it hurt His feelings that I wouldn't want to hear from Him as much as possible.  Fast forward a couple of more days and I was praying and seeking guidance on a different matter, the Lord was silent and I was getting frustrated at His silence (which is usual for me) when he replied that I complain when He talks too much (the length of the scriptures) and I complain when He talks too little (not answering me personally). It was a gentle rebuke and offered me a chance to repent. I was humble by it.

I believe that the answers as well as the comfort and understanding we all seek can be found in the scriptures and the teachings of God's authorized servants. If we are frustrated that God is "not talking to us" then go to the scriptures.  He as spoken abundantly in them. We need to continue to pray that our hearts may be softened and that we may hear and recognize the word of the Lord and then have the courage to go and do it.

The tests are upon us.  The exciting, yet terrifying thing is: we get to choose!

Persuasion, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned…the perfect way to test these? Put a covenant on the line!

When I attended the Doctrine of Christ conference in March of 2017 held in St. George, Utah a scripture project was announced.  I’ve written about that previously under the title “Accepting an Offered Covenant”; you can see that post here .

At that conference a document was proposed to be added to the scriptures.  It was titled “Governing Principles” and was drafted in order to instruct people all over the world how to worship Christ.

When I saw the article and the title, I rebelled.  I have just come out of an institutional church that governed everything I did, down to the minutiae.  Immediately, one of Joseph Smith’s teachings came to mind, “I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.” (emphasis added)

As I began reading this document I found several items that I did not agree with nor did I feel they were scripturally accurate.  I took this matter to the Lord.  I was deeply concerned and in turmoil over the idea of accepting a set of scriptures containing a document with which I did not agree.

I have been waking up in the early morning hours between 3:30 and 4:30 quite often over the past several months.  It has been a good time to pray and write.  The house is quiet with no one needing mom’s attention. It is a time I can converse with the Lord.

The morning after coming home from the conference I awoke early and was complaining to God about the need to be “governed” by a document with which I did not agree. He calmly asked me what I would write. When I told him, he encouraged me to do so.  I spent the next several days drafting my version of a guide for fellowshipping.

It’s difficult to put into words, and keep this post from becoming enormously wordy, what has transpired with the scripture project over the past month and a half.  Suffice it to say that the committee printed in the first draft edition some of their own writings including “Governing Principles” mentioned earlier.  This opened the door for a lot of personal submissions, some that were closer to the crazy end of the meter, a “recipe for disaster”.  This began serious debate: “what is scripture” and “who is authorized by God to write it”.  People were emailing serious concerns to the scripture committee but feeling dismissed by them.  I was one of those people. 

We were alternately moved upon by the spirit and our own consciences to push the committee to tighten their standards of what is scripture and then felt chastised for “complaining” when Denver would write a blog post chastising complainers.

Things came to a head April 19, 2017.  A small group of us had decided to draft a petition in order to call for several items of immediate action:

  ▪Reconstruct the restoration-era scriptures insofar as is possible;

▪Add contemporary content that few would quibble with (e.g., writings by authorized servants: Denver, translation of John, Joseph Smith) 

▪Pause before moving forward in adopting other “scripture” in order to determine the best approach (e.g. writing from others in the assembly or on the scripture team)

Suggested process for arriving at final set of RE scriptures:

▪All legitimate concerns or suggestions that are submitted should be compiled into the list for voting (no selective filtering).

▪Anything that is new to the scriptures (post-Joseph, not Denver) should be, de facto, put up for comment and vote, not automatically added to the scriptures as “examples” to the rest of us and definitely not because the author is on the scripture team.

We were willing and ready to begin our own scripture project if the current committee continued to dismiss our attempts at common consent.  Denver Snuffer heard about our efforts and called for an emergency meeting at his law office in Sandy, Utah. A representative for the committee attended as well as several people involved with our petition.

The meeting was rough but inspiring. We were all called to repent.  We were all able to understand each other more fully. We were all taught some true doctrine by Denver. During the meeting I was asked by Denver to submit the paper I wrote titled “Guiding Principles” to go up against “Governing Principles” in order for the assembly of saints to have a choice. I was not sure I wanted to do so and I did not commit to sending it in at that time.

One of the stories Denver shared a few times was that of the saints in Joseph Smith’s day complaining about the introduction to the doctrine and Covenants which the scripture team at that time had been tasked with writing.  The people rejected their document and called for Joseph to write a new one. Denver pointed out that this began dependence by the people upon Joseph which darkened their minds.  Denver does not want to repeat history.

The following morning I was contacted by a person who had been in attendance at the meeting.  They were excited because they had realized that morning that we had not repeated history: the people do not like the document the scripture team wrote (Governing Principles) and instead of going to Denver to write a new one, I had gone to the Lord and I had written a new one.  Denver was thrilled that “I did not repeat history” and in addition he was even more thrilled that the work was done by a woman!  They asked me to send in the guiding principles document I had compiled and they wanted my name on it.

I felt overwhelmed by the prospect. I spent that day and the morning of the next praying about what to do. I chose to send it in on Friday the 21^st. I attached my name to it with the full realization that this may result in my excommunication from the LDS Church.

Sending in my document has opened a door to help others see that they can have a voice in regards to the scripture project.

Things did not change immediately following that meeting.  I have had two phone calls with a member of the scripture team. These calls were beneficial to both of us, I was given more light and understanding into the choices, decision and labors they are doing on our behalf and they were able to better understand the views of the assembly of saints.  Last Sunday, April 30, I received a phone call asking me how I felt about the team putting together a new committee that would be responsible for drafting a replacement document for Governing Principles and my Guiding Principles. This new committee would be formed out of representatives from any fellowship that felt inspired to be a part of it.  I was elated!  This idea felt right.

It has been two weeks since that emergency meeting and there has been a transformation in the attitude of the scripture team as well as the body of believers.  A lot of personal revelation has been received, a lot of direction on how to proceed. As well as much needed guidance on what exactly is scripture and who is authorized by God to “write” it.  The scripture team issued an apology to the body of saints.  It was beautiful and humble and has given us much needed hope in this process.  With that apology they tightened the parameters of what types of submissions should be considered for inclusion in the scriptures.  They also announced the formation of a new committee which had been discussed with me that morning on the phone.

If we are to have any hope of establishing Zion we must learn to work together, to have common consent, to have charity, love and compassion for one another, to have equality, long suffering, gentleness and persuasion, to have love unfeigned; this scripture project has been a wonderful tool for Christ to begin to teach us how to accomplish these things.  There is nothing like offering a covenant to get us learning and growing in earnest. We have a long way to go, but we have begun.

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