Only Joseph Smith Has a Story to Tell

Religion has no plot. Science has no plot. This means that Joseph Smith is the only entry. He, at least, has given us a story with a plot. But is it convincing?

The stories of the garden of Eden and the Flood have always furnished unbelievers with their best ammunition against believers, because they are the easiest to visualize, popularize, and satirize of any Bible accounts. Everyone has seen a garden and been caught in a pouring rain. It requires no effort of imagination for a six-year-old to convert concise and straightforward Sunday-school recitals into the vivid images that will stay with him for the rest of his life. These stories retain the form of the nursery tales they assume in the imaginations of small children, to be defended by grownups who refuse to distinguish between childlike faith and thinking as a child when it is time to "put away childish things." (1Corinthians 13:11).

Joseph Smith gave the world something that nobody else could. That is why Joseph Smith, with nothing going for him and everything going against him, simply could not lose. He told us what the play is all about. If you can come up with a better story than his, more power to you, but up until now no one else has had any story at all to place before us, and no one can. If only for that reason, Joseph's story deserves a hearing.

The Latter-day Saints have four basic Adam stories, those found in the Bible, the book of Moses, the book of Abraham, and the temple—each seen from the point of view of the individual observers who tell the stories. 

The apparently strange and extravagant phenomena described in the scriptures are often correct descriptions of what would have appeared to a person in a particular situation. Noah saw the flood from His point of view. From where he was, "the whole earth" (Genesis 8:9) was covered with water. As far as he could see there was water. After things had quieted down for 150 days and the ark ground to a halt, it was still three months before he could see any mountaintops. But what were conditions in other parts of the world? If Noah knew that, he would not have sent forth messenger birds to explore.

Joseph and Sidney Rigdon had to use metaphors and similes to describe what they saw: "His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; . . . his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters" (D&C 110). There was no fire, no snow, no rushing waters, but that is as near as Joseph Smith and Sidney Ridgon could come to telling us what they experienced when "the veil was taken from [their] minds, and the eyes of [their] understanding were opened" (D&C 110:1)! They were reporting as well as they could what they had seen from a vantage point on which we have never stood.

Before being introduced to his home planet, Abraham is given a view of the cosmos, in the which he is reminded again and again that all distances, directions, and motions are to be measured with respect to his position only. From another position, the picture might well look very different.

Kolob is not described as the center of the universe, but governs only one class of stars: "I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest" (Abraham 3:3). Kolob's influence and time governs "all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest"—the expression is used for the seventh time (Abraham 3:9).

The creation process as described in the Pearl of Great Price is open ended and ongoing, entailing careful planning based on vast experience, long consultations, models, tests, and even trial runs for a complicated system requiring a vast scale of participation by the creatures concerned. The whole operation is dominated by the overriding principle of love. 

"Worlds without number" had already come into existence and gone their ways: "And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words" (Moses 1:38).

Consider how it was done: "And the Gods said: We will do everything that we have said, and organize them." (Abraham 4:31). "And the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good" (Abraham 4:21). "We will end our work, which we have counseled. . . . And thus were their decisions at the time that they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth" (Abraham 5:2-3). 

After the talk they got down to work. "The Gods came down and formed these the generations of the heavens and of the earth, . . . according to all that which they had said . . . before" (Abraham 5:4-5). They worked through agents: "The Gods ordered, saying: Let [such-and-such happen] . . . ; and it was so, even as they ordered" (Abraham 4:9, 11). 

What they ordered was not the completed product, but the process to bring it about, providing a scheme under which life might expand: "Let us prepare the earth to bring forth grass" (Abraham 4:11), not "Let us create grass."

"We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell" (Abraham 3:24). Why? "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them" (Abraham 3:25). What he commands is what will best fulfill the measure of their existence, but they are not forced to do it—they are not automata. Adam was advised not to eat the fruit but was told at the same time that he was permitted to do it. It was up to him whether he would obey or not.

Abraham 4:11-12 continues: "Let us prepare the earth to bring forth grass.. . . And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth grass from its own seed, . . . yielding fruit [the fruit is the seed], whose seed could only bring forth the same . . . after his kind; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed." Here are levels of independence down to a complete programming by which the "seed could only bring forth the same."

The most important provision of all is, "We will bless them," and "cause them to be fruitful and multiply" (Abraham 4:28). The blessing of everything makes all the difference. This blessing is the whole difference between a play and no play.

After the earth is set up we are shown everything from Adam's point of view. In Genesis 2:5, we are definitely referred to a pre-temporal creation, then (2:8) we see a garden planted, and (2:15) a man put into the garden, where he is wonderfully at home. He can eat of every tree in the garden (2:16). He lives on terms of greatest intimacy with other creatures, naming and classifying them as he takes his place among them (Genesis 2:19-20).

When Adam eats the fruit his eyes are opened—he is a piqqeah, one who sees things as they were not seen before, who sees things which he in another condition could not see. He is in a new ambience. Cast out of the garden, he finds himself in a dry climate and changes his diet from fruit to grains, which he must work hard to cultivate.

The book of Abraham is more specific. After the great cycles of creation come the smaller cycles, starting with a very dry planet followed by a very wet phase (Abraham 5:5-6). Man is formed of the elements of the earth like any other creature, and he lives in a very lush period, a garden, which is, however, reduced to an oasis in an encroaching desert (Abraham 5:7-10). To this limited terrain he is perfectly adapted. It is a paradise. How long does he live there? No one knows, for this was still "after the Lord's time," not ours (Abraham 5:13). It was only when he was forced out of this timeless, changeless paradise that he began to count the hours and days, moving into a hard semi-arid world of thorns, thistles, and briars, where he had to toil and sweat in the heat just to stay alive and lost his old intimacy with the animals (Genesis 3:17-19).

Until Adam underwent that fatal change of habitat, body chemistry, diet, and psyche that went with the Fall, nothing is to be measured in our years, "for . . . the Gods had not appointed unto Adam his reckoning." (Abraham 5:13.) Until then, time is measured from their point of view, not ours.

He plays a surprising number of roles, each with a different persona, a different name, a different environment, a different office and calling: (1) he was Michael, one of the three most intelligent beings present when the earth project was being discussed; (2) he was one of those who monitored the processes, and who came down from time to time to check up on the operation; (3) then he changed his name and nature to live upon the earth, but it was a very different earth from any we know. It had to be a garden place specially prepared for him. (4) When he left that paradise, his nature was changed again, and for the first time he began to reckon the passing of time by our measurements, becoming a short-lived creature subject to death. (5) In this condition, he began to receive instructions from heavenly mentors on how to go about changing his condition and status, entering into a covenant that completely changed his mentality and way of life. "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit," when "that which is natural" became spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:45-46). The man Adam passes from one state of being to another, and so do we: "as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1 Corinthians 15:49). (6) In time he died and became a spirit being, the head of all his spirit children in the waiting-place, according to common Christian tradition as well as our own. (7) Then he became, after Christ, the first fruits of the resurrection and returned triumphantly to his first and second estates, (8) to go on to glory and eternal lives.

Christianity views man's life on earth as a one-act drama: Adam fell, Christ redeemed us, and that is the story. Before Adam, there was nothing. Science tells us that the drama is pointless, because there is really nothing before or after it. We, on the other hand, see an ongoing epic of many episodes, each one a play in itself—a dispensation.

It is Adam as our own parent who should concern us. When he walks onto the stage, then and only then the play begins. He opens a book and starts calling out names. They are the sons of Adam, who also qualify as sons of God, Adam himself being a son of God. This is the book of remembrance from which many have been blotted out.

Adam becomes Adam, a hominid becomes a man, when he starts keeping a record. What kind of record? A record of his ancestors—the family line that sets him off from all other creatures.

Which takes us back to the issue with which the Adam question began and which has always been the central issue of human paleontology: a matter of definitions. They may seem trivial, secondary, naive—but the experts have never been able to get away from it. Evolution and natural selection were never defined to Darwin's satisfaction. 

Those who study the origin of man begin with the final answers. The ultimate questions that can only be answered after all the returns are in, are the very questions with which Lyell and Hutton and Darwin began their explorations. Our thrilling detective drama begins by telling us who did it and then expects us to wait around with bated breath while the detective brings in the evidence. Today all the specialists are trying to agree on a clear definition for man: when is a hominid a hominid, and how much? 

Do not begrudge existence to creatures that looked like men long, long ago, nor deny them a place in God's affection or even a right to exaltation—for our scriptures allow them such. We should not be overly concerned as to just when they might have lived, for their world is not our world. They have all gone away long before our people ever appeared. God assigned them their proper times and functions, as he has given us ours—a full-time job that admonishes us to remember His words to the overly eager Moses: "For mine own purpose have I made these things. Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me" (Moses 1:31).

And one of the biggest stumbling blocks of science and religion is not knowing how Adam relates to all other beings, earthly and heavenly. But Joseph knew, and His story is God's story, told over and over again on earths just like this one.

To learn more see Hugh Nibley's Before Adam, Old Testament and Related Studies, Chapter 7.

But We Have the Book! Antithetical or Proving Contraries

"For he who persists in evil, and is the servant of evil, cannot be made a portion of good so long as he persists in evil, because from the beginning, as we have said, God instituted two kingdoms, and has given to each man the power of becoming a portion of that kingdom to which he shall yield himself to obey" (Quoting Peter in Clement of Rome emphasis added). 

A friend sent me this photo intending its message for me. It meant a lot to me that someone recognized that perhaps I am not too insignificant to teach His words, that God does in fact, work by very small and simple means, to bring about His great and eternal purposes, and that my obtaining and teaching His words come by the power and gifts of God. 

As a result of obtaining His words I have discovered that by utilizing a simple antithetical (an-tih-THEH-tih-kuhl) method, the Lord brings about His eternal purposes, and that one of the greatest witnesses of the Book of Mormon is its use of antithetical dichotomies. 

What does antithetical mean? The term antithetical refers to something that is the direct opposite of, or in sharp contrast with, another thing. It is derived from the word "antithesis," (an-TIH-thuh-sis) which in Greek literally means "setting against."

​When two ideas are antithetical, they are not just different; they are mutually incompatible or fundamentally opposed. For example the Lord's definition of Good is the antithesis of Evil. They are mutually exclusive. As are the consequences-- light/darkness, life/death, more/nothing, happiness/ misery, and righteousness/ wickedness. And He puts us in a situation where we must choose one or the other.  It is the freedom to choose that also serves His purpose, for without the freedom to choose one or the other, there can be no accountability for our choice. It is the choosing between the two that is the most important thing we do, and the two ways, Good and Evil, are absolutely essential to God’s plan. We can not only understand that Good is light and Evil is darkness, but we can also experience the darkness by tasting the bitter that we may know to prize the Good.

Babylon, for example, is the antithesis of Zion, as both a place and a people. If Zion is made up of only those who are repenting, then Babylon is made up of those who are not repenting. 

With antithesis there is no middle ground. We can't say that we desire 75% of Zion, but only 25% of Babylon. Nor is it possible to choose mostly good. By design it is one or the other. 

This compare and contrast method helps us more fully experience His truth, His light and His spirit. As Joseph said "by proving contraries, truth is made manifest" (History of the Church, Volume 6, page 428). One truth manifested by Good or Evil, is that both Good and Evil exist. They are not just words in the book, but are very real and very powerful, drawing us towards one or the other. Another truth is that we must choose one or the other, and that we must have the freedom to choose. This may seem contrary to our life experiences because we impose our own or our preferred standards of good or evil, calling them values, thinking that somehow they justify our chosen lifestyles. We do in fact call good evil, and evil good.

Isaiah uses antithesis in his endtime prophecy. In fact his seven part structure is built upon antithesis. 

1. Ruin (1-5) -- Rebirth (34-3)
2. Rebellion (6-8) -- Compliance (36-40)
3. Punishment (9-12) -- Deliverance (41-46)
4. Humiliation (13-23) -- Exaltation (46-47)
5. Suffering (24-27) -- Salvation (48-54)
6. Disloyality (28-31) -- Loyalty (55-59)
7. Disinheritance (32-33) -- Inheritance (60-66)

Isaiah’s overall theme is also antithetical--destruction or deliverance. His detailed description of Zion and Babylon is antithetical--they cannot exist together, whatever Zions is, Babylon is not. It is the choice between God and Satan that will determine whether we will become a Zion like people in the place Zion, or whether we will be destroyed in Babylon along with everthing in Babylon--nothing and no one will be left in Babylon. And those who are not repenting when Isaiah’s, Nephi's, and Christ's prophecies are beginning to be fulfilled, regardless of their belief in God, will be destroyed in Babylon. 

By putting the several passages of Isaiah together, we find that those of Israel who repent, who constitute Zion (see Isaiah 1: 27; 59: 20), are also those who return to the place Zion (see Isaiah 35: 10; 51: 11). We are either repenting or we are not repenting. Not turning completely to Christ results in not turning to Christ!

Even Justice and Mercy are antithetical in the sense that we choose, by repenting, to receive His mercy, and we choose, by not repenting, to receive His justice. So even the antithetical choices have antithetical consequences. Another example is that "by the law no flesh is justified; or by the law men are cut off" (2 Nephi 2:5). The antithesis of being cut off is being justified--for "by the Spirit are ye justified" (Moses 6:60). And being justified means we are no longer under the law, but we are under Grace. So you may now see the antithesis of the law and Grace.

The consequences of our choosing Good as opposed to Evil are spelled out in the scriptures, and there are many. 

For example, being found on the one hand or on the other as a result of the Lord's great and marvelous work (1 Nephi 14:7).

Being cut off as a result of the Lord's two-edged sword, His word (D&C 11:2).

Being claimed by either Justice or Mercy (Alma 42:23-24).

Being cut hewn down and cast into the fire because the fruit is not good (Jacob 5:42;46-47). Or the tree brings for good fruit because of the goodness of the root (Christ), and the good overcomes the evil (Jacob 5:61).

The justice of God divides the wicked from the righteous (1 Nephi 15:30).

And a few others without citation. Repent or do not repent. Receive more of His word until you know His mysteries in full, or receive less until you know nothing. Be recreated or decreated. Choose ye this day whom you will serve. How long will you halt between two opinions? We act or are acted upon. 

These examples offer another dimension of antithesis, which is that we are always repenting, always receiving more and always being recreated. Once we stop, we are actually in reverse going backwards. Note how repenting is linked to all the others, the fruits of our repentance. 

Not only do we see the consequences, but we are exposed to the many and various ways our choices reveal our desires. One being broad, with innumerable behaviors, and the other being narrow, described with clarity and precision--repent! The broad way exposes all the ways we manifest our refusal to repent.

As you search you will begin to see the Lord's use of antithesis to meet His purposes, and the genius of His plan to put before us only two choices and the consequences of our choices, both clearly defined and enumerated in multiple ways. Why? So there can be no excuse on our part. Our choices clearly reveal our desires.

Antithesis is taught frequently in the Book of Mormon, particularly 2 Nephi 2, where Lehi's teachings to his son Jacob are recorded. 

The often misunderstood truth that there must be "an opposition in all things" is the way God accomplishes His purposes, and Lehi explains why. 

Without opposition there would be "no wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad." 

Keep in mind that Lehi had already told Jacob that "men are instructed sufficiently that they may know good from evil." In other words, for antithesis to serve its purpose, we must know how God defines Good and Evil. Anything short of His definition is not sufficient. Lehi explains why this truth is so critical. He does this in verses 11-14, and because it is part of the instructions we have received that we may know Good from Evil, it is worth our time to search, 'hear' and hearken. We cannot know what Good is without knowing what is Evil.

But to summarize first, without opposition, there would be: 

1. no purpose to our existence, in fact 

2. there would be no purpose for our creation, and

3. God's wisdom would be destroyed. 

Opposition used here has the same meaning as antithetical. The opposites are mutually incompatible. 

Lehi taught that there must be an opposition in all things. 

Not just an opposition in some things, but in all things. This is signicant because without opposition (antithesis):

¹Righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither ²wickedness, neither ³holiness nor ⁴misery, neither ⁵Good nor ⁶Evil. 

Brought to pass signifies the consequences of our choice. Choices without consequences are meaningless. This is why Alma taught of both the law given, and the punishment for breaking the law.

There needs to be a compound in one or there cannot be just one. For example, if there should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Everything comes together in Christ. It is the result of the antithesis, the coming together, where truth is manifested, where the contraries are proved. For example, opposite concepts like Justice and Mercy are expressed through Christ, God's purpose, as a compound in one. They prove His existence. But more than that, His Justice can be the motivation to cause us to desire and choose His mercy. 

By not partaking of the fruit of the tree of good and evil, Adam and Eve would have remained in the garden forever,  knowing no good or evil; no misery or happiness; no sin or righteousness; and we would not be.

Without opposition, the creation of the body would have no purpose in being created. And not only would there be no purpose for life, the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also His power, His mercy, and His justice would be for nothing. We must be moved upon by the one or the other. 

The contraries or opposite truths bring purpose to our existence, to our desires and to our choices, as they serve His purpose to bring to pass the immortality of man. And without one, the other cannot exist.

"And if ye shall say there is ¹no law, 

ye shall also say there is ²no sin. 

If ye shall say there is ²no sin, ye shall also say there is ³no righteousness.

And if there be ³no righteousness 

there be ⁴no happiness. 

And if there be ⁴no righteousness nor happiness there be ⁵no punishment nor misery. 

And ⁶if these things are not 

⁷there is no God. 

And ⁸if there is no God ⁹we are not,

¹⁰neither the earth; for ¹¹there could have been no creation of things, ¹²neither to act nor to be acted upon; 

wherefore, ¹³all things must have vanished away.

And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:11-14 emphasis added).

And being put between these contraries, we must either act or be acted upon. And the choice is not just between what is defined as Good and Evil, but between what is actually Good and what is actually Evil. It is the choice between the power of Good and the power of Evil, the source of Good and the source of Evil.

I have used the Lord's words in scripture to prove the antithesis of righteousness and wickedness and other contraries, but it also applies to churches, as in there are only two churches, the Church of God and the church of the Devil. But the Book of Mormon describes many churches that are built up by people, and all these churches would be part of the church of the Devil. The Church of God, on the other hand, is His Church because it is built upon His Gospel, upon His truth, upon Him. But any church where it's people are not built upon His Gospel, is not His Church, regardless of the name. 

There is no Christ's Church without Christ's Gospel. Without His gospel, it would be the church of the Devil. It is not the name or the belief in Christ that determines His church. His church is made up of only those who are repenting and have taken upon themselves His name. And everyone belongs either to His church or to the church of the Devil. 

In the endtime scenario, as Isaiah prophesied, our choice will determine either destruction or deliverance, re-creation or de-creation, life or death. 

Hopefully you can see more clearly the Lord's purpose in His use of contraries and how truth is manifested by proving contraries. 

Next: But We Have The Book! More Records

The Experiential Gospel: Learning the Spirit of God

This is the second of a series of posts on The Experiential Gospel. You can read the Introduction here. You can find a link to the next post at the end of each.

"The Spirit of Revelation is in connection with these blessings. A person may profit by ¹noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you ²feel pure intelligence ³flowing into you, it may give you ⁴sudden strokes of ideas,... thus ⁵by learning the Spirit of God and ⁶understanding it, you ⁷may grow into the ⁸principle of revelation"(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 149).

I introduced Joseph's statement that we learn the Spirit of God. He did not say we learn about the Spirit of God. In other words we learn the Spirit of God as we experience it. Not only are we learning the Spirit of God, but we begin to understand it as it grows into the principle of revelation. 

These are some earlier experiences of what I now know, were the beginning of my learning the Spirit of God.

My first experience that I remember with the Holy Ghost or the Spirit, happened when I was attending a Stake Conference meeting. I would guess that I was about 13-14 years old. The speaker was a young man who recounted how he and his younger brother were left behind by their father, after their mother had died. He and his brother were quite young and were separated. The speaker was placed with an older couple who were members of the church, and his life was blessed with love and caring. 

He told us of his experiences trying to find his younger brother. It took him years but he eventually did find him, and as he was describing their reunion, I experienced a light or a power going through my mind. It made me brighter, and my whole body was exercised even my heart. It was a power I had not yet experienced. I knew in that moment that I wanted to go on a mission. I am not sure why I connected this experience with a mission, except that perhaps part of learning the Spirit, is that once you have experienced even a portion, you want others to experience it! 

Prior to this, my experience with the Holy Ghost had been limited to classroom instruction typical of church teachings in the fifties, teachers defining the Holy Ghost, and describing Him as a member of the Godhead, a spirit in the form of a man, a warm feeling in the heart, substituting emotion for the Spirit.

In my teens there were four men who, I now know, while maybe not intending to, were teaching me the spirit of God, or at least planting seeds of truth. It was during my teenage years between the ages of 14-18 while I was living in the Emerson Ward in Salt Lake City. The first was Willis Muse. I was 14 and assigned to him as his ward teaching companion. 

It was my first opportunity, and Bro. Muse, with his totally white hair, seemed very old to me so I wasn’t sure how I could relate to him. He made it easy, and I remember one day while walking to our first home, he asked if I knew that Christ’s atonement was not only for those on this earth, but for those on all His worlds? Not only had I not thought much about the atonement of Christ but had no idea about the atonement being for other worlds. But something happened to me and I felt my mind expanding beyond my own little world. 

He would ask many more questions during our time as companions and I was always anxious to hear him answer his own questions. Each was beyond the scope of most people, let alone a 14 year old boy, but for some reason I responded and could feel and see so much more. My mind was expanded and my perception enhanced. He also made sure that I had the opportunity to teach the lesson, and when I did, he would expand on what I had prepared, thus teaching me even more. He stretched my mind and intellect, which are necessary experiences in learning the Spirit of God. How I wish I could converse with Willis Muse today!

The second man was called by my father, who was our Bishop. His name was Bud Scarlet and he was called as my Explorer Advisor. You have to understand a few things about Bud. He had not been active when he was called, still smoked and didn’t know much about his calling. But what he did know was how to love and care about us. 

My dad had designated a room in the old Emerson ward as the “Priest’s Room” and we used it to meet for priesthood meeting and for our Explorer activities. I was not much of a scout and while I had achieved a Star badge, I didn’t really care for scouting. It did not motivate me. But Bud Scarlet did. Not because he focused on the Explorer Handbook, but because he focused on us, and what he thought would motivate and interest us. I was learning that love and caring are necessary to learn the Spirit of God. 

The third individual who influenced me was Marv Morris who was our Sunday School teacher, even though he was only few years older. He would really challenge our thinking and assumptions. He taught me that using my mind in intellectual questions was not only stimulating but rewarding. At the same time Marv helped me to see connections, and to not learn a principle or idea in a vacuum, but to make connections and enlarge our perception. I remember that he once challenged us to see if we could walk down the hall at school,  and without saying anything, get someone to say hi to us. I tried the experiment and found that our attitude can cause a response in another, and almost without fail, I could get someone to say hi to me. 

Marv taught us about human behavior and created in me a curiosity about why people behaved the way they did. I became more interested in the why, than in the behavior. But most of all he taught me about using my own mind and not to just accept what others may say without research and gaining knowledge for myself. Expanding and stretching our minds is a key experience to learning the Spirit of God. 

But the most influential was my Priest Advisor, Dick Chidester. Dick had just returned from a mission to Austria and was asked to teach our Priests’ Quorum. The connection between Dick and my father is part of this story. Dick came from a family where his father was not active and he was not really encouraged to go to priesthood meetings, which at the time were held on Sunday mornings. So every Sunday my dad would call Dick and remind him about priesthood meeting. Dick told us at my dad’s funeral that without fail, every Sunday morning a telephone call came for Dick. He said that he would answer it and say—“Hi Bish. Yes I will be there.” 

Dick was a gifted teacher of the gospel and the scriptures. I am sure now that he had the spiritual gift of knowledge and the gift to teach that knowledge. He motivated me to not only read the scriptures, but to study, search and make connections. I was like a sponge in his class. 

He would bring others in to teach us. I remember his brother-in-law Ron Fredrickson teaching us why we should serve missions because we were descendants of Ephraim, and Ephraim was charged with teaching the gospel. I was so motivated to go on a mission and teach the gospel. When missionaries had their homecomings I remember comparing them and their homecoming talks to their farewell talks, and I was interested in how their mission experiences had changed them. Some seemed the same, but others, like Dick came back with having not only been converted himself, but full of the desire to proclaim the Gospel. 

Dick went on to become a seminary teacher and then an institute instructor at the University of Utah. I called him a few years ago to thank him for his influence and motivation to read and learn what our Father in Heaven had revealed to us. I told him what an influence he had been, and how grateful I was. He very much appreciated my call, and said to me that I should really be thanking my father, for not only calling him each Sunday, but for also making sure he served a mission, and then by calling him as my Priests Advisor. What my dad could not teach me himself, he called someone with the spiritual gift of knowledge to teach me and bless me.

Dick wetted my appetite for the word of God, for without the words of God, I would not have learned and experienced the Spirit of God. 

Many seeds were planted, but I knew they were good seeds after an experience I had on my mission a few years later. I mentioned my experience with the Holy Ghost in the introduction to this series. It first became significant to me following an experience I had in 1962 in Grand Island, Nebraska, where I was a new missionary, and it set the course for how I would forever experience the Spirit of God. We were tracting one day when a man invited us in. My first impression was that he was handsome and very engaging. After we sat down, he introdced himself as a missionary for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He then proceeded to show us his Book of Mormon and other scripture.

Following this conversation with this Reorganized LDS Church missionary, I was left totally confused and doubting the truth of what I had been taught. I knew nothing of the Reorganized Church, and was shaken by their belief in the Book of Mormon, and their characterization of the Utah church as being the apostate church. The only thing I knew to do was to get on my knees and ask the Lord about it. The next morning, I was prompted to pick up my copy of The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and turned to this:

“The First Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure ¹intelligence. 

The idea that the only effect the Holy Ghost has is pure intelligence, underscores the many myths concerning the Holy Ghost that have become part of church culture and teachings. I think of Christ saying He will send another comforter to bring to our remembrance the words of His Father that He, Christ, taught during His mortal ministry. Intelligence is light and truth. His words are intelligence because they are light and truth. So the effect of the Holy Ghost is pure intelligence. 

It is more powerful in ²expanding the mind, 

Note again that it is not the heart that the Holy Ghost expands, but the mind.

³enlightening the understanding, 

Again the mind and intellect...

and ⁴storing the intellect with present knowledge, 

The intellect where we receive light and truth...

of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much ⁵visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, 

Different experiences...

it is ⁶calm and serene; 

and his whole ⁷soul and ⁸body are only ⁹exercised by the ¹⁰pure spirit of intelligence” 

Soul and body, as light surrounds and is felt by us. Exactly what I felt that first time at that Stake Conference when I was 13-14 years old.

(Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 149 emphasis added).

As I was reading I immediately experienced that calm and serene feeling, and while my whole soul and body were not exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence, I did experience the pure spirit of intelligence. I recognized it because of the seeds that had been sown for my benefit. I was familar with it. Through the Holy Ghost ¹my mind has been and continues to expand, ²my understanding continues to be enlightened, and ³my intellect continues to be stored with present knowledge. I can see with my eyes, hear with my ears and understand with my heart. And I can see clearly that which is to come.

It was not a one and done experience, but an ever present and expanding experience. The pure spirit of intelligence is discernable and it grows. But it was not until I had repented and turned to Christ, that my whole soul and body were exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence. In other words, I was filled with the Holy Ghost and was born of the Spirit. I know that I must continue to turn to Christ, to repent, and as I do I receive more. I also know that if I turn away I can lose all that I have received.

It is the light communicated from heaven to the intellect, our intelligence as in “man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light and truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be” (D&C 93:29 emphasis added). Both God and man, and every other living being existed only as intelligences, and had so existed from the eternities, never having been created. No description is given in the scriptures of the nature of the entity that is an intelligence. There is revelation that tells us that the various innumerable intelligences varied in degree of that which was their essence: intelligence, God being the most intelligent of them all (Abraham 3:19).

Only those who have experienced the effect of the Holy Ghost can be a witness of His existence, and specifically how He operates in his/her life, and the methods He uses to do so. Sure we can read about the Holy Ghost, but until we have experienced His effect upon us, we are at a loss to describe it to others, and even then, those who have not had the same experiences may cling to their traditional ideas of Him and therefore miss the mark.

I think of angels speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost. Why? Because they speak the words of Christ, again linking the Holy Ghost with the words of God or light and truth, the spirit, even the spirit of Christ. 

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come" (John 16:13). The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth, or the Teacher of Truth.

As Peter said, and this is my experience also, "This happens to me for this reason, that I have formed the habit of recalling to memory the words of my Lord, which I heard from Himself; and for the longing I have towards them, I constrain my mind and my thoughts to be roused, that, awaking to them, and recalling and arranging them one by one, I may retain them in my memory" (Clement of Rome). Or in other words "treasure up in your minds continually the words of life..." (D&C 84:85). I find it fascinating that Peter, who walked with Christ, continued, after the Lord left, to rely upon and bring to memory the Lord's words, rather than just the experience of having been with Christ. 

I love Peter's phrase "for the longing I have towards them." I can relate. It is a longing, but also a compulsion. They continue to awaken me, and arouse in me a greater desire to gain more light and truth. Alma was right when he said "let this desire work in you" (Alma 32:27). I can also relate to why Abraham wanted to not only obtain 'great' knowledge, but to obtain even 'greater' knowledge (Abraham 1:2). I can say that His words have taken root in me, and that I have tasted the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and I shall continue to feast upon this fruit even until I am filled and hunger not, neither shall I thirst. 

"O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good..." (Alma 32:34 emphasis added). You can experience that it is good, and through your experience, know that it is good through personal revelation!

Whenever I find a treasure, from whatever source, I want to capture it, and do so by writing it down and expanding upon it, for I know that all riches of full understanding, lead to the knowledge "of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).

And there are treasures that come from treasures. It is like adding to the treasures when discovering another way to share the treasures. For example, we know from the Book of Mormon that we are admonished to believe Christ, and from this springs other treasures. They become treasures that I must capture! Like these:

It is not what we believe that matters but who we believe. 

The challenge is not closing the gap between our actions and our beliefs. The challenge is closing the gap between our beliefs and the truth.

It is the individual, not the society, that sins.

Because each of us has the God-given ability to determine truth from error, we have a personal responsibility to do so.

This raises a specter of something Mormons may never have imagined of themselves, only of others, that this time around they are the ones whom God warns and calls to repentance lest they perish from the earth.

When God's words become our words because they have been revealed to us, then, and only then, will we become witnesses with first-hand knowledge and can testify that we know. 

Otherwise whatever we teach is just information, is hearsay, and we are just echoes. 

Where will we go once we've left the fold?  Who knows the way?  Leaving the fold without the Shepherd to guide us is more than foolhardy; it is perilous.

The impression I had was that much of religion was a human effort to evade the responsibility of actually walking with God.

Little did we anticipate that Isaiah’s unsealing would be so damning of us. 

You can hear what someone intends to tell you and what he tells you unintentionally. And the unintentional is the interesting thing–it is most important.

The greater the intelligence, the greater the awareness, and the greater the awareness, the greater the intelligence. 

It is not what goes in the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth.

We create an illusion of knowledge by referring to the books which contain the truth, not by searching the truth within the books.

Whatever a man does without God, he must fail miserably--or succeed more miserably.

You can see tragedy coming from a considerable distance when you are older, but when you are young tragedy does not pertain to you and certainly never catches up to you.

As no people in modern times have been so blessed with an abundance of God’s Word as the Ephraimite Gentiles, do we realize our lives are on the line, depending on whether we live by it, not by a muddled or watered down version of it?

By the time people realize that their house is on fire, they need more than a fire extinguisher. The trick is to learn how to smell the smoke and see that it is your house and not someone's down the street.

There is this arrogance, or unwillingness, even to fathom that Book of Mormon prophets might know more about this than you do. Or that history has nothing to teach you. But it does!

We are reactive and tend to only intervene when things are getting bad, but what we underestimate is the speed at which bad moves. 

Satan has indeed cured our cold--we are virtuous and self-disciplined--but he has given us cancer--pride and self righteousness. Fortunately it is not yet terminal because we can still repent.

If you are not repenting because of His word, then perhaps prophetic warnings may be for you. But maybe before you repent, the prophecies need a warning like the one on your car mirror--things are much larger than they appear!

The thought of your righteousness will vanish in the presence of His righteousness.

The man who is proud of anything he thinks he has reached, has not reached it. He is but proud of himself, and imagining a cause for his pride.

The Lord knows what we need; we know only what we want.

What we work for reflects our true values and our God.

Those who belong to Babylon don’t perceive idolatry for what it is. They can’t for a moment imagine that they are worshiping idols or that there is a problem with what they do.

My friends, the Book of Mormon does not exaggerate either the relentless efficiency or the speed with which wealth corrupts all those who "set their hearts upon riches and the things of the world."

For it very frequently happens that he who defends the truth does not gain the victory, since the hearers are either prejudiced, or have no great interest in the better cause.

When a person’s reality or life’s view isn’t based entirely on God’s truth, then what isn’t based on God's truth must be grounded in things that aren’t true, even though they may be believed and substituted for God’s truth.

You won't find these actual quotes in the word of God, but you will discover them as treasures through the word of God. I have discovered thousands of such treasures through His words. And that is only in English! But as Peter purportedly said, "But when one has received an entire and firm rule of truth from the Scriptures, it will not be improper if he contribute to the establishment of true doctrine anything from common education and from liberal studies" (Clement of Rome).

The Spirit of God cannot be totally comprehended by us, any more than we can comprehend God. But imagine unlimited variety, color, dimensions, creatures, worlds, treasures, truths, and knowledge. His words are the same for they are also His Spirit. There is no limit to His language, to His understanding, and to His Spirit, which He allows us to begin to learn while in this life. His truths can be taught with the same variety and imagination, expanded upon, shared and received. And that portion of His Spirit that we learn leads to more, but also leads to becoming more.

"That which is of God is light; and he that ¹receiveth light, and ²continueth in God, ³receiveth more light; and that light ⁴groweth brighter and ⁵brighter until the ⁶perfect day" (D&C 50:24).

On the other hand, 

He who delights in contemplating whereto he has attained is not merely sliding back; he is already in the dirt of self-satisfaction. The gate of the kingdom is closed, and he is outside.

Another way we learn the Spitit of God is to experience the grace of God. 

See The Experiential Gospel: Introduction

Next: The Experiential Gospel: Sorrow 

He Can Also Sing: II

After the manner of C.S. Lewis' Anthology of George MacDonald, or Of All Things, Quotations of Hugh Nibley, I present my own quotations of Timothy Merrill from his Owl Of The Desert Blog. 

I must confess that some of these quotations might be hard to hear. You may have selected others, but these are some of the many that need to be repeated. We don't like to think that in these days, we are the ones who need to be called to repentance, but we are. 

The Lord’s directive to remove the stumbling blocks from the path of his people increases in urgency as His coming to the earth draws near. That mandate, however, translates into coming to terms with truths about ourselves that many among us will simply not believe let alone face head on. The longer the stumbling blocks Isaiah and others saw among us remain, however, the more God’s people of today—ourselves as members of the church—remain under condemnation for not addressing them, thereby compounding the covenant curses that accompany such negligence.

I may have only selected a single quote from each blog post, but the one I think best captures Tim's gift of the Spirit, and his desire that we overcome these stumbling blocks. 

Tim is not only a gifted writer of the words of God, an inspired poet, but he can also sing!

This is Volume II

JANUARY 2021

Why would Christians put up with this, when Christ is their anchor, and when Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever? Why do Christians permit a revolving political correctness when the gospel has not changed, and yet what was "safe" yesterday may lead to our shunning today?

So instead of becoming of "one heart" with each other, we have chosen to give our hearts to "one leader" (despite the fact that we already have One Leader, Jesus).  

Oddly, we seem to be going decidedly in the opposite direction, which has created some big problems for us: 

1. we are divided by status;
2. leaders' authority is treated    above the Holy Ghost's; and
3. obedience to leaders has substituted for the law of the gospel.

FEBUARY 2021

In fact, the only Royal Law we should be concerned with is this one:

   If ye fulfil the royal law
   according to the scripture,
   Thou shalt love thy neighbour
   as thyself,
   ye do well:

   But if ye have respect to persons,

   ye commit sin. (James 2:8-9)

An "adhesion contract" is a contract drafted by one party (the one with the power), and signed by another party in a weak bargaining position, who is unable to change the terms of the agreement. 

That's the whole point: the weaker party can't negotiate a better deal because they're stuck with "take it or leave it."

How can "obedience" be the first law of heaven? 

Can someone explain that to me? Because how can we know whether we should obey, in the first place, unless we know we are doing God's will?

Have we made "keys" into an idol, worshipping those that hold them, claiming they can never lead us astray (as though the creature were greater than God)? 

If the membership of the Church believes our agency is merely to do what the leaders tell us, then what about our accountability to God? Sometimes leaders give us inspired counsel; sometimes they do not. Isn't our accountability on being able to discern between the two?

So the problem we face is expecting "celestial blessings" from living a "telestial law." I mean, isn't that Lucifer's plan? To convince us we're progressing along the straight and narrow path when in fact we're knee-deep in the quicksand of a hollow religion, living on the scraps of a dead (i.e. lesser) law?

MARCH 2021

The Disciple Mormon taught:

   It was strictly contrary
   to the commands of God
   that there should be a law
   which should bring men
   on to unequal grounds.
   There was no law

   against a man’s belief. 
   (Alma 30:7, 11)

But as we go through life, does there come a point where we become, ourselves, guilty? Do we reach a time when we stop being pilgrims in a strange land and become proud owners of a beachside condo?

Jesus had no desire to play king. He did not want the status that Babylon confers to its children. So He conspicuously avoided being "made a king." After all, his kingdom was not of this world.

Wouldn't it be wise to follow His example, rather than creating a spiritual kingdom where we elevate those with "keys" and require obsequious​ obedience?

But the important point is that Jesus refused to be made a king so that He might make us into kings and queens.

APRIL 2021

Anyone who seeks to impose external controls upon Zion is misguided because they do not understand the fundamental, essential nature (or order) of Zion, which is common consent through love.

"When I (Robert Rees) spoke at the Berkeley Institute of Religion several years ago, I asked the students, “Whose church is this?” They responded, “It’s the Church of Jesus Christ.” I replied, “There are two possessives in the name of the Church: it is the Church of Jesus Christ, certainly, but it is also the Church of the Latter-day Saints. It isn’t the Church of the First Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve or the General Authorities, it isn’t the Church of conservatives or liberals or of any particular group, but rather the Church of all those who are or can be called saints. Thus, the Church is our joint stewardship. Ultimately, it will be no better or no worse than we ourselves choose to make it, than we ourselves choose to be."

Problem No. 1: "Melchizedek" is used as a nickname for the Priesthood of God itself. 

The use of nicknames in this dispensation is well established. As we all know, the "correct" name of the priesthood is "The Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God" (D&C 107:3).

Isn't using the name "Mormon" for the Church analogous to using the name "Melchizedek" for the priesthood? (And Mormon is easier to spell, too!)

But if we apply President Nelson's logic, would it be a "victory for Satan" to remove the Savior's name (or in this case, title) from the priesthood?

I mean, the priesthood is greater than the Church. We can have the priesthood without a church, but we can't have a church without a priesthood. 

The priesthood is without beginning of days, whereas the Church is a recent creation. The priesthood endures into eternity, whereas the Church is a product of this earth-time. 

So, should we stop saying "Melchizedek" Priesthood, too?

Most disagreements are over petty issues and do not elicit much emotion. 

But when we disagree over something like politics, religion, or money (notice: things that deal with power and control) then our voices can get heated.

When there is a conflict between the scriptures and Handbook, why do we choose to enforce the Handbook over the word of God?

Why have we trampled upon the word of God with hundreds of pages of pseudepigrapha?

MAY 2021

On the other hand, if we mean we are "worthy" because of our righteousness, then we might have missed the entire point of the gospel.

Question: Can a person whose spirit is filled with contention, pride, envy and lust go to the temple? 

Answer: Sure! As long as they don't drink coffee.

Our checklist of temple worthiness questions include "carnal commandments" (i.e., the requirements we associate with the lesser law). 

Are we surprised? The recommend questions appeal to our Pharisee-mindedness because they focus on the "outside" ― on the performances and obligations that are Old School (by which I mean, Levitical).

I think the point Isaiah was making is that people were going to the temple and just "going through the motions" ― comparing them to the dumb animals they brought for sacrifice.

JUNE 2021

In the year 70 A.D. the Roman general Titus destroyed the Jewish temple as Christ had prophesied (and remember, this was already the 2nd Temple since the previous one (Solomon's) had been destroyed by Babylon ― so we're seeing a pattern of temples getting destroyed by the wicked when the Lord's people turn away).  

What is the purpose of temple recommend interviews to determine our worthiness when none of us is "worthy" (except the Lamb)?

It seems like we've lost a lot in this dispensation already. (And here I thought we were doing better than the Nephites, spinning along on their hamster wheel of pride.)

The devil knows. All the worst sins, the devil knows, are gilt with gold. They shimmer like silver. They repose on scarlet cushions in the image of respectability and religiosity.

Who has heard something like, "I love being in the temple, where everyone is dressed in white and all of our differences disappear!"

Does the temple produce a feeling of unity merely by requiring everyone to wear the same attire?

Is conformity of dress the closest we're going to get to equality in the Church?

JULY 2021

"It's time we stop thinking of Babylon as a drunk john lying in a pool of vomit in some back alley in Amsterdam strewn with dirty needles and STDs. Because Babylon is beautiful."

The devil loves religion and all its trappings; he styles himself as our "great" high priest; he craves to have people "fall down and worship [him]" (Matthew 4:9).

Which is why, if you want your religion to survive, the best way is to make the members dependent upon your authority before they jump ship and chase authority elsewhere. 

And who perfected this practice and made it an art form? The Great and Abominable Church, of course. History shows that the most enduring religion of all time is the Church of the devil. 

He earned our loyalty ― ​not because He was the Firstborn (there are plenty of examples where "firstborns" got passed over, like Cain, Esau, and Judah) ― not because of His status as the Son of God (Satan makes the same claim) ― but because He showed us how much He loves us through His condescension and sacrifice.

So tell me, why would we think the sign of authority is a person's rank rather than their love, when Christ is the Great Exemplar?

I can imagine Nicodemus patting Christ's shoulder. "Ah, come now, Master. Things aren't so bad, are they? We've got a temple, a priesthood, prosperity, a covenant with God . . . . We're doing okay."

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)

How can we to be equal in earthly and heavenly things in a hierarchy?

So I hope you're excited for this field trip. Come aboard the Good Bus Zion, and let's get started.

I know, I know, it used to be the Good Ship Zion, but the rowdy sailors tossed the kids overboard. So now we're on a magic school bus like little children. And remember, there are no seatbelts on school buses! But don't worry, we have an awesome bus Driver.

We know we're ripe for destruction when we reject and persecute those whom God has sent to warn us (example: the city of Ammonihah). Can I have an Amen(!) from Abinadi, Samuel the Lamanite, and Ether?

AUGUST 2021

Joseph Smith did not teach temple work for the dead other than baptism ― which will really be the work of the Millennium. (He did allude to a time when we would do anointings and other ordinances for the dead in Zion, but didn't live long enough to restore what he had in mind.)

Personally, I am not sure why we interpret scriptural prophecy in the most narcissistic way possible. But it might come as a big surprise to learn that we are not up for Best Actor, but instead are nominated only for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Sometimes as I sit in Church, or as I read press releases from the Church Newsroom, seeing all of the attention given to authority and to power and money and to the praise of men, I wonder:

   When did we stop being freemen and become king-men?

When the Church has advocated so fiercely (historically) for independence ― for self-determination and self-government ― why does the Church deprive its members of the privileges that it has fought to retain for itself as an institution?

SEPTEMBER 2021

In Zion, the Lord dwells among His people. Whereas in a theocracy you've got to burn incense and hold fast to your rosary beads.

But I've noticed that the ugliest contention comes when we try to defend what we believe to be right with righteous indignation (read: anger) ― when we think we are standing up for truth in our persecution of those who are "wicked.​"

So by appealing to authority, we're actually (ironically) creating more contention as we escalate the disagreement up the food chain, invoking others' names in defense of our position in a "Battle of the Experts" (or as I like to play, Battle of the Prophets).

You know, the one about Christ and His death and resurrections? Rather than carrying on ad nauseum about who gets to wear His Letterman Jackets while preaching "All is well in Zion, yea, Zion prospereth."

See, the problem is we use language from scripture as if we meant it, when our institution/hierarchy demonstrates we're only giving it lip-service.   

So I am not giving up. I am not going to stop declaring those things that God has placed in me like fire shut up in my bones. 

While our ethnic and national identities contribute to who we are, they shouldn't contribute to division among the body of believers when God Himself is "no respecter of persons," as Peter taught (Acts 10:34).

Discontinue the curriculum which requires us to rehash a General Authority's conference talk during sacrament meetings, priesthood and relief society. Does no one in this Church have the gift of the Holy Ghost? Why is God the Ghost benched while we play the second string of the junior varsity? It makes no sense. Our meetings are boring because people are not speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost: they're reading from a correlated message that was assigned. I don't understand why the leaders do not trust the members enough to let them be . . . themselves.

Do we deny the gifts of God when we defer to priesthood authority rather than to the urgings of the Spirit to us?

OCTOBER 2021

The old bottles and wine represent the status quo. The old law. The old way of doing things. In other words, pretty much everything we're used to.

We've seen all the good a temple did the Jews when they rejected the Lord. A physical temple is nothing without a Holy House to fill it. 

Among those that have bought into carnal security, into gold and silver, into religious pride and piety but who never knew the Lord and who took His name in vain while practicing priestcraft . . . what are they doing?

I want to remind everyone that the Book of Mormon doesn't say anything about priesthood keys ― yes, that's right: the Most Correct Book on Earth which contains, according to the Lord, "the fulness of my everlasting gospel" (D&C 27:5), is utterly blank about keys.

Does He mean the Church was meant to be a place of fellowship, where we gather as a family, and not a place for leaders to exercise authority: controlling who speaks and on what topics; dictating how funds are spent; ordering members into callings without counseling with them . . . . 

NOVEMBER 2021

I did not realize until much later who the most dangerous "enemies" to the Lord's people are. Now I know that the greatest threat to the Lord's people comes not from without, but from within.

The "wrong way" is to gullibly swallow up anything and everything an authority figure tells us without proving (testing) it by the Spirit within us.

I am filled with hope in the Holy One of Israel. I have hope to be numbered among the remnant of Jacob and I hold onto hope that we may yet become precious to each other as brothers and sisters, as equals, in order to preserve the Lord's fruit at the End HaHarvest.

You see, during my youth and my missionary years, I had been told that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was going to build Zion. 

. . . I had been taught that the Church was the "stone cut out of the mountain" and that "no unhallowed hand" could stop the work from progressing.  

. . . People said we'd follow the Prophet's call when it was time to return to Jackson County.  

. . . I understood that the early saints had missed their chance to see the New Jerusalem, but maybe this generation of members would succeed where our ancestors had not. 

Well, guess what?  

    That's all wrong.

Oh, how I wish we would learn this valuable truth:

"Rules and regulations cannot empower us. The potential for sin can be clarified by the law, but not eliminated by it. That is why the law can only be a schoolmaster to teach us of our plight and to encourage us to look for the remedy. The remedy is not the law. Redemption comes in and through the Holy Messiah."
("No Other Way," Blogpost, Given by the Finger of God, October 17, 2021)

DECEMBER 2021

The coming calamity, according to Joseph Smith, shall result in the ​"sweep[ing of] the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country." ("Letter to Noah C. Saxton, 4 January 1833," p. 17-18, The Joseph Smith Papers). This shall occur on the land of America when its peoples are "fully ripe."

Here Enos has got the Lord on the other end of the line and he asks for . . . some records to be preserved?

Now, I've saved the my most important question for last. Here it is: Is it possible to come unto Christ through a mediator or regent or prophet, such as a pope or president? Isn't it true that following our spiritual leaders is the same as following Jesus?

You see? We take the purity of the gospel and then we mix it with all of our worldliness, with the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, with our insurance liability concerns, our tax deductions, our false traditions, our cultural prejudices . . . and then what are we left with?

I want to suggest that "coming unto Christ" does not mean adding Christ to our religious and spiritual baggage; no, coming unto Christ means we set aside all our religious and spiritual baggage and just embrace Him.

Him alone.

He Can Also Sing Vol I