An Awful State of Blindness = Wild Fruit Mini Book

Preface

From the blog "owlofthedeseret.com/blog" written by my friend Tim:

How about we wait patiently on our Father to come pick us up?

And while we're waiting, why don't we call over to our brothers and sisters to get ready so they don't miss their ride home? 

The revelations given to Joseph Smith speak persistently of the Second Coming, as though the subject were never far from the Lord's mind.

Whenever He talks about it, it seems like it is just around the corner.

It is the eleventh hour

and the last time

that I shall call laborers to my vineyard.

And my vineyard has become

corrupted every whit;

and there is none which doeth good

save it be a few;

and they err in many instances

because of priestcrafts.

(D&C 33:3-4)

Ironically, this message is the same as the one relayed prior to His First Coming by John the Baptist, Alma, and Samuel the Lamanite:

Repent, repent,

and prepare ye;

the way of the Lord,

and make his paths straight

for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

(D&C 33:10; compare with Matt. 3:2-3; Alma 7:9; and Helaman 14:9)

Talk about a platinum hit single! Two thousand years later and we're still playing the same record.

What's the rush?

We live in a world of free expedited, same-day shipping -- and you expect me to wait over 200 years for Christ to arrive?

Be faithful until I come,

for I come quickly

and my reward is with me

(D&C 112:34)

_____________________________

These six chapters are my way of calling to you so you don't miss your ride home. They are presented in a specific order, beginning with more general concepts and progressing to more specific causes and endtime events, but I will let you decide whether to liken them to you. But note this is a warning that He will come quickly and that He does not delay His coming. Be ready.

He Flattereth Away

2 Nephi 28:21-32

In 2 Nephi 27, Nephi gives the time setting for what he is to say thereafter, quoting from Isaiah 29 and then his words which are recorded in 2 Nephi 28. It is the "last days, or the day of the Gentiles" (2 Nephi 27:1), meaning that we are in the day of the Gentiles. Nephi had many negative things to say about the Gentiles, and if we think of them as bad guys and us as good guys we will miss the mark. As long as we continually think of ourselves as the good guys we will not get very much out of the scriptures, and we can test ourselves with what Nephi had to say about the Gentiles, of which we are identified (D&C 109:60). Using Nephi's description of us, Mormon Gentiles is a good name for us. As you read Nephi's words in 2 Nephi 28:21-32 do not make the mistake of thinking they are not speaking to you. Nephi is saying that in the day of the Gentiles Satan will rage in the hearts of the children of men and cause some to be stirred up in anger against that which is good. 

21. And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well--and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

Note the words and phrases, pacify, lull them away, carnal security, cheateth, leadeth them away, and carefully down to hell. The idea of being pacified and put to sleep so as not to be aware of being led away is the work of the master magician. He uses illusions and vain imagination to keep the people from awakening to their awful state. In fact, he makes them think they are in the right way. He causes the people to put their trust in their prosperity and the desires of their hearts to the point that they actually think that Zion prospereth because of their industry and their goodness. Why does Nephi refer to Zion in this verse and again in verse 24? He is showing us just how effective Satan can be in making us think that we are in Zion when we are actually in Babylon, which is the antithesis of Zion. Zion cannot be mixed with Babylon. They cannot and do not exist together.

22. And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none--and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

Flattery is one of the 'shalt nots' in the Book of Mormon and a tool of Satan to lead the people away from Christ. Sherem "preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ" (Jacob 7:2;4). The people subject to King Noah "...were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests; for they did speak flattering things unto them" (Mosiah 11:7). Unbelievers in the days after King Benjamin "did deceive many with their flattering words" (Mosiah 26:6). Even Ammon, in order to get the king's men to follow him and gather the king's flocks "flattered them by his words" (Alma 17:31). Korihor attempted to bring many "souls down to destruction, by...lying and by...flattering words" (Alma 30:47). Many in the church "believed in the flattering words of Amalickiah" (Alma 46:7;10). The people of Morianton were so stubborn and proud "being inspired by his wickedness and his flattering words" (Alma 50:35). See also Helaman 13:28; 3 Nephi 1:29; and Ether 8:2.

In other words, Satan can be so subtle that we don't even know we are "grasped with his awful chains" until it is too late. In fact life can go on as it always has for us with little or no discernible change from our perspective, and that is because Satan has deflected and caused you to see what he wants you to see and hear what he wants you to hear. He limits your perception and your awareness. He can distort the truth just enough to make it so we do not see that it is distorted. An example is the focus on the family whereby he can lead us away from Christ if our focus does not include teaching them as commanded in D&C 68:25; Moses 6:58-59; and D&C 93:40.

His words can even be pleasing to you, focusing you on what you want or what you are doing, and are intended to keep you from the one thing that is necessary for you to be released from the grasps of his awful chains. Alma tells us what that is. Satan has influenced you to harden your heart against the word of God, and those that do harden their hearts against the word of God "are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell" (Alma 12:9-11). Don't let the word 'harden' cause you to say, "but my heart is not hard." To harden one's heart is to set your heart on other things. Just as cement hardens, so does your heart as it becomes set upon the your worldly family activities, your worldly possessions, your idols, your values, yourself, and/or those things which give no life.

Alma called the Zoramites the most wicked people, after Alma and others went to the Zoramites to "preach unto them the word" (Alma 31:7; cf. Alma 31:5). He described them as industrious and hard-working, and described their manner of worship, for they were also religious people. But this is what Alma described as their wickedness: "they cry unto thee (O God), and yet their hearts are swallowed up in their pride. ...they cry unto thee with their mouths, while they are puffed up, even to greatness; with the vain things of the world. ...their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with; and behold, their hearts are set upon them, and yet they cry unto thee and say--We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto thee, while others shall perish" (Alma 31:27-28 emphasis added).

23. Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

Hardening our hearts against the word of God will cause that His words will not be found in us, and then will our state "be awful, for then we shall be condemned" (Alma 12:13). It is either the whisperings of Satan that we hear or the word of God. The Lord told Joseph Smith that the "mainspring of all corruption" is everything but the word of God (why?) because Satan's creeds have been "so strongly riveted...upon the hearts of the children, and filled the world with confusion, and ha(ve) been growing stronger and stronger, and (are) now the very mainspring of all corruption, and the whole earth groans under the weight of its iniquity. It is an iron yoke, it is a strong band: they are the very handcuffs, and chains, and shackles, and fetters of hell" (D&C 123:7-8 emphasis added)

Satan wants us to be at ease and feel secure that all is well. He blinds us to the reality of our true condition causing us to put our trust in things that are more immediately at hand. He presents His world as the "real world" and most of our preparations are to live in his world, while God's world is what we should want--where all are equal, all are pure in heart, and where there are no poor among us. We have lost sight of Zion because we are so comfortable in Babylon. As President Spencer W. Kimball said, "Few men have ever knowingly and deliberately chosen to reject God and his blessings. Rather, we learn from the scriptures that because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things more immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things. Many people spend most of their time working in the service of a self-image that includes sufficient money, stocks, bonds, investment portfolios, credit cards, furnishings, automobiles, and the like to guarantee carnal security throughout, it is hoped, a long and happy life" (The False Gods We Worship, Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, June 1976).

24. Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

President Kimball was right on! Our purpose in this life is not to have a more comfortable life, but Satan makes it so inviting and enticing that all of us fall in his trap. And this is exactly the trap that Nephi is warning us about, and make note that when a prophet uses the word 'wo' we should know that he is speaking unto those who have entered into the covenant because the word 'wo' is associated with a covenant curse, meaning we better repent or suffer the curse and God's justice. Satan knows that it does not take much to get us to put our energy into activities and things which deflect us away from Him. He is content to see us working and industrious as long as we are working for the wrong things. Nephi, said, afterall, that "the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish" (2 Nephi 26:31). Being at ease in Zion was the sin of Sodom. "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness" (Ezekiel 16:49 emphasis add).

25. Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

And Ezekiel says that Israel was "corrupted more than they (Sodom and Samaria) in all their ways" (Ezekiel 16:47 emphasis added). The cry that "all is well" is a confirmation that being at ease is what constitutes being well. This is an indication of "the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men. We may see that at the very time he doth prosper his people...then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One--yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity" (Helaman 12:2 emphasis added).

26. Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

Nephi then adds another 'wo' unto those that hearken unto the precepts of men, because by doing so they deny the power of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is not just Satan that can lead the hearts of the people astray. Men can also do the same, and can even do so while meaning well. The necessity of hearkening only to the words of God is so crucial in getting us in the right way and keeping us there, that the Lord has told us to not hearken unto the precepts of men, no matter if those precepts are mingled with scriptures or quotes from other men. The idea of precepts of men mingled with scripture is another example of opposition in all things. In other words we cannot hearken unto the precepts of men and/or the whisperings of Satan, and at the same time hearken unto the voice of God. It is one or the other, and we are enticed by one or the other. Nephi makes this clear when he says that even the humble followers of Christ "are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14). He decries those "who preach false doctrines...and pervert the right way of the Lord" (2 Nephi 28:15). To "transfigure the holy word of God" is to bring damnation upon our souls. (Mormon 8:33).

Moroni's last words before his death were exhortations, exhorting us to deny not the gifts and power of God. He warns "that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief. And wo (links to Nephi's wo) be unto the children of men if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God" (Moroni 10:24-25 emphasis added). 

27. Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!

Our attitude toward the word of God can be measured by our reaction to what words we have and whether we desire more of the word of God. To those who say we have enough, Nephi says wo unto them. Isaiah asks the question: "Whom shall he (God) teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts" (Isaiah 28:9)? He asks this question after describing the method of learning among God's people. He says that our tablets are full of vomit, or in other words we simply regurgitate what we have heard. To these God cannot teach knowledge. They are satisfied with "precept upon precept; line upon line; here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:10; See verse 30 below). "Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, but have removed their hearts from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 27:25 emphasis added).

Samuel the Lamanite emphasized that he had been commanded to say: "Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw my Spirit from them" (Hel 13:8)

28. And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it (the truth) with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.

Nephi then adds another dimension by describing how some people respond to the word of God, and shows again the polarization between those who are built upon the Savior and receive the truth with gladness and those built upon a sandy foundation. The precepts of men and the whisperings of Satan contribute to the sandy foundation because they remove the hearts of the people from the Lord.

29. Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

Many Latter-day Saints use this scripture to separate them from their Christian brothers and sisters who say all we need is the Bible. Those who say that fail the test, because Nephi is speaking to us who say we have enough and don't need more. We are under condemnation for having "treated lightly" the words we have received (D&C 84:54). But we have only been given a 100th part of all the words the Savior taught to "try our faith" and see if we will desire more. "And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it so be that they shall believe these things (these words) then shall greater things (greater words) be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation" (3 Nephi 26:11-10 emphasis added).

30. I will give...line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear to my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say: We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

Nephi explains that line upon line, precept upon precept, is not the end, but only the means to receiving more. Many of the Lord's people are content with what they have and believe that the idea of precept upon precept is all there is. But the Lord says "unto him that receiveth I will give more" and to those who desire more they shall receive more. Those who don't will not just receive less, but will have that which they have "taken away" from them. The fact that this applies to us is even more compelling when we realize it was the same thing that Christ prophesied would happen to those who failed the test of faith mentioned in 3 Nephi 26:10-11.

31. Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

Nephi uses the phrase "cursed is he" in place of "wo be unto" which he used in verse 26 to describe what happens to those who put their trust in man. Nephi expounds upon verse 26 by adding the descriptive phrases "putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm as curses associated with hearkening unto the precepts of men.  Nephi describes us as we are today.

Nephi does add a qualifier to not hearkening unto the precepts of men when he says "save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." And who decides that? We do, of course, or at least those who can discern the difference between the words of men and the words of God. This puts the burden directly on us to treasure up in our minds continually the words of life so that we will know whether what is said is given by the power of the Holy Ghost. (D&C 84:85) 

See also D&C 42:15-16, where the Lord says: "And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach. And as ye shall lift up your voices by the Comforter, ye shall speak and prophesy as seemeth me good." To love the Lord with all our mind is to look to Christ as the sole source of truth and light in our lives. We do listen to what others have to say, but measure everything against the sole source of truth and light. This is not an option, but a choice with consequences: either hearken unto the precepts of men or hearken unto the voice of God! 

32. Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.

Joseph Smith told us that we are identified with the Gentiles (D&C 109:60) and therefore Nephi again makes it clear that he is talking to the Lord's people in the last days, as well as the Gentiles (nations) of the earth. The wo unto us is a reminder that if we do not repent we face the justice of God. He is constantly extending His arms to us, wanting us to choose Him and His mercy. As long as we can repent it is never too late. 

What is it with which the Lord has blessed the Gentiles? He has poured out the Holy Ghost upon the Gentiles, and if we do not repent after the blessing which we have received, we reject the blessing of the Holy Ghost (3 Nephi 20:15;27), and therefore our ability to distinguish between the precepts of men and the word of God. Nephi is telling us there are two choices. Which one are you choosing?

The only bad guys in the Book of Mormon are those who are not repenting, and the only good guys are those who are repenting. Put another way, if you are wicked you are not repenting, but if you are repenting you are righteous. And this because you have turned to His righteousness. Alma, after teaching his son Corianton, said to him: "And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son, go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, (why?) that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, (why?) that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them" (Alma 42:31 emphasis added). Not only has our Father in Heaven commanded that we hearken unto His voice through His words, but He has also called us to preach His words, because it is only through His words that others will be brought unto repentance and lay claim to the great plan of redemption. This is another measure of whether we have received His words--do we desire that others taste as we have tasted?

Notes on Samuel the Lamanite

Helaman 13-15

The words which Samuel the Lamanite spoke to the people of the land of Zarahemla were the words of God, words which God did put in Samuel's heart, words which Samuel says he was commanded to speak, and words delivered to him by an angel. So everything that Samuel spoke was God's word. Samuel uses a phrase "the sword of justice" to describe the unrepentant condition of the people in the land of Zarahemla, and says that "nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Hel. 13:6).

Samuel serves as a type of prophet who will come among the Lord's people in the last days, someone who has been commanded of the Lord to declare His words and call the people to repentance. And there are and will be many. We see this often in the Book of Mormon that "there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent" or be destroyed. (1 Nephi 1:4; Enos 1:22; 3 Nephi 6:20; Ether 9:28; 11:1). Samuel came even though Nephi was still the prophet of the Church, and in fact after Samuel had spoken the words of the Lord "many believed on his word" and "went forth and sought for Nephi" desiring to be baptized. (Hel. 16:1). The idea of a Samuel being a type is reinforced by the Savior when He told the Nephites that "all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after" have testified of me. (3 Nephi 20:24)

Samuel describes the coming of the Lord as "glad tidings" and that he was sent to the people of Zarahemla that they "might have glad tidings." Samuel then emphasizes that he has been commanded to say: "Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw my Spirit from them" (Hel 13:8). As with Alma 42, 3 Nephi 27, and throughout the Book of Mormon, we see that the sword of justice (Justice of God) can only be removed by repentance. This he emphasizes again in verses 10 and 11. Repent or face the justice of God, and because of impending catastrophe, if they did not repent they would be destroyed in the upcoming destruction which was to occur just prior to Christ coming to the Nephites. This destruction also awaits those who do not repent in the last days before Christ's coming. God will turn away His anger if they would "repent and return" unto the Lord their God, which He will also do with us in the last days if we repent and return unto the Lord. "Blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not" (vs. 11). Why? Because they face the justice of God.

We also see a parallel definition of repent--"turn unto me"--and used in parallel with the word repent we understand that to repent means to turn to Him. Note also that Samuel uses the phrase "repent and return" unto the Lord, which reinforces the idea that to repent means to turn or return to the Lord. And by turning to Him, we also repent by "turning away" from our iniquities. (3 Nephi 20:26)

Samuel identifies both 'righteous' people in Zarahemla and 'wicked' people. Those who repent are considered righteous and those who do not are considered wicked. This is consistent throughout the Book of Mormon. In fact it was because of the 'righteous' that Zarahemla had not yet been destroyed, but if the time came that the righteous were cast out, then would Zarahemla be ripe for destruction. He says the same about all the cities which are in the land round about Zarahemla.

Samuel then identifies what appears to be the main cause of the Nephites wickedness: "they have set their hearts upon their riches." Samuel says: "Behold ye, the people of this great city, and hearken unto my words; yea, hearken unto the words which the Lord saith; for behold, he saith that ye are cursed because of your riches, and also are your riches cursed because ye have set your hearts upon them, and have not hearkened unto the words of him who gave them unto you" (Hel. 13:21). He tells them that they do not remember the Lord, but that they do remember their riches and not to thank the Lord for them. The problem is with their hearts, which are not drawn out unto the Lord, "but they do swell with great pride, unto boasting...and all manner of iniquities" (Hel. 13:22).

Samuel makes it very clear that "for this cause hath the Lord God caused that a curse should come upon the land, and also upon your riches" (Hel. 13:23).

Samuel not only is describing the condition of the Lord's people during his day, but also the Lord's people during our day. There are some who, "if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities," will be angry with him. They would much rather that one speak "flattering words" unto them, and tell them that they can do whatever their "heart" desires. Isaiah describes the same condition among the Lord's people when he says we prefer that our prophets "speak unto us smooth things" (Isaiah 30:10), and as Jeremiah prophesied "my people love to have it so" (Jer. 5:31).

Of particular interest is the fact that Samuel refers to those who flatter as "foolish and blind" guides and that the people suffer themselves to be led by such. He asks them (and us) "how long will ye choose darkness rather than light?" (Hel. 13:28-29).

Samuel's repetition of the cry to repent and reminding them of their curse and warning them that their "days of probation are past' because they have procrastinated the day of their repentance, emphasizes the urgency and the Lord's attempt to drive them from His justice into the arms of His mercy. He doesn't let them off the hook unless they repent. He is pleading with them (and us) to "hear" his words, and if they (we) do, he prays that the anger of the Lord be turned away from them (us), and that they (we) "would repent and be saved" (Hel. 13:38-39).

In addition to calling the people to repentance and teaching them, Samuel also prophesied many things, some of which could not be written. But he was commanded to prophesy unto them the birth of the Savior and many events leading up to His birth, which would be observed by the people in and around Zarahemla--a "sign at the time of his coming" (Hel. 14:3). But even the signs are given to them as a call to believe on the Son of God and to repent. Samuel mentions that God's angel commanded him: "Cry unto this people, repent and prepare the way of the Lord" (Hel. 15:9).

It is important that the people hear his words so that they would know of the "judgments of God" which did await them, and also that they might know the conditions of repentance. But this was not all, they were to know of the coming of Jesus Christ and the signs of His coming, just as we are to know of the second coming of Jesus Christ and the signs of His coming. And the purpose of knowing of His coming is that they "might believe on his name" (Hel. 14:12). For if they did believe on His name, they would repent of all their sins, "that thereby (they) may have a remission of them through his merits" (Hel. 14:13).

The idea that if we believe on His name we will repent indicates how a lack of repentance is associated with a lack of belief in Him. The condemnation prophesied by Christ that would come upon those who received not His words, is also associated with a lack of belief in Him which results in treating His words lightly. (D&C 84:52-55).

Samuel then teaches them of the necessity of repentance because of the Fall of Adam, how we are all cut off from the presence of the Lord and die both temporally and spiritually, and how Christ redeemed mankind so that they would be brought back into the presence of God to be judged of God according to our works. Christ's redemption brought to pass the condition of repentance, "that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire" (Hel. 14:18). Samuel equates the justice of God with being hewn down and cast into the fire, and the mercy of God as not being hewn down and cast into the fire.

And once again he calls to them:  "repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death" (Hel. 14:19). The call to repentance is to avoid the justice of God, to avoid the second death, and rather be redeemed of the Lord.

Samuel then shows them the signs of Christ death and describes in detail the death, thunderings, lightnings, earthquakes and great storms. He tells them that many highways will be broken up and many cities will become desolate. But, notwithstanding these calamities, the graves shall be opened and many saints will appear unto many. Finally he tells them of a darkness that will cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days.

It is important to note that all of these signs and wonders are done for the "intent that there should be will believe might be saved, and that whosoever will not believe, a righteous judgment might come upon them" (Hel 14:28-29). So all that the Lord does is done with the intent that as many as will believe will be saved! Note also the phrase "whosoever will believe might be saved." This is the same as saying "whosoever will repent might be saved."

Samuel tells them (and us) that we choose either to be condemned to the justice of God or to be saved because of the mercy of God. "And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever does iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free" (Hel. 14:30). And not just free to make choices, but free to choose good or evil, life or death; and "be restored unto that which is good (God) or have that which is good (God) restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you" (Hel. 14:31). It is justice or mercy!

If there is any question that the main message of Samuel is to repent, that question vanishes in Chapter 15, where in only seventeen verses the call to repent or to turn, is said eight more times. The word 'repent' is said to those to whom he is speaking and to those who are being taught by others during this time. He speaks of the Lamanites who repented, and then he prophesied that his people would repent again before the Lord comes in our time. In fact Samuel says it will be "better for them than for you except ye repent" (Hel. 15:14). He even says that had the mighty works been shown unto them which had been shown unto the Nephites (and us) that they never would have dwindled in unbelief. (Hel. 15:15).

Samuel uses many words and phrases to describe the condition of those who do not repent, and a word search through the scriptures would yield many more descriptions of those who refuse mercy and instead choose justice, in other words those who refuse to repent. These words and phrases include "desolate," "cause to mourn," "no place for refuge," "trodden down," and "left to perish."  The idea of being "trodden down" is used by the Savior where he prophesied that the salt of the earth would loose its savor and be trodden down by the House of Israel. (3 Nephi 16:14-15). And who are the 'salt of the earth?" Those who "are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men" (D&C 101:39-40). I mention this to show how the Lord links events of the past with events of the future through the use of words and phrases, and to show that Samuel is speaking to us as well as to the people of Zarahemla.

One contrast that Samuel makes between the Lamanites and the Nephites (and us), is "that as many of them as were brought to the knowledge of the truth and to the knowledge of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers were led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them" and they are made free because of their firm and steadfast faith in Christ. (Hel. 15:7-8)

Certainly Samuel's message to the people of Zarahemla is as relevant to us today as it was to the people of Zarahemla, and was put in the Book of Mormon by Mormon because they had seen our day.

Prior to the Lord sending Samuel the Lamanite, Nephi had also been commanded to call the people to repentance. The events in both Helaman 12 (Nephi) and Helaman 13-15 (Samuel) took place about 6 B.C., and the condition of the Nephites was such that the Lord not only commanded Nephi to call the people to repentance, but also sent Samuel. 

Nephi's description of the people gives us an indication of why it was also necessary to send Samuel. Nephi describes the people as being unsteady of heart. He bases this description on the fact that at the time the Lord blesses His people by increasing their flocks, their herds, their gold and their silver, and even sparing their lives, then that is the time the people do "harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One--yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity" (Hel. 12:1-2). Nephi describes them as foolish, vain, evil and devilish and quick to do iniquity. Why? because they set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!

"They do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide" (Hel. 12:6). The reality is that the people, as compared to God, are nothing, "even less than the dust of the earth" (Hel. 12:7), but because of what the Lord has blessed them with, they are lifted up in pride and take strength unto themselves.

Nephi then teaches us one of the most important characteristics of God. "If the Lord shall say unto a man--Because of thine iniquities, thou shalt be accursed forever--it shall be done. And if the Lord shall say--Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence--he will cause that it shall be so" (Hel. 12:20-21). In contrast to the justice of God, Nephi, however, says that men might be saved and for this cause hath repentance been declared. (Hel. 12:22). The good news is that "blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved" (Hel. 12:23). Of course Nephi would that all men would repent and be saved, but he knows that there are some who will not choose mercy, but would choose justice by refusing to repent. 

Can you imagine? Can you imagine that the Lord must visit His people with many afflictions, with death and with terror, and also with famine and all manner of pestilence, or His people will not remember Him? (Hel. 12:3). And why? because "how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths!" (Hel. 12:5). 

Can you imagine how a Samuel the Lamanite would be received today? Would his message be rejected because he was the wrong type of messenger, i.e., one who made no claim to authority in the Church? His only claim was that he had been sent of God, armed with the words of God, to call to repentance the people of the church in Zarahemla. Would it be a test as to whether we would receive the words of God even though the messenger was not an ecclesiastical prophet, perhaps just a gospel doctrine teacher, or even a ministering teacher, or a friend, a father? 

In other words is it true that in our culture 'who says it' is more important than 'what is said?' Can we recognize the words of God no matter who says them? If not, then we will be in trouble for certainly the Lord made it clear that it will be the words of God that will judge us. "the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48).

An Example of What Has Been Shall Be

Jesus told the Nephites concerning Isaiah that "all things that he spake have been and shall be" (3 Nephi 23:3).  The Book of Mormon prophet writers also selected events in their history that would be types of events that would happen in the last days.  One in particular is very specific in its detail and is found in 3 Nephi 6-10.  These events happened just prior to Christ coming to the Nephites, and are prophetic types of endtime events that will occur prior to the Lord's second coming.

Written by Third Nephi, the son of Nephi, who was the son of Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, who was the son of Alma, who was the son of Alma, being a descendant of Nephi who was the son of Lehi.

Note the pattern of how the word of God was taught from father to son.

From God to Abinadi

From Abinadi to Alma

From Alma to Alma

From Alma to Helaman

From Helaman to Helaman

From Helaman to Nephi

From Nephi to Nephi

What have we done with the word of God we have received? I think our pattern would be more like this:

The Word of God--

Stays in the scriptures

On our tables and

In our phones.

Nibbled on,

Maybe even read

Left by the way side

Choked by the cares.

Seldomly searched

Not treasured up

Feasted upon? No.

Replaced by talks,

Success in the world

From father to son

From father to daughter

From son to son

From daughter to daughter 

Not only are the events in 3 Nephi 6 described in detail, but they reflect the latter pattern of the word of God, and how apostasy is generational, as we come to understand (or not) that the catalyst for these events is the same catalyst for the same type of events occurring before the Lord's second coming.

I will put this in verse form so you will be able to see more clearly not only the events but the sequence of events and why these events happened, and why they will happen again.

3 Nephi 6

And they began again 

to prosper and to wax great...

and there was great order in the land

and they had formed their laws according to equity and justice (vs 4)

Now there was nothing 

in all the land

to hinder the people 

from prospering continually

except 

they should fall into transgression (vs 5)

Their appointed leaders 

had established this 

great peace in the land (vs 6)

There were many cities built anew, and

there were many old cities repaired (vs 7)

and there were many highways cast up,

and many roads made,

which led from city to city

and from land to land

and from place to place (vs 8)

and the people had continual peace (vs 9)

So far so good.  Perhaps America in the 50s and 60s before Vietnam.

But then trouble starts.

There began to be 

some disputings among the people

and some were lifted up unto pride

and boastings because of their

exceedingly great riches,

yea, even unto great persecutions. (vs 10)

It always starts with some having more than others, then being proud (even thankful), and then being self righteous. But all the while persecuting or separating themselves from, or treating as nonexistent, the poor, reminding us that  "it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin" (D&C 49:21).

For there were many 

merchants in the land,

and many lawyers,

and many officers. (vs 11)

Having bought into Satan's economic plan, they were out to get all they could, and were even lauded for their success.  Even their education differed.

And the people began to be 

distinguished by ranks,

according to their riches

and their chances for learning,

yea, some were ignorant

because of their poverty,

and others did receive learning

because of their riches. (vs. 12)

What was the result?

Some were lifted up in pride,

and others were exceedingly humble;

some did return railing for railing

While others would receive

railing and persecution

and all manner of afflictions,

and would not turn and revile again,

but were humble and penitent before God. (vs 13)

Railing means to complain and criticize or protest strongly and persistently about others. 

Revile means to criticize in an abusive or insulting manner.

Certainly a lot of that today both in and out of the church.  

But thank goodness for those who will not 'turn and revile" in retaliation, but are humble and penitent before God.

And thus there became

great inequality in all the land,

insomuch that the church

began to be broken up, yea...

the church was broken up

in all the land

save it were among a few...

who were converted

unto the true faith;

and they would not depart from it. 

for they were firm,

and steadfast,

and immovable,

willing with all diligence

to keep the commandments of the Lord. (vs 14)

Notice it was not the Nephites who were faithful, but the Lamanites, and it was the Nephites failure to repent that was the catalyst for the events which took place shortly thereafter, as it will be our (Mormon Gentiles) failure to repent that will be the cause of these same type of events just prior to the Lord coming again.

Now the cause of this iniquity

of the people was this---

Satan had great power,

unto the stirring up of the people

to do all manner of iniquity,

and to the puffing them up with pride,

tempting them to seek for power,

and authority,

and riches,

and the vain things of the world. (vs 15)

And thus Satan did lead away

the hearts of the people

to do all manner of iniquity... (vs 16)

As a result they were (we are) in a state of awful wickedness (vs. 17)

Now the question is who are they?  This is were the rubber hits the road, because we cannot say it was because of all those other wicked people--those Democrats, those Republicans, those liberals, those conservatives, those white people, those black people, those gay and lesbian people, those terrorists, those non-Mormons, those immigrants--you get the idea.  Nephi makes it very clear who 'they' are!  

Now they did not sin ignorantly,

for they knew the will of God

concerning them,

for it had been taught them;

therefore they did

willfully rebel against God. (vs. 18)

And Nephi has already identified the sin--the vain things of the world, money, and the pride--and who--those who had been taught the will of God concerning them, and that His people (the Nephites) (and in our time the Mormon Gentiles) willfully rebelled against God.

But the Lord never gives up.

And there began to be men

inspired from heaven

and sent forth,

standing among the people

in all the land,

preaching and testifying boldly

of the sins and iniquities of the people,

and testifying unto them

concerning the redemption

which the Lord would make

for his people,

or in other words,

the resurrection of Christ;

and they did testify boldly

of his death and sufferings. (vs. 20)

These men just showed up or were already there.  Not necessarily church leaders like Nephi, but others who were among those described in verse 14 above.

But what was the result?

Now there were many

of the people

who were exceedingly angry

because of those

who testified of these things;

and those who were angry

were chiefly the chief judges,

and they who had been high priests

and lawyers... (vs 21)

In other words, those with the most to lose, including priesthood holders and church leaders.

And how many of such were there who testified of things pertaining to Christ?

Now there were many of those

who testified 

of the things pertaining

to Christ

who testified boldly,

who were taken and put to death (vs. 23)

Is it dangerous to so testify? Yes!

Because of the wickedness among the Lord's people--

Others did combine against 

the people of the Lord, 

and enter into a covenant 

to destroy them,

and deliver those who were guilty 

from the grasp of justice. (vs. 29)

And they did set at defiance

the law and the rights

of their country,

and they did covenant one with another

to destroy the (government)

and establish a king

over the land,

that the land should no more

be at liberty

but should be subject unto kings. (vs. 30).

Happening right now in America.  There are those who want to destroy democracy and do away with government, and destroy the liberties granted under the Constitution.  There has only been one president in the America's history who claimed he was infallible, with absolute authority, and wanted to be our king. And even more frightening, there are many who support him still. And what is the catalyst? The apostasy of the Mormon Gentiles, not the American Gentiles--liberal or conservative. What we find in America today is the result of that apostasy. There is a reason Jacob saw that the Gentiles who were grafted into the mother tree would bring forth only wild fruit! 

Even more signs.  3 Nephi 7

And the people were divided

one against another;

and they did

separate one from another 

into tribes,

every man according to his

family and his kindred

and friends,

and thus they did destroy

the government of the land. (vs. 2)

Not yet happened, but it will.  And why?

...all this iniquity

had come upon the people

because they did yield

themselves unto 

the power of Satan. (vs. 5I)

And they (we) are not even aware.  (See 2 Nephi 28 on how Satan leads us carefully down to hell.) 

And they did cause a great 

contention in the land,

insomuch that the

more righteous part

of the people had

nearly all become wicked;

yea there were but few

righteous men among them. (vs. 7)

More detail on secret oaths and combinations and and how tribes established their own laws. (vs 8-14)

And it came to pass that

Nephi--having been visited by angels

and also the voice of the Lord,

therefore having seen angels,

and being eyewitness, 

and having had power

given unto him

that he might know

concerning the ministry of Christ

and also eyewitness to their

quick return from righteousness

unto wickedness,

and abominations;

therefore, being grieved

for the hardness of their hearts

and the blindness of their minds--

went forth among them...

and began to testify boldly,

repentance

and remission of sins

through faith 

on the Lord Jesus Christ. (vs. 15-16)

Now most were angry with Nephi, but there were some who did repent.  This is an example of how the Lord even up to the last minute where no man can repent, will still do all in His power to give the people one more chance before the endtime destruction, to repent and return to Him.  Nephi did recruit others unto this ministry.

But this is the last chance because the destruction follows just 8 years after they had peace in all the land! 3 Nephi 8

...there arose a great storm,

such an one 

never had been known

in all the land (vs 5)

And there was also a great

and terrible tempest;

and there was terrible thunder,

insomuch that it did

shake the whole earth

as if it was about to divide asunder (vs. 6)

And there were exceedingly

sharp lightnings,

such as never had been known

in all the land (vs 7)

And the city of Zarahemla did take fire (vs. 8)

And the city of Moroni

did sink into the depths of the sea;

and the inhabitants thereof were drowned (vs 9)

And the earth was carried up upon

the city of Moronihah,

that in the place of the city

there became a great mountain (vs. 10)

And there was great and terrible

destruction in the land southward

(and northward) (vs 11-12)

To summarize the rest, many and great and notable cities were sunk, and many burned, and many were shaken, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, etc.  And all this was done in the space of about three hours. (vs 13-22)

And then the darkness that had been prophesied by Samuel the Lamanite came and lasted for three days, and there were the groanings of the people because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them. (vs 23)

And in one place they were heard saying:

O that we had repented

before this great and terrible day,

and then would our brethren

have been spared,

and they would not have been

burned in that great city Zarahemla. (vs, 24)

And those who were spared heard a voice which identified all of the cities that had been destroyed (vs. 3-11). 

But even these people still needed to repent.

O all ye that are spared

because ye were more righteous

than they,

will ye not now return unto me,

and repent of your sins,

and be converted,

that I may heal you? (vs. 13)

The voice then teaches them what he requires of them--a broken heart and a contrite spirit (vs. 20-22). And for us to survive the same kind of carnage and destruction before the Lord's coming again, we need to do the same. We do know that only 2500 people were in the multitude who did see, hear and bear record of hearing Christ and seeing angels descending out of heaven (3 Nephi 17:16-25).

And what was the cause again of all this destruction? 

"And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their (our) wickedness and their (our) abominations" (3 Nephi 9:12).

Let's summarize the what and in what order.

1. Disputings.  "There began to be some disputings among the people" (3 Nephi 6:10). 

2. Pride and Boastings.  "Some were lifted up unto pride and boastings" (3 Nephi 6:10). 

3. Riches unto Persecution.  They had "exceedingly great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions" (3 Nephi 6:10). 

4. Distinguished by Status.  "And the people began to be distinguished by ranks" (3 Nephi 6:12). 

5. Distinguished by Learning.  "Some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches" (3 Nephi 6:12). 

6. Inequality.  "And this there became a great inequality in all the land" (3 Nephi 6:14).

7. Church Breaks Up.  "Insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land" (3 Nephi 6:14).

8. Seeking Power and Authority.  "Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this ― Satan had great power . . . tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world" (3 Nephi 6:15).

9. Willfully Disregarded God's Law.  "Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them" (3 Nephi 6:18).

10. Anger from Church Members/Leaders.

"Now there were many of the people who were exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things; and those who were angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had been high priests" (3 Nephi 6:20-21).

11. Secrecy.  "They did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a king over the land, that the land should no more be at liberty but should be subject unto kings" (3 Nephi 6:30).

12. No unity--Breakup into Tribes.  "The people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another" (3 Nephi 7:2).

13. Seduction of the Righteous.  "The more righteous part of the people had nearly all become wicked" (3 Nephi 7:7).

14. Rule of Men instead of Rule of Law.  "They were not united as to their laws, and their manner of government, for they were established according to the minds of those who were their chiefs and their leaders" (3 Nephi 7:14).

15. Mighty Miracles Performed by God's Servant.  "And Nephi [this was Nephi the son of Nephi, son of Helaman, son of Helaman, son of Alma, son of Alma who was a priest of King Noah] did minister with power and with great authority" (3 Nephi 7:17).

16. Destruction.  There arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land, etc (3 Nephi 6:21).

Hopefully Jeremiah is not summarizing your response when he said:

"Therefore thou shalt speak 

all these words unto them; 

but they will not hearken to thee: 

thou shalt also call unto them; 

but they will not answer thee.

But thou shalt say unto them, 

This is a nation that obeyeth 

not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: 

truth is perished, 

and is cut off from their mouth" 

(Jeremiah 7:27-28).

If after reading this you still don't see how it affects you, consider this.  It isn't that people wantonly disregard warnings.  It's that they think it won't affect them.  Consider tornado warnings, for example, where people who had been warned failed to seek shelter.  The people who did not heed these warnings had one thing in common: they all lived in homes that had never been struck by a tornado.  They inhabited a region prone to tornadoes, but had lived through many warnings, right up until they were hit by a tornado.  People could not imagine that all those tornados that had wound up hitting other people could instead have hit them, until one did.

Because my wife's grandparents had lived through WWI in France, they recognized the warnings that led to WWII, and to the extent possible prepared themselves against another invasion. But should it take living through one war to recognize the warning signs that will lead to another?

I think this is the reason Isaiah and Book of Mormon Prophet Writers use historical events, described in great detail, to tell us about what is coming.  While we can only experience what happened in and around Zarahemla vicariously, by having it described so vividly and why, we cannot or at least should not ignore it.  It happened and it will happen again, and for the same reasons.

We can choose our response to prophetic types.  

We can ignore them and perhaps there is a false sense of security we get by not acknowledging endtime prophecies.  

We can choose not to believe that this historical narrative and others like it actually occurred.

We can choose not to believe that this is a type of what is to come.

We can choose to believe that it did happen and that it will happen, but that it won't involve us or our children, grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren. 

We can choose to believe we need no repentance, and that if these events happen, only those who are wicked will be affected.

You may choose to not believe these prophecies because you don't trust the source.  You will attack the messenger and ignore the message.  The danger here is that the Lord has told us these things will happen and why, and has sent the messengers.  Will we shoot the messenger from the Lord who has been called to warn us?

None of these choices, however, address the real question which requires a self-analysis of where we are individually.  This requires that we liken His words to us.

It's what we fail to imagine that will destroy us.  

And at the same time, it is what we do imagine that will destroy us.

The Greater the Awareness

Being unaware 

is synonymous 

with being 

uninformed, 

heedless, 

unfamiliar, 

unconcerned, 

negligent, 

oblivious, 

blind, 

unenlightened, 

unknowing, 

unmindful 

and ignorant.  

Being ignorant is someone who is lacking knowledge, information or awareness.  So Nephi's use of the word ignorant in 2 Nephi 32:7 is significant.  He said 

And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; 

the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, 

and I am left to mourn 

because of the unbelief, 

and the wickedness, 

and the ignorance, 

and the stiffnecknedness of men; 

for they will not search knowledge, 

nor understand great knowledge, 

when it is given unto them in plainness, 

even as plain as word can be."  

By linking ignorance with unbelief, wickedness, stiffneckedness, and failure to search and understand knowledge, and then linking each of these with the word of God, Nephi makes it clear what men are ignorant of and what knowledge they fail to search or understand--the word of God.  

And by linking the word of God with "light and truth" (D&C 84:45), and by linking "light and truth" with "intelligence" (D&C 93:36), we can conclude:

That being aware is being intelligent, 

and being unaware is being ignorant.  

We can also conclude that one who has more intelligence (light and truth) is more aware, 

and the greater the awareness, 

the greater the intelligence. 

Conversely those who are unaware or who are lacking in intelligence are those who do not search the word of God, and are heedless.  Ignorance is a matter of degree, and since we are all ignorant, to pretend we are not, is a "manner of lying and of deceit" (3 Nephi 16:1) 

This is consistent with the Lord's words to Abraham. 

And the Lord said unto me: 

These two facts do exist, 

that there are two spirits, 

one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another 

more intelligent than they; 

I am the Lord thy God, 

I am more intelligent than they all" 

(Abraham 3:19). 

More intelligence is having more light and truth. His words are light and truth and have been recorded so that we "the residue of men" may receive, by His words, more intelligence (Moroni 7:31-32). 

For the word of the Lord is truth, 

and whatsoever is truth is light, 

and whatsoever is light is spirit, 

even the Spirit of Jesus Christ" 

(D&C 84:45 emphasis added).

Even being unaware of how critically important the word of God is measures the degree of our intelligence. The word of God is the separator that will eventually cause an irrevocable division among the people, either on the one hand or on the other. 

Further, it is because of our negligence or sloth that we don't give heed to the word of God as we have been admonished. 

Nephi said to "give heed unto the word of the Lord" (1 Ne. 15:25). 

Alma tells us to receive His words with "heed and diligence" (Alma 12:9). 

"Thou shalt give heed unto all his words" (D&C 21:4). 

And "give diligent heed to the words of eternal life" (D&C 84:43). 

"I am God; give heed to my word" (D&C 11:2).

Intelligence, light and truth, and the word of God are inseparably connected. Another way of saying it is that to ignore the word of God (all that has been revealed) is to remain ignorant, unaware, heedless, oblivious, blind, and unenlightened.

We can look to Peter for the solution to our ignorance. 

"And therefore we must labour for a little,

that we may search out 

the presumptions of ignorance, 

and cut them off 

by means of knowledge, 

especially in those 

who are preoccupied 

with some erroneous opinions, 

by means of which ignorance 

is the more firmly rooted in them" 

(Clement of Rome).

And being ignorant of the word of God makes men unaware on so many levels, not only of His words but of what is going on in the world around us.  

Mens' ignorance, or lack of intelligence, is directly linked to our lack of knowledge and/or awareness of the word of God.  

First of all, before anything can happen, one must be aware of being in the world.  

While a measure of awareness is apparently possessed by all living things, the greater our intelligence, the greater our awareness, and awareness or intelligence is directly related to the heed and diligence we give to the word of God, which again is truth, light, spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ (D&C 84:45). 

If our time here is to have any meaning at all, our brain and intellect must be clear and active.  Our life here should be a constant mental exercise.  

One might argue that there are many intelligent people who are not aware of the word of God, and that is true, if we use the world's definition of intelligence.  

They may have, it is true, a wealth of knowledge about a certain profession, hobby or interest, and may even be experts or authorities. They may have unequaled skills and abilities, and may even be considered as one of the best in their given area of skill or knowledge. 

But without the word of God they remain ignorant and have a minimum of awareness of what really matters, not only in this world, but in the world to come, i.e., "...that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory...." (Moses 6:59).

There are many 'intelligent' people in the world, but the world measures intelligence differently.  

For example, we would consider someone outlandishly accomplished, who as a son of Indian immigrants was educated at Stanford, Oxford, and Harvard, who worked as a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and who now teaches at Harvard.

We would consider such a person as being very intelligent, which is true if we measure intelligence by IQ, test passing, accomplishment, memorization, analytical and cognitive skills, and every other worldly measure.  

But even the most intelligent by the world's standards can and do remain ignorant of, for example, even knowing where they are--the world (Babylon) and of our conditions here!    

The interchange between Alma and Antionah illustrates this truth. After Alma had explained that death was a result of the fall of Adam, 

"there was one Antionah, 

who was a chief ruler among them, 

came forth and said unto him: 

'What is this that thou hast said, 

that man should rise from the dead 

and be changed 

from this mortal to an immortal state, 

that the soul can never die? 

What does the scripture mean, 

which saith that God 

placed cherubim and a flaming sword 

on the east of the garden of Eden, 

lest our first parents should enter 

and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, 

and live forever? 

And thus we see that there was no possible chance that they should live forever.'

Because Alma could see that Antionah was ignorant of these things, he said unto him:

"This is the thing 

which I was about to explain. 

Now we see that Adam did fall 

by partaking of the forbidden fruit, 

according to the word of God; 

and thus we see, 

that by his fall, 

all mankind became a lost 

and fallen people" 

(Alma 12:20-22). 

Alma then explains the Lord's plan of redemption and how we receive this gift. Caution. Don't think you know the plan of redemption before you search Alma 12, and then ask yourself what are the "second commandments he has given unto us" (Alma 12:37). What are we to do after knowing and obeying His second commandments (Alma 13:1)?

Antionah was ignorant, and Alma, using the word of God, gave Antionah an opportunity to overcome his ignorance about why God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to prevent Adam and Eve from partaking of the tree of life, and how, not withstanding Adam and Eve being prevented, they could be redeemed. By the way, did you know that everyone except Sons of Perdition will be redeemed, even those in the Telestial Kingdom and lower (D&C 76:32-38; 88:17-24)?

Several years ago, I went to hear Paul Volker, who at the time was the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. As I listened it didn't take long for me to realize I had no idea what he was talking about. I felt totally ignorant and realized I did not have any frame of reference. It was like he was speaking a foreign language,  and after just a few minutes of him speaking with me he would be aware of my ignorance. So it is with the word of God. Without a frame of reference people remain ignorant. And by frame of reference, I mean understanding the Lord's language. See A New Language.

Another example concerns Enoch teaching the people the word of God and the record says, 

"And as Enoch spake forth 

the words of God, 

the people trembled, 

and could not stand in his presence" 

(Moses 6:47).  

He then tells them of their condition on this earth.  

"And he said unto them: 

Because that Adam fell we are; 

and by his fall came death; 

and we are made partakers 

of misery and woe.  

Behold Satan hath come 

among the children of men, 

and tempteth them to worship him; 

and men have become 

carnal, sensual and devilish, 

and are shut out 

from the presence of God" 

(Moses 6:48-49).  

With these words we become aware of our condition on this earth.  

We are. 

We die. 

We are carnal and devilish. 

We are shut out from the presence of God. 

This awareness increases our intelligence, and if this is our condition here, can we over come it?  

We are told that we can, 

and how we can 

through God words.  

We then become more aware 

or more intelligent, 

having received light and truth 

through His words.  

As we receive more of God's words 

our intelligence 

and our awareness 

increases.  

For without knowing where we are and why, we have no hope of going anywhere. So it is with all the words of God, and our awareness or lack of awareness is directly connected to whether we receive and believe the word of God. 

The intelligence is in the details which are only made manifest by diligently searching His words. 

Think of His words as a map which can help us find and keep us on the right path.

Without the map, we are in "a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch (even if we have) commenced in the path (we will) lose (our) way, (and we will) wander off and (get) lost" (1 Nephi 8:23). Notice he does not say we might get lost.

The only remedy is to search the Words of the most Intelligent of them all, feast upon them, and retain them as the treasures they are. 

However, there is more and damning consequences for being ignorant. 

Peter is purportedly to have said that 

"...all evil springs from ignorance; 

and ignorance herself, 

the mother of all evils, 

is sprung from carelessness and sloth, 

and is nourished, and increased, 

and rooted in the senses 

of men by negligence.  

For nothing is worse 

than for one to believe 

that one knows 

what one is ignorant of, 

and to maintain 

that to be true 

which is false" 

(Clement of Rome). 

Let's examine some of the 'evils' that can and do result from ignorance. For one, without the light of His words we are navigating in the darkness and have no idea or at least not a clear idea of where we are.  

Being clearly aware of where we are is the key to making sense of all that goes on around us, but more importantly without knowing that we are in the world where Satan reigns--with the blessing of God--we can mistake Satan's world as the 'real world' when it is God's 'real world' that we should desire. 

And we actually become very comfortable in Satan's world. 

Another 'evil' is that people ignorant of the Lord's word do not have a clear picture of the Atonement and what it means to repent and are therefore in jeopardy of being subject to the justice of God.  

They may, however, have some of His words, but have not diligently searched them and therefore remain in the midst of darkness.

Because they do not understand God's justice their idea of salvation is simply the teachings of men mingled with scripture, and because many share the same ideas, they take comfort.

Consider this example.  If you teach your child that to 'let your light shine' means to be good and set a good example, and another teaches her child that it is Christ's light that we should hold up and follow and not our light, which of these two children is on the right path? (Isaiah 50:11). 

Or this one. You believe that God loves you so much and that while you are not perfect, you are basically good, and even though you have made mistakes, God's love for you is so great, he will ignore or forgive your mistakes and usher you into His presence. If you believe this you are not only ignorant of God, but are ignorant of the justice of God. 

We are commanded 

to teach our children 

to understand the 

doctrine of repentance 

and baptism 

before they are eight years old.  

You can ask yourself why it is critical for them to understand the doctrines at this time in their lives? 

It is to get them in the gate and on the right path as soon as they become accountable to God for their own sins. 

How can we keep this commandment, and get them through the gate and in the right path if we do not understand the doctrine of Christ ourselves? 

If we are ignorant of the Lord's definition of repentance how can we teach our children to understand repentance? They would remain ignorant and unaware of their own need for repentance. 

I am afraid that we don't get children in the right way (even though we have the CTR ring) but instead send them into the world on one of the broad paths. 

Going through the gate blindly does not get them in the right way.

Only "light and truth forsake that evil one" (D&C 93:37), and by not bringing up our children in light and truth, and instead rely on our traditions which take away light and truth (D&C 93:38-40), we have not taught our children as the Lord requires. 

And the reason?  

Because we are ignorant and unaware.

If we don't teach our children 

that there are only two choices--

good and evil--

but instead teach them 

to make good choices 

that make their lives more comfortable 

in Satan's world, 

then we have abandoned them 

to the world without light and truth, 

to rely on their own merits.

Combine not having a clear understanding of where we are with being ignorant of the doctrines of Christ, ignorant of His gospel, ignorant of His definitions of good and evil, and ignorant of His justice and mercy, it is easy to get lost. But the danger is that while we are lost we can deceive ourselves and think that we are on the right path! Satan is the best at creating illusions.

Add to these our ignorance of the endtime prophecies in Isaiah, other Jewish prophets,  the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, the New Testament and the Book of Revelation, and not only do we not know that we are living in Babylon, but are ignorant that everyone and everything remaining in Babylon will be destroyed, and that it will be because of us. 

We don't understand the prophecies concerning America and the reversal that takes place between Lehi's descendants and the Gentiles.  We don't know that the Gospel will be taken from us because we reject the fulness of the gospel, and given to the House of Israel (the Jews, the 10 Tribes & Lehi's descendants). 

Another resulting evil ignorance brings upon us, is that we buy into Satan's economy believing that Satan's economy is the Lord's way, and that our liberties under the Constitution are guaranteed.  We are ignorant of the fact that we only have the Constitution because we refused to live the Lord's law.  

And what is the Lord's law? 

Did I prove my point?

As a result 

Satan will "grasp (us) 

with his everlasting chains.... 

And others will he pacify, 

and lull them away into carnal security...

and thus the devil cheateth their souls, 

and leadeth them carefully down to hell.... And behold, others he flattereth away..." 

(2 Nephi 28:19-29).  

The only remedy to being grasped in his chains of hell is the word of God (Alma 12:9-11).

There is a direct correlation between ignorance in politics, placing our trust in our leaders, and ignorance of the word of God. The Constitution, even though inspired by God, is still a government of men. There is no true party and no party is a defender of the truth. Through His words we know that the Constitution was inspired by Him. "According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment...and for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose..." (D&C 101:76-80).

The Lord is not concerned with party policies (men will never solve the problems in this country regardless to which party they belong), but with protecting the rights granted under the Constitution, and we should oppose anyone who will not submit to the rule of law and protect the God-given Constitutional freedoms.  

For this purpose the Lord has told us to seek honest and wise leaders who will uphold the liberties granted to all men under the Constitution (D&C 98-10).  

Anyone who is not wise and honest, and who does not uphold these rights, should not be supported no matter to which party he or she may belong.  

The Lord knew, as did the founders of the Constitution, that character matters.

Dishonest leaders blinded by power are more likely to not uphold and protect these Constitutional liberties. 

Anyone who believes otherwise is ignorant or not aware of all that one dishonest leader can do to erode democracy and these freedoms, and is not aware of how these types of leaders supported by a majority lead to the events prophesied. And be aware that the apostasy of the Lord's people is the catalyst. 

They are ignorant of God's counsel to only seek for honest and wise leaders who will uphold these Constitutional freedoms. If we, however, have two unwise and dishonest candidates, then that may be an indication that the majority of the people desire that which is not of God (Mosiah 29:26-27). 

If we are not aware we may not recognize our role as the catalyst for having to choose between two dishonest candidates. 

The wise men who founded the constitution realized that for democracy to work everyone (including the President) must submit themselves to the rule of law, something a dishonest president may not be willing to do.  

And yet millions of Americans can remain ignorant of how easily this can happen.  

Of those who are willing to support dishonest and corrupt leaders, they generally fall into one of three categories:

1) because of a single issue or policy they believed the leader would support regardless of that leader's character; 

2) those that buy into and support dishonesty and corruption and anarchy, or who want to be in the circle of power, and 

3) those who are ignorant of the damage one dishonest and corrupt president can do to democracy, and become cult-like followers of one person or party, which is by far the biggest group. 

Anyone who believes otherwise can only be classified as ignorant, or to use another term of the word ignorant, they just ignore the dishonesty and corruption. 

To God, character is paramount as a person with character is more likely to be committed to upholding the rights and liberties for all, and which are granted under the Constitution.

Any member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who is unaware of the Book of Mormon prophecies concerning America, and the Lord's words to Joseph Smith concerning seeking for wise and honest leaders who would protect the liberties under the Constitution (D&C 98:5-10), is ignorant of the conditions that accelerate the endtime events prophesied. 

Peter to have used the word "senses" is enlightened because he links intelligence to our faculties, the most important of which is our mind, our brain.  

We must awake and arouse our faculties in order to prepare to receive the word of God (Alma 32:27). 

Joseph Smith said that "We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect..."  

As we give heed to the light (His words) we become more intelligent, and receive more and thus become even more intelligent. 

He also said, "Apply yourselves diligently to study, that your minds may be stored with all necessary information."  

If we only get our information from what others have said or written, and then share that information with others on social media or otherwise, as opposed to what God has revealed and caused to be written, we contribute to what Joseph described as the "veil of stupidity" that hangs over the heads of the people, and there are eternal consequences to remaining ignorant for "it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance" (D&C 131:6).

Peter also says that ignorance is the result of laziness and negligence. To remain ignorant, therefore, is the result of ignoring or letting His words fall by the wayside.

Another aspect of being ignorant is basing our decisions and opinions on very little data or evidence.  What constitutes evidence?  

In a court of law the standard of evidence is very strict.  For example, a person's opinion is not evidence unless the witness qualifies as an expert witness which must be determined before any testimony can be elicited.  Moreover, even these experts can be challenged or contradicted by other expert witnesses. While there are exceptions, hearsay--what you heard or read from another--is not evidence.  

What a person believes is not evidence. In fact, a person's beliefs are not relevant, no matter the authority or prominence of that person.

Evidence is an available body of facts to support whether a belief or proposition is true. 

Data can be presented in proof of the facts in issue and which may include the testimony of witnesses with actual knowledge, records, documents or objects. 

Gathering evidence is one of the foundations of critical thinking and good decision-making.

So when someone makes a declaration without evidence we should give no heed, and can rightfully observe that that person is ignorant, or worse yet, knowingly ignorant and knowingly leading others who are ignorant to support, believe and follow him/her. 

Yet we often base our beliefs and opinions on the opinions of others thereby compounding the problem.  As Brigham Young said, a person's opinion is not worth a damn. This is true of even so called 'informed' opinions.  

To accept declarations without evidence is a sign that our critical thinking is wanting and supports Peter's statement that "nothing is worse than for one to believe that one knows what one is ignorant of, and to maintain that to be true which is false."  

If we are honest with ourselves we must admit that all of us are ignorant of the truthfulness of what we hear and read. 

Those with the word of God should be the most critical of thinkers. We should never accept anything at face value and are obliged to get information, evidence and data from all of the most reliable sources and then compare all that we hear and read to the word of God to know the difference between what comes from men and what comes from God. 

As Joseph said "Thy mind O man must stretch to the highest heavens."  We cannot rely on comments on social media or limited news sources. We cannot accept alternative facts and propaganda. While our country does support our right to have an opinion, even though alone not worth a damn, uninformed or otherwise, we are not entitled to our own facts. 

We can use and rely on 'alternative facts' or lies and propaganda, but to do so is contrary to God's words to not speak guile, which is to deceive, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and to spread those lies and propaganda is the very definition of speaking guile. 

Anything and everything we discuss must be within the framework of the scriptures. 

Why? 

Isn't it rather narrow? 

Arbitrary? 

Confining? 

Authoritarian? 

No, the scriptures have immense breadth.

Within the framework 

of the scriptures 

we are free to ponder, 

speculate, 

discuss, 

criticize, 

check, and 

control from other sources--

It is all legitimate. 

Above all, we are not only justified in falling back on the scriptures, but we are obliged to--because there is no other framework available to appeal to. 

Without the framework of the scriptures, we remain ignorant of where we are, what has happened in the world, what is happening around us and in the world, and what will happen to us, the world and those in it. Instead we put our trust in men, trusting in certain ideologies, parties, values, the arm of flesh or as the Lord puts it--in idols.

Having a zeal for someone or something is not the same as having knowledge about someone or something.  

Zeal without knowledge is dangerous.  

It is like a car with an engine but without brakes, a transmission and a steering wheel. Zeal leads to poor decision-making and makes one prone to blindly follow others. Religious and political zeal are perilous and reckless and are always uninformed.

Let me conclude with these words from the Lord to Joseph Smith. 

"It is an imperative duty 

that we owe to God, to angels...

and also to ourselves, 

to our wives 

and children 

[because] ...of the influence 

of that spirit 

which hath so strongly 

riveted the creeds of the fathers, 

who have inherited lies, 

upon the hearts of the children, 

and filled the world with confusion, 

and has been growing stronger 

and stronger, and is now 

the very mainspring of all corruption, 

and the whole earth 

groans under the weight of its iniquity.  

It is an iron yoke, 

it is a strong band; 

they are the very handcuffs 

and chains, 

and shackles, 

and fetters of hell.... 

For there are many 

yet on the earth 

among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by [ignorant of] 

the subtle craftiness of men, 

whereby they lie in wait to deceive, 

and who are only 

kept from the truth 

because they know not where to find it" 

(D& 123:7-8;12). 

We, however, have no excuse and must not be blinded by the subtle craftiness of men and remain ignorant. Why? Because we do know where to find the truth, and to continue without searching the truth for light and knowledge, not only guarantees that we remain ignorant, but is contrary to God's command to search His words, for by His words we will be judged! 

I Know Your Doing

Moroni in Mormon 8 is prophesying that the records which he is keeping shall come forth "out of the earth" (vs 26) and that they shall come in a day when it "shall be said that miracles are done away...when the power of God is denied...when churches become defiled and lifted up in the pride of their hearts..." (vs 26-34). 

Then he says "Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you" (vs 35). The phrase "great and marvelous" is used consistently by Book of Mormon prophet writers to describe events associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work (1 Nephi 14:7), the commencement of which began with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration (3 Nephi 21:4;6-7;9).

Speaking of the churches that shall be built up in that day, he asks: "Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold, look unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time cometh in that day when all these things must be fulfilled" (Mormon 8:33). Just what does he mean by 'transfiguring the word of God' and what are the 'churches that shall be built up in that day?' 

The only other time that transfigured is used in the Book of Mormon is in reference to being changed from a mortal to an immortal state (3 Nephi 28:2). So in this context we can say that transfigure means to change or alter the word of God, and changing or altering the word of God is to pervert it. Another definition of transfigure is to accommodate and in this context to transfigure the word of God could mean to accommodate His words to make our way seem to be His way. We have to ask if Moroni is asking this question of us since he later states that he is seeing us.

As a further indication that he is talking about us, he refers to churches that have been 'built up' in our time. The phrase 'built up' helps us to determine what he means by churches. 

The Savior uses the phrase 'built upon' in 3 Nephi 27:8, 10 & 11 in referring to His church. He says that it is His church, "if it so be that they (notice He does not say it) are built upon my gospel," but it is not His church if we are not built upon His gospel. The gospel, the organization and His church are not the same.  

His gospel is the truth. The organization is the means to foster that truth, and His church are those who are built upon His gospel. And because He is the gospel or good news, His church are those who are built upon Him.

Linking that phrase to what Moroni is telling us indicates that any members of the organization (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) that are not built upon His gospel are not of His church, but are built upon the works of men or the works of the Devil (3 Nephi 27:11), regardless of the name! As He said, "if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel" (3 Nephi 27:8). If, if, if!

And any church (members or organization) that transfigures the word of God is not built upon His gospel.  The irony is that by transfiguring the word of God, a people and/or an organization (LDS Church) are not, or are no longer, built upon His gospel.

Churches in this sense also means how each of us defines, perverts and/or reacts to His gospel. Or in other words there are many versions of churches as defined by us or as 'built up' by us because we do not know His gospel, having transfigured the word, and our 'church' therefore is not built upon His gospel, and is not His church. This is true of published materials by the organized church, or talks given by church authorities where His words are transfigured.

We are also told that there are only two churches, one of the Lamb of God and one of the devil (1 Nephi 14:10; Alma 5:39).  In this sense every organization or people on earth that pervert, or are not built upon His gospel, as defined by Christ in 3 Nephi 27:13-21, and who fight against the Lamb of God, are of the church of the devil.  

The devil is the founder of the great and abominable church (1 Nephi 13:6; 1 Nephi 14:9). Abominable in this context means anything that is contrary to the revealed word of God.  Abomination is that which departs from or is different from, the revelations of God. (Transfigured.) All righteousness comes through faith in God, which is loving obedience to His revealed word, not obedience to church leaders. "Omin" is the equivalent of "omen," which refers to revelation. "Ab" means away from.

Abomination means, therefore, that which is away from, contrary to, or a perversion of the revealed word of God.

An illustration of this comes from a friend of mine who wrote me the following:

One of the things that continually stands out is our vain imagination. To me Satan gets rid of truth by twisting it so that even though you have 70% of the concept right the remaining 30% warps it just enough to turn it into a perversion of the right way and of the true doctrine.  After all it might just be easier for him to get us to imagine a half truth rather than a complete lie.  It also makes me think that Satan loves to start in the mind before he starts work on our behavior, because if he can get us to believe in a half truth he can get us into believing that according to our vain imaginations we are consistently living right.  The end result is a people living a perversion, teaching it to their children, and believing they are in the right way and need no such thing as repentance.

As Moroni uses the phrase "why have ye" in reference to transfiguring the word of God, he uses the same phrase when he asks "why have ye polluted the holy church of God?" (Mormon 8:38). Both are personal questions to us who are members of record of the church as an organization, and He is reminding us that just because we are members of record of a church that bears His name, that does not mean we are of His church, which is made up of only those who are repenting or turned to Him, or, in other words, are built upon His gospel (D&C 10:67-68).

Given the fact that these records were preserved for our benefit and that we are to liken them unto ourselves, we can clearly say that Moroni is indeed talking to us. He makes this clear when he says: "Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ has shown you unto me, and I know your doing" (Mormon 8:35). And what does Moroni describe as our doing?

He says, 

"...I know that ye do walk 

in the pride of your hearts...

and your churches, yea, 

even every one, 

have become polluted 

because of 

the pride of your hearts" 

(Mormon 8:36). 

He uses the word polluted the same way it is used in the Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob 5, where "taking strength unto themselves" (Jacob 5:48) is what corrupts or pollutes the Lord's vineyard. 

Then Moroni describes more of our doing when he says 

"ye do love money, 

and your substance...

more than ye love the poor and needy, 

the sick and the afflicted...

and ye sell yourselves 

for that which will canker" 

(Mormon 8:37-38).

Then he zeroes in on us specifically when he asks: 

"(1) Why have ye polluted the holy church of God? 

(2) Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? 

(3) Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies--because of the praise of the world? 

(4) Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life?" (Mormon 8:38-39). 

Let's examine the verbs in these four questions, and the objects of each and link them to other references to get a clearer picture of what Moroni sees. 

(1) Why have ye polluted the holy church of God? 

The verb pollute is used in scripture to denote our:

"awful, sinful and polluted state" (Mosiah 25:11; Alma 26:17);

being polluted by the world (Acts 15:20; 2 Peter 2:20);

polluting the land (D&C 84:59);

the temple (D&C 109:20; 110: 8);

our lost and fallen state or our state of corruption (Jacob 5:45);

polluting His name and His church (the people and the organization); and

polluting His word by perverting or transfiguring it. 

We pollute these when we are not repenting and remain in a state of wickedness. Moroni is describing us in our unrepentant state. In the Book of Mormon those who are repenting are considered righteous because they have turned to His righteousness, and those who are wicked are those who are not repenting. We pollute or corrupt His vineyard and His church when we are not repenting. And in 3 Nephi 27 where He defines His Gospel, He says: "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth..." (3 Nephi 27:20).

The object of the verb pollute is the holy church of God.  Understanding how He defines His Church helps us understand why Moroni is asking this question of us. He tells us that it is His Church only if it and we are "built upon my gospel...but if they be not built upon my gospel, and are built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil" it (and they) are not my Church (3 Nephi 27:10-11). 

So one way we pollute His Church is by perverting His gospel. Transfiguring the word of God, watering it down so it does not nourish, preaching false doctrines, teaching the precepts of men and perverting the right way of the Lord, are also ways we pollute His Church (the organization and the people) (2 Nephi 28:14-15; Isaiah 5).

He tells us that only those who "repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church" (D&C 10:67). Also "whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church" (D&C 10:68).  And if we are not of His church, and since there are only two churches, then we must be of the church of the devil.  

The next question uses the phrase 'ashamed to take upon you' His name. 

(2) Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? 

Being ashamed includes feeling shame, or being embarrassed, but also includes an unwillingness or restraint because of fear of ridicule or disapproval. This one is easy to measure in each of us.  All we have to do is to honestly evaluate our willingness to tell others of Christ and His Gospel, and whether we do so or not.  

We do witness before him each Sunday when we partake of the Sacrament that we are willing to take upon us His name, but do we hold back a little for fear of others disapproval or ridicule? 

If we were truly like Alma, we would be telling everyone we knew about our Savior and His great and marvelous plan of salvation. We would want all to taste of His love as we have tasted, and we would want all men everywhere to repent so that they too would receive His mercy. But the difference between us and Alma is that Alma experienced his unworthiness, was harrowed up by his sins, tasted of His goodness, repented, was born again--changed from his carnal state to a state of righteousness and wanted everyone to taste as he tasted and know as he knew.

The next question Moroni asks of us concerns one of the main causes of wickedness among many of the Book of Mormon people, and is related to the previous question in that it is the opposite of being ashamed to take upon us the name of Christ. 

(3) Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies--because of the praise of the world? 

It is wanting the praise of the world and the praise of those around us. Our culture has a tendency to create awe and wonder in other human beings, even our church leaders. Succumbing to the awe and the title pose a particular danger and a comparison to the Savior's description of those who love to greet each other by title in the marketplace. One of the particular dangers of succumbing to the praise of others is that we can easily come to think of ourselves as good, thereby deceiving ourselves because of the praise of the world.  Anything that causes us to transfer our trust to ourselves and others instead of our God is Anti-Christ, and yet Moroni is describing us and as he says, "I know your doing."

His knowing our doing is right on with his next question, 

(4) Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life? Moroni, before asking this question, says of us that 

we "love money and 

(our) substance, 

and (our) fine apparel, 

and the adorning of (our) churches, 

more than (we) 

love the poor 

and the needy, 

the sick 

and afflicted" 

(Mormon 8:37 emphasis added). 

The 'churches' referenced here are those churches we build up unto ourselves (4 Nephi 1), and are contrasted with His church which He says, and I repeat for emphasis, is "my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel" (3 Nephi 27:8 emphasis added). Churches in this sense also signifies that which we worship and that which becomes our god or that which is most important to us, in this case, the things of the world.

This is a major and repeating theme among the people of the organized church in the Book of Mormon.  In fact the reason Alma decides to leave the judgment-seat but retain the office of being high priest over the church is because the "people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver...which they had obtained by their industry" (Alma 4:6). 

This was "the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church" (Alma 4:7).  They were "sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among the people" of the church (Alma 4:7 emphasis added).

"They saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon the riches and upon the vain things of the world" (Alma 4:8).  This became a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress and there existed great inequality among the people (Alma 4:11-12).

And it was because of this that Alma himself began to "go forth among the people...of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among the people, seeing no other way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them" (Alma 4:19 emphasis added).  

And there is no question of what Alma knew they needed to be reclaimed from--the same conditions and behaviors Moroni saw in us!

Given that the Book of Mormon was written for us and for our time, it is a little (actually more than a little) unsettling that this theme is so prevalent among the prophet writers of the Book of Mormon, and that the Lord saw fit to inspire Mormon to include so many references from the records that describe us.  The problem with the Lord's people has always been the same and of this we are reminded time and again.  

We can begin with the Lord's people at the time Lehi left Jerusalem and learn that even though they were called to repentance (in Hebrew means 'return'), they did not heed the command.  Of interest to us is what they needed to repent of, and we can read the detail in Jeremiah 4-7. Suffice it to say that it was the same wickedness as Alma described above, with these observations (prophecies) from Jeremiah:

"To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it" (Jeremiah 6:10).

"And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them" (Jermiah 5:13).

"The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so" (Jeremiah 5:31).

"Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words" (Jeremiah 6:19).

"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward" (Jeremiah 7:24).

Then there are several similar accounts in the Book of Mormon beginning with Jacob's discourse to his people in Jacob 2. The entire chapter is applicable, but he says in this discourse:  "And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren, ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they" (Jacob 2:13).

After Alma's description of the people in the church found in Alma 4, there are many other accounts describing this same wickedness. 

Note in each of these discourses to the people of the church, they are in trouble only if they persist in their wickedness, meaning if they do not repent.  The problem is not that people set their hearts upon the things of the world, but that they refuse to repent.

The teachings of Alma and Amulek in Alma 9; 10 & 12-14 is of particular interest because of Alma and Amulek's use of the word of God to the church in Ammonihah and the description of the wickedness among the people of the church.  

The people of church at the time of Nephi in Helaman were accused of "great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength...and because of their iniquity the church had begun to dwindle and they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation" (Helaman 4:13;23).  

Nephi, like Alma, gave up the judgement seat and "took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days" (Helaman 5:4).  Of particular interest is Helaman Chapter 12:1-4.

Following this account we hear from Samuel the Lamanite who is commanded by God to deliver God's word to the people and the organized church at Zarahemla.  The same wickedness is described and the call to repentance ever more urgent.

Another account that hits home is found in 3 Nephi 6.  This is only four years before the terrible destruction which preceded the Lord coming to those who remained.  Keeping in mind what Moroni described when he saw us, read and ponder this carefully, and see if you can 'hear' what the Lord is saying to us.

Following great prosperity among the people of the church, it came to pass "that some were lifted up unto pride and boasting because of their exceedingly great riches...  For their were many merchants in the land, and also many lawyers and many officers.  And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches....  And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up" (3 Nephi 6:4-15). 

And we are told that "they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did willfully rebel against God" (3 Nephi 6:18).  

For this cause "there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people..." (3 Nephi 6:20). 

And what was the response among many of the people? They were "exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things..." (3 Nephi 6:21).

Moroni's warning to us has dire consequences if we fail to heed his warnings and say that it does not apply to us.  When he says "I know your doing" we know that he is talking about us, and how we respond is the key.  

Are we repenting?  

These accounts and Moroni's description of us, along with his call to repentance, should help us understand that repentance means to turn away from the things of the world and put our faith and trust in Christ, and feast upon His words.  There is no description in Moroni's vision of any other type of wickedness, but there is this warning:  "Behold the sword of vengeance hangeth over you" (Mormon 8:41).

And to make clear that there is no question but that Moroni is describing us in Mormon 8, he next addresses "those who do not believe in Christ" (Mormon 9:1).

Each of these accounts from Jeremiah in 600 BC to Moroni "speaking unto us as if ye were present..." (Mormon 8:35) describes the exact same conditions, i.e., being lifted up in pride and loving the things of the world, of which the people needed to repent (turn away from and turn to Christ relying wholly upon His merits), and refusing to do so, will suffer the justice of God.  

Each of these accounts, and many others, have been recorded for us as a reminder that repentance is a full time job for us as well as for all those 'bad people' who do bad things. The call to repentance rings clearly throughout each of these accounts as does the reminder that the sword of justice hangs over our heads if we do not repent.  

The word of God which delivers the message to us is a two edged sword and we will be found on one side of His word or the other, for as Christ said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him:  the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48 emphasis added).  

By continuing to "feast upon the words of Christ" we will be told all things that we must do, of which the number one command is to take advantage of the Lord's gift of repentance and rely on His merits and His goodness to save ourselves and then others by teaching them the word of God.

Note:  I sent a copy of this to a friend of mine and he wrote the following comment:

I read "I Know Your Doing" and have always felt those scriptures are specifically speaking to us...the Mormons, not anyone else.  The struggle I have, this is His church.  If I think otherwise I could be headed down a wrong path.  So how do I reconcile knowing Moroni is speaking to LDS people and believing this is His church?

I sent the following answer:

Interesting question.  As I look at the word 'church' in the scriptures I see it is used in different ways, but the problem begins by making the statement that the 'church is true' when He tells us it is only His church if they are built upon the works of the Father, otherwise it is not His church.  This confusion comes, I believe, by focusing on the organization as the 'true' church.  But by asking the question is the organization true? we can begin to see that His church is not the organization.  In fact in D&C 10:67 we read that "whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.  Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me, therefore he is not of my church."  President Benson addressed this once and said that membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the same as being of His church and he quoted D&C 10:67.  So we again come back to repentance.

The purpose of the organized church is to bring us to Christ and in all things, except teaching, we do a fair job of getting people started on the right path.  We just don't do a good job of keeping them there because we teach and allow to be taught the watered- down word of God.  We have the authority and the ordinances, the organization, policies, but we just do not nourish by the word of God (Moroni 6:4).  We substitute inspirational talks for the Word of God. Isaiah says we (Ephraim) water down His words so that they are no longer nourishing.  So when Moroni asks why have we transfigured the word of God, he is telling us why he sees what he sees.

The emphasis on His words cannot be overstated.  It is through His words that we obtain faith in Christ.  It is through His words that we learn of our condition and the necessity of the atonement.  It is through His words that we get in the strait and narrow path and it is through His words that we continue in that path.  The only truth is His word.  Look at 3 Nephi 27:13-21 where Christ defines His Gospel, and tells us that all will stand before Him to be judged of our works.  He then offers an alternative to God's Justice and that is to be found guiltless at that day because of His goodness and mercy.  After reminding us of what happens as a result of His Justice, He explains why He gave us the commandments to repent, be baptized by water and by fire, and to endure in repentance to the end--so that we can obtain His mercy and be of His Church.  By the way, only His definition of His Gospel is true--His words--not our version of what we think His gospel is.

This statement by Hugh Nibley makes it even clearer:  "While the Church has been under condemnation from time to time, the gospel has never been.  They are not the same thing.  The one is the truth; the other, an organization to foster that truth.  Is the organization free to adjust and control the truth?  Can it decide on the basis of public relations what would be most appropriate for what audience and for what occasion?  Can it substitute its individual opinions for the truth?  Does any organization through its officers have that discretion?" I would add, can it/they willfully, or even ignorantly, transfigure His word?

"Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.  Now remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world...(D&C 10:68-70 emphasis added).  "Therefore, go forth unto the people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth" (3 Nephi 11:41 emphasis added).

Can it be any clearer?  Moroni asks why we have transfigured the word of God and then tells us what he sees, when he is allowed to see us, and what he sees is not only the result of, but the reasons for, transfiguring the word of God.

An Awful State of Blindness = Wild Fruit

I began writing this in April 2020 amid the Coronavirus Pandemic.  The pandemic is still with us and will probably be with us for at least another year, maybe two. It is a reminder to me of what has been prophesied, and a reminder to me of why I have to add my voice to the warnings of others. Having seen what is to come and why, places a responsibility on me to warn others, especially my family and friends. (D&C 88:81)    In doing so I borrow liberally from the scriptures and from His words. If you do not agree it will be with Him and His words that you disagree.

But who am I to warn others? Perhaps you will ask as did an Amalekite to Aaron:  "Thou also sayest, except we repent we shall perish. How knowest thou the thought and intent of our hearts? How knowest thou that we have cause to repent? How knowest thou that we are not a righteous people? Behold, we have built sanctuaries, and we do assemble ourselves together to worship God. We do believe that God will save all men" (Alma 21:6). If you asked you would be right. I don't know the intents of your heart, but like Aaron, I have "searched the scriptures diligently, that (I) might know the word of God" concerning these endtime prophecies and our role in them, collectively and individually, and because He has shown them to me, I cannot stay silent.

Keep in mind as you read this that it is not the messenger that you should believe, but the message.

When Isaiah received his mission from the Lord he was told: "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9-10).  Christ quoted these words when asked by His disciples why he spoke in parables (Matthew 13:11-13).

I can now see clearly these endtime prophecies, not only the events, but the catalyst for them. I have searched the words of Isaiah and the prophecies of Nephi, Jacob and Christ, each using Isaiah and other Jewish Prophets, which clearly identify the endtime scenario, and our role as Mormon Gentiles in these endtime events.  All scriptures, including the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price attest to the coming of the Lord's Day of Jehovah. 

Let me make one thing clear: just as the Lord's people Israel suffered the Lord's covenant curses when they were taken by the Assyrians (10 Tribes) and were captured and taken to Babylon by the Babylonians (Judah), we too, as the Lord's latter-day people, will suffer the Lord's covenant curses in the Lord's day of judgment. And it will be for the same reason. 

The catalyst for the captivity of the Lord's people anciently by Assyria and Babylon is the same catalyst for a latter-day Assyrian/Babylonian king to destroy the wicked of the Lord's people and the wicked of the world before the Lord's coming.  Moreover, that catalyst is the apostasy and worship of other Gods by the Lord's people, and the failure to search and treasure up His words, to hear the Lord, see and repent.  

"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord" (D&C 112:24-26 emphasis added).

Scriptural patterns of attacks on God's people by world powers, moreover--as with Assyria's and Babylon's world conquests and invasions of the Promised Land--show that they occur as a consequence of God's people's apostasy.  In Nephi's scenario, God's people who apostatize are the Mormon Gentiles to whom the gospel has been restored, while those saved from destruction are the house of Israel (Jews, 10 Tribes and Lehi's descendants) and the Gentiles who repent and are numbered among the house of Israel (1 Nephi 14:12; 3 Nephi 16:13).

I use the term Mormon Gentiles because Joseph Smith acknowledges the Mormons' Gentile identity in the Kirtland Temple's dedicatory prayer when he speaks of "us, who are identified with the Gentiles" (D&C 109:60).  Gentiles also include Israel assimilated among the Gentiles, like Ephraim and other remnants of Israel. There is also another reason.  According to Isaiah and the Book of Mormon Prophets we are identified as the Lord's people in the last days but only if we are worthy to be numbered among His people.  

Perhaps Mormon Gentiles is the more accurate term to describe us based on what Isaiah and the Book of Mormon prophets have prophesied.  For example, the 13 chapters of Isaiah quoted in 2 Nephi 12-24 (Isaiah 2-14), describe, among other things, the wickedness that existed among Judah/Jerusalem, and because Isaiah is an endtime prophecy as well as an historical prophecy ("all things that he spake have been and shall be" (3 Nephi 23:3), he is describing us as well in these 13 chapters when he describes the wickedness among the Lord's people.  Nephi then continues describing us as Gentiles in Chapters 25 through 30 of 2 Nephi, and contrasts us with those who remain faithful in 2 Nephi 31, only to condemn those who will not search knowledge or feast upon the words of God in 2 Nephi 32. Nephi then emphasizes the critical importance of God's word to us as Gentiles and then says: "I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation" (2 Nephi 33:9). The scriptures are replete with similar descriptions and warnings of the apostasy of the Lord's people both historically and, more importantly to us prophetically.

This means that in its endtime context, Isaiah 2–14, as quoted in 2 Nephi 12–24, apply specifically to the Mormon Gentiles who are God’s covenant people today, not to Israel’s natural lineages who as yet haven’t renewed their covenantal allegiance to Israel’s God or been grafted back into their own olive tree. Although Isaiah 2–14 contains some of the most explicit depictions of wickedness of God’s people in the Book of Isaiah—and of the direful consequences of failing to repent—the Mormon Gentiles’ habitually glossing over these chapters presents yet another appalling instance of our taking lightly the scriptures we have received.

Even though the Book of Mormon prophets have taken pains to ensure that the things they write are "given unto (men) in plainness, even as plain as word can be," they know that many readers "will not understand great knowledge" because they "will not search knowledge" but instead "suppose they know of themselves" (2 Nephi 9:28: 32:7).  Indeed, it is because they have not diligently searched the words of Isaiah and of Book of Mormon prophets that Mormons misread them, which ignorance leads to their apostasy.  

That kind of 'searching''--as distinct from reading or studying--is not an option for understanding them.  It is a requirement that is built into the very fabric of prophetic writings, enlightening the mind of the person who persists in searching, but darkening the minds of those who labor under the premise that they already know.  To rely on others--on "authorities" or "experts"--for one's understanding is to "rely on an arm of flesh" (2 Nephi 28:31).  Searching the scriptures is God's commandment to all his people, not to a select few.  The assumption by some that they "know the gospel" or "know the doctrine"--that if they haven't heard something a hundred times before, it cannot be true--is the very thing that prevents them from perceiving the truth.

As no people in modern times have been so blessed with an abundance of God’s Word as the Mormon 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?

"Your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received--which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.  And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.  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--that they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom (not wild fruit); otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion" (D&C 84:54-58 emphasis added).

I do not see the Coronavirus Pandemic as one of these endtime events, but as a reminder and a warning to us that the "scourge and judgment to be poured out upon" us is coming, exactly as Isaiah, Nephi, Jacob, Jesus, Joseph Smith and others have described it, unless we, Mormon Gentiles, repent, and we will never repent until we receive and believe His words. And I repeat:  "And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord.  First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me" (D&C 112:25-26).

As Nephi describes us we are in an "awful state of blindness" as to those things which are yet to come and are also blind to the fact that these endtime judgments come about because of our apostasy.  Refusing to search the prophecies not only make us "willingly ignorant" of what will transpire and will catch us unprepared for them, but is, I repeat, the very reason for our apostasy.  "All they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby, and stumble and fall when the storms descend, and the winds blow and the rains descend and beat upon their house" (D&C 90:5).  

In Nephi's endtime scenario the Mormon Gentiles' final fate hangs in the balance depending on whether or not they harden their hearts against His words, and instead set their hearts upon the things of the world and put their trust in men.

Isaiah's endtime scenario shows that God's elect--those whom God delivers from calamities in the coming "Day of Jehovah"--are individuals, a man here and a woman there, who make individual choices that often differ from what God's people as a whole are doing as has been prophesied by those who saw our day.  I used to think that it was because of the wickedness of the world that these endtime events would come, but while they also will suffer, the unrepentant Mormon Gentiles are the catalyst for the judgments, just as unrepentant Israel was the cause of the 10 tribes being captured by the Assyrians and the Jews being taken into Babylon, which are types (has been) of that which is to come.  

Once a person has searched these prophecies, is there an obligation to warn others?  Israel's God asks, "You have heard the whole vision; how is it you do not proclaim it? (Isaiah 48:6).  And because I want others to know as I know, and because of His love in me, I add my voice and proclaim it as well. Because for the Mormon Gentiles, the effect of not searching Isaiah's vision of "the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 1:1; 46:10) has indeed caused his writings to "become as the words of a sealed book" (Isaiah 29:11). 

It is critical that others are admonished to open it and understand the prophecies and their role in them.  Little did we anticipate, however, that its unsealing would be so damning of us.  For that reason it is better for us to unseal it now and not wait until the Day of Jehovah for it to be unsealed to us.  For "it becometh every man who has been warned to warn his neighbor" (D&C 88:81), and so I fire this warning across the bow for the benefit of friends and family, and not just because it is my duty, but because I don't want those I love to be caught unawares and find themselves on the wrong side of God's word.

And besides the Lord commanded us to warn the world of "the desolation of abomination in the last days," and to "teach them of a judgment which is to come" (D&C 84:117, 87)

My purpose is not to identify all of the events, even though you should know them so you are not caught unprepared, but to focus you on the specific causes of these endtime events. I have, however, summarized the events toward the end of this article. Think of Samuel the Lamanite and Abinadi who came from the Lord to warn the people.  Likewise, the Lord's latter-day servant, whom Isaiah describes as being an arrow hidden in the Lord's quiver, will be like Samuel the Lamanite and Abinadi, even more like Enoch.  Will we be like King Noah, who did not believe Abinadi, or like Alma who did?  Will we be caught on the one hand or on the other, of the Lord's words?  It is His words, if we do not search and heed them, that will condemn us (2 Nephi 33:14). 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.

My purpose in writing this is to identify the conditions among the Lord's people in the last days that will bring on these endtime events.  They are the same conditions among the Lord's people that brought on (1) the flood; (2) Sodom and Gomorrah; (3) the destruction of the Jaradites; (4) the 10 tribes being taken away by the Assyrians; (5) the Jews being taken captive by the Babylonians; (6) the destruction of Jerusalem at the time of Lehi; (7) the destruction in and around Zarahemla prior to Christ coming to the Nephites; (8) the destruction of the Nephites; and (9) many other examples found in scripture.  It is always the failure to repent of the Lord's people that is the catalyst for these judgments, and we cannot say that we have not been adequately warned.  When the Lord said that all things that Isaiah said have been and shall be, we cannot look back at the Lord's ancient people and say that the prophets were speaking only of them.  They were also describing and speaking about us, and by identifying these conditions, we also learn why we must repent so as not to be found on the wrong side of His two-edged sword, or His word.

The backdrop is the Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob 5. The wild branches grafted into the mother tree are the Gentiles, including the Mormon Gentiles. Because the wild branches ultimately bring forth only wild fruit, they will be cast out and destroyed in the Lord's day of judgment. When asked by the Lord why these branches have brought forth wild fruit or have become corrupted, the servant answers:

"Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard—have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted" (Jacob 5:49)? 

Although the wild branches bear good fruit for a time, in the end they bring forth wild fruit. At that point—when “the end soon cometh”—the Lord of the vineyard directs his servant to call “other servants” to assist him in grafting branches from the three daughter trees (the house of Israel--Jews, 10 Tribes,  Lehi's descendants) back into their own olive tree. What triggers that event, however, is that the mother tree has “brought forth much fruit” but “none of it which is good” because of the wild branches’ “overrunning the roots” and “taking strength unto themselves” (Jacob 5:29–69). The idea of loftiness is synonymous with pride and self righteousness (compare Isaiah 2:12, 17; Jeremiah 48:29). 

​That being so, why is no one today inquiring into the tree’s “much evil fruit” (Jacob 5:37)? Mormon Gentiles have been quick to point out that the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the prophet Joseph Smith occurred on the heels of a centuries-long Christian apostasy. If that apostasy occurred because wild branches “overran the roots” and “took strength unto themselves” in the early centuries A.D., then what should one call the very same condition that precipitates the house of Israel’s endtime re-grafting back into its own olive tree? Have we considered the implication of so many wild branches in the end being “plucked off,” “hewn down,” and “cast into the fire” in God’s Day of Judgment (Jacob 5:35–73)?

When God is sidelined by our preoccupation with vain amusements and contemporary idols, would we not assume that the ensuing spiritual blindness would be that "awful state of blindness" spoken of by Nephi, and wouldn't this state of blindness leave us perilously unaware of that which is to come and our role in it?

I have written extensively about these signs of apostasy, but here will give an extensive, although not even close to exhaustive, list of scriptural references of some of the conditions which signal the apostasy of the Lord's people, keeping in mind that apostasy is not so much a falling away from the truth as it is a perversion of it. These are the conditions that corrupt the vineyard and bring forth wild fruit!

Let's begin with a modern day scripture found in the preface to the Doctrine & Covenants. "They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall" (D&C 1:16 emphasis added). 

Israel anciently and us of the Lord's people today are tempted to commit ourselves to something of pure human fabrication rather than to what is of God. We give way to humanism and subscribe to the philosophy that we fare "in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospers according to his genius, and every man conquers according to his strength" (Alma 30:17). We blame politicians, liberals, conservatives, and others, but ignore our own role in the conditions that exist today.

We subscribe to relativism and the grading of sins by imagining that we are good because we have not committed any of the 'serious' sins. These false tendencies of the mind that hinder clear thought are the essence of idolatry. And worse, the values represented by these idols either replace or exist side by side with the worship of the true God, and in many cases are thought to be the values of the true God. 

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator" (Roman's 1:21-23;25). Putting our trust in men, we adopt a an ideology based on our values, or lack thereof, ignoring the Lord's definition of good and evil.  Are you a conservative or a liberal? And all the while we let what the Lord has said fall by the wayside.  

Going about to establish our own righteousness rather than the righteousness of God has always been a characteristic of Israel's apostasy (Roman's 10:1-4). It is the result of attempting to establish our righteousness by the letter of the law or outward performances rather than by faith in Christ (Roman's 9:30-33). The image we have of ourselves is that of the good guys in a world of bad guys. There is a reason the Lord describes this as vain imaginations. And as long as we think of ourselves as the good guys we will never see or hear the Lord's warnings to us!

Virtually every instance of the expression "imaginations of the heart" in the scriptures likens such imaginations with idolatry and following other gods. Moses gives us to understand that self-deception, or "drunkenness," follows a personal lack of "thirst" for the knowledge of God.  Paul concurs with that interpretation.  He says that imaginations--or reasonings and rationalizations--are a kind of conceit or pretense that exalts itself "against the knowledge of God" (2 Cor. 10:5).  Then, though "they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Rom 1:21). Moses concludes his warning by showing how the Lord will not withhold his anger and jealousy from such but will bring "all curses that are written in this book" upon them, separating them unto evil from his covenant people, blotting out their names from under heaven (Deut. 29:20-21).

Ironically, appearances of true worship persist in every stage of apostasy.  Laying stress on outward observances is often a symptom of alienation from the true God.  When false gods are the order of the day, people feel the need to scrupulously preserve the exterior of true worship. Those who reach that point confuse righteousness with actively congregating and religiously performing ecclesiastical duties. In such worship, institutional convention becomes the enemy of spontaneity, resulting in dead, stereotypical devotion.

What follows is a scriptural list of many of the symptoms of the Mormon Gentiles' apostasy as prophesied by using types, or what has been shall be.

"For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord.... The show of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they cannot hide it.  Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves" (2 Nephi 13:9; compare Isaiah 3. 

And what was the sin of Sodom? "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy" (Ezekiel 16:49). And Ezekiel says that Israel was "corrupted more than they (Sodom and Samaria) in all their ways" (Ezekiel 16:47 emphasis added).

"Their land (our land) also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; ...neither is there any end of their chariots: Their land also is full of idols, they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made" (Isaiah 2:7-8).

“These people approach me with the mouth and pay me homage with their lips, while their heart remains far from me, their piety toward me consisting of commandments of men learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13). Mormon Gentiles carrying on as if a lesser law constitutes the whole law has led to their “ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

"Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness. Nevertheless, they call themselves of the holy city, but they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name" 1 Nephi 20:1-2; Isaiah 48:1-2).

"For they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be" (2 Nephi 32:7), causing the prophets to mourn because of their unbelief, ignorance, and stiffneckedness.

Especially the words of Isaiah.

For the Gentiles to lightly pass over the Book of Mormon’s Isaiah passages—which lie at the heart of its message—is thus to belittle Nephi’s, Jacob’s, and Jesus’ words. Such neglect shows a lamentable disregard for their painstaking labors on behalf of us and their descendants, leaving the Mormon Gentiles ignorant of Isaiah’s message at the very time comprehending it turns into a matter of life and death. They simply ignore the Savior's command to search the words of Isaiah (3 Nephi 23:1).

They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me because their hearts are 'set' upon the things of the world, on their diversions, comfort and security.  JS--H 1:19).  

"Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 27:25).

"They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14).

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well! Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost! Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!" (2 Nephi 28:24-27).

And the list goes on.

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.  Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me..." (2 Nephi 28:31-32).

"For behold the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep.  For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity" (2 Nephi 27:5; Mosiah 29:27).

"And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block,... and preach unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor.  

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.  ...But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish" (2 Nephi 26:20;29).

"Behold, O God, they cry unto thee, and yet their hearts are swallowed up in their pride.  Behold, O God, they cry unto thee with their mouths, while they are puffed up, even to greatness, with the vain things of the world.  Behold, O my God, their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with; and behold, their hearts are set upon them, and yet they cry unto thee and say--We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto thee, while others shall perish" (Alma 31:27-28).

"And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches.  And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up..." (3 Nephi 6:10;14; see also Alma 4).

"Yea, and we may see at the very time he doth prosper his people...; doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts and do forget the Lord their God and do trample under their feet the Holy One--yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity" (Helaman 12:2).

"But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they shall have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire from whence there is no return" (3 Nephi 27:11 emphasis added).

And still more.

"And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth--that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief.  And wo be unto the children of men if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one" (Moroni 10:24-25).

"And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches...making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation..." (Heleman 4:12 emphasis added).

"And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things.  Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Nephi 23:1 emphasis added). This is the litmus test, meaning a key indicator, and we are failing. As a group Mormon Gentiles know very little about Isaiah's teachings and prophecies. To us it is still a sealed book.

"And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.  And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now" (D&C 84:49-53).

And this from Moroni who saw our day.

"Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, 

Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, 

and I know your doing. 

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; 

and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, 

unto the wearing of very fine apparel, 

unto envying, 

and strifes, 

and malice, and 

persecutions, 

and all manner of iniquities; 

and your churches, yea, even every one, 

have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. 

For behold, ye do love money, 

and your substance, 

and your fine apparel, 

and the adorning of your churches, 

more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. 

O ye pollutions, 

ye hypocrites, 

ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, 

why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? 

Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?" (Mormon 8:35-38).

President Spencer W. Kimball said in a Bicentennial address in 1976:

"Few men have ever knowingly and deliberately chosen to reject God and his blessings. Rather, we learn from the scriptures that because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things more immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things. Therefore, in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the “arm of flesh” and in “gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know” (Dan. 5:23)—that is, in idols. Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn’t also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry."

He says further: "And so it often seems to be with people, having such a firm grasp on things of the world—that which is telestial—that no amount of urging and no degree of emergency can persuade them to let go in favor of that which is celestial. Satan gets them in his grip easily. If we insist on spending all our time and resources building up for ourselves a worldly kingdom, that is exactly what we will inherit" (The False Gods We Worship, Spencer W. Kimball).

And Moroni adds his voice.

"This [record] cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God--that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done" (Ether 2:11-12).

And this is another very clear warning to us. 

"But inasmuch as they keep not my commandments, and hearken not to observe all my words, the kingdoms of the world shall prevail against them.  For they were set to be a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men.  And inasmuch as they are not the saviors of men, they are as salt that has lost its savor, and is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men" (D&C 103:5; 8-10). Note link between salt losing its savor and wild fruit.

And this from Joseph Smith:

"I will proceed to tell you what the Lord requires of all people, high and low, in order that they may escape the judgments of God which are almost ready to burst upon the nations of the earth. Repent of all your sins [there it is; faced with destruction, the answer is to repent]. Not many years away, the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not had a parallel in the history of our nations. Pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation off the face of the land to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel. Repent, repent is the voice of God to Zion, and strange as it may appear, yet it is true, mankind will persist in self-justification until all their iniquity is exposed, their character past redeeming. Hear the warning voice of God lest Zion fall and the Lord swear in his wrath the inhabitants of Zion shall not enter into his rest. Intemperance, immorality, extravagance, pride, blindness of heart, idolatry, loss of natural affection, love of this world, indifference toward things of eternity are increasing among those Latter-day Saints who profess to believe in the religion of heaven. Who but those can see the awful precipice upon which the world of mankind stands in this generation and can labor in the vineyard of the Lord without feeling a sense of the world's deplorable situation?"

There are many other references to the Mormon Gentiles' apostasy such as not knowing the Lord; being bound by the chains of hell because they don't search and treasure up the words of God; hearing but not hearing; their tablets for learning are filled with vomit (they just regurgitate what they have heard others say); they are indifferent to His Words and treat them lightly; they do not prepare themselves for the Lord hastening his work nor for His second coming and the events associated with His great and Marvelous work; they prefer to live by the world's economy rather than by the law of consecration, having rejected it; as Brigham Young said they do not know a-b-c about Zion; they talk in tenets (D&C 19:31); they prefer that their leaders speak unto them of smooth things (Isaiah 30:10); and they are in an awful state of blindness and bring forth wild fruit.  

They believe they are the good guys and do not liken all scriptures unto themselves and therefore get nothing from the scriptures concerning their real condition. 

We preach to ourselves, but seldom apply to ourselves, that the fruits of our labors or the lack thereof result from personal choices. And like the children of Israel, who, when they were given the opportunity to hear God directly, turned away and told Moses "speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die" (Exodus 20:19). This is another way of saying they put their trust in the prophet.

In short, the Mormon Gentiles settle for the treasures of the earth rather than the treasures of heaven.

Our darkened minds and the condemnation that rests upon us--because we accept only our cosmetic rendering of the scriptures, misread their meaning, and underrate their importance--are even now sealing upon our heads God's imminent judgments. 

The endtime events.

In D&C 88:73 when the Lord says, "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time," He is referring to His great and marvelous work (1 Nephi 14:7; 3 Nephi 21:9) which is identified by Isaiah, Nephi, Jacob and Jesus, the commencement of which was the Restoration and the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon.  There are an additional fourteen events associated with the Lord's great and marvelous work that have not yet happened and are indeed endtime events which will take place in domino fashion before the Lord's second coming.  They are (1) God's "setting his hand the second time" to restore the house of Israel;  (2) God's "baring his arm" in the eyes of all nations; (3) his servant fulfilling a mission to the nations; (4) the Gentiles' rejecting the fulness of the gospel after having received it (1 Nephi 22:18-20); (5) God's performing his "great and marvelous work" among the nations (1 Nephi 22:8); (6) Gentiles, including former believers "fighting against Zion;" (1 Nephi 22:14, 19); (7) the spiritual kings and queens of the Gentiles' nurturing the house of Israel (1 Nephi 22:6, 8); (8) the house of Israel [Jews, 10 Tribes & Lehi's Descendants] receiving the fulness of the gospel (1 Nephi 22:11-12); (9) God's righteous people being endowed with power (1 Nephi 22:17); (10) the House of Israel's returning from the four directions of the earth (1 Nephi 22:12, 25); (11) the destruction of the wicked (1 Nephi 22:13-19); (12) the deliverance of the righteous (1 Nephi 22:16-17, 19); (13) the house of Israel's receiving lands of inheritance (1 Nephi 22:12); and (14) the Father's fulfilling his covenants with the house of Israel (1 Nephi 22:6, 9, 11).

The vision is in the details of each event associated with the Lord's Day of Judgment. Hence the need to search out the details. Exactly how each event plays out and the players involved require knowing the details of not only Isaiah, Book of Mormon prophecies, but the prophecies of Christ, other Old Testament prophecies and the Book of Revelation. 

These prophecies not only identify the events, but also identify the players involved in the events and how each event will play out.  For example, the Lord making 'bare his arm' is the introduction of his latter-day servant whom Isaiah described as an arrow hidden in the Lord's quiver.  Jesus also identifies this servant with his great and marvelous work (3 Nephi 21:9-10). Enoch is a type of the latter-day servant. (Moses 6 & 7)

From Isaiah's implicit chronology, the following series of events appear to describe the end of the world.  As a result of the apostasy of God's people, calamity will overtake the world.  The king of Assyria (also called the king of Babylon), both code names for an endtime world power, and his armies will shake and terrify the nations.  He will seek to annihilate and exterminate entire peoples.  He will feign peace and deceive the nations, then treacherously and unexpectedly attack them.  Like an inundating deluge of mighty waters, his armies will invade and destroy all nations, of which America is part of the early harvest (Isaiah 28:2-4).  

The Nephite civilization in the Americas perished for similar reasons. To their ancestors, who migrated from Jerusalem, God said, “This land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes...But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord, . . . he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten..." (2 Nephi 1:7; 9-11).

Avraham Gileadi's summary of these events is worth paying attention to. I have seen these events from my own studies and can attest to their accuracy. 

"This king of Assyria will serve as the instrument of God's wrath to cause destruction in America and throughout the earth.  Like a flooding scourge, his armies will sweep through the land, leaving havoc and disaster in their wake.  They will turn the whole world into a wilderness.  The king of Assyria will tread peoples underfoot and cruelly oppress the nations he conquers.  He will plunder their wealth and annex all lands.  He will do away with the borders of nations.  He will subjugate all peoples to himself alone and make himself ruler of the world. Like a god, he will ascend above the clouds and set his throne high in the heavens, considering himself the equal of God.

The "Day of Jehovah" will desolate the earth.  Disturbances will occur in the heavens above. The earth will burst open and flow with lava.  The earth will be jarred from its orbit and reel to and fro like a drunkard.  Whole cities will turn into flying chaff and dust in an instant.  They will be consumed amid thunderous quakings, tempestuous blasts, and conflagrations of devouring fire. They will billow upward in mushrooming clouds of smoke.  The earth will be scorched and people will be as fuel for the fire. Towers will collapse and mountains will be removed.

A shroud of darkness will overshadow the earth like sackcloth.  The light of the sun, moon and stars will be hidden.  Incurable plagues will break out that will eradicate people like vermin.  People's corpses will cover the land, lying like litter about the streets. Those who survive will flee in panic and live in utter destitution.  People will hide underground and in caves and dens, lamenting for not having repented in time.  Chaos, anarchy, and lawlessness will rule the land because their whole society had become corrupt.

The Assyrians will ruin the lands of God's people.  They will attack them in war and destroy their armies. They will take them captive and yoke them down with heavy burdens.  They will strike them with rods and subject them as did the Egyptians of old. God's people will be enslaved and suffer bondage because they rejected their God and refused to respond to His love.  At that time, the Assyrians will lay siege to God's people in Zion and command them to surrender or perish. Then, God will come down on Mount Zion as he did on Mount Sinai.  He will wage war on the besieging Assyrian host and consume them by his fire. God's voice will terrorize the Assyrians and they will perish.

At this point, we turn from the negative aspects of Isaiah’s prophecy—God’s punishment of the wicked—to its positive aspects, God’s deliverance of the righteous, or those who believe the words of God. Even while rebellious people suffer calamities, those who repent and prove loyal to God experience salvation. In effect, God’s punishment of the wicked and deliverance of the righteous are inseparable and occur simultaneously, so you will see that many of the following events overlap with the ones previously mentioned. Of course, many additional, connected incidents round out this end-time scenario.

Just as we read about terror, captivity, and destruction for the wicked, so an entirely different experience comes to those who repent of evil, including the repentant Mormon Gentiles. (3 Nephi 16:13). These respond to God’s call and return from exile. As God scattered Israel in all directions, so he gathers them home again from every country. As God called Abraham to leave his kindred and people behind and come into the Promised Land, so these assemble from the ends of the earth. As Lot and his daughters escaped the burning desolation of Sodom and Gomorrah, so these come out of all nations barely in time to escape the nations’ desolation. 

The angel of destruction will pass over them as he passed over the Israelites in Egypt. God will save his people even as he destroys his people’s oppressors. They will return to the Promised Lands (the old and new Jerusalems) in a mass exodus as at the exodus out of Egypt. This time, however, Israel’s path will lead through all elements that may stand in the way. God’s people will walk through fire, through the sea, and through rivers. They will wander through wilderness and desert as they did of old. Mountain ranges will provide roads of return. God will guide his people home and protect them from enemies. He will lead them by springs of water and supply them with food. The heat of the sun will not oppress them. Wild animals will not harm or molest them. A cloud of glory will cover and protect them as it protected Israel from the Egyptians. It will form a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. The new exodus of God’s people will not be in a panic or in fear. It will be like Israel’s festal pilgrimage to Zion anciently. Those whom God delivers from destruction will sing songs of salvation as they march homeward. They will play flutes, drums, and stringed instruments as they wend their way toward the mountain of God. They will come rejoicing to Zion at the end of the world, their sorrows and tribulations left behind. Because people ridiculed them and put them to shame for being faithful to God’s covenant, God will endow them with everlasting joy. Because they were robbed, oppressed, and dealt with unjustly, God will award them an everlasting inheritance. 

God will raise up for his covenant people a deliverer, (who, with others like the 144,000 and repentant Gentiles) will lead them as Moses led Israel. Like Moses, the deliverer will free Israel from her oppressors. He will call God’s people out of all countries to Zion. He will teach them God’s law and establish justice and righteousness among them. His work of delivering God’s people will be as the dawning of the light before the rising sun. God will anoint and empower his servant and facilitate his work of delivering God’s people. God’s servant will reconstitute Israel’s tribes (Jews, 10 tribes and Lehi's descendants) and assign them lands of inheritance as did Joshua. He will unite Ephraim and Judah as did David. He will restore the nations’ lands as did Cyrus. He will defeat the invading Assyrian armies in battle just as Gideon defeated the Midianites. He and God’s people will rebuild Jerusalem and its temple. They will restore the desolated cities as did the ancient Israelites. They will resettle the lands of their inheritance and from there spread abroad to all parts of the earth. 

God will appoint righteous judges and leaders who will rule his people with justice and equity. God himself, in the person of Jehovah, will reign in their midst. His loving presence among them will be like the light of the sun. God will make a new covenant with his people—an unconditional covenant—as he did with Israel’s ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel’s God will dwell with his people in Zion as he dwelt with Israel in the Sinai wilderness. Zion will become as the Paradise of God when God re-creates the earth and regenerates his people. God’s people will live a long time, as their ancestors did in ancient times, and enjoy a millennial peace. 

What has been shall be again. This linking together of past events to create a sequence of end-time events tells us what Isaiah means by the “Day of Jehovah.” That day consists of a cycle of new events patterned after the old that comprehends the past and the future in one. God will not do something that will catch His righteous people unawares. He will do the same as He has done before. The future is contained in the past, so let the past teach us about the future. What has been done shall be done again. Do not be caught unawares!" 

(Endtime Prophecy, Avraham Gileadi)

 

Although we have the scriptures, how many of us believe them? We read of men and women and their valiant exploits yet resign ourselves to being worshipers of the world. We perceive the disparity between our experience of God and the miracles and mass conversions they performed but refrain from inquiring why we don’t do those things. Is it because we are unable or that God can’t use us? Or is it that we are unwilling to pay the price—that we would rather pretend our blessings equal theirs though the facts tell otherwise? One would assume that if we hadn’t personally experienced our Savior we would seek him until we found him as those ancients found him who walked and talked with him.

In the end, while some Gentiles to whom the gospel is restored repent and are “numbered among the house of Israel”—among Lehi’s descendants and others (1 Nephi 14:1–2)—many are “cut off from among my people who are of the covenant” (3 Nephi 21:11). They become as the salt of the earth which has lost its savor (3 Nephi 16:15). Those events occur sometime after the gospel has been restored, when the Gentiles who received it by and large apostatize. In short, it is the Gentiles’ ultimate rejection of the fulness of the gospel that causes it to turn back to the house of Israel (2 Nephi 28:32; 3 Nephi 16:10–16; 20:28–31).

Who today anticipates that the olive tree’s chief natural transplants—the Jews, Israel’s Ten Tribes, and Lehi’s descendants—will once again comprise the main olive tree and bear good fruit (Jacob 5:73–6:13)? Doesn’t “the first shall be last and the last shall be first” signify this (Luke 13:30; 1 Nephi 13:42; Jacob 5:63; Ether 13:12)?

"Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?  For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire? Behold, will ye reject these words?  Will ye reject the words of the Prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you" (Jacob 6:7-8 emphasis added)? 

Will God forever put off the end of the world with its anticipated tribulations for his elect because they happen to inconvenience you and me? Do we imagine that without being tried in all things we will simply drift into a glorious millennial age of peace through the great goodness of our God because we dutifully attend church and show kindness to friendly neighbors?

My purpose is not to pass judgment or to try to convince you, although I would hope you would believe His words, but to alert you to and warn you of, the conditions which precipitate the Lord's day of judgment. My prayer is that you immerse yourselves in His words and search them as if your life and the lives of your children depended on it, because they do! 

My hope is that if applicable to you, you will awake from a deep sleep, and not remain in an awful state of blindness, and will turn your heart and mind to Him, repent and "stay upon" Him, so that you will receive His mercy and not His judgment. My hope is that you will live a higher law based on receiving the love of God in your hearts, and this love will cause you to teach these things to your children and others, and acquaint them with these endtime prophecies so that they too will be prepared for them and teach them to others! 

We need not concern ourselves about a man that would wreak such devastation in order to conquer the world. Nor should we be afraid of him and his seemingly invincible armies. Instead we should repent of our sins that are the cause of such evil. His great and marvelous work will result in us being on the one hand or on the other (2 Nephi 14:7).

Who is it, therefore—“even as Moses said”—that will be “cut off from among my people who are of the covenant” when Jesus’ servant brings forth his words to “us, who are identified with the Gentiles” (3 Nephi 21:10–11; Doctrine & Covenants 109:60)?

Can any words be more clear than these from the Savior?

How oft have I called upon you

by the mouth of my servants, 

and by the ministering of angels, 

and by mine own voice, 

and by the voice of thunderings, 

and by the voice of lightnings, 

and by the voice of tempests, 

and by the voice of earthquakes, 

and great hailstorms, 

and by the voice of famines 

and pestilences of every kind, 

and by the great sound of a trump, 

and by the voice of judgment, 

and by the voice of mercy 

all the day long, 

and by the voice of glory and honor 

and the riches of eternal life, 

and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, 

but ye would not!

Behold, the day has come, 

when the cup of the wrath 

of mine indignation is full.

Behold, verily I say unto you, 

that these are the words 

of the Lord your God.

Hearken ye to these words. 

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, 

the Savior of the world.

D&C 43:25-27;34

(If you want to know for yourself, and if you need a place to begin, search all of 2nd Nephi, and I emphasize search. Search for links, recurring themes and patterns. Liken what you find unto yourselves and hear the voice of the Lord in His words and begin to "see with your eyes" and "hear with your ears.")

    

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