These posts on Repentance are intended to be read in order beginning with Repentance: Introduction. At the bottom of each post is a link to the next post.
"For in those days there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant" (JS Matthew 1:22 emphasis added). Compare the JS Translation of this verse with the King James version, which says: "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:24). Note that the only difference is that the JS Translation says "who are the elect according to the covenant." Also note that Joseph Smith 1 is a translation of Matthew 23:39 and chapter 24.
Jesus was asked by His disciples what will be the "signs of thy coming, and of the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, which is the end of the world" (JS Matthew 1:22)? Jesus answered, and "said unto them: Take heed that no man deceive you; for many shall come in my name, saying--I am Christ--and shall deceive many..." (JS Matthew 1:4-5).
What does Christ mean when he says: "who are the elect according to the covenant?" He tells us when He says that His elect shall be gathered from the four quarters of the earth. He is speaking of the covenant with Abraham, so often mentioned in the Book of Mormon and Isaiah, and that the elect of the House of Israel will be gathered before His second coming.
Jesus is talking about His second coming and events leading up to it, and in this context there will be many who will be deceived, in fact all but the very elect. Admittedly, civilizations are brought to ruin through complex pressures. But the Book of Mormon warns of one vice that stimulates and sustains other destructive forces. The Book of Mormon portends the destruction of nations by this ominous and pervasive power, showing how it gradually weakens them until they finally collapse. President Benson called one sin the "universal sin" which makes all others pale in comparison, a sin so dark that once fully committed, allows no turning back, no repentance, no remorse. The kind of deceptions spoken of by Christ are brought about by this one sin.
That sin in pride. Pride left unchecked leads to destruction. But not destruction by God, but by the people themselves when they seek to become a law unto themselves. Pride leads to hubris, which is an anti-god state of mind which expresses itself in deliberately profane activities. Hubris can be translated as pride, that is, self-conceit, and the acts that grow out of that conceit. Pride is not hubris but rather the evil disposition on which the sin is grounded and by which it is fueled. Pride does not necessarily lead to hubris, yet one cannot commit hubris without first being filled with pride.
From a Book of Mormon perspective we can see pride leading to hubris, and hubris leading to ate (pronounced Ah-tay), and ate is the point at which a person or a people have become fully ripe in iniquity, from which there is no turning back for at this point a person or a people have willfully refused to repent. They have committed the unforgivable sin, and when they do, there remains no repentance, only destruction. They willfully abide in sin continually, and therefore "cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still" (D&C 88:35).
And at this point, God withdraws his spirit from that person or people, and they are left unto themselves. They have attempted to reorder society so that they can do "according to their own wills." But God does not then cause the destruction that is to follow, but plays a part in it by withdrawing His spirit. The wicked then destroy the wicked.
God on the other hand does not send the destruction or cause it to happen. He works to save humankind. What options are left to God when a people reject Him?
The Lord's charge to Isaiah is what the Lord does. He told Isaiah to tell this people (us included),
"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 hearts, and convert, and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9-10).
This is the same reason Christ taught in parables, and in fact, when asked by His disciples why He spoke in parables, He quoted Isaiah 6:9-10.
This seems incongruous to the usual work of God until we realize how Isaiah was to fulfill this commandment.
It was, ironically, by proclaiming, not withholding, the gospel of salvation to Israel!
Isaiah saw that there was no way to save Israel except by the very word that would condemn them.
Note that Isaiah is telling us the response of those who hear but do not hear the word of God.
This allows us to understand properly the nature of hubris. This sin is committed not when God takes away the opportunity to repent, be forgiven, and come to Him, but when He allows the opportunity and it is willfully rejected.
Ate, a kind of spiritual blindness, results. God delivers them "to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil" (1 Nephi 14:7).
The Lord withdraws his Spirit because the people have blinded their minds and hardened their hearts against His words, and willed it that way. The result was and will be self-destruction. When a people sin to the point that judgment must come, destruction results; but it comes because of the removal of God's Spirit, His prophets, and His restraining hand. Thus it is by the wicked, unrestrained in their wickedness, that the wicked are destroyed (Mormon 4:5). But what other choice does God have?
By proclaiming the gospel, God sets up the conditions by which the disobedient come under ate. It is the final time the gospel is proclaimed before the endtime events caused by the people ripening in iniquity. Ripening in iniquity means that the people have wilfully refused to repent.
The Book of Mormon provides two examples of this destruction by the wicked in America with both the Jaredites and the Nephites. God's warning concerning America or 'this land' that when the people choose iniquity (Alma 10:19), then the "fulness of his wrath should come upon them. And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.... And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they shall be swept off" (Ether 2:8-10).
These conditions constitute being ripe in iniquity:
1) when "the voice of the people choose iniquity" (Alma 10:19);
2) when the people "turn aside the just for a thing of naught and privilege against that which is good, and say it is of no worth" (2 Nephi 28:16);
3) when the people reject "every word of God" (1 Nephi 17:35); and
4) "when [they] cast out the righteous from among them" (Helaman 13:14).
"Then shall they be ripe for destruction" (ibid)
In the case of both the Jaredites and the Nephites, the sword destroyed thousands, but the people were past seeing, feeling, and repenting. Ate had fallen upon them, and it was because of their wickedness and abominations.
And even with the records of the Jaredites, the Nephites did not think it would apply to them and failed to see with their eyes or hear with their hearts. Their hearts had grown fat. The Nephites did not just dwindle in unbelief, but wilfully rebelled against God (hubris) at the very time when His gospel was preached among them with incredible power (4 Nephi 1:38).
And even with the records of the Jaredites and the Nephites, we have missed seeing that the same will happen in America again. As I have said before, the failure of the people of God (us) to repent is the catalyst. The people of the church act as the barometer for the people of the nation. The pride which led to hubris and then ate among the Jaredites and the Nephites began with the church and was evident by the inequality that existed among them. "The people (of the church) began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning... (3 Nephi 6:12) The work of pride caused them to compete with both God and man, and it resulted in a spiritual blindness so profound that the people could neither see or feel, thus fulfilling the Lord's command to Isaiah to blind their eyes, close their ears, and make their hearts fat. It was not because He withheld His Gospel, but because He proclaimed it with power and authority!
Final catastrophe of the Nephites was their unsought reward--not the losing of battles to the Lamanites. And why? Keep in mind that the Nephites at the end were the same people who had lived the Lord's law for almost 200 years. They had all things in common, and there was no rich or poor and all were free. They experienced great prosperity and many great and marvelous works. The people of Nephi waxed strong and multiplied exceedingly fast and became a fair and delightsome people. The were married and blessed by God. And they did meet together often to hear the word of the Lord. There was no contention because of the Love of God which dwelled in the hearts of the people. There was not a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. They were one. 4 Nephi 1:1-20
But cracks started to form. A small part of the people revolted from the church. Pride found its way into the hearts of the people. And they were divided into classes. They came to the point where they rejected God and His gospel, and the wicked people "were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner of iniquity" (4 Nephi 1:34). Thus a frenzy of church building took place as the apostasy become ever more complete. Indeed, "there were many churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which professed to know Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of the Gospel of Christ. "And this church did multiply exceedingly because of iniquity" (4 Nephi 1:27-28).
In response, priesthood power, as opposed to ecclesiastical power, and the power of the Holy Ghost were removed. The Gifts of the Spirit were withheld, such that miracles and revelations ceased. When a people deny the power and gifts of God, they are removed. Grieved, the Spirit departed. The saints themselves "began to be proud in their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, and became vain like unto their brethren" (4 Nephi 1:43). The three Nephites were all that remained as the last of the righteous. The voice of the people had chosen iniquity.
And Mormon lamented, "I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually" (Mormon 2:15), and "Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin" (Mormon 2:13).
While these types point to our day, there are some who will not be deceived. The Lord refers to these as His very elect. And what distinguishes those who are not deceived? "And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived..." (JS Matthew 1:37 emphasis added).
This blog is not written for my own enjoyment, but because I can clearly see that which will come to pass. There is only one remedy for us to not be deceived, and that is to treasure up His words. The theme of this blog is the word of God. I cannot say it loud enough or enough times just how crucial the word of God is in our day. Without it, we will be deceived, and find ourselves cut off from the Spirit of God. Partial truths from the pulpit, blogs, podcasts, and social media will not cut it. We are either armed with the Sword of Truth or we are not. There is no middle ground. Only the word of God will keep us from being deceived in these last days.
I often see His revelations as benchmarks of where we are with respect to the word of God. When applied to ourselves we can see on which side of the divide we will fall, for as Nephi said concerning the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work: "For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or the other--either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken" (1 Nephi 14:7 emphasis added).
Note that Nephi uses the same language as did Mormon when he said that he "saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually" (Mormon 2:15 emphasis added).
See I Am Obliged for a more specific prophetic analysis concerning America.
Both temporally and spiritually! And yet just as vague ideas exist about the 'gathering of Israel" the same applies to the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work, and the fact that the Lord will hasten His work in its time. Both the gathering of Israel and the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work are part of the same end-time scenario, and while commenced, has many more events associated with it according to the Lord's revelations of these events.
Our misunderstanding their prophetic context may risk turning our zealous labors (zeal without knowledge) into wild fruits, which are good for nothing but to be cast into the fire and burned. We will talk more about both in Part 2 of this post.
One of the most remarkable revelations given to Joseph Smith is found in D&C 45, some of which we will cover in this Part 1. Again your response to this revelation is a barometer of where you are.
The Lord begins:
"Behold, I am God; give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my words" (See also D&C 6:2).
Right at the outset we are charged twice to give heed to His word, of which He reminds us that we will be found on one side or the other.
"Hearken, O ye people of my church, to whom the kingdom has been given; Hearken ye and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth, who made the heavens and all the hosts thereof, and by whom all things were made which live, and move, and have a being;
Three times in this verse alone he tells us to 'hearken' and 'give ear to Him.' He specifically admonishes those of His church. Now connect the Lord's charge to Isaiah: "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."
And again I say, hearken unto my voice, lest death shall overtake you; in an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended, and your souls are not saved.
And a fourth time He says "hearken unto my voice." We can begin to see how we can be saved both temporally and spiritually, as we hearken to His voice.
Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him--
And for the fifth time in four verses--Listen to Him!
Saying, Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased, behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
The blood we drink at the time we witness unto God that we are willing to take upon us His name.
Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.
From the Book of Mormon we know that to believe on His name is to believe His words, and to believe His words is to Believe in Him, thereby connecting the divide between those who believe His words, and those who do not. Make note that you just can't say 'well I believe' without knowing and receiving His words.
Hearken, O ye people of my church, and ye elders listen together, and hear my voice while it is called today, and harden not your hearts;
Again! No comment needed.
For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and life of the world--a light that shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
Do we find ourselves bathed in His light or are we in the darkness? The darkness without His light, is the result of His withdrawing His spirit because of the willful refusal of His people to listen, hear, see, and repent, being ripe in iniquity, which leads to destruction (ate) both temporally and spiritually.
I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not; but unto as many as received me gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God; and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life.
Those that receive His words receive Him, and obtain the power (His Gospel) to obtain eternal life. Another way of saying the very elect.
I will jump forward to verses 25; 28-30, but please read the verses between to lay the foundation. The Lord is giving us a time frame when the Lord will start gathering His very elect. And that time frame is the time when the day of the Gentiles comes to an end.
He says:
"But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (D&C 45:25 emphasis added).
What is the time of the Gentiles? It is the time when the Gospel is still being preached to the nations. Nations mean Gentiles.
"And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel...."
Those that sit in darkness are the House of Israel. The light they receive is the Gospel of Jesus Christ delivered to them by the Lord's latter-day servant. (More on this servant in Part 2.) Or as Paul wrote: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceit; that blindness in part happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25 emphasis added).
The Gentiles, of which we are identified receive the light for a time, but eventually willfully reject it because of pride and their refusal to receive the fulness of the Gospel. It is then that the Gospel is taken from us and given to the House of Israel, who, for the most part, receive it. 3 Nephi 16:11. They, the House of Israel, believe the words delivered by the servant and those who assist him. (3 Nephi 20 & 21). See Jesus' First Prophecy and Jesus' Second Prophecy.
And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (D&C 45:28-30).
When God sends "righteousness" down from heaven and "truth" out of the earth, "to sweep the earth as with a flood to gather out mine elect from the four corners of the earth" (Moses 7:62 emphasis added), will you be ready? What shall you do when records that were sealed up by prophets whom God had "shown all things...come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel" (1 Nephi 14:25-26 emphasis added)?
Either you will be among "they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived," or among the foolish who are cast "into unquenchable fire" in the day God makes "an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked" (D&C 45:57;63:54). Either on one hand or on the other.
In each dispensation the Lord has had to say "I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off" (Moses 6:27).
Again notice the connection between Jehovah's words to Enoch and Jehovah's words to Isaiah: "And he said, 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 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 emphasis added).
"And for these many generations (down to our own), ever since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark..." (Moses 6:28).
Like the Israelites in Moses time, we are uncomfortable dealing with God directly. We prefer our own counsels and conversing among ourselves. And when a people's devotion to God becomes but a shallow version of his law and word, it lacks the power to withstand evil.
When the Lord says that all but "the very elect" will be deceived, doesn't that imply that everyone else will be?
Refusing to search the prophecies, on the other hand, makes people "willingly ignorant" of what will transpire when Jesus comes again and catches them unprepared (2 Peter 3:2-10).
Next: Repentance: All But The Very Elect Will Be Deceived Part 2
