Ask Wally

Wally,

I am having a difficult time with the church, and I don't know how to reconcile what I have been taught, and what I read in the scriptures, particularly concerning being nourished continually by the word of God in Moroni 6:4, and not a watered down version of His words.

I read in the Book of Mormon that the "churches met together so that they could "hear the word of God" (Mosiah 25:20). And there "was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God" (Mosiah 25:22).

I do not understand why we are, it seems to me, required to useGeneral Conference talks in Priesthood and Relief Society classes, and even in Sacrament meetings, when we have the written records which we are taught contain the word of God. It concerns me a great deal and is starting to make me wonder why we even have a General Conference. It is as if General Conference is justified just so the talks can be published and used as our learning curriculum. And it changes every six months. 

Abigail

Hi Abigail,

I have often wondered the same thing. While it is possible to hear the word of God spoken at General Conference, it is best if we believe Christ when He tells us to rely on the written records. In fact He always emphasizes the scriptures (the written records) over the teachings of men mingled with scriptures. Moroni’s admonition to nourish members with the word of God is the Lord's teaching. 

This said, there is a major gap between what is supposed to be taught, and what is actually taught in our meetings. If you are not being nourished by the word of God in your meetings, my advice is to search the scriptures while attending your meetings. While this may seem rude, you are at least being fed. That being said, you should not rely alone on others to teach you. It is up to you to seek and know the word of God. If you know or think someone has the gift of knowledge, you should seek that person out and asked to be taught. More

Best to you, Wally

Wally,

I have two questions, but they are related. First, my grandson lost his Church membership at a disciplinary council. Second, my cousin asked that her name be removed from the Church records. 

Questions: 

Are their baptisms still valid, even though neither is a member of record? or

Do they need to be re-baptized, and be members of record of the Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day Saints in order to repent, so as not to be under the bondage of sin?

Mindy

Hi Mindy,

When an adult person is baptized by proper authority, and the baptism was the first fruits of their repentance, then they are baptized unto repentance, or baptized so they can continue to repent. They kept the commandment of their Father to be baptized, and in order to keep the commandment to repent, they must be baptized. 

Let's compare your son's and cousin's experiences, to someone who has not had records removed, but simply has gone inactive. In the latter case, it seems there is no question but that the person was born of the water, baptized unto repentance, and if he decides to turn and repent, there is no need to be baptized again. 

While the Church's position will differ, the baptism in both cases is still a born of the water experience, and both of them, if they decide, can continue to repent without having to be baptized again. But if they want to be in full fellowship with the organized Church, the Church will require a new baptism, which is the Church's right to do so. But according to D&C 10:67-70, only those who repent are of His church, regardless of Church membership.

But, according to the Church, re-baptism is the ordinance required to restore the full blessings and covenant status within the established structure of the Church.

I would say to your Son and Cousin, however, that if they decide to repent, to ask God what is best for them, just repentance, or repentance and church membership. As the fruits of their repentance will include saying nothing but repentance to others, there is no better place to do so than among active Church members.

Best to you, Wally

Sons & Daughters of God

"Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters... (Mosiah 27:25 emphasis added).

Becoming "his sons and daughters" is an exalted state, and is not the same as being God's children, as all of the family of Adam are God's children. Let me explain. According to Isaiah, there is an ascension into heaven whereby we move either up this ladder or down. The higher we ascend, the closer we get to God and the more like Him we become. Conversely, the lower we descend, the farther away we get from God and the less like Him we become. I do not like the term ascend as it may imply that it is through our own efforts, but it is definitely a movement upward as we receive and become more. Each rebirth on a higher level is like an awakening from sleep to a deeper awareness, as in more intelligence or more light and truth as we become more like Him. 

The levels he describes are:

Seraphs

Sons-Daughters/Servants

Zion/Jerusalem

Jacob/Israel 

Babylon 

These are listed in order with Babylon being the lowest, keeping in mind that at the endtime, Babylon and everything and everyone in it will be destroyed. Over time we grow ignorant of anything but Babylon, and by choosing falsely or by aborting life's tests, we forfeit being reborn on higher levels. Isaiah characterizes Babylon as saying: "I exist, and other than I there is nothing!" 

People just can't imagine that the end of their world draws near. They have lost touch with the source of salvation, and they put themselves out of reach of deliverance. By rejecting the true God, who gave us the ability to choose for ourselves, in the end they fall into the hands of a false God, or one who wants to be God, who will speak to them in a foreign tongue, the King of Assyria / Babylon.

Jacob/Israel is a beginning point on Isaiah’s ladder to heaven. Ancient Israel's exile from the Promised Land sets the stage for modern Israel's return. In an endtime setting Jacob/Israel comprises people of all nations whom God seeks to reclaim. For us Ephramite Gentiles who have been gathered in, most still remain in the Jacob/Israel category, having entered into the covenant, but who, while religious, are not repenting, are not coming to Christ. We will, however, have to move, in one direction or the other, from the Jacob/Israel category. We will either receive more or receive less and be captured in Babylon. It is better to be ascending now than to wait for the endtime. "I will not spare any that remain in Babylon" (D&C 64:24).

In the endtime, the Jacob/Israel category ceases to exist. These make up those who believe in God, but who have not yet turned to Christ, are not yet repenting. God challenges Jacob/Israel to cease clinging to the false idea of him, to do more than merely believe that He exists. They must choose between the true God--the Savior--and the false gods who cannot save. They must choose between Christ and Babylon. 

Even the earth will ascend to the Zion/Jerusalem level as it enters the millennial age. At the end of the world, God destroys Babylon and delivers Zion/Jerusalem. Jacob/Israel disappears into the categories above or below.

According to Isaiah, "Israel" represents those who have renewed the covenant but who are not repenting. "Jacob" represents those who believe in God but who have not yet entered into the covenant or have not yet been baptized. Both groups can, however, ascend to the next level by keeping God's commandment to repent and turn to Him, and then by entering into the new and everlasting covenant.

Simply calling ourselves God's covenant people will not decide our destiny at the end of the world. A person may confess that he is committed to God but at the same time pursues antichrist activities, while not even recognizing these activities as being antichrist. These activities can even be fun, stimulating and rewarding activities.

Zion/Jerusalem consists of those who are repenting, who do more than just believe. These have passed the test and recognize that whatever invites them to love God--to covenant with Him to keep His law and word (are repenting)--is of God, and whatever entices them away from God, to break faith with Him, is evil. But these have chosen God.

When we reach the Zion/Jerusalem awareness, we have received His grace, and He has lifted us up through His power beyond the Jacob/Israel stage. We have repented, and continue to repent, and can now accept God's covenant because we come to know that He only covenants with those who are repenting. We are returning to God, relying wholly upon His merits, putting our faith in Him. Having entered into His covenant, we can find forgiveness of sins and the beginning of a spiritual journey (grace to grace) that eventually brings us into God's presence.

Being in a state of grace and not under the bondage of sin, these move from grace to grace as they ascend to a higher level (D&C 93). In an endtime scenario these are they who are gathered out of the world in an endtime exodus to their lands of inheritance where Zion will eventually be established. 

According to Isaiah only a tenth of all the people in the world will make this exodus, even though there will be others who will later desire to return, even though the time will be short. 

Because these being gathered, as opposed to the Ephramite Gentiles who have already been gathered, are just babes, the Lord's Servant will act as their Lord to gather them from throughout the earth to their lands of inheritance, either to the old or new Jerusalem. For us who should not be babes, having been given the word of God, and who should know better, being still at the Jacob/Israel level is precarious at best.

The Lord says it best:

"Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation" (D&C 93:31-32 emphasis added).

Sons-Daughters of God are those who choose to serve god by serving their fellow human beings. They minister spiritually to levels below their own, while they are ministered to by those above. God makes a covenant with his 'Sons' and 'Daughters' individually, not just collectively as He does with those of Zion/Jerusalem. That individual covenant is first conditional--dependent on the person's accepting completely the terms of the covenant--then unconditional. When it becomes unconditional, God himself ministers to his 'Sons' and 'Daughters.' This means that these levels are not static as we continue to receive more grace and intelligence. It is actually God who does the creating. What we become when we are reborn and ascend is His doing, not ours.

As we have seen, people who are ascending to Zion/Jerusalem are primarily concerned with repenting of their sins and returning to God. By passing tests of loyalty, which tests God orchestrates for them, they show their allegiance to Him. Persons who receive grace for grace to ascend to the Sons-Daughters/Servants level, are primarily concerned with things beyond the forgiveness of their sins. By tending to the spiritual and material needs of others, they follow God's example, developing His attributes and character traits as they receive more grace.

They become examples of righteousness by serving as God's agents of 'deliverance' and 'salvation' to those who are still in need of deliverance. They are willing to be in the world to bring others out of the world. They are in the process of 'sanctifying' their lives in the service of God. God's will is becoming their will. God's Sons-Daughters/Servants, both now and in the endtime, are those who do/will fulfill the role of deliverers and saviors to God's people. These include all those who thrust in their sickles and reap, being concerned for the welfare of the soul, and especially for the souls of their friends and family.

These have been born again and changed from their lost, fallen and carnal state, to a state of righteousness, and become His sons and daughters. Christ promises those who thrust in their sickle and reap while the day lasts, that He will give them power to become 'the sons [and daughters] of God" (D&C 11:30). 

God cannot refuse His sons' and daughters' desire to deliver others as they prove loyal and comply with His will, His will being what is best for all. 

As they become more like God, by learning to love and serve others, by receiving His love for others, they fulfill the role of deliverers and saviors to God's people. God's sons and daughters are not only no longer under the bondage of sin, but under grace, and eventually He will also overcome the effects of their iniquities. Because our iniquities impact others, they need to be reversed. Iniquities are the after-effects of sin. This will be done as we become more like God, and God responds to our prayers to turn the effect of our iniquities on others into good, as He has promised those who love Him and keep his commandments, for through repentance God rebuilds all that which was ruined.

Those who make this transition in their lives completely change their thought processes. As they open themselves to the influence of God’s Spirit, God enlightens them to his truth, to things as they really are, different from their former, imperfect perception of the truth. They become aware of, and discard, fixed beliefs about themselves and others that have bound them to patterns of living below their potential. The gap between their beliefs and the truth is being eliminated.

Isaiah is a perfect example of ascent to the son/servant level. When he saw the God of Israel, the seraph who ministered to him declared, “Your iniquities are taken away and your sins atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7.) Isaiah had rejected the ways of his people and accepted God’s ways. (Isaiah 8:11–18.)

Isaiah introduces seraphim in Isaiah 6 and parallels their role with his own in Isaiah 40. Isaiah ascends, through grace to grace, from Son/Servant to Seraph, and Isaiah, through his words, continues to minister to those below.

Like God’s sons/servants, seraphs “justify” those to whom they minister by “bearing” their sins and iniquities so that they may escape destruction at the hands of the king of Assyria/Babylon. Seraphs, however, take covenant keeping to the next level. They bring many of God’s people out of the path of destruction in the “last days” when God cleanses the earth of the wicked.

When Jesus said, “He will send his angels…and they will gather together his elect from the four winds,” he surely meant those who would reach the Seraph level. (Matthew 24:31; emphasis added.) In Isaiah’s endtime scenario, gathering the elect is precisely the mission of God’s servant and his seraph-associates. They bring God’s “sons” and “daughters” to the place Zion or Jerusalem in a new exodus from the four directions of the earth.

Although their role resembles that of angels, it is more than that of “messengers.” As kings and priests to God—as proxy saviors on the Seraph level—they are more effective in their ministry than all others of God’s children. Their earthly missions are central to the fulfillment of God’s redemption of his people in the “last days.” Together with God’s servant, they labor in the world against evils greater than God’s people can overcome on their own. God has kept Seraphs in reserve as a power for good to all who rely on him. The “deliverance” and “salvation” they secure for others is second only to Jehovah’s.

Seraphim overcome death and see the end from the beginning. Their worldwide ministry is characterized by divine intervention. They gather God’s elect from throughout the earth. John’s 144,000 servants of God correspond with Isaiah’s seraphs/saviors.

Of course there is so much more in terms of scriptural types of each of these levels as identified by Isaiah. This very short version is given as both an incentive and a warning to the Ephramite Gentiles. You cannot and will not stay where you are. You will either be receiving grace for grace as you come closer to God, or you will find yourself remaining in Babylon. 

We differ from God and angels only with respect to the light and truth we have received, or better said, only with respect to the light and truth we have become and are becoming. 

In effect, “rebirth” on every level constitutes “re-creation,” as the person who is reborn assumes a new identity. God re-creates, or rather “de-creates” even those who descend, because they are now no longer what they used to be. God continues to “create” us spiritually, some male and others female, until we become like him—until we grow into his image and likeness.

As John bore record, 

"And I, John, saw that he (Christ) received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness" (D&C 93:12-13 emphasis added).

This same promise is given to us;

"For if you keep my commandments* you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace" (D&C 93:20 emphasis added).

And no time to wait! We should begin to receive more and to become more, even now!

*"Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day" (3 Nephi 27:20).

For a more complete picture see Isaiah Decoded: Ascending The Ladder To Heaven, by Avraham Gileadi. 

Good Guys vs Bad Guys

I am not sure where the idea came from, but when I was quite young I had this idea that there were good guys and bad guys in almost every perceived area of my life. There were good kids at school and in our neighborhood, and bad kids as well. There were good neighbors and bad neighbors. People in the church were usually perceived as being good, even though there seemed to be some bad ones as well. Bible stories had good guys and bad guys, and of course the Nephites were the good guys and the Lamanites were the bad guys. There were good girls and bad girls. The good guys always were players on the teams I liked, and the bad guys played for the teams that were trying to beat the good guys. People who smoked were bad, and were really bad if they smoked cigars.

This idea kept me from venturing too far from home, as it seemed to me that there could be more and even worse bad guys in the neighborhoods further from my house.

No one that I can remember ever said any of this to me. It just seemed to be there, perhaps as a custom or a tradition. Perhaps I just liked it that way so I could identify with the good guys.

Neighbors came in different varieties to me. Some were members of the Church, some not. Some were friendly to me, some not quite so friendly, and others that I was afraid of. There were three known (at least to the neighbor boys) pedofiles in our neighborhood, one just down the street from me. I didn't know that term, and strange as it may seem, I didn't really think of the one who molested me as being a really bad guy. I just learned to avoid him. I am sure, however, that my perspective about sex was altered by several experiences with Bob McKendrick.*

As I got older, there was still a good guy/bad guy perspective, but it was changing. In high school, there were still good guys and bad guys. I was a good boy because I didn't do some of the things some of the other boys did. I didn't drink, smoke or hang out late at night. And I avoided those who did. I was curious about girls, attracted by them, and heard many stories, but had no ideas about sex or petting. Even the few times that I did 'make out' never led to anything more. I didn't even know what more was, at least not until I got married. 

Then, I believe that my being molested started to manifest in me. I mistakenly thought that something was wrong with me. This baggage that I brought into our marriage caused a division that was difficult to bridge. But because of my ideas about good and bad, this did not lead to anything more than just being disappointed. I just learned to accept it.

I was the classic example of a boy who was sheltered. I was not ready for the world. So how could someone like me, a boy who feared venturing into unknown neighborhoods, be living in France, so far away from what I had known? 

I eventually learned that no one is really good and no one is really evil. We are all in between. There are no good guys except how the world defines good guys, and I certainly was not a good guy.

My experience in the Marine Corps really broadened my perspective in many ways. I met many who were not LDS, but who were religious and loved their wives and children. I saw sacrifices made that I am not sure I could have made. I saw people, I think, for the first time, with no labels, and I liked them and enjoyed our differences. I realized that there were a lot more people better and braver than I was.

But I still did not feel comfortable in their world. Nor did I feel comfortable in the world as I experienced it on my mission in what was then the Central States mission, but I caught a glimpse of being in the world to help bring others out of the world.

But, I learned, the world is a dangerous place, not just because of crime, disease, war, corrupt people, and natural disasters, but because it is so inviting. It entices us with its glamor, its things, its music and its activities. And not only that, but it captures us with its systems and the values those systems represent. 

I thank my Heavenly Father for Hugh Nibley because of his gifts of teaching the word of God. As I wanted more and bigger, his writings always brought me back to the real world--God's real World, not the one we live in, which is Satan's. It was a conflict for me. Because of my desires, I tried to ignore what I was coming to know as God's will for me, but I couldn't. He wouldn't let me.

The danger for me wasn't what I had thought it was in my early and formative years. It wasn't those bad guys. The danger for me was becoming too comfortable in Satan's world, putting my trust in the economy, ignoring what I knew to be true, and thinking of myself as one of the good guys.

"What is it, then, of Babylon that has such a stranglehold on its people? Why are we tempted to commit ourselves to things of pure human fabrication rather than to what is of God? Even when the Jews had an opportunity to return to Jerusalem, most did not, but stayed in Babylon, even though they had been taken captive by this great world power. This was because it is so easy to assume the value of Babylon's systems, her way of doing things, because Babylon was so successful. They failed to realize that they had been taken captive by Babylon--again!" (The Stranglehold of Babylon, Fingerofgod.blogspot.com)

I succumbed to this temptation when I got caught up in the Nu Skin frenzy in the early 1990s. The first meeting I went to was in a house which blew me away with its size and decor. And to hear of people making twenty, fifty, one-hundred, even five-hundred thousand dollars a month! The theme of financial freedom was enticing, and I eventually left a senior partnership in my law firm to chase the dream. I didn't achieve it though. And how grateful I am now that I didn't. I learned just how easy it is to be enticed by the world. This also put a terrible strain on my marriage.

And it would not be the last time that I sought for riches and not for wisdom. Satan has 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" (3 Nephi 6:15). No, my friends, the Book of Mormon does not exaggerate either the relentless efficiency or the speed with which wealth corrupts all those who "set their hearts upon riches and the things of the world."

You can imagine the pain, sorrow and relief when I finally found out that I was not one of the good guys. I knew it was time that I needed the Lord's help to get prepared to do what He had called me to do when I was released as a bishop in the 1980s.

Christ in John Chapters 14, 15 and 17, identifies seven categories of persons or people. These seven categories include everyone--all, in the drama which is our lives on this earth.

1. His Father

2. Himself, Jesus Christ, as the Son of God

3. The Holy Ghost 

4. His apostles

5. His saints

6. The world, and

7. The Prince of the world

The summary of all our relationships to other beings is given in these chapters from the lips of the Savior.

The five levels at the top form an unbroken continuum, a single universe of discourse, which does not embrace the two lowest levels: the world and the prince of the world operate on their own principles on the other side of a great gulf as in Lehi's dream.

I think what I mistakenly thought were bad guys, was really a sense that I was in a dangerous place, a world that was inviting me with open arms. I resisted even when I was young, but it was so persistent that as I got older, I succumbed to the those areas where I could still maintain my status as one of the good guys by not participating in its more lurid activities, but becoming captive nevertheless. 

The tenet we hear often--being in the world but not of the world--is a fiction we have created to make us feel comfortable in the world while we see ourselves as good guys who are living the gospel. When we are in the world we are in it, subject to all its allures and temptations. 

But Christ makes a different distinction. He said, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own . . . but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19).

When we go into the world to bring people out of the world, we are still in the world, but He prays for us, while he does not pray for the world. 

"I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me" (John 17:9).

He has given us the tools necessary to navigate our way in the world as we work "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18).

"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17:14 emphasis added).

In short, the saints must be in the world to do their dangerous work of recruiting other would be saints out of the world. And saints does not mean in name and membership only. It is not a club. It includes those who have desired to, and been called of Him to thrust in their sickle and reap. The saints are those who are repenting, have been born again, changed from their carnal state to a state of righteousness, and are becoming sons and daughters of God.

In Isaiah's context those who have moved or are moving from Jacob/Israel to Zion/Jerusalem to Sons-Daughters/Servants, would be considered saints. To ascend to the Zion/Jerusalem level, people on the Jacob/Israel level must repent of transgressions until they obtain a remission of their sins. In that manner, they become heirs of salvation but not yet of “glory” or exaltation. Those who do not repent are of the world or as Isaiah says, they will remain in Babylon. 

To ascend to an exalted category, persons must become holy or “sanctified.” At that point, they are reborn or re-created as God’s “sons” and “daughters,” elsewhere called “just men made perfect” and God’s “elect.” Their perfection, however, pertains only to Isaiah’s son/servant category, as the higher a person ascends the greater the degree of perfection. Seraphs, for example, keep an even higher covenantal law and attain a higher level of holiness, resulting in their inheriting a greater glory.

Jacob adds, “But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever (2 Nephi 9:18 emphasis added).

Another help He has given His Saints is the Holy Ghost, whose purpose is to comfort those who have been called and bring to their remembrance all the words which Christ has spoken. [When the Comforter comes in his place], "the world cannot receive [him], because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him" (John 14:16-17).

Here visitors from above are not welcome; they are treated as trespassers and offenders--despised, rejected, and persecuted wherever they go. But the Lord leaves His peace with His saints but "not as the world giveth, give I unto you (John 14:13). To those He says, "I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit" (John 15:16).

All these things may seem perfectly obvious once they are pointed out, but we tend to forget them and identify with the world by the simple process of following the way of least resistance. Once in the world, even the angels are tempted. The posture of "sheep among wolves" is a difficult one to maintain: in fact, in most cases the sheep were "turned into wolves." Almost invariably the easy way, offering "the flesh-pots of Egypt" or "the precious things" at Jerusalem is the winner against the hard way of life in the wilderness.

"When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.... He that received the seed in stony places...he hath not root in himself, but dureth for awhile: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns,..the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful" (Matthew 13:19-22).

The world's answer to John 14, 15 and 17 is a hierarchy of fear and compulsion, both historically and presently, and it is becoming more evident to those who have been shielded from this for most of their lives.

The whole world has been engaged in a counterfeit version of the combat between good and evil (like I was) in which Shiz and Coriantumr, Lamanites and Nephites, destroy each other in the illusion that it is the good guys fighting the bad guys.

So yes, in France, a world so far removed from the world I grew up in, I feel the Lord's peace. I am comfortable with and love the French people that I have met and associate with. But I am never comfortable in the world because I have experienced how easy it is to be drawn in and partake of its delights and false comforts. Worldly activities divert a worshiper’s attention from the true God and His law, to a counterfeit. I must constantly partake of His words and pray to Him, but I still want to stay in the world to bring others out of the world where the Prince of this world reigns. 

He has called me out of the world to say nothing but repentance unto this generation, and I do so knowing that there may come a time when those of the world will hate me for doing so. 

See Sons-Daughters/Servants for more on Isaiah’s ladder. 

*Bob McKendrick lived three houses south of me. He abused several boys on our street, including at least one of my brothers. The neighbor next door to him, whose boys Bob had also abused, bought Bob's house after he died, tore it down, and to this day it is a vacant lot on the 1300 block of Lincoln Street in Salt Lake City, Utah, a memorial to those of us who had to avoid walking past Bob's house whenever he was around.

Whom Shall He Give Instruction?

This is a slide presentation on Isaiah 28, with prophecies concerning Ephraim, both as a nation (America) and a people (specifically the Ephraimite Gentiles--us), prior to the Lord’s Day of Judgment. It concerns Ephraim's political leaders, its religious leaders, and its people. It is the failure of the Lord's people to hear the voice of God and repent, that is the catalyst for these events. Since the Lord's people refuse to receive instruction directly from the Lord, He will speak to them in a foreign tongue.

Whom Shall The Lord Give Instruction? 

Inside the Ossuaire at Duamont, home of an estimated 130,000 soldiers' bones gathered after the Battle of Verdun

The *audio on this presentation "Dancing on Green Grass" is a reminder that at one time during the Battle of Verdun there was not a single blade of green grass growing, but the battlefields are now beautiful, green and peaceful. As Christ reminded us, "great are the words of Isaiah" reminding us of of both 1) arrogance and humiliation and 2) ruin and rebirth!

Repentance: Bondage of Sin

These posts on Repentance are best read in order beginning with Repentance: Introduction. At the bottom of each post is a link to the next post. This is another postscript on repentance.

I have been thinking a lot lately about some of my departed friends. Their obituaries described them as active church members, kind and loving, having held many callings in the church. They were noted as being loving husbands, fathers and grandfathers or loving wives, mothers, and grandmothers. 

I would describe them as good friends whom I loved and enjoyed. Each was the kind of person we would describe in the church as nice people or good people. And I wonder in what category¹ are they in the spirit world?

Knowing them very well, and having spent many hours with them over the years, I knew most were not very familiar with the words of God, and were not desirous of searching them. Each had been raised in the church and had remained active and involved. They were good neighbors and thought highly of by others. We spent many enjoyable years together, reminiscing, laughing, talking, traveling and sharing. 

But try as best I could, I was not able to teach them much about the word of God, about the Book of Mormon prophecies and about repentance. They just didn't seem to understand or desire to understand the word of God. Like with any language, the tongue of angels requires that both participants know or are learning the language, in order to communicate even a little. And, with a few  exceptions, they did not seem to desire to learn what the Lord had to say. 

I think they believed they knew, and could recite 'church talk' and the traditional gospel, but the word of God seemed to have very little impact in their lives, except perhaps what they believed and gave lip service to. Most figured they were good people, and while they had made mistakes, because the Lord loved them, they would be welcomed into His presence.

What happens to these good and decent friends, and all the others like them, in the spirit world? I wanted to know, and so I asked the Lord. He did answer me by directing me to what He has already revealed (a lot), and based on what He has revealed the answer was quite clear. There are many scriptures, each adding something to what we know about the world of spirits.

Alma inquired of the Lord about the space between death and the resurrection. He describes his answer in Alma Chapter 40. He said that "concerning this space of time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know; and this is the thing of which I do know" (Alma 40:9). 

He further states "Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the ¹spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life" (Alma 40:11).

This is what we normally hear and hope for, in addition to meeting departed loved ones and reuniting with others. But then Alma says "that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow" (Alma 40:12). He does not define who the righteous are. 

Nor does he define the wicked when he says, "that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil--for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house--and they shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil" (Alma 40:13 emphasis added).

Alma further says that he learned that "the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection" (Alma 40:14).

Except perhaps for those spirits who have a portion of the Spirit of the Lord, there seems to be no middle ground in what was revealed to Alma. It is either the righteous or the wicked. Who are righteous spirits and who are wicked spirits according to the Lord? Does He tell us? Are my deceased friends' spirits righteous, in a state of happiness, or wicked and in outer darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth? In which ¹camp are my friends?

He has revealed elsewhere that we can know the righteous from the wicked. He even defines the righteous and the wicked. This He does in many scriptures, but one in particular is quite clear.

"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" (D&C 84:49-52).

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 emphasis added).

The righteous He describes as those 

1) who are acquainted with and receive His voice, 

2) who come unto Him, and

3) who are not under the bondage of sin.

The wicked He describes as those

1) who receiveth not His voice, because they are not acquainted with His voice, 

2) who come not unto Him, and

3) who are under the bondage of sin and are in darkness.

Remember Amulek telling us to not procrastinate the day of our repentance (turn to and come unto our Savior), because "that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world" (Alma 34:34).

Those who are righteous in this life (repenting and relying wholly upon Christ's merits, having received the righteousness of Christ) are those who are righteous in the spirit world. 

And those who are wicked in this life (not repenting and relying on their own goodness, having not received the righteousness of Christ) are those who are wicked in the spirit world.

Would this apply to my friends? They have chosen either Good or Evil, and are therefore defined by their choice. Evil in this sense is not choosing good/Christ. They cannot say they didn't know or that they were not taught, because they had all that God had chosen to reveal, and treated it lightly. Or in other words, they did not hear His voice because they were not acquainted with His voice. 

My friends are not those who died without the law, or were not like Joseph's brother Alvin who died without hearing about the truth, but who would have accepted it if he had heard (D&C 137:5-8). They had revealed to God their works according to the "desires of their hearts" for their entire lives (D&C 137:9). The standard for them is higher because they had the Book of Mormon and they treated it lightly. 

But there is more. Joseph F. Smith's vision of spirits kept in prison at the time of Noah, which is recorded as D&C 138, adds more to the picture. In this revelation we learn that there are, like Alma saw, two ¹categories of spirits, the righteous and the wicked, but in this vision President Smith saw that the righteous spirits were teaching Christ's Gospel to the spirits kept in prison, who were willing to be taught, "who died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets."

In this vision, the righteous are the teachers, and the wicked are those who have the opportunity to be taught. I would include here those who may have a portion of the Lord's Spirit. We learn that many of these spirits were taught and repented of their sins, were baptized vicariously and received their reward.

But there is a major difference between those who were repenting (came unto Christ) when they died, and those who were not repenting (came not unto Christ) when they died, but did repent in the world of spirits.

For those who are righteous when they die, Christ paid the demands of justice for them, and they will be found guiltless at the judgment following their resurrection (3 Nephi 27:13-21).

For those who die in their sins, who die under the bondage of sin, but who repent, pay the demands of justice themselves. Read this carefully:

"The dead who repent will be redeemed, 

through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God, 

And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, 

and are washed clean, 

shall receive a reward 

according to their works, 

for they are heirs of salvation" (D&C 138:58-59 emphasis added).

Heirs of salvation are all those except Sons of Perdition. See D&C Sections 76 and 88. We also know that ..."the heathen nations [will] be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them" (D&C 45:54). Keep in mind, however, that all will be redeemed except Sons of Perdition. 

For those who were under the law, like my friends, could they repent in the spirit world, and if so would they have to pay "the penalty for their transgressions" while those who were repenting and not under the bondage of sin, when they died, be found guiltless because Christ would pay the penalty for them? From what has been revealed, I would answer yes. 

Amulek was right by admonishing us to not procrastinate the day of our repentance!

Many other scriptures add to the picture, but Alma's description of the chains of hell is worth noting because it adds to what the Lord means by those who hear His voice. He says:

"And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; 

nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, 

according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. 

And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; 

and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, 

until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. 

And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word 

until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and 

then they 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 emphasis added). Note the link in Alma 40:13 to "lead captive" by the will of the devil. Alma again, it seems, describes no middle ground--it is more or nothing.

If they die in this state, they die under the bondage of sin, they die in their sins, and would be described as wicked. These both Alma and Joseph F. Smith saw in the spirit world and described them as wicked.

Concerning those who die without the law and the spirits kept in prison at the time of Noah, the Lord has revealed:

"And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament. 

Behold, these are they who died without law; 

And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh; 

Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it"

...These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus (D&C 76:71-74;79 emphasis added).

The phrase 'bondage of sin' coupled with being "saved from our sins" link to help understand what being under the bondage of sins means. Again Alma adds more.

"For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and 

have been redeemed of the Lord; 

behold I am born of the Spirit. 

And the Lord said unto me: 

Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, 

born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, 

being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; 

And thus they become new creatures; and 

unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God" (Mosiah 27:24-26 emphasis added).

These are the "righteous" and they are called righteous because they have been changed by God from their lost and fallen and carnal state to a state of His righteousness. 

'...our awful, sinful and polluted state,' is a state of being under the law and not under grace. Hence the need to be born again and become new creatures, a state where we find ourselves under His righteousness. Not under the law, but under grace.

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:3-4).

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Galations 2:20-21).

Could I say of my friends that because of their unbelief they "remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state" (Mosiah 26:4)?

Everything He teaches leads to this conclusion. His Gospel (3 Nephi 27:13-21); His teachings on Justice and Mercy (Alma 42); His teachings on Death and Hell (2 Nephi 2); and His teachings on repentance. Everything, even in death, is for us, linked to repenting now! 

Remember that for those like my friends who should know better, "he that exercises no faith unto repentance (in this life) is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption" (Alma 34:16 emphasis added; see also Alma 12:29-35). 

40 Principles Isaiah

This is so good I had to share it.

Forty principles drawn from the Book of Isaiah and supported by the Standard Works, offer clarity, discernment, and spiritual grounding for individuals navigating stress, uncertainty, and modern life. 

Jessica Coroles and Avraham Gileadi

I have linked each scripture for easy reference.

They represent a spiritual framework for leaving Babylon and walking toward Zion. Treasure them. Share them. 

1. God Loves You and Wants You Back—Isaiah 44:22; 54:8 

2. God Is Worthy of Your Trust—Isaiah 12:2–5; 55:8–11 

3. Seeking God Leads to Him—Isaiah 26:7–9; 30:19–21 

4. God Tests to Refine, Not Destroy—Isaiah 38:16; 48:10 

5. Your Agency Is to Use for Good—Isaiah 1:17–19; 5:20 

6. Obeying God Generates Peace—Isaiah 32:17; 48:17–18 

7. God Hides to Provoke Seeking Him—Isaiah 8:17; 45:15 

8. Afflictions Are to Endure with Faith—Isaiah 26:2–3; 33:6 

9. God Prepares You for Greater Things—Isaiah 4:2–3; 60:21 

10. Arrogance Inevitably Begets Failure—Isaiah 2:12; 13:11

11. With God, Enemies Cannot Prevail—Isaiah 41:11–12; 54:17 

12. God Lifts the Humble, Lowers the Proud—Isaiah 13:11; 57:15 

13. God Fights for Those Who Are His—Isaiah 42:13; 59:17–18 

14. False Teachers Outnumber the True—Isaiah 3:12; 9:15–16 

15. Your Idols Can Never Save You—Isaiah 44:9–10; 46:6–7 

16. God Supports His Holy Remnant—Isaiah 1:9; 37:31–32 

17. God Faithfully Keeps His Promises—Isaiah 25:1; 54:10 

18. God Honors Those Who Wait for Him—Isaiah 33:3; 64:4 

19. God Works Through Your Faith in Him—Isaiah 43:10; 50:10 

20. God Abhors People’s Oppression—Isaiah 1:17; 49:26

21. Light Always Conquers Darkness—Isaiah 9:2; 42:16 

22. You Are Engraved on His Palms—Isaiah 49:16; 53:5 

23. God Warns Us Before He Acts—Isaiah 42:9; 62:6–7 

24. God Sends You Before He Saves You—Isaiah 6:8; 48:15–16 

25. God Replaces Weakness With Strength—Isaiah 40:31; 41:10 

26. God Delivers You His Way, Not Your Own—Isaiah 30:18; 55:9 

27. God Mourns with You Before He Delivers You—Isaiah 63:9; 66:9 

28. God Redeems Even Your Wasted Years—Isaiah 52:2–3; 54:6–8 

29. Those Who Are God’s Fear No Man—Isaiah 8:12–14; 51:12–13 

30. Peace Comes Through Righteousness—Isaiah 32:17; 54:13–14

31. God’s Justice Isn’t Delayed, It Is Precise—Isaiah 5:16; 42:1–4 

32. Repentance Rebuilds What Is Ruined—Isaiah 58:10–12; 61:4 

33. God Reveals All Things to His Elect—Isaiah 33:17, 20; 52:8 

34. God’s Faithful Remnant Builds Zion—Isaiah 14:32; 51:2–3 

35. God Shakes the World to Awaken It—Isaiah 24:18; 54:10 

36. God Gathers His Elect to Zion—Isaiah 11:11–12; 57:1 

37. God Makes All Things New—Isaiah 48:6–7; 65:17 

38. The Word of God Never Fails—Isaiah 40:8; 59:21 

39. God Is a God of Order—Isaiah 26:7–8; 40:3–4 

40. Joy Is God’s Promised Gift—Isaiah 9:3; 25:9

We can say with certainty that Jesus’ commandment to the Nephites to “search diligently” the words of Isaiah (3 Nephi 23:1) is more relevant to Latter-day Saints today than it has ever been to people in the past. Not only are we closer to the time Isaiah predicts (see 2 Nephi 25:8–9), but the “good news” he teaches (Isaiah 40:9; 41:27; 52:7; 61:1)—the gospel of Messiah—enlightens our generation on many key points of doctrine. 

Indeed, by “good news” Isaiah doesn’t mean the “preparatory gospel” that prevailed under the Law of Moses. Rather, the same gospel Jesus taught that came down from the days of Adam, whose knowledge was had by prophets. Jesus’ saying that Isaiah spoke of “all things” concerning God’s people (3 Nephi 23:2) means that Isaiah teaches not only that same higher law Israel rejected at Sinai, but that he does so from ancient Israel’s peculiar perspective. It is that frame of reference we must recapture if we would comprehend Isaiah’s message in all its richness and understand fully the restored gospel itself. 

The words of Isaiah, which Jesus calls “great” (3 Nephi 23:1) reveal the ancient covenantal context in which the gospel of Jesus Christ originated and in which it is grounded. That is why Book of Mormon prophets draw on Isaiah for their frame of reference when teaching God’s plan of salvation or when predicting end-time events. 

But most Latter-day Saints haven’t drunk deeply enough from the well of the Hebrew prophets to comprehend their own roots, falling woefully short in their conception of Isaiah’s words and of many key underpinnings of their religion.

Latter-day Saints fail to realize that the words of Isaiah represent a deliberate spiritual challenge, not a topic of casual interest. When fully met, that challenge rewards a person with a comprehension of the scriptures unequaled through the study of any other book. When not met, it leaves God’s people “in Zion” clinging to “precepts of men” (2 Nephi 28:21, 24, 26), popular ideas lacking a genuine scriptural basis of fact. 

In the end, such distortions will prove at least as divisive as sectarian Christian notions, leaving the many who believe them vulnerable to fighting against God because of the untimeliness of their unfounded assumptions (see 2 Nephi 28:28; 29:14).

The words of Isaiah are life-giving, grounding a person in a divine reality that empowers him for the contest between the powers of light and darkness that precedes the coming of Messiah to reign on the earth.

The words of Isaiah indeed account for every soul God has created, past and future, living and dead, showing their relationship to one another and to their Maker.

Moreover, as every passage of Isaiah is inextricably linked to others in his writings, they—taken together, not separately—paint an entire picture of the time preceding our Lord and Savior’s coming to reign on the earth.

Indeed, the words of Isaiah enlighten us across the entire spectrum of spiritual truths. They divide the doers—those who pay the price of understanding Isaiah by searching his words until they understand them—from the judges, those who fall back on their own preconceived ideas and take issue with people who differ. 

By taking lightly Isaiah’s words, they take lightly the Book of Mormon (compare 1 Nephi 19:7; 2 Nephi 33:2–3, 14; 3 Nephi 26:9–10; D&C 84:54–59), unaware that Isaiah’s words constitute the core fabric around which the Book of Mormon and many scriptures are woven—that the quintessential concepts and imagery other scriptures share originate with Isaiah.

Today, we clearly discern many parts of the picture that Isaiah presents, so near are we to the time. Much of that picture deals with political and spiritual realities existing in our world. Much of it condemns evil practices among God’s people. But amid so much that is condemnatory in tone, we always sense that Isaiah holds out hope for those who repent. His book serves as a call to such repentance.

There must be a good reason why we are told that the prophecies of Isaiah are important for us to know. One reason may be that those who understand Isaiah will be spared the agony of learning too late the need for us all to repent and to obtain God’s Spirit.

Whenever Book of Mormon prophets draw on Isaiah’s prophecies to portray God’s people who come under condemnation in Isaiah’s endtime scenario they are speaking of the Mormon Gentiles, not of someone else.

I make no apology that Isaiah’s prophecies address us. Isaiah has seen our day and describes it perfectly. That, to me, would be all the more cause for us to familiarize ourselves with his words and repent!

See more.

He Can Also Sing: I

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

I must confess that these quotations spoke to me. You may have selected others, but these are some of the many that I like. 

I may have only selected a single quote from each blog post, but the one I think best captured Tim's gift of the Spirit. 

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

This is Volume I

May 2020

Every flock has its misfits (join the club: chances are, if you are reading this, you are one); but along comes the Savior, who calls us by a new name and cherishes us as only the Good Shepherd can.

How does one buy something if he has no money? Well, isn't that the whole point of the gospel? The good news!

June 2020

It is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we're doing "well" -- like when the smell of something foul has lingered so long we forget it stinks.

“Charity never faileth” because it is grounded in the unchanging character and goodness of God.

Isn't the greatest adventure of our lifetimes learning to love those who are our enemies?

July 2020

Can we see the difference between “I am going to love others with Christ-like love” and “I am going to love others with Christ’s love”? 

You see, in the free world, people prefer the government to stay out of their homes and lives (Brigham Young said, "To mind your own business incorporates the whole duty of man"); but when the people themselves become complicit as little deputies of the Sheriff of Nottingham, you begin to see the genesis of Gadianton.  

Eternal truths are best understood through our own experience. Who better understands where babies come from than mothers who experience childbirth?  

I want to paraphrase what is happening: Satan's great lie -- the one that he uses to "deceive" and to "blind" those who listen to him (and those that listen to him become his "captive") -- is that honor was owed him because of his authority, and that his authority could be used to abrogate the agency of man.

Church lessons on obedience remind me of the game Hot Potato, as we toss around our favorite commandments, trying to get others to catch them (obey them in the way we do).

Most everything we need to know about obedience can be learned from the example of the Pharisees. So they were spiritual snobs? At least they knew how to obey the law with exactness.

I mean, sure, the Pharisees were willing to look down their noses at the Lord, telling Him how to keep the Sabbath, telling Him when he could heal, telling Him what being a child of Abraham meant -- but they deserve credit for paying a full tithe! 

Well, we've marshaled the evidence. I hope you've realized something profound: We are in hell.

The notions of "rank and file" are contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ and detrimental to our spiritual well being -- as well as to the cause of Zion, where we will be of "one heart, and one mind."

The dichotomy between "leaders and laity", "clergy and congregation", "priest and parishioner" creates rank in the church and leads to spiritual abuse. 

Cain was sick of working hard for a living, tilling the cursed ground and offering up zucchini, when all he had to do was take advantage of his brother. Then he'd have lots of lamb chops to eat. All's fair in love and war . . . and advancing our career. 

We tell our children they are entitled to food and clothes, but everything else is a privilege. Except the television - that's a member of the family.

August 2020

Because it is his job (his!) to clean us up. We cannot cleanse ourselves. But Christ takes a bowl filled with our tears, and I mean His and ours, and uses them to wash us from head to toe. 

Could the Great and Spacious Building, with all of its levels and penthouses and corner offices, symbolize the foolishness of organizing God's children into worldly ranks? 

In a choir all of the voices are equal even though they are not the same. All voices are kept in unison and harmony. 

Joseph Smith's attempt at creating unity or equality in the organization of the priesthood was unsuccessful. Instead of heirs we've created hierarchy. How did that happen?

The reason this is all so confusing is because there are members of His church who also belong to our church. And there are people who are not members of our church who are members of His church. And there are members of our church who are not members of His church.  

Is it just me, or does it seem like the gospel of Jesus Christ gets smothered and buried underneath a thousand mattresses - all the paperwork and duties and obligations and meetings and politics and marketing of religion - where the "pure" gospel is no more than a small pea at the bottom of all those mattresses? 

How often in our lived experience do we do what God actually says? Versus what we think he said, or wanted him to say, or what we were told by others he said? 

On the other hand, in our churches we love effort! We praise those who contribute their time and talents and treasure to the bake sale, the Christmas party, the putting up and the taking down of chairs. We celebrate those who are visible, busy and effortful, don't we? Ah, but there's the rub. Taking pride in our "efforts" is like thinking we are playing on the Lord's team, when we are actually scoring for the devil.

We all know what hypocrisy is, but what is "guile"? How is guile an issue for churches? "Guile" means "astuteness, often marked by a certain sense of cunning or artful deception; deceptiveness, deceit, fraud, duplicity, dishonesty."

Okay, I think we get the message. Melchizedek did not "ordain" Abram; he blessed him. That's the whole point: the high priesthood is meant to impart blessings.  

September 2020

Since when did "presiding" mean "being in charge"? Because isn't the Lord already in charge? Earthly fathers and priests are merely in loco parentis. (Usually more "loco" than "parentis".)

What I want to point out is that Christ does not want us to "clean ourselves up" before we come unto Him. He wants us now, this minute, as we are, warts and all. 

Because it is his job (his!) to clean us up. We cannot cleanse ourselves. But Christ takes a bowl filled with our tears, and I mean His and ours, and uses them to wash us from head to toe. (Can't say this enough!)

Lehi wasn't able to pluck the fruit and share it with his family: they had to come and partake themselves. He couldn't throw a couple of figs towards Laman and Lemuel: like the virgins' oil, the fruit cannot be shared. Or sold.  

Maybe there is not a choir in heaven so much as heaven itself is the choir. Everybody enrolls; everybody wants to sing God's praises. Hallelujah!

If experience has shown us anything, it is the most dangerous thing we can preach in Church is repentance; and the greatest threat to our testimonies steeped in carnal security is unadorned truth.

I wonder if the faith crisis people have is partly the result of believing things that they feel secure in, only to learn some of those things were actually false.

The Pharisees were totally legalistic about it. They treated Tithing like a spiritual tax that reflected their righteousness, making a big show of how generous they were, blaring trumpets--

Joseph F. Smith, April 1907:

"Furthermore, I want to say to you, we may not be able to reach it right away, but we expect to see the day when we will not have to ask you for one dollar of donation for any purpose, except that which you volunteer to give of your own accord, because we will have tithes sufficient in the storehouse of the Lord to pay everything that is needful for the advancement of the kingdom of God. I want to live to see that day."

Does the Church Have "Sufficient in the Storehouse" to End Tithing? 

The backbone of the law of Moses was its spirit of compassion and mercy (really). And if a lesser law could show such generosity of heart, imagine what a higher law requires of us!

Is it "extortion" to tell someone, "I know you can't buy food for your children, but if you don't pay tithing, you can't receive the ordinances necessary for exaltation, and thus you'll go to a lesser kingdom. Sorry." 

One of the simplest tricks of the devil is to take telestial practices, doctrines and programs and make us think they are all we need, when in fact they are impotent to save us, to transform us, to produce a mighty change of heart or a real relationship with God.

October 2020

Religion is expert at sleight of hand: skillfully diverting our eyes (and trust) away from God by manipulating our faith through the prestidigitation of priestcraft.

As we grow in truth and knowledge, our expanding awareness reveals how much more we have yet to learn. In other words, the more we know, the more we realize we don't know.

What's interesting is that the greater our ignorance, the less aware we are of our ignorance. 

What exactly is the Prosperity Gospel? It's largely a belief that, in exchange for us giving money to our churches, God will bless us with more money , and better health, and lots of other stuff . . . but mainly more money. 

​Here's the point: When an organization makes a public declaration of a rule or creates a policy, the members can't help judging each other by it. Irresistibly we form ranks as if we had been conscripted as "hall monitors" to make sure others follow the rule. 

We see the same message again. Jesus must have really wanted to emphasize the foolishness of "laying up treasures" here on earth.  

Me: So you are saying if I lend my neighbor $100.00, I should not expect them to repay me at all?!

J.S. No, that is not what I am saying; that is what the Lord is saying.

We see signs of Seriousitis everywhere. It shows itself when we draw attention to leaders rather than to Christ; when we garnish with praise the men and women who serve in leadership roles over that of our Savior; when we make the mantle to be greater than the Master; when we refer to "faithfulness to the Church" as synonymous with "faithfulness to the Lord" . . . in other words, when we set ourselves up for a light and standard to others.

December 2020

Explain that to me. How is it we can believe that "an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God" (i.e., Lucifer) could be wrong, but not a mortal octogenarian? 

As others have pointed out, the Church structure dictates our doctrine, which boils down in the end to a single principle: We follow a man whom we call Prophet.

So why do we take such pride in our "keys" when they belong to Him? Why do we boast of our priesthood "authority" when we are but temporary custodians of what belongs to Christ? 

Why are we so obsessed with priesthood keys? Well, I guess it is because we want to establish a pecking order. We want show whose got the biggest authority.

But isn't the whole purpose of priesthood keys to bring us into the presence of God? 

"And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God." (D&C 84:19).

Please! Read the Letter

This is a talk given in Sacrament Meeting in Metz France on August 10, 2025, given by me and translated in French by Annie.

I had a friend who passed away recently who was a magician, and he loved to display his tricks and illusions to anyone at any time. It didn't matter where he was, whether it be in church, a restaurant, a store, among friends or among strangers. He would go into a restaurant and while waiting for his order, go to nearby tables and perform his tricks, always to the delight of his audience. He carried tricks in his fanny pack and would switch them out every few days. There is something about a well executed magic trick that is intriguing and fascinating. He used to say that tricks worked because of deception, and the more skilled the magician, the better and more complicated the deception. "All magicians are liars," he would say. But we are fascinated by being deceived, and we ask to see the trick again and again.

Now use your imagination and consider the most skilled magician, with his vast knowledge and unlimited skills, a former Son of the Morning, once considered among the very elect in Heaven. He is so skilled, in fact, that it was necessary, if he was going to be among us, to have some protections given to us by our Father, so that we might not be deceived. 

Now imagine also that this most skilled magician has everything in his power to use to deceive us, such as communication, images, worldly powers, money, social media, history, our wants and desires, churches and church leaders, even the word of God--whatever He can use to distort and deceive and work his magic. He can also use other humans and even his followers as his assistants, even the most impressive, or at least would impress us the most. To some, that would be those who are successful and powerful. To others, it would be those who are kind and appear very loving. And to others those in authority; those most educated. And to others it would be those who look and act like they do.

Even though Satan is among us, there are some who will not be deceived. The Lord refers to those who are not deceived 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).

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, find ourselves cut off from the Spirit of God, and be unprepared for the events that will precede the Lord’s second coming. 

Partial truths from the pulpit, blogs, podcasts, and social media will not cut it. We are either armed or arming ourselves 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. When his people’s devotion to Jesus Christ becomes but a shallow version of His law and word, it lacks the power to withstand evil, and being deceived is the result.

Why do you think the book was given to us? Angels do not come on trivial errands, to deliver books for occasional light reading to people whom they do not really concern. The matter in the Book of Mormon was selected, as we are often reminded, with scrupulous care and with particular readers in mind. 

We fawn over President Oaks coming to Europe, and yet treat lightly that Moroni himself delivered God’s words to us. And what does the Book say?

Repent or turn to Christ. It is to Christ and only to Christ that we are to turn. He alone is our salvation. We are to live by every word that "proceeded forth from the mouth of God" (D&C 84:44). 

Time is no longer on the side of soothing platitudes. It is best to state the problem based on what the scriptures actually say and to point to their solution. While most of us acknowledge that Book of Mormon prophets saw our day (Mormon 8:34–41), should we not also admit that what they saw seldom matches our high opinion of ourselves? We are the wild branches and as prophesied, bring forth wild fruit.

The Book tells us that repentance is knowing exactly who and what we are: nothing! Always retain in remembrance His goodness and our nothingness, which is the essence of Godly Sorrow. The only type of sorrow that brings about repentance.

How do we avoid being deceived? Of course Christ is the remedy, but how do we come to Christ? How exactly do we partake of His goodness, His incorruptible state of righteousness, and His promise to make us incorruptible like He is? 

The answer is through His words! Words that come from the mouth of God and strike everything else as insignificant! There is a danger to rely only on the pulpit narrative, when Christ himself points us to the scripture narrative--His words.

The Lord makes it clear that we come unto Him through His words, and that "whoso receiveth not my voice (His words) is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me." 

This plan for us requires that we choose either good or evil, and that we learn to recognize the difference, and understand exactly what is good and what is evil. Again we turn to His words which tell us that good is the righteousness of God, and evil is everything else. One way is narrow and the other broad. The Lord tells us that we get in the right way because of His words and we stay in the right way because of His words. We see this by virtue of the word of God being identified as the Rod of Iron, with the word being compared to the Liahona and with the word of God being truth, light, spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Why? 

Because the word of God leads us to the fountain of living waters, the love of God and to the righteousness of God. While ignoring and not receiving His words keeps us in darkness and leads us to wander in strange paths and eventually being captive by the chains of hell, and by being deceived, thinking we are on the right path. And when we shine the light of His words upon ourselves, we see the corruption, the flawed goodness, the evil. And yet at the same time we see His goodness and righteousness, and willingly and joyfully turn to Him and rely wholly upon His merits.

I want to conclude by sharing with you the Hymn of the Pearl from the Acts of Thomas. In this classic tale, a king's son has come down to earth to find a pearl which he is to return to its heavenly depository. Here below he becomes defiled with the things of the world, until a letter from heaven, signed by all the Great and Mighty Ones, recalls to him his true heritage and his purpose in coming to earth. Whereupon he casts off his earthly garments, and with the pearl returns to the waiting arms of his loved ones in the royal courts on high  and to his robe of glory that has been carefully kept for him in the Treasury.

The scriptures are our letter from Heaven, reminding us of our heavenly home and the way to get there. 

Please. Read the letter!

Neither Do They Understand

How is it that ye do not understand? (John 8:21)

In all my searching of the word of God, I had not focused on what the Lord has revealed about  understanding His words. The nuances of the word understand are plentiful and complex, and add more to receiving the word of God. 

When Christ asked, "Why is it you do not understand my word?" (John 8:43), He was not simply questioning our intellectual capacity to grasp the literal meaning of His words. His question delves much deeper, pointing to a spiritual and moral inability to truly comprehend His message. 

The way the word understand is used in scripture, also points out either the lack of or the presence of personal revelation. I propose that without personal revelation, we cannot completely understand how the words of God are connected and how the words themselves are a form of personal revelation. 

The mortal Jesus asked this question often of those who did not understand the words or the source of His words.

"Why do ye not understand my speech?" He answers His own question. "Even because you cannot hear my word" (John 8:43 emphasis added). We do not understand because we do not hear His word. See more on why Christ taught in parables.

"Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?" (Mark 8:17-18 emphasis added). 

"Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive...?" (John 7:18 emphasis added). 

"Are ye also yet without understanding?" (Mathew 15:16).

"Have ye understood all these things?"(Mathew 13:51).

The emphasis on understanding suggests to me that there is more to it that just cognition. There are many nuances to what it means to understand, and the scriptures layer many of these nuances to give us a more complete picture of what it means to understand.

Scriptural word links to the word understand are: heart, mind, hear, see, teach, perceive, wise, wisdom, light, truth, spirit, view, knowledge, hidden treasures, mysteries, search, give voice, voice of God, prayer, reason, enlightened, hearken and of course, repent. 

The following are a few examples of the layers of understanding. 

Our Father will not reveal to us what we are not capable of understanding, so we must become capable of understanding what He has revealed. And understanding what He has revealed leads to understanding what He is yet to reveal. 

"For if ye understand these things ye have not taught them...Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise. Therefore, what teach ye this people"(Mosiah 12:26-27 emphasis added)? 

King Benjamin reminds us we must hearken unto the voice of God and open our ears that we may hear, and our minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to our view. (Mosiah 2:9 emphasis added).

Wisdom and knowledge are also equated with understanding in Job, Proverbs and the Psalms:

"So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 

For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:2-6 emphasis added). Even understanding comes from God.

"What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" (1 Corinthians 14:15 emphasis added).

Reason is also linked to understanding.

"And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand; 

Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face. 

Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand" (D&C 50:10-12 emphasis added).

But the Lord makes a distinction between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of men. "And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught" (D&C 76:9-10 emphasis added).

By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God" (D&C 76:12 emphasis added).

"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 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).

"Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark" (2 Nephi 32:4 emphasis added).

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 

And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man" (Matthew 15:8-11 emphasis added), and is the best measure of whether we understand.

The mortal Jesus only spoke in Parables to those who did not understand. 

"Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive" (Matthew 13:13-14 emphasis added).

"For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding" (2 Nephi 31:3 emphasis added).

In the Parable of the Sower the Lord tells us that "...he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:23 emphasis added).

In summary, when Jesus asked, "Why is it you do not understand my word?" He was highlighting a fundamental spiritual disconnect. It wasn't about a lack of intelligence, but a spiritual and moral resistance to God's truth, rooted in our hearts, our traditions, and our relationship with God (or lack thereof). True understanding of God's word, starts with a willing heart, a genuine desire for truth, and the power of God to understand.

"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians. 13:2). Now many would think this means being charitable or having more charity. We cannot have this charity, which is the pure love of Christ, without being filled with His pure love, and only after praying for it with all our heart. Can you understand the difference?

Those who are Christ's disciples, do hear, see, understand and repent, and are filled with His love.

When "understand" is used to mean "seeing the whole picture," it implies a holistic and comprehensive grasp of the word of God, with all its connections and layers of meaning forming a crystal clear picture.

Here's a breakdown of the nuances associated with this specific meaning:

•  Interconnectedness: It's not enough to know the parts; one must see how they relate, influence, and depend on each other.
• Contextual Awareness: The "whole picture" includes the past, present and future. For example, scriptural use of types connect the past, present and future. 
• Implications and Consequences: When you understand the whole picture, you can more clearly see the past, present and future. 

In essence, understanding the word of God is seeing the whole picture, the details, the beauty!

Let's look at a one example.

First it will help to distinguish between knowing and knowledge. I use the two as in once you have gained the knowledge, i.e. diligently searched the word of God, then you come to know that what you have learned is true by personal revelation from God. This is the Spirit of Revelation.

The example I want to use is the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work. I will not use citations but will instead paint a picture for you. This is just a sketch, however, to show you just how layered and nuanced the Lord's words are. 

We see first, just from the phrase, that it is the Lord's work, and that it is great and marvelous. As we search the words, work, great and marvelous, we will see and understand that there are many events associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work. We can also link the words great and terrible to the Lord’s work because some events are terrible such as devastating destruction of people, places and Satan's system (Babylon), prior to the Lord’s coming. These events, whether marvelous or terrible, preceed the Lord’s coming. 

One event is the division of the people either on one hand or the other, and that this division is irrevocable. The division is caused by the word of God. Remember the Lord describing his words as a two-edged sword? Those that believe his words will be found on one hand, and those who don't believe His words will be found on the other. These events are prophesied by Christ, Nephi and Isaiah among others. 

Since those who believe His words will repent and those who do not believe His words will not repent, we see the division as being caused by our failure to repent.

Besides this irrevocable division, other events associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work include the commencement of His work in these last days (also called the day of the Gentiles). His work commenced when His Gospel was restored in its fulness in this last dispensation to Joseph Smith. 

Another event associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work is the coming forth of the Book of Mormon by the fulness of the Gentiles. We start to see in the picture that there are actors, groups of people, or the 'players' in these events. We are identified with team Gentiles in the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work. 

Another event is the Lord bearing His arm in the eyes of all nations. His arm in this case is the Lord's latter-day servant, also called David or an Elias (one who prepares for the Lord's coming like John the Baptist) who plays a key role in the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work. This servant is described in detail by Isaiah. Christ refers to this servant as does Joseph Smith. 

One of the events associated with this servant is bringing forth additional records such as the sealed plates of the Book of Mormon and the records of the Brother of Jared. This event seals the irrevocable division between those who believe His words and those who do not, especially among the Lord's people who are the fulness of the Gentiles. In fact some of the Lord's latter-day people fight against the servant. This is because they had not received the words of God given to them and were not prepared to accept these new records.

The majority of the House of Israel, however, do believe these new records and the Lord’s servant, with the assistance of others (yes, we are told who these others are), gathers, in a new exodus, the repentant Jews, Lost Tribes and Lehi's descendants to the lands of their inheritance. These are described as the Old Zion (Jerusalem) and the New Zion (Jackson County). The repentant Gentiles will then be numbered among the House of Israel. 

At the time these are being gathered, the modern-day king of Assyria and those who enter into an alliance with him, will cause chaos and destruction throughout the world, but commencing first among those who professed to know Him (us). This Assyrian king and his armies will eventually be destroyed when he/they attempt to make war on both the old and the new Zion.

Zion is established and the Lord comes again in all His glory to dwell with His people in Zion. Enoch's Zion also comes to join with the new Zion

Events of the past are used to describe endtime events. What has been shall be. The 10 tribes being taken captive by the Assyrians, and the Jews being taken captive by Babylon, are types to describe the Lord's people's failure to repent in these last days as being the catalyst which brings about the reign of terror by the latter day Assyrian king.

While there are 30 events associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work, I have only drawn this sketch using just a few of these events. The complete picture is layered and detailed and deserves the terms Great, Marvelous and Terrible! Hopefully this sketch will cause you to want to see the complete painting, keeping in mind that it is painted by the greatest of Masters.

You can get a more complete picture by reading these, and many other posts in this blog:

Jesus' First Prophecy

The Gentiles in Prophecy

My purpose here is to urgently direct you to His words. Time is not on our side, and in order to be prepared and found on the right side of the division, we must quit treating His words lightly! They deserve our undivided attention. 

The Lord will hasten His Work and we are told how we can prepare for His hastening His Work by being prepared in all things, and by having a more perfect understanding of His words. Once we understand and have been warned we are to warn our neighbors. 

Now I ask you, can you see the artwork painted by His words? 

I don't think you will want to be asked by your Savior "Why is it that you do not understand my words?" 

By the way, another picture can be drawn using His words which will show us in great detail why it is we don't understand, and why it is that we will not repent, but will reject the fulness of His gospel.