Repentance: I Would Not Hear. I Would Not Know

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 one. 

The Lord calls them “but they hearken not, nor incline their ear, but walk in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart and go backward, and not forward” (Jeremiah 7:24). We know from Jeremiah that the Lord is describing His people Israel, particularly of Judah, but is also describing us, His people in the latter days, and this language is not flattering. Lest you think He is not talking about you, let’s see what else the Lord said to Jeremiah about our willfulness to turn away from Christ after we have been called. Make no mistake, our failure to hearken to the voice of God is willful and done with full knowledge that He has called us to hearken unto Him. We cannot plead ignorance. As Hugh Nibley said, the Book of Mormon was given, not to convince us, but to convict us of our willful refusal to hearken to Him. “They hearken not, nor incline their ear….”

“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord. The Temple of the Lord, are these” (Jeremiah 7:1-4 emphasis added).

Concerning Judah’s lying words “the temple of the Lord,” you can draw your own conclusions as to whether the Lord’s people today are saying the same about all the temples built and being built. But why exactly does the Lord call them lying words? Because Judah would rather “walk after other Gods” and then come and “stand before me in this house, which is called by my name and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations…” (Jeremiah 7:9-10). 

I would add in our day ‘The Book of Mormon, The Book of Mormon, The Book of Mormon are these.’ Trust not in lying words because while we have the Book of Mormon, we refuse to hearken to its message.

The Book of Mormon does not teach us to follow the prophet, but look to the Lord and Live, and to not put our trust in men. Look to God and Live and I Know In Whom I Have Trusted

The Book of Mormon does not teach us to live the gospel, but that Christ is the gospel, the good news, sent by His Father to draw all men unto Him. Living the Gospel?

The Book of Mormon does not teach us to be worthy church members, but to remember our unworthiness ‘before God’ at all times (Alma 38:14).

The Book of Mormon does not teach us to be self reliant, but that we are all beggars. Are We Not All Beggars?

The Book of Mormon does not teach us that we fare in this life according to the management of the creature; that every man prospers according to his genius, and that every man conquers according to his strength, but does teach us that this is the doctrine of Satan (Alma 30:17).

The Book of Mormon does not teach a gospel of Performance, but a gospel of Repentance (Alma 42:24).

The Book of Mormon does not teach that we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are of Israel, a chosen people, but that we, the Ephraimite Gentiles, will refuse to repent, and that the Gospel will be taken from us, and given to the House of Israel, of which we only become a part, if we repent (3 Nephi 16:10).

The Book of Mormon does not teach that America will continue to be blessed by God, but that as part of Christ's Great and Marvelous Work, America will be destroyed. The Lord Hastens His Work

The Book of Mormon does not teach justification by works, but that we are saved by grace, and receive grace for grace as we are re-created by Christ as we continue to repent.

The Book of Mormon does not teach us to read the scriptures daily, but  teaches us to search God's words, to feast upon them, and specifically to search the words of Isaiah, and prophecies that the Ephraimite Gentiles refuse to do so (2 Nephi 32; 3 Nephi 23:1).

The Book of Mormon teaches us the difference of truth as information and truth as knowledge from God. For without personal revelation, truth is simply information.

The Book of Mormon has not been given to us as a reward of our goodness, but as a test of our faith to see if we will receive His words and desire more (3 Nephi 26:9-10). Ether 4

The Book of Mormon does not teach ‘repent and’ but teaches ‘repent or’ because it is made up of several voices of warning. An Example of What Has Been and Shall Be

As Jeremiah said to us: “Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.” Any words other than the word of God are lying words that cannot profit. “Yet (notwithstanding they have the Book of Mormon) they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers” (Jeremiah 7:26).

Jeremiah cannot emphasize our willful refusal more clearly than with these words: “Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt call unto them, but they will not answer thee” (Jeremiah 7:27 emphasis added).

Notwithstanding that we have the Book of Mormon, he tells us that we will not hear and hearken unto His words!

I have always been struck by Amulek’s words concerning his refusal to hear and to know. He describes himself as a man of no small reputation with many family members and friends, and that he had also acquired riches because of his hard work. But then he says: “Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.

Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart” (Alma 10:4-6 emphasis added).

Could it be that we too will not hear and will not know, notwithstanding all that has been given to us?

Alma spells it out for us in no uncertain terms:

“But behold, I say unto you that if ye persist in your wickedness that your days shall not be prolonged in the land; for the Lamanites shall be sent upon you; and if ye repent not they shall come in a time when you know not, and ye shall be visited with utter destruction; and it shall be according to the fierce anger of the Lord.

For he will not suffer you that ye shall live in your iniquities, to destroy his people. I say unto you, Nay; he would rather suffer that the Lamanites might destroy all his people who are called the people of Nephi, if it were possible that they could fall into sins and transgressions, 

1) after having had so much light and so much knowledge 

given unto them of the Lord their God; 

2) Yea, after having been such a 

highly favored people of the Lord; yea, after having been favored above every other nation, kindred, tongue, or people; 

3) after having had all things made known unto them, according to their desires, and their faith, and prayers, of that which has been, and which is to come;

4) Having been visited by the Spirit of God; 

5) having conversed with angels, 

6) and having been spoken unto by the voice of the Lord; 

7) and having the spirit of prophecy, 

8) and the spirit of revelation, 

9) and also many gifts, 

10) the gift of speaking with tongues, 

11) and the gift of preaching, 

12) and the gift of the Holy Ghost, 

13) and the gift of translation” (Alma 9:18-21 emphasis added).

Please do not make the mistake of not likening these words unto you. We have been given all of these and yet we still refuse to hear, to know and to repent.

But why this willful refusal to repent, notwithstanding all that has been given to us?

We seem unaware that our preoccupation with earthly “things” has dimmed our recognition of heavenly things. Earthly things and heavenly things cannot coexist at one and the same time.

We preach to ourselves, but seldom apply to ourselves, that the fruits of our labors or the lack thereof, result from personal choices. We nevertheless imagine we can fathom the wonders of God even as we wallow in the depths of worldliness, and splash in the puddles of shallowness.

If spiritual blindness results from infatuation with idols as the prophets declare, how better is it defined than by those who “see but don’t perceive,” who “hear but don’t understand” (Isaiah 6:9)? Don’t the minds of those who lose the light they once had become more darkened than before?

Could that be what Heber C. Kimball meant when he said, in 1856, “The time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall; for I say unto you there is a test, a Test, a TEST is coming, and who will be able to stand?” (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball (Salt Lake City, Bookcraft, 1945, 446). ​

What will the Mormon or Ephramite Gentiles do when the paradigm they have lived by for over a century and a half suddenly proves ineffectual in a wicked world descending into chaos? Will they grow angry at their leaders for not warning them of calamities befalling them in spite of their living only spiritual half-lives? If they never observed more than what they believe are the basic principles of their gospel while assuming “all is well in Zion” (2 Nephi 28:21)—walking in the dark about where the world was heading—won’t they become disaffected with their religion when they awake too late to “a sense of [their] awful situation” (Ether 8:24)?

The chances for spiritual growth they forfeited by pursuing worldly objectives in place of heavenly ones will then come back to haunt them like a nightmare from which they can’t wake up. The God they turned away from when his arm reached out in love must then himself turn away and “bring upon them the thing they dread” (Isaiah 66:4; cf. 30:8–17; 42:21–25; 2 Nephi 28:32).

The Harlot Babylon’s “skill” or “wisdom” and “science” or “knowledge”-- her sophisticated technology and human advancements--become “wickedness” or evil when used to promote her egocentric and self-serving agenda.

So inured to her way are we who grew up in her materialistic utopia that we fail to recognize its idolatrous nature. What characterizes the Harlot Babylon is that she and all who pertain to her are “led astray,” their preoccupation with the things of this world preventing them from discerning the fact that she embodies all that is destined to perish.

Can you see in this last paragraph the answer to why we refuse to repent? If not, read it again and, if necessary, again, until you see the answer.

Next: Repentance: The Lord Covenanteth With None Save it be With Them That Repent

Repentance: Only Those Who Repent are of My Church

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 one. 

A comment was once made on a post that repentance as defined by Christ, is difficult for those who are part of the system which is the Organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The person commenting said that those who “genuinely wish to reform and turn unto Christ, are likely to be cut off by the system,” or at least impeded by it. I would add that they find themselves turning away from the system of religious activities. They may even be criticized by members and/or leaders of the system who see them ‘leaving’ the church, or perhaps more accurately, as not being faithful or mainstream members. 

But that is exactly what those who are repenting do--they are leaving behind their traditional religion, their old church life, and are turning and coming unto Christ to be “of His church.” They are leaving the system of justification by their works. It does not mean that they do not stay involved and attend church and activities, nor does it mean that they do stay involved, but it does mean that they will never see the organized church as they once did. But for those who decide to leave, as in become inactive, there is a danger. 

Christ as our Shepherd, invites us to leave the pen and follow Him to green pastures and clear waters, but those who leave without following the Shepherd are foolish and put themselves in a very precarious and dangerous environment. Neither are they led to green pastures and clear waters, but are left to their own devices in Babylon. 

Tim Merrill wrote the following in one of his posts, and it has occupied my thoughts for many months as I contemplate those family members that I am aware of who have left, and I am afraid that they have not followed the Shepherd.

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

The name of a sheep home is called a sheep pen, sheepcote or sheepfold. It is an enclosure made up of local earth and the floor of mud, and also has a strong fence. When we repent and turn to our Shepherd to guide us, we are invited to follow the Shepherd and leave the enclosure.

As for me, I have left the enclosure, but I still attend my meetings. I love the people and want to witness to God when I take the bread and water that I am willing to take upon myself His name. For me the power of God is still manifested in the ordinances of baptism, the sacrament and the endowment. And for me who desired to and has been called to say nothing but repentance, there are those I may be able to reach and help them turn to Christ and follow the Shepherd, and not put their trust in men, which I cannot do if I am not there with them.

I posted an article entitled I Know Your Doing where I talk about the many churches described in the Book of Mormon. It will help add some back story to this post. I would recommend that you read it before you read the rest of this post. It will help you know that being ‘of His Church” is not the same as being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and why.

The operative word of God is found in the Doctrine and Covenants, where the Lord says:

“Behold, this is my doctrine--Whomsoever repententh and cometh unto me, the same is my church. 

"Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me but is against me; therefore he is not of my church. 

"And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. 

"And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God” (D&C 10:67-70 emphasis added). Note that 'those who need no repentance," are not of His church.

Whenever I see the words “more or less than this” it strikes me as being definitive. The Lord has spoken and that is it. No more. No less. You find this same language in 3 Nephi 11. Keep in mind that these words were uttered at the time that Christ first showed himself to the Nephites, and right after they heard the voice of God say to them: “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name--hear ye him” (3 Nephi 11:7 emphasis added). After Christ introduces himself to the people, and after each person thrusts their hands into His sides and feels the nail prints in his hands and feet, He teaches them of baptism and repentance--His doctrine.

An important distinction is made between His Gospel and His doctrine. His Gospel He defines as Himself (3 Nephi 27:13-21), and His doctrine as the means to avail ourselves of His mercy. He says:

“And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men everywhere, to repent and believe in me…. And again I say unto you, ye must repent and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized my name…” (3 Nephi 11:32;37-38 emphasis added).

Note how often Christ repeats the command to repent and be baptized in His name. He then sums up by saying that “this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them” (3 Nephi 11:39-40 emphasis added).

And why do I remind you of these teachings? Because the Lord said “go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth” (3 Nephi 11:41).

So we see the phrase “more or less than’ in the context of His doctrine, and how only through repentance we become of His Church. It doesn’t take much to see that we are guilty of teaching both more and less and establishing it for His doctrine. He reiterates how important this is by saying that anyone who teaches more or less is of evil, and is not of His Church, regardless of where membership resides.

You can now hopefully understand better why you must turn away from the traditional religious teaching that have crept into the organized church. Anyone versed in His words, however, is not surprised to find that we are taught the doctrine of men mingled with scripture. All we have to do is compare what Christ said His Gospel is and what His doctrine is, with what is taught.

The Book of Mormon gives us more. From instruction given to Alma from the Lord, which, by the way, was all written down by Alma, we learn what it means to be numbered among the people of His Church. Keep in mind the difference between those who are numbered among His Church and those who are just members of record.

He instructs Alma that those who believed Alma's words would be His people. They were blessed because they were willing to bear His name. He then says that those that will hear His voice shall be His sheep, and shall be received into His Church. He defines His Church as: "whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye shall receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive" (Mosiah 26:22 emphasis added). To those who believe is the promise given that they shall have a place eternally at His right hand. We know from his statements to Alma that to believe is to believe in His words, for His words testify of Him.

The Lord then tells Alma that he that will not hear His voice, the same shall not be received into His church. (This is true today of those who may be members of record of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but not of His Church because they have not yet turned and repented.) 

As to those who transgress against the Lord (as opposed to those who transgress against each other--see verse 32 below), he or she shall be judged by Alma according to the sins which he or she has committed, but if he or she confesses his or her sins, and repenteth in the sincerity of heart, he or she shall be forgiven. And as often as His people repent He will forgive them their trespasses against Him.

Alma is also instructed that each member is to forgive each other their trespasses. Then the Lord tells Alma: "whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people" (Mosiah 26:32 emphasis added). Notice that those who did repent were of His church, but those who do not repent were not numbered among His church. 

As I mentioned, Alma wrote down all the words which the Lord spoke to him, and he went and judged those that had been taken in iniquity (failure to repent), according to the words of the Lord. And those who repented of their sins and did confess them were numbered among the people of the church. And those who would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were blotted out.

Later when Alma taught the people, first in Zarahemla and from thence throughout all the land, "it came to pass that whosoever did belong to the church who did not repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God—I mean those who were lifted up in the pride of their hearts—the same were rejected, and their names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the righteous" (Alma 6:2). This verse also clarifies what it means to "trespass against the Lord" i.e., being lifted up in the pride of their hearts, another way of saying they take strength unto themselves and do not rely wholly or alone upon the merits of Christ.

And what did Alma and other laborers in the vineyard teach those of His Church? "And now all these things did Alma and his fellow laborers do who were over the church, walking in all diligence, teaching the word of God in all things” (Mosiah 26:38 emphasis added).

Why? Because they knew that those who would believe Christ would repent, and those who did not believe Christ would not repent. And also because it is through feasting upon the words of Christ that we know all things we should do.

Looking ahead, if Zion consists of those of the Lord’s people who repent, who return, and whom the Lord delivers, then Babylon consists of all who do not repent, who do not return and whom the Lord does not deliver.

Through His words we come to know that Zion will be established by those who believe His words, exercise faith in Him and repent or turn to Him, and away from all that is in Babylon. 

Next: Repentance: I Would Not Hear. I Would Not Know

Repentance: All Manner of Fruit and None of It is Good

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

I must begin this post with a disclaimer. The words “All Manner of Fruit and None of It is Good” are not my words, but the words of the Lord of the Vineyard in Zenos the prophet’s Allegory of the Olive Tree found in Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon. And they apply to a very specific group of people at a very specific time and place. These are His exact words: “But behold, this time it hath brought forth much fruit, and there is none of it which is good. And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor; and now it grieveth me that I should lose this tree" (Jacob 5:30-32 emphasis added).

Of whom is the Lord of the Vineyard speaking? Who is it that has brought forth much fruit, none of it which is good? Another way to ask this question is, can we know of whom the Lord is speaking by their fruits? Is it as simple as those who are repenting bring forth fruit meet for repentance, and those who are not repenting, bring forth much fruit, none of it which is good? Can those who are repenting know if others are repenting and coming unto Christ? I know this last question adds a twist and may not seem relevant to the discussion, but it is very relevant because if the fruits, good or bad, are not recognizable, what meaning is the statement by their fruits ye shall know them?

I want to go about this backwards. I want to test the statement by their fruits ye shall know them. Rather than say who it is that brings forth all kinds of bad fruit, let’s describe the fruit and see if we can know of whom the Lord is speaking in the Allegory of the Olive Tree. It will also help us identify the time frame prophesied in the Allegory. In the Allegory there were two groups of people who brought forth bad fruit, but the fruits are the same, even though the timeline is different, and it does not matter which group of people He is describing, because even though there is a time gap between them, they have something in common -- their fruits. 

With this list of bad aka evil aka wild fruits, I will not show where the description of the fruit is found in the scriptures, but believe me when I tell you they are all the Lord’s words. And some of you are going to say, but they are good fruits! No they are not. They are described as bad, because they are not fruits meet for repentance. 

Here goes.

They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great.

They imagine themselves to be righteous by their own standards.

For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

They teach for doctrines the commandments of men.

They do not search the word of God, but suppose they know of themselves.

They do not recognize their Shepherd’s voice, and by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto Him. 

They do not receive His voice, are not acquainted with His voice, and are not of Him.

They worship God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.

The Lord calls them but they hearken not, nor incline their ear, but walk in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and go backward, and not forward.

They justify themselves because they fast regularly, pay tithes, attend meetings, go to the temple, read their scriptures, and do not commit the more serious sins.

Their conversations and their meetings are an abomination, too low, too mean, too vulgar, and too condescending.

They have allowed Satan to have great dominion over them.

They thrive on tenets, platitudes and truisms. They trust in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these. They trust in lying words that cannot profit.

They teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance. They do not take the word of God as their guide.

They display a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.

They deny the power and gifts of God, and do not receive them, nor do they give thanks for them or for the giver of the gifts.

They judge those who do not live up to their standards.

They believe that God's gifts to them are their gifts to God.

They have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted. Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted.

Their hands are full of blood.

They are angry at those who speak the word of God.

They consider others, even their humble brethren, a lost and fallen people.

They lack the key of knowledge.

They confuse their priorities with what is real, calling Satan’s world the “Real World.”

They love for others to call them by ecclesiastical titles, to hold them and be held in admiration.

They take the foremost places at meetinghouses and banquets.

They find fault with those who do not conform to their exterior form of worship.

They transfigure the word of God.

They are as the salt of the earth that has lost its savor.

They let their light shine by being ‘good’ examples.

The word of God is not found in them. They seek their own counsels in the dark.

They justify themselves and their lives by their works, religious or otherwise, which are not the works of righteousness. They do not believe the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.

They do not exercise faith unto repentance. (See Tim Merrill's series on Faith.)

They hear but do not understand. Their hearts are fat. They see but do not see.

They are under condemnation for treating the word of God lightly.

They have no desire for more of the word of God. They have enough and need no more, and treat lightly what they have.

They take strength unto themselves--hard work, industrious, disciplined and self reliant.

They do not see that the inequality that exists among them is contrary to the Lord's law.

They commit themselves to what is of pure human fabrication (the world and everything in it),

They fare in this life according to their genius and strength, and put themselves above others who do not share the same genius and strength.

They put their trust in men and make flesh their arm.

They have a personal lack of thirst for the knowledge of God. They do not feast upon the words of Christ.

They lay stress on outward observances. They confuse righteousness with actively congregating and religiously performing ecclesiastical duties.

Their countenance does witness against them, and declare their sin even as Sodom (pride, fulness of bread, abundance of idleness, and not strengthening the hand of the poor and needy).

They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.

They approach God with their mouth and pay homage with their lips, while their heart remains far from Him, their piety toward Him consisting of commandments of men learned by rote.

They settle for line upon line, precept upon precept, regurgitating what others in authority have said, and do not desire more.

They come out of the waters of baptism and swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness.

They have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.

They do not live the truth of God, but mistake their beliefs, values and customs for the truth. 

They are in the spirit of a deep sleep and have closed their eyes.

Their ears are dull of hearing and they cannot see afar off.

They preach unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning.

They labor for money and not for Zion.

Behold their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things--their hearts are set upon them, and their hearts are lifted up unto great boasting in their pride. And yet their hearts are swallowed in pride as they cry unto God.

They have joy in their works, in their families, in their amusements. They put family above all else, but do not teach them light and truth. 

They deny the spirit of revelation and the spirit of prophecy. They have no idea of the events prophesied by Isaiah prior to the Lord’s second coming. Their prophets and seers fail to warn the people of the Lord’s impending judgment, being oblivious to it themselves.

They are drunk with the wine of self deception, and are not ready to receive pure instruction because they live on a diet of vomit and excrement. They are unskillful in the word of righteousness and have need of milk, and not strong meat.

They cannot discern good and evil.

There are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts.

They do not hear the warning voice of God.

They do not thrust in their sickle with their might, and reap while the day lasts, that they may treasure up for their souls everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God.

They pervert the right way of the Lord, teaching truths mingled with the teaching of men.

They live on a watered down version of the word of God.

They are at ease in Zion.

They tend to transfer their trust in God to material things. They insist on spending all their time and resources building up for themselves a worldly kingdom.

They do not bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

They are bound by the chains of hell because they do not search and treasure up the words of God. 

They prefer their leaders speak unto them smooth things.

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

While we could add more wild fruit to this list, you might ask why I didn’t list things like adultery, drug use, pornography, divorce, and all the more ‘serious’ sins? Aren’t they wild fruit, you might ask? Yes, as are the millions of other sins we can and do commit. I did not list them because it is too easy to say these are the bad fruits brought by others, while ignoring the bad fruit borne by us.

Jesus did, however, describe the Gentiles as being “filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations…” He also said that if “they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them” (3 Nephi 16:10). But then he said: “But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 16:13 emphasis added).

What is described in this post are the wild fruits, but it helps to see the fruits meet for repentance by comparing the wild fruit. And as the Lord tells us, the answer is always repentance. 

This is for those who think they need no repentance, who think they can be justified by their works, who think they are repenting, who do not understand the doctrine of repentance, and who cannot see that all manner of their fruits are actually wild fruit. The wild fruit is the result of not repenting. 

Have you guessed which two groups of people the Allegory is describing that bring forth only wild fruit, none of which is good? If you guessed ancient Israel, you would be correct for the first group. But we are told that ancient Israel or the House of Israel (the Jews, 10 Tribes and Lehi’s descendants) will in the end repent and bring forth fruits meet for repentance. But who is the second group of people? Can you tell who and when by their fruits? Does it help to know that the Allegory of the Olive Tree is prophetic? 

They may indeed be bringing forth fruit, even much fruit, but none of it any good: “Their watchmen are altogether blind and unaware” (Isaiah 56:10); “Their works are worthless” and “amount to nothing” (Isaiah 41:24, 29). Sinking into apostasy, they “have not wrought salvation in the earth” in order that its inhabitants “might not abort” (Isaiah 26:18).

For more on this second group of people read We Are the Wild Branches.

Next: Repentance: Only Those Who Repent are of My Church

Repentance: Fruit Meet For Repentance

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 one. 

I earlier mentioned some of the fruits meet for repentance. Meet for repentance means fit for repentance, fruits that come as a result of repentance, or fruits, if we recognize them, that someone has and is repenting. These fruits are not the fruits ascribed to Sister Bonnie Franklin in the previous post. Fruits meet for repentance validates the repentance, and they come from God. These fruits manifest themselves in us, but we cannot boast or take any credit for them. We can, however, rejoice in them. We can profit in fruits that are bestowed upon us, and we can receive them, and rejoice “in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 84:33). 

But first you must understand and experience someone new--YOU!

We cannot separate baptism from repentance. Often we see that baptism follows repentance, but for children baptized at the age of eight, there is no need for repentance. These are baptized unto repentance, or in other words, having been born of the water, they may at some point choose to be baptized by the spirit, which requires repentance or turning to Christ. How we miss this important link when our children are baptized. We treat their baptism as merely a ticket to the dance. Even though confirmed and given an invitation to receive the Holy Ghost, most are not yet born of the Spirit. They are born of the water, but are stillborn, and are not born of the Spirit until they are repenting and being filled with the Holy Ghost. For most in the Church this has not yet happened. Generally their understanding of the Holy Ghost is limited to what they call inspiration and feelings. They still prefer the primary version of the Holy Ghost: a third member of the Godhead, a constant companion. And yet they have very little experience with the Holy Ghost.

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

This first became significant to me following an experience I had in 1962 in Grand Island, Nebraska, where I was a new missionary. Following a conversation with a Reorganized LDS Church missionary, I was left totally confused and doubting the truth of what I had been taught. I knew nothing of the Reorganized Church, but was shaken by their belief in the Book of Mormon, and their characterization of the Utah church as being the apostate church. The only thing I knew to do was to get on my knees and ask the Lord about it. The next morning, I was prompted to pick up my copy of The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and turned to this:

“The First Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 149 emphasis added).

Immediately I felt that calm and serene feeling and while my whole soul and body were not exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence, I did experience the pure spirit of intelligence. Through the Holy Ghost my mind has been expanded, my understanding enlightened, and my intellect stored with present knowledge. 

I have experienced the pure spirit of intelligence many times, but it was not until I had repented and turned to Christ, that my whole soul and body were exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence. In other words, I was filled with the Holy Ghost and was born of the Spirit. It is the light communicated from heaven to the intellect, our intelligence as in “man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light and truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be” (D&C 93:29 emphasis added). Both God and man, and every other living being existed only as intelligences, and had so existed from the eternities, never having been created. No description is given in the scriptures of the nature of the entity that is an intelligence. There is revelation that tells us that the various innumerable intelligences varied in degree of that which was their essence: intelligence, God being the most intelligent of them all (Abraham 3:19).

The fruit of our repentance is that our intelligence, now clothed in both a spiritual and physical body, will increase in light and truth which is the pure spirit of intelligence.

As Joseph Smith said: “We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer any approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker and is caught up to dwell with Him” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, P 51. emphasis added)

This is the best description of grace for grace, until we receive of the fulness. But it requires that we give heed and diligence to the light communicated from heaven. Remember repentance is also associated with turning to Christ and giving heed to His words. And why the word of God? Because it is light and truth! 

Let’s backtrack here for more background leading up to being born of the Spirit. Paul said that when we are baptized “our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7 emphasis added).

We are, therefore, no longer captive to sin, but His grace abounds in us. If we remain under the law, because by the law, we sin, His grace does not abound in us and we are captive to our sins, are not saved from our sins. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested…even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe….” (Romans 3:20-23 emphasis added).

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

Having been baptized unto repentance, or having been born of the water, the fruits of being born of the water are manifested through repentance. “...even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Romans 7:4 emphasis added).

Paul said: “ Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11). And “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). The fruits of being made free from sin, is manifested in becoming the servants of righteousness.

But there remains an obstacle: our flesh. Paul reminds us that in us or in our flesh, “dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. …But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin…O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin ” (Romans 7:18-25).

And Voila! The need to be born of the Spirit. “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:4-6 emphasis added).

Then add this: “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life…” (Romans 8:10 emphasis added).

When Alma wrote 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…” (Mosiah 27:25-26 emphasis added), he is echoing what Paul taught us about being born of the Spirit.

Being born of the Spirit and being filled with the Holy Ghost, is the blessing of repentance, the fruits of our repentance. As Alma also said: “Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God” (Alma 27:28 emphasis added).

I can only share with you the fruits of my own repentance as I experienced them. As I mentioned earlier, being filled with the Holy Ghost caused my whole soul and body to be exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence, but I also experienced that the light communicated to my intelligence could increase or decrease according to the heed and diligence I gave to His words, to His voice in His words. And I could discern the difference. Therein lies the reason why Nephi and every other prophet writer in the Book of Mormon have told us to feast upon the words of Christ, give heed to the word of God, because as we feast and give heed, light and truth is communicated to our intelligence. And the more of His words that I received, the more light and truth that is communicated to my intelligence. 

These are just a few of the fruits of repentance that I experience and have experienced..

I became acutely aware of the word of God and how it permeates scripture. Obviously I had read and heard the phrase many times, but for the first time I realized that they were actually words from God.

I experience the light and spirit that is associated with His words, and continue to do so. I could see and make connections I had never before seen. I could hear His voice in His words. I became aware that His words are the standard by which everything is judged, even us. This gave me a compass that I knew I could rely on to get back to His presence.

I received the Spirit of Revelation and it was revealed to me that the revelations revealed to men are true. I could now witness that I knew because He had revealed the truth to me personally.

I also could see the past, present and future clearer than ever before, especially the present as it relates to the past and to the future. I have the Spirit of Prophecy and can see clearly the endtime events prior to the Lord’s coming again. And with the Spirit of Prophecy, I have the testimony of Jesus Christ and His atonement and mercy in my own life. I am aware of where I am and where I am going, and the clearer are my views..

My faculties have been enlarged according to the heed and diligence I give to His words. My understanding has been enlightened and I continue to receive truth and light communicated to my intelligence. I experience the Holy Ghost, not through my heart, but through my intelligence, which, because He is light and truth, I can feel that light and truth and discern it.

I can much better see the darkness within and around me, but I also know the Light to follow in the darkness.

I can speak with the tongue of Angels and understand others who speak with the tongue of Angels.

I hunger and thirst for His words and desire more. He leads me to those who can teach me more. I desire to be a follower of righteousness and even a greater follower of righteousness. I want to possess great knowledge and even greater knowledge.

I can discern the scriptural pattern in all things. I recognize and experience that my flesh is still weak and subject to Satan and his followers. I know now, however, that my spirit desires to follow Him and hear His voice. In the flesh I am not strong enough, but in the spirit and with His Spirit, I am losing my desire for sin. I no longer desire riches or even a more comfortable life. I love wisdom. I can see that I am living in Babylon, but know that Babylon and everything in it will be destroyed. It is not capable of reformation, and I want to be delivered from it. I desire Zion and want to help build it up.

I desire others to taste as I have tasted and am saddened that people, even members of my own family, are entrenched in the world. I look forward to when I am wrapped in the power and glory of my Maker and am caught up to dwell with Him.

Let me conclude with this from Paul, as his words, God’s words, cause me to rejoice and give praise to my God and King, and prove a summary of the fruits of repentance.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

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.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (and daughters) of God. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:1-14; 16 emphasis added)

Next: Repentance: All Manner of Fruit and None of It is Good