The Closing of the Mormon Mind

"...and I am left to mourn because of the...ignorance...of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be" (2 Nephi 32:7)

To Joseph Smith this last dispensation was the opening of the heavens and an opportunity for those who accepted the gospel to "stretch their minds to the upmost heavens." 

As Joseph described "Our minds being now enlightened we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understanding, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of" (JS History 74).

Ours is a mind stretching religion: 

"Thy mind, O man, if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity" (JS).

The description given by Oliver Cowdery has always moved me (it is why I quote it repeatedly) and reminded me of what awaits us as we immerse ourselves in the word of God. 

"On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity the voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us... 

While the world was racked and distracted--while millions were groping as the blind..., and while all men were resting upon uncertainty...our eyes beheld, our ears heard.... 

Man may deceive his fellow-men, deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, 

till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave, 

but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind" (JS History Footnote emphasis added).

But we must ask the question in our generation--have we 'stretched our minds' to the upmost heavens? Have we heard His voice and can exclaim as Oliver did that one word from the mouth of the Savior strikes everything else into insignificance? Or are we more like those whom Nephi describes, a people who will not search nor understand great knowledge, who have, rather than opened the heavens, closed them once again?

The saints were cautioned by Joseph Smith, even then, who said to them: "How vain and trifling have been our spirits, our conferences, our councils, our meetings, our private as well as public conversations--too low, too mean, too vulgar, too condescending for the dignified characters of the called and chosen of God." I think he would say the same now.

In other words we are not expanding our minds and reaching to the highest heavens. Brigham continued with this theme for his entire life. The treasures of the earth are merely to provide us with room and board while we are here at school, being "made for the comfort of the creature, and not for his adoration. They are made to sustain and preserve the body while procuring the knowledge and wisdom that pertains to God and his kingdom, in order that we may preserve ourselves, and live forever in his presence."

Learning is our proper calling: "We shall never cease to learn, unless we apostatize..." "God has given us mental and physical powers to be improved."

First and last, the gospel is learning unlimited. "When we have lived millions of years in the presence of God and angels...shall we then cease learning? No, or eternity ceases."

"...every minute of every day of our lives we should strive to improve our minds and increase in the faith of the holy Gospel."

"We are trying to teach this people to use their brains."

To use one's brain is to think for one's self. "Ladies and gentlemen, I exhort you to think for yourselves, and read your Bibles for yourselves, get the Holy Spirit for yourselves, and pray for yourselves." 

Joseph Smith said: "All have the privilege of thinking for themselves upon all matters of conscience...We are not disposed, had we the power, to deprive anyone of exercising that free independence of mind which heaven has so graciously bestowed upon the human family as one of its choicest gifts."

Over and against the expanding mind, Joseph and Brigham placed the contracted mind. Brigham told the well-heeled saints to "keep their riches, and with them I promise you leanness of soul, darkness of mind, narrow and contracted hearts, and the bowels of your compassion will be shut up."

It is the things of the world versus the things of the mind.

Let's examine, as just one example, how Nephi defined knowledge. As recorded Nephi had just finished one of the great discourses in the Book of Mormon on the doctrine of Christ.  He tells us he will speak plainly "for my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding" (2 Nephi 31:2-3 emphasis added). Let me comment here on the word "plainness" because this gives insight into what Nephi says later about not searching or not understanding great knowledge. Nephi teaches us that God speaks to us in plainness through His words according to our language and there is no question but that the phrase "even as plain as word can be" refers to God's word because it is "after this manner" that he gives light to our understanding.

Nephi then teaches us why Christ was baptized and how He did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized. The answer is plain. He submitted to being baptized to witness unto His Father and unto us that he would be obedient in keeping His Father's commandment to be baptized. And again, "it showeIth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them. And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?" (2 Nephi 31:9-10 emphasis added).

And what are the 'commandments of the Father' that Nephi is referring to? "And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son" (2 Nephi 31:11). 

In order to receive the Holy Ghost we must repent (turn our heart, mind and strength to Christ) and be baptized in His name, and "to him that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do" (2 Nephi 31:12). See also 3 Nephi 27:20 where the Lord says: "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth and come unto me and be baptized." See also references in Alma 12 and Moses 6 to the "other or second law and commandments" which is to repent and be baptized.

After Nephi reminds us of the command to repent and be baptized, he tells us what it means to repent. "I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism...then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and ye can speak with the tongue of angels..." (2 Nephi 31:13 emphasis added). 

Note that since God cannot be deceived, the deception and hypocrisy spoken of here refers to deceiving ourselves.

Nephi explains to us that he had been shown these things so that he could teach them to others. And why? So that "ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 31:17). If we have entered into this gate then we have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son. 

The question that Nephi then asks is, "if all is done?" And answers "Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save" (2 Nephi 31:19 emphasis added).  

There is much to consider in this answer, much more than our traditional definition of what it means to endure to the end, which is most often given without regard to Nephi's definition, and others' in the Book of Mormon. Let's examine what Nephi says about enduring to the end. First he tells how we got in the way--by virtue of the word of God, with unshaken faith in Christ and relying alone upon the merits of Christ (not any of our own merits).

He then makes it clear that 

1) "ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, 

2) having a perfect brightness of hope and 

3) a love of God and of all men" (2 Nephi 31:20).  

But he adds a qualifier that the majority of us either ignore of just miss, and that is we press forward "feasting upon the word of Christ" (2 Nephi 31:20 emphasis added). He then tells us so as to be perfectly clear: "This is the way; and there is none other way nor name given...this is the doctrine of Christ" (2 Nephi 31:21).

Now comes the interesting part. After Nephi makes it so clear and reinforces it by teaching us the word of Christ, the people still "ponder somewhat in (their) hearts concerning that which (they) should do after (they) have entered in by the way" (2 Nephi 32:1). Nephi can't believe they are even asking! He answers with a question similar to the questions that Christ would ask: "Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?" (2 Nephi 32:2).

It is critical that we understand and experience what the Lord is telling us through Nephi. It is the difference between staying in the strait and narrow way, or wandering in some other path, while believing that we are on the right path. It is the only way to be baptized with fire by the Holy Ghost. Most of us, while having been baptized by water, are still waiting for the baptism by fire. This is the genius of Satan. He makes us believe we are on the right path, when we are not, and we can't see the difference. Why? Because we do not do what Nephi then tells us in the next verse!

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:3 double emphasis added). And we do not have the tongue of angels because we have not feasted on the word of God.

And what a reinforcement and a condemnation when he says: "Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye know; wherefore ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark" (2 Nephi 32:4 emphasis added).  Again note the correlation between His words and the light.

In our dispensation the Lord revealed His definition of truth as being the "word of the Lord" (D&C 84:45). He tells us that the "whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin." But we may know when someone in under the bondage of sin, "because they come not unto me." And again why do they not come unto Him? Because they "receiveth not my voice" because they are not acquainted with His voice. "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 84:46-53 emphasis added). The righteous are those who are acquainted with His voice (His words), receive His voice (His words), and exercise faith because of His words and come unto Him. The wicked are those who are not acquainted with His voice, who receive not His words and who cometh not unto Him. 

It is not hard for us to feel what Nephi was feeling and why he mourned because of the unbelief (wickedness) of the people and the fact that they would not search for knowledge through His words which He had given unto them. Because we have His words we are left without excuse.

Now the heart of this article. Nephi having told the people, and make no mistake, he is talking about us also, he makes it so very clear what we are to do after we have entered into the way, and because so very few members do what he says, he is heart broken and says one of the most telling passages in all of scripture about us.  "...I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be" (2 Nephi 32:7 emphasis added). Note that Nephi links the word search with feast. Reading is not searching or feasting.

In other words there is no excuse for us. We either are feasting upon the words of Christ or we are not. There is no middle ground. Simply reading, nibbling and the occasional snack are not enough. Nephi certainly seems to know what we are doing. Note the words, unbelief, wickedness, ignorance and stiffneckedness. Nephi mourns because of our refusal to feast, even though God has spoken to us and had His words recorded.  His response is to mourn and to grieve (2 Nephi 32:8). But even in his mourning he tells us what we should be doing after entering in the way--you have the words, they are plain, so search them. Why? so you will understand great knowledge and know all things what you must do.

Talk about stretching our minds to the highest heaven. His words come from the highest heaven and it is so unbelievable that we treat them so lightly, do not search them, do not feast upon them. As a result we must "perish in the dark" (2 Nephi 32:4). We just cannot navigate our way through all the darkness around us and within us without His light--His words, but we imagine that we can. We substitute the the words of men for the words of God.

Any suggestion that we truly love truth, according to Nephi, must be taken at face value. 

We cling to the traditional or regurgitated gospel nibbling rather than feasting upon the word of God.  

Where is the hunger and thirsting after truth, the desire to gain knowledge and even greater knowledge?  

Where is the desire to search out His great treasures? 

Why do we refuse to "search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge?"  

Why is it that we do not know that the Melchizedek Priesthood holds the key to the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God? (D&C 84:19)  

Why are we content with a watered down version of His word that does not nourish?

Moreover, why has the Church been under condemnation from time to time, and remains so now, because of vanity and unbelief and treating lightly the words we have received?  

Christ has given us the Book of Mormon (but only a hundreth part of all that He taught) to test our faith and to see if we would receive it in our hearts, feast upon it, and if so then we would receive more.  (3 Nephi 26:9-11; D&C 84:54-55). Which begs the question: why have we not received more? And the little more that we did receive (Pearl of Great Price) is only worth a week or two in Gospel Doctrine class, and yet contains some of the greatest mysteries of God.

Nephi uses the word ignorance. Peter purportedly said that "all evil springs from ignorance; and ignorance herself, the mother of all evils, is sprung from carelessness and sloth (as Nephi said "they will not search knowledge'), and is nourished, and increased and rooted in the senses of men by negligence" (Clement of Rome). Ignorance can only be cut off by knowledge, especially in those who are preoccupied with erroneous opinions. Peter continues, "for nothing is worse than for one to believe that he knows what he is ignorant of, and to maintain that to be true which is false.  ...Thus, therefore, are those also who do not know what is true, yet hold some appearance of knowledge..." (Clement of Rome). Ignorance is nothing else than not knowing what is good for us. Therefore the knowledge of truth ought to be eagerly sought after; and no one can confer it except the Savior, who teaches the words of His father.  (John 12:49-50).

Abraham is an example of one who had received great knowledge, but desired even more knowledge. His hunger is recorded in Abraham 1:2: "...having been a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge."  Note the link between being a follower of righteousness and possessing great knowledge. Can we say the same of ourselves or are we content with traditional watered down inspirational talks?

As Isaiah says of us, that although Jehovah wants to give his people “instruction” and “revelation,” they are but babes and sucklings who haven’t developed far enough to digest more than milk: “Everyone who uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:13). Ephraim’s mode of learning is still “line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little” (saw lasaw saw lasaw qaw laqaw qaw laqaw ze‘ir sam ze‘ir sam). Assonance and alliteration parody their rote method of learning that consists of parroting back what their leaders teach (Isaiah 28:9-10). We have settled on line upon line, not realizing that line upon line leads to more!

Contrast reaching our minds to the highest heavens with our everyday diet of what Elder Holland calls Spiritual Twinkies.

We have adopted the world's view of illusion and image. This culture of illusion thrives by robbing us of the intellectual and linguistic tools to separate illusion from truth, the truth being the word of God. 

We repeat thought-terminating clichés and slogans. 

We regurgitate what we hear as if it is truth without searching the truth (the word of God) for ourselves. 

We are hostage to the constant jingle and manipulation of our world and religious culture. 

We seek refuge in familiar tenants, dogmas and labels. Our image-based culture communicates through narratives, pictures, and pseudo-events. Pseudo- events are judged on how effectively we have been manipulated by illusion. Truth becomes irrelevant. When the most valued skill is the ability to entertain, the world becomes a place where lies become true. Blind faith in illusions can becomes our culture’s version of being born again. Our ability to think for ourselves has been eroded, and we remain ignorant, but all the while claim we are enlightened, chosen.

We create an illusion of knowledge by referring to the books which contain the truth, not by searching the truth within the books. We claim that we know the books are true, without searching what is in the books,, and in Nephi's words we remain ignorant, but think we are not. 

We have adopted worldviews of ourselves as honest, hard-working, industrious, and good people. All virtues of the most wicked people in the Book of Mormon--the Zoramites. Satan has indeed cured our cold--we are virtuous and self-disciplined--but he has given us cancer--pride.

Could this observation by Hugh Nibley also be true of us? "I have known intimately a number of creative scientists and I have studied the behavior of a great many more as revealed by the record of history. I have never encountered one of any importance whatever who would welcome with joy and satisfaction the publication of a new theory, explanation, or conceptual scheme that would completely replace or render superfluous his own creation." Instead of embracing new truth at any price, "the scientist actually tries to fit each new discovery or set of discoveries into the traditional theories" as he "clings to the conceptions or preconceptions as long as it is humanly possible."

Any suggestion that scientists so dearly love the truth that they have not the slightest hesitation but to cling to their own conceptions or preconceptions is a mean perversion of the scientific process.

And with us who do the same we can ask 'why is this the case?' It is all explained in the Parable of the Sower.

Where does that leave us? Ignorant with closed and contracted minds, but believing that we are not!

What if God Actually Spoke?

Many people say they do not believe in God. But as I have written many times, belief has no bearing on whether there is or is not a God. The question is not whether we believe or do not believe in God. The questions are:  Is there a God? Are there more than one God? Are Gods male or female, or both? Not, do you believe in God?

Man cannot prove either the existence or non-existence of a God or Gods. But if there really are Gods, they can certainly prove their own existence and much more about themselves. How? By communicating with man. In other words if God spoke to men or sent messengers to speak for Him, then His words can prove His existence.

What if God actually spoke to man? Would His words be important enough to record? And if so, how would they be recorded? If God had a plan for us, would He let man know of the existence of that plan, what specifically is the plan, and why the plan is necessary?

There are books that many claim contain the word of God, but just because some may claim it, their claim is no proof. Their insistence that these books contain God's word is also irrelevant to the issue of whether or not there is a God.

We as humans are ill equipped to know whether or not God has spoken to others. Our senses are limited to touch, sight, smell, hearing and feeling, and with these limited senses we cannot know of God's existence or whether some words were actually revealed by Him. 

But what if God has not only spoken, but what if He will speak to you? What if He said to you: "I am God. Hearken unto my voice"? What if He has equipped you with other means (other than your senses) to know of His existence? What if you are equipped to receive instruction directly from God? Can light and knowledge be communicated directly to you, to your mind and intellect?  What if you do not need to depend on others to tell you whether God exists, and whether He speaks and has spoken to man, or what He has said? What if you are also a spirit with intelligence co-equal with God's, can we come to know Him and Her?

Further, what if He has communicated to man some things about himself? For example, is He male? Are Gods plural, male and female? Does He have a body or not? Did He create the earth out of nothing or did He organize elements to form it? 

Is Jesus Christ His only begotten son in the flesh? If He did organize this earth, has He told us why He organized it and whether or not there is some purpose or plan for us being here?

But the concept of God has been so distorted it is little wonder that most do not know of the true God or whether they are equipped to know. It is easy to see why so many do not believe in God. ​When witnesses, according to written records, who knew God, were persecuted to the point of extinction, their successors, who didn’t know God, decided what they thought God was like and formulated their ideas in official creeds, religious doctrines, and belief systems that persist to this day. 

It is remarkable that none of these definitions of God match up with the sum total of the written accounts but rather with parts and pieces, always taken out of context. As a consequence, what were intended as guideposts for the faithful ended up being false markers calculated to render ineffective whatever faith a believer could muster who wanted to know God personally as these witnesses knew him. 

P​hilosophical and religious ideas of an intangible God—a Greek or pagan god—were much closer to their own concept of him. For if they, the paragons of virtue and ecclesiastical authorities of the day, didn’t personally know God then surely no one could know him. The upshot of this was that their definitions of God became a standard for the common man to follow, for all practical purposes turning God into little more than an abstraction. This ensured that future seekers of God would likewise never know him, because exercising faith in a false concept of God contravenes divine law and could therefore never yield the desired result.​

​In truth, one can’t say enough about the disservice to humanity these modern Sadducees and Pharisees have perpetrated by “shutting up the kingdom” to those who would enter (Matthew 23:13). As they have ingratiated themselves in Eastern and Western society, immortalizing their false doctrines in its top schools and seminaries, the true character of God and the path to knowing him has been so lost sight of that few indeed there be who find it so long as the blind continue leading the blind.

Well spoke the prophet Isaiah of this state of affairs: that "darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people” (Isaiah 60:2).

So let's look at some of the written records. ​To begin at the beginning, and note that there are no written records of anyone before Adam and Eve, the Book of Genesis records that “God created man [adam] in his own image, in the image of God created he him: male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27); “In the day God created man [adam], in the likeness of God made he him: male and female created he them. And he blessed them and called their name Adam in the day they were created” (Genesis 5:1–2). 

From these two passages we learn several things: 

(1) that God is a plural entity, as the word “God” (’elohim) is a plural term that literally means “Gods”; 

(2) that the term “God” denotes at least one male and one female, or the man and his mate could not have been created in his (and her) “image” and “likeness”; 

(3) that the singular pronoun “him,” referring to “man/Adam,” is interchangeable with the plural pronoun “them” when giving a more specific definition of “man,” as when referring to both Adam and Eve; and 

(4) that God’s “blessing” and “naming” of Adam attests to a covenant relationship with them.

​The interchangeable use of pronouns from singular to plural, and vice versa, applies to God himself (and herself), not just to the “man” Adam or to the “man” as Adam and Eve. While the idea of a lone or single God is inferred in part from the biblical use of singular pronouns and verb conjugations relating to God, there exist exceptions. 

Plural pronouns and verb conjugations appear alongside, and thus interchangeably with, singular ones: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26; emphasis added); “The man has become as one of us, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:22; emphasis added); “Let us go down and there confound their language” (Genesis 11:7; emphasis added). As when the term “man” signifies both Adam and Eve, these plural terms nuance the idea of deity, defining God as a plural entity—“Gods” (’elohim).*

​The idea of monotheism is further inferred from such declarations as, “Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God/Gods, Jehovah is/are one” (Deuteronomy 6:4); “I am Jehovah, there is/are none other; besides me there is/are no God/Gods” (Isaiah 45:5). The contexts of these passages, however, warn against idols, the false gods of Israel’s neighboring nations (Deuteronomy 4–8; Isaiah 44–46). 

The idea of God’s oneness, however, doesn’t imply singleness as in the sense of denoting just one divine being. Rather, biblical accounts commonly define oneness in the sense of two or more persons or things being or becoming “one.” Examples include Adam and Eve being “one flesh” and Jesus’ prayer that his disciples might become “one” in him as he is “one” in the Father (John 10:30; 17:21–23). 

​The concept of God as a plural entity appears in these primary sources, while the idea of divine oneness reflects the Gods’ acting in unity of purpose so that when one speaks he speaks for all. Jehovah, for example, is called a “God of Gods and Lord of Lords, a great God [’el]” among the Gods (Deuteronomy 10:17; cf. Joshua 22:22; Psalm 136:2–3). 

Jesus declares, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). ​The Judeo-Christian concept of monotheism thus paradoxically accommodates the implicit fact of a plurality of Gods who, by their very nature, act as one for the benefit of humanity under the auspices of the Father.

​This brings us to the divine concept of the “man” Adam being created in the image and likeness of the “Man” God, making God’s fatherhood of humanity an extremely rational idea—the opposite of God as a nebulous entity who exists everywhere at once and has no form or substance. 

Now suppose God is “a God of truth” (Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 65:16), then what he says of himself must be consistent, making God the ultimate Man and, at least for modern homo sapiens, the Missing Link. 

I​s it conceivable that there might be much more to the idea of God’s being a plural entity, so that in many respects he represents all the Gods with whom he is one? In other words, could the divine Father and divine Mother of the human race in actuality be one of many who are divine Fathers and divine Mothers of human races? 

We might surmise that a single glance at the Hubble and Webb Telescopes' views of deep space, with its billions of galaxies stretching into eternity, each with its billions of stars, ought to dispel people’s medieval idea about our local heavens and earth being the center of all creation. If that were the case, then this earth would constitute an anomaly of stupendous proportions, depreciating our idea of God’s omnipotence. But if even one star in a hundred galaxies had an earth like ours that was inhabited by the children of a divine Father and a divine Mother, there would still exist endless heavens and earths with endless inhabitants—literally as numberless “as the stars in the heavens and as the sands upon the seashore” (Genesis 15:5; 22:17).

Other records ​shed light on God and his creations. In one account God tells Moses, “Worlds without number have I created . . . . The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words. For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:33, 37–39). 

In a similar context, God showed Abraham greater and lesser stars etching into eternity, until “I could not see the end thereof” (Abraham 3:12). "So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them" (Abraham 4:27).

Concerning this world, Isaiah depicts God’s sequentially forming the heavens, the earth, the nations, his people Israel, and—as his supreme goal—persons who “ascend” (Isaiah 40:12–31). ​A further thing Abraham saw were greater and lesser “intelligences” resembling in glory celestial bodies, God being the most intelligent of them all (Abraham 3:19). 

Persons who most increase in intelligence attain the greatest oneness with God. The more they acquire his divine attributes, the more powerful they become with God and with humanity. Jesus’ words, “I seek not my own will but the will of the Father who has sent me” (John 5:30), express his oneness with God as a God—the same oneness with God all may grow into (cf. Isaiah 56:3–5; Matthew 12:50; John 17:19–23; 3 Nephi 11:11). 

​When John bows down to worship the angels who are talking with him, he sees that they are not a species apart from God and men but “fellowservants” and “of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 19:10; 22:8–9). Similarly, the angels who minister to Zechariah and Daniel are in each case described as a “man” (Zechariah 1:8–14; Daniel 9:21). Even Jehovah and two angels who visit Abraham and Sarah, who eat and drink with them, are called “men” (Genesis 18–19). This suggests that the difference between God, angels, and men isn’t so much in appearance as it is in divine power and intelligence. 

When Jacob wrestles with a “man” who names him Israel, he identifies him as “God” (Genesis 32:24–30). Moses, who, like Jacob, sees God “face to face,” describes him as possessing “hands” and “feet” (Exodus 24:10–11). The male aspect of God, however, can’t be considered exclusively, no more than the “man” Adam is exclusively man but includes also Eve (Genesis 5:1–2). 

​That God possesses a physical form in no way diminishes the fact that “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24). Perhaps a closer translation of this verse is that “God is spirit.” That sets him apart from the spiritless statues of wood that forms the context of Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman: “You worship you know not what. We know what we worship,” namely “the Father, in spirit and in truth” (John 4:22–23). Thomas’ recognition of Jesus as “My Lord and my God”—after Jesus’ resurrection, when Thomas put his fingers into the prints of the nails (John 20:28)—shows that Jesus was a physical as well as spiritual God. Lastly, are God’s children also not “spirits”—spirits clothed in physical bodies—who resemble their Makers? If not, then who are the “spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23; Doctrine & Covenants 129:1–6)? ​If God in his male aspect, moreover, possesses a human form and exhibits physical characteristics as the Bible depicts, can we assume that he still lacks other essential male attributes? 

Or if Adam and Eve were physically as well as spiritually created in his image and likeness—male and female—shall God himself lack these physical traits, making the Creator less than the created? In other words, shall the “man” who is identified as “God” by those who met him as a physical person not be a full male but merely a quasi-male? Believers in God thus face a dilemma: either accept the scriptural account as the Word of God and believe in the God–Man of the Bible, or else fall back on the Greek philosophical idea of a disembodied and intangible God who is found nowhere in holy writ. 

Don’t those who subscribe to an unknowable God invariably never know him? Do they believe it more profitable to tailor their lives to such a flawed model—to “worship you know not what”—than to accept the truth? As men and women have testified down the ages, the act of believing in God as the scripture reveals him carries with it the promise of his manifesting himself to those who live by his word. Just as that applied to the past, so it does today. 

Were God to reveal all things to all men all at once—and not require them to exercise faith in him and in his word—many would refuse to believe from the outset, compounding their unbelief and bringing themselves under condemnation. Those who have come to know God personally, on the other hand—whether solely in his male aspect, or as male and female—have not done so all at once but rather through his manifesting himself to them by degrees according to their faith in God's righteousness. 

Their coming to know God as a divine Father and Mother ultimately transforms their faith into certain knowledge. ​If God is male and female, as the scripture says, could he/they rightly be considered male and female in any fundamental sense different than man is male and female? The testimony of reliable witnesses—that God possesses a human form and exhibits humanlike characteristics not unlike our own—may to some appear implausible but not to those who know. 

Without needing to resort to far-fetched, explanations of how we came into being, they acknowledge that we are indeed God’s “children” and that he is, in fact, our “Father” (in his male aspect), just as he informs us (cf. Job 38:7; Psalm 82:6; Isaiah 45:11; Hosea 1:10; Matthew 5:9; Luke 20:36; John 1:12; 11:52; Romans 8:14, 16, 19, 21; 9:26; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 3:1–2, 9–10; Mosiah 18:22; Alma 6:6; Doctrine & Covenants 46:26; Moses 6:8). 

Not a hint exists in God’s revealed word that the familial terms the writers use to describe our relationship to God aren’t literal. Nor is there anything preventing us from coming to know God, except perhaps a desire to know.

And there is a way to know. It starts with this experiment, which begins with the planting of a seed.

*Credit Gileadi's analysis of Genesis. 

A Conference Headline I Would Like to See

The Salt Lake Tribune held a contest just prior to the October 2022 General Conference, where contestants could submit and vote on 'Conference: Dream Headlines.' 

This is my dream headline with an article that I would like to see.

President Russell M. Nelson Prophecies Concerning the End-Time Judgments

President Nelson began and ended the conference by reminding and warning the members of the importance of Isaiah's endtime prophecy, reminding listeners that Christ said that great are the words of Isaiah, and that we have been commanded to search them. He said that everything Isaiah wrote about in his vision has been and shall be, or in other words Isaiah carefully selected events in history that will be repeated in Jehovah's endtime.

He shocked those in attendance and watching on television when he made it clear that these endtime judgments are the result of the apostasy of the Lord's people. He identified us as Gentiles or Ephraim among the Gentiles, and that we are the wild branches identified in Jacob’s recounting of Zenos' Allegory of the Olive Tree which have brought forth only wild fruit. He identified some of these wild fruits as idolatry, self righteousness, covetousness and ignorance, and reminded listeners of President Spencer W. Kimball's talk on the Bicentennial in 1976 titled "The False Gods We Worship."

He then quoted Christ in 3 Nephi 16:10 where Christ says that because members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will reject the fulness of His gospel, it will be taken from them and given to the Jews, Ten Tribes and Lehi's descendants, who are of the House of Israel.

Our only hope, he said, to be 

1) numbered among the House of Israel, 

2) to participate in their gathering, and 

3) to avoid the endtime judgments, 

is to repent and come unto Christ. He reminded us to look to God and live and not to the living prophet--not to put our trust in man, any man. We should, however, give heed to the word of God regardless of who is teaching.

If we fail to repent, he reiterated that we will be as salt that has lost its savor and is good for nothing, but to be, again quoting Christ, trodden under foot by the House of Israel.

President Nelson thanked God for sending Avraham Gileadi to help us unlock Isaiah. He said Gileadi's 40 years of work searching Isaiah was the motivation for him to begin to do the same. He also reminded us that these same Prophecies are given in the Book of Mormon by Nephi, Jacob and Christ, and that one third of the Book of Isaiah is quoted in the Book of Mormon. He made it very clear that we should use Gileadi's book "Endtime Prophecy" as an aid as we keep Christ's commandant to search the words of Isaiah. 

He, admitted, however, that there were certain of the church and its leadership who had been and who remain critical of Gileadi, which is to say critical of Isaiah's vision, of which they know nothing, and that he has invited Brother Gileadi to teach the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, so that they too will be able to see clearly the Lord's endtime events. He reminded us, however, that Isaiah had prophesied that this would be the case--that some would fight against Zion.

He spoke of the irreconcilable division among the people and how we will be found on one hand or on the other of the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work--those that believe His words and those who do not. 

In his closing remarks on Sunday he quoted D&C 88:73 that when the Lord says, "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time," He is referring to His great and marvelous work (1 Nephi 14:7; 3 Nephi 21:9) which is identified by Isaiah, Nephi, Jacob and Jesus, the commencement of which was the Restoration and the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon. 

He prophesied of an additional fourteen events associated with the Lord's great and marvelous work that have not yet happened and are indeed endtime events which will take place in domino fashion before the Lord's second coming. They are 

(1) God's "setting his hand the second time" to restore the house of Israel;  

(2) God's "baring his arm" in the eyes of all nations; 

(3) his servant fulfilling a mission to the nations; 

(4) the Gentiles' rejecting the fulness of the gospel after having received it; 

(5) God's performing his "great and marvelous work" among the nations; 

(6) Gentiles, including former believers "fighting against Zion;"

(7) the spiritual kings and queens of the Gentiles' nurturing the house of Israel; 

(8) the house of Israel [Jews, Ten⁹ Tribes & Lehi's Descendants] receiving the fulness of the gospel; 

(9) God's righteous people being endowed with power; 

(10) the House of Israel's returning from the four directions of the earth; 

(11) the destruction of the wicked; 

(12) the deliverance of the righteous; 

(13) the house of Israel's receiving lands of inheritance; and 

(14) the Father's fulfilling his covenants with the house of Israel.

He urged all those who hear and read his remarks to search for themselves to know the details of these 14 events and be prepared to warn others. The call to say nothing but repentance, he said, is more important now than it has ever been. He said there are many like Samuel the Lamanite and Abinadi who have been called of God in these last days, who are not necessarily local or general authorities, to warn us and to call us to repentance. He urged local leaders to find and use these people in their wards and stakes because they have been given these gifts from God, and to not deny the Gifts of God.

He told the members to be prepared to hear and listen to the Lord's servant who will be raised up. He said this servant, who will be marred and healed by the Lord, will have authority to judge the nations and with the help of the 144,000 spoken of by John, and other nursing Gentiles, aided by additional written records such as the sealed plates and the writings of the brother of Jared, will gather the Jews, Ten Tribes and Lehi's descendants in a latter-day exodus to the lands of their inheritance, the old and new Jerusalems.

Those who fail to repent, he prophesied, who remain in Babylon will be destroyed along with everything in Babylon. Leading this destruction will be a latter-day King of Assyria who will wreck havoc on the nations and their people. He warned those in attendance to see what is happening in America, of which Egypt in Isaiah is a codename. Democracy is being destroyed by those he likened to the King-men in the Book of Mormon. 

President Nelson urged us to give heed to these Prophecies and protect ourselves and others by placing our faith in Christ alone, and by feasting upon the words of Christ. He said that we will have no excuse since we have been adequately warned. He said he is adding his warning to those of Joseph Smith; Isaiah and other Old Testament prophets like Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel; Book of Mormon prophets Nephi and Jacob; and The Prophet Jesus Christ. 

Yes, I would love to hear a prophet prophecy at general conference.

Note: There is not one item in this article that is not based on the word of God, is subject to interpretation, or runs counter to the scripture narrative, and yet the chances are very slim that we will ever hear these prophecies from the pulpit. But then again Isaiah prophesied that His watchmen would fail to warn the people (Isaiah 56:10-12).

The Publican and Christ

This is the follow up to the previous post titled The Pharisee and the Publican. Please read it first.

So now the Publican has answered the door when Christ knocked. Now what? Hug? Shake hands? No, more likely the Publican will fall at His feet, being overcome with Godly sorrow, recognizing his nothingness and Christ's goodness, overcome by Christ's love for him, the ungodly! 

The Publican, having been justified by faith, what, if anything, will Christ ask of the Publican? Will he ask him to reform his ways and live the gospel? Not according to the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican! 

But Christ will teach the Publican His Gospel and explain to him that he can have access to God's Grace because of his faith. He offers as a gift to the Publican, His grace. A free gift. The Publican must accept the gift. This is not as easy at it sounds. For the Pharisee it is quite impossible until he becomes like the Publican, a sinner, and pleads for mercy. But the Pharisee may not think he needs mercy. Why should he? His justification by works is quite impressive to all those that matter--his bishop, stake president, his family, his fellow high councilors and himself!

But back to the Publican and Christ.

Christ will teach the Publican His Father's words, after explaining that because of Adam all die, and because of Adam sin entered into the world, but because of Him all may live and be reconciled to God. Not by living the gospel. Not by becoming religious like the Pharisee. Not by paying tithing or keeping the word of wisdom. Not by performing ecclesiastical duties. Not by daily scripture study. Not by attending or working in the temple, but by coming to Him. By turning to Him. The Publican, unlike the Pharisee, knows that Christ is his only hope. The Publican is taught that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. It is the righteousness of Christ that will save him from his sins!

But, you keep asking, what must the Publican do? I hope by now you know that living the gospel, being religious, like the Pharisee will not cut it. Adam's fall brought death and the Judgment of God on us, and my and your only hope is in Christ. Leave your Sunday best in your closet. Quit trying to impress God. He is not impressed with your good works, your righteousness, your white shirt! Quit preening in the mirror of others' opinion. He has made it crystal clear that He can only help the lost, the last, the least and the dead. He can only work with Publicans. 

Let Paul take it from here and teach us what happens next:

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ, and have access to His grace, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

It begins with faith in Christ and faith only comes by hearing the word of God. 

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord

Grace comes through faith in Christ and leads to eternal life. Whereas sin leads to death. We must be saved from our sins. We cannot be saved in our sins.

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The first fruits of our turning to Christ or repenting is desiring to be baptized. We are then "baptized unto repentance" so that we will not be in bondage to our sins if we continually repent. We are born again in newness of life, freed from the bondage of sin.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Knowing this, that 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.

See how Paul takes us from faith and repentance to baptism, so that by dying with Christ, the body of sin also dies. And as we continually repent we are freed from sin because of Christ. But there is more.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen!

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Yielding ourselves unto God is repentance. 

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Repeat. "For ye are not under the law but under grace."

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto 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 whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned (3 Nephi 11:32-34).

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness, the servants of God.

Not the servants of sin.

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Repentance is not a change of behavior but a change of direction to Christ, and He changes our behavior when we yield to Him, to His righteousness. 

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (Did not have access to His righteousness!)

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

We can tell the righteous from the wicked by the fruits of their repentance.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 4:1-2; 5:23; 6:1-23).

Clear? Maybe not at first glance, but it becomes clear as you experience it. Reading it is not enough and counts for very little. The Publican (like Alma the elder, Alma the younger, Amulek, Nephi, Sons of Mosiah, Paul, etc) experienced their need for mercy. The Pharisee did not. Can you? For those who struggle with the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, ask why it is that you struggle? Certainly we must do more you say? What must you do more, I ask? 

Perhaps exercising the type of faith required is more difficult than it seems. Perhaps baptism is much more than just becoming a member of the church. Perhaps we have bought into the pulpit narrative (the Pharisee narrative) so totally that we can't hear the scripture narrative (the Publican and Christ). 

Let me ask you three questions: 

1) Have you ever experienced being 'harrowed up' by your sins? 

2) Have you ever fallen to the earth and pled for His mercy because of your sins? 

3) Have you ever experienced Godly sorrow because of the goodness of God and your nothingness? 

What? You ask. What indeed.

"Let Paul conclude this post:

The Publican attained to righteousness, by faith.

But the Pharisee followed after the law of righteousness, but did not attain righteousness.

Why? Because he sought it not by faith, but by the works of the law"

(Romans 9:30-32).

For the Pharisee, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, went about to establish his own righteousness, and has not submitted himself unto the righteousness of Christ.

(Romans 10:1-4)