As I have read and listened to several voices with differing points of view, I felt it necessary to revisit this post. Please read Mike's comment. He asked the critical question.
Moroni in Mormon 8 is prophesying that the records which he is keeping shall come forth "out of the earth" (vs 26) and that they shall come in a day when it "shall be said that miracles are done away...when the power of God is denied...when churches become defiled and lifted up in the pride of their hearts..." (vs 26-34).
Then he says "Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you" (vs 35). The phrase "great and marvelous" is used consistently by Book of Mormon prophet writers to describe events associated with the Lord's Great and Marvelous Work (1 Nephi 14:7), the commencement of which began with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of the same Gospel taught to Adam, in this the last dispensation (3 Nephi 21:4;6-7;9).
Speaking of the churches that shall be built up in that day, he asks: "Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold, look unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time cometh in that day when all these things must be fulfilled" (Mormon 8:33). Just what does he mean by 'transfiguring the word of God' and what are the 'churches that shall be built up in that day?'
The only other time that transfigured is used in the Book of Mormon is in reference to being changed from a mortal to an immortal state (3 Nephi 28:2). So in this context we can say that transfigure means to change or alter the word of God, and changing or altering the word of God is to pervert it. Another definition of transfigure is to accommodate and in this context to transfigure the word of God could mean to accommodate His words to make our way seem to be His way. We have to ask if Moroni is asking this question of us since he later states that he is seeing us.
As a further indication that he is talking about us, he refers to churches that have been 'built up' in our time. The phrase 'built up' helps us to determine what he means by churches.
The Savior uses the phrase 'built upon' in 3 Nephi 27:8, 10 & 11 in referring to His church. He says that it is His church, "if it so be that they (notice He does not say it) are built upon my gospel," but we are not of His church, nor is any organization His church if not built upon His gospel.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and His Church are not the same.
His gospel is the truth.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should get us in the right way through baptism (by authority), and then continually nourish us with the word of God, not a watered down version or the words of men mingled with scripture.
His church are those who are built upon His Gospel (baptized unto repentance).
And because He is the Gospel or Good News--
His Church are those who are built upon Him.
Linking that phrase to what Moroni is telling us indicates that any members of the organization (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) who are not built upon His gospel are not of His church, but are built upon the works of men or the works of the Devil (3 Nephi 27:11), regardless of the name of the Church! As He said, "if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel" (3 Nephi 27:8). If If, If!
And any church (members or organization) that transfigures the word of God is not built upon His gospel. The irony is that by transfiguring the word of God, a people and/or an organization, even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are not, or are no longer, built upon His gospel. His Gospel and church culture are not the same.
Churches in this sense also means how each of us defines, perverts and/or reacts to His gospel. Or in other words there are many versions of churches as defined by us or as 'built up' by us because we do not know His gospel, having transfigured the word, and our 'church' therefore is not built upon His gospel, and is not His church. This is true of published materials by the organized church, or talks given by church authorities where His words are transfigured.
In a broader sense we are also told that there are only two churches, one of the Lamb of God and one of the devil (1 Nephi 14:10; Alma 5:39). In this sense every organization or people on earth that pervert, or are not built upon His gospel, as defined by Christ in 3 Nephi 27:13-21, and who fight against the Lamb of God, are of the church of the devil.
The devil is the founder of the great and abominable church (1 Nephi 13:6; 1 Nephi 14:19). Abominable in this context means anything that is contrary to the revealed word of God. Abomination is that which departs from or is different from, the revelations of God. (Transfigured) All righteousness comes through faith in God, which is loving obedience to His revealed word, not obedience to church leaders. "Omin" is the equivalent of "omen," which refers to revelation. "Ab" means away from.
Abomination means, therefore, that which is away from, contrary to, or a perversion of the revealed word of God.
An illustration of this comes from a friend of mine who wrote me the following:
"One of the things that continually stands out is our vain imagination. To me Satan gets rid of truth by twisting it so that even though you have 70% of the concept right the remaining 30% warps it just enough to turn it into a perversion of the right way and of the true doctrine. After all it might just be easier for him to get us to imagine a half truth rather than a complete lie. It also makes me think that Satan loves to start in the mind before he starts work on our behavior, because if he can get us to believe in a half truth he can get us into believing that according to our vain imaginations we are consistently living right. The end result is a people living a perversion, teaching it to their children, and believing they are in the right way and need no such thing as repentance."
As Moroni uses the phrase "why have ye" in reference to transfiguring the word of God, he uses the same phrase when he asks "why have ye polluted the holy church of God?" (Mormon 8:38). Both are personal questions to us who are members of record of the organized church, and He is reminding us that just because we are members of record of a church that bears His name, that does not mean we are of His Church, which is made up of only those who are repenting or turned to Him, or, in other words, are built upon His gospel (D&C 10:67-68).
Given the fact that these records were preserved for our benefit and that we are to liken them unto ourselves, we can clearly say that Moroni is indeed talking to us. He makes this clear when he says: "Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ has shown you unto me, and I know your doing" (Mormon 8:35). And what does Moroni describe as our doing?
He says,
"...I know that ye do walk
in the pride of your hearts...
and your churches, yea,
even every one,
have become polluted
because of
the pride of your hearts"
(Mormon 8:36 emphasis added).
He uses the word polluted the same way it is used in the Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob 5, where "taking strength unto themselves" (Jacob 5:48) is what corrupts or pollutes the Lord's vineyard.
Then Moroni describes more of our doing when he says
"ye do love money,
and your substance...
more than ye love the poor and needy,
the sick and the afflicted...
and ye sell yourselves
for that which will canker"
(Mormon 8:37-38).
Then he zeroes in on us specifically when he asks:
"(1) Why have ye polluted the holy church of God?
(2) Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ?
(3) Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies--because of the praise of the world?
(4) Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life?" (Mormon 8:38-39 emphasis added).
Let's examine the verbs in these four questions, and the objects of each and link them to other references to get a clearer picture of what Moroni sees.
(1) Why have ye polluted the holy church of God?
The verb pollute is used in scripture to denote our:
- "awful, sinful and polluted state" (Mosiah 25:11; Alma 26:17);
- being polluted by the world (Acts 15:20; 2 Peter 2:20);
- polluting the land (D&C 84:59);
- the temple (D&C 109:20; 110: 8);
- our lost and fallen state or our state of corruption (Jacob 5:45);
- polluting His name and His church (the people and the organization); and
- polluting His words by perverting or transfiguring them.
We pollute these when we are not repenting and remain in a state of wickedness. Moroni is describing us in our unrepentant state. In the Book of Mormon those who are repenting are considered righteous because they have turned to His righteousness, and those who are wicked are those who are not repenting. We pollute or corrupt His vineyard and His church when we are not repenting. And in 3 Nephi 27 where He defines His Gospel, He says: "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth..." (3 Nephi 27:20).
The object of the verb pollute is the holy church of God. Understanding how He defines His Church helps us understand why Moroni is asking this question of us. He tells us that it is His Church only if it and we are "built upon my gospel...but if they be not built upon my gospel, and are built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil" it (and they) are not my Church (3 Nephi 27:10-11).
So one way we pollute His Church is by perverting His gospel. Transfiguring the word of God, watering it down so it does not nourish, preaching false doctrines, teaching the precepts of men and perverting the right way of the Lord, are also ways we pollute His Church (the organization and the people) (2 Nephi 28:14-15; Isaiah 5).
He tells us that only those who "repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church" (D&C 10:67). Also "whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church" (D&C 10:68). And if we are not of His church, and since there are only two churches, then we must be of the church of the devil.
The next question uses the phrase 'ashamed to take upon you' His name.
(2) Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ?
Being ashamed includes feeling shame, or being embarrassed, but also includes an unwillingness or restraint because of fear of ridicule or disapproval. This one is easy to measure in each of us. All we have to do is to honestly evaluate our willingness to tell others of Christ and His Gospel, and whether we do so or not.
We do witness before him each Sunday when we partake of the Sacrament that we are willing to take upon us His name, but do we hold back a little for fear of others disapproval or ridicule?
If we were truly like Alma, we would be telling everyone we knew about our Savior and His great and marvelous plan of salvation. We would want all to taste of His love as we have tasted, and we would want all men everywhere to repent so that they too would receive His mercy.
But the difference between us and Alma is that Alma experienced his unworthiness, was harrowed up by the memory of his sins, then tasted of His goodness, repented, was born again--changed from his carnal state to a state of righteousness and wanted everyone to taste as he tasted and know as he knew.
The next question Moroni asks of us concerns one of the main causes of wickedness among many of the Book of Mormon people, and is related to the previous question in that it is the opposite of being ashamed to take upon us the name of Christ.
(3) Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies--because of the praise of the world?
It is wanting the praise of the world and the praise of those around us. Our culture has a tendency to create awe and wonder in other human beings, particularly our church leaders. Succumbing to the awe and the title pose a particular danger, and draw a comparison to the Savior's description of those who love to greet each other by title in the marketplace. One of the particular dangers of succumbing to the praise of others is that we can easily come to think of ourselves as good, thereby deceiving ourselves because of the praise of the world.
Anything that causes us to transfer our trust to ourselves and others instead of our God, is Anti-Christ, and yet Moroni is describing us and as he says, "I know your doing."
His knowing 'our' doing is right on with his next question,
(4) Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life?
Moroni, before asking this question, says of us that
we "love money and
(our) substance,
and (our) fine apparel,
and the adorning of (our) churches,
more than (we)
love the poor
and the needy,
the sick
and afflicted"
(Mormon 8:37 emphasis added).
The 'churches' referenced here are those churches we build up unto ourselves (4 Nephi 1), part of the church of the Devil, and are contrasted with His church which He says, and I repeat for emphasis, is "my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel" (3 Nephi 27:8 emphasis added). Churches in this sense also signifies that which we worship and that which becomes our god or that which is most important to us, in this case, the things of the world.
This is a major and repeating theme among the people of the organized church in the Book of Mormon. In fact the reason Alma decides to leave the judgment-seat but retain the office of being high priest over the church is because the "people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver...which they had obtained by their industry" (Alma 4:6).
This was "the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church" (Alma 4:7). They were "sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among the people" of the church (Alma 4:7 emphasis added).
"They saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon the riches and upon the vain things of the world" (Alma 4:8).
This became a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress and there existed great inequality among the people (Alma 4:11-12).
And it was because of this that Alma himself began to "go forth among the people...of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among the people, seeing no other way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them" (Alma 4:19 emphIasis added).
And there is no question of what Alma knew they needed to be reclaimed from--the same conditions and behaviors Moroni saw in us!
Given that the Book of Mormon was written for us and for our time, it is a little (actually more than a little) unsettling that this theme is so prevalent among the prophet writers of the Book of Mormon, and that the Lord saw fit to inspire Mormon to include so many references from the records that describe us. The problem with the Lord's people has always been the same and of this we are reminded time and again. Here are some examples.
1. We can begin with the Lord's people at the time Lehi left Jerusalem and learn that even though they were called to repentance (in Hebrew means 'return'), they did not heed the command. Of interest to us is what they needed to repent of and return to, and we can read the detail in Jeremiah 4-7. Suffice it to say that it was the same wickedness as Alma described above, with these observations (prophecies) from Jeremiah:
"To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it" (Jeremiah 6:10 emphasis added).
"And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them" (Jermiah 5:13).
"The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so" (Jeremiah 5:31).
"Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words" (Jeremiah 6:19).
"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward" (Jeremiah 7:24).
2. Then there are several similar accounts in the Book of Mormon beginning with Jacob's discourse to his people in Jacob 2. The entire chapter is applicable, but he says in this discourse:
"And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren, ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they" (Jacob 2:13).
After Alma's description of the people in the church found in Alma 4, there are many other accounts describing this same wickedness.
Note in each of these discourses to the people of the church, they are in trouble only if they persist in their wickedness, meaning if they do not repent. The problem is not that people set their hearts upon the things of the world, but that they refuse to turn away from them and repent or turn to Christ relying wholly upon His merits.
3. The teachings of Alma and Amulek in Alma 9; 10 & 12-14 is of particular interest because of Alma and Amulek's use of the word of God to the church in Ammonihah and the description of the wickedness among the people of the church.
4. The people of the church at the time of Nephi in Helaman were accused of "great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength...and because of their iniquity the church had begun to dwindle and they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation" (Helaman 4:13;23).
Nephi, like Alma, gave up the judgement seat and "took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days" (Helaman 5:4). Of particular interest is Helaman Chapter 12:1-4.
5. Following this account we hear from Samuel the Lamanite who is commanded by God to deliver God's word to the people and the organized church at Zarahemla. The same wickedness is described and the call to repentance ever more urgent.
6. Another account that hits home is found in 3 Nephi 6. This is only four years before the terrible destruction which preceded the Lord coming to those who remained. Keeping in mind what Moroni described when he saw us, read and ponder this carefully, and see if you can 'hear' what the Lord is saying to us.
Following great prosperity among the people of the church, it came to pass "that some were lifted up unto pride and boasting because of their exceedingly great riches... For their were many merchants in the land, and also many lawyers and many officers.
And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches.... And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up" (3 Nephi 6:4-15).
And we are told that "they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did willfully rebel against God" (3 Nephi 6:18).
For this cause "there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people..." (3 Nephi 6:20 emphasis added).
And what was the response among many of the people? They were "exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things..." (3 Nephi 6:21).
7. Moroni's warning to us has dire consequences if we fail to heed his warnings and say that it does not apply to us. When he says "I know your doing" we know that he is talking about us, and how we respond is the key.
Are we repenting as the Lord defines repentance?
These accounts and Moroni's description of us, along with his call to repentance, should help us understand that repentance means to turn away from the things of the world and put our faith and trust in Christ, and feast upon His words. There is no description in Moroni's vision of any other type of wickedness, but there is this warning: "Behold the sword of vengeance hangeth over you" (Mormon 8:41).
And to make clear that there is no question but that Moroni is describing us in Mormon 8, he next addresses "those who do not believe in Christ" (Mormon 9:1).
Each of these accounts from Jeremiah in 600 BC to Moroni "speaking unto us as if ye were present..." (Mormon 8:35) describes the exact same conditions, i.e., being lifted up in pride and loving the things of the world, of which the people needed to repent (turn away from and turn to Christ relying wholly upon His merits), and refusing to do so, will suffer the justice of God.
These accounts, and many others, have been recorded for us as a reminder that repentance is a full time job for us as well as for all those 'bad people' who do bad things. The call to repentance rings clearly throughout each of these accounts as does the reminder that the sword of justice hangs over our heads if we do not repent.
The word of God which delivers the message to us is a two edged sword and we will be found on one side of His word or the other, for as Christ said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48 emphasis added).
By continuing to "feast upon the words of Christ" we will be told all things that we must do, of which the number one command is to take advantage of the Lord's gift of repentance and rely on His merits and His goodness to save ourselves and then others by teaching them the word of God.
Note: I sent a copy of this to my friend Mike, and he wrote the following comment:
I read "I Know Your Doing" and have always felt those scriptures are specifically speaking to us...the Mormons, not anyone else. The struggle I have, this is His church. If I think otherwise I could be headed down a wrong path. So how do I reconcile knowing Moroni is speaking to LDS people and believing this is His church?
I sent the following answer:
You have asked the right question. As I look at the word 'church' in the scriptures I see it is used in different ways, but the problem begins by making the statement that the 'church is true' when He tells us it is only His church if 'they' are built upon the works of the Father, otherwise it is not His church. This confusion comes, I believe, by focusing on the organization as the 'true' church. But by asking the question is the organization true? we can begin to see that His church is not the organization. In fact in D&C 10:67 we read that "whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church. Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me, therefore he is not of my church."
President Benson addressed this once and said "...the Lord defines a member of His kingdom in quite a different way. In 1828, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, He said, 'Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.' (D&C 10:67; italics added.) To Him whose Church this is, membership involves far more than simply being a member of record" (Teachings of the Prophets, Ezra Taft Benson). So we again come back again to repentance.
The purpose of the organized church is to bring us to Christ and get us started on the right path. How are we doing in this regard?Do we teach children to understand the doctrine of repentance before they reach the age of accountability? Do we teach baptism unto repentance?
We don't do a good job of keeping members in the right way. They are taught a watered- down version of the word of God. We have the organization, and the ordinances, the organization makes policies, but the church just does not nourish us continually by the word of God (Moroni 6:4). We substitute inspirational talks for the Word of God. Isaiah says we (Ephraim) water down His words so that they are no longer nourishing. So when Moroni asks why have we transfigured the word of God, he is telling us why he sees what he sees.
The emphasis on His words cannot be overstated. It is through His words that we obtain faith in Christ. It is through His words that we learn of our condition and the necessity of the atonement. It is through His words that we get in the strait and narrow path and it is through His words that we continue in that path. The only truth is His word. And close is not enough. His words must be revealed to each of us personally. Otherwise all we have is information and cannot testify that we know.
Look at 3 Nephi 27:13-21 where Christ defines His Gospel, and tells us that we will all stand before Him to be judged of our works. He then offers an alternative to God's Justice, and that is to be found guiltless at that day because of His goodness and mercy.
After reminding us of what happens as a result of His Justice, He explains why He gave us the commandments to repent, be baptized by water and by fire, and to endure in repentance to the end--so that we can obtain His mercy and be of His Church. By the way, only His definition of His Gospel is true--His words--not our version of what we think His gospel is.
This statement by Hugh Nibley makes it even clearer: "While the Church has been under condemnation from time to time, the gospel has never been. They are not the same thing. The one is the truth; the other, an organization to foster that truth. Is the organization free to adjust and control the truth? Can it decide on the basis of public relations what would be most appropriate for what audience and for what occasion? Can it substitute its individual opinions for the truth? Does any organization through its officers have that discretion?" I would add, can it/they willfully, or even ignorantly, transfigure His word?
"Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church. Now remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world...(D&C 10:68-70 emphasis added). "Therefore, go forth unto the people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth" (3 Nephi 11:41 emphasis added).
Can it be any clearer? Moroni asks why we have transfigured the word of God and then tells us what he sees, when he is allowed to see us, and what he sees is not only the result of, but the reasons for, transfiguring the word of God.
