Repentance: The Fate of Michael From Duchesne

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

Michael from Duchesne spent about 20 days driving to various locations in Salt Lake City, and other places along the Wasatch Front, even down to St. George, Utah. He would stop frequently, get out of his van, and with the aid of the speakers on his van, deliver to the people the words he was commanded to say, that had been delivered to him. He would always deliver the same message, and then move on to another location. He started in Logan, Utah at Utah State University and at gatherings in parks. He stopped by the Logan Temple as people were entering and leaving. 

His next stops were in Ogden, Utah, again at Weber State University, parks and the Ogden Temple. He followed this routine in each city, including among others, Salt Lake City and its suburbs, wherever he felt led to go. He stopped in Orem and Provo, Utah, again wherever there were people gathered. Sometimes he felt directed to some areas with several restaurants, like Lehi at Thanksgiving Point, each time delivering the same message.

As he moved further south, word had preceded him and there were people gathered to hear what he had to say. At BYU, for example, he traveled to several places on or near the campus, where there were always people waiting to hear him. He traveled from Provo, with stops along the way, the St. George, Utah.

He came back to the Greater Salt Lake Area, and spent more time there, even being present near the Conference Center during a General Conference.

His words were always delivered with power and authority, which caused many, who were skeptical, to tremble in his presence. Others reacted with skepticism. Many were angry and tried to shout him down. Others called the police and some even threatened him with violence. But he was not deterred and knew the Lord would allow him to deliver what he had been commanded to say.

There were many who heard and believed the words of Michael and started the process of turning to Christ, feeling the urgency and heeding the words of God. Like the people who heard King Benjamin’s words delivered to him by an angel, many cried unto the Lord for the Lord’s mercy. They believed the words which Michael had delivered to them. Many cried with one voice, saying: We believe all the words which you have spoken to us; and also, we know that they are the true words of God. The Spirit of the Lord has made a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to turn to Christ, repent of our sins, and cried: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

There were many who did not believe the words of Michael and were angry with him. In fact it was the more part of the people who did not believe and were angry. Others asked “who is this Michael from Duchesne, and that we should be judged of him? “What right does he have to call us to repentance and to say that we shall be destroyed? We are a righteous people and need no repentance. He has sought to stir us up to anger one against another and to raise contentions among the people.” This is a great city and surely the Lord will protect it and the other cities. We are a blessed and chosen people. Surely this man is mad calling us to repentance! The eyes of these people were blinded, and therefore they hardened their hearts against the words of Michael. But the Lord protected Michael from those who were angry with him, who wanted to take him and have him thrown in jail, or worse, who wanted to attack him. Michael was always able to deliver the words given to him by the Lord.

Others tried to get law enforcement to silence him or have him taken into custody. Local law enforcement became aware of him, and some even threatened him and told him to move on, that he didn’t have the proper permit. Many wanted to bring him before church leaders.

Because he addressed Church leadership, there were meetings held. Some said let him be, because he was calling people to repentance. Others said that he needed to be disciplined, but could find no church records. Some just thought he was crazy.

Michael became a big story for the media in Utah. Reporters and camera crews followed him, and as a result his message was on the nightly news on all the major television stations. He became the subject of radio and television talk shows and pod-casters. Social media was predictable with the haters, the doubters, the uninformed, the liars and the accusers.

The question for you, however, is how did you respond to Michael's words? Did they bring glad tidings to you? Were they too depressing or too negative? How did you respond to the justice of God?

How did you respond to the messenger--Michael from Duchesne? I purposely did not describe him because, I believe, that may distort how you receive his message. I have always objected to depictions of prophets by artists who have no idea what they look like. Remember that these prophets could be anyone, and it is their message that is important, not who they are or what they may look like.

Let's compare how some responded to Christ when he came in the flesh. 

Some said "this man blasphemeth" (Matthew 9:4). To these Christ asked why "think ye evil in your hearts" (Matthew 9:5)?

Some marveled and glorified God (Matthew 9:8).

Others laughed him to scorn (Matthew 9:24).

There were those who called him a friend of publicans and sinners (Matthew 11:19).

Others accused Him or His disciples by claiming that what they did was not lawful to do on the sabbath day. To which He responded "in this place is one greater than the temple" (Matthew 12:2;6).

Councils were held against him to decide how they might destroy Him (Matthew 12:14).

Some asked "Is not this the carpenter's son" (Matthew 13:55)?

Others asked for a sign (Matthew 12:38).

They were offended in him (Matthew 13:57).

He was accused of transgressing the tradition of the elders (Matthew 15:2).

Others said he was John the Baptist; Elias, or Jeremiah (Matthew 16:14).

Jesus was betrayed unto the chief priests--condemned him to death (Matthew 20:18).

Many were too busy with the things world to attend the wedding feast to which they were invited (Matthew 22:8).

To those who tried to catch him in an error, he replied "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God" (Matthew 22:29).

Judas betrayed him and He was spit upon and crucified (Matthew 27:3;30;50).

How did Christ respond to these Scribes and Pharisees?

"...all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at the feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues. And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi" (Matthew 23:5-7). 

"...he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:11-12).

There is a long list in Matthew 23, but this concluding statement is applicable to our response to Michael of Duchesne:

"Wherefore, behold I send unto prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth..." (Matthew 23:34-35 emphasis added).

"How often should I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chicken under her wings, and ye would not" (Matthew 23:37)!

Those who recognize the glad tidings are those who are "brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy  scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them--" (Mosiah 15:7 emphasis and double emphasis added).

Michael suffered many of these same responses as have the Lord's prophets and messengers, who have been called to say nothing but repentance. But like Samuel, Michael from Duchesne, when he had completed his mission in Utah, was not heard from again. This is not because there was no effort to find him. Local church authorities in Duchesne, on their own and at the insistence of priesthood leaders in Salt Lake City tried to find records of him in the Church. There were a few named Michael, but no church records of any Michaels from Duchesne, Utah.

What is the catalyst for the Lord's endtime judgments? 

I used to think that it was because of the wickedness of the world that these endtime events would come, but while they also will suffer, the unrepentant Mormon Gentiles are the catalyst for these endtime judgments, just as unrepentant Israel was the cause of the 10 tribes being captured by the Assyrians, the Jews being taken into Babylon, the destruction of the Nephites at the hands of the Lamanites, which are types (has been) of that which is to come. 

Let me say one more time: just as the Lord's people Israel suffered the Lord's covenant curses when they were taken by the Assyrians (10 Tribes) and were captured and taken to Babylon by the Babylonians (Judah), we too, as the Lord's latter-day people, will suffer the Lord's covenant curses in the Lord's day of judgment. And it will be for the same reasons. 

The catalyst for the captivity of the Lord's people anciently by Assyria and Babylon is the same catalyst for a latter-day Assyrian/Babylonian king (as prophesied by Isaiah) to destroy the wicked of the Lord's people and the wicked of the world before the Lord's coming. Moreover, that catalyst is the apostasy and worship of other Gods by the Lord's people, and the failure to search and treasure up His words, to hear the Lord, see and repent. It is always the failure of the Lord's people to repent.

Scriptural patterns of attacks on God's people by world powers, moreover--as with Assyria's and Babylon's world conquests and invasions of the Promised Land--show that they occur as a consequence of God's people's apostasy.  In Nephi's scenario, God's people who apostatize are the Ephraimite Gentiles to whom the gospel has been restored, while those saved from destruction are the house of Israel (Jews, 10 Tribes and Lehi's descendants) and only Gentiles who repent, who will then be numbered among the house of Israel (1 Nephi 14:12; 3 Nephi 16:13).

Our failure to repent will be particularly bad for us as no people in modern times have been so blessed with an abundance of God’s Word as the Mormon Gentiles. Do we realize our lives are on the line, depending on whether we live by it, not by a muddled or watered down version of it?

I call your attention to Tim Merrill's Owl of the Deseret latest post on faith, as it is faith that leads us to repentance. It is one of his best writings on faith as he captures the words of God for us and delivers them in a way that is enlightening and refreshing. 

And the main message of God's Word to us: Repent and receive mercy. Unbelievable glad tidings!

Next: Repentance: Summary

Repentance: Failure of the Lord's People to Repent is the Catalyst for the Lord's Endtime Judgments

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

The words which Michael from Duchesne, Utah, spoke to the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his speaker equipped van, in Salt Lake City, Utah and the cities along the Wasatch Front and the I-15 corridor, are the words of God, words which God did put in Michael's heart, words which Michael says he was commanded to speak, and words delivered to him by an angel. So everything that Michael spoke is from God. Michael uses a phrase "the sword of justice" to describe the unrepentant condition of the people in the Church of Jesus Christ, and says that nothing can save this people except repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am Michael from Duchesne, Utah. I am only one of many who will come among the Lord's people in these last days, who have been commanded by the Lord to declare His words and call the people to repentance. Samuel the Lamanite served as a type of prophets like me. And there are and will be many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent or be destroyed. You will recognize them because they will only speak the words of God with power and authority having the Spirit of Revelation and the Spirit of Prophecy. Like me, Samuel came even though there was a prophet leading the Church. My presence among you is reinforced by the Savior who told the Nephites that "all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after" have testified of me.

I declare unto you glad tidings, but I have been commanded to say that because of the hardness of your  hearts except you repent, Christ will take away His word from you, and He will withdraw His Spirit from you. The sword of justice or the Justice of God can only be removed by repentance. Repent or face the justice of God, and if you do not repent you will be destroyed in the upcoming destruction which is to occur prior to and in preparation for Christ's second coming. These endtime judgments will come about because of your failure to repent, just as the destruction awaited those whom Samuel warned. Behold, vengeance comes speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, says the Lord. And upon you it shall begin, and from you it shall go forth; First among those among you, says the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house!

God will turn away His anger only if you repent and return unto the Lord your God. Our Lord has said that blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that does not repent. This is the time when you are the people who are being called to repentance. 

There are those among you who are repenting, whom the Lord would call righteous, who are the reason this great city has not yet been destroyed. But when the time comes that the righteous are cast out, then will this great city be ripe for destruction. And I say the same for all the cities which are round about Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. 

The main cause of your wickedness is that you have set your hearts upon your riches. I say behold the people of this great city, and hearken unto my words; yea, hearken unto the words which the Lord says; for behold, he says that ye are cursed because of your riches, and also are your riches cursed because ye have set your hearts upon them, and have not hearkened unto the words of him who gave them unto you. You do not remember the Lord, but you do remember your riches and things of the world, and even thank the Lord for them, and yet your hearts are set upon them, and upon the vain things of the world. Your hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with great pride, unto boasting, and all manner of iniquities. Do not be deceived by the works of this people: your church activity, your emphasis on family, your kindness, your service, your temple work, your piety, your ecclesiastical leaders, your industry, your counsels, and/or your good works. It is to you He is speaking: those that profess to know Him. Presently you are only bringing forth wild fruit, none of it which is good, because it is not fruit meet for repentance.

For this cause has the Lord God caused that a curse should come upon this city, and also upon your riches. Many people of the church are proud because of their riches and possessions which they have obtained by their industry; and in all these things are lifted up in the pride of their eyes. Because some of you have more than others, there is great inequality among you, which inequality is the reason the whole world lies in sin. 

Your pride also leads you to believe that you are a good person, even though you are not perfect, and that the Lord, because He loves you, will forgive you for the mistakes that you have made and usher you into His presence. This thinking is contrary to the word of God and will carefully and unknowingly lead you into Satan's captivity and under his power. 

There are some, who, if a prophet comes among them and declares unto them the word of the Lord, which testifies to their sins and iniquities, will be angry with him. They would much rather that one speaks flattering words unto them, and tells them that they can do whatever their heart desires. Those who flatter are foolish and blind guides, and you suffer yourselves to be led by them. Why do you put your trust in what others post online, and not in the word of God? How long will ye choose darkness rather than light? Why will you trust in lying words? Why will ye not put your trust in your God and not in men?

The days of your probation will soon be over, and because you have procrastinated the day of your repentance, I speak with urgency. The Lord awaits with open arms as He warns you of His justice. He wants you to accept His mercy. I plead with you to hear his words, and if you do, I pray that the anger of the Lord will be turned away from you as you repent and are saved.

I have been commanded to prophesy unto you the coming of the Savior and many events leading up to His coming. For purpose of these prophecies, you are identified with the Gentiles. Because you have rejected the fulness of His Gospel, His Gospel will be taken from you and given to the house of Israel. God will set his hand the second time to restore the house of Israel. He will bare his arm in the eyes of all nations. His latter-day servant will fulfill a mission to the nations, and will have power to judge them. God will perform His great and marvelous work among the nations. The Jews, Lost Tribes and Lehi's descendants will be gathered to the old and the new Jerusalem, as God fulfills his covenants with them. The wicked, or those who fail to repent and remain in Babylon, will be destroyed along with Babylon. Only those who hear and believe the word of God will be saved and will act as nursing mothers and fathers to the house of Israel. The time soon comes when the Lord shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked He will destroy; and He will spare His people, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire. Again I have been commanded to cry unto you, repent and prepare the way of the Lord!

It is important that you hear his words so that you will know of the judgments of God which do await you, and also that you may know the conditions of repentance. But this is not all--you are to know of the coming of Jesus Christ and the signs of His coming so that you might believe on his name. For if you do believe on His name, you will repent of all your sins, that thereby you may have a remission of them through his merits.

Repentance is a necessity because of the Fall of Adam, and as result of the Fall we are all cut off from the presence of the Lord and die both temporally and spiritually. Christ, however, has redeemed mankind so that we would be brought back into the presence of God to be judged of God according to our works. Christ's redemption is brought to pass only on the condition of repentance for whosoever repents the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire. The justice of God will cause those who fail to repent to be hewn down and cast into the fire. On the condition of repentance, however, we can obtain the mercy of God and be found guiltless without having to be judged of our works, good or bad.

And so I say again: repent, repent, lest by knowing these things and not doing them you shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and you are brought down unto this second death. The call to repentance is to avoid the justice of God, to avoid the second death, and rather be redeemed of the Lord.

All that the Lord does is done with the intent that as many as will believe will be saved! Whosoever will believe and repent will be saved.

And now remember, remember, that whosoever perishes, perishes unto himself; and whosoever does iniquity, does it unto himself; for behold, you are free; you are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God has given unto you a knowledge and he has made you free. And not just free to make choices, but free to choose good or evil, life or death; and be restored unto that which is good or have that which is good restored unto you; or you can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you. It is your choice to choose either justice or mercy!

The Lord has called you with His everlasting gospel to be the salt of the earth and the savior of men, and to hold up His light to the world, not your own inadequate light. Instead you are as salt that has lost its savor and are good for nothing but to be trodden down under foot of the house of Israel. Your only hope is to repent, and your failure to repent will be the catalyst for the Lord's endtime judgments.

Because of the wicked and abominable traditions of your fathers, many have been led astray, but you are left without excuse because He has warned you through His holy scriptures, and the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which lead some to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance brings a change of heart unto them and they are made free because of their firm and steadfast faith in Christ.

I have been commanded to describe you as being unsteady of heart. At the time the Lord blesses you, His people, by increasing your income, your gold and your silver, and even sparing your lives, then that is the time you do harden your hearts, and do forget the Lord your God, and do trample under your feet the Holy One--yea, and this because of your ease, and your exceedingly great prosperity. You are foolish, vain, evil and devilish and quick to do iniquity. And this is because you set your hearts upon the vain things of the world!

You do not desire that the Lord your God, who hath created you, should rule and reign over you. Notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards you, you do set at naught his counsels, and you will not that he should be your guide. I remind you that you are nothing, even less than the dust of the earth, but because of what the Lord has blessed you with, you are lifted up in pride and take strength unto yourselves.

If the Lord shall say unto a man--Because of thine iniquities, thou shalt be accursed forever--it shall be done. And if the Lord shall say--Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence--he will cause that it shall be so. In contrast to the justice of God, however, you can be saved and for this cause has repentance been declared. The good tidings I bring are that blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved. I would that all men would repent and be saved, but I know that there are some who will not choose mercy, but will choose justice by refusing to repent. 

Can you imagine? Can you imagine that the Lord must visit His people with many afflictions, with death and with terror, and also with famine and all manner of pestilence, or His people will not remember Him? And why? because how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths!

Why do you pollute the holy church of God? Why are you ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do you not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies--because of the praise of the world? Why do you adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

Because of your unbelief you do not understand the word of God; and your hearts are hardened. Do not harden your hearts against my words, for it will come to pass that He will smite His people with sore afflictions, with famine and with pestilence; and He will cause that they shall howl all the day long. All the prophecies of Isaiah and John will come to pass, except you repent. And except you repent, He will utterly destroy you from the face of the earth.

And I say unto you priests who pretend to teach this people, wo be unto you for perverting the ways of the Lord! For if ye had understood the spirit of prophesying, you have not taught them. Therefore, you have perverted the ways of the Lord. You have not applied your hearts to understanding and by your traditions have made the word of God of none effect. What teach you this people? Know you not that I speak the truth? You know that I speak the truth; and you ought to tremble before God. It shall come to pass that you shall be smitten for your iniquities, for you have said that you teach the word of God. And what do you know of the word of God? Have you said nothing but repentance unto this generation as you were commanded to do? I know that because I have spoken the truth you will be angry with me and judge me that I am an apostate. You have taught the precepts of men mingled with scripture and have lead this people astray. You have made His gospel into a gospel of performances and ordinances. You have not understood that there could be no man saved except it was through the redemption of God. Why is it that you have not warned the people?

My only claim is that I have been sent by God, armed with the words of God, to call to repentance the people of the church in Salt Lake City, Utah and in the cities along the Wasatch Front. Would it be a test as to whether we would receive the words of God even though the messenger was not an ecclesiastical prophet, perhaps just a gospel doctrine teacher, or even a ministering teacher, or a friend, a father, a grandfather, or that person in your ward who does not settle for the pulpit narrative? I add my words to the words of the prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord--I say unto you, that all who have hearkened to their words, and believed the Lord would redeem His people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are His seed, and they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.

I end my words with the words from the prophet of this last dispensation, Joseph Smith: "I will proceed to tell you what the Lord requires of all people, high and low, in order that they may escape the judgments of God which are almost ready to burst upon the nations of the earth. Repent of all your sins. Not many years away, the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not had a parallel in the history of our nations. Pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation off the face of the land to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel. Repent, repent is the voice of God to Zion, and strange as it may appear, yet it is true, mankind will persist in self-justification until all their iniquity is exposed, their character past redeeming. Hear the warning voice of God lest Zion fall and the Lord swear in his wrath the inhabitants of Zion shall not enter into his rest. Intemperance, immorality, extravagance, pride, blindness of heart, idolatry, loss of natural affection, love of this world, indifference toward things of eternity are increasing among those Latter-day Saints who profess to believe in the religion of heaven. Who but those can see the awful precipice upon which the world of mankind stands in this generation and can labor in the vineyard of the Lord without feeling a sense of the world's deplorable situation?"

Next: Repentance: The Fate of Michael from Duchesne

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

These posts on Repentance are intended to be read in order beginning with

Repentance: Introduction

At the bottom of each post is a link to the next one. 

Following my last post on Repentance I found this scripture, and it transitions well with this post:

“Now they did not sin ignorantly,

For they knew the will of God

Concerning them,

For it had been taught them,

Therefore they did 

Willfully rebel against God” (3 Nephi 6:18 emphasis added).

We hear a lot about the Covenant Path, but I am not sure it has ever been clarified what it means exactly. It is quoted often in General Conference, and among ourselves. It has become what I call another tenet or dogma that makes its way through the church mantra-style as in repeating any word or phrase with no regard to what it means. Other recent phrases like Hasten the Work and Teach as the Savior Taught (now Teaching in the Savior’s Way), were like grass fire at one time, but they are not spoken so often at this time. 

Tenet is defined as any opinion, principle, belief, creed, precept or dogma, especially one held in common by members of an organization. Seems OK doesn’t it? The problem is that the Lord has told us “of tenets that shalt not talk” (D&C 19:31). The reason is that tenets are statements put forward without any effort to define them, leaving people free to use theirs or others’ ideas as to their meaning. Hasten the Work and Teach as the Savior Taught are good examples of members and leaders imposing their own meanings, perhaps mingling with scriptures, but without using the Lord’s definition. And in almost all cases it is because they do not know the scriptural narrative and do not have the word of God in them. Take Teach as the Savior Taught for example. The Lord said: “I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” (John 12:49-50 emphasis added). For a more detailed discussion see: And of Tenets Thou Shalt Not Talk #2.

I have no problem with terms that are defined using the word of God, in which case, they no longer are tenets, but are the word of God. Hasten the work comes from scripture, and even though the phrase Teach as the Savior Taught, does not, it is a phrase that if properly defined is the word of God. I am not sure that covenant path meets this criteria, at least the way covenant is used in the scriptures. And, besides, there are scriptural phrases that to me have more meaning such as hold fast to the iron rod, or feast upon the words of Christ for His words will tell us all things we must do, or live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God. 

Covenant path confuses me, and takes away from the Lord asking us to heed His words and live by them. Maybe someone can give me a good definition of covenant path, but so far, I have not seen or heard one. There is no question but that we make covenants, but one question, even though of least importance is: what covenants do we make? 

Before we answer, let’s look at how covenant is used in the scriptures. One thing I can tell you is that the scriptures do not say that a covenant is a two-way promise between us and God. That is Mormon-Speak. Legally in its most general sense a covenant is a promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action, and it can be made by one party for the benefit of another. A covenant can be made by only one party to an agreement, or parties can make differing covenants, but a covenant is not the result of two parties making promises to each other.

Speaking of brush fires, remember a few years back, all the talk about the Sabbath day and the Sacrament? There was even special training and members were assigned to talk about the Sacrament. This is also an excellent example of a topic which was once on the lips of almost all members, hardly finding any traction today. And even when it was defined it was usually contrary to the purpose of the Sacrament, even though the Sacrament prayer itself, given to us by the Lord, is all that we need to understand. 

I had always been taught that when we partake of the sacrament we were renewing covenants we made at baptism, but as I searched the scriptures, I could find nothing that supported this. And I didn’t remember ever making any covenants when I was baptized, nor did I witness others making covenants when they were baptized. I brought this up once in a Gospel Doctrine class, and you would have thought that I was speaking heresy. It was later, during this period when we were focused on the sacrament, that I read this:

“The title ‘renewing our baptismal covenants’ is not found in the scriptures. It is not inappropriate. Many of you [gesturing to the audience of Seventies and Auxiliary leaders] have used it in talks. We [gesturing to other apostles sitting on the stand behind him] have used it in talks, but it is not something that is used in the scriptures. And it can’t be the keynote of what we say about the sacrament” (Neil L. Andersen, Witnessing to Live the Commandments, General Conference Leadership Training on the Sabbath Day Observance at Church, emphasis added)

I still don’t understand why he said it “is not inappropriate” or that “the sacrament is beautiful time to not just renew our baptismal covenants, but to commit to Him to renew all our covenants, all of our promises, and to approach Him in a spiritual power that we did not have previously as we move forward.” It seems to me that notwithstanding there is no scriptural basis, we just can’t let it go. Perhaps we misunderstand the wording of the sacrament prayer because it does say “take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments” (Moroni 4:3).

But what it does not say is that we promise or that we covenant to do these three things. The prayer, on the other hand, teaches us His Gospel. It says that we witness unto our Eternal Father, “that we are willing” to do so. Not that we will! We witness that we want to take upon us His name, always remember Him and keep His commandments. In other words we are witnessing to our Father in Heaven that we are repenting, that we are turning to Christ. We witness that we are willing and ask for His help. It is all the difference in the world than saying we will! That is why the sacrament is so important to me. I am witnessing each time that I want to turn to Him and I need His help doing so. I want to partake of His flesh and blood. Another way of demonstrating this is if I sang I Need Thee Every Hour in a Sacrament meeting, where everyone would readily know that I do need Him every hour.

I think my objection to the covenant path is that when we focus on making covenants, we are focusing on what we do rather than what Christ has promised us. The tendency is to put our trust in our covenant making, and it just reinforces justification by works. It is not, however, about making covenants to Him, but about Him making covenants with us. But there is a catch, and it has everything to do with repentance.

The "Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe on his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel'' (2 Nephi 31:2 emphasis added). He does not covenant with those who make covenants, but only with those who repent. See how a watered down version of His words really does dilute His words. 

His covenant with Abraham is one that we should focus on, since this is what the Book of Mormon is all about--His covenant with Israel, and His remembering that covenant when He takes His gospel from us and brings it to the House of Israel (3 Nephi 16:10-11). He also makes it clear that:

“...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).

Joseph Smith said: “Christ proposed to make a covenant with the Jews, but they rejected Him and His proposal. The Gentiles (which includes us) received the covenant, but the Gentiles have not continued, but have departed from the faith. They have become high-minded, and have not feared; therefore, but few of them will be gathered.” (Note the difference between making and receiving His covenant.) 

In other words, the Gentiles refused and continue to refuse to repent, and as a result the Gospel will be taken from them and given to the House of Israel as the Lord remembers His covenant with them. (3 Nephi 16:10)

Joseph Continues, “Man departed from the first teachings, or instructions which he received from heaven in the first age, and refused by his disobedience to be governed by them. Consequently, he formed such laws as best suited his own mind, or as he supposed, were best adapted to his situation. …God has instructed man to form wise and wholesome laws, since they had departed from Him and refused to be governed by those laws which God had given by His own voice from on high in the beginning.” (Joseph Smith) 

What were the “first teachings, or instructions” or “those laws which God had given by His own voice” which man received from heaven, but refused to be governed by them? It was His law, His only law. And that is one law that we do covenant to keep, but not before we receive His gospel and repent and turn to Christ. See Are We Not All Beggars. 

As there was only one law given to Israel, so there is only one law given to the human race, the law by which the sons and daughters of God are supposed to live in this world. It was given complete to Moses, but the people would not receive it, so he could give them only a part of it. (Exodus 32:19; cf JST Exodus 34:1-2). In his farewell speech, Moses concluded by saying:

“Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse” (Deuteronomy 11:26). “If thou wilt not hearken…these curses are for you.” Then he repeated a list of promised blessing in reverse (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil…. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30-15, 19). Those who accept the covenant are expected not to follow the world, but to be set apart from it--to be completely sanctified. “Ye stand this day all of you before Jehovah, your God,... that he may establish thee today for a people unto himself” (Deuteronomy 29:10, 13). To reject such an offer is to incur the judgment of God. 

Another way of saying ‘accept His promises,’ is to say repent, and not follow the world, but to accept His blessings, accept life, accept good, and deny not the gifts of God! “The Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe on his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel.'' 

So it matters not how many covenants we make. What matters are the covenants (promises) He makes. We have the option of either accepting or rejecting them. The promise is always there until it isn’t, when we reject it. Only those who repent accept His promise of life. Only those who desire to live His law (the law of consecration) will receive the promise where we are equal in both earthly and heavenly things, for the obtaining of heavenly things. If we cannot be equal in earthly things we cannot be equal in heavenly things (D&C 78:5-6).  This is the fulness of the Gospel that we the Ephramite Gentiles reject. This is why the gospel is taken from us and given to the House of Israel who will repent and receive His promise. As He said “the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” 

This is what is meant by turning away from the world and its inequality, desiring all to be equal, which is what we do when we turn to Him.

And it is our Father who will teach us of His covenant: 

“And the Spirit giveth light 

to every man 

that cometh into the world; 

and the Spirit enlighteneth

every man 

through the world, 

that hearkeneth 

to the voice of the Spirit.

And every one that hearkeneth 

to the voice of the Spirit 

cometh unto God, 

even the Father. 

And the Father teacheth him 

of the covenant 

which he has renewed 

and confirmed upon you, 

which is confirmed upon you 

for your sakes, 

and not for your sakes only, 

but for the sake of the whole world. (D&C 84:46-48).

I have written extensively about this covenant which you can access here.

Next: Repentance: Failure of the Lord's People to Repent is the Catalyst for the Lord’s Endtime Judgments

Repentance: I Would Not Hear. I Would Not Know

These posts on Repentance are intended to be read in order beginning with

Repentance: Introduction

At the bottom of each post is a link to the next 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 also is describing us, His people in the latter days, and this language is not flattering but is condemnatory. 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 by taking pride in 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 of, 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, after we 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 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 

2) and so much knowledge 

given unto them of the Lord their God; 

3) 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; 

4) 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;

5) Having been visited by the Spirit of God; 

6) having conversed with angels, 

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

8) and having the spirit of prophecy, 

9) and the spirit of revelation, 

10) and also many gifts, 

11) the gift of speaking with tongues, 

12) and the gift of preaching, 

13) and the gift of the Holy Ghost, 

14) 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. 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 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 your 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