The Condemation Of The Children Of Zion

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The Condemation Children Zion - Mormon Doctrine Studies - Posted: 28th Nov, 2007 - 11:43pm

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The Condemation Of The Children Of Zion

The Condemation of the Children of Zion

Another one of those hell fire damnation rants for analysis...

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The Condemation of the Children of Zion
by Reid Johns January 1995
INTRODUCTION

As I began to come to a knowledge of the topic of this paper, I spoke with others in the church about it. I found that few knew about or take seriously the situation the present church finds itself in. This paper is written because of my love for my people and my church, and because I desire to see the building up of Zion. I write it neither for myself, nor to call attention to myself, and neither do I seek to condemn.
I know that some people who read this will feel that I have no right, or that it is not my place, to write publicly of these things. The Lord has allowed me to know these things, and He has prompted me to write this paper because I have prayed about this topic on behalf of my people. I write this paper in humility and because I have been inspired to do so.
Although many of the Latter-day Saints recognize that we now live in the last days before the coming of Christ in glory, they consistently put forth an image of a people not in fear of their coming Lord, but confident in who they think they are in the Lord's eyes. Rather than preparing with all their heart, might, mind and strength, united in the purpose of building Zion, each walks after his own ways, seeking financial security through a Babylonian system of banking, politics and unjust weights and measures.(1) The only unification of the "saints" is weekly gatherings of church meetings and observance of outward works; but the underlying focus returns to selfishness and inequality as, at present, the people of the Lord are divided into classes of wealthy and poor, leader and rank-and-file, Pharisee and Publican. Truly, the Latter-day Saints are modern Israel, for we have followed the folly of the Jews in almost every aspect, but have failed to recognize the lessons we were meant to learn from ancient Israel. And by us presently rejecting the covenant offered by Jesus, as did the Jews, we bind ourselves as to a similar destruction. It is not my desire for people to read this and accept these conclusions. I ask that you prove these conclusions. Test them. Read the scriptural references prayerfully, and ask God of these things and their truth. It is my testimony that the Lord will answer the humble supplicant, and fill his soul with the Light of His truth.

A PARABLE

A missionary comes to a man's home and begins to teach him the firstfruits of the fullness of the gospel. The man can feel the comfort that this gospel brings, and he accepts and enjoys it, yet he cannot bring himself to forsake his worldliness, for he is a man who is honored and respected in worldly circles. Because of this, he will not be baptized. The missionary promises the man that if he will accept baptism with his whole heart, greater comfort, knowledge and blessings will be given to him. The man still refuses, and instead he takes the meager knowledge he has learned and blends it with his worldly ways. He begins to teach his understanding to others, believing this new ecclesiastical knowledge will put him in higher standing with others of the world, which it does. The missionary, after great patience, and seeing that the man's heart is so hardened, departs from the man's house and takes the message to another house.

THE MODERN CHURCH'S CONDEMNATION

In 1832, just two years after the founding of the Church, the Lord placed the whole Church and its posterity under condemnation, yet offering a way for the Church to repent. Let us read the word of the Lord.
"And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received-- Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written-- That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and a judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay."(2)
Thus has been the situation of the church for over 162 years. Consider this in your hearts, prayerfully. The Lord put the church under condemnation just a few years after being formed and receiving the Book of Mormon. He obviously expected the Saints to quickly accept the new scriptures, live its new principles, and receive the further knowledge to be revealed.(3) After only two years of not heeding the Book of Mormon the church received condemnation. How greater a condemnation shall we receive 162 years later? Truly this must be considered by all.

WHY ARE THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS CONDEMNED?

Because of His desire to save all of His children, and because there is no salvation outside the covenant with Israel, the Lord sought to give the Gentiles the opportunity to hear and receive the gospel, accept it, then be numbered among His people Israel.(4) But with that gospel came a great responsibility upon the heads of the people, that they must cleave to their God and none else.(5)

In D&C 84 the Lord says that the Saint's minds have been darkened. Since condemnation remains upon us, we must accept that our minds collectively as a church are also, or moreso, darkened. Bro. Joseph Smith described the cause of darkened minds. He is quoted as saying:
"Righteous persons could only deliver their own souls-- applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall--that they were depending upon the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy."(6)

When one reads that in full context, one can see that Joseph was not speaking about people departing from the Lord by apostasy and leaving the church, but by relying too heavily on the prophet of the church to speak to and for God. And notice that he says that those who do become darkened in their minds by depending on a prophet become jealous and envious toward those who appear to have their own light, and they afflict them with their envy. Could that mean that the "innocent" become ostracized, or perhaps treated unjustly by their presiding authorities? Whatever it is, it appears that those who do not communicate with their God have malice toward those who do.
In relying on another as a relay between themselves and God, people lose that Light within themselves and become darkened. The point is Personal Revelation. Joseph was saying that any man who denies getting his own personal revelation is departing from the Lord and neglecting the duty that is theirs--to speak with their own God. Can we not see how prevalent this sin is today? How often do we really rely on the Holy Ghost? Hardly a sacrament meeting and General Conference goes by without hearing the standard decree: Follow the prophet; follow him and you can never be led astray! This is a deadly false doctrine and has no scriptural proof to support it, and it goes plainly against what Joseph saw as gaining Light.(7) We are all to be prophets.(8)

What is this Light that we are avoiding because of trusting so fully in the arm of the flesh? D&C 93 gives some good information.
"I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." "Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation-- The light and the Redeemer of the world...who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men. And no man receiveth a fullness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be."(9) The following verses I want to show separately, because they are essential in comprehending why we are condemned.
"Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation. The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one. And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the traditions of their fathers. But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth." (10) As one reads this section, one will see that Frederick G. Williams, Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith, and Newel K. Whitney are all chastised for failing in some way or another to bring up their children and families in light and truth.(11) This is exactly the sin we have been committing for over 162 years! Through the traditions of our fathers, the devil has taken away our light and truth via our disobedience of relying on other men for our revelation, and for not properly heeding the Book of Mormon. By so doing, we are "darkened" in our minds and receive not light, "and every man whose spirit receiveth not light is under condemnation." Thus, here we are.

I cannot imagine another people who so relies on prophets and leaders to guide their lives as the modern Latter-day Saints. We are almost Catholic in our view of them. Although the Mormons continually persuade that they do not believe in infallible leaders as the Catholics do, we have come to believe in infallible positions; I.e. If the president tries to lead the church astray, he will be removed by the Lord and a righteous president put in his place. Nothing need be done on our part. This also renders moot the revelation on how to try the President of the High Priesthood(12) (Perhaps the Lord forgot that He was going to take care of those things.) Thusly, we believe that the president position will always have a righteous man in it, and as long as you follow whomever is in the presidency position, (and we now include the Twelve among the infallibles(13)) , you can never be led astray. In other words-- Catholicism. The LDS people are outwardly encouraged and provoked to follow their leaders, whom we are taught can never lead us astray. But men are men and not perfect, and never in the scriptures has the Lord ever made any allusion to His people being immune to being led astray by false prophets who gain power and trust in the church; that is a newly revived false doctrine. And so by the precepts of men the Latter-day Saints are pacified into security in the belief that God would destroy any leader who sought to lead the church astray. If only the Lord would have been so wise as to do this anciently, no one would have ever lost their standing before God. Why could the ecclesiastical leaders of the Jews and the Nephites continually lead their people astray; and the Lord never destroyed them until destruction came also upon those who blindly followed them? And oft times, the one that the people were meant to follow or hear was the one who was and unknown or outcast(14), or someone who had been excommunicated from the corrupt church organization of their time.(15) We must have our own light to know who God would have us follow, whereby we can "take heed lest any man deceive [us]."(16)

The Lord explained that one of the reasons we are condemned is because we do not have our own light, or communication, with God, because our minds are darkened for requiring others to be our spokesmen in all things. This also construes trusting in the arm of the flesh, and goes contrary to the desire of the Lord--
"The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellowman, neither trust in the arm of the flesh- -But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; that faith also might increase in the earth."(17) We do not seem to understand or believe what the Lord is telling us in these verses. In the first section in the D&C the Lord sets forth in plainness that it is not His desire that men should be led on the earth by religious leaders, but that each should be able to bear the responsibility of standing before their Father and their God. Those who cannot do so are not worthy of the kingdom of God, for they must be led in all things. He also reveals that being led by the counsel of men is trusting in the arm of the flesh; there is no difference. As long as we remain in a situation where we are required to place our trust in the arm of the flesh, or mortal counselors, our faith in Him cannot increase, but rather it will weaken until there is no faith for us to stand on, and no light to help us abide the days which shall quickly come upon us.

In simplicity, the present situation at hand is--because of the early church member's dependence on a prophet,(18) and because we have extolled that dependence even moreso in our day, our minds have become darkened and we are thwarting the plan of God concerning our progression. The church collectively is also out of the way because we have "treated lightly the things [we] have received."(19) In Hebrew the word for "things," daVAR, is also the same word for "words."(20) This holds true in Section 84 because the things we have treated lightly are the words in the Book of Mormon.(21) By forsaking such things, we have ceased spiritual progression as a church. Although the church has grown in great numbers in the past many years, that by no means shows that the church has increased in spirituality. On the contrary, we have seen in the past that rapid growth of a church often shows that it is embracing the teachings of the world, therefore it is very appealing to the world. Bro. Hugh Nibley gives an example as he comments on 4 Nephi 1: 23-28.
"...verse 27, and here we see that the new churches retained their traditions, of course. They were not seeking to be original. They claimed to be the old true church...We are in 4th Nephi 1: 27: 'There are many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel." They took some parts. They kept parts of the gospel, but they got rid of the others they didn't like. Well, we do that the same way. 'They did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness.' And they went further than that. They had the gospel. They denied most of it, though, but they still had the forms and the ordinances and they administered them. They 'professed to know the Christ.' They accommodated their doctrines to the market. They supplied temple recommends on demand. It was very popular. The church grew phenomenally as a result of this. Remember, this is the church we're talking about. This is not apostates. Give them what they want and you'll win. This is the Nehor story already. Remember, the Nehors grew like crazy. We do that today, of course. ...Verse 28 also teaches another thing--that phenomenal growth of the church is no proof that it's true at all, or that it's on the true path. It grew faster than anything because it was very popular. So don't use popularity as a gauge either."(22) Today, our only real progression is in growth. This is hard for some Mormons to accept, but the spirit can no longer guide us in what we do when we trust in our own flesh and in the flesh of others. We don't allow the Spirit to guide us anymore. If this is doubted, let us read some instruction from the Lord. "The elders are to conduct the meetings as they are led by the Holy Ghost, according to the commandments and revelations of God."(23) "But notwithstanding those things which are written, it always has been given to the elders of my church from the beginning, and ever shall be, to conduct all meetings as they are directed and guided by the Holy Ghost."(24) I chose to use this example because it is one that all Latter-day Saints have experienced. We do not follow this counsel of God anymore. Meetings are planned well in advance, speakers do not speak by the spirit but speak upon previously assigned topics; even the General Conference addresses are pre-written and are not spoken forth by the Holy Ghost. One may try to apologize for this by saying that the Spirit guides them in what they are writing, but this cannot be, because God stated that He has "always" and "from the beginning" expected it to be done a certain way. We are not a spiritual church, but a temporal one. We do not seem concerned with the spirit of the matter, just the performing of the work.

The Lord has always worked "line upon line, precept upon precept." He never moves His people ahead until they accept and utilize the previous teachings given. The Mormons have been rejecting the truth and the message of the Book of Mormon since 1832, 162 years. Do we really fancy ourselves as progressing?
THE FORSAKING OF THE BOOK OF MORMON
"And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon, and the former commandments..., not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written--"(25)

I believe the Mormons think that they do accept the Book of Mormon because they do desire to teach and share it with others. We pride ourselves on our extensive and elaborate missionary program and the thousands of new converts it attracts every year. Hypocrites and fools! How can we think we are responsible for sharing knowledge and teaching doctrines to the world when we ourselves are under condemnation for rejecting them? What is worse is that we profess with our lips to believe in this book, but willingly live the laws, teachings, lifestyles and doctrines of Babylon or the world, and do not "do according to that which [God] has written," therefore we are truly hypocrites. We must remember that we are not out from under the condemnation yet, and all the things the Lord said to the early members of the church in Section 84 has multiplied to us over these many years. I think that we have no idea how much we grieve the Lord because of our pride.

How far would the first Apostles in Jesus' day have gone being condemned? They, on the other hand, lived what they taught; they healed and many saw and were converted; they were imprisoned (and freed by angels) for their teachings by the people and leaders(26) of their faith, they spoke in tongues and truly prophesied before the people; they not only increased in numbers, but in spiritual gifts.

The Book of Mormon shows us that we must be born again to receive the Holy Ghost. The Book of Mormon also teaches us that we must be born of the Spirit to truly be called the Children of Christ. When King Benjamin spake to the people as recorded in Mosiah, the focus of his discourse was to prompt the people to become born of the Spirit and to covenant with their God.(27) After they had experienced a "mighty change" to the point where they "had no more disposition to do evil," they made a covenant with God to "do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things."(28) They made personal covenants as individuals to keep the commandments of their God. This is something that all who claim to be the people of the Lord Christ must do to truly be His children and representatives. As King Benjamin describes after the people had been born of God and had made a righteous covenant with their Lord, the people
"shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him (Christ) and have become his sons and his daughters. And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free."(29)

The Book of Mormon struggles to teach us the importance of being born again, of receiving personal revelation in all things, and of receiving a remission of our sins and retaining that remission on a daily basis so as to continue in purity and humility before his face as we go about doing his work and all things that he commands us to do. Please search these things out and study and pray about them with an open heart and a contrite, or sincere, spirit, and the Lord will make them fully understandable to you.
Do we see why we are under condemnation for not taking seriously the writings in the Book of Mormon? There is absolutely no way we can spiritually progress before the eyes of the Lord without putting into action what we are taught in the Book of Mormon. It is the predecessor to greater things. And more than anything--how can we teach to others that which we are not doing ourselves?

THE RIGHTFUL HEIRS OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

The modern church prides itself on its self-proclaimed "chosen" status. They believe fully that they are the righteous, chosen bearers of the gospel and the Book of Mormon to an unrighteous world. But by this attitude the church members are looking beyond the mark. The Book of Mormon belongs to, and is written foremost for, the descendants of Lehi in the last days--the modern Indians. On the title page of the Book of Mormon, which Joseph Smith said was translated along with the whole book,(30) it says,
"Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites--Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile."(31) Throughout the book we find declarations that the work is for the Lamanites.
"And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him (the Lord)--that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation-- Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually... And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time."(32)
The Lord not only promised to keep the records safe from the Lamanites who sought to destroy them,(33) but also that the records would one day come to the Lamanites to fully convert them to the truth. Again we read: "And as these plates are small, and as these things are written for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the Lamanites..."(34) This shows that the writers of the Book of Mormon had in their minds the converting of those who were truly their brothers, for the Lamanites were their family. Jarom, just verses after the previous quote, describes the Lamanites that "loved murder and would drink the blood of beasts," yet he looked forward to a day when they would receive the record belonging to their forefathers, unconcerned so much about the Jew and the Gentile.

Alma says that,
"There are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites; for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land. And at some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name."(35)
One would be foolish to assume that this time of enlightenment is any other time but the last days, at a time future when "the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose" and "Zion shall flourish upon the hills."(36) It has been the design of some ignorant men to fool us into believing that their blossoming and Zion has already occurred. Such foolish teachings are manifest in Doctrine and Covenants Commentary by Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjodahl. Regarding Section 49: 24-25, they say,
"There are two distinct predictions in these paragraphs. One says that "Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose," before the great day of the Lord shall come; the second tells us that 'Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains.' The first of these predictions refers to the Indians; the second, to the Latter-day Saints. Have they been fulfilled? The American Indians are, indeed, flourishing today. On Government reservations they enjoy a measure of prosperity beyond the dreams of their fathers. In Indian Territory they have attained a high degree of both civilization and prosperity.. .They are flourishing... Only a prophet inspired by God could have foreseen such a decided turn in the tide of Indian affairs. The Latter-day Saints, it is hardly necessary to say, by their location in the Rocky Mountains and their prosperity, are an irrefutable proof of the truth of the second part of this prophecy."(37)

I believe this is one of the most foolish statements I've ever read. I have been on different Indian reservations in South Dakota and Arizona and witnessed some of the "flourishing" of our Indian brothers. The authors of that commentary obviously have no understanding of "flourishing." One need only visit once to see the deplorable conditions that the Indians have been left to after having their land stolen from them. This commentary was originally printed around 1915, but the teachings have remained in the book and are used even now as a teaching instrument to help people understand the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants.

My purpose for going on at such length about the Indians is because part of our responsibility of first receiving the record of their ancestors is that we are to make a great effort to return the Book of Mormon to them and help them blossom. The Lord here tells the reason that the Book of Mormon was kept.
"Nevertheless, my work shall go forth, for inasmuch as the knowledge of a Savior has come unto the world, through the testimony of the Jews, even so shall the knowledge of a Savior come unto my people-- And to the Nephites...through the testimony of their fathers. And this testimony shall come to the knowledge of the Lamanites...who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers... And for this very purpose are these plates preserved, which contain these records--that the promises(38) of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to his people; And that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might know the promises of the Lord, and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved."(39)

We cannot receive the record of another people's genealogy and claim it as our own because of the status we desire. We cannot lie to ourselves and say that our missionary program is helping the Lamanites to blossom. The Lamanite converts hold no high positions in the church; there is not one American Indian amongst the general authorities of the church. This book has not been returned to them. Do we not see that this is part of the "vanity" which binds us down? Jesus made a promise to the Lamanite's brothers, the Nephites, which He intends to keep. He has offered to us the opportunity to become part of that covenant, but we have rejected His offer for the past 162 years and still do so to this day! O blind people! Do we not see the abyss before us, waiting agape to receive us? We are rejecting our God through the traditions of our fathers, just as the Lamanites and Israel of old did. We must repent and return to our God. Pray before God humbly and receive purification through the Holy Ghost. Then do as He asks and raise up righteous seed unto Him. We have not done this. "Why is it that ye receive not the preaching of him whom God hath sent? If ye receive not this in your hearts, ye receive not me; and if ye receive not me, ye receive not him of whom I am called to bear record; and for your sins ye have no cloak. Repent, therefore, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance; And think not to say within yourselves, We are the children of Abraham, and we only have power to bring seed unto our father Abraham; for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."(40)

These are the words of John the Baptist to the church leaders of his day who had forsaken the truth of the gospel for that which was more pleasing to themselves. Were we graced with such words today by men such as him, we might hear,
Why is it that ye have not received and lived the teachings of the Book of Mormon, which teachings God hath sent? If ye receive not these words in your hearts and do not live their principles, ye shall not receive the greater portion of the Book of Mormon, nor be numbered among Israel; and if ye receive not these words, ye receive not him of whom the Book of Mormon is sent to bear record, and you cannot hide these sins for they are declared unto you. Repent, and bring forth true works to prove your repentance. And think not to say within yourselves, We are the Latter-day Saints, and we only have the power to spread the gospel and build the Kingdom of God; for God is able to raise up his own preachers from his covenant people, the house of Israel.

THE GENTILES AND THE BOOK OF MORMON

So why do the Latter-day Saints, who are called "gentiles" by the Book of Mormon(41) and by Joseph Smith(42) have the ancestral record of the Lamanites?
"And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people. And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken. And when they (the Gentiles) shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, to their condemnation. Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people."(43)

The Latter-day Saints are being tested. Our faith is being tried. The Lord is giving us a promise that if we will simply accept and do the teachings in the Book of Mormon, the greater teachings of our Savior, whom we claim to worship, will be given us. And how are progressing in that test? Our forefathers began to fail that test to the point of being put under official condemnation 162 years ago in 1832, and we have faithfully followed their tradition. Shall we remain in an awful state of blindness? How much longer will we make God wait? The door is open; He was not secretive about our condemnation, but made our standing before Him plain to us. We have never been given false hopes from God to make us feel that we are progressing when we are not. The Lord has been very scarce in His bestowing of revelation to the church for the past 100 years, yet for some reason the church members seem to think it's received for them all the time. Where is it? I don't believe the Doctrine and Covenants was to be a book that remained the same size for very long, but was meant to be continually added to as the Lord gave the church more and more. But we do not receive His words. The only "progression" that the church is making is in its quantity of members. Some(44) believe that the Church is the stone which Daniel spoke of that will become a great mountain and cover the earth,(45) but that stone and mountain is the Kingdom of God,(46) not the church.(47) Very soon we will learn the difference between the two.

God is a patient God. He is truly a loving Father who wants to see His children move ahead in all aspects. But the Lord will not wait forever, especially when we continue to lie to ourselves and teach one another that we are in good standing with the Lord; the Lord does not love a lie. The church faces many truths that need to be looked at seriously.

UPON MY HOUSE SHALL IT BEGIN

Something that most members of the church fail to recognize is that throughout history, great destructions coming upon a land or nation were always preceded by the ripening in wickedness of the Lord's people, His church going astray and being led by false priests and prophets who pacified them and flattered them that they were the chosen of God,(48) and the destruction comes upon the Lord's people first.

Such is true in the last days also. The Lord has warned that before He shall destroy the wicked from the face of the earth, He will destroy the hypocrites that profess to follow Him yet feed off the flock.(49) We have a modern warning of this for these last days.
"Vengeance cometh speedily upon this inhabitants of the earth... And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house it shall go forth, saith the Lord. First among those among you, saith 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, saith the Lord."(50)

Can we truly say that we do not see the foolish path we are on, or the destruction that awaits us if we continue on the same? Each of us must look at ourselves, whether in the church or out, active or inactive, leader or follower. What is our personal standing before God? Look at your life; judge yourself righteously and openly. Are you free from the destructions about to come upon the earth, beginning upon the Lord's people?

What we unfortunately must come to realize is that the scriptures and the prophets do not seem to feel that the church, on the whole, will repent, but that it will fall among the Gentiles, and the gospel then be returned to the house of Israel, the rightful owners. This is not stated to be pessimistic towards the church, only to be honest. We can never make any progression until we look at ourselves and our situation honestly. What we are facing is a situation wherein it shall be the individual standing before God, not the whole church; and these individuals will form a remnant or residue,(51) and the Father will form a new church among them,(52)and they will assist the house of Israel in their work. In this paper you will see the prophesies that reveal these things.

Let us first turn to one of the most revered and respected prophets of this last dispensation. Bro. Heber C. Kimball was a man who truly had a testimony of Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy. He was not afraid to tell the Saints the truth, and he spoke openly about what was to soon come upon them. His statements are quite famous, and to use them here may seem obvious, but I include them because they are foundational in the understanding of what is about to happen to the church; and he gives certain necessary clues as to what we individuals must do to prepare and triumph over what is soon to befall us.
"We think we are secure here in the chambers of the everlasting hills...but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we shall be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to the 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 that 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 shall be able to stand?"(53)

Does anyone question that the time for his prophecy is here? Are we not living in this valley with both the people of God and the enemies of the people of God? It may not seem so to some, but I believe that what he spoke of is that there would be enemies to the people of God within the church, and those without the spirit would not be able to tell the difference.(54) The sifting time is here. "This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with victory. To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman that does not possess this personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not until you obtain it. If you do not you will not stand. Remember these sayings, for many of you will live to see them fulfilled. The time is coming when no man or woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand? Do you believe it?"(55)
Bro. Heber gave some very interesting and plain clues to what would be coming to test the Saints so severely. In the early church the warning was--Gain your own light! Receive your own knowledge of this work! You cannot endure the trials on borrowed light! But today the advice given is--Follow the Brethren! They can never lead you astray! Follow the church leaders! Otherwise you will fall! Do you see a difference there? Who is correct? Is it better for the church members to have their own light to God, which is the only way they can stand in the last day's test, or to trust in the arm of the flesh? Does this give you an idea of what the test might be?

Finally, my last quote of Bro. Heber is one that in his straight- forward way tells it like it is. This is told by Elder Edward Stevenson.
"While working with him in the House of the Lord in 1856-57, how oft I have heard him speak against pride and covetousness and the fear of riches, being fearful of the Lord's displeasure and consequent judgments. Said he: 'If the Saints will repent, the Lord's wrath will be turned away, but they will not repent until it is too late."(56)

We are under condemnation because of pride. We are, as a church, one of the wealthiest corporations in America, and we, as a proud, wealthy corporate church will not, as Heber C. Kimball sees it, repent until the time is past; much like the foolish virgins who waited too late to get their oil (taking the Holy Spirit as their guide and not being deceived(57)). All of this ties directly to the condemnation we face, and the "consequent judgments."

The individual must rely upon God and no other. That is the only way. If you do not see now, you will see it soon, but to your misery. Now is the time. And Heber is not the only prophet to warn of such things.
"Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save only a few who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon yourselves the name of Christ? 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?"(58)

I have heard many arguments trying to prove that this is not including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I've never heard one yet that proved the case. Moroni said all the churches were corrupt, and we can only deduce that this includes the LDS church. Notice the sins the people are involved in. Not murder, or adultery, or robbery; but rather, they are sins of the heart, sins of pride. These people do not kill their neighbors, but they covet their substance and hoard their own possessions. They envy one another. They persecute those of their neighbors who do not think or act like they do. In their hearts they hate, although they do not show it outwardly. They wear costly clothing, especially to their meetings in their fancily adorned churches and temples. They do not persecute the poor, but the poor are ignored, while the people put millions of dollars into churches and temples, justifying their lavishness because they are "God's House."

Moroni asks how the once "holy church of God" has become polluted with hypocrites and teachers who prostitute themselves for the things of the world. These people, though they believe themselves the people of God, are themselves in fear of taking Christ's name upon them.(59) Moroni answers his own question--we pollute the church and refuse to take Christ's name upon us "because of the praise of the world."

Pride is a central theme in all of these warnings. Because of the pride of our hearts we wear costly apparel, envy, have strife, malice and persecutions; and all of the churches of the world are polluted because of pride. President Benson went to lengths to show us that the whole church is under condemnation for pride.(60)
Even Jesus Christ shows us that we Gentiles shall eventually be overcome by our pride until we fully reject the gospel. Again this is speaking of the church as a whole, not individuals. We each have the chance still to repent and be numbered among the house of Israel. Let us read what the Savior describes about the last days and His church. "Blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father. Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter days shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fullness of these things shall be made known unto them.(61)
And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings... deceits... mischiefs... hypocrisy... murders... priestcrafts... whoredoms, and of secret combinations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fullness of my gospel from among them. And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fullness of my gospel."(62) Do you see some parallels between Jesus' statements and Moroni's? Both say the fall of the Gentiles and the church God forms among them is because of the "pride of their hearts." Jesus says that we are lifted in pride above "all the people of the whole earth." That is not so hard to imagine, since we think we are God's only chosen people who shall reign in power until the coming of the Lord and the Millennium. Thus, we think ourselves above the world. We look at a person with a cigarette in their mouth and a beer in their hand and think within ourselves how much better we are than that person; meanwhile we go on drinking our endless soft drinks and taking our endless prescription drugs administered by the many doctors we trust in, rather that following God's counsel.(63) We cannot lie to ourselves any longer, for the time is at hand and will soon be before your eyes.
Although in 3 Nephi 16: 13-14 the Lord offers a route of escape and repentance for the collective Gentiles, it is evident by the scriptures that only a remnant shall truly repent.(64) Read the scriptures, do some studying, pray to the Lord to know the truth of these scriptures and the truth of the conclusions in this paper, and you will be answered if you ask in faith.

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE GENTILES

The destruction of the Gentiles in the last days by the descendants of Lehi was foretold by the Savior. Because of the unbelief of the house of Israel, the Gentiles receive the gospel.(65) The unbelieving of the Gentiles will scourge and scatter the Lamanites in the last days.(66) When the Gentiles sin against the gospel, and reject the fullness of it, and commit all manner of sin, the Father removes the gospel from the Gentiles,(67) and gives it to the house of Israel--on this continent, the Lamanites.(68) Here is what we are graciously offered by the Father.
"But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel. And I will not suffer my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them and tread them down, saith the Father. But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice...I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that has lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, thus hath the Father commanded me--that I should give unto this people (the descendants of Lehi) this land for their inheritance."(69)

--Here we are shown that this land is not ours at all, but is rightfully the Lamanite's, and we will only be able to remain if we are numbered among them. Let us read the last words of this chapter, for they are very important in understanding that which is to come.--
"And then the words of the prophet Isaiah shall be fulfilled, which say: Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bear his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God."(70)

Zion Children The Condemation The

Continued...

QUOTE

In verses 13-14 the Lord prompts the Gentiles to repentance, showing that He will spare their lives. Verses 15-16 warn that if the Gentiles refuse to repent, the house of Israel, who are the rightful heirs of this land, will go through and destroy them. In verses 17-18 the Lord explains to us that Zion shall not be brought about until the rightful heirs of this land have received it, after they have gone through and tread down the unrepentant Gentiles and cast them out. Do we understand this? The Latter-day Saints are not going to be the builders of Zion-- the Lamanites will be. The Lord will not bring Zion until after the gospel is returned to the house of Israel, and the Gentiles are either destroyed by them or numbered among them. But it shall be them, not the corporate church, that edifies God. In a moment, we shall learn from the Lord Jesus Himself which people shall build the New Jerusalem.

Let us read still another account of this same story, reiterated by the Savior again in 3 Nephi 20. I am including so much scripture at this time because I want it to be plain what has been said regarding our day. There can be no doubts, the time is too short. Please read all of these verses carefully, and ponder their meaning in your hearts. Do not go by the interpretations of others, including myself, but read and get your conclusions from the Source.
"Yea, remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled--behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them-- And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel. And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them. And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land, for your inheritance. And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people-- Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. And it shall come to pass , saith the Father, that the sword of justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles. And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel."(71)
As you can see, the only claim we have upon the covenant with the house of Israel is if we are numbered among them through repentance. We again see the warning of the descendants of Lehi going through us, reclaiming their land which is rightfully theirs. Again, in 3 Nephi 21, it is shown that the Gentiles are truly in a probationary state.
"For thus it behooveth the Father that it(72) should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles (I.e. The Book of Mormon), ...they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant. And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep."(73)

Again we see the same pattern: The Lord gives the gospel to the Gentiles; the Gentiles forsake it and must repent; if they do not repent, they fall from their place; the house of Israel treads them down. No one will be able to say at that day that there were no warnings given to us. If we are waiting around for our "teachers,"(74) our "shepherds"(75) to tell us these things, we shall find ourselves without knowledge at the time of their happening. Indeed, we are to seek these things out by the light of our own souls, even the light of Christ which is within each of us, and the Lord will show the way.

The Lord then describes in verses 14-21 what will befall the nations and the people of the Gentiles if they fail to heed the warnings given to them so plainly throughout the scriptures and by the mouths of the holy prophets. And those among the Gentiles who recognize the folly of their fathers, and repent of following the traditions of their fathers, and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments, and do them; they shall help the house of Israel to establish the New Jerusalem. "But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church(76) among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance; And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem. And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem."(77) The remnant of Jacob are the builders of that city, not the corporate church of the Gentiles.(78) That will have been trodden under foot, and as shown in verse 22, a new church will have to be set up again among the remnant that is left, and this because the Gentiles have so defiled the gospel and the church they have been given. But it appears that the residue that are left will be those who have repented, have been numbered among God's chosen, and would have been born again of the Spirit--by all this they would be worthy of something greater than has already been given. Could this be the Church of the Firstborn that is established by the Father?

Do we not believe that these judgments can fall upon the Latter-day Saints? Do we not believe that another people can pick up the pieces when we fall away?
Just four months after the condemnation was placed upon the whole church, Joseph Smith stated in a letter to W. W. Phelps:
"If Zion will not purify herself, so as to be approved of in all things, in His sight, He will seek another people; for His work will go on until Israel is gathered, and they who will not hear His voice, must expect to feel His wrath. Let me say unto you, seek to purify yourselves, and also the inhabitants of Zion, lest the Lord's anger be kindled to fierceness.
"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, and their character past being redeemed,(79) and that which is treasured up in their hearts be exposed to the gaze of mankind. I say to you (and what I say to you I say to all), 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."(80)

SUMMARY
I attempt in this paper to help bring to light the following truths regarding the Children of Zion in these last days.

1- The LDS Church was put under condemnation by revelation from God in 1832 as recorded in D&C 84.
2- The Church was condemned for-
a) treating lightly the Book of Mormon

vanity and pride
c) unbelief and failing to seek or hear the
voice of God
d) failing to "do" the teachings and commandments in the Book of Mormon 3- This condemnation has not been lifted and is still in effect.
4- The Gentiles spoken of in the Book of Mormon are us, until we repent are numbered among Israel.
5- The Gentiles will forsake the gospel and it will be returned to the house of Israel.
6- The Gentiles in the Church will either a) repent and be numbered among the house of Israel

harden their hearts and be destroyed by Israel
7- Israel will receive the gospel through the fullness (repentant) of the Gentiles, and will inherit the land of Zion (North and South America). 8- The house of Israel will build the New Jerusalem with the fullness of the Gentiles assisting.
9- Unless the present Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints repents, a "judgment and a scourge" will fall upon them.
10-The time to repent is NOW! CONCLUSION
Do you see the meaning of the parable written at the beginning of this paper? The "man" is the Church. The "missionary" is the Book of Mormon. The commitment and "baptism" being rejected is the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, and a remission of sins. The Lord loves His children with all the heart of a loving Father. Never does He punish His children without warning and incredible patience on their behalf. We are God's children. The Latter-day Saints have been given a wonderful gift, and if used correctly, it can be the means of exalting themselves as the Lord intended, and also bringing the descendants of Lehi to a knowledge of their fathers, and of their present situation before God. But before we remove the mote from their eye, we must remove the beam from our own. And if we refuse to do this, the Lord will remove us and find others more worthy. The Lord has given us warning. He began warning us when He came to the early people of this land; He warned us in 1832 in Doctrine and Covenants 84. He gave us recent warning again through Pres. Ezra Taft Benson who said: "Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion. I repeat: Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion. We must cleanse the inner vessel by conquering pride."(81)
Satan's greatest tool against a people chosen by God to be the servants of mankind is pride.(82) No other stumbling block has the power to so lastingly adhere itself to the hearts of a people as pride in themselves regarding their chosen status. This is shown in 2nd Nephi 28: 21, 23-26.(83) Read these verses with an open heart and see if it does not speak to us.
"And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prosepreth, all is well--And thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go to a place prepared for them... Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well! Yea, wo be unto him that harkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!"(84)
A person who is humble and open to truth will see that this warning describes the present situation of the Latter-day Saints. And how do we know this? Because the Lord has judged us And I testify that the above words of warning from Nephi are already in effect upon us, and only those wise virgins who "have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived"(85) shall abide the day. We cannot go on forever ignoring the warning words of the Lord, for it will end in our destruction and the destruction of our children. If we will not repent for our own sakes, or for the sake of God and Zion, let us at least consider these things for the sake of our children. Remember the Lord chastising Joseph Smith and his brethren for failing to bring up their children in light,(86) and are we better than them? No, we are in as great or greater need to return to God and truly teach our children to live the principles taught us in the Book of Mormon. If we fail in this, we and our children shall suffer greatly because of it. Indeed, we shall become a forsaken people, with another people put in our place. The time is at hand, but we have not yet been destroyed; therefore, let us take this gracious time that we still have and turn with all our hearts to the Lord and do His will and no other. Let us put our trust in the Lord. Let us prepare for the test that shall soon come upon us. Let us not become proud in ourselves and who we are. The Lord put us where we are, and gave us what we have. Men would have us think that because this is the Lord's church and He is at the head, that He would never allow anything to get out of hand; but beware this deadly teaching which prompts people to feel secure that nothing can go wrong, and breeds men who will follow false teachers and prophets to the gates of hell to enter therein with them. Let us look at the church as the Lord has shown us. We are condemned. Let us admit that and confess our sin to God; then let us plead with God to show us the way to return to Him, and be numbered among His people.

We cannot be a people of dead works(87) or worthless multiplied sacrifices,(88) for these will avail nothing but destruction. Remember what the Lord said regarding His church and their works which have not the Spirit of God with them. "And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.
But if it be built not upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return. For their works do follow them, for it is because of their works that they are hewn down; therefore remember the things that I have told you."(89)

If this church has the true gospel as the foundation, the Father will redeem His covenant people through it; but if we are doing our own works in a church built upon the precepts of men, we shall be destroyed. Note that the Lord does not say that he will immediately remove us or set us straight, but that He will allow us to go on with our own works, believing the works we're doing are saving people and are the will of the Lord for a season, but because those works are evil and not of God, we shall be judged by them.(90)

The Latter-day Saints put a great emphasis on their works, be they temple work, work for the dead, missionary work, etc. But until we remember the words of the Book of Mormon, and live them fully, and be truly born of the Spirit and of God, our works are dead works and are of no value to us, but shall condemn us.

"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body? I say unto you, can ye imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day, Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been works of righteousness upon the face of the earth? Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say--Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth--and that he will save you?(91) Notice that Alma keeps asking us to "imagine." He wants us to ponder and consider these possibilities, not to go on blindly thinking that we have done all that we need to do, or that our works are works of righteousness and will save us. And also notice who he is asking about whether or not they have been reborn--the brethren of the church! Do not think that because you are members that you have been born again, for that is not so. Seek these things out. If you have not been born again and purified, you shall not stand before God blameless.

Therefore, let us be assured that we are built upon Christ's gospel, and not upon the precepts of men. Let us make sure that we are led by the voice of God, for those who do not hear God's voice are not worthy of Him,(92) while those who seek the voice of God will receive greater blessings,(93) even to see His face.(94)
Let us recall to mind that we are a condemned church, put under condemnation because of our fathers, and that that condemnation still rests upon us. The Lord has given us a little time; let us use this time to repent and begin to live the teachings of the Book of Mormon and be "born of God" and "experience this mighty change" and receive and retain a remission of our sins.

I wish to share in putting forth a warning voice because I love my people and I hope for their welfare in all things. I write this paper, not to draw attention to myself, nor to accuse, but solely to warn.(95) It is my desire that this meager effort may be put to the purpose of causing people to look at themselves, and truly evaluate themselves, and no longer droop in the darkness of lies, but to stand forth in the light of God. Let us remember to be prepared with our oil, which is taking the holy Spirit for our guide and not being deceived. Then shall we have joy in our God, and together Zion shall sing the praises of the Lord to the Father and the Son forever. Amen.
-------------NOTES------------
(1)
()Deuteronomy 25: 13-15 This refers to the use of currency that has nothing of worth to back it up, thusly can be created and manipulated by those controlling the banking system, giving them full control over the lives of those who accept and work with that system of "weights and measures."
(2)
()D&C 84: 54-59 (3)
()3 Nephi 26:6-7 (4)
()3 Nephi 16: 13 (5)
()Helaman 4:24; D&C 11:19
(6)
()Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 238 (hereafter cited as TPJS) Emphasis added
(7)
()This is not to say that the sustained prophet of the church is not to be heeded in his counsel regarding the church as a body or personally, but that as individuals we should be receiving personal revelation for ourselves and our families on a regular basis, as we expect the prophet to do for the church. (8)
()D&C 1: 19-20
(9)
()D&C 93: 2, 8-9, 27-29
(10)
()D&C 93: 31-32, 36-37, 39-40 Emphasis added. (11)
()D&C 93: 44-50 (12)
()"There is not any person belonging to the church who is exempt from this council of the church. And inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church... And their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him. Thus, none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all things may be done in order and solemnity before him, according to truth and righteousness." D&C 107: 81-84 - emphasis added. (13)
()"My Brethren of whom I have spoken are Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. I bear witness of their integrity. ...Now, in conclusion, do you believe this body of men would ever lead this church astray? Remember whose church this is. It carries the name if the Lord Jesus Christ... His is the power to remove any found remiss in his duty or in teaching that which is not in harmony with His divine will." Gordon B. Hinkley, Ensign Nov. 1992, p. 59, emphasis added
(14)
()Samuel the Lamanite, John the Baptist, Jesus, Lehi, etc. (15)
()Alma the Elder. (16)
()Mark 13: 5 Note the Bible's added emphasis on the word "man," and also that it says "any" man.
(17)
()D&C 1: 19-21 (18)
()TPJS p. 238 (19)
()D&C 84: 54 (20)
()Hebrew/English Dictionary by Dov Ben-Abba, Signet Book, p. 40 (21)
()D&C 84: 57
(22)
()Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Sem. 4, F.A.R.M.S., p. 186 (23)
()D&C 20: 45 (24)
()D&C 46: 2 Emphasis added. (see also Moroni 6: 9)
(25)
()D&C 84: 56-57 (26)
()In the modern church, Gordon B. Hinkley describes how he, at the Washington D.C. temple dedication, "stood in the entrance... as a host to special guests. Those guests included the wife of the President of the United States, justices of the Supreme Court, senators and congressmen, ambassadors from various nations, clergymen, educators, and business leaders. After that week of special invitations, more than three hundred thousand other visitors walked reverently through this sacred edifice." (emphasis added) Apparently he considers these "Babylonian" leaders and businessmen as "special guests" to the House of the Lord. Later, in the same message, he describes them as "the honored and respected of the world." Ensign July 1990, p. 2. We now embrace the enemies who were once our persecutors. Is that because they have become like us, or because we have become like them? (27)
()Mosiah 5: 6 (28)
()Mosiah 5: 5
(29)
()Mosiah 5: 7-8 (30)
()TPJS p. 7
(31)
()Book of Mormon, Title Page
(32)
()Enos 1: 13, 15-16 Emphasis added. (33)
()Enos 1: 14 (34)
()Jarom 1: 2
(35)
()Alma 9: 16-17 (36)
()D&C 49: 24-25
(37)
()Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, p. 287 Emphasis added.
(38)
()see Enos 1: 13-18; Mosiah 21: 4; 3 Nephi 5: 13-15; D&C 10: 46-50
(39)
()D&C 3: 16-20
(40)
()Matthew 3: 34-36 JST (41)
()3 Nephi 16: 6-7 (42)
()D&C 109: 60
(43)
()3 Nephi 26: 6-11 Emphasis added. (44)
()"The Kingdom of God is the Church established by divine authority upon the earth." Jesus the Christ, James E. Talmage, p. 788. (45)
()Daniel 2: 34-35, 44-45 (46)
()D&C 65: 2 (47)
()"This Kingdom is the kingdom Daniel spoke of, which was to be set up in the last days; it is the kingdom that is not to be given to another people." ( Brigham Young, Deseret News, August 1854 Emphasis added.)
"We are asked, Is the Church of God, and the Kingdom of God the same organization? The Kingdom of God is a separate organization from the Church of God. There may be men acting as officers in the Kingdom of God who will not be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (Joseph Smith and World Government, George Q. Cannon, p. 9)
"As observed by one of the speakers this morning, that Kingdom grows out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it is not the Church." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 2:310)
(48)
()Helaman 4: 23-25 (49)
()Ezekiel 34: 2-3
(50)
()D&C 112: 24-26 (51)
()Isaiah 28: 5 This is a residue that is left over after the Lord destroys the "drunkards of Ephraim." Is not the church predominantly Ephraim? Prayerfully read all of Isaiah 28 and see how it applies to the church. (52)
()3 Nephi 21: 20, 22
(53)
()Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 445-6 (54)
()Mark Hoffman is an excellent example of this. He was a liar and a murderer, gaining money from the church through fraudulent means, yet until he was discovered, he was trusted by some of the highest church leaders. He could easily get in to see a certain president and was given his personal private phone number. (Salamander, Signature Books, p. 38, 126) Also, in a July 19, 1990 memorandum, Elder Glen L. Pace, then 2nd Counselor in the presiding bishopric announced that there has been increased incidents of Satanism among church members, including "Young Women leaders, Young Men leaders, bishops, a patriarch, a stake president, temple workers, and members of the Tabernacle Chior." Regarding the extent of satanic worship, Pace says, "Assuming each one comes from a coven of 13, we are talking about the involvment of 800 or so right here on the Wasatch Front. I can only assume it is expanding geometrically and am horrified at the numbers represented by the generation who are now children and teenagers." He also said he believes "these activities are real and cannot be ignored." (From photo-copy of memorandum in Salt Lake City Messenger, Issue 80, Nov. 1991)
(55)
()Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 449-50 Emphasis added.
(56)
()ibid., p. 446 Emphasis added. (57)
()D&C 45: 57 Emphasis added.
(58)
()Mormon 8: 35-38 Emphasis added. (59)
()King Benjamin taught how we become Christ's sons and daughters, and that is how we take His name upon us. If I am adopted by a man, I take his name and am seen as his son. So it is with Jesus. He offers to adopt us when we offer a worthy sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. The sacrament is a part of this, wherein we "witness" to God that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ. The sacrament prayer is an adoption covenant between us and Christ; this culminates with us being born again, losing the disposition to do evil, and having the natural man rooted out of us. Then we are Christ's children. Neglecting to perform this "adoption" process is part of the reason we are under condemnation. I gave no references for these things because I urge you to study it out yourself and pray about it, and ask for yourself whether it is true or not. (60)
()Ensign May 1989 and A Witness and a Warning by Ezra Taft Benson - Deseret Book.
(61)
()The reason for this is found in 3 Nephi 26: 8-11.
(62)
()3 Nephi 16: 6-7, 10-12 (63)
()D&C 42: 43-44 (64)
()Mormon 8: 36; Isaiah 28: 5 (65)
()3 Nephi 16: 7 (66)
()3 Nephi 16: 8 (67)
()3 Nephi 16: 10 (68)
()3 Nephi 16: 11
(69)
()3 Nephi 16: 13-16
(70)
()3 Nephi 16: 13-20
(71)
()3 Nephi 20: 11-16, 19-21
(72)
()The gospel as contained in the Book of Mormon.
(73)
()3 Nephi 21: 6, 11 Emphasis added. (74)
()Mormon 8: 38 (75)
()Ezekiel 34: 2-3
(76)
()I find this interesting that if the Gentiles will repent and listen to God's words, He will establish His church among them. This is speaking of a time after the modern Gentile church has already fallen and the gospel returned to the house of Israel. And note that in 3 Nephi 21: 20 it says "thus saith the Father." This means it is the Father saying "I will establish my church among them." This is not speaking of the Church of Jesus Christ, but the Church of the Father.
(77)
()3 Nephi 21: 22-24 (78)
()Apostle Bruce R. McConkie states, "This New Jerusalem is to be built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Mormon Doctrine, p. 532. Elder McConkie uses no reference for his conclusion, and does not mention 3 Nephi 21: 22-24, which plainly says who shall build the city, anywhere in his description of the New Jerusalem.
(79)
()"they will not repent until it is too late." Heber C. Kimball
(80)
()Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 18-19. Emphasis added.
(81)
()Ensign May 1989, p. 7
(82)
()"Beware of Pride", Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign May 1989, p. 7
(83)
()see also D&C 121: 39-40
(84)
()2 Nephi 28: 21, 23-26 (85)
()D&C 45: 57 (86)
()D&C 93: 40-50 (87)
()D&C 22:2 (88)
()Isaiah 1: 11
(89)
()3 Nephi 27: 10-12. Emphasis added. (90)
()1 Nephi 15: 32; 2 Nephi 9: 44; Mosiah 3: 24; Alma 41: 3; D&C 19: 3; 76 111; 112: 34
(91)
()Alma 5: 14-17. Emphasis added. *Please read Alma 5: 14-44 to get a full understanding of the situation that we and are church are presently in. (92)
()Alma 5: 16-17, 38-39; D&C 1: 14; Moses 4: 4 (93)
()Omni 1: 12-13; Alma 5: 57; Helaman 12: 23 (94)
()D&C 93: 1 (95)
()D&C 88: 81

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The Condemation Of The Children Of Zion

The Condemation Children Zion - Mormon Doctrine Studies - Posted: 28th Nov, 2007 - 11:43pm

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The Condemation Of The Children Of Zion

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