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The Prophesy About the Latter-day
Gentiles
Who
are the Gentiles and who are the House of Israel?
In the New Testament, the Gentiles
are the European converts made primarily by Paul – found in modern day Greece,
Turkey and Italy.
In the Book of Mormon, people of
European descent are identified as Gentiles (see 1 Nephi 13:1-23; 3 Nephi
21:2-4).
We are the Gentiles, according to
Joseph Smith (see D&C 109:60).
The House of Israel are the Jews and
those of Jacob (the descendants of Lehi) and those of the Ten Tribes that the
Lord has hidden away, some of whom might be within the Gentile nations.
But as far as the Book of Mormon is
concerned, when they say “Gentiles”, they mean us – those of European descent,
regardless of our religious affiliation – we are either Gentile believers or
Gentile unbelievers, but we are not “Israel” as they define it. Failing to understand this definition makes
it very easy to rationalize away the whole of Christ’s prophesy – a dangerous
thing for us to do.
What
is the Fullness of the Gospel?
Following
the Doctrine of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism of water and fire) and
keeping the Lord’s commandments at all hazards or enduring to the End (which is
one of Christ’s names – Omega or Endless is His name) when the Lord manifests
Himself to you in the flesh so that you know Him with a surety; and then He
prepares you to go before the Father to be sealed up to Eternal Life.
When
is the latter day?
Our day.
After the Gentiles have come to
“this land” (America) and have scattered the House of Israel living here (see
v8).
The Restoration of the Gospel began
it.
The Second Coming of Christ will
conclude it.
What
Gentiles in the latter days received the Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ?
We did, through the Book of Mormon
and revelations of Joseph Smith: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
If it is not us (because we are
“modern day Israel” not “Gentiles”), then we must wait for God to restore the
Fullness of the Gospel to some group of Gentiles or “non-members”, as per His
revelation.
Why
did the Lord give the Fullness of the Gospel to the Gentiles first in the
latter days?
It is because of their belief in Christ
right after the days of Christ’s ministry that the gospel was given unto the
Gentiles first in the latter days.
And because of the unbelief of the
House of Israel when Christ came to live among the Jews.
In the end, no people will be able
to say the opportunities were unfair, unequal or more challenging for one than
for another.
READ 3 Nephi 21:6
What
is the promise to the latter day Gentiles?
If they will not harden their
hearts…
If they will learn and know (by
practice) of the true points of Christ’s doctrine…
If they will repent…
If they will be baptized (which
includes the baptism of fire)…
If they will endure to the End and come
unto Christ in the flesh…
They will be numbered among the
covenant people of the Lord; they will be adopted into the House of Israel or
be numbered among them.
They have every opportunity to
choose to come unto Christ and be saved with Israel.
READ 3 Nephi 16:8-9
How
were the native populations of Israel living in the Americas “trodden
underfoot”?
They were annihilated by the
European Gentiles who came to America; for example, smallpox was spread by
whites to the native population and killed millions and millions so that by the
time the Gentiles pushed westward, people thought the Great Plains had never
been populated (while estimates now say that 20 million lived there at the time
of Columbus).
Their dead bodies decayed, returned
to the earth and were “trodden under foot” by the advancing whites; it is a
terrible visual image of uncaring distain and disrespect for another people.
What
does it mean to be “unbelieving” toward the Fullness of the Gospel?
It means that while you might
accept a part of the gospel, you reject the fullness or complete gospel – and
only the complete gospel will save you.
It means to disbelieve that to
inherit eternal life, each of us must “know God” with a surety by coming again
into His presence to “feel” and “see” Him while we are in the flesh in this
world (see 3 Nephi 18:25; D&C 132:21-25).
It means
to believe and teach that entering into the presence of God is not necessary
for salvation, that you must merely stay faithful to an earthly Church and
follow its Brethren until you are “safely dead”, and in fact, seeking for the
face of the Lord is a “familiar tactic of the adversary” (Elder Dallin Oaks
from the “Boise Rescue Fireside, in June 2015).
What
is a “wo” from the Father?
A “wo” is a curse or condemnation from
God (see D&C 84:49-60).
READ 3 Nephi 16:9
What
does this verse teach us about the roles of the Father and the Son?
The Father decides between
judgement and mercy; His decisions drive the coming events in history.
The Son fulfills the will of the
Father by carrying out His (the Father’s) decisions; not only that but He
“owns” them – He makes no excuses for them but takes personal responsibility
for implementing them; He submits to the will of the Father in all things; His
will has been swallowed up in the will of the Father; His will is completely
aligned with the Father’s will.
Who
are the “Lord’s people”?
The House of Israel.
Not the Gentiles.
This is a hard doctrine for
prideful Gentiles to hear.
Why
are the Lord’s people allowed to be so mistreated by the Gentiles?
Because of the Father’s mercy unto
the Gentiles.
Because of the Father’s judgements
upon the House of Israel.
Because of the free agency God has
given to mankind; the Gentiles choose to view their opportunity to have the
gospel as making them more righteous and better than anyone else; at the same
time, they see the Father’s judgements upon the House of Israel (particularly
in the Americas) and “hate” them or think they are savages and incapable of
being “valiant” in the gospel or even successful in life (as defined by the
materialistic, individualistic culture of the West) but in need of full time
“nursing fathers” or to be cast out of their congregations all together for
their lack of adherence to the protocols of the Gentile Church and Western
culture.
READ 3 Nephi 16:10
Whose
prophesy is this?
The Father’s.
And because He sees the past,
present and future at once (see D&C 130:7), His prophesies will come true,
because they already have…
Will
the Gentiles sin against and reject the Fullness of the Gospel and lose it in
the latter days?
Yes, they will – it is not a
question of “might they”.
The Father says “when the
Gentiles shall sin against the Gospel,” and “shall reject the Fullness
of my Gospel” and “I will bring the Fullness of my gospel from among
them”.
Since linear time doesn’t exist in
the presence of God and God sees all things at once, this will (from our
perspective) or has (from God’s perspective) already happened – it is a
fact.
Who
are being referred to when the Lord talks about Gentiles rejecting the Fullness
of the Gospel?
The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This
cannot be the Catholics or Protestants, as they never received the Fullness of
the Gospel in the latter days.
Is
it possible to reject the Fullness of the Gospel without rejecting the Gospel?
Yes, and no.
Yes, because one can believe and
even practice elements of the gospel without believing or seeking for the
entire Fullness, the children of Israel are an example of this with their Law
of Moses; as we’ve discussed, rejecting the need to come unto Christ in the
flesh means rejecting the Fullness of the Gospel.
No, because ultimately the Gospel
is one complete thing and you can’t reject part of it without rejecting the
whole thing – because it will not have the power to save you unless it is
practiced in its Fullness – i.e. the Law of Moses couldn’t save but was a
“school master” to lead the people to Christ and the Fullness of His Gospel
(see D&C 84:19-27).
When
in the past has the Fullness of the Gospel been rejected but the Gospel and
Church still continued on the earth?
During the days of Moses and the
children of Israel (see D&C 84:19-27).
Israel was invited to go up with
Moses on Mount Sinai to enter into the presence of God themselves but they
hardened their hearts, rejected the Fullness of the Gospel, and lost the
opportunity to enter into His Rest or the fullness of His glory.
What
happened to Israel when they rejected the Fullness of the Gospel?
They received a lesser gospel, the
Law of Moses, which was intended to lead them back to receive what they had
lost.
Various prophets were sent over
time to help them repent but they were rejected.
They had to wait hundreds of years
until a new dispensation was sent from heaven to restore what was lost (the
Fullness of the Gospel which Christ Himself restored).
And the great majority rejected
that, too.
What
happens when the Gentiles reject the Fullness of the Gospel?
First it is rejected, then it is
forfeited or lost (see Alma 12:9-11).
Like the Children of Israel with
Moses, the High Priesthood which enabled them to enter the presence of God is
taken (D&C 124:28), but a lesser or preparatory form of the Gospel remains
(D&C 84:23-26).
…But this time they will be
destroyed (see D&C 112:23-26).
The Gentiles won’t get a second
chance if they reject the Fullness of the Gospel in the latter days.
READ D&C 84:49-60
Why
are we still under condemnation as a Church to this day?
We have taken lightly the Fullness
of the Gospel Covenant, which is contained in the Book of Mormon.
A few of us may even read it but we
don’t seem to believe it enough to seek after the knowledge it imparts and
experiences it illustrates for ourselves (see 2 Nephi 32:4-7).
And we will be damned in the
eternities and destroyed in mortality if we do not repent, come unto Him,
receive His voice, and know Him with a surety.
This is the message of Christ’s
prophesy to the Gentiles…it is hard doctrine, who can hear it? Will we take Christ’s own prophesy lightly,
too?
How
will we know that the latter-day Gentile Church have rejected the Fullness of
the Gospel?
They
will be lifted up in pride above all the people of the whole earth (i.e. “we
are the single, exclusive, chosen, covenant people of God”; “we cannot be led
astray”; “if you do not join our Church, either in this life or the next, you
cannot not be saved”).
Lyings
and deceits (i.e. the Manifesto on Polygamy which was never intended to be
followed but was created by Church leadership to deceive the US Government for
15 years as plural marriages continued to be secretly conducted by leadership; also,
insinuating testimonies by modern Apostles that their testimonies are “like”
those of old – including Packer, Erying, Monson, and Nelson (see To The
Remnant blog, “All That Glitters” Part 6, on July 29, 2015).
All
manner of hypocrisy (i.e. building a multibillion dollar “Babylonian” high-end
shopping mall across the street from the SLC Temple with President Eyring
cutting the ribbon with the words “let’s go shopping!”); meanwhile thousands of
LDS children in developing countries are malnourished because the Church policy
of only using fast offerings locally – leading to several regular members starting a non-Church
affiliated charity to help provide food for them (look up the Bountiful
Children’s Foundation, formerly known as The Liahona Foundation until Church
leaders forced them to change it) because the Church would not.
Murders
(i.e. in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Church leaders and members conspired
with local Indians to murder a group of western trekking pioneers from
Missouri, including men, women and children, because they bragging about having
been involved in the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith).
Priestcrafts
(i.e. the modern Church mantra of “follow the prophet” instead of following the
Lord; the celebrity and idolization with which the Church members treat the
Brethren and the way the Brethren do nothing to stop it; the redefinition of
“sustaining” to be an “oath-like indication that we recognize their calling as
a prophet to be legitimate and binding upon us” and that we must “do our utmost
to uphold their prophetic priorities”; the “stipends” or luxurious benefits
that the General Authorities enjoy including houses, vacations, first class air
travel, hunting preserves, free education while the poor members in developing
countries pay tithing to support them while living lives of poverty).
Whoredoms
(i.e. Brigham Young took polygamy and institutionalized it for sex, claiming
that the man with the most keys could take whatever women he liked regardless
of their age or marital status - turning it into a very different thing from
Joseph Smith’s Law of Adoption. BY’s
polygamy was unsanctioned by God and bred a culture of lust and violence; Utah
is one of the largest consumers of pornography in the US, hence the continual
revisiting of this subject in General Conference).
Secret
abominations (i.e. Brigham Young incorporated a vow to revenge the blood of
Joseph Smith into Temple ceremonies; the lack of contemporary evidence that JS
practiced polygamy the way BY said he did, including the fact that JS publicly
decried the practice – making Joseph into a liar to support BY’s attempt at
gaining control and sex; the locking away of important although possibility
incriminating (to the current narrative) historical records in the Church
vault; the refusal to disclose the use of Church finances; the secret General
Authority committee called “Strengthening the Members Committee” which is tasked
with identifying, monitoring and excommunicating those they label as
“apostates” because they are deemed dangerous to their position of power).
READ
D&C 13:1-3 and D&C 124:28
What
priesthood will never be taken again from the earth?
The
Aaronic Priesthood.
What
priesthood was already lost to the Church by 1841?
The High
Priesthood.
That’s
why the Lord wanted the Saints to build and dedicated the Nauvoo Temple so that
He could come to earth and restore again the High Priesthood which they
had been given in 1831 but had subsequently lost.
But the
Temple wasn’t finished in the time allotted by the Lord; it was dedicated
(unfinished) after all but a few Saints had already left, and there is no
record whatsoever of the Lord coming to the Temple to accept it, let alone to
restore the High Priesthood.
Does
the promise that the Aaronic Priesthood will never again be taken from the
earth mean that the Gentile Church (LDS) will always have it?
No.
It just
says that it will reside with authority somewhere upon the earth.
The
House of Israel could be given the power after the gospel is taken away from
the Gentile Church by the Father and the promise that the priesthood would
“never be taken again” would still be unbroken.
READ 2 Nephi 28:14
What
does it mean to have “gone astray”? How
many “degrees” astray counts as being “astray”?
1 degree? 10 degrees? 180 degrees?
180 degrees is obviously astray
because it means you’re heading in the opposite direction from where you were
originally headed; but if it’s possible to hide or confuse what the original
destination was, then even 180 degrees is possible – and 45 or even 90 degrees
is relatively easy – look at the difference between the doctrines Joseph Smith verses
what is taught by Church leadership today.
Joseph Smith publicly taught the Second Comforter, the Law of Adoption,
the plurality of Gods, man’s theosis to become like God, and the “Ancient Order
of Things”. Today we are taught: “follow
the prophet,” “too sacred to share,” “hastening the work”, living the standards
in “For the Strength of Youth,” Family Search, faith “not to be healed,” and
“all is well in Zion”. How many degrees
of difference is that?
Over time, even a 1-degree
difference will mean the traveler will be a long way from their chosen
destination; and since God is an unchangeable God and salvation is being
precisely as He and Christ are, and nothing else (see LoF 7:9, 15-16), even one
degree off is a massive problem.
If
a “few humble followers of Christ” have not gone “astray” but have still been
“led to err by the precepts of men”, what does that mean and by whom were they
taught or led?
They are seekers after Christ and
the Holy Spirit has led them on as straight a course as it could, such that
their hearts continue to be right before God but…
Certain teachings have caused them
to make mistakes in their journey – slowing it down as the Lord had to help
them to see the falsehoods in what they believed and the abominations in what
they were doing – albeit the fact that they thought they were doing what was
pleasing to God.
They were taught or led by men that
they trusted to each them correct doctrine or in other words, they followed the
prophets and leaders of the Church; interestingly, as they are humble followers
of Christ, they are not fooled by the opinions of the world but they are fooled
by wolves in sheep’s clothing.
When
we say the Prophet cannot be led astray or lead us astray, what does that mean?
We mean:
God will kill the prophet if He teaches something that is contrary to God’s
will or commandments – God will NOT allow the prophet to lead us astray.
The
question then arises – does that mean anything that is contrary? What if it is just a little contrary? Since even 1 degree off can lead a people
astray, it must mean that the Lord can’t allow the Prophet to ever teach
anything that is incorrect, or in other words, if they are alive and in the
office, they are effectively infallible, otherwise they will be removed by God
(which requires the Prophet’s death, per our Church leadership succession
practices).
If this
was true, it would completely violate that individual Church President’s agency;
it would also require them to be perfect because even a 1 degree change from
God’s will would result in leading the Church astray.
This
doctrine is comical in light of the fact that the Church has already changed
its doctrine fundamentally and done so multiple times – one huge example was
that Brigham Young taught polygamy was essential to exaltation but at
the final prohibition of polygamy, what was once absolutely required for
exaltation, as taught by the “prophet” (BY not JS), became the cause for
immediate excommunication! How
changeable will an unchangeable God be when it comes to defining what is
essential for exaltation?
What
about the “Lord’s promise” that the Church will never be led astray?
The Lord
never made such a promise. If you think He did – for your own sake,
please find it in the scriptures.
The
statement was made by President Wilford Woodruff in General Conference when he
was forced by the US Government to read the Manifesto and have it sustained in
the meeting, to ward off the Edmunds-Tucker Act which would discorporate the
Church, seize all assets, jail the leaders, and deny the possibility of
statehood for the Utah Territory.
Wilford
Woodruff was painted into a corner because Brigham Young, John Taylor and
Wilford himself had sought protection for polygamy under the Constitution by
stating that the doctrine was fundamental to the religion – that exaltation was
completely dependent upon it and that the Church would not and could not
abandon the doctrine under any circumstances, by order of God.
So instead of denying what he and his fellow
Presidents had taught as “prophets”, he said the following: “I say to Israel,
the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this
Church to lead you astray. It is not in
the program. It is not in the mind of
God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord
would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to
lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their
duty.” (Note: “oracles of God” mean the
revelations not the “Brethren”, and “duty” refers to the people’s duty to keep
God’s commandments not the “duty” of the Brethren to command).
This
doctrine is not taught in any scriptures – in fact the opposite is taught (see
2 Nephi 28:31) – it was a lie told by Wilford Woodruff to save face and retain
control of the Church, in the face of being forced by men to do what he had
told the Church repeatedly he would never do and the Lord would never
allow! Some feel that it was a lie to
the Government, that WW was saying with a wink to the Church “don’t worry about
what I’m saying now, we’ll keep practicing polygamy in secret!” But God did not come to his rescue and they
did end up abolishing polygamy…because these men had already led the Church
astray through their unsanctioned practice of polygamy and other doctrines
which grew up around it (i.e. the Adam-God theory, the practice of blood
atonement, etc.).
READ 3 Nephi 16:11
What
will cause the Lord to “remember the covenant” He made with “His” people?
The rejection of the Fullness of
the Gospel by the Gentiles.
When the Gentiles, through their
own agency, have rejected and forfeited the Gospel, Christ will give “His
people” one last opportunity to accept it in its Fullness prior to His Second
Coming in glory.
This is the regrafting of the
natural branches referred to in Jacob’s allegory (see Jacob 5:67-75).
READ 3 Nephi 16:12
In
the latter days, do the Gentiles claim power and authority over Israel?
Yes, that is part of being lifted
up in pride above all nations and people.
Yes, they assume that they will be
the ones to build and lead Zion.
Yes, and they claim authority over
Israel to such a degree that the Gentiles refer to themselves AS Israel! This can be very confusing to Gentile members
of the Church, particularly in the reading of this prophesy from Christ (3
Nephi 16, 20-21), as many members will read the prophesy and assume it applies
to “non-members” only. They believe that although they (church members) are
from a Gentile nation and descend from Gentile bloodlines, they have either
been adopted in to Israel or are actually of literal Ephraimite blood, which is
“confirmed” to them in their patriarchal blessings and in many General
Conference talks.
The
Gentile Church (LDS) teaches that God will only talk to them or through their
leaders; they claim to hold the power of God, sitting in the Temple of God and
acting as if they were God on earth, claiming they will sit in the
congregations of the north in the heavens like the Gods, but this will cause
them to lose God’s power and be cast down like Lucifer (see 2 Thessalonians
2:2-4; D&C 121:36-37; Isaiah 14:13-15).
It is an astounding level of pride, when you really consider it in
context.
READ 3 Nephi 16:14-15
We
already spoke about how the Gentiles have “trodden under foot” the House of
Israel; what does it mean that the House of Israel will go among the Gentiles
and “tread them down”?
It is a terrible image because when
applied to the House of Israel it meant that an entire civilization was
decimated…
It means that the Gentiles will be
destroyed as the House of Israel in America was before it.
The violent backlash against
Americans of European descent happening in the USA today would have been
unthinkable even 10 years ago, but here we are – it is interesting to consider
where this might all lead – perhaps the Lord’s prophesy will come true after
all?
Why
is salt that has lost its savor cast out and how will the Gentiles become this
savorless salt?
Salt is useful for seasoning and
preserving.
Salt that has lost its savor is no
longer useful for anything – there is no value and it just takes up space that
could be better used; in addition, it “flatters to deceive” meaning that you
think it will add value but when you use it, it does nothing – it does not
deliver on its implied promise.
Salt loses its savor through
contamination with “foreign” things.
Interestingly, salt that has lost
its savor doesn’t look too different from good salt; because of this it “poses”
as good salt but upon closer examination or by attempting to use it for its
intended purposes, one finds that it is not good – it doesn’t do what it is
supposed to do.
With the Fullness of the Gospel,
the Gentiles were “salt” that was useful for preserving God’s children or in
other words, bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of God’s children;
but when the Gentiles reject the Fullness of the Gospel and contaminate it with
the philosophies of men, they no longer have enough truth to save anyone,
including themselves, and must be cast out or destroyed so as not to be a
hindrance to God as He goes about His work and glory. This is a harrowing thought for the modern
Gentile Church and its members.
READ 3 Nephi 21:8-9
What
does it mean that kings will “shut their mouths” when they see what the Father
is doing to establish Zion?
They will not know what to say;
they will be at a loss for words because of the Father’s works.
Things they never conceived of will
be happening; they’ve never been taught these things and they cannot comprehend
it all or believe it; it is all too much, too distressing and too unexpected
(see Isaiah 52:15; Hag 2:22; Revelation 14:7-8; Malachi 4:1).
READ 3 Nephi 20:15-20
The
whole world will see the destruction of the Gentiles in America; what is one of
the tools the Lord will use?
The Remnant of the House of Jacob themselves
will destroy both the Gentiles typified as the “beasts of the forest” (violent
and worldly) and as the “flocks of sheep” (passive worshippers of “prophets”
and priests) and none can stop them (see 3 Nephi 21:12-13).
This is interesting because in
other places it says that those who do not want to take up arms must flee to
Zion, where the Lord will fight their battles for them (see D&C 45:66-70).
But the Lord uses a caveat to
remind us what is really happening – “behold, I am He who doeth it”..
Describe
the imagery of a “sword” hanging over someone; and why a sword of Justice?
“Hanging over” = it is in the air,
either ready to fall like the executioner’s axe or drawn back for the killing blow
like a warrior.
It is the “quiet before the storm”,
the “breath before the plunge”, the moment when one’s life flashes before one’s
eyes as one sees death is upon them but not quite yet.
READ 3 Nephi 21:15-18
The
Lord names specific purging He will do among the Gentiles in the latter days
but the language is that of the ancient Near East – what does He mean?
Cut off cities = cities will be
destroyed (see Isaiah 54:3).
Throw down strongholds = military
installations.
Witchcrafts = fascination with
evil, including the occult.
Soothsayers = predictors of the future
without true prophesy for some kind of gain: including stock market
speculators, political analysts, business scenario planners, long term weather
analysts, gambling industry, predictive data analytics, astrologists or occult
practitioners, as well as those Church leaders who claim to understand God’s
prophesies but do not.
Graven images = an image that has
been crafted by a human; could also apply to one’s reputation enhanced by
marketing, PR and social media.
Standing images in the midst of
thee = an image that is elevated above the others; celebrities of all sorts.
Works of thy hands = both tangible
creations and intellectual ideas that mankind worship or devote an inordinate
amount of time reverencing.
Groves = used to refer to the
places where fertility rites were conducted – to participate or watch; now days
it applies to pornography, unmarried sex, prostitution and any place where
those things are conducted; including the local movie theater, hotel, adult
store, one’s home or even the internet itself.
READ 3 Nephi 21:19-20
How
do lies, deception, envy and strife lead to priestcraft and whoredom?
We are deceived by those who change
(add to or take from) the doctrine of Christ and the Fullness of the Gospel,
introducing unbelief or the belief in things that are false.
We lie to ourselves and others when
we say we have priesthood authority and yet no power is manifested (because we
have no connection or association with the powers of heaven).
We envy those who have authority in
the Church or have been “blessed by God” with material success, thinking we
should have them, too.
We engage in strife or contention
with each other as we attempt to force creeds of belief and standards of
behavior with which to judge each other; we suppress dissent and persecute
those who see things differently until they conform, are silenced or withdraw.
Priestcraft is to set oneself up as
a light for the gain of the world; whoredom is selling what is most precious
and sacred for money; whoredom accompanies priestcraft.
READ 3 Nephi 21:21
Who
will Christ execute “vengeance and fury” upon?
The disbelieving Gentiles.
The offending and violent Heathen.
How
will He execute this vengeance and fury?
By withdrawing His Spirit and
leaving them to themselves.
Without conscience or remorse or
affection, they will enact as much cruelty and violence on each other as their
imaginations will allow.
Why
is it “vengeance” upon the Gentiles?
For treating lightly the great
promises they had been given by God.
READ D&C 112:23-26
Where
will the Lord’s vengeance and fury with the Gentiles begin?
Upon the Church and its leaders who
have professed to know His name but have not known Him.
The LDS Church and probably all
other offshoots of Mormonism who have rejected the Fullness of the Gospel,
which is all of them but a “few humble followers”.
READ 3 Nephi 16:16
Who
will inherit the land of America; who is “this people”?
The House of Israel.
The Remnant of Jacob or the Lehites.
As improbable as it might seem
today, the Gentiles will forfeit the USA as a result of having rejected the
Fullness of the Gospel.
Note: the land they are referring
to is North America not Central or South America (see 2 Nephi 1:5, 9-11; 2
Nephi 10:11; JSH 1:33-34; 1 Nephi 13).
Christ
is prophesying the destruction of the United States of America, as we know it
today; we have taken possession of this land from the rightful inhabitants but
have squandered our opportunity because we have also failed to worship the God
of the land, who is Jesus Christ, by living the Fullness of the Gospel and
coming unto Him.
READ 3 Nephi 16:17-20
According
to Christ, what was Isaiah prophesying about?
The coming events in the Americas,
not the last days’ events of the Middle East.
The “waste places of Jerusalem” is
not referring to the city of Jerusalem but to the residue of Jerusalem’s
scattered people who are wasted, then restored again to glory.
How
will the Lord’s “holy arm” be “made bare” and how will the eyes of all nations
see it?
The rest of the world will watch as
the Lord destroys the Gentiles in America.
They will know that divine
intervention was involved; this makes one wonder about the other vehicles of
the destruction and how much God will use natural disasters, as He did with the
destruction of so many Nephites, at the time of Christ’s death or what other
improbable means He will use to destroy us.
What
does the destruction of the Gentiles produce in America?
Joy, rejoicing, singing, seeing eye
to eye.
The return of Zion, a “redeemed
Jerusalem”.
The reestablishment of the promised
but dispossessed heirs to their inheritance.
Not mourning and lamentation.
So great will be the peace that
follows the destruction of the Gentiles that it will wipe away all tears (see
Revelation 7:17) because the Lord will comfort them.
What
do the ideas of “singing together,” “seeing eye to eye” and the Lord bringing
again Zion have to do with each other (see also 3 Nephi 20:32-35)?
The Remnant who live in Zion will
be one.
One with each other because they
are one with God.
One with God because they have His
Spirit within them; they are all animated or quickened by the same Spirit.
It is not because of a degree of
uniformity produced by aggressive application of cultural mores and standards
of behavior and thinking from a Church and its Handbook of Instructions.
And the Lord will “bring” Zion and
this oneness Himself – it will be built under His direction and not at the
command of men; this requires a people who can abide in His presence, listen to
Him directly, and obey His directives and commandments.
READ 3 Nephi 16:13
Do
the Gentiles have any hope?
Yes. Although as a group they will reject the
Fullness of the Gospel and fall away, if there are any among them who will
repent and return to Christ, they may be numbered among the Lord’s people (see 2 Nephi 30:2).
What
do the Gentiles need to repent of and how do they return to Christ?
Repent of the false beliefs and
abominations that have become part of their religious traditions – the “precepts
of men”.
Return to Christ and know Him in
the flesh with a surety; this is the open invitation to all who have entered
the gospel covenant through the “gate” of the baptisms of water and fire, but
the individual Gentile must endure to the End of the path and find the Lord as
laid out in 2 Nephi 31-32.
READ 3 Nephi 21:22
What does it mean that Christ “will” establish His Church
among them; don’t we already have “His” Church?
He’s referring to
a different Church – not the Gentile group who rejected the Fullness of the
Gospel but a much smaller group who will repent and accept the Fullness; His
Church is the Church of the Lamb or the Church of the Firstborn (who is Jesus
Christ) or all those who have become His Sons and Daughters (see D&C 76:54,
94; D&C 77:11; D&C 93:22; 1 Nephi 14:12).
His Church is really
His House or Family – both by literal descent through Abraham or through
adoption – of those who live the required covenant to be one with Christ, so
that He becomes their father.
His Church is all who
repent and come unto Him (see D&C 10:67-68).
His Church is a
group of people who have stood in His presence and are redeemed (see Ether
3:13) – in other words, a Zion people where the Lord and His Powers of Heaven
(heavenly hosts or Church of the Firstborn) can be in their midst or abide with
them.
READ 3 Nephi
21:23-26
Who
will bring the Fullness of the Gospel to the House of Israel in the latter
days?
The Lord Himself will (see 3 Nephi
16:11).
With a few servants.
This is reiterated in the Allegory
of Zenos where the Lord of the vineyard, with a few servants, was directly
involved in the regrafting and final work of gathering (see Jacob 5:72).
Do not
expect the institutional LDS Church to be the ones to accomplish this last
regrafting effort, as they are the Gentiles who reject the Fullness of the
Gospel, so how can they in turn deliver it to someone else – and why would they
want to lose control of leadership anyway?
What is “this gospel” that the Lord will preach to the
Remnant of Israel at that day?
It includes the
mysteries of Godliness that Mormon was not able to record in 3 Nephi because of
its sacred nature – things that must be learned but cannot be taught by men or
recorded in books to be read (see 3 Nephi 17:16; 3 Nephi 19:34; 3 Nephi
26:8-10).
READ D&C
133:26-34
How can the Gentile Church both reject the Fullness of the
Gospel, yet servants of the tribe of Ephraim, which is associated with Joseph
Smith, be the ones to bestow crowns upon Israel?
A small group of
Ephraimite servants is all that is required by the Lord (see 2 Nephi 28:14) –
not 15 million Church members or even their leaders.
In the latter
days, there must be a handful of Ephraimites who have accepted the Fullness of
the Gospel and know their Lord like Joseph Smith did; while at first they erred
because of the teachings of their leaders, they have “remembered the covenant”
and sought for the knowledge of the Fullness of the Gospel and have walked the
strait and narrow path back into the Lord’s presence (see 2 Nephi 28:14).
It will be Ephraim
who will take the Book of Mormon to the Remnant of Israel or at least they will
print the book and make it available (see 1 Nephi 15:13-14; 2 Nephi 30:3);
although to bear testimony of that book with power requires one to have
experienced the promises outlined within it, which only a few Ephraimites will
do.
The rest of the Ephraimite “drunkards” who lead the Gentile Church will
suppress the mysteries of Godliness and retain only the most basic doctrines,
which, like the Law of Moses, will not save them; but the Church members won’t
care because they are asleep to the lullaby of “all is well in Zion” anyway, in
love with the flattery they receive from their leaders who have taken away the
key of knowledge and hinder any who attempt to enter in (see Isaiah 28:1-10; 2
Nephi 16:10; 2 Nephi 28:21; Luke 11:52).
So,
how big is Christ’s Church among the Gentiles in the latter days?
Small.
A few humble followers.
A few servants in the vineyard.
But enough to bring “great things
to pass” through their missionary effort to the Remnant of Israel.
The Prophesy About the Remnant of
Jacob
READ 3 Nephi 20:10
Who
is the Remnant of the House of Israel referred to here by Christ?
“This people” or the descendants of
the people Christ is addressing.
The descendants of Lehi (see
D&C 3:17-18).
A Native American tribe or tribes
who were scattered and slain by the Gentiles but not completely destroyed (see
1 Nephi 13:30-31).
As Zion will be built in the “tops
of the mountains” in the latter days, when they build it, they will be living
in a mountainous environment (see Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 2:3; Psalms 133:3; Isaiah
52:7; Joel 3:17; Micah 4:2; 2 Nephi 12:3; Isaiah 30:17; D&C 133:31-32;
D&C 49:25); although this doesn't mean that they have always lived there
but may have been driven there by Indian Removal Act of 1831 or perhaps even by
a future event that has not yet required them to move to the mountains; Joseph
Smith wrote in a letter to NC Saxton, editor of a Rochester NY newspaper “The
Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western Tribes of Indians”
(see Roland Walker’s paper “Seeking the Remnant”); the first official mission
of the Church was the Oliver Cowdery led expedition to the Lamanites, with the
objective of locating the Remnant and helping them to begin the building of
Zion; when Joseph and Hyrum proposed to flee the mob in Nauvoo and head for the
Rocky Mountains, it was to find the Remnant in the West.
It is not necessary to identify
exactly who the tribe is now; they will be identified in the course of events.
But it is vital to know that they
are a group distinct from the “Gentiles”; we are NOT the Remnant of Israel.
READ 3 Nephi 20:13, 21-22
How
many “Remnants” will there be?
Many.
In all cardinal directions or all across
the earth.
But one “Remnant of Jacob” in
America – the descendants of Lehi – will be the primary builders of the
American Zion.
How
will these Remnants be “gathered in” to be brought to the knowledge of the Lord
who hath redeemed them?
Knowledge is experiential and
personal or anecdotal (see 3 Nephi 11:14; 3 Nephi 18:25).
Christ redeems men from their
fallen state by bringing them back into His presence (see Ether 3:13).
Christ will then be able to visit
the Remnant(s) in their Mount Zion because they will have already been redeemed
individually by Him.
What
will differentiate Zion from all other cities?
The Lord will establish it, not man.
The Powers of Heaven or hosts of
heaven will visit or “be in the midst” of the people.
The Lord Himself will abide with
the people.
It will be populated by people who
are able to abide in the presence of God in the flesh and not be utterly wasted.
And because of this, it will be
“terrible” to those who cannot abide His presence and glory; it will be filled
with and surrounded by the glory of God, which when Joseph Smith saw it in the
Sacred Grove, mistook it for a raging fire.
READ 3 Nephi 20:23-24
What
did Moses have that was then lost to Israel because of lack of belief and
rejection of Jehovah?
The High Priesthood which enabled
him to stand in the presence of God (see D&C 84:19-27).
In other words, this priesthood (or
association with the powers of heaven) enables the Fullness of the Gospel or
coming unto Christ.
But the priesthood was taken from Israel
with Moses for their fear and rejection of the offer to come up unto the Mount
to see Jehovah for themselves.
Why
does the Lord say “all the prophets from Samuel…”?
When Joshua died, both the
priesthood that left with Moses, and the blessings from the High Priesthood
that he had received from Moses were lost.
What remained was the Levitical or
Aaronic priesthood which was presided over by a High Priest (who held Aaronic
priesthood not the “High Priesthood”) and was administered by the Levites.
The prophets, from Samuel on, were
different; they came through diverse bloodlines and their priesthood was not
received through the Jewish Church lines of authority but were given to them
directly from heaven itself (see TPJS 205:2).
What
does it mean that all of these prophets “testified of” Christ?
These individuals beheld God face
to face and were called by Him to be prophets and call the people to repentance
(see D&C 84:22-23).
Being a prophet means seeing
Christ; that is how one is called to be a prophet.
Being a prophet entails testifying
that one has seen the Christ and knows Him with a surety.
An ecclesiastical calling, just
like the old Jewish role of High Priest, has the right to administer the rites
and ordinances of the Church but has no ability to stand in the presence of God
unless God gives them the High Priesthood Himself.
What
is the key to the Remnant of Israel awakening?
Coming unto Christ themselves, as
Moses and the Prophets did. Hearing Him
– His testimony to them, His commandments to them, His mission for them – and
then following His words to them.
Look to Christ and Him alone – He
is their only hope.
They must not reject the Fullness
of the Gospel but believe it and come unto Him (see D&C 132:21-25).
3 Nephi 20:25-26
What
does it mean to be a “child of the prophets”?
To be a literal descendent of the
prophets.
To be one who has accepted,
believed, and followed the Lord’s true messengers.
To be adopted into the family of
the prophets or patriarchs or “fathers” or “fathers in heaven” through being
sealed to them in a “father-son” relationship and thus become part of the House
of Israel or family of God on earth; Abraham received a promise that all who
received the Gospel after him would become his descendants.
This is what it means to “turn the
hearts of the children to the fathers”.
Why
did the Father send Christ to Israel first?
Because they are the literal
children of the covenant God made with Abraham.
Does
being the literal children guarantee them anything?
Not if they reject the covenant
they’ve been offered.
They just have “first right of
refusal”.
READ 3 Nephi 20:27-29
Why
did the House of Israel, and why will the Gentiles, merit
condemnation, or the Law of Restoration returning their iniquities back upon
their own heads?
Because Israel did (at the time of
Christ and previously at the time of Moses) and the Gentiles will (or have?)
reject the Fullness of the Gospel.
And by reason of their rejection of
what was freely offered to them, merit condemnation for ingratitude (see
D&C 88:33-35); they remain filthy still because that which would have
cleansed them was not received in gratitude but was rejected.
And when a people reject the Lord,
He being governed by Law, must reject them – otherwise He would not be just
(see Luke 12:47-48).
READ 3 Nephi 20:30-31
Who
will accept the Fullness of the Gospel?
The Remnant of Israel and those few
adopted Gentiles.
What
does it mean to accept the Fullness of the Gospel?
It means to accept or believe the
principles of the Fullness of the Gospel – including the need for the crowning
event which is to be sealed up to eternal life by entering into the presence of
God while living in the flesh.
It means to enter the strait gate
and follow the narrow path back into God’s presence – to have faith in the
teachings to the point that they promote action (see LoF 2:54-56).
READ 3 Nephi 20:36-46
Why
do the Remnant need to awake, shake off the dust, arise, and put on their
beautiful garments?
Because they are asleep and dressed
in filthy tatters and rags.
They don’t know who they are and
they have not the power and light of God within them.
They are prisoners in their own
ignorance (see TPJS 400:2).
And they have sold themselves into
bondage for nothing.
They need to arise because the Lord
has already freed them as they slept; they are now free to sit before the Lord
and be taught, if they will but awake and arise.
How
will the Remnant know Christ’s name in the latter day?
He will speak to them personally,
as He is to their ancestors in Bountiful.
He will minister to them and they
will know Him with a surety (see 3 Nephi 11:14).
Will
the Remnant come to know Christ in Zion or before it is built?
Before.
Then they will leave “Babylon the
Unclean” and be gathered together into Zion.
And Christ will lead them – He will
both help them to awake, arise and be clothed with light or things they had not
seen or considered AND He will personally help them to gather to Zion – implied
is that both will be miraculous.
READ 3 Nephi 21:1-3
Why
is Christ giving us a sign – aren’t signs bad?
Signs follow faith, they do not
produce faith (see D&C 63:9-10).
Believers are supposed to see
signs, so that they may know God is dealing with them (see D&C 68:10-11).
Christ is giving a sign to us and
the Remnant so that we may understand when His Father’s promises are being
fulfilled.
How
will we know when will these things come to pass?
The Remnant of the Lord’s people
(the descendants of the Lehites) will be scattered by the Gentiles in America.
Christ’s words to the ancient
Nephites will be made known to the Gentiles – the Book of Mormon will be
published.
The Gentiles must understand or
know that the promises to the Remnant exist; as a Church today we have chosen
to ignore these promises and do not seek for the Remnant – in fact, we think we
are to preside in Zion, not them.
The Gentiles who appreciate the Book
of Mormon to the point that they have followed its promises and have come unto
Christ, and also understand the Lord’s promises to the Remnant, will bring them
to the attention of the Remnant.
The Remnant will receive the words
of Christ and Christ will gather in, from their long dispersion, His people;
Christ will personally do the gathering through the Holy Spirit and through His
own ministrations to them; when the Remnant begin to know these things (see 3
Nephi 21:7) is when The Sign will occur – when the Remnant begin to know Christ
and remember who they really are, that is the sign that the Father’s
work has already commenced or started and there will be no stopping it after
that point.
They will be gathered by becoming
His covenant people or understanding that they are the House of Israel (see
D&C 76:51-62).
Then they will be established
together as a group and build Zion.
After it has commenced or begun,
this will all happen or be completed in a “generation” (see JS Matthew 1:34-37).
To summarize, Nephi first saw the
latter-day interplay between the Gentiles and the Remnant of the Lehites and
Christ affirms and expands upon it. The
Gentiles would be offered the Fullness of the Gospel through the Book of Mormon
and the ministry of Gods and angels, and all but a few would reject it (3 Nephi
16:10; 3 Nephi 20:28; 2 Nephi 28:14).
Those few will then take the gospel to the Remnant, who will receive it
(see 1 Nephi 15:13-14; 2 Nephi 30:3-5).
The Remnant will blossom as a rose with the gospel and build Zion, the
New Jerusalem, in the tops of the mountains, a place where the Lord will visit
His people (see Moses 7:16-18) and protect them from the destruction that is
unfolding all about them, up to and including the cataclysms that occur when He
comes in glory, as they will already know that they can stand in His
presence. And a few Gentiles will assist
them in their work (see 3 Nephi 21:23-24).
This is a hard doctrine for those whose pride is above that of all the
earth – those who believe they can never be led astray... but ironically have
been condemned by God since 1832 but refuse to believe it and so refuse to
repent.
