READ D&C 45:1
What does it mean that Christ has
been given the “kingdom”?
The Father gave (some of) His
children to Christ to save – a kingdom or family of souls.
His personally attaining to the
resurrection of the dead and becoming our spiritual “Father” in heaven through
the atonement means that those of the Father’s (Ahman’s) children that were
given to Christ to save (see John 17:6-24) are now His (Christ’s) – His
“kingdom” or family; they are still part of the Father’s, as they must all
eventually be “one”, but they are now part of the Father’s family (again)
through the mediation of the Son because they had been separated from the
Father due to their spiritual deaths.
In what way did Christ "make”
all the hosts of heaven?
The elements used to create our
physical bodies and everything in this tangible universe were created and then
redeemed by Christ out of elements He “owns” or are a part of Him and God –
they are the light of Christ or “holy spirit” which proceed from God to fill
the immensity of space (see D&C 88:6-13; D&C 131:7-8).
Everything that lives on this earth
is sustained from moment to moment by Christ through His Spirit.
Implied is that the hosts of heaven
referenced here are all bound to a probationary cycle on this earth, which
Christ created and redeemed.
READ
D&C 45:2
Why might we think that we are still
in “summer” but in reality the “harvest is ended”?
This morality is a probationary state
and for those who have been given the “kingdom”, death is the end of that
probation.
We do not know how many years of
mortal life we will be granted.
So, the fact that we think we have
more time (“it is summer – time to play,” rather than thinking “it is the harvest,
time to work”) implies that we are not using that time effectively.
Christ’s warning is that not using
our probationary time effectively will leave us “unsaved”.
The other implication is that we
underestimate how much time may be needed to “work out our salvation with fear
and trembling” during this mortal probation; while Christ is a “first watch
God” when it comes to repentance, many seem to not realize what it means to
“offer one’s whole soul” until it is too late.
READ
D&C 45:3-5
How does Christ plead our cause to
the Father?
Based on the sufferings and death of
Christ…
Who did no sin (to justly suffer or
die for)…
But accomplished the Father’s mission
which He gave to the Son, which pleased the Father…
So, based on this, Christ begs the Father
to “please spare those that believe on Christ’s name that they may have eternal
life” even though they have no right to be saved otherwise.
It is Christ’s right to ask that
those with whom He has covenanted be spared, as Christ has won the victory over
death and hell by submitting to them unjustly.
This is how justice is served (as
Christ paid for all sin, unjustly as He did no sin) and mercy also (souls are
saved who do not merit it).
READ
D&C 45:6-9
What can we learn about Christ from
His titles?
Alpha – the beginning, one who is
more intelligent that we all and set the example before us (He is more
intelligent because He has used His experiences to gain more light through His
superior obedience to God’s commandments which is eternal law; see Alma 13:3-6;
D&C 93:12-14; D&C 130:18-21).
Omega – the end, one who descended
below all; the one who is at the end of the path and is the gatekeeper to what
lies there.
The Light of the world – who lights
the world through His glory, quickening both the physical elements and each
person’s mind.
The Life of the world – who gave life
initially, maintained it from moment to moment, and then redeemed all so that
they could have life infinitely; and has life in Himself.
The Son of God – because He
condescended to take upon Himself a mortal tabernacle or body so that He could
save us.
He has earned these titles through
His righteous works in past eternities in addition to this one; titles describe
His accomplishments, as well as His attributes, as they are one.
How do we “become” Sons or Daughters
of God; and aren’t we already that?
No or the verse wouldn’t say “to
become” which infers a future transition.
We’re “spirit children” of God but
Christ tells us that only those who “receive” Him can qualify to “become” Sons
or Daughters of God.
A “Son of God” or “Daughter of God”
denotes having been adopted into God’s family of saved or exalted beings; one
can only enter into that kind of relationship after having been proven at all
hazards in a mortal probation outside of God’s presence, where one must “seek
out” the Lord with faith, entering into the everlasting covenant that they
might “receive” Him in the flesh (so that He can “reason” with them v10).
READ
D&C 45:10, 15
What must we “come unto” so that
Christ can come visit us in the flesh and reason with us?
The everlasting covenant – we must
have a relationship with Him through covenant, in which He makes us His and
declares us clean.
We must come unto or be adopted into
a familial relationship with Him – we must become His Sons or Daughters.
We must also “hearken” to Him (see
D&C 93:1).
What is implied about Christ and the
relationship that He wishes to have with us that He wants to “reason” with us?
He wants to have the kind of
relationship or friendship that we have here on earth with those that we can
share deeply personal experiences and insights with or debate “jugular” issues
with, without offense (see D&C 50:10-12).
He truly desires to become our
closest friend in mortality.
He also desperately wants to share
His wisdom with us but will not force it upon us nor compel us to follow it
once He’s shared it.
He wants us to address Him like we
were addressing our most intimate friend and have nothing to hide; to tell Him
about our hopes, frustrations, concerns, fears and confusion; because He cares
about what we care about; and He wants to give us His perspective on those
things – which will change everything for us.
READ
D&C 45:11-14
Why did “holy men” seek for a “day of
righteousness”; what were they trying to do?
A “day of righteousness” is a day
that Christ comes to visit His people (i.e. in Zion).
The ultimate or perfect “day” will be
when He comes to rule and reign upon this earth as its rightful king in all His
glory (which is above the brightness of the sun at noon -“day”).
A “holy man” or woman is one who has
experienced a “day of righteousness” for themselves and entered into God’s
presence to be redeemed and sanctified.
But many holy men were not able to
help others meet the conditions required to prepare for such a day (see Moses
84:19-26) – they were not able to prepare a Zion people who could stand in
Christ’s presence when He comes, a people who had been “sealed” to withstand
the glory (in the last days by Elijah) so they would not be “utterly wasted”;
for instance, Joseph Smith seemed to have only been able to help one other to
meet these conditions and experience these things for himself – his brother
Hyrum Smith.
Why were these “holy men” not able to
establish Zion?
The wickedness (sins or disobedience
to God’s commandments) and abominations (false religious beliefs and rites
masquerading as truth) of the people prevented them (the people, not the “holy
men”) from entering into God’s presence themselves because it diminished their
faith (unbelief) and led them to believe that they were either already saved
(all is well in Zion) or taught them a false path which promised light but only
led to darkness (see 1 Nephi 8:4-8).
The people would not let Christ show
unto them His wisdom; instead of asking to obtain His will or the knowledge He
wanted to share, they shaped the discussion and influenced the Lord to give
them what they wanted.
In a sad
bit of irony, this is exactly what happened to the Saints at the time this
revelation was given; the Lord wanted to reestablish the “ancient order of
things” by restoring the gospel which had enabled Enoch to build Zion and to
find the Lamanite remnant to build Zion in the latter days as foretold in the
Book of Mormon, but the Gentile Saints (led by Sidney Rigdon) wanted a
“restored” New Testament church and to build Zion themselves, so that is just
what they got; only Joseph and Hyrum Smith received the “day of righteousness”
that was offered to all; and the “Zions” in Jackson County and Nauvoo were
abject failures (see D&C 124:28, 31-34, 40-50, 91-95, 123-124; Ezekiel
14:1-23; TPJS 266:2).
What is implied about Christ’s
wisdom?
If you hearken to Christ and let Him
show you His wisdom, He will give you a promise (or hope) you can have faith in
and will teach you how to be received unto Christ yourself while you are in the
flesh (which requires transfiguration, at a minimum), like Enoch and his
brethren were.
But, you will become a “stranger and
pilgrim” on this earth, when you come back to continue your mortal service
here.
The
Signs of Christ’s Coming In Glory
Will
Christ actually come back to the Earth in glory?
If the Book of Mormon is a guide
(and it is, as they saw our day) more and more people will disbelieve in a
literal Second Coming – and will ridicule or persecute those that do believe
and are vocal about it.
He has spoken it - and every
prophesy will come to pass - those who look for Him will see Him, those who do
not will not (they’ll be cut off or utterly wasted) – see D&C 45:44.
What
will be His purpose in returning?
To put all enemies under His feet
(see D&C 49:6).
Destroy all wickedness from the
Earth (see D&C 29:9-11) – to give it a baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost,
which is a sanctifying, quickening transformation.
When
will He return?
Soon - it is “near, even at the
doors” (see D&C 34:7; D&C 110:16).
But no one knows exactly – not even
the angels (see D&C 49:7).
What
are the “destructive” signs of the times?
Wars and rumors of wars (see
D&C 45:26).
Desolating sickness (see D&C
45:31).
Earthquakes in divers places (see
D&C 45:33).
Storms and floods (see D&C
88:90).
Hailstorms that destroy crops – and
the ensuing famines which will follow (see D&C 29:15).
Sun will be darkened, blood moon,
stars fall (see D&C 45:40-42; D&C 88:87) – there will be signs in the
heavens.
Faith will fail FOR FEAR (see
D&C 45:26; D&C 88:91).
What
are the “positive” signs of the times?
Gospel restored (see D&C 45:9).
The New Jerusalem will be built
(see D&C 45:66-71).
The Kingdom of God established (see
D&C 65:2-6).
What
can we do to prepare?
Obtain “oil” (the Holy Spirit) in
our lamps.
Receive the promises made to the
Fathers for yourself (see D&C 2:1-3).
Become one who can stand in His
presence so that you can abide the day of His coming - through realizing the
ordinances of the Temple (experiencing the “real thing” by parting the veil and
walking into God’s presence in the flesh) and being true and faithful to the
covenants you receive there (see D&C 128:24; 2 Nephi 32:6), in the heavenly
temple.
Who
are the “fathers” who have received promises?
Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah,
Melchizedek, (the 10 generations of “patriarchs” from Adam to Shem) who were
ordained to “His Own Order” which enabled them to have “all things made
manifest” and avoid the destruction of mankind; i.e. flood or in our day, fire
(see Moses 8:19 and 23-24).
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,
Ephraim - “I sought for the blessings of the fathers and the right whereunto I
should be ordained to administer the same” (see Abraham 1:2) – the five
generations of Abraham, who left an apostate society to find the Lord, as we
will also have to do in our day.
Will
America be safe?
He will make an end of all nations.
So no, the United States of America
will be destroyed (see D&C 87:6).
Will
the people who live in America be safe?
It depends - there is a Law that
governs America (see Ether 2:9-12) - it is OUR choice.
What
does this Law mean for America?
No power on earth that has ever
threatened America for one second; however...
None of America’s missiles or
economy can save us if we stop worshiping the God of this Land.
If you reach the Fullness of
Iniquity, you will be destroyed. America
is its only enemy.
Societies that are destroyed are
destroyed because they reached the fullness of iniquity (especially if they were
living in a Promised Land). The mode of
destruction is usually (but not always) war, with its companion’s famine and
pestilence.
READ D&C 45:16
What
does the Lord want to reason with us about?
The signs
of His coming.
And how we’d better get a move on
and prepare or we will get caught thinking it’s “summer” when the “harvest” is
come.
Ultimately, He wants to reason with
us about the salvation of our souls (v2).
To
whom were these verses addressed and what does that tell us about how we should
understand them?
Christ is recollecting the
discussion He had with His apostles, recounted in Matthew 24 (see also Joseph
Smith-Matthew).
He is quoting Himself regarding
what He told the Jewish apostles, so it includes prophesies about Jerusalem in
70 AD but also the Last Days before His Second Coming. Since He’s speaking here with Joseph Smith,
implied is that we can also learn things for our day from what happened to the
Jews in 70 AD.
READ D&C 45:17
Many
religions have taught that being in a body is bondage; how would you explain to
someone with that belief why it is bondage to be without a body?
Some religions believe that due to
the Fall of Adam, our bodies are the root of all our problems with sin and that
they are inherently evil; they believe that our spirits are trapped within
these depraved bodies and that the spirit just needs to escape it to be truly
godlike and righteous; they believe that the body should be mistreated and all
physical urges denied – that the body is a punishment.
But a body is required to
experience a fullness of joy (see D&C 93:33-34) and to reenter the presence
of the Father (see 2 Nephi 9:6-15), so not having a body means that you are
trapped in the world of spirits or Hades (hell), which is bondage.
READ D&C 45:18-24
What
things will pass away in the first set of verses?
Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem would
be completely destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, less than 40 years (within the
generation) after Christ made His statement.
Many Jews would be killed and most
of the others scattered throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and the
Middle-east.
The Jewish hope for a Messiah would
be dashed (and then obliterated 1900 years later in Hitler’s Holocaust).
What
is the fate of Israel in verse 24?
The survivors will be scattered
among all nations.
As the Jews were in 70 AD.
And the tribes of Ephraim and
Manasseh were in 600 BC when Jerusalem fell to Babylon.
And the other “lost tribes” were
scattered prior to that at the fall of the North Kingdom of Israel.
READ D&C 45:25-27
What
are the “times of the Gentiles”?
The period of time when those who
were last to receive the gospel (the Gentiles at the time of Christ) will be
the first to receive it when it is restored to the earth in the last days.
The times of the Gentiles started
with the restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith to the “Saints” who
were primarily gentiles of European origin.
What
is implied by saying the “times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”?
That at some point the Gentiles
will no longer have the fullness of the gospel of Christ because they will
reject it – their “time” or opportunity will be fulfilled or completed (see 3
Nephi 16:10-11) and they will lose the fullness of the gospel and the rights
and privileges that accepting it give to a people.
Scattered Israel will not be
gathered again until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled; implied is that
any gathering that has taken place prior to the rejection of the Fullness of
the Gospel by the Gentiles is not the gathering referenced by Christ here.
The question, then, is when did
or will the Gentile Church that received the fullness of the gospel
reject it: one argument would say it rejected it at the time of Joseph Smith
because so few escaped the condemnation spoken of in D&C 84 and entered
into the rest of the Lord themselves – and Joseph Smith’s death, after the
final failed attempt which involved building the Nauvoo Temple to receive again
the High Priesthood which had been lost; a second argument would say that the
Church has just recently rejected the fullness of the gospel as evidenced by
the Correlation Department removing all reference to the Second Comforter,
Calling and Election, and Theosis (becoming Gods) in the last 20 to 30 years –
this was confirmed by Elder Dallin Oaks telling the saints in Boise in 2015
that seeking for the actual presence of Christ in this life was a “familiar
tactic of the adversary,” and by the excommunication (from SLC) of members who
have actively taught that they have seen the Lord (i.e. Denver Snuffer, Rob
Smith and others, although this is not usually the stated reason why they are
disciplined and cast out of the Church); a third argument might suggest that it
is still to come, as the Church leaders make their concessions to the
popularity of the world and their changes to the doctrine Joseph Smith taught
even more pronounced and explicit.
What
time period do verses 25-27 describe?
The chaos which will reign in the
last days, after the times of the Gentiles is over.
Not only will there be rumors of
wars, but the whole earth shall be in commotion with fear and terror.
What
is implied by the prophesy that people will say that Christ delays His coming
until the end of the earth?
Things will be REALLY bad.
People will believe that the end of
the world is imminent, and that Christ won’t make it in time to save us; this
suggests either a nuclear war or an earthbound comet or some event that is
cataclysmic, unstoppable and immediate.
READ D&C 45:28-30
When
will the light of the Fullness of the Gospel “break forth among them that sit
in darkness”?
AFTER the times of the Gentiles
have “come in” or is in progress but not before it has ended.
This is a sign regarding when the
times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled: after they’ve initially been offered
the fullness of the gospel (it has “come in”) but still “sit in darkness”
(haven’t accepted the fullness of the gospel), a “light” will “break forth”
among them (meaning it will come from heaven; there is an unexpected nature to
the appearance of this light as it breaks forth) but they won’t see it because
they are comfortable in the dark with their precepts of men. Possibly implied here is the Lord seeking to
minister one last time to the Gentile Church before their time is up (see Jacob
5:63-64); in the generation when this happens, the times of the Gentiles will
end. It is also possible that this
breaking forth of light is what triggers the passing of the Fullness of the
Gospel to Israel – they accept it while the Gentiles reject it.
What
is implied about the Gentiles at that day?
They “sit in darkness”.
But they do not realize it because
when the “light breaks forth” they do not perceive that it is light.
Instead, they reject the light
(thinking they already have the light because they have been hearkening to the
precepts of men who tell them that they already have all the light they will
ever need).
And in the pride of their hearts,
they receive not the light but turn away from Christ.
They have shown that they cannot
recognize Him, even when He shines the bright light of the Fullness of the
Gospel in their eyes because they are blind indeed – blinded by the precepts of
men.
And in that generation, they sin
against the light and the Lord they say they worship; the times of the Gentiles
are fulfilled and they are done.
READ D&C 45:31-33
What
might constitute a “desolating sickness” and when will this occur?
In the 1800’s, tuberculosis killed
one-quarter of the adult population of Europe.
The Great Influenza Epidemic of
1918 killed more than 50 million people globally.
The Bubonic or Black Plague killed
half the population of Asia and Europe in the 1300’s.
Smallpox, yellow fever, cholera,
AIDS, Typhus fever, and Ebola are examples of other “scourges” that have
decimated populations.
As of 2021, 2.5 million deaths have
been attributed to COVID-19, so unless it mutates significantly and becomes
more deadly, it might only be a warning of the pandemic that is to come;
especially given how much more infectious it was than the traditional flu
(longer incubation, asymptomatic carriers, smaller particles which linger
longer, etc) – imagine if the mortality rate was significantly higher and
affected all populations equally – that is a “desolating sickness”.
It will occur after the rejection
of the fullness of the Gospel by the Gentiles (but in the same generation that
it happens) and after Israel begins to be “gathered” again or comes to a
knowledge of the gospel and the promises they have been given; Israel could
refer to the “remnant of Jacob” in the Americas or to the Jews or other
remnants of Israel around the world.
Why
is this sickness referred to as a “scourge”?
A scourge was a whipping or
flogging administered as a punishment for criminal (either civilian or
military) behavior.
Although capable of killing the
victim, scourging was usually either a “corporal” punishment (as opposed to a
“capital” punishment or purposeful killing) or preparatory to a cruel death
like crucifixion, where the victim needed to be hurt prior to the capital
punishment to expedite the death.
The Lord seems to have three
objectives with this scourge: a) capital punishment among some of the wicked,
b) a massive warning to sinners to repent, and c) to weaken wicked mankind for
the coming twin deathblows of natural disaster (from God) and war
(self-inflicted).
Who
are Christ’s disciples that will stand in “holy places” and not be moved?
As this takes place after the
Gentile Church has rejected the Fullness of the Gospel that they have been
offered, these disciples will be from the Remnant of Israel (the exception
being those few Gentiles that have repented and accepted the Fullness of the
Gospel).
The Gentile Church will be among
those who are “scourged” as punishment for rejecting the light of the fullness
of the gospel (see D&C 112:23-26).
Implied is that the Remnant of
Israel will a) have a holy place or Temple built and/or b) that they will have
become “holy places” or “temples” themselves – places where the Lord’s Spirit
can abide or live permanently.
What
is the relationship between natural disasters and war?
Natural disasters destabilize an
area, enabling wicked, ambitious men to seize the opportunity to take control,
which happens via war.
Natural disasters are warning
messages from God to repent but in many cases, not only do the wicked not heed
the warning, they double-down on their wickedness by taking up their swords
against each other and killing those who have been weakened in the disaster.
When
faced with “calls” to repent from God Himself (sickness, natural disaster,
etc.) why do the wicked harden their hearts against God and curse Him with loud
voices?
They love Satan more than God –
perhaps not explicitly, but they love sin and following their own wills much
more than they love God.
They resent or even hate God for
not allowing them to take pleasure in their sins; some justify their anger by
thinking “a loving God would not do this to me, so you are not a loving God and
I can hate you”.
Many otherwise “good” people lose
their faith when faced with such terrible afflictions because they lack the
“actual knowledge” that they have been accepted by God; they “grow weary in their
minds and faint” (see LoF 6:2-6, 12).
Everyone does have a choice – to
either humble themselves in the face of affliction or to further harden their
hearts (see Alma 62:41), and sadly, most of the world will continue on the
trajectory they have already set for themselves.
READ D&C 112:23-26
Why
is vengeance and desolation coming to the inhabitants of the earth?
Because the people have allowed
their minds to be darkened.
All people have become corrupt;
either causing the darkness or as a result of it (they have embraced it).
But the implication is that the
inhabitants of the earth are responsible for the darkness and could have chosen
to be enlightened; otherwise the Lord would not be justified in seeking
“vengeance” which is executed as a result of being knowingly or purposefully
harmed or betrayed.
What
is implied by the quick, “whirlwind” speed of the wrath and burning?
Either it means that it is coming
soon (this revelation was given in 1837).
Or it means that when it comes, it
will come quickly out of nowhere, like a whirlwind that cannot be predicted.
Where
will the desolation begin?
Upon “my house” shall it begin,
says the Lord.
My House refers to “those among
YOU” (the Lord is speaking to Joseph Smith about the Gentile Church – see verse
27).
“Who have professed to know my name
and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house”.
The
desolation will begin among the LDS Church (and their offshoots?), specifically
among or because of those who have professed, claimed, or asserted openly but
falsely (blasphemy) that they are “special witnesses” of Christ while in the
midst or center of His house (so either while in the literal temple in a weekly
Thursday meeting or while generally leading the Church through policy-making
and General Conference) by claiming to speak for Him but have NOT known Him.
Today,
the modern Church Apostles claim to be “special witnesses” of Christ’s NAME
(see D&C 107:23) but they continue to infer a personal manifestation or
“witness” of Christ when they speak in Conference; however, if they have not
known Him because they lack the faith to rend the veil and stand in His
presence but use clever wordplay to make it appear to the Saints that they do
know Him (and can thus control the lives of the active Church members) but at
the same time retain “plausible deniability” with the media or perhaps with God
Himself when called on the carpet about the nature of their “witness”, they are
triggering the desolation the Lord is speaking to here.
There is
an argument that this judgement started in 1837, shortly after this revelation
was given and continues today, and will culminate with the return of the Lord
to the earth; the “you” refers to the followers of Joseph Smith who had
professed to know the Lord’s name but didn’t and had blasphemed Him in the
midst of the only modern “house” or temple that the Lord has ever acknowledge
was His (the Kirtland Temple); the history of the Saints from 1837 onward in
Kirtland, Far West, Nauvoo, Winter Quarters, and Salt Lake City illustrates the
“vengeance” and “wrath” which is referenced in the verses.
READ D&C 45:34-38
What
promises were made to Christ’s disciples that would decrease their fear?
That the angels will gather
Christ’s elect (those who treasure up His word) and the Lord will come unto
them (see JS Matthew 24:37) and they shall be sealed up (see D&C 77:11),
prior to the destruction that will accompany His coming in glory, such that
they will be able to abide the glory in that great day.
How
does this parable answer the question about the previous two verses?
The angels will come to the elect
to fulfill the promises of protection when the signs spoken of are clearly seen.
Those signs include: the rejection
of the fullness of the gospel by the Gentile Church to whom it was given in the
last days.
The “breaking forth of light” that
occurs when the fullness of the gospel is then given to the remnant of Israel.
The desolating scourge that will
sweep the earth, starting amongst the Gentile Church.
The earthquakes and wars that will
quickly follow.
Seeing these signs and having faith
in the promise of being sealed up (the 144,000, see Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17),
should aid the elect to have faith in the promises such that they can rend the
veil and enable the angels and the Lord to come unto them, albeit “just in time.”
READ D&C 45:39-44
What
will those who are looking for the signs of Christ’s coming see?
They will see signs and wonders in
the heavens above and in the earth.
They will see blood, fire and smoke.
They will see the sun darkened, the
moon turned to blood, and the stars fall from heaven.
There will be a place of gathering
for the Remnant of Israel.
They will look for Christ (implied
is that they much watch – which means He will make them wait) and will see Him
come in great glory and they will survive the day and not be cut off.
They will see the signs because
they are looking for them; they will be taught what the signs mean because they
will be enquiring of the Lord and searching the scriptures to understand them.
And they will be ready,
spiritually, to abide the glory of the Lord BEFORE His coming in great glory –
having obtained a promise, via sealing from the Lord and angels (see D&C
77:11), that they will be able to stand in that great day.
What
will those who are not looking for the signs see?
They will see war and bloodshed,
fires and smoke, solar eclipses, blood moons or lunar eclipses, and shooting
stars or comets and asteroids.
And they will think nothing of
them, above the fact that they have always been with us and will likely always
continue to be.
But for their careless indifference
to the signs that were prophesied, they will be cut off from the Lord.
Which
remnant will be gathered?
The remnant of the House of Israel.
In America, that will be the Remnant
of Jacob or the Lamanites.
But Israel was scattered all over
the world (see Jacob 5); in addition, some of Israel likely married into local
populations, which means that some people may have Israelite blood but do not
know it.
Where
is “this place”?
Zion.
In the western hemisphere they will
be gathered to the New Jerusalem, in the “tops of the mountains”.
In the eastern hemisphere they will
be gathered to ancient Jerusalem in Israel.
READ D&C 45:63
Of
what “wars in your own lands” was this a prophecy?
The American Civil War.
The Fullness of Iniquity
We will highlight the specific sins
that have led eight civilizations to the fullness of iniquity and
destruction. These eight sins are also
interrelated. For additional insights,
see Michael Wilcox’s book A Nation at the Crossroads: Spiritual Decline in
the Promised Land.
READ Moses 8:28-30
What
was the primary reason for the Flood?
The earth was filled with VIOLENCE.
When people are afraid of violence,
entertained by violence, and when violence is pervasive in a society, that
society is reaching the fullness.
How are we doing today? Are we more violent than we were 20 years
ago? Than we were 40 years ago?
READ Ether 8:18, 20-23
What
led to the destruction of the Jaredites?
The Rise of SECRET COMBINATIONS.
What
gives a secret combination power?
A man’s sins. A man with an obsession is a man you can make
money off of and get power from.
READ Moses 5:31-34
What
three rules that secret combinations govern themselves by?
Mahan Principle – your life for my
money or how to turn life into money.
“I am free” – Principle that you
can sin and you don’t have to pay the consequences.
“Am I my brothers’ keeper?” – I
have no responsibility for my brother.
Whatever you do is your business – my business is to make a profit from
it.
READ Moroni 9:7-11, 13
How
would you describe the Nephites prior to their destruction?
WITHOUT CIVILIZATION – the loss of
all human restraint which leads to the VICTIMIZING OF WOMEN & CHILDREN.
Delight in evil (v13), awful
brutality (v17), depravity, without order, without mercy, lose fear of all
kinds of authority – even military authority (v18), perversion, delight in
everything save that which is good, suffering of women and children (v19),
without principle, past feeling (v20), seeking blood and revenge (v23).
When you see women and children
abused, battered, exploited, becoming the victims of violence, that society is
reaching a fullness of iniquity.
READ Alma 10:22-23, 2 Nephi 15:24
What
did the people of Ammonihah do which led to their destruction?
CASTING OUT THE RIGHTEOUS, THE LAW
OF THE LORD AND THE WORD OF THE LORD.
How
is the Law cast out?
The Law is cast out through
relativity – situational ethics – no truth because everything is relative. May be “right” for you but it’s not right for
me. Something may be “wrong for you” but
it’s not “wrong” because there is no right or wrong, society decides those
things based on its preferences.
Foundation of destruction is
beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of lawyers and judges. They cast out righteousness by the
interpretation and application of the law. (see Alma 10:17-18, 27).
Seeking to put down all power and
authority that comes from God (see Moroni 8:28).
READ Jude 1:7-8
What
sins led to Sodom and Gomorrah destruction?
Accepted and PERVASIVE IMMORAL
BEHAVIOR, particularly perverted immoral behavior.
“Giving themselves over” is to be
obsessed with, to give in, to yield to.
READ Deuteronomy 18:9-12
What
did the Canaanites do to warrant destruction?
FASCINATION AND DELIGHT IN EVIL for
its own sake.
The occult; when the fullness is
full-blown, you’ll see the occult start to spread in a society.
How
do we see this today in our society?
Today it’s found in the media –
music industry, movies, video games, TV, etc; we are entertained by evil - even
the “clean” movies and TV shows are all about murder, crime and intrigue.
The word “wicked” to describe
something good - “wicked cool”;
Breaking the rules that society has
traditionally followed is seen as being “cool” or “awakened” (now, the
“traditions of the fathers” get a bad name for a reason, but breaking them
doesn’t necessarily mean that one is following God…).
READ Deuteronomy 8:19-20
What
led to Israel’s captivity and the destruction of their culture and many of
their people?
The WORSHIP OF FALSE GODS.
Forgetting God (leads to . . .)
walking after other Gods, which leads to serving other Gods, which leads to
worshiping other Gods, which leads to destruction.
What
leads to forgetting God?
When you have eaten and are full –
prosperity and pride (see Deut 10-12, 17).
What
are America’s two major false gods?
Two major false gods of America
(President Kimball, July 1976) are materialism and military might. The many Americans aspire to (worship) money
and power.
READ Mormon 2:8
When
the Nephites were destroyed, what was the last straw?
A complete revolution – A REFUSAL
TO REPENT.
This is the last aspect of a
Fullness of Iniquity society.
When my nation is crumbling around
me and there are problems everywhere and I still won’t change.
(v 13) Sorrowing was not unto
repentance but was the sorrowing of the damned.
(v 15) Day of grace is past with
them because they won’t repent.
Where
is the protection from being swept off in the last days?
ONLY in Zion - we must build it -
one family at a time.
In my
opinion, Zion is built as individuals (hopefully families) who have rent the
veil and know the Lord, and are called by angels to gather together into a
community where no one need ask “know ye the Lord” as all will already know Him
individually; the idea that Zion can be built as Joseph Smith tried to build it
(gather first then try to come unto Christ) was proved to be extremely
difficult by the early Saints – who had many more spiritual experiences and
gifts than are demonstrated today (so one can assume that they were more likely
to succeed than we are today – and they failed miserably on several occasions).
The Latter-day Zion
READ D&C 45:64-66
What
“eastern lands” were the Saints to gather out of?
The eastern seaboard of the United
States.
Britain.
What
“western countries” were the Saints to go forth into?
If they were to establish Zion,
which was to be built up by the Remnant of Jacob or the Lamanites, they would
need to go west – at least to the Indian territories west of Missouri but more
likely to the Rocky Mountains; Joseph Smith had been told that they were among
the “western tribes of Indians”
What
inhabitants were they to call to repentance?
In the early days of the
Restoration of the Gospel, during the times of the Gentiles, the Lord had given
the opportunity to receive the fullness of the gospel to the Gentiles – so it
was the Gentiles or those of European descent that they were to call to
repentance initially.
But ultimately, they were to preach
to the Remnant or Lamanites; Ephraim is to take the fullness of the gospel to
Israel in the last days; Zion was to be built up among the Indians because the
Gentiles would reject the fullness of the gospel (see 3 Nephi 16:10).
READ D&C 45:67, 70, 74-75
Why
will the wicked not come unto Zion?
They cannot abide the glory of the
Lord who will reside there – it will literally burn them up - and this will
cause terror among them.
The inhabitants of Zion are
“terrible”; to be able to abide the Lord’s presence and glory, they must also
be filled with a portion of that same glory or light or intelligence that fills
the city from heaven; so this will cause the rest of humanity to fear the
mortals in Zion also because they can live in such a place without being
harmed.
They will also hold the High
Priesthood After the Order of the Son of God (required for them to abide in
God’s presence) which has power over the elements, which will also help to
defend the New Jerusalem.
Zion will be at one end of an open
portal to heaven; open so that the glory of heaven will shine through it and
will be seen by those within the walls of Zion and those looking up at Zion and
the mountain upon which it stands from beneath.
READ D&C
133:38-45
Who are the “servants of God” who go forth with a loud voice?
Those who know Him
– they have been in His presence and He has ministered to them.
Those who have
been given an errand to perform from the Lord.
Many times in
scripture the “servants of God” are angels; but the term can also apply to
those who “speak with the tongues of angels” because they have a) been
ministered to by Christ and b) have been given a message to relay to others
from Christ.
What are they praying for?
The Second Coming
of Christ in glory (see Matthew 6:9-13).
Christ to rend the
veil and to make Himself known unto all people, to their condemnation and
destruction or to their rejoicing and salvation.
What risks do those who invite the Lord to come to the earth
in glory take upon themselves?
If they are using
the Lord’s name in vain (they pretend to know Him and speak for Him) and they
don’t think He will really return or that He will be pleased with them for the
way they have executed their “stewardships”, they are inviting Him to come and
“do terrible things they look not for” in vengeance for blaspheming His name
(see D&C 112:23-26; Ezekiel 34:1-31).
READ D&C 45:68-69, 71
Who
will flee to Zion?
Those among the wicked who will not
take up arms against his/her neighbor.
Those who have been called and
sealed by angels to go there to abide with the other Saints of Zion; the Church
of the Firstborn who visit through the portal from heaven; and the residents of
the cities of Enoch and Melchizedek’s Salem, who become their friends (see D&C
77:11; Moses 7:63).
What
will the rest of the world, including the United States, be like at that time?
If you do not have a gun or way to
defend yourself, you will be killed.
The whole rest of the world will either
be at war or informally fighting with each other.
Everyone else will be living in
fear – sleeping with a gun under their pillow; rule of law will be gone in a
state of open war and civil unrest.
Why
will they be safe in Zion; why will Zion have no army or defense system?
The glory of the Lord will be such
a deterrent and cause such fear in the hearts of the wicked that no one will
need a gun to defend themselves if they live in Zion; the wicked won’t come
near the place (see Exodus 19:16-18; Exodus 20:18-19).
READ D&C 133:4-9, 14
What
does it mean to “go ye out from Babylon”?
Ultimately, it will mean to flee
from Babylon or the world to the New Jerusalem.
In the meantime, it means to leave
behind the mindset of Babylon so that you can be clean – it means to “sanctify
yourselves” or consecrate or separate yourself for holy purposes; this is in
the form of an offering or sacrifice that we make of ourselves (our whole
souls) to God – but He must accept our offering and actually sanctify or change
us through the baptism of fire.
Why
are the Gentiles to be “called upon” first and then the Jews, and who is being
referred to here?
The Gentiles earned the right to be
the first to receive the gospel in the last days, following the Jew’s rejection
of Christ during His ministry.
Gentiles are those of European
descent; they may include people with Israelite blood (specifically Ephraim)
but it is diluted as they did not remain a “people” like the Jews did or the
Lamanites (who are primarily Manasseh and Ephraim through Lehi and Ishmael,
respectively).
Jews are those of Israel who stayed
together in their tribe and didn’t intermarry to the point of losing their
genetic and social identity (i.e. the Jews and Lamanites).
READ D&C 133:10-13
How
does one flee Babylon?
You must awake to your awful state
– implied is that you might otherwise sleep through it or not realize it.
You must arise or take action by
going forth to meet Christ, the Bridegroom.
You must prepare yourselves by
having “oil in your lamps”.
Where
are the “mountains” of the Lords House?
They are the earthly temples in
Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem (Zion) which mark or serve as the entrance to
the open portal to God’s Temple in the heavens.
Jerusalem and Zion are in the
“mountains” or will be higher than the surrounding areas.
But the heavenly temple requires an
“ascent” up through His Way to the “mountain” of His House.
READ D&C 45:56-59
What
do you need to be able to abide the day of Christ’s coming?
Truth or knowledge of things as
they really were, are and will be.
Truth = intelligence, light,
spirit, glory within you.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit
(which is truth, intelligence, light, glory, etc. and the mind of God).
What
will stop you from being able to abide the day but will get you hewn down and
cast into the fire?
Not receiving the truth.
Being deceived – receiving
falsehood as if it were the truth.
Implied is that we have been given
a way to be able to discern the difference, so we are accountable – and that
is: did we take the Holy Spirit as our guide?
When
will the parable of the ten virgins actually happen?
In the generation when the
Gentile’s reject the fullness of the gospel which is then given to and embraced
by the Remnant (in a sudden and miraculous way); because Christ will come soon
after.
READ D&C
133:17-19
Who are the 144,000 who are sealed with the Father’s name?
They are “high
priests” ordained unto the Holy Order of God (see Alma 13:1-19; JST Genesis
14:25-40; Abraham 1:2-4, 15-19; D&C 84:19-24, 33-42) to administer the
fullness of the gospel.
They are ordained
by the angels not by men.
Their mission is
to bring as many as will come to the Church of the Firstborn.
Who are the Church of the Firstborn?
Those who are
heirs to celestial glory (see D&C 76:54).
Those who dwell in
God’s presence because they received on earth of His fullness and grace (see
D&C 76:94).
Those who received
the Testimony of Jesus with regards to their standing before Him while in the
flesh (see D&C 88:75; D&C 76:51, 74); they receive a promise or hope of
the glory that will be theirs later if they are valiant in the Testimony they
have received (see D&C 76:79).
READ D&C
133:20-29
What is the great deep?
This could be a
literal reference to the ocean.
Or, it could be
symbolic, as the ocean has been used as a metaphor for people (see Revelation
17:15; Revelation 13:1).
What does it mean that the islands will become one land and
the earth shall be like it was before it was divided?
If literal, Christ
can command the sea and could “drive it back” so that one large land mass is
exposed (see Genesis 10:25).
If metaphorical,
it may be referring to a reunification of people who had been divided and
scattered (see Jacob 5).
What is implied about there being “prophets” of those in the
“north countries”?
Christ calls
people to be prophets whenever, wherever and among whichever people He pleases.
These prophets are connected to the Lord but they are not connected to
each other or affiliated with the LDS Church – because they will “no longer
stay themselves” (meaning that they had been “laying low” before the call from
Christ – so either they were not prophesying at all or they were doing it
locally within their own group or people and it had not come to the knowledge
of anyone else) but will begin to lead out – removing stumbling blocks (like
unbelief or false beliefs) or obstacles which seemed impenetrable but will
“flow like ice” in the thaw as they come unto the Lord easily, as if on a
highway cast up above the ocean (no more long and dangerous sea voyages to a
promised land, like Lehi – these people will come quickly to the Lord – perhaps
even following His “ways” and “paths” from the earth to the heavens to meet
with Him there), and as a result, the barren deserts (people without revelation
or God in their lives) will become living again, almost overnight, as if
springs of living water long hidden beneath the desert were allowed to spring
up after an earthquake.
The Second Coming of Christ
READ D&C
133:46-53
Why is it not obvious to everyone that it is Christ who is
coming down from heaven “in the greatness of His strength” and glory?
Because He does
not look like what the world envisions a “god” should look like (see 3 Nephi
11:6-8) using their paradigm of “greatness” from this fallen world.
He is both the
meek Lamb and the mighty Lion but His greatness is defined by His service (see
Luke 22:23-27; D&C 122:8) – He IS great BECAUSE of His humble sacrifices
and this shows in His being when He makes Himself known, even in glory.
He is “terrible”
because His glory is so overwhelming, not because He is “zapping” people with
“godly vengeance”; He just “is” or exists and when one who is unprepared to
enter His glorious presence does so, they want to hide (see Mormon 9:2-5; Alma
36:12-16).
Why will Christ’s garments be red when He comes in glory?
To symbolize His
atonement, where He bled from every pore (see Revelation 19:11-16).
To symbolize His
coming in glory to subdue the earth with fire.
To symbolize His
kingship, as scarlet is symbolic of royalty and fine materials.
To symbolize His
Everlasting Covenant, as covenants were made efficacious by cutting ceremonies
where blood would flow.
To symbolize His
vengeance or righteous anger and judgement against those who would not listen
to His word after all the effort He had made to invite them to repent and come
unto Him; He is executing justice.
Why does Christ choose “treading the wine vat” as a symbol of
His atoning sacrifice?
Wine was made by
crushing the grapes, first underfoot and then the mash was pulverized in a
stone press and the grape juice extracted for fermentation.
The feet and clothing
of those who tread the winepress were stained red with the juice.
Enduring the agony
of the infinite atoning sacrifice, Christ was “crushed” by the weight of all
sin and corruption to the point that He bled from every pore of His body (see
Isaiah 63:1-6).
What similarities and differences exist between Christ’s
visit to the Nephites (3 Nephi 11) and His coming in glory?
In both events He
is seen coming down from Heaven to the “more righteous”.
In both instances,
He is unrecognized when He comes (in His Second Coming He will appear first as
a blazing light heading towards the earth, like a comet).
In both visits, He
shows the tokens of His crucifixion to prove who He is.
With the Nephites,
He does not come in glory and He is not dressed in red; while at the Second
Coming, He does.
With the Nephites,
He appeared to one group of people at a time (He had other sheep to attend to
and had likely been doing that prior to His visit to the Nephites, which was 11
months after His resurrection); while at His Second Coming, all the world will
see Him together.
He came alone to
visit the Nephites; while at the Second Coming, He will be accompanied by an
“entourage” – Enoch and His city.
Who does the “angel of His presence” refer to?
An “angel” of
God’s presence is one who dwells in everlasting burnings with God; He is like
unto God in many ways or He would not be able to abide the glory; He is a
seraphim or “fiery” one (see Isaiah 6:2-7; 2 Nephi 16:2-7).
Christ was such an
“angel” (see Abraham 1:15-16) because He had risen up from a small capacity to
a great one, as all Gods have before Him, to the point that He had received of
the fullness of the Father and became a Son of God (see TPJS 390-393; D&C
93:12-14).
Why does the Lord pity us?
We are pitiful
creatures – people to be pitied; in the great scheme of things and in the
context of the level of knowledge (light, spirit, glory, intelligence) which
God possesses, we “know not what we do” because we are filled with darkness of
our own choosing (see Alma 12:10-12; Alma 13:3-5); we are nothing compared to
Him (see Moses 1:10); we are less than the dust of the earth because we will
not obey our creator and God while all other basic elements will (see Mosiah
4:2; Genesis 18:27; Helaman 12:7-8).
We cannot
extricate or save ourselves from the awful situation we are in and the
consequences of remaining in this state are dire (see 2 Nephi 9:7-10).
READ D&C 45:47-50
How
does one who has looked for the Lord (v44) contrast with one who has watched
for iniquity?
One who has watched for iniquity is
not a person who revels or participates in iniquity but is one who is obsessed
with finding iniquity in others and focuses on that rather than focusing on
seeking the Lord or watching for the signs of His coming.
They are the “Pharisees” in any age
– the ultra-religious who have hearkened to the precepts of men and concentrate
on the outward performances.
One who “looks for the Lord” is
only concerned with one thing: finding and then abiding with the Lord Jesus
Christ; they don’t care for or seek out the opinions or flattery of any others
or ingratiate themselves in the eyes of others, and they don’t concern
themselves with the iniquity of others, except to the degree they are concerned
for those others’ welfare and then it is not an accusatory interest but a
calling to repentance when inspired by the Spirit, with charity, albeit with
boldness.
READ D&C
133:30-35
Who will be crowned with glory by the children of Ephraim?
The tribes of
Israel.
Specifically, the
Remnant of Jacob or the Lamanites in the Americas.
Why does Ephraim receive the “richer blessing” after the
Gentiles (who are associated with Ephraim) reject the fullness of the gospel?
Some few of
Ephraim will come unto Christ and know the Lord such that they will be able to
take the fullness of the gospel to Israel or the Remnant of Jacob (mostly a
concentration of the tribe of Manasseh).
Ephraim was given
Joseph’s birthright above the older son, Manasseh; although, ironically, most
of Ephraim will disqualify themselves from receiving the birthright due to
their arrogance about being “chosen”, some few will rise up and claim the
blessing, which is done by sacrificing oneself in service to others – they
receive the “richer blessing” because they will meekly follow the example of
their Lord – in His Kingdom, the greatest are the servants of all.
What is Judah’s “pain” referring to?
The pain of not
recognizing the Messiah but instead putting Him to death.
Which happened
because of the wickedness of the Jewish leaders and the general rejection of
the fullness of the gospel of Christ for the Law of Moses by the majority of
the people (see John 6:28-61; D&C 84:23-26).
READ D&C 45:51-53
How
does one KNOW that Christ is the Lord?
You must look upon Him.
You must see and touch the wounds
He bears in His body, where there are tokens of what He did; they prove it
physically to all that see and feel them.
The wounds in His hands, wrists and
feet prove that He was crucified and the wound in His side proves that He died;
and yet, He stands before you in the flesh - He is the Son of God.
How
will we react when we realize what He truly did for us and how we have used His
gifts of life and redemption?
Like the Jews, we will weep because
of our iniquities and lament that we have persecuted our King (see Alma
36:12-16).
READ D&C
133:57-59
How does the gospel covenant prepare the weak for the things
which are coming on the earth?
No man will be
able to withstand the glory of the Lord when He comes to reveal Himself to the
whole earth unless they embrace the fullness of the gospel and become
“partakers of the glories” before they were to “be revealed” in great power; in
other words, one must covenant with the Lord, enter into His presence and
partake of His glory or be given an endowment of light, spirit, intelligence,
truth, such that His glory is within them (they have “partaken” of it), so that
they can abide Him when He comes in great glory.
And only the “weak
things” who are meek, humble and submissive, who are willing to see themselves
as they really are and open their hearts to that awful truth – only they will
seek out the Lord and wait on Him in patience – only they will enter His
presence in the flesh and be sealed up to eternal life, which is the fullness
of the Gospel of Christ.
Why does the Lord use the weak things of the earth to
accomplish His work?
Only the weak will
offer the required sacrifice – their whole souls; the strong don’t realize
their desperate need sufficiently to offer it – they hold out thinking that
perhaps they might be either “righteous” enough to merit something or smart
enough to realize that there is no god anyway.
With the weak as
His tools, God tries the world – people don’t believe that God would appear to
a 14-year-old farm boy or that the Lamanites can rise up and accept the gospel
in a single generation or that the Gentile Church will go astray, reject the
fullness of the gospel, and be destroyed.
What does it mean to be on the Lord’s errand?
To have been given
a mission to perform personally by the Lord (see also Jacob 1:17; 2 Nephi
32:6); to have work to perform on behalf of the Lord (see D&C 64:29).
How can two put tens of thousands to flight?
The High
Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God has the power to “put at defiance
the armies of nations”, so even one with that power could put tens of thousands
to flight (see JST Genesis 14:31; 1 Nephi 4:1).
The Lord can call
upon legions of angels to help His servants in their time of need, if it is His
will to do so (see Matthew 26:53).
What does it mean, that the Lord will “thrash” the nations?
Thrash means “to
defeat thoroughly”.
Thrash also means
“to separate grain from its husk by beating”.
In this case, both
meanings are correct – He will defeat thoroughly and by so doing, separate the
“grain” or those who will follow Him from those who will not.
READ D&C
133:62-73
What is the connection between being “cut off from among the
people” and not being left “neither root nor branch”?
It is saying the
same thing.
Being cut off from
among the people IS to be left neither root nor branch.
These are
genealogical terms – it is saying that your family line will be stopped going
forward and dissolved going backward – you will be on your own and unsealed – a
“branch” that has been “cut off” from among the tree of the family of God and
burned such that it is not left or cannot be found upon the tree or to “cumber”
the ground round about it.
What is the relationship between being given eternal life and
being cut off and left neither root nor branch?
They are opposites
or mutually exclusive states.
To have eternal
life IS to be joined or graphed into the living vine.
One sense in which
you have “eternal life” is through your posterity that have also risen up to
connect to God and have received eternal life – in part, perhaps, through your
witness and guidance (see LoF 2:54-56).
It is to have both a vital connection to the “root” through the Son of
God and the fathers in Heaven via the Law of Adoption, and to have the
opportunity to enable more “branches” to extend from you as you rise up and do
what all those who have sought to become Gods before you have also done –
sacrifice to bring light and life to others (see TPJS 390-393).
Why did the Lord say “no one” received Him when He came unto
His own?
He says, “no man
among YOU (who have cut yourselves off and subsequently been burned) received
me”.
Which is exactly
why they were cut off and burned.
The “them” in this
verse is talking about the portion of “His own” who rejected Him despite having
qualified in a prior eternity or “first place” to be “His own” here on this earth
(see John 6:39; Matthew 22:3-14; Alma 13:3-5; D&C 130:18-21; 1 Corinthians
15:30; D&C 20:32); it is a sobering and heartbreaking thought.
Does the Lord really call to His own from out of the heavens
and what is implied by the accusation He lays on His people?
Yes, He personally
speaks to all “His own” from out of the heavens.
He also sends His
servants, so that we will have an opportunity to receive His word from several
sources (see Amos 3:7) – some are angels and some are mortals.
He is much closer
to us than we think and uses the vehicle of the Holy Spirit to speak to each of
us in a “still small voice”.
The implication is
that those who will hearken to His voice will follow it and come unto Him,
while those who will not hearken will be cut off; our eternal prospects depend
completely upon whether or not we will hear and follow God’s voice back into
His presence (see 2 Nephi 32:3-7).
How many times did the Lord come or call unto His people and
why?
In the day when He
come unto His own – 1.
When He called
again but there was none to answer – 2.
Yet His arm was
not shortened and He continued to try – 3+.
But ultimately, if
we do not listen to and find Him, we will lie down in sorrow because of what WE
failed to do.
What differentiates those of His people who accepted Him and
those who rejected Him?
They hearkened
unto the Son, who had a message to them from the Father (see John 17:14).
They hearkened
unto Christ’s servants, who also shared that same message from the Father (see
John 17:20).
Note: “His people”
seemed to have been the Father’s before they became the Son’s (see John
17:6-12).
Why is there no one who can deliver those who have not
obeyed?
Who can deliver
you from endless torment and eternal punishment but a God, as endless and
eternal refer to the nature of that punishment (see D&C 19:4-12) and it
requires an infinite and eternal sacrifice to atone for such a punishment (see
Alma 34:10-14) or in other words, it requires the sacrifice of a God to suffer
the punishment of a God.
If you fail to
obey God’s will, you will not be able to deliver yourself – and no one but a
God can deliver you.
What does it mean to “seal up the testimony” and “bind up the
law”?
The Lord’s mortal
servants were called as servants because they hearkened to His voice and came
unto Him in the flesh.
Their testimonies
stand as a witness that a) He lives and b) He has extended the invitation for
all (He is no respecter of persons) to come unto Him and know Him, which is
eternal life (see John 17:3).
But the
testimonies they bear to us of what they have experienced and thus know to be
true will condemn us if we have not considered them, believed their reports,
cared enough to have followed the same path, and have experienced the same sure
knowledge of the living Christ for ourselves (see Isaiah 8:16-19).
The Law is just –
anyone can come unto Christ themselves if they can discover the Way from those
who have traveled it (and if you have found the Lord, you are duty bound to
testify of Him and the Way or risk being found not-valiant in the Testimony of
Jesus) and will follow it to its destination (see LoF 2:54-56).
So, at some point
when their probationary opportunity is passed and the testimony was not
hearkened to, justice is “sealed” upon those who would not find the Lord and
their fate is “bound up” as per Eternal Law.
Those who are burned up at Christ’s return in glory are
destined for “outer darkness” but don’t seem to be sons of perdition who were
sealed up to eternal life and then fell (see v64); so what does this mean?
Outer darkness
here is used to describe “hell” or “Sheol”, the place the unredeemed spirits go
after death (see Alma 40:11-14).
The weeping,
wailing and gnashing of teeth referenced here are symptoms of the bitter
disappointment that those who failed to listen to the voice of the Lord will feel
when they finally hear His voice testifying to them – but now it is too late –
they are their own tormentor and condemner (see TPJS 401:1).
The question remains, are they resurrected beings as this point or is
this just talking about Hell in the Spirit World – see the discussions/blog
posts about Alma 12, 40 and 41 for more insights and questions.
The Resurrection of the Just
READ D&C 45:45-46
What
does it mean to have “slept in peace”?
To have gone to rest in the
paradise of God, having successfully completed one’s mortal probation.
What
would it mean to have not slept in peace?
To have been tormented in hell and
bound by the devil as a result of not being sealed up to eternal life.
As a result of having lacked the
faith to have obtained a promise or hope of salvation while in this life.
It begs the question that if your
religion lacks the ability to enable you to generate the faith necessary to
enter the presence of God in this life, how will it do so in the next? That excludes the moment that everyone is are
brought before Him in judgement, which will not be a good experience for those
who are unprepared and do not know Him (see Mormon 9:2-5).
How
can one qualify to “sleep in peace”?
You must first behold Christ and
know that He “is” while in the mortal flesh (see D&C 132:21-25).
And receive a promise of salvation
or redemption from His lips (see LoF 6:2-6) that you exercise faith in until
your death.
You can “sleep in peace” as He is a
God of truth and cannot lie; you will find with a surety that His promise was
true when you die because you have entered into His rest to go no more out.
What
does it mean for a person’s redemption to be perfected?
Their redemption is completed.
Not only are they redeemed from the
fall by coming back into the presence of God on earth (see Ether 3:13) but that
redemption is “completed” or “perfected” by being able to stay in His presence
through eternity (see Helaman 14:16-17); but it doesn’t mean the person is yet
perfect or precisely like Christ is and nothing else.
Ultimately, one’s redemption won’t
be truly perfected until one becomes perfect on their own merits, as the Father
and Son are perfect; this didn’t happen for Christ until after He attained to the
resurrection.
READ D&C
133:54-56
What is the “song of the Lamb” that the Saints will sing?
It is a ceremony
or rite of worship and thanksgiving to God.
It is the “new
song” mentioned in Psalms 40.
READ D&C 45:54-55
What
does “tolerable” mean?
That which may be borne or endured;
supportable; moderately good or agreeable; not contemptible; not very excellent
or pleasing but such as can be borne or received without disgust (see 1828
Webster’s Dictionary).
Why
will it be tolerable for the heathen nations in the resurrection and what does
this mean and imply?
It will be tolerable or moderately
good for those who knew no law because they didn’t know God and He won’t hold
them to account for what they were not exposed to.
They will not be sent away to
“outer darkness” like those who knew better but sinned against what their
knowledge.
It is
interesting to note that He doesn’t just give them the keys to the Celestial
kingdom (that would be more than “tolerable”) which begs the question of
fairness: just because they had the unfortunate luck to be born and lived in a
“heathen” nation without the law, they have missed out on the opportunity for
celestial glory.
Why
might this be the case and how could God be just in doing this “arbitrarily” to
some people if He is no respecter of persons and loves all His children? It must be either because a) in the “first
place” (see Alma 13:3-6) they were not as faithful in following God’s
commandments and merited a lesser amount of light and opportunity in this life
(see D&C 130:18-19) or b) they are growing from a lesser capability to a
greater one (see TPJS 390-393 and D&C 93:12-14) but are further back in
their development and since God won’t try them beyond their strength (1
Corinthians 10:13), in His mercy He gives them all they can handle in this life
but no more – but to be fair, they would have to receive additional mortal
probations in future eternities to give them an opportunity to qualify for the
Celestial kingdom and something more than “tolerable”; both of these conditions
could be in play at the same time.
It is also
interesting to note that the principle that Joseph Smith was taught regarding his
brother Alvin’s celestial glory (see D&C 137:5-9) doesn’t seem to be
applicable here – clearly Alvin’s reward was more than tolerable (it was
Celestial) but he “knew no law” because he died before the gospel was restored;
so either God is saying that all those in the heathen nations would not have
accepted the gospel anyway or perhaps Joseph is seeing Alvin’s ultimate
Celestial glory after he’s had an opportunity in a future eternity to know and
live the Christ’s full law or the fullness of His gospel, and the Lord is
prophesying to Joseph that Alvin will successfully navigate through that future
experience?
What
is implied about the remit Satan has with us now?
He has place in our hearts because
he is allowed to.
He will be bound at a time in the
future – he will no longer be allowed to have place in our hearts.
Implied is that if he were not
bound, he would seek to have place in our hearts and turn us from God.
Also implied is that his
temptations are a key part of this mortal probation as they provide opposition.
