A Great Cause for Humility Among Latter-day Gentiles - The Proverbial “Stiff Drink Time”

          Many reading this blog are from the United States. Others are from Asia, Europe, and far reaches of the Earth. Scattered throughout these nations are remnants of Israel. They dwell among Gentile nations.

          Gentile nations and Israel’s remnant are two ships passing in the prophetic night in opposing directions. The Gentiles enjoy extraordinary prosperity and power throughout the world. They squandered and mocked God’s offer of covenant from Joseph Smith’s day and now. Joseph Smith introduced the Restoration of the Gospel and the Lord’s offer of covenant. A servant of Christ among us renews the Savior’s offer of covenant to the Gentiles and they are about to be held to account.

“. . . I [Christ] tell you that if the Gentiles don’t repent after the blessing they will receive after having scattered My people, then you, a remnant of the house of Jacob [Israel] will rise up from them. You’ll be mixed in with them, who will outnumber you [David vs. Goliath]. You’ll be among them like a lion among his prey in the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who moves unopposed to take down and tear to pieces. Your hand [remnants of Israel] will be against your opponents and all your enemies [Gentiles] will be cut down. I’ll then gather My people [Israel] together like a farmer harvesting grain to the storehouse, for I’ll empower those of the Father’s covenant [Gentiles and Israel who repent] [1] with iron horns and brass hooves to beat down many people [reclaiming the Lord’s promised inheritance to Israel]. I’ll use their [Gentile’s] wealth to honor the Lord and take their property for the Lord of the whole earth. And I Am [Christ] the one who does it. The sword of My justice, says the Father, will then threaten them. [2]And unless they repent, it will strike them [Gentiles], says the Father, including all the Gentile nations” (CofC 3 Nephi 9:7; emphasis added).

Mainstream Christianity can scarcely conceive of God growing impatient, even angry. This is the return of the God of the Old Testament as evidenced by the Savior’s reference to a prophecy of Micah [“iron horns and brass hooves to beat down many people.”[3]

          Joseph Smith accomplished numerous works attesting to his divine calling. From the time of his death until now there are endless debates about “Was Joseph a polygamist, a pedophile?” Was he the “author of the Book of Mormon?” “Was Joseph Smith a racist?” How could a person of such flawed character be God’s chosen servant?

          Each side produces compelling facts to support their view. Their seemingly incontrovertible facts become a club against their opposition as proof of their virtue. What is lost in these debates is that God does not justify us by the veracity of facts we assemble in our intellect. Justification comes from what is in our hearts. We can be correct or not asserting our points of view and still lose our souls. We are not saved by being right. We are saved by becoming righteous.

          What God weighs in the balance is our heed and diligence in applying the teachings of Joseph Smith and our adherence to the revelations God gave him and those called after. Joseph Smith has never been the one in question in the Lord’s economy. Neither was Moses, John the Baptist, and Jesus. People train their focus on the messenger, being distracted from the substance of the message.

The “Accuser” applies distraction as a means of misdirection away from the message. The messenger is secure in God’s eyes but the test is for those who receive or reject the messenger’s teachings. God always sustains those He sends.

In the end we are judged by our heed and diligence to what we willingly receive from the Lord through His servant. Playing into the Accuser’s misdirection condemns many if not most Gentiles in the last days. Too often their objective is to be right, rather than saved.

Complacency

          Gentiles in the United States have numerous examples of tender mercies God bestowed upon people of this land. From the founding of this country and establishment of religious and secular freedom to vast natural resources. Miraculous technological developments originating here by divine inspiration spreading prosperity to Gentile nations throughout the world. It began with faith and confidence instilled in this people because of God’s grace. He enticed the Gentiles to receive His covenant by blessing and preserving them from their enemies. Not because He loves them more, but because He created the best environment for His covenant to take root and thrive among people with freedom to embrace it.

          The Book of Mormon is a testament to God’s divine hand blessing those who entered and honored His messengers and His covenant. The record testifies of consequences for those who reject or honor their covenant with God. Consequences include the extinction of three societies who rebelled against God. Those who kept the covenant became extraordinary examples of wealth, peace and prosperity. The Gentiles are poised to repeat the fate of prior occupants of this land. Only those of the covenant are authorized by God to occupy inheritances in Israel. This is not a reference to secular Israel.

          Gentile complacency is encouraged by repeated times when they have been delivered from external threats, often by extraordinary, unanticipated means. Like Jews viewing themselves as “chosen” people because of their acquaintance with God, the Gentiles in this land consider themselves “chosen” by God as well. Prosperity and unmatched economic, political, and military power are a source of their overconfidence. This nation was founded on the principle being “one nation under God,” a claim lacking legitimacy today. On the altar of extraordinary latitude given the emphasis on individual liberty afforded citizens of this country. Focus on this priority brought about termination of 60 million innocent children too often sacrificed [abortion] for the sake of convenience.

          The country God established as a beacon of faith and freedom drawing all mankind to Christ instead became a means of self-indulgence and corruption throughout many Gentile nations. Neglect of the poor and needy in modern times has never been greater in the face of unimaginably prosperous times. The imbalance of wealth has never been more profoundly extreme. Ironically Gentiles, because of pride and prosperity are blind because of their lack of self-awareness in these perilous conditions. Even the most well informed scripturally refuse to acknowledge their walk on the proverbial “knife’s edge” of God’s wrath.

          Gentiles acknowledge prophetic warnings in scripture, but disregard the possibility adverse consequences will afflict them. Those consequences are reserved for the “other guys” because we Gentiles are good people as evidenced by our wealth. Truth and right on our side. In the Gentile minds these afflictions are reserved for those less enlightened and rebellious. They believe incorrectly blessings pronounced on ancient Israel offer a shield from God’s judgments for them:

“. . . For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore, you sons of Jacob [Israel] are not consumed. Even from the days of your [F]athers you [descendants of Patriarchal Fathers in the covenant] are gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you, says the Lord of Hosts. But you said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of Hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a delightsome land, says the Lord of Hosts” (RE Malachi 1:6-7; emphasis added).

The invitation to the “sons of Jacob” or Israel was given to them, not the Gentiles. Some Gentiles tithe of their wealth but the percentage of tithes dispersed from the storehouse relative to the amount retained becomes a stain on the Gentiles rather than a source of divine commendation. Attempting to lay claim on Israel’s blessings in modern times is a fool's errand for latter-day Gentiles.

“Search the scriptures—search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation. No; for when men receive their instruction from Him that made them, they know how He will save them. Then again we say: Search the Scriptures, search the Prophets and learn what portion of them belongs to you and the people of the nineteenth century. You, no doubt, will agree with us, and say, that you have no right to claim the promises of the inhabitants before the flood; that you cannot found your hopes of salvation upon the obedience of the children of Israel when journeying in the wilderness, nor can you expect that the blessings which the apostles pronounced upon the churches of Christ eighteen hundred years ago, were intended for you. Again, if others' blessings are not your blessings, others' curses are not your curses; you stand then in these last days, as all have stood before you, agents unto yourselves, to be judged according to your works” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (pp. 9-10; emphasis added). (Function). Kindle Edition.

The scriptures contain promises from the Lord to the Gentiles. The Gentiles are responsible for identifying what those promises are and how to facilitate their fulfillment. Many of those prophecies are found in the scriptures of the Restoration. One prophecy pointing to the conclusion of the Gentile dispensation addresses the “fullness of the Gentiles.”

“And when that day shall come shall a remnant [of Israel] be scattered among all [Gentile] nations; but they [Israel] shall be gathered again, but they [remnant of Israel] shall remain until the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And in that day [times of the Gentiles is fulfilled] shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion. And men’s hearts shall fail them and [Christians] shall say that Christ delays his coming until the end of the world, and the love of men shall wax cold and iniquity shall abound. And when the times of the gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel, but they [Gentiles] receive it not, for they perceive not the light and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.

And in that generation shall the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be men standing in that generation that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge, for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. But my disciples shall stand in holy places and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices, and curse God, and die. And there shall be earthquakes also in diverse places and many desolations. [4] Yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword one against another and they will kill one another” (RE T&C 31:6-7; emphasis added).

This revelation from the Lord was given March 7, 1831, in Kirtland, Ohio. The revelation given to Joseph Smith was at the beginning of the Restoration, the beginning of the Gentile covenant opportunity. The prophecy foretells a time when the Gentile covenant concludes and Israel gathers. When the “times of the Gentiles comes in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness.” This sentence should be problematic for believers in Joseph Smith and the Restoration for several reasons.

The light breaking forth is the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This occurs at the end of the Gentile covenant. Joseph Smith was at the beginning and his efforts were incomplete. Two hundred years passed since Joseph Smith introduced the Restoration. A substantial period after Joseph began the Restoration the Gospel fullness is to be introduced in the end to complete what Joseph began. When it appears it appears to those who “sit in darkness.” Why are they in darkness? What happened to the Restoration two hundred years later, leading them into darkness?

This circumstance is not without precedence. Moses began a dispensation ending in similar circumstances. Hundreds of years after Moses, the Jewish religion faced a similar dilemma. Rabbinical Jews perpetuated the Jewish religion under the law of Moses, or Aaronic covenant. They continued the tradition until the appearance of John the Baptist, a rightful heir to the office of high priest in the Jewish religion but a departure from mainstream Jewish religious thought. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the circumstances surrounding the advent of John the Baptist prior to the Savior’s ministry.

“Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also. And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holds the key of the ministering of angels, and the preparatory gospel, which gospel is the gospel of repentance, and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron, among the children of Israel, until John [the Baptist], whom God raised up, being filled with the holy ghost from his mother’s womb. For he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power: to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power” (RE T&C 82:14; emphasis added).

When Israel rejected the Lord’s invitation from Moses to enter His presence on Mt. Sinai, the Lord removed Moses and the Holy Priesthood. Israel continued under the Aaronic covenant until John the Baptist. John the Baptist was sent to “overthrow the kingdom of the Jews” in preparation for the coming of Jesus. What does the language of prophecy imply if the kingdom was “overthrown” by John the Baptist? [5] What does it say about the state of the kingdom of the Jews when John the Baptist arrived? If God allowed Joseph and Hyrum Smith to be taken, is it likely He leaves the Melchizedek Priesthood behind? Is the more likely outcome what happened in Moses’ time?

          Denver Snuffer offered the following explanation of “this Gospel” that applies to the Gospel fullness introduced to the Gentiles who “sit in darkness” when it breaks forth at the close of the Gentile fullness:

“In verse 10, the Lord refers to “this Gospel.” That is not necessarily referring to what the gospel is today. In Abraham’s case, he had both “great knowledge” as well as “greater knowledge.” Those are important words and were important parts of “this Gospel” to which God made reference. It is very difficult to bring “this Gospel” back to the earth. When the process begins, men almost immediately rebel and close their minds [like the majority of Gentiles]. It stirs up the adversary to action. Religious people seem particularly influenced to fight against the return of the Holy Order. They always fight against the prophets and messengers because they are in Satan’s employ without realizing it. The temple endowment (before 1990) included the role of the false minister. Despite its removal, that role belongs in the endowment. The point of the character was that he worked for Satan but believed he was following God. When God referred to “this Gospel” it is a body of teachings and rights that are very hard to recover. Mankind is disinterested God’s words and continually insists they already have enough and cannot tolerate God giving more.

There was a great deal more to be recovered, restored and returned left undone at Joseph’s death. When “this Gospel,” meaning the one Abraham received, is on the earth at any time, the possessor is a descendant of Abraham. They are part of the family of Abraham and he is their father. In this way he became the father of many nations” (Holy Order 1, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.13; emphasis added).

Neither teachings of John the Baptist or Jesus were accepted by the rabbinical class of the Jewish religion. The same was true of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was aware of the reluctance among those who followed him. Conscious of these opinions Joseph Smith gave the following assessment of how the Restoration would play out following his day and thereafter:

“But I beg leave to say unto you, brethren, that ignorance, superstition and bigotry placing itself where it ought not, is oftentimes in the way of the prosperity of this Church; like the torrent of rain from the mountains, that floods the most pure and crystal stream with mire, and dirt, and filthiness, and obscures everything that was clear before, and all rushes along in one general deluge; but time weathers tide; and notwithstanding we are rolled in the mire of the flood for the time being, the next surge [fullness of the Gentiles] peradventure, as time rolls on, may bring to us the fountain as clear as crystal, and as pure as snow; while the filthiness, flood-wood and rubbish [from Joseph’s generation] is left and purged out by the way” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, (p. 155; emphasis added). (Function). Kindle Edition.

The “mire, and dirt, and filthiness” that “obscures everything that was clear before” must be dispersed and cleared away to return the Restoration to pristine condition. The description by Joseph Smith of his current condition would be an accurate description of the kingdom of the Jews. The rabbinical class in the days of John and Christ constantly disputed John the Baptist and Jesus in their teachings because they taught contrary to scholarly tradition. The Jewish kingdom had to be “overthrown” before they were prepared for the Savior’s Melchizedek teachings. Similarities between conditions among Jews and the dilution of Joseph Smith’s teachings for two hundred years sets the stage for conditions among the Gentiles being “in darkness.”

          The sobering outcome when the Gospel fullness breaks among the Gentiles will be their rejection of the fullness, “because of the precepts of men.” Like the flood of rabbinical commentaries on scripture, those claiming Joseph Smith as their prophet immersed the Gentiles in extraordinary numbers of commentaries qualifying as wood and debris clouding the pure fountain. Consequently the Gospel fullness is restored by someone independent of established authority because it is irredeemable. Their precepts cause the Gentile rejection of the Gospel fullness.

          Like the deluded pastor in the original endowment serving Satan rather than God, the precepts perpetuated by false traditions are the first cousin to disobedience of God’s commandments. They are a primary means for the “Accuser” to withdraw light and truth from the children of men.

“And that wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers” (RE T&C 93:11; emphasis added).

Creating false narratives to protect unsupported claims of authority or “keys” are a primary means for the “Accuser” to remove light and truth from Gentiles. The consequences for this travesty of greed and arrogance are tragic.

The Fate of the Gentiles According to Nephi or “The Big IF”

          Nephi was shown by an angel the Gentiles of our day and promises offered them by the Lord. Each promise was prefaced with “If,” so the outcome is uncertain to Nephi. By the end of the vision Nephi witnessed the end of the world so eventually it became certain. He was not allowed to share the outcome. The Gentile fate is contingent on the Gentile response when the Lord brings about a “great and awe-inspiring work” among them. The vision shown to Nephi explains:

“If the Gentiles then obey the Lamb of God, He’ll reveal Himself to them in word [Spirit of Elias] and power [Spirit of Elijah] and in person [Spirit of Messiah], in order to remove barriers to their belief, and if they don’t harden their hearts against the Lamb of God [a distinct possibility], they’ll be included with your father’s descendants — indeed, they’ll [Gentiles] be included as part of the house of Israel. And they’ll become a blessed family in the promised land forever. They won’t be enslaved [a foreshadowing?] anymore, and the house of Israel won’t be embarrassed anymore [because of what they endured at the hands of the Gentiles]. And the great pit dug for them by that utterly wicked church [false narratives, teachings, and false claims of divine authority], which the accuser and his followers founded so that he [the accuser] could take people’s souls down to hell — that great pit dug for people’s destruction will be filled with those who dug it [6] [because they are deceived as much as the targets of their deception], to their complete destruction, [7] says the Lamb of God — not the destruction of the soul, but throwing it into that endless hell. This is according to the accuser’s imprisonment, and according to God’s justice as well, upon all those who insist on doing wicked and corrupt things in God’s sight.

Then the Angel told me: You’ve seen that if the Gentiles repent, it will turn out well for them [fullness of the Gentiles]. You also know about the Lord’s covenants with the house of Israel. [8] And you’ve also heard that whoever doesn’t repent must perish. As a result, if the Gentiles harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, I will afflict them. Because the time will come, says the Lamb of God, when I’ll bring about a great and awe-inspiring work among mankind, one that will be everlasting — one way or the other — either to convince them, resulting in peace and life eternal; or to give them up to their hard hearts and blind minds, bringing about their slavery and temporal and spiritual destruction, under the accuser’s enslavement which I’ve spoken about.

When the Angel had said this, He asked me: Do you remember the Father’s covenants to the house of Israel [because when the Gentiles make a choice at the Lord’s “great and awe-inspiring work,” the covenant is carried from the Gentiles to the seed of Lehi in Israel]” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:25-27; emphasis added).

The Gentiles face a reckoning with either a positive or negative outcome. Their fate is determined by whether they harden their hearts “against the Lamb of God” or embrace the Lord’s invitation to reveal Himself to them in “word,” “power,” and “in person.” These terms allude to levels of priesthood advancement encompassed by “Elias” (Aaronic), “Elijah” (Patriarchal Priesthood), and “Messiah” (Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God).

          Advancing through Priesthood levels will “remove barriers to their belief” because in the end they fulfill the purpose of the Restoration.

“Wherefore, I, the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph and spoke unto him from Heaven, and gave him commandment, and also gave commandments to others that they should proclaim these things unto the world. And all this that it might be fulfilled which was written by the prophets: the weak things of the world should come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh, but that every man might speak in the name of God, the Lord, even the Savior of the world, that faith also might increase in the earth, that my everlasting covenant might be established, that the fullness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world and before kings and rulers. Behold, I am God and have spoken it” (RE T&C 54:4; emphasis added).

This encompasses the Lord’s prophetic imperative in the beginning of the Restoration. It was not accomplished in Joseph Smith’s day. It will be accomplished by remnants of the Gentiles and Israel after the fullness of the Gentiles is realized.

          Earlier and later in the prior revelation the Lord provides a description of the “great and awe-inspiring work” to be accomplished among the Gentiles:

“Hearken, O you people of my church, says the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men. Yea, truly I say, hearken you people from afar, and you that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together, for truly the voice of the Lord is unto all men [Gentile and Israel], and there is none to escape. And there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated. And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow, for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops and their secret acts shall be revealed, and the voice of warning shall be unto all people by the mouth of my disciples whom I have chosen in these last days. They shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I, the Lord, have commanded them” (RE T&C 54:1; emphasis added).

The “great and awe-inspiring work” among the Gentiles will be to all inhabitants of the Earth. The big “if” is will the Gentiles acknowledge His disciples carrying out this work in the last days. The Lord endorsed the role of His servants by concluding this revelation with the following words:

“Search these commandments for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I, the Lord, have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself. And though the heaven and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by my own voice or by the voice of my servants it is the same. For behold and lo, the Lord is God and the spirit bears record, and the record is true, and the truth abides for ever and ever. Amen” (RE T&C 54:7; emphasis added).

The Lord informs the Gentiles to whom the Restoration first came. He sustains His servant’s words as if He spoke them Himself. There could be no stronger endorsement. The “great and awe-inspiring work” among the Gentiles dispels false narratives and traditions of their paternal fathers since the days of Joseph Smith. [9]

          The test is the same. When John the Baptist and Jesus appeared at the conclusion of Israel’s covenant fullness, the Jews of their day had to choose between the rabbinical class and the Lord’s servants sent to overthrow them.

          Nephi, having witnessed the fulfillment of these prophecies had to weigh in the balance how the latter-day Gentiles would fare when exposed to the Lord’s “great and awe-inspiring work.”

“Woe to those who say: We’ve received God’s word; we don’t need more of God’s word because we have enough. This is what the Lord God has said: I’ll give mankind line upon line, a teaching here and a teaching there, a little here and a little there. Those who follow My teachings and listen to My counsel are blessed since they’ll learn wisdom. And I’ll give more to those who receive; but from those who say we have enough, even what they have will be taken away. Those who put their trust in the scholarly arrogance of men or follow the false teachings of a man are cursed, because only those teachings given by the power of the Holy Ghost are true.

The Lord God of Hosts has said: Woe to the Gentiles; because despite extending My welcoming arm to them from day to day, they will deny Me. Nevertheless, I’ll be merciful to them, says the Lord God, if they repent and come to Me. My arm beckons to them all day long, says the Lord God of Hosts” (CofC 2 Nephi 12:6-7; emphasis added).

Throughout the history of the Lord’s dealings with mankind there has always been tension between established authorities and those sent by the Lord in a later time.

          At the end of Nephi’s writings he concludes his assessment of the latter-day Gentiles with these final words:

“. . . I glory in plainness, I glory in truth, and I glory in Jesus, because He has redeemed my soul from hell. I have charity for my people and great faith in Christ that I’ll meet many souls spotless at His judgment seat. I have charity for the Jews — I say Jews referring to those who I came from. I also have charity for the Gentiles. But I can’t hope for any of these unless they’re reconciled to Christ, enter through the narrow gate, walk in the precise pathway that leads to life, and stay on that path until their probation ends” (CofC 2 Nephi 15:1; emphasis added).

Between what Christ said to Nephi and what Nephi witnessed himself, Nephi’s observations and hope for the Gentiles is less than optimal.

Fulfillment of the Great and Awe-inspiring Work

          The “great and awe-inspiring work” of the Lord is explained by Him to Nephite survivors. It involves a servant of Christ bringing forth the words of Christ in fulfillment of the prophecy of Moses quoted in 3 Nephi 9:8.

“. . . I Am the one Moses described, saying: The Lord God will raise up a prophet to you from your brethren, like me [Moses]; listen to whatever He’ll say to you. And it will follow that every soul who will not hear that prophet will be cut off from among the people” (CofC 3 Nephi 9:8; emphasis added).

Jesus acknowledges He is the prophet referred to by Moses. Although Jesus makes this admission, the literal fulfillment of the prophecy leading to the “cutting off” referred to by Moses is a servant of Christ. The servant bringing forth the words of Christ in fulfillment of this prophecy is the “great and awe-inspiring work.”

“At that time, to advance My cause, the Father will begin a work, which will be a great and awe-inspiring work among them [the Gentiles]. There will be many who won’t believe it, although a man will tell it to them. But the ministry of My servant will be led by My hand; therefore they won’t be able to harm his work, although he’ll be opposed and discredited by them. Yet I’ll support him; I’ll show them My wisdom is greater than the accuser’s deceitful scheming. Therefore those who won’t believe in My words, and I Am Jesus Christ, which the Father will give and empower that servant to set before the Gentiles, it will result exactly as Moses said: They [Gentiles] will be cut off from My people who are part of the covenant. . .” (CofC 3 Nephi 9:12; emphasis added).

The words of Christ delivered to the Gentiles by the Lord’s servant represent the means by which the Gentiles are to be liberated from their enslavement to the “utterly wicked church.” The teachings of the “utterly wicked church” create stumbling blocks for the Gentiles. Promising the authority to seal the Gentiles for eternity to their posterity and progenitors (“root and branch”) the utterly wicked church creates a metaphorical “pit.” The church and those in bondage to it fall in the pit dug for both of them.

          The Savior’s original Book of Mormon account uses prophecies of Isaiah, Micah, and Malachi, [10] to describe the fate of the Gentiles hardening their hearts against the Lord and His servant. The Covenant of Christ explains the fate of the Gentiles in modern English. It leaves no room for confusion about the Gentiles hardening their hearts against the Lord’s servant.

“At that time, to advance My cause, the Father will begin a work, which will be a great and awe-inspiring work among them [Gentiles]. There will be many [Gentiles] who won’t believe it, although a man will tell it to them. But the ministry of My servant will be led by My hand; therefore they won’t be able to harm his work, although he’ll be opposed and discredited by them [“utterly wicked church”]. Yet I’ll support him; I’ll show them My wisdom is greater than the accuser’s deceitful scheming. Therefore those who won’t believe in My words, and I Am Jesus Christ, which the Father will give and empower that servant to set before the Gentiles, it will result exactly as Moses said: They [Gentiles] will be cut off from My people who are part of the covenant [Israel]. And then you [descendants of Lehi], a remnant of the house of Jacob [Israel], will rise up from them [Gentiles]. And you’ll [descendants of Lehi] be mixed in with them [Gentiles] who will outnumber you. You’ll [descendants of Lehi] be among them like a lion among his prey in the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep [Gentiles who trust in the arm of flesh], who moves unopposed to take down and tear to pieces. Your [descendants of Lehi] hand will be against your opponents and all your enemies will be cut down. Yes, woe to the Gentiles unless they repent: For when that day comes, says the Father, I’ll take away your [Gentile] strength from you, and I’ll destroy your security [all arms of flesh in whom the Gentiles trust]. Your [Gentile] cities will fall and I’ll break open your guarded borders. Your sciences and learning will turn into foolishness, and your false beliefs will cause your failure. I’ll [the Lord] expose the fraud of [all] those in authority, and your [Gentile] trusted institutions will lose everyone’s loyalty. False prophets and false ministers will be brought to shame and humiliation. All lying, deceiving, envying, strife, priestcraft, and whoredoms will come to an end. At that time, says the Father, I’ll cut down anyone [Gentile or Israel] who won’t repent and draw near to My Beloved Son to preserve My people, the house of Israel [family of God gathered from remnants of Gentiles and Israel]. I’ll take vengeance and unleash My fierce anger on all the unbelieving, beyond anything they expect” (CofC 3 Nephi 9:12; emphasis added).

Why would God respond harshly to the latter-day Gentiles? The reasons are numerous but worth considering. First are the pride and arrogance of people who have been blessed by God more than anyone in the history of the world. The level of prosperity is breathtaking. Billionaires with ships the size of floating hotels housing and indulging hundreds of people. Opulence in the face of extraordinary poverty. Wealth and privilege rationalizing irresponsible behavior and justifying the murder of 60 million innocent babies to remove the inconvenience of individual responsibility.

          Man’s inhumanity to man by waging war and death against others for profit. Politicians perpetrating fraud for wealth and power, void of concern for those who’s suffering the money was intended to relieve.

           The injustices are too numerous to count but God intends to expose and hold in account soulless and corrupt people who are a pox on civil society. One need only consider how the Gentiles scourged the scattered tribes of Israel when His covenant was taken from them and given to the Gentiles. Justly, the same will return to haunt the Gentiles when they harden their hearts against the Lord and His servant.

          God reserves a certain fate for those who present themselves as His representatives. Their teachings, ambitions, greed, and desires to be admired by their followers form the greatest stumbling block for the Gentiles. These attributes become the proverbial “pit” to which they and their followers fall. Their fate can only be described with multiple “wo’s” [condition of deep suffering] because they bear the blood of those they lead and suffer the consequences of corrupting the Lord’s words and persecute His servants sent to save His children. They neither enter in themselves, nor allow others to enter.[11]

          They make promises they have no power to keep. Their corruption through alteration of His ordinances brings the harshest condemnation.

“Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away; the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore has the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left” (RE Isaiah 7:1; emphasis added).

One should question who are the only ones capable of transgressing God’s laws, changing the ordinances, and breaking the “everlasting covenant?” Those sins can only be committed by those whom the Lord gave them to in the first place. If they are incapable of committing these transgressions who is capable? One can debate whether someone transgressed God’s laws. They can argue whether they have broken the “everlasting covenant.” What cannot be disputed is whether they have changed His ordinances. The debate over this question is crystal clear. Either the ordinances instituted by Joseph Smith remain pristine, exactly like the Lord gave them through him or they are not.

          One should question what is the justification for changes to the ordinances? Was God mistaken when the original ordinances were given? Should Isaiah’s prophecies be discarded because revelation by focus group is a more efficient, inspired way? [12]

As dire as these circumstances may seem, there is hope for the latter-day Gentiles. We can acknowledge the Lord’s servant as he delivers greater light and knowledge from the Savior. We can cultivate humility, repent and show greater concern for those around us. We can do introspection and identify where we trust in the arm of flesh. We can search the scriptures for the Lord’s promises to us and through diligence and prayer invite the Lord to reveal Himself to the Gentiles through “word,” “power,” and “in person.” These are not passive pursuits. They are only attained when we commit to Christ and His path the way He was committed to the Father’s path. Therein is hope for the Gentiles.

[1] “Then I looked and saw the whore of the whole earth. She [whore among the Gentile nations] was spread everywhere across the seas, ruling over the whole earth, among all people of every nation, tribe, and language. And I saw the congregation of the Lamb of God; its numbers were few because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who was spread everywhere across the seas. Nevertheless, I saw that the congregation of the Lamb, who were God’s holy ones, were also there throughout the earth; but their presence was small because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. And I saw the great mother of abominations assembled in large numbers all over the earth among all Gentile nations to fight against the Lamb of God. Then I saw the power of the Lamb of God descend upon the holy ones of the Lamb’s congregation [repentant Gentiles] and upon the Lord’s covenant people [remnant of Israel], who were scattered across the earth. They [repentant Gentiles and remnant of Israel] were armed with righteousness and God’s power in great glory.

And I saw that God’s wrath was poured out upon that wealthy and utterly wicked church, so that wars and reports of wars arose among the nations and tribes of the earth. . .” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:28; emphasis added).

[2] “Behold, this is my [Christ’s] authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth. Wherefore, fear and tremble, O you people, for what I, the Lord, have decreed in them shall be fulfilled. And truly I say unto you that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in Heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious, yea, truly, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure, unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his works, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.

Wherefore, the voice of the Lord is unto the end of the earth, that all that will hear may hear: Prepare yourselves, prepare for that which is to come, for the Lord is near and the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in Heaven and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth, and the arm of the Lord [His servant] shall be revealed. And the day comes that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people, for they [those who received ordinances and covenants] have strayed from my ordinances and have broken my everlasting [Eternal] covenant. They [the Lord’s people] seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walks in his own way and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol which waxes old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great which shall fall” (RE T&C 54:2-3; emphasis added).

[3] “And the remnant of Jacob [Israel] shall be in the midst of many people [Gentiles] as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass that tarries not for man nor waits for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob [Israel] shall be among the gentiles, in the midst of many people, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep — who, if he go through, both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can deliver. Your [Israel’s remnant] hand shall be lifted up upon your [Gentile] adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.

And it shall come to pass in that day [last days], says the Lord, that I will cut off your horses [transportation] out of your midst, and I will destroy your chariots [vehicles of war]. And I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds. And I will cut off witchcrafts out of your hand. And you shall have no more fortune-tellers. Your engraved images [Babylon] also will I cut off and your standing images out of your midst. And you [unrepentant among Israel and the Gentiles] shall no more worship the work of your hands. And I will pluck up your groves [fertility rites to idol gods, immorality] out of your midst. So will I destroy your cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen [justly upon the Gentiles for what they have done to Israel], such as they have not heard” (RE Micah 1:12-13; emphasis added).

“Now also many nations [Gentiles] are gathered against thee [Israel], that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them [Israel, repentant remnants of Gentiles and Israel] as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth” (LDS Micah 4:11-13; emphasis added).

[4] “Desolation refers to a state of complete emptiness, loneliness, or ruin, often characterized by devastation of a landscape or profound sadness. It describes both the feeling of intense grief/wretchedness and the physical destruction of a place, creating a bleak, abandoned, or barren environment” (Merriam-Webster).

[5] “Overthrown means to have been forcibly removed from power, defeated, or overturned. It is the past participle of “overthrow,” commonly used to describe the downfall of governments, leaders, or institutions, or the physical toppling of objects” (Merriam-Webster; emphasis added).

[6] “And when we saw that it was the Lord we rejoiced and were filled with joy. I turned to my wife and said, Look, it is Christ!, and she said, Yes, it is! And we were filled with joy and peace of mind, for the long awaited day of the Lord had come.

But others were filled with dread. They feared and lamented and wanted the mountains to cover them and hide them from His presence, for he was clothed in red and came in judgment. And Christian ministers knew they had taught falsely and that their faith could not save — and they begged for relief from the Saints.

This caused me to marvel at how this could be. It was given unto me to understand that without the ordinances of salvation through the authorized ministers of the gospel it was not possible for men to shed their sins. And they could not look upon a just and holy Being without being racked with torment and guilt for their sins. And they pled with the Saints to minister to them, but we could not, for we were constrained by the spirit and were forbidden to do so. For this was the day of judgment which the Lord had in His heart, and he was now come to preach His own sermon, clothed in red, and to deliver those who waited on Him and to convict and condemn those who had not” (RE T&C 160:2-4; emphasis added).

[7] “I recently had a vision that began as a dream. In it I was traveling in a small car up a mountain road. The road was steep, but straight, and it grew steeper as it climbed upward. On the left side of the road there was a railroad track running parallel. As we drove the small car upward, I noticed a sharp bend in the railroad tracks ahead that interrupted the otherwise straight course of the line. I saw a train approaching from uphill in the distance coming downhill rapidly, and it seemed to be going far too fast to safely negotiate the sharp bend in the tracks. The small car we drove was not quite to the bend when the rushing train hit the bend, leapt from the tracks, and violently crashed in front of us. Our little car narrowly escaped a collision, as the train’s wreckage spread about. As the small car continued upward, the train crash worsened, at first beside the car, and then as we accelerated, closely behind us. The little car got ahead of the continuing wreck of the moving train and I could see the train was full of passengers who, uphill from the wreckage, were enjoying themselves. They were paying no attention to the disaster already befalling their train. We began to shout out the windows of our car, trying to warn the occupants in the doomed train, but they gave no heed. They laughed and partied aboard the train with no concern for their impending destruction. I could see the wreckage behind me in the mirror as the violence of the wreck threw shattered railcars about, some onto the road behind us, making the road now impassable. We were powerless to save those aboard the train because they would not hear the warnings we shouted to them” (RE T&C 172:1; emphasis added).

[8] “And when that day shall come shall a remnant be scattered among all nations; but they shall be gathered again, but they shall remain until the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion. And men’s hearts shall fail them and shall say that Christ delays his coming until the end of the world, and the love of men shall wax cold and iniquity shall abound. And when the times of the gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel, but they receive it not, for they perceive not the light and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men” (RE T&C 31:6; emphasis added).

[9] “Therefore your [Joseph’s] offspring will write, and Judah’s offspring will write. The Lord says: The things your offspring write, and the things Judah’s offspring write, will grow together in order to expose false doctrines, settle disputes, and establish peace among your offspring and bring them, in the last days, to understanding their ancestors and comprehending My covenants. The Lord said: His [Joseph Smith’s] weakness will be made strong. My work will then begin among all My people [Gentile and Israel]. I’ll restore you, O house of Israel” (CofC 2 Nephi 2:4; emphasis added).

[10] “And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth. And behold, they shall come with speed, swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosened, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken; whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses’ hooves shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion. They shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry away safe, and none shall deliver. And in that day, they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea; and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.” (RE Isaiah 1:20; emphasis added).

“And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people [Gentiles] as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass that tarries not for man nor waits for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the gentiles, in the midst of many people, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep — who, if he go through, both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can deliver. Your [Israel’s] hand shall be lifted up upon your adversaries, and all your enemies [Gentiles] shall be cut off [from Israel and the covenant].

And it shall come to pass in that day [last days], says the Lord, that I will cut off your horses out of your midst, and I will destroy your chariots. And I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds. And I will cut off witchcrafts out of your hand. And you shall have no more fortune-tellers. Your engraved images also will I cut off and your standing images out of your midst. And you shall no more worship the work of your hands. And I will pluck up your groves out of your midst. So will I destroy your cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen [Gentiles], such as they have not heard” (RE Micah 1:12-13; emphasis added).

“For behold, the day comes that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble. And the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings, and you shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of Hosts” (RE Malachi 1:10; emphasis added).

[11] “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer them that are entering to go in” (RE Matthew 10:27; emphasis added).

[12] “Now, my people, I’ve spoken to you as the Spirit has inspired me; so I know these things will certainly happen. The things that will be written from the book will be very valuable for mankind and especially for our descendants, who are a remnant of the house of Israel. Then at that time, among churches that aren’t established by the Lord, one church will say to the other: I, I’m the Lord’s! And the other will reply: I, I’m the Lord’s! — this is how everyone will talk who’s built up churches that aren’t established by the Lord. They’ll argue with each other, and their priests will contradict each other. They’ll teach according to what they’ve learned and deny the Holy Ghost, which inspires people to speak truth. And they’ll deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel. They’ll tell the people: Listen to us and follow our directions. God isn’t around today; the Lord and the Redeemer has done His work, and He’s given men His power. Believe what we teach: If they say that there’s a miracle performed by the hand of the Lord, don’t believe it! He’s not a God of miracles today; He’s finished His work. There will be many who will say: Eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves; because we’ll soon die and it will turn out fine for us. And there will also be many who will say: Eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves, but praise God. He’ll justify committing a little sin. Lie a little, take advantage of someone because of their mistakes, set a trap for your neighbor; there’s no harm in any of this. And do all these things, because we’ll soon die. But if it turns out we’re guilty, God will spank us with a few strokes, and in the end, we’ll be saved in God’s kingdom. Many will teach in this way false, powerless, and foolish doctrines, and will be filled with pride to their very center and go to great lengths to hide their secret plans from the Lord. They’ll try to hide the things they do from public view [finances, controversial history]. And the blood of the holy ones will cry out from the ground against them.

Indeed, they’ve all departed from the pathway and become corrupted because of pride. And because of false teachers and false doctrines, their churches will have become corrupted and prideful; because of pride they’re full of conceit. They rob the poor because of their fine places of worship and they rob the poor because of their expensive clothing. They persecute the humble and poor in heart because they’re inflated with pride. They’re unyielding and arrogant; and because of pride, wickedness, abominations, and whoredoms, they’ve all gone astray except for a few who are Christ’s humble followers. However, they’re led by false teachings, so that in many cases they go astray because they’re taught to obey man-made rules and principles.

The Lord God Almighty has said: Woe, woe, woe [condition of deep suffering X 3] to the wise, the well educated, and the rich who are prideful to their very center, and to all those who preach false doctrines, practice whoredoms, worship idols, and corrupt and pervert the Lord’s right way! They will be thrown down to hell” (CofC 2 Nephi 12:1-3; emphasis added).

Scott Roderick

April 2, 2026

The Great Cause for Humility Among Latter.pdf

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