Babylon to Zion

          While discussing challenges a strengthening dollar imposed on global currencies, a commentator recited a story of Egypt in approximately 1200 B.C., when Ramesses III was Pharoah.

          Egypt was the dominant power in the known world. A warrior class of people known as “sea people” invaded and conquered many countries around Egypt who traded goods with them. Having great success against smaller, less powerful Egyptian trade partners, “sea people” decided to challenge Egypt.

          The Nile in Egypt was narrow and the ships of the sea people were forced to sail near the shores. Egyptian soldiers with bows and arrows hid in the reeds waiting for their enemy’s arrival. As their ships advanced up the river, Egyptian soldiers unleashed a barrage of arrows on the ships. Unable to make a swift retreat, the sea people fell prey to the Egyptians. The battle was swift and decisive. Ramesses and his army were victorious and the attack of the sea people was thwarted.

          Egypt had little time to savor their victory. They faced unintended consequences of war on their neighbors. Egypt’s wealth was created by trade with neighboring partners. Vanquished by the sea people, the partners had little to no means of resuming trade. This led to economic hardship and collapse for Egypt and her trade partners.

          The modern corollary to this story for the commentator is circumstances now facing the United States and her trade partners are similar. There are no “sea people” invading our trade partners or this country but there are unintended consequences threatening the global economy. Restriction of oil flows and waging war against a strategically relevant adversary bears some similarity.

          This paper is not a political statement for or against current conflicts. Rather, my wife and I discussed the possible consequences from these events from a prophetic perspective. The commentator’s example was prophetically timely. How so you may ask?

          Consider the following words in Ecclesiastes:

“. . .The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It has been already of old time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things, neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come, with those that shall come after” (RE Ecclesiastes 1:1; emphasis added).

The words of King David’s son have been adapted to modern times to say: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.” This quote asserts contemporary individuals have no recollection of the past or future events. We were not alive during past events and experiencing the future events lies ahead to be discovered. We are only familiar with our immediate past and present.

          Scriptural accounts are one means for recalling the past, foreseeing future events through inspired eyes with limited understanding. With eyes of faith, Nephi received an angel from God to guide and instruct him. He had a dream originally shown to his father. Portions of what Nephi saw were not allowed to be shared. In those instances Nephi used writings of Isaiah to communicate future events withheld. Jacob, Nephi’s brother, spoke to the people of Nephi regarding all scripture generally, and words of Isaiah specifically. Jacob said:

“Now I’ll speak to you about present and future matters. Therefore I’ll read you Isaiah’s words — the words my brother [Nephi] has asked me to discuss with you. I explain them for your benefit, so you can learn and glorify the name of God. Now the words I’ll read are those Isaiah wrote about the entire house of Israel. So they pertain to you, since you’re from the house of Israel. Indeed, there are many things that have been spoken by Isaiah which are relevant to you because you’re from the house of Israel” (CofC 2 Nephi 5:2; emphasis added).

Jacob points to Isaiah’s writings as relevant to present and future events for Israel and the people of Nephi. His prophecies focus on Israel because Lehi’s descendants belong to those tribes.

The Savior followed a similar pattern with Nephite survivors during His resurrection ministry. In His teachings He expanded the relevance of Isaiah’s words to include the Gentiles with Israel.

“Now I [Jesus] tell you that you ought to carefully study these things. In fact, I give you a commandment to study these things diligently, because Isaiah’s prophecies are critical. He clearly focused his prophecy on My people who are part of the house of Israel. Therefore he necessarily prophesied about the Gentiles. And everything he prophesied has happened, or will happen, precisely as he foretold. Therefore pay careful attention to My words. Write down the things I’ve told you. At the time decided by the Father, they will be provided to the Gentiles. And anyone [Israel or Gentile] who obeys My words, repents, and is baptized, will be saved. Carefully study the teachings of the prophets, because many of them explain these things” (CofC 3 Nephi 10:4; emphasis added).

Jesus commands everyone to study Isaiah’s words specifically and the words of prophets generally. Like the words from Ecclesiastes, they have happened and will happen “precisely” as Isaiah foretold. This is why the Savior admonishes everyone, Gentile or Israelite to “carefully study” Isaiah’s writings and writings of the prophets. That is why the account from the podcaster about Ramesses and ancient Egypt resonates.

A Foundation of Prophetic Certainty

          There are indisputable prophetic outcomes. The first is Babylon will fall. The fall of Babylon historically “has been” and “shall be.”   

“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellence, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah [complete desolation]. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelled in from generation to generation, neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there, neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of howling creatures, and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces. And her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged, for I will destroy her speedily; yea, for I will be merciful unto my people [Israel including repentant Gentiles], but the wicked shall perish [unrepentant Gentiles and Israelites].

For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land [inheritance], and the strangers shall be joined with them [repentant Gentiles], and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob [Israel]. And the people [Israel] shall take them [strangers, Gentiles] and bring them to their place [inherited lands], yea, from far unto the ends of the earth [gathering of Israel], and shall return to their lands of [covenant] promise. And the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids; and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were, and they [Israel] shall rule over their oppressors” (RE Isaiah 6:3-4; emphasis added).

The overthrow of ancient Babylon occurred in the time of Cyrus, king of Persia, a Gentile. Isaiah foretold Cyrus’ name and rise to power over a century prior to his birth. [1] Cyrus of Persia becomes the king who successfully overthrows ancient Babylon. The modern corollary for our day involves a contemporary version of Cyrus, a descendant of Jesse (Judah) as well as of Joseph (Gentile). He liberates the Lord’s people from modern Babylon, (from spiritual wickedness) establishing a New Jerusalem in the new world, and gathers Israel. This, in preparation for the establishment of Zion in the last days.

          The Lord declares through Isaiah that “her days [Babylon’s] shall not be prolonged, for I will destroy her speedily.” Babylon’s destruction is certain and accomplished quickly.

          Biblical and historical scholars rely on original geography and secular history to interpret ancient prophecy. The problem in doing so is the Lord blesses His people through His prophets. Their writings identify latter-day equivalents for those of faith. Prophecies must be interpreted by the spirit of prophecy, the same spirit by which they were written. [2]

          We know Babylon will be destroyed without question. To understand how this is accomplished we must determine the identity of modern Babylon. Gentiles who reject the Restorations light remain blinded by scales over the eyes of their understanding by precepts of men. [3] The Restoration and its continuation at the end of the Gentile dispensation seeks to remove scales from our eyes unblinding us to reveal the Lord’s work in the last days.

          By revelation the Lord explains the identity of modern Babylon so His people repent and flee modern Babylon, to find Him.

“. . .Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Let them therefore which are among the gentiles flee unto Zion, and let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord’s house. Go out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But truly thus says the Lord: Let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you [your hearts]; and he that goes, let him not look back, so that sudden destruction won't come upon him” [4] (RE T&C 58:2; emphasis added).

Modern Babylon is not a geographical location. It is a psychological and cultural philosophy misdirecting us away from repentance and facing the Lord. Babylon is in all nations. [5] The Lord’s call to flee Babylon begins by rejecting spiritual wickedness in all its nefarious forms. Babylonian psychology is exposed by revelation from the Lord.

“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 [appendage, 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 have strayed from my ordinances and have broken my everlasting covenant. They 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 54:3; emphasis added).

The list of offenses of modern Babylonians is substantial. Beginning with not hearkening to the Lord’s voice, his servants, or heeding words of legitimate prophets and apostles. We stray from the Lord’s ordinances, break His everlasting covenant, and fail to diligently seek the Lord for the purpose of establishing His righteousness. We are distracted from truly worshipping God by emulating His example. Rather than seek God, we create idol gods shaped by worldly desires that cannot endure beyond this life. Those who reject the true and living God by ignoring His voice and the voice of His servants are “cut-off” from Him and covenant promises to faithful patriarchal fathers.

          To the faithless one promise is made to those remaining in modern Babylon:

“And it shall come to pass that there shall be a great work in the land, even among the gentiles, for their folly: their abominations shall be made manifest in the eyes of all people, for I am God and my arm [servant] is not shortened. And I will show miracles, signs, and wonders unto all those who believe on my name. And whoever shall ask it in my name, in faith, they shall cast out devils, they shall heal the sick, they shall cause the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk. And the time speedily comes that great things are to be shown forth unto the children of men, but without faith shall not anything be shown forth, except desolations upon Babylon [the worldly], the same which has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her [Babylon’s] fornication” (RE T&C 18:3; emphasis added).

The Lord promises the faithless a sharp contrast between them and people of faith. To those who “seek the Lord to establish His righteousness,” who exercise faith in Him, power is given to do great miracles. To those without faith the Lord fulfills one promise. The world of idol gods they waste their lives pursuing are made desolate. Babylon will fall and only the one true Eternal God stands.   

            The Lord’s perpetual plea and warning is to flee Babylon. It is not as simple as physically relocating to a different place or land. Fleeing Babylon is a matter of heart. The Lord has given us an internal passport determining which society we maintain our citizenship. Our citizenship is determined by examining our internal passport. The Savior provides the key to identifying our citizenship is in either Zion or Babylon. Said Jesus:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust do corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (RE Matthew 3:32; emphasis added).

Citizenship is easily determined if we are honest with ourselves and self-aware. Those possessing proper attributes have little difficulty determining where their priorities lie. Persons who struggle and are deficient in these attributes may factually establish their citizenship through several thought experiments.

          The first experiment is to analyze how we spend our time. Some believe money is our most valuable commodity, but how we use our time reveals our priorities. Where our hearts are. Time is our most valuable commodity because nothing we do will buy more. How we choose to spend it is an unimpeachable indicator of our hearts. We may deny this fact but it doesn’t refute the truth.

          A second indicator is what we think about in our idle time. When we have nothing demanding our attention, what do our thoughts turn to? What voices do we heed? Our minds may be a seed bed for sin or flourishing if we are “seeking the Lord to establish His righteousness.” Idle thoughts are where our devotions to idol gods are found or the true and living God resides. Either Babylon or Zion literally occupy our hearts.

          Practicing thought experiments identifies our true citizenship. Examining our time and thoughts reveals if we are squarely in Babylon, or straddle between each. No matter what we learn, we have the agency to change our priorities and circumstance. Time is short. Choose to flee Babylon by changing how we spend our time and what occupies our thoughts.

From Babylon to Zion

          Babylon and Zion are diametrically opposed to one another. We may study behaviors in Babylon and by following the opposing course, flee to Zion. A preferable and more efficient method is to heed the Lord’s voice, the voice of His servants, apostles, prophets, including words in the scriptures.

          By admonition and warning the Lord commands our departure from Babylon, or “spiritual wickedness.”

“Yea, truly I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you: Go out of Babylon, gather yourselves out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other. Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off, unto the islands of the sea. Send forth unto foreign lands, call upon all nations, firstly upon the gentiles and then upon the Jews. And behold and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about” (RE T&C 58:2; emphasis added).

Spiritual wickedness is the Lord’s definition of modern Babylon. It has no physical borders. Only social constructs occurring when a natural division organically develop between the wicked and the righteous. [6]

          Like latter-day Babylon, Zion begins as a spiritual state without borders. The citizens of Zion have physical residence among Babylon’s people but unlike Babylon’s people, they heed the call to flee from spiritual wickedness by departing from spiritual wickedness.

          Departing Babylon begins with the commitment to become disciples of Jesus Christ by acting as “sentinels” in search of light and truth. They, like the Savior, actively search for and give diligently heed to His light wherever it is found. [7]

“. . . Jesus replied, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my Father who honors me, the one who you falsely claim is your God. Unlike me, you do not know him. If I were to say, I do not know him, I would be as much of a liar as you are when you falsely claim him as your God. I not only know him, but I watch for his words like a sentinel always awaiting his direction. . .” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 6:20; emphasis added).

The Spirit of Christ is given to every man. We begin with His Spirit and increase in Spirit as we give diligent heed to light and truth He provides. Diligent heed to His Spirit intuitively leads us to the Father and the Father introduces us to His covenant “for our sake, and the sake of the whole world.” [8]

Repentance-The First Step in Preparation for Fleeing Babylon

          The Glossary provides the following explanation of repentance:

“A “change” requiring believers to turn away from the world [spiritual wickedness of Babylon] and toward God. It is the change in life that follows from seeing things in a better, truer light. There is another, higher way to live available to everyone. But to move upward, people must make changes in their lives to incorporate more light and truth. By living a higher way, they are repenting. This process is not a single event. It does not happen once. It should happen over and over as all increase the light in their lives. Repentance is granted by God (see Alma 10:4; 19:15; Acts 6:9). It involves acquiring light and truth — meaning intelligence. Repentance is abandoning a foolish error, a vain tradition, or a false belief and replacing it with truth. Penitence is another way to describe repentance (or the process of change and growing beyond sins that limit your happiness). It comes as you allow Christ to “succor” you through the power of the atonement. Through penitence, people do away with the darkness in their lives and add light instead. Repentance is turning away from all other distractions to face God.

To repent is to turn to Him. To turn to Him is to face Him, listen to Him, heed Him, and pay attention to what He is, says, and does [like a sentinel]. It is to seek to be in contact with Him. If one is in contact with Him, He will teach him all things he should do (see 2 Nephi 14:1). “Constant contact between you and [God] can and will occupy your desires, thoughts and deeds. But turning to face Him is left to you. He cannot enter where He is not invited. He may want to be a part of your life more than you want Him to. It is your choice to let Him in. Hearing alone will not save you. Doing is the thing which saves.” (A Glossary of Gospel Terms, Repent/ance, pp.275-276; emphasis added).

Repentance is more than regret and refraining from sin. Repentance is turning from sin to face God for increased light and truth. Repentance leads us to a connection with God as we invite His involvement in our lives. Ultimately it leads us past the fall of Adam and back to His presence.

“Truly I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the spirit of truth, does he preach it by the spirit of truth or some other way? And if by some other way, it is not of God. And again, he that receives the word of truth, does he receive it by the spirit of truth or some other way? If it be some other way, it is not of God. Therefore, why is it that you cannot understand and know that he that receives the word by the spirit of truth, receives it as it is preached by the spirit of truth? Wherefore, he that preaches and he that receives, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. And that which does not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light, and he that receives light and continues in God receives more light, and that light grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (RE T&C 36:4; emphasis added).

In the context of Babylon, repentance is turning from sin and darkness to receive light and truth, or intelligence which is God’s glory. [9] 

          We desire to repent of our sins and turn to God when we become aware of our inappropriate behavior. We petition God for relief as the gravity of our sins weighs upon us. Forgiveness for our sins is accomplished in a moment, but divine justice does require us to suffer consequences in relation to the gravity our sins.

“Now repentance couldn’t come to people unless punishment as eternal as the life of man’s soul, was imposed opposite to the plan of happiness, also as eternal as the life of man’s soul, in balance. Now how could a person repent unless they committed sin? How could they commit sin if there wasn’t any law? How could there be a law unless there was a punishment? Now a punishment was affixed and a just law was established, which brought remorse of conscience to mankind. . .” (CofC Alma 19:15; emphasis added).

Remorse of conscience is a just consequence for our sins. It serves a divine purpose we are required to learn by sad experience. We suffer remorse for our sins as an unpleasant consequence for our misdeeds. In addition to our suffering for our sins, the Lord requires us to learn compassion for others who one day seek repentance for their sins.

          The sons of Mosiah were co-conspirators with Alma the younger in attempting to destroy the church of God. Details of Alma’s bitter suffering for his sins is well documented. [10] The suffering of Mosiah’s sons is less so but just as dramatic:

“After Mosiah’s sons had done all this, they took a small number with them and went to their father the king and asked him to allow them to go up to the land of Nephi with those they had chosen, in order to preach what they had heard and share God’s word with their Lamanite brothers and sisters, so they could perhaps bring them to know the Lord who is God and convince them of their forefathers’ iniquity. [11] Perhaps to cure them of their hatred of the Nephites, and so they could also be brought to rejoice in the Lord who is God and be friendly to each other [fleeing Babylon to a Zion like community], and so there wouldn’t be any more wars [no contention] in the whole land that the Lord their God had given them. Now they wanted salvation to be explained to every creature, because they couldn’t stand for any human soul to perish. Indeed, the very thought that any soul might endure endless torment made them shake and tremble [they had first-hand experience with this suffering and could not bear the thought others would suffer the same]. This is how the Spirit of the Lord acted upon them. They were once the vilest of sinners, but the Lord saw fit in His infinite mercy to spare them. Nevertheless, they suffered great anguish of soul because of their iniquities, experiencing terrible dread that they could be rejected forever” (CofC Mosiah 12:1; emphasis added).

We may or may not be the vilest of sinners but we are all sinners. [12] Our penitence for sinful behavior is measured by two metrics. First, is finding relief from our suffering. We feel gratitude to the Lord for His suffering for our sins and peace of conscience we feel when our sins are forgiven. The Lord is merciful and promises if we confess and forsake our sins He remembers them no more:

“And also, let my servant William W. Phelps stand in the office which I have appointed him and receive his inheritance in the land. And also, he has need to repent, for I, the Lord, am not pleased with him, for he seeks to excel, [13] and he is not sufficiently meek before me. Behold, he that has repented of his sins [doesn’t seek to excel above others and is sufficiently meek], the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this you may know if a man repents of his sins: behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (RE T&C 45:9; emphasis added).

The desire to repent begins when we recognize and confess our sins to God. This process involves discomfort when we are guilty and realize we are less than we believed ourselves to be. When we feel condemned by guilt of conscience and it is replaced with peace, feelings of gratitude to the Lord follows. [14] He promises to forget our sins and we move forward with a slate cleansed by His blood and suffering.

          We may confess our sins and forsake them, but there remains a second part the Lord requires we forsake and repair. We must forsake our claims against others. Even the most egregious. The Atonement of Jesus Christ delivers us from most claims divine justice rightfully has against us. Christ’s suffering heals us from the consequences we suffer from the sins of others as well.

          The Savior alludes to this principle when He spoke of us bringing our gift to His altar:

“Therefore, if you shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, or if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way unto your brother, and first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (RE Matthew 3:19; emphasis added).

The “gift” we bring to the Savior’s altar is our willingness to extend mercy and forgiveness for the sins others commit against us. By undergoing this process the Lord teaches us what being a “savior” is like, to a much lesser extent. Christ suffered unjustly for the sins of all mankind. If we seek forgiveness and healing through His sacrifice and His shedding of blood, it is divine justice that we be required to offer forgiveness to all perpetrators of sin against us.

          Obtaining forgiveness and grace from the Savior comes with some discomfort for us at first. When we approach Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit, He is swift to forgive and heal us. Even when we lack even an elementary understanding of His suffering to extend grace and peace to our souls. [15]

          When the Lord required His servant to witness His terrible suffering for the sins of the world His bitterness of soul was almost more than the man could bear to watch.

“It was many hours after this vision closed before the one who witnessed this suffering could compose himself again. He wept because of the vision shown him, and he wondered at the Lord’s great suffering for mankind.

The witness reflected for many days upon this scene of the Lord’s great suffering. He read many times the account of the Lord’s agony given to Joseph Smith, which reads, Therefore I command you to repent — repent, so that I don't smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore — how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent. But if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I: which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink. Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. [T&C 4:5; emphasis added]

He pondered and asked, Why were there waves of torment? Why did they increase in difficulty? How were they organized as they seemed to fit a pattern?

After long inquiring into the things which he had seen, the Lord, who is patient and merciful and willing to instruct those who call upon Him, again appeared to the man on the 20th of December, 2007. He made known unto him that the waves of torment suffered by the Lord came in pairs which mirrored each other. The first of each wave poured upon the Lord those feelings, regrets, recriminations, and pains felt by those who injured their fellow man. Then followed a second wave, which mirrored the first, but imposed the pains suffered by the victims of the acts committed by those in the first wave. Instead of the pains of those who inflict hurt or harm, it was now the anger, bitterness, and resentments felt by those who suffered these wrongs.

From each wave of suffering, whether as the one afflicting or as the victim of those wrongs, the Lord would overcome the evil feelings associated with these wrongs, and find His heart again filled with peace. This was why, in the vision of the suffering of the Lord, it was in the second waves that there appeared oftentimes to be injuries to His body.

The greater difficulty in these paired waves of torment was always overcoming the suffering of the victim. With these waves the Lord learned to overcome the victims’ resentments, to forgive, and to heal both body and spirit. This was more difficult than overcoming the struggles arising from the one who committed the evil. This is because the one doing evil knows he has done wrong and feels a natural regret when he sees himself aright. The victim, however, always feels it is their right to hold resentment, to judge their persecutor, and to withhold peace and love for their fellow men. The Lord was required to overcome both so that He could succor both.

In the pairing of the waves, the first torment was of the mind and spirit, and the second was torment of mind, spirit, and body.

The Lord experienced all the horror and regret wicked men feel for their crimes when they finally see the truth. He experienced the suffering of their victims whose righteous anger and natural resentment and disappointment must also be shed, and forgiveness given, in order for them to find peace. He overcame them all. He descended below them all. He comprehends it all. And He knows how to bring peace to them all. He knows how to love others whether they are the one who has given offense or the one who is a victim of the offense.

In the final wave, the most brutal, most evil, most heinous sins men inflict upon one another were felt by Him as a victim of the worst men can do. . .” (RE T&C 161:14-22; emphasis added).

If we find it difficult to extend forgiveness and mercy to those who unjustly caused us suffering by their actions, we need only recall what the Savior suffered for our sins. By withholding forgiveness to others we jeopardize our own salvation and risk having our forgiveness rescinded and the judgment we impose against our perpetrators applied to ourselves. It is just that we are judged by the same standard we chose to impose upon others.

“Truly, truly I say unto you my servants that inasmuch as you have forgiven one another your trespasses, even so, I, the Lord, forgive you. Nevertheless, there are those among you who have sinned exceedingly, yea, even all of you have sinned, but truly I say unto you, beware from here on out and refrain from sin, so that sore judgments don't fall upon your heads. For unto whom much is given, much is required, and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation. You call upon my name for revelations and I give them unto you, and inasmuch as you keep not my sayings which I give unto you, you become transgressors, and justice and judgment is the penalty which is affixed unto my law. Therefore, what I say unto one I say unto all: Watch, for the adversary spreads his dominions, and darkness reigns, and the anger of God kindles against the inhabitants of the earth, and none does good, for all have gone out of the way. And now, truly I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge. Go your ways and sin no more, but unto that soul who sins shall the former sins return, says the Lord your God” (RE T&C 78:1; emphasis added).

When we approach the altar of God with our offering of self to Him, it must be accompanied with our gift of forgiveness for all who sinned against us. In doing so we begin our mastery of the “mystery of godliness” because we have charity for all mankind, like Him.

How great is our God, that He condescends to earth from a Heavenly throne next to the Father to teach, suffer, and die for us. How ungrateful and ignorant we are when we receive His gift but withhold our gift of forgiveness from others. Withholding our forgiveness to others may negate His forgiveness of our sins. When we offer grace and forgiveness in all sincerity of heart, we have fled Babylon and entered Zion in our hearts. We will see the Savior as He is and fulfill the hope, “we will be like Him.” [16]

Egypt and the “Sea People”

          This paper began with the story of ancient Egypt and a sea faring people sailing the mediterranean sea waging war on the trading partners of Egypt. Their path of conquest led them to Egypt and the greatest store of wealth and power in the region.

          When the sea faring people reached Egypt, they sailed up the Nile river where Egyptian soldiers ambushed them with a barrage of arrows. With no pathway to a swift retreat, the sea faring people were conquered by Egypt.

          After a period of rejoicing over their victory, Egypt faced unintended consequences of war on the region. Her trading partners were decimated both in population and commodities. Those economic components were the engine driving the growing wealth and prosperity in Egypt and the region.

          Nothing in this account mentions Babylon unless the scriptural definition of the name is considered.

“Yea, truly I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you: Go out of Babylon, gather yourselves out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other. . . Go out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. . .” (RE T&C 58:2; emphasis added).

The Lord’s definition of Babylon from the prophetic perspective is spiritual wickedness among “the nations.” Spiritual Babylon has no physical borders and is present everywhere. When it falls the cause of its fall is self-inflicted destruction.

“. . . But God’s judgments will overtake the wicked. And it’s by the wicked that the wicked are punished. Because it’s the wicked who incite mankind to violence. . .” (CofC Mormon 2:1; emphasis added).

Prosperity, greed, arrogance, and sin lead Babylon and her people to their fall. It is as it has been and always will be. So why is the ancient account of Egypt and the sea faring people a possible type for our day?

          The answer for our purposes needs to be concise. In Isaiah, Egypt is a type for the United States. [17] Like ancient Egypt in 1200 B.C. the United States is the global center for economic and military power. Under present conditions her currency is the reserve currency for world commerce. Oil, an essential commodity for all advanced economy’s is priced in dollars. Demand for oil throughout the global economy is primarily purchased with U.S. dollars. This subjugates global currencies to the dollar. Members of the global community are constantly compelled to convert their currencies into dollars. When the dollar strengthens against foreign currencies, global economies are pressured to make up the deficits in the exchange rate. They are forced to do so to purchase essential commodities priced in dollars. When the exchange rates are out of skew dramatically, more of the countries resources are shifted toward purchasing necessities. The effect is a declining standard of living.

          The U.S. dollar has the potential for decimating global economies as the sea faring people did to the mediterranean countries in the known world in 1200 B.C. If the reserve currency transforms from a means of exchange to an instrument exerting economic and political power against global economies, the seeds of their collective destruction are sown. The reason for focusing on economics is when Babylon falls by the wicked destroying the wicked, it begins by coveting money specifically and wealth generally.

“. . . But they that will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (RE 1 Timothy 1:16; emphasis added).

Babylon is prevalent in modern societies. The Lord’s judgment against mankind is found in His warning to Joseph Smith:

“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 [how does one prepare? [18]], 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 shall be revealed [Lord’s appendage, His servant]. 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 have strayed from my ordinances and have broken my everlasting covenant...” (RE T&C 54:3; emphasis added).

Preparation for Babylon’s fall is preparing our hearts to dwell with the Lord and His servants in Zion. Fleeing to Zion requires preliminary action, cleansing ourselves from worldly ambitions and aspirations, giving diligent heed when the Lord’s “arm” is revealed. His arm is His servant delivering the words of Christ to people buried in generations of false precepts and traditions. [19] The scales of satanic deception and distraction are only removed when mankind diligently heeds the words of Christ from His servant.

          Zion begins spiritually in the hearts of the faithful to Christ. When our hearts are cleansed, washed white in the blood of the Lamb. When we acquire the divine nature and become godly, Godlike people.

“. . . Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt (which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, says the Lord), but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: after those days [when the covenant was broken], says the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord — for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more” (RE Jeremiah 12:9; emphasis added).

When our preparation is complete, Zion becomes a literal place, a designated location by the Savior. Those who are like-minded, having fled modern Babylon in their hearts are gathered to the physical location of Zion intuitively. [20] Those who remain in Babylon fight against God and His family Israel. They dwell in Zion spiritually and literally. The fear of the Lord repels the inhabitants of Babylon because of His presence. [21]The righteous are drawn to it for the same reason. When the division between groups is complete, Babylon is destroyed with the wicked. A new era of righteousness begins.

[1] “Sing, O you heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, you lower parts of the earth. Break forth into singing, you mountains [nations], O forest [people], and every tree [person] therein. For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and glorified himself in Israel. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer and he that formed you from the womb: I am the Lord that makes all things, that stretches forth the heavens alone, that spreads abroad the earth by myself, that frustrates the tokens of the liars and makes diviners mad, that turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish, that confirms the word of his servant and performs the counsel of his messengers, that says to Jerusalem, You shall be inhabited — and to the cities of Judah, You shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof; that says to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers; [Spirit of Elijah] that says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built — and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid. Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him (and I will disarm the loins of kings to open before him the two leaved gates, and the gates shall not be shut): I will go before you and make the crooked places straight [as did John the Baptist did for Christ, Spirit of Elias], I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut asunder the bars of iron [liberate captives], and I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my elect, I have even called you by your name. I have surnamed you, though you have not known me [because Cyrus is a Gentile]. I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God besides me. I girded you, though you have not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is none else. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. Drop down you heavens from above [Patriarchal Father’s, angelic ministrants, Spirit of Elijah, conduit from Heaven], and let the skies pour down righteousness [“. . . Then I saw the power of the Lamb of God descend upon the holy ones of the Lamb’s congregation and upon the Lord’s covenant people, who were scattered across the earth. They were armed with righteousness and God’s power in great glory” CofC 1 Nephi 3:28]; let the earth open and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it. . . “(RE Isaiah 15:17-18; emphasis added).

[2] “Now Alma was very discouraged seeing the pains and troubles of God’s humble followers, the abuse piled on them by others, and the growing inequality. Despite his discouragement, the Spirit of the Lord inspired him. He appointed a wise man from the congregation’s elders and the people voted to authorize him to adopt new laws, consistent with their existing law, to limit sinful, criminal behavior. The man’s name was Nephihah, and he was elected chief judge; he accepted the judgment seat to judge and govern the people. Alma didn’t authorize him to be the high priest over the congregation — he kept that office himself. Only the judgment seat was handed over to Nephihah. He did this to free himself to go preach God’s word to the Nephites, and urge them to remember their duty. He wanted to use God’s word to confront all the pride, clever lies, and resulting conflicts among his people. He could see no way he could bring them back to the right way except by directly confronting them with pure testimony of the truth. So at the start of the ninth year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites, Alma handed over the judgment seat to Nephihah and devoted himself completely to the High Priesthood of the Holy Order of God, to teaching God’s word according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy” (CofC Alma 2:5; emphasis added).

[3] “And when that day shall come shall a remnant [of Israel] 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 [last days] 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 [Gentiles] 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).

[4] “. . . Therefore, the sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar, and the Lord did not destroy Sodom until Lot had entered into Zoar. And then, when Lot had entered into Zoar, the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, for the angels called upon the name of the Lord for brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And thus they overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But it came to pass that when Lot fled, his wife looked back from behind him and became a pillar of salt” (RE Genesis 7:43; emphasis added).

[5] “Then I looked and saw the whore of the whole earth. She 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. . .” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:28; emphasis added).

[6] “Then the Angel told me: You’ve seen that if the Gentiles repent, it will turn out well for them. You also know about the Lord’s covenants with the house of Israel. 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” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:26; emphasis added).

[7] “And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life, for you shall live by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God. For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatever is truth is light, and whatever is light is spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ. And the spirit gives light to every man that comes into the world, and the spirit enlightens every man through the world that hearkens to the voice of the spirit, and everyone that hearkens to the voice of the spirit comes unto God, even the Father. And the Father teaches him of the covenant which the Father has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for yours only, but for the sake of the whole world” (RE T&C 82:18; emphasis added).

[8] “And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life, for you shall live by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God. For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatever is truth is light, and whatever is light is spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ. And the spirit gives light to every man that comes into the world, and the spirit enlightens every man through the world that hearkens to the voice of the spirit, and everyone that hearkens to the voice of the spirit comes unto God, even the Father. And the Father teaches him of the covenant which the Father has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for yours only, but for the sake of the whole world” (RE T&C 82:18; emphasis added).

[9] “The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth” (RE T&C 93:11).

[10] “Then I fell to the ground, and I couldn’t open my mouth or use my limbs for three days and nights. And the angel said more things to me, which were heard by my companions, but I didn’t hear them. Because when I heard the words: End your efforts to destroy the congregation, unless you want to be destroyed! I was struck with such great fear and amazement thinking I might be destroyed, that I collapsed and didn’t hear anything else. But I was tortured with eternal torment — my soul suffered to the greatest extent and was tortured by guilt over all my sins. I remembered every sin and all my iniquities, and they tormented me with the pains of hell. Indeed, I could see my rebellion against God and that I hadn’t kept His holy commandments. And I had effectively murdered many of His children by leading them away to destruction — to be clear, my iniquities had been so overwhelming that the very thought of coming into the presence of God tortured my soul with inexpressible horror. I thought to myself: I wish I could vanish and cease all existence, both spirit and body, so I could avoid being brought to stand in the presence of God to be judged for my actions. And now I was tortured with the pains of a damned soul for three days and nights.

And as I was tortured like this, while I was pained by the memory of my many sins, I also remembered hearing my father prophesy to the people about the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the world’s sins. Now as my mind took ahold of this thought, I cried out within my heart: O Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me — I bitterly regret my life and I feel doomed to everlasting death. Now when I prayed this, I was released from my pains; indeed, I was no longer tormented by the memory of my sins. But then, I felt such joy, and I saw such light! My soul was filled with joy as great as had been my pains. Indeed, I tell you, my son, nothing is as intense and bitter as were my pains.

But my son, on the other hand, from my experience there’s nothing as intense and sweet as was my joy. And then I thought I saw — just like our forefather Lehi saw — God sitting on His throne, surrounded by numberless rings of angels engaged in singing and praising Him. And my soul longed to be there. Then I recovered and my limbs got their strength back, and I stood on my feet and declared to the people that I had been born of God. And from then on I’ve worked nonstop to bring souls to repentance, to bring them to taste the great joy I tasted, so they can also be born of God and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (CofC Alma 17:3-5).

[11] “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).

[12] “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us” (RE 1 John 1:3; emphasis added).

[13] “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen, and why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson — that the rights of the Priesthood are inseparably connected with the Powers of Heaven and that the Powers of Heaven cannot be controlled nor handled, only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true, but when we undertake to cover our sins or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control, or dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the Heavens withdraw themselves, the spirit of the Lord is grieved, and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. We [Heaven] have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen” (RE T&C 139:5; emphasis added).

[14] “Now when king Benjamin had finished speaking the words that had been delivered to him by the angel of the Lord, he looked around at the crowd. Because the fear of the Lord overcame them, they had fallen to the ground. They looked at themselves in their carnal state, feeling no better than dust on the ground. In unison, they cried out: Have mercy on us and purify our hearts with Christ’s atoning blood, that we might receive a remission of our sins. They believed in Jesus, the Son of God who created all things, heaven, and earth, and who would come down to mankind.

After they had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord embraced them and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins. And according to what king Benjamin had taught them, and because of the great faith they had in Jesus Christ, they gained peace of conscience. And king Benjamin resumed teaching them, saying: My friends, my brothers and sisters, my relatives, and my people, please listen for I have more to say. If you’ve come to realize, upon hearing about God’s goodness, that you’re nothing, worthless, and fallen, 6then I say, if you also understand God’s unmatched power, wisdom, patience, and long-suffering for mankind and comprehend that the atonement was planned at the outset of creation to provide salvation for anyone who puts their trust in the Lord, keeps His commandments diligently, and continues in faith until the end of their life, the life of the mortal body, 7then you’re the one who receives salvation through the atonement. Salvation was prepared for mankind when creation was first planned. It’s available to all individuals who have lived since the Fall of Adam, those who are currently living, and those who will live in the future until the end of the world. 8There’s no other means of obtaining salvation besides what I’ve taught you” (CofC Mosiah 2:1-2; emphasis added).

[15] “I Enos respected my father because he taught me to read and understand his language, and that allowed me to be guided and corrected by the Lord. May the name of God be blessed for it. I’ll tell you about the struggle I had with God before receiving forgiveness of my sins. I went to hunt animals in the forest, and the lessons I had often heard from my father about eternal life and the joy of the holy ones sank deep into my heart, and I wanted that to my very soul. Therefore I knelt down before my Maker and cried out to Him in powerful prayer in an appeal for my own soul. I prayed to Him all day long. When the night came, I continued to pray out loud to get the attention of heaven. Then a voice came to me, saying: Enos, your sins are forgiven, and you will be Blessed. And because I knew God couldn’t lie, I felt no more guilt. Then I asked: Lord, how did it happen? And He replied: Because of your faith in Christ, whom you haven’t heard or seen before this. Many years from now He’ll reveal Himself as a man. Press on, your faith has made you whole” (CofC Enos 1:1; emphasis added).

[16] “If a person is meek and humble in heart and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, they must have charity. Because if they don’t have charity, they’re nothing; so they must have charity. Charity is long-suffering and kind; it doesn’t envy or brag; it doesn’t insist on its own way; it isn’t easily angered; it doesn’t keep track of wrongs; it takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth; it patiently bears all things, always believes, always hopes, and always endures. So, my dear people, if you don’t have charity, you’re nothing, since charity never fails. Therefore hold firmly to charity, which is the greatest of all. Because everything will pass away; but charity is Christ’s pure love, and it endures forever. Those who are found to possess it on the last day, it will go well with them. So, my dear people, pray earnestly to the Father so you can be filled with this love that He’s freely given to all who are true followers of His Son Jesus Christ, so you can become the sons and daughters of God, so when He appears, we’ll be like Him and we’ll see and comprehend Him, so we can have this hope, so we can be purified, just as He is pure. Amen” (CofC Moroni 7:9; emphasis added).

[17] What follows are quotes that may be viewed as support for ancient Egypt as described by Isaiah acts as the latter-day type describing the United States in the last days.

“The Jews have long recognized a double fulfillment of Hebrew prophecy. They traditionally interpret the prophets from a typological perspective. First, the Jews apply a prophecy to the time of the prophet himself-to the historical and spiritual crises of his day that caused him to seek answers from God. God gave those answers, which the prophets wrote down as revelations. We thus have prophecies in Isaiah that name the ancient entities of Zion, Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and so forth-names familiar to us from that period. At the same time, the Jews acknowledge that the word of god transcends time; it has eternal value. In particular, the Jews apply the prophetic word to a parallel context of fulfillment: the last days or latter days. They thus view the ancient entities and events that the prophets mention as types of latter-day entities and events” (The Literary Message of Isaiah, Avraham Gileadi, p.7).

“The other superpower of Isaiah’s time, Egypt, was traditionally a civilized nation. Isaiah characterizes Egypt as industrious, but enduring economic woes; stable, but suffering political decay; religious, but idolatrous; having fertile, irrigated lands, but experiencing drought (19:1-15). To its vast forces of chariots and horsemen, the smaller nations of the world look for protection against Assyria (30:1-2; 31:1). Egypt represents the only military power sufficiently strong to counter Assyria. Many, therefore, ally themselves with Egypt. Their hopes are dashed, however, when Assyria exposes Egypt’s weaknesses in a military confrontation (20:1-6; 30:3-5; 31:1-3)” (The Literary Message of Isaiah, Avraham Gileadi, p.31).

“Egypt was the second major ancient power in the Middle East. Indeed, when Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea, Egypt was the strongest imperial power in the area. Within a couple of centuries, however, the dynasties of the Egyptian New Kingdom period weakened and then finally crumbled. Although the pharaohs of the post-imperial period (1100-700 BC) often took forays into Palestine and Syria, Egypt was unable to reassert full control over her former vassals. Egypt’s weakness in foreign affairs was due largely to domestic weakness and internal dissension; the Egyptian rulers were unable to control the various provinces [states] that composed the country. Often the provinces remained petty independent states or banded into two larger states, [red and blue] upper and lower Egypt [North and South].

During Isaiah’s youth, while the twenty-second dynasty continued to rule at Tanis-Zoan in the delta area of lower Egypt, a twenty-third dynasty was already establishing a power base in the south, near Thebes. Neither dynasty              was able to gain substantial control because of weak leaders, resulting in a civil war centered at Thebes. Hoshea, the last king of Israel, foolishly relied upon one of these weak pharaohs as a source of military aid in his rebellion against powerful Assyrian masters. It is no wonder that help never came to save Samaria from its fall. . . As the Assyrians grew in power during Isaiah’s ministry, they extended their control over Palestine-Syria to consolidate that area before attacking the real prize, Egypt. . . Egypt, under weak rulers of the twenty-fifth dynasty, final took up an aggressive military campaign against the Assyrians. When Sennacherib attacked Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem in 705 B.C., the Ethiopian Pharaoh Shebiku sent his brother Terhakah to oppose Assyria. (See 2 Kgs. 19:9; Isa. 37:9.) It appears that the promise of Egyptian support prompted King Hezekiah of Judah to rebel against the Assyrians. It also appears that the Egyptians were interested only in keeping the Assyrians busy with revolts throughout their empire, thus making it impossible for them to mount a campaign against Egypt. A statement made by one of Sennacherib’s generals to soldiers of Jerusalem sums up both Egypt’s perpetual weakness and Hezekiah’s folly in relying upon Egyptian strength: he assured the Jews that their reliance upon pharaoh was like trusting a “broken reed” that could only injure him who leaned upon it. (Isa. 36:6.) After the Egyptian forces at Eltekeh in southern Palestine in 700 B.C.

In summary, the Egyptians figured very prominently in Israel’s and Judah’s history during the ministry of Isaiah. The Egyptian intrigues helped to bring about the downfall of Israel in 721 and greatly threatened Judah’s security in 705 B.C. Egypt’s greatest weakness always was her own internal disunity. No wonder the Lord counseled Judah not to trust in Egyptian chariots but in the God of Israel, Jehovah. (Isa. 31.)” (Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet, Victor L. Ludlow, pp.21-23).

These references provided historical descriptions of ancient Egypt, many of which are found in modern conditions in the United States of America. These similarities make for a compelling thesis the United States in the last days reflects similar circumstances to ancient Egypt in Isaiah’s day. “What has been, shall be.”

[18] “Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourself, make yourself clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do well. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land, but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it” (RE Isaiah 1:3; emphasis added).

[19] “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 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 will be cut off from My people who are part of the covenant. And then you, a remnant of the house of Jacob [descendants of Lehi], will rise up from them. And you’ll be mixed in with them who will outnumber you. 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 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 strength from you [the Gentiles], and I’ll destroy your security. Your 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 expose the fraud of those in authority, and your 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 who won’t repent and draw near to My Beloved Son to preserve My people, the house of 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).

[20] “. . . for the Lord will have a place whence His word will go forth, in these last days, in purity; for if Zion will not purify herself, so as to be approved of in all things, in His sight, He will seek another people; for His work will go on until Israel is gathered, and they who will not hear His voice, must expect to feel His wrath. Let me say unto you, seek to purify yourselves, and also the inhabitants of Zion, lest the Lord's anger be kindled to fierceness” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (p. 17; emphasis added). (Function). Kindle Edition).

[21] “I know that... well... the fact is that a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day is an

allusion, an attempt to refer to things we are familiar with to describe things that we are

not familiar with. A conduit that reaches up into heaven as the temporary appearance of the

Lord to Joseph in the First Vision is intended to be a permanent connection at some place. It

will be one of the reasons why people say, let’s not go up against the people of Zion because

Zion is too terrible. The presence of God is dreadful to the wicked, it’s frightening to them.

They get near it and it convicts them of their unworthiness. They dare not go up. But the

pure and the humble and the noble are drawn to it. They will want to be there. And so that

conduit, that fiery pillar, that stairway to heaven, Jacob’s ladder, the chariot of fire, all of

those things are an attempt to describe that heavenly connection, that heavenly presence.

To the unworthy and the ungodly looking at it, they may or may not be able to see anything

about it but they will sense extraordinary dread. It will frighten them. To the worthy there

will be something enlightened about the very presence of the place. It will not seem to them

to just be another place. It will seem as though the God of heaven has some base established

there. That’s when you know that an ensign has been established in the tops of the

mountains to which nations will flow saying, come, let us go up and learn from the god of

Jacob, because that ensign is actually something godly, holy, edifying, instructive, revelatory,

filled with light, and redemptive, and the god who dwells there is going to be the Lord. . .” (Cursed-Denied Priesthood, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.25; emphasis added).

Scott Roderick

6/25/2026

Babylon to Zion.pdf

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