Part 1 addressed revelations given to Joseph Smith during his mortal ministry that sequentially introduced increased light and knowledge about Israel’s gathering. A common thread throughout the Lord’s commentary was the parable of the hen gathering her chicks beneath her wing. Part 2 explores the teachings of Joseph Smith after the Lord revealed to him how He will gather Israel in the last days. I highly recommend close attention be paid to the footnotes. They provide a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter that is missed if neglected.
The first quotation from Joseph begins with verses from the writings of Enoch in Moses’ possession.
“ . . . to the item or subject of the gathering, and show my views upon this point. It is a principle I esteem to be of the greatest importance to those who are looking for salvation in this generation, or in these, that may be called, "the latter times." All that the prophets have written, from the days of righteous Abel, down to the last man that has left any testimony on record for our consideration, in speaking of the salvation of Israel in the last days, goes directly to show that it consists in the work of the gathering. First, I shall begin by quoting from the prophecy of Enoch, speaking of the last days: "Righteousness will I send down out of heaven [Powers of Heaven, Patriarchal Fathers, Holy Order, power], and truth will I send forth out of the earth [testimony of righteous mortal men, heirs of salvation, chosen vessels], to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten, His resurrection from the dead (this resurrection I understand to be the corporeal body); yea, and also the resurrection of all men; righteousness [Powers of Heaven, angels] and truth [men endowed with power from “on high”] will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood [of truth], to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth [1], unto a place which I shall prepare, a holy city, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming, for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion a new Jerusalem." (Moses 7:62, 1902 edition.) The Glorious Resurrection. Now I understand by this quotation, that God clearly manifested to Enoch the redemption which He prepared, by offering the Messiah as a Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world; and by virtue of the same, the glorious resurrection of the Savior, and the resurrection of all the human family, even a resurrection of their corporeal bodies, is brought to pass; and also righteousness and truth are to sweep the earth as with a flood. And now, I ask, how righteousness and truth are going to sweep the earth as with a flood? I will answer. Men and angels are to be co-workers in bringing to pass this great work, and Zion is to be prepared, even a new Jerusalem, for the elect that are to be gathered from the four quarters of the earth, and to be established an holy city, for the tabernacle of the Lord shall be with them . . .”
The gathering of Israel was of great significance to Joseph Smith and all who live in the latter times. Enoch was shown a day when “Righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten, His resurrection from the dead.”
Enoch compared that day to a time when Earth would be filled or overflowing with the truth in Christ. Righteousness comes down from Heaven when Elijah[2] permanently opens a portal between Heaven and Earth and Enoch and his people unite two kingdoms of God.
Preparation for the prophetic events were shown to Nephi:
“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. 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, emphasis added).
There are “holy ones” among repentant gentiles prepared to assist in the Lord’s work of gathering Israel. There are also men and women of God prepared to receive the Lord’s covenant with Israel who are assisted by the “holy ones” [3] endowed with “power from on high,”[4] or from Heaven.
Among repentant gentiles and the scattered of Israel are men classified as “holy ones” to whom angels or Patriarchal Fathers minister and direct to prepare a New Jerusalem. When “holy ones” [righteous mortals] receive direction from the “Powers of Heaven” [or the Patriarchal Fathers], they are in turn “angels” engaged in fulfilling the covenants of the Father to the Patriarchal Fathers and their heirs.[5]
We learn from Joseph Smith’s first quote God intends to cover the Earth with righteousness and truth through a collaboration between angels of Heaven and “holy ones” on Earth.
Joseph Smith continues:
“The Elect Must Be Gathered.
Now Enoch was in good company in his views upon this subject: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Revelation 21:3).
The time arrives when the tabernacle of God returns to Earth to dwell with men again. The “tabernacle” referred to by John the Revelator is not a piece of furniture transported by Israel in Moses’ day. This tabernacle is the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ.[6]
The arrival of the tabernacle of Christ and the “Powers of Heaven” [Patriarchal Fathers] dwelling with inhabitants in the New Jerusalem is the culmination of successive events ending with the Father’s direct involvement in the salvation of men. A redundant pattern discoverable throughout the scriptures and described by Joseph Smith.
Joseph Smith explained there is a difference between the “spirit and office of Elias and Elijah.[7]
. . . I discover by this quotation, that John upon the isle of Patmos, saw the same things concerning the last days, which Enoch saw. But before the tabernacle can be with men, the elect must be gathered from the four quarters of the earth. And to show further upon this subject of the gathering, Moses, after having pronounced the blessing and cursing upon the children of Israel, for their obedience or disobedience, says thus: "And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind, among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey His voice, according to all that I command thee, this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will He fetch thee (Deut. 30:1-4).
The Lord pronounced both a blessing and curse upon Israel. The blessing was the offer of covenant to the house of Israel and all attendant blessings associated with the obedient and honorable covenant people. For those who reject or fail to fulfill the terms of the covenant there is a equivalent curse. In Moses’ day Israel rejected the Lord’s offer of covenant.[8] The covenant was again offered to Judah during the mortal ministry of Jesus and was again rejected.
Although Israel as a people rejected the Lord’s offer of covenant, their Patriarchal Fathers entered into and honored their covenant with the Lord. In exchange for their faithfulness and integrity with God the Fathers obtained blessings from God that their posterity would one day inherit the promises made by God to their Patriarchal Fathers.[9]
Israel’s failure to make and honor their covenant with God led to covenant curses rather than blessings. But Israel’s suffering would not be permanent and the curses pronounced upon them would be removed. As latter-day Israel warms to the offer of covenant from the Lord and the attendant blessings, the curses suffered by Israel are removed and placed upon the gentiles who reject the Lord’s offer of covenant in the last days. Only a remnant of gentiles repent and accept the covenant and are joined with Israel.[10]
. . . The New Jerusalem It has been said by many of the learned and wise men, or historians, that the Indians or aborigines of this continent, are of the scattered tribes of Israel. It has been conjectured by many others, that the aborigines of this continent are not of the tribes of Israel, but the ten tribes have been led away into some unknown regions of the north. Let this be as it may, the prophecy I have just quoted "will fetch them," in the last days, and place them in the land which their fathers [Patriarchal] possessed. And you will find in the 7th verse of the 30th chapter, quoted, "And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee" [gentiles]. Many may say that this scripture is fulfilled, but let them mark carefully what the prophet says: "If any are driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven," (Which must mean the breadth of the earth). Now this promise is good to any, if there should be such, that are driven out, even in the last days, therefore, the children of the [Patriarchal] fathers have claim unto this day. And if these curses are to be laid over on the heads of their enemies, wo be unto the Gentiles [roles of the Gentiles and Israel are reversed, “first shall be last, last shall be first]. (See Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi, Ch. 16, current edition). "Wo unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles, saith the Father."[11] And again (see Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 20:22, current edition, which says), "Behold this people [Lehi’s descendants] will I establish in this land [America’s], unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob, and it shall be a New Jerusalem."
Repentant gentiles assist Lehi’s descendants and the early adopters from Israel in establishing the New Jerusalem. The name “Jerusalem” has root meanings such as: “peace offering,” “covenant of peace,” “whole, complete, safe” (Abarim Biblical Name Vault: Jerusalem). The “salem” portion of “Jerusalem” refers to the place Melchizedek dwelt and Abraham received the Melchizedek Priesthood from Melchizedek. Salem is a derivative of shalom or “peace.” Jerusalem is significant because God’s presence was found there on many occasions in Biblical history. Presumably the New Jerusalem is noteworthy for the same reason. The Lord’s tabernacle will dwell there.
. . . Now we learn from the Book of Mormon the very identical continent and spot of land upon which the New Jerusalem is to stand, and it must be caught up according to the vision of John upon the isle of Patmos. Now many will feel disposed to say, that this New Jerusalem spoken of, is the Jerusalem that was built by the Jews on the eastern continent. But you will see, from Revelation 21:2, there was a New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, adorned as a bride for her husband; that after this, the Revelator was caught away in the Spirit, to a great and high mountain, and saw the great and holy city descending out of heaven from God. Now there are two cites spoken of here. As everything cannot be had in so narrow a compass as a letter, I shall say with brevity, that there is a New Jerusalem to be established on this continent, and also Jerusalem shall be rebuilt on the eastern continent (see Book of Mormon, Ether 13:1-12). "Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come; after it should be destroyed, it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord, wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old." This may suffice, upon the subject of gathering, until my next” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [pp. 96-97, emphasis added]. Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition).
This portion of Joseph Smith’s quotation declares the Lord’s objectives in preparation for Israel’s gathering. That objective is to gather the “elect” of God from among the people.[12] Using this first quotation as a foundation, the following quotes by Joseph Smith provide added dimensions to the prior commentary.
Related Quotations from Joseph Smith on the Gathering of Israel
“Hearts of Children Turn to Fathers The hearts of the children of men will have to be turned to the [Patriarchal] fathers, and the fathers to the children, living or dead, to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. If Elijah did not come, the whole earth would be smitten. There will be here and there a Stake [of Zion] for the gathering of the Saints. Some may have cried peace, but the Saints and the world will have little peace from henceforth. Let this not hinder us from going to the Stakes; for God has told us to flee, not dallying, or we shall be scattered, one here, and another there [That has in fact happened in Nauvoo]. There [Zion] your children shall be blessed, and you in the midst of friends where you may be blessed. The Gospel net gathers of every kind. I prophesy, that that man who tarries after he has an opportunity of going, will be afflicted by the devil. Wars are at hand; we must not delay; but are not required to sacrifice. We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. When wars come, we shall have to flee to Zion. The cry is to make haste. The last revelation says, Ye shall not have time to have gone over the earth, until these things come. It will come as did the cholera, war, fires, and earthquakes; one pestilence after another, until the Ancient of Days comes [Adam-Ondi-Ahman], then judgment will be given to the Saints. No Peace But in Zion Whatever you may hear about me or Kirtland, take no notice of it; for if it be a place of refuge, the devil will use his greatest efforts to trap the Saints. You must make yourselves acquainted with those men who like Daniel pray three times a day toward the House of the Lord. Look to the Presidency and receive instruction. Every man who is afraid, covetous, will be taken in a snare. The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes. I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of Man has said that the mother shall be against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these things will take place; but with a view of them, shall I cry peace? No; I will lift up my voice and testify of them. How long you will have good crops, and the famine be kept off, I do not know; when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh at hand” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (p.181, emphasis added). Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition).
“A large assembly of Saints met at the Temple & were addressed by President Joseph Smith He took for the foundation of his discourse the words of Jesus to the Jews how oft would I have gathered you together as a hen gathereth her chickens under wings But ye would not &c. He then asked what was the object of Gathering the Jews together or the people of God in any age of the world, the main object was to build unto the Lord an house whereby he could reveal unto his people the ordinances of his house and glories of his kingdom & teach the people the ways of salvation for there are certain ordinances & principles that when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose this was purposed in the mind of God before the world was
11 June 1843 213 (//8106–8119)
& it was for this purpose that God designed to gather together the
Jews oft but they would not it is for the same purpose that God
gathers together the people in the last days to build unto the Lord an
house to prepare them for the ordinances & endowment washings &
anointings &c. one of the ordinances of the house of the Lord is
Baptism for the dead, God decreed before the foundation of the
world that that ordinance should be administered in a house
prepared for that purpose. If a man gets the fulness of God he has to
get [it] in the same way that Jesus Christ obtain it & that was by keeping all the ordinances of the house of the Lord. Men will say I will never forsake you but will stand by you at all times but the moment you teach them some of the mysteries of God that are
retained in the heavens and are to be revealed to the children of men
when they are prepared, They will be the first to stone you & put
you to death. It was the same principle that Crucified the Lord Jesus
Christ. I will say something about the Spirits in prison, there has
been much said about the sayings of Jesus on the Cross to the thief
saying this day thou shalt be with me in paradise. The commentators-
make-or translators make it out to say Paradise but what
is Paradise it is a modern word it does not answer at all to the
original that Jesus made use of, there is nothing in the original in
any language that signifies Paradise, But it was this day I will be
with thee in the world of spirits & will teach thee or answer thy
inquiries. The thief on the Cross was to be with Jesus Christ in the
World of Spirits he did not say Paradise or heaven. The doctrine of Baptism for the dead is clearly shown in the new testament & if the doctrine is not good then throw away the new testament but if it is the word of God then let the doctrine be acknowledged & it was one
reason why Jesus said how oft would I have gathered you (the Jews)
together that they might attend to the ordinance of the baptism for
the dead as well as the other ordinances the Priesthood Revelations
&c. This was the case on the day of Pentecost these Blessings were
poured out upon the disciples, on that occasion. There has been
also much said about the word Hell & the sectarian world have
preached much about it but what is hell, it is another modern term
it is taken from hades the Greek, or shaole, the (Hebrew) & the true
signification is a world of spirits, Hades shaole paradise, spirits in
prison is all one it is a world of spirits, the righteous & the wicked all go to the same world of
214 The Words of Joseph Smith
spirits but says one I believe in one hell & one heaven all are equally
miserable or equally happy, but St Paul informs us of three glories
& three heavens he knew a man caught up to the third heavens, &
Jesus said their were many mansions in my Fathers Kingdom Any
man may believe Jesus Christ is good & be happy in it & yet not
obey his commands & at last be cut down by his righteous
commandments A man of God should be endowed with all wisdom
knowledge & understanding in order to teach & lead people, The
blind may lead the blind & both fall into the ditch together; Their
is much said concerning God the Godhead &c the scripture says
there is Gods many & Lords many, the teachers of the day say that
the father is God the Son is God & the Holy Ghost is God & that they are all in one body & one God Jesus says or prays that those that the father had given him out of the world might be made one in us as we are one, but if they were to be stuffed into one person that would make a great God, If I were to testify that the world was wrong on this point it would be true Peter says that Jesus Christ sat on the right hand of God any person that has seen the heavens opened knows that there is three personages in the heavens holding the Keys of Power. As the father hath power in himself so the Son hath power in himself, then the father has some day laid down his body & taken it again so he has a body of his own—so has his son a body of his own so each one will be in their own body. Many of the sects
cry out O I have the testimony of Jesus, I have the spirit of God But
away with Jo Smith he says he is a Prophet But there is to be no
Prophets nor revelations in the last days; But stop sir the Revelator
says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy So by your
own mouth you are condemned. But to the text why gather the people together in this place For the same purpose that Jesus wanted to gather the Jews, to receive the ordinances the blessings & the glories that God has in store for his Saints. And I would now ask this assembly and all the Saints if they will now build this house & receive the ordinances & Blessings which God has in store for you, or will you not build unto the Lord this house & let him pass by & bestow these blessings upon another I pause for a reply
11 June 1843 215 (//8120–8197)
[1] “Question: What are we to understand by the four angels spoken of by John, 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelation [Rev. 2:13]?Answer: We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy. These are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness” (RE T&C 74:8, emphasis added).
[2] “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall seal the heart of the Fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their Fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (RE Malachi 1:12, emphasis added).
[3] “But if the Gentiles repent and hearken to My words and don’t harden their hearts, I’ll establish My congregation among them. And they will enter the covenant and be included with the remnant of Jacob, to whom I’ve given this land as their inheritance [descendants of Lehi]. They [repentant gentiles] will join with My people, the remnant of Jacob, and all those of the house of Israel who come, so they can build a city that will be called the New Jerusalem. Then they [repentant gentiles] will join with My people who are scattered throughout the land so they can be brought in together to the New Jerusalem. Then the Powers of heaven [Patriarchal Fathers] will come down among them, and I [Christ] will be with them as well. Then the Father’s work will be underway, when this gospel is preached among the remnant of this people. Truly I say to you: At that time, the Father’s work will be taught among the scattered portion of My people, even the tribes that have been lost, whom the Father led away out of Jerusalem. The Father will work with My scattered people, to enable them to come to Me, so they can call on the Father in My name. Truly the work of the Father will be underway in all nations, clearing the way to let His people be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. They will go out from all nations. And they won’t go hastily or at a run, because I will go in front of them, says the Father, and I will guard them from behind” (CofC, 3 Nephi 10:1, emphasis added).
[4] “After it was truly manifested unto this first elder [Joseph Smith] that he had received a remission of his sins, he was entangled again in the vanities of the world. But after repenting and humbling himself sincerely through faith, God ministered unto him by a holy angel, whose countenance was as lightning and whose garments were pure and white above all other whiteness, and gave unto him commandments which inspired him, and gave him power from on high by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon, which contains a record of a fallen people and the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the gentiles and to the Jews also, which was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them, proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work, in this age and generation as well as in generations of old, thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and for ever. Amen” (RE T&C 1, Joseph Smith History Part 16:3, emphasis added).
[5] “Now, how is it possible you can hold firmly to every good thing? Now I come to that faith I said I would speak about. I’ll tell you the way by which you can hold firmly onto every good thing. God, since He knows all things and exists from everlasting to everlasting, sent angels to minister to mankind, to prophesy about Christ’s coming, and to reveal that every good thing would come in Christ. God also declared to prophets with His own words that Christ was to come. There were various ways He revealed good things to mankind; and everything that’s good comes from Christ. Otherwise, people would have remained fallen and nothing good could have come to them. So people began to exercise faith in Christ through the ministering of angels and by means of every word that came from God. In this way they take hold of every good thing by faith, and this is how it was until Christ’s coming after He came, people were also saved by faith in His name, and by faith they became the sons and daughters of God . . . And because He’s done this, my dear people, have miracles stopped? I tell you: No. And neither have angels stopped ministering to mankind. They are obedient to Him, to minister according to His commands, revealing themselves to those of strong faith and of a firm mind in every form of godliness. The responsibility of their ministry is to call people to repentance, and to fulfill and do the work of the Father’s covenants that He’s made to mankind, to prepare the way among people by declaring Christ’s word to the Lord’s chosen vessels, so they can bear testimony of Him. And by doing this, the Lord God prepares the way for the remainder of mankind to have faith in Christ, so the Holy Ghost can have a place in their hearts according to the power of the Holy Ghost. This is how the Father vindicates the covenants He’s made to mankind. Christ has said: If you have faith in Me, you’ll have power to do whatever I consider needed and proper. And He’s said to everyone on earth: Repent and come to Me and be baptized in My name and have faith in Me, so you can be saved” (CofC, Moroni 7:4&6, emphasis added).
[6] “ . . . Then the Powers of heaven will come down among them, and I will be with them as well . . .” (CofC, 3 Nephi 10:1, emphasis added).
[7] “There is a difference between the spirit and office of Elias and Elijah. It is the spirit of Elias I wish first to speak of; and in order to come at the subject, I will bring some of the testimony from the Scripture and give my own” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (p. 384, emphasis added). Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.
Joseph Smith makes two distinctions between Elias and Elijah. He first refers to the “spirit” of both which applies to specific functions of each. Elias, or the first is preparatory, ministry of angels and Aaronic. The second, Elijah, is Melchizedek but provides a process whereby Melchizedek High Priests or Patriarchal Fathers act as mentors to “heirs of salvation” and “Chosen vessels” who by extension vicariously minister to mortals within the purview of their ministries. The last category is the Spirit and office of Messiah involving the personal ministry of the Savior to elect individuals. The Lord is the only one who leads to the Father representing the final level of progression of the Spirits of Elias, Elijah and Messiah.
[8] “. . . This covenant has never been established with the house of Israel, nor with the house of Judah, for it requires two parties to make a covenant, and those two parties must be agreed, or no covenant can be made. Christ, in the days of His flesh, proposed to make a covenant with them, but they rejected Him and His proposals, and in consequence thereof, they were broken off, and no covenant was made with them at that time” (TPJS., pp.14-15, emphasis added).
[9] “But their [Israel’s] unbelief has not rendered the promise of God [to the Patriarchal Fathers] of none effect: no, for there was another day limited in David, which was the day of His power; and then His people, Israel, should be a willing people;-and He would write His law in their hearts, and print it in their thoughts; their sins and their iniquities He would remember no more” (TPJS., p.15, emphasis added).
[10] “ . . . 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 . . .” (CofC, 1 Nephi 3:28, emphasis added).
“But if the Gentiles repent and hearken to My words and don’t harden their hearts, I’ll establish My congregation among them. And they will enter the covenant and be included with the remnant of Jacob, to whom I’ve given this land as their inheritance. They will join with My people, the remnant of Jacob, and all those of the house of Israel who come, so they can build a city that will be called the New Jerusalem. Then they will join with My people who are scattered throughout the land so they can be brought in together to the New Jerusalem. 25Then the Powers of heaven will come down among them, and I will be with them as well . . .” (CofC, 3 Nephi 10:1, emphasis added).
[11] “If the Gentiles then obey the Lamb of God, He’ll reveal Himself to them in word and power and in person, in order to remove barriers to their belief, 2and if they don’t harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, they’ll be included with your father’s descendants — indeed, they’ll 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 anymore, and the house of Israel won’t be embarrassed anymore. 3And the great pit dug for them by that utterly wicked church, which the accuser and his followers founded so that he could take people’s souls down to hell — that great pit dug for people’s destruction will be filled with those who dug it, to their complete destruction, says the Lamb of God — not the destruction of the soul, but throwing it into that endless hell. 4This 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” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:25, emphasis added).
5Then 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. 6As a result, if the Gentiles harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, I will afflict them. 7Because 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” (COC 1 Nephi 3:25-26, emphasis added).
[12] “Every man lives for himself. Adam was made to open the way of the world, and for dressing the garden. Noah was born to save seed of everything, when the earth was washed of its wickedness by the flood; and the Son of God came into the world to redeem it from the fall. But except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. This eternal truth settles the question of all men's religion. A man may be saved, after the judgment, in the terrestrial kingdom, or in the telestial kingdom, but he can never see the celestial kingdom of God, without being born of water and the Spirit. He may receive a glory like unto the moon, [i.e. of which the light of the moon is typical], or a star, [i.e. of which the light of the stars is typical], but he can never come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, unless he becomes as a little child, and is taught by the Spirit of God. Wherefore, we again say, search the revelations of God; study the prophecies, and rejoice that God grants unto the world Seers and Prophets. They are they who saw the mysteries of godliness; they saw the flood before it came; they saw angels ascending and descending upon a ladder that reached from earth to heaven; they saw the stone cut out of the mountain, which filled the whole earth; they saw the Son of God come from the regions of bliss and dwell with men on earth; they saw the deliverer come out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob [“another day limited in David,” see TPJS. p.15] ; they saw the glory of the Lord when he showed the transfiguration of the earth on the mount; they saw every mountain laid low and every valley exalted when the Lord was taking vengeance upon the wicked; they saw truth spring out of the earth, and righteousness look down from heaven in the last days, before the Lord came the second time to gather his elect; they saw the end of wickedness on earth, and the Sabbath of creation crowned with peace; they saw the end of the glorious thousand years, when Satan was loosed for a little season; they saw the day of judgment when all men received according to their works, and they saw the heaven and the earth flee away to make room for the city of God, when the righteous receive an inheritance in eternity. And, fellow sojourners upon earth, it is your privilege to purify yourselves and come up to the same glory, and see for yourselves, and know for yourselves. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” —E&MS August, 1832. DHC 1:282-284, emphasis added (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (pp. 10-11, emphasis added). Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition).
Scott Roderick
11/18/2024
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