Prophetic Crossroads-A Cautionary Tale : Part 2 (Revised)The Rising Comes After the Renewal

“And now my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done. Behold, I say unto you, nay, for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ, with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

And now behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under Heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy ghost, which is one God without end. Amen” (RE 2 Nephi 13:4-5, emphasis added).

          Our spiritual renewal or “rebirth” restores us to innocence or where we were prior to sin entering lives. This is accomplished because, “ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ, and unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.” In other words, the Savior did the work through His suffering to bring about our spiritual renewal. In return we sacrifice our desire for sin. We are free to choose, using our agency to determine where we go thereafter. Our choice. Opportunities are endless and eternal. Realizing those opportunities will be decided by choices we make, we should choose to press forward.

          Nephi admonishes us to follow the course leading to eternal life. If we become steadfast and resolute as when we seek genuine repentance, we build up our resolve by pressing forward and “feasting on the words of Christ” while enduring to the end. Nephi’s words are well chosen and inspired.

Words evoke mental images. When Nephi encourages us to “feast” it triggers a different mental image than words like “eating” or “dining.” Where eating and dining invoke images of formal settings, casual, relaxed consumption, feasting evokes images of gorging oneself, putting down the forks, knives, and napkins and tearing off a drumstick with your hand. There’s nothing casual about a Viking dinner table. Jump in and don’t stop until you can’t consume another bite. Of course, with words of Christ your appetite to consume His words becomes more voracious.

          Lehi, Nephi and Jacob all “feasted” on the words of Christ. Lehi expounded on the brass plates of Laban. He taught his sons about the prophecy of Joseph of Egypt from them.[1]

Nephi used prophecies of Isaiah to teach his family and us prophetic events the Lord forbade him to speak plainly of.

Jacob taught us about the prophecy of Zenos and the Allegory of the Olive Tree revealing Israel’s past and future. Zenos account is absent from biblical texts, informing us content from the Bible was removed and existing canons are incomplete.

          Scriptures teach of past dealings with the Lord’s chosen servants. They teach us future events and prophetic patterns. If studied, they prepare us to face an uncertain future with confidence instead of fear. Scriptures inform us of divine process leading us from blindness to the light of a “perfect day.”

“. . .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 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).

          Critically importantly, scriptures familiarize us with the Lord’s voice.

“These words are not of men, nor of man, but of me. Wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man, for it is my voice which speaks them unto you, for they are given by my spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another. And save it were by my power, you could not have them; wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice and know my words” (RE T&C 1, Joseph Smith History 15:35, emphasis added).

          When men repent and call upon God in humility, with real intent, they are inspired by God’s Spirit to write His revelations.

 “. . . And then began these men to call upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord blessed them. And a book of remembrance was kept, in which was recorded in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration. And by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled. Now this same Priesthood which was in the beginning shall be in the end of the world also (now this prophecy Adam spoke as he was moved upon by the holy ghost) . . .” (RE Genesis 3:14, emphasis added). 

          After men and women repent and obtain forgiveness, they experience a change of heart, press forward as they feast upon the words of Christ, and become endowed with the spirit of inspiration. They call upon God and He speaks to them through inspired thoughts, whisperings and all manner of revelation. This begins their ascension by transforming them into God’s attributes in preparation for entrance into the divine presence. Calling upon God, He nurtures and instructs us to continue drawing nearer to him through “deep and ponderous thoughts.” [2] We become familiar with His voice as He speaks the language of scripture to our minds, spirit and heart. This is how we begin hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Those who do so are filled with the holy ghost. [3] Like Nephi, writing and pondering scripture becomes edifying and delightful. It feeds our souls and teaches us how to distinguish between the Lord’s voice and competing voices sent to deceive, misdirect and destroy.

Nephi’s Admonition

          Nephi is the consummate disciple of Jesus Christ because he followed his own admonition. Nephi feasted on the words of Christ because he desired to become a “saved” being and Christ is the prototype of the saved man. How did Jesus become saved, obtaining eternal life?

“Then Jesus affirmed to them, In the name of Father Ahman I tell you, The Son does nothing of himself, but I am following the path that my Father walks. Every thing the Father has done, I am likewise to do. My Father loves His Son, and has revealed to me every thing he has done, and I have a work to do for me to finish the path of my Father. You may not believe me, but before the end you will be in awe of what I am sent to do. The Father has attained to the resurrection, and I am sent to do likewise” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 5:3, emphasis added).

“In the name of Father Ahman I testify to you, The time has arrived when even the spirits in Sheol [hell] will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hearken to my testimony shall also progress upward on the pathway. The Father has the power of endless life within himself, and he has empowered the Son to attain this identical state through progression on his pathway. I hold authority to judge mankind because I am Son Ahman. Do not doubt this, for the time is fast approaching when the dead will also be taught by my voice. The dead will rise from the grave: first the faithful in the resurrection of the just, and then the faithless in the resurrection of the unjust. Every soul will be judged by Son Ahman. Whatever the Father tells me, I accept and teach, and my teachings are all just and true. I take nothing on myself apart from the Father’s instruction. I do not pursue my own agenda, but the Father’s agenda, for I act under his authority” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 5:5, emphasis added).

          Jesus became the “prototype of the saved man” by doing exactly as the Father taught and showed Him. [4] The only way to become a “saved man” is to have a saved man lead us to and then on the Father’s pathway. We do not have the privilege of living during the Savior’s mortal ministry, but the scriptures contain accounts of those who did. Those who knew Him prior to His birth and after. Feasting on the Savior’s words and inspired words of those cleansed and transformed to His image enables us to learn the words of Christ and be instructed of Him and by Him and the Father. [5] 

          Jesus embodied the “Word” of the Father in every way. It is incumbent upon us to feast upon the words of Christ and emulate His example as He followed the instructions and example of the Father. That made Jesus “the way, the truth, and the life.” [6] If we desire to become saved beings, we must emulate the example set by the Son of God as He followed the example of our Heavenly Father. We may not attain unto perfection in this life, but we may do so in “endless lives.” [7] 

Signs of Failed Attempts at Priesthood Empowerment

          A sign the Lord’s people are following a perilous course in their attempts at restoring the higher priesthood is adopting the “Chosen people” philosophy. For centuries Jews consider themselves elite in the eyes of God because of His offer of covenant with them.

Christian religions believe themselves preferable to Jews because they had no hand in the death the Son of God. By virtue of their professed belief in the Son of God, they lay claim to a greater standing before God.

 The Restoration that began with Joseph Smith had many who left mainstream Christianity for the renewed offer of covenant from God. Among those converts were those in the hierarchy who believed they were chosen by God and He would destroy those who remained in modern Christianity in deference to them.

          In 2017 a small number of refugees from the Mormon Church entered a covenant with Christ in Boise, Idaho. [8] Those who receive this covenant must safeguard against the tendency of self-ascendency over people from other religions whom God loves equally. Also, seeking anything but equality among us.

The offer of covenant from the Lord to any group of people does not elevate them in God’s affections or favor. If anything, it adds a burden of greater responsibility because the covenant is His attempt at saving all His children. [9] It is not a “gold medal” award with the silver and bronze going to the less favored. Covenant people are not only responsible for their own salvation but commit to be representatives of Christ in their daily walk. God requires they seek the salvation of all mankind.

Self-Selection - Deep and Ponderous Thoughts

“Though we are separated three levels from our Father in Heaven, it is us, and not He, who determines when we are willing to listen and hear Him. God is in all things. We elect to hear, or not to hear. Similarly, we elect to see or not to see. In that sense, we self-select whether we are among the “elect” by whether we are willing to receive what God offers freely to us all. We have far more involvement than John Calvin ever imagined . . . Why were these twenty-five hundred witnesses of Christ chosen? The answer is they were where they should be (in Bountiful, near a surviving Temple) doing what they should be doing (preparing to celebrate the year end festivals). They chose themselves by doing what they should be doing, where they should be doing it. It is not the Lord who makes arbitrary choices. It is His children who elect to be and do what they are asked, and thereby qualify themselves. All are alike to God. But some abide the conditions and the rest do not. Anyone could abide the conditions. Only a few decide to do so. Those who do are self-selecting themselves to receive the things being offered to all of us. (Jr. Snuffer, Denver C., The Second Comforter: Conversing With the Lord Through the Veil (pp. 164, 171), emphasis added). Mill Creek Press. Kindle Edition.

          God gives us our agency and Satan seeks to co-opt it when we submit to his influence. [10] Repenting and turning to face God, pressing forward while feasting upon the words of Christ leads us to reclaim agency and light we lost. The accuser’s hand is detectable when it comes to matters of agency. He continues waging a war for control of us initiated in pre-mortality. Satan and those who serve him tip their hand when their actions threaten our agency. From the days of Adam, at the beginning of the world, the Father expressed hope His children would choose Him and the path of righteousness over the wiles of Satan.

          In the first version of the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, recorded by Joseph Smith, the following passage shares a portion of a conversation between the Lord and Enoch:

“And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; (LDS Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:33, emphasis added). [11] 

         God does not offer His covenant to people in deference to them over others. The covenant is offered because they love one another and choose Him over Satan and his temptations. Agency requires personal responsibility and consequences for our actions while the Devil offers false freedom and no consequences for misdeeds, both of which are a lie.

           In every dispensation the Lord offers the opportunity of covenant, due to one man whom the Lord appoints as dispensation head. One who has been tried and obeys God and His commandments. Through sacrifice, faithful obedience to God’s commandments and diligent service to others the Lord proves the man. When the man is deemed trustworthy and willing to submit to God’s will, the Lord commissions the servant to seek after and instruct others sharing greater light and knowledge.

“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).

          Like a spiritual homing device, every man, woman and child passing through birth has within them the spirit of Jesus Christ. [12] It is intuitive, both increased light confirmed with a feeling. It is manifest at times with promptings of guilt and joy. Acting contrary to the word of God triggers feelings of guilt while obedience to God’s will fills the heart with joy. We literally feel our way to God by heeding those feelings. [13] When mankind is faithful to these promptings it leads to God the Father and the Father teaches them of His covenant. Through this process the world is given an opportunity to be redeemed. However, the choice remains ours.

          In addition to the means to judge between good and evil, the Lord revealed how to discern if we follow the spirit of Jesus Christ or the spirit of the evil one.

“And the whole world lies in sin and groans under darkness and under the bondage of sin, and by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me, for whoever comes not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoever receives not my voice is not acquainted with my voice and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groans under sin and darkness, even now” (RE T&C 82:19, emphasis added).

          God nor Satan may compel us to obey their words. We are enticed through their whisperings and when we diligently heed the voice of God, He draws us nearer by giving greater light, understanding, and direction.

When we heed Satan or those who conspire with him, the spirit of Jesus Christ withdraws from our minds, confusion replaces understanding and we become susceptible to greater temptations, surrendering our agency by submitting to his will. [14] We labor under bondage to him, which is sin.

And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying, It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless, they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart — only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word. And he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until they know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the Devil and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell. (RE Alma 9:3, emphasis added).

          We have two opposing forces, one offers opportunities of sharing vast stores of knowledge, greater freedom and joy in the process. In contrast, Satan misrepresents and counterfeits similar claims designed to steal agency, promising false freedom ignoring consequences for our misdeeds. He misrepresents his ability to provide these rewards and abandons those who serve him once they are captive. He Binds us by our willingness to submit to his falsehoods. When God calls us into account for our choices, there will be great cause for rejoicing or a substantial burden of guilt to bear.

“And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abides the law of a celestial kingdom, for it fills the measure of its creation and transgresses not the law. Wherefore, it shall be sanctified. Yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again and shall abide the power by which it is quickened. And the righteous shall inherit it, for notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual body. They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body, even you shall receive your bodies. And your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened. You who are quickened by a portion of the Celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fullness. And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fullness. And also, they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fullness. And they who remain, shall also be quickened. Nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. For what does it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift. (RE T&C 86:4, emphasis added).

          Those who are obedient to a portion of the Celestial, Terrestrial or the Telestial glories [the glory of God is intelligence, see RE T&C 93:11] receive a fulness of those glories. Those failing to receive a portion of any of these degrees of glory are quickened but only receive what they are willing to receive. In other words, they received what they chose to receive. All these degrees are granted according to individuals’ choices or according to what they desire. God gives us what we choose.

[1] See CofC 2 Nephi 2

[2] “A fanciful and flowery and heated imagination beware of; because the things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out” (TPJS. p.137, emphasis added). Feasting on the words of Christ inherently draw us into deeper reflection on the things of God.

“. . . And upon these I write the things of my soul and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children. Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord, and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard” (RE 2 Nephi 3:6, emphasis added).

[3] “And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility, and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the holy ghost and shall receive a remission of their sins . . . And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the holy ghost” (RE 3 Nephi 5:11 & 15, emphasis added).

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

[5] “Judas (not Iscariot), asked, Lord, how is it you will manifest yourself to us, but not to the world? Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves me, he will stand ready, watching for every communication I will send to him; and my Father will also love him, and we will come visit him, and continually abide by his side. Whoever claims to love me but does not stand ready, watching for every communication I will send, indeed does not love me. These teachings are not from me, but come from the Father who sent me” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 10:13-14, emphasis added).

[6] “Do not allow your heart to be troubled. You are devoted to God and are also devoted to me. In the journey through my Father’s realms are many stages with temporary abodes. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare an abode for your upward journey. And when I arise, I will prepare places for you, but I will be your companion again and visit each of you, so that where I travel, you may journey to also. And the path I follow upward you know, and the way of ascent you also know. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don’t know where you are going; how can we know the way? You have not told us. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the record of the truth, and the means for Eternal lives, worlds without end: no man comes to the Throne of the Father without me. If you follow me, you will come to the Father’s Throne through me and will thereafter be like him forever” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 10:9, emphasis added).

[7] “The Jews argued among themselves, demanding, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them, In the name of Father Ahman I say unto you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you will never have endless life in you. Those who eat my flesh, and drink my blood, will obtain endless life. I will raise him up in the resurrection of the just at the last day. Just as the Father provided this life for me, I will provide it for you if you have faith in me. For my flesh will fill you with light, and my blood will quench you with truth. If you receive these, I will fill you with light and truth and we will be brothers, sons of God. My sacrifice is the bread I descended from Heaven to provide, not like the manna eaten by your deceased ancestors who rejected greater light and truth in their day. The light and truth I offer leads to endless lives, worlds without end” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 5:19, emphasis added).

[8] “This is the Covenant Ordinance offered by the Lord to all who will receive it. Received by Denver Snuffer Jr., July 2017, and presented for the first time in Boise, Idaho, 3 September 2017, at a Covenant of Christ conference.

Note: This covenant can be received at any time, in any place, by any person who has accepted the Doctrine of Christ. Either an authorized priesthood holder who has previously received The Covenant can administer it, or the recording from the Boise Covenant of Christ Conference can be used. The believer receiving The Covenant may first want to review the words of the Prayer for Covenant before receiving The Covenant. Receiving The Covenant involves having read to them the Answer to Prayer for Covenant, following which they have read to them The Covenant, and then comply with the directions contained therein, answering, Yes, out loud at the appropriate moment.

There are four questions I will read. Please remain seated until the four questions have all been read. If, after you hear all four questions, you can answer, Yes, to all four, then you will be asked to stand and say, Yes, to accept:

First: Do you believe all the words of the Lord which have been read to you this day, and know them to be true and from the Lord Jesus Christ, who has condescended to provide them to you, and do you covenant with Him to cease to do evil and to seek to continually do good?

Second: Do you have faith in these things and receive the scriptures approved by the Lord as a standard to govern you in your daily walk in life, to accept the obligations established by the Book of Mormon and/or Covenant of Christ as a covenant, and to use the scriptures to correct yourselves and to guide your words, thoughts, and deeds?

Third: Do you agree to assist all others — who covenant to likewise accept this standard to govern their lives — to keep the Lord’s will, to succor those who stand in need, to lighten the burdens of your brothers and sisters whenever you are able, and to help care for the poor among you?

Fourth: And do you covenant to seek to become of one heart with those who seek the Lord to establish His righteousness?

If you agree, please stand wherever you are located, either here or in a remote location, to be recognized and numbered by God and His angels.

All those standing please confirm you are willing to accept this covenant by saying, Yes.

Please be seated.

Now, hear the words of the Lord to those who receive this covenant this day:

All you who have turned from your wicked ways and repented of your evil doings, of lying and deceiving, and of all whoredoms, and of secret abominations, idolatries, murders, priestcrafts, envying, and strife, and from all wickedness and abominations, and have come unto me, and been baptized in my name, and have received a remission of your sins, and received the holy ghost, are now numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel. I say to you:

Teach your children to honor me. Seek to recover the lost sheep remnant of this land and of Israel and no longer forsake them. Bring them unto me and teach them of my ways, to walk in them.

And I, the Lord your God, will be with you and will never forsake you, and I will lead you in the path which will bring peace to you in the troubling season now fast approaching.

I will raise you up and protect you, abide with you, and gather you in due time, and this shall be a land of promise to you as your inheritance from me.

The earth will yield its increase, and you will flourish upon the mountains and upon the hills, and the wicked will not come against you because the fear of the Lord will be with you.

I will visit my house, which the remnant of my people shall build, and I will dwell therein, to be among you, and no one will need to say, Know ye the Lord, for you all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

I will teach you things that have been hidden from the foundation of the world and your understanding will reach unto Heaven.

And you shall be called the children of the Most High God, and I will preserve you against the harvest.

And the angels sent to harvest the world will gather the wicked into bundles to be burned, but will pass over you as my peculiar treasure.

But if you do not honor me, nor seek to recover my people Israel, nor teach your children to honor me, nor care for the poor among you, nor help lighten one another’s burdens, then you have no promise from me and I will raise up other people who will honor and serve me, and give unto them this land, and if they repent, I will abide with them.

The time is now far spent, therefore labor with me and do not forsake my covenant to perform it; study my words and let them be the standard for your faith, and I will add thereto many treasures. Love one another and you will be mine, and I will preserve you, and raise you up, and abide with you for ever. Amen” (RE T&C 158; emphasis added).

[9] “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).

[10] “. . . 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. But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth” RE T&C 93:11, emphasis added).

[11] Joseph Smith and his scribes continued to edit the original text and in the recent edit the text reads: “they should serve me their God.” RE Genesis 4:17).

[12] “So everything that invites and persuades to do good and to love God and to serve Him is inspired by God. Therefore be careful, my dear people, not to judge what’s evil to come from God, or what’s good and from God to come from the accuser. You are required to determine, so you can distinguish good from evil. The way to determine things is as plain as the daylight is from the dark night, so you can know it clearly. Because the Spirit of Christ is given to everyone so they can tell good from evil. Therefore I’ll show you how to decide. Everything that invites to do good and persuades to believe in Christ is sent out by the power and gift of Christ. Therefore you’re able to know clearly it comes from God. But anything that persuades people to do evil and not to believe in Christ and deny Him and not to serve God, then you’re able to know clearly that it comes from the accuser. This is how the accuser works; he doesn’t persuade anyone to do good — no, not one — and neither do his angels or those who subject themselves to him. Now, since you understand the light by which you can decide things, and this light is the light of Christ, take care you don’t make the wrong decision; because you’ll be judged by the standard you judge with. So I implore you to search diligently using the light of Christ in order to know good from evil. And if you embrace every good thing and don’t condemn it, you’ll certainly be a child of Christ” (CofC Moroni 7:3; emphasis added).

[13] “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious; for as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: To the Unknown God. Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God, who made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men’s hands as though he needed anything, seeing he gives to all life, and breath, and all things; and has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth; and has determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation, that they should seek the Lord if they are willing to find him . . .” (RE Acts 10:14, emphasis added).

“. . . wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he should depart into the wilderness. And the Jews also sought to take away his life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life. Wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them. Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel and he spake unto you. Yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time, and he hath spoken unto you in a still, small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words. Wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder . . .” (RE 1 Nephi 5:21. emphasis added).

“Wherefore, everything which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the Devil. For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil. And the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the spirit of Christ is given to every man, that they may know good from evil. Wherefore, I shew unto you the way to judge. For everything which inviteth to do good and to persuade to believe in Christ is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ. Wherefore, ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the Devil, for after this manner doth the Devil work; for he persuadeth no man to do good, no not one, neither doth his angels, neither do they who subject themselves unto him. And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge, ye shall also be judged. Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil. And if ye will lay hold upon every good thing and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ” (RE Moroni 7:3, emphasis added).

[14] “How great the pain and anguish of my soul for the loss of my slain people! I’ve seen it, and it very nearly overwhelms me before the Lord’s presence. But I have to admit to God: Your ways are righteous! But the righteous who hearken to the words of the prophets and don’t destroy them but anticipate Christ and wait for the signs to be given, despite every persecution, are the ones who won’t be killed. On the contrary, the Son of Righteousness will appear to them and He’ll heal them. They’ll have peace with Him for three generations, and many of the fourth generation will have lived and died in righteousness. Once these things have come to an end, a rapid destruction will come upon my people. And despite the pains of my soul, I’ve seen it, so I know that it will happen. They will sell themselves for nothing, and in return for their pride and foolishness they will receive destruction. Because they yield to the accuser and choose works of darkness rather than light, they will certainly go down to hell. The Spirit of the Lord won’t always help mankind fight temptation. And when the Spirit stops helping mankind fight temptation, a rapid destruction will come, and this distresses my soul” (CofC 2 Nephi 11:11; emphasis added).

Scott Roderick

12/16/2023

Prophetic Crossroads-A Cautionary Tale Part 2.pdf

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