Prophetic Crossroads - A Cautionary Tale : Part-4A - Institutional Righteousness vs. Discipleship

Institutional Righteousness vs. Discipleship

         Scripture can be intimidating. Initial impressions may cause a lack of faith in our ability to understand them. Those overcoming their fears press forward. They learn from God’s revelations and His spiritual endowment of light.

Others, like the man in white in Lehi’s dream stand ready to beckon us to follow them.  We doubt ourselves and God’s abilities and turn to those who beckon. No matter how good, well intentioned, or knowledgeable they appear, we must accept personal responsibility for connecting with the Savior. It may never be done by proxy. The lesser law of vicarious representation lacks power to save.

          The Lord warns against trusting in the arm of flesh because it impedes our progress in knowing Him. Others point and beckon us to follow them; but we never emerge from the mists of darkness on the merits of others. Like Lehi, we all must call upon God personally. God calls servants to point the way, but only we can walk the path leading to Christ and His love.

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

The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith began the fulfillment of prophecy. Prophecy that is in process of completion. The prophecy is from Isaiah:

“Strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees [weak confound the wise]. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not [faith increases in the earth]; behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you [“calamity which shall come upon the inhabitants of the earth”]. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped [“everyone might speak in the name of God”]. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart [deer], and the tongue of the dumb sing [song of redeeming love].[1] For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert; and the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. [2] In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, for a way shall be cast up, and it shall be called the way of holiness. [3] The unclean shall not pass over upon it, but it shall be cast up for those who are clean; and the wayfaring men, though they are accounted fools [by the world, weak things], [4] shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast [covenant curses] shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there, [5] but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord [family of Israel] shall return and come to Zion with songs [redeeming love] and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (RE Isaiah 12:5; emphasis added).

The Lord’s primary objectives for the Restoration began with Joseph Smith. His intent was to reclaim all mankind through the renewal of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everyone, Gentile and Israel are to know the Lord and speak in His name by His authority.

      The Aaronic covenant introduced vicarious representation as a covenant retreat from the greater covenant. It was preparatory but could not overcome the fall of Adam. The greater Melchizedek covenant is an invitation for all mankind to converse with the Lord personally. First, through the veil and then enter His presence. This principle is illustrated in Lehi’s dream of the Tree of Life.

          Lehi’s dream metaphorically contrasts the problem of seeking guidance from others; even those appearing pure and sincere.

“And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness, he spake unto us, saying, Behold, I have dreamed a dream, or in other words, I have seen a vision. And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they and also many of their seed will be saved. But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you. For behold, methought I saw in my dream a dark and dreary wilderness. And it came to pass that I saw a man and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he spake unto me and bade me follow him. And it came to pass that as I followed him, I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste . . . (RE 1 Nephi 2:7, emphasis added).

          Lehi followed the man in white for many hours. Lehi’s despair with the surrounding darkness caused him to stop following the man. Lehi prayed to the Lord in search of mercy and the Lord responded.

“And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me according to the multitude of his tender mercies. And it came to pass, after I had prayed unto the Lord, I beheld a large and spacious field [darkness was dispersed]. And it came to pass that I beheld a tree whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof, and beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof, it filled my soul with exceeding great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also, for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit. And as I cast my eyes around about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, and I beheld a river of water and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit. And I looked to behold from whence it came, and I saw the head thereof a little way off. And at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi, and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go. And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit. And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also. And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river that perhaps I might see them. And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit. (RE 1 Nephi 2:7-9, emphasis added).

          Lehi was not delivered from the dark and dreary waste until he stopped following the man in white and sought the Lord directly. The man in white embodied the vicarious representation of the Aaronic covenant. After being removed from the dark and dreary waste, Lehi saw the tree and partook of the fruit most desirable above all things. This was the greater, Melchizedek covenant and personal representation before the Lord. After partaking of the fruit, Lehi [righteous patriarch] turned and beckoned his family to partake as well. All but Laman and Lemuel followed Lehi and partook of the fruit. [6]

          Lehi’s account raises several questions. First, how much sooner would Lehi have been led from the dark and dreary waste had he never heeded the beckoning man in white? Why was Lehi able to lead most of his family to the tree of Life while the man in white remained in the dark and dreary waste? Answer: because Lehi didn’t beckon them to follow him, he directed them toward Christ and the love of God. Lehi was led by the Lord to the Tree of Life while the man in white had yet to partake of the fruit while attempting to lead others to a destination he had never been. This is why the Lord warned the latter-day saints through Joseph Smith not to heed those who beckon them, even if they are dressed in white.

We circumvent our spiritual progression by looking to others for guidance and instruction. Others may have the appearance of purity but have yet to partake of the fruit. The words of the prophets foretold the Lord would break the mighty and strong using the weak [humble] servants so no one claims credit but the Lord. He commands weak people to turn to Him, ignoring those who beckon others to follow, even if their robes are white. The weak receive the gift of faith in Christ because they are led from the mists of darkness by the Savior. Once they partake of the fruit or ascend to know Christ and His doctrine personally, others searching for God heed their beckoning’s over those appearing with false virtue in white. [7] They don’t beckon others to follow them but seek Christ.

          Institutional righteousness consists of men in white, (metaphorically or literally), beckoning others to follow them. They substitute structure for discipleship, leading others on a wandering path that is dark, dreary and endless. Occasionally they stumble into spiritual experiences because God mercifully responds to those who sincerely search for Him. Unfortunately they are led to believe their spiritual experience is a witness of the institutions divinity as opposed to God responding to them. Credit should be reserved for the Lord and individual whose faith is acknowledged by God.

Institutional commandments consist of doctrines of men mingled with scripture. [8] Their followers are never lifted from the darkness because the precepts [9] they follow rarely lead to true discipleship. Their instruction contains truth mingled with falsehoods and lack power to save.

          Men in white co-opt ordinances and revelations from God’s chosen servants. They claim authority from Joseph Smith, as they gradually take liberties with teachings and ordinances revealed to him. One can only wonder if the Lord or Joseph Smith made mistakes requiring their correction. They are actively engaged in preserving the institution at the expense of questioning why few among them ever ascend to God’s presence. [10] With unjustified confidence in their institutional authority they alter and discard teachings they don’t understand or conflict with their established narrative. Current leadership is venerated over past leaders. Their right to preside is always grounded in their claims to divine authority. Contrary to the Lord’s declaration regarding all who are called to leadership:

“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood; only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned, by kindness and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul . . . (RE T&C 139:6, emphasis added).

Members of the institution live under constant threat from leadership that non-compliance leads to forfeiting eternal life and familial connections. The Lord does not turn a blind eye to those who are misled by men in white. Leaders sincerely believe they are the Lord’s anointed because they ascend a leadership ladder and are deemed sufficiently righteous to be anointed by their ability to continue drawing a breath.  Longevity and compliance to the institutional system is ample validation of their worthiness.

The institution establishes their status of being called and elected [by ordinance] in exchange for institutional control of their personal writings. This is done so their history can be managed, transformed, or suppressed to preserve the established narrative. Preserving the institution transcends in importance the salvation of mankind, in the minds of leadership.

          In the end vast troves of wealth in control of the institutional class are hoarded at the expense of the poor. This becomes the primary witness against the institution and its followers. [11] The Lord calls them [Gentiles] to account when they proudly present their institutional wealth to the Lord. They believe they are His servants who in the parable received five talents from their Master and returned to Him a trillion talents [also a measure of money]. [12] That is when their wealth transforms from a testament to their faithfulness to a witness of their wickedness. With one-pointed question from the Savior, the green ink on their hands from counting currency turns blood red from those who sacrificed their time, talents and everything with which the Lord has blessed them. While the poor, homeless and needy suffer. When the institution had sufficient means to ease their afflictions. The question from the Lord will be “Why?” Why was this wealth withheld from the poor. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me.” [13] 

That is not to say religious institutions are devoid of accepting some responsibility for the poor. The question is one of relativity. Institutions may publicize contributions appearing substantial but relative to their financial resources the amount is small. Such public relations sleight of hand by the institution will not be overlooked by the Lord.

          In the end, those relying on institutional righteousness are disappointed. That which was promised is not realized and those making promises without God’s authorization suffer multiple “wo’s” as their facade of authority crumbles. They realize it was not the Lord preserving and prospering the institution. The fate of the institution was sealed when the Lord withdrew His power when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were taken. [14] 

          Like Lehi, we must learn we cannot “know the Lord” vicariously through others. Our salvation is incumbent upon us personally. We cannot be absolved of that responsibility by following others who beckon us to follow them. Devotion must be to Christ and no other.

[1] “Now I ask all you who belong to this congregation: Have you remembered your fathers’ captivity? Have you also remembered God’s mercy and long-suffering toward them? Have you also carefully considered how He rescued their souls from hell? He changed their hearts; He woke them from a deep sleep and they woke up to God. They were surrounded by darkness; but their souls emerged into the light of God’s everlasting word. They were bound by the chains of death and hell, and faced everlasting destruction. So I ask: Were they destroyed? I answer: No, they were not. I also ask: Were the chains of death broken? Were the chains of hell surrounding them removed? I say: Yes, they were removed. And their souls grew in understanding and they sang of redeeming love. I testify they’re saved. Now I ask: What are the conditions for their salvation? On what basis did they hope for salvation? How were they freed from the chains of death and hell? I’ll tell you the answer: Didn’t my father Alma believe in the words taught by Abinadi? And wasn’t he a holy prophet? Didn’t he speak God’s words and my father Alma believed them? Because of his faith, a powerful change happened in his heart. I testify this is all true. He preached the word to your parents, and changed their hearts as well, and they humbled themselves and trusted the true and living God. Then they were faithful until the end; so they were saved” (CofC Alma 3:2; emphasis added).

[2] See RE Ezekiel 21:58-67

“And Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord again, saying, When shall the earth rest? And Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father, and he called unto the Lord, saying, Will you not come again upon the earth? For inasmuch as you are God, and I know you, and you have sworn unto me and commanded me that I should ask in the name of your Only Begotten, you have made me, and given unto me a right to your throne, and not of myself, but through your own grace. Wherefore, I ask you if you will not come again on the earth. And the Lord said unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfill the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah. And the day shall come that the earth shall rest. But before that day, the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth. And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve. And righteousness [Priesthood power, Spirit of Elijah] will I send down out of Heaven. [see CofC 1 Nephi 3:28] Truth will I send forth out of the earth to bear testimony of my Only Begotten, his resurrection from the dead, yea, and also the resurrection of all men. And righteousness [from Heaven] and truth [from earth, Heaven and earth combine] will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out my own elect from the four quarters of the earth 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. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Then shall you and all your city meet them there [Heaven, Elijah], and we [earth, truth] will receive them [Patriarchal Fathers] into our [earth’s righteous inhabitants] bosom. And they shall see us, and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other; and there shall be my abode. And it shall be Zion which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made, and for the space of a thousand years shall the earth rest” (RE Genesis 4:22; emphasis added).

“. . . and in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land. . .” (RE T&C 58:3; emphasis added).

[3] “. . . And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord, and their prophets shall hear his voice and shall no longer stay themselves, and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence, and a highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep. . . “ (RE T&C 58:3; emphasis added).

[4] “And what shall I say more? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the foreigners, women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain the first resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (RE Hebrews 1:49; emphasis added).

[5] “. . . 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, 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 [Gentile] strength from you, and I’ll destroy your security. . .” (CofC 3 Nephi 9:12; emphasis added).

[6] “. . . I am not speaking my own words or pursuing my own agenda, but the Father’s words and agenda. Why do you fail to comprehend my words? Your refusal to hearken and submit to my teachings makes you deaf indeed. Your father is the accuser, and you share the envy and rebellion of your father. He was a rebellious destroyer from the beginning, and fought against the truth, because he prefers lies. When he spreads a lie, he advances his agenda. He is the source of deceit in this fallen world. And because I am the Source of truth, you are unable to believe me. Which of you can truthfully show that I have missed the mark? And if I teach the truth, why do you refuse to believe me? Everyone who follows the Most High God hearkens to God’s words. Because you do not follow the Most High God, you cannot hear him” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 6:19; emphasis added).

[7] “Truly I say unto you, he that is ordained of me [called] and sent forth [chosen] 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).

[8] “My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner therefore did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong) and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight, that those professors were all corrupt, that, They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness [man in white], but they deny the power thereof. He again forbade me to join with any of them, and many other things did he say unto me which I cannot write at this time” (RE Joseph Smith History 2:5; emphasis added).

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

[10] “Then answered one of the lawyers [of the law of Moses] and said unto him, Master, thus saying, you reproach us also. And he said, Woe unto you lawyers also, for you lead men with burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you, for you build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly you bear witness that you endorse the deeds of your fathers, for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchers. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute, that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation — from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the temple. Truly I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge, the fullness of the scriptures. You enter not in yourselves into the kingdom, and those who were entering in, you hindered. And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees [lawyers] began to be angry and to urge vehemently, endeavoring to provoke him to speak of many things, lying in wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him” [as did their fathers] (RE Luke 8:17; emphasis added).

[11] “Now, my people, I’ve spoken to you as the Spirit has inspired me; so I know these things will certainly happen. The things that will be written from the book [Covenant of Christ] will be very valuable for mankind and especially for our descendants, who are a remnant of the house of Israel. Then at that time, among churches that aren’t established by the Lord, one church will say to the other: I, I’m the Lord’s! And the other will reply: I, I’m the Lord’s! — this is how everyone will talk who’s built up churches that aren’t established by the Lord. They’ll argue with each other, and their priests will contradict each other. They’ll teach according to what they’ve learned and deny the Holy Ghost, which inspires people to speak truth. And they’ll deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel. They’ll tell the people: Listen to us and follow our directions [men in white]. God isn’t around today; the Lord and the Redeemer has done His work, and He’s given men His power [authority]. Believe what we teach: If they say that there’s a miracle performed by the hand of the Lord, don’t believe it! He’s not a God of miracles today; He’s finished His work. There will be many who will say: Eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves; because we’ll soon die and it will turn out fine for us. And there will also be many who will say: Eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves, but praise God. He’ll justify committing a little sin. [“For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (RE T&C 54:5)] Lie a little, take advantage of someone because of their mistakes, set a trap for your neighbor; there’s no harm in any of this. And do all these things, because we’ll soon die. But if it turns out we’re guilty, God will spank us with a few strokes, and in the end, we’ll be saved in God’s kingdom. Many will teach in this way false, powerless, and foolish doctrines, and will be filled with pride to their very center and go to great lengths to hide their secret plans from the Lord. They’ll try to hide the things they do from public view. And the blood of the holy ones [faithful who gave their lives to the Lord] will cry out from the ground against them.

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

The Lord God Almighty has said: Woe, woe, woe [condition of deep suffering multiply by three] to the wise, the well educated, and the rich who are prideful to their very center, and to all those who preach false doctrines, practice whoredoms, worship idols, and corrupt and pervert the Lord’s right way! They will be thrown down to hell.

Woe to those who disregard the just for something of no value and loudly condemn what’s good and say it’s worthless, because the time is soon coming when the Lord God will visit the inhabitants of the earth in judgment. And when they’re fully ripe in iniquity, they will be destroyed. However, the Lord of Hosts has said, if the inhabitants of the earth repent of their wickedness and abominations, they won’t be destroyed. But that powerful and utterly wicked church — the whore of all the earth — will fall to the ground in ruins; and its fall will be impressive. Indeed, the accuser’s kingdom must shake. And those who belong to it must be motivated to repent, or the accuser will grab them with his everlasting chains and they’ll become angry and be lost, since at that time he’ll rage in mankind’s hearts and cause them to be angry against all that is good. And he’ll pacify others, lulling them into worldly security, so that they’ll say: Everything is fine in Zion; in fact, Zion is prospering. Everything is fine! And so the accuser swindles them and leads them away carefully down to hell. And he beguiles others, telling them: There’s no hell. He says to them: I’m not the accuser — because there isn’t one. This is how he whispers in their ears until he imprisons them with his awful chains, from which there’s no rescue. They’re imprisoned by death and hell and the accuser; and all those who have been captured by these will stand before God’s throne and be judged according to their works. From there they’ll go to the place prepared for them — a fiery lake that burns like lava, which is endless torment. Therefore, woe to those who are at ease in Zion! [those who believe they are Zion, but are not.]

Woe to those who cry out: Everything is fine! Woe to those who follow the worthless teachings of men and deny God’s power and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Woe to those who say: We’ve received enough of the truth and we don’t need any more. In short, woe to all those who shake with anger because of God’s truth. Because those built on God’s rock are glad to receive truth. But those built on a sandy foundation are afraid of falling.

Woe to those who say: We’ve received God’s word; we don’t need more of God’s word because we have enough. This is what the Lord God has said: I’ll give mankind line upon line, a teaching here and a teaching there, a little here and a little there. Those who follow My teachings and listen to My counsel are blessed since they’ll learn wisdom. And I’ll give more to those who receive; but from those who say we have enough, even what they have will be taken away. Those who put their trust in the scholarly arrogance of men or follow the false teachings of a man are cursed, because only those teachings given by the power of the Holy Ghost are true. [“If by some other way, it is not of me” (see RE T&C 36:4)]

The Lord God of Hosts has said: Woe to the Gentiles; because despite extending My welcoming arm to them from day to day, they will deny Me. Nevertheless, I’ll be merciful to them, says the Lord God, if they repent and come to Me. My arm [servant, Lord’s appendage] beckons to them all day long, says the Lord God of Hosts.

But there will be many [Gentiles] who are uninterested when I proceed to do an awe-inspiring work among them, [see CofC 3 Nephi 9:12] in order to fulfill the covenants I’ve made with mankind. When I beckon them a second time to recover My people who belong to the house of Israel; when I fulfill the promises I’ve made to you, Nephi, and to your father as well. I said I would remember your descendants, and the words of your record would be made available by My power to your descendants. My words will whistle to the ends of the earth as a standard to My people who belong to the house of Israel. And because My words will ring out, many of the Gentiles will say: A Bible? A Bible? We have a Bible! There can’t be another Bible! But this is what the Lord God has said: These fools will have a Bible, and it will come from the Jews, My ancient covenant people. But what thanks do they give the Jews for the Bible they received from them? What do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the Jews’ struggles, efforts, and pains, and their diligence toward Me in making news of salvation known to the Gentiles?” (CofC 2 Nephi 12:1-8; emphasis added).

[12] “Now I will liken these things unto a parable. For it is like a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one — to every man according to his personal ability — and immediately went on his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and gained five other talents. And likewise he who received two talents, he also gained two other. But he that had received one went and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money. After a long time, the lord of those servants came and reckoned with them. And so he that had received the five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered unto me five talents; behold, I have gained besides them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (RE Matthew 11:16-17, emphasis added).

In the context of spiritual gifts, those who are given much, the Lord expects much from them. Applying the same parable to financial wealth, application of the same parable works in reverse. Consider the faithful young man who possessed great wealth asking the Lord what he lacked to qualify for eternal life. The Lord replied, “If you will be perfect, go sell that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven; and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (RE Matthew 9:22; emphasis added).  When the Savior returns to “reckon with them,” having great wealth while God’s children suffer deprivation turns to their condemnation. How may they hope to attain eternal life?

[13] “Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto you? Then shall he answer them, saying, Truly I say unto you, inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it not unto me. And these shall go away into Everlasting punishment, but the righteous unto life eternal” (RE Matthew 11:25, emphasis added).

[14] “Truly I say unto you, it is not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. For the day soon comes that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works. And many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name have cast out devils, and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I say unto them, You never knew me. Depart from me, you that work iniquity.” (RE Matthew 3:47, emphasis added).

Scott Roderick

(Revised)

Prophetic Crossroads-A Cautionary Tale Part 4.pdf

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