“The Accuser” vs. “Like Him” [Christ]

Building on a recent talk by Stephanie Snuffer [which I highly recommend], [1] the following paper addresses the subject of king David further. David was a shepherd boy of little consequence until he met the Lord’s prophet, Samuel.

  The Apostle Paul was a persecutor of Christians and complicit with the stoning of Stephen. Paul entered the synagogue on the sabbath day to preach. After a brief review of Israel’s history Paul introduced the subject of Samuel replacing Saul with David as king. Addressing the Lord’s calling of David and his anointing Paul explains what Samuel said of the newly anointed king.

“. . . And afterward they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king, to whom also he [Samuel] gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall fulfill all my will. Of this man’s [David] seed has God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Savior — Jesus — when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Who do you think that I am? I am not he. But behold, there comes one after me whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to untie” (RE Acts 8:4; emphasis added).

Contemplate what it is like to have Samuel, a prophet of God, come to you as a boy and give the following testimony:

1.    You are a man after the Lord’s own heart.

2.    You will do His will.

3.    The Savior of the world, Jesus Christ will be from your lineage.

Pretty heady stuff for a shepherd boy of little account to cope with. Samuel’s testimony would increase one's self-confidence and faith in God. Goliath’s stature would be less of an issue to a small boy with the assurance the God of Heaven intended to preserve him for his role as king of Israel. It may go as far as making one feel invincible as one chosen by God. So much so all your desires were presumed righteous and approved by God. Those assumptions would almost be correct, except when David chose to do what was not after the Lord’s heart with the wife of a faithful soldier.

For the purposes of this paper, we move past David’s offenses related to Bathsheba and go to Nathan confronting David for his sinful impropriety.

“But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, and the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him and said unto him, There were two men in one city — the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished up. And it grew up together with him, and with his children. It did eat of his own food, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he refrained from taking of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that had come unto him, but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that had come to him.

And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man that has done this thing shall surely die. And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.

And Nathan said to David, You are the man. Thus says the Lord God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul, and I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto you such and such things.

Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight [having been given so much]? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them unto your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun; for you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun” (RE 2 Samuel 4:11-15; emphasis added).

Like the parables of Jesus, the parable of Nathan has more than one interpretation. Most interpret Nathan’s parable as an account about adultery and murder by one who possessed the Lord’s own heart. The depth of David’s betrayal to a casual reader is extraordinary. His actions cost him the loss of his earthly and Heavenly inheritance because the Lord refused David’s request to build a Temple to the Lord. David accumulated the means to do so, but the Lord denied his request.

Joseph Smith referred to the consequences of David’s sins with Bathsheba and Uriah.

“Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah [sealing power] and the fullness of the Priesthood; and the Priesthood that he received [Aaronic] and the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage” (TPJS., p.339; emphasis added).

The obvious interpretation of Nathan’s parable is the focus on adultery and murder and the consequences of those sins. David was given more than most men and still had lustful eyes and a sense of greater privilege.

While those conclusions are valid and obvious, perhaps there are deeper, less obvious precepts being taught that are overlooked in Nathan’s parable.

In the beginning of this paper Samuel testified of three things relating to David and his future. He possessed the same heart as the Lord; David would do the Lord’s will, and the Savior of the world would be from his posterity. These references to David established expectations for him. Expectations for his future and past.

For David to qualify for extraordinary details regarding his future it is logical that his pre-mortal standing was extraordinary as well. Significant expectations for a young man, let alone an adult.

What if the wealthy man in Nathan’s parable was not measured by earthly wealth but Priesthood and standing acquired in pre-mortality. Abraham was one of the “noble and great” when the Lord shared with him the pre-mortality before earth’s creation.[2]

The poor man in the parable would be someone less noble and great. He would be among “those” for whom this earth was created to try and test for advancement in their progression.

The wealthy man received the blessings of the gospel, righteous parents who like Nephi were “goodly parents,” [3] raised in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” [4] He may have received a “new name” and a promise of life eternal.

The poor man may have been among “those” in pre-mortality seeking greater experience in mortality. They are sent to be tried or tested by the “noble and great.” Or he may have been like the Savior, the “One like unto God,” a “Poor, Wayfaring Man of Grief” who, like Isaiah described:

“Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he [Christ] shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He has no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men — a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray [by misjudging Him] — we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth [suffered without complaint, especially withholding claims for justice]; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death. Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth; yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief” (RE Isaiah 19:2; emphasis added).

No one condescended as far as Christ, but some among the “noble and great” condescended, sharing many of the attributes described by Isaiah.    Some are given knowledge of who they are here and in pre-mortality, like Jeremiah [5] and Abraham. Others of the “noble and great” are among those sent to learn precepts from those like Christ [by precept] and by sad experience. They condescend into less-than-optimal circumstances to suffer affliction and show how the path of the Father must be walked by imperfect people. [6] Their example teaches others how to ascend to His presence and be like Him.

Ignorance or knowledge may be a test for us. Ignorance teaches us to discern truth and error with acquired expertise in discerning who is sent by the Heavenly Council and who is not.

Knowledge of our earthly mission and pre-mortal experiences are different burdens to bear. Those given the privilege of knowing these things may be less advanced than those ignorantly pursuing their mortal missions. They lack knowledge of their pre-mortal accomplishments and standing. Knowing where you’ve been and where you're going may be training wheels compared to those who walk blindly through mortality with veiled minds. They increase in light and knowledge through experience.

Those who associate with “chosen vessels” [7] and “heirs of salvation” [8] share one common denominator. They all must offer relief to others from the demands of justice. They must comply with this precept for His Atonement to qualify for salvation. Seeking mercy for ourselves while demanding justice for another is the height of hypocrisy and brings down God’s wrath upon us. We are like the rich man using the poor man’s lamb to feed a stranger.

If we hope to apply the Atoning Blood of Christ for our salvation forgiveness to all mankind is mandatory without exception. We, like Him, must be willing to close our mouths in accusations towards our fellow man or we cannot be made white like snow, spotless. [9]

The Lord may reveal to “chosen vessels” and “heirs of salvation” the identity of some in pre-mortality and mortality. He may disclose it individually if necessary for a mission they are called to perform. Because generally we are rarely privileged to discern the identities of those individuals, the Lord requires an abundance of charity and compassion from us towards others.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.

Charity suffers long and is kind. Charity envies not. Charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Charity never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they shall fail; whether there are tongues, they shall cease; whether there is knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a mirror, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abide faith, hope, charity — these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (RE 1 Corinthians 1:51-53, emphasis added).

When the partial knowledge we now possess becomes perfect we will know ourselves in the manner we judge others. The judgments we impose on them are justly applied to ourselves. If we silence our claims (like the Savior), judgments we sought, righteous indignation, [an oxymoron to all who truly rely on the Atoning Blood of Christ], vengeance and wrath toward our fellow man, are abandoned. The same merciful standard is applied to us in our day of judgment.

“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of [their personal] sins ” (RE Jacob [James] 1:25; emphasis added).

The greatest unappreciated challenge we face is the consequence of our pride. A person turns to Christ, the Savior delivers them from the consequences of sin, the sinner rejoices and takes comfort. When others struggle to accomplish the same objective and offend us as they engage in the process, we take offense and clamor for divine justice. Our blindness in God’s deliverance and mercy toward us exposes our hypocrisy in our seeking justice and retribution for others.

“Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother [a random or inspired focus on their relationship?] sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times? Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, until seven times, but, until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king [Christ] who would take account of his servants; and when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him who owed him ten thousand talents [a substantial sum]. But forasmuch as he had nothing to pay [he could not pay the price of justice for his sins], his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made [A loss of everything of value]. And the servant implored him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and released him, and forgave him the debt. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him.

But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred pence [significantly smaller, manageable sum]. And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet and implored him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt.

So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you desired me to. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you? And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses” (RE Matthew 9:15-17; emphasis added).

Because we have no ability to pay the price of justice for our sins, we rely on Christ’s Atonement to cover for us. Our reliance on Him is complete because only He has the means to satisfy justices claim.

Christ is the King; we are his servants. In the above parable, the debt of the first servant far exceeded the debt of the second servant. The price for the demands of justice is blood and incomprehensible suffering. The debt of the second servant was manageable and in time could be satisfied if the first servant was patient. Better yet, forgiveness of the debt, as an extension of the mercy shown by the King to the first servant, establishes a favorable standard of judgment when he met his maker. In effect, mercy has a ripple effect on mankind when God’s servants extend it to others even before they seek it. That is the outcome the Savior desires in His quest to offer immortality and eternal life for all.

Many abandoned false traditions that in hindsight seem impossible to have ever embraced. In the blinding light of Joseph Smith’s resumed restoration, our complicity in unmerciful behavior is shockingly naïve.  

As we focus the spotlight of truth and exposed falsehoods break into full view. The subtle and prideful views from our seemingly enlightened perspective are exposed, and behaviors we believe are righteous are covered in a cloud of hypocrisy. We have little appreciation for the mote in our eyes as we repeat the mistakes of our forefathers.

Joseph Smith sought to quell prideful aspirations of leaders in the church. Appealing and admonishing them and all members to extend mercy, the Prophet offered the following caution:

“Ever keep in exercise the principle [precept] of mercy, and be ready to forgive our brother on the first intimations of repentance, and asking forgiveness; and should we even forgive our brother, or even our enemy, before he repent or ask forgiveness, our heavenly Father would be equally as merciful unto us” (TPJS., p.155; emphasis added).

This admonition by Joseph Smith appears to be a general admonition to the body of the church, it is interesting to note it was directed at the quorum of the “Twelve and all the Saints.” Because of the faith tradition many fled the usual conclusion is Joseph Smith’s words would be extraordinary behavior for apostles of Jesus Christ. [10] In fact, his words primarily targeted the twelve and secondarily instructed the church body.

“Again, let the Twelve and all Saints be willing to confess all their sins, and not keep back a part [contrition]; and let the Twelve be humble, and not be exalted, and beware of pride, and not seek to excel one above another, and honor our brother or make honorable mention of his name, and not backbite and devour our brother. Why will not man learn wisdom by precept at this late age of the world, when we have such a cloud of witnesses and examples before us, and not be obliged to learn by sad experience everything we know. Must the new ones [apostles] that are chosen to fill the places of those that are fallen [of whom were many], of the quorum of the Twelve, begin to exalt themselves, until they exalt themselves so high that they will soon tumble over and have a great fall, and go wallowing through the mud and mire and darkness, Judas-like, to the buffetings of Satan, as several of the quorum have done, or will they learn wisdom and be wise? O God! Give them wisdom, and keep them humble, I pray” (TPJS., p.155; emphasis added).

Knowest thou the Condescension of “Gods?”

An angel appeared to Nephi and asked, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” [11] Nephi confessed he knew God loved mankind, but he didn’t understand all things. Responding to Nephi’s answer, the angel proceeded to show him Mary, the mother of Jesus and then Jesus as a newborn. The implication was Mary condescended first to mortality, followed by Her Son.

Condescension means “a voluntary inclining to equality with inferiors.” [12] Mary and Jesus both condescended from an exalted state to become equals with those inferior to their previous standing. They were not the only ones to consent to sacrificing privileges to assist God in “bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” [13]

Abraham was shown in vision the premortal existence of man. Among them were three categories of individuals, each with specific assignments to experience and learn from. The first category was the “One like unto God.” That is the Savior whom the angel showed to Nephi. The second category was the “noble and great,” of whom Abraham was told he was one prior to his birth. They were gods “chosen before they were born,” condescending with Jesus to learn how to become “rulers” who were “good” and test and prove “them,” those of the third category in earlier stages of advancement. [14]

Three categories represent various stages of advancement; the first two agree to condescend to save and nurture the people below them. Jesus exemplifies to the “noble and great” how to “walk the path of the Father” to perfection. The “noble and great” have their “record of Heaven” or pre-mortal knowledge veiled. They teach by precept joining the less advanced in collectively returning to God’s presence to become “like Him” imperfectly through Christ’s perfect Atonement.   

Understanding the Condescension of Gods

Everyone joyfully [15] accepted the opportunity to condescend from pre-mortality to mortality in the hope they could advance toward becoming “like unto God” or like the Son. Conditions of their condescension were tailored to maximize their advancement in knowledge and progressing toward God.

The Lord instructed Moroni regarding the matter of how He instituted a process for mankind's progression.

“When I had said this, the Lord told me: Fools mock, but they will mourn. And My grace is sufficient for the meek, so that they won’t find an excuse in your weaknesses. If people [1] come to Me, I’ll show them their weaknesses. [2] I give people weaknesses so they can be humble. And [3] My grace is sufficient for all people who humble themselves before Me. [4] If they humble themselves before Me and have faith in Me, then I’ll make weak things become strong for them. [5] I’ll show the Gentiles their weaknesses. I’ll show them that faith, hope, and charity lead to Me, the Source of all righteousness” (C of C Ether 5:5; emphasis added).

This is where the “process” becomes more important than the outcome. The process is initiated when mankind chooses meekness and humility over pride and arrogance. [16] Meekness and humility invite the Lord to show us the weaknesses He gives us as a gift to obtain humility. Then comes a great revelation. [17] God gives us weakness. That is what it means to “voluntarily” condescend to become equal with someone in a lesser state. The Lord’s purpose in giving us weakness is to teach us He knows us with our weakness and how [through the Savior’s Atonement] to convert our weakness into strength. If we humble ourselves, exercising faith in Him, hope in His promise of eternal life, and charity toward one another, we learn to be “good” like God. Our work and glory can never be as His if we lack charity [compassion, patience, mercy] sufficient to extend grace to those requiring more learning by precept and “sad experience.” [18] This defines what it is meant when Moroni describes our successful outcome:

“If a person is meek and humble in heart and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus i333s the Christ, they must have charity. Because if they don’t have charity, they’re nothing; so they must have charity. Charity is long-suffering and kind; it doesn’t envy or brag; it doesn’t insist on its own way; it isn’t easily angered; it doesn’t keep track of wrongs; it takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth; it patiently bears all things, always believes, always hopes, and always endures. So, my dear people, if you don’t have charity, you’re nothing, since charity never fails [if it never fails, it is eternal, and part of what makes us endure in eternity]. Therefore hold firmly to charity, which is the greatest of all. Because everything will pass away; but charity is Christ’s pure love, and it endures forever. Those who are found to possess it on the last day, it will go well with them [those who lack charity for their fellow man are disqualified from God’s work and glory]. So, my dear people, pray earnestly to the Father so you can be filled with this love that He’s freely given to all who are true followers of His Son Jesus Christ [if you lack charity for others it is impossible to be a “true follower” of Jesus Christ, or a son or daughter of Christ. In effect, you choose being right over adoption into Christ’s family], so you can become the sons and daughters of God, so when He appears, we’ll be like Him and we’ll see and comprehend Him [because we possess His attributes, the difference between mortals and “gods.”], so we can have this hope, so we can be purified, just as He is pure. Amen” (C of C Moroni 7:9; emphasis added).

It is not sufficient to turn to Christ, repent of our sins, plead for forgiveness and mercy while withholding those things from our fellow men. As Joseph Smith said, offer them even before they seek your forgiveness and God will do the same for you.

When we obtain forgiveness from Christ, it is a great test to display His charity by forgiving all who offend while overlooking the weakness of others. What is frequently forgotten is weaknesses are an endowment from God designed to teach humility and reliance on God. Over time, God turns our weakness into strength. The weak person turns to God for deliverance from justice through mercy.

For those refusing to take offense, their patience and forgiveness are recognized as Christlike. They qualify as sons and daughters of Christ. Charity is when cries for vengeance and justice are transcended by our righteous desires to be “like Him.”

Consider the nature of those the Lord calls to serve.

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are chosen. For God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And base things of the world and things which are despised has God chosen, yea, and things which are not mighty to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written: He that glories, let him glory in the Lord” (RE 1 Corinthias 1:5; emphasis added).

Too often we judge one another “after the manner of the flesh,” forming harsh criticism of one another in direct defiance of the Lord’s command to offer mercy. We pridefully view ourselves from a lofty vantage point overlooking the vast holdings of God, believing we are close to the top of the mount while digging a pit for our brother or sister.

If we are to err, let it be toward mercy rather than demands for justice. The Lord intentionally calls those whom He endows with weakness so “no flesh can glory in His presence.”

When called to judge one another we should follow the Lord’s standard:

“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; [19] without hypocrisy and without guile; reproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the holy ghost, and then showing forth afterward an increase of love toward him whom you have reproved (lest he esteem you to be his enemy), that he may know that your faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death; your bowels also being full of charity toward all men, and to the household of faith; and virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly. Then shall your confidence wax strong in the presence of God, and the doctrines of the Priesthood shall distill upon your soul as the dews from heaven. The holy ghost shall be your constant companion, and your scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth, and your dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto you for ever and ever” (RE T&C 139:6; emphasis added).

In an honest self-assessment, can we honestly say we apply these precepts in our relations with one another? Can those participating in the process honestly say they are going forward “without hypocrisy and without guile.” One telling measure is if you see those attributes in others participating in the process. If you see these attributes in others, it is because we recognize their familiarity within ourselves. This list of attributes are tools we set aside when we proceed by compulsion. They remain the key to experiencing “a remarkable byproduct” [20] of unity in the faith. Without them, we sow the seeds of harsh judgments on ourselves by God. We lack the Holy Ghost given through diligence unto prayer and the charity toward mankind. Our charity towards one another should be a testimony that our  ”faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death" and our bowels are full of charity toward all men, especially the “household of faith.”

As Joseph Smith said:

“O God! Give them [His servants] wisdom, and keep them humble, I pray” (TPJS., p. 155).

If we lack wisdom and humility we are unwittingly “the Accuser’s” rather than “like Him.” The distinction between the two might be as narrow as asking ourselves where our hearts desire is. Do we love the Lord and feel genuine gratitude for His mercy and forgiveness. Or do we treasure our claims against those who offend us.

We know God loves us and say we believe He loves all mankind. Can you imagine standing before Christ pleading for justice against those who afflict you with success? Can you sincerely believe He loves you more than others you demand justice

The answer to that question is self-revelatory because it defines whether you are an “Accuser of your brethren” or “Savior,” like Christ.

 “. . . for where your treasure is [justice or mercy], there will your heart be also”

(RE Matthew3:32; emphasis added)

 Satan’s title is “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12: 10).  Of what does he accuse them?  The answer is of all their natural failings, mistakes, shortcomings and errors.  We are all ample examples of such shortcomings.  No matter how good a life we may lead, we all fall short.  The answer to this problem is not to accuse others but to forgive them.  We cloak others in a robe of charity, and we in turn merit charity.

This is why Christ requires us to forgive all others.  We get forgiveness as we give forgiveness to others.  There is an extensive discussion of this in Come, Let Us Adore Him.  It is true doctrine.

I think avoiding the role of “accuser” and filling the role of patient forbearance with others’ shortcomings is the only wise course in life” (Accuser of Our Brethren blog post, Denver Snuffer Jr., March 12,2010; emphasis added).

[1] (“Hearts Aligned with God,”  Stephanie Snuffer, Caldwell, Idaho, 8/31/2025).

[2] “Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was, and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones. And God saw these souls, that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them and he said, These I will make my rulers. For he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good. And he said unto me, Abraham, you are one of them; you were chosen before you were born” (RE Abraham 6:1; emphasis added).

[3] “I Nephi was born to excellent parents. As a consequence, my father taught me from all his knowledge. . .” (C of C 1 Nephi 1:1; emphasis added).

[4] “I Enos respected my father because he taught me to read and understand his language, and that allowed me to be guided and corrected by the Lord. May the name of God be blessed for it. . .” (C of C Enos 1:1; emphasis added).

[5] “Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child — for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant” (RE Jeremiah 1:1; emphasis added).

[6] “Now, therefore, know that Jesus is the Messiah, the Walker in the Path who has proven for evermore that Father Ahman sent Him into the world to prove His Father’s path” [unlike the Savior, they walk the path imperfectly and assist others in doing so as well.] (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 12:21; emphasis added].

[7] “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” (RE Moroni 7:6; emphasis added).

[8] “And for this cause the Lord said unto Peter, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you? For he desired of me that he might bring souls unto me, but you desired that you might speedily come unto me in my kingdom. I say unto you, Peter, this was a good desire, but my beloved has desired that he might do more, or a greater work yet among men, than what he has before done; yea, he has undertaken a greater work. Therefore, I will make him as flaming fire and a ministering angel. He shall minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth, and I will make you to minister for him and for your brother James [Jacob]. And unto you three I will give this power and the keys of this ministry until I come. Truly I say unto you, you shall both have according to your desires, for you both joy in that which you have desired” (RE T&C 1, Joseph Smith History Part 13:19; emphasis added).

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

[10] Perceptions of unity and devotion to Christ are standard presumptions regarding Apostles of Christ. The historical reality is far different than this presumption. The New Testament contains accounts of conflicts among the Lord’s disciples. Conflicts arose between Peter and Paul, James [Jacob] and John [sons of thunder] and the other Apostles. In the Restoration in Joseph Smith’s time, a greater number of ordained Apostles left the church and became apostate than remained faithful. Hence, we see Joseph Smith addressing the subject in this quote. There appeared to be far more turmoil in church leadership than the body of the church were aware of.

[11] “Then He told me: Look! And I looked in His direction but didn’t see Him, since He departed. Instead, I looked and I saw the great city of Jerusalem and other cities as well. And I saw the city of Nazareth. And in the city of Nazareth, I saw a virgin, and she was very beautiful and pure. Then I saw the heavens open, and an Angel [another one] came down and stood in front of me. He asked me: Nephi, what do you see? I replied: The most beautiful, pure virgin. He asked me: Do you understand God’s condescension? I replied: I know that He loves His children, but I don’t understand everything. Then He said to me: The virgin you see is the Mother of the Son of God when He becomes a mortal. I saw She was carried away in the spirit” (C of C 1 Nephi 3:8; emphasis added).

[12] Online Etymology Dictionary,

[13] “And it came to pass that Moses spoke unto the Lord, saying, Be merciful unto your servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens; and then your servant will be content. And the Lord God spoke unto Moses of the heavens, saying, These are many and they cannot be numbered unto man, but they are numbered unto me for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come. And there is no end to my works, neither my words. For behold, this is my work and my glory: to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man. And now Moses, my son, I will speak unto you concerning this earth upon which you stand, and you shall write the things which I shall speak. And in a day when the children of men shall esteem my words as naught and take many of them from the book which you shall write, behold, I will raise up another like unto you, and they shall be had again among the children of men, among even as many as shall believe. These words were spoken unto Moses in the mount, the name of which shall not be known among the children of men” (RE Genesis 1:7; emphasis added).

[14] “Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was, and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones. And God saw these souls, that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them and he said, These I will make my rulers. For he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good. And he said unto me, Abraham, you are one of them; you were chosen before you were born.

And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him, We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell. And we will prove them herewith to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon, and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. . . And then the Lord said, Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning and they organized and formed (that is, the Gods) the heavens and the earth. . .” (RE Abraham 6:1-2, 7:1; emphasis added).

[15]  ” Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who has laid the measures thereof, if you know? Or who has stretched the line upon it? Upon what are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it, and broke up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, Hitherto shall you come, but no further, and here shall your proud waves be stopped?” (RE Job 12:2; emphasis added).

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

[17] ”My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom. Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he might hear;

For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly” (LDS D&C 136: 31-33).

[18] ”. . . Therefore, we should be grateful for every sad experience and recognize that it is for our good. It is necessary because, for whatever reason, we did not learn by precept. God’s plan expects we will learn from both. Learning by precept is not better than learning by sad experience. They are both essential teachers. The important part is how we learn by sad experience: Do we blame, judge, avoid, react, offend, ignore, resist, refuse? Or do we take accountability, reason, observe, engage, submit, ask, share, listen, pray, fast?” (God’s Covenant People, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.30; emphasis added).

[19] “We are so fixated on achieving results that we fail to realize that the results do not matter; only the process matters. Results should be a byproduct of the process. We hurry through the process to reach the result, never realizing we’ve discarded the very tool intended to produce people of one heart and one mind who can live together in peace. How we proceed is critical to succeeding as people. Results accomplished through compulsory means (which include peer pressure, refusing to engage, and shaming someone for a desire to stay in the process) cannot and will not bring people of peace together. Zion is also a byproduct. It’s a byproduct of the process and will never be the result of an achieved goal. Differences and disagreements should not make us enemies or evil. The Lord expects us to learn and grow our ability to respectfully disagree with one another. If we can acknowledge our differences and talk through our disagreements as beloved brothers and sisters who respect one another, we might just experience a remarkable byproduct. But until we’re willing to engage in the process, we’re only left to endure sad experiences” (God’s Covenant People, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.24; emphasis added).

[20] ” Zion is also a byproduct. It’s a byproduct of the process and will never be the result of an achieved goal. Differences and disagreements should not make us enemies or evil. The Lord expects us to learn and grow our ability to respectfully disagree with one another. If we can acknowledge our differences and talk through our disagreements as beloved brothers and sisters who respect one another, we might just experience a remarkable byproduct. But until we’re willing to engage in the process, we’re only left to endure sad experiences” (Gods Covenant People, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.24; emphasis added).

Scott Roderick

11/28/25

The Accuser vs. Like Him [Christ].pdf

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