The Lord “Reveals His Arm” to the Gentiles

          The introduction of the Doctrine and Covenants warns the world the Lord’s day of judgment is coming. This warning arrived November 1, 1831.

“Hearken, O you people of my church, says the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men. Yea, truly I say, hearken you people from afar, and you that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together, for truly the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape. And there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated. And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow, for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops and their secret acts shall be revealed, and the voice of warning shall be unto all people by the mouth of my disciples whom I have chosen in these last days. They shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I, the Lord, have commanded them.

Behold, this is my authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth. Wherefore, fear and tremble, O you people, for what I, the Lord, have decreed in them shall be fulfilled. And truly I say unto you that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them [His servants] [1] is power given to seal both on earth and in Heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious, yea, truly, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure, unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his works, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man” (RE T&C 54:1-2; emphasis added).

The Lord sends servants, messengers [angels, mortal and immortal] [2] acting in His authority to warn mankind globally of His impending judgments. The Lord’s wrath is kindled by our misconduct. Consequences of His judgments and wrath are apportioned in relation to our actions. If unbelieving and rebellious, our actions reflect who we follow inwardly. He knows all, acting towards us as we act toward others. We receive from God as we impart to others.

          The Savior sends servants to do His bidding of teaching and warning mankind of an unpleasant outcome should they reject Him by rejecting His servants. At the conclusion of His warning He affirms their authority:

“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”

The Lord’s anger has grown for 200 years. There remains an ongoing battle between the Lord and the Accuser for the souls of mankind. The Lord entices mankind to become perfect, like Him. [3] In opposition, Satan seeks all mankind’s misery, transforming them to his image because of their separation from God.

“Now if Adam hadn’t transgressed, he wouldn’t have fallen, but he would have stayed in the Garden of Eden. And all things that were created must have remained in exactly the same state as when first created. They would have continued forever and had no end, and they wouldn’t have had children. Therefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy [children play a role in obtaining joy], because they knew no misery, doing no good, because they weren’t exposed to sin. But all things have been done in the wisdom of Him who knows all things. Adam fell for people to exist, and we exist to experience joy. And the Messiah comes at the appointed time to rescue mankind from the Fall. Then because they’re rescued from the Fall, they’re free to act, knowing good from evil, to act for themselves and not to be acted on. However, mankind will be punished based on the law on the great and last day, according to the commandments God has given. So people act freely in this life, and this creation lets people choose freely. They’re free to choose liberty and eternal life by obeying mankind’s Mediator, or instead choose captivity and death by letting the accuser lead them. The accuser wants all mankind to become miserable like he is” (CofC 2 Nephi 1:10; emphasis added).

Beginning with Adam, God provided examples for mankind who chose “liberty and eternal life by obeying mankind’s Mediator.” In each example, those called by God learned the “mystery of godliness,” [4] being transformed to His attributes and restored to His presence. [5]

“. . . So, my dear people, pray earnestly to the Father so you can be filled with this love that He’s freely given to all who are true followers of His Son Jesus Christ, so you can become the sons and daughters of God, so when He appears, we’ll be like Him and we’ll see and comprehend Him, so we can have this hope, so we can be purified, just as He is pure. Amen” CofC Moroni 7:9; emphasis added).

The love spoken of in this passage is charity or the love of Christ. Lehi, a righteous Patriarch and Nephi, his successor were shown a path leading to the Tree of Life and Love of God. The path is fixed and immovable. The path cannot be altered, still our agency provides freedom or latitude to veer from it.

          The Lord’s metaphor for divine support along the path is a “rod of iron” leading us through dark mists. Mists blind our eyes because of our ignorance of God’s words. The “wicked one” increases our blindness by enticing us to act contrary to God’s commands and false traditions from our mortal Father’s.

“. . . And that wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. . .” (RE T&C 93:11; emphasis added).

This is the strategy of the Accuser to counter God’s efforts to reveal light and truth to mankind. Determining the metaphorical meaning of the “rod of iron” and “dark mists” is essential.

“After He had said these words, He said: Look! And I looked and saw the Son of God mingling as a mortal with mankind. I saw many fall down at His feet and worship Him. Then I realized the iron railing my father saw was God’s word. It led to the source of living waters or to the tree of life, whose waters represent God’s love concluded the tree of life and living waters represented God’s love” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:10; emphasis added).

The “rod of iron” is the word of God, (His voice, His servants, and unedited scripture are the same). If one takes hold, (seeks after and obeys His commandments) God’s word leads them through “dark mists” blinding and deceiving mankind. What is the composition of the “dark mists?”

“And the dark mists are the temptations of the accuser, who blinds people’s eyes, hardens their hearts, and leads them away into wide roads, to perish and be lost” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:17; emphasis added).

The composition of mists is not dense, impenetrable material. Not a physical barrier blocking one on the straight path. Only our vision or understanding is confused, impaired, and distracted from the straight path. [6]

          Our ability to progress toward God’s love is blocked by our unwillingness to learn His word and comply with His commandments. We reject His terms by continuing in ignorance rather than grow in light and truth.

          Following Nephi’s vision of Lehi’s dream, an angel reveals to Nephi the “wicked one’s” methods for removing light and truth from mankind. His plan is both simple and nefarious.

“I also saw they [Gentiles] had a book. The Angel asked me: Do you know the book’s purpose? I replied: I don’t know. So He said: It comes from the Jews. And I saw it. And He told me: The book you see is a record of the Jews; it contains the covenants the Lord has made to the house of Israel. It also contains many of the prophecies of the holy prophets. It’s a record like the engravings on the brass plates, except it’s less complete. Still, it contains the covenants the Lord has made to the house of Israel; therefore they’re very valuable to the Gentiles [they provide light and truth regarding the mystery of godliness]. Then the Angel of the Lord said: You’ve seen that the book came from the Jews. When it came from the Jews, it contained the fullness of the gospel of the Lamb, whom the Twelve witnesses testified about. And they testified truthfully of the Lamb of God. So these things were delivered in purity from the Jews to the Gentiles, relating the truth of God. After they’re delivered by the Lamb’s Twelve witnesses, from the Jews to the Gentiles, you see the establishment of that corrupt and utterly wicked church, which is the most detestable of all other churches. For they removed from the Lamb’s gospel many clear and extremely valuable parts and they’ve also removed many of the Lord’s covenants. [7] They’ve done all this in order to corrupt and pervert the right ways of the Lord, to blind people’s eyes and harden their hearts [dark mists]. Therefore you see that after the book has passed through the hands of that corrupt and utterly wicked church, many clear and extremely valuable things are gone from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God. And after these clear and valuable things are gone, it was passed along to all the Gentile nations. And after all Gentile nations receive the book, a great number of people make a great number of mistakes that gives Satan power over them. That altered book is what the Gentiles who crossed the sea to escape captivity bring with them. It lacks many clear, understandable things about the Lamb of God. Nevertheless, you see the Gentiles have left captivity and have been liberated by God’s power to independently control the land. The land is better than all other places on earth. The Lord God covenanted with your father to inherit it, and your descendants will mix with your brothers’ descendants and survive. God won’t let the Gentiles destroy all your brothers’ descendants, or leave the Gentiles in the awful blind condition you see that resulted from that utterly wicked church removing the clear and extremely valuable parts of the Lamb’s gospel. Therefore, the Lamb of God says, I’ll have mercy for the Gentiles and will judge and punish the remnant of the house of Israel” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:21-22; emphasis added).

The angel shows Nephi the heavenly history of future events exposing how the “Accuser” applies his deceitful practices. The record of the Jews is given to Gentiles and the “corrupt and utterly wicked church” removes “many clear and extremely valuable things” from the record. This establishes a pattern the “Accuser” follows through every generation of the world. For those who “feast upon the words of Christ,” [8] this information provides a tool for discerning Satan’s hand in creating dark mists. The tool is based on elementary math.

Revelation Equals Additional Light, Deception Equals Subtraction

          This statement is foundational to how God and Satan conduct their respective relations with man.  There is scriptural evidence supporting this conclusion. In Ecclesiastes it states:

“. . . The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It has been already of old time, which was before us. . .” (RE Ecclesiastes 1:1).

If “the thing that has been, it is that which shall be,” methods employed by God and Satan remain the same throughout mortality. Using the prophecy given to Nephi, God gives light and truth by interacting with mankind personally and vicariously through servants and their records [“iron rod”]. In contrast, Satan creates an opposing path removing light and truth from mankind. [9]

          God enlightens mankind by revelation with greater light and truth through these means. Satan accomplishes the opposite by editing, revising, co-opting, and redacting God’s revelations to man. Using these methods, sacred truths revealed by God became corrupt.

When Nephi observed the delivery of Jewish records to the Gentiles, Satan intervenes to remove “many clear and extremely valuable things.” The loss of easily understood truths and extremely valuable things introduces chaos and confusion for those in search of the straight and narrow path to God and His love.

          Like removing directional coordinates on a map, one is easily confused and lost. Not knowing “true North” or any directional information turns a journey with a sure path into a random game of chance.

“Now I don’t write all my father’s words. But to summarize, he saw other crowds coming forward. People came, grasped the end of the iron railing, and moved forward, continually holding firmly to the iron railing until they arrived, sat down, and ate some of the fruit [love of God] from the tree. He also saw other crowds of people moving toward that impressive and large building. And many drowned in the deep river, and many disappeared from his view, wandering on unfamiliar roads. A large number of people entered the large building. After they entered the building, they pointed at and made fun of me, and those who were also eating the fruit, but we didn’t pay attention to them. My father said the following: All those who paid attention to the insults fell away. And my father said that Laman and Lemuel didn’t eat any of the fruit” (CofC 1 Nephi 2:12; emphasis added).

Those who “feast on the words of Christ” had no difficulty navigating dark mists seen by Lehi and Nephi. Their focus remained on securing their grip on the iron rod until mists cleared and they partook of the love of God. Those failing to grasp the rod became distracted; remaining separate from God and His love.

          The Accuser’s strategy involves corrupting God’s word after the Lord delivers it. After Moses is withdrawn with the Holy Priesthood [10] a rabbinical class of scholars replaced prophets. The rabbi’s immersed themselves in the pure record exercising interpretive control. Content they found objectionable was removed or altered to assert their authority and establish their narratives and false traditions. Their credentials were based upon their education rather than a divine ordination and calling by God. Scholarly debate and peer review became the weight and measure of truth in the absence of revelation and inspired instruction.

          Deuteronomists removed the prophesied Messiah from Old Covenant texts. So complete were their alterations of God’s word, contemporary witnesses to the Savior’s life and ministry failed to recognize him because of their corruption of scriptural content. Rabbis in the days of Jesus were immersed in dark mists; ignoring His teachings and miracles. They rejected the Son of God and killed Him.

          Corruption of God’s word began in the days of Adam and Eve.

“And Satan came among them, saying, I am also a Son of God. And he commanded them, saying, Believe not. And they believed not, and loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish. And the Lord God called upon men by the holy ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent. And as many as believed in the Son and repented of their sins should be saved. And as many as believed not and repented not should be damned. And the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree, wherefore they must be fulfilled. And Adam ceased not to call upon God, and Eve also his wife” (RE Genesis 3:5; emphasis added).

Terms for obtaining salvation are declared by God by firm decree. In contrast, Satan sows’ disbelief, declaring man should “believe it not.” God offers additional light and truth. Satan removes light and truth by subtraction. These patterns reveal how God and Satan liberate or captivate mankind. God’s commandments offer growth and freedom for man. Satan’s temptations imprison them in misery because of their separation and bondage away from God’s influence.

          By these patterns we discern God or Satan’s hand in the affairs of man. Continually seeking light and knowledge sanctify man transforming them into God’s image and entering His presence.

          Rejecting God’s light and truth transforms man into a nature contrary to the divine. They become “carnal, sensual, and devilish.” Satan becomes their God and they assume his image and dark nature. Like Satan, those who disobey God’s commands and follow false traditions from their fathers are miserable in the absence of light and truth.

          God sends dispensational heads to restore and reclaim those immersed in dark mists. The dispensation head delivers God’s offer of covenant through the greater priesthood. Light destroys darkness, so the Accuser’s response is to sow’s seeds of doubt creating derision and persecution of the dispensation head and their disciples. Revelation from God through His servant is viewed with skepticism because unfamiliar doctrines starkly contrast with false, entrenched teachings and traditions. Devotion to prevailing false traditions and established narratives form dark mists of deception and hard hearts for rising generations.

The dispensation head restores lost principles, teaching how to gain access to and become like God. They offer a transformative covenant. If the covenant is rejected, as in the days of Moses [Sinai] and Joseph Smith [Nauvoo], the dispensation head is removed and people are left to wander forbidden paths with a lesser covenant and punitive terms that fall short of the greater priesthood.   

To this simple mathematical explanation should be added a caveat: Change is not equal to revelation. When God and His servants speak words of Christ, their words are not subject to revision. When He or His servants speak on His behalf their words will always be fulfilled. Not altered to be improved upon. God knows exactly what is needed at any given time. If change is required from one generation to the next, He makes the revision, never leaving it to man’s judgment. God will not change His covenant terms for convenience or to comply with popular trends.

          When change is made by God, it adds light and knowledge to the faithful, withdrawing light from less faithful who reject what God offers. God’s desire is always to add light and truth. One exception is when men prefer their own solutions over God’s. As when Israel sought an earthly king to replace the Lord as their Heavenly king [11] or Martin Harris and Joseph Smith refused to accept the answer “no” from the Lord. [12] In those instances people suffer self-inflicted darkness through sad experience.

Consider the Lord’s key to discern someone speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost. [13] Discerning one speaking inspired words from those who are not is the transfer of greater knowledge in the manner prescribed by God. If the opposite or anything less occurs, it is not of God.

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

In our interactions with one another, God’s presence can be discerned by the divine guidance given in this revelation to Joseph Smith. The litmus test for determining if God is involved in our interactions is: “they understand one another [knowledge is conveyed, Holy Ghost is present], both are edified and rejoice together.” When knowledge is transferred and both parties understand one another, all are edified and rejoice together. Why do they rejoice?

“. . . Again, I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, that they may not ask amiss, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in Heaven; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (RE Matthew 9:14; emphasis added).

Discerning if our conversations are Godly is measured by how we apply these principles. If alternative methods are used, the interaction is not of God. If it is not of Him the accuser directs the interaction.

          Nephi was shown how the accuser uses religious institutions as a tool for removing plain, precious, clear truth from inspired writings to accomplish his objective. The institution claims the change is inspired by God because they link their institutional position to His or His servant’s authority. Authoritative claims are the foundation for the institution. However, authority claims are not the coin of the realm in God’s kingdom; as the Lord declared to Joseph Smith:

“No power or influence [authority] can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood; . . .” (RE T&C 139:6; emphasis added).

Changes made by virtue of authoritative claims [“precepts of men”] should never be imposed upon a body of people by virtue of institutional authority. Particularly when changes alter teachings of dispensational heads. Following the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, rabbinical “like” leaders followed dispensational heads. Their presumed authority begins innovations on teachings introduced and endorsed by Joseph Smith and sustained by the church body. This occurred with the Lectures on Faith.

“. . .We Mormons have anthropomorphized [assign human characteristics to] God. Instead of deimorphizing man, Which is instead that we are made in His image (as the scriptures inform us) the Christians claim that we have turned God into our image. It's one of those doctrinal points.

Well, the church’s leaders in 1921 were not content merely with the Personages given to us by Joseph Smith in the First Vision, and elaborated upon in the Fifth Lecture, their enthusiasm has anthropomorphized and has created a being out of the Holy Spirit. We are going to deconstruct that. Then we are going to a look at the scriptures that the committee in 1921 got high-centered on to reject the description of God in the Lectures.

Remember in Lecture 3 verse 4. In order for you to exercise faith you must have a correct idea of God's character, perfections and attributes. You got to have that. If you don't have that then you are missing something that prevents you from having the right kind of faith. So the Fifth Lecture, verse 1: “We shall, in this lecture, speak of the Godhead—we mean the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” [Verse 2:]

“There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing, and supreme, power over all things, by whom all things were created and made, that are created and made, whether visible or invisible, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space. They are the Father and the Son—the Father being a personage of spirit, glory, and power, possessing all perfection and fullness, the Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, made or fashioned like unto man, which bears record and these three are one or another words these three constitute the great matchless government by whom all things are created and these three constitute the Godhead and are one.” [And then if you go down to the bottom of that verse:] “And he [Christ] being the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome, received a fullness of the glory of the Father, possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit, that bears record of the Father and the Son, and these three are one; or, in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme, power over all things; by whom all things were created and made that were created and made, and these three constitute the Godhead, and are one; the Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness—filling all in all; the Son being filled with the fullness of the mind, glory, and power; or, in other words, the spirit, glory, and power, of the Father, possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom, sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father, mediator for man, being filled with the fullness of the mind of the Father; or, in other words, the [Holy] Spirit of the Father, which Spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments; and all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of him who fills all in all; being filled with the fullness of his glory, and become one in him [Christ], even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.”

Well, the committee in 1921 concluded that this lecture was wrong about God the Father because he says he was a personage of spirit, glory and power. And the Son was a personage of tabernacle. They believe that the personage of the Father is a personage of tabernacle as well. That was the first mistake they thought that Joseph Smith, who vouched for the doctrine in these lectures, who stood in the presence of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, had made. At least in the estimation of this committee – who had not stood in God's presence. Because Joseph erred in doctrine they believed. And they thought they had “keys” that allowed them to change anything, including doctrine. Their “keys” [authority] were wholly derived from Joseph, and yet somehow made them superior to Joseph. [14] If you think about that for just a moment you see the foolishness of such a proposition. They concluded that Joseph Smith was wrong about his description of the Holy Spirit. And that the Holy Spirit is not merely one of the Godhead comprised by the mind of the Father and the Son, but was an individual, a personage in its own right. I suppose the Christians are right in one sense. Having an anthropomorphic God in the Father and Son, our committee wanted to do the same with the Holy Spirit.

It is clear there is a disagreement between Joseph Smith and this committee. Therefore, either Joseph Smith had an incorrect idea of God's character, perfections and attributes, or alternatively George F. Richards, Anthony W. Ivins, Melvin J. Ballard, James E. Talmage, John A. Widstoe, and Joseph Fielding Smith had an incorrect idea of God's character, and perfections and attributes because they disagree on this Lecture. The one saying these ideas are so vile and so error ridden that it must be taken out of the scriptures [committee], and the other [Joseph Smith] saying this is a true statement of our doctrine, and therefore, needs to be in our scriptures [1835 Doctrine & Covenants]. 

Consequently and correspondingly, either Joseph Smith did not, indeed could not, have faith. [15] Or alternatively George F. Richards, Anthony W. Ivins, Melvin J. Ballard, James E. Talmage, John A. Widstoe, and Joseph Fielding Smith did not, indeed could not, have faith. One or the other is true because they disagree on the definition of God. And you must have a correct idea of His character, perfection and attributes in order to exercise faith in Him. And so now we find ourselves having to choose. It's a healthy thing. You ought to have to choose. You ought to have your salvation at peril on how you choose. You ought to have to decide between whether you believe a man who stood in the presence of God, and bore testimony of what he saw, and what he felt, and what he heard, and others who constitute a committee that disagree with him. You should have to choose. And your eternal peril should hang in the balance as you make that choice. That is a perfect conundrum, in my view. Grow up. Accept the burden. Find out.

Learn about God. Or be damned by your carelessness, by your indifference, by your refusal to go forward. It ought to be so. And it ought to be put to you plainly. And you ought to have to choose. And you ought to have to choose every time you hear someone get up and offer something to you and conclude in the name of Jesus Christ. Because they are either offering you something from Him that will save you, or they are offering something that they hope will damn you, because they're signing you up on the wrong team. It ought to be so. Everlastingly, it ought to be so” (Faith, Denver Snuffer Jr., pp.12-14; emphasis added).

This is one example among many where subtraction from Joseph Smith’s teachings is treated as inspiration, even revelation. Joseph Smith, who stood in God’s presence and spoke with the Father and Son provides a precise description of the Godhead based on multiple first-hand accounts.

          Many years following Joseph’s death a committee, not quorum, of apostles assert their right to countermand a prophet, dispensation head, and literal witness of God. They intercede to correct Joseph Smith’s descriptions of the Godhead, de-canonizing it as scripture with a demonstrably false claim of the text never officially receiving canonization.

          This example not only decided a question of doctrine, but established a precedent for modern institutional leadership to follow. They presume when a dispensation head passes, surviving leadership is endowed with divine authority over everything instituted by the dispensation head. Including ordinances ordained by God.

          In the preface to the Doctrine & Covenants one of the first acts condemned by the Lord was how His ordinances are observed by mankind.

“. . . for they have strayed [“. . . to wander from a direct course, deviate from an intended path, or become lost”] from my ordinances and have broken my everlasting covenant. They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walks in his own way and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol which waxes old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great which shall fall” (RE T&C 54:3; emphasis added).

Ordinances are established by God through a dispensation head. Alteration of ordinances implies mortal leadership superseding Joseph Smith’s authority and prior revelations. This begs the question, “Can an “all knowing God” make mistakes when ordaining ordinances. Only to later be corrected by men claiming authority exceeding the dispensation head?” If that assumption is true, man is shaping God in man’s image rather than the reverse.

Ordinances and covenants are part of the “iron rod” [word of God] seen by Lehi and Nephi. To alter them from their original content nullifies their divinity and value as a guide marking the way on the straight and narrow path. Isaiah warned of dire consequences for those altering God’s ordinances and covenants.

“Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away; the world [Babylon] languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore has the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; [16] therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted do sigh. The mirth of tambourines ceases, the noise of them that rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases” (RE Isaiah 7:1; emphasis added).  

“Changed ordinances” and broken “everlasting covenants [because God made them by His word that “shall always be fulfilled” (see RE T&C 54:7)].” Changed ordinances and broken covenants are met with the Lord’s wrath, desolation, and burning of the earth.

          Isaiah’s description of the consequences for changing ordinances and breaking covenants is the basis for embracing personal responsibility for our salvation. This is the reason Snuffer points to the importance of choosing correctly.

“. . .You ought to have to decide between whether you believe a man who stood in the presence of God, and bore testimony of what he saw, and what he felt, and what he heard, and others who constitute a committee that disagree with him. You should have to choose. And your eternal peril should hang in the balance as you make that choice. [17]That is a perfect conundrum, in my view. Grow up. Accept the burden. Find out. Learn about God. Or be damned by your carelessness, by your indifference, by your refusal to go forward. It ought to be so. And it ought to be put to you plainly. And you ought to have to choose. And you ought to have to choose every time you hear someone get up and offer something to you and conclude in the name of Jesus Christ. Because they are either offering you something from Him that will save you, or they are offering something that they hope will damn you, because they're signing you up on the wrong team. It ought to be so. Everlastingly [like God’s covenant], it ought to be so” (Faith, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.14; emphasis added).

The “everlasting covenant” offered by God invites all mankind to approach the veil and converse with the Lord personally. He makes the offer of covenant, and we choose to accept or reject His offer.

Regardless of how we choose, we are always individually responsible for our choices. We cannot be absolved of personal responsibility by deferring to authoritative claims of others. God’s judgment of us is based on our individual choices. Consequences are meted out according to our decisions. That is why Denver declares, “Everlastingly, it should be so.”

The “Arm of the Lord” Has Been Revealed

          The Lord explained the times of the Gentiles “is come in”:

“And when that day shall come shall a remnant [of Israel] be scattered among all nations; but they shall be gathered again, but they shall remain until the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And in that day [last days] shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion. And men’s hearts shall fail them and shall say that Christ delays his coming until the end of the world, and the love of men shall wax cold and iniquity shall abound. And when the times of the gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel [restoration is complete], but they [Gentiles] receive it not, for they perceive not the light and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men. And in that generation shall the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. . .” (RE T&C 31:6-7; emphasis added).

When the light breaks forth, it is among people sitting in darkness, long after the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith [two hundred years and counting]. The darkness is from precepts of men replacing revealed truth introduced by Joseph Smith. Like the committee removing Lectures on Faith from the Doctrine and Covenants.

          The light breaking through darkness is a fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ by a servant of Christ, [18] a spokesman for Joseph Smith. [19] The Lord’s servant spoke last Sunday. The video is found on YouTube:

The Family of God-Refuge in a Troubled World

Denver Snuffer Jr.

Transcript:

The Holy Order, Part 3-Adoption

DenverSnuffer.com

We know by revelation the Gentiles reject the servant’s message generally. Each person makes the determination individually. Give heed to the words of the Lord’s servant and receive “peace and life eternal.” “Choose the right when a choice is placed before you.” [20]

[1] “Question: What are we to understand by the four angels spoken of by John, 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelation [Rev. 2:13]?

Answer: We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy. These are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness” (RE T&C 74:8; emphasis added).

[2] “For he that receives my servants receives me (T&C 82:17). The word servants in this context means “angels.” Angel is derived from the Greek word ággelos (ἄγγελος) which means “messenger.” The messenger must bring a message from the Lord. It does not matter if the messenger is mortal. The word describes a category of messenger that includes not only pre-mortal and post-mortal spirits, but also living men (see Alma 7:6 CE). When anyone, man or angel, is entrusted with a message from God, the message is God’s. God makes no distinction between the messenger and Himself. . .” (A Glossary of Gospel Terms, Angel, pp.9-10; emphasis added).

[3] “The Law also says for you to love your neighbor, and lets you even hate your enemy. But now I say to you: Love your enemies also, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you, so you may become the children of your Father who is in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Therefore everything ordained anciently under the Law of Moses has all been fulfilled through Me. Those prior things are over and I implement these new things. Therefore I want you to be perfect, just as I or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (CofC 3 Nephi 5:31; emphasis added).

[4] “And this greater Priesthood administers the gospel and holds the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof the power of godliness is manifest, and without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto man in the flesh, for without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.

Now, this, Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God, but they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence. Therefore, the Lord, in his wrath (for his anger was kindled against them, [this is an example of the conduct of mankind that kindles the Lord’s wrath]) swore that they should not enter into his rest — which rest is the fullness of his glory — while in the wilderness. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also. . .” (RE T&C 82:12-14; emphasis added).

[5] “And he being the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome, received a fullness of the glory of the Father, possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit, that bears record of the Father and the Son, and these three are one; or, in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme, power over all things; by whom all things were created and made that were created and made, and these three constitute the Godhead, and are one; the Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness—filling all in all; the Son being filled with the fullness of the mind, glory, and power; or, in other words, the spirit, glory, and power, of the Father, possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom, sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father, mediator for man, being filled with the fullness of the mind of the Father; or, in other words, the Spirit of the Father, which Spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments; and all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of him who fills all in all; being filled with the fullness of his glory, and become one in him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.” (Faith, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.13; emphasis added).

[6] “Alma began to elaborate, saying: Many people are given knowledge of God’s mysteries; however, they’re placed under a strict command to only discuss that part of His word He allows to be given to mankind, corresponding to their obedience and diligence given to Him. Those who harden their hearts receive less of His word. Those who don’t harden their hearts are given a greater part of His word, until they understand God’s mysteries. They can be given God’s mysteries until everything is fully known. However those who harden their hearts are given less of His word, until they know nothing about His mysteries. Then the accuser captures them and leads them by his will down to destruction. This is what the chains of hell mean” (CofC Alma 9:3; emphasis added).

“The Lord talked with Jared’s brother for three hours and chastised him because he didn’t remember to call on the Lord’s name. Jared’s brother repented of that evil and called on the Lord’s name on behalf of his companions who were with him. The Lord said to him: I’ll forgive you and your companions of their sins, but you must not sin anymore. You must remember that My Spirit won’t always influence mankind. Therefore if you persist in doing evil until you’re fully ripe, you’ll be cut off from the Lord’s presence. These are My conditions for the land I’ll give you as an inheritance [covenant terms for inheritance], since it will be a specially chosen land better than all other places on earth” (CofC Ether 1:8; emphasis added).

[7] “This re-writing of the New Testament texts came because of those early Christian debates. But

Hebrews was written before then. Therefore the words we find in Hebrews are words that mirror

the statement in Psalms. It's an earlier record. The ‘Deuteronomists’ were busy, not only during

the time of the Old Testament second temple period, they were busy, post New Testament era

before the formation of the great harlot, and they are surely busy even today. Today we call them

correlationists. . .” (Priesthood, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.28, emphasis added).

[8] “Now, my dear people, I believe you’re wondering a little in your hearts about what you should do after you’ve entered through the way. But why do you wonder over these things in your hearts? Don’t you remember I told you that after you had received the Holy Ghost, you could speak the words of angels? Now, how could you speak the message of the angels unless you did it by the Holy Ghost? Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; as a result, they speak Christ’s words. Therefore I told you: Feast on Christ’s words — because the words of Christ will tell you everything that you should do. After I’ve said these words, if you can’t understand them, it will be because you don’t ask or knock. Consequently, you aren’t brought into the light but are certain to perish in the dark. I tell you again, if you will enter through the way and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show you everything you should do. This is Christ’s doctrine. No more doctrine will be given until after He visits you here on earth. Once He shows Himself to you here on earth, you must obey what He tells you” (CofC 2 Nephi 14:1; emphasis added).

[9] “The doctrine of eternal judgments belongs to the first principles of the Gospel, in the last days. In relation to the kingdom of God, the devil always sets up his kingdom at the very same time in opposition to God” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (p. 415). (Function). Kindle Edition).

[10] “Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also. . .”  (RE T&C 82:14; emphasis added).

[11] “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel, unto Ramah, 5and said unto him, Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us, like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Listen unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done, since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in which they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto you. Now therefore listen unto their voice. Nevertheless, yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and will set them to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be compounders, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his officers and to his servants. And he will take your menservants and your maidservants, and your best young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his servants. And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day” (RE 1 Samuel 4:2-3; emphasis added).

[12] “Mr. Harris having returned from this tour, he left me and went home to Palmyra, arranged his affairs, and returned again to my house about the twelfth of April, eighteen hundred and twenty-eight, and commenced writing for me while I translated from the plates, which we continued until the fourteenth of June following, by which time he had written one hundred and sixteen pages of manuscript on foolscap paper. Some time after Mr. Harris had began to write for me, he began to tease me to give him liberty to carry the writings home and show them, and desired of me that I would inquire of the Lord through the Urim and Thummim if he might not do so. I did inquire, and the answer was that he must not. However, he was not satisfied with this answer and desired that I should inquire again. I did so, and the answer was as before. Still, he could not be contented, but insisted that I should inquire once more. After much solicitation I again inquired of the Lord and permission was granted him to have the writings on certain conditions, which were that he show them only to his brother Preserved Harris, his own wife [Lucy Harris Harris], his father [Nathan Harris], and his mother [Rhoda Lapham Harris], and a Mrs. [Polly Harris] Cobb, a sister to his wife. In accordance with this last answer I required of him that he should bind himself in a covenant to me in the most solemn manner that he would not do otherwise than had been directed. He did so. He bound himself as I required of him, took the writings and went his way.

Notwithstanding, however, the great restrictions which he had been laid under, and the solemnity of the covenant which he had made with me, he did show them to others and by stratagem they got them away from him, and they never have been recovered nor obtained back again until this day. In the meantime, while Martin Harris was gone with the writings, I went to visit my father’s family at Manchester. I continued there for a short season and then returned to my place in Pennsylvania. Immediately after my return home I was walking out a little distance, when behold, the former Heavenly messenger appeared and handed to me the Urim and Thummim again (for it had been taken from me in consequence of my having wearied the Lord in asking for the privilege of letting Martin Harris take the writings which he lost by transgression. . .” (RE T&C 1, Joseph Smith History 9:2-3).

[13] “It is one thing to see the kingdom of God, and another thing to enter into it. We must have a change of heart to see the kingdom of God, and subscribe the articles of adoption to enter therein. No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations. The Holy Ghost is a revelator” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (pp. 375-376). (Function). Kindle Edition).

[14] Thoughtful consideration of this statement exposes the irony of the committee’s logic. Joseph Smith was called to the Lord’s work by divine appearance and ongoing ministrations from Heaven. The committee made authoritative claims based upon Joseph Smith’s authority and revelations. Like Catholic authorities basing their authority through a connection to Peter. In the succession from Joseph Smith to Brigham Young one should ask, “Where was the Lord?” His silence should be a deafening cry to Joseph Smith’s followers.

[15] "How do you know someone speaks with authority? How do you know that Joseph is writing a testimony that is authoritative? How do we know if anyone who opens their mouth and they speak that God has approved the message that they are delivering? Go to Doctrine and Covenants section 5. This is March of 1929. Oliver Cowdrey wouldn't arrive until April 5th the month following this. Take a look first at verse 3:

“And I have caused you [Joseph Smith] that you should enter into a covenant with me, that you should not show them except to those persons to whom I commanded you; and you have no power over them except I grant it unto you.” At this moment in 1829, Joseph Smith is perhaps the only man alive who had a covenant with the Lord. "You have entered into a covenant with me." We are all the beneficiaries of covenants that existed from the beginning, given to “the fathers” which will become an important topic this year. But in terms of someone whom the Lord has struck a bargain with and made a covenant at the moment we are looking at in 1829, that person was Joseph Smith. Our Lord is a Man of covenants. Our Lord enters into covenants on a regular basis. To know Him is to covenant with Him. And Joseph when section 5 was revealed had one.

Looking at verse 4: “And you have a gift to translate the plates [presumably this encompasses writing]; and this is the first gift that I bestowed upon you; and I have commanded that you should pretend to no other gift until my purpose is fulfilled in this;” I want you to mark that. I want you to notice that Joseph is being told by God; “Don't pretend to any other gift than this translation.” Why would God do that?

Go back to verse 20 of the Joseph Smith History which happened in 1820. We already know Joseph had

been tutored by the Lord with “many other things did he say unto me at this time which I cannot write."

Joseph already knew a great deal. He had already seen things beyond the mortal eye. He had already been endowed with that certain understanding that reckons from the other side of the veil. As a consequence of which, Joseph knew a great deal more than what he was saying [prior to Oliver Cowdery's arrival when Joseph Smith would "dictate the words to another" (2 Nephi 11:19; emphasis added)]. But he had an assignment. The assignment consisted of the obligation to translate the Book of Mormon. Therefore Joseph was authorized at that moment only to accomplish that work [before Oliver arrived suggesting Joseph was actively engaged in the translation work prior to Oliver’s arrival]. If Joseph stepped beyond the boundary of the assignment entrusted to him at the moment he was doing this work he would be entertaining a pretense. This is because the errand given to him at the moment of the revelation was confined to the Book of Mormon [not dictation]. Did he know more? Absolutely. Did he have more at his disposal that he could've entertained people with? Without any question. But he was asked to do a work. And in the fidelity of his heart he confined himself to that work until it was first accomplished. To do more than that, would've been a pretense" (Be of Good Cheer, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.14, emphasis added).

From the earliest beginnings of the Restoration Joseph Smith knew more than anyone because of his covenant with God. To think a committee, many of whom were unfamiliar with Joseph Smith personally, were sufficiently informed to correct Joseph Smith on doctrine is patently absurd. Innovations like those of this committee is the reason gentiles reject the light breaking forth in darkness because of the precepts of men. (see RE T&C 31:6) They reject the “spokesman” for Joseph Smith in the last days who declares words Joseph Smith writes. (“The Lord also told me: I’ll give your descendants also a prophet and make a spokesman for him. I’ll inspire the one to write the record of your descendants to bless your offspring. And that spokesman will declare that record. The words he’ll [prophet] write will be the words that, in My wisdom, I consider important for your offspring to read. It will be as if your descendants called out to them from the dust, because I know their faith. They’ll call out the need for repentance from the dust for their brothers and sisters many generations after they’ve died. Their words will go forth in a way that is a direct, clear message. Because of their faith, their words will go from Me to their brothers and sisters who are your offspring. I’ll make the simplicity of their words result in strong faith as they learn about the covenant I made with your fathers” (CofC 2 Nephi 2:6; emphasis added).

[16] “And when that day shall come shall a remnant [of Israel] be scattered among all nations; but they shall be gathered again, but they shall remain until the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And in that day 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 [altering ordinances and breaking covenants].

And in that generation shall the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be men standing in that generation that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge, for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. But my disciples shall stand in holy places and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices, and curse God, and die. And there shall be earthquakes also in diverse places and many desolations. Yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword one against another and they will kill one another” (RE T&C 31:6-7; emphasis added).

[17] “Then the Angel told me: You’ve seen that if the Gentiles repent, it will turn out well for them. You also know about the Lord’s covenants with the house of Israel. And you’ve also heard that whoever doesn’t repent must perish. As a result, if the Gentiles harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, I will afflict them. Because the time will come, says the Lamb of God, when I’ll bring about a great and awe-inspiring work among mankind, one that will be everlasting — one way or the other — either to convince them, resulting in peace and life eternal; or to give them up to their hard hearts and blind minds, bringing about their slavery and temporal and spiritual destruction, under the accuser’s enslavement which I’ve spoken about” (CofC 1 Nephi 3:26; emphasis added).

[18] “Wherefore, the voice of the Lord is unto the end of the earth, that all that will hear may hear: Prepare yourselves, prepare for that which is to come, for the Lord is near and the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in Heaven and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth, and the arm of the Lord [servant] shall be revealed. And the day comes that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people, for they have strayed from my ordinances and have broken my everlasting covenant. They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walks in his own way and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol which waxes old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great which shall fall” (RE T&C 54:3; emphasis added).

[19] “The Lord also told me: I’ll give your [Joseph of Egypt’s] descendants also a prophet and make a spokesman for him [prophet]. I’ll inspire the one to write the record of your descendants to bless your offspring. And that spokesman will declare that record. The words he’ll [the prophet] write will be the words that, in My wisdom, I consider important for your offspring to read. It will be as if your descendants called out to them from the dust, because I know their faith. They’ll call out the need for repentance from the dust for their brothers and sisters many generations after they’ve died. Their words will go forth in a way that is a direct, clear message. Because of their faith, their words will go from Me to their brothers and sisters who are your offspring. I’ll make the simplicity of their words result in strong faith as they learn about the covenant I made with your fathers” (CofC 2 Nephi 2:6; emphasis added).

[20] “Choose the Right,” Text: Joseph L. Townsend, 1849-1942, Music: Henry A. Tuckett, 1852-1918

Scott Roderick

6/29/26

The Lord Reveals His Arm to the Gentiles.pdf

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