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“Wash Yourself, Make Yourself Clean” - Part 1 : Preparation for Zion

scottrode

          The Lord,  through His servant Isaiah said:


“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. [When you have done those preceding things] Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be [white] 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).


The majority of people read the Lord’s accusation that “our hands are full of blood” with righteous indignation. Taken literally, few in this mortal experience are guilty of literally shedding blood. To limit the Lord’s words to a literal application is short sighted and lacking in honest introspection.


          In a recent article on people experiencing near death experiences [NDE],there was several shared experiences. A common occurrence was a review of one’s life:


“The book “Lessons From the Light,” co-authored by Kenneth Ring, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Connecticut, who published nearly 100 papers on NDEs, recorded a case of a man who reported re-experiencing every event in 22 years of his life.


The brightness showed me every second of all those years, in exquisite detail, in what seemed only an instant of time,” he said.


“It’s a reliving of events, not just a remembering of events,” said Alexander. He explains that during the life review, if you had acted selfishly toward others during your lifetime, you would experience those events again, but now from the viewpoint of the people who experienced the suffering.


He believes this is where the concept of “hell” originates—those who inflicted pain and suffering during their lives would have to confront and experience that same pain during the life review. This should nudge people to realize that “We’re really all in this together and need to take care of each other and get along,” he said” (How Consciousness Opens Doors to Higher Dimensions, Yuhong Dong M.D. & Makai Allbert via Epoch Times, ZeroHedge, emphasis added).


When reviewing our past from the perspective of those whom we inflict pain through our acts, words, insensitivity, or lack of empathy, the experience inflames our conscience. In this sense, we all have blood on our hands, even when the offense was unintended.


          Joseph Smith elaborated on the nature of hell when mankind is resigned to suffer it:


A man is his own tormenter and his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I say, so is the torment of man” (Smith Jr., Joseph. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (pp. 405-406, emphasis added). Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.


The scriptures describe hell as a place burning with fire and brimstone, but the language figuratively describes mental anguish suffered from guilt of conscience. That suffering is triggered when someone unworthy draws nearer to the presence of God unworthily. God doesn’t consciously afflict people or banish them to a place of torment. Guilt is the consequence of feeling God withdraw His spirit when we are ill-prepared to be in His presence.


“In a prior talk we looked at Mormon 9: 2-5. We considered the reaction people will have in the last day of judgment. Those verses describe what it will be like to stand in the presence of a just and holy being while unprepared. They will feel awful, even condemned. However, I pointed out in that passage God does nothing other than exist. The disappointment in the mind of man is so exquisite that Joseph Smith compares it to a lake of fire and brimstone. Therefore, God “in His wrath” simply withdrew from ancient Israel. He took a step back because the people Moses led were not suited to be in His presence. Therefore, God withdrawing is how His “wrath” manifests itself. If He withdraws from you, that should be felt keenly as an absence and rejection” (The Teachings of Denver C. Snuffer Jr. Readers Edition Series) (pp. 219-220, emphasis added). Restoration Archives. Kindle Edition).


The context for understanding the Lord’s accusation that blood is on the hands of us all is understood through Alma the younger’s experience:


“Then I fell to the ground, and I couldn’t open my mouth or use my limbs for three days and nights. And the angel said more things to me, which were heard by my companions, but I didn’t hear them. Because when I heard the words: End your efforts to destroy the congregation, unless you want to be destroyed! I was struck with such great fear and amazement thinking I might be destroyed, that I collapsed and didn’t hear anything else. But I was tortured with eternal torment — my soul suffered to the greatest extent and was tortured by guilt over all my sins. I remembered every sin and all my iniquities, and they tormented me with the pains of hell. Indeed, I could see my rebellion against God and that I hadn’t kept His holy commandments. And I had effectively murdered many of His children by leading them away to destruction — to be clear, my iniquities had been so overwhelming that the very thought of coming into the presence of God tortured my soul with inexpressible horror. I thought to myself: I wish I could vanish and cease all existence, both spirit and body, so I could avoid being brought to stand in the presence of God to be judged for my actions. And now I was tortured with the pains of a damned soul for three days and nights” (CofC, Alma 17:3, emphasis added).


Alma the younger had not literally committed the act of murder. He had not terminated someone’s life. Still, when facing guilt associated with those souls misled by him, Alma viewed his deceit as an act of murder, albeit, spiritual. Reflecting on this perspective on murder, there was no difficulty recalling past offenses.


          The sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel visited him and called them all to repentance. We read of Ammon’s words expressing similar feelings to those spoken by Alma the younger.


“This is what Ammon said to his companions: My brothers and friends: What great reason we have to rejoice! Could we have thought, when we started out from Zarahemla, that God would have given us such great blessings? Now I ask: What are all the blessings He has bestowed on us? Can you even list them? I’ll answer for you: Our Lamanite brothers and sisters were in darkness, indeed, in the darkest abyss. Yet how many of them have been brought to see God’s marvelous light! This is the blessing God has bestowed upon us: we’ve been made instruments in God’s hands to bring about this great work. Indeed, thousands of them are rejoicing and have been brought into God’s fold. The field was ripe. And you are blessed, because you took your sickles and reaped with your strength; indeed, you worked the whole day — and see how many bundles you have! They’ll be gathered into the storehouses, so they aren’t lost. They won’t be beaten down by the storm on the last day, or torn up by the tornadoes. But when the storm comes, they’ll be brought together safely, so the storm can’t reach them. And they won’t be driven by angry winds to wherever the enemy might decide to scatter them. Rather, they’re in the hands of the Lord of the harvest. They are His, and He’ll raise them up on the last day. Blessed is the name of God! Let us sing to His praise; let us give thanks to His holy name, because He brings about righteousness forever. Consider that if we hadn’t come up from Zarahemla, these dearly beloved brothers and sisters of ours, who have loved us in return, still would have been filled with hatred for us. And they would have been strangers to God as well.


When Ammon had said these words, his brother Aaron reprimanded him, saying: Ammon, I’m afraid your joy is making you brag. But Ammon said to him: I’m not bragging about my own strength or wisdom; but my joy is full. My heart overflows with joy, and I’ll rejoice in God. I know that I’m nothing; as to my strength, I’m weak. So I won’t brag about myself, but I’ll brag about God; because I can do all things using His strength. Indeed, we’ve performed many powerful miracles in this land, for which we’ll praise His name forever. Consider how many thousands of our brothers and sisters He has delivered from the pains of hell! They’re brought to sing redeeming love — and this is because of the power of His word given to us. Therefore don’t we have great reason to rejoice? Yes, we have reason to praise Him forever, because He is the Most High God and has released these fellow brothers and sisters of ours from the chains of hell. They were surrounded by everlasting darkness and destruction; but He has brought them into His everlasting light, indeed, into everlasting salvation. And they’re surrounded by the unmatched goodness and gift of His love. Indeed, we’ve been His instruments in bringing about this great and awe-inspiring work. Therefore we should rejoice! We’ll rejoice in the Lord; we’ll truly rejoice, since our joy is full; we’ll praise God forever.


Who can rejoice too much in the Lord? Who can say too much of His great power and mercy and long-suffering toward mankind? I tell you: I can’t say the smallest part of what I feel. Who would have thought God was so merciful that He would rescue us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state? We attempted to destroy His congregation, angrily making threats. Then why didn’t He condemn us to an awful destruction? Indeed, why didn’t He let the sword of His justice fall upon us and doom us to eternal despair? My soul almost runs away, as it were, at that thought. He didn’t impose His justice on us, but instead showed His great mercy, taking us safely over the everlasting abyss of death and misery, all the way to the salvation of our souls. And now, my friends, what person in their natural state knows these things? I tell you: No one knows these things except for the repentantThose who repent, exercise faith, do good works, and pray continually, these are the ones who are able to know God’s mysteries. These are the ones who will be able to reveal things that have never been revealed. And these are the ones who will be granted the ability to bring thousands of souls to repentance, just as it has been granted to us to bring these brothers and sisters of ours to repentance” (CofC, Alma 14:16-18, emphasis added).


Alma the younger and Mosiah’s sons were chastened by an Angel and suffered for their sins. After a period of sore repentance, they devoted their lives to saving their fellow men. What is noteworthy was their preparation for accomplishing these “awe-inspiring” acts. Ammon summarized their preparation by pointing to repentance, faith, good works, and praying continually. Those following this pattern should expect a similar result. In addition to Ammon’s formula for becoming one who reveals God’s mysteries and converts thousands of rebellious souls, we have Alma’s description of Mosiah’s sons.


“As Alma was traveling from Gideon southward to Manti, to his surprise he came upon Mosiah’s sons on their way to Zarahemla. Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma when the angel first appeared to him. So Alma was overjoyed at seeing his friends again. They were still his faithful brothers in the Lord and that added to his joy. Their understanding of the truth had expanded greatly. They had grown from their experiences and from serious study of the scriptures. But this isn’t all; they also faithfully prayed and fasted, and as a result, they had the spirit of prophecy and revelation. When they taught, they taught with the power and authority of God. They had been teaching God’s word for 14 years among the Lamanites with a lot of success in bringing many of them to accept the truth. Indeed, by the power of their words many knelt in prayer before God, asking in His name for their sins to be forgiven. They had encountered many afflictions during their missionary work. They suffered a great deal, both in body and mind, including hunger, thirst, fatigue, and many spiritual challenges. This is the account of their journey: In the first year of the judges’ rule, after refusing to be kings as their father and the people wanted, and saying goodbye to their father Mosiah, they left Zarahemla. They brought their swords, spears, bows, arrows, and slings, to provide food while in the wilderness. They went into the wilderness with a few chosen companions, to go to the land of Nephi and preach to the Lamanites.


They traveled for many days in the wilderness. To have a portion of the Spirit of the Lord accompany them, they fasted and prayed often, asking the Lord to let them be instruments in God’s hands to persuade their Lamanite brothers and sisters to accept the truth, if at all possible. They hoped they would understand their ancestors’ traditions were false and corrupt.


The Spirit of the Lord visited and told them: Take comfort. (And that comforted them to hear it.) The Lord also said: Go to the Lamanites, your brothers and sisters, and convey My word. You must be patient, long-suffering, and endure afflictions, to set a good example for them. I’ll make you messengers in My hands to save many soulsThen Mosiah’s sons and those with them resolved in their hearts to go to the Lamanites to teach them God’s word” (CofC, Alma 12:1-3, emphasis added).


The sons of Mosiah and their companions followed the pattern explained by Ammon, but they in turn sacrificed everything to devote 14 years to reclaiming their Lamanite brethren and sisters. The price they paid to have the Lord’s Spirit accompany them was to fast and pray often, asking the Lord’s permission to be instruments in His hands[1] in persuading their brethren their traditions were false.[2] The final step in their preparation was to receive the Spirit of the Lord and a divine commission. When they obtained the Lord’s Spirit, they received the spiritual gifts of prophecy and revelation. This was the spiritual foundation laid by Mosiah’s sons and their companions prior to preaching. These gifts allowed them to be authoritative and persuasive in their teaching.


          Turning to the example of Alma the younger, we see the same preparatory elements at the foundation leading to his success preaching repentance to the Nephites.


“Now Alma was very discouraged seeing the pains and troubles of God’s humble followers, the abuse piled on them by others, and the growing inequality. Despite his discouragement, the Spirit of the Lord inspired him. He appointed a wise man from the congregation’s elders and the people voted to authorize him to adopt new laws, consistent with their existing law, to limit sinful, criminal behavior. The man’s name was Nephihah, and he was elected chief judge; he accepted the judgment seat to judge and govern the people. Alma didn’t authorize him to be the high priest over the congregation — he kept that office himself. Only the judgment seat was handed over to Nephihah. He did this to free himself to go preach God’s word to the Nephites, and urge them to remember their duty. He wanted to use God’s word to confront all the pride, clever lies, and resulting conflicts among his people. He could see no way he could bring them back to the right way except by directly confronting them with pure testimony of the truth. So at the start of the ninth year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites, Alma handed over the judgment seat to Nephihah and devoted himself completely to the High Priesthood of the Holy Order of God, to teaching God’s word according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy” (CofC, Alma 2:5, emphasis added).


While the sons of Mosiah and their associates preached among the Lamanites, Alma the younger assumed the office of chief judge and presiding high priest of the Holy Order over the congregation. In the seventh year of the rule of judges, Alma witnessed an increase in pride, prosperity, and turning toward material wealth and away from God in the congregation.


          Prompted by God’s inspiration, Alma resigned his judgeship, devoting his time to calling congregations to repentance. Alma applied the same spiritual gifts used by Ammon and his brethren to persuade the Lamanites to turn from the traditions of their fathers back to God. Bearing a pure testimony of truth and using prophecy and revelation, Alma had similar success among the Nephites as the sons of Mosiah among the Lamanites.


          Repetition of content in scripture is a method of emphasizing the importance of what is repeated. In the accounts of Alma and Mosiah’s sons the emphasis on the spirits of prophecy and revelation stand out.


“I testify whatever is good comes from God and whatever is evil comes from the accuser. So if a person does good works, then they respond to the Good Shepherd’s voice and follow Him. But whoever does evil works becomes a child of the accuser, since they follow his voice and obey him. Whoever does this will get their payment from him. He’ll compensate them with death as to righteousness, letting all good works in you die. Now, my people, I want you to listen, because I sincerely plead from the core of my soul. I’ve spoken plainly to you so you won’t miss the point, based upon God’s commandments. I’m called to speak in this way from the duty held by the Holy Order after the Order of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It’s my obligation to stand and testify to this people about what our fathers have prophesied about what will happen. And this isn’t all. Do you think I don’t know personally about these things? I testify that everything I’ve spoken about is true. How do you think I know of their certainty? I’ll tell you: They were revealed to me by God’s Holy Spirit. I’ve fasted and prayed many days to obtain personal knowledge of these things. And I know personally they’re true, since the Lord God has revealed them to me by His Holy Spirit; which is the Spirit of revelation that’s in me. Just like it was revealed to me that the words of our fathers are true, the spirit of prophecy and revelation from the Spirit of God to me confirms and therefore I personally know, what I told you about the future is true. I tell you that I know Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, who’s full of grace, mercy, and truth, will come. He is coming to take away the sins of the world, the sins of every person firmly believing in His name.


I testify this is the Holy Order I’ve been ordained into to preach to my dear people — and to everyone who lives in the land — to preach to all: the old and the young, the enslaved and the free, the middle-aged and the rising generation — to invite them all to repent and be born again” (CofC, Alma 3:8-9, emphasis added).


The spirits of prophecy and revelation is mentioned multiple times in Alma’s account:


“Then Alma ate bread until he was full; and he blessed Amulek and his household, and thanked God. After eating his fill, he told Amulek: I’m Alma; I’m the high priest over the congregations of God throughout the land. I was called by the spirit of revelation and prophecy to preach God’s word to all these people. I was here before but they were unwilling to listen to me, and they threw me out. I was about to turn my back on this land forever. But I’ve been commanded to return and prophesy to the people and testify against their iniquities. Now Amulek, because you’ve fed me and taken me in, you are blessed. I was hungry because I had fasted for many days. Alma stayed with Amulek for many days before he began to preach to the people” (CofC Alma 6:7, emphasis added).


The pattern of study, fasting, and prayer lead to receiving the gifts of prophecy and revelation. Power in the gifts of prophecy and revelation translate in softening hearts and conversion to Christ.


          Next we see the spirits of prophecy and revelation used to warn the people of Ammonihah of the impending judgments of God’s wrath falling upon them if they fail to repent.


“But I warn you if you persist in doing evil, your time on the land will end, because the Lamanites will attack you [prophecy]. If you don’t repent, they’ll come when you don’t expect it, and you’ll be punished and destroyed. It will be the result of the Lord’s fierce anger. He won’t allow you to live in your iniquities, polluting His people. I tell you: No, He would choose to let the Lamanites destroy the entire Nephite nation if they were to fall into sin and transgression by rejecting so much light and knowledge given to them by the Lord their God. You’ve been a greatly blessed people by the Lord, more blessed than people of other nations, tribes, and languages. You’ve had things revealed to you about the past, present, and future. You’ve had your desires, faith, and prayers answered. You’ve been visited by the Spirit of God and heard the Lord’s voice speak to you. You’ve talked with angels and received the spirit of prophecy and revelation. You’ve been given many gifts: the gift of speaking in tongues, the gift of preaching, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the gift of translation; you were rescued by God from the land of Jerusalem by His hand and then saved from famine, illness, and all kinds of diseases. The Nephites have been strengthened in battle so they couldn’t be killed and have been repeatedly freed from slavery and watched over and preserved until now. You’ve prospered until you’re now rich in many things” (CofC, Alma 7:4, emphasis added).


Alma the younger’s testimony was authoritative because he spoke by the power of the Holy Ghost, that gave Alma the spirits of prophecy and revelation and carried his testimony into the hearts of the people. The same process was followed by the sons of Mosiah while preaching to the Lamanites. First Nephi explained this process in his writing:


“Now I can’t write everything that was taught to my people, and I’m also not as effective a writer as I am a speaker. Because when anyone speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost, the power of the Holy Ghost impresses people’s hearts. But there are many who harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, so there is no room for it within them. So they reject many written things, regarding them as worthless . . .” (CofC, 2 Nephi 15:1, emphasis added).


The Lord explained what Nephi wrote to Joseph Smith:


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


In this day of the Gentiles, authority in God’s name has been reduced to claims of ecclesiastical authority determined by position and seniority. A type of “last man standing” has authority approach. In the Lord’s economy, His servants carry their credentials with them. They speak by the power of the Holy Ghost and those who hear them understand what is said, both speaker and hearer are edified and rejoice together. There is a transfer of knowledge and understanding ratified in the hearts of both people through a spiritual connection.[3] Together they are edified and share the joy of being unified in their mutual understanding.


Alma held the position of presiding high priest in the Holy Order, but the sons of Mosiah did not. Alma’s Nephite audience was familiar with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but needed to be reminded. Gospel observance had entropized among the Lamanites and had to be restored. Position or authority had no standing among the uninitiated. Still, the manifestation of God’s power in their words and deeds was sufficiently authoritative and persuasive. We find the same characteristic in the Savior’s teachings, where the Jews acknowledged and distinguished His teachings from those who were authorized by man to teach among the Jews.


“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings with his disciples, the people were astonished at his teachings, for he taught them as one having authority from God and not as having authority from the scribes” (RE Matthew 3:49, emphasis added).


When the Savior taught, common Jews distinguished His authority from prominent rabbis who asserted authority by their standing and scholarship. Unlike the rabbis, His authority changed hearts and imparted understanding.


          As one gains greater knowledge, it is difficult to understand why the resumption of the Restoration is not better received among those who remain with the vestiges of the original Restoration. What appears obvious remains veiled to the hearts of others because of the traditions of their fathers.[4] There will always be this great divide until some among us follow the pattern of Alma the younger and Mosiah’s sons rise up, teaching in the Lord’s power and authority.


          Fasting, prayer, and familiarity with the scriptures with the Holy Ghost precede mass conversions. The accounts of Alma the younger’s ministry to the Nephites and the ministry of Mosiah’s sons to the Lamanites is a type for our day. Within the two accounts we see similarities between what occurred then and what is occurring now. The experiences with Alma and Mosiah’s sons explain how the Gentile dispensation is closing and begins opening to the Lamanites to fulfill the promises God made to their Fathers and Israel.

 

[1] “Now the Nephites under the second king’s rule began to grow hard in their hearts and indulge in wicked practices to a certain degree, like David of old and his son Solomon did, wanting to have many wives and concubines. They also began to spend their time searching for gold and silver and began to be filled with pride. Therefore I Jacob addressed the following words to them as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained from the Lord the message I was to give themsince my brother Joseph and I had been ordained as priests and teachers of this people by NephiWe honored our callings for the glory of the Lord, taking upon ourselves the responsibility, viewing the people’s sins as our responsibility if we didn’t diligently teach them God’s word. That being the case, by laboring with our strength their blood wouldn’t stain our clothes, otherwise their blood would stain our clothes and we wouldn’t be found spotless on the last day” (CofC, Jacob 1:4, emphasis added).


[2] “The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one. Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning [pre-mortality], and God having redeemed man from the Fall, man became again, in their infant state, innocent before God. And that wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth” (RE T&C 93:11, emphasis added).

 

[3] “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 (p. 376, emphasis added). Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition).


[4] “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).


Scott Roderick

1/28/2025




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