What Nephi Said to Joseph Smith - Part 3(revised from 2/10/24)

After the ensign is opened by a collaboration [1] with the “Root of Jesse” and angelic ministrants interesting events commence Israel’s gathering:

“And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people [Israel] which shall be left from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations [repentant Gentiles], and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah, from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:11-12; emphasis added).

“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. ​[You see, its knowledge, full of knowledge of the Lord. That’s what you have to lay hold on.] ​And in that day [Last days] there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his [root of Jesse] rest shall be glorious [spirit of Elijah, T&C 151:9]. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time [RE Jacob 6:2, clearly the purview of the Root of Jesse] to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left. Well, this shall shortly come to pass. Not then, not that day, but by and by. (God in Our Day Part 1, podcast, Denver Snuffer Jr., December 15, 2019).      

Two events transpire in Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah mentions the Lord will “set His hand again the second time to recover his people.” Isaiah’s description appears to be self-explanatory, but Jacob in the Book of Mormon clarifies Isaiah’s prophecy by explaining the significance of what “setting His hand the second time” means:

 “And in the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power to nourish and prune his vineyard. And after that, the end soon cometh” (RE Jacob 4:1, emphasis added).

Raising the ensign is both a beginning and end. It is a beginning for those gathering to the ensign to seek the Lord. Those hardening their hearts against the work of the Lord, or “the world” (destruction of the wicked) [2] ends.

          In addition to gathering the Lord’s family to the ensign, these events heal the relationship between Ephraim [Israel’s birthright] and Judah [throne of Israel].       

“The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off. Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. But they [Ephraim and Judah] shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines [Israel’s enemies] toward the west, they shall spoil them of the east together, they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue [spokesman] of the Egyptian sea [“sea” is Isaiah’s military metaphor, destruction like Noah’s flood], and with his mighty wind [the Lord’s tool for dividing and subduing the Red Sea in Moses’ day] he shall shake his hand [His Davidic servant] over the river, [Priesthood power, like Moses using the Spirit of Elijah] and shall smite it in the seven streams, [divide and conquer] and make men go over with dry feet. And there shall be a highway for the [righteous] remnant of his people [Israel] which shall be left from Assyria, [dominant, oppressive adversary of Israel in Hezekiah’s day] like it was to Israel in the day that he [Moses] came up out of the land of Egypt” [deliverance from Egyptian bondage] (RE Isaiah 5:5, emphasis added).

Ephraim [repentant gentiles and Lehi’s descendants] and Judah [remnant of Israel] unite and by divine Priesthood empowerment passing through Egypt’s (captors) military and enemies confronting them thereafter.

Ephraim and Judah Unite

“That will be people living in a place of peace and they will be the only people who are not at war one with another. They will be people who accept a body of teachings and allow them to govern their daily walk; both with each other and with God, so that they receive “commandments, not a few” and “revelations in their day” because that is what the people of Zion must necessarily be willing to do . . .

Joseph Smith said the Spirit of Elias was revealed to him, but “the Spirit of Elijah holds something more. It holds the revelations, ordinances, endowments and sealings necessary to accomplish turning the hearts of the fathers to the children by securing an unbroken thread between the living and the fathers in heaven. This can only be done in a temple prepared for that purpose.” I’m reading Joseph. Without sealing of living children to the fathers in heaven, who dwell in glory and who sit upon thrones, the return of the Lord with Enoch and the other thousands who will accompany him would result in none escaping the judgments to come'' (New Jerusalem, Denver Snuffer Podcast, June 10, 2018, emphasis added)

A union occurs between Ephraim and Judah that is more than a physical uniting between people. It refers to a union between of their records, languages, religious beliefs, and most importantly, their hearts.

It is typified by kings Mosiah, Benjamin and Mosiah. Be attentive to details. Mosiah’s people are descendants of Joseph [Gentiles, Lehi’s descendants] the people of Zarahemla are descendants of Judah [Jesse, Jesus, David] through Mulek, the only surviving heir to Zedekiah’s throne. The first Mosiah and his heirs are seers with a Urim and Thummim passed down from father to son. Ancient, lost records are translated and restored through them. All necessary elements are present to typify Israel’s latter-day gathering; should one choose to explore the account in depth.

The Root of Jesse- A Man of Flesh and Blood

“We’re promised that one will come who will be part of Jesse and part of Ephraim who will set in order —whose identity will be established by the work accomplished and not by the foolishness of prideful claims made by someone who’s done nothing. If the work is done, once it’s completed, you might be able to guess—but any fool can run around claiming themselves to be whatever their peculiar schizophrenia allows them to claim (Noah podcast, Denver Snuffer Jr., April 7, 2019).

“Because of prophecies made to the patriarchal fathers, the right to found this future city of peace descends from a specific ancient line. There will be an heir descended from both Jesse and Joseph who will accomplish it” (Was there an Original, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.35; emphasis added).

“Time and time again, the location of Zion is approved by the Lord in different spots precisely because the entirety of North and South America would be an acceptable place to found Zion. But within those general geographic parameters, it must be in the mountains. It must be among the natives who are originally here. It must be established under the guidance of someone who hails from both the tribe of Ephraim and is a descendent of Jesse. You can read that in the Doctrine and Covenants. And it will surely come” (Zion, Denver Snuffer Jr., April 12,2014, emphasis added).

Conclusion

          Two men, one has come, [Joseph Smith, “the Rod”] and one [“the Root of Jesse,” end times servant] prepares the way for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The process involves the Spirit of Elias, [Joseph Smith] like John the Baptist, prepares for and re-establishes the Aaronic Priesthood to Earth. The foundational [3]work of Joseph Smith began the work of Elias when Joseph and Oliver Cowdery were ordained to this priesthood under the hand of John the Baptist. [4]

         Joseph Smith laid the foundation for the gospel and Church of Jesus Christ to be restored through writing a portion of the Book of Mormon, the Inspired Version of the Bible, Lectures on Faith, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

          Joseph Smith is the “Rod” spoken of in the 11th chapter of Isaiah [RE Isaiah 5] and was given “much power” to reintroduce the doctrine of Christ and illuminate more of the Savior’s teachings through Book of Mormon introduced to the Gentiles as a “covenant.” [5] 

          Joseph Smith sought diligently to advance the people beyond the Spirit of Elias and the Aaronic Priesthood by introducing the Melchizedek Priesthood. Most if not all ordained to this priesthood by Joseph Smith [“called”] fell short of their covenant obligation [not “chosen”]; the Lord withdrew this priesthood from the church but sustained Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s ordinations.

“And again, verily I say unto you, let all my saints come from afar, and send swift messengers, yea, chosen messengers, and say unto them, Come all of you, with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious stones, and with all your antiquities, and with all who have knowledge of antiquities that will come, may come. And bring the box tree, and the fir tree, and the pine tree, together with all the precious trees of the earth, and with iron, with copper, and with brass, and with zinc, and with all your precious things of the earth, and build a house unto my name for the Most High to dwell therein. For there is not place found on the earth that he may come and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he has taken away, even the fullness of the Priesthood” (T&C 141:10, emphasis added).

          The purpose for constructing the Nauvoo Temple was to restore the priesthood fullness the Lord removed from the church. Not from Joseph and Hyrum Smith. If the priesthood fullness was withdrawn from the church, all that remained was the lesser, Aaronic Priesthood. This mirrors exactly what happened to Israel, when Moses and the Holy Priesthood were taken from them and the Aaronic Priesthood remained.

“Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also. And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holds the key of the ministering of angels, and the preparatory gospel, which gospel is the gospel of repentance, and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron, among the children of Israel, until John, [the Baptist] whom God raised up, being filled with the holy ghost from his mother’s womb. For he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power: to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power” (T&C 82:10, emphasis added).

Remarkably, the exact pattern of events between Moses and Joseph Smith is possibly the reason the Lord inspired both Joseph of Egypt and Joseph Smith through revelation to compare the roles of both prophets.

“. . . Yea, thus prophesied Joseph [of Egypt]: I am sure of this thing, even as I am sure of the promise of Moses; for the Lord hath said unto me, I will preserve thy seed for ever. And the Lord hath said, I will raise up a Moses, and I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue that he shall speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law by the finger of mine own hand, and I will make one a spokesman for him. [Aaron]

And the Lord said unto me also, I will raise up unto the fruit of thy [Joseph of Egypt’s] loins, [Joseph Smith] and I will make for him a spokesman. And I, behold, I will give unto him that he [Joseph Smith] shall write the writing of the fruit of thy loins unto the fruit of thy loins; and the spokesman of thy loins shall declare it . . .” (RE 2 Nephi 2:5-6, emphasis added).

Joseph of Egypt draws parallels between Moses and Joseph Smith noting similarities in their ministries and outcomes. The most glaring is the declaration both men write and have spokesmen. Joseph Smith writes the record of Joseph but the spokesman from Joseph declares the words Joseph Smith writes in the record of Joseph or Book of Mormon.

         A more subtle parallel between the two is the Lord empowers Moses “in a rod” and Joseph Smith is “the Rod, on whom much power is laid” [6] in Isaiah’s metaphor. Play on words possibly? Could it have another parallel through the story of Moses instructing Aaron to gather rods with the names of each tribe of Israel, Aaron’s name representing the tribe of Levi to be placed in the tabernacle. The rods are held overnight, and when Moses returns to the tabernacle the following day, he finds Aaron’s rod is the one that blossomed and bore fruit of almonds. Is this similar to Isaiah’s prophecy where “the branch from his graft bears fruit?” [7] These events are associated with the Priesthood of Aaron and Spirit of Elias held by Joseph Smith through John the Baptist. When the rod of Aaron is associated with the tabernacle overnight, it blossoms and bears fruit instantly. Could the combination of the rod of Aaron residing in the “tabernacle,” [Temple] represent metaphorically joining Elias with the Spirit of Elijah and the Priesthood fullness invigorating the severed branch allowing it to bear fruit? Is that a type for the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic metaphor?

The Lord Compares Moses and Joseph Smith by Revelation

“Behold, I say unto you, Oliver [second Elder, associate president of the Church], that it shall be given unto you that you shall be heard by the church in all things whatever you shall so teach them by the Comforter concerning the revelations and commandments which I have given. But behold, verily, verily I say unto you, no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph, for he receives them even as Moses. And you shall be obedient unto the things which I shall give unto him, even as Aaron, to declare faithfully the commandments and the revelations, with power and authority unto the church. And if you are led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the church, you may do it, but you shall not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom. And you shall not command him who is at your head and at the head of the church, for I have given him the keys of the mysteries of the revelations which are sealed [Spirit of Elijah], until I shall appoint unto him another in his stead” [is this a reference to Joseph or Oliver having someone appointed in “his stead?”] (RE T&C 10:1, emphasis added).

Following Joseph Smith’s ordination the Lord gave to Joseph, “the keys of the mysteries of the revelations which are sealed” and those keys relate to the higher sealing power of the Melchizedek Priesthood. [8] They were never given to the church, only to Joseph and, according to the Lord’s instruction to Oliver, Joseph alone held those keys. What was removed from the church was any semblance of the fullness of the Priesthood. It was not restored at Nauvoo and given Joseph Smith’s words regarding king David and his latter-day heir, the fullness of the Priesthood and Spirit of Elijah would not be given until Elijah delivers them to a descendant of David, by the name of David in the last days.

Spokesman for Joseph Smith

          The prophecy of Joseph of Egypt said Joseph Smith writes the record of Joseph but the spokesman for Joseph Smith declares it. The mortal ministry of Joseph Smith bore none of the fruits described by Joseph of Egypt. [9] In fact, Joseph of Egypt said Joseph Smith would not be made strong until Israel is gathered in the last days, a responsibility of the “Root of Jesse” [10] and John the Beloved. [11] Since Joseph Smith died and no longer speaks in mortality, the spokesman from Joseph declares the words Joseph Smith taught and wrote. The “Root of Jesse” is initially linked to John the Beloved through Israel’s gathering. John the Beloved is the Elias concluding the dispensation of Joseph Smith by ministering as an angel to the “Root of Jesse,” a mortal man and “heir of salvation.” [12] 

          Before Israel gathers and all things restored, the matter of making Joseph Smith strong from weakness must be done before we progress prophetically from the Spirit of Elias to the Spirit of Elijah.

“There’s so much left to be done! Right now the only thing that can be done is to remind you of the Restoration [Joseph Smith, Spirit of Elias, weakness], and that is available to all. Everyone’s invited. Everyone. But don't expect the Lord to give us anything further or permit us to move one inch further until we first remember what we've been given. And even if you are in a fallen world among a fallen people who are proud and who are arrogant and who think themselves more than they really are, if you will love your wife and if your wife will love you, you are in the image of God, and that will be preserved unto all eternity. No matter what else you may have to go through between now and then, that's what He's trying to preserve. That is the image of God." (Marriage and Family, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.29 emphasis added).

“This search into the highest heaven is the search to find holiness. Joseph Smith wanted us to ascend, like the ancients, into that realm of light and truth. How can any of us be content to listen to the institutional fare? It is incapable of sustaining spiritual life. Joseph’s ideas and teachings are as far above those teachings of today as the heavens are above the earth. The restoration once sought to find what God declared as “His way” to Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” How the restoration has fallen! It is little wonder so many now hold Mormonism in contempt. It has become unnecessarily contemptible when it ought to be inspiring” (Shattered Promises, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.9, emphasis added).

“That was what Joseph Smith lived. That was what he described the restoration as having included. That was what he attempted to turn into a ritual to be housed in the temple so that everyone in the ceremony could experience the same kind of angelic ministerance coming and talking to you and giving to you the obligation to live a higher life [Spirit of Elias] and then a higher life still [Spirit of Elijah], and then yet another higher standard of conduct, until at last you’re purified sufficiently to come and embrace the Lord through the veil, and upon embracing Him through the veil receive from Him, not a name but a seven-fold blessing that stretches from time into eternity [Spirit of Messiah]. Any of you who have been through the temple will realize that what goes on there is something that is very other-worldly, very foreign, very strange, very unusual. We don’t typically see that level of ritual in the Mormon religion that’s really relatively informal. But in the temple it gets quite formal. It’s because that was the process by which Joseph Smith learned about what went on throughout history. Do you really believe that God would trust into the hands of a wicked man, a liar, and a deceiver, the restoration of the gospel for the salvation of every one that would live in the world thereafter? I feel like it’s silly that you have to defend the character of Joseph Smith to Mormons. But given the latest essays that have been published by the most successful Church that claims him as their founder, I find that the ridiculous is necessary. Joseph Smith was a good man. Joseph Smith was a far better man than most of you think he was. Joseph Smith was true and faithful to everything that had been entrusted to his care . . .” (Mormon History Fireside, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.11, emphasis added).

 Transition from the Spokesman [Rod, Elias] to the Servant [Root of Jesse, Elijah]

          The latter-day work of John the Beloved is, as Elias, Aaronic. As mentioned earlier, John the Beloved and the “Root of Jesse” share the divine commission to gather Israel in the last days, in preparation for Christ’s return.

Joseph Smith taught that king David from ancient Israel has a descendant from his lineage who receives Elijah and his spirit and the fullness of the priesthood in the last days. David’s heir shares the name of David and latter-day David is portrayed in prophecy as one that transitions from the Priesthood of Aaron to the Melchizedek Priesthood and Elijah. RE Ezekiel 19:4 & 6 bear striking similarities to the prophecy of Joseph of Egypt and affirms this transition.

Both accounts mention combining records of Judah and Joseph, albeit Ezekiel refers to the records as sticks. Where the two chapters diverge is when Joseph of Egypt refers to the record of Judah [Jesse] growing together with the record of Joseph.  After Ezekiel foresees the “stick of Judah” combining with the “stick of Joseph,” Ezekiel speaks of a latter-day king assuming the throne of Israel. In Ezekiel’s prophecy we witness David’s transition from Aaronic king to a “prince for ever.”

“And say unto them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen where they are gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all. And they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all. Neither shall they defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions, but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them. So shall they be my people and I will be their God.

And David my servant shall be king over them [Aaronic, Elias], and they all shall have one shepherd. They shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelled. And they shall dwell therein — even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever. And my servant David shall be their prince for ever” [Melchizedek, sealing power, Spirit of Elijah] (RE Ezekiel 19:5-6, emphasis added).

          In verse 5 of RE Ezekiel 19, David is given the title of king. When Samuel was commanded by the Lord to establish a mortal king in Israel, a change in priesthood occurred. Samuel transitioned from a “seer” to a prophet reflecting a move from the Aaronic Priesthood to the Melchizedek Priesthood. Saul became king and assumed the role of the head of the Aaronic Priesthood under the direction of Samuel.

          Support for this interpretation is given by Joseph Smith’s discussion of king David anciently. If David never received the Spirit of Elijah or fullness of the priesthood, what priesthood did he have? It must have been a lesser priesthood than Elijah’s priesthood. That would be Aaronic.

          In verse 5 of RE Ezekiel 37, David is anointed king over Israel, but when Israel begins to:

“. . . walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelled. And they shall dwell therein — even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever” [Elijah, sealing power]

Israel’s inheritance becomes eternal, suggesting Elijah arrives with the power to seal. At the same time David experiences a change of title. As Israel receives an inheritance from the Lord to be passed from generation to generation, David transitions from king [Aaronic] to “prince for ever” [Melchizedek, Eternal], a prince to the King of Kings. [13] 

The Transitional Process from Aaronic to Melchizedek

          The event that marks this transition is when the “Root of Jesse,” (the latter-day Davidic king), is empowered by God to raise the “ensign” [conduit between Heaven and Earth] in preparation for the gathering of Israel. This power [Patriarchal Fathers] descends from Heaven with Elijah when two groups repent and turn their hearts to God. Nephi saw this day and linked it to the day when the great and abominable church is destroyed. Of that day Nephi wrote:

“Then I looked and saw the whore of the whole earth. She was spread everywhere across the seas, ruling over the whole earth, among all people of every nation, tribe, and language. And I saw the congregation of the Lamb of God; its numbers were few because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who was spread everywhere across the seas. Nevertheless, I saw that the congregation of the Lamb, who were God’s holy ones, were also there throughout the earth; but their presence was small because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. And I saw the great mother of abominations assembled in large numbers all over the earth among all Gentile nations to fight against the Lamb of God. Then I saw the power of the Lamb of God descend upon the holy ones of the Lamb’s congregation and upon the Lord’s covenant people, who were scattered across the earth. They were armed with righteousness and God’s power in great glory. [14]

And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots, and behold, thou seest all these things. And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots — which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose foundation is the Devil — then at that day the work of the Father shall commence in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel. (CofC 1 Nephi 3:28-29, emphasis added).

The Church of the Lamb of God and those of Israel who gather are armed and empowered with righteousness and “great glory” when the Spirit of Elijah and fullness of the Priesthood are sent from Heaven to reveal truth reserved in Heaven for our day. The challenge of our day is to identify the “Root of Jesse,” receive sacred truth that builds upon the Restoration beginning with Joseph Smith. Preparation continues for receiving the Spirit of Elijah when the “ensign” is raised to gather Israel.

          Following these events, the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy proceeds; as quoted by Nephi to Joseph Smith:

            “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth — blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call” (RE Joel 1:12, emphasis added).

When the Spirit of Elijah is sent, and the portal between Heaven and Earth opens, preparations for uniting the kingdoms of Earth and Heaven begin. Our hearts turn to our Patriarchal Father’s for instruction and their hearts turn to us as their posterity and heirs of covenant promises. All in preparation for the Savior’s return and a reunion with those who arrive with Him. The subject of gathering of Israel is a work for the “Root of Jesse” and John the Beloved fulfilling prophecies recited by Nephi to Joseph Smith.

[1] As mentioned in a footnote in part 2, the “Root of Jesse” holds the key to raise the “ensign” mentioned in RE Isaiah 5:4. The “ensign” involves two translated beings, John the Beloved at the bottom and Elijah at the top. The “ensign” has different characterizations in scripture. It is referred to as “Jacob’s ladder,” a “fiery pillar,” “stairway to heaven,” “portal,” or “conduit.” The ensign is an opening between heaven and earth through which mortals may ascend and Patriarchal Fathers descend to minister to their posterity on earth. At the Lord’s direction to John the Beloved, the “root of Jesse” turns the key and Elijah opens the portal through which communion between the kingdom of God on Earth begins their consolidation with the kingdom of God in Heaven. In preparation for the glorious Second Coming of Christ with His entourage.

[2] “Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked. The enemy that sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, and the reapers are the angels [Patriarchal Fathers] or the messengers [mortal servants] sent of Heaven. . .” (RE Matthew 7:9; emphasis added).

[3] “. . .And also, those to whom these commandments were given might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth with which I, the Lord, am well pleased — speaking unto the church collectively and not individually. . .” (RE T&C 54:5; emphasis added).

“Behold, there shall be a record kept among you and in it you shall be called a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church through the will of God the Father and the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ, being inspired of the holy ghost to lay the foundation thereof and to build it up unto the most holy faith, which church was organized and established in the year of your Lord eighteen hundred and thirty, in the fourth month and on the sixth day of the month which is called April” (RE T&C 1, Joseph Smith History 18:3; emphasis added).

“. . .And let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation and a preparatory work this following summer, and let the beginning be made on the 4th day of July next. And from that time forth, let my people labor diligently to build a house unto my name. And in one year from this day, let them recommence laying the foundation of my house. Thus, let them from that time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the cornerstone thereof unto the top thereof, until there shall not anything remain that is not finished” (RE T&C 131:3; emphasis added).

“Question: O Lord, show unto your servants how much you require of the properties of your people for a tithing.Answer: Truly thus says the Lord: I require all their surplus property to be put into the hands of the bishop of my church of Zion, for the building of my house, and for the laying the foundation of Zion, and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the presidency of my church. And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually. And this shall be a standing law unto them for ever, for my holy Priesthood says the Lord” (RE T&C 135:1; emphasis added).

“. . .Therefore, truly I say unto you that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, and honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name” (RE T&C 141:12; emphasis added).

“. . .and unto the authorities which I have called to lay the foundation of Zion, and it shall be well with him, for ever and ever. Even so, Amen” (RE T&C 141:38; emphasis added).

[4] “We still continued the work of translation when, in the ensuing month (May, eighteen hundred and twenty-nine), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins as we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from Heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying unto us, Upon you, my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. And this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness. He said this Aaronic priesthood had not the power of laying on of hands for the gift of the holy ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter, and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and afterward that he should baptize me. Accordingly, we went and were baptized. I baptized him first and afterward he baptized me, after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood. And afterward he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same priesthood, for so we were commanded. The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this priesthood upon us said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James [Jacob], and John, who held the keys of the priesthood of Melchizedek, which priesthood, he said, should in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first elder of the church and he the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, eighteen hundred and twenty-nine that we were baptized and ordained under the hand of the messenger” (RE T&C 1, Joseph Smith History 14:1-2; emphasis added).

[5] “And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received, which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation rests upon the children of Zion, even all, and they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon, and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say but to do according to that which I have written, that they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom. Otherwise, there remains a scourge and a judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion, for shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, verily I say unto you, nay” (T&C 82:20, emphasis added).

[6] “Question: What is the Rod spoken of in the 1st verse of the 11th chapter [Isa. 5:4] that should come of the stem of Jesse? Answer: Behold, thus says the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the House of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power” (T&C 129:2, emphasis added).

[7] Gileadi Translation, Isaiah 11:1

[8] “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” (RE T&C 82:12, emphasis added).

[9] “A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins. Thus said the Lord God of my fathers unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of your loins, and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of your loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of your loins, his brethren. And he shall bring them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with your father. And he shall do whatever work I shall command him; and I will make him great in my eyes, for he shall do my work. And he shall be great like unto him whom I have said I would raise up unto you to deliver my people, O house of Israel, out of the land of Egypt; for a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of your loins to deliver my people out of the land of Egypt, and he shall be called Moses. And by this name he shall know that he is of your house, for he shall be nursed by the king’s daughter and shall be called her son . . . .”

Wherefore, the fruit of your loins shall write, and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of your loins and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah shall grow together unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of your loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, says the Lord. And out of weakness he [Joseph Smith] shall be made strong in that day when my work shall go forth among all my people, which shall restore them who are of the house of Israel in the last days” (RE Genesis 12:38-39, emphasis added).

[10] “Question: What is the Root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter [Isa. 5:4]?Answer: Behold, thus says the Lord: It is a descendant of Jesse as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the Priesthood and the keys of the Kingdom, for an ensign and for the gathering of my people in the last day” (RE T&C 129:3, emphasis added).

[11] “Question: What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation, 7th chapter and 2nd verse [Rev. 2:13]?

Answer: We are to understand that the angel ascended from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel. Wherefore, he cries unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And if you will receive it, this is Elias, which was to come, to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things”

Question: What are we to understand by the little book which was eaten by John, as mentioned in the 10th chapter of Revelation [Rev. 3:13]?

Answer: We are to understand that it was a mission and an ordinance for him to gather the tribes of Israel. Behold, this is Elias who, as it is written, must come and restore all things. (RE T&C 74:9 & 14, emphasis added).

[12] “And the Lord said unto me, John, my beloved, what do you desire? For if you shall ask what you will, it shall be granted unto you. And I said unto him, Lord, give unto me power over death, that I may live and bring souls unto you. And the Lord said unto me, Verily, verily I say unto you, because you desired this, you shall tarry until I come in my glory, and shall prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

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. Verily 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, Joseph Smith History 13:18-19, emphasis added).

 [13] “In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my father, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence. And finding there was greater happiness, and peace, and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the Fathers and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same. Having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a Father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a high priest, holding the right belonging to the Fathers. It was conferred upon me from the Fathers: it came down from the Fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning (or before the foundations of the earth) to the present time, even the right of the firstborn (or the first man — who is Adam — or first Father) through the Fathers unto me. I sought for my appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the Fathers concerning the seed” (RE T&C 145, Book of Abraham 1:1, emphasis added).

[14] “Now the great and grand secret of the whole matter, and the summum bonum of the whole subject that is lying before us, consists in obtaining the powers of the holy Priesthood. For him to whom these keys are given there is no difficulty in obtaining a knowledge of facts in relation to the salvation of the children of men, both as well for the dead as for the living. Herein is glory and honor, and immortality, and eternal life” (RE T&C 151:9, emphasis added).

“. . . Without sealing of living children to the fathers in heaven, who dwell in glory and who sit upon thrones, the return of the Lord with Enoch and the other thousands who will accompany him would result in none escaping the judgments to come” (New Jerusalem, Denver Snuffer Podcast, June 10, 2018, emphasis added)

Scott Roderick

2/22/2026

What Nephi Said to Joseph Smith Part 3.pdf

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