I feel compelled to share the truth of what has happened to me and my witness. You know I am weak but you also know I strive to follow the Lord, Jesus Christ. I am a sinful man. I am proud and impatient and not always as charitable as I want to be nor as God would have me be. In revealing this, I’m not saying I’m a worldly, lustful or carnal man. I’m striving to repent of the things that keep me back from the fullness of His glory. I honestly seek the Lord and will not rest until I am with Him again.
I share this witness below because I love Him more than I love the praise of the world. I also love you and know if you are sincere in heart, have real intent and faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost. By the power of the Holy Ghost we can know the truth of all things. We can all know all things for ourselves, as fast as we are able to bear them. We can ask and then receive from God, the giver of all good gifts.
My witness and testimony is that the scriptures are true. Joseph Smith did in reality speak with and see the Lord, Jesus Christ, and he had a personal relationship with him as did the prophets throughout the scriptures. Because of their witnesses and revelations, we know that we too must ascend unto the Lord and see Him and communicate with Him. I have seen the Lord. I have seen His face and I know that He lives. I have received the promised blessing as outlined by the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 93:1; 38:8; 67:10-12; 88:68; 130:3; John 14:18, 21-23; and elsewhere.
I share this witness because the earth will be cleansed and He will come again. If we are not made ready to receive Him through our faith unto repentance and Jesus’ atoning blood and offering, we will not abide the day of His coming. I also share this because you need to know that you can share your witness too. It is scriptural. Joseph Smith sharing his witness is a simple witness of this truth. The other reason is you can have this same knowledge too, as promised in Alma 32. This doctrine has been covered and almost lost since Joseph taught it so openly from the days of the restoration (see the scriptures I noted in the preceding paragraph). The whole purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to follow the Lord through repentance until we eventually enter His presence and then eventually become as He is. If we don’t believe we can come into His presence through repentance, then we are correct, we won’t. It starts with belief.
Part of what the Lord requires is to labor to bring about Zion by revealing all the hidden things of darkness. Zion will consist of those that are of one heart and one mind and dwell in righteousness with no poor among them. This can’t happen without a unity of faith and understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what His truth is. We have to expose the darkness, cast it out and then embrace and live the truth.
I have shared some of these things He has shown me in scripture and for this reason church leadership has restricted my membership. At the time they restricted my membership I was still living in Middleton. The issues leadership had with me were my postings and conversations about plural marriage as a false doctrine and the proper role of a prophet that I had found and shared from the Joseph Smith Papers, Saints and the scriptures, all endorsed by the church.
A restricted membership used to be called disfellowshipment but the restrictions are the same. I am not allowed to participate in church services by partaking the sacrament, praying, speaking or having a calling. They have also said I can’t give priesthood blessings or participate in church ordinances. The reason they believe I am not worthy to do these things is because they say I’m apostate. I do not take these accusations lightly. For this reason I have searched the word of God thoroughly, fasted, prayed and wrestled with the Lord for many days and into years before sharing them.
I’ll share below what I have shared that has led the leadership to restrict my membership for apostasy.
We know that in the last days before the Lord’s return, that the truth of men’s secret acts will be revealed. They will be shouted from the housetops. We are seeing this fulfilled. Wickedness will continue to be brought to light. The Lord reveals the darkness so that men and women can clearly discern between good and evil and be held accountable for what they choose to believe, live and love. Those that love the lies will not be able to reside on this earth as it goes from a telestial order to a terrestrial and then celestial order.
The Lord taught us that by their fruits ye shall know them. He was sharing how to detect false prophets. I have been sharing the word of the Lord written by prophets in scripture. The prophets teach what the Lord taught them. As we receive the words of truth, we can discard any false traditions, false beliefs and walk in the true light of truth. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
The prophets we read from in scripture were very open about the revelations they received. They were open and honest in sharing that the Lord had visited them and given them the words to write and share with the people. Why? Because the Lord desires to communicate with His people. When He has someone that can hear or receive Him, He will use that vessel to communicate with His children until those other children are willing to climb the mount to commune with Him as well. As He taught Moses, He desires that all His children were prophets (see Numbers 11:29).
I have taken my questions to the Lord and He answered many of them. I’m not ready for all the answers but I am accountable to share what truths He has shown me that can be found in scripture.
The Lord showed me in scripture that He never justified polygamy, spiritual wifery or plural marriage, but rather that He condemned it. He showed me how He has multiple witnesses in the Book of Mormon and the Bible that show it is not of Him and against His commandments. I have written extensively about it on my blog. If you want to research the truth about plural marriage, spiritual wifery and polygamy, this may be a good start: https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/02/polygamy-plural-marriage-and-spiritual.html
and
https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/08/research-to-help-discover-truth-of.html
Brigham Young taught at least 5 things that are contrary to the word of God: plural marriage and polygamy, blacks not worthy of the priesthood, the blood atonement, top-down leadership and making oaths by swearing by your throat. The church has either quit teaching or practicing 4 of these things but they continue in the top-down leadership model Brigham practiced that replaced the model laid out by the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 107.
The simple, pure doctrines of Christ are contrary to these things Brigham taught. In fact, Joseph Smith never taught them. He never taught or practiced polygamy or plural marriage. He ordained Elijah Abel, a black man, to the priesthood. I share more extensively how these teachings from Brigham go against the word of God in these blog posts. If you want to research this, this may help you get started: https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2019/06/swear-unto-me-by-thy-throat-counterfeit.html and https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/04/oaths-secret-oaths-and-secret-blood.html
and
https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/12/cursings-for-false-beliefs-and-false.html
These truths led me to understand a much greater truth and key to not being deceived in the latter days. God expects us to put our faith and trust in Him and Him alone. If we follow man, we will be led astray. I have shared scriptures and quotes by Joseph Smith that the church no longer agrees with. Joseph taught that our minds become darkened if we rely too much on prophets and they can lead us astray, whereas the current church’s teachings indicate the living prophet of the church will never lead the people astray. These posts may be helpful as you start to study this out for yourself: https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/03/can-prophet-lead-you-astray-how-do-we.html and
https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/05/can-prophet-lead-you-astray-part-2.html and https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/08/peter-and-johns-experiences-with.html
and these great quotes by Joseph Smith:
https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/08/joseph-smith-on-presiding.html and
https://bilbaochristian.blogspot.com/2020/11/is-it-of-god-to-question-leaders.html
Joseph Smith taught, "If any man preaches to you, doctrines contrary to the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or the Book of Doctrine & Covenants, set him down as an imposter... Try them by the principles contained in the acknowledged word of God; if they preach, or teach, or practice contrary to that, disfellowship them; cut them off from among you as useless and dangerous branches" (Joseph Smith, Times & Seasons, 5:490-491, April, 1, 1844).
Jesus warned His apostles that in the last days many false prophets would rise up. He told us the way to detect them is by their fruits. He said beware of wolves in sheeps’ clothing. He also said that whosoever treasureth up His word should not be deceived (see JS—Matthew or JST Matthew 24).
It is now recorded in the book of life that I taught the words of the Lord, Joseph Smith Jr. and the scriptures and I have been falsely accused for it. God is my witness and my judge. No man cometh unto the Father but by Jesus Christ.
I add my witness and invitation to the many others that have been given. Come unto Jesus and be perfected in Him. His way is the road that leads to peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Those that cannot see clearly what Jesus taught in 3 Nephi 27, that the church is only His if built upon His gospel, will try and persuade you or even manipulate you into staying at the bottom of the mountain with the children of Israel. The children of Israel wanted Moses to communicate with God for them and would not sanctify themselves in order to see Him and receive instruction directly from Him (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:23-27).
I pray for strength to continue to repent and live in His grace and mercy. I know He will bless us as we sincerely seek Him with a pure heart, loving Him and all of His children. I hold no malice nor hate for those that have misjudged me. I believe many of them sincerely felt and/or feel they were doing God’s will. If they continue on the path to God they will realize the error of their ways. I forgive them. I pray that I am worthy through the blood of the Lamb of God to reside with Father forever. Jesus is the Christ. He will come again shortly. Make straight the way of the Lord. Come to Zion for only those in Zion will not have to take up arms against their neighbor. The day is fast approaching which was foreseen by John, when we won’t be able to buy or sell without taking upon us the mark of the beast. Come to Zion. There is safety in Zion. It’s a spiritual and physical journey—the only one worth taking.
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