Usurpers

 

It’s interesting to see the reaction of the chief judges and high priests. It’s as if the Book of Mormon was written for our day...yes, it was!!!!

“20 And there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people, or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his death and sufferings.

21 Now there were many of the people who were exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things; and those who were angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had been high priests and lawyers; yea, all those who were lawyers were angry with those who testified of these things” (3 Nephi 6:20-21). 

We have many accounts in the Old Testament where the false prophets were revered as true prophets but the true prophets were persecuted and rejected.

Notice who prophesies lies in this account in Jeremiah. It appears the chief governor in the house of the Lord, the temple president, who was also in a priestly blood line, prophesied lies and the true prophet, Jeremiah, prophesied against him. Jeremiah was put in stocks by these wicked priests. The words of Isaiah and the Old Testament prophets are written for our day, as Jesus prophesied in 3 Nephi 23:1-5.

Here’s the account in Jeremiah:

“1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.

3 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib.

4 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

5 Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies” (Jeremiah 20:1-6).

What is the message to us? Another question is why do those in leadership positions feel so threatened by those inspired from heaven to testify of Jesus Christ and the truths He has given us? Is someone usurping power and authority they have not been given from God? 

I was at the Vatican a few years back. Everywhere you go there are statues of Peter with keys. Now we have those revered as high priests pointing to Joseph Smith’s keys. Both churches want to claim keys because of someone else’s connection to heaven. Peter and Joseph’s keys were their own, received from the Lord personally. You cannot pass down personal righteousness. The Lord chooses His servants as they do His will. 

May we receive the Lord, Jesus Christ and recognize true messages from Him, not false messages from usurpers.