“Learn the Truth, Act in Faith in Christ Unto Repentance, and Share the Resulting Joy”

It’s interesting to me how crucial witnesses are. In Helaman 5 Nephi and Lehi are encircled by fire. As the Lamanites cried unto the voice, they received faith in Christ. They also are encircled by fire and angels came down from heaven and ministered unto them. They are bidden to go forth, marvel not and doubt not. They go forth ministering to the all the people, declaring throughout all the regions round about all the things which they had heard and seen insomuch that the more part of the Lamanites were convinced because of the evidences they had received. They received a testimony. Now, how did their testimony lead to conversion? We know that their testimonies grew because they acted in faith. After they were convinced of the truth they laid down their weapons of war and also their hatred and the traditions of their fathers. They even yielded up the lands of their possession (Helaman 5:50-52).  In Helaman 6:1-5 we learn that they were righteous, were converted and exhorted others to faith and repentance. They preached with power and authority.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has focused on a spiritual pattern lately, “Learn, Act and Share.” This seems to be the pattern here as well. The Lamanites learned the truth because of the many witnesses given them. Then they act in faith in Christ by repenting (changing their behavior) by laying down their weapons of war, their hatred and their false traditions of their fathers. Then they go forth and share the joy of their conversion and invite others to act in faith unto repentance and enjoy the same joys they have experienced.       

Because this is the path unto greater joy and becoming like Jesus Christ and our Father, we can be assured that unless we are perfect we will continually follow this pattern. I believe if we are truly humble then we will always be in these three phases of development. We will be sharing with others the joy we’ve received from the portions of light and truth we have obtained and our resultant repentance. We will also realize that since we have not arrived in God’s continued presence then He is using other witnesses to share with us the next level of learning that we might act in greater faith unto repentance and receive more joy in our lives. Each step requires us to do as these things the Lamanites did; lay down more weapons of war, let go of hatred and let go of false traditions that we are engaged in. This process takes work. Eventually we will see as we are seen and know as we are known as we receive the complete light of Jesus Christ into our lives. Each step takes faith to leave the plateau we are on and those that are on the same plateau will surely fight against us leaving their company. This creates the opposition that we learn is requisite in all levels of righteousness (2 Nephi 2:11).  Then as we are hated for loving light and truth and acting according to our additional light and knowledge we have the opportunity to let go of hate and anger that we may be tempted to have for those that persecute against us, speak all manner of evil about us and fight against us. We learn greater love, the perfect charity that Christ has as He went through the same tests with perfect love. He loved all those that sought to kill Him.

God’s ways are perfect. His plan is perfect. Every step of the way He is involved. I’m grateful for the witnesses He has sent me to testify of more light and truth. I’m grateful for the grace of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as I wrestle to let go of anything that holds me back from His continual presence. I’m grateful for His mercy as I complete each phase of repentance. I have felt the justice appeased by His suffering and felt the redeeming power of His love. I have felt clasped in the arms of His love.

I’m grateful that I then have the opportunity to share this love with others. As I do, I notice that the Spirit testifies to the truthfulness of what I’m saying and then I also recognize that He sends more messengers to me to lift me to greater light, knowledge and repentance that I may be encircled about in His arms of love again and again. The pattern is real. I pray that I will never say, “A Bible, a Bible, I have a Bible,” or “A Book of Mormon, a Book of Mormon, I have a Book of Mormon,” but that I will always be desiring greater light and knowledge from the Lord. We know that if we truly receive the Book of Mormon He will give us more (3 Nephi 26:9). I testify of these truths in the holy name of Jesus Christ.                    

During the Test, the Teacher is Silent

My family and I heard a phrase on a movie recently and it rang true. It was something like this, “the teacher is silent during the test.” It was in the film, “God’s Not Dead 2.” The woman in the movie, a high school teacher, is standing up for truth in the face of great opposition. She is pleading with the Lord for some assurances and guidance. She feels abandoned. At the time her father is living with her and she tells him that she feels like God is silent with her right now and how she longs to feel close to Him again. He gives her this great counsel. He said something to the effect, “out of all people, you should know, during the test the teacher is silent.” He nailed it. I have witnessed the truth of this principle.

Jesus Christ is THE witness of this principle. He said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?“ (Matthew 27:46). He really felt abandoned. He wasn’t faking it and hoping for self pity. He is a God of truth and when He said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It is because Father had left Him. He had to withdraw His spirit and influence and love that the Son might become perfectly good, independently good, independently full of all light and truth. He was good regardless of any other influence in His life. During the greatest test one could ever endure, He went through it alone. He had to go through it alone. It shouldn’t surprise us that during our greatest tests of faith and courage our Teacher is silent, that we might know who we really are.

The Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - 3 Nephi 16:10

When Jesus Christ came to the American continent, He told the house of Israel many things that the Father commanded Him to say. A verse that is of particular importance to us, the Gentiles, is found in 3 Nephi 16:10. It reads,

“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.”

This verse is a prophecy given to the house of Israel from the Father through the Son. It is packed with information of the last days, our day. We need to break this verse down to understand its implications fully and be able to make sure we don’t fall into the pitfalls it mentions.

First, “thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you…” Jesus Christ shares all things the Father commands Him to share. Do we do that? This is an important topic. One I’ve considered much and wondered if I fully understand and apply properly.

When the Father Commands, Do It!

There are examples in the scriptures over and over again of men and women sharing with the people the words given to them from Father, Jesus Christ or from heavenly messengers. Starting in the very beginning of the Book of Mormon, Lehi shared those things communicated unto Him from the Lord (1 Nephi 1:18, 2:1). Because of this the Jews sought to kill him (1 Nephi 1:20). Nephi repeatedly shares the words that the angel of the Lord spake unto him when he was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord (1 Nephi 11-14). King Benjamin shared the words given him from an angel (Mosiah 3:1-4). Abish urged her people to believe in the power of God because of a vision communicated to her father from the Lord (Alma 19:16-17). And the ultimate example was Jesus Christ. Because He lived like His Father (John 5:19) and spoke the truths the Father gave Him, the Jews killed Him (John 3:19-21).

I could share many more examples in scripture of people being given the words to share or actions to take directly from Father, Jesus Christ or heavenly messengers. There is no other authority needed then a direct command from the divine. Here, in 3 Nephi 16:10, Jesus shares with us that Father commanded Him to say these things unto the people, and so He did.

To package this principle of light into a simple phrase we might say, “when the Lord commands, do it.” We need no other authority than God telling us to do something. The scriptures are full of records of great men and women who acted according to the word of the Lord communicated to them, no matter the consequences.

Gentiles

The second phrase is, “At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel,...” This is packed with important words and prophecies. We first need to look at who He is referring to as Gentiles before we can make sense of the rest of this phrase and verse.

In the Bible Dictionary we are given a lot of insight about who the Gentiles are. Reading through the index in the back of the Book of Mormon under “Gentile,” and going to the verses cited in the index brings a lot of light as to whom the Book of Mormon is referring to when it uses the word, “Gentile.”

The Bible Dictionary says this, “The word Gentiles means “the nations” and eventually came to be used to mean all those not of the house of Israel. It is first used in Genesis with reference to the descendants of Japheth (Gen. 10:2–5). As used throughout the scriptures it has a dual meaning, sometimes to designate peoples of non-Israelite lineage and other times to designate nations that are without the gospel, even though there may be some Israelite blood therein. This latter usage is especially characteristic of the word as used in the Book of Mormon.”

To add emphasis to the latter usage addressed in the Bible Dictionary, we can look at Joseph Smith. It was said that he was a pure Ephraimite and yet the Book of Mormon clearly states that the Book of Mormon will come forth through the Gentiles (“Of the House of Israel,” Ludlow, Ensign, January 1991).

The title page of the Book of Mormon, written by Moroni, helps us understand who the Gentiles are according to the Book of Mormon. It relates that the Book of Mormon was written as a record of the Lamanites and Nephites and that it was, “...Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile...hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile...And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations” (Title page to the Book of Mormon). This confirms that “Gentile” is referring to “non” Jew and that Joseph Smith Jr. would be of “Gentile” blood. Joseph was an Ephraimite, of the house of Israel, but also a “Gentile,” because he was not considered a Jew. This can be confusing but as one reads the Book of Mormon with this understanding, the prophecies and declarations become very valuable to us, the Gentiles.

America is full of the blood of “many nations.” This promised land was settled by “the nations” of the world. Ephraim was to receive the gospel and be charged with the duty to take the gospel to all the world. In the “Guide to the Scriptures,” it states, “Ephraim was given the birthright in Israel (1 Chr. 5:1–2; Jer. 31:9). In the last days their privilege and responsibility is to bear the priesthood, take the message of the restored gospel to the world, and raise an ensign to gather scattered Israel (Isa. 11:12–13; 2 Ne. 21:12–13). The children of Ephraim will crown with glory those from the north countries who return in the last days (D&C 133:26–34).” (See https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/ephraim/the-stick-of-ephraim-or-joseph).

Under, “Gentile,” in the Index to the Triple Combination, it becomes very clear that the gospel was to be brought forth through the Gentiles to the Gentiles and that we are the Gentiles (see https://www.lds.org/scriptures/triple-index/gentile?lang=eng&letter=G).

One more evidence from the dedication of the Kirtland temple in Doctrine and Covenants 109, the dedication prayer given by revelation to Joseph Smith Jr. He said, “Now these words, O Lord, we have spoken before thee, concerning the revelations and commandments which thou hast given unto us, who are identified with the Gentiles“ (Doctrine and Covenants 109:60).

At That Day

Now that we’ve established who the Gentiles are, let’s look at the phrase, “at that day.” This phrase is used so often in scripture that I won’t take the time to spell out every instance it is used, but rather I will mention that it is used often to point to an end-time scenario in the history of the earth leading up to the second coming of the Lord. In my understanding, the Lord uses this phrase in this verse to add emphasis to the timing of when the Gentiles will reject the fulness of the gospel. He says, “At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel” (3 Nephi 16:10). We, the the gentiles, in the last days have taken the gospel to many nations, yet the gospel has been rejected in large measure. Not only have the nations of the world rejected the gospel but we, the Gentiles-the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have also rejected much of His gospel. This will develop later through the Book of Mormon and latter-day revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants.

In 3 Nephi 16:4-15, the pattern is the gospel will come forth through the believing Gentiles to the unbelieving house of Israel. Then the gospel will be rejected by the Gentiles and be given back to the house of Israel, the Nephites and Lamanites in this covenant land. There is a caveat for any of the remnant of the Gentiles that do repent and return unto Him. If they do, they can be numbered among His people of the house of Israel (3 Nephi 16:13).

This same pattern happened in the old world but in reverse. The gospel was given to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16). Jesus took His gospel to the Jews but then He was rejected by them and then caused the gospel to be taken to the Gentiles. Remember Peter being commanded to now take the gospel to Cornelius (Acts 10). The door was opened to any that received the Holy Ghost, to covenant with God and be baptized and come into the fold of God.

All through history this pattern is fixed. There is a believing group. They are given the gospel. They become hardened and fall into unbelief. The gospel is then taken from among them and given to another. This happened with the Jews before the time of Christ too. Lehi lived in 600 BC. The Jews had had the gospel and left Egypt with Moses. They came to the promised land in Israel and were blessed with the covenant blessings of the Fathers; land, posterity, prosperity, and the priesthood (an Aaronic Priesthood level) but by the time Lehi came on the scene, they had apostatized from the true gospel. Thus, there were many prophets in the land prophesying and telling the people to repent or Jerusalem would be destroyed (1 Nephi 1:4). Lehi’s remnant believed and were brought out from among the unbelieving Jews and sent to America. They were of the house of Israel. This same house of Israel that is the audience Jesus is speaking to in 3 Nephi 16. Jesus is telling them they will be unbelieving and in a state of apostasy and then the believing Gentiles will bring the gospel to them. But, they will repent and the Gentiles will fall away and depart from the truth.

It’s really remarkable. It’s the pride cycle spoken of over and over again in the Book of Mormon. It happens at a macro level for nations or groups of people and at a micro level for families and individuals. The bottom line is to be believing, repent and come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.

So, are we in “that day.” Are we, the Gentiles, falling into a state of unbelief and apostasy, rejecting the fulness of His gospel? This brings us to the phrase, “...when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel…” To know if we have, we must dissect the gospel. What is His gospel?

The Gospel

When Jesus visited the house of Israel in America, this is what He said His gospel was,

“Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you--that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me...that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world...And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end...Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do; Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day” (3 Nephi 27:13-22).

“And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us--
That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him;
Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:40-43).

So, the gospel is this process of sanctification that cometh through the atonement of Jesus Christ and the reception of the Holy Ghost. As we exercise faith in Jesus Christ and His power to cleanse us, we repent, we change. We are baptized and lay down our old life in the grave and arise a new creature unto Christ. Then we receive the Holy Ghost. As we receive the Holy Ghost we are sanctified and purged from darkness. Jesus pays the debt and releases us from the demands of justice and then the reception of the Holy Ghost purges the darkness out of us. As we enter into this process over and over again of coming unto him, we have our weakness revealed to us (Ether 12:27). We exercise faith in Christ again and repent and recommit to live the new life again in Christ that we just discovered by coming unto Him again. This formally happens at the sacrament when we are cleansed as we’ve given up more sins to know Him (Alma 22:18). We see more and more darkness as we continually come unto Him. At that point we choose if we will deny Him or come unto Him and enter the work of changing or repenting. We either hate the light and turn away from Christ, or we love the light, come to the light and change and become one with the Light and Truth of the world (John 3:19-21).

This is the gospel! It is simple to understand but difficult to truly love light and truth to the point that we give up everything of this world for it. In other words, we love Jesus and His goodness more than we love all the worldly lusts of the flesh and the pride of this telestial world. We give all our sins to know Him and give up every relationship necessary to do His will (see Alma 22:15, 18; Luke 14:26-27).

The Doctrine of Christ

Eventually this path is literally what He says it is, a path of coming unto Him. In a great discourse by Nephi he discloses beautifully what the doctrine of Christ truly is. I believe the doctrine of Christ and His gospel are basically synonymous or at least the end of each has the same purpose, to enter into the rest of the Lord. He gives more details about this process we just discussed.

He talks about entering the gate of baptism and the way, receiving the Holy Ghost, hearing the voice of the Son and then the voice of the Father. These words are a feast unto us and tell us all things we should do and as we receive all His words then we receive the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost shows us all things we should do (2 Nephi 32:3-5; 2 Nephi 31-32). Then we come to this concluding statement before Nephi says the Spirit stoppeth his utterance (2 Nephi 32:7). He says, “Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do” (2 Nephi 32:6). For most of my life I read through that verse without giving it much thought. It has now become a pearl to me. That is powerful and that is the true doctrine of Christ!

The Fulness of His Gospel

In Doctrine and Covenants we learn more about the fulness of His gospel and where to find it. It reads, “And there are none that doeth good except those who are ready to receive the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth unto this generation...And I have sent forth the fulness of my gospel by the hand of my servant Joseph; and in weakness have I blessed him;” (Doctrine and Covenants 35:12, 17). “And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:12). So, the Bible and the Book of Mormon contain the fulness of the gospel. A few verses later reveals, “And all this ye shall observe to do as I have commanded concerning your teaching, until the fulness of my scriptures is given” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:15).

This is interesting. We are told the fulness of His gospel is found in the Bible and the Book of Mormon but then we are told that in the future the fulness of His scriptures will be given. This can cause some confusion. We keep reading, “Thou shalt ask, and my scriptures shall be given as I have appointed, and they shall be preserved in safety; And it is expedient that thou shouldst hold thy peace concerning them, and not teach them until ye have received them in full [again, a future event]. And I give unto you a commandment that then ye shall teach them unto all men; for they shall be taught unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people. Thou shalt take the things which thou hast received, which have been given unto thee in my scriptures for a law, to be my law to govern my church; And he that doeth according to these things shall be saved, and he that doeth them not shall be damned if he so continue. If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things--that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:56-61). So, in a future date these saints would have the fulness of the scriptures. Then in verse 61 we learn that we should keep seeking revelation upon revelation and we would receive that which bringeth joy and life eternal.

This section 42 was given in February 9 and 23 of 1831. Later on March 7, 1831, in section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we learn more of what the Lord is saying when He says the fulness of scripture will come in a future time. In Doctrine and Covenants 45:60-61, the Lord has just referred to the parable of the 10 virgins and then He says, “And now, behold, I say unto you, it shall not be given unto you to know any further concerning this chapter, until the New Testament be translated, and in it all these things shall be made known; Wherefore I give unto you that ye may now translate it, that ye may be prepared for the things to come.” This whole section has been about the signs and wonders preceding His second coming. So, in order to help us prepare further, He tells us that Joseph is to translate the New Testament. This translation is called the Joseph Smith Translation. To learn more about this translation you can hear about it here in this article by Bruce R. McConkie, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie_joseph-smith-translation-doctrinal-restoration/. Some in the church today don’t even know there is a Joseph Smith Translation. This is not by accident. The adversary doesn’t want us to have a fulness of scripture.

Times of the Gentiles

Let’s look at the prophecy of the Lord again, “At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel…”. Now compare that to a few words later in the verse, “...and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel…” (3 Nephi 16:10).

“When” implies the Gentiles shall sin against His gospel and shall reject the fulness of His gospel. In other words, we shall not desire to come unto Christ and do the will of Father and we shall not know or live according the fulness of the gospel found in the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible nor in the Book of Mormon. And since many reject these things then they definitely would not ask to, “receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things--that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:56-61).

Now look at “if”. “If” implies that the Gentiles might reject the gospel and might reject the fulness. So, which is it? Is the prophecy that the Gentiles “will” or “if”. The pattern that we discussed gives us some clues. We discussed above that a group is given the gospel, they live it for a time and then reject it and it is given to another group. There is a remnant of the original group that continues to believe and live the gospel. As we discussed, the Jews were given the gospel and then as a whole group rejected it. Remnants were led away from the whole. Lehi was led out from among the Jews in Jerusalem and so were the Mulekites. Mulek was the son of King Zedekiah of Judah. The gospel was taken from them and given to the Gentiles. The time of the Jews having a fulness came to an end but a remnant retained the gospel.

It appears that our Lord is saying the same thing of the Gentiles, that they will receive the fulness of the gospel and then a majority will reject it. In Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon Jesus reveals, “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 fulness 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. And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:28-30). “Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them. But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles...At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel” (3 Nephi 16:7-8,10). Two witnesses from the Lord that the Gentiles will receive and then reject His gospel.

The JST of Luke 21 gives us more understanding about the times of Gentiles. Jesus is speaking and He mentions this pattern of the gospel going to the house of Israel, in this case to the Jews, and then upon their rejection of the gospel, the gospel going to the Gentiles until they reject it. Here is what is said,

“And they [the Jews] shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Now these things he spake unto them, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. And then his disciples asked him, saying, Master, tell us concerning thy coming? And he answered them, and said, In the generation in which the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars…[many of the signs of the second coming are listed] So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, this generation, the generation when the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, shall not pass away till all be fulfilled...Let my disciples therefore take heed to themselves, lest at any time their hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come upon them unawares” (JST Luke 21:23-34).

We have seen the great solar eclipse of the summer of 2017. Another eclipse will occur in 2024. The paths of both of these eclipses will make an “X” over the center place of Zion in Jackson County Missouri, over the center of the Gentile nation of the United States of America. The blood moons have recently made their great tetrad on the 4 great feast days of Passover, feast of tabernacles, Passover and feast of tabernacles, two years in a row, 2014-2015, on those days of significance to the Jews (see https://images.app.goo.gl/EMqqhyhvnwarjwEYA). The times of the Gentiles is coming to pass at the same time the Lord said it would. The Lord is warning the Jews and the Gentiles that now is the time to repent and come unto Him.

So, have we as Gentiles accepted the fulness of the gospel and the doctrine of Christ? Do we really believe the doctrine of Christ? Do I exercise faith unto repentance and unto Christ?

There is much we could discuss. Let’s consider a few verses and words of the prophets.

In Doctrine and Covenants 84 we read,

“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 resteth 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 remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:54-58).

President Ezra Taft Benson said this,

“In 1829, the Lord warned the Saints that they are not to trifle with sacred things (see D&C 6:12). Surely the Book of Mormon is a sacred thing, and yet many trifle with it, or in other words, take it lightly, treat it as though it is of little importance.
In 1832, as some early missionaries returned from their fields of labor, the Lord reproved them for treating the Book of Mormon lightly. As a result of that attitude, he said, their minds had been darkened. Not only had treating this sacred book lightly brought a loss of light to themselves, it had also brought the whole Church under condemnation, even all the children of Zion. And then the Lord said, “And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon” (D&C 84:54–57).
Has the fact that we have had the Book of Mormon with us for over a century and a half made it seem less significant to us today? Do we remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon? In the Bible we have the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word testament is the English rendering of a Greek word that can also be translated as covenant. Is this what the Lord meant when He called the Book of Mormon the “new covenant”? It is indeed another testament or witness of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why we have recently added the words “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” to the title of the Book of Mormon.
If the early Saints were rebuked for treating the Book of Mormon lightly, are we under any less condemnation if we do the same? The Lord Himself bears testimony that it is of eternal significance. Can a small number of us bring the whole Church under condemnation because we trifle with sacred things? What will we say at the Judgment when we stand before Him and meet His probing gaze if we are among those described as forgetting the new covenant?” (The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion, General Conference October 1986).

Now consider all the invitations the Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have made to read the Book of Mormon. I can remember invitations from Presidents Benson, Hinckley, Monson, and Nelson to read the Book of Mormon. Surely the Lord isn’t satisfied that we have received this great witness of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and the pearls of truth that it teaches and the prophecies that are contained therein. Our minds are darkened until we embrace this witness.

Pondering upon this condemnation, let us consider a few more verses in 2 Nephi 28 of the Book of Mormon:

I went to cut and paste the most meaningful verses of that great chapter and I couldn’t do it. We have to read that full chapter and read it prayerfully and the Lord sheds tremendous light upon the humble soul as they do so.

Now consider Moroni’s warning and exhortation in Mormon chapters 8-9. So powerful! Mormon 8:23 is where Moroni invites us to search the words of Isaiah, just as the Savior did (3 Nephi 23:1-5). All these verses shared above and then studied and pondered diligently with 2 Nephi 28, Mormon 8-9 and Isaiah and all the prophets, create a beautiful tapestry to understand the Lord’s warning and invitation in 3 Nephi 16:10.

The Spirit will lead us along as we prayerfully consider these powerful verses preserved for us through the ages. By the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5).

Here are some additional scriptures that may be helpful to consider:

Doctrine and Covenants 18:3-5

Doctrine and Covenants 35:12, 17, 23

Doctrine and Covenants 45:57
***Doctrine and Covenants 109:60

JST Matthew 24:39; JS Matthew 1:37

JST Luke 11:53
1 Nephi 15;13-18

3 Nephi 26:8-11

2 Nephi 26-28

3 Nephi 20-23

In 3 Nephi 21, notice the shift of the gospel coming forth from the Gentiles unto the House of Israel and then from the House of Israel unto the Gentiles. The servant is involved as the gospel goes from the House of Israel unto the Gentiles.  
Mormon 8-9

Declare Your Witness

It’s wonderful how faith is shared and creates belief in others. When we declare the wonders of God, it helps encourage others to believe in God and His power. Jesus often taught that He could do no miracle because of unbelief or that they had so much faith that He could perform miracles for them. Our belief is a key element in receiving the miracles desired. As we share our witness of Him and His wonderful gifts, it helps others believe.

In Helaman 5 the wicked Lamanites had put Lehi and Nephi in prison. They were told by Aminadab, one who was once a believer, that if they cried unto the voice until they believed, the darkness would then be removed. They do and the darkness leaves and the Spirit comes and fills their souls with unspeakable joy and glory. They hear the voice of God, angels come down from heaven and minister unto them. Then after this glorious experience they are told to marvel not and not doubt. I’m assuming that means to not doubt that they had this wonderful experience. This is a common pattern. As soon as the Spirit leaves, the devil and his angels come to try and convince us that the marvelous experience we or someone just had didn’t happen. Moses 1 is a good example of this.

Then the record shares that they went forth, ministering to the people, declaring throughout all the regions round about the things which they had heard and seen. This convinced the majority of the Lamanites, because of the greatness of the evidences which they received. Those that believed laid down their weapons of war, their hatred, and the traditions of their fathers (Helaman 5:41-50). In other words, they repented.

When we declare our witness of the beautiful spiritual experiences we have, we help others exercise faith in Christ and repent and be filled with the love of God.

There is an evil tradition being passed down, that we ought not to share spiritual experiences. What would the scriptures or our journals look like if no one shared spiritual experiences? There would be no reason to read them for they would not increase faith in Christ and God’s plan for us. What would happen if Joseph Smith never shared seeing God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ? What would have happened to the Lamanites in the time of Helaman 5?

We have another witness of the power of sharing sacred, spiritual experiences with King Lamoni and his declaration after awakening from his slumber in Christ. When he awoke he declared, “I have seen my Redeemer…” (Alma 19:13). He bore this witness to those that had the same dark veil of unbelief as he had had a few moments before. After awakening and declaring his witness of the Lord, he and his wife and eventually their servants all sink down, being overpowered by the Spirit. When they awake they minister unto the people and declare that they had seen angels and conversed with them (Alma 19:12-14, 34). After hearing their witnesses the record states that many did believe in their words; and as many as did believe were baptized; and they did establish a church among them (Alma 19:35). They shared sacred, spiritual experiences to the unbelieving and that helped others increase their faith in Christ and believe.

I believe this evil tradition has developed because of misunderstanding the scriptures. In Alma 12:9 we are told, “It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall impart only according to the portion of his words which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.”

The portion of His words that He has granted unto the children of men includes receiving the Spirit of the Lord, seeing angels, receiving the ministering of angels, healings, the gifts of the Spirit, hearing the voice of the Lord, hearing the voice of God, the Father, seeing Jesus and seeing Father. If we are allowed to share any spiritual experience that is in the scriptures, the way I believe Alma taught us in Alma 12:9, then let us open our mouths and see the same results that the lamanites experience in Helaman 5.

Please don’t believe the false tradition that we aren’t to share spiritual experiences. Unbelief and wickedness are the results; whereas, sharing spiritual experiences results in faith in Christ and God and repentance (Helaman 5:51).

In all things we should act under the influence of the Holy Ghost but I’d say our current culture has swung the pendulum way too far in the direction of NOT sharing spiritual experiences and look at the fruits. Many youth, children and adults are slipping away into forbidden paths.

May God bless us to proclaim His holy name and bear witness to the marvelous light and life that He offers as we come unto Him. This is my prayer.

”And Whoso Treasureth Up My Words, Shall Not Be Deceived,” (JST Matthew 24:39; JS Matthew 1:37)

“And whoso treasureth up my words, shall not be deceived” (JST Matthew 24:39; JS Matthew 1:37).

We learn that a republic is rule by law. A democracy is not really what our Constitutional government is based upon. Yes, leaders are voted on to take seats of governmental power by a majority vote, but they are chosen to enforce the law, interpret the law and create new law. The process to create new laws is tedious and difficult. There is a reason for this struggle. Righteous men must be sought after to fill these positions of power or the people will mourn for their wickedness. “Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:10).

Law is what governs us. A majority cannot change truth. Law should equate to truth and if righteous men and women are in tune with truth, then they will use the law to the benefit of all. If they are not familiar with truth then they will twist the laws to reflect their own beliefs or they will change the laws to fit their belief systems. “When the wicked rule the people mourn” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:9).

Now look at what happened to the Nephites in the Book of Helaman. “Yea, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah; and they saw that they had been a stiffnecked people, and that they had set at naught the commandments of God;
And that they had altered and trampled under their feet the laws of Mosiah, or that which the Lord commanded him to give unto the people; and they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people, insomuch that they were wicked even like unto the Lamanites.
And because of their iniquity the church had begun to dwindle; and they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation; and the judgments of God did stare them in the face.

And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples—
Therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness; and they saw that the Lamanites were exceedingly more numerous than they, and except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish.
For behold, they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was as great as their strength, even man for man. And thus had they fallen into this great transgression; yea, thus had they become weak, because of their transgression, in the space of not many years” (Helaman 4:21-26).

This scripture speaks of the laws and prophecies given to Mosiah and Alma. The Lord set up the government for them to help them stay in the right way but they veered from the truth. Because of this, the church began to dwindle in unbelief. Now compare this to the Constitutional law that God gave us. “According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;
That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.
Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77-80).

God has given us the laws and prophecies to help us be a successful people. This is only done when we have the freedom to choose the course we will go. Notice the emphasis on using our moral agency to be accountable for our own sins, “That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:78).

Our laws have become corrupted and we are no longer permitted in many instances to act according to just and holy principles. As a whole we are becoming weak and we no longer believe in the spirit of revelation and prophecy. Just look at our tax law. When you are void of the spirit of the Lord you have to make a law for every circumstance you can possibly think of. The Lord’s law of finance is easy, 10%. The people are left to their own conscience to decide what that means and the Lord doesn’t have to spell out every possible exception. We are governed by the Spirit of the Lord.

This is no longer the case in our laws both as a nation and as a church. We keep wanting and needing more and more laws because we keep rejecting the laws established by God in the Constitution and those restored to us by the prophet Joseph Smith. We don’t need more programs. All we need is the word of the Lord.

Remember Lehi’s dream. Those that come to taste and feel the love of God are those that are governed by the word of God, “they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree” (1 Nephi 8:30). “And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God” (1 Nephi 11:25). The word of God leads us to the love of God.

Look at the opposite approach. It is trusting in man or in the word of man. With every new man appointed to office comes new laws from his own preferred way of doing things. This leads to darkness. At the very beginning of the vision Lehi saw we read, “And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.
And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.
And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste” (1 Nephi 8:5-7). As he followed a man he found himself in a dark and dreary place. Notice the enticings of this man. He appears to be clean as he is dressed in a white robe. The man speaks unto him and bades him follow him. Notice he doesn’t bade him to follow the Savior but to follow him, a man.

Men and women of God will always invite us to come unto Christ, never to follow themselves. God our Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ will lead us to truth and joy. Nephi said, “O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm” (1 Nephi 4:34). “Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:31).

We are promised by the Lord that we will be preserved, perfected and sanctified by holy laws of the celestial order. In the great section of 88 in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord reveals to us, “that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:34).

If we are not governed by the laws of God, then we will be deceived. If we allow every man or woman that sits in a seat of power and authority, as they suppose, to dictate to us every new wind of doctrine that is of men or devils, we will be deceived. The Lord has warned, “Woe unto you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge, the fulness of the scriptures; ye enter not in yourselves into the kingdom; and those who were entering in, ye hindered” (JST Luke 11:53). And this great warning and blessing, “And whoso treasureth up my words, shall not be deceived” (JST Matthew 24:39; JS Matthew 1:37).

The nation and the church must learn the word of the Lord and then follow the word of the Lord, the laws of God. If we do not, then we will be cursed and be deceived. If we do, then we will come unto the love of God and be filled eternally by His love. Truth tastes good. The words of eternal life taste good. They fill our souls with joy. There is no fake substitute for it is clearly discerned by the Spirit of the Lord. By the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:3-5).

He Suffereth It - The Fellowship of His Suffering

I was pondering Mosiah 15:5 this morning and “suffereth” caught my attention. Here is the verse, “And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people” (Mosiah 15:5).

Typically, I believe, when we see the word suffer or suffering or suffereth, we think of feeling physical or mental anguish or pain. But, it is clear in scripture that there is a dual meaning found in the word suffer. The second phrase in the verse quoted above says, “but [He] suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.” Here another definition of the word suffer is very evident. He “allowed” himself to be mocked, and scourged, etc. When focused on in this light, “to allow,” then we gain greater depth for the Lord’s perfect control of His emotions, feelings and ultimately His love for others and His willingness to allow them to exercise their agency, no matter the consequences.

Websters 1828 Dictionary’s third description of suffer is, “To allow; to permit; not to forbid or hinder. Will you suffer yourself to be insulted?”

Jesus truly “allowed or suffered” Himself to be mocked, scourged, cast out and disowned by His people (see Mosiah 15:5). His miracles prove that He had the power to stop the personal suffering, but He “allowed” it to happen.

“And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9).

Here suffereth may be using both aspects of suffering, to allow and to feel pain. This adds great depth and meaning to our understanding of what will be expected of us as we truly come unto Him as true disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ and His Father.

Jesus allowed or suffered others to hurt Him because He honored and respected everyone’s agency the same way Father does. He loves us so much that He willingly allowed or suffered Himself to feel pain or suffer to fulfill the demands of justice because of the consequences of our sins. We can repent. We can change. We don’t have to suffer any longer because He suffered for us already. He willingly “allowed” Himself to suffer for all of our sins. It is so beautiful! The magnitude of His love is beyond expression. Why? Because He loves us!

Father allowed all things to happen because He loved us enough to let us find truth and become one with truth through exercising agency and then changing, repenting. He needed a son willing to suffer himself to be slain for the sins of the world, willing to receive the justice of our sins. Jesus was that Son. Because of Him my sins can be remitted as I repent fully. I love Him. I testify of His reality.

On this path of becoming like the Savior, we come face to face with suffering, feeling mental and physical anguish and allowing all evil to happen to us. Experience has taught me that if we truly seek to know the Savior of the world, we will be required to willingly suffer others to do to us similar things to what they did to the Savior. As we LEARN the truth, ACT on that truth and then SHARE that truth with others, in some form or another we will have opportunities to be mocked, scourged, cast out and disowned by our people whom we love too. I would suggest the scriptures are replete with that truth (see John 17:3, Moses 1:39, Alma 7:11-14). Joseph Smith is an example of this too. He learned the truth about God, He acted on what he learned and then shared what he learned. Ultimately he was killed for this.

Some would say that because Jesus suffered, we won’t have to or because He allowed bad things to happen to Him, then we won’t have to. This is true to some extent as found in Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19. We won’t have to pay the price of justice for our sins, if we repent. But there is another side to this. If we are required to become like Him to live with Him and His Father, then we will have the great opportunity to enter the fellowship of His suffering (Philippians 3:10). Here are two other great commands given to us by Jesus Christ, “...for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;” (3 Nephi 27:21). “...what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27).

On this journey we won’t handle these experiences perfectly. We won’t suffer these things to happen to us exactly as the Savior did until we have perfect charity. If we truly come unto Him, we will learn to suffer all things as the Savior did. I’m so grateful for His suffering the demands of justice that He can allow me to live in this grace period as I practice becoming like Him, as I practice charity.

To summarize my thoughts on suffering posted here, I might say this. If we are to become one with Christ, we must suffer as He did by suffering others to exercise their agency to our suffering. We join the fellowship of His suffering. I pray for strength to truly allow or suffer others to exercise their agency to my great pain. This pain is swallowed up in Christ as I give it to the Savior and trust in Him.

He is the ONE! He is the WAY! He is the LIFE and LIGHT of the world!

(See also Isaiah 53 and Mosiah 14).