Month: July 2022

The Next Phase of the Winding Up Scene

A very distinct feeling came over me the morning Roe v. Wade was overturned—like a condemnation that rested on the United States as a whole had been lifted. This lifted curse allows for two things to happen: 1) those who insist on supporting abortion will create more centralized spaces where this can happen; the most extreme will even be inclined to move to states where the culture reflects their inner-spirit, and 2) those desiring to repent and move closer to God will have greater mobility and power to do so. In essence, it will be a catalyst for the ripening of both wheat and tare.

As a result of this lifted curse, the Lord will pour out His Spirit in greater measure. Truth will increase—to the benefit of the righteous and detriment of the wicked. As the spiritual temperature of the earth increases by a few degrees, those choosing to rise with it will be sanctified and renewed by this greater outpouring (which will eventually culminate in the Joel 2:28 prophecy, but not yet).

As light breaks forth, it exposes what was before unseen. Not only does this mean that new truths are had pertaining to the building up of Zion, but wickedness and corruption are exposed at a greater level as well. It is as though we’re living in a dark room, and the light is gradually increasing. Things that were before obscure are seen in greater clarity. Works of darkness come to light.

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, we will begin to see a greater outpouring of light, and consequently evil exposed to a greater degree.

As this understanding distilled on my soul, the Lord took me through a chain of scriptures that outline this prophetic pattern.

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:13).

“Wherefore, the things of all nations shall be made known; yea, all things shall be made known unto the children of men. There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth save it shall be loosed. Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time. And now, my beloved brethren, I make an end of my sayings” (2 Nephi 30:16-18; cf. Luke 8:17-18).

“But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof. And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth…

“And wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord! And their works are in the dark; and they say: Who seeth us, and who knoweth us? And they also say: Surely, your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay. But behold, I will show unto them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I know all their works. For shall the work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he had no understanding?” (2 Nephi 27:10-11, 27; cf. D&C 1:1-3; Luke 12:1-3).

“And now, I will speak unto you concerning those twenty-four plates, that ye keep them, that the mysteries and the works of darkness, and their secret works, or the secret works of those people who have been destroyed, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, all their murders, and robbings, and their plunderings, and all their wickedness and abominations, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, and that ye preserve these interpreters. For behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness, yea, work secret murders and abominations; therefore the Lord said, if they did not repent they should be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

“And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.

“And now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying: I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land” (Alma 37:21-25).

“You have supposed, by taking refuge in deception
and hiding behind falsehoods,
to have covenanted with Death,
or reached an understanding with Sheol, that,
should a flooding scourge sweep through the earth,
it shall not reach you.
Therefore, thus says my Lord Jehovah:
I lay in Zion a stone, a keystone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.
They who believe it will not do rashly” (Isaiah 28:15-16, Gileadi Translation).

As I meditated on these scriptures, another revelation opened up to me, and I was left with the understanding that the coming forth of the sealed portion (which will reveal the works of darkness among us) is the ultimate fulfillment of this pattern, and will mark the end of this phase. Between now and that crescendo, this pattern will swell in increasing intensity.

The fulfillment of these scriptures is upon us; first spiritually, and then literally. I so testify in the name of the Lord, according to the Spirit which is in me.

“And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord” (D&C 112:25-26).

“For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have” (Luke 8:17-18).

The Coming Flood

There was a certain village that dwelt at the bottom of a canyon.

Though their ancestors were said to have prospered on higher planes, they found comfort in the canyon’s familiarity. As a matter of fact, most had never left the canyon, and regarded any such legend concerning their ancestors to be mere myth.

Those with eyes to see recognized that life in the canyon was far less than life could be. They believed the legends regarding their forebears, and sought to climb out of the canyon to reach the higher planes.

As they began their climb out, others wondered at their faith and began to consider the veracity of the legends as well. They looked around at their present condition and noticed something they had never seen before: the tide of the canyon’s river was gradually rising. They tried to warn others and decided to trek for higher ground; some believed them and followed suit, others disregarded the discovery. “It will come back down soon enough,” one remarked. “This happens all the time, this is normal,” “we knew this would happen,” others reasoned.

With time, the flood waters began rushing in at greater speeds. Those who hadn’t responded to the warning to flee were forced to do so—or double down in their belief that the canyon was a perfectly suitable home.

Eventually, the flood rushed in and filled the canyon. Those who had not previously sought to escape were swept up in it, while those who had proactively and voluntarily climbed to the higher planes were unaffected. Not only were they saved from the flood, but they enjoyed the prosperity had among their ancestors.

Today

Regarding the last days, the Savior said: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Matthew 24:37-41; emphasis added).

How does this apply to our day?

In Noah’s day, the earth was baptized by water. In our day, it will be baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost—that is to say, truth. Those who acclimate to the new level of revealed truth will abide the day in greater glory—those who do not will be burned by it.

If you are not actively exercising diligence in knowing God, coming to His truth, and seeking to understand His will, you will get swept up in the coming flood. As each revelation is made, the children of men will be forced to choose repentance or death.

I’ll provide some examples.

1. The CES Letter, Under the Banner of Heaven, etc.
It’s been supposed by members of the Church for some time that a simple “testimony” and faithful church participation is all that was necessary to be saved. However, this is akin to living at the bottom of the canyon. Content like the CES Letter functions as the left hand of God, scourging His people and stirring them up to repentance. It challenges their worldview and demands they either seek higher ground or be lost to the flood.

Because most of us are not proactively seeking greater spiritual truth (as a whole), these things catch us off guard. My observation is that the vast majority of people are unprepared to contend with these things, and it overwhelms their faith to the point of doubt. It’s highly likely that such content will increase in volume and prevalence in the coming years, challenging those whose faith has not yet taken them higher, and further hardening those who have already given way to the flood.

The following is a fact: the Sunday School narrative of both Church history and doctrine is so low-resolution that it has become a stumbling block to almost everyone. If we are not seeking higher ground, we will realize in greater and greater degrees how sandy of a foundation we are built upon—and when the floods come, great shall be the fall of it. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6).

Nearly all the criticisms I see floating around online are responding to a caricature of a narrative regarding the Church/restoration—a caricature which we are in large part responsible for creating. Mormon and anti-Mormon alike must realize that the battle for truth is not happening on the level they think it is. This is almost impossible to see or understand at the bottom of the canyon. Unfortunately, we’ve espoused the belief (whether consciously or subconsciously) that once you’ve gotten the ordinances and know enough to teach Sunday School, you know basically everything you need to know—and if there is anything else that matters, it will come through the current Church President; everything else is trivia, bonus material, or “looking beyond the mark.” Such an attitude keeps one at the bottom of the canyon, and will prove itself untrue in this generation.

2. Social Justice
If we’re not actively seeking to understand the Lord’s morals and ideals on their own terms, the rising tide of Western leftist ideology will sweep us up. Before their destruction, the Israelites were guilty of worshipping the gods of the gentile nations. Being enticed by the world’s morals and ideals, and even turning around and reading them back into the scriptures, accomplishes the same thing spiritually. Many of us worship the gods of the gentiles without realizing it.

The reason that this happens is similar to the reason the previous issue does. If there is not an active effort being made on an individual’s part to know God, they will be introduced to and become faithful to some other god—whichever one is the most popular in a given culture.

Our faith ought to inform our politics. Social movements should not determine our religious beliefs, but vice versa. If we don’t bother to figure these things out, the world will figure them out for us—or quickly convince us our beliefs are bigoted, shallow, and immoral. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).

These also function as the left hand of God.

3. A World in Commotion
Another similar issue is the way the world is reacting to the natural consequences of general wickedness. In all contexts and places, we are beginning to reap the consequences of corruption, pride, and vanity.

Life at the bottom of the canyon is of a lower quality already, but one thing that seals the deal for the honest in heart is the fact that it can and does flood. Those who love their “things” down here—their telestial way of life—will either have to confront the fact that their idols are insufficient to rely on, or blame their frustration and unmet expectations on others.

When vacations, TV, and A/C disappear, when money loses its value, when government proves unreliable, when leaders, political, religious, or otherwise are caught in corruption, how will we react?

Every idol must be thrown down. Anything that could deter or distract us from faith in Christ will be put to the test. Will it stand the fire of greater truth?

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:11-13).

This is the left hand of God.

Conclusion

This pattern applies in other ways as well. We must be anxiously, proactively, engaged in knowing God (D&C 58:26-27). Those who do not exercise diligence now will be caught off guard when the floods rise.

There are two dimensions to the flood. One enacted by the left hand of God, which will find its fullest manifestation in the endtime King of Assyria (Isaiah 28), and the other by the right hand of God, which will gather out the elect and take them higher:

“And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem” (Moses 7:62; cf. JSH 1:37).

The world is beginning to transition into a greater degree of truth and glory. Who will abide the day of his coming? We must personally decide whether we will transition with it, or be burned by the coming day (Malachi 4:1).

Perfection, pt. 7: Eternal Life

Our path that began at the strait gate ends at the tree of life.

Lehi’s analogy of this process highlights the journey aspect. There is a path we must walk, and a rod to which we must cling. It may take us up and down, and through mists of darkness, but will eventually lead us to our destination.

Alma’s analogy highlights the transformation and personal growth that takes place along the way. A seed is planted and growing within us. When it is tended to, it will become everything it was designed to be.

For the concluding post in this series, I’d like to showcase scriptures that paint a picture of what every disciple ought to be aiming for. Not only is this our great privilege, but it is the very purpose of the gospel. This is what is meant by, “be ye therefore perfect.”

The Love of God

The image of a tree bearing fruit suggests maturity, or Hebrew “perfection.” We are told that this kind of perfection is “the love of God” and is “the most desirable above all things” (1 Nephi 11:22). In other words, when we are commanded to be “perfect, even as [God] is perfect,” we are being asked to have charity, even as God has charity. That’s the mature fruit of the word (or truth) of God, “And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God” (Moroni 10:21).

When you have charity, you have eternal life. This is more than a Christlike attribute we strive to obtain through lots of hard work on our part—this is the culmination of the narrow way, the intended end-result of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because charity is the direct consequence of being filled with truth, all divine attributes are contained in and perfectly ordered by charity.

Paul described charity in these words: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).

When you have charity, you naturally have all other attributes; you are naturally long suffering, kind, humble, and patient; you think no evil, your heart only desires and rejoices in truth and righteousness. Hence, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). This is the condition of greatest joy.

We need not strive to develop these various attributes one-by-one. God is love, and as we give over our whole hearts over to Him, He will bestow upon us His Spirit (essence/character) in greater degrees. As we grow in His Spirit, we grow in love—and consequently, everything else falls into place. “And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true” (Mosiah 4:12).

Knowing God

Why does charity make you, as Peter says, full of “the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8)? Because when our hearts are like His, we know Him. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). And just as charity is equivalent to eternal life, so is knowing God and Christ (John 17:3). This is the purpose of the gospel: “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature [perfect], attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, NIV).

“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:21-23; emphasis added).

This is also what it means to become a son (or “child”) of God. As the Lord told Adam: “And thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity. Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons. Amen” (Moses 6:67-68 cf. D&C 35:2). And to Moses: “behold, thou art my son… and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten” (Moses 1:4-6).

Regaining the Divine Presence

Furthermore, when our hearts are one with His, we are empowered to regain His presence and know Him face to face—like Adam and Moses. This is another aspect of what it means to regain the tree of life (Alma 42:6-9; 12:26-37).

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:21-23).

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1-3).

“And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you” (Ether 3:13).

“For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world. But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen. Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith” (Ether 12:7-9).

“And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will” (D&C 88:67-68).

“But great and marvelous are the works of the Lord, and the mysteries of his kingdom which he showed unto us, which surpass all understanding in glory, and in might, and in dominion; which he commanded us we should not write while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter; Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him; to whom he grants this privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves; that through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his presence in the world of glory” (D&C 76:114-118).

“Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am” (D&C 93:1).

The Lord will personally minister to and declare the reception of eternal life to those thus made perfect. This is what it means to make sure your calling and election (2 Peter 1:10-11). He is the keeper of the gate, and employs no servant there. “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).

Perfection

Eternal life, the tree of life, the love of God, knowing God, becoming a “son” of God, regaining His presence, making your calling and election sure, obtaining a perfect brightness of hope, faith unto life and salvation—these all describe different angles of the same condition, and that condition is what the scriptures call “perfect.”

This is the condition of all those who come forth in Celestial glory. They have been totally transformed by the love of God and grace of Christ that they are holy—saints, or “sanctified ones” (Mosiah 3:19). As the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith:

“They are they who are the church of the Firstborn. They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things—They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory; And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son. Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God—Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. And they shall overcome all things. Wherefore, let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet.

“These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever. These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people. These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection. These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn. These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all. These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood” (D&C 76:54-69).

Those who have desires to follow Christ are called to take upon themselves His name (nature, manner, order). This is what He invites us to become, and this is what His grace is sufficient to do (Ether 12:27-28).

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen” (Moroni 7:48).

Conclusion

When we properly define these terms and concepts, we understand clearly that not only is perfection possible, but it is necessary for Celestial glory. The message of the gospel is that your entire nature must change in order to experience heaven’s glory. Just as Christ was full of grace and truth, so must we be full of grace and truth—and indeed can be by His atoning blood.

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32-33).