Month: November 2021

Baptisms of Fire and the Holy Ghost

First Experience – 1982

It was Seattle in the early 1980’s. I had just been excommunicated from the Church for a serious sexual sin. The trial had just concluded, and I was still in the high council room when I received a vision of a whole bunch of people on the other side watching me with concern, wondering what I was going to do next. I don’t know whether they were my ancestors, my future descendants, and just a bunch of people. I knew they were watching me and counting on me to do something for them. I resolved there and then that I was going to “make it back”, even though I didn’t exactly know what “back” meant.

A few weeks later, I was riding on a city bus in downtown Seattle, and the Spirit told me to pray and ask our Heavenly Father for something very specific. I asked the Lord if he would grant me the ability to see people the way He sees them. I didn’t even know why I was supposed to do this or what it even meant. He granted my request immediately. People changed around me. A homeless black man became in my eyes a king, and a little old lady in a wheelchair, a queen. Everywhere I looked, all I could see was the goodness and potential in people, and a bright light inside each person. I wanted to fall down and worship them. Whatever this gift was, I thought it would eventually go away, but in over 30 years, it has never gone away. I didn’t know what it was, but I was grateful to have it. I just found out about a week (This was written in Winter 2019.) ago that what the Lord blessed me with was charity. And, that’s why I am reading Lectures on Charity in order to find out more about it. I wondered how I could go so long without knowing it was charity, but I remembered the scripture that says “Charity does not vaunt itself.” I believe it is possible for a person to receive the gift of charity, and never know what they received. They just see people in a different light, and they act accordingly. And that may be OK.

Then, a few weeks after this, after I had finished my evening prayers and was sitting on the bed when this intense burning came over my entire body and lasted a good 5-10 minutes. I knew my sins were being burned out of me, and that this was the Baptism of Fire. When, it was done, I heard a voice tell me: “You are Abraham.” I don’t know if that meant I was literally Abraham, like unto Abraham, or adopted into Abraham’s family. I do know this. Ever since I was little and read a children’s Bible story book about Abraham being the friend of God, I wanted to be like Abraham and be a friend of God.

A few weeks ago, I read a Witness of Christ urge his readers to seek the Baptism of Fire, and if you think you have already received it, think about what happened, and ask the Lord to confirm it to you. I asked the Lord, and he confirmed that it was the Baptism of Fire, that happened over 30 years go. I feel to say, along with Abraham in one of my favorite lines in passages in all of scripture: “Thy servant has sought thee, now I have found thee.” 

Sometime, about this same time, I was sitting in church, in our local ward, in Sacrament Meeting, when I saw a vision of the Father and Son, sitting in heaven, sitting our thrones. I had forgotten this event happened in the same time frame as these other events. So, there was the gift of charity, baptism of fire and the holy ghost, and the vision of the Father and the Son.

After I had been excommunicated, I attended a Sacrament Meeting where a young Aaronic Priesthood holder was giving a talk about the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. He was taking is far too lightly, and making a mockery of the whole thing. I was so angry, I wanted to jump up to the front, rip him off the stand and give a proper talk that the subject deserved. I didn’t do anything except leave before I did started tipping over tables.

Second Experience – 2020

Click Here to download.

The End-time Servant

If you are anything like me, you used to skip over the chapters in the Book of Mormon that quoted Isaiah. I always did. Then, I bought a copy of Avraham Gileadi’s translation of the Book of Isaiah, and I could finally see what Isaiah was talking about. I think it was Chapter 49 I was reading when I realized: he’s talking about some kind of special “servant”. Then I found other chapters talking about a servant. Is it the same servant or different servants? I have read from other people talking about end-time servants. And, there are people from time to time claiming to be that servant.

I finally decided to dig into this issue for myself. Gileadi is the ultimate resource. I have taken the chapters from his translation of Isaiah that specifically have to do with the end-time servant and listed them together with a condensed version of his commentary.

Click to access isaiah-end-time-servant.pdf

Here is a brief list of what are the most important attributes of the end-time servant as gleaned from the chapters of Isaiah and included in this document.

• Called before birth.
• Helped create the world.
• His genealogy: Wild shoot grows out of trunk of Jesse (Christ). Wild shoot doesn’t produce fruit, but keeps the tree alive. A tame natural branch of the tree is grafted onto the wild shoot. It blossoms and bears fruit: this is the Branch, the end-time servant.
• Likened to Moses, David, Hezekiah, Cyrus in the Old Testament.
• Likened to Joseph Smith D&C 103.
• His missions are to defeat the archtyrant, return Jacob to Israel, be a light/ensign to the Gentiles, prepare the way for the coming of Jehovah. Subduing nations, releasing captives, leading the new exodus, and rebuilding ruins.
• As Jehovah’s hand to Jehovah’s people, the servant reclaims their remnant, smelts away their dross, empowers them, leads their new exodus, leads their new conquest, assigns them inheritances, and protects them. Many, however, pay no regard to him.
• Goes through life phases of Descent (futility), Marred, Healing, Ascent (reversal of circumstances.)
• Ascends to seraph level: beloved, sealing power, power over the elements, Patriarchal Order.
• The world knows nothing about him until he is empowered, neither do Jehovah’s people.
• Initially rejected by Jehovah’s people (Jacob/Israel), who later trust him.
• Initially rejected by the world, but later acclaimed after battling and defeating archtyrant.
• Replaces a previous servant who neither “sees” nor “hears” spiritually.
• Fulfills ancient prophecy.
• Predicts the future which is immediately fulfilled.
• Personifies righteousness, prepares conditions to bring about salvation (Jehovah).
• Brings about true Justice.
• Confounds current ecclesiastical leaders.
• Teaches his things that have never been seen nor heard before.
• Divine revelation resumes and is available to all.
• “Astute”. Knows how to teach and convince Jehovah’s people and confound their false prophets.
• Mediates Davidic covenant. People obey him as he obeys God.
• The covenant is initially a conditional covenant until the servant and his people prove their loyalty to Jehovah under all conditions, then conditions are reversed and the covenant becomes unconditional.
• Receives new name after proof of loyalty to Jehovah.
• As Jehovah empowers his servant, he empowers the people.
• Those who “follow” and “know” righteousness —Jehovah’s servant—in other words, ultimately ascend spiritually and assume restorative functions toward Jehovah’s people as the servant does
• The servant helps others ascend and become like him.
• There are others from the Gentiles who are like him: “Kings and queens”. Share seraph status. They assist others to ascend. (Nursing fathers and mothers.)
• Isaiah writes about the servant as an individual, as a surrogate for those like him, and as a surrogate for all of Israel/Jacob.
• Imbued with the knowledge of God, Jehovah’s servant seeks to wake up Jehovah’s people as he is awake. Those who need waking up include their prophets and seers.
• Jehovah’s servant receives opposition from the rebellious who feel threatened by his preaching true doctrine that they have not heard before.
• His enemies plot against him behind his back.
• While God’s holy Spirit serves as a Comforter, so does Jehovah’s servant and Jehovah himself—each according to his people’s needs and circumstances.
• Zion’s watchmen “see eye to eye,” having seen the same vision of the end from the beginning.
• With the empowerment of Jehovah’s servant and his associates, a new day dawns for those who ascend to the Zion/Jerusalem level and levels higher.
• Like Jehovah’s servant, in other words, all who covenant with Jehovah may ascend and attain higher spiritual categories—from Jacob/Israel to Zion/Jerusalem to sons/servants to seraphs/saviors. In the millennial age of peace that ensues, they may likewise inherit thrones of glory.
• In the course of serving as a proxy savior of Jehovah’s people — “bearing their iniquities” under the terms of the Davidic Covenant—Jehovah’s “servant” or vassal suffers horrific physical “marring beyond human likeness” at the hands of enemies as an intrinsic part of his descent phase. Just as many people are appalled at his plight, however, so he astounds them when Jehovah heals him. In his ascent phase that follows—when Jehovah empowers him over his enemies—he becomes “highly exalted” and “exceedingly eminent”.
• The servant teaches the kings and queens of the gentiles so that they may perform their savior roles.
• His mission is so that all who desire it may partake of salvation.

Covid-19 Booster Shot

I received my booster yesterday, and today, I am getting weakness and chills just like last time, though not as severe as the second dose. My body temp is naturally low. Since yesterday, my highest temp has been 98.6, but that feels like a fever to me.

I don’t really care what your opinion is of the vaccine, or of me for taking it. Each person should check in with their own highest source of spiritual light and follow where that leads you. As you may know, I asked the Lord to send somebody into my life, just like Him. He told me a year before it happened that somebody, whom I never imagined or thought of, was on the way. When we first met, the Lord confirmed that this was the person, and He told me: “He’s mine. Take care of him.”

I have promises to keep, and I have been faithful to that promise for 35 years. He is disabled and has no other source of income other than me. I will continue to fulfill that promise and remain alive for as long as I can.

Gratitude

Gratitude should be more than just an “exercise” for when we are in the mood. It should be our constant attitude. King David said that praise and gratitude are the gateway to the presence of the Lord.

D&C 78:19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

Try this for 21 days. Every night when you say your prayers. Express to the Lord three things that happened that day that you are grateful for. That’s it. Don’t ask for anything. Just express gratitude for three things. I guarantee it will change your life.

“Mormonisms”

Somebody posted the following on their blog as “Mormonisms” — unique teachings of Mormonism:

  • Mormonisms
    • We are made of gods, blood, and stardust.
    • We were always meant to partake of the fruit.
    • God is a state of relation, not just being.
    • Heaven cannot be experienced in solitude.
    • Obedience is but the first—not the only—law of heaven.
    • To follow Christ is to become Christs ourselves.
    • We are the work and glory of God.
    • Revelation is a democratic enterprise.
    • Authority exists as it is given, not imposed.
    • True power is born from love, not fear or coercion.
    • To truly live is to live for others.
    • If you want to be, act as though you are, and you will become.
    • We progress at the rate we choose for ourselves.
    • The results of Final Judgment are determined by our own.
    • God desires mercy more than obedience to the law.
    • The Plan would have been frustrated were it not for disobedience.
    • We are to serve God by serving others.
    • We will all become the Gods we worship.
    • You die by the same that you live by.
    • Salvation cannot occur in ignorance.
    • The glory of God is intelligence.

My response

`Unfortunately, “Mormonisms” and the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are not always the same thing.

We are made of gods, blood, and stardust. “Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” D&C 93:29

ADAM (not we) were always meant to partake of the fruit, but on the Lord’s timing, not ours.

“God is a state of relation, not just being.” Not sure what you mean, the but Gospel is all about relationships.

“Heaven cannot be experienced in solitude.” I don’t know what this means. Joseph Smith was alone in the woods. Joseph and Sidney ascended to heaven together. Paul ascended to the third heaven. He doesn’t say anybody went with him.

Obedience is not the first law of heaven. Agency is. We have to be able to choose to obey before we can obey.

“To follow Christ is to become Christs ourselves.” Yes. This is why it is called the church of the Firstborn.

“We are the work and glory of God.” Yes. God defines His whole purpose in life as serving us.

“Revelation is a democratic enterprise.” I don’t know what this means. D&C 67:13,14.121:33

“Authority exists as it is given, not imposed.” A man receives the Aaronic Priesthood by ordination. A man receives the Melchizedek Priesthood by an oath and covenant, by the calling of God’s own voice Gen 14:28-29 JST, D&C 84:42

“True power is born from love, not fear or coercion.” No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the Priesthood. Power or influence ought to be maintained “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned”.

“To truly live is to live for others.” In order to love your neighbor as your self, you have to love yourself. Pray with all the energy of your soul to be given the spiritual gift of charity — the ability to see yourself and all others as God sees you.

“If you want to be, act as though you are, and you will become.” This is the principle of faith. It’s even better to seek revelation from Christ as to what you are to become. Then, have the faith to become it. “I’ll be what you want me to be.”

“We progress at the rate we choose for ourselves.” This is true, but if you follow the Lord and let Him push you a little, your capacity will increase.

“The results of Final Judgment are determined by our own.” We will be our own accusers, as Joseph Smith taught.

“God desires mercy more than obedience to the law.” If you are talking about the law of works, yes. Hos. 6:6. Not even God can violate the laws of heaven. Not even God can revoke “a law irrevocably decreed”. But, He know how to use mercy to leverage justice.

“The Plan would have been frustrated were it not for disobedience.” D&C 29:30 “But remember that all my judgments are not given unto men;”

“We are to serve God by serving others.” Yes. King Benjamin taught that.

“We will all become the Gods we worship.” Yes. Bruce R. McConkie gave a great sermon. To worship God is to seek to become like Him.

“You die by the same that you live by.” The law of Karma, aka the law of Cause and Effect.

“Salvation cannot occur in ignorance.” D&C 131:5-6 “The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood. It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” You cannot be saved without receiving the testimony of Jesus that you will be saved. D&C 76:51

“The glory of God is intelligence.” Yes, but, ‘intelligence’ as defined by the Lord. D&C 93:36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.

Love

Loving Jesus is the ONLY thing that you can do with ALL your heart, ALL your might, ALL your mind, and ALL your strength. Anything else we love, or anything else we do, we cannot do it with the same level of purity and dedication. We cannot even love sin with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.

The reason for this is because there will always be a part of us that is still tied to the Christ, no matter what else we do.

Our eye cannot be single to anything else, so why not adjust our focus, our aim and place our affection (heart), our faith (might), our loyalty (mind), and our effort (strength) on the one place where it is possible to be single-pointed? He is the only thing worthy of our attention, our time, and our service.

As one protestant man who received his Second Comforter said: I want to serve Him because He deserves to be served.

New Testament – “Inspired Translation”

Today, I uploaded an “inspired translation” of the New Testament that I have been working on for the last six months. It’s found at https://john144.com/bible/.

In it I take the King James or the Joseph Smith translation and pair them up, verse by verse with the Amplified Bible, and then I add comments of my own, historical notes, quotes from the LDS standard works, and quote by LDS general authorities. It’s quite big — 1380 pages — but you can download individual books in PDF format. The four gospels, and Revelation use the JST. The others use the King James.