Category: Restoration

Who Is the End-time Servant?

This paper builds on a previous discussion on the Zion Media podcast on You Tube (https://youtu.be/YUi47tPy6Jc), which showed that the end-time servant is not Jesus Christ, nor Joseph Smith. I won’t repeat that discussion, but I would like to present what I believe to be overwhelming evidence for why this servant is a particular individual. Even if you don’t agree with my choice, I bet you can’t find anybody who fits the role better.

I have been working and praying about this for years. I knew I had it, and the Lord confirmed it, but there were some contradictions that I couldn’t resolve. But thanks to LDC (“Latter-day Chad” on the above podcast), he pointed out some things that I should have noticed, but didn’t. The contradictions are now resolved.

We can never study the fundamentals of the Gospel too much: faith, repentance, baptisms of water, fire, and the Holy Ghost. You should study 2 Nephi 31 and 32 and 3 Nephi 11, constantly and put what you learn into practice. You should live and grow by faith and repentance every day – not repenting of the same things every day, but constantly growing and improving. Like the hymn says, your “knowledge and power of God [should be] expanding”. You should seek earnestly for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost and your second comforter. I have received both, and I can testify that they are real; the Lord truly wants a two-way relationship with each of us. The First Epistle of the Apostle John teaches that the early Apostles each had fellowship with the Lord and encourages all to do likewise, and enjoy that same fellowship.

We are also encouraged by the scriptures to search them, and to seek to know the mysteries. A mystery is not something you can never know or are not supposed to know. Many mysteries are right there in plain sight in the scriptures. Jesus told us to keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. We can trust Him. He will never upbraid us, let us be deceived, refuse to answer, or give us a principle or commandment that we are not prepared to live. In this paper, I will explore one of those mysteries. To unveil it, I will rely on the words of the Lord, given through the prophets, both ancient and modern.

https://john144.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/who-is-the-servant.docx

The Kirtland House of the Lord

I call it the “Kirtland House of the Lord” because this is what the Lord and what Joseph Smith called it. They never called it a “temple”. The first reference to building “a temple” was with reference to the temple in Jackson County.

D&C 57:3 And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the court-house.

Joseph Smith Never Mentioned a Visit from Elijah in the Kirtland Temple            

Rob Fotheringham gives an excellent summary in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGuaHkvsJzM

Section 110  From Vision to Canonization

Rob refers to this document, which you can download here: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3119&context=etd#:~:text=Doctrine%20and%20Covenants%20110%20came,recorded%20but%20never%20publicly%20taught.

Section 110

Visions manifested to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the House of the Lord (temple) at Kirtland, Ohio, April 3, 1836. The occasion was that of a Sabbath day meeting. Joseph Smith’s history states: “In the afternoon, I assisted the other Presidents in distributing the Lord’s Supper to the Church, receiving it from the Twelve, whose privilege it was to officiate at the sacred desk this day. After having performed this service to my brethren, I retired to the pulpit, the veils being dropped, and bowed myself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer. After rising from prayer, the following vision was opened to both of us.”

Meetings held during this week:

  • Sunday March 27, 1836—the temple is dedicated and during an evening meeting a noise like the sound of rushing wind enters the temple, the Brethren prophesy and speak in tongues and angels fill the temple.
  • Tuesday March 29, 1836—the Prophet administers the ordinance of the washing of feet to the leading brethren.
  • Wednesday March 30, 1836—Again the brethren attend to the ordinance of washing the feet and the sacrament followed by another Pentecostal outpouring in which many prophecies, others speak in tongues, angels appear, and some of the brethren see the Savior.
  • Thursday March 31, 1836—A second Temple Dedication meeting is held for those who could not get in the preceding Sabbath. (See History of the Church, 2:410-432)
  • Sunday April 3, 1836—Joseph records he “attended meeting in the Lord’s House, and assisted the other Presidents of the Church in seating the congregation, and then became an attentive listener to the preaching from the stand. Thomas B. Marsh and David W. Patten spoke in the forenoon to an attentive audience of about one thousand persons. In the afternoon, I assisted the other Presidents in distributing the Lord’s Supper to the Church, receiving it from the Twelve, whose privilege it was to officiate at the sacred desk this day. After having performed this service to my brethren, I retired to the pulpit, the veils being dropped, and bowed myself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer. After rising from prayer, the following vision was opened to both of us…” (History of the Church, 2:434-435)

Historical Background and Mission of Elijah

This vision was never published or discussed in lifetimes of either Joseph Smith or Oliver Cowdery. Joseph Smith never personally recorded this event; he did have it recorded in his journal by his scribe Warren Cowdery (Oliver’s brother). Doctrine and Covenants 110 came from this journal entry. This vision occurred in 1836, but did not become recognized as canonized scripture until 1880. No source yet found shows that Joseph Smith taught in a public setting that the 1836 vision occurred. It was recorded but never publicly taught.

So far as it is known, Oliver Cowdery never made a public statement concerning the vision or that he even discussed the vision privately. Even in his last written testimony before his death, which he wrote on January 13, 1849, Cowdery testified of the validity of the visitation of Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John, without mentioning the 1836 vision.

Joseph Smith not only had day-to-day events recorded in his journal, but also revelations he said he had received from the Lord. In 1836, there were only two revelations that he recorded in his journal that occurred in Kirtland. Both were in relation to the newly completed Kirtland Temple. Section 109 was the first revelation recorded in 1836. It contains the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple, which Joseph Smith taught was given to him by the Lord through revelation. Joseph Smith read the dedicatory prayer and dedicated the temple on March 27, 1836 [Shabbat HaGadol, a high sabbath, the sabbath before Passover]. One week later, on Easter Sunday [Passover], April 3, the revelation known as Doctrine and Covenants Section 110 occurred and was recorded in his journal. This was the last revelation recorded in his Kirtland journal for the year 1836.

These dates are not accidents. There are many events in the Restoration that coincide with Jewish holidays.

The 1836 vision was recorded in the Deseret News on November 6, 1852, as part of the “Life of Joseph Smith” series.

The reclamation of Section 110 established precedence and prepared the way for other Reve­la­tions to be lifted from pages of written history and placed in the Doctrine and Covenants. Sections 137 and 138 are two primary examples of sections that became part of the Doctrine and Covenants which followed the pattern established with Section 110. There are other examples as well: notably, Sections 130, 131, and 132. This vision was added to the 1876 edition of the Doctrine & Covenants as Section 110. Brigham Young directed Elder Orson Pratt to oversee the publication of the 1876 edition. Pratt divided the various revelations into verses, arranged them in order as to when they were received, and also included twenty-six additional revelations. In October of 1880, George Q. Cannon presented the new edition of the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price to the membership of the Church and the Saints unanimously voted to accept the new version of the Doctrine and Covenants as canonized scripture.

Elijah is said to have transferred the sealing power to Joseph and Oliver inside the Kirtland Temple (D&C 110). The sealing power of Elijah has two primary components; God’s power to control the elements for the protection of the righteous, and the power to “seal” family lines together past, present and future, through and to “the fathers” – and finally to God, the Great Father of us all. These “fathers” (like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Enoch, Joseph Smith, etc.) helped provide salvation for those they served while on the earth, in connection with the Lord. The Prophet Joseph Smith’s statement in 1840 indicates a future delivery of keys held by Elijah, possibly at Adam-ondi-Ahman or in a temple. This is seen in his words, “will, before the last dispensation”—potentially meaning before this last dispensation is complete, he will “restore the authority and deliver the keys of the Priesthood, in order that all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness.”

“Elijah was the last Prophet that held the keys of the Priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensation [after that of Joseph Smith], restore the authority and deliver the keys of the Priesthood, in order that all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness” (TPJS, p. 172).       

“The dispensation of the fulness of times will bring to light the things that have been revealed in all former dispensations, also other things that have not been before revealed. He shall [future tense] send Elijah the prophet &c., and restore all things in Christ [Ha Mashiyach].” The Words of Joseph Smith, 3 October 1841 (Sunday Morning), p.79, also Times and Seasons, 2:577-78, 15 October 1841 [comments in brackets]

On April 28, 1842, Joseph Smith stated that, “the church is not now organized in its proper order, and cannot be until the Temple is completed.” Nauvoo Relief Society Minutes, Ehat, p. 115

Section 128 was taken from a letter written by the hand of Joseph Smith when he was in hiding, during the Nauvoo period. According to this letter, nothing was committed to Joseph and Oliver. The messengers [angels] simply declared their rights, etc., holding forth that which is to come.

D&C 128:21 And again, the voice of God in the chamber of old Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, and at sundry times, and in divers places through all the travels and tribulations of this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hope!

Section 110 – Comment and Analysis

D&C 110:1 The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.

[This is a description of a vision. The Lord first appeared. They did not ascend into the Presence of the Lord, like Moses. They saw with their spiritual eyes]

D&C 110:2 We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

D&C 110:3 His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rush­ing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

[Some people who have spoken face to face with the Lord describe his eyes being deep blue. The Lord can appear any way he wants and with any degree of glory that we can tolerate. When Moses ascended to the Presence of the Lord, it was necessary for him to receive a baptism of Fire and to be translated.]

D&C 110:4 I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.

D&C 110:5 Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice.

D&C 110:6 Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to my name.

D&C 110:7 For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.

D&C 110:8 Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house.

D&C 110:9 Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house.

[Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have already been endowed and shall hereafter be endowed This phrase present in the JS journal, but was omitted from the D&C. ] in this house have been endowed in this house]

[He doesn’t say He will speak exclusively to the prophet. Many members reported seeing the Savior at various meetings held in this house.

“Wednesday, [March 30, 1836]. — At eight o’clock, according to appointment, the Presidency, the Twelve, the Seventies, the High Council, the Bishops and their entire quorums, the Elders and all the official members in this stake of Zion, amounting to about three hundred, met in the Temple of the Lord to attend to the ordinance of washing of feet. . . .

“Tubs, water, and towels were prepared, and I called the house to order, and the Presidency proceeded to wash the feet of the Twelve, pronouncing many prophecies and blessings upon them in the name of the Lord Jesus; and then the Twelve proceeded to wash the feet of the Presidents of the several quorums. The brethren began to prophesy upon each other’s heads, and upon the enemies of Christ, who inhabited Jackson County, Missouri; and continued prophesying, and blessing, and sealing them with hosanna and amen, until nearly seven o’clock in the evening.” (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 2:430, 431)]

D&C 110:10 And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands; and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so. Amen.

D&C 110:11 After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.

[Keys are not exclusive rights or privileges. Keys are knowledge. Real knowledge in this sense is not information or even wisdom. It is a degree of intimacy with the divine that unlocks the powers of Heaven. Moses was acting as an Elias. The gathering of Israel takes place on a Telestial level, commensurate with the then current spiritual level of the church.]

[“Another striking statement pointing to the fact that these people are now in a body in prepar­ation for their return is the statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith at the conference held in Kirtland, June 3 to 6, 1831. At this conference the Prophet said: “John the Revelator was then among the ten tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion.” The Savior also bore witness that these tribes were in a body like the Nephites and he would visit them. (“3 Ne. 15:203 Nephi 15:20 and 16:1-4.)” (Signs of the Times [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1952], 159.)]

D&C 110:12 After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.

[We do not really know, specifically who this “Elias” is. But an “Elias” is a calling or an office to pre­pare the way for a greater revelation of Priest­hood. This Elias could have been Noah, Abraham, someone living at the time of Abraham.  There are other Eliases who will come forth — for example: John the Beloved, John the Baptist, and Elijah. One characteristic of an Elias, he will never overstep the bounds of his calling and office. Even if he possesses greater Priesthood, he will never go beyond his specific calling.]

D&C 110:13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

D&C 110:14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi–testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come–

D&C 110:15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten [strike, slay, hit] with a curse [utterly destroyed] —

[These are the actual meanings of the Hebrew translation. Joseph Smith was right. He could have rendered a plainer translation.

JS 1:38. And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood [Reveal the covenants between God and Man, both on earth and in the heavens.], by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

JS 1:39. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. [reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the Fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers] If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. [Moroni quoted this passage with a plainer translation.]

“How shall God come to the rescue of this generation? He will send Elijah the prophet. The law revealed to Moses in Horeb never was revealed to the children of Israel as a nation.

“Elijah shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers.

“The anointing and sealing is to be called, elected and made sure.” DHC 5:554-5

“The spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second, and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Elijah are to come after, holding the Keys of Power, building the Temple to the capstone, placing the seals of the Melchizedek Priesthood [The anointing and sealing is to be called, elected, and made sure.] upon the house of Israel, and making all things ready; then Messiah comes to His temple, 

“Elijah [the office or calling] was to come and prepare the way and build up the kingdom before the coming of the great day of the Lord, although the spirit of Elias might begin it.” (Given March 10, 1844, Comp. p. 283; TPJS 34-35; HC 6:249).

Seven years later, Joseph said Elijah would come at a future date. “History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844],” p. 1708, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed October 25, 2020, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-e-1-1-july-1843-30-april-1844/80]

D&C 110:16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

[As stated above, the keys of Elijah were not committed to Joseph and Oliver. Joseph taught publicly that Elijah was yet to come. Elijah here was referring to the keys of the preparatory Gospel of Abraham. The church was under condemnation at this time, and was not worthy of anything beyond telestial keys and Priesthood.]

Writings of Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer

Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer — these three men hold a unique place in Latter-day saint history. After Joseph and Oliver, David Whitmer was the third person to be baptized. These three men were the first to behold the gold plates and the artifacts of the Book of Mormon, as shown in vision by the angel. These three men were the only three men whom the Lord called Apostles. The Lord only referred to the other twelve traveling high councilmen as “disciples”.

Oliver and David also left us some valuable writings, which shed additional light on the foundation of the Restoration, and which deserve to be read and considered.

Besides the handful of scriptures which the angel quoted to Joseph Smith when he was being prepared to receive the gold plates, he received a total of some 40 scriptures from the angel. Oliver Cowdery recounts these scriptures and provides additional details of how Joseph received and translated the plates.

David Whitmer gives his final witness of his role in witnessing the plates, the translation of the Book of Mormon, and first-hand accounts of the establishment of the church. Portions of David Whitmer’s testimony may be controversial to some because he outlines how Joseph followed the arm of flesh and succumbed to personal pride. He provides historical and scriptural support.

Many of us today realize that it is a mistake to gain a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true, and then to blindly extrapolate that testimony into believing that the LDS church is true and that everything its leaders do is inspired of God.

David Whitmer points out that the early saints made the same mistake. They gained a testimony that the Book of Mormon was of God, then blindly extrapolated that testimony into believing that everything the Joseph Smith did, for that point on, was inspired of God. David Whitmer admits that he made that mistake, along with Oliver and all the early members.

He points out that even though King David and Solomon did wrong in having many wives and concubines, the books of Psalms and Proverbs are beautiful books of poetry and wisdom, which we revere today from the man who was after the Lord’s own heart and the man who was the wisest man who ever lived. If we can receive wisdom and revelation from these books, we can also receive wisdom and revelation from the most correct book, and respect Joseph Smith for having translated it.

Both these men had fallings-out with Joseph Smith, but they never denied their testimonies of the Book of Mormon.

Scriptures Given by the Angel to Joseph.pdf

An Address to All Believers in Christ.pdf

Keys of Knowledge to be Learned from the Endowment

The first thing that you should know about the endowment is that everything is not a literal, but a symbolic representation. The endowment is not a saving ordinance, but it is a symbolic depiction of a saving ordinance which should take place throughout your life as you come to Christ. I pray that as I present some of those symbols and what the Lord has taught me about them that you will see these representations, not as beliefs, but as ways of understanding the symbols. You can understand them on many levels, and there are many ways to interpret them. Use these ideas as suggestions that the Lord can show you the true principles behind them, that you may use them in your life.

We are forced to labor under very difficult circumstances. We are taught by fallible men. We have poorly translated and incomplete scriptures. We have to contend with the vagaries of our language. And, last of all, we are bound by false traditions promoted by false, apostate religions. And yet, the Lord tells us that we have sufficient to enable us to lay hold of the iron rod and walk the path back to Him. Given all this, why should we expect our temple ordinances to be pure and uncorrupted? It’s a measure of our faith that even when given insufficient information, we can still step forward and act boldly and valiantly. None of this is a barrier to the Lord. By His grace, He will compensate for our lack of pure knowledge by giving us pure revelation. The Endowment

A “Spiritual translation of Isaiah, Chapter 28”

“These are all major blessings and gifts that the Lord bestows upon His servants for the purpose of building the Kingdom; but this gift has a personal application in a lesser form. The gift of Translation is helpful when studying scripture. For instance, many have struggled with Isaiah. Using this gift, asking the Lord in faith for permission to understand the intent of the words, can lead to your personal spiritual translation of these books. Put away your study manuals and lean upon the Lord for revelation. This gift, used for personal use is appropriate when the Lord has given express permission and not for the purpose of simply sharing your opinions. In this case, it would be taking the Lord’s name in vain. As with all gifts of the Spirit we must seek permission from the Lord.” –

PR, A Witness to the Gifts of the Spirit

This is one of the chapters of Isaiah that PR did not translate. I have often made “spiritual translations” scripture before. It really helps you to understand it, and it is really useful, even if you are the only one who reads it. I love the words of Isaiah. Just putting his words into modern English puts a vivid picture in your mind. My favorite lines in this are:

  • “to perform his act, his unusual act, and do his work, his awesome work.”  – Awesome is a popular, but over-used word, but it really fits here
  • “This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.” – This also describes the Lord at work. He plans, he counsels, and his work is excellent. So is the work of Isaiah. I hope I can measure up to it in some tiny way.
  • The first verse was fun. It talks about the shiny gold decorations that the “drunkards of Ephraim” like to decorate the tops of their buildings with. The ones that get struck by lightning or toppled by earthquakes

1 Woe to the crowns of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim! Their crowning splendor is now the foolish [nabel meaning ‘foolish’ or ‘drooping’] gold decorations [tsiyts From a Hebrew word meaning to ‘blossom’ or ‘sparkle’. A metaphor for shining thing (of gold plate on high priest’s mitre). Isaiah was simply describing what he saw in vision. Wonder what he saw?] so cherished by the fat proud ones [drunkards drunk on their own wine]. [2 Nephi 28:14 They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms …]

2 My Lord has held back in reserve to come forth one mighty and strong [a servant, sent from God to deliver a message by the power of God]: like a tempest of hail of a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters, he will bring their false traditions of men down to the ground by his hand [the power of his words, which are the words of Christ]. [D&C 85:7. And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God …] [teach and administer the ordinances of adoption into the family of God]

3 The traditions of men that the drunkards of Ephraim are so proud of shall be trampled underfoot.

4 And the foolish gold decorations [see above], like crowns of pride, their idols, shall be like the first-ripe fruit before summer harvest: he who sees it devours it the moment he has hold of it.

5 In that day the Lord of Hosts, alone, shall be as a crown of honor and the object of praise to the remnant of his people:

6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle [persuade others to a knowledge of the truth] in their gathering places.

7 Nevertheless, even they [the remnant] have indulged in wine [false traditions] and are giddy with strong drink: priests and prophets have gone astray through liquor. They are intoxicated with wine and stagger because of strong drink; they err as seers; they blunder in their decisions. [2 Nephi 28:14 … they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.]

8 For all tables are filled with vomit [traditions and teachings passed on from the learning of men, not taught through the Spirit]; no spot is without excrement.

9 To whom shall he give instruction? To whom shall he enlighten with revelation? Weanlings weaned from milk, those just taken from the breast? [Young men and young women who have been taught the basics of the true Gospel and who hunger and thirst for more.]

10 For it is but line upon line, line upon line [teach the Doctrine of Christ], precept upon precept, [build precept upon precept] precept upon precept [then, teach the Everlasting Covenant]; a trifle here, a trifle there [He will teach from the revelations of God, taught so that people can receive them but not run faster than they have strength].

11 Therefore, by incomprehensible speech [His servants will teach the truth in all plainness, teaching principles, not clichés.] and a strange tongue [They will teach in a language which the people have not heard before, but will sound familiar to them.] must he speak to these people,

12 to whom he said, this is rest; let the weary rest! This is a respite! But they would not listen. [But they hardened their hearts, taking too lightly that which they had received, i.e. the fullness of the Gospel and the Everlasting Covenant, therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest, which rest is the fulness of his glory.]

13 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough! For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

14 Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, you scoffers who preside over these people in Jerusalem. [The leaders of the church]

15 You have supposed, by taking refuge in deception and hiding behind falsehoods, to have covenanted with Death [Any covenant not made through the Holy Spirit of Promise is a covenant with death.], or reached an agreement with Sheol [the world], that, should a flooding scourge sweep through the earth, it shall not reach you. [You think you will be safe.]

16 Therefore, thus says my Lord Jehovah: I establish in Zion a stone, a tried and tested stone, a glorious cornerstone, a sure foundation. Whoever is faithful to it will not act hastily.

17 I will make justice the standard of measure, righteousness the standard of weight; a hail shall sweep away your shelter of lies and the judgments of God shall overflow your hiding place.

18 Your covenant with Death shall prove null and void, your agreements with Sheol [the world] have no effect: when the flooding scourge sweeps through, you shall be overrun by it.

19 As often as it sweeps through, you shall be seized by it: morning after morning it shall sweep through, by day and by night it shall seize you; it shall cause terror merely to hear news of it.

20 Then shall come to pass the proverb: The couch is too short to stretch out on, the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in. [The doctrine that is offered is not enough to cover the spiritual needs of the seeker. The fullness of the Gospel is not taught. People are leaving the church and going elsewhere because they “want more”.]

21 For Jehovah will rise up as he did on Mount Perazim [A battle where the Lord led King David into battle where he defeated the Philistines and burned their idols.], and be stirred to anger, as in the Valley of Gibeon [Another battle where the Lord and his hidden army of heaven assisted King David to defeat the Philistines.] — to perform his act, his unusual act, and do his work, his awesome work.

22 Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made stronger, for I have heard utter destruction decreed by my Lord, the Lord of Hosts, upon the whole earth.

23 Give heed, and hear my voice! Be attentive, and listen to what I say!

24 Will the plowman be forever plowing to sow seed, disking and harrowing the same ground? [Does the farmer do nothing except plow all day and yet expect a harvest?]

25 When he has smoothed its surface, does he not sprinkle fennel and scatter cumin? Does he not demarcate wheat from barley and plant buckwheat in its own plot? [Rightly dividing the word of God with discernment.]

26 His God instructs him, directing him in the proper procedure. [God is giving a simple lesson of a farmer.]

27 Fennel is not threshed with a sharp-toothed sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin: fennel is beaten out with a stick and cumin with a rod.

28 Domestic grain is ground; one does not go on endlessly threshing it. It cannot be ground by driving horse and threshing cart over it. [Teach all of the Gospel, so that people learn the complete path to salvation. Do not damn them by just repeating the same basic lessons over and over again. Precept must be added upon precept.]

29 This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

Are Mormons Christians?

Many Mormons have put their church and its leaders ahead of Christ, and as such are idolators. But, as a commentator pointed out, to say that all Mormons put the church ahead of Christ is taking a generalization too far. Many LDS people are today waking up to the fact that, as a group, we have had a tendency to do worship the church and not Christ, and to trust the church not the Lord to save us, and I will stand by my position that many top church leaders put the organization ahead of Christ. But many ordinary members are grateful for other members who showed us that we were doing this, and we realized our mistake. I think some of the best teachers in the church, are not the leaders, or the official teachers, but fellow members, who by their example, and a word or two, get us thinking.

I am grateful for the church for bringing us together under a common umbrella and for preserving the scriptures so that we can study they for ourselves. I hope, in this blog, I can attract and retain people who want to put the Lord first in their lives, and I promise that I will try harder not to overly generalize. This is a tendency we get into online. This trend actually started when all people had was email, when we lost that personal connection and could hide behind words. And now it’s carried over into blogs and Facebook. We all really need to watch ourselves in this.

“Christianity”, as a belief system, is nothing to be admired as its adherents place their creeds ahead of Christ, and are just as much idolators. Their idea of “faith”, for example, is not seeking revelation and acting it, but instead, their idea of faith is a set of beliefs that you must follow.

I will admit to one of my pet peeves. I really, really, really don’t like organized religion, and I tend to go overboard in condemning it. It’s just because I have seen what it can do to people who would otherwise be great friends. However, many people see great value in large organizations, and I will try to be more tolerant. To me, the most spiritual times I ever had with people was in private discussions, or in small meetings held in peoples’ homes. I grew up in small branches of the church all my life, and on my mission, and that was all I knew until I attended college in Utah.

The definition of the church of Christ and a true disciple of Christ is very simple. It’s in the D&C.

10:67. Behold, this is my doctrine–whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.
10:68. Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.
10:69. And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
10:70. And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Amen.

More of My Word

Are you as excited as I am about obtaining and reading the additional records which are promised to come out in the last days? If you are, then you are probably a Book of Mormon reader, and a believer that additional records will be forthcoming:

  • The fullness of the re-translation of the Bible, including the contents of the plates of brass (Old Testament).
  • The fullness of the record of the Twelve Apostles (New Testament).
  • The Sealed Portion of the Book of Mormon.

People are going to approach you, if they haven’t already, claiming to have translated these records. They will make sensational and tantalizing claims. These records will surely come forth, but only under certain conditions, and possibly only to certain people. What are those conditions and who are these people?

Here they are:

3 Nephi 26:8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

3 Nephi 26:9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

3 Nephi 26:10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

Ether 4:5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them.  And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.

Ether 4:6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.

Ether 4:7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.

These records will not come forth until there are enough people with faith sufficient to receive them. To receive them means more than to possess them, or lightly read them in order to satisfy your curiosity. To receive them means to read them, embrace them, search them, receive revelation concerning them, and teach them.

These additional scriptures aren’t given to people who either want to satisfy their lusts with them, or debate against them.

Ether 4:8 And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh.

But the main condition pertaining to the coming forth of these records is FAITH. By now, you should realize that faith is more than just belief or assent. More than following some “abominable” [the Lord’s word, not mine] creed. More than obedience to some man claiming to act for God. Faith means to seek revelation from God, receive it, and act on it.

How do you receive the word of God? From the scriptures, from inspired teachers, from true servants of the Lord, and ultimately personal revelation from God to you. In order to receive and appreciate new revelation, you must have also received some personal revelation yourself and be familiar with the revelatory process. You will probably have received at least your baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. The scriptures (above) say you must be sanctified: the definition and the result of having been “born again”. Your journals will contain sacred experiences and insights that you know came from God. You will understand how God teaches us, and specifically how God teaches you, and you will be hungry to learn more. You may probably have had revealed to you some of the contents of these records, so they will come as no great surprise. But, even if God has revealed every word of them to you, already, they must still come forth as a witness to the world that God faithfully honors His covenants and promises.

So, this is a call to prepare for coming events by knowing the true definition of faith, and by developing your own personal faith. As enough of us do this, and enough of us cry out to the Lord for additional light and truth, in order to bear up under the trials yet to come, the heavens will be moved with compassion, and the Lord will send His servants to you with these records in their hands. In His name, Amen. So let it be.

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.

My response to the recent conference and darn near every conference.

I think it is only fair that I explain why I advise LGBTQ people who are unhappy with the Mormon church and the way it is treating them to leave. I am not saying it to demean the LDS church, or to be mean-spirited. I am saying it because there might be an alternative, which some might find attractive and doable. I have not spelled out this alternative in the past because I was hoping somebody would figure it out on their own, but so far no one has. This post is an attempt to spell it out in the hopes that somebody will take the suggestion. It’s a pretty outrageous suggestion, but I am asking you to at least consider it for a second.

If you would like be part of a group of true followers of Christ, who want to honor their covenants and serve God and form eternal family units, but are prevented from doing so by a church that considers you and your friends as outcasts and apostates, then read on.

If you are looking to remain in a church where the main purpose is not serving the Lord, not building Zion, not honoring and strengthening your relationships, or not helping one another, regardless of one’s identity, but instead supporting a corporate hierarchy, or putting forward some political agenda, then this post would be of no interest to you.

If you are looking to serve the Lord, exercise your Priesthood, serve others, build Zion, and fulfill your covenants, in the most effective way possible, may I suggest that you approach the Lord in prayer, state your plight, and ask for further light and knowledge as to how to proceed.

Many people say that they have received revelation from the Lord that it is OK to be LGBTQ. I can tell you that it is OK, provided you abide by all your other covenants, to the extent that your church permits you to do so. But, there is so much more available to you. If you are willing to pray and ask the Lord whether He is willing to invite you to do more.

This is exactly what a group of gay and Lesbian ex-Mormons did in 1985. Our prayers were answered. We wanted to serve the Lord. We wanted to meet and partake of the Sacrament and teach and bear testimony to one another, but the way was hedged up, and we were at an impasse. There was no human way out of our situation, so we turned to divine help.

We started receiving revelation — not just one person, but four or five different individuals. The revelations told us only to organize ourselves into Priesthood quorums and ad hoc family units, and join faithful, stable, and worthy couples in temple marriage.

Most of us were Priesthood holders who were formerly LDS, but we did not consider ourselves a “break-away” group. (1) We were driven out. and (2) We were given a completely new dispensation of keys and authority, by revelation, and in a manner described by Joseph Smith and revealed in the D&C.

In the early days of our organization, we received many revelations about how to proceed in our unique situation. We extended the blessings of the Priesthood and the Temple to our members. We build a small temple/tabernacle structure and dedicated it. Despite our poverty and the meager surroundings, the feeling inside the temple space was the same feeling you get in a regular LDS temple. During the dedicatory service, several members reporting seeing angels. Angels were also seen in some of our temple services and sacrament meetings.

As long as we were seeking direction from the Lord, things were going great. I want to caution and emphasize that as some of the leadership desired to seek positions of personal power, and return to the LDS corporate, hierarchical model, the Lord warned us that we were “following the arm of flesh”. We persisted anyway, and the heyday of the church lasted only about a year and a half. The church continued to dwindle and linger for another 25 years, sometimes having as few as 2 remaining members. Eventually, the president of the church died, and the remaining leadership scattered.

The organization failed because we collectively, and not individually, failed to listen to the Lord’s counsel. Every day I read stories about LGBTQ Mormons, DADT, DOMA, HIV/AIDS, suicides, same-sex marriage, and I regret not having made the difference we could have made in peoples’ lives, had we continued.

It may be that the Lord has given us our one and only chance. Or, it may be that He is willing to take another chance on us. But, whether He is willing to invest in another organization and suffering through their learning curve, is not for me to say. There are plenty of affirming churches out there, if you want to join Community of Christ, or Reform Mormons, or any number of organizations. The Lord may direct you to stay in the LDS church, or join any of these other groups, or remain on your own. Or, take a look at the possibility I am offering. The Lord has much more available for you, if you will take it. The choice is yours.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of ALL Latter-day Saints (aka Restoration Church of Jesus Christ), the Lord communicated his love for us over-abundantly, and in return, we sought occasion against one another, and thought it more important to be the greatest in the Kingdom instead of being humble servants.

I once prayed and asked the Lord for forgiveness, as we had allowed His name to be dragged through the mud. He asked me, “Did you learn anything?” I said, “I certainly did.” Then, He said, “Then, it was all worth it.”

Would I personally try and start another group today? No. That experience still has me gun-shy, and, most importantly, I have received no confirmation from the Lord to do so. In fact, quite the contrary.

Instead, I am offering you a chance to go to the Lord and inquire about small, intimate fellowships, while adamantly warning you of the dangers of forming a church. But, if the Lord does direct you to do something, I would strongly advice you to humbly seek revelation and direction every step of the way, even if people criticize you for doing so.

I would also advise you to learn the Gospel and teach it. Learn the Doctrine of Christ, as taught in the Book of Mormon, and teach that. Teach people to make and keep covenants with God and with each other.

There are now other people out here “in the wild” seeking to live the Doctrine of Christ, and forming small intimate fellowships, which act as ad hoc families, the same as we started out doing in the Restoration Church. But, these people are focused on coming to know and become like Christ, following the teachings of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, the Bible, and the Lectures on Faith. They are preparing themselves as a covenant people, looking forward to the day when the Lord will bring again Zion, preparatory to the Second Coming of Christ.

The Gospel isn’t complex at all. It’s deceptively simple. But, it is strict and exacting. It isn’t to make you comfortable or affirm you, though these might be by-products. Focus on the Goal. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all the rest will be added to you. It’s a matter of where your focus lies.

The purpose of the Gospel is to change you and make you more Christ-like, and to build up His kingdom on earth in preparation for Zion and His Second Coming. You have a chance to engage in a work where your gender or sexuality is simply not an issue. You should expect to be neither shunned nor fawned over. It is simply not an issue. Of course, we comfort one another and bear one anothers’ burdens. But, we should support others’ burdens, not create them.