The Lord's Admonition Pt. 2

Continuing on with the admonition to study other texts that might be useful to us...

One big part of the scripture project is updating archaic language. This has been on the agenda since late June (see here). In the recent answer the Lord gave in response a prayer offered for acceptance of the scriptures the Lord said:

"...I accept your clarifications and you are permitted to proceed to the end with your plan to update language to select a current vocabulary, but take care not to change meaning—" (Answer p. 2)

Two of the first scrolls discovered in caves at Qumran (the Dead Sea scrolls) are known to us as "1QIsaiahA" and "1QIsaiahB" (I'll just refer to them as "A" and "B" in this post).  "B" is remarkably similar to what we have currently in our bibles and predates "A" in language use. "A" is essentially the same text, but with language that better reflects the vocabulary used when these scrolls were written down. In other words, "A" is an updates the archaic language used in "B".

As far as I am aware, this was not known to the scriptures committee, but this information combined with the admonition from the Lord is one more witness among many that this project has been directed by the Lord.

You can learn all about this from the lecture series called "The Great Courses: The Dead Sea Scrolls" which can be downloaded on audible or bought in book form from Amazon. 

Such Love As This

In the answer the Lord recently provided to us as a result of the prayer for acceptance of the scriptures, He said,

"Study to learn how to respect your brothers and sisters"

On the first page of the Book of Mormon, you have Lehi praying "with all his heart" on behalf of the wicked people at Jerusalem. A pillar of fire appears before him, where he then sees and hears "much". He goes home after this experience, lays down, and, being filled with the Spirit because of the things he had seen, is caught up to the throne of God. Because of some things that happen while being caught up, he declares:

"Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!"

This rhetoric is common enough throughout scripture that it is largely ignored. But look closely here. What is being said? Whatever Lehi saw, it caused him to realize that God's works are "great and marvelous" making Him "Almighty". To further emphasize God's lofty position, Lehi declares that "[His] throne is high in the heavens".

Think about that for a minute. Who is the most powerful person on Earth? What effect do they have? What are their works? How far is their influence spread? How do they act? How do they view themselves? How do they treat others?

Compare that person with this being who has a position "high in the heavens". The "heavens" is a big place. If you look at our galaxy alone, you'll find that there are BILLIONS of stars and planets. An example is in RE Genesis 4 when Enoch, while in the presence of God, states:

"[...]were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, and millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations[...]"

High in the heavens indeed... whatever power we think we have here is small potatoes compared with this God who is Almighty.

Then, Lehi shows us that these observances are only preliminary information for the message he wants to convey about the being he is praising. He says:

"[...]thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth[...]"

What a humbling realization. Consider this particular earth on which we live. In that same chapter in Genesis that is referenced above, in response to comments by Enoch, the Lord responds by saying,

"[...]among all the workmanship of my hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren[...]"(RE Genesis 4)

We live on the most wicked planet of any that this great God has created, and Lehi is telling us that God still has mercy on "all the inhabitants" and that His "goodness and power are over [us]".

Who among us has such love as this? We are left without excuse. We have no reason to not be good, merciful, and loving toward one another in our tiny spheres of influence.

Keeping the Covenant

RE Deuteronomy 8-9 (LE Deut. 28-30)  has some pertinent info when considering the coming covenant.

The people are gathered together to hear Moses read a covenant from the Lord. In the second paragraph, the Lord says that "this day thou art become the people of the Lord the God". They are now His people and he proceeds to say something like "here are the blessings you'll receive if you obey my commands, here are the cursing you'll receive if you disobey, and if that happens, I'll scatter and destroy you."

Really the whole thing needs to be read, but I think that's a good synopsis.

Let's not be scattered, destroyed, and give up our opportunity to another people, deal?

In Case You Didn't Believe Him - Lord's Admonition Pt. 1

The Lord recently told us that "there will yet be records restored from all the tribes that will be gathered again into one, and also as I have said, there is some truth in the Apocrypha, including the Pseudepigrapha and scrolls recovered at Nag Hammadi and other New Testament texts uncovered since the time of Joseph Smith and findings at Qumran, and there are other records yet to be recovered, and whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit by their careful study." (http://denversnuffer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Answer-Covenant.pdf)

Joseph Smith received a revelation which states:

"Three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who were all high priests, with the residue of his posterity who were righteous, into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing. And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel. And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him: I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them forever. And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation.

These things were all written in the book of Enoch, and are to be testified of in due time."(LE D&C 107; RE 170)

Here is a passage from a text from the Pseudepigrapha called "The Books of Adam and Eve" translated from Latin in 1913 by R.H Charles:

"Hearken, my son Seth, even to the rest of the secrets [and sacraments] that shall be, which were revealed to me, when I had eaten of the tree of the knowledge, and knew and perceived what will come to pass in this age; [what God intends to do to his creation of the race of men. The Lord will appear in a flame of fire (and) from the mouth of His majesty He will give commandments and statutes [from His mouth will proceed a two-edged sword] and they will sanctify Him in the house of the habitation of His majesty. And He will show them the marvellous place of His majesty. And then they will build a house to the Lord their God in the land which He shall prepare for them and there they will transgress His statutes and their sanctuary will be burnt up and their land will be deserted and they themselves will be dispersed; because they have kindled the wrath of God. 

And once more He will cause them to come back from their dispersion; and again they will build the house of God; and in the last time the house of God will be exalted greater than of old. And once more iniquity will exceed righteousness. And thereafter God will dwell with men on earth [in visible form]; and then, righteousness will begin to shine. And the house of God will be honoured in the age and their enemies will no more be able to hurt the men, who are believing in God; and God will stir up for Himself a faithful people, whom He shall save for eternity, and the impious shall be punished by God their king, the men who refused to love His law. Heaven and earth, nights and days, and all creatures shall obey Him, and not overstep His commandment. Men shall not change their works, but they shall be changed from forsaking the law of the Lord. Therefore the Lord shall repel from Himself the wicked, and the just shall shine like the sun, in the sight of God. And in that time, shall men be purified by water from their sins. But those who are unwilling to be purified by water shall be condemned. And happy shall the man be, who hath ruled his soul, when the Judgement shall come to pass and the greatness of God be seen among men and their deeds be inquired into by God the just judge."

[...]

"After Adam was nine hundred and thirty years old, since he knew that his days were coming to an end, he said: 'Let all my sons assemble themselves to me, that I may bless them before I die, and speak with them.' And they were assembled in three parts, before his sight, in the house of prayer, where they used to worship the Lord God."

There are similarities in the two passages that are remarkable to me. As far as I have been able to find out, Joseph didn't have access to this record. The Pseudepigraphal texts may not be entirely accurate, but "whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom"(D&C 91; T&C 32) and I think they are worth studying. Among other things, this shows that Joseph was receiving his light from the same Source that other ancients were.

As It Was in the Days of Noah

I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord prophesied of days to come.

"...as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man. For it shall be with them as it was in the days which were before the flood. For until the day that Noah entered into the ark, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away. So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."

We get even more detail from the account that the Lord is referring to:

"And in those days there were giants on the earth, and they sought Noah to take away his life, But the Lord was with Noah, and the power of the Lord was upon him, and the Lord ordained Noah after his own order, and commanded him that he should go forth and declare his gospel unto the children of men, even as it was given unto Enoch."

"And it came to pass that Noah called upon the children of men, that they should repent, but they hearkened not unto his words. And also, after that they had heard him, they came up before him, saying, Behold, we are the sons of God, have we not taken unto ourselves the daughters of men? And are we not eating and drinking, and marrying and given in marriage? And our wives bear unto us children, and the same are mighty men, which are like unto them of old, men of great renown. And they hearkened not unto the words of Noah. And God saw that the wickedness of man had become great in the earth, and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually."

[...]

"The earth was corrupt before God, and it was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence, and behold, I will destroy all flesh from off the earth. Make thee therefore, an ark of gopher wood, rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and thou shalt pitch it within and without with pitch,[...] And behold, I, even I will bring in a flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven, every thing that liveth on the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant, even as I have sworn unto thy father, Enoch, that of thy posterity shall come all nations. And thou shalt come into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with them."

[...]

"and the Lord shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the face of the earth, and all the high hills, under the whole heavens were covered. Fifteen cubits and upward did the waters prevail, and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved upon the face of the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beasts, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man. All in whose nostrils the Lord had breathed the breath of life, of all that were on the dry land, died."(JST Gen) 


Though Noah was called after the Holy Order of God to preach repentance to the people in his time, very few listened. Not only did they not listen, to show Noah how "righteous" they thought they were, they began declaring that they were also "sons of God". They flaunted their supposed prosperity showing that they had all they needed and were celebrating marriages. Things were going really well for them.

In response, the Lord decided to destroy all who would not listen, rather than let them continue to decrease in light and increase in wickedness. He warned Noah and his family who were willing to listen and repent. He prepared a plan for them to avoid the coming destruction. Then, He established a covenant with Noah and saved him and those with him from the coming destruction.

So that happened back then. The Lord's purpose in telling us about Noah was to instruct us about what is to come. We can expect these things to happen in our day.

I want to go over one more revelation. Its correlation to Christ's prophecy using history proves to me that this next revelation originated from the same source. So here it is:


"I recently had a vision that began as a dream. In it I was traveling in a small car up a mountain road. The road was steep, but straight, and it grew steeper as it climbed upward. On the left side of the road there was a railroad track running parallel. As we drove the small car upward, I noticed a sharp bend in the railroad tracks ahead that interrupted the otherwise straight course of the line. I saw a train approaching from uphill in the distance coming downhill rapidly, and it seemed to be going far too fast to safely negotiate the sharp bend in the tracks. The small car we drove was not quite to the bend when the rushing train hit the bend, leapt from the tracks, and violently crashed in front of us. Our little car narrowly escaped a collision, as the train's wreckage spread about. As the small car continued upward, the train crash worsened, at first beside the car, and then as we accelerated, closely behind us. The little car got ahead of the continuing wreck of the moving train and I could see the train was full of passengers who, uphill from the wreckage, were enjoying themselves. They were paying no attention to the disaster already befalling their train. We began to shout out the windows of our car, trying to warn the occupants in the doomed train, but they gave no heed. They laughed and partied aboard the train with no concern for their impending destruction."

"I could see the wreckage behind me in the mirror as the violence of the wreck threw shattered railcars about, some onto the road behind us, making the road now impassable. We were powerless to save those aboard the train because they would not hear the warnings we shouted to them. As we reached the top of the mountain, the last of the train went by and I stopped the little car. We got out and stood in the roadway looking down the mountain and watched as the last of the train was destroyed. While mourning over the many lives that had been lost, I awoke from the dream and sat up on my bed, but the vision continued."

"I next saw in the distance, beyond the wreckage, an overpowering flood, as if it was a great fire, consuming and destroying all the country coming from the east. Although we had survived the train wreck, it appeared certain we would all be killed in the coming flood. I looked about for any sign of hope we might survive and noticed beside the roadway a great rock with an opening. I led the small party to the rock and discovered the opening was for a cavern that went upward within the shelter of the rock. We entered the cave, and climbed upward. Inside the cavity of the rock our small group waited as the flood approached, unsure whether we would live or die. The noise of the destruction outside was deafening as the flood approached, and then the opening of the cavern went black and we were left in complete silence and darkness. We waited. In a few moments the light returned, but silence remained. After a few more moments our small group emerged from the rock's cavern to see what had transpired with the world."

"The scene of destruction was astounding. The entire landscape was transformed. It was destroyed. The wrecked train, the tracks, and the road had all been consumed. Everything appeared barren. Then suddenly new life began to spring forth in the widespread desolation. Barren trunks brought out new limbs, blossoms, and leaves. Flowers sprang from the earth. As we watched, the earth was quickly transformed, and in a short time the denuded desolation was full of life, beauty, and fertility, much greater than before the flood of fire had destroyed the landscape."

"At this point the vision ended and I was given the interpretation: The train is the false religions of the world. The occupants of the small car are those who repent and accept baptism. The protective rock with the cavern is Christ."(Denver Snuffer, Jr., September 11, 2016)

This vision lines up perfectly with Christ's prophecy and Noah's experience. Except, where is the covenant?

You "enter in" to a covenant. A covenant takes you to a higher place if you continue in it. If you exit as it moves along, you will probably die. If you don't enter in proper time, you will not be able to enter at all and will perish with all those who also had no interest.

"And when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things, it shall be a sign unto them that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel."(RE 3 Nephi 9)

No Place for an Inheritance

"...I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord. Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever. And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance."

In 1889 it was broadcast across the planet that the United States was giving away land. Many nations came into America. Since that time many nations have continued to come to America and have overrun the land that there is almost no place for an inheritance.

It is such an issue that KSL has written about the problem two times in the last couple of months (see here and here). It is extremely difficult for people in Utah and across the United states to find a place where they can have a life where they are able to improve the land and have space to grow.

This morning my wife and I were outside planting vegetables in our garden. My wife was talking to her mom, telling her that she's "going for the less is more approach this year" since last year we crowded the garden and nothing was able to grow and flourish and our labor bore little fruit.

This coming covenant gives those willing to obey God and keep His commandments a right to the land. What a massive opportunity to grow!

What Gathering?

There are people who are worried about a coming covenant. I have heard arguments that this cannot be from God because "Zion won't come in a group! It will come because individuals are saved and then gathered!"

Yes, you would be correct. There's a disconnect though:

Who ever said that the covenant was a people gathering? I don't remember hearing anyone say that. We are reading things into what we know that aren't actually there.

So God is offering a covenant to our happy group to become a part of the children of Israel and be a people among whom the Lord can fulfill His last days prophecies.

What does this NOT mean?

It does not mean A) that we are gathering or, B) that we are Zion. It means that we have been extended an offer to accept to obey God's commands in the waning hours of this world among those who have no interest in doing so. If there are those who are willing to obey the Lord and keep the covenant, THEN they will have the opportunity continue along as God fulfills His last days prophecies.

This covenant does not claim to immediately make the body who accept it "Zion". In fact, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT CLAIMS BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN OFFERED YET.

I want you to read a couple of things that Joseph said and then answer two simple questions:

Question 1: What does this passage say?
Question 2: What does this passage NOT say?


1.

"And another parable spake He unto them. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened.” It may be understood that the Church of the Latter-day Saints has taken its rise from a little leaven that was put into three witnesses. Behold, how much this is like the parable! It is fast leavening the lump, and will soon leaven the whole. But let us pass on.

“All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake He not unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and His disciples came unto Him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” Now let our readers mark the expression—“the field is the world, the tares are the children of the wicked one, the enemy that sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, [let them carefully mark this expression—the end of the world] and the reapers are the angels.”

Now men cannot have any possible grounds to say that this is figurative, or that it does not mean what it says: for He is now explaining what He had previously spoken in parables; and according to this language, the end of the world is the destruction of the wicked, the harvest and the end of the world have no allusion directly to the human family in the last days, instead of the earth, as many have imagined; and that which shall precede the coming of the Son of Man, and the restitution of all things spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began; and the angels are to have something to do in this great work, for they are the reapers. As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world; that is, as the servants of God go forth warning the nations, both priests and people, and as they harden their hearts and reject the light of truth, these first being delivered over to the buffetings of Satan, and the law and the testimony being closed up, as it was in the case of the Jews, they are left in darkness, and delivered over unto the day of burning; thus being bound up by their creeds, and their bands being made strong by their priests, are prepared for the fulfilment of the saying of the Savior—“The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” We understand that the work of gathering together of the wheat into barns, or garners, is to take place while the tares are being bound over, and preparing for the day of burning; that after the day of burnings, the righteous shall shine forth like the sun, in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

But to illustrate more clearly this gathering: We have another parable—“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hid in a field, the which, when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof, goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field!” The Saints work after this pattern. See the Church of the Latter-day Saints, selling all that they have, and gathering themselves together unto a place that they may purchase for an inheritance, that they may be together and bear each other’s afflictions in the day of calamity.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” The Saints again work after this example. See men traveling to find places for Zion and her stakes or remnants, who, when they find the place for Zion, or the pearl of great price, straightway sell that they have, and buy it.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind, which when it was full they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.” For the work of this pattern, behold the seed of Joseph, spreading forth the Gospel net upon the face of the earth, gathering of every kind, that the good may be saved in vessels prepared for that purpose, and the angels will take care of the bad. So shall it be at the end of the world—the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

“Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto Him, Yea, Lord.” And we say, yea, Lord; and well might they say, yea, Lord; for these things are so plain and so glorious, that every Saint in that last days must respond with a hearty Amen to them.

“Then said He unto them, therefore every scribe which is instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things that are new and old.”

For the works of this example, see the Book of Mormon coming forth out of the treasure of the heart. Also the covenants given to the Latter-day Saints, also the translation of the Bible—thus bringing forth out of the heart things new and old, thus answering to three measures of meal undergoing the purifying touch by a revelation of Jesus Christ, and the ministering of angels, who have already commenced this work in the last days, which will answer to the leaven which leavened the whole lump. Amen.

So I close, but shall continue the subject in another number.

In the bonds of the New and Everlasting Covenant,

JOSEPH SMITH, JUN.

—Messenger and Advocate, Dec. 1835"
2.

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed. The mustard seed is small, but brings forth a large tree, and the fowls lodge in the branches. The fowls are the angels. Thus angels come down, combine together to gather their children, and gather them. We cannot be made perfect without them, nor they without us; when these things are done, the Son of Man will descend, the Ancient of Days sit; we may come to an innumerable company of angels, have communion with and receive instruction from them. Paul told about Moses’ proceedings; spoke of the children of Israel being baptized. (1 Cor. 10:1-4.) He knew this, and that all the ordinances and blessings were in the Church. Paul had these things, and we may have the fowls of heaven lodge in the branches, etc."(TPJS p. 159)

Again, here are the questions:

Question 1: What does this passage say?
Question 2: What does this passage NOT say?