Heavens are Opened for Business - Any Customers?

I can assure you today is once again a day of salvation, and He has set His hand again.

No matter how unlikely it may appear, no matter how much reason there is to be skeptical, no matter how many more signs you think may need to be fulfilled, I'm telling you He has set His hand again. The heavens are opened for business, and the question is whether you are interested in becoming a customer or not.

You may only achieve a limited amount of grace in this life, but to that limited amount of grace you must hold fast. You cannot receive more if you will not receive what is offered to you now. But if you will receive what is offered now, you will be added upon forever and ever. (Abraham 3:26) Or, in other words, you move up the ladder by how you conduct yourself in this cycle of creation, and in the next cycle you will have so much the advantage. (D&C 130:18-19) You can choose to move upward and be added upon, or you can choose instead to remain as you are, worlds without end. The scriptures speak of things that happened "before the foundation of the world" or "in the first place" or "from the foundation of the world". These statements make it clear what went on before this creation mattered and affected who you are now. In like manner what you achieve in this life through your heed and diligence will affect what comes after. The course we are on has been ordained by God and is "one eternal round".

God has been at this a long time. Christ has, likewise, been involved for many repeated cycles of creation.

Moses was told: “by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth. And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.” (Moses 1:32-33) It is endless and it is cyclical. “But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.” (Moses 1:35) This is God's great work. It has been going through cycles of creation, fall, redemption, judgment and recreation forever. It is endless.

God's works do not end.

You are the developmental work God has chosen as His greatest accomplishment. He intends to bring to pass your immortality and eventual eternal life. (Moses 1:39) How long that requires for any given individual depends upon how long it takes you to become like Christ, the prototype of the saved man. How long will you delay attaining to the resurrection is within your own control. I am hoping to awaken you to the great work lying before you. (See Lecture 7, pages 40-43)

Christ said of Himself in Ether 3:14: “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.” This is the way in which you also might become a son of God. As the One who redeems you becomes your Father, so that He who is the Only Begotten of the Father, in turn begets many sons and daughters Himself.

If you will receive it, faith in him comes by hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17) Not by a pretender, not by someone guessing, not by someone offering up their theory of how the scriptures ought to be understood. Faith does not come by hearkening to someone citing you a bibliography. Faith comes only by hearing the word of God delivered as he would have it delivered, by whomever it is that he may choose to deliver it. (Romans 10:14-17)

If you receive God's word sent by someone He sends, then you might have faith, and that too in the Son of God. Then you also might receive Him. But if you will not, if you will harden your hearts, if you will blind your minds, if you will not receive what He offers from his mouth in your day, then you do not have faith in Him. You will fall short of that faith required to become His son and His daughter.

It is that way, it has always been that way, it will always be that way. There is no other test.

Therefore, either I am a liar and you ought to forget everything I have said, or I have been sent by someone greater than I am. If I have been sent and you reject and quibble over the things I declare to you, it is at your peril!

It ought to be that way. I ought to be damned if I'm a pretender, and I ought to be damned and rejected by God if I'm saying things about which I know nothing! But I bear witness to you I know what I'm talking about. I have no reason to lie to you. I have no reason to pay to reserve a place to speak to you, and ask nothing of you but to listen. It requires a sacrifice to do what I am doing. I have no other reason to do this than to tell you the truth. Joseph Smith testified to these things and I am come as a second witness. Therefore you now have two proclaiming the same doctrine.

He (Christ) was in the world and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. Why did the world not know Him? The world did not know Him for the same reason people would not know a messenger when one is sent today.

Our Lord was so very ordinary in His time. He seemed for all the world to be just another itinerant preacher. There have been so many pretenders. If you want to find the Lord look for Him among the outcast, for it is only there you will find Him at work. (See Lecture 7, pages 49-51)

The real project in the labor needing to be done, will be by you. If you don't lay hold upon this, if you don't move this forward, if you don't rise up, I suppose he will find another people. But you ought to accept this invitation, and then come to the feast He offers us. You should want to be numbered among those who choose to have the Gospel live again.

Let me end by testifying to you that, however improbable or unlikely all of this may seem to those of you who spend any time at all thinking about this, it was just as improbable when John was baptizing. It was just as improbable when Christ taught. It was just as improbable when Joseph Smith said, "I have seen a vision, I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither did I do it." (JS-H 1:25) It may seem improbable. But it is true! (See Lecture 10, pages 39-40)

“Mormonism” For Sale

The LDS Church has a product they call “Mormonism” and is trying to sell it to the world. The target market of non-members or those who have not yet been converted are becoming ever more disinterested in it. As saving doctrines, ordinances, and the “living” church fades away, sincere interest declines and genuine wonder and involvement progressively perishes.

Currently, LDS members, who are “active” and represent the key customers that produce cash-flow for the corporation, are experiencing drastic doctrinal changes. Some of these radical moves include altering temple rites, twisting the doctrine of polygamy 180 degrees, and changing and removing scriptures. Here's a few quick details:

Major changes, including penalty removal, were made in 1990 to the temple ordinances and additional significantly important alterations in 2005 and 2016. In addition to the revised temple ordinances, the sacrament ordinance has been changed and contradicts Christ’s instructions and example given in three books of scripture.

During Brigham's presidency and into the 1900's, practicing polygamy was taught as a hinge upon which salvation was connected. Today, on the other hand, the church teaches that those who practice polygamy are living in apostasy and may likely face excommunication. Interesting change?!

The 1835 Doctrine and Covenants included the Lectures on Faith, which represented the “doctrine” portion, and were accepted as scripture by common consent of church members. In 1921, a committee of six apostles chose to remove the Lectures on Faith from the Doctrine and Covenants WITHOUT common consent of the members. These six men, on their own accord, left the covenants to remain, but took away the entire doctrine portion, which teaches a man how to attain sufficient faith to claim eternal life, literally know the Lord, and see His face.

Other changes include revamping the doctrine of Christ and the qualifications for baptism (Children of same-sex couples are currently being denied baptism by the Mormon church until they are 18 years old and meet church requirements.) and using tithes and sacred funds to finance Babylon in all its glory, including the City Creek Mall adjacent to temple square, high end developments, real estate, investments, high rise condominiums, universities, ranches, and a 290,000 acre self contained city in Florida planned to house 500,000 people, which is in process.

Some members are disturbed by these jarring moves and measures executed by the “Brethren” and feel somewhat discouraged and lost. Some are angry, feel betrayed, lied to, and rejected. Others have noticed very little, if anything. Despite all the major adjustments to LDS doctrine and the troubling history that clearly shows the LDS church is riddled with contradictions, many true-blue “Mormons” are still “hanging on” and remain loyal customers to the corporation.

Although damaged by mistakes, errors, and foolishness, while trying to hide and cover the real but often embarrassing history, the LDS institution has maintained some control and order and has managed to convince many of their loyal followers to stay, pay, and obey.

Perhaps this is accomplished as the church cuts back to very basic tenets, drastically dilutes its teachings, changes ordinances, and “guarantees” the loyal tithe payer that the radical changes were inspired by God and the church cannot lead its faithful customers astray.

The remote possibility of the LDS church being in apostasy, at least from the institution's point of view, is out of question, not possible, and should never even be considered. That would not only be “blasphemy”, but it could be devastating to our clever plan and confiscate our “sacred income”. If the majority of church members were to wake up and began to actually believe and see that the LDS church is presently under condemnation (D&C 84:54-58) and is currently experiencing an increasing state of apostasy, then the church population and loyalty to the institution could essentially evaporate over night. Church leadership is well aware of the potential near approaching "tipping point" and concerned that if too many members begin to fully comprehend the fact that the LDS church and Christ are not the same thing, but instead are rapidly becoming complete polar opposites, it would prove to interrupt and sever cash-flow and to threaten and possibly destroy the entire conglomeration; investments, profits, and “prophets” alike!

That being the case, there are two key LDS tenets that have and, from the church leadership's point of view, must continue to supersede all others: 1) the church is led by a “living prophet” and 2) the “Upper Hierarchy” of church leaders have a standard of infallibility and “cannot lead you astray.” During the past century, these particular LDS beliefs have overgrown excessively and turned into traditions of men, which has taken away light and truth from the children of men. These false traditions, which have been embraced for an entire lifetime by some individuals, appear to be right and good rather than incorrect and in error. Therefore, these untrue traditions are certainly difficult to overcome because they are “set in concrete” and run deep and cold. They are seldom challenged, but if someone begins to question or “rock the boat”, shunning and discipline surely follows!

To show a real life “shifting of sand under our feet” example of several “prophets” declaring doctrine on a specific subject at different periods of time, I have gathered various official statements concerning “racism” and “priesthood” from the LDS church leaders in three different time frames, including the early days 1800's, semi recent past 1900's, and current statements found on the church website. Coupled with the statements below are a few questions that you may want to consider and ponder:

"We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church." (Official Church Statement)

In 2006, then Church president Gordon B. Hinckley declared that “no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ."

"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses,Volume 10, page 110)

"And if any man mingle his seed with the seed of Cain the only way he could get rid of it or have Salvation would be to come forward and have his head cut off and spill his blood upon the ground- it would also take the life of his children." (Wilford Woodruff Journal)

"Not only was Cain called upon to suffer, but because of his wickedness he became the father of an inferior race. A curse placed upon him and that curse has been continued through his lineage and must do so while time endures. Millions of souls have come into this world cursed with a black skin and have been denied the privilege of Priesthood and the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel. These are the descendants of Cain. Moreover, they have been made to feel their inferiority and have been separated from the rest of mankind from the beginning.... we will also hope that blessings may eventually be given to our negro brethren, for they are our brethren-children of God-not withstanding their black covering emblematical of eternal darkness. " (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, pages 101-102)

"Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty. (Abra. 1:20-27.) The gospel message of salvation is not carried affirmatively to them... negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality is not of man's origin. It is the Lord's doing, is based on his eternal laws of justice, and grows out of the lack of Spiritual valiance of those concerned in their first estate." (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966, pp. 527-528) 

Considering these disparaging remarks made by Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, Joseph Fielding Smith, and Bruce R. McConkie (and many others not quoted here) concerning those of another race (blacks), should these men be considered true disciples of Christ? Are these men considered to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church? Did they even know what they were talking about or just going with the flow of their day? Or, on the other hand, are they correct and therefore, those who claim to be and speak as prophets today are actually wrong, mistaken, and thereby suffer in latter day apostasy? 

This may be something to seriously consider since they definitely contradict each other while claiming it all came from God. Some of these “prophets” must necessarily be in error, therefore this belief that they CANNOT lead you astray obviously is bogus indeed. So, among the latter day “prophets”, who do you believe and trust? How do you find out?

We'll pick up here in the next post :)