Zion is Returning Soon!

Zion is much more than a topic and has been the primary focus of every prophet of God from the days of Adam down to today. As recorded in our scriptures, Zion has been established two times (Enoch, Melchizedek) on this earth since the time of Adam and a prophesied third time of Zion being brought forth and experienced during the last days, just prior to and preparatory for Christ's second coming.

God sent Enoch and Melchizedek as His messengers with an authorized message of repentance to the people. The people repented and the Lord called his people Zion because they were of one heart and one mind, dwelt in righteousness; and there were no poor among them. In the latter days, God sent Joseph Smith with an authorized message of repentance and sought Zion. During the early 1800's, the people chose to not embrace and live according to God's message given through Joseph, failed to repent, rejected the restoration, and killed both Joseph and Hyrum on June 27, 1844. Since that day, the restoration has turned into an ever-increasing apostasy and confusion in the LDS church where doctrines such as priesthood, marriage, polygamy, salvation, and redemption has moved to and fro like shifting sand and ordinances such as sacrament, baptism, temple ceremonies, and the doctrine of Christ have been changed and taught differently than Christ instituted and the scriptures teach. 

Joseph Smith taught, “It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another…” (TPJS, 345) The Book of Mormon teaches that an individual enters the Lord's presence to be redeemed from the Fall (Ether 3:13), by the Redeemer Himself. Prophet after prophet in the Book of Mormon testifies of coming into His presence while in the flesh, while in mortality. LDS leaders today claim otherwise. Dallin Oaks said, "Of course, all of the righteous desire to see the face of our Savior, but the suggestions that this must happen in mortality is a familiar tactic of the adversary."
(Boise Rescue -  approx 54:15)   Joseph and the Book of Mormon are telling the same story, but Dallin seems to be telling quite another story. Interesting??? 

By April of 2014, the Lord concluded His work through the LDS Church. He has set His hand to begin something new, now underway.  The LDS church has sufficiently gone astray now that Christ has determined it best to order His house differently before His return (second coming).  In the latter days, God is choosing servants that He entrusts with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord?

Today, restoration has begun anew. Some are taking notice of the original restoration offered through Joseph Smith and the condemnation is being removed. Truth is returning again. Repentance is being preached. Authorized baptism is offered to all who desires to turn and face God. Zion is being sought and prayed for and a few sincerely seek to receive Christ's offering as He establishes a City of Holiness and peace upon the mountains and high places.

We are currently living in the last days, signs are being manifested in the heavens and on the earth, and a few are diligently seeking Christ and preparing for the Lord's second coming. Throughout history God has covenanted with, promised, and assured His chosen servants that in the last days God would indeed bring again Zion. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in His glory. This being the case, you may find it wise to take note of what is happening right before our very eyes. A group of individuals have diligently worked together and established a new and informative website that you may find worth checking out. 

Here is the link:  Zion's Return - The Heavens Are Open Again

This website is for all who believe in, seek to know more, or have doubts about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the mission of the prophet Joseph Smith. We humbly strive to preserve, promote, and practice the Gospel of Jesus Christ as originally restored by the Lord and to participate in His work now underway. These resources will assist those who are seeking to know more about how the Lord is working again among His people in preparation for His return.

Changes in doctrine and religious practice following the death of Joseph Smith are attributed to him or are claimed to be of divine origin by his successors. These changes have resulted in widespread confusion, loss of faith, and drift from the "fulness" of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, because the Lord is loving and merciful, His hand is being extended again a second time among the inheritors of the Restoration. The word of the Lord Jesus Christ is being declared in our generation through an authorized servant who has stood in the presence of God, as did Enoch and Joseph Smith, in preparation for Zion’s Return and the gathering of God’s family from their scattered condition.

"In that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left" (Isaiah 11:11)

Second Comforter – All Invited to Know Him

Here are a few scriptures to consider: (The words were put in bold by me)

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

“Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him; To whom he grants this privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves; That through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his presence in the world of glory. And to God and the Lamb be glory, and honor, and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (D&C 76:116-119)

“Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.” (2 Nephi 32:6)

“And again, verily I say unto you that it is your privilege, and a promise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am—not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual. For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God.” (D&C 67:10-11)

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

Here's what Joseph Smith taught (TPJS Page 150):

“The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses.”

Note the 16, 17, 18, 21, 23 verses:

16. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

17. Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

21. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

23. If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions--Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn.”

Here's what LDS church leaders had to say two and a half years ago when Elder Turley and Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught in the Boise Rescue Fireside on June 13, 2015:

Richard E Turley:

Another claim is that the church is not teaching what is necessary for exaltation, for example, some say that only those who see the face of Jesus Christ in mortality will receive Celestial Glory.

Dallin H. Oaks: {1:00:36 on the recording}

Of course, all of the righteous desire to see the face of our Savior, but the suggestions that this must happen in mortality is a familiar tactic of the adversary.

Here's Moroni's point of view:

“And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood. And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things; And only a few have I written, because of my weakness in writing. And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.” (Ether 12:38-41)

I wonder who knows what they are talking about? Where is the truth coming from or from whom does the false and vain and foolish doctrines proceed? Scriptures? Nephi? Joseph Smith? Dallin Oaks? Moroni? Jesus Christ? What is your perspective?

In part, here's what Jesus had to say to the religious leaders of His day: “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Matthew 23:13-15)

I wonder if sometimes Jesus' perspective of things and what He says and does causes some people to squirm and feel rather uncomfortable? Does the word of God challenge the traditions of men, require personal repentance,  and cause us to take a serious second look at our foolish beliefs and actions?

“Things that appear unlikely, impossible, or paradoxical from one point of view often make perfectly good sense from another.” Hugh Nibley

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)