Smoke, Mirrors, and Sensitive Buttons!

"The greatest evils in the world will not be carried out by men with guns, but by men in suits sitting behind desks."

"The descent into hell is easy and those who begin by worshiping power soon worship evil."

"It is not done even in concentration camps and labor camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth shaved cheeks who do not need to raise their voices. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the office of a thoroughly nasty business concern."

These previous quotes are attributed to CS Lewis and here is Buddha's perspective:

"What is evil? Killing is evil, lying is evil, slandering is evil, abuse is evil, gossip is evil, envy is evil, hatred is evil, to cling to false doctrine is evil; all these things are evil. And what is the root of evil? Desire is the root of evil, illusion is the root of evil."

Joseph Smith is quoted, "I love that man better who swears a stream as long as my arm yet deals justice to his neighbors and mercifully deals his substance to the poor, than the long, smooth-faced hypocrite."

I think it was CS Lewis who correctly said that there is far more agreement on what is right and wrong in different cultures than disagreement. What Buddha is quoted as saying above was also likely taught by a Hindu, a Sikh, St. Paul, Moses, Joseph Smith, and others today. Real agreement on this subject spans across cultures and there are behaviors that are consistently condemned across the world.

Therefore, if you ever find a man dressed in a suit and tie with a white collared shirt with smooth shaven cheeks, take immediate note!

If you find him to appear clean and attractive with immaculate care sitting behind a desk situated in a warm well-lighted office, take note again!!

Often accompanied by charisma and the ability to convince or deceive by cunningly devised words, he is able to use his power, influence, and position to lift himself up for a light unto the world that he may get gain and praise of the world. If this is occurring, take note again!!!

If you find any lying, slandering, abuse, gossip, or hatred, pay attention!

Furthermore, if you detect any envy for wealth, position, or power, perceive a pattern of clinging to false doctrines or illusions, or recognize religious or civil leaders who fail to deal justice to his neighbors and mercifully deals his substance to the poor, then pay attention again!!

If long, smooth-faced hypocrites set up rules, traditions, and corrupt laws that require you to pay money, in forms of taxes, tithing, donations, or other methods, and attach stiff consequences of failure, pay attention again!!!

One of the most important things you can do in your life is to learn to pull back the curtain of fear so you can have a better perspective of what is really happening as the enemy blows a lot of smoke and pushes your sensitive buttons.

Whenever the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is restored, including the fullness of the priesthood, the holy order, covenants, and associations and relationships with angels, heavenly beings, and God Himself, men will immediately begin to imitate, pretend, and claim to represent the real things. Lucifer is the promoter of such and makes what he does resemble and look like what the Savior does. Lucifer attempts to mirror the Lord's work and teaches as closely as possible what the Lord teaches, but carefully and slightly alters the truth, partially skews reality, or leaves it short or incomplete. Satan tends to claim what the Savior claims and makes the same promises. The promises made by the Savior always come to fruition, but Lucifer does not and cannot walk his talk when he makes the same promises and claims as the Savior does. In every case, Lucifer does so falsely so that it cannot save anyone.

Lucifer likes to gain control over whatever the Savior establishes to manipulate people. Sometimes Lucifer is able to take control of the actual House of God, His temple, and His Church, by easily fooling the weak-minded into believing that they have salvation, are doing many wonderful things in His name, and are His preferred people when, in reality, they only have a powerless imitation, do not know God face to face, and are not His friends. And to them He will say: “I never knew you; depart from me ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:21-23) If Lucifer is able to take control of the Lord's House by tricking or deceiving the people, then, the adversary has employed the best way known to insure that no one is saved, while almost everyone thinks they are. What an ingenious way for Lucifer and his followers to damn mankind!!

Without the curtain being pulled, much remains hidden, out of view, and missed altogether until it's too late. Therefore, take note, pay attention, open the curtain wide to more fully expose evil, be wise, and act accordingly!

Be Wise and Correctly Discern

Don't be solely impressed by the books you read, the nightly news you watch or what you hear someone talk about ... Unless it is enlightening and true and confirmed by God.

Rather, be impressed by the fruit that is produced, by the increasing revelation and light that emanates and by what is going on or not going on behind the scenes. After all, much is revealed by what a person or group chooses to do when they think no one is watching.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

“The world always mistook false prophets for true ones, and those that were sent of God, they considered to be false prophets and hence they killed, stoned, punished and imprisoned the true prophets, and these had to hide themselves "in deserts and dens, and caves of the earth," and though the most honorable men of the earth, they banished them from their society as vagabonds, whilst they cherished, honored and supported knaves, vagabonds, hypocrites, impostors, and the basest of men.” (TPJS, 205)

Wise men speak because they have already done the work, made sufficient sacrifice, know God for themselves, and have authority from a higher source to actually say something of value that points others to Christ.

Pretenders and fools, who have failed to do the work, teach and place themselves as a "required intermediary" between you and God, and prefer money, power, and priestcraft over the salvation of mankind and the establishment of Zion, tend to ignorantly speak on important subjects because they feel some sort of need to say something about that which they know nothing.

Be wise and correctly discern between truth and error, light and dark, restoration and apostasy. Take the upper road, despite opposition.

Joseph Smith's Revelations

"There is a passage often quoted from the D&C to support the idea that the president of the LDS church is entitled to have his teachings regarded as if they were God's word. The language is as follows:

"Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; For his word ye shall receive, as if from my own mouth, in all patience and faith. For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name's glory." (D&C 21:4-6)

This revelation is referring to Joseph Smith. Period. Not to anyone who later happens to be elected by the vote of a group to become his successor. Doesn't apply and didn't apply to Brigham Young, John Taylor, Warren Jeffs, Ervil LeBaron, Rulon Allred or any number of other pretenders. It applied solely to Joseph Smith.

The revelation uses the personal pronouns "he" and "his" to refer to Joseph Smith throughout. If you want to put someone else into the passage above, then "he" must likewise heed all the requirements of D&C 21.

"Wherefore it behooveth me that he [Joseph Smith] should be ordained by you, Oliver Cowdery mine apostle; This being an ordinance unto you, that you are an elder under his [Joseph Smith's] hand, he [Joseph Smith] being the first unto you, that you might be an elder unto this church of Christ, bearing my name." (D&C 21:10-11) So "he" will then need to ordain Oliver if "he" is to be mentioned by the revelation.

It was Joseph Smith who "wept for Zion" (D&C 21:8). It was Joseph Smith who was "inspired to move the cause of Zion" forward (D&C 21:7). It was Joseph Smith whose "diligence I [God] know, and his prayers I have heard" (D&C 21:7).

Therefore it was Joseph Smith whose words we are required to "give heed unto" and it is the "commandments which he [Joseph Smith] gave unto us" we are now required to obey. When we do not do this, then the "gates of hell shall prevail" against us, as they most certainly have.

From the beginning, all the various off-shoots uniformly disobey this commandment. Not only do they all refuse to "give heed" to what God revealed and commanded through Joseph Smith, but they have compounded their error by allowing others to interpose their commandments "as if they were from God." The landscape today is exactly as it was when the Lord appeared to Joseph. We see churches who deny the power of God, and who teach for commandments the doctrines of men, having only a form of godliness, which heaven does not respect. The pretenders' lack of power is for our protection. If it were otherwise, we would be damning one another." (DS 7-22-14)