The Great and Abominable Church, Part 3

Do we want to remain in our awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind? Is it worth calling upon the Father in the name of Jesus Christ and seeking Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit? Ether 4:15 God is in a position to reveal truth to us. He has the power to redeem us through the blood of the Lamb. Is it worth talking to Him about such things? Do we believe He hears and answers our prayers? Have we tried? We may underestimate God’s willingness and desire to reveal truth and forgive sins if we only cared enough to ask with a sincere heart and real intent.

If you were to receive a message from a bearer of light and truth, would you listen? Would the message be worth considering? Would you want it confirmed as a true message from heaven by praying and asking God directly? Is receiving a witness from the Holy Ghost necessary or important to obtain? Moroni 10:4-5 

Having obtained a witness from heaven declaring truth, and having received the assurance from the Holy Ghost, would you repent of false traditions, incorrect teachings, distorted doctrines, errors, misconceptions, inaccurate claims, mistakes, and transgressions? Would you conform your life to the revealed truth, and practice it? What if it went contrary to what you have been taught all your life and against family or social traditions?

Do we hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray or to the evil spirit that teacheth him that he must not pray? 2 Nephi 32:8 Would it be wise to proceed and “not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul?” 2 Nephi 32:9

By asking questions to, receiving answers from, and obeying God, we will avoid many mistakes, disappointments, and frustrations. Satan will have less power over us and will lack the ability to lead us down the dark detours to hell. By seeking and following the One who perfectly lives and understands eternal law, we can exercise faith in Christ, repent, witness unto the Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ by baptism, receive the Holy Ghost, make covenants, keep them, receive the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

If you were to receive a witness from heaven that urged you to seek, learn, and follow the doctrine of Christ, would you do it? Would you embrace the doctrine of Christ even if most religious entities, people, and traditions were in opposition to it?  Even if you were persecuted, mocked, and reviled? Would you be determined to preserve the plain and precious truths of heaven in spite of abominations and persecutions? Would the plain and precious truths being held back by the great and abominable church possibly be the doctrine of Christ? Could it include the fullness of the gospel, connection with God, and the opening of the heavens? 2Nephi 31:10-20 

“And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.” 2 Nephi 31:21

Is it worth believing in and practicing the doctrine of Christ? Is His true and complete doctrine appealing to you? Or would a diluted version work better? How about correlated doctrines and boundaries of belief defined by men? Would that pass with God? Which do we choose? The doctrines and philosophies of men mingled with scripture or the doctrine of Christ? When the doctrine of Christ is chosen, we find ourselves in direct opposition to the great and abominable church lead by the devil.

Since this is life eternal, to know the only true God and Jesus Christ, John 17:3 would that be a plain and precious truth that is needed for mankind to be redeemed? To obtain salvation? To receive further light 2 Corinthians 4:6 and knowledge D&C 130:19,

and avoid damnation? Mosiah 16:11 Wouldn’t it be important to have the scales of darkness 2 Nephi 30:6 fall from our eyes? 

Would it be beneficial to reject the abominations that lay before us in plain sight? How about eliminating unbelief Mark 6:3-6, which hides up knowledge Ether 4:13 and reduces and eliminates miracles Mormon 9:20, and causes us to depart from the living God? Hebrews 3:12 Would it be useful to promote belief in and obedience to eternal laws of God? D&C 130:20-21 

Is there any significant meaning, implication, or lasting consequence when we choose to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, recognize Him for who he really is, repent, become sanctified, and embrace Him? Ether 4:7 There will be many who falsely claim to have prophesied in His name, known Him, and qualified for redemption. But they didn’t speak with Him face to face, forfeited the opportunity to really know Him, and failed to hear His own voice declare their redemption. “And then will I (Christ) profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” Matthew 7:23.

Nephi taught that beyond the revealed doctrine of Christ, there will be no more doctrine given until after he (Jesus) shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. When He comes to you and declares doctrine, do what He says! Don’t allow unbelief, wickedness, ignorance, and stiffneckedness to get in your way. Nephi felt pain for those who will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be.” 2 Nephi 32:6-7 

Is it important to obtain the testimony of Jesus and have Him personally bear witness to you?  Why is it essential to believe on His name, be baptized with water, be washed and cleansed from all sins, be baptized with fire, receive the Holy Ghost, and experience the ordinances offered and performed by God? Is individual connection with heaven necessary in this life? Or is it sufficient to piggy-back off the testimony of another?

Joseph Smith declared the following: “…Reading the experience of others, or the revelation given to them, can never give us a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God. Knowledge of these things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances of God set forth for that purpose. Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject.

“We are only capable of comprehending that certain things exist, which we may acquire by certain fixed principles. If men would acquire salvation, they have got to be subject, before they leave this world, to certain rules and principles, which were fixed by an unalterable decree before the world was.

“The disappointment of hopes and expectations at the resurrection would be indescribably dreadful.” TPJS Page 324-325 

Is it worth understanding and becoming subject to certain rules and principles required for salvation? Should we do it now, in this life? Later? When? Is it important for you to distinguish between truth and error? Would it be helpful to find and be part of the church of the Lamb of God? Is it necessary to denounce the church of the devil and philosophies of men? Are these important choices to make? What’s going to happen if our work is not done during the daytime but procrastinated until the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed? Alma 34:33

The angel told Nephi, “Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.”1 Nephi 14:10

Are you interested in identifying the great and abominable church? Would you like to discover who is involved in it, what institutions support it, and which entities, leaders, and movements actively participate in and promote the great and abominable church?  Would it be wise to abandon false doctrines, denounce counterfeit or evil traditions of men, and deplore corrupt and vain abominations of churches in our midst?

Would you like to find the church of the Lamb of God and belong to it? Is it worth the effort, obedience, and sacrifice to know God? Those who fail to know Him will have to depart from Him. That’s pretty tough doctrine! I want to know Him and receive His testimony. How about you?

Hypocrisy and Deception Among Us

Nearly two millennia ago, Jesus said a very interesting thing about His church. “And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel. . . And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it. But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return” 3 Nephi 27:8,10-11.

Jesus set out two fascinating contingencies to meet the criteria to actually be His church. First, be called in Christ’s name. Second, the church must be built upon His gospel, not upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil.

What is His gospel? D&C 39:5-6 What is the doctrine of Christ? 2 Nephi 31:17-21 What did He teach? Do we teach the doctrine that Jesus embodies? Do we live what He exemplified? Do we actually embrace and live the gospel of Jesus Christ? Or do we merely manifest the pretense of righteousness, make it appear all is well, and are proud of it?

Do we consider ourselves a chosen and a holy people while believing others are wrong and corrupt? The poor foolish souls just miss out while we are welcomed into heaven, right? Do we cling to the false notions that we are favored of God, elected, and saved while everyone else is cast down to hell by the wrath of God? Alma 31:16-18   

Do we assert that others are lead away after foolish traditions and wander far from God? It seems like it’s always the other guy that “draws near to [Jesus] with their lips, but their hearts are far from [Him], they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” Joseph Smith—History 1:19

We don’t do any of that stuff, do we? Aren’t we part of the only true church upon the face of the earth? There aren’t any abominations in a church that professes the name of Jesus Christ, right? Or is there? D&C 50:4 If we strictly follow men who claim to be prophets, can we ever be led astray? Hmmm?

What if a leader teaches something that is wrong and contrary to the doctrine of Christ? Am I held accountable for following false doctrines promoted or taught by a respected leader? Am I justified in my corrupt actions since it is endorsed by my authorized leader, and he counsels me to follow him? Walking off a cliff with or without a leader’s approval almost always hurts.

Do religious leaders, who claim to speak the word of God, have the power to save me? D&C 18:23 Do we essentially “have it made” because we are members of a legitimate and bona fide institution? Odds are we’ll be exalted anyway, right?

There are many honored and venerated leaders in the church that bears Christ’s name, but should any man be trusted and followed without question? Should we evaluate each message and receive a confirmation given by the power of the Holy Ghost before accepting any principle? 2 Nephi 28:31 

Nephi put his trust in the Lord 2 Nephi 4:34. He doesn’t entertain these false notions, but glories in plainness and truth 2 Nephi 33:6. “Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!" 2 Nephi 28:26 Do we prefer the precepts and power of men and deny the power of God? Do we honor, praise and prop up men while ignoring the gift of the Holy Ghost? Do we take on a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof? If so, would it be best to repent and turn away from such practices? 2 Timothy 3:5

Alma spoke to his son Corianton, “Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing; suffer not the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots” Alma 39:11. Are we involved in any way with the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth? Do we hang on to any foolish traditions or proclaim any incorrect beliefs of our fathers?

Does the wicked one come and take away our light and truth? Do we value and trust the philosophies of men and the false traditions of our fathers more than God himself? D&C 93:39 Are we righteous, or do we just put up a pretense? Do we conduct opinion polls so we can blend in with Babylon, practice poplar trends, and work on our image? Do we track the world and mimic it? Or do we connect with heaven, call upon God, ask questions, get answers, and obey Him?

Do we put forth extreme energy and effort to appear perfect and faultless on the outside, but on the inside feel seriously undone, guilty, and unclean? Are we like the scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who “are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness?” Matthew 23:27

Do we go through the motions at church and other places where we think others are watching? Are we hypocrites that reek with sin and have a beam in our own eye? Luke 6:42 Do we see that in our present condition we stand naked with shame, uncovered, and unsaved before God? Isaiah 47:3 Does this cause us to feel hesitant, insecure, uncertain and uncomfortable?

The Lord cannot and will not be fooled by a façade, appearance, or an outer shell. I find comfort in believing that “the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name” 2 Nephi 9:41. Christ, through His atoning blood, is the only One who can redeem and save Helaman 5:9. Men cannot.

The Lord has made it clear that He will not be fooled by appearances, and He has warned us not to be false to Him or to others. He has cautioned us to be wary of those who project a false front and who put on a bright pretense that hides a darker reality. We know that the Lord looketh on the heart and not on the outward appearance 1 Sam. 16:7.

The Savior taught us to judge not according to the appearance John 7:24 and warned us against wolves who come to us in sheep’s clothing. The deception of the wolves can only be discovered by examining their fruits Matt. 7:15–16. Nephi taught that we must walk the path of faith with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God 2 Ne. 31:13.

The angel clearly communicated to Nephi and said, “Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” 1 Nephi 14:10

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways James 1:8. We cannot serve two masters” Matt. 6:24. Still, there are many who try to serve the Lord without offending the devil and perhaps a greater number who try to serve the devil without wounding the Lord. Who do we serve, God or mammon? To which church do we belong, the church of the Lamb of God or the church of the devil? We cannot belong to both.

Forgiveness, the Healing Balm of Gilead

I know I have sinned and have inflicted pain upon others, even though it is not my intention to cause harm, I continue to come short of the glory of God. I have also felt the heartache that comes when others have sinned against me. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
 

What do we do with the pain that comes upon us by the deliberate or unintentional acts of others? Forgive:)

Here are few reasons we might chose to forgive: 

God requires us to forgive. “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” D&C 64:10

We want to be forgiven, so we also forgive. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

We desire to love and bless others. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. . .” Matt 5:44-45

We want the Lord to stand between the enemy and us and fight our battles. “For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfil—I will fight your battles.” D&C 105:14 “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 32:7-8

Our hearts are healed, and we receive peace. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 “And after their temptations, and much tribulation, behold, I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them.” D&C 112:13 “The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.” Psalms 29:11

The serpents of life will come, and we will all be bitten at one time or another. Many people are bitten on a continual basis. We are free to choose our response. Chasing after the snake will only drive the venom to our hearts. The result is death. The other option is to look to the one on the cross, be healed, and live. The choice is ours.

“And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” Numbers 21:6-9

Forgiveness is a balm that heals wounds. Through the power of Christ, we are able to let the pain go.

Balm of Gilead An aromatic gum or spice used for healing wounds (Gen. 43:11; Jer. 8:22; 46:11; 51:8). A bush producing the resin from which the balm was made grew so plentifully in Gilead in Old Testament times that the balm came to be known as the “balm of Gilead.”

Jesus Christ suffered for my sins and for the sins of my enemies. In anger, I might despise the idea of my enemy’s sins being forgivable, but it is true. “For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.” D&C 18:11

The bond of love grows deep between Christ and the repentant sinner. “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Luke 7:47

I have experienced and observed a phenomenon that does not make sense to our worldly ways: 

We communicate with each other by our words and thoughts. We don’t even necessarily need to be in the same room to communicate with another person (I’m not talking about texting). You’ve probably had the experience of getting a phone call just as you were about to call that same person, or you begin to say something just to hear those words coming out of the mouth of a friend. This is the kind of communication I’m talking about. 

When we are angry we send spiritual weapons to our enemies. The enemy feels the vibes and usually reacts by sending a spiritual weapon in response. This war continues and exhausts both participants' physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual energy. The war escalates, continues to build, and often takes on forms of physical, verbal, and monetary abuse. Both are injured, loose their peace, and are left to fight it out on their own. 

Jesus gives us an alternative if we’re open to his ways. The pain in our heart is healed through following this very wise counsel:

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" Matt 5:38-44 

When you’re tired of the pain, experiment upon the word by doing something kind for your enemy. It’s even better if you can give of yourself anonymously. First of all, an anonymous gift won’t be rejected by your enemy. Secondly, heaven will reward you Matt 6:1-4.

When your enemy sends you a fiery, angry dart send back a ray of loving light. It might sound crazy, but it really works. It takes away the pain and turmoil. A forgiving heart is a heart at peace. When we forgive, we open the space for Christ to run interference. He stands between our enemy and us and provides a protective shield. Forgiveness really does heal broken and wounded hearts. It is a gift from God. 

Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, forgives sin. He loves us in spite of our sins and is willing to work with us even though we are weak. Through him we can be made strong Ether 12:27. 

BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD

A lamb is very easy to kill. One account I read concerned a butcher who had been asked to slaughter a family’s Passover lamb. The butcher anticipated a routine experience, as he had slaughtered many animals. He related how after slitting the small creature’s throat, the little lamb turned and licked the blood off of the butcher’s hands. This hardened butcher deeply moved and forever changed. The tender licking of the blood from the man’s hand was a sign of unconditional love and forgiveness.

I’m Just as Good as the Next Damned Soul

Throughout my life, I’ve thought about what it would be like to see God face to face. I miss God and would really like to see him again. This idea has slipped in and out of consciousness throughout the years. As I talk to others, I realize that many people do not believe that a common person like you and me can have an audience with God and talk to Him face to face. John 14:23

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

As husband and wife we talked about this idea and decided to experiment on the word of God to see if he really will come. We naively started praying to God to grant us our request. Before I knew what was happening, my face was sliding through the mud. Whenever I surfaced for air, someone else was there to push my face back into the mud.

For the next three years, I attempted to deal with the feelings this created. I knew I needed to forgive, but I couldn’t get my heart to feel forgiving. I needed help. One day while reading, God sent a message that my spirit understood. I felt a wave of forgiveness and understanding wash over me as my heart was healed. The pain was gone.

I thought I had learned some pretty good lessons and was well on my way. Life was full of joy and happiness. I heard God saying something like, “My child, you’ve put in a big request. Are you ready to go the distance?” Naively, I replied, “Yes, yes!”

God must have chuckled. He probably said something like, “OK, lets look at what’s next on the list. You are way too orthodox. You kind of remind me of the Jews at the time of Christ. We need to do something about this. I am sending you through de-orthodox training.”

I’m still in training, so I don’t know the end of the story, but this is what happened next. God needed to show me where I stood, in order to move forward.

As I was reading, I came upon a scripture: “And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” 1 Nephi 14:10

My first thought was, “I belong to the church that carries Jesus Christ’s name, I’m in the safe zone.”

The thought came, “Do you know what the church of the Lamb of God is?”

I responded, “The Lamb of God is Christ, so it must be Christ’s church.”

“What do you think it takes to qualify to become a member of that church? Who do you think decides who can become a member of the church of the Lamb of God?”

“I guess Christ gets to decide who can become a member of that church.”

“What do you know about the church of the Lamb of God?”

“Well, there aren’t very many members of this church 1 Nephi 14:12. They are armed with righteousness, power, and great glory 1 Nephi 14:14.”

“Do you know of any church whose members are armed with righteousness, power, and great glory?”

“The church of the Lamb of God sounds like it could be the church of the firstborn. Are they the same church?”

“Let’s look at what the scriptures say about the church of the firstborn:

They are the ones that keep the commandments and receive the Father’s fullness. They are begotten through Christ and partakers of his glory D&C 93:19-22.

They receive a testimony of Jesus, are baptized, keep the commandments, washed and cleansed from all their sins, receive the Holy Spirit, overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise . . . D&C 76:50-70

They receive the second comforter, the promise of eternal life, and the glory of the celestial kingdom. D&C 88:2-5

They receive the mysteries of the kingdom, have the heavens opened unto them, and enjoy the presence of God the Father and Jesus. D&C 107:19

The mission of the one hundred and forty-four thousand is to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn D&C 77:11.”

“Now, that sounds like a church that is armed with righteousness, power, and great glory. I can see why their numbers are few.”

This was a big wakeup call for me. If I want to repent of my abominations, the first step is to recognize them for what they are. Here I had been thinking that I was a member of the church of the Lamb of God, but found that I wasn’t. The Lord makes it pretty clear that if I don’t belong to the church of the Lamb of God, by default, I belong to the church of the devil or the great and abominable church. But I don’t want to belong to the church of the devil. I don’t like the devil. I realized that I was just as good as the next damned soul.

I was led to read a story. This story was written for us. Mormon saw our day and the foolishness of our beliefs and behavior Mormon 8:35. He’s trying to tell us something. We don’t have to make the same mistakes if we will heed the warning. The story has a profound and personal message. Read The Zoramites and the Rameumptom

• The Zoramites believed that they were a chosen people, while everyone else was damned. Alma 31:16-17
• They taught that a belief in Christ would cause their hearts to wander far from God. They didn’t believe Christ would come and personally minister to them. Alma 31:16-17
• They thanked God for choosing them and kept reassuring each other that they were God’s chosen people. Alma 31:17-18
• The words of God destroyed their craft, and so they would not hearken unto his words. Alma 35:3
• When they went up to the stand to give their testimonies and prayers, they all said the same thing. They repeated the same mantras over and over again. Alma 31:20
• They didn’t receive revelation and did not know of things to come. Alma 31:22
• Their weekly worship of God was not reflected in their daily walk with men. Alma 31:23
• They loved their riches and fine goods. Alma 31:24
• They were proud of their supposed position with God. They were arrogant and boastful. Alma 31:25
• They looked down on the poor and did not minister to their wants and needs. Alma 32:5
• They cast out the righteous from among them. Alma 35:6
• They prayed to be heard of men and to be praised for their wisdom. Alma 38:13

Does any of this sound familiar?