When the Lord offers a covenant, He
offers the Higher Law first, if the people reject the first offering,
they are left with a lesser law. His first offering is that of Zion.
If as a group, the people
refuse the Zion covenant, the offering to receive the Lord
individually is still available.
We
see this in the Old Testament. Even though the children of Israel
rejected the invitation to receive a covenant for Zion, this didn't
prevent Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Elijah from individually
receiving the Lord.
We have eleven children. It is quite
easy to obtain peace with each child individually. I don't steal
their toys, fight over the best seat, tease, or make a mess of their
stuff. Although the individual parent/child relationship takes work
and effort, it is simple. When all of my children are together,
things become more complicated. Not only do the children get to
connect with me, but they get to love and connect with each other.
Living with thirteen people, tests all of us in ways that are much
more challenging than living in a household with only one child.
Getting along with siblings is a greater challenge, but the blessings
are also more rewarding. There is always a friend to talk to, someone
to play with, and energy and excitement that fills the home. Greater
growth is encouraged in the family as we work through our challenges
together. A united home is supportive and synergistic for the entire
family.
As Moroni knew, it can be lonely for
a man to receive the Lord without a Zion covenant.
Behold I, Moroni,
do finish the record of my father Mormon. Behold, I have but few
things to write, which things I have been commanded of my father. And
now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at
Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country
southward were hunted by the Lamanites until they were all destroyed,
and my father also was killed by them. And I even remain alone to
write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they
are gone, and I fulfill the commandment of my father. And whether
they will slay me, I know not, therefore I will write and hide up the
records in the earth, and whither I go it mattereth not. Behold, my
father hath made this record and he hath written the intent thereof.
And behold, I would write it also, if I had room upon the plates, but
I have not. And ore I have none, for I am alone, my father hath been
slain in battle, and all my kinsfolks, and I have not friends nor
whither to go. And how long the Lord will suffer that I may live, I
know not.
Mormon 4:1-10
Throughout the history of the world,
it has been more common to receive an individual covenant with God than to
receive a Zion covenant. Establishing
Zion takes time and is not accomplished in haste. Achieving this
perfect unity took 365 years for Enoch and his people. This process
takes faith, great diligence, and patience looking forward to the
fruit of Zion. Here is the pattern we can expect to find in the
establishment of Zion.
God calls a messenger to preach to a
wicked people.
And it came to pass
that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people, and as he
journeyed the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon
him, And he heard a voice from heaven, saying, Enoch, my son,
prophesy unto this people, and say unto them, Repent, for thus saith
the Lord, I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled
against them, for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are
dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off. And for these
many generations, even since the day that I created them, have they
gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels
in the dark, and in their own abominations have they devised murder,
and have not kept the commandments which I gave unto their father
Adam. Wherefore, they have forsworn themselves, and by their oaths
they have brought upon themselves death. And an hell I have prepared
for them, if they repent not, And this is a decree which I have sent
forth in the beginning of the world, from mine own mouth, from the
foundation thereof, and by the mouths of my servants, thy fathers,
have I decreed it, even as it shall be sent forth in the world, unto
the end thereof.
The messenger accepts the call.
And when Enoch had
heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord,
and spake before the Lord, saying, Why is it that I have found favor
in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me, for I am
slow of speech, wherefore am I thy servant? And the Lord said unto
Enoch, Go forth, and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall
pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give
thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as
seemeth me good. Say unto this people, choose ye this day to serve
the Lord God who made you. Behold, my Spirit is upon you, wherefore
all thy words will I justify, and the mountains shall flee before
you, and the rivers shall turn from their course, and thou shalt
abide in me, and I in you, therefore walk with me.
And the Lord spake
unto Enoch, and said unto him, Anoint thine eyes with clay, and wash
them, and thou shalt see, and he did so. And he beheld the spirits
that God had created, and he beheld also things which were not
visible to the natural eye, and from thenceforth came the saying
abroad in the land, A seer hath the Lord raised up unto his people.
The messenger testifies against
their wickedness and the people are offended.
And it came to
pass, that Enoch went forth in the land, among the people, standing
upon the hills, and the high places, and cried with a loud voice,
testifying against their works. And all men were offended because of
him,
Some begin to listen to the
messenger who walks with God.
and they came forth
to hear him upon the high places, saying unto the tent-keepers, Tarry
ye here and keep the tents while we go yonder to behold the seer, for
he prophesieth, and there is a strange thing in the land, a wild man
hath come among us. And it came to pass when they heard him, no man
laid hands on him, for fear came on them all that heard him, for he
walked with God.
And there came a
man unto him, whose name was Mahijah, and said unto him, Tell us
plainly who thou art, and from whence thou comest. And he said unto
them, I came out from the land of Cainan, the land of my fathers, a
land of righteousness unto this day, and my father taught me in all
the ways of God. And it came to pass, as I journeyed from the land of
Cainan by the sea east, I beheld a vision, and lo, the heavens I saw,
and the Lord spake with me, and gave me commandment, wherefore for
this cause, to keep the commandment, I speak forth these words. And
Enoch continued his speech, saying, The Lord which spake with me, the
same is the God of heaven, and he is my God and your God, and ye are
my brethren, and why counsel ye yourselves, and deny the God of
heaven? The heavens he made, the earth is his footstool, and the
foundation thereof is his, behold, he laid it, and hosts of men hath
he brought in upon the face thereof. And death hath come upon our
fathers, nevertheless, we know them, and cannot deny, and even the
first of all we know, even Adam, for a book of remembrance we have
written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of
God, and it is given in our own language.
And as Enoch spake
forth the words of God, the people trembled and could not stand in
his presence.
The messenger teaches the people to
repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. The people begin to
be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost.
And he said unto
them, Because that Adam fell, we are, and by his fall came death, and
we are made partakers of misery and woe. Behold, Satan hath come
among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him, and men
have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the
presence of God. But God hath made known unto our fathers, that all
men must repent. And he called upon our father Adam, by his own
voice, saying, I am God, I made the world, and men before they were
in the flesh. And he also said unto him, If thou wilt, turn unto me
and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy
transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine
Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus
Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby
salvation shall come unto the children of men, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and
whatsoever ye shall ask it shall be given you. And our father Adam
spake unto the Lord, and said, Why is it that men must repent, and be
baptized in water? And the Lord said unto Adam, Behold, I have
forgiven thee thy transgression in the garden of Eden. Hence came the
saying abroad among the people, that the Son of God hath atoned for
original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered
upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the
foundation of the world. And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying,
Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so, when they
begin to grow up sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the
bitter, that they may know to prize the good. And it is given unto
them to know good from evil, wherefore, they are agents unto
themselves. And I have given unto you another law and commandment,
wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must
repent, or they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God. For no
unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence, for, in the
language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his
Only Begotten is the son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous
judge, who shall come in the meridian of time. Therefore I give unto
you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children,
saying, that by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall
bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water
and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so become of dust a
living soul, Even so ye must be born again, into the kingdom of
heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even
the blood of mine Only Begotten, that ye may be sanctified from all
sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal
life in the world to come, even immortal glory. For, by the water ye
keep the commandment, by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the
blood ye are sanctified. Therefore it is given to abide in you, the
record of heaven, the Comforter, the peaceable things of immortal
glory, the truth of all things, that which quickeneth all things
which maketh alive all things, that which knoweth all things, and
hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice and
judgment. And now, behold, I say unto you, This is the plan of
salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who
shall come in the meridian of time. And, behold, all things have
their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of
me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual,
things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the
earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under
the earth, both above and beneath, all things bear record of me. And
it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam our father, that
Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the
Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the
water, and was brought forth out of the water, and thus he was
baptized. And the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was
born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man. And he
heard a voice out of heaven, saying, Thou art baptized with fire and
with the Holy Ghost, this is the record of the Father and the Son,
from henceforth and forever, And thou art after the order of him who
was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to
all eternity. Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God, and thus may
all become my sons. Amen.
And it came to
pass, that Enoch continued his speech, saying, Behold, our father
Adam taught these things, and many have believed, and become the sons
of God, and many have believed not, and have perished in their sins,
and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery
indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them.
The messenger prophecies of the
things which the Lord has showed him. The people are warned of the
destruction and the curse which awaits them if they don't repent and
be baptized.
And from that time
forth, Enoch began to prophesy, saying unto the people, that, as I
was journeying, and stood in the place Mahujah, and cried unto the
Lord, there came a voice out of heaven, saying, Turn ye and get ye
upon the mount Simeon. And it came to pass, that I turned and went up
on the mount, and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens
open, and I was clothed upon with glory. And I saw the Lord, and he
stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh
one with another, face to face, and he said unto me, Look, and I will
show unto thee the world for the space of many generations. And it
came to pass, that I beheld in the valley of Shum, and, lo! a great
people which dwelt in tents, which were the people of Shum. And again
the Lord said unto me, Look, and I looked towards the north, and I
beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents. And the Lord said
unto me, Prophesy, and I prophesied saying, Behold, the people of
Cainan which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the
people of Shum, and shall slay them, that they shall be utterly
destroyed. And the people of Canaan shall divide themselves in the
land, and the land shall be barren and unfruitful, and none other
people shall dwell there, but the people of Canaan, for, behold, the
Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof
shall go forth forever. And there was a blackness came upon all the
children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people. And it
came to pass, that the Lord said unto me, Look, and I looked, and I
beheld the land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of
Omner, and the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of
Haner, and the land of Hanannihah, and all the inhabitants thereof.
And the Lord said unto me, Go forth to this people, and say unto
them, Repent, lest I come out and smite them with a curse, and they
die. And he gave unto me a commandment, that I should baptize in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, who is full of grace and truth,
and the Holy Ghost which beareth record of the Father and the Son.
The messenger continues to call upon
all the people to repent. He leads the people of God, and they are
protected by the power of God.
And it came to
pass, that Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it were
the people of Canaan, to repent. And so great was the faith of Enoch,
that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle
against them, and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth
trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command. And
the rivers of water were turned out of their course, and the roar of
the lions was heard out of the wilderness. And all nations feared
greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the
power of the language which God had given him. There also came up a
land out of the depths of the sea, and so great was the fear of the
enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off, and
went upon the land which came up out of the depths of the sea. And
the giants of the land also stood afar off, and there went forth a
curse upon all the people which fought against God. And from that
time forth, there were wars, and bloodshed among them, but the Lord
came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness. And
the fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of
the Lord which was upon his people. And the Lord blessed the land,
and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places,
and did flourish.
The people are of one heart and one
mind. They build a city.
And the Lord called
his people, Zion, because they were of one heart and of one mind, and
dwelt in righteousness, and there were no poor among them. And Enoch
continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And
it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the
city of Holiness, even Zion.
Zion is blessed. The Residue of the
people are cursed. In process of
time Zion is taken up into heaven. This is a
process and is not to be achieved in one step or in haste.
And it came to
pass, that Enoch talked with the Lord, and he said unto the Lord,
Surely, Zion shall dwell in safety forever. But the Lord said unto
Enoch, Zion have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I
cursed. And it came to pass, that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the
inhabitants of the earth, and he beheld, and lo! Zion in process of
time was taken up into heaven. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Behold
mine abode forever. And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people
which were the sons of Adam, and they were a mixture of all the seed
of Adam, save it were the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were
black, and had not place among them. And after that Zion was taken up
into heaven, Enoch beheld, and lo, all the nations of the earth were
before him, and there came generation upon generation. And Enoch was
high and lifted up, even in the bosom of the Father and the Son of
Man, and,
Satan veils the earth with darkness
and deceit. Satan laughs at the confusion he creates.
behold, the powers
of Satan were upon all the face of the earth, and he saw angels
descending out of heaven, and he heard a loud voice, saying, Woe!
woe! be unto the inhabitants of the earth! And he beheld Satan, and
he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the
earth with darkness, and he looked up and laughed, and his angels
rejoiced.
The people on the earth continue to
be taught by those who have been caught up to heaven. They receive
the Holy Ghost and are also caught up to heaven.
And Enoch beheld
angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father, and
of the Son. And the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up
by the powers of heaven into Zion.
The heavens weep over those who
refuse to repent and come.
And it came to
pass, Enoch looked upon the residue of the people, and wept, and he
beheld and lo, the heavens wept also, and shed forth their tears as
the rain upon the mountains? And Enoch said unto the Lord, How is it
that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to
all eternity? And 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, And thy
curtains are stretched out still, and thou art there, and thy
presence is there, and also, thou art just, thou art merciful and
kind forever, Thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy
creations, from all eternity to all eternity, and naught but peace,
justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne, and mercy shall
go before thy face and have no end. How is it that thou canst weep?
The wicked choose hate over love.
They choose to serve Satan and are miserable. They will be in
torment until they return unto God.
The Lord said unto
Enoch, Behold, these thy brethren, they are the workmanship of mine
own hands, and I gave unto them their intelligence. And in the garden
of Eden man had agency, and unto thy brethren have I said, and also
gave commandment, that they should love one another, and that they
should serve me, their God. But, behold, they are without affection,
and they hate their own blood, and the fire of mine indignation is
kindled against them, and in my hot displeasure will I send in the
floods upon them, for my fierce anger is kindled against them.
Behold, I am God, Man of Holiness is my name, Man of Counsel is my
name, and Endless and Eternal is my name also. Wherefore I can
stretch forth my hands and hold all the creations which I have made,
and mine eye can pierce them also. And among all the workmanship of
my hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy
brethren, but, behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their
fathers, Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom,
and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship
of my hands. Wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these
shall suffer? But, behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall
perish in the floods, and, behold, I will shut them up, a prison have
I prepared for them, and he whom I have chosen hath pleaded before my
face, Wherefore he suffereth for their sins, inasmuch as they will
repent, in the day that my chosen shall return unto me, and until
that day they shall be in torment. Wherefore for this shall the
heavens weep, yea, and all the workmanship of my hands. And it came
to pass, that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the
doings of the children of men. Wherefore Enoch knew and looked upon
their wickedness, and their misery, and wept, and stretched forth his
arms, and he beheld eternity, and his bowels yearned, and all
eternity shook.
The messenger sees the future of the
world and weeps over its destruction.
And Enoch saw Noah
also, and his family, that the posterity of all the sons of Noah
should be saved with a temporal salvation. Wherefore Enoch saw that
Noah built an ark, and the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his
own hand, but upon the residue of the wicked came the floods and
swallowed them up. And as Enoch saw thus, he had bitterness of soul,
and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens, I will refuse
to be comforted. But the Lord said unto Enoch, Lift up your heart and
be glad, and look. And it came to pass, that Enoch looked, and from
Noah he beheld all the families of the earth, and he cried unto the
Lord, saying,
The messenger sees the coming of the
Lord in the flesh.
When shall the day
of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the righteous be shed, that
all they that mourn may be sanctified, and have eternal life? And the
Lord said, It shall be in the meridian of time, in the days of
wickedness and vengeance. And, behold, Enoch saw the day of the
coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh, and his soul rejoiced,
saying, The righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the
foundation of the world, and through faith I am in the bosom of the
Father, and behold, Zion is with me!
The messenger receives a covenant
from the Lord.
And it came to
pass, that Enoch looked upon the earth, and he heard a voice from the
bowels thereof, saying, Woe! woe! is me, the mother of men! I am
pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children! When
shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which has gone
forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest,
and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? And when Enoch
heard the earth mourn, he wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying, O
Lord, wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth? wilt thou not
bless the children of Noah? And it came to pass, that Enoch continued
his cry unto the Lord, saying, I ask thee, O Lord, in the name of
thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy
upon Noah, and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered
by the floods. And the Lord could not withhold, and he covenanted
with Enoch, and sware unto him with an oath, that he would stay the
floods, that he would call upon the children of Noah, and he sent
forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his seed should always
be found among all nations, while the earth should stand.
The Messiah is the King of Zion.
Everything the messenger does is to glorify the King of Zion.
And the Lord said,
Blessed is he through whose seed Messiah shall come, for he saith, I
am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of heaven, which is broad as
eternity, and whoso cometh in at the gate, and climbeth up by me
shall never fall. Wherefore blessed are they of whom I have spoken,
for they shall come forth with songs of everlasting joy. And it came
to pass, that Enoch cried unto the Lord, saying, When the Son of Man
cometh in the flesh shall the earth rest? I pray thee show me these
things. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Look, and he looked, and beheld
the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men. And
he heard a loud voice, and the heavens were veiled, and all the
creations of God mourned, and the earth groaned, and the rocks were
rent, and the saints arose, and were crowned at the right hand of the
Son of Man, with crowns of glory. And as many of the spirits as were
in prison came forth and stood on the right hand of God. And the
remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of
the great day.
The messenger weeps for the return
of Zion.
And again Enoch
wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying, When shall the earth rest? And
Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father, and he called
unto the Lord, saying, Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? for
inasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, and thou hast sworn unto
me, and commanded me that I should ask in the name of thine Only
Begotten, thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne,
and not of myself, but through thine own grace, and wherefore I ask
thee if thou wilt not come again on the earth?
The Lord fulfills His covenant to
the messenger and His people are blessed.
And the Lord said
unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the
days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfill the oath which I made
unto you concerning the children of Noah. And the day shall come that
the earth shall rest. But before that day the heavens shall be
darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth, and the
heavens shall shake, and also the earth. And great tribulations shall
be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve, and
righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send
forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten, his
resurrection from the dead, yea, and also the resurrection of all
men. And righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as
with a flood, to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of
the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an holy city, that my
people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of
my coming, for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called
Zion, a New Jerusalem. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Then shalt thou
and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our
bosom, and they shall see us, and we will fall upon their necks, and
they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other, And
there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come
forth out of all the creations which I have made, and for the space
of a thousand years shall the earth rest.
The messenger and all his people
walk with God.
And it came to
pass, that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the
last days, to dwell on the earth, in righteousness, for the space of
a thousand years. But before that day, he saw great tribulation among
the wicked, and he also saw the sea, that it was troubled, and men's
hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgment of the
Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked. And the Lord showed
Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world. And he saw the day
of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a
fullness of joy. And all the days of Zion, in the days of Enoch, were
three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch and all his people
walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion. And it came to
pass, that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom,
and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is fled. And all the days
of Enoch were four hundred and thirty years.
Genesis 4
The covenant offered by Jesus Christ in September
2017 is the Lord's first offering. He is offering a Zion covenant.
No one need suppose that the beginning is to look like the end, or
that we should have attained what we are are in process of achieving.
Zion is to be accomplished in process of time. Be patient. Be
diligent. Be faithful. Be loving. Follow the Lord's instructions to
you each day. As you do so, His voice will become clearer and clearer
to you. He leads you to do good, lift and share the burdens of those
around you, and see yourself as an equal with others. Jesus has
perfect intelligence to bring again Zion. September marks the
beginning of the end of Satan's kingdom here on earth. The devil
will be bound and peace will be restored once more on this earth. Do
not be discouraged because of your weakness. Keep your eye on Jesus
and trust in His power to perfectly deliver you from all that holds
you bound.
All you who have
turned from your wicked ways and repented of your evil doings, of
lying and deceiving, and of all whoredoms, and of secret
abominations, idolatries, murders, priestcrafts, envying, and strife,
and from all wickedness and abominations, and have come unto me, and
been baptized in my name, and have received a remission of your sins,
and received the Holy Ghost, are now numbered with my people who are
of the house of Israel. I say to you:
