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)

Joseph Smith - The Prophet

Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God with a special mission and message to the world. As the dispensation head with authority directly given from God, Joseph Smith started the great restoration and sought for Zion, but as history manifests, not only did the restoration not get finished but apostasy ensued.

From the day Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed as a result of rejection of truth and the influence of his own people, even the believers began to neglect his teachings, forget the truths he restored, and began to lose light and memory of what God had previously revealed and restored through Joseph. Losing light, forgetting fundamentals, ignoring and changing ordinances, corrupting doctrine, and even re-creating and manipulating major parts of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ revealed through Joseph Smith has enlarged in error, accelerated in misunderstanding and confusion, and currently the preservation of the restoration is in serious jeopardy. With courage, we must face the challenges before us today by finding the truth despite deliberate efforts to hide history and alter the record. Once sufficient truth is found and the unfolding restoration is embraced, repentance is obviously required and turning and facing God and following His path is paramount.

Christ on the day of His resurrection said: “O Fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” Our challenge today is exactly that. It is the same situation that believers have faced each time a servant of God has appeared with a message and whenever God speaks through His chosen messengers. I believe it to be wise to give strict heed to the restoration that came through Joseph and the work of the Lord that is currently underway.

Here are a few words attributed to Joseph:

The best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask it from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching. (TPJS, 191)

It is the privilege of every Elder to speak of the things of God; and could we all come together with one heart and one mind in perfect faith the veil might as well be rent today as next week, or any other time, and if we will but cleanse ourselves and covenant before God, to serve Him, it is our privilege to have an assurance that God will protect us at all times … Until we have perfect love we are liable to fall and when we have a testimony that our names are sealed in the Lamb's book of life we have perfect love and then it is impossible for false Christs to deceive us. (TPJS, 9)

In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it. When we begin to learn this way, we begin to learn the only true God, and what kind of a being we have got to worship. Having a knowledge of God, we begin to know how to approach him, and how to ask so as to receive an answer. When we understand the character of God, and how to come to him, he begins to unfold the heavens to us, and to tell us all about it. When we are ready to come to him, he is ready to come to us. (TPJS, 350)

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 … 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. (TPJS 150-151)

Whenever men can find out the will of God and find an administrator legally authorized from God, there is the kingdom of God; but where these are not, the kingdom of God is not. All the ordinances, systems, and administrations on the earth are of no use to the children of men, unless they are ordained and authorized of God; for nothing will save a man but a legal administrator; for none others will be acknowledged either by God or angels. (HC, 5:259)

Here is a message by another witness of God:

“Although Joseph Smith revealed many, previously unknown things, his ministry was devoted primarily to bringing others into fellowship with God. The ordinances, scriptures, revelations, and teachings restored through him were not intended to titillate, but to instruct on how to reconnect with God.

From his emphasis on the promise in James 1:5 (“if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God …and it shall be given him”) leading to the First Vision, to the promise of Moroni 10:4 (“I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and … he will manifest the truth of it unto you”), to D&C 93:1 (“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”), and in numerous other places throughout his ministry, Joseph reiterated both the possibility and importance of each soul coming directly to God.

This is the role of a true messenger. It is to bring others into harmony with God. Not to titillate them with new information, leaving them without knowledge of God. When someone delivers a new message that does not include knowledge about how the audience may come to God themselves, then the primary intent is always to make others dependent on the messenger. It is vanity. It is prideful. It is to call attention to themselves in an effort to place themselves above their fellow man, and interject themselves between the person and God. It is priestcraft.

The “welfare of Zion” consists of teaching others how to come to God themselves, and receive the heavenly promises directly from God. (See 2 Nephi 26:29)  Zion will be composed exclusively of those who can endure the presence of God. Therefore, it is necessary for everyone to come up to the heavenly mount by their own repentance and remembrance of the Lord.

It is foolishness to separate information about the Lord’s doings from instruction on how to become redeemed. It is vanity to spread new, and personal revelation about the afterlife, God, man, prophecy, visionary encounters, and spiritual experiences if the primary reason does not focus on instructing how the audience can come to God themselves. It is also dangerous to trust teachings which fail to give you guidance on how you can find God for yourself. If all that is delivered is a message about some great experience, the experience was not intended for you. It isn’t important. It is the way to find God that will save you. Not someone else’s new, and exciting spiritual manifestation.

I’ve shared almost nothing of the things I have learned. But I’ve tried to share everything about how you can “come and see” (John 1:46). Still, however, there are very few who can detect the difference. Still there remain those who are tossed to and fro by the sleight of men. (Ephesians 4: 14)

Here’s how things really work:  New revelation for the church comes from the top. It is not binding upon anyone unless it comes through the correct channel, and then is sustained as binding upon the church. Whether you like that system or not, that is the system. HOWEVER, every church member is obligated to teach one another the doctrines of the kingdom.

Expounding, exhorting, teaching, and instructing is a common obligation imposed upon us all. Therefore, everything I have written, all I have taught, and the things I have testified about are confined to elaborating upon the established doctrines of the church, the revelations in the Book of Mormon, the other standard works, and Joseph Smith’s teachings. I’ve said almost nothing about my personal revelations because they were intended for me. They will not help you. They equip me to be able to preach, teach, exhort and expound, but just publishing what I know to the world will not aid any other person in their individual journey. 

Salvation for you is a journey exactly like the journey undertaken by Joseph Smith. Which is also identical to the journey undertaken by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Which was modeled upon the pattern coming down through Noah. Who was a contemporary with Enoch, both of whom undertook the same journey. Which originated with Adam, who came back into God’s presence three years previous to his death, and received “comfort” from the Lord (D&C 107:53-55). The Lord is the promised Comforter who will come to all of us on the same conditions (John 14:23, D&C 130:3). I was asked, and wrote a manual on that process in the first book, The Second Comforter: Conversing With the Lord Through the Veil. The purpose of the book has nothing to do with my own recognition or importance. Throughout the book my many failings are discussed. The book is about the reader, and how the reader can come to know God.

Still people will go to great trouble, and spare no effort to find someone who will only give a titillating peek behind the veil, but who will do nothing to instruct you on how you can meet God here, be redeemed from the fall of man, and come back into God’s presence. This is the purpose of the Gospel, and the definition of redemption. (Ether 3:13) Telling about personal experience cannot help another. Testifying to the process, however, is the burden of all true teaching.

I am a fool, and anyone who thinks otherwise is misled. My only relevance is the common obligation imposed upon us all to preach, teach, exhort and expound. I confine all I do to that obligation. The only thing I can offer anyone is to point them to the One who is filled with truth and light, which is intelligence. (D&C 93:36)  And still there are those who cannot discern between what and how I teach, and how others who are practicing only priestcraft do so. I am saddened, not particularly surprised, but saddened. These are the times we live in. (Isaiah 29:9-10.)

What more could have been done than the Lord has already done?  Is it not us, not He, upon whom the blame must be lain?

The Latter-day famine continues unabated still. Not because there isn’t something worth consuming, but because we crave only the weakest of gruel, which cannot sustain life. Therefore, let us all feast away and still become famished until at last we perish without hope, having wasted the days of our probation. We didn’t care much for Joseph’s message in his day, and we fail to even notice it in ours."  (Joseph The Prophet)

Angels Among Us Today?

“And thus the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men. And God cursed the earth with a sore curse, and was angry with the wicked, with all the sons of men whom he had made; For they would not hearken unto his voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him whom he declared should come in the meridian of time, who was prepared from before the foundation of the world. And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Moses 5:55-58)

Are these conditions being manifested today?

Is darkness prevailing?

Is God angry with the wicked?

From God's point of view, who is referred to as the wicked?

Who is not hearkening unto His voice? Nor believing on his Only Begotten Son?

If this is actually happening today among us, would you suppose the gospel is at least beginning to be preached again? Is the gospel being declared by holy angels? By angels sent forth from the presence of God? And by his own voice? And by the gift of the Holy Ghost?

If so, where can an angel, either mortal or immortal, with these credentials be found today here on earth? Do you know of an angel, who resides among us? Anywhere?

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2) What does this mean to you?

Are truths being restored again? Is further light and knowledge coming forth? Is the true and living gospel being taught again? Is the restoration being preserved as it was in 1831? (D&C 1:30)

Restorations again? Revelations? Prophecies? Good news? Patterns?

Whenever apostasy and wickedness reaches a certain point, patterns of God seem to emerge, angels appear, repentance is called, and individuals get to choose for themselves. If God's pattern, at this “tipping point” of wickedness, is to send an angel/messenger from His presence with an authorized message, would you expect such an angel with God's message today? If so, where is an angel to be found?

Does an angel, who has literally come from the presence of God, has been instructed by God's own voice, and possesses an authorized message from God Himself, actually exist among us today? If so, would you expect such an angel to be popular, well known, or highly regarded and praised? From history, we learn that prophets like that, who deliver a message from God, are often persecuted, rejected, and cast out.

How many individuals in our society today do you suppose would acknowledge such an angel and accept the message of repentance he delivers? The majority? Some? A few? Would God vouch for the message delivered by the angel He sent? How would that affect the hearers and those to whom the message was directed?

Would the message fit in the category of “whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servant, it is the same”? Why or why not? If such an angel is indeed present and currently among us (And I believe there is), what would be required on your part? And what is the status or consequences associated with the one who fails to take notice of the ministry of such angels?

Moroni had something to say about this:

“Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain. For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.” (Moroni 7:36-38)

If you have not recognized, acknowledged, or accepted such an angel today, what does that mean? When someone fails to recognize a true message or fail to entertain angels from God's presence, according to Moroni, what is the state and standing of that individual? If you have not identified such a messenger from God with His message, which is very likely a message of repentance, what does that have to say about your level of faith? Unbelief? False traditions? Salvation? Redemption?

Society today does not yet have the original religion that Adam received from God. We do not currently possess the “records of the fathers” which describes the gospel taught by God to Adam. I am not aware of any group, religion, institution, or people today that has preserved the entire original religion. 

 

Joseph Smith was called by God and authorized as His servant to call repentance, teach the gospel, and to begin the process to restore the original. Through Joseph, much truth was restored, apostasy was challenged, and we have obtained some important parts of the gospel which had been lost. Joseph was persecuted and killed, and God's message was rejected before the restoration was completed. What Joseph left was only a portion of the intended restoration. During the course of almost 184 years since the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, the partial restoration they left has been morphed by men into an awful, ongoing, ever changing, and increasing disorder, which leaves people befuddled to understand it. What Joseph restored must now be recovered, preserved, and come to life as was the case on November 1, 1831, when the Lord referred to the church as “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth” (D&C 1: 30)

If that description and status is to be recovered and restored again today, then most certainly His people, fellowships, gatherings, churches, or groups must be established by revelation, visitations from angels, and delegation of authority. His people must be “true and living” because the authority and gifts need to be present and unfolding. New scripture shall continually come forth and increase. Revelations will surely be ongoing and perpetually being received.

God has and does and will covenant with His people. His covenant people will continue to grow in knowledge, light, and truth as further ordinances and rites are restored. The humble, “true and living” followers of Christ are taught the doctrines which give the tools with which they can grow in light and knowledge until the perfect day. (D&C 50: 24.)

Therefore, what Joseph and Hyrum left restored in June 1844 must return in our day and, in addition, the original religion taught to Adam must be restored before we finally arrive back at the beginning. The original religion, which was lost long before Abraham, was restored to Abraham and lost later. Therefore it becomes very important for us today to connect with our fathers, who have connected with heaven. We must receive angels sent from the presence of God and obtain the restored original religion.

We must be actively engaged in His work to receive what God is offering today.

Restoration Youth Conferences June 2017 - Please RSVP

Two youth conferences planned June 2017!

Restoration Youth Conference

June 19-21, 2017

Cache Valley, Utah

Please RSVP to restorationyouthconference@gmail.com. This conference is designed for youth ages 11-18. In order to provide enough food and preparations, please RSVP by

June 9^th. When you register, please include your teenager's name, age, and fellowship. A chaperon or parent from each fellowship would be helpful but is not required. Chaperons should also register and include the names of the youth they are accompanying. Once registration is completed on June 9th, we will send out a packing list, an itinerary, and directions. A $35 donation for food and paper products for each registered child and adult would be great. We are excited to provide a great experience for the youth to bond, grow, and connect with each other and the Lord. If you have any questions, please direct them to restorationyouthconference@gmail.com. 

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A Day of Faith and Connection

June 10, 2017

Pleasant View, Utah 

Web Page - Zion Youth Gathering

Connect with Friends,  Connect with Purpose, Connect with Christ.

Dear Restoration Youth,

“…we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” 2 Nephi 25:26

What a wonderful time we live in! We have opportunities that other generations haven’t had. We have easy access to scriptures from past dispensations. With a simple Internet search, we can connect with people from all around the globe who share our same beliefs and goals. We feel blessed to have new friends who strengthen us and help make the journey light. Together we can offer a sweet sense of family and belonging.

You are invited to come and make some great connections this summer! Please join us in connecting with friends, connecting with purpose, and connecting with Christ. There will be games, canoeing, cooking out, and great testimonies! We hope you will be uplifted and energized by our speakers, which include Robert and Quintina Bear Chief Adolpho. We look forward to seeing you!

When: Saturday, June 10, 2017

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Where: Barker Family Private Park,  2900 N. 1000 W. Pleasant View, UT 84414

Who: All Restoration youth ages 11-18

Please RSVP and send questions to: zionyouthgathering@gmail.com

“Children are the means to preserve Zion”

Things to bring: sack lunch, notebook or journal, sunscreen/hat, bug repellent, camp chair, towel for drying off after water games, water bottle, picnic blanket (optional)               

We’ll provide dinner, snacks, drinks, and dessert!

(Bring your own sack lunch and water bottle)

Saturday, June 10, 2017
9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Arrive early for check-in!

Any who are willing to contribute their talents and services on this day, please contact us at zionyouthgathering@gmail.com

          

Restoration Youth Conference, June 19th-21st, 2017, Cache Valley Utah

The youth have asked us to post this announcement.  

More information will be posted on this and other blogs. 

A message about this from the youth:

Hey you! Yeah you, are you free this summer from Monday June 19th through Wednesday June 21st? Because you’ll want to be! Have you been needing a spiritual retreat with other youth your age? Because this conference is exactly that; a series of exciting activities and spiritual bonding to help the youth get closer and more interested in the gospel. During this extravaganza, not only will we be taught the words of Christ, we will be doing this in some beautiful places in Cache Valley, Utah, such as a reservoir, during a sunrise, under the stars, etc. This event will never be boring and includes all youth wanting a fun time. Parents are welcome to serve and contribute where needed but this conference is FOR THE YOUTH. More information on this will be coming, but clear your calendars for the upcoming Youth Conference.  

Restoration Scriptures Announcement - A New Covenant

We have been given a gift this last general conference. God still speaks to men and women, and there is continuing revelation. The Restoration Scriptures are now available for our review. Over time, other revelations will be added to the Pearls of Great Price.  All these scriptures are to be accepted by common consent after we have had a chance to review the submitted material and have our voice heard.  Everyone can be part of this project.  We get five months to read, study, examine the revelations, and give feedback before we accept this New Covenant.  We get to have a real vote where our vote counts. We get to use gentleness, meekness, love, kindness, and pure knowledge to persuade and make sure we have the most correct and complete version of the scriptures possible.  I am so excited and only wish there were more hours in the day to study the Words of God!   

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RESTORATION SCRIPTURES ANNOUNCEMENT

March 18, 2017

Although what is to be announced may be viewed by most people as a modest achievement, I think history will eventually reflect this as one of the greatest steps forward after the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum.

What I’m about to announce will generate a considerable number of questions. To reasonably manage them, we’ve set up an email address where you can send your questions & suggestions. That address is:

RESTORATIONSCRIPTURES2017@GMAIL.COM.

Your questions will be reviewed this evening, and then tomorrow, a number of the major questions will be answered in front of this body. Any that aren’t answered immediately will be replied to after the conference ends.

One of the first ways a dispensation becomes corrupted is by compromising the scriptures used by believers in that dispensation. Therefore when a new dispensation begins, one of the first orders of business for believers is to adopt a new set of scriptures which restore, insofar as it is possible, a correct version of the material they regard as scripture.

Just like the saints of the New Testament adopted a new body of teachings, the Book of Mormon people preserved and added to sacred writings. And while Joseph Smith lived, there were both corrections to old scripture and new scripture was added. Likewise for us, there is a need to remove errors, correct texts, and add to the body of scripture to guide us. This assembly – that is, this worldwide body of believers – must also decide what we accept as scripture. It is our right and sacred responsibility to address this need.

To that end, a new edition of the scriptures is proposed. They are divided into three volumes that have been produced through a unified effort by two independent bodies of volunteers, separately driven to approach the scriptures anew.

Initially the members of these two groups felt individually inspired to revisit the scriptures in an effort to prune away some of the uninspired alterations of man so that they might have a more correct version of scripture for their study. Over time, these individuals were led to one another, combining and harmonizing their efforts. What began as two wholly separate groups, each forming at the same time, both unknown to one another, resulted in separate projects that were completed at the same time, and what was learned from their independent efforts identified issues that needed to be addressed.

On the last day of 2016, less than 2 weeks after discovering each other, these two groups held a meeting, facilitated by Denver Snuffer, and determined to unify their efforts, each bringing to the table differing components for a greater outcome than either project possessed alone. On the first day of the new year, the two became one as work began, preparing what would become this Restoration Edition of the scriptures.

Moving forward, the united team has worked closely with each other, with the Lord, and with His servant, to produce a more accurate record that is true to the Lord’s intent and to the Restoration. We are on His errand, not our own.

In September 1832, the Saints were condemned by the Lord and commanded to “repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.”

We often see this as the Lord rebuking the Saints for failing to do according to that which He had written, yet assume that the Saints had been correctly saying what He had written. But the Saints did not say, and have failed to accurately preserve, what the revelations God provided to them said, because their texts became corrupted. This means that the first step towards emerging from condemnation is to try and do exactly what is being accomplished through this scriptural work now underway. While the full purpose of this project was initially unknown, it has begun a best effort to “repent and remember the new covenant.” If done right, we will at least accomplish the first step: recovering what the Lord provided so we can “say” what He has revealed. Then the challenges increase as we are called upon “to do according to that” which God has revealed.

A future conference must then be held with the intent of approving the final content of the Restoration Edition and sustaining that edition as canon for this assembly.

The following is a summary of what is contained in this Restoration Edition of the scriptures:

ALL THE SCRIPTURAL WORKS SHARE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES:

• Verse numbers have been eliminated and the text has been formatted into paragraphs. This provides greater context for individual passages and removes the isolation of a statement that is caused by restricting it to a verse. The only exception to individual numbering is in Proverbs where each proverb has been numbered.
• The chapters have been regrouped based on contextual themes rather than staying as they have existed historically. Our team recognized that since chapters were originally organized by man and not by God, we were free to reorganize them. Some paragraphs in some of the books have been combined or divided as well, based on their context. However, in the Book of Mormon, chapters were designated by Joseph Smith himself and those have been preserved.
• Very minor standardization and spelling correction has taken place. Care was taken to respect the text.
• Punctuation can clarify, but it can also restrict. Therefore punctuation has been significantly reduced in all of the volumes in order to free up the text for greater possible interpretation.

INDIVIDUALLY

VOLUME 1 IS THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible (the JST) is the base text.
• The Song of Solomon had been removed since Joseph indicated that it is not an inspired text.
• Proverbs now includes Proverbs of Joseph Smith, Jr. and Proverbs of Denver Snuffer,

VOLUME 2 CONSISTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT AND THE BOOK OF MORMON

• In a letter to the “brethren in Zion” on 21 April, 1833, Joseph Smith stated, “…it is not the will of the Lord to print any of the new translation in the Star, but when it is published it will all go to the world together in a volume by itself, and the New Testament and The Book of Mormon will be printed together.”
• Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible is the base text for the New Testament.
• The 1840 edition of The Book of Mormon is used as the base text and was already formatted into paragraphs. This version was chosen because it contains corrections given by Joseph Smith to what was originally published in 1830 and 1837.

VOLUME 3 CONSISTS OF THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS & PEARLS OF GREAT PRICE

• The new D&C returns the Lectures on Faith to its original place, along with those sections and revelations identified as coming through Joseph Smith. These have been painstakingly compared to the manuscripts found in the Joseph Smith Papers Project:
  • The order of the sections has been restored to thematic groupings rather than simply being presented chronologically. These groupings are: Restoration, Organization and Worship, and Revelations to Individuals.
  • Several LDS sections have been removed for the following reasons:
    • Sections 2 & 13 are extracts from JS-History and are therefore redundant.
    • Section 20 was written by Oliver Cowdery and constitutes church articles and covenants used to begin to structure the early church organization. They no longer apply.
    • Section 101 on Marriage, from the original 1835 Kirtland Edition, is not being reintroduced because it is not a product of either Joseph or Hyrum. However, pertinent points are included in another area.
    • Section 110 is completely unverifiable as a true revelation/vision. The three individuals with some information about the section, Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery and Warren Cowdery, left no statement or explanation about Section 110. Further, in listing those who visited with them in their respective testimonies, neither Joseph Smith nor Oliver Cowdery mention Elijah as having come. Finally throughout the Nauvoo time frame, including a month before his death, Joseph Smith spoke of Elijah’s return as a future and not a past event.
    • Section 129 was a struggle. Initially it was revised by taking the shorthand notes from Joseph Smith’s journal and fleshing them out with bridge words and phrases to make them into comprehensible sentences. However, once attempted, that effort was abandoned and the section was completely removed for the following reasons:
      1. The shorthand is just sketchy enough that some of the bridge wording is clearly debatable.
      2. The instruction we have through the Book of Mormon is sufficient on its own to allow us to discern evil spirits.
      3. This section, if relied upon alone, is apparently not sufficient to defend against lying spirits.
    • Section 134 is a declaration on laws & government written by either Oliver Cowdery or Sidney Rigdon, not Joseph Smith.
    • Section 135 is simply the announcement of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum.
    • Section 136 is from Brigham Young.
    • Section 138, Joseph F. Smith’s vision of the dead, is restricted by copyright and cannot be used.
    • Official Declarations 1 & 2 are declarations made by a different church.

• Several LDS sections have been revised for the following reasons:
  • Section 107 was an amalgamation of content, with only one portion traceable to a revelation before the 1835 publication of the D&C. That portion has been preserved. The 1835 published version bears hallmarks of revisions by the hand of man. Therefore only a portion has been extracted, and then added to by revelation, to explain the establishment of dispensations and reflect the direction of this current dispensation. It is placed as the last section in the new D&C.
  • Sections 121, 122 and123 came from a letter written from Liberty Jail and are presented within the context of the entire letter written by Joseph Smith.
  • Section 132 on celestial marriage is now represented as it is posted by Denver Snuffer on his blog, containing the redactions suggested there to make the document internally consistent and reflect the earliest descriptions of the original.

• More than 40 new sections have been added for the following reasons:
  • Nearly all of these new sections are verified revelations given through Joseph Smith that simply were never sustained as scripture.
  • Restoration Edition Section 98 is President Hyrum Smith’s epistle to the church.

• The new D&C also includes an insert in the Appendix called A PROPHET’S PREROGATIVE, an example of an extremely valuable method of comparative study that can significantly help your understanding. The example used is Isaiah 29, and includes an introductory explanation.

• The Pearl of Great Price – has had its name changed to Pearls of Great Price, reflecting and implying further expansion, and the following portions have been removed, revised or added for the following reasons:
  • (A Proposed Set of) Governing Principles is a rewritten statement of principles and practices – similar to LDS Section 20 – that reflects this assembly’s efforts to preserve the Restoration. This statement is not yet completed. It requires additional inspired input from you.
  • The Articles of Faith have been replaced by The Wentworth Letter that they were copied from, in order to provide context to those articles.
  • Joseph Smith – History has been slightly expanded to the same extent as it was originally published in the Times and Seasons.
  • The Book of Moses and Joseph Smith – Matthew have been removed because they already exist in the New Translation of the Bible and are redundant.
  • The Book of Abraham remains as is.
  • The Revelation of the Testimony of St. John – as given through Denver Snuffer, Jr. – has been added. It will not replace the existing Testimony of St. John found in the New Testament, but will stand as it’s own book.
  • Continuing Revelation – is a section which consists of visions and revelations given through Denver Snuffer, Jr. to be made public. This portion of the Pearls of Great Price is expected to be the place where new revelation will be added as it is received, which, you will see, has already happened.
  • A Glossary of Fundamental Terms is at the end of the final volume. Currently it’s blank, except for a single sample definition. We encourage all of you to consider emailing us terms for the glossary using the following criteria:

1. The definition must be scriptural, not your opinion.
2. The terms need to be those that are critical to seeing things correctly. LDS and Christian culture have so skewed many religious terms as to render them not just wrong, but spiritually dangerous in that they point people in the wrong direction. This will not become a “bible dictionary,” but is an attempt to explain words as the Lord has intended, not “Gospel speak” or Mormonese.

Given that this body must declare to the Lord what records they intend to hold sacred, a Preview copy of these volumes of the Restoration Edition are available as of right now for download, in PDF, ebook and other requested formats, from www.scriptures.info, an online library that has been established for materials pertinent to the Restoration. There are a number of interesting tools and features that have been developed for this site, but now is not the time to go into them. However, I will say that scriptures.info is specifically built with tools to aid in comparative study. That’s why the Isaiah 29 example is at the back of the D&C – to kickstart you. So take a tour of that important site on your own. Those of you who may have content pertinent to the scriptures that you wish to contribute, those of you who are looking for research material or tools, and those of you who are just curious, be sure to visit the ABOUT page on that site for direction.

A hard copy of each volume is already available for purchase on Amazon.com and Amazon Europe. Search Restoration Scriptures Preview or the title of each work and you should find Vol. 1, 2 and 3. This copy is NOT formatted completely – it still has minor flaws in it. In fact, if you are happy to use the electronic copies that are available, you may want to wait until the scriptures have been sustained and scrubbed before buying a copy, as they may change. A final version will be produced that incorporates any changes sustained by this assembly and has been scrubbed of formatting errors.

Additionally, since Amazon won’t allow us to sell the copies at cost, the minimal royalties from the copies sold will be donated to the temple fund.

A quick side note: The reason the Creative Commons copyright for these scriptures is in my name is only because I am acting as the public face of this project. There are dozens of people that have contributed to it besides me.

A Research version of these scriptures is partially completed and available for download on www.scriptures.info as well. Unlike the printed scriptures, this Research version will remain in electronic form – at least for now – and will differ in the following ways from the print copies:

• Though retaining the new chapter groupings, all of the books have LDS chapter and verse numbers inserted to allow for easier research and for comparison with other versions of scripture.
• The JST and D&C include both strikethroughs and additions visible in their original manuscripts.
• The Book of Mormon footnotes all significant changes from the editions that were published during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. Any editions after his death were not approved by him and therefore have been ignored.
• Items removed from the printed copy can be preserved in this copy for research purposes, including, for example, section 129.
• Items of historical or educational significance deemed helpful may be added to this version. Recognize that the Research version is intended to expand details of the sustained scriptures, not supplant them.

We do have plans for a fancier set of scriptures being produced with bible stock paper, leather or faux leather covers, and so forth. That process is already underway, but anyone familiar with the process is invited to email us and lend a hand. I’m not sure of a time frame other than we’d like to have those available by the end of the year. But we won’t print any until after the sustaining conference.

For those who honestly can’t afford around $40 to purchase a set of these scriptures and can’t use electronic copies for now, if you have a local fellowship you meet with, ask them if they can provide you with a set. If they can’t meet your need, please use the email address given to request a set. We have several free sets available for the truly needy that are here at the conference. If there are those in need who could not attend, but would like a copy, please place a request at that same email address and a copy can be sent to you or your local fellowship.

THE NEXT CONFERENCE, which has been mentioned during this announcement, will be held in Boise, ID, Labor Day weekend, September 2-3, with the intent of approving the final content for the Restoration Edition of the scriptures and sustaining that edition as canon for this assembly. Today is the “open to public view” step of the process. Our team simply got the ball rolling. You will now have approximately 6 months to digest, critique and react to what the Lord has offered.

Please carefully consider what is being offered to us. Zion is the Lord’s work. So getting it will not depend on the goodness or desires of men and women, but on their submission to the Lord, who intends to accomplish it. WE can’t force it, cause it, bring it, or hope it into existence. What we can do is submit to the Lord in a way that encourages Him to continue to use us for His purposes. There is no need for an immediate, knee-jerk reaction to this announcement. You will have time to consider all of it before making a decision.

No sustaining or debate of the scriptures will take place during this conference. But your input is necessary and required. An email address has been provided specifically for that purpose. Please use RESTORATIONSCRIPTURES2017@GMAIL.COM to send in questions you have about what has been announced and provided. There likely won’t be enough time tomorrow to answer all the questions that get sent in, but any that aren’t addressed during tomorrow’s Q&A session will be replied to. But there’s no rush. If you have an immediate, burning question, please send it in quickly so that we have time this evening to prepare responses for tomorrow. Also, this same email address will be used over the next 6 months for additional questions and ongoing feedback in preparation for a sustaining conference. So if you don’t have a question or suggestion until June, you can still submit it and it will be addressed. But please refrain from pointing out formatting issues unless it is alarming. We will be combing through the books again to find them all.

If there’s a particular issue in these scriptures that is critical, in your opinion, email your concern and your reasoning to support your argument. It will be posted for others to view and consider. If you think that there is something else that belongs in this edition, feel free to email that suggestion as well. For example you might feel inspired about a principle that needs to be added to the Governing Principles statement. However, realize that what this edition now contains has been under the Lord’s direction for the past year and a half and He has provided, at times, direct input. And there is a rigorous set of questions to assist you in determining whether you should submit new material.

The PRELIMINARY SUBMISSION & CRITIQUE PROCESS works like this:

1. Questions, suggestions, criticism and requests get submitted to restorationscriptures2017@gmail.com.
2. From the end of the St. George conference until the 4th of July, a SUBMISSIONS list will be maintained on scriptures.info.
   1. The items on the list will come from emails submitted.
   2. That document will list the specific items that have been pointed out as concerns to be removed, modified or added to the Restoration Edition. The points made by the submitter will also be given. Please be aware that your reasoning will be significantly refined if you submit a long explanation, so keep things brief. And make sure that what you submit is scriptural, not simply personal opinion.
   3. If you have very strong feelings about any of the items on the list, email us and let us know. If you’re fine with what has been proposed today or if you don’t care one way or the other about the items on the list, don’t email us. Only those who are strongly opposed to an existing item or strongly in favor of adding or amending an item should email us during those first few months.
   4. The SUBMISSIONS document will be updated as needed.
3. As of the 4th of July, a final SUBMISSIONS list will be posted which also includes the total number of emails for/against an item. We will then wipe the slate clean.
   1. From then on, no new items will be added to the list.
   2. People who are strongly advocating or opposing can again email their vote about the item(s).
4. That new voting period runs from the 4th of July to the end of August.
   1. A final tally will then be taken.
   2. If there is no significant number of emails in opposition of an existing item or advocating a missing item or amendment, that item will be dropped.
   3. And if you email us 6 times, it still only counts as one vote for any item.

Benefits of this process are:

1. We are using simple, easy to reach technology. Anyone can go online to do this – even if they have to go to a library or a friend to do so. And this can be done from anywhere in the world.
2. By providing the reason why an item is listed, opposing voices get the chance to be heard and perhaps to persuade.
3. Doing 2 rounds of voting gives everyone the chance to be persuaded over time and therefore find confidence of their final decision.
4. Everyone gets an opportunity to be involved if they feel so inclined.

2 CRITICAL POINTS:

1. Remember that what is important is the message, not the messenger, so focus on the content of this gift, not how it’s delivered.
2. The most important lesson for our group was expressed in the course of our emailing back and forth. Someone said this: I would rather submit to the decision of the group than insist that my view be followed. For me harmony between brethren is more important than getting what I think best to be followed. I believe harmony can lead to much greater things than can merely enforcement of even a correct view. I know how difficult it is to have a correct view, because of how often I have been corrected by the Lord. Sometimes I am humiliated by my foolishness when the Lord reproves me. Humiliation can lead to humility, but my experience is that the humiliation is accompanied by shame, whereas humility can proceed with a clear conscience. My experience with others leads me to conclude that if we can have one heart first, eventually we can likewise come to have one mind. But if we insist on having one mind at the outset, we may never obtain one heart together.

So I make a request to all of you – from all of us: Kaai sent the team an email 3 weeks ago, just after we had submitted the final volume to our formatter. We had begun to consider this next step. So he wrote: One of the ways to hopefully mitigate the sheer volume of emails will be to encourage fellowships to meet together and come up with a consolidated list of questions/suggestions/ concerns/etc… If there are individuals not associated with a fellowship, then they’ll follow the standard process [on their own]. If they make it a matter of prayer and forethought, first as individuals, then families, then fellowships, and submit in that manner, we may be able to keep the volume manageable. It will allow fellowships to meet together for a directed purpose and importune the Lord for revelation. It will draw them closer together in the bonds of love as indicated in the General Principles preamble and make them accountable to each other for the questions raised. I think it also reinforces the manner in which the Lord would want us to approach any challenge or issue presented.

Please consider these points as you consider what you choose to advocate in the scriptures.

Given the experiences many have had with organized religion, it’s only natural for some people to have an aversion to “official” scriptures. But these volumes are not set in stone; rather, they are presented to you in the appropriate manner, and with sufficient time for the group’s collective review, critique, support, and, possible sustaining. The Lord deals with His people by covenant; accepting these scriptures as comprising the history, teachings, doctrine, and covenants of our faith represents another step in our collective journey towards having our hearts bound together. And this should remain a labor of love and devotion to God. Those involved in this work do not present these volumes with any other expectation than that we are to be called to answer to every principle advanced, and we hope and pray that this continued effort to preserve and honor the word of the Lord will be accepted by Him, and by you.

In closing, I’d like to read a journal entry from one of our team members from Feb 18th:

I checked the scripture email and saw that volume 2 had been formatted and is now ready to print. Upon opening the file and viewing the document I was filled with joy and with the Spirit and was given a prophecy by the spirit saying,

“These scriptures will go to all the world and teach every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, to bring in the children of Israel from the four corners of the earth.”