I’ve put up the paper I presented yesterday at the Sunstone Symposium. You can go to the downloads and look up the title, or click this link: A Fountain of Filthy Water

As I mentioned in an earlier post (June 24, 2018), after the experiences in the early common-stock companies, and in community efforts in Kirtland, Ohio, Independence, and Far West, Missouri, Joseph Smith ended any attempts at consecration. In a council meeting on March 6, 1840 in Montrose, Iowa Territory, he announced to the church the Lord rescinded consecration:

“He said that the Law of consecration could not be kept here, & that it was the will of the Lord that we should desist from trying to keep it, & if persisted in it would produce a perfect abortion, & that he assumed the whole responsibility of not keeping it untill proposed by himself.” (JS Papers, Documents Vol. 7, p. 215, emphasis added, all spelling as in original.)

Despite this counsel, when the lumber mission in Black River Falls, Wisconsin was operated, the church members determined they would have all things in common. The purpose of their mission was to provide lumber for use in building the Nauvoo Temple and Nauvoo House. Their experience is described in a letter written February 15, 1844:

“Since we have been here lumbering we have had many difficulties to encounter, but the main hindrance to our Successful opperations was the feeding, clothing and transporting of a great many lazy, idle men who have not produced any thing by their pretended labor, and thus eating up all that the diligent and honest could produce by their unceasing application to labor & we have not yet got entirely clear of such like persons.” (JS Papers, Documents Vol. 14, p. 180, all spelling as in original.)

From a common-sense point of view, during Joseph Smith’s lifetime the believers never got beyond the early start-up steps of building a community. Never. Not in any of the communities established by those early believers.

That outcome is always inevitable because there are always losses with any start-up venture. Years of losses precede any “excess” being produced. When there are losses from beginning operations, it is extraordinarily unwise to increase losses by adding unproductive people whose needs exceed their ability to contribute to the already needy community. That adds to the likelihood of complete community collapse and failure.

Common sense would suggest that the early inevitable losses be incurred by those who can bear them, and that only after the community has succeeded in producing an excess can those who need assistance be helped with the produced excess.

The ultimate objective of the ‘pine mission’ was to produce a completed Nauvoo Temple and Nauvoo House. Neither were completed. There was an earlier promise for Zion in Jackson County, Missouri. That earlier promise was forfeited because the saints polluted the ground: “Behold, I say unto you, there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore, by these things they polluted their inheritances.” (T&C 101:2.) Accordingly, their enemies were allowed power over them, and they were driven away, ultimately out of Missouri altogether.

The later promise made by the Lord in Nauvoo was that the Lord would not allow the Jackson County failure to be repeated. The Lord would intervene and prevent them from being driven out. But it was conditioned on their conduct: “But if they will not hearken to my voice, nor unto the voice of these men whom I have appointed, they shall not be blessed, because they pollute my holy grounds, and my holy ordinances and charters, and my holy words which I give unto them. And it shall come to pass that if you build a house unto my name and do not do the things that I say, I will not perform the oath which I make unto you, neither fulfill the promises which you expect at my hands, says the Lord. For instead of blessings, you, by your own works, bring cursings, wrath, indignation, and judgments upon your own heads, by your follies and by all your abominations which you practice before me, says the Lord.” (T&C 141:14.)

Not only was the effort to build the Nauvoo Temple a ‘perfect abortion’ so too was the effort to bring the people back to God’s presence. Their abominations increased: lying, adultery, dishonesty, and false accusations directed at both Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum.

They were asked to “build a house unto my name for the Most High to dwell therein. For there is not place found on the earth that he may come and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he has taken away, even the fullness of the Priesthood.” (T&C 141:10.) That return of the fullness didn’t happen. Hasn’t happened. And if we are given a commandment to build a temple for the Most High to dwell in, it will be a privilege not a burden. It should be greeted as an opportunity, not as an unwelcome responsibility.

For us, worrying about consecrating, and gathering, and some dreamy future filled with excess enjoyed by a group-effort is not only naive, it is a devilish mirage that omits the sacrifices, labor, grueling hard work to be done in a fallen world that will first be required to reclaim and redeem the land. Eden will not return until the effects on nature have been remedied by faithful husbandmen cultivating the earth. She “will yield [her] increase, and you will flourish upon the mountains and upon the hills,” (T&C 158:14) but only after she again “may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon [her] face.” (NC Gen. 4:20.) Righteousness upon the face of the earth will precede her ‘yielding her increase’ for the righteous. That will be up to those who are on the earth’s mountains and hills.

So far, the ‘perfect abortion’ of the early saints does not appear to be reversed. But it can be. We can, by our heed and diligence give place in our hearts to a kindly God asking us to incline our hearts toward Him, and allow His words to cleanse the inner man. We won’t have a redeemed earth until we first have redeemed people living upon her. THAT is the present work. It is internal to each of us.

Just like the earth in its fallen state, our hearts and minds are filled with briars, weeds, noxious plants, troubling insects, and predatory animals within. Cleansing the inner vessel comes first.

I did an interview on Friday with a YouTube interviewer, Michelle Stone. When she puts the interview up on her channel I will put a link to it here.

I got an email reminding me that the Sunstone ticket cost of $75.00 per day can be lessened if you plan to attend only a single session. For that, you can pay $20.00 at the door and attend that single session.

Sunstone does not pay me, as a presenter, for my talk. (I don’t know if there are others who are paid to present at Sunstone.)

The martyrdom…

If his life was of no value to his friends…

They never knew him…

His name has been spoken for both good and bad…

No one need suppose him guilty of any great or malignant sins…

Fools hold him in derision…

The pure in heart gladly seek his counsel…

The wise and noble seek his counsel…

The virtuous seek his counsel…

God’s people have never been turned against him by the false testimony of traitors…

I will be returning to the 2023 Sunstone Symposium. This year’s Symposium is addressing the topic: “[Main] Streaming Mormonism” I will present a talk titled: Main Stream: A “Fountain of Filthy Water”

The event will begin on Thursday, July 27 and the current schedule has my talk set for Saturday, July 29th beginning at 4:25 pm. My talk is described as follows: “Nephi’s vision of the tree of life included a river fed by a ‘fountain of filthy water.’ Throughout the Book of Mormon the quest for popularity is condemned. The values of the mainstream are assumed to be opposed to godliness. The LDS gravitation toward popularity has increasingly come at the price of abandoning Joseph Smith’s original. This presentation will contrast those opposing directions.”

For anyone interested in attending, the link to the symposium schedule from their website is available here: 2023 Sunstone Symposium schedule

It will take place at the Southtown Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah, which has now been renamed “Mountain America Expo Center” located at 9575 South State Street in Sandy.

I hope to give an interesting talk.

When using dubious sources, historians make mistakes. Even if someone has a position or an apparent basis to presume credibility, it does not mean they are reliable. Many of those close to Joseph Smith had reasons to tell stories decades after Joseph’s death. They would use him as the source to support what they were then doing, saying or believing. They borrowed his name and therefore his credibility for their agenda.

Deseret Book is publishing a book through their subsidiary Cedar Fort, Inc. and selling in their stores. One could conclude that this book is bona fide because the LDS church is the owner of the publishing company. That book is titled: Hour of God’s Judgment: Joseph Smith’s Paradigm of the Last Days. It is written by Vern Grosvenor Swanson. I’ve never met him (to the best of my knowledge) and I’ve certainly never been interviewed by him, or provided him with any information for his book.

In Appendix II of Mr. Swanson’s book there is an entry for 28 September 2015 that states: “Call out to tent cities. Erstwhile Latter-day Saint, Julie Rowe in her books, A Greater tomorrow: My Journey Beyond the Veil and The Time is Now, and her many Latter-day Saint Firesides and interviews (especially on KUED, SLC); and excommunicated Denver Snuffer, et. al., proclaim that the “Call Out” will occur in late September and for safety we will have to flee to tent cities. …” As far as this attributes anything to me, it is utterly untrue.

I have NEVER said anything like what is attributed to me in this book. I have never met, talked with, or corresponded with Julie Rowe nor have I read anything she has written. I know nothing more about her other than what others have remarked in my presence. I do not base any opinion about someone relying on second-hand sources. Therefore, I cannot say anything about what she has said. But I’ve never joined her in saying anything about tent cities.

I mention this only to point out that in 200 years, a careful researcher may stumble onto this false statement and rely on the LDS owned publisher to accept the falsehood as true. If so, the researcher will be led into error by accepting bogus nonsense as true.

September 28, 2015 I was at work, and during the day I got an update about progress on a website prepared by volunteers that was then ready to go live and be accessed by the public. I wrote a post on that date and provided a link to the website. It allowed people to request baptism, and a volunteer would travel to them free of charge to perform the ordinance. I said nothing on that day, or any other day, about “tent cities” or something termed the “Call Out.” I’m not sure I know what that is. I have heard second-hand there was a group called AVOW advocating that idea. My understanding it that they had a pay-to-view website advocating a “Call Out” and tent cities, etc. I think their name is an acronym for A Voice of Warning (AVOW). But as I never saw or read anything from their organization I cannot be sure of that. I did a quick search on DuckDuckGo and found a website: ldsavow.com, which appears to be them. If so, they still exist.

This is going afield. The point of this is that there is one demonstrably false attribution about me found in a book published by a subsidiary of Deseret Book and sold in the LDS Deseret Book bookstores. Likewise, there are numerous other false attributions about me made on discussion boards, in symposiums and articles written about me. I do not take the time to correct them all. That would be a full-time job and I don’t really care enough to bother.

Think about those sworn affidavits, sermons, newspaper articles and Journal of Discourses talks attributing things to Joseph Smith years, even decades, after his death. Why trust them? After all, he was misquoted while he was alive. He and Sidney Rigdon both denounced the “Happiness Letter” and yet it appears as his in the Teachings of Joseph Smith and in the Joseph Smith Papers as if he were the author. It has been quoted in General Conferences of the LDS church. Rob Fotheringham did a video that addressed that letter in his recently released Defending the Prophet Joseph: Martha Brotherington Affidavit and The Happiness Letter. If Joseph’s own denial is ignored by the LDS church as well as the historians writing both “orthodox” and polemic histories about Joseph, then you can know for certain the authors are perpetuating falsehoods about him. As the Lord informed Joseph: “The ends of the earth shall inquire after your name, and fools shall have you in derision, and hell shall rage against you, while the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under your hand. And your people shall never be turned against you by the testimony of traitors[.]” T&C 139:7

Although it imposes some effort on us, when studying the restoration generally, and Joseph Smith particularly, we should avoid trusting dubious sources.

Today is the anniversary of D-Day. 79 years ago on June 6, 1944 on the beaches of Normandy the American, Canadian and British forces landed to confront fortified German positions. It was given the name “The Longest Day” which became the title of a movie in 1962.

There are few survivors of that day still living. We cannot keep them here. But we ought not allow memory of that event to fade. When we forget what was required to undo established totalitarianism we risk letting it return. It is far easier to prevent than to overthrow.

Right now the great prize in the war against mankind’s freedom is the government of the United States. If the government here fails to protect freedom the entire world is in jeopardy. As John Adams explained: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Our scriptures counsel: “honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men you should observe to uphold; otherwise, whatever is less than these comes of evil.” T&C 98:2

As American morality declines, so too does civility, order, peace and focus on the protection of freedoms. Stirring up the public to distraction over trivial matters, raising false accusations about others, and shouting at rather than listening to one another allows wicked men and women to be elected to office.

There are serious, even critical issues that face America. They deserve careful, difficult consideration and an open exchange of ideas. They are not receiving the attention needed for intelligent choices to be made. Fools excite arguments about matters of little significance, and are popularly elected because of inflamed passions of the electorate.

Our Constitution was not only made for a moral and religious people, but also for a thoughtful and deliberate people who are capable of careful consideration of serious matters.

On D-Day young people, including many teens, rushed into artillery and machine-gun fire because of their dedication to preserving freedom. Over 150,000 of them arrived to fight that day, and thousands of them would die before the morning ended. Devotion, faith, discipline, love of country, love or fellow-man, determination and honor were on display that day.

Does the United States today produce those qualities in teens? If not, can that be changed?

This weekend’s conference was well organized and beneficial to all who attended. I owe the organizers another grateful mention. They innovated and I think it worked well.

Also, in answering a question today I got the author right (Thomas Wolfe) but the title of his book wrong. It should have been Bonfire of the Vanities, and I said it was Breakfast of Champions. Breakfast of Champions was written by Kurt Vonnegut.

Saw some familiar faces, but a lot of new ones too. That was good. Although I think numbers do not matter, and in some respects increased numbers come with increased problems, the growth of interest and participation is obviously welcome. What we are doing has long ago been prophesied.

One final reflection: Sometimes I think having a “native cheery temperament” is not altogether a good thing.

I got a question emailed me (though the website administrator) asking: “Is there any purpose in continuing to better yourself here in this temporal world? To continue becoming educated through college? Really, is there any purpose in pursuing goals, objectives, etc…?”

That presumes this life lacks purpose. We’re here to be “added upon” and every day there are new opportunities to add. We are eternal. Right now we’re in a place of constant change, filled with beauty and contradiction, challenging and rewarding, with truth and error competing alongside each other. You couldn’t get a better environment in which to detect foolishness parading as wisdom than in the modern American universities. Yes, of course go to college!

Live your life fully. Plan, prepare, work, get educated, have a family. Don’t abandon life’s richest experiences because you are afraid of shadows.

Every moment of mortality is filled with the chance to see wonder through the eyes of a child–and you know unless you repent and “become as a little child you shall not see the kingdom of Heaven.” If your eye sees only darkness, then how great that darkness becomes. But when you think about Christ’s observation that the wasting countryside was adorned by wildflowers and that was more splendid than “Solomon in all his glory” then why not accept the challenge? Do as Christ did: See the beauty here. Why not look at the contrast between light and shadow, the constant changing clouds overhead forming new, intricate patterns continually, the lights of the firmament in the night sky, the seasons changing, –why not look at it all as a great wonder. God is the artist. This world is His (Their) canvas.

The question asked above reflects the triumph of pessimism, and the now-socially imposed acceptance of futility. Nothing is futile. Especially about you. You can change your world by changing your view. Smile. Laugh. There’s plenty to laugh about in this estate.

Every emperor you will ever behold in this world has no clothes. Fools rule, teach, interpret history, and insist you accept their foolishness as truth. Stop doing that.

You should figure out how to enjoy your time here. It is wonderful! With all the problems, injuries, set-backs, disappointments and failures there is invariably something gained. Accept that and be contented with these opportunities, they are all a gift from God.

On another subject: next Sunday, a week from now, I’ll be speaking at the Layton Conference. At 1:30 at the Davis County Conference Center I’ll talk and, time permitting, will answer a few questions. On Saturday there’s going to be some presentations throughout the day, and my wife will be one of the presenters. The conference is linked here: Spring 2023 Conference.

Reading in Mark today I was struck by a declaration of Christ’s that mirrors one of the great themes of the Book of Mormon.

Throughout the Book of Mormon the theme of being “numbered among” a specific covenant group is repeated. In 1 Ne. 3:25 Nephi’s great vision includes this promise (and prophecy): “And it shall come to pass that if the gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks, and harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father. Yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel[.]” (Quoting from the Restoration Edition of the Scriptures. All other quotes cite to that version of the scriptures–the only one which has been approved by the Lord.)

Nephi repeats this promise about the gentiles in 2 Ne. 7:4: “the gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel. Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and they who shall be numbered among thy seed, for ever, for the land of their inheritance[.]”

Again in 2 Ne. 12:11: “For behold, I say unto you, as many of the gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord[.]”

This is repeated numerous times by the prophet-writers in the Book of Mormon following Nephi. Perhaps most importantly, when Christ appears to visit the Nephites and His teachings are added to the record, our Lord makes the same promise and prophecy: 3 Ne. 9:11: “the gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel[.]” And 3 Ne. 10:1: “I will establish my church among them [the gentiles], and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance.”

This theme of reclaiming the gentiles and making them part of Israel, even part of Lehi’s family, is confirmed today in the Lord’s covenant with us. The Lord has finally defined those gentiles for whom the Book of Mormon covenant promises were made. This is who is referred to in that ancient prophetic and covenantal text: “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.” (T&C 158:10.)

Of course, today many people who lack a covenant likewise pretend the promises apply to them, but the Lord has the right to define those to whom the promises apply. The Lord has defined who He had in mind by a modern covenant. That covenant was offered and accepted by gentiles who were originally numbered among the gentiles, but after the covenant numbered among Israel. This happened beginning at a conference in September 2017, and continues today.

Here is what the Lord stated about members of His family in Mark that mirrors what He has said by covenant directly to us: “Who is my mother? Or who are my brethren? And he looked round about on them who sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren; for whoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” (Mark 2:10.)

Truly the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Although many people believe or claim to have status, salvation, covenant or approval from the Lord, I think it is more helpful and reliable to accept what He is presently offering directly to us by His word. After all, the Lord explained, “it is not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. For the day soon comes that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works. And many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name have cast out devils, and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I say unto them, You never knew me. Depart from me, you that work iniquity. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them not shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matt. 3:47-48.) There will be many mistaken believers.

Religious folks are included among the damned who suffer punishment in the afterlife. The vision about that explains: “And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars are one, for as one star differeth from another star in glory, even so differeth one from another in glory in the telestial world. For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. These are they who say they are some of one and some of another: some of Christ, and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch, but received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenants. Last of all, these all are they who will not be gathered with the saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn and received into the cloud. These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. These are they who suffer the wrath of God on the earth. These are they who suffer the vengeance of Eternal fire. These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fullness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet[.]” (T&C 69:26-27.)

People who spend a lifetime studying and preaching about Isaiah claiming his prophetic message towers above all others will be damned. Students of John the Beloved who prize him above all others will be damned. Students of all the prophets and apostles will be damned. They are, in the end, no better than liars, sorcerers, adulterers and those who love spreading lies. It will only be those who “receive the gospel” and “the testimony of Jesus” and “the prophets” who will be spared from damnation.

Therefore, I’d advise everyone to be very careful about deciding what is and what is not included in “the gospel” mentioned here. And likewise you should be studying to understand clearly what “the testimony of Jesus” includes and requires. Most of all, be very careful about deciding if the Lord has sent “a prophet” or “prophets” with a message from Him. Salvation and damnation hinge on your choice.

Not everyone who calls Him “Lord, Lord” is willing to do the difficult work of following Him. Today it is only those 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 the Lord, and been baptized in His name according to His commandment to us, who will be saved.

I’m grateful to know there are those willing to do this. I’m trying to be numbered among you. However few it may be who find the straight and narrow path, in the end it will be enough. It is always enough, even when the Lord reduces 32,000 down to 300 (see Judges 3:6), it is still enough to overcome the hosts of Midianites. It will always be enough. Because the battle is the Lord’s. (1 Sam. 8:14.) I hope to be with you for that battle.

Today is the occasion we mark the resurrection of Christ on the third day following His crucifixion. We have adopted the name “Easter” for this Sunday. That word is of uncertain origins, although it is claimed to be derived from the name of an Anglo-Saxon goddess of springtime and fertility. I’m not altogether convinced of that, but admit the name seems less fitting than Resurrection Sunday.

There is a passage in T&C 161: 29 that captures a glimpse of that morning from the Lord’s point of view: “I know words are inadequate to capture His feelings on the morning of His resurrection. He had the deep satisfaction of having accomplished the most difficult assignment given by the Father, knowing it was a benefit to all of His Father’s children, and it had been done perfectly.”

The Lord’s resurrection disrupted the Fall of Man, reversed the scourge of death, prevented entropy from destroying the creation, and was the single most significant event in history. The Lord attained to the resurrection, and we are all beneficiaries of that triumph. The Lord experienced a fullness of joy as a consequence of His sacrifice and return.

The best way to remember the Lord on this date, in my view, is to rejoice and find things in this world that are gifts to us from God: Our families, our lives, sunshine, birds that sing, the beauty and smell of flowers, sunrises and sunsets, music and a hundred-thousand little joys we experience daily. When we do something in obedience to God, my experience is that it likewise brings satisfaction and joy.

I’ve been asked again about the need for organization and perhaps founding a church. Again I say it will only lead inevitably to corruption and apostasy.

Look at the churches now in existence. Are they not ALL wrong? if not, then tell me which one is without corruption. The LDS church has adopted the false creed that the “brethren cannot lead you astray.” Of all the creeds that are an abomination in God’s sight, perhaps this one is the most invidious. It has led very good people to be following uncritically very corrupt men. The leaders are not necessarily (or all) corrupt in the sense that they mean to do evil. But they accomplish nothing but evil when they follow lockstep behind a leader who is interested in appeasing the world in his attempt to gain popularity.

Why does the LDS church have a “rainy day fund” in the billions of dollars while members suffer in poverty in parts of their “kingdom”? It makes no sense, and fits the condemnation of Malachi, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. [Diverted to the priests.] You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, [for the poor] and prove me now herewith, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. [For the people’s needs/not the priests’.]” The priests were amassing wealth, while the tithes and offerings were intended for the Lord’s “house” or His people.

Today every church is filled with professors who are all corrupt. They profess the words spoken by Christ, but do not accomplish His works. It makes them just like the hypocrites, scribes, and Pharisees about whom Christ said: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than he was before — like unto yourselves.”

Of a truth today, like Joseph’s day, “They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” Godliness in power uses wealth to aid the poor. Tithes are meant to be used to relieve the needs of others within the household of faith first, and then the stranger afterwards, so that believers can rejoice in God’s goodness.

Tithes should be used to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, provide medical care for the infirm, house the homeless, educate the unlearned, and make people independent with transportation. Tithes are not intended to let church leaders “fare sumptuously.” Wealthy leaders of the LDS church are no different than Christian pastors of “mega-churches”.

We each have an obligation to provide for our own family, and care for those of our own household first. They must not become a burden on others, if we are able to provide for their support. If we fail to provide support when we are able to do so, then we have “denied the faith.” But when we have accomplished the obligations devolving on us as spouses and parents, then we are commanded to help others with our tithes. And once we have cared for our families who are dependent upon us, we still have no right to ask others to compensate us for practicing our religion.

“Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. For from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things: it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life, and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God.”

Churches amass wealth. ALL of them do. That is why we are taught to immediately divert our tithes to relieve the needs of those among us. And ONLY when there is no need among a fellowship does the donor have the opportunity to assist by using the excess to advance the Lord’s work.

Churches have offices, and offices are presumed to command respect and attention. Even if the occupant of the office does not use gentleness, meekness, persuasion, pure knowledge and love unfeigned it still is an office that holds respect. If the office is presumed to have “authority” then it is always the same outcome: “We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen.”

Men who crave office, and desire to direct others, are the “wolves” we are warned against. They occupy the offices of all the churches, and the adversary knows that a corrupt man who occupies church office will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Moreover he will prevent those who might otherwise have entered from entering.

It is not necessary to make churches utterly corrupt to damn the souls of men. It is only necessary to hedge up the way with an error here and a forgotten truth there. Forgetting and neglecting truth is enough to damn believers.

If we are free to pursue the truth without an overlord commanding us, then we can seek salvation with fear and trembling before God. Everyone is free to preach, teach, exhort or expound, and if they fail to persuade you then you are under no obligation to honor their “office”. You can freely reject. And you can freely receive, when the truth of a matter becomes “delicious” to you.

We cannot be equal if there is an institutional church. And if we have an institution, the adversary will never stop in the effort to corrupt it. It will inevitably attract aspiring men. Before long, it will become just another failed effort to honor God, and will instead be used to honor men.

On March 14th John Hall died after a brief illness. His funeral was today. Given John’s abiding interest in, affection for, and research into ancient Egypt, I composed a poem as my tribute to him. It is now available as a download here: Arcadia

I knew John for many years and will miss him as a dear friend. He died on the 14th, and two other friends died that same week. I lost three friends in four days, and have spent this week attending funerals. But I also got to attend a wedding this week. Still, all in all I hope not to have another week like this again.

If the poem “Arcadia” contains things that puzzle you, then you ought to see whether you can search them out and make sense of it. The Egyptian religion, so far as we can reconstruct it at this late date, was filled with symbols and figures that represented ideas, doctrines, principles and truths. They were not so ignorant as to think these symbols were real beasts or hybrids, but used pictographic representations to communicate ideas.

The Jews were influenced by Egypt, so much so that many of the Psalms are actually found as earlier compositions in Egypt. Moses was raised in Egypt, the Book of Mormon was written in Reformed Egyptian, and the Book of Abraham has Egyptian facsimiles. Therefore I concluded it altogether appropriate to use Egyptian symbology to honor the late Dr. John Franklin Hall III.

Last evening my friend Jon Larsen died of a heart attack. This week three friends passed away. It is a strong reminder that lives end. All lives. People of faith, disbelief, and outright rejection of faith. All three of these men were faithful, believing, and committed to following God. Although Jon died quickly, both of the others had illnesses that allowed them to contemplate passing, and they left this world hopeful and optimistic about the world to come.

Faith not only enriches life here, it allows us to cheerfully surrender it when life ends. That value is beyond gold. It cannot be purchased with money. It can only be acquired by having faith, which brings hope.

It is like a story told by the Lord: And then at that day, the moment of your death shall be likened unto ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to die, and five of them were wise and five of them were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. And at the moment of darkness when a cry of death was heard, “go out to meet it!” Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us your faith, for our hope is gone out. But the wise answered, saying, we cannot give to you what you alone are able to acquire. And the moment came. And they that were ready went out with joy, hope and glory, and the door to glory was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, we now believe. But He answered them not, and their passing was fearful. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when life ends.

These men of faith are mourned because we lose their companionship temporarily, but not because they died without hope. They leave us likewise hopeful that we can one day also be with them again.