A young-adult and youth meeting will be held April 1, 2023 at the GPP Fitness location at 40 E. Pages Lane, Centerville, UT 84014. This is a location affectionately called the “Gym Church” because it is an athletic venue. There is no plan to record the meeting. It will begin at 11 am, and both my wife and I will be speaking.

My friend Chris Chandler died this evening after years of a valiant fight. Many of you knew and loved him, and will want to know of his passing.

I’ve agreed to put some information up about these upcoming and current events:

A new video that consolidates all 21 videos about the history of Christianity, Protestant Reformation, and Restoration has been completed. It can be viewed at this link: The Testimony of Jesus – Past, Present and Promise https://youtu.be/zY7q6Hv7Mec

The committee organizing the conference in May has published some additional details about the upcoming conference, which can be found on their website at springconference2023.com.

The Remnant Young Adult Fellowship is planning a fun and uplifting weekend retreat at a beautiful cabin in Bedford, Wyoming from July 13-17th. This will be a great opportunity for those ages 18-33 to learn more about Christ with one another, spend time in nature, meet new friends and knit hearts together. Activities include visiting Grand Teton National Park, movie and game nights, bonfires, stargazing, volleyball, kayaking, local hikes, creek walks, scripture discussion, etc. There will be a fee to cover the cost of lodging, food, park fees, etc. Right now, the estimated range is $50-$100 per person. Updates will be sent out as planning moves forward. Please fill out this survey if you are interested in attending the retreat and receiving updates. This is not an official RSVP, it is only to gather interest. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1IIMvI3UineOQzsx40cOPwL3pxLjpuccRhM_o6nEdL9brUg/viewform

There is a planned conference in 2024 at the Kirtland Temple corresponding with the solar eclipse. It will be held on April 6-8, 2024 with sessions in the Kirtland Temple and an opportunity to view the eclipse in the path of totality. More information will be made available on the conference website: https://kirtlandeclipseconference.com/

I received email inquiries about the expected temple, and how Joseph Smith’s rites relate to what will be built. I responded with the below comments, which I assume would be of general interest:

Joseph never completed the restoration of the temple rites. Therefore what the temple should include would be more (significantly more) than what happened in Nauvoo. It would require a floorplan and layout that fits the full sweep and purposes of the Lord in returning the ancient Holy Order. That requires knowledge to be taught in some detail. As a consequence of what the temple is intended to accomplish, there would be different parts of the facility that get different uses and different access. Some parts of the process would be limited to very few people ever being admitted, while other areas would essentially be public with anyone having admission. The LDS and the Cutlerites have nothing to offer. Both were never in possession of what needed to be restored.

Joseph did “anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, and honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance” that included symbols and depictions to convey sacred information that is to be communicated in a sacred space using symbols and ritual to embed a message from God. It was, as best as it can be reconstructed at this point, a continuation of the Book of Abraham translation that he promised to deliver. However, it was not appropriate to do so publicly. So it got moved into a sacred ritual. It did not get completed. As time ran out, he was working on several incomplete threads of material that belong to the restoration. The Lord’s restoration at the end of time must reclaim what was here at the beginning during the first dispensation. That is much more than has survived through the various apostasies, and more than has been on the earth since the time of the first patriarchs.

Information that Joseph was working on but did not complete would have greatly expanded the restoration, had he been allowed to continue. Joseph had arrived at a point where the material was becoming increasingly inappropriate for the public. And those who were exposed to the commencement of that effort were not really suitable and failed to comprehend what they were getting conferred upon them. The lack of comprehension resulted in a whole bundle of errors following Joseph and Hyrum’s murders as the recipients attempted to duplicate what Joseph was attempting at the end. As distortions crept in, the effort to duplicate things became much like the Pharaoh’s sincere attempt to “imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first Patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also Noah” but who likewise could not do so with any success. There was no power in the imitations.

Had the effort succeeded, then what Joseph was attempting would have resulted “in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest, and without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto man in the flesh, for without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.” Joseph had obviously been able to endure this ascent to God’s presence. However, the restoration was intended to guide and instruct others along that same path so that the ordinances would manifest to man in the flesh the face of God, or in other words, to endow them with the knowledge that reckons directly from God’s presence. It was intended for mortal man to be taught the pathway back to the Throne of God so they could successfully make that journey.

It does no good to discuss this subject, because the material is only designed to be conveyed in an appropriate place, at an appropriate time, to an appropriate audience. And making this the subject of discussion outside of that setting, place and qualified recipient is little more than voyeurism and gossip. It runs the risk of making profane what is necessarily intended to be kept sacred. That obligation is why the material has not (and cannot) be preserved beyond any dispensation when it is bestowed.

Academics who have studied this issue carefully know there is something very important that has been lost. And they have conjectured and attempted to gather the threads together. The failure of the academic world to recover it is a testament to the importance of the vigilance and care that those who have been entrusted with the material have shown for God’s gift to them. It is also proof that something very important has been lost.

There are some rites for the dead, but not what/how the LDS have interpreted the work to be done. Baptism is required for everyone, including the dead.

Physical improvement requires that you do.

Spiritual improvement requires that you be.

Nephi had the improbable experience of having a father who was a descendant of Manasseh (NC Alma 8:1), and therefore was not a Levite, nor qualified to serve in Temple rites in Jerusalem. He was an outsider. Yet his father claimed to have been visited by God. Rather than reject his father’s message, Nephi pondered his father’s claim and wanted to know what his father had experienced. Nephi’s account explains:

“For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before sat my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what desirest thou? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.” NC 1 Ne. 3:6, emphasis added.

Notice that Nephi’s trust in his father’s testimony was regarded by the angel as belief in the Son of the Most High God. His father turned out to be a messenger with a message from God. Therefore, he had faith, not merely in the messenger, but in the One who sent the message.

This is why Christ taught: “He who receives you, receives me. And he who receives me, receives him who sent me. He that receives a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward.” NC Matt. 5:8.

The critical test that the Lord requires us to pass is whether we can believe in the words of His messengers. If we do, we have faith in the Son of the Most High God. And if we do not, we have rejected the Son of the Most High God.

Distinguishing His voice from the voices of imposters, pretenders and misled men claiming authority from God is also part of the test. As Joseph Smith explained, “The world always mistook false prophets for true ones, and those that were sent of God they considered to be false prophets, and hence they killed, stoned, punished, and imprisoned the true prophets, and they had to hide themselves in deserts, and dens, and caves of the earth, and though the most honorable men of the earth, they banished them from their society as vagabonds, while they cherished, honored, and supported knaves, vagabonds, hypocrites, impostors, and the basest of men.” T&C 147:6.

That test is consistently imposed whenever the Lord sends a message into the world. It has never been harder, never been easier, never been different. And, based on the scriptures, there are always only “few” who believe the Lord’s messages. “Repent therefore and enter in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat, because strait is the gate and narrow the way that leads unto life, and few there are that find it.” NC Matt. 3:45.

Despite the challenge, there are those who do recognize when the Lord is speaking. As He put it to the religious leaders who challenged Him: “I told you and you believed not. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” NC John 6:29.

There is something about the Lord’s voice, even when He uses a mere mortal to deliver His words, that remains distinctly recognizable. If you hear it, believe it.

I have lost many friends in the last few years to death. Right now I have three close friends who are suffering from terminal illnesses. One of them has a son who will turn 8 in a few months, and his young son is praying that his father will live long enough to see him baptized.

I witness so many sobering, heart-rending circumstances that can bring me to tears as I contemplate the suffering of those I love. I’m certain I’m not alone in that. We all see suffering, or endure it.

I have also seen miracles, and the most improbable of healing through faith. And to the contrary, I have also seen people of deep faith, and clear understanding, for whom there is no relief.

Christ performed healing miracles, and yet for Himself there was no relief. His power was used for the benefit of others, but nothing relieved His pain, even when He cried out asking if it were possible that the cup of suffering be taken from Him. The greatest healer of history was also the one who suffered most.

I’ve returned again and again to pondering and praying about these inconsistencies. Why is one healed and another taken? Why do some suffer with incomprehensible burdens, daily disappointment, and unending disease, while others are delivered? How can God remain unmoved by the pitiful plight of undeserved sorrows?

The Lord explained to me that “some people are taken and not healed because, in the Wisdom of God that person is ready and if left will recede rather than advance, and some are taken because, if left, would interfere with and delay or hinder God’s purposes for others, and some are given to suffer because it gives them the opportunity to develop in Godly attributes they would not otherwise attain. God’s Wisdom is greater than man’s and sees more than can man. But in all matters there is reason and wisdom in how matters of health, life, and death unfold.”

I pressed the Lord and asked if mankind can hold more compassion and empathy for our loved friends’ and family’s suffering than does He. I have come to realize that, in the coming day when death, sickness and pain have passed away, and God will wipe away every tear from every eye, that it will include wiping away God’s own tears from His eyes. For God has not been unmoved by our disappointments, aloof from our broken hearts, and distant from our cries. He has been and is present throughout it all. He understands, cares, and weighs every moment of our plight, and intends to comfort us always. Whether in life or in death. He is intimate and affected.

Another year ends. Not all I wanted to accomplish this year has been done, but there were many things that have been completed. All in all, it was a good year and we saw a lot of progress.

I got a text message from Shawn McCraney about his continuing post-Mormon efforts. I appreciated him reaching out. I also got a recent email from Rob Smith, which I also appreciated. There are no reasons for people who hold different views to attack one another. We should explain what we understand and believe, and let people be persuaded or not.

This year some people I have been close to have died. There are others who, as this year ends, are suffering from serious, even life-threatening illnesses. It has made me appreciate just how frail and temporary life is for us all. I broke my arm early in the year, and have struggled to get range of motion and strength back. It was an experience that reminded me that we only make progress through effort. And we do suffer from set-backs from time to time, the most serious of which are to our spirits. But whether it is physical, spiritual, emotional, financial or social, we often have an opportunity to fight back to reclaim our lives. I assume next year will have its own unique set-backs and difficulties. I’m hoping to face them cheerfully, even if it requires a struggle.

I appreciate the efforts others have made this last year that blessed my life. Conferences have been organized, meetings have been held, publications have come into print, and active work on so many good causes have continued. It is amazing to watch the work being done. An interview that just came on-line illustrates the progress made by one small group. It is linked here: Rescuing the Restoration with Chris VanCampen

I look forward to the upcoming conference in May: Spring 2023 Conference I’ve been invited to speak then and have been preparing a talk for the conference.

Although there has been no commandment to proceed, there are nevertheless preparations underway for a temple. We know the Lord expects to give that command, and will provide instruction there. Many things “are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name.” T&C 141:12

We have these words given to us by the Lord just a few short months ago: “I will visit my house, which the remnant of my people shall build, and I will dwell therein, to be among you, and no one will need to say, Know ye the Lord, for you all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.” T&C 158:15 Perhaps the coming year will see such a command given.

In 2023 let’s all struggle to overcome our set-backs, strengthen our commitment to the Lord, and be generous with one another. Let’s help where we can and try to do no harm. May we all prosper this coming year. And may we draw nearer to God.

On November 21, 1843 Joseph Smith brought formal church charges against Harrison Sagers. Joseph accused him of: “1st for trying to Seduce a yo[u]ng girl living at his house by the name of Phoebe Madison-” JSP Documents, Vol. 13, p. 279, all as in original. And “2d for using my name in a blasphemous manner by Saying that I tollerated Such things in which thing he is guilty of Lying &c &c” Id, as in original.

The church court was held by the Nauvoo High Council a few days later. Following the proceedings, Joseph Smith made some remarks as follows: President Joseph Smith wanted “to do away with every evil & practice virtue & Holiness before the Lord that the church had not received any license from him to commit adultery fornication or any such thing but to the contrary if any man commit adultery He could not received the celestial kingdom of God even if he was saved in any kingdom it could not be the celestial kingdom He said he thought the many examples that had been manifest John C. Bennet[t] & others was sufficient to show the fallacy of such a course of conduct, He condemned the principle in toto & warned those present against going into those evils, for they would surely bring a —– (Curse) upon their heads” JSP Documents, Vol. 13, p. 285, all as in original.

Astonishingly, despite the plain message contained in these original documents, the LDS Church Historian’s office offers this comment in their Historical Introduction: “It is unclear whether JS authorized Sagers to practice plural marriage.” Id., pp. 279-9.

Actually it is clear. Joseph didn’t.

This is the date when the birth of Christ is celebrated. Although it is generally recognized that His birth was in the springtime, this date has been adopted for the celebration.

This midwinter date was already a celebration in earlier Roman and Egyptian cultures (and many others), and has a sullied reputation as being a “pagan” occasion. It is thought that Christianity appropriated a pre-existing celebration and put a Christian veneer on it. That is true enough, as far as it goes.

If you go back far enough in religious observances, there was a mid-winter celebration that existed from antedeluvian times that marked the return of light and the promised triumph of light over darkness. The “pagans” got it from an original true tradition and then corrupted it into Rome’s Sol Invictus and other festivities.

Although this is not Christ’s birthdate, and although it was acknowledged in false religious traditions at the time they were Christianized, yet this date was always an important yearly milestone. It reflects the intention of God to eventually have this world reclaimed from darkness and brought into peace.

“For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the gentiles like a flowing stream.” OC Isa. 25:2 It is therefore apt to celebrate the birth of the Lord on a date when nature promises the triumph of light. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.” OC Isa. 4:1 Our Lord will triumph. He came in meekness and will return in glory.

Yesterday was the winter solstice, when daylight reached its lowest ebb. Today marks the return of daylight. Today is also the date of Joseph Smith’s birth. It is altogether apt that the prophet of a dispensation of the gospel would be born at the moment the annual cycle of light began to increase in nature.

It was not inevitable that Joseph’s dispensation failed to welcome the return of the Lord. That required deliberate choices by Joseph’s contemporaries. They got an offer from the Lord, delivered by Joseph Smith. It was an offer to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks, but they refused the offer.

We know that the Lord fully intends to fulfill every prophecy, vindicate every promise, and keep every covenant. That means the Lord has been confident from before the foundation of the world that there would come a generation in which His words would all be met. “The earth also shall be troubled, and the waters of the great deep, men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken; and when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for the day of your redemption draws near. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And he spoke to them a parable, saying, Behold the fig tree and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, you see and know of your own selves that summer is now near at hand. So likewise you, when you see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near at hand. Truly I say unto you, this generation — the generation when the times of the gentiles are fulfilled — shall not pass away until all are fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” NC Luke 12:17-18

In Mark’s account the Lord mentions an abomination in the holy place happening also, and reiterates it will happen in a single generation. See NC Mark 6:6-7

Matthew records this account: “And now I show unto you a parable. Behold, wherever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together. So likewise shall my elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth. And they shall hear of wars and rumors of wars — behold, I speak unto you for my elect’s sake — for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold. But he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved. And the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached, in the whole world, to a witness over all people; and then will the end come, or the destruction of the wicked. And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled. And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken. Truly I say unto you, this generation in which these things shall be shown forth shall not pass away until all I have told you shall be fulfilled. Although the days will come that heaven and earth shall pass away, yet my words shall not pass away, but all shall be fulfilled.” Matt. 11:7-8

The gospel must be preached in the world. That requires the gospel to be restored in a fullness. Nations are at war, both actively in direct conflict and passively using economic, psychological and cultural means to undermine and harm one another. The fig tree is showing signs of shooting forth, and therefore summer is now near at hand.

The question is not whether the Lord’s promises will be kept. The question is not whether the time is now fast approaching. The only question is how few or how many will gather from the four quarters of the earth.

The history of Israel, and the specific events of the Lord’s first coming to Israel, involve comparatively few of those who lived at the time. It is not necessary for the world to notice what is underway. It is only required for the Lord to act consistent with what He promised to do, and for some few to respond and obey His voice.

There is going to be a last dispensation of the gospel. It will coincide with a final, single generation of the world. The Lord intends to return to judge the wicked and establish peace. There are signs of the fig tree shooting forth everywhere. And there are many evidences that a new dispensation is underway. Whether it is acknowledged or even noticed by the world is unimportant. But for you, it is quite important that you notice. Noticing and heeding will determine everyone’s destiny.

After liberation from slavery in Egypt, Israel was not organized, but left to follow the Law revealed to Moses, with essential religious rites and functions trusted to priests and Levites. As need arose the Lord would inspire action, but the body of believers were self-governing.

This condition was unlike how other surrounding people were organized. Although Israel had the prophet Samuel at the time they wanted to imitate the order they saw elsewhere. That led to a revolution in Israelite society. Here is how the change happened.

“Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel, unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us, like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Listen unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done, since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in which they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto you. Now therefore listen unto their voice. Nevertheless, yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.” OC 1 Sam. 4:2; emphasis added

The intolerable freedom and apparent disorder of Israelite society made them insecure. Other nations could organize armies and plan invasions of their neighbors. Israel was vulnerable. A generation before Samuel when the threat came from the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east who gathered together to attack Israel, the Lord visited Gideon and took upon Himself the defense of Israel against her enemies. Gideon sent out a request for defenders, and thirty-two thousand men volunteered. But the Lord told Gideon that was too many for His purpose, and had Gideon send home all who were fearful or afraid. After twenty-two thousand left there remained only ten thousand to defend against the Midianites, Amalekites and children of the east.

After another round of sending the volunteers home based on how they drank from the stream, only three-hundred remained. These three-hundred did not drink with their heads down, but using their hands to cup and drink they remained vigilant and watchful while drinking. The Lord explained, “By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. And let all the other people go every man unto his place.” OC Judges 3:6

The Lord wanted Gideon and Israel to know it was Him who would deliver Israel. He would fight their battles. And by the hand of those three-hundred the Lord did deliver Israel safely from the threat posed by their neighbors.

Samuel was told to warn Israel what making a king over them would produce. “And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and will set them to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be compounders, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his officers and to his servants. And he will take your menservants and your maidservants, and your best young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his servants. And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” OC 1 Sam. 4:3

When the restoration began there were no offices other than priest and elder. Priests were ordained and elders were elected by the assembled believers. When Parley Pratt and Sidney Rigdon (both of whom were Campbellites) converted to the new religion they brought with them the desire to have a more ordered congregation of believers. The Lord accommodated their desire, much as He did in Samuel’s day. Although every existing church was corrupt, yet the saints wanted to have something more than the scattered congregations of the early restoration.

In time there was an entire magisterium of offices put into place, with all the failures that follow having positions of authority. Nauvoo was a hotbed of deceit, adultery, lying, promiscuity and intrigue. The religious status of John C. Bennett gave credibility to his seduction of women in Nauvoo.

Ultimately Joseph turned to a new “Kingdom of God” that was not the organized church. It was something very different. In it Joseph was to be a “king and priest” to God, in a distinctly different kind of order. It involved adoption sealing, which is first mentioned by Joseph Smith in October 1843. There was a familial pattern beginning to emerge, altogether distinct from quorums, priestly offices, and an organized religious society. This was something quite new, and hardly began in the few last months of Joseph’s life.

Had Joseph Smith continued westward in late June 1844 it is likely we would have learned about something more akin to the earliest days of mankind’s religion. We would likely have seen the “church” replaced by a family organization. However, the curtain closed, Hyrum (holder of the office of patriarch and priesthood) and Joseph (prophet and seer) were taken and the “fullness” forfeited.

The offer to gather in Joseph’s day produced some wonderful things. We should prize them as gifts from heaven. But the organizations that have become corrupted should not fool anyone into thinking they hold the same status as did Joseph.

At the end of Mormon’s abridgment of The Book of Mormon he looked clear-eyed at the latter-day churches (including those who claim they are what Joseph restored) and warned us: “Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shewn you unto me, and I know your doing, and I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts. And there are none, save a few only, who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquity. And your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies? Because of the praise of the world? Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick, and the afflicted to pass by you and notice them not? Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain? And cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground for vengeance upon your heads? Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you, and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.” NC Mormon 4:5

Every dispensation holds the potential to be the last. There is going to be a final generation who will rise up and allow the Lord to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. Careful, solemn, ponderous thought and meekness before God are required.

As soon as the Lord called Joseph Smith to establish a new dispensation, other characters began to advance claims to be noticed for having similar spiritual encounters. One of those is enough to illustrate the point. A fellow named Francis Gladden Bishop spent a decade in the church. He claimed to have spiritual experiences dating to 1826, publishing his claims twenty-five years afterwards.

He claimed that when 16 years old a number of heavenly personages visited him, one of which was the Ancient of Days mentioned in the Book of Daniel. He purported to have been given gold plates with the Book of Mormon text, the sword of Laban, and two crowns. And in 1832 a being “of God-like majesty” ordained him a high priest promising that he would “yet lead the church.” JSP Documents, Vol. 13, pp. 123-124

He was ultimately excommunicated in 1842 for having “written & published or taught certain Revelations & doctrines not consistent with the Doctrine & Covenants of the Church.” JSP Journals Vol. 2, p. 43. He wrote to Joseph Smith on September 26, 1843 inquiring about rebaptism. He said, among other things, “I express my deep conviction that my work is not yet finished in Zion.” JSP Documents, Vol. 13, p. 126

His letter goes on to expound on his understanding of various prophecies involving the last days and prophets spoken of in Daniel, Zechariah, Ezekiel and Revelation. He ultimately organized a schismatic movement called “Kingdom of God” in 1842, participated in eight different religious movements beginning in 1847, and in the end settled in Salt Lake City, where he died.

His zeal overcame his willingness to support God’s work through Joseph Smith. He would have been better served to follow Paul’s advice to the Corinthians: “If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” NC 1 Cor. 1:60 That is, if he thought himself a prophet or spiritual to have acknowledged and supported God’s work through Joseph Smith.

Oddly, today the churches founded by Joseph Smith (now numbering over one-hundred) fail to acknowledge that the things Joseph wrote, taught, denounced, preached against, or preached for are the commandments of the Lord. Instead they oppose Joseph’s teachings, claim there are ‘secret’ matters that glaringly contradict his public sermons and writings. They make Joseph a liar, which would consign him to hell: “Woe unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell.” RE 2 Ne. 6:10

The dispensation God founded through Joseph Smith failed, and the professors of the various church factions are all corrupt. They are all wrong, all their creeds are an abomination in God’s sight, that the professors were all corrupt, that, They draw near to God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him; they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. They remain as if no restoration occurred at all, having robbed from it claims to authority which rejecting the actual doctrine, teachings, commandments and Spirit of the restoration.

Nephi not only saw, but wrote about our day, declaring: “in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other, Behold, I, I am the Lord’s — and the other shall say, I, I am the Lord’s — and thus shall everyone say that hath built up churches and not unto the Lord. And they shall contend one with another, and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the holy ghost which giveth utterance. And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel. And they say unto the people, Hearken unto us and hear ye our precept, for behold, there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men. Behold, hearken ye unto my precept. If they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work. Yea, and there shall be many which shall say, Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die and it shall be well with us. And there shall also be many which shall say, Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God, he will justify in committing a little sin. Yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor, there is no harm in this. And do all these things, for tomorrow we die. And if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner false, and vain, and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord. And their works shall be in the dark, and the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them. Yea, they have all gone out of the way, they have become corrupted; because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride, they are puffed up. They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing, and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart because in their pride they are puffed up. They wear stiff necks and high heads, yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray, save it be a few who are the humble followers of Christ. Nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.” NC 2 Ne. 12:1-2

Another dispensation is necessary.

Every dispensation of the Gospel is the last dispensation. The Lord has been willing to return and reclaim the world, and every dispensation is an offer to do just that. “How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings, and ye would not!” NC Matthew 10:36; NC Luke 9:3; NC 3 Nephi 4:9; T&C 29:8.

In that last quoted 1831 revelation the Lord explained, “O you nations of the earth, how often would I have gathered you as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not? How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by my own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgments, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but you would not?” Id.

When one dispensation fails, then the next dispensation is the “last”–and this will continue until mankind finally awakens and arises to what the Lord offers.

As scripture explains: “Commencing with Adam, who was the first man, who is spoken of in Daniel as being the Ancient of Days, or in other words, the first and oldest of all, the great grand progenitor, of whom it is said in another place, He is Michael, because he was the first and father of all, not only by progeny, but he was the first to hold the spiritual blessings, to whom was made known the plan of ordinances for the salvation of his posterity unto the end, and to whom Christ was first revealed, and through whom Christ has been revealed from Heaven and will continue to be revealed from henceforth. Adam holds the keys of the dispensation of the fullness of times; i.e., the dispensation of all the times have been and will be revealed through him, from the beginning to Christ, and from Christ to the end of all the dispensations that are to be revealed.” T&C 140:3

This same Adam, who stands as the first to hold spiritual blessings, appeared early in the time of Joseph Smith to protect the young prophet. Joseph mentioned this in passing in an 1842 letter, “The voice of Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting the Devil when he appeared as an angel of light.” T&C 151:15 This was early, likely about 1829 when the Book of Mormon translation was underway. But this was not the only time Adam was directly involved in Joseph’s dispensation. In 1836, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery witnessed the following, “the Heavens were again opened to their view, and they saw and beheld, and were endowed with knowledge from the beginning of this creation to the ends thereof. And they were shown unspeakable things from the sealed record of Heaven, which man is not capable of making known, but must be revealed by the Powers of Heaven. They beheld Michael, the archangel, Gabriel, and Raphael, and divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the end of time, showing in turns their dispensations, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the Powers of their Priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; endowing them with knowledge, even here a little and there a little; holding forth hope for the work God was yet to perform, even the revelation of all things which are to come upon the earth until the return of the Lord in glory with His holy angels — to pour out judgment upon the world, and to reward the righteous. And they were unable to take it in; therefore, they were commanded to pray and ask to comprehend by the power of the spirit, to bring all things to their remembrance, even the Record of Heaven which would abide in them.” T&C 157:30-32

As this revelation shows, it is one thing to receive a revelation and another thing to comprehend it. How much or what Oliver took in from the experience is never clarified by him. Joseph’s efforts to take it in resulted in him recounting in 1842 the following about his experience: “And the voice of Michael the archangel, the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of diverse angels from Michael, or Adam, down to the present time, all declaring each one: Their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their Priesthood. Going line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come and confirming our hope.” T&C 151:15-17

The people did not appreciate the effort heaven took to prepare Joseph for the Lord’s work. Joseph tried to explain on August 13, 1843 in a talk following Elias Higbee’s death. He declared: “Had I inspiration, revelation and lungs to communicate what my soul has contemplated in times past there is not a soul in this congregation but would go to their homes and shut their mouths in everlasting silence on religion till they had learned something. Why be so certain that you comprehend the things of God when all things with you are so uncertain?” JSP Documents, Vol. 13, p. 34 (punctuation and spellings corrected)

Joseph Smith was laboring to establish the conditions that would allow Adam’s work (under Christ’s direction) to proceed far enough for the people to be gathered, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. When Joseph’s efforts are carefully considered, several things are clear:

To make it possible for gathering to occur a great deal of effort is required on both sides of the veil. From beyond the veil Adam and dispensation holders down to the present are involved in establishing the framework for gathering. It is not simply a matter of understanding religious concepts, but requires actual familiarity with dispensations, rights, keys, honors and Priesthood including establishing again on the earth the Holy Order, which was at the beginning.

Joseph was instrumental in getting the process commenced. But it failed to result in the Lord gathering His people and returning in glory to judge the world. Joseph was, and is, rejected. While Joseph was confined in a prison in Liberty, Missouri, the Lord explained, “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 This explains the failure: the derisive and insulting way in which Joseph was (and still is) regarded by fools. The anger and opposition from hell itself. And the testimony of traitors who insinuate they know more than they do and who regard an innocent man as guilty and corrupt. The wicked projected their sins, ambitions and pride upon the Lord’s servant Joseph–and they do still today. Consequently they were not gathered because they rejected the Lord, rejected the invitation, and abused His servant Joseph.

The Lord’s pattern has been established, followed, and will not change from dispensation to dispensation. The Lord directs, Adam establishes and guides the process, and the possibility of gathering is offered by the Lord. Again and again the Lord’s offers return. How often it has been done by the Lord is never stated directly, but is mentioned only in lamentation: “How often would I have gathered you… but you would not.” It was not Joseph’s failure to make it the last dispensation. It was those who would not be gathered.

It is puzzling and discouraging to consider the last dispensation. Why are people not content to be gathered? Why do they want to break the boundaries and push forward when the Lord asks for patience?

We have this parable in our scriptures: “The Lord brought people whom he had chosen to the mouth of the pass, and there he told them to wait for him, and he went away. The people did not wait for Him, but began to move forward into the narrow pass. The beast killed some and injured others, and none were able to pass through. After great losses, many deaths, and terrible suffering, the people chosen by the Lord withdrew and departed from the mountain. After four and five generations, the Lord again brought some few back to the pass and again told them to stay at the mouth of the pass and wait on Him. But again there were those who tired of waiting, for they could see in the distance the glory of the Fathers and they desired to be there. These, being overtaken by their zeal, did not wait, but moved into the pass where again the beast killed or hurt them. Among those who waited, however, was a man who knelt and prayed, and waited patiently for his Lord. After a great time, the Lord came to this man and took him by the hand and led him into the pass where the great beast guarded the way. As the Lord led, however, the beast was ever occupied with attacking others, and therefore its back was turned to the Lord and the man. And so they passed by unnoticed, safely to the top. The Lord sent the man to the Fathers who, when they saw the man, inquired of him, How came you to be here and yet mortal; the last who came here were brothers who had been slain, and you are yet alive? And the man answered, I waited on the Lord and he brought me here safely.” T&C 163:2-4

The parable appears to be about our day and ends without answering the question of whether any others will be led safely through the pass. If the pattern followed from the days of Adam holds true, then the one who safely connected with the Fathers will be used to return and bring others back with him through the journey. Joseph never got that chance. At some point there will finally be a last dispensation which will welcome the returning Lord. We may not live to see it, but we can help by doing what we are asked by the Lord. “Therefore, care not for the body, neither for the life of the body, but care for the soul and for the life of the soul. And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience you may possess your souls, and you shall have eternal life.” T&C 101:6

I finally began reading my copy of Volume 13: Documents of the Joseph Smith Papers. It covers events between August and December of 1843. I have made the following observations from reading the first 44 pages of the volume:

In the front of Volume 13 there is a “Timeline of Joseph Smith’s Life” with a number of misleading entries. Here are a few:

“1823 First Vision of angel Moroni.”

The histories written by Joseph Smith named the angel “Nephi” in 1838, 1839 and 1841. It would be more accurate to refer to “Nephi” or leave it with “an angel.”

“1833 Bible revision ended…”

Joseph never published the finished text, and continued to revise the Bible even in this volume of 1843 documents. For example, on page 38 of this same Volume 13 in a discourse on 13 August 1843 Joseph corrected the language of a passage in Malachi: “he said it should read and he shall turn the hearts of the children to the covenant made with their fathers…” (Underline in original.) It is incorrect, therefore, to state the revision ended in 1833.

“1835 Organized Quorum of the Twelve Apostles…”

Joseph did not call or ordain the Twelve. In 1835, the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, were asked by Joseph Smith to choose the first twelve members of the newly announced quorum of the twelve. The witnesses made their choices at a meeting on February 14, 1835. The three witnesses were also the ones who ordained the twelve chosen men as apostles between February and April 1835.

“1838 Moved from Ohio to Missouri. Surrendered to Missouri Militia…”

This is misleading because it would be far more accurate to say Joseph fled a mob of disaffected Kirtland residents who were trying to kill him in 1838. His flight took him to Missouri.

As for “surrendering” to the Missouri Militia, he was tricked into captivity through betrayal. While Far West was under siege, a delegation of 5 men led by George Hinckle and included Reed Peck and John Corrill, were sent to negotiate terms for a peaceful resolution. They went to meet the militia under a white flag, with instructions to “beg like a dog for peace,” because Joseph said he would “rather go to the State prison himself for twenty years or else die, than have my people exterminated.” (John Corrill, A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Commonly Called Mormons Including an Account of Their Doctrine and Discipline; with the Reasons of the Author for Leaving the Church, (St. Louis, 1839), pp. 40-41.)

The negotiations failed. One of the five representatives, George M. Hinckle, sent a private message to General Lucas asking to meet alone. Lucas met with Hinckle and learned there were four conditions demanded to end the conflict: 1. Give up the Mormon leaders to be tried and punished. 2. To make payment to the Missouri citizens and militia by transferring all their property, and agree to indemnify for all damages done by Mormons. 3. All Mormons must leave Missouri, and would be protected by the militia in their retreat. 4. To surrender all their arms of any description. (General Lucas Letter to Governor Boggs, November 2, 1838.)

Hinckle accepted the terms. Lucas demanded compliance with the first term by the surrender of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Parley Pratt and George Robinson immediately. He insisted it be done within an hour.

 Hinckle returned to Far West but did not disclose the terms he had accepted. Instead he only reported General Lucas would meet with Joseph and the other four leaders. They agreed. All five then went out from Far West understanding they were to be received as a delegation to discuss resolving the conflict.

Joseph did not intend to surrender on October 31, 1838. He thought he was on a visit to negotiate with the commander of the militia. Instead he and those with him were immediately seized and imprisoned. He and those who accompanied him were disarmed, chained and brought into camp as prisoners. His later account recorded, “judge of my surprise, when instead of being treated with that respect which is due from one citizen to another, we were taken as prisoners of war and were treated with the utmost contempt. The officers would not converse with us, and the soldiers, almost to a man, insulted us as much as they felt disposed, breathing out threats against me and my companions.” (DHC 3:188-189.)

“1844 Revelation of plural wives and eternal marriage received.”

I won’t belabor the dubious provenance for this claim, but will just state it is disputable and disputed whether this is true. Volume 13 equivocates about all the details precisely because this is a dubious part of LDS history. For example, “Smith’s first plural wife was likely…” p. xxxii, ftnote 72. “Lott and Murray were likely…” “most Latter-day Saints remained unaware that…” p. xxxiii. For these the historians are citing as support affidavits in 1869 and 1892. “It is possible Smith taught Sagers about the doctrine of plural marriage, but it is unclear…” p. xxxv. “Smith was not always successful in controlling the practice of plural marriage or putting down imitations of it.” Id. (Italics added.)

Using the Martha and Howard Coray journals as a source is dubious. The historians acknowledge that, at best, “one of them likely took nonextant notes of JS’s discourses.” P. 33. “Nonextant” means that they do not exist, and may never have existed. And on p. 36 the historians acknowledge that the Coray journals were written sometime between 1853 and 1855, a full decade or more after Joseph’s discourse.

These are a few of the things I have noted in my copy of Volume 13 in the first 44 pages. Although I am grateful for the work done to publish these documents, the historians providing the material clearly want to tell a different story than the documents alone would communicate. That is disappointing. It is not really “history” but an apology for LDS claims about events during Joseph Smith’s life to support their legitimacy as an institution. More often than not their telling of critical events is so threadbare it undermines their moral authority.