Priesthood Instruction

On October 5, 1840 in a conference at Nauvoo, Joseph Smith had Robert B. Thompson read the instructions on “priesthood” Joseph wrote for the conference. It is significant Joseph wrote the talk before the conference. His talks were almost always spontaneous, and our record relies on note-takers in the audience. Joseph thought his priesthood instruction was important enough to organize and write in advance.

He mentioned a high priesthood that “is the Grand head and holds the hig[h]est Authority which pertains to the priesthood–the keys of the Kingdom of God in all ages of the world to the latest posterity on the earth–and is the channel through which all knowledge, doctrine, the plan of salvation and every important matter truth is revealed from heaven.”

This channel that reveals knowledge commenced with Adam and “he was the first to hold the spiritual blessings.” “Adam holds the keys of the dispensation of the fulness of times, i.e., the dispensation of all the times that have been and will be revealed through him from the beginning to Christ and from Christ to the end of ^^ all world the dispensations that have to be revealed.”

Joseph explained the dispensations are to gather together everything in Christ. The purpose of “the last dispensation is, that all things pertaining to that dispensation should be conducted precisely in accordance with the preceeding dispensations.”

Christ “set the ordinances to be the same for Ever and ever and set Adam to watch over them to reveal them from heaven to man or to send Angels to reveal them[.]” When angels do come to minister, “These angels are under the direction of Michael or Adam who acts under the direction of Christ.”

Joseph explained there was an order that heaven follows, and mankind is required to also conform to the pattern established by heaven. “Adam received commandments and instruction from God, this was the order from the beginning: that he received revelations, Commandments, and ordinances at the beginning[.]” And it was necessary to follow that pattern to be saved.

Dispensation after dispensation it has been Adam who has either ministered or sent angels to minister the conditions for salvation. Each dispensation is required to conform to the pattern ordained by Adam if people in the dispensation are to be saved.

“This then is the nature of the priesthood, every man holding the presidency of his dispensation and one man holding the presidency of them all even Adam.” Further, “the ordinances must be kept in the very way God has appointed, otherwise their priesthood will prove a cursing instead of a blessing.”

The “keys of this [patriarchal or presidency] priesthood consisted in obtaining the voice of Jehovah that he talked with him in a familiare and friendly manner, that he continued to him the keys, the covenants, the power and the glory with which he blessed Adam at the beginning and the offring of sacrifice which also shall be continued at the last time. for all the ordinances and duties that ever have been required by the priesthood under the directions and commandments of the Almighty in the last dispensation at the end thereof in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the last dispensations[.]”

Animal sacrifice is most notably associated with the Law of Moses. However, Joseph clarified that, “It is not to be understood that, the law of Moses will be fully established again with all its rights and (variety of ceremonies) ceremonies this has never been spoken off by the prophets) but those things which existed prior to Mose’s day viz sacrifice, will be continued[.]”

The foregoing is taken from JS Papers, Documents Vol. 7, September 1839-January 1841, pp. 434-441, retyped as in the original. The entire talk goes through p. 442.

Joseph’s talk is best understood in the context of tying “dispensations” and “ordinances” to temple rites. Had he lived long enough to complete the rites he began, there would undoubtedly have been much more returned by Father Adam for the benefit of his posterity. We have the assurance that this process of restoring will continue and will eventually lead to a full and final restoration.

It is interesting that Joseph uses both the singular and the plural when he mentioned the “last dispensations.” Clearly when Joseph was slain the restoration was not completed. Therefore, another dispensation will be needed to finish the work. Perhaps it will come as a “thief in the night” and arrive while the vast majority of ignorant mankind will believe they cannot and will not be surprised by God.

Tomorrow’s Schedule

Tomorrow’s conference schedule of breakout sessions are going ahead. For topics, speakers and times go to the conference web page to get the Zoom links for the virtual breakout sessions. They will take place tomorrow as originally planned.

Sunday I will be speaking and it will also be accessible through a link provided on the conference web page.

Equinox

A new video series begins today. The Series is titled: The Heavens Are Open Again. The first video in the planned seven-part series was made live today at this link: The Heavens Are Open Again, Part 1: Condemnation

This evening is the equinox. The First Vision happened near the Spring Equinox. The four year recurring visitation of Nephi with Joseph Smith took place on the Fall Equinox. These movements of the sun on the horizon were anciently associated with heavenly contact, and devotional festivals. Their relevance seem to have been reconfirmed at the beginning of the Restoration.

The sun is now racing across the horizon, moving more than 1 degree daily to the north. Daylight has been growing in the northern hemisphere since the Winter Solstice, but it now is moving rapidly toward the Summer Solstice.

The symbolism of these movements are largely forgotten by modern Christianity and even Mormonism. But they are indeed part of the gospel of Christ, as I intend to mention this coming Sunday during my talk.

Despite our forgetfulness, heaven still uses this occasion to convey ideas for believers. Does God still speak through an earthquake? Does removing the trumpet from the temple’s “angel” atop the highest spire say anything to believers today?

I’ve thought for several years that the shift from primarily proclaiming the Book of Mormon to now requiring fidelity to an organization’s leaders as a precondition for baptism, has gutted the Lord’s intended message. If the primacy of the Book of Mormon is no longer an organization’s central message, then there is no further need to proclaim themselves to the world.

Update…

The Hurricane, Utah conference is taking place in rented facilities and the lessor requires compliance with the current crowd-size limitation. Therefore, although I will be speaking as scheduled, no more than 10 people will be allowed to be present. It will be streamed over the Internet through the conference website. The best way to participate will be through the live streaming.

There was a 5.7 earthquake this morning in the Salt Lake Valley. It was centered in Magna. The trumpet of the Angel Moroni statue atop the Salt Lake Temple was shaken off.

There is still a lot of work to be done. The talk I will give at the upcoming conference is titled: The Heavens are Open (And Therefore We Have Work To Do).

Hurricane Conference

On March 20-22 there is a Conference scheduled in Hurricane, Utah. The website for details can be found here: The Heavens Are Open

I look forward to seeing those of you who choose to attend. The opportunity to meet together is always a wonderful experience.

I flew to Denver, Colorado this last week and noted the airline travelers, hotel guests and rental car providers are all having fewer customers. That was a welcome change from what I normally confront in travel. Politics, it seems, are now played with a recklessness and frenzy that puts on quite a show.

Amid all the despair and gloom I noticed that the sunrise and sunset continues to display daily beauty and the constant reassurance that what God ordains will happen. Even in the light-polluted night sky of the Wasatch Front, right now, overhead we have Orion, Venus, Castor and Pollux still visible. A few nights ago the twins of Gemini seemed to be standing with their feet on the moon. Ursa Major still points to Polaris, and that fixed point in the northern sky is visible despite the streetlights of my community.

While we were hiking last Saturday we ran into the rafter of turkeys that have been absent for the last month. (A “flock” of turkeys is called a “rafter.”) It was nice to see them again. Cycles in nature continue unabated.

When I see mankind fearfully running about and acting on their dread, I think of how ancient prophets compared man to the unruly sea. The ‘seas heaving themselves beyond their bounds’ is a familiar scriptural metaphor used to describe panic in the last days. ‘Men’s hearts failing them for fear’ is another way the bemused prophets and our Lord described how society will behave as the end approaches.

I look forward to next week’s conference.

Temple Fund

I received a request to put this statement up from the sisters gathering funds for the temple project:

STATEMENT REGARDING FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
FOR DONATED TEMPLE FUNDS

We hereby inform all interested parties that all monetary gifts donated for the temple fund have been and are currently held in their entirety without any disbursal for any reason to this date, March 1, 2020. Not one cent has been spent, or is expected to be spent, until construction commences.

Every donation is carefully recorded in two separate records maintained by members of the committee.

We plan to provide full transparency of all gifts (with donor names withheld for privacy) as well as an accounting for all expenditures when the temple is complete.

The fund at this point has earned over $11,000.00 in interest, which also has not been spent, and which will continue to accumulate as part of the temple funds, until construction begins.

The Temple Fund Committee

Karen Strong
Janette VanLeer
Elaine Henderson

Glorious Destiny

The Restoration has a glorious destiny. It does not matter if “restoration churches” or organized institutions falter, stumble and fall. As Joseph Smith explained it: “the standard of truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.” That “standard of truth” is the Book of Mormon, not an institution. And it will continue to ” go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say, The work is done.” (T&C 146:20)

We will continue to advance the message. We have no structure to be compromised by aspiring men.

We have nothing diverting tithing money away from helping the poor.

We have no organization exerting control.

We believe in faith, repentance and baptism for the remission of sin, and that the holy ghost will follow to lead and inspire those who repent and are baptized.

We believe in gathering together often to partake of the sacrament.

These are things taught to us in our scriptures.

When other “restoration churches” are compromising with the world, adopting more worldiness, losing light, and violating commandments, we invite anyone who believes in the Restoration and would like to remain true and faithful to God’s commands to fellowship with us. Here is where you can find a group of those who believe in and seek to preserve the Restoration: Fellowship Locator

Life

“From the bottom of the deepest ocean trench to the top of the highest mountain, the zone that covers nearly the whole of known life, is only something over a dozen miles- not much when set against the roominess of the cosmos at large. For humans it is even worse… no less than 99.5% of the world’s habitable space by volume, according to one estimate, is fundamentally- in practical terms completely- off limits to us.” A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson, p. 239.

This creation is a grand undertaking, vast in scope, infinite in size, with billions of years from the past displayed nightly in the vault of heaven. Both science and Genesis tell us the greatest part of this whole creation was made before man arrived on the scene. Science declares mankind is the greatest step in evolutionary development. Genesis identifies the creation of man and woman as the final step in God fashioning something “very good.”

Surely God appreciates His vast handiwork. Mankind is made to be “like God” comprehending and appreciating this great undertaking. My wife and I hike almost every day. No matter which trail is taken, every venture is unique. Seasons change. Light shifts. The shadows on the same path are different as the sun moves across the horizon from Solstice to Equinox to Solstice, year by year.

“And again, verily I say unto you, he has given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons, and their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth, which comprehend the earth and all the planets. And they give light to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their minutes, in their hours, in their days, in their weeks, in their months, in their years. All these are one year with God, but not with man. The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun gives his light by day, and the moon gives her light by night, and the stars also give their light as they roll upon their wings, in their glory, in the midst of the power of God. Unto what shall I liken these kingdoms that you may understand? Behold all these are kingdoms, and any man who has seen any or the least of these has seen God moving in his majesty and power.” (T&C 86:7-8)

Email: Depression

I got an email from a young person about her peers. She explained her concerns, including, in part, the following: “It breaks my heart to know what emotions and thoughts my friend experiences, because I’ve had a taste of them. Other friends and loved ones I know deal with depression, anxiety, loneliness, feelings of worthlessness, suicidal thoughts, and PTSD- some of them under 18.

I responded to her as follows:

I plan to speak about some of this in the upcoming March Conference. Not directly, but generally to try to help people see there is a great fog of lies surrounding us continually. There is a vision that Enoch had, Moses restored, and is now part of the Old Covenants in Genesis. In the LDS scriptures it is in the Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses. In that vision Satan had the whole world bound in a great chain, and he looked up at heaven and laughed. It is in OC Gen. 4:15: “And he beheld Satan, and he had a great chain in his hand, and he veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.”

That great chain is not physical, but mental. The chain used by our common enemy is made of lies and deceit.

People are not depressed irrationally. They are responding in a normal way to an abnormal perception made of lies. They despair because they think there is reason to be despairing. But that is because they accept what the “world” is telling them about our present condition. Part of waking up is realizing that most of what is said, taught, claimed and broadcast in society is filled with lies about mankind’s condition, the state of society, and lies designed to inspire envy, jealousy and discouragement.

I have tried to awaken people to the reality that God lives and cares very much for those who respond to His voice. He intends to protect and care for His sheep. His commandments are calculated to free us from the imprisonment of worldliness and sin. He is trying to free us, not to impose upon us. I think God intends for you and those now living to participate in the building of a new society, a New Jerusalem, a place of peace apart from the world. But for now we await further command from Him, while still living in a society ever more in the chains of the enemy.

Thank you for your email. I will join you in praying for your friends. The Lord’s advice to people both in His day and today is the same, “Be of good cheer.”

Multiple Mortalities

Several individuals have advocated teaching multiple mortalities as a central doctrine of Christ’s gospel. I have always discouraged anyone from teaching it, and have spoken against it on a few occasions.

The most frequently taught version is the worst form of that idea. It holds that people live here repeatedly, going from spirit world, through birth into mortality, then passing into the spirit world through death, only to later reappear here again through yet another birth. I have denounced this idea for many reasons, but mainly because it is silly and extremely unwise to teach.

First, the silliness: From all mortals who have ever lived, we have a record of some kind for about one-ten-billionth-of-one-percent (or something close to that). Yet those who advocate the teaching claim they have come to the solemn realization that they are some past historic character returned to earth, and now seek recognition for their self-identification with some past historic figure. EVERY ONE of those I have heard who advocate this teaching claim an association with a known past-figure. This is outrageously unlikely. Going with this false idea for a moment, it begs the questions: How can you trust your memory about such a past identity when you hardly remember details from a few years ago? At birth, a veil was placed between you and events in the spirit world. How can you recall events from an earlier birth-death-spirit world-birth with such accuracy that you “know” who you were/are?

Second, and perhaps yet more silly: What difference does it make? We are on probation here. If we fail now, we will be judged for that failure. If we passed the probation in an earlier mortality, why return to hell to retake a test when failure is the norm? Or did we fail and want to retake the test? Because we all likely failed to be here again, then we are probably past prostitutes in Sodom, or critics of Noah, or battlefield fodder for an Oriental monarch. Not likely Peter, Joseph or Ezekiel. However, advocates of multiple mortalities prefer to advance the notion of returning as nobility or greatness in themselves and those they teach.

More seriously, this idea is unwise because it really DOES NOT MATTER, even if it were true. We are here on probation. It began when we took our first breath and will end when we take our last. God loans us the breath of life, and we are accountable for every act, thought and word we choose. (See NC Alma 9:4)

Moreover, if this teaching were important to the plan of God, then the scriptures would hold it forth in plainness. It would not require mangling the text to find it, but would be there plainly. Instead the scriptures teach against the idea: “it is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment” (NC Heb. 1:28)

Then we have insight from the experience of Peter, Jacob and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. In a revelation to Joseph Smith about that event, the Lord stated, “And I will show it plainly, as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh and spoke unto them, saying, As you have asked of me concerning these signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of Heaven, to fulfill the promises that I have made unto your fathers, for as you have looked upon the long absence of your spirits from your bodies to be a bondage, I will show unto you how the day of redemption shall come, and also the restoration of the scattered Israel.” (T&C 31:4)

These disciples saw the future until the Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead. They did not want to remain in the grave, separated from the body, in the world of the dead (spirit world) until the resurrection. That “long absence” would, to them, be a “bondage.” If they were to live again before Christ’s Second Coming, time after time, this would not have been their reaction.

When the disciples saw what awaited them in the “long absence of [their] spirits from [their] bodies,” they all three asked for a way to avoid “bondage” in the spirit world until the resurrection. Rather than the spirit world, John asked to “tarry in the flesh” and minister as an angel here. (T&C JS-H 13:18; TSJ 12:19)

Peter chose another way to avoid the “long absence” of spirit from body. He asked to go quickly through death into resurrection so he could ascend to Christ’s kingdom. Christ responded to Peter, “you desired that you might speedily come unto me in my kingdom.” (T&C JS-H 13:19) Both John’s and Peter’s requests avoided imprisonment by death awaiting the Second Coming. If Peter and John were not returning to the flesh prior to the Lord’s return, what can justify teaching multiple mortalities by returning to live here again?

The idea that we may at some long distant, future cycle of going from one estate to another (T&C 145, Abr. 6:2-3), through one creation into another (OC Gen. 1:6), worlds without end (T&C 69:28; 157:38; 175:23), is something quite different from the idea of multiple mortalities taught by individuals now. The challenge is here and now. Dreaming of past greatness is no more profitable than dreaming of mansions above:

Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love. (Have I Done Any Good?)

The teaching is harmful, inspires foolishness and vanity, and does nothing to advance the obligation to live nobly. I believe it is untrue, and that while we may have many opportunities in future estates to face challenges and opportunities for growth, we will pass through this creation once. After that we will be called upon to render an account for what we did while here. Take no thought for tomorrow, therefore, but improve our time today.

Law of Moses

The Nephites followed the Law of Moses because it justified their faith in the Messiah who would come to atone for sins.

“Yea, and they did keep the law of Moses; for it was expedient that they should keep the law of Moses as yet, for it was not all fulfilled. But notwithstanding the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type of his coming, and believing that they must keep those outward performances until the time that he should be revealed unto them. Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses, but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ;” NC Alma 14:15

But they always understood the Law of Moses would eventually be fulfilled, and at that point keeping the law would end.

“And now ye have said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say unto you that it is expedient that ye should keep the law of Moses as yet; but I say unto you that the time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses.” NC Mosiah 8:1

The Law of Moses ended when Jesus Christ atoned for sin and fulfilled the demands of justice, thereby making mercy possible. Christ told the people at Bountiful:

“I have come to fulfill the law; therefore, it hath an end. Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled. And because I said unto you that old things hath passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come. For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled, but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me.” NC 3 Ne. 7:2

This final sacrifice under the Law of Moses fulfilled all the requirements of justice. It created the possibility for infinite mercy: “And that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal. And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name, this being the intent of this last sacrifice: to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.” NC Alma 16:34

The Law of Moses was not part of the original faith taught in the Garden of Eden to Adam, and believed by the first fathers. But rather, “the law was added because of transgressions,” (NC Gal. 1:10), which is why it would be fulfilled, come to an end, and it would no longer be expedient for mankind to follow. The process of restoring will not include a return of practicing the Law of Moses. God intends to preach again the Gospel to us, which He also preached to Abraham when he was restored to the covenant: “God … preached before the gospel unto Abraham.” (NC Gal. 1:7) Abraham believed and received the covenant, but did not know or obey the Law of Moses.

There is a great deal left to be restored. But among the many things still to be done, renewing the Law of Moses is not among them.

Beautiful Day

We finally went to see A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. I was not really interested in the film, and couldn’t imagine it would hold much interest for me. But my wife was adamant about seeing it, so last night I relented.

This was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Delightful. Amazingly well done. I’d recommend seeing it in a movie theatre if it is still playing near you.

Hiking this morning in the snow on Traverse Ridge I found myself reflecting on the film. Goodness is infectious. And Mr. Rogers makes Pittsburg a warm and welcoming place.