Japan Conference

The Japan Conference that was scheduled earlier this year but postponed due to the Covid-19 issues will now take place this coming Friday and Saturday, October 2nd and 3rd. There are two ways to watch the live stream event: First, you may go to YouTube channel directly: bit.ly/JapanLiveStream Or you can view the Japan conference web page: bit.ly/JapanRestorationConf

October 2nd sessions will begin at 6 pm Mountain Daylight Time.

October 3rd sessions will begin at 5:30 pm Mountain Daylight Time.

I extend my personal gratitude to Chris VanCampen and his wife Noriko, who have labored for months to make this event possible. They have brought together a very interesting lineup of speakers, all of whom will contribute to the Conference theme: The Search for Truth.

Part 3 New Video

A new video in the restoration series is now available to watch. It is linked here: Part 3: Three Great Things Left Undone

This is the third in a planned 7 part video series. I am grateful the work was completed to allow it to be released on the Equinox.

I am also informed a new spring conference is being organized. The topic being discussed is the religion of the first fathers. I hope to be able to provide some useful information about that topic.

Angels are not Kosher

This quote is taken from an article written by Rabbi Dovid Heber titled “MEAT AND DAIRY-A KOSHER CONSUMER’S HANDBOOK”:

Kosher homes typically have two sets cookeware, dishes, and cutlery – one for meat and one for dairy. This is because it is Biblically prohibited to eat something that contains both milk and meat that were cooked together. Because of this concern, the Rabbis decreed that one who wants to eat a dairy product must wait six hours after eating meat.”

He cites to The Torah, which states three times – “Do not cook a young animal in its mother’s milk.” He explains, from these, the Gemara derives three prohibitions – one may not eat milk and meat together, one may not cook them together, and one may not derive benefit from such cooked mixtures. If they were mixed without heat (e.g. a sandwich containing slices of cold salami and cheese) the mixture is Rabbinically prohibited to eat. See Shulchan Aruch YD87:1. Also, he explains the Gemara Chulin (105a) states that Mar Ukva waited until the “next meal” before eating dairy. The overwhelming majority of Rabbis in the 11th to 15 Centuries were of the opinion that this means one must wait six hours. The Law based on the Torah, as stated in Shulchan Aruch YD 89:1, is that one must wait a full six hours.

However, the angels who visited Abraham did not observe this rule. Of course the Law of Moses was instituted generations later. However, if this rule were of eternal significance it would be expected that the angels would refuse to violate the standard, although mankind would not be asked to do so until centuries later.

Here is how that event transpired: “Abraham ran unto the heard and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hastened to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set before them. And he stood by them under the tree and they did eat.” Gen. 7:35 in the Restoration Scriptures. Later, having finished eating the non-kosher meal, “the angels rose up from there” and went on. Id. paragraph 37.

As Joseph Smith explained, “It is not to be understood that the law of Moses will be established again with all its rites and variety of ceremonies; this has never been spoken of by the Prophets; but those things which existed prior to Moses’ day, namely sacrifice, will be continued.” This is because the Law of Moses came to an end through the Messiah. See Mosiah 8:1; 3 Ne. 7:2

I see no harm if someone wants to observe the Law of Moses. But if they do so, they should understand the purpose of that Law was to foreshadow and testify of the Messiah. Of His sacrifice that offered Himself for sin. Of His taking upon Himself the chastisement of our peace. That He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and with his stripes we are healed. Isa. 19:2

But there is no need to observe a Law which the angels disregarded when visiting Abraham. There is, on the other hand, every need to recognize and accept the Lord’s anointed, the Messiah, to whom the Law of Moses pointed.

Egyptian Records

The first records of God’s dealing with mankind were written by Adam and his immediate posterity. It was called “a book of remembrance” (Gen 3:14-all citations are to the Restoration Edition of scripture). That record was written in “a language which was pure and undefiled.” (Id.) We know those records existed when Abraham was alive thousands of years later. “[T]he records of the Fathers, even the Patriarchs, …the Lord, my God, preserved in my own hands.” (Abr. 2:4)

By the time of Moses, however, the original records were lost. Moses had to rewrite the record of the creation based on the revelation he received directly from the Lord. Moses was commanded, “you shall write the things which I shall speak. And in a day when the children of men shall esteem my words as naught, and take many of them from the book which you shall write, behold, I will raise up another like unto you, and they shall be had again among the children of men, among even as many as shall believe.” (Gen. 1:7)

Moses was raised by the daughter of Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s daughter named him, and treated him as “her son.” (Exo. 1:5) Accordingly, when Moses was commanded to write the record revealed to him by the Lord, he would have recorded it in the language he understood, the language his adopted mother taught him, or in Egyptian.

The record of the Old Covenants was re-recorded through revelation by Moses in Egyptian. This is why a copy of Moses’ account is described as “the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass” were composed “in the language of the Egyptians.” (Mosiah 1:1)

That Egyptian language had two earliest forms: the first to develop was hieroglyphic. This form was perpetuated to record religious texts and was the more formal or sacred form of their writing. A second developed thereafter, and while still early in Egyptian language development, called hieratic. This second form was cursive and was the more likely form used on the Brass Plates.

Understanding the formal, religious hieroglyphic language was completely lost, and has been only recovered in a small part through the work done after discovering the Rosetta Stone. In July 1799, French soldiers were rebuilding a fort near the town of Rosetta and discovered a stone inscribed with three scripts: hieroglyphs in the top register, Greek at the bottom and a script later identified as “Demotic” in the middle. Demotic was a later form of Egyptian writing and was the common form spoken at the time the Rosetta Stone was originally carved.

Using the Greek from the Rosetta Stone as a guide to decipher the hieroglyphs an attempt has been made to understand hieroglyphic Egyptian. The contents of the carving on the stone is a decree from Ptolemy V, and dates from 196 bc. This is very late in Egyptian history, during the Ptolemaic period, when Greeks controlled Egypt following Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt in 332 bc. General Ptolemy assumed control over Egypt following Alexander’s death. The likelihood that the 196 bc form of the hieroglyphic language is an accurate guide for their language millennia earlier is at best doubtful.

It is both foolish and arrogant to assume that this Ptolemaic era writing is a sound basis for projecting backward over three thousand years to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. In the end, the question must be asked: Do you trust scholar’s attempt to reconstruct antiquity using a partial record from 196 bc when it conflicts with the revelation given to Joseph Smith claiming to be a prophet, seer and translator?

It is interesting that Joseph Smith tied the records of the Brass Plates as well as the record of the Nephites (Mormon 4:11) to Egyptian. Since Joseph translated over 500 pages of Hieratic Egyptian text for the Book of Mormon, he read and understood the language better than any scholar, including all who have lived since the discovery of the Rosetta Stone and all living today.

Since I accept Joseph’s claims of being a prophet, seer and translator at face value, it is easy for me to resolve conflicts over Egyptian texts in favor of Joseph and against the scholarly critics.

Interview Now Available

Some months ago I did an interview with Rick Bennett whose site is called Gospel Tangents. The first installments of that interview is now available at this link: New Scriptures in Remnant Movement

Apparently it is the practice of Gospel Tangents to edit the interviews and to make them available in installments. The first two installments are now up, and more will follow.

Another recording of the interview was made at the same time, and that audio recording will become available on the Restoration Archives at some point.

This last weekend we attended the Retreat in Challis, Idaho. For many people, myself included, it was Connie Waterman’s song as the sacrament was prepared that will be long remembered. Her song of hope and faith, sung from a wheelchair while the sacrament was being prepared behind her, was profoundly and deeply moving.

Results

The Lord foretold the challenges His followers would face. Challenges would come first from false Christs -meaning those who claimed they were anointed by God to lead others when God had not sent them. Next He warned of violence and wars. Nature would also fight against mankind with earthquakes, famines, and pestilences. Religious persecutions would be inevitable. But through it all the Lord advised patience: “In your patience, possess your souls.” (NC Luke 12:15) This advice to be patient in order to possess your souls was repeated in 1833. (See T&C 101:6)

Zion cannot be forced or demanded. The Lord explained that Zion will be gathered, but “not in haste, lest there should be confusion, which brings pestilence.” (T&C 50:6)

Recent revelations have given us a great advantage in the quest to see Zion. But right now it appears to me that we are all more focused on the results we hope to obtain, while ignoring the process. If I understand the Lord’s Answer to us (T&C 157), He is almost entirely focused on the process and wants us to forget about results. The results will only follow once we have figured out how to treat one another. Results are a by-product of getting the process right. Results are NOT something to be obtained using the wrong process.

Following Christ’s visit the Nephites attained a remarkable era of joy and peace because of how they behaved. “[B]ecause of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people; and there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness. And surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.” (4 Ne. 1:3)

When the idea of Zion was revealed in Joseph Smith’s day, the people wanted it, rushed to occupy it, but utterly failed to prepare to live in peace. Unlike the Nephites of 4th Nephi, those hasty saints failed and were violently chased from that land because “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 101:3) They were the opposite of the Nephites who lived in peace.

The process matters more than the results. If the process is wrong, results are impossible. But if the process is right, the results are inevitable.

Fall Retreat Information

A Fall Retreat has been organized by volunteers to be held at Living Waters Ranch beginning Friday, September 4th. The organizers have have asked me to post several important reminders for all attendees. Please read through them below:

Check-in begins at 1:00 PM on Friday, September 4th. If you have not booked or paid for your lodging yet, please do so immediately. Accommodations at the Ranch are almost full, but there are some bunkbeds and dry tent and RV camping sites left. Please go to https://retreat.restorationarchives.com/#lodging to identify your lodging options.
If you are planning to attend the Retreat, the organizers from the Boise Fellowship urge you to contact them before August 20th to let them know if you will be eating meals at the Ranch. The Ranch cooks have to travel many hours away to purchase the groceries necessary to prepare our meals for us, so if you have not made sure your party’s name is on the list, there will likely not be food for you. Please contact Lori Larsen at loriblarsen@gmail.com or 801-503-4747 to add your name to the list. Remember that payment for meals must be made IN CASH at the time of the meal. Exact change will be appreciated but not necessary. Meal times, menus, and purchase prices can be found on the Retreat website.
There will be a Retreat Kickoff Meeting and Welcome Party on Friday night beginning at 7:00 PM. Important details about the weekend will be given at the meeting, so please attend if you can. If you are able, please bring an appetizer and/or drinks to the Welcome Party. We will have coolers available for drinks. (Please bring your own small coolers for alcoholic drinks you may wish to bring. There will not be a community cooler for alcohol since there will be many minors attending this event. Please drink responsibly, and share your drinks responsibly.)
No pets are allowed at Living Waters Ranch. Please arrange care for your pets and do not bring them (even dogs) to the Retreat.
Because Idaho law prohibits minors from partaking of alcohol, even for religious reasons, we are asking each family/group to bring their own wine and grape juice and administer it to their family members according to their age. Bread and cups will be provided.
The average weather in Challis, Idaho in September is a high of 74 and a low of 41, so the weather will likely be variable. Plan to bring warm clothing, as it will always get cold as the evening progresses, but also bring t-shirts and shorts. Depending on where you are staying and in what type of accommodation, you will need to make sure you’re aware of what things you need to bring. Please note that if you’re staying in a bunkhouse or tent/RV, you will need to bring your own bedding and towels (shower houses are available). If you’re staying in a Living Waters Mini-Lodge, Chalet, Motel, or School of Ministry room, bedding and towels are provided.
Here are other important items to bring with you:

Cash for Meals (meals MUST be reserved by August 20th with Lori Larsen)
Appetizer and/or drinks for the Friday Night Welcome Party
Wine and/or grape juice for your family/group for Sacrament on Sunday
Camp Chairs
Swimming Suits (hot springs nearby)
Hiking Boots/Tennis Shoes
Warm Clothing
Sunscreen
Sunglasses/Hats
Bug Repellant
Snacks (remember, there are only 2 planned meals per day)
Pillows, Bedding, and Towels (if not provided in your lodging)
Camping Gear (if you’re staying in a tent)
Roasting Sticks
Games
Sports Equipment/Balls (baseballs, kickballs, etc)
Scriptures/Journals/Books
Guitars, Harmonicas, etc.

We look forward to seeing you soon! If you have additional questions, please visit the Retreat website at https://retreat.restorationarchives.com. If you cannot find answers to your questions on the website, please fill out the form on the website, and the organizers will get back to you promptly.

Priestcraft

Nephi provided a definition of the term “priestcraft” in his writings. He explained, “priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world, but they seek not the welfare of Zion.” RE/NC 2 Ne. 11:17

The Book of Alma opens with the first example of priestcraft. The man’s teaching is summarized: “declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular and they ought not to labor with their own hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people. And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice, for the Lord had created all men and had also redeemed all men; and in the end, all men should have eternal life.” Alma 1:1

Consider for a moment the difference between a priest who values popularity and one who has no interest in being popular. As I’ve read the Old Testament it is abundantly clear that the most frequent message of an actual prophet delivering a message from God is something that is very unwelcome. Prophets offend. But the first example of priestcraft comes from a man seeking to be popular.

Not only that, but he thinks preaching should become profitable. People should support the priest. There is a profit motive involved in priestcraft.

The man’s message is fashioned to solicit followers and get financial support: Everyone will be saved!

In contrast to this, Alma explains how actual priests ought to function: “And when their priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God, they all returned again diligently unto their labors, and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers; for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner. And thus they were all equal; and they did all labor, every man according to his strength.” Alma 1:5 Alma confronted the man and declared: “Behold, this is the first time that priestcraft has been introduced among this people” Alma 1:2

Religion today is practiced almost entirely through priestcraft. Religions want to be popular. Their advocates want to be compensated for preaching. They either have no idea of Zion, or they use that idea to promote their own causes having nothing to do with establishing Zion.

Religion is very big business because of priestcraft.

Alma’s record is framed as an explanation, using actual examples from his lifetime, of how ‘this-leads-to-that.’ The original false teacher who introduced priestcraft was responsible for breaking apart Alma’s community. The conflict between the false religion taught through priestcraft, with true religion involving prophets delivering God’s message is laid out in Alma’s record. Ultimately violence and death flows from false religion.

Our new scriptures helps clarify why priestcraft destroys souls. It does not and cannot produce faith:

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. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know most assuredly that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.
It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they in like manner offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him.
T&C 110: LoF 6:7-8

The Great Servant

When I read again any book, I try to imagine reading it for the first time. I try to wonder what will happen next, casting aside anything I already know about the story’s end. I find myself rooting for a different outcome than the one I know is coming. I hope for Joseph and Hyrum to escape and live on. I hope for the Lord to be accepted and acknowledged by the leaders of the Jews.

Alas, the story always ends in the same way as before. And sometimes I find myself mourning again at the poignant scenes of death and loss. In the life of Christ this grief is only temporary as you read further to see He conquers death.

I’m now re-reading the Gospel of John. As that last Passover approached, Christ knew His end was near. He alone knew death was coming, followed by triumph. But all the suggestions and outright declarations did not help the disciples grasp what Christ was about to do.

Because I know the story, I can understand the Lord’s words. I know what is coming. But I try to put myself into those disciples’ shoes and see the account through John’s eyes.

I hike almost every day with my wife. She will often wear sandals, and I most often wear shoes. In the dry summer season traffic turns the trails to dust. After only 4 miles we stomp our feet to remove some of that dust. That sheds a small cloud of dust.

To remove the rest requires us to use the hose to wash it away. If the feet are not washed, anything you step on or brush up against will bear the dusty evidence of the hike.

During the Lord’s life people’s feet held not just dust from walking, but any visit to the courtyard of sacrifice in the temple added the blood of slain animals to the contamination of the feet. Animal blood ceremonially represented the people’s sins. This blood would stick to the feet until washed away.

At that last Passover, Christ knelt to wash the feet of His disciples. Peter objected most strongly, but the others were likewise hesitant to see the Lord kneel as if their servant. He told them that if He did not clean their feet they would have no part with Him. He said they would not understand what He was doing until later, and so they should indulge Him and allow Him to proceed.

He washed away the dust of this world. He removed the sins the disciples bore. He renewed the forgiveness once experienced through washing at baptism with another ceremony. This washing would remove any contamination these disciples had acquired between the time of their baptism and that Passover evening.

He necessarily touched the dust and blood that was on His disciples feet in order to remove it from them. When Christ touched lepers it made Him ceremonially unclean. But by healing the leper, the stigma of that uncleanliness was removed and they were made clean. Christ’s touch was able to cleanse and heal, not just the leper, but on this occasion also His disciples.

Christ would die soon after washing His disciples’ feet on that evening. The dust, blood and sins of the disciples were washed away, and Christ then poured out His own sacrificial blood and life to likewise cleanse and heal all mankind.

Enoch saw the evil and violence mankind inflicted upon one another, and the destruction of mankind at the time of Noah. Enoch “had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the Heavens, I will refuse to be comforted.” NC Gen. 4:19

But when Enoch saw the suffering of Christ, he rejoiced: “Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh, and his soul rejoiced, saying, The Righteous is lifted up and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world. And through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me.” NC Gen. 4:20

Despite all my desire to see the Lord spared from suffering, He performed an act of love and kindness for us all. My emotions try to pull Him away from those awful moments of torment, sacrifice, suffering and death. But, like Enoch, I see that it must be so. And I rejoice in The Great Servant’s acts of servitude. He served His Father. But while in the service of His Father, He was only in the service of His fellowman. By His stripes we are healed. And His suffering will justify many.

Scripture Purchase

The best location to purchase the new scriptures is through the website: scriptures.shop

The original print-on-demand arrangement through Amazon was more expensive than the arrangements made with another print-on-demand publisher, and so Amazon was replaced. Paperback versions in various sizes can be purchased through this website.

The leather-bound version was arranged with pre-orders and pre-payment. However, a few extra copies were purchased with donor support, and they will be sold once they arrive through the same scriptures.shop website.

Apparently now the only copies available through Amazon are used, older paperback copies that were printed for people to review before voting on accepting them. If you want the final product, go to the website linked above.

Fullness of Scriptures

The term “fullness of the scriptures” does not just appear in the Teachings and Commandments. It is also used by Christ in the New Covenants in the Book of Luke.

A lawyer confronted Christ about the reproach Christ addressed to the Pharisees, saying, “Master, thus saying, you reproach us also.” Thereupon Christ expounded on how abused the law had become under their stewardship. In His condemnation Christ stated: “Woe unto you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge, the fullness of the scriptures. You enter not in yourselves into the kingdom, and those who were entering in, you hinder.” NC Luke 8:17

This idea is echoed in the revelation to Nephi: “because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book — which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God — that because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble.” NC 1 Ne. 3:22

The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible was not optional. Without it no one can enter into the kingdom. The fullness of the scriptures (JST Bible) is a mandatory restoration of what was in the heart of the Lord. T&C 18:6

The new scriptures are essential for believers to be able to recover truth and proceed forward. Without them we have no better chance of seeing Zion than the residue of Christianity.

Learn Duty or Not Worthy

Many of the revelations are the same in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) and the Teachings and Commandments (T&C). But some of the revelations are almost completely different. D&C 107, for example, is not really a revelation but an amalgamation of a variety of things tied together with commentary. It reads as if it were a revelation.

I read language in D&C Section 107 for 40 years without realizing how big a mess that document actually is. Today as I read T&C 59 in the new scriptures, I came across familiar words from D&C 107. But an actual November 1831 revelation is in the T&C.

As I looked into the changes there is a whole different meaning that the T&C provides which is lost in the D&C narrative.

T&C 59 paragraphs 10-12 state the following:

10 And again, the duty of the president of the office of the high priesthood is to preside over the whole church and to be like unto Moses.
11 Behold, here is wisdom — yea, to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of God which he bestows upon the head of the church.
12 Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed in all diligence. He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so, amen.

Under T&C 59 Paragraph 10, the president over the whole church is required to be “like unto Moses.” This obligation is then defined in Paragraph 11: “to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of God which he bestows upon the head of the church.”

But the heart of this matter is states in Paragraph 12: “let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed in all diligence.” Making it clear that the president is required to learn to do the duty of seership, to learn to be a revelator, learn to be a translator, and learn to be a prophet. These are not automatic. These are responsibilities to be undertaken.

But Paragraph 12 continues to caution anyone with a duty that if they are slothful and fail to perform their duty he is to be “not counted worthy to stand.” Meaning that if they can’t accomplish what is required of the office, they are not worthy to remain in that office.

This is a very different text than what is found in D&C 107. The D&C language appears to make holding the office alone enough to establish the office-holder’s status as a seer, revelator, translator, and prophet. T&C instead imposes an obligation that the office-holder may fail to discharge. If the office-holder fails to accomplish the requirements, then he is not worthy to remain in office.

The new scriptures continue to amaze and enlighten me.

Joseph Smith’s “Translation”

The Bible was revised by Joseph Smith because of a direct commandment from the Lord. That effort is referred to as a “translation” although it did not involve what any of us would regard as that. It was a revision and expansion of the text made by revelation.

In the same year the Book of Mormon was published, a revelation on 9 December 1830 commanded a new version of the Bible be undertaken. The product was described as how the Bible would look from the Lord’s bosom: “And a commandment I give unto you that you [Sidney Rigdon] shall write for him [Joseph Smith], and the scriptures shall be given, even as they are in my own bosom, to the salvation of my own elect[.]” T&C 18:6

Later that same month the Lord interrupted the work, and referred to it as a “translation”: “A commandment to Sidney and Joseph, saying, Behold, I say unto you that it is not expedient in me that you should translate any more until you shall go to the Ohio[.]” T&C 20:1 This is referring to the work being done on revising the Bible to conform to what was in the Lord’s bosom.

Once in Ohio a revelation on 4 February 1831 directed that “Joseph should have a house built in which to live and translate.” T&C 25:3. Again, this is the Bible project.

Five days later another revelation commanded that the teachers in the church should teach the “scriptures which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.” It goes on to mention that teaching must be “directed by the spirit” and cautioned “if you receive not the spirit, you shall not teach[.]” This was to be followed “until the fullness of my scriptures are given.” T&C 26:5 The phrase “fullness of my scriptures” was a reference to the revised Bible underway.

On 7 March 1831 a revelation allowed the Bible revision to shift from the Old Testament to the New Testament. That revelation made an extensive explanation of the Lord’s teaching to His Jerusalem disciples (which would substantially alter part of Matthew). After clarifying what Christ told those disciples, the Lord states, “it shall not be given unto you to know any further than this until the New Testament be translated, and in it all these things shall be made known.” T&C 31:13 Compare Matthew 11 with T&C 31 in the new scriptures and you will see how the Lord’s revision clarifies and improves New Testament material.

In an October 1831 conference, Joseph declared: “God had often sealed up the Heavens because of covetousness in the church. Said the Lord would cut his work short in righteousness and except the church receive the fullness of the scriptures they would yet fall.”

All prior efforts to publish the revised Bible, which is sometimes called the “Inspired Version” and sometimes called the “Joseph Smith Translation,” have failed to faithfully follow Joseph Smith’s work. The new scriptures are the most accurate and complete text of the Bible coming from the Lord’s bosom.

As I have been reviewing the new scriptures I have been pleased, edified and astonished at the value they provide for the Lord’s elect. Although I do not claim any “elect” status, I am grateful to eavesdrop on the Lord’s communication to them. If I am attentive enough, perhaps I may inch a little closer to that.

All of the new scriptures, including the revised Bible, are available for free on-line at scriptures.info Paperback copies are available through Amazon. The materials are also now available for handheld platforms.

Independence Day

On this Independence Day it is sobering to see how valuable elected offices in the national government have now become. They control trillions of dollars in spending. Consequently aspiring men and women fight with words and deeds to gain the upper hand and occupy elected office.

Campaigns are now far more than billboards, radio commercials, television ads and speeches. They include protests, riots, burning buildings, assault and killing. Make no mistake, however, that you are witnessing nothing other than national political struggles to obtain elected offices.

Politics has invaded everything. Entertainment and news now advocates for one political party or another. It is tiresome and riddled with deceit by all involved. It is not news. And it is far from entertaining.

The volume of propaganda now being urged by both political sides is impossible to ignore and hard to tolerate.

The Constitution was written by inspired men to account for the low, mean and vulgar people now holding elected office. As we celebrate Independence Day, I am most of all grateful for the Founding Fathers, who foresaw the petty, ambitious and selfish knaves who would use clever slogans and gaudy displays to fool the public into electing them. I am grateful for separation of powers which results in ambitious office holders fighting among themselves.

Our system of government allows most of us to be left alone to live our lives as we choose.

June 27

Today marks the anniversary of Hyrum and Joseph Smith’s deaths. Brothers who fell victim while in state custody, unable to escape from the organized militia that came to kill them.

This morning I have been reading the letter they wrote while in a Missouri prison five years before they were killed. The false accusations of former Mormons caused their imprisonment both in Missouri and in Illinois.

They wrote from Liberty Jail: “Truth is Mormonism. God is the author of it.” I see no reason to shy away from the nickname “Mormon” or “Mormonism.”

Killing Hyrum and Joseph inflicted an incalculable loss on mankind. Today it is difficult for the world to comprehend just how much was lost to humanity because of the continual flood of falsehoods still heaped on them. What was true in 1839 continues to be true today: Hyrum and Joseph are still subject to attack by “renegades, liars, priests, thieves, and murders, who are all alike tenacious of their crafts and creeds, have poured down from their spiritual wickedness in high places, and from their strongholds of the divine, a flood of dirt, and mire, and filthiness, and vomit upon [their] heads.”

These two brothers were and are victims of “ignorance, superstition, and bigotry, placing itself where it ought not.” And so lies have gained an upper hand in the world, and truth is overcome by a torrent of slander.

Studying carefully the words of Joseph Smith uncovers a man of remarkable poise and virtue. A loving and loyal husband who does not deserve to have his words twisted to make him seem otherwise. Hyrum Smith was so Christlike a man that in his day no one doubted his truthfulness, virtue and fidelity.

Murdering Hyrum and Joseph on June 27, 1844 let others get control of the records, and to alter and distort events to support a new regime. The largest group of Mormons then used the slain leaders as cover for their new agenda.

The loss of those two remains incalculable. A fog of lies, like a great veil, enshrines ignorance about these two valiant brothers. The Lord explained to Joseph while in that Missouri prison that the world would always be divided in opinions about him: “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, and although their influence shall cast you into trouble, and into bars and walls, you shall be had in honor.”

Fools still deride. Hell still rages. The testimony of traitors is still given credence. But wise people whose hearts are pure see through the slander and acknowledge the virtue and blessings God restored through these two brothers.

Today I have been reflecting on the killings of Hyrum and Joseph. I am grateful to God for all they accomplished.