3 Nephi 20: 20:
“And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the sword of my justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles.”
Again the reminder is made to the gentiles. We who are associated with the gentiles (
D&C 109: 60) are numbered among “all the nations of the gentiles.”
So this is Divine judgment, aimed at the gentiles who were offered, and then rejected the fullness of His Gospel. These are those who will be receiving the “sword of [His] justice.” Even now, the “sword of [His] justice …hangs over us.” For we are “at that day” now. So the sword “shall fall upon them, saith the Father” unless we “repent.”
How does one repent when they have rejected the fullness? Would it have been easier to have accepted it when first offered? When did we neglect receiving it? If taken, how was it taken? How do we obtain it anew?
These seem to be important issues. They seem to involve the very subject of life and death, both mortally and eternally. Why, if so important, do we go about telling one another “odds are you’re going to be exalted” when such alarms as these exist in Christ’s own words in the Book of Mormon? What foolishness have we been given in place of the “plain words” of truth which Nephi and Christ Himself taught?
Do we get angry at the truth like Laman and Lemuel? (2 Nephi 1: 26.) Do we take the truth to be a hard thing? Why do we get angry at the truth? Do we accept truth and welcome it, or think it is a terrible thing when we hear it? (2 Nephi 28: 28.) Do those who are offended at the truth really have the spirit of the devil? (2 Nephi 33: 5.)
The key for gentile survival is repentance. Time and time again the words “repent” or “repentance” are used to let the gentiles know there is an escape. But that escape does not come from receiving a hollow form of godliness without any power. (
JS-H 1: 19.) What is “priesthood” if there is no power in it?
Well the Book of Mormon continues to invite listening gentiles to repent. Over the heads of all responsible for failure, the Book of Mormon preaches repentance and truth. It preaches against priestcraft which teaches gentiles to worship man and rely upon the arm of flesh, the Book of Mormon invites gentiles to come and receive pure religion and knowledge of their Redeemer.
The Book of Mormon is the cornerstone of our religion; the cornerstone of the religion of Jesus Christ. It is the most correct book. A man can get closer to God by abiding its precepts than any other book. We have had it warning and inviting us for 180 years and we still have not actually either learned its precepts nor begun to abide by them.
The times of the gentiles are drawing to a close. If there is to be any significant gentile repentance, it must happen soon or the sword of the Lord’s justice, which hangs over us, will surely fall on us.
So this topic of remnant destiny and gentile destiny are intertwined. It is little wonder why Joseph found reason to send the first missionaries to find them; and sought to flee to the Rocky Mountains himself to find them the last week of his life. Our current proximity does not matter, however, if our hearts are far from the Lord’s invitation to repent.
The Book of Mormon is perfectly clear about these things, as is Isaiah. The words have not been changed to protect the guilty. It’s always read the same. Amazing how our correlation program avoids these truths about the gentiles, the gentile church, and the gentile leaders.
We are doomed just as Nephi’s people were doomed. And we have taken the news that all is well in Zion, hook, line, and sinker. Hurry and get to nearest Deseret Priestcraft store to get the latest trash in print; better yet pay a handsome price for a collection of the sayings of the arm of flesh.
I have not read such clearly stated truth since my last foray into Brigham Young’s dire warnings to us.
Denver said, “Would it have been easier to have accepted it when first offered? … How do we obtain it anew?”
I never considered this approach. I feel so bogged down with the cultural aspects of the church and society that it is difficult to let go of one thing at a time and feel like I am truly “repenting.”
Perhaps a more fruitful process would be to wipe the slate clean and act as if I were an investigator during the days of Joseph. After all, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, and the
Words of Joseph Smith are the first 3 books on the “essential reading” list (after the Book of Mormon, of course).
—Doug
So… a cleansing is coming. A sifting is coming. A test is coming. Will the fluff/traditions/falsehoods be eliminated that way? Take out the tares? Or maybe the tares will turn to wheat?
Doug
I know your feelings – have struggled for years with attacking my sins – too many – to heavy – But then the Lord our Redeemer knows them all very well – and HE paid so why am I trying to do it – Only He can really do anything about them! When I finally came to that realization it has been like a great burden has been lifted from my heart and I am free to seek and learn of the Lord, Jesus Christ and of the Father – and THEIR plan of salvation and there is one tailored made for you and for me and each person on the planet. As Denver said a few weeks ago, it is RECORDED in our hearts – Seek! – The more intently I learn of THEM [the Father and Son and the Record through the Holy Ghost], the lighter seems my burden. “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. DC 88:67
How is that for an easier way – you must find out what He considers HIS glory – what HE wants you to do this day – and what He wants you to learn – and DO IT. It works!! I must add: THESE BLOGS HAVE HELPED – I thank the Lord and I thank Denver Snuffer for great lessons taught!
DB
Our most learned and meek Isaiah scholar says we must disabuse our minds of the nonsense we’ve been fed in order to re-learn the truths in the Books of Mormon and Isaiah. I think he is right!!!
Why is it that the sword of justice has hung over the heads of the saints for 150+ years without falling? Could it be because the saints did repent? Could it be because they did their best- given the understanding that they possessed- to be obedient, to sacrifice for the kingdom, to prepare to meet the Lord?
I don’t think the saints have rejected the fullness of the Gospel- not if by “fullness of the Gospel” you mean seeing the face of the Lord. I think most latter-day saints don’t even conceive that that is a possibility while in mortality. And why would they? The leadership doesn’t teach the doctrine, and the scriptures and temple teaching are constructed in such a way that the process is obscured.
Maybe, that is now all changing. Maybe now that Bro. Snuffer has “circumnavigated” the Gospel and been commanded to teach us the route, perhaps now there is a new level of understanding and accountability.
But for those saints who lived and worked and died in the traces up until this point, I am hopeful.
Anonymous, hopefully the tares can turn to wheat. That is what the Lord intends with the trials that are going to come. Look at D&C 43:25. The Lord is going to use every positive and negative approach to turn people to him. Unfortunately he won’t always be successful as that verse implies–but he can be successful with us if we repent. Also, I like Alma 32:13. the Lord compels us to be humble so that SOMETIMES we will seek repentance which will bring mercy and if we endure to the end we will be saved. But, of course, it is always better to be humble without being compelled to be humble (see v. 16). The intent of the great famine in the Book of Mormon was to cause people to repent and turn to Christ (see Hel. 11:4; see also Hel. 12:1-3). So we sometimes view these adversities as strictly punishments but the Lord is always using them to bring people to him. I believe that we are going to have successive trials that will give people a chance to be humble and repent and turn to him; although he has indicated that in general he is not going to have a lot of success (see D&C 43:25 already mentioned and 2 Ne. 28:32).
Denver asks these questions.”When did we neglect receiving it? How was it taken? How can we obtain anew?”
The only one of those three questions I can answer is the third. We, individually, can obtain it anew by believing this true doctrine of receiving the 2nd Comforter and seeking it.
The other two questions, however, are not within my grasp to answer. I don’t know enough of church history and all the workings of how things run. Any insight, anyone??
Denver asks these questions.”When did we neglect receiving it? How was it taken? How can we obtain anew?”
It seems the Saints in general had a very hard time receiving IT from the start. They polluted their Zion stewardship. They broke as glass when Joseph tried to introduce new doctrines, necessitating him to create separate organizations (Council of 50, Anointed Quorums) to receive higher truths. They treated with disdain the commandments the Lord had given and the Book of Mormon, prompting the Lord to pronounce a wo upon the Church, which apparently has not been lifted. And they by their actions rejected plural marriage and the law of consecration/United Order.
It seems to me that the law of attraction (or repulsion) took its toll gradually. We see distinctive doctrines being rejected or suppressed as early as the 20th century in the case of Adam-God and blood atonement and it has continued to this day as evidenced by the denail of the doctrine associated with Pres. Snow’s couplet (As man is God once was, and as God is man may become). As the Book of Mormon expresses, when we will not receive new truth, we lose that which we already have.
As Denver continually warns, the solution is repentance. Perhaps we could petition the authorities to regain as an institution what we have lost. Perhaps it would do no good. But surely individual repentance is not dependent upon the actions or inactions of others.
I believe the sword of justice still hangs over the heads of the Saints & is falling on many even now, for everyone, except a few have rejected the fullness of the Gospel, (Eternal Marriage) & I’m not talking about polygamy, just Eternal Marriage, that is the core of the Gospel, keeping our marriage covenants & holding them sacred by having the True Love of Christ for our spouse. Hardly no one believes in having that kind of love anymore.
Joseph Fielding Smith said, 50 years ago that “the sacredness of marriage has largely been lost, if not entirely lost”. Today I think we can say it definately has been entirely lost.
Most everyone in the Church today supports the making & breaking of sacred covenants with no thought to how serious it is & what is lost by doing so.
As the days go on the sword is falling on more & more people because they reject Eternal Marriage & don’t choose to keep their marriages eternal.
Almost everyone believes that 2 wrongs make a right. And if their spouse breaks the covenant, they should too. That philosophy only destroys the world very quickly & doesn’t save anyone.
To the comment above. Yes, we have been rejecting truth starting at the end of the 19th Century. The historical revisionists have been hard at work. They were too in the RLDS church and had quite some level of success – so much so that it is unrecognizable as our sister religion…..
How far behind on the curve of trying to gain the praises of the world, are we as a people?? I fear the answer. The purging will be difficult – and no one wants to hear that it is coming. Ignorance truly is bliss….;)