Setting His Hand a Second Time

Times of the Gentiles

 

 

While reading D&C section 45, the verses really hit me. I was impressed to write this paper/post and publish it back in June, before Brother Snuffer gave his talk in Ephraim. There he stated that the Lord will be setting his hand again among us. Snuffer also stated publicly that he is the Lord’s servant sharing a message from the Lord. Denver has since mentioned that the Lord is now setting His hand again among us, and that now is a time to remember what God has already given us to prepare.  In hindsight I now realize why I was impressed to write this before the Ephraim talk, and feeling the weight of my failure, I hope to in some way make up for it now. Our Lord is indeed working among us (a strange act in deed) to offer us again the fullness of the gospel and to ultimately help some among us to be a part of building that final Zion  - with the remnant who were promised this land as their inheritance.

 

D&C 45:

28 And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel;

 29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.

 30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

 31 And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land…

43 And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place;

44 And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.

 

…arm of the Lord falls upon ALL nations…

… then steps on the Mount in Jerusalem. Jews notice the Lord.

…then Zion the city is built which is renamed the Jew Jerusalem.

 

Have we considered that the times of the gentiles is the time the Lord gives the LDS a shot at receiving the fullness of the gospel and priesthood, and then help gathering the scattered of Israel and redeeming Zion at last? Have we rejected the fullness through failure before, maybe in Nauvoo? Did the Lord take Joseph Smith right at the time the church needed him most? Did Joseph choose to go back to his enemies, knowing they would likely kill him? Did we redeem the final Zion for the scattered of Israel that so many prophets in our scriptures prophesied? Didn’t the Lord state He wanted to endow more people with power from on high by coming to His people in the finished Nauvoo temple, in order to restore that fullness which was taken away (D&C 124), and then redeem Zion? Why does it appear that we are in a deep slumber and pacified into thinking there is nothing wrong? That someone has hit the pause button for almost 200 years???

 

The Lord says in D&C 45 that the fullness will break forth as a light to the gentiles, but they receive it not, they didn’t perceive or really understand it all… because of the teachings of the precepts of men. That they would turn their hearts away from Him.

 

Things are definitely not well when you look to the scriptures to see that mission which we have failed miserably to accomplish for the Lord. Section 45 also says in “that same generation” of failure, shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. A generation is around 50-100 yrs. If this applies to Joseph’s day, did the times of the Gentiles end in that generation? Is there a second chance or “times of the gentiles”? What was supposed to happen during the times of the gentiles? Predicted failure? Some failures and then final mission completion? How many mission failures will the Lord accept? Will the word of the Lord to our Fathers go unfulfilled? Are we still the Lord’s gentile people He is trying to reprove and cause us to remember our real mission so we can repent and do it?

 

Is there a possibility that the majority of the gentiles will yet reject another opportunity? If failure by and large occurs again, what then? Will we think we have all we need, that things are just fine among us? Is the Lord hinting to another general failure of the gentiles in our day in our LDS scriptures, but might move forward with a few (righteous remnant) among us who take truth and the Lord as their guide to go on and fulfill His work? If that gentile remnant fails, what then? The Lord has to wait for another gentile generation to try it again? 

 

On the flip side, if you think we succeeded in our gentile mission somehow, did an Israelite remnant receive the fullness from the gentiles and Zion built for both of them as prophesied? Do we have a temple in Zion, where the Lord is coming and visiting with our people? Do we have that Holy City where there are no poor among us and the wicked fear because the see the hand of God protecting them? Has the Lord made an end of all nations or began the millennium? Do you even believe in the prophecies and promises of the Lord made to our Fathers, even back to Adam? Turning our hearts to our fathers takes on a more correct meaning.

 

What a loving and merciful Savior to stretch out His arm for so long! But how hard it is to realize that the Lord knew that our trust in the arms of flesh, the errors of our ways and the traditions of our fathers would be ingrained so deeply, that we would have such failures predicted about us. Maybe we will just selfishly turn our backs again to all this gentile mission stuff, stay with our dellusions and keep thinking we have enough, we are fine, think that odds are we will be exalted and proclaim ALL IS WELL!

 

 

 

They Will Deny Me and Reject the Fullness of My Gospel

 

 

Are there more prophecies that there would be gentile failure, but another final opportunity for the gentiles and for the scattered descendents of Israel?

 

How many understand 3 Nephi 16:6-16?

 

6 And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father.

 

 7 Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them.

 

 8 But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles—for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them;

 

 9 And because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them—

 

 10 And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.

 

 11 And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them.

 

 12 And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel.

 

 13 But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.

 

 14 And I will not suffer my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father.

 

 15 But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel.

 

 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, thus hath the Father commanded me—that I should give unto this people this land for their inheritance.

 

Are not the Book Of Mormon indians a remnant of the house of Israel? Didn’t gentiles move into this land, basically take it over from the Indians (a physical treading down), and then the fullness of the gospel was brought unto the believing gentiles in this land in the days of Joseph Smith? Which gentiles had the chance to receive and then lose/reject/fail to obtain the fullness of the gospel? How can another people reject something that was never offered to them? How can the full truths of the gospel be removed from another Christian group, if never offered to them? Is there any other gentile group who was or is being offered that? Doesn’t D&C 109:60 say the early church was identified with the gentiles? The Church lost Joseph Smith when they needed him most. The Lord couldn't endow the church with power from on high like He said He would if the Nauvoo temple was finished on time. They failed to build Zion like the Lord said He would try to do. Joseph chose to leave the people because of group failure, and Zion was never had again since.


Did Brigham Young (though confused about what to do after Joseph died) try to teach that there was enough light that broke forth during Joseph's day, that things are okay among us after our loss in Nauvoo, and we have carried on that same traditional thinking to this day? The "Brighamites" traveled west, after losing Joseph and then being removed out of their place again. Brigham continued what Joseph was teaching and even added some of his own teachings. He continued temple building and rituals. He tried giving temple rituals in the un-finished Nauvoo temple attic, and the next day it was struck with lightning! He attempted to build a few zion communities among the church in Utah that all failed. Has the Lord continued to be in touch with leaders of the church since Nauvoo, like He was with Joseph Smith and prophets in our many scriptures? Or have they gone on doing the best they could, teaching that Joseph Smith had revelations, visitations and amazing experiences, and that was good enough for them to continue the way they have? Brigham Young was honest enough to declare that he never had a visitation and that Joseph Smith was THE prophet. Presidents since have only discussed Joseph Smith's prophetic experiences (word of the Lord revelation, visions, visitations, greater knowledge and clarification, etc), but haven't shared their own similar experiences.

 

 Will pride cause us to fail again today? Will we by and large fail though the Lord tries again by Faith to work among us? Will He do what He always does, try to send His servants or messengers to warn us and wake us up? Will most declare that all is well, our history is more successful than a failure, and we are just fine the way we are? Will it be but a few of the gentile church members who take a hold of the message of the Lord coming through what some might think of as apostate messengers, and then join with those who have an old covenant (since Adam) from the Lord to build Zion on this American continent? Are they welcome in the church or considered gentile outcasts from the current priestly organization we are a part of today? Will they be the Kings and Queens of the gentiles that Isaiah talks about who are numbered with and bring the fullness of truth at last to an Israelite remnant who will then go and build Zion together? Some Indians, like the Hopi, have had prophecies about white brothers coming along to help their people by bringing the true gospel. The Lord attempted to do that in Joseph Smith’s day. The church has largely ignored it all since.

 

2 Nephi 28:32

"Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts."

 

The Lord is used to failures from the fullness. It seems to be the usual course of mankind. Israel, the Nephites, the Jaredites and now the Gentiles in the 1800’s. It seems as if the LDS forgot all about Zion and greater things in our day. 

 

(Mormon 8:35-38)
Moroni speaking to the holders of the Book of Mormon in the last days:

35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
36 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 iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
37 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.
38 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?

 

This puts me on edge! Who else has the Holy Church to pollute in these last days? We have churches, very fine ones! Look at our amazing buildings! See our quickly refurbished buildings. Look at that spacious conference building! Our amazing landscaping, especially in Utah, just... wow. General authorities get too busy building Babylon to even consider our failures, they build shopping malls and real estate speculative projects just south of the temple and else where and call it good. We are proud of our flowery history that we like to promote. Most think all is well in Zion, err, uh, umm, Salt Lake, uh, Zion is in the heart...? Are we not full of pride? Have leaders set themselves as a light unto the world while at the same time amassing great wealth and popularity/praise while the poor among us are in want? Are the humble followers of God who truly connect with Christ cast out as apostates from among us? Do we deny the gifts and revelations of God that are being had by some of us, by relying so much on the arms of flesh who see not and hear not? When was the last time one of our leaders stated I spoke with the Lord or an Angel last night, here is what he said…? When was the last time Baptism of Fire, Calling and Election, or the Fullness of Priesthood, or Patriarchal Priesthood or coming into the actual Presence of the Son and the Father... was mentioned, let alone expounded on in Conference (or even in Elders and High Priest groups)? Do we set aside serious scripture study and searching for answers from the Lord on our own, likely missing opportunities to connect with the Him? Will we think to rely on a leader/scholar/professor/apologist/paid correlationist to inform us of all we need to know? Have we in fact watered things down so much and lost sight of the fullness of the gospel and our former mission?

 

Also consider the D&C 101:43-62 parable.

 

  

 

Fulfilling a Mission For the Lord

 

 

D&C 85 (1832)

 

6 Yea, thus saith the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest, saying:

 

 7 And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God;

 

 Have we had such a person come from the gentiles and set in order the house of Israel/God and arrange inheritances in Zion yet? Isn’t this what Joseph Smith tried to do, what the Lord intended to do with him and his people in the 1800’s? Have we completed that work? Or have we failed before, ignored it, painted a fanciful church history and since claimed follow the leaders and all is well?

 

Food for thought: Can the Lord make you mighty and strong in your own homes, despite any group failure and before the gathering to Zion comes?

 

 

 

In the scriptures below, Jacob, brother of Nephi, is discussing a prophecy of Israel in the last days, which his own people are a remnant of. This is put into a book that is given to the gentiles to fulfill a mission for that remnant. The gentiles were supposed to get the fullness (many of which do have mixed Israelite and Book Of Mormon descendent blood in them), be adopted into the house of Israel and then help other Israelite remnants be re-grafted into the fullness, that there may be many “going there in” and being elected and considered as good fruit. This is the Lord setting His hand a second time to re-gather Israel. The work of using gentiles to get the fullness/Zion and to re-graft and re-gather Israelite remnants was put on pause since Joseph Smith left. The Zion (that would become the New Jerusalem) that so many prophets prophesied of in the last days has still not been established, nor has the world been burned with the fire at the Lord’s second coming, nor has the millennium begun. That work has been on pause. These things would come to us gentiles first. The Book of Mormon would serve to remind us of Nephite and Jaredite failures and what our gentile mission is. The Book of Mormon condemns us when we ignore these things.

 

Jacob 5:

 

70 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few.

 

 71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.

 

 72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.

 

 73 And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof.

 

 74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning.

 

 75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.

 

 76 For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit of my vineyard unto mine own self against the season, which speedily cometh; and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and dug about it, and dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine own self of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have spoken.

 

 77 And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be gathered; and the good will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I cast away into its own place. And then cometh the season and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be burned with fire.

 

Jacob 6:

1 And now, behold, my brethren, as I said unto you that I would prophesy, behold, this is my prophecy—that the things which this prophet Zenos spake, concerning the house of Israel, in the which he likened them unto a tame olive tree, must surely come to pass.

 

 2 And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh.

 

 3 And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard; and how cursed are they who shall be cast out into their own place! And the world shall be burned with fire.

 

 4 And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

 

 5 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.

 

 6 Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?

 

 7 For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?

 

 8 Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?

 

 9 Know ye not that if ye will do these things, that the power of the redemption and the resurrection, which is in Christ, will bring you to stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God?

 

 10 And according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment.

 

 11 O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life.

 

Jacob is mentioning an old prophecy by Zenos. These words are prophetic for Israelite and Book of Mormon descendants. But the verses are also warnings for and prophesies about us gentiles who were supposed to get the fullness and help those Israelite descendants get it too, and then together build the final Zion before the Lord comes. The Lord is reaching out to give us another chance at that which we lost (fullness of priesthood and the full gospel truths and of our mission to reconnect us with the promises made to the Fathers), in order to finally build Zion. Don’t we realize that this prophesy given in a book well read by us gentile church goers, is a call to become one of the servants who fulfill this mission for the Lord in our day? Enter in at the strait (as in hard, not the easy one) Gate, until ye obtain the promises of Eternal Life in God’s Kingdom. When the Lord sets His hand to re-gather some of us gentiles a second time, we then can participate in the Lord setting His hand a second time among the scattered of Israel to fulfill the promises/covenants the Lord has previously granted Fathers in the past (and present).

 

 

D&C 113:5-6. Compare the following to the Jacob 5-6 scripture above:

 

1 Who is the Stem of Jesse spoken of in the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th verses of the 11th chapter of Isaiah? 2 Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ.

 

 3 What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse? 4 Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power.

 

 5 What is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter?  6 Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days.

 

 7 Questions by Elias Higbee: What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to?

 

 8 He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost.

 

 9 What are we to understand by Zion loosing herself from the bands of her neck; 2d verse?

 

 10 We are to understand that the scattered remnants are exhorted to return to the Lord from whence they have fallen; which if they do, the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them, or give them revelation. See the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses. The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her, or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.

 

Now compare the last two scriptures to 2 N 21 (from Isaiah 11):

 

 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

 

 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his rest shall be glorious.

 

 11 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

 

 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

 
It takes a close relationship with the Father and Son to obtain the higher power of priesthood from them, in order to redeem the prophesied Zion. When the gentiles actually obtain that higher power in the priesthood (from God), IT will be an ensign/standard. The righteous/believing gentiles would see it and seek to be a part of it. Then in that day/time that ensign would be used by the Lord to gather the remnants of Israel that will come, and together redeem Zion. The remnants of Israel (scattered among all gentile nations) have promises given to their Fathers that they would one day be gathered into Zion, one that would become the New Jerusalem. The Zion below that will meet the Zion coming from above(city of Enoch and other Fathers coming back). The Zion that would usher in the Second Coming, and the Millenium could commence. Remnants of Israel have the rights to the fullness of priesthood and to Zion by lineage. Gentiles (though many are mixed with different Israelite blood lines) would be used to help the Father in His work. They would be adopted into the house of Israel by helping them receive their covenant promises. Who is breaking the everlasting covenants of the Father by failing to succeed in these things? We don't really understand the seriousness of it all!

 

A righteous branch of Israel needs to be gathered, by the gentiles who have the fullness among them.

 

 

2 N 3:5  (Nephi speaking of the future promises given to their Father Joseph of Egypt):

 

Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.

 

2N 9:53 (Jacob speaking about a remnant of his seed in the last days):

 

 And behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and how great his condescensions unto the children of men; and because of his greatness, and his grace and mercy, he has promised unto us that our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, but that he would preserve them; and in future generations they shall become a righteous branch unto the house of Israel.

 

 

Kings and Queens of the Gentiles

 

The elect (Kings and Queens) among the gentiles are to help a righteous branch of Israel get the fullness, and join with them to build Zion in the last days. They will welcome and merge with the remnants of Israel who are gathered.

 

2 N 6:

6 And now, these are the words: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

 

 7 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

 

 

 

A Final Chance and a Final Rejection?

 

 

What happens if some of us gentiles don’t repent of our lack of understanding our own scriptures and not receiving the fullness or the greater things that Joseph Smith was trying to get back, and then remember all these former promises and perform that mission which the Lord has for us to do? If we fail again, will He wait yet again for another gentile generation to accomplish it? Will the Lord move forward (some strange act as the scriptures mention?) with just a few of the gentiles who wake up, and move forward without the majority? For His words given to the Fathers of the past surely must be fulfilled, as His words always are.

 

2 N 6:

 

12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things.

 

 13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah.

 

 14 And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him.

 

 15 And they that believe not in him shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine. And they shall know that the Lord is God, the Holy One of Israel.

 

And

 

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.
21 And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel.
22 And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you.
23 Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.

 

And

 

D&C 84: 54-58 (the Lord talking to the church in Joseph’s day, lets apply it to us in our day since things haven’t really progressed like they should have):

“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
“Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
“And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
“And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—
“That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.”

 

 

 

 

 

Upon My House Shall Penalties Begin?

 

 

D&C 112

 

23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.
24 Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
26 First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

 

And

 

3 N 26  (Mormon’s words):

 

8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.
9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.
10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.
11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

 

 

 

 

A Second Gentile Opportunity Has Begun

 

 Some penalties have fallen upon the LDS, some are yet to happen.. If the church continues to build up their pride and Babylon, going away from any future Zion, there will be penalties for failing to help the Father with His former promises. Maybe we shouldn't have taken out those penalties from the endowment in 1990. What if the majority of church leadership/membership continue in the same direction? What then? Has the Lord sent messengers from outside the organized priestly systems in the past to preach repentance to the organized priesthoods in their days? Like Abinidi or Samuel the Lamanite? Jeremiah? Lehi? Moses? What if the majority of the church members and leaders don't repent when servants of the Lord begin to proclaim that: hey, we have some serious flaws, lets repent? Will our group opportunity at the fullness end, for good? Will the Father move forward with the few humble followers who have awakened, to fulfill His promises?

 

2 N 28: Notice the 4 wo’s and the repeated line. This whole chapter is in regards to us and should be read again. What is the general response of a religiously organized people when asked to repent?

26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!
27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!
28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.
29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

 

-Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith Pg. 205:

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 these 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, whilst they cherished, honored and supported knaves, vagabonds, hypocrites, impostors, and the basest of men.

 

This seems to match Samuel the Lamanite’s assessment as well. He told the wicked, church-going Nephites in Helaman 13:25-28:

...if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil. But behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say: Do this, and there is no iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: Walk after the pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desireth- and if a man shall come among you and say this, ye will receive him, and say that he is a prophet. Yea, ye will lift him up, and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him.

 

 

If the Lord is going to do something as important as warning and giving the gentiles a second opportunity, in hopes to get the Israelite Remnants their second chance, to redeem Zion for both... would he not raise up/prepare a prophetic servant to do so? See Amos 3:7. What if that servant comes from an unusual place? What if he is not one of the general authorities of our modern priestly organization? Will we continue to follow those who sit in chief seats who say: we are blessed, our history is wonderful, all is well, those outcasts who preach a different history than we do and don't have our authority to do what they do... are simply apostates? Or will we hear the words of the Lord coming through His servants who are crying repent and to remember our failed mission, that there is so much more to the gospel, that the Lord is setting His hand again among us! Awake! Arise! Remember! Prepare! See and Hear for yourselves the word and promises of the Lord!

 

Which voice will you hearken to? What if the message of the Lord is coming from unrecognized (at least by man) servants? How did they get such a message? Are they qualified by man to share that message, or by the Lord direct? A paradox? What a predicament! What a strange work the Father and Son are doing in deed!


I believe the Lord has just begun to set His hand again among the gentiles to get us that which we lost in D&C 124! Now is the time to remember and repent and connect with the Lord to be a part of it all!

 

 

 

D&C 1:

 

12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;

 13 And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth.

 14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;

 15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;

 16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.

19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—

 20 But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;

 21 That faith also might increase in the earth;

 22 That mine everlasting covenant might be established;

 23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers. …

34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;

 35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.

 36 And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.

 37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.

 38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

 

 

 

 

Numbers 11:29

 

29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

 

 

 

"God is not a respecter, we all have the same privilege. Come to God, weary him until he blesses you. We are entitled to the same blessings, Jesus, revelations, Just Men, Angels, etc... Obtain that Holy Spirit of promise - then you can be sealed to Eternal life." Words of Joseph Smith, p15

 

 

 

D&C 93:1

 

Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

 

 

 

 

Helaman 12:1-4

 

“And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him. Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold and silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies ... yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and this because of their ease and exceedingly great prosperity. And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him. O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil and devilish and how quick to do iniquity and how slow to do good, are the children of men...”

 

 

 

 

 

 

A People Who Come out of This People

 

 

 

Maybe these words from Church General Authorities after the days of Joseph Smith were more inspired than these brethren ever imagined. I imagine the Lord would want for all of us to choose to repent. Some thoughts to consider in closing...

 

"If we make a bad use of the priesthood, do you not see that the day will come when God will reckon with us, and he will take it from us and give it to those who will make better use of it?" (Heber C. Kimball, Ibid., vol. 6, p. 125).

"But the time will come when the Lord will choose a people out of this people upon whom he will bestow his choicest blessings" (Heber C. Kimball, Des. News. Nov. 9, 1865).

"...A people will come forth from among us, who will be zealous of good works, willing to do the bidding of the Lord, who will be taught in His ways, and who will walk in His paths" (Daniel H. Wells, Des. News, Nov. 10, 1875.

"Before the great day of the Lord shall come, and the day of righteousness and peace dawn upon this fair creation, two potent cleansing forces shall be in active operation. The first of these is the preparation of a choice people, purified by an application to their lives, as individuals, and a community, of the principles of the Gospel of peace. Such a body will evolve FROM THOSE CALLED LATTER-DAY SAINTS . . . and from the remnant of the whole house of Israel will emanate the nucleus or foundation from which will spring the righteous, millennial population of our globe." (George Q. Cannon; Millennial Star 42:585)

"I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys, to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, lookout for the great sieve. For there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall; for I say unto you there is a test, a test, A TEST coming, and who will be able to stand?" (Heber C. Kimball; Life of Heber C. Kimball by Orson F. Whitney, p. 445)

"And if we as a people do not hold ourselves on the altar ready to be used with our means and all that God has bestowed upon us, according to the master's bidding for the upbuilding of His Kingdom upon the earth, He will pass on and get somebody else; because He will get a people that will do it. I do not mean to say that He will pass on and leave this people; no, there will come up from the midst of this people that people which has been talked so much about." (Daniel H. Wells; Deseret News of 9 December 1882)

"I know there is a people in the hearts core of this people, that will arise in their majesty in a day that is near at hand, and push spiritual things to the front; a people who will stand up for God." (Orson F. Whitney; Deseret News 11 August 1889)

Elder Orson Pratt: There must be a reformation. There will be a reformation among this people but He will plead with the stronger ones of Zion, He will plead with this people, He will plead with those in high places, He will plead with the priesthood of this church, until Zion shall become clean before him. I do not know but what it would be an utter impossibility to commence and carry out some principles pertaining to Zion right in the midst of this people. They have strayed so far that to get a people who would conform to heavenly laws it may be needful to lead some from the midst of this people and commence anew in the regions round about in these mountains. (JD 15:360)

 

 

 

 

I know the time is at hand. It is time to be THAT people among the gentiles in which so much has been talked about. We have procrastinated and forgotten long enough! Ask the Father to help you understand. Dig into your scriptures and the writings of Joseph Smith. Look and see what true prophets do and say. Read the prophecies and promises given to our Fathers in those records. See for yourself the mission we were and are still supposed to complete.

Today is the day to take notice and repent of our failure and folly. For some it may be the day that they turn their hearts and ignore that strange act moving forward.