Ted Capener: You certainly are not now or never have been, I'm sure, a prophet of doom, or of doomsday. Are we living in the last days?
Gordon B. Hinckley: I don't know, but we better act as if we were.
Ted Capener: Yea.
Gordon B. Hinckley: Then we won't have anything to worry about!
Ted Capener: That's right.
Gordon B. Hinckley: If it's ready to come, we'll be ready.
We find it absolutely unbelievable that Gordon B. Hinckley, who claims to be the "prophet, seer, and revelator" for the LDS church could make such a statement that he didn't know if we are living in the last days. Current events in the world today, the scriptures, statements by early brethren, as well as statements of virtually all of his recent contemporaries, state clearly that we are indeed in the last days. The "signs of the times" indicate that the world is now ripe in their wickedness, and the cup of the wrath of God is now filled to overflowing, and the scourges and destructions that the Latter-day Restoration was to warn the earth about, are at our doors.
To illustrate the incredulity of this statement, may we offer you some fairly recent quotes by recent LDS leaders who, even though they were already estranged from many of the former LDS teachings, did state publicly and for the General Conference record that we are indeed in the last days, and that we should be keenly aware of the implications. The following is only an extremely small example of many such statements:
Elray L. Christiensen:
Truly it may be said that these last days are exhibiting more than ever the blatant power and force of Satan. (Elray L. Christiensen, Conference Report, October 1964)
Joseph Fielding Smith:
Let me call your attention to this fact which you, of course, all know that we are living in the last days, the days of trouble, days of wickedness, spoken of as days of wickedness several hundred years before the coming of Christ by Nephi, as it is recorded in the twenty-seventh chapter of Second Nephi. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, April 1952)
I feel to say, O our Eternal Father, pour out thy Spirit more abundantly upon these thy saints, upon this remnant of scattered Israel which has gathered to thy gospel in these last days. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, October 1970)
Harold B. Lee:
From this lineage a chosen people was to be prepared to set up the kingdom of God in these last days, and it was over this kingdom which the Christ was to reign when he came on earth for the second time. (Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, October 1956)
Spencer W. Kimball:
The Prophet Nephi looked forward to these last days and made some remarkable predictions:
"For behold, at that day shall he [Satan] rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
". . . and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell." (2 Nephi 28:20-21.)
Then, he warns: ". . . wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God!" (Ibid., 28:28.) (Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, April 1965)
Ezra Taft Benson:
We should not be lulled away into a false security as Nephi said many would be in the last days. (Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, September 1950)
We feel constrained to ask all who might hear and read these words to remind themselves from the revealed latter day scriptures of the charge and admonition that the Lord gave to his servants for this, the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times:
57 And again, verily I say unto you, those who desire in their hearts, in meekness, to warn sinners to repentance, let them be ordained unto this power.
58 For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days. (D&C 63:57-58)
We declare, as the above passage states, that to fail to warn this generation not only to repent from their sins, but also of the scourges and destructions to come is to mock God in the last days. This is a day of warning, the Lord has told us. (See also the "Pamphlet," Warning Testimony.) That someone who claims to be the leader of Latter-day Israel and of the Restored Gospel should feign ignorance as to whether we are in the very last days, after the witnesses of his forerunners, combined with the witnesses of the current world situation is solemn mockery before God, as the Lord warned in the above verses. The Lord continually in the scriptures admonished his servants to call the world to repentance, and to warn them of his judgments to come:
87 Behold, I send you out to reprove the world of all their unrighteous deeds, and to teach them of a judgment which is to come.
95 Wo, I say again, unto that house, or that village or city that rejecteth you, or your words, or your testimony of me;
96 For I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness.
97 And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness-
98 Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest,
114 Nevertheless, let the bishop go unto the city of New York, also to the city of Albany, and also to the city of Boston, and warn the people of those cities with the sound of the gospel, with a loud voice, of the desolation and utter abolishment which await them if they do reject these things.
115 For if they do reject these things the hour of their judgment is nigh, and their house shall be left unto them desolate.
116 Let him trust in me and he shall not be confounded; and a hair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed.
117 And verily I say unto you, the rest of my servants, go ye forth as your circumstances shall permit, in your several callings, unto the great and notable cities and villages, reproving the world in righteousness of all their unrighteous and ungodly deeds, setting forth CLEARLY and UNDERSTANDINGLY THE DESOLATION OF ABOMINATION IN THE LAST DAYS.
118 For, with you saith the Lord Almighty, I will rend their kingdoms; I will not only shake the earth, but the starry heavens shall tremble.
119 For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am, and that I will come and reign with my people. (D&C 84:87, 95-98, 114-119)
The Lord clearly states this also in Section, the Preface to the Doctrine and Covenants:
4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.
17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the CALAMITY which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; (D&C 1:4, 17)
What does that mean when the Lord commands his servant to set forth "clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination in the last days?" Can there be any doubt that the Lord has proclaimed these days the last days, and that desolations and scourges are to be poured out upon the earth, and that the true servants of God are to warn "the inhabitants of the earth" not only to repent, but of the coming desolations? Are the days of desolation and destruction any closer or farther away now than they were in 1830? We proclaim that they are at our doors.
We find it even more incredible that President Hinckley can state that "we better act as if we were" in the last days, while not warning this generation and the nations of the earth of the "calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth," and also not "setting forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination in the last days." Not only is Gordon B. Hinckley ignorant by his own admission as to whether we are in the last days or not, and not only does he completely fail to keep the commandments of God to warn this generation of the destructions to come, but he has established a reputation for himself of not being "a prophet of doom, or of doomsday," as Mr Ted Capener referred to him. President Hinckley offered no correction whatsoever to this observation.
Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and all the "brethren" knew until recently that these are the last days, and God knows it too. We state emphatically that if Gordon B. Hinckley doesn't know if we are in the last days, then God most certainly isn't speaking to him. We ask: What good is a "prophet" or a leader of Israel who fails to keep the commission to warn this generation that the Lord gave to him? The Prophet Ezekiel had something to say about that:
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul. (Ezekiel 3:17-21)
True servants of God are made "watchmen unto the house of Israel." The charge to God's servants as Ezekiel proclaims is to "give them warning" from the Lord, thereby we may deliver our soul. Properly endowed men are washed and pronounced clean from the blood and sins of this generation only on conditions of faithfulness. Hence if we fail to give warning to the wicked, the Lord will require their blood at our hands, as Ezekiel proclaims, because of not having been faithful to our charge to warn Israel.
Isaiah prophesied about Israel's "watchmen" in the following passage:
10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. (Isaiah 56:10-12)
Remember, "watchmen" have a charge as Ezekiel stated to provide warning. In the above passage, Isaiah compares these ignorant, slothful "watchmen" to dogs who "cannot bark" or give warning, as a "watchdog" is supposed to do. Isaiah also prophesied that the "prophets" and people would only desire to preach "smooth things" and deceits. This prophecy is now fulfilled.
10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:
13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. (Isaiah 30:10-13)
Gordon B. Hinckley doesn't want to offend people in the world by being "a prophet of doom, or of doomsday." This is to prophecy the "smooth things" that Isaiah speaks of. We repeat, this is in violation of the directive which the Lord set forth in the Doctrine and Covenants for this Dispensation.
That the latter-day "watchmen" of the LDS church would become slothful and not fulfill their charge from the Lord, and even permit their works to be destroyed was prophesied in the Doctrine and Covenants Section 101 in the Parable of the Tower:
44 A certain nobleman had a spot of land, very choice; and he said unto his servants: Go ye unto my vineyard, even upon this very choice piece of land, and plant twelve olive-trees;
45 And set watchmen round about them, and build a tower, that one may overlook the land round about, to be a watchman upon the tower, that mine olive-trees may not be broken down when the enemy shall come to spoil and take upon themselves the fruit of my vineyard.
46 Now, the servants of the nobleman went and did as their lord commanded them, and planted the olive-trees, and built a hedge round about, and set watchmen, and began to build a tower.
47 And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among themselves: And what need hath my lord of this tower?
48 And consulted for a long time, saying among themselves: What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace?
49 Might not this money be given to the exchangers? For there is no need of these things.
50 And while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord.
51 And the enemy came by night, and broke down the hedge; and the servants of the nobleman arose and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works, and broke down the olive-trees. (D&C 101:44-51)
We solemnly testify that this first part of the "Parable of the Tower" has been fulfilled, as evidenced by (only in small part) these and other non-credible statements by Gordon B. Hinckley. The "servants" of the Lord many years ago in the LDS Church did indeed begin to question whether or not the Lord really meant what he revealed to Joseph Smith, as predicted in the parable. They did and still do indeed consider, as we will also yet discuss here from President Hinckley's statements that they consider this time a "time of peace." They have indeed "given the money to the exchangers," through the indulgence of the LDS church with Babylon involving sacred tithing funds. LDS leaders and members alike indulge freely in financial Babylon and her ways. The "servants" did indeed become "at variance with one another" over difficult issues where the Lord had already clearly stated His will, such as over plural marriage, consecration, the principle of gathering, the abandonment of "higher ordinances" under Heber J. Grant, and so forth. This is clearly in the LDS history if one will study it. They did indeed become "very slothful" regarding the higher principles of Zion, and abandoned them. They also "hearkened not unto the commandments of the Lord" with regard to saving principles and doctrines, ordinances, and also to warning this generation as we can plainly see here from the public statements of President Hinckley that we here address. Consequently, the enemy did indeed come "by night," or when they didn't realize, and "destroyed their works," including the "tower" that was supposed to be a position from which there could have been warned of the approach of the enemy.
We ask you also to read the entire "Parable of the Tower," in D&C 43-62. In the remainder of the Parable, the Lord calls his "servant" (who is named by the Lord in D&C 103:21 to be Joseph Smith himself) to gather the "residue of his servants," and "all the strength of mine house, which are my warriors," to redeem the vineyard of the Lord. The Lord charges the "servant" and the "residue" who are the "warriors." to, "break down the walls" of the enemy, to "throw down their tower, and scatter their watchmen." In due time, all was accomplished and they should redeem Zion and possess the land. This parable which is essential to understanding the Last Days and the Redemption of Zion is virtually unknown in the LDS Church today, and its meaning is very poorly understood in present-day LDS teachings.
Can anyone not see that Gordon B. Hinckley's words fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah when he predicted that false prophets would be guilty of preaching "smooth things" to tickle the ears of those who adulated at their feet? From the same interview, the segment just before the part quoted above is as follows:
Ted Capener: President, we celebrate the prince of peace and his birth. Are we ever going to have peace on earth?
Gordon B. Hinckley: It looks dismal doesn't it?
Ted Capener: It does.
Gordon B. Hinckley: It was foretold that there would be wars and rumors of wars and we have them. I don't know. But I do think this is a wonderful time to be alive. it's a glorious time to be alive, of all the times of the history of the world, it seems to me that this is the very best. When I was born, the life expectancy in the United States was 50 years. Today it's 75! 25 years added to the life span of the average man or woman during my lifetime. it's wonderful. And with all this flowering of science, the reason in my judgment is also of flowering of spirituality. I think people are better now than they have ever been--speaking of the masses and generally. I think there is greater kindness, there is greater thoughtfulness. There is a greater outreach to the distressed and the sick and the unfortunate than ever pertained in the past.
Gordon B. Hinckley is here extolling this period of time on the earth as being "the very best" in which to live on the earth. According to him, it is a "wonderful time," a "glorious time." He then extols some of the "virtues" of this age, some of which result directly from relying on the strength of the arm of flesh, attributing this to "spirituality." True "spirituality" comes from having a knowledge of the truth, and of keeping the principles, laws, and ordinances of God, not merely from showing "brotherly kindness," although this is still a part of the gospel.
This time in the period of the world is Satan's last chance to rage before he is bound. He reigns, as we all should know that he boasts of, "from the rivers to the ends of the earth." His efforts are not only violent and sometimes physically enslaving, but they are also very strongly ideological, and spiritual "enslavement" is more than dire today because of the heinous values extolling man, his wisdom, the flesh, and the vile philosophies of the world, such as "humanism," which are foisted upon us from every side by (among other things) an unrelenting media that forces these patterns of thought into our families in a virtually unstoppable way. To think otherwise philosophically from what the media and news programs tell us "between the lines" is to be considered abnormal, or a "kook." Remember that Satan also says, speaking of his kingdom: "There are none who dare to molest or make afraid."
In spite of what he or others may claim as "optimism" by President Hinckley, and in spite of those in the world who are indeed honest in heart and as righteous as their traditions permit them to be, this day in the world is Satan's day to reign. Homosexuality is now protected in many or most ways by the government. The LDS church has shown much increased leniency and concessions to the homosexual community. The LDS "gay" (or "Affirmation") community accept and laud these concessions, but still aren't satisfied. They want complete recognition of their perverted and heinous "lifestyle" as righteous, and even desire to be able to solemnize LDS "gay" marriages in the temples. Even the corrupted, present-day wording of the "Chastity Covenant" in the LDS endowment would accommodate gay marriages. Think about it.
The Lord warned us about being at "ease" in our situations, or "at east in Zion." This is called the "All is well in Zion Syndrome." Since Gordon B. Hinckley states with great "positiveness" that this is a "wonderful time" and a "glorious time," and since he fails to give any warning of impending destructions and chastisements, he is without equivocation calling "all is well," and "peace, peace." What did the ancient prophets prophecy about this?
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! (Amos 6:1)
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well--and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well! (2 Nephi 28:21,24-25)
The above verses have been fulfilled more and more by the LDS leaders' actions and statements over the last several years, and are now exactly fulfilled by these and other statements by Gordon B. Hinckley. Amos and Nephi pronounced a "covenant curse" or "wo" upon him who should utter such things, because such statements blindly lead people to destruction and "carefully down to hell."
Jeremiah also predicted this situation when he prophesied:
13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:13-14)11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 8:11)
Is it difficult to see that even though he paid lip service to the "wars and rumors of wars" rhetoric, that the real message from the lips of President Hinckley was "peace, peace?" We solemnly testify that there soon will be no more peace as we fulfill our charge to warn this generation of God's judgments shortly to come. It will come suddenly and without warning, and only those who have "oil in their lamps" and "eyes to see," "ears to hear," and "hearts to understand" will be preserved through obedience to God's commandments. The Apostle Paul knew of both these latter-day conditions among those who were supposed to know better, as well as the swiftness of God's impending chastisements when he stated:
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thess 5:2-3)
But what about what many faithful "Latter-day Saints" must only refer to as Gordon B. Hinckley's "optimism" regarding the last days? What did the ancient prophets think about this day? Should we compare their statements to those of Gordon B. Hinckley?
Nephi:
1 But, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles, yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews both those who shall come upon this land and those who shall be upon other lands yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold, they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations.
2 And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest and with the flame of devouring fire. (2 Nephi 27:1-2.)
Paul:
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
James:
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. (James :1-4)
Peter:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:3-13)
Is there any doubt that Gordon B. Hinckley's statements about today (which are the last days) are not consistent with the above statements of acknowledged servants of God and prophets? The fact alone that the LDS church is pursuing long-term future predictions of future LDS astounding growth: "There isn't any question we'll have a growth of a billion a year or some time and grow beyond that" (Gordon B. Hinckley statement from the same KUED Interview) is evidence that he fulfills Peter's prophecy above that men would think that "all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation," and that Gordon B. Hinckley doesn't believe that the return of our Savior is near, along with the accompanying scourges and cleansing of the earth. Brigham Young stated the following regarding inconsistencies between men professing to teach the truth.
Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, all the Patriarchs and Prophets, Jesus and the Apostles, and every man that has ever written the word of the Lord, have written the same doctrine upon the same subject; and you never can find that Prophets and Apostles clashed in their doctrines in ancient days: neither will they now, if all would at all times be led by the Spirit of salvation. (Brigham Young, October 7th, 1857, JD 5:329)
These statements by Gordon B. Hinckley are typical more and more of his current rhetoric, and reflect gross inconsistency with the directives the Lord revealed through Joseph Smith for this dispensation. His statements, in the KUED interview, the Larry King show, interviews with the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and even from the pulpit in General Conference are designed to tickle the ears, to appease people's worldly expectations of what a "prophet" should be, and to seek the praise of men and of other religions. He doesn't even want the homosexual community to be offended at him.
We solemnly declare that those individuals who ascribe to these increasingly blatant, public mis-statements regarding the word of God by someone who is supposed to be a leader of Israel are drunken with the wine of self-deception:
4 For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity, stay yourselves and wonder, for ye shall cry out, and cry; yea, ye shall be drunken but not with wine, ye shall stagger but not with strong drink.
5 For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity. (2 Nephi 27:4-5)1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the RESIDUE OF HIS PEOPLE, (Isaiah 28:1-5)
To not do it the Lord's way is Satan's road to hell. God's plan is not for everyone to do only what they want to and to then beat them with a few stripes as is now increasingly common in the LDS church, and then admit them into his presence, and give to them his power. This earth is God's school for us to learn to be Gods like him.
God has a plan for our immortality:
1. We must diligently seek and discover His plan. (not casually or slothfully-D&C 88:63, 90:24)
2. We must live by this plan.
3. We must keep God's commandments and participate in His true ordinances
4. We must develop our character in His likeness--change our "natural" or "Telestial" natures to be like His "Celestial" nature.
5. We must warn our neighbor to repent, and also of the calamities to come.
6. We must obtain His power, or the fullness of the priesthood.
7. We then return perfected to Him.
Religion is not supposed to be a support for our pride. The purpose of establishing the temporal church is not to get rich, be comfortable, or to have bigger, better, and more. The temporal church is to provide us with the instruction, ordinances and experience to be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven. False religions preach that it is only necessary to accept Jesus and to love people in your heart. The LDS Church has backtracked from its original moorings and ascribes more and more to the Protestant traditions of salvation through "good will" and faith only and not through works--or the keeping of God's commandments the way He revealed them.
God's purpose isn't for us to come down to earth on vacation and do anything we want, like so many people teach their children by example. We must be withdrawn from the world. We must repent, keep the commandments, participate in and receive the true ordinances and receive the truth, or we will be destroyed in the pending scourges and desolations. If we do keep God's commandments, all of them, and accept of his doctrines, and ordinances, we will not only enter His presence, but we will be made administrators ourselves of the law of eternal lives, as Kings and Priests unto the Most High God.
Utter wickedness and blindness grips the earth in the present day, contrary to Gordon B. Hinckley's optimism. When three fourths of the United States population sustains a president of the United States entrenched in ungodliness, falsehoods, and whoredoms, the people are ripe for destruction.
Satan declared that "with the treasures of this earth" he will buy up influence, dominion, and power. The earth is now fully ripe, and the cup of God's wrath is now filled to overflowing, and his judgments are soon to be poured out. In vanity and pride, people stand firm in their ignorance--this is nowhere more apparent than in the present-day LDS Church.
We are aghast that Gordon B. Hinckley would claim ignorance of these being the last days. He revels in wickedness by extolling the age we live in. More than in any other age considering the world overall, people are more attached to wickedness, sin, and perversion.
There will be reversals of the Lord's promises of desolation only for the Lord's people who repent. But a nation that perpetuates and promotes the same wickedness that was responsible for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah provokes the Lord more and more to bring these desolations on quickly. It seems as if to the LDS Church and to Gordon B. Hinckley that the throne room of God is the present-day Telestial world, which is where they put their efforts and their lifestyles.
We would like to close this response with two more scriptures:
Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors. (D&C 110:16)
Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When its branches are yet tender, and it begins to put forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh at hand.
So likewise mine elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near, even at the doors. (JST Matthew 24:41-42)
The first of the two verses above (D&C 110:16) affirms the utter criticality of understanding the times and signs of the Last days. We should also learn from the verses in JST Matthew above that if Gordon B. Hinckley is indeed not God's servant on the earth today, then naturally he will not know whether the time is close or not for the return of the Savior, as it states that only God's "elect," or those who know him and keep truly his commandments, shall know when the end is near.
We are firm and direct in calling iniquity what it is, and falsehood also what it is. This is the Lord's calling for true servants. True servants of God don't always have sweetness and soft words their lips. A careful reading of the scriptures will bear this out. Jesus Christ often gave very biting rebukes to the hypocritical Jews of his day. To those who are offended at what we declare, we invite you to return to your traditions, because you cannot bear the meat of the Word of the Lord. To those of you who can overlook what some feel is "offense," to examine carefully the truth of what we say, we congratulate you, and implore you to study these things carefully by reading, pondering, and prayer. The Holy Ghost will move you, pique your interest, and guide you to accept the truth if you continue in your honesty.
John W. Pratt