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Several years ago there was an Emperor who was so excessively fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on them. He cared little for his subjects and their needs. He spent most of his days admiring his many costumes and changing into them almost hourly.
The city was alive and bustling where he lived. Hosts of strangers came to visit there, and among them one day were two swindlers. Disguised as weavers, they said that they knew how to weave the most beautiful fabrics imaginable. They claimed that their special cloth had the peculiar quality of becoming invisible to every person who was either not fit for the office he held, or who were foolish.
"Those must be splendid clothes," thought the Emperor, "by wearing them I should be able to discover which men in my kingdom are unfitted for their posts. I shall be able to tell the wise men from the fools." The Emperor paid the two swindlers a lot of money in advance, so that they might begin their work at once.
They did indeed put up two looms and pretended to weave, but they had nothing whatever upon their shuttles. They asked for a quantity of the finest silk and the purest gold thread, all of which they put into their own bags. All the while they worked away at the empty looms far into the night.
"I should like to know how those weavers are getting on with their cloth," thought the Emperor, but he felt a little strange when he reflected that any one who was stupid or unfit for his post would not be able to see it. He thought that he certainly need have no fears for himself. Still, he thought he would send someone else to see how the work was progressing. Everyone in town knew what wonderful power the cloth possessed, and each was anxious to see how stupid his neighbor was.
"I will send my faithful old minister to the weavers," thought the Emperor, "He will be best able to see how the cloth looks, for he is a clever man and no one fulfills his duties better than he." So the good old minister went into the room where the two swindlers sat working at the empty loom.
"Heaven help us," thought the old minister, opening his eyes very wide, "Why, I can't see a thing!" But he took care not to say so. Both the swindlers begged him to be good enough to step a little nearer. They asked if he did not think it a good pattern and beautiful coloring, and they pointed to the empty loom. The poor old minister stared as hard as he could, but he could not see anything, for of course there was nothing to see. "Good Heavens!" thought he, "Is it possible that I am a fool? I must never let any one know that I am a fool and not fit for my post."
"Oh, it is beautiful! Quite charming," said the minister, "Such a pattern and such colors! I will certainly tell the Emperor that the cloth pleases me very much."
"We are delighted to hear you you say so," said the swindlers. They then named all the colors and described the peculiar pattern. The old minister paid close attention to what they said so as to be able to repeat it when he returned to the Emperor.
The swindlers went on to demand more money, more silk, and more gold to be able to proceed with the weaving. They put it all into their own pockets. Not a single strand was ever put into the loom, but they went on as before, pretending to weave at the empty loom.
The Emperor soon sent another faithful official to see how the new clothes were coming and if they soon would be ready. The same thing happened to him as did to the minister. He looked and looked, but as there was only the empty loom, he saw nothing at all.
"Is this not a beautiful piece of work?" asked both the swindlers, showing and explaining the beautiful pattern and colors which were not to be seen.
"I know I am no fool," thought the man, "so it must be that I am unfit for my good and lucritive post. It is very strange, but I must not let on that I cannot see it." So he praised the cloth he did not see, and assured the swindlers of his delight in the beautiful colors and the originality of the design.
All the people in the town were now talking about this splendid new clothing, and the Emperor thought he would like to see it while it was still on the loom. Accompanied by a number of selected courtiers, among whom were the two faithful officials who claimed to have seen the imaginary stuff, he went to visit the crafty impostors. They were working as hard as ever at the loom when the Emperor came in.
"It is magnificent!" said both of the wise officials, "See, your Majesty, what a design! What colors!" They pointed to the empty loom, for they each thought the others could see the enchanted cloth.
"What!" thought the Emperor, "I see nothing at all. This is terrible! Am I a fool? Am I not fit to be Emperor? Why, nothing worse could happen to me!"
"Oh, it is beautiful," agreed the Emperor. "It has my highest approval." He nodded his satisfaction as he gazed at the empty loom. He dared not to say that he could see nothing.
The whole entourage gazed and gazed, but saw nothing more than all the others. However, they all exclaimed to His Majesty, "It is very beautiful!" They advised him to wear the suit made of this wonderful cloth on the occasion of the great procession which was to take place in a few days. "Magnificent! Excellent!" went from mouth to mouth. They were all equally delighted with the proposal. The Emperor gave each of the weavers an order of knighthood to be worn in his buttonhole, along with the distinguished title of "Gentleman Weaver."
The swindlers sat up the whole night before the day on which the procession was to take place. They burned sixteen candles so that the people might see how anxious they were to get the Emperors new clothes ready. They pretended to take material off the loom. They cut it out in the air with a huge pair of scissors, and they stitched away with needles without any thread in them. At last they said, "Now the Emperors new clothes are ready."
The Emperor, with his grandest courtiers, went to the weavers himself. Both the swindlers raised one arm in the air, as if they were holding something. They said, "See, these are the trousers. This is the coat. Here is the mantle," and so on. "They are as light as a spider's web. One might think one had nothing on, but that is the very beauty of it."
"Yes," said all the courtiers, but they could not see anything, for there was nothing to see.
"Will your Imperial Majesty be graciously pleased to take off your clothes?" asked the impostors. "Then we may put on the new ones here in front of the great mirror."
The Emperor took off all his clothes, and the impostors pretended to give him one article of dress after the other of the pretended clothes. They pretended to fasten something around his waist and to tie on something. This was the train. The Emperor turned round and round in front of the mirror.
"How well His Majesty looks in the new clothes! How becoming they are!" cried all the people. "What a design, and what colors! They are most gorgeous robes!"
Then the procession began. The chamberlains who were to carry the train stooped and pretended to lift it from the ground with both hands, and they walked along with their hands in the air. The Emperor walked along in the procession under a gorgeous canopy. Everyone in the streets and at the windows exclaimed, "How beautiful the Emperors new clothes are! What a splendid train! And they are fit to perfection!" Nobody would let it appear that he could see nothing, for that would prove that he was not fit for his post, or else he was a fool. None of the Emperors clothes had been so successful before.
"But he has nothing on," said a little child. "Oh, listen to the innocent," said his father. And one person whispered to the other what the child had said. "It's ture! He has nothing on! The child says he has nothing on!"
"Truly, he has nothing on!" cried the people in unison.
The Emperor writhed, for he knew it was true. But he thought, "The procession must go on." With red-faced determination, he held himself stiffer than ever, and the chamberlains held up the invisible train as they proceeded on. Amid shouts of laughter, the embarrased Emporer and courtiers hurried back to the palace, hoping to outlive the shame of their foolishness.
The LDS Church is the Emperor.
The swindlers are Satan and the vain philosophies of men.
The LDS Leaders and people throughout the last 120 years have had an ever increasing desire to no longer be persecuted for their beliefs and to be "well thought of" by their fellow man. The predisposing factors that had to be in place for the Emperor (LDS) to succumb to flattery and manipulation are the following:
1. A fatigue of living all the Celestial Laws that would establish Zion.
2. A fear of government and men more than obedience to their covenants and their God.
3. A desire to be accepted by the world and receive no more persecution from them.
4. An ever increasing appetite for the fashions, mannerisms, politics and economics of the world.
With these compromising elements fostering in the hearts and minds of the LDS Leaders and people, the ground was then fertile for the great swindler Satan to come in and swindle the covenant people.
From the late 1800's to the present, there has been change after change in the LDS Church, both in the the ordinances and in the teachings that the Prophet Joseph Smith put in place. The LDS Leaders have not sustained what Joseph laid down for this last dispensation, and have sought in their own wisdom, to make changes in doctrines and principles so as to be more acceptable and popular with the world around them.
What resulted was a compromise with the Evil one that caused a subsequent loss of power and priesthood and gifts of the Spirit. The LDS people now languish in darkness but pridefully think they are the most righteous people on the face of the earth. They are just like the Nephites of old, who were destroyed because of their pride.
In the parable, pride was the main factor that kept the surrounding leaders from admitting that there was no cloth (substance) to what they were embracing. None dared admit the truth in order to avoid being looked at as a fool or a traitor to "the Brethren".
The Emperor (LDS leaders) were not of a mind to serve the people but wanted the praise and recognition as wonderful leaders of the people.
Money enters into the picture. Satan has convinced the Leaders that investments and intercourse with Babylon will only make the new clothes look even better. Moroni warns that the Lord's people in the last days would love the adorning of their churches more than the sick and the needy. Silks and fine clothing are the desires of the great and abominable church that Nephi saw. Nephi saw in vision the modern LDS Church, who has now become a whore instead of keeping her covenants to become the bride of Christ.
Notice also from the parable that a time comes when a small child (a remnant of righteous followers) declares that indeed, the Emperor has no clothes on at all (no Priesthood or Godly power)! Then an interesting transformation begins to occur. As the truth of the testimony spreads among the people from this small child (remnant), even the people who are subjects to the Emperor (members of the LDS Church) begin to awaken to the reality that there is nothing of substance whatsoever to what they have been told regarding the Emperor's greatness. They begin to recognize that all the clothes are missing (true ordinances and principles of Zion). The Emperor begins to take notice with concern that the people are seeing through his facade, but he cannot admit that he has been exposed as a fool. As a result he acts even more pridefully and continues on in his deception.
As the LDS Church is placed before the truth of the Gospel, it is evident that they are naked and without priesthood. The swindler (Satan) never upholds his own in the end, and both the deceived and the deceivers go down to destruction.
We invite the LDS people to awake and arise. Begin to recognize that you have been following an Emperor who has no clothes, a Church that has abandoned every principle and truth that would establish Zion. Instead of wearing a royal crown of the Priesthood, they have sold out to Satan's false promise of Exaltation by becoming a part of the world. The LDS have descended from the Holy Mount and now grovel in worldly wickedness in the plains of sin.
We testify that the Lord has awakened and called forth a remnant of His chosen ones to redeem the efforts of the faithful of the early part of the dispensation under Joseph Smith. We invite all the Elect to awaken to this call and see with spiritual eyes the truth of the apostasy (nakedness) of the LDS Church (the Emperor). They are called to come forward out of darkness and cast their lot with this remnant of the elect and push forward the cause of Zion. They must come out from under condemnation and repent of their deep sleep in Babylon. They must ascend the Holy Mount and rise up out of the corruption of this Telestial world and usher in a better world, even the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.