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1. INTRODUCTION
Why do we consider it worthwhile to write a discourse for the TLC WebPage concerning the need for the formation of a 'church'? This subject may seem to be so elementary that it may appear to be a needless effort to be undertaken, for churches are of a rather natural human instinct, and churches of one sort or another may be found in all civilizations, kindred, tongues, and peoples, and in all ages of time. In our present world there may even appear to be an excess of 'churches'. And, so, let us investigate together to determine if a 'church' is essential for the proper and successful worship of the God of Heaven, and, in relation to the progression of man in the eternities, is there a real and necessary need for a 'church' on earth? Or, in other words, can man ascend to the Celestial Kingdom in the presence of Christ and the Father without being involved of a 'church'?
Some say that, for them, a church is unnecessary; that they find God to be nearer while they are close to nature, like on a picnic, or on a hike, or fishing, or even while just staying at home. Many welcome activity in an organized church as a fulfillment of some need -- perhaps a social, business, or religious need, and, for some of this group, they sense a driving inner motivation to be affiliated with an institution of like-minded people-- in a church.
Others say that they personally 'possess' the Priesthood, with no membership in any church organization, and, they say, that such is sufficient to provide the way for their exaltation, that God will accept their offering before Him without compliance to any 'church' commitment.
The purpose of this pamphlet is to bring a witness and a testimony to the reader as to why the Lord would have a 'church' directly under His influence and require that it operate under the authority of His Priesthood -- of what importance would such a church be to the accomplishment of "His Work and His Glory?" -- which Work and Glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man". 1
In this discussion of why the Lord would require that a 'church' be organized, let us first consider the words of the Savior, for He has revealed a great deal on this subject. For example, almost two years before the April 6, 1830 date when the "Church of God" (later to be named "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints") was formally organized by Joseph Smith, Jr., these words were given to this latter day prophet and seer:
"...If this generation harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them. Now I do not say this to destroy my church, but I say this to build up my church;
Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the kingdom of heaven...Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the son of God...I will also bring to light the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me. And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention...
Therefore, I will unfold...this great mystery;
For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wing, if they will not harden their hearts; Yea, and if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely.
Behold, this is my doctrine -- whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church. Whoso declareth more or less than this, the same is not of my church, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church..
And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them." (D&C 10:53, 54, 57, 62, 63-69) 2
This revelation was given at a time when there were many churches which professed to be 'Christian' churches. Why then did the Lord say that "If this generation harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them"? This would indicate that a church with the authority of God is useful in the accomplishment of the Lord's program. We will now present the 'case' showing that, indeed, the 'church' is a 'tool' which God has successfully used with His children to assist them to "put off the natural man", to "acquire the divine nature"; to become priests and kings, priestesses and queens, of the Holy Ordr of God, and to dwell in the Celestial Realms with the power of the fulness of the Priesthood upon them -- this is for both men and women.
2. THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, AND THE WORK OF THE GODS
It is not by accident that man is upon the earth. His presence is step in a developmental plan instituted by the Gods to provide circumstances and situations which man must face in an environment where a loving Father is always nearby, but unseen; where man must employ his own agency in the process of decision making; where the consequences of those decisions have a direct relationship to his advancement, and to his progression in the eternities ahead. In so doing, if he makes the right and proper decisions, he will become more and more like his Heavenly Father.
There comes a time of judgment when all men must face Jesus Christ who then evaluates their performance while on earth. In as much as the "work and glory of God is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man", it follows that degree of progression which a man makes toward acquiring the Divine Nature (becoming like God and being a "joint heir with Jesus Christ" 3) must ultimately be judged by that same God who dispenses the proper and just rewards to him.
It is not Heavenly Father's desire to be satisfied with filling up the lesser kingdoms (ie: Outer Darkness, Hell, Telestial, and Terrestrial 4) with his children who haven't yet developed into celestial beings. If that were so they would be destined to live forever with no hope of advancement to a higher kingdom -- a 'better' place. We can be certain that God will use whatever means He can to accomplish 'His Work and His glory' and to "save all that He creates" 5. Therefore, He will, according to His own Will, utilize a church organization as one of the tools to 'chip' away at our childish and sinful imperfections. He works His way to reach the real individual within; to teach, instruct, cleanse, purify, and ultimately, to make Gods and Goddesses 6 of us all.
3. THE CHURCH AND THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD
The Holy Priesthood exists independent, separate, and above any church organization. It is the power of all creation, and is not controlled by any man. The Priesthood is the external element from which the church of Christ derives it's power and authority. The Priesthood is the father of the church of Christ -- a child is to be submissive to the father. There are many Latter Day Saints who are confused when presented with this eternal truth; they have been led astray to believe that the church stands above all, and that 'the church' furnishes and controls the Priesthood. But, in fact, the exact opposite is true.
The church is a temporal organization composed of people with a like and common religious interest. The church of Christ, with authority, comes into being as an entity by the power of the Priesthood. God authorizes the formation of His church -- man does not of his own authority give birth to a true and living church, no matter how hard he labors or how much he desires to do so.
The Priesthood is the power of God given by the authorization of God 7 to man to officiate in His name. It is the power by which all things, including His church, have been organized (or ever will be organized). "The rights of the Priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven.. 8 John Taylor, in his book, The Gospel Kingdom, wrote:
The Priesthood "...is the rule and government of God, whether on earth, or in the heavens; and it is the only legitimate power, the only authority that is acknowledged by him to rule and regulate the affairs of his kingdom... when he whose right it is to reign shall take the dominion, then nothing but the Priesthood will bear rule; it alone will sway the scepter of authority in heaven and on earth, for this is the legitimacy of God." (pages 314 - 315)
4. WHAT IS A "CHURCH"?
The simplest definition for a 'church' is that it is 'a gathering of believers'.
However, let us expand upon this definition as we reconsider the words of the Lord accounted previously and ponder what He says on the subject of "my church".
"...If this generation harden not their hearts, I will establish my church (a gathering of believers) among them. Now I do not say this to destroy my church, but I say this to build up my church;" (D&C 10: 53)
It appears that in 1828 the Lord wanted to establish a church for the benefit of "this generation" on the condition that they do not harden their hearts against Him. A 'hard heart' is one that is too hard to be penetrated with the gospel truths. Nonetheless, God will not force any man to receive truth and to follow Him -- God respects the agency of man.
"Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church.(a gathering of believers)..shall inherit the kingdom of heaven...I will also bring to light the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me. And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention." (D&C 10: 55 & 61)
Those who will join with Christ in His Church, and remain faithful to His Doctrine, [the only true doctrine], will inherit the kingdom of heaven with all of the blessings which accompany residence in that kingdom.
And further, the establishment of His Gospel reduces contention which is certainly the result of its unifying character. Scripturally, the word 'unity' implies 'unity with God'. It is also interesting that 'peace' means 'unity with God'. Thus, the elimination of 'contention', which is a characteristic of the devil's doings, brings 'unity with God', it brings 'peace', and an 'inheritance in the kingdom of heaven'. Thus, the Lord indicates that the establishment of His church, with His doctrines, among a humble and contrite people (without 'hard hearts') is the will of God.
"Therefore, I will unfold...this great mystery;" (D&C 10: 64)
The Lord delights to "unfold His mysteries" to the children of men who will qualify to receive them. Unfortunately, there is a false and apostate concept preached from the LDS pulpits in this century that "we are to leave the mysteries alone" suggesting that we would become polluted and lost souls if we were to search for them. On the contrary, members of Christ's church are admonished to "seek wisdom, then shall the mysteries of God be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich" 9 . It appears from this relationship reference that the Lord's church will be the actual vehicle for Israel to learn the mysteries of Godliness, and that such acquisition will be of great benefit to the members.
"For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wing, if they will not harden their hearts; Yea, and if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely. (D&C 10: 65)
The Lord often uses this metaphor of the hen and her chicks to show a relationship between Him and Israel. Christ hungers to guide, protect, and lead us to the "waters of life" so that we may eventually receive exaltation in the highest kingdom. This can never be achieved if we possess a hard, impenetrable, and prideful heart. He offers salvation and exaltation to all who will partake freely. Therefore, His church will encourage Israel in attaining that victory
"Behold, this is my doctrine -- whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church (a gathering of believers). Whoso declareth more or less than this, the same is not of my church, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church." [italics ours] (D&C 10: 67 & 68)
Christ here identifies a specific point of His Doctrine; Men must repent and come unto the Savior, the Redeemer; they must take upon them His Atonement, make it effective in their lives, and not crucify Him afresh. They must fully repent, which is an ongoing process. When they do truly repent they become "His Church". They will gather together as chicks under the protecting 'wing' of Christ. They will learn the fullness of His Gospel, be true and faithful to Him, and worship the only true God 10. They will not change or alter anything which He has established in His church. Christ indicates that He disowns such a person. He further says that such a one who does change or alter His gospel "is against Me" -- indeed, this is not a happy or pleasant prospect for any man to suffer.
"And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, (a gathering of believers) and endureth to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them." (D&C 10: 69)
Christ pronounces a blessing upon all who will join with Him in His church -- upon those who love Him and His Righteousness so ardently that they will remain faithful and be as unmovable as a 'rock' to the end of all their days. As a result, the power and temptations of Satan shall not 'prevail against them'. Frankly, that's what we want -- isn't that what you want, too?
Baptism is not the entrance into the church of Christ. Baptism is specifically for the remission of sins. The ordinance of Confirmation confirms a person as a member of the church. No unclean thing can enter into His presence, and so it is a fitting and a proper analogy that admittance into Christ's church be available only to those who repent and become washed clean, and that is according to the rules of the Priesthood which govern the Church of Christ.
Finally, let us present one other very important point. The cChurch of Jesus Christ in any dispensation is only intended to be that 'vehicle' to move men from a very elementary starting point to a more advanced level where the mysteries of Godliness can be, and are, unfolded unto the faithful followers of Christ. The Doctrine of Christ represents only the 'preparatory gospel'. It is the gospel of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of repentance, the gospel of entering the waters of baptism for the remission of sins, and the gospel that provides the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Each new confessor and follower of Christ is able to receive added truth through this new constant companion, the Holy Ghost, who provides the Baptism of Fire at a later time. Alma refers to this event as being "spiritually born of God", and asks: "Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" 11 . We ask, with Alma 5: 26; "...if you have experienced a change of heart, and felt to sing the song of redeeming love, (we) would ask, can ye feel so now?"
Perhaps, you are one of the Elect of Israel and have already accepted Jesus Christ as your Master. Perhaps, at some time ago, you have actually been baptized by the authority of His Priesthood and have received the Holy Ghost. We ask, are the blessings of personal revelation with you now? Or have you given them over to another person to tell you what you must do to receive Eternal Life with Father? Have you put the Holy Ghost into 'retirement', and have you replaced Him with the 'arm-of-flesh (which is another human being 12 )? Are you now singing the true 'song of redeeming love'? Are you "declare[ing] more or less than this?" Is it now time for you to get on course in your life and become a 'chick under the wing' of Christ? Is it time to evaluate the 'church' with which you are affiliated? Perhaps you will desire to consider whether or not you want "the gates of hell" to "prevail against you". We pray that you may instead freely partake of the mysteries of Godliness that, for you, this life's probationary life may fill the full Measure of your Creation.
5. THE PATH FROM THE PREPARATORY CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN
It is one of the important missions of this discourse to show the separate existence of the Church of the Firstborn, to explain that it is higher than the Church of Christ, to expose some of the attendant Glories of that Church and the marvelous associations to be had there, and that you may come to understanding that the Church of Christ is only the 'vehicle', a preparatory church, with a preparatory gospel, to transport you from the world of Babylon to the General Assembly, and then to the Church of the Firstborn in the presence of the Gods who dwell in the Celestial Kingdom.
Preparatory for what? Preparatory that you may be guided on that strait and narrow path unto a state of justification and sanctification by the Holy Ghost thereby making your Calling and Election Sure, and then to receive the presence of the Savior in that special and Holy Embrace 13.
The path upward from the Church of Jesus Christ leads to the Church of the Firstborn. This is not another name for Christ's church, as some Mormons suppose, but it is the name of the Church of the Father, who is the 'firstborn' of all upon the earth. He is the father of our flesh as well as the father of our spirits; He is Our Father and Our God; He is the Archangel Michael 14; He is also known as Adam; He is in very truth Our Father in Heaven.
The Church of the Firstborn operates under the direction of the Fulness of Priesthood. Those who reach this organization have proven themselves to be true and faithful in all things. They are Kings and Priests, Queens and Priestesses. They have the same power as did Nephi, the son of Helaman:
"...all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, 15 according to the wickedness of this people. Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus ye shall have power among this people." (Helaman 10: 5-7)
It is a general misconception among the Latter-day Saint people that the Melchizedek Priesthood 16 is the highest level of priesthood available to man. However, they certainly err, for such is not at all the truth of the matter. That which we call the Melchizedek Priesthood is the highest priesthood in the Preparatory Gospel, and serves a purpose in assisting those who have been given the Gift of the Holy Ghost to be led into the Fulness of Priesthood and receiving membership into the Church of the Firstborn which church functions with the power of the Fulness of the Priesthood, which is known as the Holy Priesthood After the Order of the Son of God. It is true that God has explained that "All Priesthood is Melchizdek", however it has within it levels of authority.
Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, on February 16, 1832, received a vision of the "degrees of glory" and a small portion of what they saw is recorded in D&C 76. Consider these quotes relative to the Church of the Firstborn -- such majesty and power as is recorded here are not a part of the Preparatory Gospel of Jesus Christ:
"...this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just -- They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name, and were baptized...that by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands...and (thus far this is a description of the 'first principles and ordinances of the gospel -- the preparatory Gospel of Christ)
"who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise17 which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. They are they who are the Church of the Firstborn. (faith causes men to work at being just and true, which leads to the higher ordinances, and to membership in the Holy Church of the Father.)
"They are they who the Father has given all things -- they are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory...wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God -- wherefore all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's and Christ is God's. And they shall overcome all things...these are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people. These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection...who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just...who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly, ( those of the celestial kingdom) and church of Enoch, (Enoch established a pure Zion community) and of the church of the Firstborn (who have received the fulness of the Father, see verse 71)...whose bodies are celestial." (D&C 76; excerpts of verses 50 - 70) 18
These blessings greatly excel in magnitude the blessings of the Lesser Priesthood and those appertaining to the preparatory gospel -- the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yes, the Church of the Firstborn is quite a different church from the preparatory church; It is a church worthy to be sought after. However, we all must begin at the beginning. We must all prepare in exactly the same pattern -- by faith, repentance, baptism, and then to fully utilize of the Gift of the Holy Ghost. These things lead to the Church of the Father and to the attendant blessings and power thereof which means the attainment of Godhood, even as did Helaman 19 .
The Lord was teaching Joseph concerning the celestial glory in D&C 76. Careful reading of this revelation will reveal that while Christ had established only the preparatory church at this date (February 1832) he is opening Joseph's mind and spirit to the higher kingdoms of glory -- the Church of the Father. It is clear that Joseph had received much from God which others of the Church of Christ had not yet received, but which would be revealed to them piecemeal over the next several years culminating in the presentation of the Holy Endowment, the granting of Fulness of Priesthood, and entrance into the Church of the Firstborn and th kingdom of God to a few men and women at the period of time from 1842 to 1844.
The temple endowment teaches the Lord's method for His children to receive 'further light and knowledge'. It provides the 'keys' to access the Heavens, to receive personal revelation, to discern and to test any spirit or resurrected being who approaches. The Lord provides to those who have entered into the 'vehicle' of the preparatory Church of Christ the means whereby they may advance to that higher church function which possesses full power and authority. The proper and correct Endowment administered in the church of Christ is critical to the development of man from that point where he gains faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to his entrance into the Church of the Firstborn. The Church of the Firstborn operates on both sides of the veil. It is the instrument used by the Holy Ghost to administer to men here on earth.
6. REASONS FOR AND BENEFITS OF A PREPARATORY CHURCH ORGANIZATION
In the Church of Christ we are to "teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom". (D&C 88: 77) By so doing the members may progress toward the higher goal of the Church of the Firstborn. When one puts forth the effort to teach another both are edified and increased. Knowledge is a saving principle, for 'knowledge is power', and no one "may be saved in ignorance". Ignorance of what? -- ignorance of the saving and exalting principles and ordinances of the Gospel. (Joseph Smith, TPJS 297) Brigham young said;
"The object of this existence is to learn, which we can only do a little at a time." (JD 9: 170)
The Church of Christ has the responsibility to teach the people how to commune with God. Personal revelation is vitally important to the progressive success of man. "Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets", said Brigham Young. (BY, JD 1:242) The Gift of the Holy Ghost is the conduit through which God pours out His will upon His children, for "...by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10: 5)
The church may provide an organizational framework for the offering of certain ordinances. Be it clearly understood that the power and the authority for the effectiveness of any of the ordinances resides in the Holy Priesthood, and not in the church institution. However, a church organization can, and ought to maintain a proper and reverential order for providing this important function to the membership.
The church will send missionaries into the world to search out and to teach the first principles and the truth to the Elect of Israel -- those who have willing hearts -- and to call all men to repentance. The plea of the Lord has always been "repent and come unto Me". Remember that "His Work and His Glory is to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man", and if new converts are not brought into the fold and taught all that they must do then the work of God is frustrated.
Whenever the gospel truths are received by a person, there follows an urge to 'Gather' (the Doctrine of Gathering) with others of like mind and commitment. An organized church functions to assist those who come together and who often are in need of help and support, and certainly they will be in need of knowledge -- for knowledge is power.
A church functions to provide opportunities for service one to another. This Christian service stimulates unity, love, and fellowship; it supplies a basic human need. (Alma 1: 31 indicates that those who come together in a bond of unity and love tend to prosper more than those who do not belong for they merit Father's blessing to a greater degree as they become less selfish and more obedient to His Will.)
"And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it." (3 Nephi 27: 10) . Such a church will show forth the various gifts of the Spirit; Moroni lists some of those Gifts in Chapter 10 -- "wisdom ...knowledge ...faith ...mighty miracles ...prophecy ...ministering spirits ...tongues..." and in D&C 46 "...to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God ...differences of administrations ...diversities of operations ...faith to be healed ...faith to heal ...discerning of spirits". Any of these Gifts become great blessings to individuals as well as to the body of the church.
The church is instructed to administer the sacrament to the membership "that they may have His Spirit to be with them", and while this ordinance may be, and often is, administered in the home by the authority of a father's Priesthood, (it is a Priesthood ordinance, not a church authority), the Lord instructs the church to meet often and to partake of the sacrament.
There are specific commandments and covenants which require that the saints 'gather' 20 and be under the direction of the Priesthood in a church organization, seeking to keep commandments and covenants which cannot be kept by a person independently. The commandment to 'gather' is one of them; another is to consecrate. Without a Bishop one cannot completely comply with the Law of Consecration. While a person may profess to love God, and to keep His commandments, and to be able to do so without the Lord's church as he chooses to be alone 'in the wilds of nature' etc. he cannot keep all of the commandments in that way, and will not be able to ascend the Holy Mount unto the Church of the Firstborn.
7. THE FORCES OF EVIL WORK FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LORD'S PREPARATORY CHURCH
Satan and his dark forces are constantly working to destroy the works of God. The Law of Opposition has never been revoked. Satan directly opposes the Lord's church on earth and he certainly opposes those who are His Servants. (For a more detailed analysis of the repeated onslaughts by the dark forces and their repeated successes see the TLC pamphlet: "The Apostasy of Israel".) Each time in the history of the earth when God has organized a 'church' Satan has organized against the Lord, and, with but two exceptions 21, he has successfully infiltrated both the leadership echelons and the people as a whole causing the church and its people to apostatize.
Historically there is a common pattern which individuals, nations, and Israel have repeatedly followed as faith increases and eventually gives way to pride, which eventually leads men back again into bondage Here it is:
Out of BONDAGE................. comes FAITH, and ACTION
Out of FAITH........................ comes UNITY
Out of UNITY.......................comes FREEDOM
Out of FREEDOM...............comes PROSPERITY
Out of PROSPERITY..........comes ABUNDANCE
Out of ABUNDANCE..........comes PRIDE
Out of PRIDE ......................comes COMPLACENCY
Out of COMPLACENCY...comes APATHY
Out of APATHY................comes DEPENDENCY
Out of DEPENDENCY.......comes BONDAGE......AGAIN!
The Adversary is well acquainted with this human pattern, and uses this knowledge to interfere with the work of the Lord. He knows that we are vulnerable to his influence and that we are unlikely to maintain that same upward direction when we become prosperous, possessing abundance, for at that time we mortals become full of pride, "and pride goeth before the fall".
The prophets have repeatedly warned against the sin of pride, and the scriptures are replete with examples which serve to warn those who "have ears to hear, and eyes to see". In 1986 the Mormon President, Ezra Taft Benson issued a similar warning to the Latter Day Saint people in his first talk after becoming the church President. Satan works upon prideful people to make them even more prideful for he knows of the powerful hold which the sin of pride has upon mankind. Prideful people persecute the humble and they bring afflictions upon them. Example: "...pride began to enter...into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God --and they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble [teachable] part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction." (Helaman 3: 33-34) Satan uses pride as a tool to destroy the Church of Christ
Satan works to destroy faith in the Lord's people, for without faith no works may be done 22 . Further, if the people of the church of Christ "have not faith in Him, then [they] are not fit to be numbered among the people of His church". (Moroni 7: 39) Thus we see that the destruction of the church is assured if Satan can destroy faith in the hearts of the people.
"Many are called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are so much set upon the things of this world, and [they] aspire to the honors of men." 23 Greed and worldly aspirations constitute valuable tools in Satan's efforts to destroy God's church. The scriptures retell many accounts of men who were engaged in God's service but who allowed Satan to overwhelm them with either, or both, of these two sins.
"...when we undertake to ... exercise control or dominion or compulsion...in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves..and Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man." 24 The action of restricting the freedom of the use of agency is a very successful method which Satan employs for we see that the Lord says that the Priesthood authority of one who so behaves is lost -- Amen! -- that sounds pretty final! We quote H. Verlan Andersen from his book The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil, chapter 18; "The Apostasy of the Latter Days" page 179: "Satan's overwhelming success in destroying agency lies in his ability to seduce men into doing as a group that which they know to be evil when done by an individual." The influence which Satan exercises upon men lies in a great measure in his power to deceive and to seduce. How very willing man sometimes is to allow this influence, and in so doing, man actively helps Satan to destroy the Lord's church.
Satan rules over his dominion today; he has succeeded in garnering the whole earth under his control. In doing so he has employed another of his effective devices which is a combination of a false priesthood in association with priestcraft. Whenever the people of the church cast out true Priesthood they continue the operation of that church under the control of a false and satanic priesthood -- that is the only alternative to true Priesthood, there is no other kind.
'Priestcraft' is specifically warned against by the Lord; "He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion...the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish."25 In modern Israel priestcraft is apparent -- for example; there are LDS General Authorities who receive huge incomes because of their LDS church positions through the LDS church corporation, and those who administer and teach in the LDS seminary and institutes receive their incomes from the church and they do practice priestcraft. The BYU religion professors also practice priestcraft, for they labor for money -- their 'craft' for income is to teach priestly things which is contrary to the word of the Lord; "Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing." 26
The Lord, in His war against Satan and his evil influences, has warned His people not to "lean upon the arm-of-flesh", but rather to lean upon Him, the "Holy One Of Israel". What is the difference? Quite simple: The arm-of-flesh is to depend upon men -- any man, irrespective of his position, station, calling, or experience. To lean upon Christ is to put one's faith and dependence in the perfect one, God, who knows all and who will support His children in all adversity if they will "come unto Him". The arm-of-flesh is no substitute for personal revelation from God to govern the activities of one's life. Satan has succeeded in corrupting the LDS temple endowment in so much that the correct knowledge of how to communicate through the Veil [True Order of Prayer] is no longer taught in their temples. When Satan convinced them to remove the acknowledgement of Christ's atonement, and altered two of the 'keys' in 1990, the final denial of Jesus Christ by that church occurred and they have crucified Christ afresh, and desecrate His Holy Name!
Praise be to God, for He has now restored the proper and correct Endowment. Those 'keys' are again available to the Elect. The veil is again parted. Christ is once again visiting His people.
For the sake of brevity in this paper, we will cite only one more method which Satan employs 'to bring the Lord's church to destruction in the wilderness'. It is the "very mainspring of all corruption", it is " the influence of that spirit which hath so strongly riveted the creeds of the fathers, who have inherited lies, upon the hearts of the children." 27 "Only those who have the faith and the independence of character to seek the word of God in it's purity from the scriptures and the teachings of the Holy Ghost 28 can expect to escape the influence of inherited lies. People who regard themselves as members of the "only true church" have the fatal tendency to consider themselves immune from the disease of deception. Believing that they belong to the Lord's Church and have His scriptures and His prophets to guide them, they blindly assume that this adequately protects them against false beliefs. History teaches the folly of such assumption, and the scriptures specifically deny it's validity. In fact, it is those who have the truth "plainly manifest unto them" who have the most to fear ..." 29 (Emphasis Ours)
The people of the church, listening to the influence of Satan more than that of God, commit a grave mistake when they say to their leaders that they want "lesser laws" to live, because they are unwilling to strive to live the higher laws. The children of Israel said this to Moses, and God removed the higher laws from them, and Israel, as a people, suffered greatly because of their sin before God. The LDS people have duplicated that very same sin. They have rejected the higher laws of God and have demanded lesser rules as substitutes 30 -- and those lesser rules will not attain the Celestial Rewards. Whenever the devil can influence the temptations of a people, the people will then say "give us the easy path which requires no sacrifice of our pleasures and comforts"-- apostasy has then entered in; the church will surely go to destruction.
Does the devil have control of the whole earth today? 31 Have the people of Israel succumbed to his evil influence again? Has he, one more time, taken control of the Lord's church? Has he dominion over"the great and abominable church of the devil"? Has the Lord's church again 'gone to go to bed' with wicked government and caused the 'bride' of Christ to become the "whore of all the earth", which requires Christ to find another 'bride' to fill her adulterated place? Has Satan again successfully used his tools of 'pride', 'loss of faith', 'dominion' and 'control' and thereby 'restricted personal agency'? Is he using a 'false priesthood' and 'priestcraft' giving a false hope in Christ with the 'inherited lies from the fathers' to bring the church to destruction once again, and make of no avail the saving power of Christ through that church which was originally established by the Lord? In short, is the church of modern Israel, the LDS church, in apostasy today?
The following quotation was said by one of the the women of the True and Living Church and reflects the proper attitude of a true Christian:
"If the truth is not available, then I am content to be patient; however, if I find that it has been made available but that the powers of darkness have conspired to keep that knowledge from me, I will fight to gain that essential knowledge for myself and my family!"
8. APOSTASY! A WARNING VOICE IN ISRAEL'S WILDERNESS
The Holy Church of Christ may, indeed, become apostate. In fact, it almost always has.
The Holy Church of Christ and it's membership will lose the right to exercise the Holy Priesthood to the same degree:
1. that they stray from the eternal doctrines given at the hand of the Lord;
2. that they teach the commandments of men mingled with scripture and represents them to be from the Lord;
3. that they change and alter 32 the ordinances which have been placed within that church by God;
5. that the true identity of God is discarded, and a false concept becomes the 'official' teaching; 33
4. that the leadership exercises 'unrighteous dominion' upon the innocent 34;
6. that the true Priesthood is replaced by 'priestcraft' (see footnote 10) .
God will no longer accept the offerings of such an apostate 'church'. He casts such a people off from Him, and, with humble and teachable men to whom He may restore the truth, He proceeds to 'set in order the House of God'. 35 God does not 'pour new pure wine into old bottles' 36 . Why? Because the 'bottle' itself has become weak and contaminated by the old fermented and polluted 'wine'. The old bottle will pollute the fresh, clean 'wine', or not be able to contain it at all. Consider the words of the Master as He answers the scribes and pharisees;
"No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment: for that filled which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved." (Matthew 9:16-17)
Jesus made this graphic comparison in a day similar to our own day: That is, that the old established church in Jerusalem (the old bottle) was apostate. In our day it is the LDS church that is apostate. The fresh wine (the truth - in both cases) will not be able to be contained, or in other words, it will "runneth out" because the "old bottle" is not capable of holding the truth secure within its own parameters. Perhaps this metaphor might be rewritten for modern times like this:
'The Lord, in His wisdom, doth not put the true and living gospel into an old and apostate church corporation: for such a church has become weakened and decayed, and cannot receive that which is truth that it henceforth retain its purity: the truth which the Lord of the vineyard placed there many years ago with a charge to maintain its virtue has already been allowed to runneth out and to be lost: therefore, the fresh truth of the vine must have a new people to contain it that it may not be spilled and lost .'
It is important that God's children never allow themselves to forget who they worship -- it is not the organizational structure nor the institution of a church upon which God wants man to focus his worship, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is to be the focus of worship. Whenever man has permitted the influence of the world and the 'arm-of-flesh to deter his worship focus away from Jesus Christ, to the extent of that diversion, such a man, or such a church, has become, in that same degree, an 'apostate'.
A church becomes 'apostate' only to the extent of the apostasy degree of the membership. A church becomes 'apostate' in small increments over a period of time as the individuals therein turn away from the God-given original and fundamental doctrines, tenets, principles, and ordinances. Leadership may lead the way before the membership, or the members may take the path of apostasy in spite of leadership. Either way, the church is being led to destruction, in so far as the Lord is concerned. Eventually, when all of the original doctrines, tenets, principles, and ordinances have been cast off and only an empty shell remains, the Holy Priesthood authority and operating power is taken away by that same God who gave it. The people who remain in that empty shell are also left empty to the same extent that they, individually, also have rejected those original governing elements.
Thus it is plain to the understanding that it is a pure and undefiled Priesthood which must be preserved in order that the Church of Christ may remain with the power and authority of God. There must be "watchmen on the towers" 37 of Israel guarding against the enemy's intrusion for he comes with all the elements of apostasy. When the watchmen fall asleep 38 the church is then driven into the "wilderness" and goes to destruction. The history of mankind shows this to be the retrogression pattern which leads to apostasy. It is truly an eternal principle.
On September 4, 1873 Brigham Young said, in reference to the apostasy of the church in the days of the Apostles Peter, James, and John, when commenting upon the ordinance of Priesthood sealing of man to man, that temples would have to be built and used for that sealing ordinance;
"...because of the chain of the Priesthood being broken upon the earth. The Priesthood had left the people, but in the first place the people left the Priesthood. They transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, and broke the everlasting covenant, and the Priesthood left them; but not until they had left the Priesthood." (JD Vol 16:186) 39
We testify that this is a true principle. It applies equally to the church of Christ at any time, and in any dispensation.
What then is to be done whenever the Lord's church becomes totally and completely apostate, changing every principle, doctrine, and ordinance which are required to establish Zion and to lead Israel to the church of the Firstborn, and thence into the presence of the Father? Can we expect God to throw up His hands in despair and concede victory to the devil? Of course not! That is not even a consideration! -- for if it were all would be lost; Christ's atonement would be wasted, the prophet's sacrifices useless, the scriptures worthless, "families would not be forever"; and, could we all start all over with a failed earth and it's occupants owned by Satan and Babylon? The earth will be utterly wasted if the Gods fail to make Gods out of at least some of us. That is not what we want. We hope that you don't want it either!
9. ONCE AGAIN, GOD DELIVERS TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE, ISRAEL
God does not fail. God will win this eternal battle against the dark forces of the adversary. Even though the Mormons have "transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant" 40, be assured that Christ will "have a tried and proven people" to prepare the way into His Millennial Reign. He cannot accomplish that with an apostate church. Zion will be redeemed by a small remnant of a faithful people, and Zion will be redeemed with power. The way that these promises will come to pass is marvelous indeed -- read on and wonder at the wisdom of an omniscient God.
Some claim that there will never be another angel come and minister to man; they claim that there is no need for another angel to bring anything to earth since that time when the gospel was restored to Joseph Smith. They claim that the restoration of the Priesthood was complete, and that there is no reason for anything divine to be restored at the hand of an angel. Isn't this about what the Christian ministers said to Joseph Smith when he told them of the angel's visits to him in Palmyra? Are we repeating that same mind set? Who dares to 'box God in' and to dictate what God can and cannot do?
God does send Heavenly Messengers to earth when the authorized leadership have closed their ears and have departed from His ways. A few examples: Enoch was visited by the Glorious Angel; Moses on the Mount before God; Isaiah in the days of King Ahaz was visited by angels; Lehi and Jeremiah received visits and instructions from angels before the destruction of Jerusalem; Angels appeared to Nephi, one of them appeared in the presence of Laban who was an 'elder' in the organized church; Joseph Smith was visited by two Gods in the grove; and later was visited by other angels: Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John, Moses, Elijah, Noah, etc.
God also sends Heavenly Messengers to earth to fill His purposes even in times when His authorized personnel are awake and are following the strait and narrow path. A few examples: Abraham in the days of Melchizedek, the High Priest; Nephi, even though Lehi was the Patriarch of the family; Alma the younger, and the sons of Mosiah while his father, Alma was at the head of the church; Paul on the road to Damascus at a time when the Apostles were the Lord's authorized prophets. etc.
Let us now refer to another angel, the one spoken of in Revelations 14: 6; But first it is important to note these words in verse 1;
"...a Lamb stood on the mount sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
The next four verses describe this unique group who have Fulness of Priesthood. And then John writes these words concerning this very special angel ;
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him.
This event has been erroneously attributed to the coming of the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith. The Mormon temples have a statue of an angel holding a trumpet to attest to that belief. This angel spoken cannot be any of the angels who came in the early days of the Restoration.
First point: The angel in Revelation 14: 6 comes after the 144,000 are sealed in their foreheads. The 144,000 have not been called and sealed even as late as 1998, and so this angel did not visit Joseph, and is yet to arrive.
Second point: The angel in Revelation 14: 6 has the Everlasting Gospel to preach to every one on the earth. While the Everlasting Gospel was revealed to Joseph Smith he was able to teach it to only a few who could bear and accept those higher truths. Only the Preparatory Gospel has remained and that is the most that has been taught by the LDS church in the twentieth century. The 144,000 are those of the Church of the Firstborn and and are translated beings, perfected and "without fault'. This condition has not yet existed in this dispensation.
Third point: This angel could not be the Angel Moroni in the 1820-27 period as has been claimed. This angel comes in a day and time when the everlasting gospel, combined with Fulness of Priesthood authority, is already functioning upon the earth. In as much as those 144,000 are of the church of the Firstborn, and, as such, were not present on the earth at that time period, then it follows that the time frame for their appearance was to occur at some later date. This angel arrives after the 144,000 make their appearance. This angel in Revelation 14: 6 -7, who preaches the gospel of the Father --the Everlasting Gospel -- is the Witness-Testator God who still holds all the Priesthood Keys to this Dispensation 41. This angel is none other than Joseph Smith, Jr. The time for the fulfilling of this prophecy is near at hand.
The evidence is clear that God can, and does, send angels to earth whether or not there exists on earth valid priesthood authority, or a "true" church organization -- and He can do this whenever He sees the need for it. We testify that it is a false doctrine that states otherwise -- it is not wisdom for man to 'box God in' and to dictate what He can and cannot do.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints once held those certain keys and the Priesthood authority to administer among men for and in behalf of God. Over an extended period of years this leadership, with the approval and/or acceptance of the people of the church 42, has altered, eliminated, modified, or polluted each and every one of the true principles, ordinances, and doctrines placed there by God through the Dispensation Head Joseph Smith, Jr. These actions have caused the spirit of apostasy to take over that people to such an extent that they, as a group, have been deceived, and do not recognize their own apostate condition before the Lord Jesus Christ whose name they profess but whose church and gospel they have desecrated 43 . (See the TLC Pamphlets "Apostasy of Israel", "Apostolic Witness of the Last Days", "They have Changed the Ordinances", "Zion vs. Babylon", "Follow the Brethren - Fact or Fiction".)
This being so what was God to do? Since Israel has again gone following after the false gods 44 of Babylon and had lost the approval of God, as a church, what was there for God to do but to "send one mighty and strong" to "set in order the house 45 of God"? And that is exactly what God proceeded to do; God has called upon the "one mighty and strong", even Joseph Smith, Jr. (for he still holds the 'keys' of this Dispensation) to continue his work of the Restoration, and to bring it to its ultimate and foreordained conclusion.
Thus it was that on November 25, 1990 -- about seven months after the final change in the Mormon Endowment which sealed the testimony against that church -- that four angels were sent by the authority of the Godhead to ordain the Holy Apostleship upon a certain High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood in Manti, Utah -- a man named James Dee Harmston, who was at that time chosen of God to receive the keys of that Priesthood office, the Holy Apostleship.
We testify that these messengers were Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, and that they conferred the office of the apostleship at that time, which office in the Priesthood has the authority to organize a church of Christ, and to bear off the kingdom. Brigham Young said on May 7, 1861 in a talk on Priesthood, these explanatory words: "What ordination should a man receive to possess all the keys and powers of the Holy Priesthood that were delivered to the sons of Adam? He should be ordained an Apostle of Jesus Christ. That office puts him in possession of every key, every power, every authority, communication, benefit, blessing, glory, and kingdom that was ever revealed to men."
And, in that same talk President Young added this: "Suppose the enemy had power to destroy all but one of the High Priests from the face of the earth, what would that one possess in the power of his Priesthood? He would have power and authority to go and preach, baptize, confirm, ordain, and set in order the kingdom of God in all its perfection on the earth. Could he do this without revelation? No." 46
The Lord anticipated that four years later the Apostleship would be necessary to be able to fully organize His Church; and so, the call by revelation from God to organize the church of Christ came, and on May 3, 1995, The Church of Jesus Christ of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days was organized. The Council of High Priests was ordained by revelation to the Holy Apostleship, and they were set-apart to become the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. All of the necessary elements were brought into place by God:
1. Apostasy of the established church of Christ.
2. The continued existence of true Priesthood in spite of that apostasy.
3. Specific Revelation from God.
4. The formal organization of His Church with His Approval by direct Revelation.
We are often asked this question; "why would you organize a church? The simple, short answer is this: "Because God told us to do it". That's the same answer which was given by Joseph Smith, Jr. to the same question.
And the answer to this question; "what reason would God have to tell you to organize a church", is the also same answer which Joseph also gave to that same question. It too, is very plain and simple: "Because the former church of Christ has transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and set at naught the ancient covenant".
We testify that the church of Christ, with it's power and authority to administer in the affairs of men to provide the strait and narrow path to the Church of the Firstborn, is now here upon the earth, and the entrance to it is available to the honest in heart through faith, repentance, and baptism. We invite the Elect of Israel to 'awake and arise' and put on their beautiful garments and join with us in the establishment of and in the redemption of Zion.
Christ loves His people, Israel, and especially the Ephraimites, the birthright tribe. He wants each of us to share in the inheritance which He will receive from The Father. His church, with the Priesthood authority, is His gift to His people, Israel..... if they will accept it.
10...."BUT, YOUR CHURCH IS SO SMALL"
The Lord speaks to this very subject in The Doctrine and Covenants. Section 133, verses 57 - 59:
"...prepare the weak for those things which are coming on the earth, and for the Lord's errand in the day when the weak shall confound the wise, and the little one become a strong nation, and two shall put their tens of thousands to flight. And by the weak things of the earth the Lord shall thrash the nations by the power of His Spirit."
God began His work upon the earth with only two people -- Adam and Eve.
God called one man, Enoch, to gather His people together into an organization so that they would be able to grow unto a Zion society at a time when there still lived upon the earth Patriarchs who held Fulness of Priesthood.
One man, Abraham, was singled out by God to be the 'father of all nations' at the time when Melchizedek was the High Priest at Salem, and he presided over a Zion society with Fulness of Priesthood.
One man, Jacob, was called of God and by angels to be the father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
One man, Moses, was called by God when the Children of Israel were in bondage in the Egypt, at a time when they had leadership akin to a 'church'.
Lehi and a handful of people were led out of Jerusalem, 'out of the midst of His people, Israel', into the wilderness and into a promised land to build a kingdom unto God. This was at a time when the Jews already had an organized and established 'church' in Jerusalem.
Alma was led away into the wilderness to organize a 'church' as he, and a few hundred people, escaped from the organized church of King Noah, an apostate church which had 'transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant' 47 .
Jesus established a church among the Jews who had an organized and functioning 'church' and who claimed to be following Moses as their original prophet. Yet, that church was apostate, and no longer held the Priesthood Keys, having given them all away in the process of changing the Laws of God which God had delivered to them.
After the destructions on the American continent Jesus organized a 'new ' church with only about twenty five hundred people from 'out of the midst of His people' and set twelve high-priest-apostles at the head. It is important to recognize that at this time Jesus had two churches organized on the earth simultaneously. There also may have been other churches of Christ in existence elsewhere on earth for He said that He had other sheep that He would visit.
In the latter days God called one man, Joseph Smith, Jr., to the leadership of the restoration of the Gospel.
On April 6, 1830 six men only organized the Church of Christ.
We testify that the Lord had made provision for a 'setting in order' when the church which He organized in the 'latter days' would go astray and would reject the truth in these 'last days'. In all dispensations, the scriptures record, that a small remnant of the Lord's people, who will serve Him at all costs, and do so in the face of tremendous opposition, have been preserved to do His Great and Marvelous Work in that day so that Israel might be redeemed.
Many of the early brethren were forewarned of the coming church apostasy and spoke openly of that possibility. Here are a few quotations which speak to those expectations:
ORSON F. WHITNEY:
"Many of this people are perhaps preparing themselves, by following after the world in its mad race for wealth and pleasure to go down with Babylon when she crumbles and falls; but I know there is a people, in the heart's 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, fearing not man nor what man can do, but believing as the prophet Joseph says, that God will stand by us forever and ever." (Deseret News, August 11, 1889)
ORSON PRATT:
" I do not know but that 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 somewhere in the region round about in these mountains." (Journal of Discourses, 15: 361-362)
DANIEL H. WELLS:
"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 up building 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 that has been talked so much about." (Deseret News, December 9, 1882)
DANIEL H. WELLS:
"Many will doubtless make shipwreck of their faith and will be led away by the allurements of sin into by and forbidding paths; yet the kingdom will not be taken from this people and given to another, but 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." (Deseret News, November 6, 1875)
HEBER C. KIMBALL:
"Many of this people have broken their covenants...But you cannot do that, for God will cut you off and raise up another people that will carry out His purposes in righteousness, unless you walk up to the line of your duty." (Journal of Discourses, 4:108)
"But the day will come when the Lord will chose a people out of this people upon whom He will bestow His choicest blessings." (Journal of Discourses, 11: 145)
BRIGHAM YOUNG:
"God will preserve a portion of this people, of the meek and the humble, to bear off the kingdom to the inhabitants of the earth, and will defend His Priesthood; for it is the last time, the last gathering time." (Contributor, 10: 362)
JOSEPH SMITH, JR:
"...for if Zion will not purify herself, so as to be approved in all things, in His sight, He will seek another people; for His work will go on until Israel is gathered, and they who will not hear His voice, must expect to feel His wrath." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 18)
We testify that these 'other people' who were identified by these Priesthood leaders more than one hundred years ago is 'this people' right here in these 'regions round about' today, who are 'standing up for God' and 'ready to conform to the heavenly laws'; Who are 'zealous to do good works', and will do 'the bidding of the Lord'; These are they who 'will carry out His purposes in righteousness' and are known today as The True And Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days with headquarters in Manti, Utah, which is in a valley surrounded by mountains in fulfillment of that circumstance which these men anticipated.
11. "WO UNTO THEM THAT FIGHT AGAINST GOD AND THE PEOPLE OF HIS CHURCH" 48
"And where there is a priest of God - a minister who has the power and authority from God to administer in the ordnances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God - there is the kingdom of God. And, in consequence of rejecting...the judgments of God have rested upon people..." (Joseph Smith, TPJS page 271)
"He that will war the true Christian warfare against the corruptions of these last days will have wicked men and angels of devils, and all the infernal powers of darkness continually arrayed against him." (Joseph Smith, TPJS page 259)
"And every nation which will war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned against one another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, which hath perverted the right ways of the Lord 49, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it. (Nephi 22: 14)
"And blessed are the Gentiles, 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..." (2 Nephi 6: 12)
"Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil." (D&C 18: 20) (We have proposed to show that the LDS church has become so deeply apostate that it is now operating under a Satanic priesthood and hence is properly identified as the Great and Abominable Church of the Devil.)
"Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church." (D&C 10: 68)
We testify that persecution has been the lot of The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days ever since the announcement of the organization of His church, and as we continue to deliver the true doctrine to the world persecution increases. We declare with Nephi of old that there are "two churches only". 1 Nephi 14: 10 makes this very clear; "...Behold, there are two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil." Can this be true? Yes, for in as much as there is only one path which leads to the Church of the Firstborn, and hence into the Celestial Realms, it follows that no other path will arrive at the Throne of God in the Celestial Kingdom. If a person is not on the right course, he will miss the mark -- and that is precisely Satan's plan!
It does make a difference to which church a person belongs!
12. A WITNESS AND A TESTIMONY:
We testify that the work of the Gods is to bring to pass our salvation and our eternal life, to bring us all to a celestial resurrection, to dwell and to labor in the eternities with our Eternal God in the Family of the Gods.
We testify that the Holy Priesthood rules and reigns as the power of God; that it governs on this earth, [or on any earth], far beyond any power and/or authority of any organization or church. No church can be greater than the Priesthood power which gave it birth.
We testify that the purpose of The True and Living Church is to provide the structure to assist a person in acquiring true knowledge so that they may receive the power to progress upwards through the essential ordinances, and to take upon them the sacred covenants in concert with Deity.
We testify that the True and Living Church is to assist God's children to merit the atonement of Christ through repentance, and to provide the knowledge and the stimulus to have their Calling and Election Made Sure thereby being brought into the physical presence of Christ; and there to be crowned a king and a priest, or a queen and a priestess, and to be welcomed into the Church of the Firstborn.
We testify that, whenever it serves His purposes, God exercises His power and choice to organize a church with His authority, and to invest within it His governing power, the Holy Priesthood.
We testify that the evil forces of Satan have never ceased in their attempts to destroy the work of God and/or the Church of Christ. We also testify that "this is the day of Satan's great power", for he "reigns from the rivers to the end of the earth" 50 . In our own day Satan now has "power over his own dominion". (See End note # 31)
We testify that the church established through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, Jr. has gone into complete and irreparable apostasy, and that God has rejected that church for they have rejected Him by 'transgressing the laws, changing the ordinances, and by breaking the everlasting covenant'.
We witness and testify that God is keeping His word and is even now "setting in order the House of God" for He has called a remnant of faithful priesthood men and women out from His people, Israel, and He is manifesting His will with great power and authority unto them exactly as prophesied. We witness and testify that angels are administering and returning the lost and stolen keys to the earth.
We solemnly witness and testify that The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days exists today under the guidance, through the Veil, of "the one mighty and strong," 51 even Joseph Smith Jr., who is the Witness-Testator, and fills the Office of the Holy Ghost. 52
Perhaps you yourself may have been searching for the 'truth and the way', and longing to be guided to the true and living way to bring you unto Christ and the Father in the Celestial Kingdom. If so, your search has now come to a successful conclusion if you have the conviction to serve God with all your might, mind, and strength.
We are searching for the "Elect of Israel". They are the only people who can stand the heat of the fires of the work of the Last Days. Hear the word of the Lord :
".... the scriptures shall be given, even as they are in mine own bosom, to the salvation of mine own elect; For they will hear my voice, and shall see me, and shall not be asleep, and shall abide the day of my coming; for they shall be purified, even as I am pure. (D&C 35: 20-21)
Perhaps the Holy Spirit may be whispering to you that you are one of the Elect of Israel; perhaps there are deep stirrings within you bosom which call unto you to seek for your true identity; perhaps you have the blood of the Savior Jesus Christ in your veins; perhaps, just perhaps, you have a divine mission to Gather with His People.
We invite you to be prayerful about the things which you have just read, and to sincerely inquire of the Lord concerning them, "for by the power of the Holy Ghost you may know the truth of all things". 53 We testify to you that God will answer your honest request to know for yourself those things which are true. We testify that the message of this discourse will be sustained by the witness of the Holy Ghost to those who are humble and honest in heart. We invite your inquiry.
1. Moses 1: 39.
2 . D&C 10:53, 54, 57, 62, 63-69. [To help the reader better organize the salient and weightest points which the Lord refers as concerns His "church" in this Section, we have selected certain important statements by the Lord while keeping them in the Lord's own order.]
3. Romans 8: 17
4. These are the various 'kingdoms', or places, representing judgment into which all mankind will be assigned.
5. See D&C 76: 36 - 44; Christ repeats 5 times that He saves "all" that He creates excepting the sons of perdition.
6. See D&C 76: 39-43; This is a clear indication that it is the Plan of Father to save ALL His children excepting the 'sons of perdition' who are the "only ones on whom the second death shall have any power." (verses 36, 37.) The further details of how Father does advance His children from a lesser degree to a higher glory is not a subject of this pamphlet; however, we testify that the Divine Plan of EternAl Progression, and the Doctrine of Multiple Mortal Probations are true doctrines, and are doctrines which were taught by Joseph Smith, and by others of the early LDS brethren as well.
7. God's authorization to man comes by His Spirit or by His Voice to he who holds Priesthood by lineage and by ordination. D&C 1: 4-6; D&C 84: 42-47, 52.
8. D&C 121: 36, 41; It is suggested to study all of verses 33 through 46.
9. D&C 6: 7; 11: 7; there are more than 40 similar references in scripture indicating the need to learn the "mysteries". See also the LDS Scripture Index , page 236, Heading 'Mysteries' for many of those references.
10. See the TLC Pamphlet: "The Only True God"
11. Alma 5: 14; It will be well to read the entire 5th chapter.
12. See the TLC Pamphlet: "Follow The Brethren? -- Fact or Fiction".
13. The Holy Embrace was taught in the Holy Endowment in the temple. In 1990 the LDS general Authorities removed it. New endowees since that date are ignorant of its existence and certainly would not know how to respond to the coming of the Savior if He were come to them personally for He will test every such a person who is presented to Him. Of course, without receiving the true and correct endowment a person will never have the opportunity to be tested for the Keys of the Priesthood and the Holy Embrace, and so will never receive their Calling and Election Made Sure as a result.
14. Michael is identified in the temple endowment as one of the creators of the earth, and it is he who is put into a deep sleep and upon awakening becomes Adam, the 'first-born' of all flesh. This is a true doctrine taught by Joseph Smith and openly explained and taught by his successor, President Brigham Young and others of the LDS Church Leadership. In 1897 the Mormon Hierarchy rescinded the teaching of the "Adam God Doctrine", removed it from the Temple Endowment, and thus they no longer acknowledged and identified He who is the God of this earth. See the TLC Pamphlet: "The Only True God".
15. The Priesthood has the power to CURSE as well as to bless. D&C 24: 15; 41: 1; 103: 25; 124: 93; 132: 47 - 48.
16. The Melchizedek Priesthood icludes the Patriarchal Priesthood which is acquired by lineage or adoption, and is conferred by ordination under the hands of a man -- it is possessed by many men and women today.
17. The Holy Spirit of Promise: D&C 124: 124; Hyrum Smith, the Patriarch, is conferred the 'sealing blessings', "...even the Holy Spirit of promise, whereby ye are sealed up unto the day of redemption, that ye may not fall". D&C 88: 3; "...I send you another Comforter...even the Holy Spirit of Promise...which Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom." D&C 132: 7, 18-19; all covenants and performances must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise to have force after this life.
18. D&C 76; excerpts of verses 50 - 70 which has been done to direct the reader's attention to prominent elements of this subject.
19. Other men have attained to the level of godhood as did Helaman. Examples: Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Brother of Jared, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, etc.
20. See the TLC Pamphlet: "The Gathering of the Elect"
21. The City of Enoch which existed as a Zion community before the Flood, and the City of Salem under the leadership of Melchizedek, who was Shem, the son of Noah, are the known exceptions to this statement; each of these groups of people were translated people of the Church of the Firstborn. They and their nation were bodily taken up and removed from the earth and did not suffer apostasy as has eventually occurred in every other recorded instance to the Lord's church and people.
22. See the Lectures on Faith ; Joseph Smith. The best copies of this work are the pre-1986 editions, for there have been changes made from the original. These lessons were included in the Doctrine and Covenants, but were removed before 1920.
23. D&C 121: 34-35; It is profitable to commit to memory verses 34 through 46. These verses deal directly with apostasy from truth.
24. D&C 121: 37.
25. 2 Nephi 26: 29 & 31; A clear example of the destroying sin of priestcraft is found in the account of the wicked king Noah in Mosiah 11. Those people were subjected to the great suffering of bondage. Priestcraft martyred Abinadi; Chapters 12 - 17.
26. 2 Nephi 26: 30. The Lord is very direct and positive: "forbidden"! See also D&C 33: 4; "...they err in many instances because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds." Also 3 Nephi 16: 10; when gentiles are filled with..."priestcrafts" the gospel will be removed from among them. The Mormon church is the 'gentile church'.
27. D&C 123: 7; See also D&C 93: 39
28. It will greatly increase the meaning of this to recognize that the Office of the Holy Ghost is being filled by Joseph Smith, Jr.
29. The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil; H. Verlan Andersen; Chapter 18; "The Apostasy of the Latter Days"; page 174. Source: Hans V. Andersen, Jr. 1724 South 165 West Orem, Utah. 84058.
30. The rejection of the Higher Laws for lesser rules by the people: Celestial Plural Marriage 1890; The Sealing Principle 1894; Adam God Doctrine 1897; Fashion changes in the Priesthood Garment 1920-today; and Rejection of the Gathering began around 1900; Rebaptism 1990's; Church above Priesthood; Folow the Brethren 1935-today etc., etc., etc.
31. D&C 1: 35; and LDS President Ezra Taft Benson Ensign: May 1986, page 79 "We live in that time..."
32. TPJS pages 168 and 308.
33. D&C 121: 37.
34. Example: It was revealed to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and others that the eternal being who we know as Michael and Adam is, in fact, a condescended God, our Heavenly Father. The LDS church now denies this truth, and usually "disciplines" members who believe and teach this doctrine to others.
35. Example: The Book of Mormon records about 30 apostasies of the Lord's people. We are admonished to learn lessons from the Book of Mormon.
36. Matthew 9: 17; Mark 2: 22; Luke 5: 37-38
37. "Watchmen on the tower" is a warning term used by Christ in the parable of the "nobleman and the vineyard" in D&C 101: 43-62; see especially verses 45, 46, 53, 54, also verse 12 - for all His Israel (the Elect) are to be found upon the watchtower protecting the Lord's vineyard who will "come by night".
38. See D&C 86: 1 - 3; The apostles (LDS leadership) have fallen asleep in the LDS church over a period of time beginning in the days of Joseph Smith and coming to total 'asleep' state in 1990 with the complete turning from all of the original restoration elements which has brought a complete and final apostasy and which has "drive[n] the church into the wilderness". For documentation of these early apostle apostasies see: THE MORMON HIERARCHY - ORIGINS OF POWER by D. Michael Quinn; Signature Books, 1994. Also see the TLC Pamphlets: "They have Changed The Ordinances", "The Apostasy of Israel", "A Warning Testimony", The Apostolic Witness", "Follow The Brethren - Fact or Fiction."
39. JD Vol 16, page 186.
40. Isaiah 24: 5. This is a "last days" reference. Note verse 6: "Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left. These events have not yet occurred. They are "last days".
41. D&C 90: 3; "...the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, NEITHER IN THE WORLD TO COME". See also D&C 64: 5; D&C 112: 15. Be aware that this is also a direct reference to the Doctrine of Multiple Mortal Probations. Joseph is prophecied to return to the earth in the Last Days. We testify that this is true doctrine.
42. The membership of the LDS church are bound under the Law of Common Consent (D&C 26:2).
43. Orson F. Whitney on April 19, 1885 comments on this very principle: "...having destroyed the temporal church...its spiritual counterpart would necessarily depart, just as naturally as the spirit of man will depart when the body ceases to live...when the body returns to dust, the spirit is free to soar away. When the body of Christ was dead, the spirit returned to God -- passed into the spirit world. So it is with the Church, which is called the body of Christ; Kill the temporal Church, and the spirit Church will take its departure; it will be received into the heavens." JD Vol 26 page 198-9. We testify that the old temporal church (LDS) is now dead.
44. Some of these 'false Gods' are revealed by Spencer W. Kimball; "The False Gods We Worship", Ensign June 1976. Also see "The Last Days" by Avraham Gileadi, Chapter 1, "Twelve Diatribes of Modern Israel".
45. D&C 45: 7; This promise has been misinterpreted to deceive the Elect so that they would not recognize that the "House" would at some time get out of order, and that Joseph Smith would be the "one mighty and strong" who would be called to "set the House of God in order". The "House" of God is NOT the LDS church. See D&C 103: 21; D&D 101: 59-62. Also, see TLC Pamphlet: "Joseph Smith, Jr."
46. Read the entire talk: JD Vol. 9, page 86 - 93.
47. Mosiah 11
48. 2 Nephi 25: 14.
49. To "pervert" is to prostitute, misrepresent, abuse, defile, adulterate, distort, or dishonor. Thus, to "pervert the right ways of the Lord" that is sin against God and can only be done by those people who have the "right ways" revealed unto them. The non-member of a group CANNOT pervert, prostitute, adulterate, or dishonor the "ways" of such a group. This word clearly points to the LDS church to be the "great whore", "that great and abominable church" which the Lord shall tumble "to the dust".
50. This is a quote of 'Satan' in the story portion of the Endowment.
51. D&C 85: 7
52. See the TLC Pamphlet: "Joseph Smith, Jr."
53. Moroni 10: 5.
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