Daniel Craig Simmons Daniel Craig Simmons
I was born and raised in Ogden, Utah, deep within the heart of mainstream LDS society. My parents were very active and weekly attended church meetings. Most, if not all, correspondences we had with the outside world, as far as friends were concerned, were of LDS faith and belief. In fact, short of the rare vacations outside of the state, I never left Utah until I went on my mission which was in Winnipeg, Canada. I was definitely secluded for those first nineteen years of life.
I am the youngest of three children; my sister is six years older that I am, and my brother nine years older. In many respects, I grew up as an only child because of the age differences. I was looked upon as the spoiled child in the eyes of my brother and sister. (I think it was because I learned which parent to go to for whatever I wanted!) My nature and temperament from birth was such that I never found myself in trouble, even into my teenage years. My parents were very good to me. My parents and I were very close. This closeness made my decision in life [regarding the TLC] so difficult.
As I grew up in the LDS church, I was president over the deacons, teachers, and priests quorums. During my senior year of high school, I was president of my individual seminary class. I suppose that looking from the outside in of my early years, I lived a pretty boring life as far as the world was concerned.
I had always known that I would serve a mission when I turned nineteen. That fact had been firmly established from day one. I remember sending in my papers and waiting for the call. My family and I were filled with anxiety as we awaited the return of the call. I remember a dream I had the night before the call came back. I woke up the next morning, spoke with my mother and told her that my call was going to be to Canada. As the papers came in the mail that afternoon, I opened the envelope to discover that I had been called to the Winnipeg Canada Mission. During those two years, I served as a trainer, district leader, zone leader, and assistant to the mission president. Before my mission, I had never completely read through the Book of Mormon, much less the scriptures. That two-year experience gave me a great opportunity to study and to start learning the gospel in ways I never had dreamed of. That is where my quest and thirst for the Gospel really began. I was finally having to stand on my own feet and not on mommy and daddy's shirt-tales.
When I returned home, I married a young woman that I had dated prior to my mission. Her father, Jim Harmston, was someone I had considered to be somewhat of a religious fanatic. As I came to know him, I found out that he spent a lot of time becoming very well versed in the doctrine of the kingdom and trying to understand the Gospel in its fullness. Though I grew to admire him for his abilities, I didn't know how to handle his ideas and beliefs. I was of the attitude of finding a career that would help me have the finer things that life could afford.
My wife and I would often visit with her family. Much of that time her father spent teaching people that would come to visit him from all over the state. They would come and learn from him the gospel as it should have been taught in the LDS church, without being watered down. I was struggling during that time because I felt that I needed to be out in the work force trying to pull down the big bucks, yet I knew deep down that what I was learning from Jim was truth. He would always tell me that I would never have the time in my life to make the kind of money he had made because of our living in the very last days of this earths temporal existence.
I resisted that concept for as long as I could until my life was turned upside down. I was driving semi-trucks at the time. My marriage was, without question, on the brink of falling apart because of my being gone so much. I was at the crossroads of a major decision. Was the making of money worth losing my marriage? As I turned to God, I found myself pouring out my soul that a change would take place in my life. It wasn't but a week later that I was going to Wendover, Utah on icy roads and wrecked the semi-truck. I was fortunate to have walked out alive. That was the pivotal point that ended up changing my life, thank God!
During this time, Jim and his wife had moved to Manti. We visited them as frequently as possible. We had wanted to move there, but jobs were scarce. After my accident, I went to God and asked if we were to move to Manti. I received one of the strongest witnesses I had received in my life that we were to go to there.
We moved, and for the last six years I have been in the most extensive masters course of my life. I have been able to concentrate on learning the gospel in ways I had never imagined, both by experience and by reading. There is so much more to life than money. It is interesting to see how much a person really does and does not need to survive. What is exactly sufficient for your needs? As for me, I have found that fulfilling my spiritual needs brings me the most satisfaction of anything else.
This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God. If a person who went to college or a university would spend that same amount of time in studying the gospel of Jesus Christ, imagine how much better off they would be. My experience here has been something that money could never replace. I have been able to search and study the early history of the LDS church and what Joseph, Brigham and John Taylor were trying to establish. It has been very evident where the modern LDS church has taken their departure from the days of Joseph Smith, for every ordinance has changed from baptism to the endowment. I have learned for myself who I am, where I came from, and where I am going. This gospel plan is much deeper than just the plan of salvation, a person must also understand what is required for exaltation. In order for that to happen, the fullness for the gospel must be understood and lived. All of the laws of God from obedience to sacrifice to the gospel to consecration must be adhered to not simply by word, but also by deed. In the LDS church a person cannot live these laws to their fullness so how can a person be saved upon the same principles and receive the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob if they don't live the same basic laws? They simply cannot.
The LDS church is giving people a false hope in Christ. They do not have the saving ordinances of the gospel, and in consequence cannot give them. They have sold their birthright for a mess of potage. The enemy has taken over the fort, yet the fort still flies the same flag. We are living in the last days, all scripture will be fulfilled before our eyes. Those who choose to remain in their deep sleep with the "All is well in Zion" mentality will have a rude awakening at a day very near at hand. Gods elect will hearken to His voice and harden not their hearts.
God has once again established His church and gospel in its entirety. All of the necessary keys, powers, rights, and authority are on the earth. Zion is being established right under the nose of the LDS church. There must be a place and a people that have been proven worthy to receive Christ upon His return. Christ cannot come if there is not a place and people to receive Him. Otherwise the earth would be utterly wasted at His coming.
What is it that you desire? Is it the establishment of Zion, having the Kingdom of God upon the earth, the fullness of the priesthood to do as Nephi, son of Helaman did, to move mountains, call for famines, plagues, pestilences, etc.? This earth will be taken back for Christ but it will only be done by the power of the priesthood. Israel will be redeemed by power, Gods power, not mans. Just as Moses brought the children of Israel from bondage, the children of Israel will be freed again. May you who are the elect hear the warning voice and come out of Babylon before she is destroyed. Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, will understand. God bless you to stand up and find the truth before it is too late!
E-mail: dcsimmons@tlcmanti.org