Chuck WhickerChuck Whicker
My parents joined the LDS Church when I was three years old, in 1959. Despite my young age, I can readily remember the immediate difference it made in our home. The air cleared up from the constant cigarette smoke in the house. We started going to church meetings regularly, and the various church activities provided much social and spiritual growth. I enjoyed it immensely from the beginning.
As I grew older, I felt very strong and sure of the church. I always defended it in the face of critics. Yet, as I studied the history of the church, I often yearned in my heart for those days when the church embraced so much more. I yearned to live consecration. I desired to live plural marriage, particularly as I witnessed so many cases of women who were left alone in a divorced state, or without ever an opportunity for marriage for one reason or another. I knew that plural marriage was designed to take care of "the widows and the fatherless," and I thought it was interesting how this important principle had been given to Israel not just during times when the fullness of the gospel was established, but also during periods of preparatory law. It existed even when the Law of Moses was in effect. I pondered why this would be so, and came to realize it was for the protection of the women and children, so that they would always be adequately provided for both spiritually and temporally.
The more I read the discourses given by the early general authorities (such as those found in the Journal of Discourses), the more I came to realize, by comparison, that the current authorities were greatly lacking in the Spirit of the early prophets. I always felt disappointed when attending general conferences, as there seemed to be no greater insight, no greater teaching presented, than that which one might expect from the Pope or other mainstream Christian religious leaders. Yet, when I would read the discourses of Brigham Young, for instance, who always spoke without notes or planning, I always came away feeling nourished. These are the experiences that gradually brought me around to the point of full recognition that the LDS church had fallen away from her original calling and commission for establishing Zion.
For many years, I kept these observations and feelings quiet, except to express my concerns occasionally to my bishops, stake presidents, and to my older brother, my dad and a few others who I expected might be able to throw some insight and help me overcome my objections. I did not want to cause disharmony in the church, but at the same time I wanted to have my questions answered and my conscience satisfied.
Then one summer while living in Ogden, I got to know a neighbor woman who was from a polygamist family. She was the second wife of a man who was part of the Allred organization. I met her husband one day while shopping in a nearby store. As I shook his hand, I felt a warmth from him, and I noted that he did not seem to carry an evil spirit with him. So I asked if he would come to my home and give me an opportunity to question him. I went home and prepared for his visit by organizing my thoughts, trying to come up with all the teaching and logic I had been brought up with to defend the LDS position on plural marriage. But I found this man was able to confound all my previous understanding; for he was truly able to show supporting scripture for every teaching that he gave. I soon came to realize that the scriptures given through the Prophet Joseph Smith are ample evidence against many of the current justifications used by the LDS church against plural marriage and other aspects of the gospel which she has abandoned.
I investigated the Allred group. Because I felt it to be a step upward, I asked for baptism. But I found an immediate hindrance to this desire. It felt to me as if most of the leading brethren lacked the Spirit. They would speak with no greater power than the LDS general authorities. Owen Allred, the head of the group, seemed to possess more of the spirit than most the rest of them, but I sensed that the rest of them were somewhat irritated with Owen. I was interviewed, but never baptized. Had I not found the TLC, I probably would have been baptized into the Allred group. But, when I witnessed the power of utterance, I knew Jim Harmston was a veritable prophet of the Lord. Like Joseph and Brigham, he could speak for five or ten hours at a time, without notes or planning, and keep me enthralled with eternal perspectives. No other man had come anywhere close to the spiritual power this man manifested on a consistent basis.
I have ever since witnessed, time after time, this same gift manifested by the leadership of the TLC. The heavens truly have been opened to them, and to us as a people. The fruits make it obvious. I testify that there was never any greater gifts or fruits manifested by the Prophet Joseph Smith than those which are manifested by the current leadership of the TLC. I have personally partaken of those gifts, and enjoyed an steady increase of insight and spiritual power on a personal level as well.
I know that this is the work of Joseph Smith. He is the one directing this work. He possesses the keys of this dispensation, and is doing as he always said he would. The prophecies are answered and fulfilled in the things that are going on here. We are the remnant of Israel who will close up the work, establish Zion, and receive the Savior. I know this to be true, for there is no other organization that compares to this one in teaching, insight, or priesthood power. All others fade in the light of this work. The power of God is manifested here, and will not go unnoticed or unrecognized by those who are pure in heart. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ.
Chuck Whicker
The following is a letter that I wrote to a couple of friends, which I would like to include as part of my testimony:
Dear [Names Deleted]
These past few weeks, as I have worked on your property, I have felt deeply the spiritual kinship between us. It is refreshing to perceive in your natures the kind of openness and familiarity that you tend to exhibit towards those around you..
It is in this spirit that I wish to inform you regarding some important events that have occurred in this blessed valley in recent years. To do so, however, I will have to review some history so that you will understand the significance of these events. You will no doubt take my words into consideration and seek to perceive them through the eyes of the Lord. If this letter turns out to be more like a book (!) I am hopeful you will take it in, a little at a time, and ponder its significance. Let not your judgment be made in haste, but in a careful and deliberate spirit of seeking, remembering always that God is known to send messengers to those he loves, and as far as you know I may be one of them! By taking this attitude, you are really only keeping your covenant to "be familiar with all..." (Jacob 2:17) and to "seek further light and knowledge from the Father as if you were Adam and Eve," (recall the endowment teachings).
The self-perception of the Lord’s people, in all ages, has been that they were more righteous than the world, even when they were in the depths of apostasy. It was precisely because they were in a state of economic prosperity, and what they considered true happiness, that they always failed to repent of their apostasy right up to the day of wrath. The Lord has consistently been known to call people OUT of their prosperous circumstances, always in a day of judgment; and the majority of them have been unwilling to give heed. Why? Because they perceived their own temporal and spiritual enjoyment to be a sign that God was finished testing them! Yet, what IS the test, really? It is to see if they will prefer the treasures of a higher sphere over those of this lower one.
In our judgment of self, then, we ought not to make the mistake of assuming our temporal prosperity to be a sign of our standing with God, seeing that the most wicked of men are frequently blessed as well with great temporal prosperity and wealth. I suggest there is a specific method the Lord himself has devised for men and women to make accurate judgment of themselves, and it is the only method that can be trusted. They must regard the COVENANT. What covenant? For the LDS people, it is the "everlasting covenant," for that is the covenant they are bound to. It is the covenant that actually determines where their iniquity lies, if there is any to be found. Consider this: the Scribes and Pharisees always preached good morals just as the LDS leadership does today. Yet, despite all their outward "morality" they were still judged by God to be his enemies. Why? Didn’t they still teach that it was sin to commit adultery? Didn’t they still believe in the ten commandments? Why did Christ perceive them to be so wicked? Wasn’t their dietary law higher than that of the rest of the world? Didn’t they still point to Moses as a true prophet and the founder of their religion? Yes, but despite all this, they had defiled the most important aspects of their law in order to become acceptable to the world. We would do well to consider exactly what it is they did, that was so offensive to the Lord. It is interesting to notice the Scribes and Pharisees had changed the Lord’s standard (claiming revelation, of course), on at least two major fronts: the economic front, and the marriage front.
THE ECONOMIC FRONT: The law of Moses required them to take care of their poor: "...thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him...sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth" (see Deut. 15:7-8). There was to be no poverty permitted to exist among their laboring people. But the Scribes and Pharisees had abandoned this law and preached instead the economic law of Rome (capitalism). This corrupt economic system always creates classes of rich and poor despite the best efforts of the people. Not wanting to be blamed for this state of things, the Scribes and Pharisees espoused the Roman philosophy that the poor were deserving of their plight, and the rich were deserving of their success! Thus glorying in their own wealth and prosperity while condemning those less fortunate, the Scribes and Pharisees sought the praise of the world. The exact same tactic is used today by the LDS leadership, who, having abandoned the concept of consecration, now promote and praise the doctrine of capitalism.
THE MARRIAGE FRONT: The Scribes and Pharisees had abandoned the Israelite law of plural marriage in order to appease the Roman Government. The law of Moses provided that every woman and child in Israel should have a righteous husband and father. Monogamy (the one-wife system) removes this protection and forces many women and children to go without this blessing. Jesus held the Jewish leadership accountable for fearing man more than God. Does this story sound familiar?
You see, the Jewish leadership were under covenant to keep their law pure and undefiled, and to hold the people accountable for it. They broke their covenant by compromise and concession to wicked government. Their law became entangled with the philosophies of men; thus, it lost its saving power to protect the innocent and provide a proper spiritual upbringing for them. Thus we see the Lord rebuking them, saying,
"...ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." (Matt. 23:14)
Today, as then, people fail to regard the covenant they are bound to, and seek to make self-judgment on a less stringent criterion; thus they deceive themselves as to where they stand in the eyes of God. The LDS people generally consider themselves to be righteous as long as they are moral, hard working, and tithe payers. That’s about the gist of their idea of righteousness, which is the same criterion as that of the old Scribes and Pharisees! But is that all there is to their covenant? If it is, there is no real advantage to be found in their religion, for it produces no greater sacrifice than that of a good Catholic, Buddhist, or Moslem!
. The covenant of the LDS people consists of much more. It is easy to understand, for it is written in their scriptures as plain as word can be. The LDS people will not be able to claim ignorance. If they are deceived, it is because they did not desire to see the truth for fear of sacrificing their own individual agendas. As things are now, the LDS feel free to pursue wealth and prosperity on an individual basis, the very thing the world is seeking as well. Can Zion ever be established on such a basis? Can Zion be established merely by abiding a telestial law?
Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise, I cannot receive her unto myself. (D&C 105:5)
Just what ARE the "principles of the law of the celestial kingdom" that must be lived in order for Zion to be established? Is not the Law of Consecration one of them? And, did you not covenant in the temple to obey that law? What are the words of the covenant?
"You and each of you covenant to obey the Law of Consecration as it is written in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. Each of you bow your head and say yes." (words from the endowment).
Well, did you bow your head and say yes?. Should that covenant be taken seriously? Does it mean NOW, or can we wait till the Millennium when there will be no opposition to any of God’s law? How can we be proven in the law where there exists no opposition?? What does the Book of Mormon say about procrastinating the day of our repentance? The current popular teaching of the church, which declares that the laws of Zion are "suspended" until the Millennium, is nothing more than the doctrine of procrastination. I testify that it is a deception, promoted by the devil, which the entire LDS church has swallowed hook, line, and sinker!
Do you remember the "penalty" attached to the law? "I will suffer my life to be taken" (words of the endowment). That is the penalty attached to the covenant. Remember? Why did church leaders remove the penalty from the endowment ceremony in 1990?
The Lord Jesus Christ cannot begin to rule the earth until he has a people established in the laws of Zion. It is FROM ZION that he will reign over the earth for a thousand years. If Zion is not established, as the scriptures declare, the whole earth will be utterly wasted at his coming.
...And he (Elijah) shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be wasted at his coming. (D&C 2:2-3)
This is not referring to genealogy work. It refers to the "promises" made to the "fathers" from the beginning. The work of Joseph Smith was to restore all things, so that what had been at the first, would be again at the last. I speak with knowledge from the Holy Ghost. If the original covenant, the everlasting covenant of the Father is not successfully re-installed upon this earth, the whole earth will be wasted at his coming! If there is not to be found an obedient people who are willing to sacrifice all things in order to establish Zion, this earth is a done deal!
Thus we see the seriousness of the covenant to establish Zion. Such a serious covenant requires a serious penalty upon that people who would forsake it. I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ whose servant I am, that the LDS Church is about to receive the penalty:
Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth... and UPON MY HOUSE SHALL IT BEGIN...(D&C 112:24-25)
Who is the Lord’s "house"? Is it not those who have entered into covenant with him? Is it not the LDS people? They have abandoned all that pertains to Zion, yet they perceive themselves as being more righteous than the world. This false perception of themselves is based upon all the same criteria used by apostate Israel in past dispensations.
Perhaps the most important thing to understand, at this point, is that our covenant does NOT require us to follow any man or set of men at the expense of the covenant we are under. Think of the temple endowment. Every time you were asked to "bow your head and say YES", it always pertained to a specific LAW which you were agreeing to obey. It never pertained to any MAN you were to follow. I do not deny it is our duty to "sustain" the Lord’s servants in the discharge of their legitimate callings. You can be sure, however, that their "calling", if it is legitimately from the Lord, will never lead you to disobey your covenant of obedience to those LAWS mentioned in the endowment. True servants of God are set up to lead you WITHIN the covenant, not to lead you out of it.
"But," you say, "isn’t it better to follow the LIVING prophet over the dead ones?" Well, what does the COVENANT say? Does it say to obey the living prophet? No. It says to obey certain LAWS. If a "living prophet" attempts to excuse you from any part of your covenant, he is not playing the role of a true prophet. The purpose of a prophet is to dispense the law of God to the people, not to override that law and get them to follow a different standard altogether! Yet we hear from the pulpit, "Obey the living prophet!" The very nature of this statement is repugnant to my soul, for it assumes that all past prophets are "dead prophets" and not worthy of our attention. Our God is a consistent God, "...neither doth he vary from that which he hath said..." (D&C 3:2); and in knowing this, we have a standard by which to judge any man who professes to be His voice on earth. Indeed, the law of the priesthood forbids a current "prophet" from using any other method outside of "persuasion" to get the people to follow him:
No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, ONLY BY PERSUASION... (D&C 121:41)
How can a prophet use "persuasion" if he cannot fall back on the words and teachings of former prophets to prove his course? If there is no preceding pattern to display in order to back up his current teachings, he has nothing to show the people by way of persuasion, for the very idea of "persuasion" involves the display of supportive evidence. The elect of God will not follow any man who demonstrates inconsistency from former prophets in the things he requires of the people. If the gospel is changeable, it is worthless; for it cannot produce the same saving effect through all ages if it does not require the same level of sacrifice; and to retain the same level of sacrifice, its laws must remain the same forever.
For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. (D&C 3:2)
There is a strange and powerful deception that has arisen among the LDS people. It is often heard in our church meetings that "God will never allow the President of the Church to lead us astray." This doctrine is identical to the one which the Catholics call the doctrine of infallibility which they apply to their Pope! But the scriptures are clear: it is a false doctrine!
And again, if thy foot offend thee, cut it off; or he that is thy standard by whom thou walkest, if he become a transgressor, he shall be cut off... Therefore, let every man stand or fall, by himself, and not for another; or not trusting another...And if thine eye which seeth for thee, him that is appointed to watch over thee to show thee light, become a transgressor and offend thee, pluck him out. (JST Mark 9:42-46)
Who is "thy standard by whom thou walkest?" I suppose it could mean anyone whom we regard to have authority to teach and lead us. But who is "thine eye which seeth for thee"? That could only refer to one type of person. It refers to the office of a SEER. This is Hebrew symbolism. The right eye represents the Holy Ghost who can never lead us astray. The left eye represents him who is called of God to receive revelation for his people. It IS possible for a prophet and seer to fall and lead you astray. How will you know it? By the fact that he is under the same covenant that you are! If he disobeys that covenant and teaches you to do the same, he is not trustworthy. We are admonished to "pluck" him out in such a case, and seek revelation to know where to go.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8)
That was the apostle Paul speaking. Ask yourself, who was the "we" referring to? It was referring to Paul and his fellow leaders of the Church. If the leaders of the Church could lead the people astray in those days, what makes us think it can’t happen in the current dispensations as well?
President Joseph Smith...said if the people departed from the Lord they must fall - that they were depending on the prophet, hence were darkened in their minds...(TPJS, p.237-8)
If any man preach any other gospel than that which I have preached, he shall be accursed. (Joseph Smith, TPJS p.366)
But, what if that man who preaches "any other gospel" is the current president of the church? I believe Joseph Smith was the HEAD of later presidents. They were to follow his lead, not change the law which he set in place! Indeed, the Lord made this very clear. Read carefully the following scripture (the Lord is speaking to Joseph Smith):
Verily I say unto you, the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come; Nevertheless, through you shall the oracles (revelations) be given to another, yea, even unto the church. And all they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them, lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby... (D&C 90:3-5)
Here the Lord is actually warning the future presidents of the Church. The "oracles" are the revelations of heaven. The heads of the church are to "beware how they hold" the "oracles" or revelations that have and will come to them through the prophet Joseph Smith who is the eternal dispensation head. We have a whole set of scriptures that came to us through Joseph Smith. How are the current leaders of the church "holding" those oracles?
What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to destruction! Are you afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves whether they are led by Him. (Brigham Young, JD 9:150)
How can we know if we are being led astray by our church leaders? We can know it by considering the standard that was set in place by Joseph Smith.
If ANY MAN writes to you, or preaches to you, doctrines contrary to the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, set him down as an impostor! (Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, April 1, 1844)
For instance, where do you find within the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or the Doctrine and Covenants any support for the teaching that says the higher laws are "suspended" until the Millennium? To the contrary, the book of Doctrine and covenants teaches that those higher laws, once given, are everlasting! This means that, once given, they can never be suspended! That is why they are described as the "everlasting covenant."
My words, and the teachings of any other member of the Church, HIGH OR LOW, if they do not square with the revelations, we need not accept them. Let us have this matter clear. We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man’s doctrine...If Joseph Fielding Smith writes something that is out of harmony with the revelations, then every member of the Church is duty bound to reject it. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p. 203-4)
Where did we get this doctrine, then, that claims the Lord will "never allow the President of the church to lead us astray"? This doctrine was introduced for the first time by President Wilford Woodruff at the time of the Manifesto, contrary to all previous teaching given to the church! My heart holds sympathy for President Woodruff, for he was old, tired, and greatly persecuted at the time. But I find it interesting to notice that the LDS doctrine of infallibility was first presented at the very moment in time when the Church dropped every major aspect of the everlasting covenant designed to establish a Zion society: celestial plural marriage, the law of consecration, the united order, the law of gathering, the law of adoption, and every other principle that once set the Mormons apart as a "peculiar people unto the Lord."
Has the Lord allowed the President of the Church to lead the people astray? Yes; but only because the people themselves were corrupt enough to desire it. Consider another statement by Brigham Young:
I told the people that if they would not believe the revelations that God had given, He would suffer the devil to give revelations that they, priests and people, would follow after....I told the people that as true as God lived, if they would not have truth, they would have error sent unto them and they would believe it. (Deseret News, 8 June, 1878)
These words of Brigham express essentially the same idea as those found in the Book of Mormon and the Bible:
...for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it, God hath done it, that they may stumble. (Jacob 4:14)
...because they received not the love of truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie... (2 Thess.2:10-11).
"But," you say, "if God hadn’t suspended the higher laws, the church would have been destroyed by persecution." That was Wilford Woodruff’s reasoning, and it is the reasoning used by the LDS church still today. For many years, this reasoning seemed sufficient to me; but I eventually came to recognize its utter deficiency in light of what the scriptures say on the subject. First of all, there is not a single precedent for it! In all God’s dealings with his people in past dispensations, the Lord has NEVER ONCE withdrawn any covenantal requirement for the sake of preserving his people from persecution! His voice has always declared the same requirement of obedience amidst the world’s persecuting opposition:
And by hearkening to observe all the words which I, the Lord their God, shall speak unto them, they shall never cease to prevail until the kingdoms of the world are subdued under my feet, and the earth is given to the Saints, to possess it forever and ever. (D&C 103:7)
That was the promise, predicated on obedience to the laws of Zion!
But inasmuch as they keep NOT my commandments, and hearken not to observe all my words, the kingdoms of the world shall prevail against them. (D&C 103:8)
That was the penalty, predicated on disobedience to the laws of Zion!
Has the "kingdom" of the United States "prevailed against" the LDS Church? In light of the historical facts, who can deny that the U.S. government succeeded in getting the church to drop the original covenant altogether? By force of the U.S. government, the LDS religion is now reduced to a mere set of basic morals, like all other religions of men. Though doctrines may differ, the level of SACRIFICE is the same as that of the religious world in general. Since it is "sacrifice" that "brings forth the blessings of heaven" (a well known saying of Joseph Smith), there has been no divine revelation in the LDS church for over a hundred years. The only "revelations" the Church claims to have received in recent years are those which blatantly defy FORMER revelations and serve to further undo the original covenant.
Yet the scriptures reveal that it is the "former" commandments that are set in stone, for the Lord made it very clear these things are everlasting and would not be subject to change. Ours was, and is, the "Everlasting Covenant," so called for good reason. It is the final covenant that is designed to establish Zion and bring people into the presence of God! To let go of that covenant, even just for a season, is to lose the spirit of it and slip into apostasy! Consider what the Lord had to say to the Church clear back in 1832:
And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even ALL. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the FORMER commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have WRITTEN. (D&C 84:56-57)
Are the LDS people even attempting to abide the "former commandments"? Do they seek to abide the law of consecration? No. Yet, that is one of those "former commandments," is it not? Do they not therefore "remain under this condemnation"? Are we required to obey "living prophets" who claim to have "suspended" those former commandments? Can a living prophet overrule "that which [the Lord has] written"? What do we do with the scripture that says, "neither doth he vary from that which he hath said"? (D&C 3:2)
What is a living prophet for, anyway? Is it to suspend an everlasting covenant during difficult times? If God only requires his people to obey their covenant at times when there is little opposition, what does this say about God? Indeed, it says that God is no different from the Devil, for it was the Devil who, from the beginning, presented the plan to ensure the salvation of all with no test, no opposition. A true prophet of God seeks to get the people to continue faithfully in the covenant in spite of earth and hell combined against them!
False prophets, on the other hand, are more prone to seek a change of covenant than to seek to change and sanctify the hearts of the people. The "everlasting covenant" is designed to be just that: EVERLASTING. Once entered, it cannot be abandoned without incurring the wrath of God.
What, then, is modern revelation for? Is it to undo former revelations? No! Modern revelation is to fulfill, not to revoke former revelations! Otherwise, God is reduced to the status of a double-minded man. I admonish you to take a moment to seriously consider the current LDS doctrine of "suspension". That doctrine consists of the following:
1. God establishes the everlasting covenant with the Mormon people, through the prophet Joseph Smith.
2. Satan says, "I rule with blood and horror upon this earth, and none shall dare molest nor make afraid!" He gathers his forces against the Mormons, determined to force their abandonment of the everlasting covenant.
3. Satan turns the nation against the Mormons and their everlasting covenant. He establishes unconstitutional laws against the covenant, threatening destruction and disenfranchisement of the Lord’s Church if they fail to obey.
4. Suddenly, in a historically unprecedented move, God gives a revelation "suspending" the requirements of the everlasting covenant because of Satan’s persecution.
The question to ask yourself is, who is ruling the Mormons here? If Mormonism’s God changed the requirements in order to appease the enemy, then it is clearly the enemy that rules! This entire scenario defies all historical precedent, all scripture, and all sense of reason. God has never Himself submitted to the demands of the Devil, except where the Devil has legal claim upon his own! It is vain to say, on the one hand, that God suspended the covenant, and on the other hand, that this is no condemnation to the people! There is no consistency in such an idea, for in all ages past, the Lord has never required his people to submit to unrighteous dominion except as a form of chastisement and condemnation upon their heads!
Here is a good comparison: Once you have entered into the covenant of baptism, can a prophet of God ever relieve you of that covenant? No. You can break it and suffer the consequence, but you shall never be justified! The baptismal covenant could never be "suspended" by God, no matter if the world seeks to kill you for it! If this is the case with baptism, why does the whole LDS Church fail to see the application of this principle in regard to the higher covenants of the temple?
"But," you may object, "did not God change the covenant for the people of Moses, and offer them a lower law? Does not this demonstrate a precedent, showing that God DOES sometimes change the covenant?" The answer is twofold: First, did Moses ever call his lesser law everlasting? No, it was never presented as an everlasting covenant. Second, if God changes the covenant, the attached reward is changed as well. The celestial reward is attached only to the everlasting covenant. If we are living a lesser law, we will only be eligible for a lesser kingdom. Did Moses ever claim that the lesser law he gave the people would exalt them and bring them into the presence of God? No! The lesser law was given his people as a form of chastisement, with the Lord swearing in his wrath that they would NOT enter into his rest!
...therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fullness of his glory. (D&C 84:24)
The sin of LDS leadership consists in the teaching that, despite the diminishment of the covenant to a lower level of sacrifice, the same higher reward is vainly promised! Thus the people are falsely expecting to receive the greater reward for a lesser sacrifice! Therein the LDS leadership differs from the righteous administrations of Moses and all true prophets of the past!
To us, the Lord says:
And I give unto you a commandment...that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God. (D&C 98:11)
Every word? Does that include the "former commandments" mentioned earlier? Does it include "that which I have written"? (see again D&C 84:57). I would think so. Even if we are about to be destroyed by persecution?
...and I will try you and prove you herewith...Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, EVEN UNTO DEATH, that you may be found worthy. (D&C 98:12-14)
It appears the LDS people were not willing to risk death for the covenant; yet such willingness is what the Lord has required in all ages:
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35)
No people can establish Zion without enduring the perfecting fires of persecution. They must endure these fires until the Lord says "it is enough; your souls are proven faithful; I shall now deliver you out of the hands of your enemies, by power."
But, enough with historical reasoning! The current LDS philosophies can be known by their fruits alone. What fruits does the LDS church now produce that are any different from other wealthy religions of the world? This church takes great pride in the millions they spend in humanitarian relief in devastated countries. The Catholic Church does the same. The Scribes and Pharisees did the same type of thing. Where true spiritual fruits are lacking, money is always used to cover the gap! Spiritually speaking, the LDS people are on an even keel with the world. They even participate in Halloween, a pagan holiday celebrating the powers of darkness. How far down the road of apostasy can a people fall? Speaking of the latter-day covenant people, Alma said:
Oh ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the VAIN THINGS OF THE WORLD; ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness; nevertheless, ye have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd...(Alma 5:37)
Is Halloween an example of "the vain things of the world"?
Have the LDS people "professed to have known the ways of
righteousness"? Is BYU football a vain thing of the world?
How many times has BYU football been the main topic of discussion
during the first half of Elders’ Quorum meeting? The same
beloved subject was often the topic of conversation I heard in
the men’s locker room in the temple! I even recall seeing
a picture in the news, just recently, of the First Presidency
standing on main street in Salt Lake, waving at Karl Malone and
the Jazz team as they passed by in a parade. The world calls it
"public relations". What does the Lord call it? Is there
any resemblance here between the LDS First Presidency and the
Pharisees of old whose object was to "be seen of men,"
to manage their image to the world? After all, what importance
does the Jazz team have to a true prophet of God? Can it be that
the entire LDS people, leaders and members alike, are caught up
in the "vain things of the world"?
Why is it that there exists both filthy rich and groveling poor (albeit hard working!) among the LDS people? Does not the gospel of Jesus Christ teach against this? Is it not one of the main themes of the Book of Mormon? Why is it that the First Presidency has recently issued a call for the membership to volunteer their labor in helping the State prepare for the 2002 Olympics? These are just some of the many "vain things" I see the church getting involved in. Rarely anymore do I find an LDS member who is capable of participating, to any real depth, in gospel conversation. Not infrequently, I find that their shallowness has surpassed that of the Protestants and Catholics!
NEVER was Zion ever established, in past dispensations, by abandoning the covenant in order to escape persecution! Not once! Look at the City of Enoch. Not just one nation came against them, as with the Mormons, but "all nations" came against Enoch and his people. They did not abandon any part of the covenant, and when they had been sufficiently tested in the face of persecution, they were delivered by POWER.. Did the Lord plan to deliver the Mormons in the same way? Yes, he did; THAT was the promise!
Behold, I say unto you, the redemption of Zion must needs come by power...(D&C 103:15)
Now we have a "prophet" at the head of the LDS church preaching nothing but the vain and foolish philosophies of men, mingled with a little scripture here and there. In a recent interview on KUED (December 18, 1998), President Hinckley displayed little more than flattery. His whole objective was obviously to seek the popularity of the world. I quote him:
I think people are better now than they ever have been, speaking of the masses generally. (Gordon B. Hinckley)
Very flattering! How righteous the world is becoming in Hinckley’s eyes! Surely the world is growing to love the man for such kind and loving words!
In Joseph Smith’s day, the Lord said that "darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people" (D&C 112:23), "...for the adversary spreadeth his dominions, and darkness reigneth" (D&C 82:5), and "the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin" (D&C 84:49). How many times did Joseph Smith prophesy that the world was going to get only WORSE until the wrath of God would be poured out upon them without measure? Yet Hinckley suggests the world is now more righteous than in the days of Joseph Smith, for "the people are better now than they ever have been!"
This flattering spirit which emanates from the modern LDS church spills over into the political arena as well. A few years ago I saw, on the front page of the Church News, a photo of President Hinckley sitting with President Clinton in the White House. The headline caption printed above the photo said: "Pres. Hinckley invited to White House; visit focuses on families." Knowing that President Clinton was an immoral and wicked man, I wondered why a prophet of God would think it necessary to discuss "families" with him? I thought about the many scriptural and historical incidences wherein true prophets, rather than consulting with wicked political leaders, rebuked them, even at the peril of their lives! What a contrast!
I am constantly amazed at the false spirit of "patriotism" expressed by the LDS people. They think patriotism means upholding their COUNTRY rather than upholding the principles upon which their country was originally founded. They are often heard to say, "Yes, our country is corrupt - but it’s still the best nation on the face of the earth!" That’s a lot like saying, "Yes, young lady, you’re a whore, but you’re still the most beautiful woman around!" I would suspect that any man using such logic secretly wants to get in bed with her. It is nothing but flattery! It emanates from the depths of hell. This is the last of the last days! It has ALWAYS been declared, by all the holy prophets since the world began, that this would be the most wicked of times. Shall we be swayed to believe the words of flattering men such as Hinckley? Shall we, with him and his cohorts, rest peacefully in our comfort zones while the world is on the verge of feeling the wrath of an offended God? Or rather, shall we, like true servants of the Lord, "say nothing but repentance unto this generation..." (D&C 6:9)?
The call of the Holy Ghost is to "come out of Babylon" and help to establish Zion in its place. But where do we go? We must gather with the righteous remnant foretold by the prophets. Joseph Smith said:
For if Zion will not purify herself so as to be approved in all things, in His sight, HE WILL SEEK ANOTHER PEOPLE. (TPJS p.18)
Here we get our first clue of what the Lord is doing. Other prophets associated with Joseph Smith proclaimed the same testimony:
The time will come when the Lord will choose A PEOPLE OUT OF THIS PEOPLE upon whom he will bestow his choicest blessings. (Heber C. Kimball, JD 11:145)
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... (Orson F. Whitney, Des.News,. Aug.11, 1889)
Interesting words, indeed! Did the LDS church "fear man and what man can do" when they did away with plural marriage in 1890? - when they closed the united order that was flourishing in Orderville at the time? - when they got rid of certain parts of the endowment that were offensive to the enemies of the Church? - etc, etc, etc.? Was it not because of their fear of man that they did away with these things? Yet it is clear that the LDS people had begun to abandon these principles, in their hearts, long before the 1890 Manifesto. For instance, in 1873, seventeen years before the Manifesto, Orson Pratt made the following observation:
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. (Orson Pratt, JD 15:357)
In truth, this has been the plan all along. In his speech given during his visit to the Nephites, Jesus foretold of two distinct phases of the work of the restoration in the last days. The LDS Church recognizes only the first phase, though both phases are plainly foretold in their scriptures. The first phase consisted of the fullness of the gospel being offered to the "Gentiles.":
Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles...(3 Ne.16:7)
According to the Lord’s own language, the LDS Church was founded for the express purpose of offering the gospel and its blessings to the Gentiles. In his dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland temple, Joseph Smith identified the LDS church as being "identified with the Gentiles":
Now these words, O Lord, we have spoken before thee, concerning the revelations and commandments which thou hast given unto us, WHO ARE IDENTIFIED WITH THE GENTILES. (D&C 109:60)
On March 7, 1831 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that the Gentiles would not receive the fullness of the gospel. Further, it was revealed that in the very same generation the "times of the Gentiles" would be fulfilled:
And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel; BUT THEY RECEIVE IT NOT...And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (D&C 45:28-29)
The LDS church as a body never did receive the fullness of the gospel! As strange as this may sound, it is easily proven. Has the church ever abided the law of consecration? Is not this law included in the fullness of the gospel? Can it possibly be said that the church ever embraced the fullness of the gospel when they have NEVER OBEYED THAT LAW? We find in D&C 103, 104, and 105, the Lord expresses his warning, as well as his hot displeasure, regarding the apostasy and disobedience of the LDS people:
But inasmuch as they keep not my commandments, and hearken not to observe all my words, the kingdoms of the world shall prevail against them. For they were set to be a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men; and inasmuch as they are not the saviors of men, they are as salt that has lost its savor, and is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. (D&C 103:8-10)
...to be a united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men UNTIL I COME - ...but inasmuch as they were not faithful they were nigh unto cursing. (D&C 104:1, 3)
Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now...Therefore, in consequence of the transgressions of my people, it is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion. (D&C 105:2, 9)
I testify that this "little season" is soon to be over, for God has now raised up "another people," out of the midst of the LDS people, who, by the revelations of heaven, are establishing the second phase of the great work of the restoration spoken of in the scriptures. This second phase of the latter-day restoration would begin AFTER the "times of the Gentiles" is fulfilled; after the church who was "identified with the Gentiles" should reject the fullness of the gospel. To the Nephites, Jesus describes this second and final phase:
And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel... (to be continued in a moment)
Let me interject here. Is it possible to "reject the fullness of my gospel" if the fullness was never presented to you? The "Gentiles" in this verse specifically refers to the LDS people, as they are the only ones who have ever had the fullness of the gospel presented to them, and are therefore the only ones who were ever in a position to "sin against" it!
...behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fullness of my gospel from among them. And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. (3 Nephi 16:10-11)
This second phase of the restoration, then, turns to the house of Israel. The first phase consisted of the organization of the LDS church to the Gentiles; the second phase recognizes the failure of that church to abide the "fullness of the gospel." To further explain this sequence of events, Jesus admonished the Nephites to search the words of Isaiah who foretold of all these things:
...search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake. (3 Ne.23:1-2)
If the LDS people understood the words of Isaiah, they would understand their own apostasy, for the apostasy of the latter-day covenant people is the central theme of which Isaiah wrote! Over and over again, Isaiah speaks of the restoration, the apostasy, and the re-restoration of the last days. Consider, for instance, Isaiah’s words describing the failure of the LDS attempt to establish Zion:
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. (Isaiah 26:18)
What does it mean? Nephi said that in order to understand Isaiah we must have (1) the spirit of prophecy, and (2) an understanding of the "manner of the Jews" (see 2 Ne.25:4-5). In the language and symbology ("manner") of the Jews, the word "child" refers to Zion. The word "woman" (though it is not used here, only implied in the context of child-birth) refers to the CHURCH who is given the mission to bring forth the child (sometimes called the man child), or Zion. The "pain" of travail, mentioned in the above scripture, represents the element of persecution which has always accompanied the bringing forth of Zion. With these keys of understanding, let’s review the above Isaiah scripture, placing it in the context of the events of the last days:
"We have been with child, we have been in pain..."
Just another way of saying, we (the Lord’s covenant people of the last days) have suffered and waded through much persecution in the effort to establish Zion. The LDS people truly did experience persecution for as long as they were making an effort to establish Zion; they are the only ones in these last days who fit this description.
"...we have as it were brought forth wind..."
Wind is Hebrew imagery for confusion, disorder, or chaos. The LDS church was supposed to have given birth to Zion, but instead brought forth "wind" (confusion). Truly it is confusion to see the constant contradiction that exists between LDS scriptures and LDS church policy and teaching. Surely it is confusion to notice the marked dissimilarities between the teachings of today’s LDS leadership and those of Joseph Smith who is the head of this dispensation and the founding father of the Church.
"...we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the earth fallen."
In other words, had we been faithful to establish Zion, we would have found "deliverance in the earth," from persecution, from the enemies of Zion including the United States Government. The "inhabitants of the earth," consisting of all who were unwilling to come to Zion, would have "fallen" as in former ages when Zion was successfully established. The establishment of Zion always forces the inhabitants of the earth to polarize to one side or the other. Either they see the "light upon the hill", and seek to come to it, or else they feel threatened by it and seek its destruction. The very establishment of Zion tends to speed up this process of polarization. Clear back in March of 1834 the Lord told Joseph Smith that "...were it not for the transgressions of my people...they might have been redeemed even now" (D&C 105:2). But they had rejected the economic order of heaven, clinging to their traditions, and thus were left to suffer at the hands of their enemies without divine deliverance. It was inevitable that the church, having failed to obey the principles of Zion, finally sought deliverance from persecution by unholy means; she made friends with the world by relinquishing her sacred covenant with God.
...know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4)
There is nothing that would so weaken my hope and discourage me as to see this people in full fellowship with the world, and receive no more persecution from them because they are one with them. (Brigham Young,
J.D. 10:32)
Speaking of the latter-day covenant people, Isaiah prophesied:
...O my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths...What mean ye? Ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of Hosts. (2 Ne.3:12-15)
In other words, the leadership of the church led the people out of the original covenant, resulting, as it always has, in the misjudgment and abuse of the poor. Today, instead of consecration, they embrace full-heartedly what the Book of Mormon refers to as the philosophy of Korihor, wherein
...every man fares in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospers according to his genius, and that every man conquers according to his strength. (Alma 30:17).
This is a perfect description of modern capitalism! While this nation was founded on the doctrine of capitalism as an economic base of liberty, voluntary adherence to the superior law of consecration is required of those under the endowment covenant. Capitalism was never meant to stand as an everlasting ideal; it was merely a necessary step by which, through the preaching of the gospel, men might choose to come forth and voluntarily submit their lives and treasures to the kingdom of God. Yet despite the higher covenant taken by the LDS endowed, they continue to cling to the doctrine of capitalism in opposition to their own covenant of consecration. Thus, through their selfish greed, they create classes of rich and poor among them, defy the economy of heaven, and bring condemnation and eventual destruction upon their own souls. Rather than choosing voluntary equity, rather than acknowledging the true inheritance of the poor, they compete with one another to rise above their own peers in wealth and affluence. Thus the Lord’s accusation against the latter-day wealthy church leaders: "Ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poor."
The doctrine of Korihor (capitalism) fails to acknowledge the natural inheritance of all earth’s creatures, that all men hold right to a piece of land upon which to subsist, that no man has the right to take more land than is needed. That holy law which the lower animals live by instinct, man must learn to live by the intelligence of heaven. That is the sum and substance of the difference existing between the philosophy of Zion and that of Babylon. Subsistence is the natural right of the laborer, while amassment steps on the rights of the weak.
But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin. (D&C 49:20)
Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment. (D&C 104:18)
For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things... (D&C 78:6)
...and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted in that the rich are made low. (D&C 104:16)
Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. (Jacob 2:17)
For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?...O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another. And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance... (Mosiah 4:19,21,22)
To put it another way, God is a family man. This earth belongs literally to Him. He has established the law by which the earth is to be inhabited by his creatures. His law provides for all his children, of every level of intelligence and capacity, both the stupid and the smart, both the wise and those lacking in wisdom, both the strong and the weak. He only requires humility, and that there be no idlers. The corruption of capitalism exists in the fact that idlers are often rewarded while hard work is often barely recompensed. A dentist, for instance, may take five minutes to extract a tooth and profit $40.00, while a farm laborer works eight hours to earn the same amount. A football player, who spends his entire life in idle play, doing no good in the world, rakes in millions of dollars a year. The greatest idlers are the wealthy who, once having established themselves in luxury by hoarding their income to themselves (they call it savings and retirement funds), now spend their lives in idolatrous living, on the golf course, on cruise ships, on vacations, touring, traveling, etc, as they seek little else besides the idle pleasures which they are convinced they have "earned." These kind of people, applauded in Babylon as the hard working "successful," would be rejected in a Zion society for their selfishness, greed, and idleness.
Remember the words of the endowment, wherein Satan says, "You can have anything you want in this world for money!" This is one of the keys given to us for discernment between God’s economy and Satan’s. When the LDS people let go of the laws pertaining to Zion, they embraced instead the very laws and philosophies that are tied to the establishment of Babylon, Zion’s enemy. Thus, their hearts became hardened against the saving principles of Zion to the extent that they now fight its precepts harder than any other people. None are more hardened in their quest for money and wealth than the LDS people of today. They are building up Babylon with all their heart, might, mind and strength.
Even the poor among them wear out their lives seeking greater "earnings" for their own deliverance rather than seeking the true Deliverer. Like their rich brethren, their whole focus is upon worldly ideals, and they lose the spirit of the gospel. When they fail at financial pursuits time after time, they are sooner or later tempted to seek escape from the drudgery of their poverty through the entertainment world (videos and such). It is in this state of drudgery that they are faced with the continuous lure of temptation. The stress of their condition eats at their marital relationships, adding to the burden. Finally, having been exposed so long to the harshness of the devil’s cold and unequal economy, they fall into serious sin for an escape. When they fall to these temptations, their rich "brothers and sisters" in the church sit back in the ease of their own hoard and criticize them for their plight! Oh, the hypocrisy! The depravity of the LDS people! Surely they have surpassed ALL OTHER PEOPLE in their wickedness, for in the midst of light they cleave unto darkness! In the midst of their depravity of heart, they proclaim love and peace with their lips! In the midst of sacred words they act out the most cunning devices of the devil! In the midst of the most obvious truth, they promote the great deceptions of Babylon.
While Isaiah foretold the apostasy of the latter-day people of the Lord, he also prophesied concerning a righteous "remnant" who would come out of the LDS church, and would succeed in establishing Zion. This body of people is also referred to as a woman, or at least such is implied, because they receive anew the same mission: to give birth to the "man child", or Zion. This time, instead of bringing forth only "wind," the longed-for man child is born:
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. (Isaiah 66:7)
This verse certainly cannot be referring to the LDS church as the one to bring forth the man child, for the man child is born before the pain of travail is to come to this particular woman, thus disqualifying any possible assumption that the LDS church is the instrument by which Zion comes.
As a side note, I notice something strange. The LDS people take such little interest in Isaiah, and it therefore seems rather paradoxical to see in writing the following admission found in the LDS Bible Dictionary on Isaiah:
Isaiah is the most quoted of all the prophets, being more frequently quoted by Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John (in his Revelation) than any other Old Testament prophet. Likewise the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants quote from Isaiah more than any other prophet.
Since the Book of Isaiah is proclaimed in latter-day scripture as among the most important for our day, why is it so thoroughly ignored by all? The LDS people and leadership simply do not have the spirit of prophecy sufficient to comprehend it! I have mentioned but a drop in the bucket of all that could be quoted from Isaiah exposing the total apostasy of the latter-day covenant people, leaders and members alike. As has been mentioned, Joseph, Brigham, and others of Mormonism’s founders often spoke of the possibility of the gospel being given to "another people," of the Church being led "by one man to destruction," etc. (see previous quotes). On a similar occasion, Brigham Young raised up this possibility again, by asking this question:
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? (JD 9:88)
In other words, he was saying, if the church were destroyed spiritually and there were only one true High Priest alive upon the earth, what would he have authority to do about it?
He would have power to go and...set in order the kingdom of God in all its perfection upon the earth. Could he do this without revelation? No. (Ibid)
Then Brigham takes this question even further:
...and suppose only one Elder should be left on the earth. Could he go and and set in order the kingdom of God? Yes, by revelation. (Ibid)
In the event of an apostasy, the church loses keys and priesthood authority. Ask yourself this question: Is it possible for a church to retain the keys of Zion when she has made no attempt to abide the Laws of Zion for over a hundred years? According to Brigham, any Elder could reestablish the kingdom of God in the event of an apostasy, if he could obtain revelation to do it! Why would Brigham leave this instruction if it weren’t a possibility that it would eventually be needed?
Over the last few years I have witnessed the fulfillment of Brigham’s words and the related prophecies; for indeed, God has given once again, by the ministering of angels, the keys pertaining to the establishment of Zion. Led by a simple and humble seeker by the name of James Dee Harmston, I will give here a brief account of this peculiar people whom the Lord has called for this purpose.
More than a decade ago there was a group of LDS people in the southern part of Utah who were anxious to see the establishment of Zion. They began meeting regularly to consider with one another the original teachings and laws put forth by Joseph Smith. This "group" naturally desired to obtain the revelation of heaven in order to be instructed as to what they should do to have the blessings of Zion made available to them. They had no intention of leaving the LDS church. Being endowed members of the church, having thereby received the necessary keys of the priesthood for using what is called "the True Order of Prayer," these people considered it their natural right to USE these priesthood keys to open the veil in their quest for divine revelation.
As they began seeking the Lord in this manner, however, the general authorities of the church got wind of it. They immediately took action in their effort to stop the practice. One by one, each member of the group began to be called in for reprimand and excommunication. The group decided to respond by appealing to the priesthood law described in D&C 121:41:
No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion..." (D&C 121:41)
In other words, the group simply asked church authorities to use the "persuasion" required of them. Since the leadership was reprimanding them for practicing the True Order of Prayer, upon what scriptural principle or law were they doing so? The group was willing to consider any evidence their church authorities were able to present by way of persuasion.
As it turned out, however, church authorities were not interested in resorting to the priesthood law of persuasion. They simply demanded that the practice be stopped, end of story! In response to this, the group decided to draft a letter to the authorities of the church and explain why they felt justified in practicing the True Order of Prayer taught them in the endowment. Below are some excerpts from that letter:
Let us make very clear that none of us has ever claimed to have received revelation for the Church or for the Lord’s people as a whole. It is fundamental to our faith that only the President of the Church, acting as the Lord’s mouthpiece to his people, is authorized to put forth new doctrine. Even then, they are only bound to it by their exercise of the law of common consent, by which "all things must be done" in the Church. (DC 28:13; 26:2). We have, however, tried with all our hearts to study and learn what the prophets in all dispensations have put forth as doctrine. For that, we were taught and still believe, is what the scriptures are for. As we studied the scriptures and had their significance revealed to us by the Holy Ghost, we began to see more clearly how they pointed us to the temple and its sacred ordinances...When it became our privilege to go there for ourselves, we found the endowment experience to be one of the most effective teaching devices the Lord has ever given. The whole point of that solemn ceremony is to prepare us to communicate through the veil by delivering to us the keys of the priesthood and by teaching us how to use them in that higher form — or TRUE ORDER — of prayer.
The Lord undoubtedly has good reason for referring to this as the TRUE ORDER OF PRAYER, as he also must have good reason for teaching it only to those who were worthy to enter His temples, there to be endowed with "power from on high." (DC 95:8) This power comes in the form of solemn covenants which, if kept, and priesthood keys which, if used, pierce the veil and open the door of heaven.
We bear testimony that THESE KEYS WORK: that the heavens are opened, and the answers are clear; that spiritual experiences abound and far surpass anything else we have known. This is "mighty prayer" (3 Ne 27:1; DC 29:2) and we testify that we know from many sacred experiences that this is indeed the way the Lord has ordained for those who have been endowed in His holy temples to come to Him and communicate with Him. It has been taught in those temples for over 150 years, so that those who are endowed may use it in their own personal temples — their homes — to receive their own personal revelation.
Recently, certain Church leaders (including yourselves) have been saying that it is wrong for us to converse with our Father in Heaven in this heavenly manner. Most of our excommunications have been over this one issue alone... At least one local leader has gone so far as to label the True Order of Prayer a "malignancy" that must be stopped. If so, then the Church must stop administering endowments, for it is through the holy endowment and the witness of the Holy Ghost that God Himself has been causing this "malignancy" to spread...
In the temple, Adam prays in a similar manner as he anticipates the arrival of messengers from the Father. The sign he uses is unmistakable. And all who see this portrayal are told that they are to consider themselves as if they were Adam and Eve. We testify that those who follow this same pattern today are blessed with the same results...
How do we suppose that Daniel was praying, or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, or Alma, when they were commanded by the authorities not to pray? It wasn’t the silent prayer of the heart that got them into trouble (and later got them out of it). It must have been something more obvious and outward, and certainly more powerful — like the True Order of Prayer...
Some have objected to our exercise of the keys of the priesthood in the True Order of Prayer because of the possibility that we might be deceived. We respond that if in the True Order of Prayer we are subject to deception, then what safety can there be in any lesser order of prayer? Besides, it was to avoid deception that these keys were revealed..."FOR HIM TO WHOM THESE KEYS ARE GIVEN, THERE IS NO DIFFICULTY in obtaining a knowledge of the facts in relation to the salvation of the children of men." (DC 128:11)
Joseph Smith recorded in his journal on May 1, 1842, "I preached in the grove, on the KEYS OF THE KINGDOM, charity, &c. The keys are certain signs and words by which FALSE SPIRITS and PERSONAGES may be DETECTED FROM TRUE, which cannot be revealed to the Elders till the Temple is completed...the Elders MUST KNOW THEM ALL, to be endowed with power, to finish their work and PREVENT IMPOSITION." (HC 4:608)
...It is in the endowment that we receive these keys for testing and receiving messengers through the veil. Having received these keys, we are then taught how to use them — in the True Order of Prayer. If we truly consider ourselves as if we were Adam and Even, we will remember that Adam received messengers who brought him the further light and knowledge his Father promised to send him, because he asked in the True Order of Prayer.
These are eternal truths, and truth does not change! Yet we have been told by you and other priesthood leaders that the Church now prohibits the personal practice of the True Order of Prayer by any individual or couple, even in the privacy of their own bedroom! Can you see why we consider this a dramatic change in Church doctrine?
...And we testify that there is no impropriety in it! We have learned instead, that it pleases God when his sons and daughters approach His throne of grace in the manner he has appointed, using the SACRED GIFT OF PRIESTHOOD KEYS that He has placed in their hands. "For what doth it profit a man if A GIFT IS BESTOWED upon him and HE RECEIVE NOT the gift? Behold, he rejoiceth not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is THE GIVER of the gift." (DC 88:33) "When God offers a blessing or knowledge to a man, and he refuses to receive it, HE WILL BE DAMNED. The Israelites prayed that God would speak to Moses and not to them; in consequence of which HE CURSED THEM with a carnal law." (TPJS p.322) Any man who would deny God’s children access to this divine gift of communion with the heavens makes himself an enemy to God and stands guilty of attempting to thwart God’s purposes...
It should be no surprise to anyone that God would be moved to tenderly respond to any group of people who would thus persist in their quest to obtain from him "further light and knowledge" using the keys and gifts He had previously given them.
I find it very interesting to observe that, while the LDS leadership made no attempt at using persuasion to back their own determined rebuke to this group of faithful members, the group itself was able to present evidence upon evidence in support of their defense. Who was obeying the priesthood law of persuasion in this case? (See D&C 121:41 quoted above)
By and by, the respected leader of this group of loyal saints, James Dee Harmston, was given the divine right and power to again "set the house of God in order," thus commencing the second phase of the latter-day work of the Restoration. A church was established, this time with the mission no longer to preach to the Gentiles, but to the house of Israel - as the times of the Gentiles is now fulfilled. Once again the ministering of heavenly beings began to converge upon an enlightened people, a people from the heart’s core of the LDS people, who fear not man nor what man can do, who have placed themselves under covenant to establish Zion, or die trying, despite every professed power that may come against them from the world.
I testify that this is the work of God, that it is the fulfillment of prophecy, that Zion is now taken from the LDS Church, that all who wish to receive the blessings of Zion must now come here where God has placed his authority. Nowhere else is there to be found a people who possess all the keys pertaining to the work of Zion. Nowhere else are the powers of godliness so fully manifested among men. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ.
Chuck Whicker
e-mail: cwhicker@tlcmanti.org