Lory Whicker

Chuck Whicker

I have been a part of the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days since September, 1994. As such, it has been my privilege to watch the growth and development of the Church organization, its leadership, and the individual members. I have witnessed many great and marvelous events, revelations, and knowledge revealed to us as a people as we have sought diligently to devote our lives to serving the One True God. As the fullness of the Gospel has been unfolded before us, I have marveled at the incredible scope of His plan, and the justice and mercy displayed by our eternal Father. Every person, every situation is provided for in love and righteousness.

For my own part, this path has been rocky and far more difficult than I ever imagined it would be. I came to this gathering with a great many personal problems, suffering from the effects of my rebelliousness as a child and young woman, and the emotional scars of abusive relationships. At the time, I was married to my second husband, a man 10 years my senior, had seven of my 9 children with me, and was pregnant with the tenth. My feelings for the Sanpete Valley had grown strong during the years I attended Snow College in Ephraim, and I was greatly relieved to be returning here, to raise my children away from the influences that had marred our lives, and to discover what "the group" was all about. My pregnancy, and desire to have this child born at home, led me to meet some of the women who, with their husbands, were seeking to know God’s will concerning the gathering and knowledge that they were receiving. Looking in from the outside, I wondered whether those men truly could hold "Priesthood"- after all, they had been excommunicated from the LDS Church! That question was answered for me with power the day my son was born- at the end of a long and difficult labor, the mere presence of one of those "apostates" immediately caused my body to respond appropriately and deliver the child. I knew from that day that I would have to continue my investigation of this newly formed Church, and felt that with such power manifested, my conceptions of who really held "Priesthood" might have to change!

I had been looking for a few years previously for answers to many questions I had. Growing up in the LDS church, albeit as a "wild child", I had learned all that was given in Primary, Young Women's, Seminary, Institute and regular meeting attendance. I had been sealed in the Los Angeles Temple to my first husband in 1980. I loved to read, and devoured many of the current LDS books, both fictional and non, as I sought for further understanding. As an adult, I questioned many of the incidents that had occurred in my life- the hypocrisy I had seen and experienced growing up, the injustice, the blindness, lack of commitment among members and leaders, the ease with which leaders could be deceived, or with which they deceived others! Many times, they denied having revelation, or had no understanding of the concept of their "mantle of authority" which they were supposed to have. The 1990 changes in the Endowment concerned me greatly. As I read the press releases, and consulted with my leaders, their reasoning did not satisfy me. I had matured enough to take my covenants seriously- even wondering why we could not live all of them as we promised to. Seeing these adaptations only seemed to take us further away from those vital promises, not closer! I came to understand that my questions were not answerable, that I must "trust the Brethren", and go along with whatever instructions were given. But in the Temple, I could not shake the feelings of discomfort, and I continued to "say" the now missing parts in my head, unwilling to give up what I felt was a requirement of the Lord to enter His presence.

One of the greatest blessings in my life has been my desire to be reunited with the Savior and His Father. It has led me to study, to look at my life, to be willing to make changes as I have come to see and accept the faults I possess. I often sought for a manifestation that my course was pleasing to Him, and there are times in my life when He has granted me the knowledge that at that point, I was where He would have me, and was handling things as well as possible. When I read "Approaching Zion", I became filled with the desire to live those principles outlined by Hugh Nibley. It seemed obvious to me that there was no other way- that the scriptures and teachings presented in the earlier parts of this dispensation pointed to Zion as the only salvation of the world. Yet, there was no place for it in the modern Church. I continued to seek the Lord, to pray, to read from a variety of sources in search of the principles He required, and the changes I still needed to make. Little did I know that when I joined the TLC, I was really entering into the refiners’ fire! With all the knowledge that I gained regarding ordinances, doctrines and laws of the gospel, with the privilege and experiences granted me through the True Order of Prayer, I was actually being prepared to finally be cleansed and made truly acceptable to God.

As I became accountable for living those doctrines, and as my understanding of God and His plan increased, it became obvious that I had much to deal with. The Lord saw fit to make my sins and weaknesses known to myself and the leadership of the Church, and I was placed in a position of having to deal with them. There is much I initially resisted, because I had never considered that I could have so much wrong with me! On the surface, I thought I functioned just like everyone else- and I saw plenty of others who seemed to have just as great or worse problems than I had! My perceptions were all based in misinformation from Satan, who hoped to keep me from making the changes God required of me. Through diligent effort, and with much help and support, I have been able to cast off all those evil influences in my life, to deal with my hurts and fears, to forgive and be forgiven of the choices I made which gave Satan power over me. In the process, my husband and I ended our relationship, and I have since had the great opportunity to be joined to a man who has loved me, taught me, brought me up and blessed the lives of me and my children. It is wonderful to finally have a godly relationship with a man, to know who my head is, to be obedient and able to trust him with my progression and my eventual salvation. For I know that Charles Whicker will indeed bring me into the presence of my Savior! Throughout all my trials, the Lord has promised me that I would indeed be able to overcome all that stands between me and Him. As I passed through these years of difficulty, of having to see myself for what I truly have been, I have had times of great support from the Lord. He truly is a God of Mercy- teaching and chastising, forgiving and then teaching again as we are able to bear it. He has protected me and guided me all through my life, in order to bring me to this gathering and provide my total healing. This He has done with this entire people- refining and preparing us all to receive that which we have so desired. It is not enough to be a "good person". It has been an incredible experience to see just how far from Him we really are as mortals, and to come to the point that we can accept and willingly make the changes required to enter His presence.

I know that all men are required to humble themselves before the Lord and His chosen leadership. There is no other way to gain His presence except through forsaking your sins and submitting to His law. Repentance is only effective when past actions are forsaken- whatever they might be. For those who feel "trapped", for whom conventional therapies and practices have not really changed your behaviors, I tell you that it is because you have not done it God’s way! If you are in misery, if you feel that you can never be acceptable to the Lord, it is because you are under the influences of the world and that Evil One who seeks to control us all. More than likely, even if you think you are OK, there is still much within you to change! No matter how hard it may seem to be, or what you think you are having to give up, it is worth it to force Satan out of your life. He has many powers and influences that we are not generally aware of, which we must learn about and be healed of. Only then are we really able to feel the power and truth of the Gospel, to truly exercise faith and Priesthood. In the midst of my trials, I was ministered to by holy beings. I received peace of mind, of spirit, physical comfort and temporal blessings that enabled me to continue cleansing myself and seeking the gifts of God. I lost the oppression, the fears, all that had kept me from being able to complete the work I have been called here to do. The Lord even healed me from a debilitating disease which had grown worse over the years, as well as other healings in our family. In the process, He taught me why these things are required of us, and His purposes in trying us in "all things".

This is not the "easy program". For those of you who are used to being told that you are OK, that God will beat you with a few stripes but still accept you in your sins, who believe that somehow your own efforts will be acceptable and sufficient, I tell you that you are deceived. You are incapable of comprehending and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your carnal state. It matters not how intelligent, how well read you are, what your temporal accomplishments might be, or how "good" or "obedient" you have been. Nothing will qualify you for the true Kingdom of God, to be admitted to His presence, except full recognition and repentance. That is what happens here. Along with being able to live all the laws of the Gospel, of having the advantages of Prayer, Priesthood and Power, you will also have to deal with who you are. Consider carefully the words and teachings of our Prophet, of the scriptures and the testimonies borne by our people. Fear Not. There is nothing you possess in this world that is greater than what the Lord offers you. Regardless of what you may have to endure to receive it, you will be given far more in return. For those who can come here humbly, willing to submit and to be healed, your cleansing will come much easier than mine has.

I have become immovable in my testimony of this great work- regardless of how we are perceived by the world, portrayed in the media, or spoken of by those who have left us, I KNOW that the only way back to the Lord is through the ordinances and gospel presented by the TLC. No other people, individuals or organizations can even come close. No other Church requires all that God requires. His scriptures are plain. He does not change. Ordinances cannot be changed without the blessings promised being changed as well. Only those who keep their covenants- all of them- will receive the exaltation God can grant. James D. Harmston is the man the Lord has set up to administer the work of the last days. I have known that since the very day I heard him speak, and have had it witnessed to me over and over again in the past five years, it now being April, 1999. No matter what my personal problems have been, I have never wavered in my commitment to the Gospel and to the men who lead this Church. They are the true servants of God. I firmly believe all that Jim Harmston has received, claimed and taught. I have been a personal witness to the fulfillment of his prophecies, and experienced the power and authority of his priesthood. I eagerly anticipate receiving the further blessings of the Lord, to build up my husband's posterity and to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. Like all the rest of the TLC, I pray fervently for the finished gathering of the elect, and for the events which will herald the coming of the Savior, as well as other prophecies yet to be fulfilled. I hope that if you are prompted by the Spirit to come here, that you will indeed be valiant, and contribute to this work. You must be a whole ("holy") person to do so. It is my testimony that all I have written is true, and this I do in the holy name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lory Jean Whicker

(nee Fuller, also Holdaway and Beacham)

e-mail: cwhicker@tlcmanti.org

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