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I have always had an insatiable desire to learn and to know the truth; having completed every class that was offered in my High School LDS Seminary program, I entered Brigham Young University, at the age of seventeen. My goal was to center my life around Christ, yet my advisors steered me away from majoring in religion. They directed me on a course of preparation "for earning a living"; therefore I obtained a degree in Interior Design, this seeming to be the way I could keep my focus. Of course I had to fill the general education requirements and choose many electives, delving into many other areas of learning, but ultimately my degree was acquired through the College of Family Living, where through studying the many aspects of 'the Family', I learned how to create a spiritual environment in the home, which thing has been of great benefit to me since that time.
Having an unfaltering testimony of God and His Son Jesus Christ, knowing that all truth comes from God, and being determined to pursue my search for truth, I took every religion class that I could fit into my schedule. A motivating desire of my life, has been to study and learn all that I possibly could regarding the nature of the Eternal God and of my Mother in Heaven, and how I could become like them. As I spent many hours in the huge BYU Library researching the information which was needed to obtain my degree, I felt tremendous frustration because of the limitations of time -- I could not branch out as much as I desired, into other areas which were of great interest, but instead found it necessary to go along with the outlined curriculum in order to eventually obtain my diploma.. Since that time, I have come to realize that this degree was not nearly so important as was my quest for the truth and the Principles of Exaltation.
At the age of 22, while still at BYU, I married a returned LDS missionary who had also spent four years in the military service, and who was now attending the University. We continued attending school as we began our family--during the next few years, through home-study classes, I was able to receive my Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating after my sixth child was born.
My parent's family has always been very close; my brother (who was two years my senior) had been drowned a year and a half before my marriage -- during the next year he reappeared to me, through the veil, on three different occasions. Each time he walked me through a mini-vision which meant something important in my life -- when I prayed for understanding I was told that his message to me was that every little thing that I do with my life, -- every decision I make, is of real value; we are not alone here in mortality. We mortals are not free to do whatever we desire; we will be held accountable for our every action and even the thoughts of our hearts. He showed me, that if I am to fulfill the full Measure of my Creation, I must remain focused and be in tune with the Holy Spirit so that my decisions are made in wisdom .
Over the years, a few questions had come to my mind regarding some of the activities and practices of the LDS Church; however, it never occurred to me to even wonder if there might be some serious discrepancies in the doctrines which we were being taught. I just accepted everything (as did my family and friends) and I had not the slightest doubt that this was really the "only true church" on the face of the earth, and that our leaders, while not perfect, were still inspired by God and were righteous people holding the "mantle of authority" I wondered when and who would be able to meet Jesus Christ, and what would be required of me so that I might be among them. How could I prepare for this most important event?
I never dared, nor even desired to search into "LDS Fundamentalist Doctrines" or to read "Anti-Mormon" literature; I never doubted the Polygamist Manifesto of 1890, nor did I question the changes in the Priesthood Garment, nor any of the other serious changes which I now realize are so blatantly wrong and are so abhorrent to God. I just "trusted in the arm of flesh," and went with the flow.
All the Prophets and the Holy Scriptures down through the ages have taught how wrong it is to change God's way for man's own traditions and personal agendas but I was still asleep to the Great Apostasy which was developing right before my eyes! In spite of the fact that throughout most of my life I had been aware of the Political conspiracies which have put so many of the peoples of the earth into bondage, I never suspected that the same evil forces which are behind this wickedness have also been destroying the truths of the Gospel in God's own Church. It is factual that all that is necessary to destroy a generation of truth is to redefine it.
The one thing that was very frustrating to me was that it seemed that there was no direction in my daily life which included the vital information required to prepare us so that we would be ready to meet the Savior; what could we do so that we would be comfortable in His presence? I felt like a boat without a rudder or sail -- and with no compass on board!
As my life has proceeded, I have needed, at times, to produce an income (I soon decided that it would be difficult to make a good living in the State of Utah, in the field of my Bachelor's degree, and this is where my husband and I chose to make our home). I had held several secretarial positions and I had worked at the BYU Press while a student. After graduation I worked for many different departments of the LDS Church, which included the huge LDS Distribution Center in Salt Lake City; the Records Department in the Church Office Building; and as Office Manager for two LDS Marriage Counselors. While living in Salt Lake City for four years, I lived near temple square and spent much time in the temple or attending Church events at the Tabernacle. Thus, it has been my opportunity to observe some of the "inner-workings" of the Church; and to witness many of the General Authorities and Church leaders in action.
I guess you might have called me a "Molly Mormon".
I accumulated all sorts of LDS visual and audio materials including
scores of videos of the General Authorities speeches, as well
as Gospel tapes, books, and pictures, so that in every way possible,
I could center the lives of my children (as well as my own life)
upon the Savior. Truly, some of my friends considered me to be
"fanatical" -- but I was more concerned with what the
Savior thought of me than of those opinions, and I felt that I
was pleasing the Lord. As time passed, I learned the theory of
targeting my life wherein the Center circle is composed of the
things which are essential for obtaining Eternal Life; the second
circle is for the things which should be done; and the outer circle
is for the things that would be nice or interesting to be accomplished.
As simple as this sounds, this theory has helped me to maintain
a proper focus in my life.
I tried to teach my eight children to follow in Christ's way --
and it seems that for the most part, all of them have respected
those teachings, and they have tried to stay close to the Lord.
I am very grateful that four of them are here with me in the Gathering
of the Remnant of the Last Days (The True and Living Church of
Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days), and the other four are
still committed to the LDS Church, not believing that "ten
million people could be wrong". (I am sure that the people
of Noah's day said the same thing, yet only eight were saved from
the flood.) Time revealed from my marriage to my children's father
that we differed on some of the most important values in life,
and after sixteen troubled years, that very incompatible marriage
ended.
The idea that the LDS Church has actually gone into complete apostasy and is now giving God's Elect a false hope in Christ, was very hard for me to understand and to accept at first. I had never doubted the LDS General Authorities, nor anything that I was taught by them, for I knew some of them personally; I knew them all by name, and by the sound of their voices. I saw some things which were out of order, but I always believed that the Lord would send Joseph back into mortality to get it all straightened out.
I thank God for opening my eyes and that I am no longer asleep. I am now coming to know the truth, part of which is that the LDS Church has changed every ordinance, broken every law, and has set at naught the Ancient Covenants all of which are essential in order to establish a Zion Society -- because of this, the LDS Church has truly become an enemy to God. Some of the leaders are knowingly deceiving the people, others are so caught up in the pride of their hearts that they blindly follow their leaders who do not know how to receive personal revelation whereby they may discover for themselves what God requires of them if they are to meet Christ.
The LDS Church members do not comprehend that they have received only a portion of the Gospel of Salvation; and they do not realize that the Gospel of Exaltation even exists, or that it is essential for them to learn and to live every Law of the Gospel and to "graduate" from the Church of Jesus Christ into the Church of the Father which is called "The Church of the Firstborn" (Adam is the Firstborn, and Adam is the God of this earth; Jesus is His Only Begotten Son) if they are to even be permitted to live into and during the Millennium which is near at hand.
As I look back upon my past life, I do recall that I always wondered how it would be possible to become perfect -- even "as I and My Father are Perfect". From time to time I became very concerned fearing that I just could not discover all that I needed know -- to receive all of the essential information for conducting my life so that I would be ready to meet Christ. I am so very grateful to have been given the most profound blessing that I could receive, which is that I am now learning (often by my personal experiences) just what is required of me and of each of God's children, if we are to become LIKE Him, and if we are to be SAVED in His Kingdom.
It was not until I first met James Dee Harmston at the "Model's Seminar" in 1993 that I realized that there was something drastically wrong with the current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. During the next few months, the apostasy of the Lord's Church began to be credible to me; I was horrified that a grandiose secret combination could have been building right in the Lord's Church for so many years and that so many brilliant, God-fearing people had not been able to ferret it out. Since that time, through extensive study and prayer, I have come to have a powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the words which are spoken by James Dee Harmston; truly a man of God.
I had never heard anyone speak of the things that Jim related to us; among other things, he taught us that it is possible for us to really communicate with God and receive sure witnesses to our prayers; and that even though we can alter our behavior by sheer will-power, it requires a miracle from God to actually change our nature.
Jim showed us right out of our own LDS scriptures where Joseph Smith Jr. revealed the Lord's declaration in 1832, that vanity and unbelief have brought 'the whole church under condemnation' (See D&C: 84: 55-57). Then in 1986, President Ezra Taft Benson, in one of his first messages as President of the LDS Church declared that the Church was even then, still 'under the condemnation of God which shall remain until they repent and remember the New and Everlasting Covenant, and put the Book of Mormon first in their lives.'
There is so much more that is never taught in the LDS Church today, which was taught by Joseph Smith, Jr. and which was lived in the early days of the Restored Church. I have learned from my own studies that so many scriptures have been changed, and that every doctrine has been altered; that even the Sacred Endowment covenants -- as well as the True Order of Prayer -- have been so changed that they have lost the very purposes for which they were given to Joseph, in order to bring about the Exaltation of mankind.
Even with all my associations in the LDS Church I had not been
taught the truth that we must come to comprehend the Divine Character
of God. Only as we are able to understand and bring into our lives
the depth of humility, repentance, and purification, which are
essential, will we ever be able to merit a place in the House
of our Father, yet in all my life I had failed to discover these
vital truths.
I was devastated! This was my whole life -- I had raised my children
to believe that the teachings of this Church was all that would
get them back to Christ; and my youngest child was then ten years
old. My world became chaotic as I realized that I must search
out the truthfulness of all this--I must discover and embrace
the truth , no matter what the cost to me.
I had never really studied the Lectures on Faith before, but now it became paramount in my thoughts -- could I sacrifice all that I had -- what if my beloved parents or some of my brothers and sisters with whom I had always been so close would not listen nor understand? Of course they would, (I thought); they certainly are pure in heart -- and what if my own children would not come with me? I knew that this decision was traumatic enough that I must be prepared; I had to realize that I might lose everything that had ever seemed dear to me if I should make the decision to follow Jim Harmston. -- and this was the only man whom I had ever heard, who dared to speak exactly as did the Prophets of old, even calling Israel to repentance, and defining exactly what God expects of His people.
When I was about thirteen years old, I had spent three weeks in bed; I wasn't really sick, but just wasn't feeling well enough to go to school. Since this was not typical of my behavior, my mother did not correct me. During that time, I had one particular nightmare over and over; it was a most unpleasant and horrifying experience wherein I would almost succeed at something that was so very desirable to me, and then I would fail. As this continued day after day, I found myself pleading with the Lord that he would tell me what I could do to prevent this awful thing from happening in my future -- how could I find happiness and peace in my life?
He made it known unto me that there was a man for whom I should search, who would be of great value to me and whom I should follow: There were three criteria: First, he had a pure and exacting integrity. Second, he was powerful in stature, with broad shoulders. Third, his name was 'Jim'. Throughout the next thirty years or so, there have been several men by the name of 'Jim' who have played a role in my life; however, I knew that when the right one came along I would know him. The first time I met Jim Harmston on a personal basis following the 'Models Seminar', as I looked deeply into his eyes, I knew that he was the man for whom I had been searching; he who would teach me by what means I may come to Christ. These past five years have proven this revelation to be exactly true!
Jim Harmston has shown me, right there in my own scriptures (which have always been at the center of my life) where the Lord has revealed all of the things which are now taking place right here in the Gathering in Manti, and in the world as well. Prophesy after prophecy is being fulfilled -- prophecies which have been declared by all the Holy Prophets throughout the ages. His teachings exactly coincide with those of Joseph Smith Jr. and Brigham Young as well as the Prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah, Lehi and all the other Holy Prophets. There is nothing that he teaches that is contrary to the truths taught by Jesus Christ.
This man is strictly moral and upright; he is exacting and honorable in his personal life as well as in fulfilling his role as the Lord's Prophet. President Harmston is well-educated, having spent a lifetime in most earnest study of the Gospel as a side interest, even while serving as a College Professor and in other challenging roles in the world of business. He is proficient in the words of the ancients including important elements of the Hebrew and Egyptian languages, and can discern the true meanings of the words which were encoded by the Prophet Isaiah for the Elect of Israel.
I have now been here in the Gathering for more than four years, and at this time four of my eight children are here with me, actively engaged in the Work of the Lord. At this time, none of my other family members have arrived; even so, the Lord has brought me a new life family, with whom I share the most important values of my life, and wherein I am coming to comprehend the true character of God and, in some ways, I find that I am now beginning to become more like Him. My new family here in the Gathering do not profess to be perfect, in fact all our weaknesses and our past sins are being revealed so that we must deal with them and repent for them; it is not easy, but I know it will be worth it.
My parents and my brothers and sisters, whom I dearly love, ask me when I will 'come back' to the LDS Church. I tell them that I know what they have -- (my life was possibly more centered in the LDS Church than has been their own), but I now know that the further light and knowledge which the Lord has revealed to me, is far advanced from the abbreviated version of the Gospel which the they have accepted; they believe that what they have is "all there is." I feel so very blessed to have finally been shown, not only the true Gospel of Salvation, but also the Gospel of Exaltation, both of which compose the Fullness of the Gospel. We are being taught, not only how we may dwell with God, but how we can actually become Gods ourselves. I am so very grateful to have been led here to the temporary Gathering of the Last Days in Manti, Utah.
If we are to be prepared to meet the Savior, we must keep ALL our covenants, and ALL the Lord's commandments; we must live the laws of a Terrestrial world before we will ever be permitted to dwell there. The Lord has said that He cannot tolerate sin with the least degree of allowance; I have come to realize that God really does mean what He says, and some of our past sins and sorrows are so deeply hidden that we cannot even recall them in order to repent of them, unless they are drawn out with the help of the Lord, at our own request.
The Lord declares that the word of God is:
quick and powerful, sharper than a two edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12)
In other words, He really does mean exactly what he says! I had never before understood that this is precisely what the Lord means when He tells us that:
Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it. (Matthew 7:14)
Also when He says:
- Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
- Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, (D&C 121:34-35)
Indeed, I now understand that there are exceedingly strict laws which must be obeyed; for the Lord will have a tried and proven people who have learned obedience "if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer." (D&C 105:6)
In the Book of Matthew 10:34-40, Christ tells us:
- Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
- For I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
- And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
- He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. . .
- And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
- He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
- He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. (Matthew 10:34-40)
In no way do I regret my decision to come to the Gathering of the Last Days; I have never been so busy -- nor so happy. Here we are able to learn the "Rest of the Story" and finally have a more complete picture before us. The Lord wants to share with us all that He has -- even as joint-heirs in His Kingdom. He has told us many times;
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Cor 2:9)
My husband, Phillip Savage, is the Ordained Patriarch to the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days. The Blessings which he gives are inspired by the God of Heaven, and they frequently reveal past events of a person's lives; true revelation is required to give these blessings, and the receiver is counseled to seek his own personal witness from the Lord. Here in the Lord's Church, we are able to keep all of the covenants which we have made with God; including the covenants which we were shown in the LDS Church, but which have been altered so much as to be mockery before God. In fact, not only are we ABLE to keep our covenants, but we are REQUIRED to do so; the Lord does not want weak and faltering children her on this most vital and demanding mission of Redeeming this Earth for it's rightful Heir, His Son Jesus Christ. The Lord is gathering only the Elect of Israel.
I testify that James Dee Harmston is The Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ; he who Isaiah prophesies will deliver the Lord's people; that he is verily The Lord's Prophet on the earth today and that the words which he speaks are true; that he is the only one who knows the path to the Throne Room of God; and it is he who has the power and the ordinances to lead the children of Israel back to Jesus Christ their Savior and Redeemer. To this I testify in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, even Son Ahman. Amen.
Sharelen Savage