(John 15:13).
The plan of mercy was laid. By atoning for our sins, the Lord Jesus Christ brought about an incredibly merciful plan, available to all mankind. Whosoever would repent, be baptized, and come unto him, would receive mercy and the promises of eternal life.
“And
now the plan of mercy could not be brought about, except an atonement
should be
made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring
about
the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be
a
perfect, just God, and a merciful God also” (Alma 19:97).
These are interesting times. With all the wars and unrest, we are a generation who increasingly yearns for peace, love, tolerance and unity.
In the temporal world, the cries for peace echo from the halls of the United Nations and her members. The demands for love and tolerance go forth in the name of humanity and human rights. The idea that a unified world can live in peace is what drives the passion for globalization and elimination of terror.
A mirror image of the above is occurring also in the spiritual world. Churches increasingly desire peace and harmony with one another, and on a larger scale, religions of the world are coming together under organized umbrellas that promote peace and human rights. In the name of Christianity, tolerance is becoming an international requirement; after all, Jesus and his disciples were preachers of patience, unity, and love. To be judgmental or critical is increasingly considered to be hateful, even criminal (read: hate crimes). “What would Jesus do?” ask today’s Christians, the majority of whom believe that by atoning for our sins, God’s justice was replaced by his mercy. But when did God ever say that his mercy had replaced his justice?
The influence in the classrooms began at least as
early as
the 1930s, when John Dewey (father of progressive education and a
Fabian
Socialist) led his academic disciples at
Situational ethics included women and men being fed the lie that they were equal in all things (really that women are superior and men are stupid). Children were fed the lie that they were wiser than their parents. Isaiah thus revealed a prophecy of this generation:
“And
as for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over
them. O my
people, they who lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of
thy paths” (Isaiah 3:12).
Indeed, women are ruling these days, both in the temporal and the spiritual domain, and children have become oppressors. I just read that President Clinton’s spokeswoman, Dee Dee Myers, is releasing a new book, Why Women Should Rule The World. “She loves guys,” she says, “but they haven’t done that well.” And as for children being our oppressors, ask almost any great grandparent what they think about children of this generation collectively as far as obedience and discipline are concerned.
“Self-discipline naturally occurs in childhood development…the child will be persuaded to make the right choices if left alone.” I remember hearing this lie told in more than one psychology class. One professor was specifically asked about potty training. The class wondered how long would be “too long” to wait for the child to naturally train themselves. His answer seemed to satisfy the class. He said, “Don’t worry, your child will not enter high school in diapers…just let them learn naturally…they will learn.”
It is interesting to compare how the word “discipline” has been defined, both historically and in our day. For example,
FROM THE HEBREW: chastisement; reproof, rebuke, warning or instruction; also restraint: --bond, chastening.
FROM WEBSTER 1828: Correction; chastisement; punishment intended to correct crimes or errors; as the discipline of the strap.
FROM WEBSTER 1970: learning; training; strict control (no mention of punishment, reproof, rebuke, or chastening).
MOST COMMON INTERNET DEFINITIONS: positive guidance, as opposed to punishment.
Notice how the definition of “discipline” has completely reversed itself from previous centuries. There is certainly nothing wrong with “positive guidance” or reinforcement, but how might the Lord like it that this “positive guidance” has actually replaced or opposed punishment? What did the Lord say about discipline?
“If
ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son
is he
whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all
are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Hebrews 12:7-11).
These are pretty strong words, and they are not for small children only, but all of us as God’s children. Discipline or chastisement is an ongoing process, or at least it should be. Without it, we are as bastards, not sons.
Could there be a correlation between how we have been programmed as parents, and how we have been programmed as Christians? Does this generation realize how necessary discipline, in all its forms, is for the soul?
Let’s go back to
How does this justice and mercy thing work?
James wrote, “Whosoever shall, save in one point, keep the whole law, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). In other words, break one commandment and as far as God is concerned, we have broken them all. James went on to explain that in such a case, we would face judgment without mercy. Pretty scary, huh?
“But
there is a law given and a punishment affixed, and repentance granted;
which
repentance, mercy claimeth: otherwise, justice claimeth the creature,
and
executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so,
the works
of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God. But God
ceaseth
not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh
because of the
atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the
dead: and
the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of
God; And
thus they are restored into his presence; to be judged according to
their
works; according to the law and justice; for behold, justice exerciseth
all his
demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none
but the
truly penitent are saved. What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob
justice? I say
unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God” (
Mercy cannot rob justice.
Christians like to talk about the love of
Jesus
Christ. What they really like to talk
about is his mercy. But mercy itself
describes only one-half of God’s love.
The other half of his love is justice.
It was the act of giving his life that Christ, himself,
defined as
love. It is the
sacrifice itself (laying down his life) that defines love to the
fullest. Justice and mercy were both part
of the
equation for fulfilling that act (see
“For
whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6).
God judges or chastises those he loves, and it manifests itself in different ways. Sometimes being chastised means having our patience tried, or being afflicted with ill health, or being given emotional crosses to bear. I can feel chastised just reading the word of God. Probably the best example of affliction we receive comes when we profess the true gospel of Christ. The world hates the truth and will afflict us when we try to profess it. The Lord’s servants are told not to resist affliction in whatever form it comes, but rather to rejoice in it (yes, I know, that can be hard to do).
“My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into many afflictions; Knowing
this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2-5).
It is not uncommon for today’s Christians to call those who serve justice “unloving.” Yet in truth, it all depends upon the judgment that is being made. Is it righteous judgment or unrighteous judgment? If it is righteous judgment, then the judgment being made is representative of the “just” half of God, which is equally as “loving” as the merciful half of God. As Paul and others explained, justice is a representation of God’s love for his children. Like our earthly parents who punish us because they love us, God also punishes us because he loves us. Again, Christ’s very definition of love was the act of laying down his life, which justice required.
Love & the old time gospel
Like everything else, there is an opposition in love. There is the sweet, gentle, and merciful nature of love. And there is the tough, disciplinary, and judgmental nature of love. Both are required to perfect us as sons and daughters of God. At times we see the merciful God at work in our lives, and at other times the just God is made more manifest. This generation prefers to focus on the former, having almost entirely disregarded the significance of the latter. Yet we have already learned that those who suffer for Christ’s sake are counted as his children.
Some who read this paper will have heard my briefings on the coming Noahide Laws; a deceiving set of laws that already have manifested themselves in the name of Moral or Natural Law. Perhaps it is worth noting that those behind such laws intend to convince us that suffering in the flesh is false doctrine. Their goal, of course, is also to convince us that the Lord can provide a kingdom on earth without the suffering (so long as we all agree to worship the Lord after their manner of worship). For this reason, they are fully prepared to destroy the words of Paul, Peter and every other prophet who
insisted that we rejoice in affliction, or that rewards come by suffering. The sons of perdition have picked the perfect generation in which to surface. Almost all of the elect are awaiting some form of delivery from affliction or persecution, and these wicked teachers are waiting for the right moment to give it to them.
According to the Lord, suffering in the flesh is sacrifice, and is the very manifestation of love. There is no greater love than a man lay down his life for his friends, or for Christ’s name’s sake. If we heed the words of the prophets, we will count it all for joy when we are afflicted. Here is the gospel that was once delivered to the saints, preached with great power and authority:
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man
will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” (Mathew
16:25).
“…when they had called the apostles, and beaten them…they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:40-41).
“Remember the word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12).
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. For evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Timothy 3:12-14).
“For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God” (1 Peter 2:20).
“But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled” (1 Peter 3:14).
“And fear not them who are able to kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:25).
“And labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; Being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you” (1 Corinthians 4:12-14).
“And blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake, For ye shall have great joy and be exceeding glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you” (3 Nephi 5:58-59).
“And all they who suffer persecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my sake, yet shall they partake of all this glory. Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full. Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul, and seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life” (Section 98:5h-j).
Do these verses frighten us or do they ignite a passion to serve the Lord? Hopefully it is the latter. Do we see only the persecution that is required of us, or can we detect the happiness, joy, and rewards that come from that persecution (I underlined them in case we missed them).
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Those who fear the Lord will not fear what man can do to them. God promises to preserve those he loves, but preservation of the spiritual is his goal, not preservation of the flesh, which was obsessive to the Jews two-thousand years ago, and remains obsessive to the Lord’s people even to this day.
I have wondered how many Christians of this
generation
(myself included) could face death with anything approaching the degree
of raw courage
and faithfulness that the saints endured in the days of old, or even
the saints
of our day who endure great persecution in foreign lands.
Like Tal Brooke, who authored the fabulous
book, One World, I hear God’s name often touted in this land
with the
flippancy of game-show hosts, rather than with the kind of awe and
reverence
like that of our martyred forefathers.
If the contemporary church were able to change places with the
early
church, I, too, wonder if it would bail at the first moment of
discomfort, long
before it got even within earshot of
Nephi saw a vision of the last days (1 Nephi 3:220-231). He saw two churches only – note that both were churches – both contained people who said they believed in Christ. One church was huge with great power and dominion. The other church was small and in a scattered condition. Ultimately, the big church became a bully and went to war against the small church. John witnessed this same event:
“And
it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome
them; and
power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:7).
So did Daniel:
“I
beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed
against them” (Daniel 7:21).
Thankfully, at some point in this awful war against the saints, Nephi also saw that the power of God descended upon those saints, and they became armed with righteousness and with the power of God. What constitutes righteousness?
- Those who suffer for the Lord’s sake (1 Peter 3:14).
- Those who believe, as Abraham believed (James 2:22).
-
Those who seek first to build up the
- Those who have faith, hope, and charity (Ether 5:29).
What constitutes the power of God?
--The gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16).
--The preaching of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18).
--Partakers of afflictions of the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8).
--Marvelous works (Mormon 3:31).
Nephi said that the small Church of the Lamb would be scattered, but we are also told that it will flourish in the wilderness upon the hills:
“But
before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish
in the
wilderness; and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.
In the coming days, we are going to hear
increasingly more
talk about peace, love, ecumenicalism, harmonization, reconciliation,
and
unity. Mankind is seeking to build a
modern day
Just as the world is focused on a temporal
“For
it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the
other by a
free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh;
but he of
the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory…” (Gal 4:22-24).
Rather than working on our own personal temples, and setting ourselves right with God, the ever-increasing belief is that we should unite under temporal temples, which will supposedly somehow prove to God that we love each other and are ready for redemption. This definition of righteousness is much like the world’s definition of righteousness as it forges ever onward for globalization and a counterfeit peace on earth.
Maybe one of the keys to understanding
Those who recognize the flourishing spiritual
“But
they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up
with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall
walk,
and not faint”
(Isaiah 40:31).
We have no need to fear what man can do to us. If parents have mercy when they chastise their children, how can we expect any less from God? Whatever we must endure in the days ahead, the Lord will not forsake us, nor will he give us more than we are able to bear (if we are faithful).
“There
hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is
faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will
with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Even in the day of the Lord’s wrath, he will remember mercy. He is the perfect Father.
“Verily,
I say unto you, Notwithstanding their sins, my bowels are filled with
compassion toward them; I will not utterly cast them off; and in the
day of wrath
I will remember mercy”
(Section 98:4a).
We have many generations of forefathers who looked
for and
longed for
What does it mean to establish the cause? Webster defines the word cause as “having
reason or motive to justify the act.”
In other words, by establishing the “cause” of
How did the Lord say he would redeem
--with judgments, according to Isaiah 1:27, 2 Nephi 8:68, etc.
--with vengeance, according to Section 98 (“redeem my vineyard…break down the walls…throw down their tower…scatter their watchmen…avenge me…”)
Why would the Lord want to redeem
I believe that all who have purchased and will
purchase land
in
In the Psalms we find the words, “They hated
me without a
cause.” In other words, the Lord’s
people hated and crucified him without having reason or justification
for their
actions. The Lord isn’t unfair like
us. He wants a cause firmly established
before he redeems
“And
one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are
arrayed in
white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou
knowest. And
he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and
have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:13-14).
Is it not both the merciful and the just parent who insists we wear the heavy winter coat, hat, scarf, boots, and mittens when all the other kids don’t have to? We don’t really understand that kind of “love” until later in our lives when we look back and finally realize that all the other kids got sick with the flu, and we did not because we were properly attired. At the time, embarrassed that we were looking un-cool in front of our friends, we might even have thought our parents “hated” us for putting us through the embarrassment, when in reality they probably loved us more than the other parents who failed to properly attire their children. How different is this simplified example from how the Lord works? Is it possible that the day will come when we will better understand the discipline and the mercy we received in this life; that God really did love us and have our best interest at heart?
The Book of Mormon makes clear that the Lord
prefers not to
compel us to obedience (
It is my understanding that this day of probation (1 Nephi 4:52) is not supposed to be the easy part. It is supposed to be the hard part…the time in which we must choose which part of our soul we will nourish; the Spirit or the flesh. In this day of our temporal bodies the Spirit and the flesh are at constant war with each other, and will be at war until the day that we die. To choose to nourish the flesh will result in pleasure, riches, and popularity. To choose to nourish the Spirit will result in sacrifice, sorrow, and increasing isolation. How we choose determines the very course of our lives now, and the rewards that come later.
Popular church leaders of our day peddle the false messages of the flesh…that if God “loves” us then he will “temporally bless us” which is true enough in part, however, the message of these false prophets gets distorted to mean that we are entitled to everything we want in the flesh – everything from diverse fortunes to miraculous healings, and that anything less is a lack of faith. Multitudes are spiritually misled in confusion as to why God doesn’t “love” them, wondering why God hasn’t prospered or miraculously healed them or “solved” their problems. Disheartened, they begin to doubt the God they thought they believed, and from thereon it can be a slippery slope to destruction, all because the word “love” was misrepresented or misunderstood. Instead of realizing why we sometimes have to be compelled to wear the winter coat attire, many deceived souls spend their lives rebelling at having to do so, even at the mere thought of it.
In 1828, Webster defined probation as a moral trial, examination, proving character and being qualified for a happier state. I wonder how many people know that Webster even defined probation as “ending with the present life?” This day in which we live is a day of choice.
Today we are proving ourselves to be worthy or unworthy.
Today we choose whom we will serve.
Today we are on trial.
Today, we are commanded to get knowledge and then act on that knowledge (and with much knowledge comes much sorrow—Ecclesiastes 1:18).
Today we choose to sacrifice.
Tomorrow we reap the benefits of our labors – our sacrifices and trials – and the Lord God has promised that he will wipe away all our tears (Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 21:4, etc.). We do what we do today, so that we might experience that tomorrow.
“For
a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I
gather thee” (Isaiah 54:7).
Can you imagine it?
In mortality, we have sorrow. In
immortality, there will be no more sorrow.
No wonder all the prophets preached and sought the heavenly
“Behold,
I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what
man can
do; for perfect love casteth out all fear” (
I hope I don’t step on toes, to include my own, but I just have to say it. People like myself have long accused the fundamentalist, rapture-believing Protestants (like Baptists) of having a lackadaisical air about them…a spirit of complacency. It is next to impossible to get a rapture believer to “awaken to their awful situation.” What awful situation, they would ask? They will experience no awful situation, for they will be raptured prior to any awful situation.
Could this also be why so many of the saints in
the
restoration have not awakened? With the
belief that we will be rescued “in
No one is exempt from suffering in this life. We each face our own tribulations, and some people’s tribulations may seem less persecutory than our own. There are trials in marriage, trials with children, trials with parents, trials with friends, trials with siblings, trials with health both physical and mental, trials in the Church, and even trials with our own faith in the Lord. Who’s to judge whose trials are worse than others? Yet there is little that compares with choosing to lay down one’s physical life for the Lord. Sacrificing our physical lives is not the same as death. All are appointed once to die, but not everyone makes the choice to die when the choice to live or die (temptation) is given to them. Most, if not all, the martyrs of the Dark Ages were given choices. “Renounce Jesus Christ and live.” (Please read the classic, Fox’s Book of Martyrs.)
The prophets faced the same choice; they could have changed their minds and spared their lives. Jesus surely suffered this temptation more than any man in history. The leader of the known world gave him more than one chance to save his own life, and even Satan tempted Jesus by offering up the kingdoms of the world. There are sacrifices and then there is the ultimate sacrifice: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” My conscience tells me that there is no greater temptation known to man than this. Look at Peter, for example, who said he would give his own life for the Lord (and no doubt meant it). It was easy to say, harder to accomplish, as he learned when the cock crowed three times.
Whatever trials lie ahead for us, the Lord will be merciful. He has promised not to tempt us more than we can bear. But we do ourselves no favors by denying that the Church of the Lamb will be spared from persecution. It will follow the same course as all of the Lord’s disciples throughout history. It will walk the same road.
“And
it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did
gather
together in multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the
nations of
the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God” (1 Nephi 3:229).
I just heard an interview with Thomas Barnett (on
C-SPAN)
where he has called upon the Christian Right, or Evangelical
Christians, to
help fight this global war on fundamentalists. He went on to say that fundamentalists exist
within every religion. He even cited
the Amish. His new book, The
Pentagon’s New Map: Blueprint For Action, apparently explains that
Evangelical leaders are among the most ardent globalists, and may be
the very
ones who will help end all war and usher in world peace.
This was the first time I’ve heard the call
by an elite strategist – in a public forum – that the Great and
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).
The Lord said that he would return at a time when the world was “ripened in iniquity.”
When the world is fully ripe, the true saints will be perfectly distinguishable from the rest of the world; not like today, when “many fruits” encumber the tree. In fact, the Lord even gave us the definition of “ripe” so that we could recognize the time:
“But
behold, the time cometh, saith the Lord, that when ye shall cast out
the
righteous from among you, then shall ye be ripe for destruction” (Helaman 5:18).
When the entire world begins to witness the righteous (Church of the Lamb) being “cast out,” that’s when I believe prophecy will begin to unfold in magnanimous proportions. Casting out is something physical; it is persecutory. We need look no further than the history of our Book of Mormon to get a full appreciation of what “casting out the righteous” means.
The purpose of the commandment to “awaken” to our awful situation (Ether 3:98) was not only to warn us so that we might be adequately prepared, but also so that we might “get knowledge” while we still have time, so that we don’t join the Babylonian Tower or Great and Abominable Church by mistake. Considering the confusion in this generation between right and wrong, good and evil, love and hate, we are in fact ripe to be deceived.
Love & discernment
Often when I try to help the saints awaken to their awful situation, I am referred to Moroni 7:13-16, implying that it is unnecessary to concern ourselves with the knowledge of evil because the ability to judge between evil and good was simplified by the prophet Mormon:
“For
behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know
good from
evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect
knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the
Spirit of
Christ is given to every man, that they may know good from evil;
wherefore I
shew unto you the way to judge: for everything which inviteth to do
good, and
to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift
of
Christ; Wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge, it is of God;
but
whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ,
and deny
him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is
of the
devil, For after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no
man to
do good, no not one; neither doth his angels; neither do they who
subject
themselves unto him” (Moroni
7:13-16).
What is often ignored, however, is the warning that comes just prior to those verses:
“Wherefore
take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil
to be of
God, or that which is good and of God, to be of the devil” (
And also the warning just after those verses:
“…see
that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye
judge, ye
shall also be judged” (
Unfortunately, deceits of every kind abound in this generation like never before. Multitudes claim to believe in Jesus Christ, yet there are diverse interpretations of what it means to believe…even diverse interpretations of who Jesus Christ is! Although the Spirit of Christ has been given to every man, it comes in varying degrees according to the desires of our hearts.
“…a
portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and
also
power, according to my faith and desires which are in God” (
It is arrogance to assume that judging between evil and good is an easy thing to do. The desire not to be deceived must be sought, and it is an endless quest.
During my college years, alternative lifestyles were defined as “good.” Various Eastern philosophies were defined as “good.” Increasing children’s rights and removing parental rights was defined as “good.” Hate crimes were defined as “good.” Globalization was defined as “good.” These and hundreds of other evils were defined as “good.” To disagree with all these “good” ideas was to demonstrate defiance to “good.” In other words, we were considered evil and judgmental if we disagreed. Love was the answer to all the world’s problems. Substitute love for tolerance…substitute tolerance for compromise…substitute compromise for evil. Their version of love, by the Lord’s definition, was evil. And believe it or not, the majority of my peers were Christians. Perhaps the most important lesson I learned in college is that discerning between good and evil is not as easy as it sounds.
Even churches are confusing evil with good. Today we see evil being disguised as good in the desire for a counterfeit kingdom or in confusing the restoration of Israel with the restoration of a nation-state, in ordaining women into the ministry, in fellowshipping with workers of darkness, in the demand for Moral/Natural law, in desiring unity at the cost of compromise, in the embracing of false prophets and false teachers, false prophecies, false doctrine, and even false gospel texts. Surely this is why the Lord admonished us to “be learned” and pray ceaselessly for wisdom and discernment.
Mormon’s definition for judging evil and good as
provided in
The following ought to be committed to memory:
“Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God; Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is
come in the flesh is of God; And every spirit that confesseth not that
Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now it
is
already in the world” (1 John
4:2-3).
But even armed with this knowledge, we are still vulnerable to deceit if we insist this is all we need to know. There are multitudes of Christians promoting false doctrines who believe and will profess that Christ came in the flesh. Many of them are and will be participants in the coming “falling away” written by Paul (2 Thessalonians 2).
“I
form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I
the Lord
do all these things” (Isaiah
45:7).
The Lord created good and he created evil. Do we respect both equally? Do we reverence his justice as much as we reverence his mercy? Do we fully understand the power and significance of his oppositions? Can we truly comprehend that the very act of his sacrifice was empowered by both his justice and his mercy?
The love of our God, like the love of any good parent, includes mercy and justice, kindness and punishment, healing and affliction, tolerance and judgment, rewards and reproof. This Christian generation hungers for mercy yet fails to comprehend that their sinful natures require love also in the form of discipline and judgment.
My husband and I just came from the movie, “Good Night and Good Luck,” which is about former Senator Joe McCarthy. What a perfect example of where we are. The good guys were the globalists who were seeking “the greater good” (they actually said that – a direct quote from the Communist manifesto). The bad guy, of course, was Senator McCarthy who tried to expose Communist infiltration. Talk about right being wrong and wrong being right, people in the audience were laughing when they should have been crying. It was all I could do not to stand up and make a scene against their ignorance. In college, whenever I tried to point out the “evil” that they wanted to call “good,” I was usually given the deer in the headlight stare. I’m just hoping that the saints who read this paper are not angered by my words.
It concerns me greatly that we, too, are recipients of propaganda programming. For far too long we have listened to the world shout, “don’t judge!” instead of hearkening to the voice of our Redeemer who whispers, “judge not unrighteously, but judge righteous judgment.” It makes all the difference in how we define love.
The reason the prophets were always cast out and tortured is because the people did not know the definition of love. They did not know how to discern good from evil (and I’m talking about the Lord’s people). They believed themselves to be a righteous people, a chosen people, and when a prophet told them they were not righteous, they accused him of being evil, sometimes crazy, even hateful. Yet in truth, the prophets were the full representation of love and the epitome of all that is good. The prophets loved the people enough to endure persecution for them. They loved them enough to tell them the truth. They loved them enough to “try, try again,” never giving up in the hopes that even one might hear and understand. They even loved them enough to lay down their lives for them. Did the people ever figure it out? A few did. Most did not.
“Behold,
here is wisdom concerning the children of
History repeats itself. No one wants to hear that they need to repent. No one wants to be told that suffering affliction is an expression of God’s love. No one wants to be told that they might have to lay down their temporal lives for the Lord’s name’s sake (and not everyone will). Certainly no one wants to be told that they are confusing love with hate, or right with wrong, or evil with good. But when the world has ripened in iniquity, those who are wise in these matters will be the Church of the Lamb. It doesn’t take a college diploma to get wise in these things. It takes a desire to understand and a dedication to feast on the word of God. Again, though not everyone will be called to lay down their lives, the word tells us that those who seek to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives for the Lord’s sake will find them. The battle uniform of Ephesians
chapter 6 is not for the purpose of saving our skin, but for the purpose of warding off the temptations of the flesh…the temptation to join the crowd of non-sufferers…the temptation to save our temporal lives when the choices are offered.
A revelation was given to Emma Smith many years ago. In Section 24, we learn how she was described as an elect lady, one whom the Lord had called. Under the hand of her husband, she was ordained to expound scripture, even to exhort the church, according as the Holy Spirit guided her. Besides making a selection of hymns, she was also instructed to write, and to learn much. The Lord’s instruction to Emma is a great joy to my soul, for I feel in many ways I have been led to parallel much of those same callings. I spend most of my time “learning much,” and writing papers such as this. Expounding and exhorting is inevitable given how much time I converse with the saints either over the phone, over e-mail, or even through papers. In no way can I compare myself to Emma Smith, as I’ve contributed nothing compared to her contributions, and have suffered nothing as she suffered. Still, I believe Section 24 is a most encouraging example of how the Lord can and does use women to help labor right along with the priesthood, much like Euodias and Syntyche labored in the gospel with Paul (Philippians 4). Furthermore, at the end of this revelation for Emma, the Lord said, “And verily, verily I say unto you, that this is my voice unto all. Amen.”
“A new commandment I give unto you. That ye
love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).
E-mail from
January 7, 2007
CHARITY
[1 Cor 13:2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries,
and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
[1 Cor 13:3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I
give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me
nothing.
[1 Cor 13:4] Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
[1 Cor 13:5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is
not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
[1 Cor 13:6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
[1 Cor 13:7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things,
endureth all things.
Looking further at these definitions:
-- suffers (with much knowledge comes much sorrow--Eccl 1:18; we love
not our
own lives--Rev 12:11)
-- is kind (he who receiveth you, receiveth me -- Mat 10)
-- doesn't envy (why do the wicked prosper? -- Jere 12)
-- does not vaunt itself (yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine
infirmities--2 Cor 12)
-- isn't puffed up (what hast thou that thou didst not receive? - 1 Cor
4)
-- doesn't behave unseemly (men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
burned
in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is
unseemly
-- Rom 1:27)
-- seeks not her own (I am found of them who seek after me, I give unto
all
them that ask of me; I am not found of them that sought me not, or that
inquireth not after me -- Isa 65)
-- isn't easily provoked (Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord;
do they
not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Jere 7)
-- thinks no evil (And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore
is it
that ye think evil in your hearts?-- Mat 9)
-- doesn't rejoice in iniquity (For the devil laugheth, and his angels
rejoice,
because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and
it is
because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen -- 3 Ne
4:27)
-- rejoices in truth (I do not boast in my own strength, or in my own
wisdom;
but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will
rejoice
in my God -- Alma 14:91)
-- bears all things (have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of
afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out --
Alma
16:239)
-- believe all things -- (except ye be converted, and become as little
children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven -- Mat 18)
-- hope all things -- (let them be confounded and consumed that are
adversaries
to my soul...I will hope continually and praise thee yet more and more
-- Psa
71:13)
-- endure all things -- (watch thou in all things, endure afflictions,
do the
work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry (2 Tim 4:5)
And then there's this additional word about charity from the Book of
Mormon:
[2 Ne 11:108-109] And except they should have charity, they were
nothing:
wherefore, if they should have charity, they would not suffer the
laborer in
Zion to perish. But the laborer in
It seems to me that charity is much greater than our worldly
definitions of
"love;" that charity is something far superior to simple kindnesses,
and giving to the needy, and building others up. Charity seems to go
well
beyond [and in some ways is contrary to] the notion of "unifying" and
even making righteous judgments. The pattern that seems to manifest
itself in
the above descriptions of the word is that virtually everything that is
"of the flesh" is uncharitable. Maybe that's why Jesus said that
" flesh and blood cannot inherit the
[Sec 100:3a] But verily I say unto you, I have decreed that your
brethren,
which have been scattered, shall return to the land of their
inheritances and
build up the waste places of Zion; for after much tribulation,
as I have
said unto you in a former commandment, cometh the blessing.