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OPPOSITION IN ALL THINGS

By:  Jan Griffith/August 2004/Edited September 2006

 

“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass; neither wickedness; neither holiness nor misery; neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one” (2 Ne 1:81-83). 

 

A friend of mine, realizing the gravity of this subject matter I’m about to attempt, advised that I try to write this paper so that even a child could understand.  But as I already told her, this is not a subject for babes, who are still on the breast in their understanding of God.  We all learn precept upon precept, and children are innocent, and expected to be in the milk.  We adults are another matter.  We are admonished to grow spiritually in knowledge and understanding, and so as we grow, we are held accountable.  If we lack understanding, let us ask of God (James 1).

 

This is not a paper for those who lack understanding of sin, which can only be understood through God’s law.  When we sin (or break the rules), it can be fun for awhile, or at least at first.  But given enough time, the payback is suffering and bondage.  Individuals who sin reap the consequences of individual suffering and bondage.  When groups or organizations engage in sin, suffering and bondage becomes a collective matter through tyrannical political governments and spiritual institutions.  History bears out these facts.  Every time we sin, we become servants to that sin. 

 

“For by the law is the knowledge of sin; therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference; For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:20-23).

 

How can I express how important I believe it is that we get understanding of the principalities and powers in our midst, and the forces that reside behind those powers.

 

“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:11-12).

 

To understand what is happening today, whether politically, economically, or socially, we first have to know that it is a spiritual battle that we face; not a political one, not an economic one, not even a social one.  Satan exists, and his greatest power lies in his ability to convince the world that he is not as powerful as they think, or that there is no devil at all (see 2 Ne 12:27).  Where non-Christians will often flat out deny a Satan, Christians tend not to understand him very well or tend to think that they are somehow exempt from his power of deception because of their belief in Jesus Christ.  Yet Satan has quite an arsenal and those with some familiarity of guns and weapons may appreciate the following metaphor.

 

In his arsenal are BB Guns that pelt terror into people’s hearts, to create murderers, cheaters, robbers, and liars.  This weapon doesn’t have to be all that powerful because it is so easy to make people mad, or jealous, or vindictive.  I call this a weapon of “obvious evil” because no deceit is involved.  Anger, abuse, murder; these are all actions that speak for themselves.  

 

He uses AK-47 Rifles when he wants to convince us that just a “little” sin won’t hurt anything.  Pretty soon, a “little” sin becomes a “lot” of sin, and in the end, he has convinced us that wrong looks right and right looks wrong and we can’t figure out the difference.  These types of weapons deliver whole nations into slavery.

 

Satan uses Howitzers (Canons) when he appears as an angel of light.  Time and again, many have been deceived by what they thought were true revelations, true visions, true dreams, true miracles, and true angel visitations from the Lord.  Prophets have forewarned that these Howitzers will come out in full force in the last days. 

 

But Satan’s ultimate weapon, the one he uses to finish off kingdoms, peoples, and nations, are his Weapons of Mass Destruction.  These are pride and vanity.  Our ego –- our defenses of our “rightness” – this is what truly destroys.  I once heard it said that people will run out of a burning building to preserve their physical body, but they will run in to a burning building to preserve their rightness.  Is that a bad thing; that people will actually die for their beliefs?  It is certainly not a bad thing to die for Christ’s name’s sake.  On the other hand, if our pride sends us into that burning building, Satan’s nuclear device has detonated and our death has been in vain.  Herein lies our first glance at something the Lord termed, “an opposition in all things.”  Perhaps we need to know when to defend our rightness and when to recognize that our pride may be interfering with that rightness.  Wow.  What an assignment.

 

What is an “Opposition in All Things?”

 

God’s Word tells us that there is an opposition in all things, which is almost impossible to comprehend.  It’s easy to think of obvious examples, like heaven and hell, black and white, good and evil. But are even these as obvious as they seem?  The prophet Isaiah warned against calling evil good, and good evil.  That prophecy would sound absurd to most people, but to the spiritually discerning, it should not be so absurd.  Two-thousand years ago, the Jews killed Christ believing he was “evil.” A few decades ago, Hitler said it was “good” to kill Jews.  Those are extreme examples, but many things are not so obvious.  For example, are guns good or evil?  It depends upon how they are used, even if “killing” is the result.  Does the rainbow represent something good or evil?  It depends if one embraces the Lord’s covenant or if one is an advocate of Gay pride.  What about equality, having no rich or poor in the world?  It depends if we are talking about the law of consecration or political socialism.  Oppositions are rarely easy to distinguish because they look alike yet are attached to opposing understandings, hence Isaiah’s warning.  We are told that Satan is a deceiver; he is in opposition to righteousness.  Satan does not dress in obvious garb so that we might recognize him (no red devil with tail and horns).  Paul said that he appears as an angel of light.  The Lord’s angels also appear as light.  How can we tell the difference?  The purpose of this paper is to explore oppositions, and hopefully we will begin by appreciating how difficult these oppositions can be to distinguish. 

 

Few Christians have heard of Gnostic Dualism, an esoteric term rightly defined in the Book of Mormon.   Gnostic Dualism is, in fact, a concept of polarized oppositions, the difference being that “Dualists” worship a different “light bearer” or christ.  Their Christ is Lucifer.  Their oppositions are backward.  Dualists see two angels side by side, and they pick the wrong angel.  Gnostic Dualists believe that God and Lucifer (both gods) are on equal footing, locked in an eternal struggle over the dominance of the universe.  Most also believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers (Jesus is the younger).  Such beliefs originate from a supposed ancient struggle in the heavens where the most intelligent beings were kicked out.  Where do these Dualists get their beliefs?  They get some of them from scripture.  Ezekiel, for example, speaks of the King of Tyrus (Satan’s seat) where Satan is described as once having been in the garden, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty (Ezek 28).

 

Dualists (believers in oppositions) believe in only one God.  Like Christians, they are monotheists; the difference is that their god of choice is Lucifer.  To them, Lucifer is the one who is all beautiful, all perfect, all wise, and full of light. 

 

Christians are told to walk in the light, as Christ is the light within them.  Unfortunately, Luciferians also believe that a special kind of “light” is within them.  It is the light of their Son of the Morning (Isa 14:12). 

 

This might sound like a lot of mumbo jumbo, but the subject of oppositions is far more serious than we realize.  Two “Christians” can be conversing about “Christ,” “light,” and “truth,” and be describing opposite entities.

 

Whose Kingdom is Coming?

 

“And the Spirit taketh him up into a high mountain, and he beheld all the kingdoms of the world, in a moment of time. And the devil came unto him, and said unto him, All this power will I give unto thee, and the glory of them; for they are delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give them (Luke 4:5-6).

 

While Jesus was fasting 40 days on the high mountain, Satan approached him and proceeded to offer him all the kingdoms (governments) of this world.  How could Satan offer Jesus the kingdoms of this world?  Because the kingdoms of this world belong to him.

 

   “…it is the kingdom of the devil which shall be built up” (1 Nephi 7:49).

 

Christ’s Kingdom is a spiritual place, and those who seek His truths “press into it” (Luke 16:18).  Note the phrase: “press into it.”  By our continual seeking for truth, we press into Christ’s Kingdom.  Christ’s Kingdom does not press into us; we press into it.  

 

A common Christian teaching, prior to the advent of the Book of Mormon, was the simplicity of heaven versus hell.  Cynically put, it was taught that when we die, we all go to one of two places; floating in the clouds of heaven, or forever roasting in hellfire.  But those teachings began to change in the mid to late 19th century.  Christianity took a different turn toward a “kingdom on earth;” even a “restoration.”   We Restorationists need to understand that there are countless other Christians out there who are also calling themselves “Restorationists,” and their beliefs concerning a future restoration are speedily infiltrating Christendom.   We are no longer alone.  We are not the only people with the belief of a coming kingdom on earth.  The

 

Rapture is now debated, rather than embraced.  When did these changes occur?  They began to be noticeable about the same time many other changes became noticeable—around 1984.  But that’s not when the deception started.  The deception started in 1834, “the very hour” according to Joseph Smith, Jr., “that the kingdoms of this world would begin to have power over the Church” (see D&C Section 100).  From those earliest years, sinister influences like Adam Weishaupt (Illuminati) and Albert Pike (Freemasonry) had already begun to formulate plans for the destruction of our liberties.  By 1836, Mayer Amschel (known as Rothschild) was already scheming to purchase the lands of Jerusalem in preparation for the great “Israel” counterfeit.  British-Israel, perhaps the greatest counterfeit restoration theologies of all time, was already in progress even before the RLDS church came into existence.   As a consequence of all these things as more, Evangelicals are not the only ones now preparing to usher in “God’s Kingdom on earth,” the Vatican is also preparing its worshippers to do the same. 

 

Let us return to D&C Section 100.  Which portion of the prophecy occurred?  From that very hour (1834), did the Church begin to conquer the kingdoms of this world, or did the kingdoms of this world begin to conquer the Church?  And where does that prophecy end?

 

  “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” (Section 100:2c-d).

 

Now maybe we (whom Joseph Smith identified as Gentiles) can better understand why the Book of Mormon keeps warning us to repent.  The time is coming when the Gentiles, as unsavory salt, will be trodden under foot of man – read 3 Nephi, chapter 7.

 

In the same way that we have long desired Zion and the return of Christ’s Kingdom, Luciferians are also waiting for a “kingdom of Christ” to come.  And they, like most of today’s Restorationists, Evangelicals and Catholics, share similar beliefs in this regard.  Luciferians also are anticipating wars, catastrophes, earthquakes, signs, wonders, miracles, prophets, and even Christ himself who will usher in a millennium of peace. 

 

Christ’s prophets foretold these days.   Lucifer’s prophets (through spirit guides) have also foretold these days.  In many ways, Lucifer’s servants have been more vigilant in their wisdom and obedience than Christ’s servants.  Were it not so, Satan’s kingdom would not be prevailing over the Church.  Jesus warned:

 

“….the children of this world are wiser in their generation, than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). 

 

The holy prophets foretold a great apostasy that would include false christs and/or prophets prior to the Gentile Times being fulfilled (2 Th 2:3).  Have the Gentile Times been fulfilled?  No, they have NOT, for Jerusalem is still being trodden down by the Gentiles (Luke 21:23).  The delusion that the Gentile Times are fulfilled is of the same delusion that gave us the nation-state of Israel.   So here is a good question, especially for Restorationists who believe that God’s Kingdom is currently being built up on earth.  If a cataclysmic apostasy is on the horizon – one so great as to potentially deceive even the elect – then why is Christendom collectively being taught that God’s kingdom is being built up upon this earth, and that a “Joel’s Army” is being formed in the flesh at this late and apostate hour?  Shouldn’t it be the other way around?  Shouldn’t true Christendom be on the decline (not on the increase)?

 

As a Book of Mormon Restorationist, I understand that the Lord will perform a strange and marvelous work upon the land.  I understand that Christ will ultimately have his Kingdom upon this earth, and that there will be a millennium of peace.  I believe with all my heart that the true Church will be restored in the process and that the time is coming when people will say “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”

 

We all yearn for that Kingdom, but maybe we have neglected a lot of pertinent scripture that speaks of things we must first endure, that is, if we are the generation in which those things will come to pass; and I believe that we could be.  I fear that in some ways we have become like the Protestants with their idea of Rapture.  They do not concern themselves with the difficult prophecies of Isaiah, Daniel, and John because they are certain to be worthy of escape prior to judgment upon the earth.  How have we historically responded to our Protestant brethren?  Haven’t we suggested to them that, by excluding themselves from tribulation, they might be inadequately prepared for what is coming upon the earth?  The question is, are we prepared for what is coming upon the earth? 

 

Would it be a big surprise if I said that the Lord’s people in all generations have possessed this aura of exclusivity?   Unfortunately it is true, and one of the most sadly entertaining examples can be found in the book of Alma.  Please take a brief look at a people once called the Zoramites:

 

“….the Zoramites had built synagogues, and they did gather themselves together on one day of the week, which day they did call the day of the Lord; And they did worship after a manner which Alma and his brethren had never beheld; for they had a place built up in the center of their synagogue, a place for standing, which was high above the head; and the top thereof would only admit one person. Therefore, whosoever desired to worship, must go forth and stand upon the top thereof, and stretch forth his hands towards heaven; and cry with a loud voice, saying: Holy, holy, God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit for ever. Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children…. and thou hast elected us, that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; And we also thank thee, that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God. And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen” (Alma 16).

 

We are a chosen and a holy people.  Thank you, Lord, for saving us while the rest of the world will cast down by thy wrath into hell.

 

What goes around, comes around.  Dear reader, do we dare think of ourselves as a chosen and holy people?  Even the best of the ancient children of Israel were not considered by the Lord to be a righteous people.  In fact, the Lord called them “stiff necked” and told them that their victory in achieving the Promised Land had nothing to do with their righteousness or uprightness of heart.  Their entrance to the Promised Land was granted due to the wickedness of other nations and also because of the oath the Lord had sworn to their forefathers (Deuteronomy 9:4-6).  The Greater Exodus from Egypt, as well as delivery into a future Promised Land will repeat that ancient Israel scenario, and being the latter day Israel, we have no logical reason to believe that we are any more righteous than were our ancestors.  What we will have that the ancient children did not is a merciful God who promised that the next time around, his presence would go with us (Section 100:3f).

 

God wants us to be like the publican, not the Pharisee.

 

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself; God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers; or even as this publican.  I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for every one who exalteth himself, shall be abased; and he who humbleth himself, shall be exalted” (Luke 18:11-14).

 

To repeat, pride is Satan’s weapon of mass destruction.

 

“When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom” (Prov 11:2).

 

 

A Chosen People

 

The word “gnosis” (where Gnostic gets its name) means “knowledge” and often refers to a select group of people who have obtained a “higher knowledge” and who therefore consider themselves the only “fit” ones to rule the world.

 

God has always commanded his people to get knowledge.  The entire fourth chapter of Proverbs is only one example of how desperately God wishes us to be informed.  Hosea even declared that the Lord’s people would be destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Moroni commanded us to “awaken to our awful situation” – another way of telling us to get wisdom and knowledge. 

 

But there is another, besides the Holy Spirit, who offers a different kind of wisdom.  What, an opposition in wisdom? Yes, indeed. Paul spoke of that particular opposition often in his writings, for example:

 

“… we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world  but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the princes of this world knew…” (1 Cor 2).

 

James also spoke of it:

 

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:14-18).

 

Christians know that the Lord brings light and wisdom to their understanding.  Isaiah said “to the law and the to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word then there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8).  Yet there is another, besides the Holy Spirit, who brings his own version of light to mankind.

 

Freemasonry’s “bible,” written by Albert Pike, which resides in the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Washington, D.C., has this to say:

 

Lucifer, the Light-bearer!  Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness!  Lucifer, the Son of the Morning!  Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish Souls?  Doubt it not!”  (Morals & Dogma, p. 321)

 

Satan would like the world to think that wisdom, or light, comes only from one source—himself.

 

It is usually difficult to obtain the personal writings of Satan’s servants; however, the occasion will sometimes unwittingly present itself.  Besides the writings of Albert Pike, which were not so long ago hidden from the general populace, one of the most revealing examples I’ve found comes from the experience of a former Roman Catholic Cardinal by the name of Roncalli.  Born in 1904, Roncalli recorded a dream he was given around the year 1935.  In his dream, he heard an old man ask, “Do you recognize me?”  Not knowing what prompted him, Roncalli replied in the affirmative.  The visitor went on.  “I came because you called me.  You are on the way, though you still have much to learn.  Are you ready?”  Roncalli said that he was ready.  The old man smiled and asked three times if Roncalli would recognize him again, and three times, Roncalli said that he would.  The time came soon thereafter when the old man made a real live guest appearance to Roncalli and Roncalli did recognize him immediately.  The entire experience is recorded in a book called The Broken Cross by Piers Compton, who was the literary editor of the Catholic Weekly, The Universe.  That book is nearly impossible to obtain today.  Allow me to share a tidbit of Roncalli’s physical visititation from the old man he had seen in his dream.

 

The old man brought Roncalli to a short staircase, and then to another.  There was no light, yet in the total darkness there were voices from above, directing Roncalli to go on.  He was brought to a door, slightly ajar, and when he pushed the door open, he found himself in a wide room, pentagonal in shape, with bare walls and two large windows that were closed.  Against the walls were three chairs.  On a table was a silver-hilted sword.  There was a candelabra.  Some of its candles were lit and others were not.  And there were colored ribbons tied to a censer, and three artificial roses with their stalks crossing each other.    Near the sword and the censer was an open bible, opened at St. John.  After awhile, the old man opened an envelope which contained a sheet of blue paper on which was written a set of rules, inscribed with seven questions.  “Do you feel you can answer them?” asked the old man.  Roncalli said that he could.  Then the old man used the blue paper to light one of the candles.  “These lights are for the Masters of the Past who are here among us,” he explained.  He then recited the mysteries of the Order.  “What will your name be?” the old man asked.  Without hesitation, Roncalli replied, “Johannes” (which means “John”).  The old man took up the sword, approached Roncalli and placed the tip of the blade upon his head, causing a sensation to flow to every part of his being.  They exchanged certain gestures, and then the old man told Roncalli that these gestures and signs must be performed daily, carried out at precise moments, and that they would correspond to certain stages in the passage of the sun.  Then the old man told Roncalli something that I cannot erase from my mind.  He said, “Exactly at those points, three times each day, our brethren all over the world are repeating the same phrases, and making the same gestures.  Their strength is very great, and it stretches far.  Day after day its effects are felt upon humanity.”  The old man then took another sealed envelope, opened it, and read its contents.  It was the formula of the oath, with a solemn undertaking not to reveal the Order’s secrets, and to promise to work always for good, and most important of all, to respect the law of God and His ministers.

 

This was not the end of the vision and I have left out many details, but I record pieces of it here in order for the reader to hopefully grasp the magnitude of these principalities and powers that we cannot see.  First, please remember that Cardinal Roncalli assumed this messenger to be from the Lord.  And why not, given that he was first seen in Roncalli’s dream, then later in physical form?   Notice how the messenger spoke of “doing good” and notice also the comment that other spiritual beings were present, even if they were not seen.   Roncalli no doubt considered them angels from God.  But whether Roncalli knew it or not, he had made a secret oath to Lucifer, not to the Lord.  In that oath, he had vowed to help Satan carry out his plan for a new world order.   Cardinal Roncalli was promised great things for his dedication and obedience, and on November 4, 1958, he was coronated the 262nd pope of the Catholic church.  Roncalli is now better known as Pope John XXIII (remember, he said his name would be “Johannes”).

 

The Catholic Church is no stranger to secret oaths; their leadership thinks nothing of uttering them.  Restorationists, on the other hand, would [hopefully] know better if such an experience were to happen to them and were a secret oath to be required of them.  But maybe we need to further consider Satan’s intelligence (which is light-years ahead of our own).  Would Satan request an oath outright, if communicating with a Restorationist, or would his methods be more in accordance with Restorationist expectations?  The study group called “Ephraim’s Camp” provides one of the best examples for this scenario.  They, too, were afforded an elite status (instead of “John,” they were called “Ephraim’s Camp”).  They, too, received visions and dreams from messengers from heaven.  They, too, were told that messengers were present among them when they met together.  They, too, were given great promises of a special work that would be carried out over time.  Perhaps that group did have a special purpose, and perhaps it still does – not like the special purpose of a Cardinal or Pope – nevertheless a purpose being fulfilled.  Do the members of Ephraim’s Camp sincerely believe they were serving the Lord in their study group?  No doubt.  Did Cardinal Roncalli sincerely believe he was serving the Lord?  No doubt. 

 

It may be hard for us to imagine that Satan has flesh and blood “servants” who are strictly obedient to him while here in the flesh; not all or even most of them realizing who they are subservient to.  Reciting a genealogy of names, places, and dates is too ominous a task for this writing, however, Lucifer’s organizational titles fall under many names.  The Chaldeans and Gadianton Robbers come first to mind, as do Aryans, Illuminati, Rosicrucian’s, Freemasons, Jesuits, Opus Dei, Knights Templar, Knights of the Round Table, Priory of Sion, Black Nobility, and much more.  A study of these various groups can be revealing.  First of all, not everyone in these secret orders are Satan’s direct servants; in fact, most are not, and are instead simply unwitting servants to the higher initiates.  But perhaps the most important discovery I’ve made concerning these groups is the common thread that is to be found among those who have “ascended” to the higher wisdom of the ancients; and that common thread is that they believe they are a chosen people.  They can quote our scriptures better than most of us can quote them, and prove with their perverted wisdom that they are, indeed, the only ones fit to rule the world.

 

When we expend the time and effort to do the hard homework, not relying upon everything we are fed in school and in the media, we will soon discover that a certain “group of people” are, in fact, in control of this world’s progress.  They are a “chosen people,” but who chose them?  Yes, once we begin to understand these things, we then subject ourselves to ridicule and persecution from those who are ignorant of Satan’s devices.  The world that mocks and ridicules does not realize that they, themselves, are feasting off of Satan’s lure.   From the press, to the educational system, to the political, social, and economic systems, yes, even our religious system moves to Satan’s rhythm.  This is his time, and his kingdom, and he has but a short time left to complete his desire to rule with a chosen elite.

 

God declared Israel to be a chosen people (Deut 7:6), and likewise, Peter called Christians a chosen generation and a royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9).  So who are the chosen people?  To the Luciferians, they are a remnant of obedient followers who intend to help “their” Christ usher in his kingdom of peace on earth.   But it is the obedient and faithful servants of Jesus Christ  who are truly the Lord’s chosen, and their reward, unlike Satan’s servants, is to be in the Kingdom to come. 

 

Luciferianism through Judiasm

 

There are many outstanding books that can enlighten us on the subject of principalities and powers such as Lucifer’s Children by Milan Martin, and The New World Religion by Gary Kah.  If I had to recommend only one book, it would be, hands down, One World by Tal Brooke.  Nothing, of course, compares to the Scriptures, themselves.  

 

“Then shall their watchmen lift up their voices; and with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye. Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem for the land of their inheritance” (3 Ne 9:70-71; also see Isaiah 52).

 

According to these passages in third Nephi and Isaiah, Israel will not be gathered to the land of Jerusalem until the Lord’s people lift up their voices and see eye to eye.  The current gathering of the “Jews” to the state called “Israel” is not the prophesied gathering, as the entire world has been led to believe.  The establishment of that state, and the gathering currently transpiring, is a political gathering constructed by Satan’s priesthood, in order to prepare all mankind for the grand finale of all deceptions.

 

“For in those days there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch, that if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant” (Mark 13:25).

 

Since the foundation of the great and abominable church of which Nephi spoke (John called her the mother of harlots), a Pagan or Gnostic or Occult people have been working in, around, and through that great church.  This people brought with them the astrology, magic, and power of the

 

 

Chaldeans which we read about in the Old Testament.  

 

When Jesus walked the earth, he rebuked his people for their corrupted pagan doctrines.  In due time, we are told, Christ’s teachings began to split apart.  One direction went the way of the Roman Catholic Church, and the other went the way of Gnosticism.  On the surface, it would seem to Christians that the Roman church went the right way and that Gnosticism went the wrong way, but the truth is not so simple.  Both groups were pagan, and each used the other in order to accomplish its wicked agendas, all the while appearing to be enemies.  <Side note:  It would seem that Satan has always operated in this very manner.  He pits against each other what looks like enemies, and then devours both in the process.  In modern times, this process was named after a social psychologist from the late 1700s, and is now commonly known as the Hegelian Dialectic.  Consider that tidbit of information when you hear the Republicans and Democrats duke it out during the upcoming election processes.>  

 

The book of Revelation speaks of a woman who rides a beast, yet regards them as enemies.  But when you ride an animal, you go where the animal goes.  The woman (the Whorish Church) has been riding this beast (Gnosticism) for a very long time.  John prophesied that the beast would hate the woman and eventually expose her.  We are seeing this prophecy already in progress.

 

It is unfortunate that so much of history has been either forgotten or rewritten.  An example would be the Crusades, a time when the Roman church had a huge army that slaughtered millions of people, yet that same army was so infiltrated with Gnosticism that it ultimately turned on its master, the church.  Hence, history affirms the “Inquisition;” yet more bloodshed among so-called “enemies.” 

 

The Crusaders were an army of “knights.”  Today, the subject of “knights” is a popular one, and can be found in everything from children’s books to cereal boxes to adult movies.  The British royal family still knights certain chosen people, which honor sets them apart as a special elite.  While all of this fascination for knights and knighthood was born out of an evil time, we have been taught to think of knights as something honorable; as defenders of the faith.  Rick Joyner, a popular charismatic among Restorationists, has written extensively about the “honor of knighthood,” presumably because he, himself, is a knight after the Order of Malta (a secret Catholic Order).  How captivating that influential Christians from all denominations are today being “knighted” into various secret orders.  How revealing it is that our memory of history has failed us to the point where we would believe that such a title deserves honor and respect.  Yet the subject of knights does have a kind of magnetic appeal (right along with wizards and witchcraft).  Nations, governments, and militaries conduct the majority of their high-powered meetings in something they call “round table” discussions, a spin-off from the old knights of the round table, a subject reeking in Occult symbolism. 

 

There is a family by the name of Rothschild who surely qualify as devout members of Satan’s priesthood.  It has been suggested that Lord Rothschild organized the secret order called the Illuminati in 1776.  The word “Illuminati” represents an “illumined” or “chosen people” who have received great light, and of course, are the only ones fit to rule the world.  The purpose of the Illuminati, like all of its secret cohorts, has been to subvert the Christian basis of Western Civilization.  Freemasonry was the tool it used to infiltrate virtually all social institutions here in the United States.  Mouthing words like “freedom,” “equality,” and “progress,” the Rothschild family continues to this day to meld family, race, religion, and nation into a compliant grouping of slaves (they call us “cattle”).   I realize that there are certain members of the Restoration involved in Freemasonry and its various secret offshoots, and while they may be quick to defend the good works of their calling, I would simply respond with the following quote:

 

“For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations” (Eth 3:93).

 

Lucifer has chosen Judaism as his base from which to do his dirty work.  Why Judaism?  Could it be because all religions can identify themselves, at least in part, with Judaism?  Could it be because so much of biblical history, past, present, and future, revolves around what God calls “the Jews?”  Could it be because the whole world anticipates an Armageddon scenario in the Middle East?  Could it also be because Satan knows that a “restoration of the Jews” is forthcoming, and therefore has a plan to counterfeit it prior to its occurrence?   Who would have known that such a thing was possible? 

 

“And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (2 Th 2:11).

 

Whoever thinks that being a disciple for the Lord is supposed to be easy, and that the spirit of prophecy is a natural phenomenon afforded to anyone who reads the Bible does not know the Lord very well.  Just ask the Pharisees and Jews of yesteryear.  They thought they were keeping all the commandments of God.  They thought they knew who the Messiah was supposed to be and what he was supposed to do.  They were the experts on God in their day.  Who else would have had any understanding of Jesus when he came?  That is why he came to them.  Now it is our turn to be the experts.  Are we the experts?

 

The goal of the Gnostics/pagans is to attain self-awareness as a spiritual being (God in us).  Gnostics believe that all human beings possess a divine spark of inner light, and that it is knowledge that awakens that divine spark.

 

The verbiage might sound a bit bazaar, but Christianity can surely relate to those beliefs.  Christ is supposed to be in us, and he is that inner light that radiates from all believers.  As we gain knowledge of our Lord, our light shines brighter and brighter.  Can we see then how, if given the right doses of doctrine, we could find ourselves in the Gnostic camp without realizing it? 

 

What else do Gnostics believe?  They believe in an “androgynous” or bi-sexual God, one who is both male and female (like Adam and Eve).  They believe that blood is actually congealed light which became blood as the result of Adam’s fall.  They believe that their blood must once again become pure light if they are to return to their former state of godhood, a status that must return in order to be fit for the kingdom.  Would Christians find these teachings a bit odd?  Not necessarily.  I attended a Catholic Mass a couple of years ago where the priest spoke of “our mother and our father God.”  A number of charismatic leaders today describe spiritual experiences wherein their blood occasionally returns to its original state of divine light, which they identify as an “anointing.”  Can the reader see where Gnosticism and Christianity could tend to blend?  Elevating women to a status of “godhood” (like the Virgin Mary) is another example of Gnosticism.  Holidays and feast days have long been a blurring of Gnosticism and Christianity.  However, if one wants to find the origins of Gnosticism, then one need look no further than the ancient Kabbalah, the religion of apostate Judaism beginning with the 6th century B.C.

 

Christians never much concerned themselves with Jewish writings like those found in the Kabbalah, Talmud, Mishnah, Midrash, until only the last century or so when the concept of a “Jewish restoration” became a source of interest and study.  We Book of Mormon believers have long been lovers of the Old Testament because we recognize not only its historic value, but also its ability to teach us about ourselves.  It points us toward Jesus Christ.  But there is a huge difference between Old Testament writings, and Jewish theological writings which are oral traditions of Midrash, Talmud, and Kabbalah.   Only one [the Old Testament] is categorized as the Word of God; where the rest is a blurring of truth and lie.

 

Christians, Restorationists included, have taken to exploring Hebrew traditions.  Whether they actually read through the Kabbalah or the Talmud makes little difference.  The writings of Jewish traditions are often quoted and referenced by religious scholars, and of those seeking to have a better understanding of God.  Restorationists have been divided in recent years over issues of Hebrew customs and poetry; debating whether or not the Law of Moses was fulfilled and what exactly that Law represents. 

 

I am not  suggesting we ignore Hebrew literature.  I am merely suggesting that we remain guarded about what we accept as “fact” in relation to ancient Judaism and Hebraism, as those traditional writings are virtually saturated with Gnosticism, albeit in many cases, the saturation is subtle.  The Restoration movement of 1830 was infiltrated right from the start with those indoctrinated in the Occult/Gnostic/Kabbalah/Luciferian mindset.  One need only compare a few Gnostic beliefs to that of the LDS/Mormon church.  Little wonder all Book of Mormon believers have been thrust into the category of “cult.”  Sadly other organizations within the Restoration have not gone uninfluenced.

 

Israeli Supreme Court

 

The modern Israeli Supreme Court building rests on a plot of land opposite the Knesset, and next to the Foreign Ministry and the Central bank of Israel.  Its symbolism is pure Satanic/Gnostic. 

 

The engineer of the Court’s design was the grandson of Ben-Zion Guini, who was also the engineer for Lord Baron Rothschild.   The Rothschild names (including his five sons, who established the five central banks of Europe) are engraved on the building.  Rothschild, being the source of funding for the building, was afforded the privilege of selecting the plot of land where the Court now sits.  He was also granted the right to use his own architects.  The following is a very brief description of that architecture. 

 

After passing through security the first noticeable thing on the left wall is a large picture of the Rothschilds, Shimon Peres, and Yhzhak Rabin.  Upon entering, the lighting is very dim, but as you look up the stairs, there is a bright light radiating from a very large window that overlooks Jerusalem.  There are three sets of 10 stairs, making a total of 30 stairs (there are 33 degrees in Freemasonry, but the last three are reserved for those of “higher learning” or in other words, those who are being prepped for entrance into the Illuminati).  As you move from the top of the stairs towards the pyramid (which has an all-seeing eye at the top), a great library is revealed with three tiers which obviously represent three levels of higher learning.  The 33rd level ends at the base of the pyramid. There are six lamp stands, each of which actually “speaks out a message” as you progress up the stairs.  The messages progressively speak of man’s journey to gain knowledge and become illuminated.  It is here at the pyramid that the Judges of the Court can stand to receive knowledge and power, and ever-watching over them is a piece of crystal with the all-seeing eye of Lucifer (the light-bearer).  Ley-Lines or Leys run directly under the pyramid which runs to the Knesset, while other ley-lines cross in perfect order toward the center of Jerusalem and on to the Rockefeller Museum.  (Ley-Lines are geographical lines that witches, warlock, ands others of the Occult will often walk in honor of Satan.  Palm readers and the like will usually set up shop in major cities along “ley-lines.”  Numerous “holy places” like Stonehenge are built on Ley-Lines.  Buckingham Palace and numerous other historic sites are situated on Ley-Lines.)  The Court and the Knesset are connected with one straight line, and at a 90% angle to that line half way is a Ley-line that runs perpendicular. That perpendicular line runs straight down the middle of a street known as Ben Yehuda, a place where all the “crazies” meet.  It is my understanding that on any given day you can find at least one who calls himself Elijah or Moses. Israelis call Ben Yehuda “the freak show.”  That same perpendicular line then runs on to the Rockefeller Museum; and from the Rockefeller Museum a line runs through the Moslem Quarters to the Temple Mount.  The views from the Court are apparently spectacular; including everything from an Egyptian Obelisk (a Gnostic sexual symbol like that of the Washington monument in downtown D.C.), to a Buddhist shrine.  I could go on and on with the description of this Court, but this should be enough to give the reader some idea of the Court’s diabolical nature.

 

What diabolical nature could the Israeli Supreme Court possibly have?  Well, aside from scripture, which points to Jerusalem as the center-point for various deceptions in the coming days, there is also something called The Noahide Laws which are increasing in popularity.  In fact, I have heard these “laws” discussed affirmatively also in Restoration circles, and I wonder, are we Restorationists sticking with the truth of scripture, or are we allowing ourselves to be blended into world of the occult. 

 

“And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (Dan 7:25).

 

On March 20, 1991, President Bush signed into law a Congressional Joint Resolution titled, A Joint Resolution To Designate March 26, 1991 as Education Day, USA.  This joint resolution soon thereafter became public law 102-14 when the U.S. Congress officially recognized the Noahide Laws in legislation by both houses.

 

Noahide laws often go by other, more recognizable names such as Moral Law, Natural Law, and Universal Law.  Such a law has been unwittingly advanced for years, even and sometimes especially in the Christian community.  Dr. James Dobson, for example, aired an address to the Council for National Policy expressing his determination to do whatever was necessary to restore observance of “Moral Law.”

 

The demand for Noahide Law has also been emanating for many years from the worldwide Lubavitch movement (a Kabbalist movement awaiting a Messiah to come from among their own membership), as well as the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon (who was recently crowned the Messiah in the halls of Congress), and also numerous groups represented within the Council on National Policy such as Christian Reconstructionists, Moral Re-Armament, Knights of Malta, Opus Dei, and the list goes on.

 

The Noahide Law is a blending of Judaism and Christianity (and ultimately all religions, as the very word “Noahide” means Gentile).  It is Gentiles who are to follow the seven Noahide laws, which according to the Encyclopedia of Judaism are (1) Civil justice, (2) Prohibition of blasphemy; (3) Abandonment of idolatry, (4) Prohibition of incest, (5) Prohibition of murder, (6) Prohibition of theft, and (7) Prohibition of eating flesh, or a limb cut from a living animal meaning cruelty in any shape or form.

 

Perhaps the day is coming when these Noahide Laws will be administered by a restored Sanhedrin (yes, of the same Sanhedrin mindset who crucified Christ for blasphemy – see #2 above).  If we wonder why John spoke of a time of beheadings (Rev 20:4), then we can wonder no more.  While it is not yet in force, violation of any one of the seven laws subjects the Noahide (Gentile) to capital punishment by decapitation (Sanh. 57A).  There is no biblical basis, of course, for the Noahide Laws, although many have been deceived into believing that there is.  These laws are revived from Jewish “oral traditions” as previously mentioned, and will ultimately take both Jew and Gentile back to “Egypt.” 

 

In an extraordinary deceptive maneuver, Noahide Law advocates will decry Gnosticism as its enemy.  Recall what I wrote earlier about the woman who rides the beast, and also the way Satan pits enemies together (the Hegelian Dialectic).  The Kabbalah is the source book of Jewish mysticism or Gnosticism.  A well known Occultist, H.P. Blavatsky, once traced the Kabbalah to the ancient mysteries of Babylon and Egypt.  She wrote, “As is well known, the Kabala never originated with the Jews… but from the Chaldeans and Egyptians.”  So there we have it.  Those whom the world regard as “Jews,” advocates of the Noahide Laws, take their teachings from the Chaldeans and Egyptians.  Perhaps we should consider these things before embracing Hebrew literature which can deceptively appear to be in harmony with scripture.

 

There is certainly nothing wrong with reading Jewish literature even to include the Illuminati’s Kabbalah, or the Talmud, which teaches that Jesus Christ is boiling in his own hot excrement, or Midrash, which offers a most distorted view of the Tree of Life in relationship to the fig tree (John 1:48).  I am a student of both sides of the opposition, and therefore all studies count toward learning.  But, for discernment’s sake, should we not read those Hebrew writings for what they are, remembering from whence they came?  Jesus was likely speaking of these Babylonian traditions when he said this:

 

“Judge not according to your traditions, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

 

Recall how Jesus was continually plagued by the religious leaders of his day, because what he taught was not in accordance with their traditions.  Righteous judgment can only be found where truth resides.  “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth (John 17:17).   Which WORD are we told will confound ALL false doctrine?

 

“Wherefore, the fruit of thy [JOSEPH] loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of JUDAH shall write; And that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, Unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins” (2 Nephi 2:19-21).

 

A Counterfeit Restoration?

 

Luciferians have been obedient seekers of higher wisdom for a long while, and it should be obvious by now that Satan is granting them their desires.  Their one-world government is nearing completion and I feel as if I’m trying to beat the clock even as I write.

 

Christians who anticipate a Rapture were long ago prepared for anything but tribulation.  Here again, we witness a “chosen” mentality that has been carefully nourished in order to further the strong delusion as it progresses.  Some of our Restoration ideas are not much different than those of the rapture-minded Protestants.  We, too, believe we will share a place of refuge for a given period of time while the rest of the world faces terrible tribulation.   Yet scriptures speak often of a time when Christians will face a tremendous trial of their faith; even a time when great deception will sweep the earth (which has the possibility of deceiving even the elect):

 

“For in those days, there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.  Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect's sake” (Mat 24:23-24).

 

Jesus gave this admonition for the elect’s sake, not for the rest of the world.  In other words, he must have thought we needed to remain vigilant during that coming timeframe. 

 

“Yea, the Lord, even Jesus, whose coming is not until after there cometh a falling away, by the working of Satan with all power, and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Th 2:9-10).

 

The above plainly tells us that Jesus will not return until there first comes a falling away.  And what are we told will happen as that falling away occurs?

 

“Let no man deceive you by any means; for there shall come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (2 Th 2:3).

 

I realize that we have long interpreted this “falling away” prophecy as having begun in the Dark Ages, but that interpretation needs a second look.  If we are going to view it from that perspective, then we must admit that there has always been an apostasy.  Over the last 6,000 years, whenever God moved, Satan always moved, and the Lord’s people almost immediately would begin falling sway to false doctrines and traditions.  The prophets spoke repeatedly about the basic apostate “condition” of man, however, in this particular prophecy, Paul is giving a specific warning about two things:  a falling away and the revealing of a false teacher.  Scriptures are clear enough that most Christians will be deceived by that false teacher, so in conjunction with that understanding, consider again this prophetic falling away.  While Christians are collectively in a chaotic condition at present, a good majority of them would still not fall for a guy claiming to be “Christ;” not even now, in our present “apostate” condition.  Something of cataclysmic proportions will still have to occur in order for a false messiah and/or false prophets to deceive so many people.    

 

Yes, we have longed for Zion, and Zion will be.  There will be a place of refuge (there already is a place of refuge—in the Lord Jesus Christ), but there will be a temporal place also.  The question is when?  We have focused so intently on “temporal refuge” that we have ignored the warnings that may first come to pass.   As shown previously, we are in for some major counterfeiting of spiritual gifts.

 

“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live” (Rev 13:12-14).

 

I know the story of Pentecost, and that Jesus and the apostles performed numerous signs and wonders and healings.  I also know that God does not change.  He promised that signs would manifest themselves to them who believe.  I also know what the Book of Mormon says about such gifts – that if they cease, it will be because of unbelief.  Perhaps we should define belief, for Jesus did not say that such gifts would NOT be done away, but rather that if they ARE done away, it would be because of unbelief. 

 

Jesus also said this: “…when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

 

What an odd thing for Jesus to say when we know that “signs and wonders” will be in abundance in the last days.  Was Jesus contradicting himself or was he trying to reveal to us the author of those latter day signs and wonders?

 

Remember, it would be a wicked time when the Lord would return.  Besides a collective Christian “falling away” prior to his return, he said:

 

“…As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance,” (Gen 7:67).

 

Surely not us, right?  We are believers.  We are chosen people. 

 

Around the time the Book of Mormon came forth, a new pentacostalism or neo-charismatic movement was born.   Our Restoration history records a return of the “signs and wonders” that were given in accordance with belief.  The Book of Mormon, itself, is a sign and a wonder.  But as mentioned before, something strange began to occur even in those early years, a delusion of immense proportions was birthed.  Today, while miracles still occur in the Restoration as well as anywhere else, most would admit that the greater “signs and wonders” gifts have largely dissipated, while at the same time, many Christian groups are experiencing a sudden outpouring of signs and wonders, visions and dreams, and speaking in tongues; Catholics and Protestants alike.

 

Why do so many speak of “spiritual gifts” as if there are only three or four – like speaking in tongues, miracle healings, and visions and dreams?  What about the other spiritual gifts mentioned by both Paul and Moroni.  What about gifts of wisdom, and knowledge, and faith, and prophecy, and what about the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Cor 12 and Moroni 10)?  Why are they ignored in preference to the others?   We tend to suppose the gifts mentioned above are “lesser gifts,” and concern ourselves with what seem to be the “greater gifts” which we identify as signs and wonders.  Is it possible that we have it backwards?  After all, through many prophets, God commanded that we seek knowledge and wisdom, as well as the testimony of Jesus Christ, which can lead one to possess the spirit of prophecy.  How many times did the Lord ever tell us to seek miracles? 

 

What is the greatest of all gifts?

 

“Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits: Yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (1 Ne 4:62-63).

 

Isn’t it interesting, in light of prophecy which speaks of coming “signs and wonders,” that Jesus spoke the following words?

 

“An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Mat 12).

 

And that a latter day revelation was similarly given:

 

“And he that seeketh signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation” (Sec 63:2c).

 

What kind of signs was Jesus speaking of?  The Pharisees were always asking for signs, and  Jesus revealed many signs, but apparently they were never satisfied with them.  At one point, Jesus sadly said:

 

“Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:50).

 

Paul said to “covet earnestly the best gifts.”  Joseph Smith, Jr. said to “seek the best gifts” (in the same passage where he warned of doctrines of devils).  Neither Paul nor Joseph said to covet or seek all gifts.  Both spoke of the best gifts!  Perhaps more than the gifts of healings, signs and wonders, we as a people need to be praying for the gifts of discernment, and knowledge, and wisdom. 

(Please request the paper later written called, “Restoration of All Things.”)

 

For a long time, there has been a character on the loose called “Lord Matreiya” who is supposed to be out in the world performing all kinds of miracles and signs and wonders and healings.  The last thing I read about him is that he is the coming “Lion of Judah.”  Does that sound familiar?  This Matreiya considers himself to be an Ascended Master of the Light, something Kabbalists will be able to relate to.  Of course, he also claims to be the “one god” that all people anticipate.  I suspect he is a U.N. phony on a number of levels, but the point is that people are embracing these kinds of signs and wonders…and teachers.  They are hungry for spiritual fulfillment, and are being “fed” with all the wrong food.

 

Meantime, sightings of the Virgin Mary are on the increase, and people are traveling to her visionary spectacles by the thousands hoping to catch a glimpse of her, and also to be healed (many have reportedly been healed by her to include a man who recently had terminal cancer with just months to live).  Pope John Paul recently traveled to a popular “Marian” site in Lourdes hoping to catch a glimpse of Mary (again) and to pray to her for the healing of the nations.  I recently watched a video that showed people in live trances as they witnessed her apparitions.  Priests, Nuns, Catholics, Muslims, even Protestants were interviewed who had seen her, all delivering the consistent messages she has been purportedly been giving to “her children.”  I will list a few of those messages here.

 

·        “When everyone is converted to my immaculate heart, then I will be able to usher in global peace on earth.”

·        “Pray the rosary every day for the world to be consecrated to my immaculate heart, and it will triumph.”

·        “I call upon you and you must obey me.  The time is coming when the world must obey me, or face great persecution and tribulation.”

·        “The reconciliation between nations is the only thing that can save us from death.”

·        “Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.”

·        “I am the mediator between you and God.”

·        “I am the ark.”

·        “I am the new Eve.”

·        “I will crush the serpent.”

·        “I am the door to heaven.”

·        “Venerate my statues, and erect shrines and temples in my honor.”

·        “I am Mary, Queen of Heaven.”  (Note:  read Jeremiah)

·        “I am no longer Mary; I am the lady of all nations who will usher in an era of peace.”

·        “The Mother wants all churches united so there will be one church for all my people.”

 

Get the idea?  “Mary” is delivering all of these messages and more to millions of people who see her face and hear her voice somewhere on this planet almost daily.  Pope John Paul II said that “if victory comes, it will come by Mary.”  I have said before that The Da Vinci Code (first in book form, and soon to be a movie) is obviously going to help pave the way for a “Gnostic” agenda to proceed.  And not only The Da Vinci Code, but numerous movies and history channel specials are revealing a similar agenda.

 

Didn’t the Lord speak of a judgment wherein many will say “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophecy in your name, and cast out demons, etc.?”  Casting out demons is a miraculous healing, yet the Lord is going to respond to these people, “You never knew me” or “I never knew you” depending upon your preferred interpretation, neither of which are good (Mat 7:32-33).  Modern day visionaries, many who now refer to themselves as “restorationists” even though they do not believe the Book of Mormon, have said repeatedly that we are already at the beginning of a great revival (because they are already in the process of receiving great signs and wonders).  Yet much of what they receive is Gnostic-oriented.  For example, they often report visionary progressions to higher and higher revelations and wisdom (these are outward symbols used often in Freemasonry).   And while crying, “A Bible, A Bible,” they refer to the Gnostic Book of Enoch as though it is the Word of God.

 

Why are we looking to non-Book of Mormon believing restorationists and their visions for answers about what is coming upon the earth?  Why, when we have the Book of Mormon filling in all the missing blanks would we look to the visions of Catholic and Protestant ministers, many of whom are members of secret societies? 

 

What is more disturbing about these modern day visionaries is their constant mantra that Christians will rise up like mighty men to defeat their enemies.  They claim that we who oppose their miracles have a semblance of godliness yet deny the power thereof – what a profound misquote of scripture to stir pride and bring fellow initiates in line.  Many of their visions are drumming up support for a kind of “civil war” where they, in their “anointed” mode, will mete out God’s justice which, they say, will first begin at His house.  Remember the Jews who meted out justice upon Jesus?

 

This is not unlike the mentality and propaganda of the early Crusaders, nor is it unlike something called Liberation Theology (a Jesuit instituted war) which is still alive and well today in places like Africa and South America.  The idea behind such talk of spiritual and physical war is that it is okay to kill people as long as the cause is supposedly righteous.   Add a false messiah, false prophets, and lots of marvelous signs, wonders, and healings to this end time scenario, and the stage will be set for a “false” revival, a “false” endowment, and a “true” falling away.

 

The following are additional agendas these modern day visionaries predict that they will fulfill:

 

·        restore the Church and equip it to rule

·        come to perfection and complete visible unity

·        purge the earth of all wickedness and rebellion (Joel’s army)

·        judge the apostate church (Joel’s army)

 

Do any of the above sound like Restoration beliefs?  Do the scriptures tell us that Gentile Christianity is supposed to “purge the earth” of wickedness?  As I understand it, God’s “battle axe” will come by way of the Jews (or Lamanites) who are the remnant of Jacob:

 

“And my people who are a remnant of Jacob (God was speaking of the Jews/Lamanites), shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver” (3 Ne 9:99).

 

Speaking of oppositions!  The above prophecy has no resemblance to Gentile Christianity’s version of the end times.  So-called Christian visionaries are describing nothing less than an end-time revival of the Crusades.  Did Nephi say anything particularly enlightening on this subject?

 

“And it came to pass that he said unto me, Look and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil.  And he said unto me, Behold, there are save two churches only: The one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; Wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; And she is the whore of all the earth. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; And she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people. And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; Nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; And their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. 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 Ne 3:219-229).

 

The mother of abominations, who is surely that same “mother” spoken by John in Rev 17:5, will fight against the Lord’s people.  This means that the “whore church” will go to war against the Lamb’s Church.  The same exact thing happened in Rome’s day.  Those who thought they were God’s chosen people committed the most heinous of crimes.  They killed their Lamb.  The “chosen ones” of the future will kill the Lamb’s Church.  But let’s not end on that note.  Let us finish Nephi’s commentary about the events that will transpire when these things took place:

 

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; And they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Ne 3:230-231).

 

Notice that a gathering has not yet taken place in this scenario, or if it has, Nephi did not see a people “in one place, in safety.”  Instead he saw them (whose numbers were few) scattered upon all the face of the earth.  Nephi did say that the power of God came down upon these people, and that God armed them with righteousness and power (not with knives and swords).  So what have we here?  We have a great church that goes to war against a scattered remnant who become armed with God’s glory, not with guns.  Does this sound anything like the New Testament apostles?  Were they not armed with God’s glory and righteousness?  Did they not speak all the right words at all the right times?  That is the power of heaven coming down.

 

The message of the gospel has always been that we take up our cross, and be prepared to die for our Savior’s name’s sake.  This does not mean that all of that remnant will die.  The Lord promised that he would return quickly (or else there would be no flesh saved- Mark 13:22) and that he would “quicken” those who remain.  Perhaps we should look at it this way.  God already knows how many will face death and how many will be spared in that scenario.  If we must be on the side of the martyrs (and some of us will take that role, making believers out of non-believers – Dan 11:33-35), a resurrection will not be far behind.  If it turns out that we are chosen to be martyrs, how difficult can it be if we are armed with righteousness and power?  The apostles practically rejoiced during the times of their temporal demise.

 

“And blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, 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 which were before you” (Mat 5:13-14).

 

I realize that the scripture just quoted is hard to hear, but we need to hear it.  We need to hear less talk about how chosen and special we are, and to be reminded that we, as servants, are not greater than our Lord.  If they persecuted him, they will persecute us.

 

“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; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (John 15:20).

 

There will be martyrs, else the scriptures are a lie.

 

… the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2).

 

“…and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands: and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev 20:4).

 

Did Christ give any instruction as to whether we should wield swords in the days ahead?  Yes:

 

“If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Rev 13:9-10).

 

Could all these verses have anything to do with Amos’ warning not to desire the day of the Lord?

 

“Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light” (Amos 5:18).

 

And also Isaiah who warned not to wish for the hastening of Christ’s return?

 

“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope; That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!” (Isa 5:18-19)

 

If we rely on scripture to reveal the manner, and timing of the Lord’s Kingdom, the “opposition counterfeit” should not come as a surprise.

 

Comparing Kingdoms

 

What does scripture tell us about the Kingdom of Jesus Christ?  Is it already in progress conquering the world’s kingdoms, or is this current “revival” an ecumenical one being engineered by the Assyrian?

 

“And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words; and no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; Therefore nothing entereth into his rest, save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end (3 Ne 12:31-32).

 

Paul told us to seek immortality (Rom 2:7).  Why?

 

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Cor 15:50).

 

What about the prophecy that the Book of Mormon and the Bible will “grow together?”  Might that have already started?  Could these visionaries be receiving “restoration” visions because of the influence the Book of Mormon has had on the world since 1830?  The answer, I believe, is “no,” because the two books will not begin to grow together until another “Moses” has been raised up to perform a mighty work.

 

“And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt.  But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins;  And not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them. Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; And that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together,  Unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, And bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days; And also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord” (2 Ne 2:16-23).

 

Surely it is obvious that peace has not been established and that false doctrines have not been confounded by these sticks of Judah (Bible) and Joseph (Book of Mormon), even if the time will come when both sets of records will be used to do just that.  Given the condition of the Restoration movement since 1830, would we not be deceiving ourselves to think that we have been laying down contentions, establishing peace, and confounding all false doctrine?  The Restoration Church (whatever faction) has allowed just the opposite – false doctrine has confounded us, and there has been nothing but contention since our founding.

 

The adversary is preparing whomever will follow him for a special anointing of “light,” that via his light, we can enter into his “kingdom of God” in our physical bodies with Christ’s “consciousness” within us.  But does this sound anything like the Kingdom of God that Paul described in 1 Corinthians 15?  Will this be Lucifer’s final act prior to his thousand year prison sentence?  Will he get his chosen few illumined ones to convince the majority of Christendom that they, too, are chosen and illumined?  If Satan’s weapons of mass destruction are in full working order, then we can expect him to stir up a final curtain call of mighty magic tricks, wonders and signs, even to the extent that we may believe ourselves to be “endowed.”  We want to believe that we are special.  We want to believe that we are right.  We want to believe that we are chosen.  Even the disciples of Jesus debated these things among themselves:

 

“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Mat 18:1)

 

I know that we all long for the Kingdom, and with great anticipation await the time when evil is wiped from the face of this earth.  I also know that “endowment” and being a “chosen people” is a common theme among Restorationists.  So common, in fact, that such a state of mind has divided the brethren.  How many churches now exist who make the claim that “I, I am the Lord’s.”  Are we ready for Satan’s weapons of mass destruction?    

 

The counterfeit restoration movements of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries convinced many of our people that they should seek after signs, to exercise their faith in such a way as to even expect such signs, or be accused of lack of faith.  The holy prophets of scripture who were given signs from God never went seeking for them; in fact, they were usually startled and humbled by them.  It is the Lord’s will, not ours, that grants a sign, or heals the sick.   Not today, but someday, the Lord will heal an entire nation. 

 

“I will heal their (Israel’s) backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him” (Hosea 14:4).  

 

Are we seeking miracles, or are we seeking what God asked us to seek – a knowledge of him, that which affords us wisdom? 

 

“O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people; Yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men: for they will not seek wisdom…” (Mos 5:84-85).

 

Are we seeking first to build up the kingdom and establish his righteousness  (Mat 6:38),  and to establish the cause of Zion (Sec 6:3a)?  The cause of Zion, that which establishes his righteousness, is seeking the truth.   Jesus said:     

 

“…every man who seeketh truth presseth into the Kingdom of God (Luke 16:18).

 

Luciferians and their congregation of the deceived are awaiting a kingdom which will press into them; a kingdom that will empower them through an anointing (endowment) and a form of revival that will transform the world.  They desire a kingdom in which their flesh can dwell.  As “chosen people,” they seek recruitment into Joel’s army, waiting for the command to destroy every evil thing that gets in their way, and then finally reigning as kings and priests upon the earth.  Yes, I know it sounds familiar.  It is so close to the truth that it looks like the truth; two angels of light sitting side by side.  One is the light of Christ; the other, the light of the adversary.  It is called OPPOSITION.

 

Recall my earlier mention of Albert Pike, the father of Freemasonry in America, who authored a book (Morals and Dogma) that explained at great length the varying degrees of Freemasonry.  I often refer to Morals and Dogma as Lucifer’s bible.  Nothing compares to it.  Perhaps it would be worthwhile to hear of Albert Pike’s writings for three world wars, which was revealed to him by his “spirit guide” (spirit guides are the opposition to the Holy Ghost). 

 

Albert Pike’s inspiration for three world wars was dictated in order to bring to pass Lucifer’s finally established kingdom on earth.  The first two wars accomplished their intended mission.  The first war was fought to remove the power of the Czars in Russia, thereby establishing Communism which could then be spread throughout the world.  World War One (WWI) also allowed the League of Nations to mandate British General Allenby to run the Ottomon Turks out of the Holy Land, thereby placing the Holy Land under the control of the British (the British already being controlled by Rothschild).  This, of course, was for the purpose of establishing a homeland for the Jews, according to the Balfour Declaration.  World War Two (WWII) then finalized the establishment of that Zionist state of Israel in Palestine.  Mission accomplished.  Following is what Pike’s spirit guide foretold concerning a third world war.

 

"The Third World War must be fomented by taking advantage of the differences caused by the "agentur" of the "Illuminati" between the political Zionists and the leaders of Islamic World. The war must be conducted in such a way that Islam (the Moslem Arabic World) and political Zionism (the State of Israel) mutually destroy each other. Meanwhile the other nations, once more divided on this issue will be constrained to fight to the point of complete physical, moral, spiritual and economical exhaustion…We shall unleash the Nihilists and the atheists, and we shall provoke a formidable social cataclysm which in all its horror will show clearly to the nations the effect of absolute atheism, origin of savagery and of the most bloody turmoil. Then everywhere, the citizens, obliged to defend themselves against the world minority of revolutionaries, will exterminate those destroyers of civilization, and the multitude, disillusioned with Christianity, whose deistic spirits will from that moment be without compass or direction, anxious for an ideal, but without knowing where to render its adoration, will receive the true light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public view. This manifestation will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time."

 

In a 200 year old document titled, “Original Writings of the Order and Sect of the Illuminati, the last protocol (#24) speaks of a king who will ultimately reign over the earth:

 

“…The King of the Jews must not be at the mercy of his passions, and especially of sensuality; on no side of his character must he give brute instinct power over his mind…  The prop of humanity in the person of the supreme lord of all the world of the holy seed of David must sacrifice to his people all personal inclinations.  Our supreme lord must be of an exemplary irreproachability.”

 

It would seem that Lucifer has plans for a kingdom in which his son will rule for a time.  But we know that this kingdom will fail, and then the beauty of true restoration prophecy will prosper.

 

Summary

 

If you were Satan (God forbid), what kind of deception would you invent to fool as many Christians as possible over the 2,000+ year time span that is afforded you?  I would say Satan has a pretty clever plan.  After Pentecost, when Christians had the greatest truths and were most on fire for Jesus Christ, Satan persecuted the majority of them to their deaths.  Once enough time had lapsed and the majority of the elect were destroyed, he could then initiate his next agenda, which was to institute a universal “church” that would convince Christians world-wide that certain men were infallible and that salvation must come through their authority.  This is how Satan removed the Word of God from their lives, and gave them collective membership into the Great and Abominable Church.  But along with the Reformation came a new set of challenges, so Satan changed his tactic.  He then convinced the new Protestants that the Old Testament or covenant had been done away, and that the only thing required for salvation was an emotion or “feeling.”  Millions would develop a distorted view of prophecy, and their ignorance would allow Satan to proceed with his kingdom as planned.  The year 1830 brought still greater challenges for Satan, because the time had come when all nations could hear the truth once again.  The Book of Mormon returned the fundamental truths of the gospel, and foretold the “true” Restoration timeline.  So what did Satan do?  He created a “counterfeit Restoration” which would have the temporal resemblance to the true spiritual and temporal Restoration yet to come.   Does this not give a whole new appreciation to Revelation 12:8 which says that “Satan deceives the whole world?”  We are all part of that world. 

 

I hope we proceed with great caution before we embrace various points of view about a coming “restoration” or a coming kingdom on earth.  The truth can be found only in the Word of God, the two sticks that is said will confound all false doctrine.  

 

It should come as no surprise that Satan’s servants can recite God’s Word by memory.  While Jesus fasted on the mount for forty days, Satan came tempting him.  In one of those encounters, Satan quoted the Old Testament to Jesus.

 

“Then the devil came unto him and said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Mat 4:6).

 

Satan was quoting Psalms 91:12:  “They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

 

If the devil has always worked in counterfeits, why wouldn’t his final act be the counterfeit to end all counterfeits?  Once again, Paul passionately warned:

 

Let no man deceive you by any means; for there shall come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Th 2:3-4).

 

The Luciferian elite, who have long dazzled the masses with their methods of polarization (pitting peoples and governments against each other) have anticipated the day when they can finally usher in their “ordo ab chao,” which simply means, out of chaos, order.   They created the chaos, and they will create the “order.”   They have created our bondage, and they will offer to lift us out of it.  That is the whole purpose behind all of this temporal and spiritual warfare in our midst, to pit people against people, and governments against governments, and I might add, peoples against governments.  When things finally get bad enough, we will be ready for a Savior or saviors and these Occult/Pagan/Gnostic/Luciferians are anxiously waiting to give us what we desire.  

 

Occult writings speak of a false “Christ” who will rise from the ashes, like the mythological phoenix rose from the ashes.  This is in harmony with their scheme that out of chaos will come order.  I suspect that it could be from the ashes of cataclysmic war that their king may finally reign.   Can there be any doubt at all that this war has already begun? 

 

A popular interpretation concerning the white horse of the apocalypse, is that it represents a revival or an endowment.  I am going to suggest that the rider of that white horse actually represents the very opposite of that interpretation; perhaps a false anointing.  John said that the white horse rider would go forth “conquering.”  In the Strong’s Concordance, the word “conquer” means to overcome (#3528).  There is a prophecy about being overcome which says this:

 

“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” (Rev 13:7).

 

What a pearl of great price to know that there is an “opposition in all things.”  There is no better explanation for why mankind was given the choice in the garden.  There is no better explanation for why God, himself, atoned for our sins.  There is no better explanation for the meaning of life.  Even Newton’s third law of physics proclaimed that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction.”  Why should we be surprised that this law of relativity would be in accordance to the already established law of Jesus Christ?

 

The more understanding we have of this opposition in all things, the better we can also appreciate our role in this world, and why this day of probation was never meant to be “easy.”  Little wonder the Gnostics are so fascinated by their understanding of “dualism” (oppositions), for it sets them apart with knowledge for how to control a less-informed world.  Having an understanding of oppositions (and how they mimic each other) gives one a kind of spiritual power over one’s enemy, not to mention it helps us discern the words of the prophets:

 

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isa 5:20).

 

“…a city reserved until a day of righteousness shall come: a day which was sought for by all holy men, and they found it not, because of wickedness and abominations, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth, but obtained a promise that they should find it, and see it in their flesh” (Sec 45:2).

 

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).

 

“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:10-11).

 

The Lord calls us to be joyful and happy, but what does that mean?  To the world, happiness is defined in the “here and now;” taking the best this life can offer – fame, money, luxury, and prestige.  To the true Christian, happiness is inner peace due to the assurance and blessed hope of an eternally better day.  The world does not understand that kind of happiness, but we should.  Not only will it make us wise in the Lord to have that understanding, but it will help us cope with the battles we face and will face in the coming days.  May God grant us with ever-increasing understanding of these “oppositions” so that we might withstand the adversary’s counterfeits.

 

ENDNOTE

The following comment was posted to the chofjclist on 8 July 2006, and is relative to the above topic. It really bothers me when people talk about the sifting as being of the Lord...When people leave a group or church , I have heard that" Christ must be doing the sifting! "  Luke 22:31  "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold satan hath desired you, that he may sift the children of the kingdom as wheat!"

Jan responds:  I have moments where I think, "What are we doing?"  "We," as in Christians in general who believe in Christ.  "We," as in Restorationists who believe in Christ.  Why are "we" so hard on each other, and why do we allow Satan to sift us, as you quoted above.

But then I remember that there is an opposition in all things.  As you like to say, Satan scatters and Christ gathers; and yet, God also scatters and Satan also gathers.  It all depends upon the circumstances.  For example, Isaiah speaks of the Lord "sifting" the nations:

   "Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy; his lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring fire; And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, *to sift the nations* with the sieve of vanity; and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err." (Isaiah 30:27-28)

 

The prophet Amos said that the Lord will "sift" the House of Israel, like corn is sifted in a sieve (Amos 9:9).

 

And although we know that the Lord's promises to gather his people are sure, scripture also tells us in many places that Satan also gathers.  There is a prophecy in Isaiah that speaks of the enemy gathering against the holy people, where the Lord specifically says that they (the enemy) will gather...but not by Him:

 

   "Behold, *they shall surely gather together against thee, but not by me;* whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake."  (Isaiah 54:15)

 

In relation to Isaiah's prophecy above, Nephi spoke specifically of that future gathering:

 

   "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)

 

So it looks to me like it just depends upon the interpretation as to who's doing the scattering and who's doing the gathering, which is why the sifting in Christianity could be interpreted more than one way (opposition in all things).  Yes, Satan is certainly busy scattering the power of the holy people, yet the Lord is also calling his people out of Babylon so that his covenants might be fulfilled.  Both are sifting.  Both are gathering, but for different purposes.

 

When I ponder the events of 2000 years ago, when the holy people (the elect people) killed their Messiah, and then I compare that to a future event described by Nephi who envisioned a great church who will war against the Lamb's people (history repeating itself), then I can better appreciate what Jesus meant when he said that he came not to bring peace, but a sword (His Word) and division (sifting).  I can also appreciate what Jesus meant when he spoke of false leaders who would preach "another Jesus," meaning that there would be gospels preached of Jesus Christ that would be contrary to the Truth.  

 

It may seem right that all Christians should unite against what is obviously evil in the world (the heathen), yet what is evil isn't always so obvious.  If it were, the Jews would not have killed their Christ all those years ago, nor would they continue to reject him to this day.   

 

It wasn't the heathen in those days (Roman Gentiles) who wanted Christ dead.  It was the House of Israel.  It's sobering, and Jesus tells us very plainly in 3 Nephi that Isaiah's words both *have been* and *shall be.*  Nephi didn't say that Christians would be at war with the atheist world in the last days.  He said that a "church" people would be at war with another "church" people.  So although all church people proclaim a love for Jesus Christ, somebody (a great and abominable many) will have it wrong.  Pretty sobering, and humbling.   Just my thoughts, for what they're worth.