LDS Freedom Forum

me wrote:Verses 1-5 – Introduction regarding building the city of Zion the New Jerusalem and the temple in Missouri.
Verse 5 – God shall inhabit the temple. His glory will fill it.
Verse 6 – The sons of Moses shall receive Him and His glory.
Verses 6-13 – Moses received the Holy Priesthood through a non-patriarchal line down from Abraham.
Verses 14-16 – Abraham received it from Melchizedek who received it through his patriarchal line back to Adam.
Verses 17-22 – The priesthood or the authority to act in God’s name is for administering the gospel, ultimately giving men the keys (secrets) to know (meet face to face) God in the flesh (v21-22) – (This is THE doctrine of Christ.)
Verses 23-26 – Moses taught this but the people rejected it and lost the higher priesthood.
Verses 26-28 – The preparatory priesthood remained to allow diligent seekers the ability to commune with angels after entering the path.
Verses 29-30 – Outline various offices in the priesthood
Verses 31-32 – Those who follow Moses and Aaron (sons of Moses) must walk the preparatory path and offer the acceptable sacrifice in order to receive the Lord and His glory.

• Therefore:

Verses 33-42 – We learn of the famous “oath and covenant of the priesthood.”

• Verse 34 - Indicates one must be reborn. (For real.)
  Verses 35-38 - One must be receiving angels, Jesus and the Father in the flesh.

Verses 43-53 – Explain the necessity of hearing God directly. See 2 Nephi 32:5-6.
Verses 54-59 – The church is under condemnation for being hypocritical and fake about this stuff. We give it lip service but our efforts are vain. They do not produce the results spoken of. We say but do not. We do not connect to heaven in reality. We do not teach the Doctrine of Christ. That’s why Joseph and Hyrum were taken out of our midst just as Moses was.
Verses 60-64 – A call to teach these things (THE doctrine of Christ. 2 Nephi 32:5-6)
Verses 65-73 – Describe incredible signs that follow the believers.
Verses 74-76 – Again describe the importance of the true Doctrine of Christ i.e. being born again to be purified to meet God.
Verses 77-97 – This section is encouragement to those He has called to teach His word.
Verses 98-102 – This Is the ultimate goal restated again; to meet God face to face and KNOW Him. “Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together sing…” The song describes ZION, the pure in heart. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall SEE GOD. (Matt 5:8)
Verses 103-118 – Contains more encouragement and temporal council for those called at that time to the work.
Verses 119-120 – Again promises knowledge of God and the bringing again of Zion where God reigns and lives with those who humble themselves and repent in order to be purified and be with Him.

1 And the Lord commanded the brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the Lord, and write the things which he had seen; and they were forbidden to come unto the children of men until after that he should be lifted up upon the cross; and for this cause did king Mosiah keep them, that they should not come unto the world until after Christ should show himself unto his people.

2 And after Christ truly had showed himself unto his people he commanded that they should be made manifest.

3 And now, after that, they have all dwindled in unbelief; and there is none save it be the Lamanites, and they have rejected the gospel of Christ; therefore I am commanded that I should hide them up again in the earth.

4 Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared. 47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.

5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.

6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. 48 And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world.

7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.49 And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.

8 And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh. 50 And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.

9 And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire. 51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.

10 And he that believeth not my words believeth not my disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye; for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day. 52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.

11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good. 53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. 55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief. 56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel. 57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

16 And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed. 59 For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay.

17 Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land. 60 Verily, verily, I say unto you who now hear my words, which are my voice, blessed are ye inasmuch as you receive these things;

18 Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name. 61 For I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you.

19 And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I that hath spoken it. Amen. 62 Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature.

6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;

7 But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.

8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

TBMormon wrote:Why would it matter if the church were under condemnation back in the 1800's? Does that affect the position of the church today? Is it not possible that today's leaders are still led by the Spirit despite the mistakes that were made in the past?

TBMormon wrote:No, I didn't say that. I am asking what past mistakes have to do with us, how it affects our position with God.

TBMormon wrote:Ok, I can understand that. But didn't the Lord say that he could turn our mistakes to our good? If the church's support of BSA is a mistake, then won't the Lord fix it in his good time?

If we believe in Christ and believe this is his church, then I think we ought to be exercising faith in Christ and believing that he is directing the course of things.

TBMormon wrote:No, I didn't say that. I am asking what past mistakes have to do with us, how it affects our position with God.

freedomfighter wrote:

TBMormon wrote:No, I didn't say that. I am asking what past mistakes have to do with us, how it affects our position with God.

Let's consider one major point. The church, meaning collectively, may be under condemnation, but How can it hold true individually? There are many Saints doing exactly what is expected to the best of their ability. Besides, the church as a whole will not go to heaven as a group. We all go to heaven individually, according to our own belief, faith and good works.
Agreed? Not?