Two Scriptures Project Updates and a Conference Request

Chris Hamill has posted two important updates on the scriptures project blog. 

The first is a progress update on the scriptures project. Read it here:

Important Progress Update

The second is a very enlightening piece on the statement of principles and what it will take to get it added to the scriptures as a guide and standard. Read it here:

One More Thing on the Scriptures

I really appreciate these clarifications from Chris, and I have renewed hope of completing the Lord's assignment.

Also: The organizers of the upcoming conference in Layton need people to RSVP for the Friday and Saturday night events for purposes of planning food. 

Here is their announcement:

We are trying to make appropriate preparations for food at both the Friday evening Family Hoe-down 7-9pm (Clearfield, UT) and then Saturday afternoon/evening potluck and musical celebration. Therefore, we request an email RSVP be sent to preservingthehopeofzion@gmail.com including the total number of people who plan on attending each of those two events.

One Year

He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me. And he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him. 

—John 9:8 RE

Note: I wrote this post on September 3, but circumstances prevented me from placing it here until now. 

One year ago today, an event prophesied and anticipated from the foundation of the world took place: the Lord offered His covenant to all who would receive it, in anticipation of completing His Father’s work and returning to reign on Earth. I doubt most of us who accepted the covenant last year fully appreciate the significance and importance of this step in God’s final labor of the last days. This very event was prophesied by Jesus Christ Himself:

But if they will repent and hearken unto my words and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance. (3 Nephi 10:1 RE)

In the very next breath, our Lord explained the covenant’s significance, why it is required in our day, and how it is the foundation of the completion of the Father’s work:

And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city which shall be called the New Jerusalem. And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. And then shall the power of Heaven come down among them and I also will be in the midst. (3 Nephi 10:1 RE)

I was privileged to close the meeting where the covenant was offered with prayer, which began with the words,“We Rejoice!” and truly, we did. I was doubly privileged to commemorate this occasion last night, in a place I consider sacred, with dear friends and fellow covenant holders, in a way that was very meaningful to me. This one-year anniversary gave me many reasons to ponder, consider, and repent.

One year along, I wish to share a few thoughts, primarily directed at myself, but applicable to us all, so I’ll use “we.” 

Have we taken to heart the commands, the chastisement, and the counsel the Lord gave us? Here are some items from the Answer and Covenant:

If you take upon you my covenant, you must abide it as a people to gain what I promise. You think Satan will be bound a thousand years, and it will be so, but do not understand your own duty to bind that spirit within you so that you give no heed to accuse others. It is not enough to say you love God; you must also love your fellow man. Nor is it enough to say you love your fellow man while you, as Satan, divide, contend and dispute against any person who labors on an errand seeking to do my will. How you proceed must be as noble as the cause you seek. You have become your own adversaries, and you cannot be Satan and also be mine.  

Over the last year, have we become less adversarial toward our brothers and sisters? Have we made progress in learning to love one another? Do we yet carry the spirit of contention? How do we proceed in a cause as noble as Zion?

I desire to heal you from an awful state of blindness so that you may see clearly my will, to do it. I promised to bring unto you much of my gospel through the Book of Mormon and to provide you with the means to obtain a fullness of my gospel, and I have done this; yet you refuse to receive the truth even when it is given unto you in plainness. How can you who pursue the truth yet remain unable to behold your own weakness before me? 

How clearly do we see our own weakness? Have we become better this year at receiving truth given in plainness? How do we “receive” truth in the way the Lord desires?

I speak of you who have hindered my work, that claim to see plainly the beams in others’ eyes. You have claimed to see plainly the error of those who abuse my words, and neglect the poor, and who have cast you out, to discern their errors, and you say you seek a better way. Yet among you are those who continue to scheme, backbite, contend, accuse and forsake my words to do them, even while you seek to recover them. Can you not see that your works fall short of the beliefs you profess? 

Do our works yet fall short of the beliefs we profess? Do we yet hinder the Lord’s work? Do we forsake the Lord’s words, or do we do them?

It is not enough to receive my covenant, but you must also abide it. And all who abide it, whether on this land or any other land, will be mine and I will watch over them and protect them in the day of harvest, and gather them in as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. I will number you among the remnant of Jacob, no longer outcasts, and you will inherit the promises of Israel. You shall be my people and I will be your God and the sword will not devour you. And unto those who will receive will more be given until they know the mysteries of God in full. 

I will teach you things that have been hidden from the foundation of the world and your understanding will reach unto Heaven. 

The Lord has kept His promise, and revealed things that have been, quite literally, kept hidden from the foundation of the world, despite our unworthiness and lack of preparation. Most notably, the “Holy Order” and “Our Divine Parents” talks offered an incredible flood of new light and truth not seen in this world since Joseph Smith lived and taught. Do we appreciate the significance of what has been given, or even the fact that it has been given at all? It would require many pages to adequately express the importance of just these two talks alone, but that will have to wait for another day. 

Here’s my point: The Lord keeps His covenants. Do we?

After a year, what fruit exists to recommend us as the Lord’s people? Has a year made a difference? If so, in what ways? Are we really any better now than we were a year ago?

Trigger Warning: Statement of Principles

Perhaps my most urgent concern is that we’ve failed, and continue to fail, to keep the most basic commandment the Lord gave us. I’m referring, of course, to the statement of principles the Lord required us to write and adopt by mutual agreement as a guide and standard, then add to our scriptures. Unfortunately, the entire subject has become so toxic I hesitate to even bring it up.

With these thoughts heavy on my heart, I received, moments ago, a letter from my friend Paul. In it, he addressed the statement of principles in a much better way than I can. With his permission, I include below a portion of his letter, (with my added comments in red):

The Lord was very specific in His instructions about a Statement of Principles in the “Answer and Covenant”: 

1. You are not excused from writing a statement of principles that I have required at your hands. 

This is a commandment, and it must be obeyed. There is no excuse for not obeying, and those who intentionally prevent or oppose the Lord’s work will be held to account for doing so. 

2. I forbade my servant David from participating, and again forbid him. 

David has kept the commandment, even as we have failed to do so. Perhaps this is why the Lord trusts him and not us.

3. But I require a statement of principles to be adopted by the mutual agreement of my people, for if you cannot do so you will be unable to accomplish other works that I will require at your hands. (Mutual agreement has been defined : “As between one another, you choose to not dispute” [T&C 175:1]. “Simply put, even if we disagree, if we choose to not dispute, we have mutual agreement.”) 

The definitions of “statement” and “principles” are so basic and fundamental the the Lord left no room for us to gainsay what He really meant. These terms have been discussed at length. Likewise, “adopt” and “mutual agreement” have been well defined. There is no point in further arguing the meanings of these words. We should, instead, get to obeying them.

4. When you have an agreed statement of principles I require it to also be added as a guide and standard for my people to follow. 

The Lord spoke these words in the context of other items that were to be added to the canon of scripture. Merely pasting a statement in the back of your own scriptures makes a mockery of this commandment and its purpose, which will be detailed in a moment. The statement must be canonized. 

5. Remember there are others who know nothing, as yet, of my work now underway, and therefore the guide and standard is to bless, benefit and inform them—so I command you to be wise in word and kind in deed as you write what I require of you. 

This statement is not for us or about us. It is for others. You cannot bless, benefit, and inform those who, as yet, know nothing if you merely tape a piece of paper in your own scriptures. This must be published. Period. 

Likewise, the statement must include information about the Lord’s work NOW underway. Therefore, merely quoting scripture that has been available for hundreds, or thousands of years, does not fulfill the requirement. We must inform others of the Lord’s CURRENT work, including the new dispensation, requirement of rebaptism, gathering in fellowships, the expected temple, and the new covenant. Those who argue otherwise would deny blessings to people who, as yet, know nothing and need to be informed. 

6. Do not murmur saying, Too much has been required at our hands in too short a time.  

7. If your hearts were right it was a light thing I have asked. 

Thankfully, the Lord has not **yet** given us a deadline, though we’re now more than a year on, and still unable to complete this “light thing.” Which is, frankly, shocking. As I have written before, we ALL agree on certain principles, by virtue of the covenant itself. This is a fact. And yet, incessant arguments continue over those very same principles we have already accepted by covenant. This is a problem of the heart. Until hearts are right, or broken, we will continue to fail. 

8. You hinder and delay and then you say I require too much of you and do not allow you time, when, if your hearts were right and you prepared yourselves you could have finished this work long ago. 

Exactly.

9. Do you indeed desire to be my people? Then accept and do as I have required.

The Lord had more than just a little to say. These are clear instructions. They total nine separate directions. He was not constrained by the number of words or a limited vocabulary. The Lord chose His words very carefully. By last count, the Lord delivered more than 6,300 words in the “Answer and Covenant.” If He had wanted His covenant people to merely copy scripture that was already accepted as canon, He would have said so. His command could have been one instruction in the place of nine. Instead of the commandment to write, He could have commanded us to copy. For example, if he had wanted a Statement of Principles that only encompassed the Doctrine of Christ and the Beatitudes, or the Ten Commandments or King Benjamin’s address or whatever, then He certainly could have made that abundantly clear. It would have been astonishingly simple—something along the lines of, and making no presumption here to speak for the Lord—“Write a Statement of Principles that consists only of the Doctrine of Christ and the Sermon on the Mount.” Instead, He gave completely succinct and unambiguous instructions, which included a commandment “to be wise in word and kind in deed as you write what I require of you.” And this “writing” is to be for the benefit of those who know nothing, as yet, of His work now underway, and this guide and standard is to bless, benefit and inform them. 

Those among us who “desire to be [His] people [will] accept and do as [He has] required.” When the Lord says He require[s] a statement of principles to be adopted by the mutual agreement of my people, it is only “my people” who will then accept and do as [He] has required.” The Lord is not forcing or compelling anyone to accept and do as He has required. Those who accept and do as He has required may be a relatively small number indeed. I hope and pray that it includes you and me. 

That’s the end of Paul’s letter, and all I can say is, “Amen, brother Paul!” Perhaps part of this assignment is designed to draw into sharp relief our own hearts, so that even in our blindness, we can perhaps discern whether we are His people, even as we display it clearly to the angels who are taking note. I am left to conclude, from the Lord’s own words, those who will not accept and do as the Lord has required are not claimed by Him as His people. A sobering thought indeed.

“Do not forsake my covenant to perform it”

It seems to me this assignment can only be completed by people who have certain qualities:

Love: This assignment is to bless and benefit others. If we love the Lord and love those who need the information, (the first two great commandments) we will speedily do as He has asked. If we refuse to do so, we do not love Him (or them.) “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” 

Unity: Our Lord said, “Be one. And if ye are not one, you are not mine.” The Lord has asked us to unify around a basic set of principles with which we already agree. This is the lowest, most basic foundation for unity he could have possibly given us. And yet—and yet—we have not come to agreement. Clearly, we cannot accomplish the other works the Lord will require if we can’t even unify on basic principles. I’ll add that the issue isn’t that we don’t believe enough of the same things; we do. The issue is our hearts and our refusal to drop our arguments. So long as ego and emotion trump principle, the disagreements will continue.

Agreement: The Lord set the bar for “mutual agreement” very low. In fact, we don’t even have to agree! We simply have to “choose to not dispute.” This is a choice. And likewise, disputing is also a choice. The Lord has clearly defined the choice He would have us make, and it is to not dispute. Choosing to dispute is choosing to disobey Him. 

Here are some words spoken by the Lord’s servant a year ago when the covenant was offered:

But the path to Zion is to be found only by following God’s immediate commands to us. That is how He will bring it. He will lead us there. There is no magic, there is no sprinkling fairy dust that will take you to where God is. It does not and cannot happen that way. He will lead us, teach us, command us, guide us, but we have to be the ones who become what He commands. We have to be the ones who do what he bids us do. (Denver Snuffer, Covenant of Christ Conference, Opening Remarks, September 3, 2017)

When will we do what he bids us do? When will we keep this first commandment He gave His covenant people? There are new believers who have already been harmed by the lack of a clear statement. I’m currently involved in a project to provide copies of the Restoration Edition scriptures to a number of new believers overseas, who likewise need the statement the Lord has commanded us to write. And yet, the scriptures I’m sending contain no such statement, so they will be left unblessed, unbenefited, uninformed.

Through this process, a number of very good statements have been written and garnered widespread acceptance. The Lots document process was approved by a vast majority of believers before it ever took place, then the Lord’s hand was manifest in the process itself, and the final product gained wider acceptance than any other effort. Ultimately, however, those who control publishing the scriptures have opted not to include any statement to which even one person objects, regardless of the nature of their objection. (IMPORTANT UPDATE: I am wrong in this assertion about even one person objecting. I leave it for reference, but it is more correct to say, "those who control publishing the scriptures have, thus far, declined to publish any statement.") This is a difficult issue, and I’ll admit, I have no idea how to solve it. No matter what statement gets presented, someone will object, and perhaps not even over content, but over some other point.

Therefore, we’re back to the idea that those who will accept and do what the Lord has asked are His, and those who will not, are not. If we love Him, we will not “hinder and delay,” but will find a way to keep His commandments, and soon. 

My friend Paul, who wrote the letter above, has also written a statement of principles. I find it very good, and I gladly support it. You can download a copy of it here. Every principle it contains is true, and I simply can’t fathom how any who claim to be the Lord’s covenant people could oppose any of the principles it contains. One year on, and still failing, will we finally drop our disputes?

I’ll close with another quote from one year ago, today:

I have been ashamed of us because of recent events. Subsequent to the Lord’s Answer, we have continued to be quarrelsome, bickering and unkind to one another to such a degree we certainly must offend the Lord. I thought God would be so disappointed with us that it was wrong to proceed and therefore I prayed to call this off. To my surprise Lord did not expect us to do things right at first. He expects us to learn how to do things right. Failure is part of learning.” (Denver Snuffer, Covenant of Christ Conference, Opening Remarks, September 3, 2017)

We have spent a solid year failing in this thing. What have we learned? The Lord is patient, but for how long? How can we claim to be His, but do not the things which He says? These are questions that I’m pondering very seriously today. I invite you to ponder them as well.

And why call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man who built a house, and dug deep and laid the foundation on a rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock. But he who hears and does not is like a man that, without a foundation, built a house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

—Luke 5:13, RE

Worldwide Online Fellowship Meeting

I was asked to post the following announcement:

Worldwide Online Fellowship Meeting

September 9th @ 9 AM PDT (UTC-07:00) 

Please forward to any fellowships that might want to participate.

Hosted by the AZ/TX Fellowship

MEETING LINK:

https://curvature.webex.com/curvature/j.php?MTID=mac32dd28f00b4a898b0ed10072a75789 
(Meeting number: 736 492 695)

-- or --

Join by phone

1-844-621-3956 United States Toll Free
Access code: 736 492 695

DETAILS:

ALL are invited to view the live online WEBEX meeting, however, to be efficient with time, we ask that you choose one representative from your fellowship as the spokesperson to take 5 - 7 minutes to relate the following:

• What fellowship activities are working best in your fellowship and are yielding the most light

• What gospel focus areas are working best in your fellowship and are helping to harvest the most light

The principles of gathering as fellowships and discussing these important matters are based upon the following talks, which we recommend you review to prepare for this meeting (talks located  at http://restorationarchives.com/library/snuffer.php ):

Constitutional Apostasy - Denver Snuffer 6-7-13

What that really meant at the beginning…was that independent sovereign and equal states could experiment. You could have the state of Utah with a state religion called Mormonism or Latter-day Saintism. And you could have…like they did with the citizens of Massachusetts…a tax that was imposed by the state…collected by the state… to be turned over to the church. You could do like the LDS church used to do with employees of ZCMI… that is they had a payroll deduction for tithing. And they deducted it directly and paid it to the Church.

They could do that to all of you in the state of Utah if we still had what we had originally. And if you didn't like that…then you could go to Idaho. Because in Idaho they worship the potato. [laughter] I know because I grew up there. And if you found it detestable to worship a potato, you could go to Wyoming and worship a cowboy. But every state was intended to be an experiment in sovereignty and in freedom. And the aberrations that would appear…the strange concoctions that the states would create of themselves…is just fine. Because the citizens of Vermont could say…I am sick of this government. And they could pack up and they could move to Rhode Island. Or they could move to Virginia. Or they could go to Ohio. And sooner or later…some state…like Texas is doing now…could say come here! We're not going to tax you out of existence. We're going to issue you a side arm when you come into the state…and were going to let you shoot out of your car…every road sign you see. And we will replace them because we have oil money and we can buy new road signs. Come to Texas!

And so people from Massachusetts can look down their nose at the folks in Texas. And they could say… They are ne'er-do-wells…they're hicks. And the people in Texas can say…Thank God we're in Texas and not in Massa-damn-chusetts. [laughter] We should be so diverse…we should be so dissimilar…we should be so non-uniform. That growing up in the United States…there should be at this moment…50 different experiments underway using the freedom the people have to choose. To design for themselves… the way in which they would like to be governed. And those 50 different ways will ultimately… some fail…some succeed…some turn into Nirvana. And the states are going to look around and say… Hey that's good! And they are going to form their own experiment in democracy by what they see working.

And they are going to form their own experiment in democracy by seeing what's failing…and by saying…Well, that didn't work! Look at that mess!

Christian Lecture #2 - Denver Snuffer 10-19-17

Because original Christianity was peacefully diverse the differences found in the earliest forms are somewhat preserved in our New Testament. I’ve got a question from the website. I’m reading you the question that came in: Is it possible Paul and Jesus taught two different gospel messages? There is debate such is the case, or is it Paul expressed the message differently than Jesus did? In other words, did Jesus elaborate more content and less terminology, justification, reconciliation, grace, et cetera, and Paul did the opposite?

It seems Christ, Peter, James, and John’s messages were sublime and easy to understand, whereas Paul’s letters are difficult to understand and require fitting the pieces together. Let’s take a look at those two witnesses.

Paul was a strict pharisee who followed the law. Paul persecuted Jesus’ followers, even assisting when Stephen was killed for his testimony of Christ. He had a great many things to regret. Everything in his life before his conversion to Christ gave him a context for understanding Christ and Christ’s message. Paul wanted grace, reconciliation, and justification because he needed these to have hope.

Peter was a fisherman but he walked alongside Christ for years. He saw Christ heal the sick, heard him bless the children, saw him walk on water. He knew that storms were quieted by Christ’s word. He saw the dead rise, and stood on the Mount of Transfiguration when the Father declared Christ was His Son.

Peter was as qualified a witness as Paul to testify Christ was the promised Messiah but we cannot expect two witnesses with such different experiences and from such different backgrounds as Peter’s and Paul’s to provide us identical testimonies of Christ. Both Paul and Peter understood and explained Christianity according to their background experiences, training, and culture. So long as they agreed on Christ’s doctrine and accepted Christ’s law that was enough. They were both Christian and provided us with truth.

Lecture 10 - Preserving The Restoration - Denver Snuffer 9-9-14

If a fellowship has significant numbers who still attend meetings, then meet in your own fellowship before or after the three-hour block, or on another day of the week.

If in your fellowship you don't think you know enough to do anything else, get together and read the scriptures out loud. Have your children study scripture. Teach them to use written copies of the scripture, not electronic devices. Studies show comprehension is greatly reduced by using electronic versions instead of printed books. Do not cripple your children by having them use computer-based scriptures. Get them their own copies and have them study them. Ask them to research subjects using their scriptures. Walk them through the parables of Christ and teach them to see symbolism as something familiar. Get them to consider analogies and types as tools used in scripture. Help them to reason a problem through using the scriptures as a guide.

In the early church, in this dispensation, when they got together, one of the things done regularly was everyone in the meeting prayed in turn. Everyone prayed. The meeting would last until all present had prayed. They called it a “Prayer Meeting,” oddly enough. One of the early brethren and didn't like that. He didn't feel like he could pray vocally around other people. There is a revelation admonishing him that he needs to pray.

If you don't have any wisdom to impart to one another, get together and pray. Get together and read the scriptures, but don't get together and read out loud out of any recent publication from Deseret Book. It has become little more than a vanity press, offering bright covers to serve up hollow slogans inside.

If we are going to begin again, it must be in conformity with the Doctrine of Christ, it must be taught by the spirit of truth, and it must follow the pattern and warnings given in Kirtland for us to follow.
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When I say “unpleasant” it is probably an understatement. If there are a thousand different fellowships, each will have a unique challenge. You are asked to proceed without being correlated, free to work out your own way to follow the Lord. There will be some people who are “complainers” who will bring complaints with them into your groups. They need your love and patience. You may be able to help them overcome a life-long personality issue that can be cured only by your kindness to one another. Do not be discouraged by the problems. Prayerfully confront them. Do not ignore or hide them. Confess them openly and be patient with one another in finding the solution. Some people have suffered from lifelong abuse by religious authorities, including their parents. They have never had a healthy religious experience. The fact they remain willing to try is itself cause for hope and encouragement. Help them. Love them. Let them find peace among you, for that is what we are asked to do: Be willing to mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comfort, stand as a witness to one another of God at all times and of all places, and bear one another's burdens that they may be light. Suspend judgment and give such assistance as you can to one another. Maybe what they will need most is your listening ear and open heart.

September Conference: Teaching our Children to Honor God

There's a general conference coming up in September, in Davis County, Utah. All are invited to attend Sept 28-30. I've looked at the planned events and locations, and I believe the organizers have done a wonderful job, deserving of our gratitude.

The theme of the conference is Preserving the Hope of Zion: Teaching our Children to Honor God. Here is the website:

https://preservingthehopeofzion.com/

I hope everyone who is interested in the continuing restoration and the coming Zion will attend.

How Long? Part 3: Deceiving Beings and Being Deceived

One great evil is, that men are ignorant of the nature of spirits; their power, laws, government, intelligence, etc., and imagine that when there is anything like power, revelation, or vision manifested, that it must be of God. 

—Joseph Smith, Try the Spirits, T&C 147:6

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

God has been remarkably generous in offering new light and knowledge in this dispensation. We now have open access to truths kept hidden from the foundation of the world, together with the consequent responsibility to value, learn and apply these truths. We should study them diligently.

But we also have a problem. Whether we study diligently or not, deceivers and imposters do, studying how to pull off increasingly effective deceptions, which do, and will, fool all who are not better informed than the deceivers. Greater light empowers them; does it empower us?

Said Joseph Smith:

A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth. Hence it needs revelation to assist us, and give us knowledge of the things of God. (TPJS, 217)

Suppose, for a moment, he really meant that. Do you have more knowledge than the evil spirits who attempt to mislead you? Or, setting the bar even lower, do you have adequate knowledge to detect the mortal imposters, deceivers and charlatans currently abroad in the world? It’s not getting any easier, and too many are already falling prey to shockingly transparent deceptions. As the deceivers up their game, more will be deceived. Will you?

Moses confronted Pharaoh’s magicians, who worked miracles by their sorcery. Is it possible such powerful deceptions will come again? Do you believe the prophecies telling us to expect deceivers working miracles in our day? (Rev. 4:9, 6:8; 8:3, Mark 6:4, Matthew 11:3, 6 NC, among others) How will you tell they are deceivers, when they seemingly exhibit such mighty power—and greater knowledge than you?

A Page from Hiram’s Book

In the incipient stages of the restoration, imposters beset the church, receiving false visions and revelations, exhibiting spiritual gifts from false spirits, and misleading many. Early among these was Hiram Page, one of the eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon plates. Within three months of his baptism, Hiram began receiving and writing false revelations to the church through a seer stone. Joseph Smith received a revelation to have Oliver Cowdery correct this error, and Hiram Page repented. Eight years later, though, Hiram turned against Joseph and was excommunicated. This is a man who joined the church less than a week after it was formed. He had seen and handled the gold plates, yet found himself susceptible to deception. This should not be as surprising as it may sound, though. Signs never produce faith.

Though signs, wonders, false scriptures, false revelations, forgeries, imitations, and high-quality replicas all abound today, they only lead away from faith. Without the ability to discern, we are all at grave risk.

After the Hiram Page incident, influence of false spirits continued, and many expressed concern about the phenomena manifested in Kirtland and elsewhere, leading Joseph Smith to inquire of the Lord and receive a revelation on the topic in 1831; see T&C 36. Then, eleven years later, leading a people who were still too-often deceived, Joseph published an editorial in the Times and Seasons on the same topic. It begins as follows:

Recent occurrences that have transpired amongst us render it an imperative duty devolving upon me to say something in relation to the spirits by which men are actuated. It is evident from the apostles’ writings that many false spirits existed in their day, and had “gone forth into the world,” and that it needed intelligence which God alone could impart to detect false spirits, and to prove what spirits were of God. The world in general have been grossly ignorant in regard to this one thing, and why should they be otherwise — for “the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.” The Egyptians were not able to discover the difference between the miracles of Moses and those of the magicians until they came to be tested together; and if Moses had not appeared in their midst, they would unquestionably have thought that the miracles of the magicians were performed through the mighty power of God, for they were great miracles that were performed by them — a supernatural agency was developed and great power manifested. (T&C 147:1)

Consider Moses

Moses was not deceived. But he already had knowledge adequate to detect, confront and overcome even Lucifer himself. Consider the definition of “glory,” which is intelligence, light and truth, as you read this prior event in Moses’s life:

And now it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying, Moses, son of man, worship me. But Moses lifted up his eyes and looked upon Satan and said, Who are you? For behold, I am a son of God in the similitude of His Only Begotten, and where is your glory that I should worship you? For behold, I could not look upon God except His glory should come upon me and I were transfigured before Him, but I can surely look upon you in the natural man. Blessed be the name of my God for His spirit has not altogether withdrawn from me. I say, Where is your glory? For it is blackness unto me and I can judge between you and God. For God said unto me, Worship God, for Him only shall you serve. Depart from here Satan, deceive me not…And again Moses said, I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of Him. For His glory has been upon me and it is glory unto me, wherefore, I can judge between Him and you. Depart from here Satan. (Genesis 1:3, OC, emphasis mine)

Moses had adequate light and truth within to detect the identity of the false Christ demanding his worship. How would you fare in the same situation?

Back to Joseph:

…if such ignorance as this is manifested about a spirit of this kind, who can describe an angel of light? If Satan should appear as one in glory, who can tell his color, his signs, his appearance, his glory, or what is the manner of his manifestation? …Or who can drag into daylight and develop the hidden mysteries of the false spirits that so frequently are made manifest among the Latter-day Saints? We answer that no man can do this without the Priesthood and having a knowledge of the laws by which spirits are governed; for as no man knows the things of God, but by the Spirit of God, so no man knows the spirit of the Devil, and his power and influence, but by possessing intelligence which is more than human, and having unfolded through the medium of the Priesthood the mysterious operations of his devices; without knowing the angelic form, the sanctified look and gesture, and the zeal that is frequently manifested by him for the glory of God, together with the prophetic spirit, the gracious influence, the godly appearance, and the holy garb, which are so characteristic of his proceedings and his mysterious windings. A man must have the discerning of spirits before he can drag into daylight this hellish influence and unfold it unto the world in all its soul-destroying, diabolical, and horrid colors; for nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God. (T&C  147:8-9)

Are we foolish or arrogant enough to presume there will not be another Kirtland-like outpouring of false spirits and deceived followers? Do we presume Hiram Page was an isolated anomaly? Are we really competent enough in the things of God to detect and reject deceivers and deceiving spirits when they come (and they surely will)?

An Infestation of Manifestations

In light of these warnings from Joseph, it’s alarming to read current claims of spiritual manifestations—eagerly and publicly shared in great detail—yet bearing the hallmarks of deception. Books, websites, and social media groups do a brisk trade in this false currency, convincing and deceiving the uninformed with instructions about how to “pierce the veil” and obtain a sought-after experience. As I’ve written before, “piercing the veil” will indeed bring you into contact with spiritual beings. But this is no guarantee they will be sources of truth. If “piercing the veil” is your stated goal, you’re practically begging to be misled. Evil spirits with a great deal of knowledge, even the appearance of glory, most surely stand ready to interact with all who will receive them.

Likewise, mortals under the influence of false spirits, make lavish claims about themselves, their importance, their titles, callings, authorities, future roles, indispensability to the kingdom of God, and the necessity of following them. Yet, such people have accomplished nothing besides making claims. Didn’t the Lord tell us to judge by their fruits? Where, then, are the fruits, by which we can know them? What good does it do to make claims—as a substitute for the years of actual labor and sacrifice required to accomplish something that furthers the Lord’s work?

False Christs? For Real? 

The Lord warned us explicitly of false Christs who will work great signs and wonders, deceiving, if possible, even the elect according to the covenant. (Matthew 11:6, Mark 6:4 NC). I don’t take this to simply mean there will be deranged people running about, claiming to be Jesus returned (though there certainly are.) Such generally fail to convince anyone, and have little chance of deceiving the elect. What need of the warning, then?

No, the dangerous false Christs are those angels of light who make themselves known to those who seek Christ with zeal but not knowledge. They most certainly pretend to be our Lord, and they do a passable job of imitation. Are we to assume every purported experience with a supernatural being claiming to be Christ actually is Christ? Are we to believe every so-called “second comforter experience” trumpeted on the internet, which, upon inspection, bears none of the hallmarks of a true encounter, and disturbing hallmarks of a false one? If every “second comforter” experience is actually genuine, then why did our Lord explicitly warn us of false Christs?

The only logical explanation is that He warned us for good reason, and that there are, and will be, false Christs deceiving, if possible, the very elect.

The devil tried it on Moses. He’s not above trying it on you. If you “pierce the veil” unprotected by adequate light within and a reliable connection to the Record of Heaven, you will most certainly be deceived. The light and truth that will protect you are only obtained by the medium of sacrifice. See Lecture Sixth of the Lectures on Faith.

Sacrifice and Sound Reasoning

Part of that required sacrifice involves putting in the time and diligent effort in study and prayer required to obtain light from God. It’s becoming evident who has not made such effort, as people ask questions and propose ideas that demonstrate their lack of familiarity with what has already been given. We now have a massive library of reliable information available to us, and it continues to grow, thus requiring a concerted effort, spanning years, to come to understanding. Further, God expects us to use critical thinking, sound reasoning, and logic to process what we’re studying. Notice, however, that list of tools does not include emotion—and for good reason.

Emotion is unreliable as a revealer of truth. As I’ve written previously, one of Lucifer’s greatest triumphs has been convincing so many that their emotions constitute revelation because they “feel the spirit.” Thus, they make their feelings the final measure of truth, and become easily deceived. Many false ideas offered and believed among us are nothing more than wishful thinking, based on emotional whimsy, demonstrating both ignorance and poor reasoning. Perhaps some of these emotionally appealing, but false ideas, will provide subject matter for a future post in this series.

It matters not how compelling, moving, or sentimental an idea the devil presents. His power shook the earth when he commanded Moses to worship him. His dramatic performance included shouting, weeping, wailing, teeth gnashing and trembling. Moses was moved with emotion, but when he gave place for that emotion, he only saw the bitterness of hell. Nevertheless, Moses subordinated his fear, trusted in the light and truth he had already obtained, and overcame the devil himself.

This is a valuable lesson. Truth is not subordinate to our emotions; rather, we are to subordinate our emotions to truth. Get it backwards, and you’ll most certainly fall victim to deceit. Get it right, and you’ll have a powerful fortification against being deceived. I don’t know how to say it more directly, but I’ll try:

If you believe something is true because you “felt the spirit” you are probably deceived. I wish I could proclaim it with the sound of a trump every time I hear someone make this statement. It still happens far too much among a people who should know better. Feelings are not the source of light and truth.

And remember, the ONLY way Moses could differentiate was by having MORE light and truth than Satan. Do YOU?


Do not be preoccupied with food for your bellies, but for food from God, that is, light and truth, leading to endless progression upward. I am Son Ahman and can give you sustaining light and truth, for God the Father has declared I am His Son. 

—TSJ 5:13

Then Jesus said to them, In the name of Father Ahman I tell you the truth, Moses was not the one who gave bread, it was my Father who did that. But now my Father is offering true life-giving bread from heaven, which is light and truth. For the Bread of God is sent from the Heavenly Council to give light and truth to the world. They responded, Master, feed us with this bread forever. 

—TSJ 5:15

Remnant Missionary Pal

Who remembers the Missionary Pal?

For those who don’t, here’s the back story:

In 1959 Keith Marston printed a brilliant little book titled, Missionary Pal: Reference guide for missionaries & teachers. For decades this handy reference guide supported LDS missionaries in their sincere attempt to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by providing scripture references, organized by topic. I was a big fan of the book on my mission.

In 2017 the Lord offered a covenant unto His people and accepted the Restoration Scriptures as His Holy Word. At that time the new scriptures became the “rod of iron” from which we must not let go. (1 Nephi 2:8-9).

To assist with the transition into the Restoration Scriptures, and to support all who are working to live God’s covenant, the Remnant Missionary Pal has been compiled by a group of dedicated believers.

Though I didn’t have the privilege of working on this volume, I applaud the efforts of all those who did. I think this is an excellent reference guide for the new scriptures, and I’m extremely happy to see it made available.

It can be had on Amazon at a very low price. Here’s the link:

Remnant Missionary Pal

Restoration Conference Recordings Available

The Joseph Smith Restoration Conference 2018 was a wonderful success. Many thanks to all who participated!

Recordings of the speakers are now available at www.restorationconference.org.