Before exploring the account of Amalickiah, it is helpful to examine warnings from those whom the Lord showed our day in the Covenant of Christ and elsewhere. They are independent third party observers who view our day with a perspective similar to the Lord’s.
“Now I’ll finish writing about this people. I’m Mormon’s son [Moroni], and my father was a descendant of Nephi. I’m the same one who will hide away this record under the Lord’s care. The plates themselves aren’t valuable because of the commandment of the Lord, for He truly said no one will have them for the purpose of getting rich. But the record written on them is very valuable. And the Lord will bless whoever brings it to light [Joseph Smith and his spokesman].[1] No one can have power to bring it to light unless God gives it to him, because God ordains it can only be done with an eye toward His glory or to benefit the Lord’s ancient and long-dispersed covenant people. Blessed is the one who brings this thing to light; it will be brought out of darkness to light, according to God’s word. Indeed, it will be brought out of the ground. It will shine out from darkness and come to the knowledge of the people. It will be done by God’s power [2]. If there are any errors, they’re human mistakes; but we don’t know of any error. Nevertheless, God knows all things. Therefore any who condemn, let them be careful not to put themselves in danger of hell fire. Those who say: Show it to me or I’ll strike you down! Let them be careful not to demand what the Lord forbids. Because those who judge rashly will in turn be judged rashly; they’ll be paid according to their works. Therefore, those who strike will in turn be struck by the Lord. Take note of what the scripture says: People must not inflict harm or judge. The Lord has said: Judgment is Mine, and vengeance is Mine as well; I will repay. Those who, in great anger, fight against the Lord’s work and against the Lord’s covenant people, who are the house of Israel, and say: We will destroy the Lord’s work, and the Lord won’t remember the covenant He’s made to the house of Israel — they’re in danger of being cut down and thrown into the fire. Because the Lord’s eternal purposes will roll on until all His promises are fulfilled.
Though I can’t write them, study Isaiah’s prophecies. Indeed, I tell you that those holy ones [Patriarchal Fathers] who have come before me and inhabited this land will cry out to the Lord, even from the dust. As the Lord lives, He will remember the covenant He made with them. He knows their prayers on behalf of their fellow brothers and sisters. He knows their faith, because in His name they could remove mountains [Spirit of Elijah][3], and in His name they could make the earth shake; and by the power of His word they made prisons fall to the ground. Not even hot furnaces, wild animals, or venomous snakes could harm them, because of the power of His word. Their prayers were also on behalf of him whom the Lord will allow to bring this record to light. No one should say that it won’t come forth because it surely will, since the Lord has spoken it. It will come out of the earth by the Lord’s power, and no one can prevent it. It will appear at a time when people will say miracles are over. It will come just as if one had spoken from the dead. It will come at a time when the blood of holy ones will cry out to the Lord because of secret conspiracies and works of darkness; indeed, at a time when God’s power will be denied and churches will have become polluted and consumed with pride to their very center, when church leaders and teachers will be filled with pride to their very center, to the point of being envied by those who belong to their churches [cult of personality]. It will come at a time when people will hear of fires, storms, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands. And people will hear of wars, reports of wars, and earthquakes in various places. It will come at a time when there will be great pollutions on the earth: there will be [pollutions defined:] murders, robbing, lying, deceiving, whoredoms, and all kinds of abominations; when there will be many who will say: Do this or do that, it doesn’t matter; the Lord will defend you on the last day. But woe to such people: they’re bitterly corrupted by sin. It will come at a time when there will be churches built up that will say: Come to me, and for your money you’ll be forgiven of your sins.
O you wicked, perverse, and stubborn people, why have you built up churches to yourselves to get money? [church members who deflect, thinking Moroni speaks of other churches will awaken when they realize their accumulated wealth becomes a testimony against their self-delusion] Why have you altered God’s holy word so as to bring condemnation on your souls? Look to God’s revelations, because the time is coming when all these things will certainly be fulfilled. The Lord has shown me great and awe-inspiring things [4]about what’s going to take place soon after these words appear among you. Now, I speak to you as though you were present, yet you are not. But Jesus Christ has shown you to me, and I know the things you do. I know you live pridefully. There are none, except for a few, who aren’t lifted up in pride to their very center, to the point of wearing very fine clothing, and to the point of envying and strife, malice, persecution, and all kinds of iniquity. Your congregations and churches — every single one of them [without exception]— have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. You love money and your material possessions and your fine clothing and decorating your houses of worship more than you love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. You [congregations and churches] pollutions, hypocrites, and you teachers who sell yourselves for things that will corrode and decay, why have you polluted God’s holy congregation [even the Lord’s people are guilty]? Why are you ashamed to take upon yourselves the name of Christ? Why don’t you consider that the value of an endless happiness is greater than misery that never dies? Isn’t it because of the world’s praise? Why do you adorn yourselves with things that have no life, and yet allow the hungry, the needy, the naked, the sick, and the afflicted to pass you by and not notice them? Why do you build up your secret abominations for the purpose of getting rich and cause widows and orphans to mourn before the Lord, and make the blood of their fathers and husbands [condemnation of those who engage in endless wars creating widows and orphans in families for money] cry to the Lord from the ground for vengeance on your heads? The sword of vengeance hangs over you; and the time is soon coming when He’ll avenge the blood of the holy ones [those who gave their lives, often needlessly] upon you, since He won’t endure their cries any longer.
Now I’ll also speak to those who don’t believe in Christ. Will you believe when He returns again? When the Lord comes — indeed, on that great day when the earth is rolled together as a scroll and the material elements melt with intense heat — on that great day when you’re brought to stand before the Lamb of God, will you then claim there’s no God? Will you then continue to deny Christ, even when you behold the Lamb of God? Do you think you’ll live with Him under a consciousness of your guilt? Do you think you could be happy living with that holy Being when your souls are tormented with a consciousness of your guilt, that you’ve continually abused His laws? I tell you that you would be more miserable living with a holy and righteous God under a consciousness of your filthiness before Him than you would be living with the damned souls in hell. Indeed, when you’re brought to see your nakedness before God, as well as the glory of God and the holiness of Jesus Christ, it will light a flame of unquenchable fire in you. O then, you who don’t believe, turn to the Lord! Cry powerfully to the Father in Jesus’ name, so perhaps you can be found spotless, pure, beautiful, and white on that great and last day, having been cleansed by the Lamb’s blood.
Again I speak to you that deny God’s revelations and say they’ve ended, that there are no more revelations, prophecies, gifts, healing, speaking in tongues, or the interpretation of tongues. I say to you: Those who deny these things don’t know Christ’s gospel. Indeed, they haven’t read the scriptures; if they have, they don’t understand them. Don’t we read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and there’s no variability or hint of changing in Him? Now if you’ve pictured to yourselves a god who changes and there’s even a trace of changing in him, then you’ve imagined a god who isn’t a God of miracles. But I’ll show you a God of miracles — indeed, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. That same God who created the heavens, the earth, and everything that’s in them. He created Adam, and by Adam came the Fall of mankind. And because of the Fall of mankind came Jesus Christ, namely, the Father and the Son. Because of Jesus Christ we receive mankind’s redemption. Because of mankind’s redemption, which came by Jesus Christ, they’re brought back into the Lord’s presence. This is how all people are redeemed, because Christ’s death brings about the resurrection, which brings about a redemption from an endless sleep, a sleep from which all people will be awakened by God’s power when the trumpet sounds. They will appear, both small and great, and all will stand at His place of judgment, being redeemed and freed from the eternal chains of death, a temporal death. Then the judgment of the Holy One will be imposed upon them. The time will come when those that are filthy will remain filthy, and those that are righteous will remain righteous, and those that are happy will remain happy, and those that are unhappy will remain unhappy.
Now, all of you that have pictured to yourselves a god who can’t perform any miracles, I want to ask you: Have all these things I’ve spoken about ended? Has the end come yet? I tell you: No. God hasn’t stopped being a God of miracles. Doesn’t everything created by God inspire awe? Who can comprehend God’s miraculous works? Who will say it wasn’t a miracle that by His word heaven and earth came into existence, and by the power of His word mankind was created from the dust of the earth, and by the power of His word miracles have been performed? Who will say Jesus Christ didn’t do many powerful miracles? And His disciples did many powerful miracles also. If miracles were done, then how has God stopped being a God of miracles, and yet is an unchangeable Being? I tell you: He doesn’t change; if so, He would stop being God. And He hasn’t stopped being God and is a God of miracles. The reason He stops doing miracles among mankind is because they fall away in unbelief and turn from the right way, and don’t know the God they should trust.
I say to you whoever believes in Christ, without doubting, anything they ask the Father in the name of Christ will be given to them. This promise is for everyone, even the whole earth. Now Jesus Christ, the Son of God, instructed His disciples who were to remain, and also to all His disciples, which was overheard by the crowd: You are to go across the world and preach the gospel to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved, but anyone who doesn’t believe will be damned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they’ll cast out devils, they’ll speak with new tongues, they’ll handle snakes, and if they drink anything deadly, it won’t hurt them; they’ll lay hands on the sick, and they’ll recover. And those who believe in My name, who don’t doubt, to them I’ll confirm all My words, to the farthest reaches of the earth. Now who can stand against the Lord’s works? Who can deny His words? Who will rise up against the Lord’s almighty power? Who will treat the Lord’s works with contempt? Who will treat Christ’s children with contempt? Take note, all you that treat the Lord’s works with contempt: you will die and [then] be astonished.
Therefore don’t disregard these things, treat them with contempt, or be astonished by them, but pay attention to the Lord’s words and ask the Father in Jesus’ name for whatever you might need. Don’t doubt, but be believing. Begin as in former times and come to the Lord with your whole heart and work out your own salvation before Him with awe and reverence. Be wise in the days of your probation. Rid yourselves of all uncleanliness. Don’t ask in order to satisfy your lusts, but ask with unshaken firmness not to yield to any temptation, and to serve the true and living God. Make sure you aren’t baptized unworthily. Make sure you don’t take the sacrament of Christ unworthily. But make sure you do all things in worthiness and do them in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. If you do this and persevere to the end, you won’t under any circumstances be thrown out. I speak to you as though I spoke from the dead because I know you’ll have my words.
Don’t condemn me because of my imperfection, or my father because of his imperfection, or those who have written before him, but rather give thanks to God that He has shown you our imperfections, so you can learn to be wiser than we’ve been. We’ve written this record, according to our knowledge, in characters we call reformed Egyptian, handed down and adapted by us to fit our speech. If our plates had been large enough, we would have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew characters have been adapted by us as well. If we could have written in Hebrew, however, there wouldn’t have been any miscommunications in our record. But the Lord knows what we’ve written and that no other people understand our language. Because no other people understand our language, He has prepared instruments for its translation. These things are written so we can rid our clothes of the blood of our fellow brothers and sisters, who have fallen away in unbelief. What we want for them is their restoration to the knowledge of Christ, consistent with the prayers of all the holy ones [Patriarchal Fathers] who have lived in the land. May the Lord Jesus Christ let their prayers be answered according to their faith. And may God the Father remember the covenant He’s made with the house of Israel, and may He bless them forever through faith in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen” (CofC, Mormon 4, emphasis added).
Perhaps one of the greatest revelations God can give mankind is an honest assessment of themselves. Rather than view us objectively, we find lesser examples from among us and elevate our imagined standing before God over them. By examining the weakness and frailty of others we delude ourselves into considering our standing before God to be greater.
Moroni’s view of us provides a more accurate assessment of ourselves. He describes us as prideful, hypocritical pollutions that corrupt both the congregations and churches. Societies who pass by the homeless, addicted, and mentally ill among us while we adorn ourselves with inanimate objects that shout our status and elevate our standing relative to others.
We should give somber credence to Moroni’s words and consider we are mired in the muck of Babylon both figuratively and literally. Worldly influences mar our ability to observe with humility and sanctity our relationship with God. We project on Him our conclusions and deceive ourselves into thinking we are worthy to be accounted among His chosen people. Clearly Moroni begs to differ.
In Moroni’s commentary in Ether, he warns of the toxic nature of secret societies and how they end in the destruction of those who support them.
“ . . . So Akish gathered all his relatives to Jared’s house and asked them: Will you swear allegiance to me in what I ask of you? They all swore to him by the God of heaven, and by the heavens, the earth, and their heads, that anyone who deviated from what Akish wanted would lose their head, and anyone who divulged anything Akish revealed to them would lose their life.
In this way they made an agreement with Akish. And Akish administered to them the oaths like the people long ago, who also tried to obtain power, oaths that had been handed down from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning. They were maintained by the accuser’s power in order to administer these oaths to the people, and to keep those who made these oaths concealed, and to help those who sought power to obtain it, resulting in murder, pillaging, lying, and committing all kinds of wickedness and whoredoms. It was Jared’s daughter who gave her father the idea to search out these ancient things. Jared gave Akish the idea. So Akish passed it on to his relatives and friends, persuading them by pleasing promises to do anything he wanted. They formed a secret society, as they did long ago, a society God considers most corrupt and wicked of all. Because the Lord doesn’t operate by secret conspiracies, neither does He want people to kill; on the contrary, He has always forbidden it since mankind’s beginning.
I Moroni am not writing the details of their oaths and conspiracies, since it has been revealed to me that they exist among all people; and they exist among the Lamanites. And they’ve brought about the people’s destruction, whom I’m now writing about, as well as the Nephites’ destruction. Any nation that upholds such secret conspiracies, to get power and wealth, until they spread throughout the nation, will be destroyed. Because the Lord won’t permit the blood of His holy ones, which will be shed by them, to always cry out to Him from the ground for vengeance without avenging them. Therefore, you Gentiles, it’s God’s wisdom for you to be shown these things, so you’ll repent of your sins and not allow these murderous conspiracies, that are always set up for power and money, to control you, so that you won’t provoke your own destruction. Indeed, the sword of the justice of the Eternal God will fall upon you, to your ruin and destruction, if you allow these things to continue. Therefore the Lord commands you, when you see these things come among you, to wake up to a sense of your awful situation because of this secret society that’s come into existence among you. Woe to this conspiracy on account of the blood of those who have been killed; they cry out from the dust for vengeance upon it, and upon those who make and support it.
Indeed, whoever builds it up hopes to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries. These conspiracies bring about everyone’s destruction since they’re built up by the accuser, who’s the father of all lies. He’s the same liar who deceived our first parents, who caused people from the start to commit murder. He’s hardened people’s hearts so that they’ve murdered the prophets, stoned them, and banished them. As a result, I’ve been commanded to write these things so evil can be ended. And so the time will come when Satan won’t have any power over people’s hearts, so they can be persuaded to always do good and come to the Source of all righteousness and be saved” (CofC, Ether 3:16-19, emphasis added).
Secret societies have been the cause of destruction of two previous societies on this continent. Their existence is often dismissed as a contrived conspiracy and figment of an overheated imagination. Moroni warns of their existence among the Gentiles and uses the account in Ether as an example of the terrible destruction we face in modern times. All of this is the flood of lies the Accuser uses to deceive us regarding the existence of these societies. Their objectives are always the same as well as the outcome. Societal destruction. To deny their existence among the Gentiles is in effect, to “whistle past the graveyard.”
“If the Gentiles then obey the Lamb of God, He’ll reveal Himself to them in word and power and in person, in order to remove barriers to their belief, and if they don’t harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, they’ll be included with your father’s descendants — indeed, they’ll be included as part of the house of Israel. And they’ll become a blessed family in the promised land forever. They won’t be enslaved anymore, and the house of Israel won’t be embarrassed anymore. And the great pit dug for them by that utterly wicked church, which the accuser and his followers founded so that he could take people’s souls down to hell — that great pit dug for people’s destruction [secret societies, altering the word of God, etc.,] will be filled with those who dug it, to their complete destruction, says the Lamb of God — not the destruction of the soul, but throwing it into that endless hell. This is according to the accuser’s imprisonment, and according to God’s justice as well, upon all those who insist on doing wicked and corrupt things in God’s sight.
Then the Angel told me: You’ve seen that if the Gentiles repent, it will turn out well for them. You also know about the Lord’s covenants with the house of Israel. And you’ve also heard that whoever doesn’t repent must perish. As a result, if the Gentiles harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, I will afflict them. Because the time will come, says the Lamb of God, when I’ll bring about a great and awe-inspiring work among mankind, one that will be everlasting — one way or the other — either to convince them, resulting in peace and life eternal; or to give them up to their hard hearts and blind minds, bringing about their slavery and temporal and spiritual destruction, under the accuser’s enslavement which I’ve spoken about.
When the Angel had said this, He asked me: Do you remember the Father’s covenants to the house of Israel? I replied: Yes. Then He told me: Look and observe that utterly wicked church, which is the mother of abominations, whose foundation is the accuser. Then He told me: There are only two churches: one is the congregation of the Lamb of God and the other is the church of the accuser. Therefore anyone who doesn’t belong to the congregation of the Lamb of God belongs to the other wealthy and corrupt church that is the mother of abominations, and she is the whore of the whole earth.
Then I looked and saw the whore of the whole earth. She was spread everywhere across the seas, ruling over the whole earth, among all people of every nation, tribe, and language. And I saw the congregation of the Lamb of God; its numbers were few because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who was spread everywhere across the seas. Nevertheless, I saw that the congregation of the Lamb, who were God’s holy ones, were also there throughout the earth; but their presence was small because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. And I saw the great mother of abominations assembled in large numbers all over the earth among all Gentile nations to fight against the Lamb of God. Then I saw the power of the Lamb of God descend upon the holy ones of the Lamb’s congregation and upon the Lord’s covenant people, who were scattered across the earth. They were armed with righteousness and God’s power in great glory.
And I saw that God’s wrath was poured out upon that wealthy and utterly wicked church, so that wars and reports of wars arose among the nations and tribes of the earth. As these wars and reports of wars arose among the nations that followed the mother of abominations, the Angel told me: God’s wrath is upon the mother of harlots. You’re a witness to all these things. When the time comes that God’s anger is poured out upon the mother of harlots — the wealthy and utterly wicked church of the whole earth, whose foundation is the accuser — then as that happens it will be part of the Father’s work to vindicate the covenants He has made with His people who belong to the house of Israel” (CofC, 1 Nephi 3:25-29, emphasis added).
The Gentiles have cause for hope if they repent and turn to the Lord. Based upon Nephi’s vision, the odds are small, at least at first. The Gentiles are spread throughout most of the world with the “wealthy and utterly wicked church.” The foundation of that church is the Accuser, Satan. They, like Amalickiah and his followers seek to wage war against the Lamb of God and His people. Those Gentiles supporting and sustaining the evil church suffer the wrath of God at a specific time. For a time, this church prospers and flourishes. For many Gentiles, the accumulated wealth of the church is a sign of God’s acknowledgement and acceptance. When God’s wrath is poured upon it, the blinders over Gentile eyes impairing their understanding is lifted when God exposes and destroys Satan’s church.
“Hearken, O you people of my [the Lord’s] church, says the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men. Yea, verily I say, hearken you people from afar, and you that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together, for verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape. And there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated. And the rebellious [who may be oblivious to their rebellion] shall be pierced with much sorrow, for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops and their secret acts shall be revealed, and the voice of warning shall be unto all people by the mouth of my disciples whom I have chosen in these last days. They shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I, the Lord, have commanded them.
Behold, this is my authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth. Wherefore, fear and tremble, O you people, for what I, the Lord, have decreed in them shall be fulfilled. And verily I say unto you that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in Heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious, yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure, unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his works, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.
Wherefore, the voice of the Lord is unto the end of the earth, that all that will hear may hear: Prepare yourselves, prepare for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh and the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in Heaven and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth, and the arm of the Lord [His servant] shall be revealed. And the day comes that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people, for they have strayed from my ordinances and have broken my everlasting covenant. They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walks in his own way and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol which waxes old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great which shall fall” (RE T&C 54:1-3, emphasis added).
In the original preface to the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord offers words of warning to the Gentiles. The voice of the Lord is to all mankind and no one is left with excuse. All eyes will see and every ear will hear what the Savior has to say.
The rebellious will sorrow when their sins are exposed to the world and their secrets broadcast from the rooftops. The Lord sends His servants throughout the world to do all He commands them. They act under His authority and everyone must heed their words. The servants of God are sent with power to seal the unbelieving and rebellious in the day the Lord’s wrath is poured out without measure upon them. Everyone will be judged according to their works. Those who worship the images of material wealth in the likeness of the world will perish with their idols.
The Gentiles in the America’s, particularly North America have enjoyed a long periods of peace and prosperity. We hear of wars and suffering in far off lands and anticipate the Lord’s wrath coming upon us from foreign lands. While our eyes and ears look to challenges from foreign sources, we fail to appreciate threats originating here among our own people.
“And again, I say unto you that the enemy in the secret chambers seeks your lives. You hear of wars in far countries, and you say in your hearts, There will soon be great wars in far countries, but you know not the hearts of them in your own land. I tell you these things because of your prayers. Wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth. But if you are prepared, you need not fear” (RE T&C 22:8, emphasis added).
As we cast our eyes on wars in foreign lands the Lord warns us to consider the hearts of men in our land. The wrath of God being poured out upon the wicked begins when the wicked seek to destroy one another. The prophecies in the Covenant of Christ are the beginning of the revelation of all wickedness being shouted from the rooftops. We, as Gentiles who witness the withdrawal of the covenant opportunity from us should be vigilant to listen for the voice of the Lord and His servants. Recently we received the following:
“Those who’ve entered faithfully into the Covenant this day are going to notice some things. The spirit of God is withdrawing from the world. Men are increasingly more angry without good cause. The hearts of men are waxing cold. There is increasing anger and resentment of Gentiles—in political terms, it’s rejection of white privilege. Language of Scriptures description of the events now underway calls it the end of the “Times of the Gentiles.” This process (with the spirit withdrawing) will end on this continent as two prior civilizations ended—in fratricidal and genocidal warfare. For the rest of the world, it will be as in the days of Noah, in which (as that light becomes eclipsed) the coldness of men’s hearts is going to result in a constant scene of violence and bloodshed. The wicked will destroy the wicked” (Snuffer Jr., Denver C. . The Teachings of Denver C. Snuffer, Jr. Volume 4: 2017: Kindle Edition (The Teachings of Denver C. Snuffer Jr. Readers Edition Series) . Restoration Archive. Kindle Edition.
The account of Captain Moroni and Amalickiah provides a road map for prophetic events when the wrath of God is poured out without measure upon the Earth. Wickedness is removed through repentance and a change of heart or the wicked destroying the wicked. The destruction carried out by God is precise and removes all who occupy the land without a covenant inheritance. In scriptural terms it is a “pruning” indeed.
[1] “The Lord also told me: I’ll give your descendants also a prophet [Joseph Smith] and make a spokesman for him [Root of Jesse]. I’ll inspire the one to write the record of your descendants to bless your offspring. And that spokesman will declare that record. The words he’ll write will be the words that, in My wisdom, I consider important for your offspring to read. It will be as if your descendants called out to them from the dust, because I know their faith. They’ll call out the need for repentance from the dust for their brothers and sisters many generations after they’ve died. Their words will go forth in a way that is a direct, clear message. Because of their faith, their words will go from Me to their brothers and sisters who are your offspring. I’ll make the simplicity of their words result in strong faith as they learn about the covenant I made with your fathers” (CofC, 2 Nephi 2:6, emphasis added).
[2] “At that time, to advance My cause, the Father will begin a work, which will be a great and awe-inspiring work among them [after the record moves from the Gentiles to Lehi’s descendants]. There will be many who won’t believe it, although a man [Joseph Smith’s spokesman] will tell it to them. But the ministry of My servant will be led by My hand; therefore they won’t be able to harm his work, although he’ll be opposed and discredited by them. Yet I’ll support him; I’ll show them My wisdom is greater than the accuser’s deceitful scheming. Therefore those who won’t believe in My words, and I Am Jesus Christ, which the Father will give and empower that servant to set before the Gentiles, it will result exactly as Moses said: They will be cut off from My people who are part of the covenant. And then you, a remnant of the house of Jacob, will rise up from them. And you’ll be mixed in with them who will outnumber you. You’ll be among them like a lion among his prey in the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who moves unopposed to take down and tear to pieces. Your hand will be against your opponents and all your enemies will be cut down. Yes, woe to the Gentiles unless they repent: For when that day comes, says the Father, I’ll take away your strength from you, and I’ll destroy your security. Your cities will fall and I’ll break open your guarded borders. Your sciences and learning will turn into foolishness, and your false beliefs will cause your failure. I’ll expose the fraud of those in authority, and your trusted institutions will lose everyone’s loyalty. False prophets and false ministers will be brought to shame and humiliation. All lying, deceiving, envying, strife, priestcraft, and whoredoms will come to an end. At that time, says the Father, I’ll cut down anyone who won’t repent and draw near to My Beloved Son to preserve My people, the house of Israel. I’ll take vengeance and unleash My fierce anger on all the unbelieving, beyond anything they expect” (CofC, 3 Nephi 9:12, emphasis added).
[3] “Now Melchizedek was a man of faith who wrought righteousness. And when a child, he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire. And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained a high priest after the Order of the covenant which God made with Enoch, it being after the Order of the Son of God, which Order came not by man, nor the will of men, neither by father nor mother, neither by beginning of days nor end of years, but of God. And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.
For God, having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself that everyone being ordained after this Order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course, to put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God, to do all things according to his will, according to his command subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world. And men having this faith, coming up unto this Order of God, were translated and taken up into Heaven” (RE Genesis 7:18-19, emphasis added).
[4] “At that time, to advance My cause, the Father will begin a work, which will be a great and awe-inspiring work among them. There will be many who won’t believe it, although a man will tell it to them . . .” (CofC, 3
Nephi 9:12, emphasis added). While we speculate on what the “awe-inspiring” things might be, Moroni knows with certainty what they are. He has witnessed them. From his perspective, the reaction of the Gentiles when the “awe-inspiring work” commences is one of concern for the Gentile well-being.
Scott Roderick
12/27/2024
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