In part 2, there was a discussion about how a covenant with the Lord was established in the days of king Benjamin. Preparation for this covenant began in the days of king Mosiah, Benjamins father. In the days of the first Mosiah, the Lord commanded him to depart from the land of Nephi before it was overrun by the Lamanites. He gathered a uniquely qualified group of Nephites who were faithful to the Lord by hearkening to His voice.[1]
“I’m Amaleki, Abinadom’s son. I’ll tell you something about Mosiah, who was made king over Zarahemla. He was warned by the Lord to flee from the land of Nephi — and all those who were willing to respond to the Lord’s voice were also warned to go with him into the wilderness. And he did what the Lord commanded him, and all those who were willing to respond to the Lord’s voice went into the wilderness. They were led by continual preaching and prophesying and were constantly admonished by God’s word [scriptures and revelation to Mosiah]. They were led through the wilderness by His power, until they came down to the land called Zarahemla. There they discovered a people who were called Zarahemla’s people. Now Zarahemla’s people rejoiced greatly and so did Zarahemla, because the Lord had sent Mosiah’s people with the brass plates containing the record of the Jews” (CofC, Omni 1:6, emphasis added).
Details of these events are important because they are parallel to prophecies of the last days. For example, is it coincidence that Mosiah and his people are descendants of Joseph? Is it coincidence that the people of Zarahemla are Jews from Jerusalem?
“Mosiah discovered Zarahemla’s people left Jerusalem at the time Zedekiah, king of Judah, was taken away as a prisoner to Babylon.[2] They traveled across the wilderness and were brought by the Lord’s hand across the sea to the land where Mosiah discovered them; and they had lived there since their arrival. When Mosiah discovered them, they had become very numerous. Nevertheless, they had many wars and serious conflicts and had been killed by the sword from time to time. Their language had become corrupted, and they hadn’t brought any records with them. In addition, they denied their Creator’s existence, and Mosiah and his people couldn’t understand them [condition modern Israel is in]. But Mosiah had them taught to understand his language. After they were taught Mosiah’s language, Zarahemla gave his ancestors’ genealogy from memory; and it’s written down, but not in these plates” (CofC, Omni 1:7, emphasis added).
The description of Zarahemla’s citizens could apply to ancient Israel in their scattered state today. They denied the existence of a creator, had no scriptures or language like in the days of the tower of Babel had become “confounded,”[3] relative to their native tongue.
In response to the weakened spiritual conditions among the people of Zarahemla, Mosiah taught them his language and introduced the plates of brass [Old Covenant] and record of Joseph beginning with Lehi and Nephi.
“ . . . Zarahemla’s people [Judah] and Mosiah’s people [Joseph] united, and Mosiah was accepted as their king” (CofC, Omni 1:8, emphasis added).
Earlier blog posts address the importance of another union occurring between Judah and Joseph in the last days. Locating that content in my earlier blog posts is aided by selecting any blog and clicking “All Posts” in the upper left corner of the page. A menu of blogs appear and a box highlighted in purple that says “search” is provided in the upper right corner. Utilizing this tool enables you to topically search the library of blogposts.
Pulling the Prophetic Thread
Mosiah led a group composed of those “willing to respond to the Lord’s voice.” When he led his people out of the land of Nephi, there was no mention of Mosiah as a king. He was not associated with the title until they arrived in Zarahemla and taught the Mulochites their language and exposed them to the Brass Plates of Laban and the records of Lehi and Nephi. When the two groups, one from Joseph and the other from Judah are joined as one, they unitedly accepted Mosiah as king.
During Mosiah’s rule the Mulochites brought a large stone with engravings to him and he translated the meaning of the engravings.
“ . . . During Mosiah’s rule, a large stone containing engravings was brought to him and he translated the engravings by God’s gift and power. They gave an account of a man named Coriantumr and his slaughtered people. This Coriantumr was discovered by Zarahemla’s people and he lived with them for nine months. The stone also mentioned Coriantumr’s ancestors — that the earliest ones had come from the tower [of Babel] when the Lord confused the people’s language. But the Lord’s justice resulted in severe judgments on them, and their bones lay scattered in the land northward” (CofC, Omni 1:8, emphasis added).
This is the first time Mosiah is linked to an ability to translate ancient records “by the gift and power of God.” An explanation of what it means to translate is not mentioned until later in Mosiah’s account. Ammon, a man leading a party into the wilderness to find a lost group of adventurers from Zarahemla explains to Limhi, their leader the “means” Benjamin has to translate ancient records. They were passed down from Mosiah, to his son, Benjamin.
“ . . . After finishing, king Limhi dismissed the crowd and allowed them to return to their homes.
Then he had the plates containing the record of his people from when they left the land of Zarahemla brought to Ammon for him to read. As soon as Ammon finished reading the record, the king asked him if he could interpret languages. Ammon told him that he could not. Then the king said to him: Because I was troubled by the suffering of my people, I sent 43 of them to explore the wilderness in search of the land of Zarahemla, hoping our relatives there could help free us from slavery. However, despite their best efforts, they were lost in the wilderness for many days and couldn’t locate Zarahemla. They returned after wandering through a land dotted with many lakes, where they also found a place scattered with the bones of men and animals, as well as other objects. They stumbled upon the ruins of various types of buildings that were once inhabited by many people, as numerous as the Israelites. To prove their claims, they brought back 24 plates made of pure gold, filled with engravings. They also brought back intact breastplates made of brass and copper, as well as swords with rusted hilts and corroded blades. No one here can translate the language or engravings found on these plates. Therefore I’m asking you: Can you translate them? Additionally, do you know anyone who can translate them? I want these records to be translated into our language so we can learn more about the people who were destroyed, potentially the same people whose bones were found with these records. It would be valuable to understand what caused their destruction.
Ammon then replied: I can confidently inform you, king, about a man who’s able to translate the records. He possesses the means that allow him to see and translate ancient records, and this ability is a gift from God. These things are known as Interpreters, and no man can look into them unless God commands him to do so, in order to prevent him from seeing something he shouldn’t see and perishing. Whoever is commanded to look in them is called a seer.[4] The king in Zarahemla is the one who’s been commanded to perform these tasks; he’s been given this special gift from God. The king [Limhi] declared that a seer is greater than a prophet.[5] Ammon explained that a seer is both a revelator and a prophet. No one can have a greater gift unless they possess God’s power, which is impossible, but a man can receive great power from God. A seer can know about the past and the future; the Interpreters can reveal everything — hidden secrets can be revealed, and unknown things can be uncovered. A seer can discover the unknown and reveal things that would otherwise remain unknown to us. This is how God has established a way for mankind to perform great miracles through faith; therefore seers are a benefit to their fellow men.
When Ammon had finished speaking, the king was overjoyed and thanked God, saying: These plates surely hold a great mystery, and these Interpreters must have been prepared for the purpose of uncovering such mysteries for mankind. How awe-inspiring are the Lord’s works! How patient He is with His people! In contrast, how blind and stubborn are people in their understanding. They won’t seek Wisdom and don’t want Her to rule over them. Yes, they’re like a wild flock fleeing from the shepherd [the Lord], scattered, hunted, and eaten by forest predators” (CofC, Mosiah 5:11-14, emphasis added).
The “means” to translate given to Mosiah or “gift and power of God” he possessed made him a seer and a king. Mosiah used the Urim and Thummim to translate the engravings on the stone tablet. In addition to the stone tablet, the people met Coriantumr, the only survivor of the genocide of his people.
The Urim and Thummim given to Mosiah was passed to his son, Benjamin, his royal successor. King Benjamin is the man entrusted to maintain the record of Nephi when Amaleki grew old. Amaleki lived in the days of Mosiah. He had no children, and knowing king Benjamin to be a righteous man, he gave the records to the king.
Seers have a two-fold function as defined by A Glossary of Gospel Terms:
“Seers have a responsibility to teach others or, if their contemporary generation rejects them, to leave a written testimony for future generations.”
Seers are instructed by God to teach others, and in the event their people reject their teachings, leave a written testimony for future generations. Generations of people come and go but the common thread are the works of seers. If the people receive instructions, they are led to become the Lord’s covenant people, becoming seers in their own lives.
“After king Benjamin had said all these things to his people, he sent out a message, asking his people if they believed what he taught them. And they all cried out with one voice, saying: Yes, we believe everything you’ve taught us. And we know these things are true because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has caused a big change in our hearts. We’re not inclined to do evil anymore, but rather want to continually do good. We, through God’s infinite goodness and the manifestations of His Spirit, can clearly envision what’s to come. And if necessary, we could even prophesy about all of it. And it’s our faith in the things our king has taught us that’s given us this valuable knowledge, which makes us rejoice! We’re willing to enter into a covenant with God, promising to obey His commandments and do His will for the rest of our lives. We don’t want to cause ourselves the never-ending torment described by the angel, nor do we want to incur God’s anger” (CofC, Mosiah 3:2, emphasis added).
The subjects of king Benjamin received the teachings of an angel through their righteous king. The obedience to his teachings led them to a covenant relationship with Christ, adoption into his family and an endowment of knowledge that made them all “seers” in their personal lives. They, through the manifestations of God’s Spirit know what is coming and can prophesy of all things.
In the event the people reject the seer, the seer leaves a record of the destruction of those who rebelled against Him.
“Now I Moroni will finish my father Mormon’s record. I only have a few things to write, things I was commanded to write by my father. After the great and awful battle at Cumorah, any Nephites who escaped to the south were hunted by the Lamanites and all killed. They killed my father also. As a result, I’m the only one who remains to write the sad tale of my people’s destruction. They’re gone, and I will follow my father’s commandment. I don’t know whether they’ll kill me. Therefore I’ll write and conceal the records in the ground. It doesn’t matter what happens to me. My father has made this record, and he has described its purpose. I would also write about it if I had room on the plates, but I don’t. I don’t have any ore, as I’m alone. My father was killed in battle, along with all my relatives. I don’t have any friends or anywhere to go. I don’t know how long the Lord will let me live. Four hundred years have come and gone since the coming of our Lord and Savior. The Lamanites have hunted down my people the Nephites from city to city and place to place until they’re all dead. Their fall was immense; indeed, the destruction of my people the Nephites is remarkable and astonishing. It’s the Lord’s hand that’s done it. The Lamanites are now at war with each other — the whole land is one continual round of murder and killing, and no one knows when the war will end” (CofC, Mormon 8:1, emphasis added).
Moroni was left alone to preserve the record of his people’s destruction. So was Coriantumr. The Covenant of Christ contains so many accounts that end with the entire destruction of societies, it defies logic why we who now occupy this land remain void of fear. In every instance, the Lord’s hand carries out His judgment in retribution for wickedness.
Limhi and his people returned to Zarahemla and the records were given to king Benjamin but were not translated until Benjamin delivered them to his son, Mosiah. The king was confronted by a question of succession. His sons requested permission from their father, Mosiah to preach to the Lamanites. After obtaining permission and assurance from the Lord, Mosiah allowed them to preach to the Lamanites. In the absence of a lineal heir to the throne, Mosiah instituted a change in government from a monarchy to a government determined by popular voice.
“Mosiah gave them permission to go and do as they requested. And so they went into the wilderness to preach the word among the Lamanites. I’ll give an account of their labors later. Now king Mosiah had no one to confer the kingdom on, since none of his sons would accept the kingdom. So he took the records engraved on the brass plates, the plates of Nephi, and all the things that he had kept and preserved according to God’s commandments. And he translated the records on the gold plates found by Limhi’s people and then given to him by Limhi. He had the translation written down. He did this because his people were eagerly wanting to know about the people who had been destroyed. Now he translated the plates using those two stones fastened into the two rims of a frame for spectacles [Urim and Thummim]. These things had been prepared from the beginning and handed down for generations for the purpose of translating languages. And the hand of the Lord had preserved them to expose the iniquities and abominations of His people to any people who would inhabit the land. And whoever has this instrument has always been called a seer” (CofC, Mosiah 12:3, emphasis added).
The discussion surrounding the “interpreters”[6] is generally focused on translation of ancient records. In the previous verse another purpose for the Urim and Thummim is disclosed. The Lord provides this tool as a means for discerning and exposing iniquities and abominations among his people. That function may be for the living or dead. A seer uses interpreters to expose the iniquities of the living to testify of their sins and lead them to repentance. For the dead, those who failed to heed the witness of the seers in their day, it becomes a witness of what happens to those who ignore His commands and openly rebel against His servants. The record of the seer becomes a testament to God’s patience and eventually, His justice when His patience is replaced with wrath.
Joseph Smith was given a Urim and Thummim to translate the Book of Mormon and expose the passing of the Jaredites and Nephites in fulfillment of promises God associates with this land.[7] The record also contains prophecies relating to latter-day Gentiles who suffer a similar fate because of their wickedness and abominations. A righteous remnant will prevail under the Lord’s divine providence but far more will suffer for not heeding the call to repentance from a seer in their day.
“Blessed is the one who brings this thing to light [Joseph Smith and his “spokesman”];[8] 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. 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” (CofC, Mormon 4:3, emphasis added).
The Covenant of Christ is the Lord’s final attempt at making “the simplicity of their [Nephites, Jaredites] result in strong faith as they learn about the covenant I made with your fathers” (CofC, 2 Nephi 2:6, emphasis added). Thereafter a remnant of righteous Gentiles carry the Covenant of Christ to descendants of Lehi and their ancestors “cry to them from the dust”[9] to repent and turn to Christ.
According to the Covenant of Christ, the repetition of these events include seers who cry repentance and seers who are idle witnesses to the destruction of those who rebel against the Lord and His servants. What is unique to the latter-day version of these events is this stanza is the beginning of the final one.
“Now, my people, since I said that I would prophesy, this is my prophecy: That the things this prophet Zenos said about the house of Israel, comparing them to a tame olive tree, will certainly happen. When He sets about a second time to recover His people, that will be the very last time the Lord’s servants will go out in His power to tend and prune His vineyard — following that, the end will happen quickly. And how blessed are those who have worked diligently in His vineyard! But how cursed are those who will be thrown out to where they belong! And the world will be burned with fire. How merciful God is to us! He remembers the house of Israel, both roots and branches, and reaches out His hands to them all day long. But they’re a stubborn, quarrelsome people. Nevertheless, all those who don’t harden their hearts will be saved in God’s kingdom” (CofC, Jacob 4:1, emphasis added).
Knowing the level of redundancy in the pattern, is it likely the pattern will deviate from past cycles? Will disbelief cause the Lord to alter His pattern or will it steel His resolve to repeat what He has done in all generations?
The scriptures suggest compelling reasons why the Lord remains committed to His pattern of the past. At the end of Alma the younger’s ministry he appoints his son Helaman as his successor. He delivers the records and Directors to Helaman with solemn instructions for their use.
“ . . . And now He has fulfilled one purpose: that is, to restore thousands of Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth. He’s increased His influence with them. And He’ll likewise yet exert His influence through them to future generations. Consequently, they will be preserved. So I command you, my son Helaman, to be diligent in following all my words and diligent in keeping God’s commandments as they’re written.
Now I’ll tell you about those 24 plates: You must keep them safe, so that the mysteries and their dark, secret schemes, the conspiracies of those people who were destroyed, can be revealed to this nation. They will need to hear about all their murders, robberies, plundering, wickedness, and abominations. And you must preserve these Directors [Liahona].[10] When the Lord saw His people began to fall into dark acts and to commit secret murders and abominations, the Lord warned that if they didn’t repent, they would be altogether annihilated from the earth. The Lord said: I’ll prepare a stone for My servant Gazelem that will bring their dark acts into the light, so I can expose for the people who serve Me the errors, depravity, and abominations of the earlier believers who fell into secret wickedness and dark works. And now, my son, these Directors [Liahona] were prepared to accomplish the prophecies of God, which He committed to have happen, saying: I’ll expose to public view, out of darkness into light, all their secret offenses and their abominations. And unless they repent, I’ll destroy them and annihilate them from the earth. And I’ll bring to light all their secrets and abominations to every nation who will inhabit the land after this. And now, my son, we see they didn’t repent; therefore they’ve been removed. And so far God’s word has been fulfilled; indeed, their secret abominations have been brought out of darkness and revealed to us.
And now, my son, I command you to not publish all their oaths, covenants, and agreements used in their secret abominations; indeed, you must continue protecting this people from all their signs and conspiracies, so they don’t learn them, so they can’t risk falling into darkness as well, and also be destroyed. Remember, there’s a curse on all this land that any people who choose darkness until they’re fully ripe in iniquity, will be destroyed by God’s power. That being the case, I don’t want this people to be destroyed. So you must protect this people from these secret plans of their oaths and covenants. And only reveal to them the wickedness, murders, and abominations. You must teach them to reject and regard such wickedness, abominations, and murders with disgust. You must also teach them the reason those people were destroyed was due to their wickedness, abominations, and murders. Indeed, they murdered all the Lord’s prophets who came among them to condemn their iniquities. And the blood of those they murdered cried out to the Lord their God for vengeance upon their murderers. As a result, God’s judgments were imposed upon those who practiced that darkness and were part of the secret conspiracies. And may the land be cursed forever against those who work in darkness, to their utter destruction, unless they repent before they’re fully ripe” (CofC, Alma 17:11-13, emphasis added).
The beginning of this passage affirms the likelihood that Mosiah’s sons miraculous work among the Lamanites was a likely type for a future conversion of thousands of Lamanites. Alma delivered ancient artifacts to Helaman along with 24 plates containing “mysteries and their dark, secret schemes, the conspiracies of those people who were destroyed” to be revealed to the Nephites. The actual dark and secret schemes were not to be revealed to their people out of fear they would adopt them and be destroyed. Like the allusion to a future conversion of many Lamanites, the warning is not limited to the Nephites who gave them no heed. They are also intended to warn the latter-day Gentiles who find the secret conspiracies at the head of their government.
“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 [the Gentiles], 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 3:18-19, emphasis added).
In the last days the Lord intends to reveal all hidden acts of wickedness and darkness. In effect, his disciples speak of the iniquities of the wicked from the housetops and they will be unable to hide their secret works.
“Hearken, O you people of my 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 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” (RE T&C 54:1, emphasis added).
The disciples whom Christ has chosen are seers to whom the Lord has granted means to reveal secret works of darkness. When the secret conspiracies rise above the Gentiles the Lord’s servants declare His word and expose their secret works of darkness. Those who heed the words of seers and choose righteousness over wickedness will be joined with the Lord’s family, Israel. Those who fight against God and His people will be burned.
“Nevertheless, after the Gentiles are benefited by the record of the Jews [Bible], and the Lord has blessed the Gentiles and set them up as an example of belief, and Jacob’s descendants have been carried in their [Gentiles] arms and their daughters have been carried on their shoulders — these references are physical, since that is the nature of the Lord’s covenants with our fathers. And it refers to our future and all the others from the house of Israel. It also means that, after the entire house of Israel has been scattered and brought to ruin, the Lord God will raise up a powerful nation among the Gentiles, here on this land, and our descendants will be scattered by them. After our descendants are scattered, the Lord God will proceed with an amazing work among the Gentiles that will be very valuable to our descendants. So it’s compared to them being cared for by the Gentiles and carried in their arms and on their shoulders. And it will also be valuable to the Gentiles — not only to them but to the entire house of Israel — to reveal and restore the covenants that the Father of heaven made with Abraham, having told him: All the families of the earth will be blessed through your descendants. And I want you to know, my brothers, that the families of the earth can’t be blessed unless He shows His power to all nations. Therefore the Lord God will proceed to uncover His restored truths in the sight of people from every nation, to restore again His covenants and His gospel to those who are from the house of Israel. As a result, He’ll bring them back out of captivity — they’ll be gathered to the lands they first inherited, and they’ll be brought out of confusion and darkness, and they’ll know the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
And the murderous guilt of that utterly wicked church — the whore of the entire earth — will come back upon their own heads, because they’ll fight among themselves. The swords they wield will fall upon their own heads, and they’ll be drunk with their own blood. And every nation that fights against you, O house of Israel, will be turned against each other. They’ll fall into the pit they dug to ensnare the Lord’s people. Those who fight against Zion will be destroyed. And the great whore that’s corrupted and perverted the right ways of the Lord — that utterly wicked church — will tumble to the dust, and its fall will be complete. The prophet has said: The time is quickly coming that Satan will no longer have power over mankind’s hearts. The time is soon coming that the proud and those who do evil will be like straw; and the time is coming that they will certainly be burned. Indeed, the time is soon coming when the full extent of God’s wrath will be poured out on all mankind, since He won’t allow the wicked to destroy the righteous. Therefore He’ll keep the righteous safe by His power, even if it means that the full extent of His wrath must come while the righteous are preserved by God destroying their enemies by fire. Therefore the righteous don’t need to be afraid, because the prophet has said: They will be saved, even if it requires fire. My brothers, these things are coming soon; there will be blood, fire, and smoke here, covering the face of this land. It will happen to mortal people in this life if they reject the Holy One of Israel. However the righteous won’t be destroyed, because those who fight against Zion are who will be cut off.
And the Lord will absolutely prepare the way for His people. He’ll fulfill the words of Moses, when he said: A prophet will the Lord your God raise up for you, like unto me. You’re to hear Him in all things whatsoever He’ll teach you. And then everyone who won’t follow that prophet will be cut off from among the people. Now I declare to you that this prophet that Moses spoke about was the Holy One of Israel. Given that, He’ll execute judgment in righteousness. The righteous don’t need to be afraid because they aren’t the ones to be brought to ruin. Instead, it’s the accuser’s kingdom built up by people, and established among those living on earth, that will fall. The time will soon come when the churches built up for profit, built up to gain power over mankind, built up to become popular in the world, and those that try to gratify the lusts of the people and desire worldly things and indulge in all kinds of iniquity — in short, all those that belong to the accuser’s kingdom — they’re the ones who need to be afraid, tremble, and shake. They’re the ones who will be thrown low in the dust. They’re the ones who will be burned up like straw. This is according to the prophet’s words. The time will soon come when the righteous will be cared for like well-fed calves, and the Holy One of Israel will rule in dominion, strength, power, and great glory. He’ll gather His children from the four quarters of the earth and will count His sheep, and they will know Him. And they’ll constitute one fold with one Shepherd; He’ll feed His sheep and they’ll find security in Him. Because of His people’s righteousness, Satan won’t have any power. He won’t be let loose for many years since he won’t have any influence in people’s hearts, because they’ll live in righteousness and the Holy One of Israel will rule. Now I tell you all these things will happen here in this world. But people of every nation, tribe, and language will abide safely with the Holy One of Israel if they only repent” (CofC, 1 Nephi 7:3-5).
As a post script, we have the words of Alma the younger to his son, Helaman:
“Now, my son, I want to discuss the thing our forefathers called a ball or Director — or rather, they called it Liahona, which translates to a compass — that the Lord provided. And no one can accomplish such intricate workmanship. It was provided to point the way for our ancestors to travel in the wilderness. And it worked for them based on their faith in God. As a result, if they had faith to believe God would make the pins point the way to go, then it happened. Therefore they saw this miracle, and many other miracles, performed by God’s power day after day. However, even though those miracles let them accomplish miraculous things, they happened by ordinary methods and they got lazy, took it for granted, and neglected to exercise their faith and diligence. So then the miracles stopped, and they didn’t make progress in their journey. Then they wandered in the wilderness, no longer traveling a direct path, and suffered hunger and thirst due to their faithlessness.
Now, my son, I want you to understand these things foreshadow coming events. As our ancestors were disinclined to pay attention to this physical compass, they didn’t advance; so it is with spiritual things. Because it’s the same thing to pay attention to Christ’s word, which will point out to you a straight path to eternal bliss, as it was for our ancestors to pay attention to this compass, which would point out to them a straight path to the promised land. I ask you: Isn’t the one symbolic of the other? Because just as surely as this Director brought our ancestors, by following the way it pointed, to the promised land, so will Christ’s word, if we follow the way it points, take us beyond this valley of tears into a much better promised land.
My son, let’s not get lazy because the way is simple, because our ancestors were like that. They had the way opened for them; if they would just look, they could live. And it’s the same for us: the way is still open; and if we choose to look, we can live forever. And now, my son, please care for these sacred things. Indeed, see that you look to God and live. Go minister to this people and declare the word, and be serious in mind and purpose. Farewell my son” (CofC, Alma 17:15-17, emphasis added).
[1] “Search these commandments for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I, the Lord, have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself. And though the heaven and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by my own voice or by the voice of my servants it is the same. For behold and lo, the Lord is God and the spirit bears record, and the record is true, and the truth abides for ever and ever. Amen” (RE T&C 54:7, emphasis added).
[2] Zedekiah and Israel being carried into captivity in Babylon is the same condition the scattered of Israel find themselves in today.
“Babylon’s great influence begins at the time of Nebuchadnezzar. It conquered Jerusalem and took the Jews into captivity. So we need to return to that generation to know how Babylon remains among us still today. And we need to recognize Babylon today if we are to flee from her . . . We need to look at this vision for how it connects to the Second Comforter, for we must flee from Babylon if we hope to receive the Lord . . . Babylon and the experiences there, including the changes to thought, have been inculcated into the scriptures at the “DNA level” and it cannot be removed at this point. The Bible therefore must be studied with care to distinguish between its divergent influences. We make only brief mention of this here. Latter-day Saint commentators have dealt with this subject, and we are not going to repeat what can be found elsewhere. We only note the Babylonian “head of gold” is with us still, and to flee from it we need first to realize it remains an influence today. Without that recognition we cannot hope to “grind it to dust.” )Jr. Snuffer, Denver C.. The Second Comforter: Conversing With the Lord Through the Veil (pp. 327-333, emphasis added). Mill Creek Press. Kindle Edition).
“Yea, verily I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you: Go out of Babylon, gather yourselves out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other. Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off, unto the islands of the sea. Send forth unto foreign lands, call upon all nations, firstly upon the gentiles and then upon the Jews. And behold and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about. Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom. Behold and lo, the Bridegroom comes, go out to meet him; prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Let them [Israel] therefore which are among the gentiles flee unto Zion, and let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord’s house. Go out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily thus says the Lord: Let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goes, let him not look back, lest sudden destruction shall come upon him” (RE T&C 58:2, emphasis added).
[3] “ . . . And now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined, except I, the Lord, confound their language that they may not understand one another’s speech. So I, the Lord, will scatter them abroad from there, upon all the face of the land, and unto every quarter of the earth. And they were confounded, and left off to build the city, and they listened not unto the Lord; therefore is the name of it called Babel — because the Lord was displeased with their works, and did there confound the language of all the earth, and from there did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face thereof” (RE Genesis 6:6, emphasis added).
[4] “The concept captured by the title “seer” involves sight. Seeing is the hallmark of the seer. They have vision. A seer is someone who has knowledge of things which cannot be seen with the natural eye. When Joseph Smith received the Urim and Thummim from an angel, he was told: the possession and use of these stones were what constituted seers in ancient or former times… (JSH 3:3; see also Mosiah 5:13). When anyone has possession of such an instrument, they are, by definition, a seer; the instrument itself allows the possessor to see the past, present, and future. However, it is not necessary to possess this instrument to be a seer. Whenever hidden knowledge is revealed to a person, the recipient is a seer. Whether they have a Urim and Thummim or not, anyone receiving Divine revelation of future or past events has the gift of seership. It remains the calling of a seer to reveal things which are secret or hidden. Seers have a responsibility to teach others or, if their contemporary generation rejects them, to leave a written testimony for future generations. Any people who have a seer among them gain knowledge of things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come. Mankind needs living seers, or they are cut off from one of the gifts intended to guide them. Seership and exaltation are connected. “There is no reason you cannot also receive the gift of seership to guide you as occasion requires. The knowledge of some things requires you to behold the past, present and future.” Seership is a voluntary process; anyone who is willing to follow the path to get there may climb the mountain and see into the distance. Seership is something that all ought to expect will be included in the Lord’s tutelage while they are here” (A Glossary of Gospel Terms, second edition, Seer, pp.314-315, emphasis added).
[5] It is important to remember who is making the statement, “a seer is greater than a prophet.” Limhi was only introduced the subject of seership several minutes before making this statement. Being impressed by Ammon’s description of a seer does not make his statement accurate or authoritative. Only naive. Those introduced to a fullness of the Priesthood are given “new names” by which they can obtain answers directly from the Lord. The “new name” is a keyword, or the key to gaining answers from God. A theory exists that whenever a physical device is provided by the Lord, the person receiving the physical device [rod of Aaron, Liahona, Urim and Thummim] is functioning under the Aaronic Priesthood. The Melchizedek Priesthood transcends the Aaronic and no device is necessary but may still be utilized if previously given.
“Now the great and grand secret of the whole matter, and the summum bonum of the whole subject that is lying before us, consists in obtaining the powers of the holy Priesthood. For him to whom these keys are given there is no difficulty in obtaining a knowledge of facts in relation to the salvation of the children of men, both as well for the dead as for the living. Herein is glory and honor, and immortality, and eternal life” (RE T&C 151:9, emphasis added).
[6] “Ammon then replied: I can confidently inform you, king, about a man who’s able to translate the records. He possesses the means that allow him to see and translate ancient records, and this ability is a gift from God. These things are known as Interpreters, and no man can look into them unless God commands him to do so, in order to prevent him from seeing something he shouldn’t see and perishing. Whoever is commanded to look in them is called a seer . . .” (CofC, Mosiah 5:13, emphasis added).
[7]“ . . . He said: I’ve seen a vision showing me Jerusalem has been destroyed. If we had remained there, we also would have died. But, he said, despite our hardships, we’ve been given a promised land, a land specially chosen over all other lands, a land the Lord God has covenanted with me that my descendants will inherit. Indeed, the Lord has consecrated this land for my children and me forever, and also for those who will likewise be led out of other countries by the Lord’s power. Therefore I prophesy under the influence of God’s Spirit over me, that no one will come to this land unless they’re brought by the Lord’s power. So this land is consecrated to those He’ll bring here. And if they serve Him according to the commandments He has given, it will always be a land of liberty for them; therefore they’ll never be brought down into captivity — but if they are, it will be because of iniquity; because if iniquity abounds, the land will become cursed because of their failure to serve Him. It will always be blessed for the righteous. It’s a wise thing for this land to still be kept from other nations knowing about it. Otherwise, many nations would overrun this land, so there wouldn’t be any place for an inheritance.
As a result, I’ve obtained a promise that to the degree they keep His commandments — including anyone the Lord God brings from the land of Jerusalem — they’ll prosper in this land. And they’ll be hidden from all other nations, so they can have this land to themselves. And if they keep His commandments, they’ll be blessed upon this land. No one will interfere or take away the land they receive as an inheritance; they’ll live here safely forever. But when they fall away in unbelief, after having received such great blessings from the Lord, having knowledge about the earth’s creation and mankind’s history, knowing the great and awe-inspiring things the Lord has done since the world was created, having power given to them to live by faith, having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by His infinite goodness into this precious land of promise — I say if the time comes that they choose to reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, the judgments of Him who is righteous will fall upon them. He’ll bring other nations to them, He’ll give to these others power and He’ll take their lands away from them. He will scatter and strike them down. Indeed, as one generation passes to another, there will be slaughter and God’s punishment as a reminder for them” (CofC, 2 Nephi 1:1, emphasis added).
[8] “The Lord also told me: I’ll give your descendants also a prophet [Joseph Smith] and make a spokesman [person who declares it] for him. 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 [Joseph Smith] 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 the spokesman]. 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).
[9] “I tell you the truth. And I’ll give you a sign to identify the time when these things are about to happen, when I will gather My people, the house of Israel, from their long-scattered state, and will again establish My Zion among them. This is the sign for you: When the things that I’m declaring to you now and after this by the power of the Holy Ghost that are given to you by the Father are then revealed to the Gentiles, and taken as a message through them to you, that is when the Father’s covenant is being fulfilled. You are descendants of Jacob and will be scattered by the Gentiles. But the Father will reveal these things first to the Gentiles, then from them to you. It’s the Father’s plan for the Gentiles to be established in this land as a free people through His power, to allow the history and prophecies to come from them to a remnant of your descendants. That vindicates the Father’s covenant with His people, O house of Israel. Therefore the record of these events, and the events that will take place among you after this, will come from the Gentiles to your descendants. But your descendants will first fall away in unbelief because of iniquity. That’s an essential part of the Father’s plan. The covenant requires this record to come from the Gentiles, so the Gentiles will understand His direct involvement. Then the Gentiles, provided they don’t harden their hearts, will be able to repent and come to Me and be baptized in My name and know the true points of My doctrine, so they can be included with My people, the house of Israel. When these things happen, and your descendants begin to know these things, it will be a sign to let them know the Father’s work is underway, to fulfill the covenant He made to everyone who’s part of the house of Israel. When that time comes, kings will be at a loss for words not knowing what to say, for they’ll see what they were never told about and be forced to consider what they never expected” (CofC, 3 Nephi 9:11, emphasis added).
[10] “After king Benjamin had finished saying this to his son [Mosiah], he gave him responsibility over the affairs of the kingdom. He also gave him responsibility over the records engraved on the brass plates, the plates of Nephi, Laban’s sword, and the ball or director that led our ancestors through the wilderness. To the extent they each gave careful attention and diligence to Him, that instrument was provided by the Lord to lead them. Therefore when they were unfaithful, they didn’t prosper or progress in their journey, but were driven back and provoked God’s disapproval upon themselves. In this, they encountered hunger and suffering as a reminder of their responsibility” (CofC, Mosiah 1:3, emphasis added).
Scott Roderick
2/7/2025
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