From time to time it is helpful to look back to discern the way forward. Past experience often lays the foundation for what the Lord is in the process of accomplishing. Recently the above questions were raised anew in the context of recent events. With the questions of “What have you learned?” and “What ought you to have learned?” in mind, the following are past reflections.
Answer to the Prayer for Covenant
The following quotations are selected references from the Lord’s answer to our prayer for covenant.
“ . . . for I weigh the hearts of men and many have intended well, although they have spoken poorly. Wisdom [Heavenly Mother] counsels mankind to align their words with their hearts, but mankind refuses to take counsel from Wisdom [Heavenly Mother]” (RE T&C 157:4, emphasis added).
This excerpt is gender specific in the beginning. The Lord weighs men’s hearts and found there are good intentions. Apparently the actions of men fall short of reflecting their good intentions.
The full content of the next sentence could not be fully appreciated because the content of Denver Snuffer’s talk on “Our Divine Parents” would not be given until the following year, March 25, 2018. Had we been aware of the content of “Our Divine Parents,” we might have a greater appreciation for what the Lord explained to us.
The first word in the second sentence is “Wisdom,” with a capital W. It is a correct convention to begin a new sentence with a capital letter, but a capital “W” in the word “Wisdom” is a direct reference to Heavenly Mother as well.[1]
The sentence could be correctly stated, Heavenly Mother counsels mankind to align their words with their hearts. I know from personal experience following this counsel literally leads to a life changing connection with God.
Unfortunately, the Lord observes mankind refuses counsel from Heavenly Mother. Man’s refusal to align their words with their hearts is a barrier blocking their connection with God. He is a God of truth and cannot lie; neither can He establish a relationship built on dishonesty.
“And again, the idea that he is a God of truth and cannot lie is equally as necessary to the exercise of faith in him as the idea of his unchangeableness. For without the idea that he was a God of truth and could not lie, the confidence necessary to be placed in his word in order to the exercise of faith in him could not exist. But having the idea that he is not man that he can lie, it gives power to the minds of men to exercise faith in him” (RE T&C 110, Lectures on Faith 3:22, emphasis added).
Knowing that God is a God of truth and cannot lie places the burden on us to bring the same level of honesty and integrity into our relationship with Him. We accomplish this when the words and thoughts coming from us are an accurate reflection of what is in our hearts. Whether expressions to God are positive or negative, they must be truthful. Any disingenuous expression is a non-starter with God. A connection with God requires honesty between us and God.
We too frequently misinterpret and misunderstand Heavenly Mother’s Wisdom and pray the way we wish we were, rather than the way we really are. Coming to the altar of God with prayers reflecting what we believe He wants to hear is disingenuous, dishonest, and disrespectful because He knows our hearts. Prayers failing to align with our hearts are lies. Lies are sins and God “cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.”
“These commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.[2] And inasmuch as they erred, it might be made known; and inasmuch as they sought wisdom, it might be instructed; and inasmuch as they sinned, they might be chastened that they might repent; and inasmuch as they were humble, they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time . . ., the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth with which I, the Lord, am well pleased — speaking unto the church collectively and not individually. For I, the Lord, cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven, and he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received. For my spirit shall not always strive with man, says the Lord of Hosts” (RE T&C 54:5, emphasis added).
God’s commandments are given to lead us to understanding. Heavenly Mother is both Wisdom and Understanding. Seeking wisdom leads to instruction and instruction precedes Understanding. In the Answer to the Prayer for Covenant the Lord shares the Mother’s Wisdom with us but mankind refuses Heavenly Mother’s counsel. Consequently, refusing Her counsel is rebellion against the very thing bringing us to God. She is the bridge spanning the gap between man and God.[3]
Good Fruit from a Neglected Vineyard
“Unto what can I liken it, that you may understand? For you are like a man who seeks for good fruit from a neglected vineyard — unwatered, undunged, unpruned, and unattended. How shall it produce good fruit if you fail to tend it? What reward does the unfaithful husbandman obtain from his neglected vineyard? How can saying you are a faithful husbandman ever produce good fruit in the vineyard without doing the work of the husbandman? For you seek my words to recover them even as you forsake to do them. You have heretofore produced wild fruit, bitter and ill-formed, because you neglect to do my words” (RE T&C 157:17, emphasis added).
In the context of a vineyard and the husbandman tending the vineyard, the work of tending is reduced to two things. Seeking the Lord’s words and doing them when we find them. This is what the Lord requires. Rejecting Heavenly Mother’s counsel is the same as rejecting Heavenly Father’s, because they are One.
Evidence we, as husbandmen, have received the Lord’s words but forsake doing them is the fact no fruit or righteousness is born in His vineyard. Fruitful changes are the presence of love amongst His husbandmen and righteousness in their daily walk. The presence of sin and contention in His vineyard proves His servants forsake His words given them.
“Can you not see that your works fall short of the beliefs you profess. For the sake of the promises to the fathers [Holy Order] will I labor with you as a people, and not because of you, for you have not yet become what you must be to live together in peace. If you will hearken to my words, I will make you my people and my words will give you peace. Even a single soul who stirs up the hearts of others to anger can destroy the peace of all my people. Each of you must equally walk truly in my path, not only to profess, but to do as you profess” (RE T&C 157:18, emphasis added).
Equality is an important theme in what the Lord is doing today.
Equality
“ . . . The Covenant makes it possible for natural fruit to return. The bad fruit will still continue, even among the covenant people, until there is enough strength in the healthy branches for further pruning. It requires natural fruit to appear before the final pruning takes place, verse 65. The good and bad will coexist. It will damage the tree to remove the bad at once. Therefore, the Lord's patience will continue for some time yet. The rate of removing the bad is dependent wholly upon the rate of the development of the good. It is the Lord's purpose to create equality in his vineyard. In the allegory equality in the vineyard appears three times in verses 66, 72 and 74. We cannot be greater and lesser, nor divide ourselves into a hierarchy to achieve the equality required for Zion. When a group is determined to remain equal and I am personally determined to be no greater than any other, then it faces challenge that never confront unequal people. A religion of bosses and minions never deals with any of the challenges of being equals. Critics claim we will never succeed because of our determined desire for equality. None of our critics can envision what the Lord has said in verses 66, 72 and 74 about His people. But equality among us is the only way prophesied for us to succeed. That does not mean we won't have a mess as we learn how to establish equality” (Opening Remarks, Covenant of Christ Conference, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.5, emphasis added).
In the politically charged environment in which we now live, the subject of equality often turns to issues of race and economic inequality. Those discussions typically have the opposite effect, dividing people rather than gathering them.
The Lord is laying the groundwork for saving mankind by repairing the foundation of society as opposed to repairing the building on which the foundation rests. The Lord is not performing this work as reward for our righteousness or faith. He is doing this to fulfill promises made to the Patriarchal Fathers. Equality can only be achieved by re-establishing the Patriarchal Order on Earth as it is in Heaven.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall seal the heart of the Fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their Fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (RE Malachi 1:12, emphasis added)
The Spirit of Elijah is necessary to introduce the Holy Order. The Holy Order requires a man and woman, equally yoked.
“The Holy Order requires both a man and woman in similitude of Adam and Eve. The couple holds dominion as a father and mother over the Family of God on earth. That is different than acting as a priest and priestess. God’s House is a house of order. To set it right is something far more important than administrating a church or performing priestly rites. We know that Adam is the one with authority over the Holy Order. “Adam holds the keys of the dispensation of the fullness of times; i.e., the dispensation of all the times have been and will be revealed through him, from the beginning to Christ, and from Christ to the end of all the dispensations that are to be revealed.” However, the identity of “Adam” is not just the first man, but includes his helpmeet. It is the first couple who were named “Adam” and Eve stands as partner in this order. “In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; in the image of his own body, male and female, created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam in the day when they were created and became living souls in the land[.]” (The Holy Order, Part 2, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.30, emphasis added).
Setting in order the house of God re-institutes the government God established in the beginning of the world. Turning our hearts to the Fathers is renewing this government by re-establishing the original order as organized by God in Eden.
Zion may only be established by restoring equality between the man and his wife. That was already in the Lord’s heart.
“Likewise, we need to have a renewed community. Not an organization, but a fellowship. Not a hierarchy, but a group of equals. The community needs to be renewed. Men who have been ordained already, should renew this in the manner just described in the example of Alma. Have a community of believers. Be accepted by them. But before acting ask God to pour out His Spirit to give power. In my disgust and personal preference, I asked the Lord that priesthood get extended beyond the confines of the men who have continually abused and neglected it. I was told that priesthood is confined to men because of the Fall and the conditions ordained by God at that time. Until we reverse things in the Millennium, that is the way it is going to remain, as to the ordinances thus far given in public. I asked the Lord to change that order. It is not going to change. I then asked the Lord that if only men were to hold priesthood for our public ordinances, then could only women vote to sustain them. The saying pleased the Lord, for it was already in His heart. But He said to me: “There shall be a minimum of seven women to sustain the man in any vote, and if the man is married, his wife shall be one of them.” Here is how I would proceed. Even though I have already been ordained, a community needs to recognize I am authorized before I proceed further. However, given the fact men have abused and neglected the priesthood that they have been given, and given the fact that if men are only going to hold the priesthood, that there ought to be some independent check. Therefore when it comes to sustaining me, or any of you, to perform in a priesthood capacity in any renewed community, only women should vote. No man should be allowed to vote to sustain another priesthood holder, period. If only men hold it, then only women should sustain them. I have a wife and six daughters. Therefore I have a community. Jethro had seven daughters” (Preserving the Restoration, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.15, emphasis added).
This act of empowering women “pleased the Lord, for it was already in His heart.” Since the beginning of the Restoration, women have been culturally and authoritatively subordinate to men. For the new Restoration movement and particularly the Holy Order, it was already in the Lord’s heart to restore balance between men and women. He has done that through the Lord’s proposal to allow women to determine the worthiness of men.
There is more to the Lord’s strategy than establishing equality and balance power. The overly represented influence of male knowledge needs wisdom to balance the government of God.
“Mankind cannot have Zion without wisdom to guide us. Zion must be a community. Developing wisdom requires us to patiently interact with one another. This counsel from the Heavenly Mother is a gift to help us understand what we lack” (“Our Divine Parents,” Denver Snuffer Jr., p.7, emphasis added).
Men cannot establish Zion absent the wisdom of women. It is impossible.
“Knowledge (masculine) initiates, Wisdom (feminine) receives, guides and tempers. Knowledge can be dangerous unless it is informed by wisdom. Wisdom provides guidance and counsel to channel what comes from knowledge. These are eternal attributes, part of what it means to be a male or a female. Creation begins with the active initiative of knowledge, but order and harmony for the creation requires wisdom. Balance between them is required for an orderly creation to exist” (Our Divine Parents, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.5, emphasis added).
Knowledge alone is inadequate for establishing Zion. Wisdom is “required” to establish harmony and order.
The New Paradigm is the Return to the Old Paradigm
“In the Answer to the Prayer for Covenant, it is explained that establishing any throne is done through a covenant requiring a mother-companion and female counterpart to elevate a father to a throne. It is also clear that once elevated, these two sit together upon a throne. Every throne and every kingdom in eternity requires these two separate parties, the man and the woman, to be one.
And again, I say to you, Abraham and Sarah sit upon a Throne, for he could not be there if not for Sarah’s covenant with him. Isaac and Rebecca sit upon a Throne, and Isaac likewise could not be there if not for Rebecca’s covenant with him. And Jacob and Rachel sit upon a Throne, and Jacob could not be there if not for Rachel’s covenant with him. And all these have ascended above Dominions and Principalities and Powers [each category is a level of ascension for the “Powers of Heaven” or the Patriarchal Fathers on Jacob’s ladder, Spirit of Elijah], to abide in my Kingdom [Spirit of Messiah]. Therefore the marriage covenant is needed for all those who would likewise seek to obtain from me the right to continue their seed into eternity, for only through marriage can Thrones and Kingdoms be established.
Given this, any mention of the Heavenly Father is also mention of both Divine Parents, for there is neither man nor woman alone in the Divine state. When first created, man and woman were joined together by God. This union happened before death entered the world. Therefore their companionship was eternal when first established, and when rescued from death would return. As Christ put it,
Have you not read that he who made man at the beginning made him male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.
This union of Adam and Eve, and this plan of God for all who would thereafter be married, was to make the man and wife “one flesh.” What God has joined together and made into “one” no one should “put asunder” by rejecting the eternal nature of marriage. It was always intended to last through the resurrection” (Our Divine Parents, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.11, emphasis added).
“The Saying Pleased the Lord, for it was already in His heart”
Apparently, this is why changing the order of our patriarchal society was always in the Lord’s heart. In the second phase of the Restoration it is necessary to change societal conventions we are accustomed to. This, in preparation for the kingdom of God in Heaven to be present again on Earth. When we reconsider events as they transpired in past years of the second Restoration phase, the Lord’s patience in preparing us through Denver’s efforts for the Holy Order begin standing out with greater clarity.
1. “. . . Therefore, the Lord's patience will continue for some time yet. The rate of removing the bad is dependent wholly upon the rate of the development of the good. It is the Lord's purpose to create equality in his vineyard” (Opening Remarks, Covenant of Christ Conference, p.5, September, 3, 2017, emphasis added).
2. “We should overcome whatever reluctance we have to listen to women’s voices. Women have been able to vote since 1869. The state legislatures have allowed them to own property post-marriage since the 1840’s. More importantly than those milestones, however, is the Lord’s clear preference to have women as witnesses of His great work. We should take note of this . . . The Lord trusts women and wishes we would do likewise” (Women Witnesses blog post, Denver Snuffer Jr., June 23, 2014, emphasis added).
3. “I have met with the women who have done this work and they have my confidence. I trust that any proceeds donated will be used for a temple and not for any other purpose. In my view all donations belong to God alone, and must be directed toward His House to keep faith with Him. The women share this view” (Temple Fund Website blog post, December 29, 2016, emphasis added).
4. “They “trusted that it should have been Him who would redeem Israel.” This was the day of His resurrection and they've heard rumors from women He was risen. But these were, first of all, merely rumors, and second of all, they were rumors attributable to women, and we all know that women are hysterical, and therefore require hysterectomies in order to rein them in, and turn them into something credible and believable. I put a comment up on the blog a few days ago about women as witnesses, and this is a reflection of that same phenomenon. Doubt is easier when the source of the information is the testimony of a woman, even though it ought not be so” (Christ: The Prototype of the Saved Man, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.10, emphasis added).
5. “The covenant-making to secure a throne requires the direct participation of the woman. The Holy Order involves both the husband and wife. Refer back to “Our Divine Parents” regarding the Heavenly Mother and the other mothers involved in the Holy Order. The Heavenly Mother declared, By me kings reign and princes decree justice. By me princes rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth (Proverbs 1:36). That talk went on to explain that it was Eve who identified the successor to Adam. That was her right, just as it is the Heavenly Mother’s right over Her offspring. It was Rebecca’s right to choose Jacob over Esau. We should therefore expect the woman/mother/wife/priestess to be involved directly with the covenant making, who positions her husband in the Holy Order. And we should anticipate that the senior-most mother would also likewise have a say in who succeeds her husband as heir-successor in the Holy Order. It was the Holy Order that existed as the singular government organization for mankind at the first. There was no “church” or other institution. There was only a family, and it had at the head a father and mother set there by God. They were given dominion over all others. They were to be “husbandmen” to raise up righteous posterity who would walk in the pathway leading back to God. With the exception of Abraham, all subsequent dispensations were organized different from the first. But the end will return to the beginning, and what was once will be again, for the prophecy must be fulfilled: Now this same Priesthood which was in the beginning shall be in the end of the world also (now this prophecy Adam spoke as he was moved upon by the holy ghost) (Genesis 3:14)” (The Holy Order, Part 2, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.22, emphasis added).
Practical Implications of Restoring the Holy Order
For generations the traditions of men set stakes around the agency of women. They have been in place for so long that our collective mentality in modern society has conditioned our thinking to accept these traditions; even when intuitively it seems incongruent.
In the fellowship my wife and I attend, a mistake was made in the sacrament prayer that I noticed and a sister in our fellowship noticed as well. I raised a question regarding the prayer. After the sacrament there was a discussion regarding whether or not it is appropriate for the sister, who also noticed the error, to raise concern. In the institution we were previously affiliated with it is inappropriate for anyone but the presiding official to raise a concern. In contrast, we agreed it was appropriate for anyone, male or female to raise the issue in our fellowship.
The fact the issue was even discussed is evidence of the the patriarchal traditions still present in our deliberations.
For us to embrace the Holy Order, it is essential for men to respect the role given to women so all may be equal. Not equality, in that everyone may perform the same functions, but equal in the balance of power. “The man is not without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (see RE 1 Corinthians 1:44).
“The image of God was a man and a woman, that is, Adam and Eve. Their children likewise replicated that same image by their marriage: two by two. Marriage requires the male and female to produce offspring. Since they begat sons and daughters, these were necessarily marriages between a man and a woman. There is no place for same-sex marriage because such a union cannot fulfill the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth. This shows God’s original pattern, and God’s image clearly: Not a man with a man, nor a man with three women, but a man and a woman. That is the image of God and no other image is offered in scripture. Adam and Eve had sons and daughters, their children likewise were married and they had sons and daughters. They were visited and instructed by the angel. They were baptized, received the Holy Ghost, and Adam was ordained. The Holy Ghost received by Adam is defined in Moses 6:61. “It is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.” After this endowment of power from heaven, Adam and Eve used the power to prophesy and expound: “And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” [Eve heard Adam’s prophecy and expounded wisdom:] “And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” The effect of this endowment of power upon Adam was “knowledge” given through prophecy. The effect upon Eve was “wisdom.” The role of the man is knowledge, and the role of the woman is wisdom. This is on display in these two verses. It was and is the role of the woman to have the understanding of the prophecy and to say what it means. This is the eternal gift and role of the woman. This is why there is both a male and female. The poetry continues: “And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God.” [They did that by a ritual offering sacrifice. They acted as they had been commanded, and did so together] “And they,” [The two of them] “they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.” [Not Adam preaching alone, nor Eve alone, but together, yoked equally.] (Snuffer, Denver. Preserving the Restoration, pp.394-396, emphasis added, Mill Creek Press. Kindle Edition).
It is important to note Adam and Eve were not created in this condition. Prior to receiving baptism, the baptism of fire and the holy ghost, they had not as yet received the endowment of power from Heaven described as “the record of heaven, the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.” All of these things abide within them but are not revealed to them until they repent, are baptized, and receive the baptism of fire and the holy ghost.
Note the contrast between the effect the baptism of fire first had upon Adam and then on Eve. The spirit of prophecy fell upon Adam and he blessed God and was filled with the spirit, foretelling all that would befall future generations of his family. Adam blessed God and rejoiced as he contemplated all that his spiritual eyes beheld because of God’s redemption from his fall. In addition to rejoicing over the family God would grant him, the icing on the cake was that Adam would again see God while in the flesh.
Having received the inspired testimony of Adam, Eve rejoiced over their joint redemption and the blessing that would come from their fall. Without the bitterness of the fall, they would never have posterity or learned to discern between good and evil. The mercy of Christ brought to them joy in their redemption and eternal life as they dwelt in the presence of God.
Adam expounded the prophecy, Eve had the wisdom and understanding to interpret the meaning of the prophecy. The false patriarchy has buried the role of women in contrast to the real Holy Order.
The ever changing endowment currently practiced in LDS Temples reinforces the false paradigm by only representing the patriarchal roles of the Father and Son as they interact with Adam and Eve. Denver Snuffer offers a more accurate alternative as to how the endowment may offer a more correct representation of the role of Heavenly Father and Mother.
“If I were going to stage the endowment, the voice that you would hear whenever it is Elohim who speaks would be the voice of a man and a woman speaking in unison. It would not be the voice of a man. It would not be the voice of a man in an echo chamber. It would not have sound effects. I would not make some effort to get feedback or make it sound like Charlton Heston's conversation on the mount in Cecil B. DeMille's movie; I wouldn't do that. I would have a man and a woman speaking in unison whenever Elohim were to speak. If you want to know what the image of God is: In the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (ibid). That is the image of God. That is what God—if you look at His image—looks like. This is the reason why, when you have the Father throughout Scripture on display, it is always a Host. He appears with a heavenly Host. It is because our God, in the end, is not the image of some fellow standing about in a robe. It is this image, male and female. They two are together” (Marriage and Family, Denver Snuffer Jr., pp.1-2).
The image of God is that of both a man and woman. They play different roles with complimentary functions. But together through procreation, nurturing and instruction, they facilitate the ascension of man through the process of becoming godly.
What is Eternal Life?
When watching football games the camera often pans over the crowd and we see a spectator holding a sign saying John 17:3. In the traditional King James Bible this verse defines the meaning of Eternal Life.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.”
Many conclude the definition of Eternal Life is to know God, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. But there is more to this great mystery than coming to know the Father and Son. God is the sum of two parts. To truly know God and obtain Eternal Life, one must be familiar with the Father and Son and their Heavenly Companions.
“Now therefore hearken unto me [Heavenly Mother], O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me [Wisdom], watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth [Eternal] life and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me [Heavenly Mother, Wisdom] wrongeth his own soul, all they that hate me love death. These interesting words do not mean just discovering the abstract presence of “wisdom” as a characteristic attributable to the Mother in Heaven. Instead they require us to discover Her existence and acknowledge Her—otherwise we have not “found” Her. When She declares “whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favor of the Lord,” it should be taken literally. This does not mean we now pray to Her, for we are commanded to pray to the Father. But it does mean when we use the word “Father” to describe God we finally regard God to be both “male and female”—the original “image of God.”( Our Divine Parents, Denver Snuffer Jr.. p.24).
The best way to discover Heavenly Mother and obtain Eternal Life is respecting and honoring Her daughters. To act otherwise is to wrong our own souls, hating Her and loving death. In effect we become “froward.”
“This was once a temple text and has become somewhat corrupted. I will not make any corrections or clarifications. This is from Proverbs 8. The version we have has additional passages about the foolish woman at the beginning and again at the end. I discard those so the words attributed to the Heavenly Mother can be considered. She states: Hear, for I [Heavenly Mother] will speak of excellent things and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness, there is nothing froward or perverse in them. She proclaims Herself as the reliable source of truth, righteousness and plain— meaning clear—understanding. She is opposed to wickedness, frowardness—meaning stubbornness or contrariness—and perversity. If we are “froward” we are stubborn or contrary with one another. We dispute. We find it difficult to agree. How much debate and anger are produced by frowardness!” ( Our Divine Parents, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.5, emphasis added).
“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate. Wisdom and prudence go together as companions. “Prudence” means good judgment or common sense. It is the quality of assessing things correctly and making a sound decision in light of the circumstances and persons involved. Prudent judgment is not hasty or unfair. Arrogance is destroyed and pride overtaken by “fear of the Lord”—meaning that we do not want to disappoint our Lord by our low, vulgar and mean conduct. She mentions a second time Her opposition to the froward. This time She declares She hates the froward mouth. We repel Her by being argumentative and contrary with one another” (Our Divine Parents, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.6, emphasis added).
This paper began with a quote from the Lord’s Answer to a Prayer for Covenant.
“ . . . for I weigh the hearts of men and many have intended well, although they have spoken poorly. Wisdom [Heavenly Mother] counsels mankind to align their words with their hearts, but mankind refuses to take counsel from Wisdom [Heavenly Mother].”
Perhaps it is a fool’s errand to think we can have confidence in the presence of God when we disregard Her counsel and disrespect and demean Her daughters.
The Crowning Event of the Holy Order -The Missing Virtue
The last chapter of “Ten Parables” is titled “Missing Virtue.” The parable describes a happily married couple whom angels observed daily because of their pleasant interactions. The angels call the Lord’s attention to the couple and He observes them and arrives at the following conclusion:
“The Lord returned from where He came, and presented the matter to the council to consider. The Lord said, “I have considered the case of this young man, and have found his intent and desires to be perfect. He has labored long to gain light and has collected great light. However, he is lacking in one great virtue and it will be necessary for us to intervene if the young man is to be prepared to become one with us. “He is complete, having a wife whom he loves and who loves him. They are as one of us and their company would be well suited to mingle with our company.” Because of the Lord’s recommendation, the council determined to intervene, to preserve the young man and his wife. The Lord was to do all He saw fit to cause the preservation of this man and woman” (Snuffer, Denver C.. Ten Parables (p. 94), emphasis added. Kindle Edition).
Following the Lord’s proposal to the council, the young man was presented with various opportunities to bless the lives of people less fortunate.
In the last experience presented to him by the council, the young man had the following encounter with a woman on a street corner while walking to regional Priesthood Meeting at the conference center:
“When he arrived at the corner of South Temple Street, a crowd waited for the light to change. The man moved along the eastern edge of the crowd till he came to the sidewalk on South Temple Street then skirted along the outside until he could approach the curb. As he emerged from the side of the crowd, the man nearly bumped into an elderly woman, standing on the curb, holding a sign asking for help. The old woman did not so much as lift up her face, but stared at the ground for her shame in begging. No one was giving her any aid from the great crowd of men wearing suits. As was his practice, the man had money in his pocket to give to beggars. Since he had encountered but this one beggar, he gave to her more generously by reaching for her hand and putting money into it. At the kindness shown her, the old woman glanced up and said, “thank you so much.” The man responded: “God bless you,” and he meant it”
(Snuffer, Denver C.. Ten Parables (p. 103), emphasis added. Kindle Edition).
In a metaphorical sea of white shirts and suits, the young man was the only one willing to assist the elderly woman in her plight. In response to her humble gratitude for his offering, the young man pronounced a blessing of God upon her with sincerity.
“In the middle of the night, the man was awakened and summoned by the Spirit. He was taken by the Spirit back to the place where he had been earlier that day and stood now before the old beggar woman on a deserted street. As he stood before her, she transformed before his eyes, from an elderly beggar woman to a beautiful young personage whom he recognized as Sarah, wife of Abraham and Mother of all the righteous. When he saw who she was he wondered at what this all meant. Sarah spoke to him and said; “you passed the test.” The man, thinking she spoke of his giving her some money, said, “It wasn’t much of a test.” She responded, “But no one else had mercy.” And as he thought about all those who had been beside him in the crowd, none of whom had even noticed her, he was taken by the Spirit back to his home and bed” (Snuffer, Denver C.. Ten Parables (pp. 104-105), emphasis added. Kindle Edition).
It was not coincidence that it was Sarah, the wife of Abraham, the mother of the righteous who offered the final test for the young man. It was she who made it possible for Abraham to ascend to a heavenly throne, (I say unto you, Abraham and Sarah sit upon a Throne, for he could not be there if not for Sarah’s covenant with him:” The Holy Order Part 2, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.30, emphasis added).
For any man to ascend to a Throne following mortality, they must do so by receiving by covenant with his wife an anointing as a witness to God of his worthiness. Following the endorsement of Sarah, the mother of the righteous in the family of Abraham, the Lord summoned the young man.
“Within days the Lord came to him and instructed him further. The Lord dressed him in white and gave him further light and knowledge to prepare him. When he had been fully prepared by the Lord, he was summoned into the Heavenly Council, where he heard unspeakable things. Circles within circles were assembled, the Father being in the center of it all, and great rejoicing took place. The words of Psalms 2: 7 were spoken unto him. He met the hosts of heaven, and they were as a family unto him. He returned to his wife and made all things known to her and they rejoiced together at the things they were promised, and waited upon the Lord for their time to come, when they might leave this earth and join the choir above and be One with them. But the world did not know them. Now this happened because the Lord determined to preserve the young man and his wife. (Snuffer, Denver C.. Ten Parables (pp. 108-109), emphasis added. Kindle Edition).
Psalms 2:7 says, “I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” In that moment the young man and his wife were adopted into the family of God and they became “heirs of salvation” and joint heirs with Christ.
Restoration of the Holy Order is contingent on complying with many commandments, but the final one is contingent on the wife being willing and able in good conscience to witness to God her husband is worthy.
If the husband loves and respects his wife in mortality, she rewards him in eternity with a throne and family, a seat in the Holy Order. The establishment of this Order in the last days preserves some from burning when the Lord and those of His Order return to Earth. The work of the Lord will be “cut short in righteousness,” [see RE T&C 82:27] because some will respect Heavenly Mother, receive Her wisdom and become one with their wives in the society of Heaven. Maybe this is some of what we ought to have learned.
[1] In response to my private email, Chris Hamill of the scripture committee informed me capitalizing the “W” in Wisdom is a literary device used to help direct minds to the idea that wisdom may be referring to Heavenly Mother. Several examples in the scriptures of enlarging the “W” in Wisdom directs the readers thoughts to recognizing Wisdom as a title for Heavenly Mother. This was done at the direction of Denver C. Snuffer Jr.
[2] “I, Wisdom [Heavenly Mother], dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of clever inventions. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom. I am understanding [Heavenly Mother], I have strength. By me kings reign and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles — even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honor are with me — yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment, that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries” (RE Proverbs 1:36, emphasis added).
[3] “The Father and Mother are One. But the Mother bridges the gulf between the Throne of the Father and fallen man. She made it possible for the Son of God to enter this fallen world for the salvation of everything in it” (Our Divine Parents, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.15, emphasis added).
Scott Roderick
5/5/24
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