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It is the constitutional disposition of mankind to set up stakes and set bounds to the works and ways of the Almighty. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 320)

I have had a recurring dream over many years. In this dream there is a massive mountain I am supposed to climb. As I look up at the mountain I shudder at the prospect of climbing it. The thought of ascending the mountain is utterly fearsome to me, because it exudes danger and darkness and will take every ounce of my will power and energy. I realize I could die trying to climb this mountain, because people die climbing mountains like Everest, K2, or McKinley, and this mountain I am looking at seems even more challenging and ominous.

Can you imagine that you are on an expedition to climb a mountain that is as foreboding, dark, dreadful, and terrible as this mountain appears to me. To climb such a mountain you are constantly cold, fighting for every breath of air, and every step is agony. Oh, and did I mention that I have to climb it by myself? There is the constant fear of a misstep or falling. To my mind, to climb this mountain would require superhuman endurance.

I have come to believe that mountain represented to me the obtaining of something precious and valuable, beyond obtaining anything worldly like wealth, financial security, or power. It came to represent in my mind the obtaining of the most precious thing there is, eternal life. Summiting that mountain at first seemed unobtainable, but I have since learned a few things that make that mountain not so unobtainable in my mind.

I remember reading about a dream that Joseph F. Smith had when he was a young man on a mission in Hawaii sometime in the 1850’s. If I remember the story, in the early part of his mission he found himself struggling to learn the language. He felt he would never be able to get to the point he could converse and preach in the native tongue. He spent weeks with a Hawaiian- English dictionary trying to learn the words, but he was making no progress. In despair he thought about giving up. And then he had a dream. In this dream found himself at the bottom of a tremendous cliff that rose straight up from where he stood. He could not see the top. I can imagine that it seemed to him just has ominous and unobtainable as my mountain was to me. It was suggested to him somehow that he had to climb that cliff, but he could see no way up. He prayed for help. Then he heard a voice telling him that he just had to reach out, get started, and he would be able to get to the top. So he walked over to the face of the cliff and reached up with one of his arms. He felt a groove in the face of the cliff that he could grasp with his hand and pull himself up with. He raised one of his feet and found a foot hold. He pulled himself up and reached with the other hand as far as he could reach and there was another groove in the cliff face that he could grab onto. And thus he was able to pull himself up using the unseen footholds and grooves that presented to him as he climbed. Eventually he reached the top of the cliff.

That was a helpful story that taught me that difficult things can be accomplished through a will to succeed, patience, and prayers for divine help.

In my prayer life I have come to understand, over a long period of time, something important– the Lord is actually listening. Occasionally, while praying, I would feel the presence of someone else in the room. This sensation was so powerful at times I would open my eyes to see if there was someone there. I couldn’t see anyone, but I could feel them. Accompanying this feeling of someone’s presence I would feel light and a sensation of love enter my mind. The best way I can describe it is as if watching the light of a sunrise fill the sky.

But at those moments I would pull back in my prayer, afraid to go on. I experienced a sense that if I delve deeper in my prayer, press on exploring the sensations I was having, I would experience something I was not prepared for, something fearful. I would end my prayer, suddenly, afraid to continue. I was experiencing the same sort of dread that I felt when I dreamt of the mountain.

Why did I do that? What was it I was afraid of encountering if I continued in my prayer? After much soul searching I have come to the conclusion a couple of things: 1) I was afraid I might have to come to terms with my sins, my shortcomings and 2) I was afraid I might be asked to do something I won’t want to do. I was placing limits on what I was willing to do, driving stakes into the ground as if saying, “I will go this far, but no further.” This was the substance of the fears I had when I realized I had to climb that mountain.

I now recognize and have somewhat come to terms with these revelations about myself, I need to push those stakes out further. I would like to remove them completely, but perhaps I am just not ready for that yet. It is not an easy thing to be honest with yourself, but recognizing that I created and sustain those limitations is a great first step.

The essence of the meaning of that massive dark mountain I have to ascend is fear; a foreboding sense of what it will take to reach the top. I find fear to be the greatest impediment to climbing mountains, as well as making my prayers more meaningful and efficacious. Do you remember that story about a man who had fallen off a cliff, but was holding on to the root of a tree he was able to grab hold of just as he fell over the edge. As he is dangling there just a breath away from the root breaking and falling to his death, he prays to God to save him. God answers him, “Let go of the root, and I will save you.” That is the predicament we will find ourselves if we press forward seeking the face of the Lord. I think that is illustrative of the fear that grips my soul at those times I can feel the light of the Sun (Son) rising up in my soul at times in my prayer when I shut it down prematurely.

As others have described it, who have had the experience of meeting the Savior in the flesh, it is a fearsome thing to meet the Lord in your sins. Perhaps it is the holding on to our sins that stops us from seeking the Lord to its final end. King Lamoni let go of his sins in an instant. He had not spent years seeking to find the Lord as we have. It took the simple faith of a child for him to do that. But our Gentile sensibilities dictate that we need to own our faults and overcome our faults on our own. Maybe that is the key–hand it all over to the Lord and have faith that He can absolve us of our sins. Subconsciously we are very aware of our sins, even if in our conscious minds we think we have come to terms with them. Our fear is that in a moment of existential anxiety (such as meeting angels or Christ) it will all come out in a terrible vengeance to equalize the scale. Christ removes all of that if we have faith to allow Him to do that.

The other fear that many of us harbor is this: what will I be asked to do, if the Savior were to appear to me? At some point I may be asked to do something I don’t want to do. Remember Abraham, Moses, Nephi, in fact all the saints we read about in the scriptures and in our pioneer histories had to endure great trials. Why would it be any easier for us?

There is a third factor I struggle with, and that is the shear mental effort of engaging in meaningful prayer. It will sometimes take me up to an hour in prayer to get to a place in my mind where I really feel like I am conversing with God and receiving answers. Usually I don’t seem to know what to pray for, at least not in some meaningful way; I do not want to sound repetitious, as if I am praying for the same things everyday.

After a long time struggling in my prayers, what to say, or how to say it, it occurred to me to just talk about my day. Talk about what I had done, what I hope for, what didn’t work out, or what did. I started talking to the Lord about what I had read and the people I had met. Opening myself up to sharing my fears and my hopes is putting my prayers at a different level, and I find myself pushing through the boundaries of how far I am willing to go in my prayers. It also helps to write a list of things I think of throughout the day to discuss with the Lord.

I even talk to the Lord about the stuff I am writing and publishing on my blog. I have probably 30 posts I have drafted but not released. When I ask the Lord about them He seems to respond in this way: “You should probably not publish that.” or I will get a sense that He approves. There have actually been a couple times where I felt Him say to me, “Now is the time to publish that post.” (This is one of those posts)

Preparation to have meaningful prayer all takes tremendous time and effort. I find that I get out of it what I put into it. The mountain doesn’t seem so ominous to me now, but it is still steep and tall. I can now, however, see easier paths up to the summit.

Ulysses S and Julia Grant

After stepping down from his second term in office as president of the United States in 1877, Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia, took a long trip to Europe. He wanted to see the sights and experience the places that he had long desired to see. After a very difficult second term where a lot of corruption and graft was uncovered taking place among his most trusted advisors and friends, he just wanted to get as far away from it as possible. President Grant was like most honest and virtuous men, he thought everyone else was like him. He was blind to the dishonesty and deceit of others, simply because he couldn’t conceive of it in himself.

Ulysses and Julia departed from Philadelphia in May of 1877, two months after President Rutherford Hayes, his successor, was inaugurated. They arrived in England to a surprisingly enthusiastic and welcoming crowd of well wishers. They were invited to come and stay at a number of estates and castles where they were feted quite lavishly. After traveling around England, Scotland, and a trip to France and Italy, President Hayes sent a US Navy ship, the USS Vandalia, to convey the Grants on a “leisurely winter Mediterranean cruise to Egypt”.

The second officer of the Vandalia, Albert Caldwell, wrote his impressions of the former President in a letter to his family, grumbling, “We are to take the great ringmaster about the Mediterranean; it has cost me much annoyance and trouble already and I am in hopes that his money will give out before he gets to Cadiz.” It seems Second Officer Caldwell was not looking forward to pandering to the whims and eccentricities of puffed up, as he believed, demanding, and self important VIP’s.

Within a month his opinion of Grant would change dramatically. In a later letter he wrote, “My opinion of old USG has changed wonderfully — he is as pleasant and jolly as can be and I can see now how he had friends who stuck to him through thick and thin.” And then Caldwell writes something remarkable, “One thing that make me like the whole party is the affection existing between them—the Boss (Grant) and Jesse (the Grant’s son) are as kind and attentive to the mother as if she were a sweet girl of 18 summers.”¹

What makes this statement remarkable to me is the surprise one man would have that a middle aged couple would still have such love and affection for each other after being married for almost 30 years and after having lived through and experienced so much notoriety in that time, and been elevated to heights of power and social standing. It occurred to me that Caldwell was surprised because it is not such a common thing to see that kind of devotion between husband and wife after so many years of marriage and in families of status. There was another incident reported while Grant was still president, where one of his cabinet members visited the White House one day during working hours to discuss an important matter with the president. He found the president and his wife sitting in their family room, close to each other holding hands. When they saw they were being observed, they quickly pulled their hands away from each other. (In that day and age public displays of affection (PDA’s) were considered low class). Apparently it was a common thing for President Grant and his wife, Julia, to spend time together in the middle of the day while he was president.

I have thought about how rare it is for this level of love and tenderness to exist between husband and wife after decades of marriage, or even only a few years of marriage after the honeymoon period has past. I wonder how many marriages develop into marriages of convenience, couples feeling trapped because of finances, duty, or children. Or, how many couples take each other for granted and find they are just “comfortable” with the way things are, not willing to expend the effort to evolve their partnership into something that other people observe, admire, and praise. How dismal it seems to me to live life without experiencing a truly loving marriage. The dictionary defines “bliss” as, “A cause of great delight or happiness“. I think that is an apt description of what marriage was meant to be.

As I think back a decade or two, I can see myself taking my wife for granted. I loved her, but took her for granted, and was occasionally critical and judgmental. At one point I recognized that If I wanted our marriage to be more than it was, I had to change. Me, not her. I tried to change my attitude, but she would do something to irritate me and the resentment and judgement would rise up in my feelings..

One night during prayer I had the thought to pray that I might see Nancy as the Lord sees her. I hoped that maybe if I was given a burst of Christ-like love I could change my attitude and behavior towards her. As I prayed the words, an image came into my mind. Brief and fleeting, but wonderful beyond description. I saw, what could only be described as, a brilliant shining angel in my mind. The image and brightness of her beauty astounded me. I was made to understand that was the spirit of my wife, and I thought, I can’t believe I am married to her!

I told Nancy about my experience. It changed our lives.

(I hope you can forgive this very personal account, but I wanted to make a point about the limitation of our memories, sight, sound and emotions that is available to us in this less then perfect world.)

I still feel some annoyance with my wife occasionally, and I know she experiences the same with me, but the memory of that image brings me back to a sense of awe. Awe is a superlative that is not out of place here. I also know that some reading this post might think this is really sappy, but I am not ashamed to admit that I am in love with my wife. It has taken a while for me to realize her true value.

I have come to believe the number one item we will be judged on in this life is our relationship with our family, and primarily with our spouses. Everything else doesn’t really matter because all the qualities that heaven looks for in exalted beings is encompassed in the relationship between husband and wife. When the angels observe a marriage that is worth preserving they act in whatever way they can to preserve that marriage and to promote it so that it remains throughout all eternity a bastion of love and nurture through which families of worlds and universes can be nourished. It is that rare of a thing. The Heavens don’t take notice until the angels observe a husband and wife acting together with humility, gentleness, and real love towards each other.

You really don’t know the person you marry. During courtship people are always on their best behavior, may even be play acting. You don’t see her in the morning before she puts her makeup on. You don’t experience him when he comes home from a stressful day at work. You lose the obvious, or not so obvious, character flaws in a haze of idealism, and when the flaws start poking out after marriage, you react to them in such a way that begins to cause friction.

There are situations where a marriage needs to be dissolved because of the iniquities and sins of one of the partners. To say, however, “we aren’t compatible”, I think, is not valid from heaven’s perspective.

When it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter who you marry. I mean it does on some level, but what heaven is watching for is how two different individuals can create a loving relationship, and become a single entity, that can endure and create the environment in which eternal lives can be created and thrive. The person you see in front of you, the one that you once loved passionately but perhaps now take for granted or may even look upon as a burden, is not the soul you think she is. She is only a shadow of her real self. If only you could see her as the noble glorious spirit that she really is. The challenge that faces you is to turn a marriage that perhaps has gone a little stale into one that the Holy Spirit of Promise will come to you both and seal the promise of an eternal life together. I don’t think it matters if you are a president, a prophet, or a saint. If you don’t have the ability to create that kind of love in your home, at some very important level, perhaps the most important, you have failed.

There is another reason for men to prioritize their marriage and give your wife a reason to love and cherish you. We men must treat our wives with the greatest of affection and love, because without them we cannot progress in the eternal world. Without their vote, their election of us, we cannot enter into the celestial level. In the second anointing ordinance, which was introduced by Joseph Smith and has fundamentally remained unchanged today according to written descriptions of have of both modern and 19 century versions,² there is a ceremony where the wife anoints her husband and accepts him as her consort enabling them both to enter into the realm of celestial glory at some point after their death. Without her acceptance of him, there is no progression.³

That second anointing ceremony is based on a true principle. The story of Jacob and Esau is illustrative of the authority of the mother, Rachel, to name the heir to her husband Jacob. Also note the account of Mary in John 12, who took ” a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair…” to which Christ explained was saved by her to anoint his feet in preparation for his burial. This was an ordinance that Jesus and Mary planned to do in public. It is obvious that Mary had a special relation with Jesus. Some evidence exists that Mary was the companion (read wife? consort?) of Jesus.⁴ In the apocryphal book, Gospel of Mary, Peter asks Mary, “Sister, we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of women. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember – which you know (but) we do not.”⁵

The principle that I am laying out here is that men may play the part as holders of the Priesthood in this life, but men only enjoy a continuance, and an adding to the priesthood beyond this life, if the wife endorses and accepts him. Women play the part as king makers as well as life givers in the eternal realms. So, men, you had better treat her like the queen she is meant to be, or you will find yourself in a hard place.

Notes: ¹ American Ulysses, A Life of Ulysses S. Grant, Ronald C. White; Random House, 2016.

² The mysteries of Godliness, David John Buerger, 1994, p.103, and note 91 page 108.

³ http://www.mormonthink.com/personalstories/tomphillips.htm

⁴ Testimony of John 8:13. “And among those who were present were his mother, and Mary, the Elect Lady who was companion with Jesus. She cut off the seven locks of his hair that had not been cut before because of the vow, which fell at her feet. This troubled his disciples who feared his strength would depart from him but said nothing because Jesus permitted it to be done. Jesus, seeing their concern, asked, Is not a lamb shorn before it is sacrificed? But they did not understand his meaning. And she took royal oil used to coronate a king, containing spikenard, frankincense and myrrh, and applied it to the head, arms and hands, legs and feet of Jesus. And the house was filled with the smell of the royal anointing oil. One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would later betray him, spoke up and asked, Why was this anointing oil wasted instead of sold for a year’s wages of $40,000, and the money used to help the poor? He did not say this because he cared for the poor, but because he was a greedy thief who acted as treasurer for the group, and he wanted to get control over the money. Jesus rebuked him and said, Leave her alone. My mother has safeguarded this gift from my birth until now to be used for this moment. This anointing is required to be done to establish me before I lay down my life.”

⁵ The Gospel of Mary, The Nag Hammadi Library in English, ed. James M. Robinson,; Harper and Row, p. 525

“A fanciful and flowery and heated imagination be aware of, because the things of God are of deep import, and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Your mind, O man, if you will lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost Heavens, and search into and contemplate the lowest considerations of the darkest abyss, and expand upon the broad considerations of eternal expanse. You must commune with God. How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of God than the vain imagination of the human heart? None but fools will trifle with the souls of men.” (T&C 138:18)

I read the quote above last week, must have been the 20th time I have read it, and a feeling of great dread came over me. I was struck by the phrase “if you will lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost Heavens, and search into and contemplate the lowest considerations of the darkest abyss, and expand upon the broad considerations of eternal expanse.” In pondering this phrase I remembered Hugh Nibley writing that the Angels abhor empty space. I can see how the horror of empty space presses upon their spirits as a nagging reminder of their utter dependence on higher powers and complete nakedness in the face of eternity. It may be one of the boundaries that Angels set stakes upon which they will not venture past.

I am also reminded of something Eugene England wrote forty years ago. England was a professor of English Literature at BYU from about 1974 to 1995. He is also known for having had a famous “run in” with Elder Bruce R McConkie who told Eugene that he was teaching false doctrine (he wasn’t) and famously wrote to him: “It is my province to teach to the Church what the doctrine is. It is your province to echo what I say or to remain silent.” Here is an experience that England wrote about in his book, Dialogues with Myself :

“…I began to learn from by father, who taught early morning seminary, about the worlds without number God created and that we had always existed and always would, destined to explore and create forever in that infinite universe, it was exciting, deeply moving at times, to look into those friendly fires that formed patterns in the night and stretched away beyond my comprehension.“

“But one evening there began to come moments when I could feel moving into my mind, like a physical presence, the conviction that all was quite absurd. It made no sense at all that anything should exist. Something like nausea, but deeper and frightening, would grow in my stomach and chest but also at the core of my spirit, progressing like vertigo until in desperation I must jump up or talk suddenly of trivial things to break the spell and regain balance. And since that time I am always aware that that feeling, that extreme awareness of the better claim of nothingness, lies just beyond the barriers of my busy mind and will intrude when I let it.”¹

I had a similar experience when I was a very young man, except I was having a recurring dream, a nightmare really, that I had over many nights for several years. I had very much the same feelings that England described. I can only explain that it was like being taken to an empty region of space and then abandoned without any hope, without a place to set my feet, no light, no other individual. It was complete darkness, not just lack of light, but it had substance to it pressing in on me. It was the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced. I felt that I could scream and no one would come to me, or even could hear me. I had very much the same feelings as England described about existence, of how easily it could be snuffed out and how precarious it is. After having these dreams I thought it was the fate of great sinners or sons of perdition to be sent into outer darkness and into dissolution. I have struggled to understand that experience, it was so powerful and so real. What was it? Was it some kind of warning to me to choose the right path? It wasn’t just a nightmare, because it was palpable, real to me, and it occurred over and over for a couple years. Could it have been a memory, a residual recollection from a distant past experience? Or, was it a recurring nightmare influenced by nightmare inducing demons? Monsters had no hold of fear over me like this nightmare. Perhaps by producing in my mind the terrors of judgement that Satanic spirits experience would be a tactic of the advisary.²

Over the years I have come to understand that there are no coincidences, at least not at this level of congruity. Whether caused by dark spirits or induced by the Spirit of Truth, there was purpose of a divine nature in it. There was a purpose in my having this experience so young in life; possibly to prepare my mind for future trials, experiences, or to help me form a basis of understanding for something I would encounter in the future. Or was it all of the above?

One thing I have learned about this experience is that the Lord meant for me to explore and seek an understanding of it. It is something against which I have to prepare my mind. A fear of which I need to overcome. So, I am sharing one aspect of my understanding of this experience that I think Eugene England, and who knows how many others, have shared.

It was among other things, as Joseph Smith put it, an instance of gaining a “correct understanding of his character, perfections, and attributes; because, without revelation which he has given us, no man by searching could find out God.“³

You see, many people in the religious tradition I grew up with, believe that they are destined to dwell with God in His presence, and even become like Him, if they think about it at all, without the slightest idea of what is really entailed to become like Him. They have no concept of the formative experiences and tests that they have to undertake over eons of time. I think if they really understood what was required, what they would have to experience, they would shrink from the idea of it. Even the Angels fear to cross the stakes they have placed for themselves, content to have others play the principal part. Remember the saying, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread?” Meaning, Fools (people who assume something without investigation) venture into something that if they were wiser, would give a wide berth.

When you become a god and go to a space to begin creating your own cosmos, you must go to a space where there is no light, no place to stand on. No up, down, right or left. There is nothing but chaos, if there is anything at all. You are the light. You provide all the impetus to organize and create. You will have to learn to do that. To us, now, this place is terrifying, even horrifying. Others have described this place as a place that can drive a man to insanity.⁴ In a sense, you actually do have to create out of nothing, ex nihilo. You must bring order out of the chaos with your mind, with your will, and you will have to over come the fear and have perfect faith. “Your mind, O man, if you will lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost Heavens.” You will only be allowed to create as a God if you are in perfect harmony with truth. You will have to generate light where there has never been any. There is no one else to turn to for the light needed, as Harry Truman’s desk placard said, “The Buck stops here.”

There is an interesting passage from Hugh Nibley in his, Nibley on the Timely and the Timeless, that gives us a possible scenario:

“The mere mechanics of the creation process as described in our “treasure” texts display truly remarkable scientific insight. For the making of a world the first requirements, we are told, are a segment of empty space, pure and unencumbered, and a supply of primordial matter to work with. Mere empty space and inert matter are, however, forbidding and profitless things in themselves, disturbing and even dangerous things for humans to be involved with –contemplating them, the mind is seized with vertigo until some foothold is found in the void. The order and stability of a foundation are achieved through the operation of a “Spark”. The Spark is sometimes defined as a small idea that comes forth from God and makes all the difference between what lives and what does not;” ⁵

Whether or not this thread of reasoning was the intent of the nightmarish event I had many years ago, this is what that experience has led me to understand. I think we begin to learn how to generate light right here in this mortal existence, to be a Spark. We must encounter the darkest abyss as well as the highest heights of heaven in order to understand precisely what it is we really want. We have to begin programing the All of us, the soul, intelligence, spirit and body into a creative being of light while here in this mortality. Faith and knowledge is the glue. Do you project light where you go, or do you engender darkness by hiding your light, or letting it lie dormant?

——————————————————– Notes: ¹ Dialogues With Myself, Eugene England; Signature Books, 4th printing, 1988, p. 195

² In Luke 8:31, the devils, called Legion, plead with the Lord to not send them into the “deep”. “And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.” They obviously had a fear of being driven out into the dark, groundless existence of the deep.

³ Lectures on Faith, Lecture Second, pg.37; Deseret Book Company, 1985

⁴Gospel of Bartholomew, chap. 3-4; Apocalypse of Abraham 16-17; The Book of Enoch, R.H. Charles, 297; Pistis Sophia; Gospel of Truth. Nibley describes how Babylonian God, Marduk, found his space to begin creation and established the fixed points of reference to create from. (Nibley on the Timely and the Timeless, note 93, pg. 78)

⁵ Nibley on the Timely and the Timeless, Hugh Nibley; Publishers Press, SLC, 1978, pg. 60

Denver recently published a poem, Arcadia, he had written eulogizing a friend that had recently passed away. His name was John Hall,who was professor of Classics and Ancient History at Brigham Young University, specializing in Roman and Etruscan studies. Denver’s poem contains references to ancient Egyptian religion and symbolism as a way of honoring his friend and taking the opportunity to teach some sacred doctrine through obscure symbols. Roman, Greek and Etruscan Religions owe much of their ritual, myth, and esoteric beliefs to the Egyptians. You can read Denver’s poem here:

https://denversnuffer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Arcadia-1.pdf

You will find the poem is full of symbolism and words that are probably unfamiliar to you and will not make any sense to you, unless you have read Hugh Nibley’s writings on Abraham or a few of his books such as, Joseph Smith Papyri. There are also some phrases in the poem that bridge, or elude to The Testimony of John, Greek esotericism, and the Mormon Temple endowment.

I don’t pretend to know the meaning or intent behind Denver’s use of mythological terms and image. But I recognize many of the symbols he uses from reading various books on the topic, particularly the Egyptian studies that Hugh Nibley wrote. I can only write what I think about the symbology he uses and what my studies have taught me about some of those symbols. Denver uses these symbols from Egyptian and Greek religion to introduce concepts and principles describing ascension to heaven without divulging things he may be reluctant to explain openly.

I have broken down this discussion into two parts: The ascension to heaven through Egyptian and Greek symbology being the first. The second is a discussion of the Pole Star Fellowship.

Hugh Nibley explained the interpretation of Egyptian religious symbology this way (paraphrasing): ‘You can translate word for word from Egyptian hieroglyphics on temple walls and papyrus, but you can’t translate the hidden meaning, because no one knows what they fully represent. Egyptian religious writings and inscriptions are coated with layers of mystic symbolism. Overall, Egyptologists have been unable to determine the keys to understanding the real mystical meaning of Egyptian mythology and religion because everything the Egyptians wrote about was considered by them to be too sacred to be explained and revealed to the uninitiated. Not understanding this basic understanding of Egyptian religious writings, the experts believe they can criticize the Book of Abraham simply by comparing the papyri that inspired Joseph Smith, with the text of the scripture that he “translated” (The Book of Abraham). They can read the actual papyri, translate word for word, but they don’t understand it. They think they do, and write very scholarly books on just what the Egyptian priests believed. But the Egyptians veiled their beliefs about heaven and the ascension process of the soul. Because the scholars think they “understand” they can declare that Joseph made it all up, because it is “obvious” that the Joseph Smith Papyrus doesn’t say what he said it does. Nibley believed the Joseph Smith Papyrus is an ascension document and Joseph only uses it as a reference document for the Book of Abraham, not the source for a literal translation.

     Denver appears to use ancient symbology in this poem in a similar way the Egyptian Priests write about ascension. He veils what he doesn’t feel free or is reluctant to detail openly. This is what he says about the poem Arcadia:

“If the poem “Arcadia” contains things that puzzle you, then you ought to see whether you can search them out and make sense of it. The Egyptian religion, so far as we can reconstruct it at this late date, was filled with symbols and figures that represented ideas, doctrines, principles and truths. They were not so ignorant as to think these symbols were real beasts or hybrids, but used pictographic representations to communicate ideas.” ¹

So, this is my attempt to offer insight into the meaning of the symbols, and maybe a few ideas about what principles may be behind the symbols. My purpose is to help people interested to at least get a start into understanding the labyrinth of ideas and truths hidden in the poem. Again, I don’t pretend to know what was on Denver’s mind, only that I recognize some of the symbols he uses and how I interpret them.

Take flight now to a distant shore
Let seven gates open before you
May the Sentries acknowledge the rites you hold
And welcome you back to a prior abode

First Stanza: The Soul, at death, takes on a form like a bird and flies to the Western Lands to enter the first gateway to heaven. In the first four stanzas of the poem you can find similarities to the symbolism of the endowment ceremony of the modern LDS temple. There are possibly five gates that are presented in the LDS temple endowment. The seven gates that Denver mentions in the poem could be a reference to Jacob’s Ladder, which is symbolic of the levels that one must ascend to return to the Kingdom of the Father. In Egyptian Mythology, a soul will be brought to numerous gates to be tested, and if he/she passes the test, will be allowed to pass the gate and continue on their journey. If he does not pass the test, his ba (Soul) is fed to Ammit.

We’ve held two fingers against our lips
And held inviolate trusted relationships
Learned within a five-point embrace
What is only disclosed in sacred space

Second Stanza: I think of the two fingers against our lips as a doubly guarded warning to not divulge sacred principles to those who have not received a dispensation– sacred principles that are revealed to individuals directly from heaven, not through another person. In the temple ceremony before 1990, the soul was brought to the veil where through a sacred embrace, having 5 elements of contact, the soul, having passed all the tests, is given sacred and secret keys and allowed to pass into the realms of heaven.

The world searches in vain to recover
What heaven alone will let man discover
No amount of study and contemplation
Can gain what must come through dispensation

Third stanza: There is only one way a person can obtain the secrets of heaven and be allowed to ascend to heaven, and that is through the mechanism that God has established for all men and women who are sincerely, and with all their might, seeking. That mechanism is through the Holy Spirit. There is no other way. Inspired men can only point a direction, but the individual must establish, by themselves, a connection with heaven.

Let your heart be weighed against a feather
That Ma-at’ may justify your heavenly treasure
Bypass Ammit leaving her unfed
And move freely beyond the dead

Fourth Stanza: In the first figure above, the soul is brought to a scale where his heart is measured against the weight of a feather. If her heart is heavier than the feather, her soul is fed to the monster, Ammit. Ma’at is the feather of justice and charity with which your heart is compared. The dead whose heart is heavy remains dead (the second death?), while the saint is allowed to pass on her journey to ascension.

Let nothing imprison you below
Mount up to Arcadia through the narrow
Take in the light that Ammon sends you
As your new flesh, and bone and sinew

The fifth stanza: The theme of the poem is ascension to the kingdom of heaven, Arcadia. It is a narrow strait path. Ammon is the great senior God (The Father) who is the source of all light, all life, and the regulator of the very breath we take as well as our heart beat. Arcadia is a place in Greek mythology that brings to mind an idyllic place, a pastoral paradise akin to our concept of Zion. It will be necessary for you to obtain a new body, as promised at the veil in the temple.

Rise on the barque of Ra through Wedjat-eye
Beyond this dark earth’s opaque sky
Where ancient knowledge is found unsullied
And all secrets of the cosmos are studied

Sixth Stanza: Ammon-Ra is the supreme creator. He represents giving light through the symbol of the sun that rests above his head. The Wedjet-eye seems to be used by the Egyptians to denote a divine presence, which blesses whatever ceremony or ordinance is taking place. Could it represent power and authority? In terms we are familiar with, would that be equivalent to priesthood fulness, or acceptance through sealing power?

In Egyptian mythology there is a sun-barque and a moon-barque, both symbolizing a journey through the heavens. The moon is “unharmed” (complete) when it is full. It achieves its fulness in steps or degrees. There are 14 steps to the waxing moon from new moon to full moon. The moon demonstrates to the Egyptian the process of ascension. To us it demonstrates the degrees of light we obtain at various stages as we approach fulness, or completeness.

Facsimile 2 in the Book of Abraham has a depiction of the Barque of Ra, fig.3, with the Wedjet-eye in front of and behind Ra. Fig.3 (Facsimile 2) “Is made to represent God, sitting upon his throne clothed with power and authority; with a crown of eternal light upon his head; representing also the grand key-words of the holy Priesthood…”(Book of Abraham, Facsimile 2)

Dark Earth’s opaque sky: There is a veil placed surrounding this world where light/truth is severely filtered except by “dispensation”(3^rd Stanza) and by covenant. Book of Revelation discloses that the heavens will roll up like a scroll when Christ comes. In my mind, that is symbolic of the veil that surrounds the earth being removed. When the veil is removed, the earth will be exposed to the full glory and light of the heavens. Receiving knowledge by dispensation means receiving knowledge by revelation, which each individual is admonished to obtain for themselves.

Ancient knowledge is closer to revealed truth than modern knowledge. All ancient secrets are available there beyond the veil (or through the veil), as Denver writes in stanza 2, “What is only disclosed in sacred space” Joseph Smith wrote about how the fulness of things revealed to Adam from the foundation of the world will be made available. The hearts will be drawn to the Fathers, because the Fathers obtained the fulness which is not available currently on the earth. The Ancients knew much more than we do. And because of the promises made to the ancient Fathers, we can receive the same knowledge and blessings.

Commentary: The true purpose of revelation and prophecy is to demonstrate and teach every soul who desires to ascend that they cannot depend on anyone else to find and follow the path to the heavenly realms. You will be walking the path alone. No one, not a prophet, not a seer, not parents, president, apostle, pastor or even the Lord can save you without you connecting directly to the Father and obtain your own revelation. What prophets and seers and other inspired people can do for you is tell you what is possible, that you can approach the Lord and that you can achieve salvation, but they cannot take you there. It is your heart that will be weighed against the Ma’at feather. When that event happens, you will stand naked. Your deeds in life will not count, your obedience to a church or creed will not count, your contributions to “worthy” causes will not count. Only the weight of your heart. Where is your heart when you pay your tithing? Where is your heart when you fulfill a calling? Where is your heart when you go out to the homeless and work with them to provide succor and support? What is your motivation for doing good works? Do you perform them out of duty, or fear, or because you were assigned, or because others are watching, including heaven? Or do you do them out of pure charity with no expectation of any kind of reward? In Egyptian parlance the key words and phrases that you must know to pass the sentinels (angels) are just symbolic of what you obtained by righteous living. Works are dead because you can’t earn your way into heaven. Only your relationship with Christ will get you past the gates. Works are only an imperfect evidence of where your heart is.

Language, words, are a very primitive way to communicate. It is a limitation of our mortal existence. The Lord often uses symbology and ideas to communicate with us. That is why religious, or spiritual symbology is so powerful. It communicates beyond words. We tend to take words literally, but symbology has many facets and levels of understanding. Revelation and prophecy will sometimes come to you as compressed ideas, or as symbology, which then allows you to unencrypt and decompress a much more vast amount of light than words can convey. The symbology that Denver uses can open a door to a vast amount of knowledge if you are willing to pay the price. It requires approaching the light, inquiring, and opening up your mind to the unfamiliar, and maybe even the strange.

So, what is happening here in this parable of a poem? What happens when you pass over to the other side? Near death experiences (NDE’s) are not really death experiences because they came back, so we can’t really take what people say about their experience with trust. We can trust that they had an experience, but they were only in a transition state momentarily. The people who experience NDE’s are only relating their understanding of symbols and ideas that are individual in nature- for which they have an inadequate language to express. We do have the scriptures, but they only lay out a very general, 10,000 foot view of what happens when we pass over. If anything, the mystery we need to pay attention to in this poem is that there is more at stake then we seem to grasp. We tend to take the whole topic very cavalierly, not giving it the seriousness it demands. Finally, If you want to understand better the mystery of ascension, then you may want to become a member of the Pole Star Fellowship.

The second part that I will publish in a follow-on posting will discuss the symbology of the “Pole Star Fellowship”, stanzas 7-13.

Do you find that your spiritual and prayer life goes in spurts? You oscillate between meaningful and satisfying prayer and having joy in daily living; and then plunging into depths of a dark brooding mood. It may not be that dramatic, but it may seem everything goes right and then nothing can go right. You can go for days or weeks or longer and you just can’t seem to get into the groove. You read scriptures and you can’t even remember what you read a few minutes later. And then for a period of time you are able to make a connection to heaven and your prayers seem to become intimate with the divine. The scriptures seem to open up to you. Maybe at these times you feel a sacred presence and your soul is lifted, not being dragged down by the incidental worries and cares that shout for your attention because you are alive in this world.

If you are like me, and I suspect you are, there are times you can feel a presence and a peace that envelops you when you pray and read scriptures. Sometimes that peace carries you through the day until you do something to offend the spirit. You have an inappropriate thought, you judge someone, are unkind, exercise unrighteous dominion with your spouse, kids, or co-workers, or you participate in an inappropriate activity. When the spirit is offended as this happens, it leaves, and sometimes it does so with a huff. By that I mean it leaves immediately and suddenly. So sudden, that if you are paying attention, the difference is palpable, like switching off a light in a dark room. More then likely though we don’t notice the difference because we are engaged in the activity or thought that causes the spirit to withdraw.

It can be very discouraging to be on this roller coaster ride of trying to live by the spirit and continue to have to live in the world and abide its rules. I find I keep beating myself up about the lapses and the constant pleading with the Lord for help. If you are like me you might think along these terms: “Why would the Lord listen to my prayers? I keep doing stupid things and keep coming back asking the Lord to forgive me for the same dumb things, over and over again?”

How do you stop judging people? How do you forgive someone who feels justified in hurting you on purpose? How do you, as a very flawed person, approach a God who is perfect and can see through your elegantly phrased pleadings and hypocritical thoughts in prayer? He can see that your prayers are sometimes nothing more than an attempt to manipulate Him. Often I will wonder why the Lord would work with such a weak and stubborn man.

But , then I am reminded of a verse from Nephi in the Book of Mormon, which informs me that if I press forward, keeping my sights on Christ and follow His example, even when I fail miserably at times –over and over at times it seems– feast on His words, and endure to the end, I shall have eternal life. That is the promise (2 Nephi 31:19-20). And there is Nephi’s lament:

Oh then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

And why should I yield to sin because of my flesh? yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. (2 Nephi 4:2-28)

What keeps me going back, even when encumbered with deep seated flaws and persistent habitual violations of Christ’s laws given in the Sermon the Mount? His promises keep me coming back. And so I PRESS forward against the boulders I have placed on the path. I figure if there is hope for Nephi, surely there is hope for me.

I received this email from the LDS Church advertising the October General Conference last month:

“One of the ways we can hear Jesus Christ’s voice is through His called prophets, apostles, and other Church leaders that speak at general conference. Think about questions that have been weighing on your mind, and then listen for answers the Lord will send you through His servants.“

I have a better way to hear the voice of Jesus Christ. Ask Him yourself. You do not need another man to tell you what the Lord wants you to do. Rather then think about questions you would ask the Lord and listen to the conference speakers for answers, why not try asking the Lord yourself and listen for His response to you? It is true that you can hear the words of Christ from a speaker, but its not the same as hearing His voice. Some might say, well the Lord doesn’t talk to me, but He talks to “modern” prophets. Here is what the Lord says about “modern” prophets:

“And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;” (2 Nephi 28:5)

You might argue the point that the modern prophets are not claiming there is no God, but I beg to differ. In essence their claim is that God does not talk or work with you directly except perhaps by sending you warm feelings, but He does communicate directly to the Prophet and Apostles. They claim that He has given His power to them. I can demonstrate this is true by pointing out that church doctrine explicitly states (Handbook of Instruction) that God’s forgiveness comes only after you have been cleared through men (Bishops, Stake Presidents, General Authorities). Worthiness to receive temple ordinances is also determined by men. Without the ordinances you are damned, you cannot progress in the Lord’s Kingdom. How, then, can you satisfy this plea from the ancient prophet, King Benjamin, if you are dependent on a man telling you what the Lord wants you to do:

“I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in you hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.” (Mosiah 5:12)

Christ stands at the gate and he employs no hired hand to operate the gate. “O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.” (2 Nephi 9:41)

And then there is this warning from Ezekiel against putting your trust in any man or woman: “Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men were in it [Noah, Daniel, and Job], as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall deliver themselves. (Ezekiel 14:14-18)

I am not saying that inspired men cannot speak to us the words of Christ and teach us the words of salvation. It is just that I am leery of someone who claims that they are the voice of Christ, as if that satisfies the commandment for us to seek His face and to hear the voice of Christ.

By claiming that you will hear the voice of Christ at conference, the church is confusing and obfuscating the need to seek Christ. Can the general authorities announce at conference the name that Christ will call you personally at the last day? The new name is not that name that you received during your endowment in the temple, and it will not be the Lord declaring His name, “Jesus Christ”. If you seek to hear His voice, not the voice of a surrogate, the Lord will eventually come to you and tell you the name by which you will be called (“…I will write upon him my new name” Rev. 3:12). But that won’t happen unless you have a personal relationship with Him. Sheep will only follow the voice of the master that they are familiar with. How familiar are you with the Savior? Believe me, if you have not heard his voice, you will be deceived, If the only voice you are familiar with is Russell M. Nelson, he will not be calling you into the kingdom. You will be left behind.

This light guided me
More surely than the light of noonday
To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me–
A place where none appeared. (St John of the Cross)

There is a condition I have encountered with some people who have experienced the promise of spiritual gifts, who have tasted of the grace of Christ and felt His love intimately. Spiritual gifts and light have been poured out generously to them, but, the spiritual outpouring has tapered off over time and the promise of a close relationship with Christ seems to have waned. What happened? A person might feel to cry out, “Where are you, Lord?”

A typical evolution in spiritual growth goes something like this, at least according to my own experience: A person kind of stumbles along through life until he begins to believe that there is something more. More than what he or she is spoon fed in Sunday school, more than work, and school, and houses, and money and even family. Because of a feeling of lack, or the idea that something is missing and there has to be more, there arises the need to search for real meaning. A person may encounter an eternal truth that he or she had never thought of before, but the recognition is strong, even emotional. It may cause a dramatic change in the way a person views the world. A person will dig deeper exploring the scriptures and discover things he had never considered. His prayer life takes on more meaning. In some people this becomes an existential crises, where there is a collapse of what they had assumed was the meaning of life…an eruption into their life of a deep sense of meaninglessness. In some people this can cause a depression, in others it awakens a memory of things forgotten because of the veil placed upon our mind at birth, and raises the exciting possibility that there is more to life and the universe then ever crossed their mind.

Suddenly one day, after months, maybe years of searching and asking, they experience an unexpected but powerful communication from heavenly sources. The Holy Spirit reaches out to them. Maybe the Spirit indicates that they are on the right track. Perhaps they experience a powerful spiritual awakening. They pray one day and ask with all their heart and soul for insight or light and suddenly their whole body feels lifted up and filled with electricity. Maybe a voice is heard, or light seems to pour into their mind while the body feels like bursting with joy. They receive an answer to a question that hey have been praying for some time.

After this, a person starts having spiritual experiences all the time, maybe everyday. They find that when they pray they actually get answers. They become more sensitive to spiritual things and some worldly activities that before they had found comfort in, now hold no interest. They want to seek out the Lord and hold on to those glorious things that the spirit has activated in them.

And then at some point the spirit wanes. They ask the Lord, “Where are You? Why don’t I have the same experiences I had with the spirit anymore.” Where is the light that always seemed to be there? “Why don’t I receive answers to my prayers like I used to,” or if they do, “why does it take so much more effort?” “Why is it getting harder to live virtuously?” They might even begin to slip back into old habits and start doubting some of the spiritual experiences that at one time were so abundant.

I had a conversation with a woman who confided in me that she used to be able to pray to the Lord and get an answer. The Lord talked to her, and she felt very close to God and the spirit. Miraculous things were occurring around her. Spiritual gifts were lavished upon her. She would be working and the thought would come to her to contact someone who needed her help. Things like that. And then suddenly it stopped. She had to struggle to feel the spirit where before it was there all the time. She couldn’t understand it, why do I have to work so much harder to hear the Spirit? She was experiencing some despair. She asked me, “What did I do wrong?” I have to admit that this has happened to me. It is discouraging and soul crushing, and can last for years. I have found that this is a common thing that occurs to people who have been born again, or have lived deeply spiritual lives.

I have seen this phenomenon many times as a missionary as I watched converts to the church, I had been teaching and baptized, struggle with this same issue. The Holy Spirit testified strongly to them of truth as we were teaching. They were infused with joy and excitement with the prospect of being baptized. After they were baptized the light dimmed in them. Most of them stopped going to church, and I was left to wonder, “How and why does the Lord let this happen?” Were they caught up in emotion? Perhaps, but the spirit was present as we taught them and they knew that what we were teaching them was true.

Many who are familiar with Catholic doctrine, or Christian mysticism call this the Dark Night, or the “Dark Night of the Soul”. This concept was first written about and popularized by St. John of the Cross who lived in 16th century Spain. St. John writes about the dark night which is where a person realizes a need to reach out in earnest to God. The dark night is described by him as the gulf that exists between man and an unknowable God. After a person seeks with every fiber of being to gain a relationship with God, He will at some point encounter a condition where their soul becomes stricken and suffers in contemplation of the void that exists between them and God. This state of mind can exist for days, weeks or an extended amount of time, years even. If he continues his pressing to know God he will eventually reach enlightenment and experience an incomprehensible joy in communion with God. The principle that St. John teaches in the search to know God has some points to teach us, Latter Day Saints, about the process of forgiveness and the search for a relationship with The Father and Christ. The difference for us, however, is that we don’t see the Lord as unknowable, only painfully distant from our worldly condition.

The woman who shared her dark night experience with me, which is still ongoing for her, asked me what was going on? She is trying to understand why the Lord had seemed to withdraw from her. Had she sinned? I gave her an explanation that I now think was only a superficial response. I told her that when my Dad was teaching me to ride a bike he would hold on the back of the seat while I peddled. All the time I’m yelling, “Don’t let go!” But after a minute, my Dad let go. I would peddle just fine for a few seconds until I realized he wasn’t holding on, and crash, down I would go. We would try again, Dad holding on and letting go and I would go a little farther and, crash! When I finally figured it all out, man, you couldn’t stop me. I told my friend that I think it is a little bit like that, learning to ride a bike. Kind of trite, I know, but it does get the point across that it is nothing she did, it was just part of the syllabus.

The Lord gives us a taste of what a spiritual life of communion with heaven could be like, instilling in us a desire to want it more then anything else. We experience a tremendous Christ-like love and flashes of intelligence that are filled with light. He allows us to sense the presence of angels, we sense the thoughts of others, we know something is going to happen before it does. The heavens seem to be open and generous in giving us peace and light. And then the Lord pulls back so that we can learn how to strengthen the connection that we now know is possible. It is a perfect teaching event. Sometimes it takes months or years to realize that having a spiritual life takes huge effort. You have to give up things, and you have to focus when the demands of life eat away at our awareness.

The dark night of the soul is experienced because of our receiving abundant gifts of the spirit, and then having the Lord step back a bit to allow us to grow. Sometimes it is a matter of proving that we really want that relationship with the Father and Christ. It means having to sacrifice and give up things to know Him. And when we reconnect, the blessings of having pursued Him through the dark night will be greater than what was withdrawn from us. St. John of the Cross considered God to be unknowable and incomprehensible, but we know He is approachable and eminently knowable.

There is another explanation for the diminishing of a person’s perception of their connection to heaven. Joseph Smith explained that the Holy Spirit has a greater effect on a person who has Gentile blood than it does on someone who has the blood of Israel. “That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body…than upon an Israelite.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.150) In the case we are addressing, what this means is that as the Holy Ghost is introduced to us it is felt powerfully and dramatically. As we continue to experience communication with Heaven, and our bodies are actually changed, The Holy Ghost doesn’t seem to speak as loudly to us nor as dramatically. As a Gentile experiences the Holy Ghost, his body is actually changed and he becomes an Israelite, and thus the Holy Ghost isn’t felt in as big a contrast from all the other stimulus. The best way I can think about this is how a drug affects the body. At first taking a small amount of a drug effects us strongly. As we continue to take the drug, over time, it may take more of the drug to get the same effect.

Not everyone experiences God like this, but I would bet everyone could name a time when they wondered if God even knew they were alive, and they had to struggle, seemingly alone, with existential questions or life’s quandaries.

I may have told this story before, but it helps to illustrate the situation. A biologist was studying a pair of nesting Ospreys near Bellingham, Washington about 30 years ago. Their nest was high up in a giant cedar tree near the coast. The two parents had a baby that they were carefully nurturing and feeding. One day, after the chick had grown into a young adult, the naturalist noticed the parents disappeared. The fledgling cried and cried, but neither parent answered his distress calls. After a couple days, the naturalist observed the young osprey venture out to the edge of the nest in desperation and spent some time flexing its wings, building courage to step out. Finally, the osprey flung herself out of the nest, spread its wings and began flying. The scientist wrote that all of a sudden the parents appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere, and flew along side the youngster.¹ I see a metaphor of the Father’s love for us in this story. He has never left us alone, and by “us” I mean us individually. I don’t know how He does it, but he is aware of all 5 or 6 billion of us on this planet.

It appears, then, that our spiritual powers ebb and flow. Partly this is because it is how we learn and partly because our powers to discern are not constant. We are subject to worldly distractions and unworldly influences that compete with heavenly inputs for our attentions. When it comes down to it, our spiritual journey can be a lonely and daunting prospect. By the end of the journey to obtain a place in God’s family, you will have to experience all things. That is the lesson that God is teaching us.

¹ I was told this account by a professor when I was taking graduate science classes at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington about the time the Osprey studies were taking place there.

“Concerning apostles and prophets, act according to the Gospel’s teaching.
Receive every apostle as the Lord. He should not stay for more than a single day, or two days if necessary. But if he remains for three days, he is a false prophet. When he leaves, let the apostle receive nothing except bread, until he finds a place to stay. But if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.” (The Didache, Teaching of Twelve Apostles, written at the time of the Apostle John, late first Century.)

“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.” (2 Corinthians 10:12)

Interpreting the Book of Revelation is like…well, its like this, if you have ten commentaries you have ten different opinions. The best anyone can do is to speculate. We can get some general ideas of what is going to happen in the future, but anytime anyone tries to put together timings and events you can count on it being wrong. I think we can predict that something will happen on or about some time frame, but we don’t know what, or we can predict some event foretold by John, or Isaiah, but we don’t know when. It is only after the events actually happen that we can point to a specific prophecy in the book (Ether 4:16). I am going out on a limb, here, to present something I found in the Book of Revelation in the second and third chapters taking place now in America. Something not covered in commentaries; events unfolding that John foretold coming to pass in our day.

The purpose of the Book of Revelation is to show “his servants things which must shortly come to pass” (Rev. 1:1). I have found the Lord often uses phrases that cause us to assume things that the Lord never intended. The use of the word “Shortly” (tachos>a brief space (of time), in haste) doesn’t mean the event will come to pass soon, as in the near future. The Lord uses the word “soon” to convey the idea that once the events in Revelation start to happen in the far future, they will come in a speedy succession. It is in the same spirit of how He uses the word “quickly”. When Christ says He will come quickly (Rev. 3:11), He means that when we all realize He is in process of coming, He will come so quickly that we will not have time to repent. Christ is speaking through John to the generation in which the events of the book are to take place. He is using as an analogy a congregation he knows very well. Like most scripture there are applications to be drawn for all generations from the first century to our day. The ultimate purpose of these prophecies is to prepare the saints in the last days so they will not lose faith as these things are happening all around them.

“Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter: The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:19-20)

Chapters two and three of Revelation almost seem out place in this book. John is instructed to write to seven churches in Western Asia Minor. What is that all about? It is easy to see why commentators and most readers of the Bible consider these chapters to primarily be describing challenges of the congregations in Asia Minor. It seems out of place with the rest of the book because it appears to discusses contemporary events as opposed to the major theme of the book describing a vision of the very last days before Christ appears in glory. Chapter one is quite carefully portraying the seven churches as faithful covenant churches. So if the Lord is giving us a prophecy of a covenant church, faithful to the gospel of Christ in the last days, we must take heed because it is about us. One commentator writes this about these chapters:

“Chapters two and three of Revelation contain counsel and commendation to the seven churches in Asia; and what is said applies, in principle, to all congregations of saints in all the world, in all ages. In each instance, the promises given are conditioned upon the requirement that the recipients shall overcome the world.” ( McConkie, Bruce R., Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol. III, Salt Lake City, Bookcraft, 1973, p. 447)

This comment is typical of many commentators writing on the Book of Revelation. What they say is true enough, but, they don’t recognize the prophecy within the council to the seven churches. The prophecy is to be fulfilled at the time the rest of the Book of Revelation is fulfilled. In this posting I want to focus on the prophesies concerning the first church, Ephesus. There are some things hidden there that I never considered until very recently.

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write….I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thou has tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.” (Revelation 2:1-3)

John is writing to a contemporary congregation or church that does good works, maybe even emphasizes works and good deeds, is quite judgmental to sins, has been severely persecuted, and is dealing with false apostles. They find the apostles to be false. The corresponding church in the last days will also be emphasizing good works, will suffer severe persecution, tends toward a judgmental attitude towards sinners, and will be dealing with false apostles and prophets. Dealing with apostles in the last days is a sign of the times. John is writing to and about the true body of Christ, the true church in his day and in the last days. The Lord states that in the last days there will be men posing as apostles that are not apostles. This did happen in the first century after Christ. There were traveling preachers teaching all kinds of doctrines claiming to be apostles, seeking their support from the churches. It will also be a feature of the Church of Christ in the last days.

How do you try apostles, and how would you recognize a false one? True followers of Christ will be exposed to false priests and apostles and will have to be able to reject them. So just what is an apostle? How important is it to recognize false apostles?

I know of one major church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) that believes there are men alive today in this generation that are apostles. They believe and teach that they have the same authority as the apostles called by Christ and are called to be prophets, seers, and revelators. There are other Mormon churches that have broken off from the Church that Joseph Smith established in 1830 that also believe in modern apostles. There are yet again other protestant churches that call pastors and elders of their congregation “apostles”¹. The LDS Church is the one that stands out in America, claiming to have an unbroken line of authority from Jesus Christ.

Let’s explore what the scriptures teach about how to identify true apostles. In Greek, Apostle (Apostolos) literally means ambassador, (one who is sent); a commissioner of Christ having special powers (From Strong’s Concordance). From Acts chapter 1 we get the sense that an apostle needs to be a personal witness of the death and resurrection of the Savior (Acts 1:22-26). We also get that from Paul in 1 Corinthians: ” Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? (1 Cor. 9:1-2).

Here is a definition of “apostle” from a man who claims to be an apostle of Christ in the LDS Church, who states it isn’t necessary to have seen Jesus Christ:

“The role of Apostle today is the same as it was anciently. Our commission is to go into all the world and proclaim, “Jesus Christ, and him crucified”. An Apostle is a missionary and a special witness of the name of Christ. The name of Christ refers to the totality of the Savior’s mission, death, and resurrection–His Authority, His doctrine,…As special witnesses of the name of Christ, we bear testimony of the reality, divinity, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (David A. Bednar, Special Witnesses of the Name of Christ, Religious Educator, Vol 12, no. 2, 2011.) Can you represent yourself as an apostle and testify of the reality of Christ without actually meeting Him, experiencing Him in a real physical way like the Apostles of Old? Is the role claimed here really the same as it was anciently?

According to Paul and the original twelve apostles of Christ, an apostle has a literal eyewitness testimony of Jesus Christ. According to David Bednar, an apostle has a special witness of the “name” of Christ. He doesn’t believe it is necessary to have witnessed Christ in person and testify of that experience. Why? The stated reason is that He won’t talk of personal spiritual experiences, especially any having to do with Christ because it is too sacred an experience. The real reason is because none of the current apostles in the Quorum of the Twelve have seen or witnessed Christ and they do not want to admit that to the church membership. There have been a couple, however, members of the Quorum of the Twelve having admitted publicly not having had any special experiences with Christ.

In the early days of the Mormon Church all of the newly called apostles were instructed to seek to have a personal manifestation of Christ. Oliver Cowdery, second elder in the church after Joseph Smith, told the newly called apostles in 1835 that their calling as an apostle was not completed until they had received their commission directly from Christ. According to Heber J. Grant, who was president of the church from 1918 to 1945, ‘I know of no instance of anyone having met the Savior since the Prophet Joseph Smith.” ² I am aware of a few instances of authorities of the church claiming to have had a visitation from Christ, but most of them are apocryphal, not reported until after their deaths by relatives many years later. There are a couple though, that may actually be genuine, but they are extremely rare.

Elder Dallin Oaks, another current Apostle of the LDS Church, was speaking to a large gathering of youth in Bellevue, Washington in January, 2016, and he said this when asked about having profound spiritual experiences: “I have never had experiences like that, and I don’t know anyone in the first presidency or among the quorum of the twelve who have had that kind experience.…a testimony settles on us gradually like so much dust on a window sill, or so much dew on the grass. One day you didn’t have a testimony and the next day you do, but you can’t say when that happened.”

So what does it mean to the members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles when they say they are a “special witness of the name of Christ”? They may quote the 107th section of the Doctrine and Covenants which gives the Twelve Apostles a charge to “testify of the name of Christ.” I don’t believe they understand what Joseph Smith meant by this. They assume that that if the Spirit of God testifies to them of Christ, and since they are called apostles, they then are special witnesses. But that is no more than the average member of the church can receive from heaven through the Holy Spirit. There is more to receiving and testifying of the name of Christ than Elder Bednar talks about above.

Apostles assume they have a sure knowledge of Christ, but that assumption is based on the mistaken idea that the Holy Ghost trumps a physical witness of Christ where He appears to you in person or vision as Joseph Smith experienced. That is a mistaken belief that was not held by Joseph Smith, nor taught by him.³ Nor is it scriptural. The testimony of the reality of Christ requires a knowledge in “reality”; this reality as opposed to a spiritual one, in the actual presence of Christ. The testimony of the Holy Ghost is important, but does not replace meeting Christ in person. It is convenient for those who are authorities to claim their authority through the Holy Ghost when they have not been able to experience Christ in person, i.e., receive their calling and election from Him directly. Most of this belief has its foundation in the idea that you can sin against Jesus Christ and be forgiven, but you cannot sin against the Holy Ghost and be forgiven. That is a true statement, but it has mistakenly been applied to the idea that a physical connection with Christ is secondary to a witness by the Holy Ghost.

A witness of Christ is more than the acknowledgement by the Holy Ghost that Christ is the author and source of salvation. There is a mystery here. You must “know” Christ, you must know the name by which you will be called. What name? Isn’t it sufficient to believe in Christ and in His ability to save you? No. You have to receive His name and take it upon you. How do you obtain the name? In one sense you take upon yourself the name of Christ when you are baptized. But in the special sense that the apostles testify of, the obtaining of the name of Christ is a fulness, the end of your salvation which you obtain directly from Christ (2 Peter 1:4,10-11). That is what is meant by enduring to the end. Christ is the beginning and the end. So to testify of the name of Christ has a deeper meaning than at first glance. It actually does mean that to testify of Christ as a special witness, it is necessary that you have met Christ personally and testify, like the original Apostles, of the reality of His death and resurrection. So, you judge if the apostles of the Mormon Church are true apostles or not. They say they are, sure, but according to the scriptural accounts that we have and the writings of Joseph Smith, they are not fully vested. What they are is authorities of a church holding an office they call “apostle”.

The second part of John’s writing to the Church at Ephesus goes like this:

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

This is a direct revelation that the church in the last days will fall. The first love and first works are the saints seeking Christ and obtaining his words directly, face to face, in this life and receive salvation directly from the Lord. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pgs. 149-151) That is the whole purpose, and fulness of the Doctrine of Christ. (2 Nephi 32:6) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, indeed all churches today, have downplayed the doctrine of receiving the calling and election, the second comforter. This is understandable that they would do this because we have so few reports of it happening. Authorities in the LDS Church have taught more insistently in the last 20 years that anyone seeking a calling and election from Christ may be in danger of starting down the road to apostacy. They can not acknowledge that anyone before themselves could receive a visitation from Christ. It is inconceivable to them that anyone else could receive their calling and election. Surely the Lord would come to his “anointed” apostles before anyone of lower priesthood in the church.

The first love is Christ. The warning that John writes to the churches in our day is a counsel to not put our trust in false apostles. It is typical of false prophets and apostles that they place themselves in the position of being the go-between heaven and the congregation. Should the Lord come to you and instruct you to do something that is counter to the instruction of the authorities, you would be counted a sinner or apostate. But of course that would never happen, right? When a false apostle teaches that we must follow them (“Follow the Prophet”) instead of the Savior, it insinuates that we must not seek to have a personal relationship with Christ. One of the major prophets of the Book of Mormon teaches when Christ comes to us we must follow Him above any church authority (2 Nephi 31). John says here we must repent and follow, seek, or go back to our first love- Christ. The consequences of not repenting from following false apostles and not seeking the first love is that we will be moved out of our place (Revelation 2:5).

“And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin. And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me…and your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received–which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.” (D&C 84:49-54)

“And if my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out their place.” (D&C 124:45) (Note: The servants mentioned here were Joseph and Hyrum Smith. The people did not hearken to the voice of these servants so Joseph and Hyrum were taken out of their midst and the saints were removed from their place both physically and spiritually.)

The promise John gives to the church is that if they repent of not following their first love, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7)

In verse 6, John mentions the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which the people of Ephesus hate. Who were the Nicolaitans? It is no mystery why he singles out this apostate doctrine out of the dozens of others that the people were exposed to. The Nicolaitans were a sect that taught that once having accepted Jesus as your Lord you are saved and cannot lose your salvation. So they indulged in all kinds of immoral acts, believing they will never lose their place in heaven. Their doctrine is also related to the doctrine of Balaam (Revelation 2:14-15), which includes preaching for money, one of the signs of false apostles who practice priestcrafts.⁴ This is a doctrine that is believed quite universally, indeed with some gusto, among most Christian Churches today.

In conclusion, the discourse of John to the seven churches, which was dictated by Christ, is a prophesy to the churches in the last days. Beware of men who say they are apostles and are not, do not follow them, follow the Savior. Return to the first love–Jesus Christ. He also reminds us that we hate immorality and priestcrafts (doctrine of Nicolaitans and Balaam), which do exist within the churches, even the LDS Church, so you are under condemnation to recognize if you are being misled. So far I have covered only the Church at Ephesus. The writings for the other six churches also contain prophecy and warnings as well as promises for faithfulness.

Notes:

¹There is a movement in the US called the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) which desires to establish a new branch of Christianity seeking to restore the offices of prophet and apostle within the church. It is mostly associated with Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches.

² Heber J. Grant, letter to Mrs. Claud Peery, April 13, 1926, typescript in Lester Bush papers, University of Utah Archives.

³ “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing unto you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day of soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.151.; see also John 14:12-27. Read Teachings, p.298 under heading of Calling and Election) Clearly, Joseph taught that the pinnacle of experience, is to become perfect in Christ Jesus, which is to have him appear to you.

⁴ The apostles of the Mormon church receive six figure salaries and very generous allowances for housing, cars, etc. Kenneth Copeland, televangelist has a net worth estimated of around $700 million, Pat Robinson is worth an estimated $100 Million, Rick Warren, pastor of Saddle Back Church in Orange County has a net worth of $25 million, and Joel Osteen is worth about $40 million. Although some of these personalities don’t claim to be apostles, preaching and teaching the words of Christ can be an extremely profitable business. Kenneth Copeland, responding to a question regarding his lavish lifestyle, answered, “ “You may think it’s too grand. I don’t care what you think. I heard from heaven. Glory to God, hallelujah!‘” For churches that say they follow the New Testament, this is a far cry from what was practiced and taught 2,000 years ago.

This is a story about a good friend, Larry, who has since passed away. This story is a lesson to us in listening, being open to spiritual promptings, and doing what might be asked of us, even if we might be ridiculed for it.

Let me tell you a little bit about Larry before I get into the story I want to tell. I was his home teacher for several years, so I got to know him and his wife, Linda, very well. We became friends through my visits and he felt he could confide in me of his many adventures in the spirit. A lot of people in the ward kind of thought he was a bit kooky, so he learned to keep things to himself. I have always had the belief that anything is possible. So when he would tell me some of his stories, even though hard to believe, I always thought, “Why not?” After all, the scriptures are full of the miraculous, why couldn’t they happen today?

To give you an idea of the kind of things he experienced here is one of the stories he told me. It took place several years ago as he was driving to work one morning. His drive took him past a park that had a tower several stories high that the public had access to. As he was approaching the turn-off to the park, the spirit prompted him and told him to turn into the park and drive to the tower. He obeyed the prompting, turning into the park and driving over to the tower. He asked, “Why do you want me to come here?” The spirit told him, “Get out of the car and climb up to the top of the tower.” So he got out of the car and climbed to the top of the tower. When he got to the top, which was open to the sky, he saw a young woman sitting on the edge of the tower. It was evident to him that she was getting ready to jump. He talked to her for a while and was able to convince her that life was worth living and to let time heal the wounds. He talked her down from the ledge and spent some time with her, making sure she would be okay before leaving. He had saved her life by listening to the spirit and doing. This is just one example of the many adventures he has had with listening to the voice of the spirit.

Some of his stories involved angels, but I will save those for another time.

The story I wanted to really get into involves listening, doing, and a good amount of courage. We lived in New Jersey at the time and had just survived a hurricane that swept through New Jersey and New York causing significant damage. Our ward was involved in helping clean up some of the damage. A few weeks after this happened, Larry had been saying his daily prayers when the spirit came to him with a request.

“If the priesthood men in each of the wards and branches will gather together in a circle of prayer and pray together, using the priesthood, they will be able to command the elements and turn a hurricane heading towards them back out to sea. I want you to tell your stake that the Lord will do this for them.”

Larry accepted the task, knowing that others will have trouble believing him. Going to the Bishop and the Stake President with this message could get him into trouble. After all, according to the handbook, who is the one who is supposed to get this kind of inspiration for the stake? Certainly not a man with no significant calling in the ward or stake. Would the stake president resent it, or would he act upon what Larry would tell him? There were several people being tested here – Larry, the Bishop, the Stake President, and individual leaders of the wards and branches, if the message even gets to them.

Larry asked me to go with him to the Bishop to explain his story and ask if the Bishop would make an appointment with the stake president for him. I think He believed I could back him up and help give some credence to the message. I had just recently been released from the bishopric when a new bishop was called, so I suppose he thought I had some cred with the new bishop.

We met with the whole bishopric one night and Larry told his story. I could see that the all the members of the bishopric were pretty skeptical about the whole thing – remember Larry’s reputation. They all had their arms folded on their chest and you could tell pretty clearly they were having a hard time swallowing the story. The Bishop looked at me and asked, “What is your part in this?” I told him that I was Larry’s home teacher and he had asked me to come with him. I told the Bishop that I had not received any spiritual guidance, but I knew Larry and knew that he didn’t exaggerate and wouldn’t lie. Then I said to him, “Why not? Why wouldn’t the Lord inspire Larry to tell you this? You need to judge this on the merit of what he is telling you.”

The Bishop uncrossed his arms leaned forward toward us and said, “All right, I will set something up with the stake president.”

I wasn’t invited to the meeting with the stake president, but the Bishop went with Larry to the meeting a week later. Larry told his story to the stake president, and the way he described it to me, the president only told him that he would look into it. Apparently that was the extent of the response he got from our stake president. He never heard anything back from the president, but he soon started getting calls from several of the bishops and branch presidents whose boundaries were close to the coastline. They asked Larry to come to their PEC’s or Ward council’s and explain the process of asking the Lord to change the path of a Hurricane. So, it sounds like the stake president thought it okay to mention it to the bishops and let them decide what they wanted to do. My opinion of the stake president went up a few notches.

There haven’t been any serious hurricane threats to the New Jersey Coast since that time. But I have no doubt that the Lord was in this– I was later given a witness that this is a true principle. I think the story is instructive on several fronts. First, I have faith that a group of people can gather together in faith and with their hearts bonded together in a single righteous cause can influence the powers of heaven to change the weather or any other threat to them. Second, The Lord will come to the most humble of us, and if we judge a person’s ability to receive spiritual guidance by their standing in the group, we are going to miss a lot of what the Lord wants to tell us. Thirdly, all the people involved in this account passed a test of some sort.

I think I could write a book on the spiritual experiences that Larry told me over the years. I have been involved as an active participant in several of the experiences, which I count as a result of my belief in him. Some of those stories are rather peculiar and do take some faith and suspension of worldly logic to understand, especially the ones involving angels.

I asked Larry why he, of all the people I knew, had these experiences. He had never been in a leadership position in the Church. Why did the spirit come to him and charge him with these tasks? He said to me, “I asked the Lord that once and he told me, ‘Because I know you will do it.’ “

A year ago I was listening to the tape of a talk that David A Whitmer gave in 1993. I had never heard of him before moving to Utah a couple of years ago. Some friends had attended this talk and had a recording of him that they lent to me. He had some very interesting things to say that I had never heard of before, but there were also some very disturbing things. After listening to this tape I was in a funk.

Let me explain a little bit about myself. I have a very believing mind, some people might call me gullible. I believe what people tell me until proven wrong. So I will listen to anyone if they might have even a thread of light and truth to teach me. I guess that is how I came to read some of Denver Snuffer’s books. So I listened to David Whitmer’s talk. What I found intriguing about David Whitmer is that he was teaching very much the same things that Denver Snuffer would write and speak about 20 years later. But there were some things David said that really bothered me; even disturbed me.

David Whitmer was teaching in this talk that you have to give up everything you have, serve full time and do only, exactly what God tells you to do. If you don’t you are damned to the terrestrial or worse, telestial kingdom forever. What bothered me was that I kind of thought he might be, sort of, maybe, perhaps on the right track. Another teaching of David’s that seemed unreal to me was the concept that there are many “Fathers”. Your Father may be different than my Father. I am talking about the Father that created you spiritually. It just seemed crazy to me. But he spoke enough light and truth on other things that I wasn’t ready to completely discount him as a false prophet or false teacher. Listening to him disturbed my peace, but isn’t that what inspired teachers are supposed to do?

So, following the counsel of scripture that admonishes us to prove all things (Paul, 1 Thessalonians 5:21) I decided to ask the Lord if there was any value in what David Whitmer taught. Was he speaking truth? I spent some time on my knees but didn’t get an answer. I did feel some peace about it, but no real yes or no answer. Just before finishing my prayer I cried out with some desperation that I really, really, really wanted to know. I was then impressed to ask that maybe I could have a dream about it to help understand what was going on with what David was teaching. I finished my prayer and went to bed having no expectations.

I had a dream.

I was on a bus with my wife. I don’t know where we were going, maybe to visit my daughter and her family in Southern California. It seemed like we were on this bus for days and days. The bus took us to Phoenix then to Las Vegas, then somewhere else and somewhere else again. After a few days of this, the bus driver announced the next stop was Magna, Utah (Really? Magna?). At that point I decided it was time to get off the bus. We were never going to get to So. California.

After I awoke, I knew the dream was significant. I asked the Lord to help me determine its meaning. As soon as I framed the question in my mind, the meaning was made very clear to me as if a voice spelled it out to me. “Stop following men! Your journey is unique. I will keep you on the path, but if you keep following what men tell you, no matter how much truth they reveal, you will never get to your destination. You will be pulled left, then right, but you will never reach the place you want to go. You can learn some things from reading and listening to inspired people, but you can not follow them. Follow Me.”

I thought of the second lecture of “Lectures on Faith”, by Joseph Smith, which presents us with the concept that the idea of the existence of a God must be taught to us before we can conceive of Him. You can’t begin to exercise faith in something unless you first have some idea that something exists. It is through other men and women, prophets and inspired teachers, and their writings that you learn of the possibility of a God. And from that first hint you can begin to form an understanding of His nature, but those inspired teachers can never lead you to Him, they can only point you in His direction. You must find Him yourself.

Here is a statement that David A. Whitmer made that makes so much sense on this topic:

“If I want to do what God told someone else to do, I just as well start building my ark and take my son to the mountain and sacrifice him. I also better read what he (supposedly) told Joseph Smith and go and start lining up more wives. I must do everything that God told everyone in order to try and cover all my bases until God decides to talk to me. Or, I can just find out why He’s not talking to me. If I’m not in tune, I need to find out why. I have to do what it takes to get in tune with him and do what He says.” (David A. Whitmer, Talk on tape, 1993)

Its not so much that these men are teaching false doctrine, they are teaching light and truth. Their inspired words were meant to spur us on to have our own revelations, customized for us and pertaining to what we individually need to work on. The words of prophets are designed to steer us toward the iron rod of Lehi’s dream. Once we take hold of the rod, it is meant that we obtain the word of God for ourselves.

I read this prophecy from Ezekiel, which gave me the perspective that I have responsibility for me. I feel that I have to seek the Lord, learn how to get instruction directly from Him, and do it.

“Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord.” (Ezekiel 14:13-14)

From my own experience, once having established a connection with Heaven, you may expect a message to come to you to do something that is not in the text book of prophets. Something that was never taught to you, something that may seem strange, and probably something you really don’t want to do. Do it! Then again, as I just explained, that was my experience, and may not be your experience. In fact, take everything I said with a grain of salt.

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophesies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:26)

I rather think that Nephi was alluding to something more than a Sunday school lesson or a sermon when he wrote the above words. He is talking about something greater then simply listening to a sermon about Christ. It seems that when we read of the people in the Book of Mormon we tend to look at them through Gentile eyes of a person living in a Gentile world. We assume that they act and think like we do. And so, in this instance we think of the Nephites sitting in a church or class setting of some type talking about scriptures that talk of Christ, or, listening to Nephi describe his testimony of Christ. But what Nephi is saying is that his people had direct personal knowledge of Christ and they were sharing their experiences with each other. They were sharing their intimate knowledge of the Savior. They experienced Christ in ways that we have not yet, as a people, experienced Him.

I believe it was commonplace for the people of Nephi to prophesy about Christ. They spoke all the time about it to each other and to their children. It was not embarrassing, nor was it considered high-fallutin’ to declare, “I spoke to Jesus the other day…” Nor did people consider it strange as they might today if someone stood up in a Sacrament Meeting or Fellowship Meeting and talked like that. That is because it is not commonplace as it was in Nephi’s day. Do you suppose the people who met Christ in Bountiful, when He appeared to the people in Bountiful, kept it to themselves?

I have been in fellowship meetings where someone has said, quite innocently, “The spirit told me…”or,”…the Lord said to me…”. I watched some otherwise very spiritual and faithful people cringe a little bit after hearing that declaration from other folks. It seems those cringing people are still in the LDS mode… you know, thinking that you are supposed to keep those things to yourself, if you experience them at all. Only special people with “keys” are supposed to have those kinds of things happen to them. Nephi didn’t think it appropriate that his people keep it to themselves. If having a conversation with the Savior is too sacred to share with others, then why don’t the scriptures say so? We need to have those conversations about our spiritual experiences in order to strengthen each other. Read Luke 8:15 where Christ teaches that you don’t hide the light from a candle. Other people, who have not heard the voice of the Savior need to know what is possible. As explained in Lectures on Faith (Lecture Second), how would you know it was possible to have a conversation with Christ if someone didn’t demonstrate to you it was possible?

One of the Gifts of the Spirit is the “beholding of angels and ministering spirits”. I suppose that entertaining Christ could be considered a gift of the spirit under that category. The Gifts of the Spirit were not given to us for just our personal edification. They were given to strengthen and edify all the saints, so they were never meant to be kept to oneself. You can’t strengthen or edify the saints if you hide your gift under a bushel. If you are gifted with dreams about the future you need to share and if you receive a prophesy of Christ you had better well share it, unless you are specifically instructed not to share. The only explanation for saying that an audience with Christ is too sacred to reveal, is because the General Authority being quoted has never had the experience and does not want to be called out for not having had an audience with Christ. After all, if you claim to be a prophet, you probably should have some prophetic experiences.

In my honest opinion, and it is nothing more than just that–an opinion, we should be more free in sharing spiritual stories. We should share the experiences we have had with the Savior. I don’t believe you have to have a full blown “Calling and Election” episode to have an interaction with the Savior. One can encounter the Savior in dreams, in prayer, in random moments of introspective thought. It should not be rare that we have these encounters and when we do we should share them. It is true that there are some who feed upon these stories and accounts, having little faith of their own, but we need to teach what is possible and help others to experience these things themselves.

Can you imagine, like I try to imagine, a fellowship gathering where you greet each other with a brother and sisterly hug and kiss. You openly discuss with each other life’s challenges that you all are dealing without expecting any judgement. You talk freely about the impressions and answers to prayers you had during the week in dealing with life’s issues. Someone talks about their walk in the sacred garden with the Savior. You all kneel down together in a prayer circle and you all feel the presence of the angels who have come to witness. Someone in the circle declares that the Savior has come into the room while you are praying, and many acknowledge that they felt a penetrating love fill the room. You lay hands on someone who has been suffering from a debilitating ailment and he is cured. Another person has a bill demanding payment and has no idea where the money will come from, but there is sufficient funds in the tithing box because of generous offerings made. Can you imagine what having a meeting like that would be like?

But, it is difficult for us gentiles to let go of a general stubborn need, almost pathologic, to be self sufficient and work through our own problems. It is also hard to release the need to compare ourselves to others and make judgements about things we really have no inkling of what is really going on. And, heaven help us, we stubbornly cling to the idea that we know how to do something a certain way, and believe there is only one way to do it–our way. It is hard to accept that competence and success in the real world, the business world or some other arena where success is measured by material accumulation and accolades, is not really a very good yardstick for success. After all, what place does meekness and humility have in the world except to mark one as unsuitable for management. Add all of this together and we have a generation of people largely unsuitable for a Zion society.

The beginning of a Zion-like society is the whole-hearted acceptance of the word of Christ, even if that word comes from a person you judge as unqualified to receive instruction from the Savior. It is my witness that the Savior will reach out to anybody that will pay the price to listen. Why not seek out Christ and have a discussion with Him? And then share what you have learned.

A few days ago I posted “It is Corbin”, which I have to admit was uncomplimentary to the financial policies of the LDS Church Authorities. I described the church’s aggressive practice of collecting billions of dollars in tithing monies as excessive and overly burdensome to its members, especially considering that a significant part of it was used to amass a fabulous investment fund of securities and bonds.

I made the conscious decision to not criticize any religion for what I perceived as errors after I wrote a post called “65 Reasons I don’t Attend Church” late in 2019. This was because I have come to believe I had no right to be the accuser, regardless of whether I agree or not with their doctrine. Even if I think it is a gross corruption of true doctrine. After all, who am I to judge? The Lord makes it clear that we are not to be disputers over doctrine. There are plenty of others with sharpened pens that have no problem being the accuser and finding fault so I don’t have to take that role. I know a number of ex-Mormon types who harp continually about “misdeeds” of the church; they just can’t seem to let it alone. I cringe at many of the postings I read on line of an anti-Mormon or anti-LDS Church nature, and usually I just don’t read them.

So why did I change my mind in releasing the previous post on the law of Corbin last month? Before I posted it I posed a question with a number of friends of mine asking if it is right to point out faults of the church. They agreed that constantly calling out the church on points of doctrine and policy is not right. They did, however, call out that sometimes it is necessary to identify egregious actions or policies of the church in order to bring them to light, and to inform those who may not be aware of potentially shady practices some authorities of the church are involved in. After all, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other presidents of the church have counseled members not to follow the church or its leaders blindly. Bringing to light the hidden agendas and practices helps people to make informed decisions. My hope is that members will investigate and even pray about these things, “ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true…“.

Here are some additional issues directly related to the Law of Corban that the Church seems to embrace, which I am adding as afterthoughts:

1. President Nelson is the sole “owner” of all the assets of the church. He owns all church buildings, land, businesses owned by the church, BYU and all satellite campuses, and he owns all the securities and bonds held by the Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc. recently revealed to have over $100 billion in value in 2017. This is just one investment arm of the church that we know about since the church is very secretive about their finances (Any prudent investor would not have all their investment eggs in one basket). In four years, if the operators at Ensign Peak have continued their same level of success at a time of booming security prices, it is reasonable to expect that the $100 billion dollar nest egg has increased to over $140 – $170 Billion dollars. Adding up all the land, building, business, and securities assets you could possibly approach $240 Billion dollars or more. That could make President Nelson one of the two richest men in the world based on Forbes’ calculations (Forbes doesn’t include President Nelson in their top 100 list). Elon Musk is number one on Forbes’ list with $243 Billion Net worth. Even Warren Buffett is only worth a measly $100 Billion.

2. The LDS Church is in the top 30 richest corporations in the world, beating out Intel, Toyota, Verizon, and Comcast Corporations.

3. The LDS church sells indulgences in a very similar manner to the way the Catholic Church did in the 16th Century, which was one of the catalysts for Martin Luther to break away and form the Lutheran Church and the start of the Protestant Reformation. “In what way?” you might ask. Here is how it works: You can go to the Temple and receive an endowment that opens the door to exaltation in the highest kingdom of heaven. You can also obtain the same blessings for your deceased family members who await in a Mormon Purgatory for this work to be done for them in the temple. But you cannot go to the temple and have this work done unless you are a “Full” tithe payer. Some can look at this as a form of extortion. The requirement to pay tithing to get entry into God’s kingdom was made policy by Joseph F. Smith in 1910.

4. The Church has an explanation for creating a large surplus. They quote the story of Joseph who amassed 7 years worth of extra grain. They declare that it is prudent to have a rainy day fund for when hard times come. Another explanation I have heard is that the Lord will need this money when the city of New Jerusalem is built. Lets see…the church reportedly spends about $4 billion a year on operations, collects $5 1/2 billion in tithing receipts and donations. So 7 years times $4 billion is $28 billion. The church has 10 times that in net assets. As to the need for having that money to give to the Lord when He comes, has anyone read the Book of Revelation? The part about the total collapse of the monetary system of Babylon before the second coming?

5. One thing I wanted to make clear, but failed to do so in the previous post, was that members of the church are much less reluctant to contribute to the relief of the poor because they contribute so much to the church that there is nothing left in the budget to provide for the poor beggar. They reason, and their logic can’t be faulted, that the church provides liberally for the poor, and they pay a liberal amount to the church. So, in their mind they are fulfilling their obligation to help the beggar in the street. The problem is they aren’t fulfilling their obligation because the church doesn’t provide for the poor. So the members of the church practice Corbin by rationalizing that the money they pay to the church is sacred-there is no money left to give to the beggar. Never mind that the church encourages its members not to give to the beggar on the street.

Below is the history of the change in policy of the church regarding tithing. It reveals that the gradual changes mirror rising budget requirements of the church. I copied this time line from here: /https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/vbv6k/brief_history_of_tithing_and_the_financial/ . What becomes apparent to me is that policy changes regarding the paying and spending of tithing funds was driven more by the need to cover expenses that probably should not have been undertaken. But as the church began to become prosperous and wealthy, the authorities became secretive. Why? Perhaps because what they were doing would have been perceived as less than moral.

• 1837 – Presiding bishop defined tithing as two percent of one’s net worth, after deducting debts. This was voluntary and not forced, to quote “Believing that voluntary tithing is better than Forced taxes” – source
• 1838 – D&C 119 redefines tithing as all surplus property and then 1/10th of interest annually.
• 1844 – Official proclamation for all saints to immediately pay a one time tithe of 1/10th of their property and money to the church. Exemptions are not made for those who paid at conversion. – source
• 1845 – The church emphasizes the need to pay 1/10th of all possessions when entering the “new and everlasting covenant”. Two weeks later, the twelve voted to exempt themselves and other LDS leaders from this requirement. – source – [added Aug 2020]
• 1846 – Apostle John Page, exempt from the rule as he was an apostle, left the church over what he felt was an unjust and mandatory tax. He further stated that many paid at the cost of necessities for life. – source
• 1851 – Brigham instigated a vote that would allow excommunication for members not paying tithing or following the word of wisdom. source. This penalty was inconsistent and not often applied.
• 1873 – Orson Hyde describes tithing as 1/10th all of your property at the start and 1/10th of your annual income thereafter. This appears to be the first known instance of tithing being called 10% of your income.
• 1873, Multiple statements declaring tithing as 1/10th of your income that should “be gladly paid”, occasionally referred to as a “tax from the Lord”. Orson Pratt, Brigham Young,
• 1874 Tithing is an inferior law compared to the Law of consecration. – [Orson Pratt] –
• 1878 Even a widow who receives her full support from the church must pay tithing on those funds [L.W. Hardy – May 15, 1878] – Note: the apostles were exempt from the law of tithing.
• 1879 Lorenzo Snow agrees with Hardy, explaining the situation is a product of the lesser law (tithing). Had the people been following the celestial law (consecration) it would not be a hardship for the widow. – [Lorenzo Snow]
• 1892 Joseph F Smith implies tithing comes before necessities and implicitly suggests that 9 dollars will go further than 10 when tithing is paid.
• 1896 – Salaries stopped for everyone but the 12 due to financial troubles.
• 1898 – the LDS church is now $2.3 million (1800’s $) in debt. – source
• 1899 – Lorenzo Snow stated that everyone must pay tithing prompting a dramatic increase in tithe payers. This was about the same time he issued a total of $1 million in short term bonds. – source. The manuals show this as a turning point for the emphasis on tithing and it’s connection with full membership. – Also note the subtle retcon in the current manuals. This is known as Lorenzo Snow’s declaration on paying 10% of your income; yet, income, interest, or 10% are not used in the original quote. Instead, he simply says that each man is “to do the will of the Lord and to pay his tithing in full.”.
• 1899 – Joseph F Smith says tithing is a personal choice. Pay more to be blessed more. – (Conference Report, April 1899, pp. 68-69.) -Joseph F Smith, president as of this year.
• 1900, Lorenzo snow commissioned a list of non-tithe payers in all stakes. “Snow told the apostles that non-payment of tithing ‘was worse than the non-observance of the Word of Wisdom'” source.
• 1907, the church is now free from debt.
• 1908, Tithing can no longer be paid in livestock, property, labor, or produce – source
• 1910, Tithing is now required for a temple recommend.
• 1914, the church releases it’s first official report on how tithing is being used. source
• 1940’s, you start seeing the words “income”, “increase”, and “interest” used interchangeably in publications from leaders and conference talks. – See John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, pg.285-286
• In 1944 you see comments on paying the lord first. This is specifically meant to curb the practice of deducting taxes and living expenses (farmers are still allowed to deduct their operating expenses) – LeGrand Richards, Conference Report, April 1944, p.45.
• 1953, Income made it back into general conference talks – see Joseph L. Wirthlin, Conference Report, April 1953, p.97
• 1957 – The LDS church has a $7 million surplus from tithing funds. – despite this, the LDS church manages to go $8 million dollars into debt over the next year and a half due to rapid expansion of their building program. source
• 1959 – The LDS church stops publishing its financial reports. source
• 1962 – “The Church was deficit-spending $32 million annually. New York financiers had to advise against the First Presidency’s proposal “to finance such spending by selling Church securities for the next fifty years. The new year looked no better. By the end of February, there was already a $5 million shortfall, and 1963 threatened to equal or exceed the spending deficit of 1962.” – source.
• 1963 version of the general handbook of instructions, tithing was clearly stated as gross income. There is no reference to interest or increase – also quoted in The Messenger, September 1963, No. 87
• concurrently in 1963, Tanner revamped the financial structure of the church and “step by step the Church was introduced to corporate financing.” source
• Another book, The Principle and Practice of Paying Tithing, published in 1965 states that tithing is Gross, and not net. Notice the trend away from increase entirely and the full acceptance of income.
• In 1969 you see another conference talk on gross income, Bishop Victor L. Brown, Conference Report, 4 April 1969, p. 34
• In 1970, Joseph Fielding smith and the rest of the first presidency sent out a letter formalizing that interest is defined as income, and no one can say anything different. This went to bishops, stake presidents, and mission presidents. – source – 19 March 1970
• Post 1970 quotes can be found by searching on LDS.org for tithing, income, increase, or tithe.
• 1996 – Estimates place the LDS church’s annual revenue at ~$5 billion with total assets between $25-$30 billion. time magazine
• 2012 – The LDS church completed a $5 billion renovation in downtown Salt Lake. The LDS owned mall purportedly came in at $1.5 billion, 3x the original estimate. It’s unclear how much of the renovation came from the church itself. After completion, the bishopric who supervised the project was released and tithing slips were changed to state, “Though reasonable efforts will be made globally to use donations as designated, all donations become the Church’s property and will be used at the Church’s sole discretion to further the Church’s overall mission.”
• Today, all fast offerings and tithing donations are sent directly to salt lake and distributed as the church sees fit. – 2010 General Handbook of Instructions. Income, interest, and increase are often used interchangeably.

None of the above changes received a vote by comment consent. None of the above changes were presented as revelation, other than to say, “Whatever the General Authorities say is scripture.”

Soon after I returned from my mission I was walking by the Church Office Building in Salt Lake. A woman who was visiting from out of state came up to me and started asking questions about the building we were standing in front in. She asked me if I was a member of the church. Then she asked me why the church needed such a huge and imposing edifice. I replied that since it was a world wide church it needed a lot of office space to administer all the missionary activities, the printing of manuals and production of media, housing all the humanitarian activities, etc. Or something like that. She just kind of shrugged and walked off. I don’t think she bought all that. A Church of Christ doesn’t really need all that. But a giant, multinational corporation that has to control all aspects of its operation, keep its costs down, and maximize its prophets does.

“And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, if a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say , a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.” Mark 7:9-13

There was a rule in the Jewish observance of the Law at the time of Jesus that went something like this: If you legally declare that your fortune or a part of your fortune or property is to be donated to the temple treasury it is declared to be “Corban” (“a gift” or “sacred“) . It is considered sacred and becomes sort of like an annuity, except that the one donating the funds or property has full use of it until the time he decides to actually hand it off to the authorities, usually when the gifter dies.  Jesus pointed out that if a man simply said that he would dedicate his possessions to God (as in giving an offering at the Jerusalem Temple), he was thereby free from any financial obligation to his parents. In the Jewish mind this rule trumped the commandment to honor his parents—namely, support them financially—because his wealth was reserved as “Corban” (Sacred). This rule contradicts a commandment of God to honor your father and mother.

The fundamental principle, or anti-principle, at work here is the idea that the authorities can make up rules that supersede written scriptural doctrine as an expediency, a way to get around the doctrine. Religions transform basic fundamental doctrines over time. It sort of follows the maxim that bureaucracies always get larger, not smaller, and doctrines are always added to or changed over time. The explanation usually given for changes is that times change and policies need to be adjusted. That was the problem with the Jewish religion at the time of Christ. Many of the laws the Jews established went beyond the mark and were actually in opposition to the commandments of God. But the Jews were happy to make exceptions to God’s Law thinking they could improve on the fundamental doctrines that might not meet the needs of the church, as they perceive. They thought they were doing the right thing and that it was actually God that was inspiring them to add to the Laws, make them better.

Ask any good Calvinist, like the Presbyterians or Baptists, if they believe the basic premise of Calvinism that there is absolutely nothing you can personally do to obtain salvation. According to Calvin, some men and women are saved arbitrarily and many more are damned simply to prove that God is merciful in saving a few who do not merit salvation, while most are damned to prove God’s perfect justice. The typical Presbyterian or Baptist will tell you they believe no such thing. That’s because their churches no longer teach that doctrine. It has become unpopular. And then there is the concept of indulgences that was adopted by the Catholic Church starting in the 12th century to raise enormous amounts of money for the clergy. It was the practice of raising money through the sale of pardons for sins that was the at the core of the protestant break from Catholicism. Take any religion with a history and you will find changes in the doctrine over time.

An example of changing policy that reverses or repudiates a founding principle of faith in the LDS church can be demonstrated in the collection and administration of tithes. This is also an example of a modern application of the practice of Corban. The original purpose of tithing and the amount that the members were required to pay is a significant departure from what the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith. But that doctrine was changed to make administering the affairs of the church easier. The Lord declares in D&C 119 that the members give up all their surplus property and then after that their tithe is 1/10th of their interest, not their salary. Interest is what is left over after you pay the rent, buy food and clothing and pay the utilities and taxes. The Lord establishes the purpose of the tithing monies, “For the building of mine house, and for the laying the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my church.” He concludes the revelation by stating, and these are the words of the Lord, “and this shall be a standing law unto them forever…”

Tithing practices and policies changed over the years fundamentally because of mismanagement by the General Authorities. By 1898 the church was heavily into debt because of bad investments, legal issues with federal government over polygamy, and fall out from the Economic crash of 1893. Up until this point there was no standard policy for the collection and use of tithes. Brigham Young had defined tithing as 10 percent of one’s property upon conversion and then 10 percent of one’s annual income. He also instituted an “immigration tithe” requiring 10 percent of one’s net gross upon arrival in the State of Deseret. However, Young admitted that neither he nor anyone else had paid a full tithe as he interpreted the Doctrine and Covenants. (1) Lorenzo Snow established a higher mark for the payment of tithing in 1898 and by 1906, under President Joseph F. Smith, the church was largely out of debt. By 1950 the church was again in trouble, largely because of mismanagement of an extensive building program; which was a “hail Mary” policy to increase baptisms, sort of a “if you build it, they will come” policy. The Church found itself in debt for $32 million, a huge sum in that day. In response, the church again began to emphasize the payment of tithing, encouraging members to faithfully pay an honest tithe against annual income (minus taxes), and in some cases to pay ten percent of their gross annual pay. By the 1970’s, the church began investing excess tithing funds collected, over and above what was needed to pay expenses, into land and securities.

All of these changes over the years were presented as revelation coming from God, and would later be instantiated as a commandment. In actuality they were actually nothing more then policy changes disguised as commandments received by revelation. The authorities feel free to make these changes because they believe they speak for the Lord. After all, they sit in “Moses’ seat” and are the anointed and chosen of God. Their logic follows this idea: the Lord has gone from the scene and has left his “anointed” in charge and He (the Lord) directs them through inspiration. The Book of Mormon has warned us about the practices of organized religions in our day , “…and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;” (2 Nephi 28:5) General Authorities have made it known that the Lord has given them power and authority to change doctrine established by scripture. They declare that their word trumps the scriptures because they are “modern prophets” and “modern revelation” trumps “ancient revelation”. In essence they stand between God and the membership of the church. In their minds they have been given the power by God to act in his name. And so, with little evidence of an actual revelation, the church has changed the intent and purpose of tithing for expediency’s sake. The law of tithing as practiced by the LDS church today has little resemblance to the principle declared by the Lord to be a standing law, FOREVER! Corbin principle in action, indeed.

One of the results that came about by changing the tithing law was that the LDS church has been able to accumulate a fabulous wealth amounting to over 100 billion dollars in securities and bond assets by 2017. In the year 2020 alone their investment arm, Ensign Peak Advisors, made $6 Billion for the church, which didn’t include the $1.6 billion dollars the church adds from tithing receipts each year. This was all hidden from the membership of the church. In fact, it was hidden from most of the general authorities of the church. Why? Could it be that the authorities who were directing this action knew that this would be perceived as going beyond the mark?

Great wealth and money mean nothing to Christ. When required to pay taxes to the Romans He directed his Apostles to go fishing. And when they caught a fish, he instructed them to pull a silver coin from its mouth.

There is something perhaps sinister about a church that is able to accumulate hundreds of billions of dollars in assets. The only way to accumulate that kind of hoard is to do it on the backs of its members. Moroni warned us about corruption in the churches in our generation. “And it came to pass that when three hundred years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like another. And it came to pass that the robbers of Gaddianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance….“

The second part of the Corbin principle is played out in denying the use of “sacred” funds to help the poor. Not only does the LDS church misuse and corrupt the law of tithing in a way that mirrors the Sadducees’ and temple priest’s management of offerings, they also utterly refuse to use the money to assist the poor and destitute of its own members, because they declare it is sacred! I get there is a need to build chapels and temples and to pay the debts of the Presidency, and maybe a reasonable amount to be saved for a rainy date, but the money practices of the LDS Church have gone past what anyone would consider reasonable.

“Wait a minute, Brother,” I hear from an active church going Member of the church, “The church does spend a significant amount of money to relieve the poor.” Yes, they do, but lets take a look at how much they actually donate to the poor. The Church stated in its 2018 annual report that LDS charities has provided more than $2.2 billion or an average of $64.7 million a year, in 197 countries since the creation of LDS Charities in 1985. That’s very commendable, but it is only 4% of the $1.6 billion annually that the church considers excess to be added to its securities investments, and is less than 1% of total tithing receipts in one single year. This turns out to be a miserly sum, in terms of percentages, spent on relief of poor. The vast majority of tithing funds go to building lavishly expensive temples, supporting a large bureaucracy, purchasing large tracts of real estate, buying up and supporting businesses, and buying stocks and bonds.

Just as an aged parent may seek support from their wealthy son at the time of Jesus, and then be told that there was no money to give them because it was Corban (Sacred) , the Church has declared, maybe not in words, but in action, that there is no money to give to starving millions of its members living in abject poverty because tithing money is sacred. The authorities of the church consider the hundreds of billions of dollars as sacred and is not to be spent for the relief of the poor. They have claimed that there are other avenues to provide for the poor. The record however tells a different story.

The church claims that fast offerings provided by generous donations of members, above and in addition to the tithing funds paid, are to be used for the care of the poor. But those funds are for use only within the congregations where the donations originated and are only a very small percentage of tithing receipts. Fast offering funds are urgently needed in poor congregations where fast offerings are very small, particularly in Central and South American, and African congregations. And so, fast offerings become a further tax on the poor, and are in reality a tiny fraction of the amount collected for tithing, and never make it to the truly destitute of its members.

In a recent deposition, whistle blower David Nielsen stated that tithing funds were used to seed the Ensign Peak Advisors LDS fund and that each year since the church has added more then $1 billion to the fund sourced directly from tithing. Do you really believe that the Lord sanctions the accumulation of wealth of such a staggering amount, while millions of children who are members of the church are suffering from malnutrition in Central and South America, Africa and Asia? There are countless thousands if not millions of members that are donating money to the church at the same time wondering where their next meal is coming from.

Here is the church’s response to the allegations of tax fraud:

“We take seriously the responsibility to care for the tithes and donations received from members. The vast majority of these funds are used immediately to meet the needs of the growing church including more meetinghouses, temples, education, humanitarian work and missionary efforts throughout the world. Over many years, a portion is methodically safeguarded through wise financial management and the building of a prudent reserve for the future. This is a sound doctrinal and financial principle taught by the Savior in the Parable of the Talents and lived by the church and its members. All church funds exist for no other reason than to support the church’s divinely appointed mission.

“Claims being currently circulated are based on a narrow perspective and limited information. The church complies with all applicable law governing our donations, investments, taxes and reserves. We continue to welcome the opportunity to work with officials to address questions they may have.” (underlined text by church attorneys, bold text is by me)

This is a very legalistic response. How much is a prudent reserve? I suppose the Sadducees, who controlled the temple treasury, would have a very similar legalistic response to Jesus’ accusations. It may be legal, but that doesn’t make it right.

The Corban principle is at work exactly as described by Jesus. First, a direct commandment from the Lord is superseded by rules dictated by men in authority, specifically regarding the collecting of offerings to make it easier to accumulate wealth. Second, the money is not available for the relief of family members or poor members of the church (Members of the church are family, don’t they call each other “Brother” and “Sister”?) because it is considered “sacred”.

Speaking directly of the Gentiles and the Gentile Churches of today, Moroni declared that he sees us, he has been shown our time. He knows what we are doing and it is evil. “And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts, and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, … and your churches, yea, even every one have become polluted…For behold, ye do love money, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and needy, the sick and the afflicted.” (Mormon 8: 35-39) Do you think he was only talking about the Catholic Church, Protestant mega-churches, or televangelist ministries? No, Moroni says, “even every one have become polluted.”

On a personal level, the practice of the Corban principle in our lives is nothing more than exhibiting covetousness, greed, and idolatry. When you pass by a beggar without a thought to give him any money, you may be practicing the principle of Corban, especially if you consider that you may have been counseled not to give them any money–“Give it to the church instead. The Bishops will take care of the poor.” Except they don’t.

I will make a prophesy here, which isn’t too hard to make in this case. If the church persists in collecting burdensome tithes from the poor, and using some of that money to add to the fabulous hoard of silver and gold without dispensing a sizeable portion to the poor, it will canker and fester the soul of the church. Eventually all of that wealth will be taken away and vanish like a phantom in the night, and nothing will be left to show for all that greed and covetousness.

Great wealth is not so much a great blessing as it is a test. The test is in how the great wealth is spent. There is a better way to take advantage of the prosperity we currently are living in by accumulating money for some nebulous future day (Some say for the millennium when Christ comes, or it will be needed to build Zion). By taking away the ability of the members of the church to contribute generously to the poor by exacting burdensome tithing, the church becomes an anti-Zion society. My logic is this: In order for a people to enter into Zion they must be equal as a people– no poor among them. Zion will not come and then people change, rather, people will change and then Zion will come. One of the greatest attributes that will unite everyone as a Zion people is charity and the church has a great opportunity here to practice charity on a grand scale; to show the world what good the LDS Church can do in the world. Instead of turning in on themselves and hoarding its wealth, it can become a church of wonderous significance in the world. Just think of the impact that could be made by using its great wealth to raise up the poor, and itself in the process. And by helping to lift the status of the poor, the church really does become an agent of Zion.

I agree that the dispensing of funds to the poor, to their relief, must be done in wisdom to prevent people from becoming dependent and abrogating their own responsibilities and growth. But it can be done properly if the energies used to accumulate the wealth is turned to spending it in a way that lifts people’s souls without impairing their free will and spiritual growth. Just as He discouraged the 5,000, who were looking to him as a meal ticket, from following and depending on Him to provide their daily sustenance, the Lord does not want people to be dependent on the church.

The best advice I have to the church is sell all that you have and give to the poor, and then come and join Christ.

—————————————————————————————————————————-Notes: 1. Bell, E. Jay (1994). “The Windows of Heaven Revisited: The 1899 Tithing Reformation”. Journal of Mormon History. Mormon History Association, University of Illinois Press. p.53–54.