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Every once in a while I come across a scripture that is quoted, commented on, and interpreted in a way that was not intended by the author. Some of these scriptures are interpreted to mean something entirely different than a wider reading of the text indicates. Take for example this scripture from Isaiah 28:10:

“ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little.”

The LDS Church teaches this scripture is a good thing; how the Lord will reveal light and truth a little at a time. We are taught that this is a blessing. The light of the gospel will be revealed a little at a time and builds upon previous revelations.  Elder David A. Bednar said this in a recent conference talk:

“The Lord’s pattern for spiritual development is line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take.

Elder Benjamin De Hoyas said this in his April 2017 Conference address:

“The Lord has always revealed His will to us “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Therefore we should not be surprised by what may seem like small things because of their simple and repetitive nature.”

 It is good that we receive knowledge that builds upon other knowledge, otherwise it wouldn’t make any sense to us. D&C 98:12 says “For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith.”  This idea, though, is quite different then what the author of Isaiah intended.  Let’s read the whole scripture reference in Isaiah 28 that puts “line upon line” in its true meaning.

First let me set the tone of chapter 28 for you.  Isaiah 28 begins, “ Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower…” For the rest of the chapter Isaiah continues in this vein.  Ephraim will be trodden down, with only a small residue receiving a “diadem of beauty”.  The priests and prophets have erred in vision because they have drunk strong drink. They are part of the reason for Ephraim’s fall, but the people are not blameless.  The priests and prophets only taught what was popular, what the people wanted to hear.  And so, because the people are unwilling to receive the fulness of light and knowledge,

“Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.  But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”                    (Isaiah 28: 10-13)

I like Gileadi’s comment on these verses:

“Although Jehovah wants to give his people “instruction” and “revelation” they are but babes and sucklings who haven’t developed far enough to digest more than milk: “Everyone who uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe” (Heb.  5:13). Ephraim’s mode of learning is still “line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, here a little, there a         little”…”Assonance and alliteration parody their rote method of learning that consists of parroting back what their leaders teach.” (Avraham Gileadi, Apocalyptic Commentary of the Book of Isaiah, p.170)

If you read Isaiah 28:10 in original Hebrew you get the sense that Isaiah is making fun of the Ephraimites.  Isaiah mimics the way babies talk. Where we might say a baby talks like this: “dah dah, goo goo”; in Hebrew, “precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little” is translated from this: “saw lasaw saw lasaw qaw laqaw qaw laqaw zeir sam zeir sam”. It sounds a bit like gibberish, even to the Hebrews. Isaiah loves a play on words to get his points across.  He demonstrates it is by “stammering tongue” that they hear the word of the Lord.  Light and knowledge sounds like nonsense to them, so the Lord cuts off or limits what He gives them.

As Latter-Day Saints we tend to understand “line upon line” as a legitimate and preferred way of the Lord to communicate with us.  Revelation comes to us as a trickle so that we can absorb it and lay the basis for further light and knowledge. That is one of the reasons we get the same Sunday school lessons over and over, the same conference talks rehashed, and a very restricted list of topics for teaching and discussion.  That is not the intent of Isaiah 28 at all.  If you read the entire chapter you will find that Isaiah is warning us of exactly what the church practices today. Repetition, limited interpretation, limited scope of approved topics, and, did I mention repetition? 

Reading 2 Nephi 28:30 and D&C 98:12, “precept upon precept, and line upon line” seems to indicate that this is the Lord’s preferred way of revealing light and knowledge to His people.  But here are a few considerations to ponder:

1. 2 Nephi 28:30 says: “…thus sayeth the Lord I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept…and blessed are those who hearken…for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more;” After a person receives line upon line, if he is faithful, he will receive more. Only after a person has received milk and has moved on from “line upon line” will he be ready for bread and then meat. It is a test. Once we have proven faithful we will be allowed access to the whole spectrum of light. We will no longer have to be subjected to the same lesson, the same doctrinal concept over and over again.
2. Joseph Smith stated, “I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions.” ( Joseph Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p.520) Hence he had to be careful, revealing only a small part of the knowledge of God. The members of the church were content to be limited to “line upon line”.
3. Isaiah 28:10-13 was meant as a curse to Ephraim, and ultimately to Judah. Because the people could not, nor would not, endure sound doctrine in its fulness, the Lord curtailed the amplitude and frequency of new knowledge being revealed. Are we seeing the same phenomenon today?
4. I would consider that the revelations that accompanied Joseph Smith’s ministry to be a full throttle outpouring of knowledge. The Book of Mormon, revelations included in the Doctrine and Covenants, the re-translation of the Bible, the Pearl of Great Price, and his recorded sermons and writings was not a “line upon line” trickle of knowledge. This was not the Lord revealing here a little and there a little, but a light switch was turned on to cause an outpouring of the knowledge of God and salvation.
5. Consider the brother of Jared. He received a revelation of the entire history of the world in one sitting. Mormon wrote that only when the Gentiles have exercised faith in the Lord and been sanctified, will the Lord reveal to them what he revealed to the brother of Jared.
6. Joseph Smith once said that if we could gaze through the veil for a moment we would learn more about heaven then all the books written.
7. The fulness of the gospel encompasses the revelation of Christ to us. This is a revelation where nothing will be held back from us.

It seems then, that the Lord wants to give us as much light and knowledge as we can take in.  In fact, He gives us more than we can fully understand.  The “line upon line” mode of communication is a second rate means for those who are struggling with milk.  Since Joseph Smith we have had to be content with the “line upon line” pace of heavenly knowledge revealed to us. Because the levels of knowledge revealed to us has dropped to somewhere near zero since Joseph Smith, the LDS church has become content with what was given during that short period of time between 1828 and 1844.  In order to rationalize the lack of new revelation the authorities of the church have resorted to some logical gymnastics to explain why.

“…I do not even believe that there is a single revelation among the many God has given to the church, that is perfect in its fulness.  The revelations of God contain correct doctrine and principles, so far as they go; but it is impossible for the poor, weak, low, groveling, sinful inhabitants of the earth to receive a revelation from the Almighty in all its perfections.  He has to speak to us in a manner to meet the extent of our capabilities.” Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 2:314.

“It is a good thing for us not to attempt to advance new doctrine, or new and advanced thought in relation to principles and doctrines pertaining to, or presumed to pertain to the gospel of Jesus Christ, without weighing it carefully, with the experience of years, before you attempt to make a doctrinal test and to advance it to the people of the Lord. There is so much simple truth,  necessary to be understood, that has been revealed to us in the gospel that it is extreme folly in us to attempt to go beyond the truth that has been revealed, until we have mastered and can comprehend the truth that we have. There is a great deal within our reach that we have not yet mastered.” Joseph F. Smith, James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965–75),p. 97

 I recall a quote by Gordon B. Hinckley in an interview with either Mike Wallace or Larry King when asked if he received revelation.  His answer was something like this, “We don’t need new revelation, we don’t pay attention to all the ones we have now.” Or something like that.  The idea conveyed is that the Lord has given us all that he is going to give us until we decide to accept it and live it. There is truth in the  statement by President Hinkley, but it highlights what I am presenting here, that we will continue to learn “line upon line” until we are ready to receive more.  We are content to receive knowledge this way. And by acceding to contentedness with this condition we damn ourselves and reject the fulness.

The author of the Book of Job asks the question, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12). Where, indeed, is the fountain of understanding? Christ is the fountain of all knowledge.  He knows and comprehends all (D&C 88:41). He is the gatekeeper for the dispensing of all this knowledge, and “If you are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done…” (D&C 50:29). At that point, we are no longer cursed to receive small incremental nuggets of light; we can ask anything and the Lord will answer.

There is a curious statement in Moses 6:61 which declares: “Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgement.”  I suggest that all the knowledge is there within us, waiting to be poured out upon us when we are ready to be fed with meat.  When you are dissatisfied with being subjected to rote memorization, repetitive reinforcement of concepts, and the same doctrine drummed into us over and over again, as the curse of “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line” insinuates, then you will be ready to begin to open the doors to the treasure house, “the record of heaven”.

This is the third and final post on prophets and whether the Lord would call someone not part of the LDS hierarchy like Denver Snuffer to speak on His behalf.  (Dr. Nibble and Elder Johnson are not real people, but they represent real opposing ideas)

Mod: I think that leads us finally to talk about Denver Snuffer, and other prophets that the Lord might call that are not part of the established church hierarchy.  Is his message valid? Should we pay attention?

Nibble: If I may, there is a story told by Josephus in Wars of the Jews of a man named Jesus, son of Ananus, who appeared in Jerusalem four years before the war with the Romans which resulted in Jerusalem’s destruction. He appears suddenly in the market place, and actually climbs on to the walls of the city (shades of Samuel the Lamanite?) and declares these words: “A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people.” He repeated this everyday for seven years. He was like a wild man in their midst. He died by a Roman arrow on the wall of the city in the last year of the siege.

I tell that story because it is an example that you have probably not heard of, that the Lord always sends multiple messengers to warn and cajole people into repenting before destruction overtakes a people.  And they are never part of the establishment, for a reason.  We live in a time of great peril, a time that immediately precedes what the Lord says will be terrible.  Even the elect will be deceived.  There will be multiple prophets, many and from various backgrounds and customs. And there will be false prophets- who, according to Isaiah, Ezekiel, Alma and Jacob usually tell the public that all is well.  Are there any prophets recently that have told that all is well?

D&C 46:15-16 talks about the differences of administration and diversities of operations in the way the Holy Spirit is manifested.  The Lord does not communicate exclusively to His people through one voice.  The need for more than one prophet to prophesy also answers to the law of witnesses. And I have to say, the witnesses called by the Lord will always be rejected by established churches because they are not telling a message the leadership agrees with, and the prophet was not sanctioned by them and thereby  are unable to control the message.  When a messenger, a prophet, becomes popular, that is a warning sign.  So a true prophet’s message will never be popular, and will be accepted by very few.

Maybe you don’t think Denver Snuffer is a prophet sent by God, but, based on the way the Lord has always done things, there will always be someone like Denver who will come.  Those prophets will not be favored by church authorities. The idea of a Denver Snuffer is worth investigating.

Mod: It sounds like you are saying that the idea of having only one prophet, who is part of established religion, is not the normal, but actually the exception?

Nibble: I actually can’t think of another time when those conditions existed except when a church was under a Pope, or a very strong controlling central authority.  Even Joseph Smith tried to introduce the idea that the Lord wanted to create a society of priests; prophets able to know Christ and have revelations without having to go to him.  The same with Moses, but the people would have none of it in both generations.

Mod: Elder Johnson, how would you respond to that?

Johnson: I just want to say that you have heard a very convincing argument that the Lord doesn’t work through the channels that he specifically set up through Joseph Smith by revelation. The keys that were given to Joseph to administer the Kingdom of God on earth in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints have been preserved and handed down through men that have been prepared to serve as the Lord’s prophets.  It is the Lord’s method by which you can be assured of salvation. He wants you to look to the prophet that he has anointed to lead his church.  Denver Snuffer, and any other man or woman who pretends to speak for the Lord, will, in the end, be revealed to be false.  We have so many false prophets come and go, and they all have proven to be wolves in sheep’s clothing. By always looking to the presidency you can be assured that you will always be able to know what the Lord’s desire is for you. The Lord’s prophet will never lead you astray

Nibble: I think it is important to define the term “prophet”. Joseph Smith said that a prophet is a prophet when he acts like one, i.e., receives revelation from God.  D&C 107:91-92 says, “And again, the duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to preside over the whole church, and to be like unto Moses- Behold, here is wisdom; yea to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet.”  When was the last time you heard a prophecy by the president of the church, or when did he last translate or reveal sacred writings? You never have in your lifetime. Here is a statement by Joseph F. Smith, when he was president of the church, that summarizes the current state of leadership in the LDS Church. “I have never pretended, nor do I profess to have received revelations.  I never said I had a revelation except so far as God has shown to me that so called Mormonism is God’s divine truth; that is all.” (Reed Smoot Hearings, 1904).

Johnson: We have the revelation on lifting the priesthood ban in 1978 by Spencer W. Kimball.

Nibble: The truth behind that revelation is that President Kimball did not receive a revelation.  After attempting to get a revelation from God over several years trying, he resorted to asking God to speak to him if that was not His will.

Johnson: I think that qualifies as revelation.  The Lord works by influencing the actions and thoughts of His prophets.

Nibble: That is true, but a prophet should be a little more certain in his communication with God.  Now contrast the experience of the members of the LDS church over the years since Joseph F. Smith with prophecy, and look at the claims that Denver Snuffer has made.  He is saying that he has talked to the Lord. Met him face to face and been given instruction.  He has claimed to have been taught directly by heaven.

Johnson: As have many false prophets.

Nibble: But have you tested his words? Have you gone to the Lord and asked Him if he is a true prophet?

Johnson: I don’t have to.  I know he is a false prophet.  I have not read any of his books or blog posts. The Lord does not operate outside the church authorities that sit in Joseph Smith’s seat. That is the only test that matters.

Nibble: Well, all I can say to that is that the scriptures speak otherwise.  And a truly correct test would be to ask the Lord directly. Elder Johnson, I would like to refer you to John 7:17.

Mod: We have come to the end of our time together.  It has been a wonderful discussion. I would like to give each of you the opportunity to say a last few words.

Johnson: I would like to conclude my remarks by  bearing you my solemn testimony that the Lord directs his church through his prophet, the president of the church. Joseph Smith established the Lord’s church which will not be removed or supplanted until the Lord comes in glory before the Millennium. The government of the kingdom of God that Joseph set up before he was martyred was set up to ensure a continuity of receiving the Lord’s revealed word through the presidency of the church. I cannot stress enough that anyone outside of that established protocol who says that he has the words of Christ, is a false prophet.  And you follow him at your peril. Stay with the church, the authorities have the words of life.

Nibble:   I would like to conclude by offering this bit of advice: “prove all things”. If there is anything of good report seek after it to know if it is true.  The Lord’s pattern in scripture allows His word to be revealed through men and women who probably are not associated or called through existing church hierarchies, especially in times where the Lord is about to pour out judgement upon those people. Yes, there will be false prophets, and yes,  it requires the individual to inquire of the Lord directly to ascertain the truth of their message. The doctrine of infallibility of the president of the church is not scriptural.  He can and will lead you astray.  It has been a requirement of every generation to try the prophets and to determine truth by the Holy Spirit and not trust solely in the arm of flesh. Denver Snuffer fits the profile and role of every true prophet the Lord has sent to warn people in every age.  His role is to warn and advise, but not to rule and coerce people to believe.  If you reject his message out of hand without even a cursory read of his message, then you are not following the Lord’s admonition through Paul to ”prove all things”.

Mod: Thank you Elder Johnson and Dr. Nibble for this engaging discussion.

An interesting discussion, don’t you think? So much confusion and chaos about what to believe and who to believe. Both experts had some good points, but my sympathies lay with Dr. Nibble.  The stance of the LDS church is really untenable when compared with the scriptures and the writings of Joseph Smith.  There has not been a single revelation that stands the test of time from LDS church authorities since Joseph Smith. In stark contrast, you have Denver Snuffer who has made some extraordinary claims.  Claims that are unique, even if you consider all the claims from false prophets in modern times. They are extraordinary enough that they bear looking into.

This transcript is Part 2 of a virtual discussion between two eminent scholars: author and professor of history, Dr. Harold Nibble and LDS Historian, Elder Martin K. Johnson. They discuss the precedence of the Lord calling a prophet outside of an established priesthood hierarchy to warn and instruct the people of the LDS church. (Dr. Nibble and Elder Johnson are not real people. They represent two somewhat real opposing points of view)

Mod: What do the scriptures tell us about the Lord calling men to be prophets who are not part of the established “church”?  Or for that matter, do we have examples of times when the Lord called more than one prophet to warn and teach a people at the same time?  Has the Lord made allowances in the past for the calling of multiple prophets to minister to a nation or group of people?

Johnson: I think it is important to point out that the current dispensation, of which Joseph Smith is the founder, has some unique things going for it. There are conditions, qualities, practices, and ordinances that didn’t exist in previous dispensations.  For example, The Old Testament was written under the old Mosaic covenant, which is no longer applicable.  Most of the practices, traditions, requirements of that era are no longer to be observed, or even desired in this last dispensation.  So for us to say there is a precedent in scriptures we also need to acknowledge that we are dealing with new bottles. Things are done differently.  Can the Lord call men to be prophets who are not called and set apart through an established priesthood, through men he has appointed and anointed to administer these things in His name? He certainly has the ability, but He will not act outside what He has established as the method and procedure for such things.  I think it is a moot point to discuss what was done before, and to point at it and say, “See, this is how the Lord has always done it.” D&C 121:26-

Nibble: Not sure how to respond to that other then to say that I suppose it is human nature to assume that one is different from everybody else and therefore “special”.  I don’t know of a single scripture or statement by Joseph Smith that indicates the modern dispensation operates under different rules-other than in some outward ordinances. Joseph constantly taught that all the ordinances and knowledge were known and practiced in previous dispensations. This dispensation is not much different, only in operational principles does it look different.  Several verses come to mind. Primarily there is Moses 5:57-59, which states in verse 59, “And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof; and thus it was. Amen”.

Johnson: Nevertheless, D&C 121:26-33 teaches that God meant for this last dispensation to be “special” as you use the term.  It is the dispensation where all things from all dispensations are brought together with new light that will be unique for the last dispensation.  Verse 26 and 27 especially point this out, “God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now; Which our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory.”  This last dispensation is different.

Nibble: That is a wonderful revelation, but, I think, again, you have to look at the context of those verses in the revelation.  You really can’t look at a few verses in isolation without looking at the context.  If you read further into the section you will see that the Lord is talking directly to Joseph Smith and his experiences.  Not only that, but the Lord is referring to a future time.  Verse 28 specifically says, ”A time to come in which nothing shall be withheld.” I think we could discuss this point all day and not be able to establish, one way or another, if the current LDS church holds the only authority to revelation from the Lord.  I would really like to talk about how the Lord, who operates consistently from one generation to another, has always used multiple prophets to get the word out, and not necessarily prophets that are part of the established church.  In fact, it is usually unaffiliated prophets to the existing church.  I think we should consider 1 Nephi 10:19, first.

Mod: I have that right here, “For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.”  So, Dr. Nibble, you are pointing out by this scripture that the Lord operates the same in every dispensation?

Nibble: Right, “the course of the Lord is one eternal round.”  Sure, the mechanism or organization through which His word is disseminated is a little different; In one dispensation He operates through Patriarchs, in another, judges.  In others it will be apostles, kings, high priests.  But in every case, every single dispensation,  the Lord has called other prophets, outside of the organized and established “church” to deliver messages to His people.  Usually to steer the people back on course, where the established church or religion has started to diverge from the path.

Mod: Give us an example of that taking place, say, during the time of the patriarchs, Abraham or Jacob. It is pretty obvious there were multiple prophets during the time of the Judges and Kings of Israel and Judah, and throughout the Book of Mormon.

Nibble: Sure.  Abraham was the founder of the dispensation.  He was the only one in the entire world willing to obey God.  Or so we are led to believe.  Remember the three messengers sent to Abraham on the way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?  The Lord sent those holy men to Abraham.  Turns out he wasn’t the only one who received revelation at that time.  Who was the messenger, or angel that wrestled with Jacob? Hugh Nibley wrote extensively about a couple of prophets mentioned in the Book of Mormon, Zenos and Zenoch, who he demonstrated  prophesied during a period that overlapped with Moses or shortly after.  I find it interesting that the Nephites try to ignore Samuel. Christ had to command the Nephites to include his prophecies in their records.  Were they reticent to include him in their records because he was not part of their church organization?

Johnson: It can be shown that in all of those cases, except perhaps the three messengers Abraham encountered, the existing church organization was in apostacy.

Nibble: Yes.

Johnson: But the present church is not in apostacy. In fact the scriptures indicate that the last dispensation will bring everything together and present this last great work of sealing everything together when the Lord comes.

Nibble: Hmm, well, we could debate that view at another time perhaps. But I can say this, having multiple witnesses of God’s involvement in the affairs of men seems to be the normal state. Having a single monolithic figure head as the sole spokesman for God occurs usually when society or the Lord’s church is in a state of apostacy.  The only exception is perhaps the during founding of a new dispensation, which, by the way, is always founded by a prophet who is not part of the leadership of established religions of the time in every case.

Johnson: In every dispensation but the current one. We have many assurances from the Lord that the last dispensation will never apostatize.  In a letter that Joseph Smith wrote to the saints in Nauvoo in 1842, which later became included in the Doctrine and Covenants as section 128, he speaks a lot about the final dispensation when all things are brought together; all knowledge, all ordinances, the sealing of all families together. He describes the dispensation of the fulness of times when all things will be restored. In verse 19 Joseph declares, “Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth;…”  This is the dispensation that all true prophets have looked to for the recovery of all things pertaining to the establishment of the Lord’s gospel on the earth.  Never to be removed until Christ comes.

Nibble: And yet Isaiah, Nephi, Mormon, even Christ Himself at Bountiful speaks about the apostacy of the Gentile church before the second coming (Isaiah 28; 2; Nephi 27:1-2; 28; 3 Nephi 21; Mormon 8) .  There is no other way to read those prophecies than to understand that all generations, all churches, all societies, no matter how well founded, how well led, are in danger of falling away and rejecting truth.  That is a warning that even Joseph Smith uttered on numerous occasions.  There is no guarantee, there is no “safe” zone from being led away from the straight and narrow path. At least not until you are told by the Savior Himself that you are redeemed, and even then there are perils. Each person is responsible for their own souls, and cannot look to any authority to “save” them.

Mod: I think that leads us finally to talk about Denver Snuffer, and other prophets that the Lord might call that are not part of the established church hierarchy.  Is his message valid? Should we pay attention?

This post is longer than I thought.  I am going to have to break it up and add a third and final blog post.  I will release both part 2 and 3 the same day.

A Warning to the people of Salt Lake Valley

I am no one special.  I hold no office in any church and I did not ask for this, nor did I seek for anything like it. I am only writing this because I was instructed to publish this account and the words that were given to me to declare.  I was given a task to declare a warning to the people who live in Salt Lake Valley on November 3, 2017.  The transcript of what I was told to say is below.

First, I need to give a brief account as to how this came about.  My wife and I were visiting my brother and sisters and their spouses who all live along the Wasatch Front.  Mostly in Davis County, Utah.   We got together in the evening at a restaurant in Brigham City.  My wife and I live in Cedar City so rather than drive home that night we stayed at my sister’s home in Hooper and planned to travel home the next day.

The next morning the spirit came upon me almost as soon as I woke up.  It was not so much words that were spoken, but a very strong impression was conveyed to me, with a picture that I saw in my mind.  I saw myself behind the Capitol Building in Salt Lake City standing up in the foothills.  I was instructed to pronounce a curse directed to the inhabitants of Salt Lake City.  I have never received an impression like that before,  certainly never with such power and force that came upon me then.  I was experienced enough with the Holy Spirit having guided me from time to time, to know that the source of this impression was from the Lord.  In my naivete I begged the Lord not to give a curse, but could I give a blessing instead?  The answer I received was “Yes, you can give a blessing, but you must say the words I give you.”

I pondered on this all morning as I got ready for the day.  I didn’t tell my wife what I had experienced until we were in the car and on our way home.  I told her that we had to make a stop on the way and explained to her what I had been instructed to do.  She accepted what I said more readily than I expected as I was a little nervous about how she would react.

We drove to Salt Lake City and made our way to the north side of the Capitol building.  My wife asked me if I knew where we were going.  I told her I didn’t know, but felt impressed to turn on a particular road.  I didn’t know where my destination, but received impressions to turn when it was necessary.  I had never been to this part of Salt Lake City.  I made one last turn and found a small park way up on the hill side with a view of the whole valley.  I knew this was the place I was being led to.  I parked the car and we got  out.  The park turned out to be Ensign Peak Park.  I had no idea that Ensign Peak was north of the Capitol building.  I always assumed it was to the East near Immigration Canyon where the Pioneers first entered Salt lake Valley.  We followed the trail up to the top of Ensign Peak, which was a 30-minute hike to the top.

As I read the plaques at the top of the peak describing its significance in the history of the settling of the valley,  I began to realize the wise and wonderful purpose of the Lord in having me go to that exact spot.  Within a few days after the saints arrived in Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young and many of the apostles and other prominent men in the company hiked up to the top of Ensign Peak.  There they prayed and dedicated the valley to the gathering of the saints and the establishment of Zion.  It was to be a gathering place for all nations to come to the valley.  Here I was to give, as I understood it, a countermand to that original blessing.

My wife and I were alone on the top of the peak.  I prayed that the Lord would give me the words to say, and that I would speak only what he instructed.  My wife recorded my words on an iPhone so that I could later write them down.  I stood looking over the Salt Lake Valley which you could see in its entirety from that vantage point.  I raised my arms over my head and uttered as loudly as I could these words under the influence of the Holy Spirit:

“Inhabitants of Salt Lake City, Latter Day Saints and Christians, I deliver a message to you.  The Lord has blessed and protected this valley for one hundred and seventy years.  People have prospered in this valley and enjoyed protection and peace during this time.  The Lord created this place and brought you here as a place of prophesy in the last days,  a haven for His people to prepare for His second coming.

The time is quickly coming when the Lord will try the inhabitants of this valley to winnow out those who truly seek to do His will and perform His righteousness.

AWAKE! Awake to the realization that the Lord has reestablished a new covenant in these last decades in final preparation of His coming. Listen to the words of these last messengers who have been sent forth by the Lord to declare His words to you.  If you accept this last covenant, when the tribulation comes, and difficult times are coming shortly to this valley, they will pass over you and your families. He will protect and watch over you.

Awake, all you sons and daughters of Zion and listen to these words. Moroni saw our day and declared that there are none save only a few who do not lift themselves up in pride, wear very fine clothes, envy church leaders, and covet and desire to accumulate money at the expense of the poor.  He said that EVERY church has become polluted because you love your buildings more then you love the poor and the needy, sick and afflicted. Because you love your buildings more than the poor they will be destroyed. Because you love to accumulate riches, they will be cast into the rocks and hiding places and lost.  Read the words of the final covenant offered to the gentiles this year in Idaho. Repent and turn to face the Savior and seek with all your heart to know Him.  Join in accepting the terms of the covenant and embrace the gospel of Christ.  If you do you will become sons and daughters of  Christ, with every right, privilege, and performance that accompanies taking His name upon you. Amen”

Afterwards, I didn’t know what to make of this whole incident.  I asked the Lord why I was asked to do this.  I asked the purpose of making this declaration especially since there was no one there to take note of it except my wife and me.  I didn’t receive an answer.  I mentioned this incident to a friend of mine some months later and he offered that there was obviously a purpose known to the Lord; it may have been necessary for a mortal to perform that task in order for a work to commence by angels, or something of the sort.

Eight months later, in July 2018, I was praying about a different matter.  At one point the spirit asked me if there was something I desired to ask.  I asked, “What was the purpose of the warning I gave on Ensign Peak and what is to be end of the matter?”  He answered, “It was a beginning, the start.” I understand that what was prophesied to come upon “His house” (D&C 112:24-26) was soon to begin.  Then the spirit said to me very distinctly, “I want you to publish what I told you to speak.” I understood this to mean that I make this declaration as public as I can so that it will reach as many as possible.  This is my witness that this is the Lord’s work.  You can find the words of the new covenant that is again being offered by the Lord at this link:  http://scriptures.info/scriptures/tc/section/158

Craig Richards

Who are the Lost Sheep in the Parable of the Lost Sheep?

A careful analysis of the three versions we have of the Parable of the Lost Sheep reveals that Christ does not consider the lost sheep to be inactive members that need to be found and brought back to the fold.  On the contrary, the lost sheep represent something entirely different.

There are three extant versions of the parable of the lost sheep (five if you count the Joseph Smith Translation, but his translation is identical to the King James version so we won’t count them).  Below are the three versions.  Take note that each of them introduces a different background to the parable, and each brings different elements into the story.

Mathew 18:11-13

For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Gospel of Thomas (107):

The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine and looked for that one until he found it.  When he had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep, ‘I care for you more than the ninety-nine.’

Luke 15:2-7

And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

And verse 10: “likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

In the first version by Mathew, it would seem that Jesus is telling this story to bring attention to the fact that the good shepherd will go to extraordinary measures to seek out one lost sheep to bring it back to the righteous fold.  But by a careful examination of the context and comparing with other teachings of Jesus we can tease out a deeper meaning. In previous verses of Chapter 11, Jesus teaches the disciples how precious souls are, and equates precious souls to little children.  In verse 11, Christ says, “For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.” He has not come to save those that are “righteous” because they do not think they are sinners.  Joseph Smith has Jesus adding in the JST New Testament: “For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost, and to call sinners to repentance; but these little ones have no need of repentance, and I will save them.”  Little children have no need of repentance, but sinners, in order to become as little children and be saved, must repent. A sheep must leave the “righteous” flock in order to repent and become as a little child.   It is those souls that are so valuable to the Savior that He rejoices more in that sheep than in the other ninety-nine that went not astray, or were so righteous they didn’t think they needed repentance.

In the Gospel of Thomas, it is the largest sheep that is lost.  The shepherd goes after the most important of his flock—a sinner seeking repentance.  The Shepherd actually tells the sheep that he loves him/her more than the others. A reading of the Gospel of Thomas, which scholars believe is one of the very earliest accounts containing the words of Christ written in the 1^st century, reveals that the writer believes very few will gain the kingdom of heaven.  This is because worldly desires and culture so obscure the path that only the most dedicated and honest seeker of truth will find it. Perhaps only one in ninety-nine who profess to be the Lord’s will actually attain the kingdom of heaven.

I will choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one. (The Gospel of Thomas (23))

Many are standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter the bridal chamber. (75)

In Luke’s version of the parable he supports this interpretation of the story.  Christ is talking to the Pharisees instead of the disciples.  The ninety-nine sheep are a flock of self-righteous sheep who are justified.  The good shepherd leaves this flock of sheep, who by their own standard are justified and need no saving.  He goes to extraordinary measures to fine the one sheep who knows that he is lost and has left the flock seeking repentance.  He finds that one sheep and rejoices over its being found.

For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:3)

Who are the lost sheep?  From a deeper reading of Luke’s version, it becomes apparent that the lost sheep are actually more righteous in God’s eyes than the ninety – nine.  The Lord, as the shepherd, will expend a lot of effort and time in finding those who are becoming as little children because of their repentance.  They recognize they are sinners and are becoming qualified to be lifted on to the Savior’s shoulders and carried home to be rejoiced over.  The Ninety-nine are justified that they are righteous, and not in need of correction.  Perhaps there is a leader telling them that because they have performed some ordinances and keep the commandments they have nothing to worry about.  Perhaps they are being told not to worry, “all is well”. A few honest truth-seeking sheep will recognize the peril of staying with the flock and leave to search for truth and righteousness. When the good shepherd finds him, he is diligently seeking for light.

If you have ever watched a group of sheep, you will notice that when they are stressed or sense danger they will bunch up into as tight a group as they can.  Very rarely will you find a sheep all alone. People are very much like sheep.  We tend to follow the crowd because we feel safe, but the Lord wants us to think and act on our own. Instead, we tend to do what other people do or tell us what to do.  This is probably not just out of trying to fit in or conform, but we feel safer following what we consider a wiser majority intelligence.

The lost sheep are saved because they hear the good shepherd call to them.  (Alma 5:37-38; John 21:16) The others are lost because they think they are righteous and do not seek to hear the Master’s voice.  They do not seek because they have been told they are already righteous. And besides, as sheep, it is safer to be in the midst of the flock, isn’t it?

One of the biggest misunderstood doctrines taught in the LDS church I grew up believing was to “follow the prophet, he will never lead you astray”.  After a bit of research, I was surprised to find out the following facts:

1. “Follow the prophets” and the follow-on, “they will never lead you astray” is not scriptural. There is even a thread, folklore really, in the LDS church related to this myth that goes something like this:  If a prophet tells you to do something wrong, you will not be held accountable.  On the contrary, it will be accounted to you as righteousness because you followed the prophet.  Tell that to the Mormon men of Southern Utah who murdered everyone over the age of 6 in the Fencher Party at Mountain Meadows, Utah in 1857. They followed their prophet and priesthood leaders. Almost to a man, they all deeply regretted their actions and feared eternal damnation. (Juanita Brooks; Levi S. Peterson, p.114) This kind of logic is dangerous because a person thinks being obedient to a righteous leader, as they assume, absolves them of any responsibility in sinful actions, and abrogates a person’s requirement of the Lord to “prove all things”.

2. President Wilford Woodruff was the first to coin the phrase,” The prophet will never lead you astray.” He made that statement because he was having so much trouble getting the saints to accept the abolishment of the practice of polygamy as a new doctrine of the LDS church in the late 19^thcentury.  He even went so far as to say that the Lord would remove him from his place before letting him lead the people astray. Both of the church presidents before him would have scoffed at such a statement.

3. The statement attributed to Joseph Smith that “if you follow the majority of the saints and the records of the church, you will not be deceived” is apocryphal—Joseph probably never said that. I believe it was quoted by Lorenzo Snow 40 years after Joseph was supposed to have said it. It was not written down or recorded in any journals or records until it was stated in a talk in general conference.  Even so, most of the records of the church did not go with the saints to Utah. Nor did most of the saints in Nauvoo go to Utah after the LDS church was split during the succession crises in 1844.

4. Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, David O McKay, Spencer Kimball, to name a few past presidents of the LDS church, preached against the doctrine of following the president of the church “no matter what”. Spencer Kimball chastised Ezra Benson after he gave a talk at BYU in which he stated that the prophet can never teach incorrect doctrine. President Kimball required Elder Benson to issue an apology for teaching false doctrine.  Incidentally, this same doctrine of the infallibility of the presidents of the church has been preached in general conference in recent years.

5. There are dozens of examples in the scriptures warning of the false doctrine to follow the prophet- “no matter what”. (A few: Acts 5:29; 2 Nephi 4:34; 2Nephi 9:41; 2Nephi 28:14; numerous statements from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel)

6. There is an interesting account in 1 Kings 13 about a prophet from Judah who was sent by the Lord to deliver a message to King Jeroboam of Israel. The Lord specifically instructed this prophet not to tarry or stay in Israel but to immediately return to Judah. After delivering his message to the King he immediately begins his journey back to Judah.  On the way, he encounters another prophet who resides in Israel.  This Prophet of Israel tells the prophet of Judah that the Lord instructed him to deliver a message to the prophet of Judah to remain for a time with the other prophet.  This was not what the Lord had instructed the prophet of Judah to do. Trusting the word of a prophet, who was after all, an anointed messenger of God, the prophet of Judah decided to listen and follow the words of the other prophet.  The prophet of Judah was later killed by a Lion for disobeying the commands personally delivered to him by the Lord.  Moral of the story:  Prophets can be and are deceived.

7. LDS church has published a retraction of the doctrine taught by Brigham Young that Blacks were cursed as to the priesthood. The paper states that Brigham was only voicing his opinion. If that is so, when do we know if the president of the church is just voicing his opinion?  Was Brigham voicing his opinion, too, when he said a man and a woman cannot be saved in the celestial kingdom without having practiced polygamy in mortality?  If this was considered salvation doctrine then, but not today, what are we to assume about the nature of the prophecies declared by the presidents and authorities of the church?

8. 2 Nephi 32 describes that after we have repented and are baptized we are to follow the words of Christ. In fact, Nephi says that Christ himself will tell you what to do at some point;  not a prophet, not a church authority, but Christ himself.

9. It is idolatry to place a man in the position as a dispenser of salvation in the place of the Savior. (Isaiah 30:1; D&C 1:19)

Salvation is personal, and it is to be found only after much study and labor.  It is not found by following a man.  If a prophet teaches such a thing he is placing himself between you and the Savior and your salvation.  Joseph Smith taught this. All of the prophets since Adam have taught this.   I remember an interview I had with my stake president years ago in conjunction with my Stake calling at the time.  We were chatting about something unrelated to the work we were doing, and he said something peculiar. “Isn’t it a good thing that we are saved, and that we don’t need to worry about that.”  I was a bit shocked that he would say such a thing, because I felt to the contrary that salvation is meant to be a laborious process and is not guaranteed just because you have performed some outward ordinances.   You cannot be saved in your sins, and the process of changing the inner man is a lifelong struggle.

I am not saying that inspired and righteous men and women should not be listened to and their righteous works emulated. What I am saying is that if they come between you and the Lord, you are being distracted from the real work of saving your soul.  If a prophet tells you to do something that may not be scriptural, you had better take it to the Lord and get His opinion.

I was brought up in a religion that taught me to follow men to obtain salvation.  Perhaps this was not intentional, but, nevertheless that is how the message plays out in church member’s minds.  I believe the authorities of the church are afraid of losing control if people are allowed to encounter God in a personalized way.  It may lead to a freewheeling, anything goes environment that could not be controlled.   Acting as they do in the best interests of the church, protecting what they perceive as the Lord’s charge to protect the church’s reputation and enforce what they believe are the Lord’s standards, personal initiative is curtailed in one very important area.  That area is in experiencing God in a direct and personal manner.  One way the authorities do this is by explaining that it is wrong to study “mysteries” or to take any side roads in studying anything that isn’t on the approved list of topics.  Unfortunately, some of the topics that are “forbidden”, are the nature of God and Godliness, coming to Christ and having a relationship with Him, and receiving your calling and election.  If you read the scriptures with any degree of objectivity you will find that these topics are the ones that really matter!  Everything written in the scriptures is to point us to discover these mysteries.

When I was younger I used to wonder what made me so special that I was “chosen”; born into the true church of God.  I would never have to worry about making tough decisions regarding how to obtain salvation.  I was saved, unless I committed a serious transgression.  After all, I had served a two-year mission, married in the temple, raised my children in the church, attended the temple regularly, served in all the church callings I was asked to serve, read scriptures and prayed regularly.  I was assured that if I kept the commandments, followed whatever the authorities admonished me to do, I was pretty much guaranteed a spot in the highest kingdom in heaven and live with Jesus and the Father.  I had all the right boxes checked on the salvation checklist.  What I had been taught in the LDS church was a system of performances and ordinances; obedience and commandments; works and judgement. These were all produced outward evidences that really weren’t all that difficult to replicate.  I have learned that as soon as people believe they have been “called” they presume they are “chosen”.  Being called and chosen are not the same thing.

Later in my life, I realized that there was something missing in my worship.  I began to wonder, “where is the power of the Holy Ghost manifested?  Where is the power of God experienced?  Where are the healings and raising from the dead?  Where is the ministering of angels?” These are all evidences that the Lord is active and involved in our lives.  In fact, scriptures point out that if these are missing in our lives, it may indicate a distinct lack of God’s approval.  I have seen miracles performed and experienced the gifts of the Spirit in action, but they have been isolated and rare events.  I have observed that there is just as much or more miraculous activity among people who are not of my faith, which led me to believe that Mormons may not be so special.  So why are we not seeing the same density of spirit in action as is described in the Book of Mormon, or in the New Testament, or even in Joseph Smith’s day?

I began to realize the system of LDS religion tends to emphasize the “works” aspect and down play the “faith” aspect of worship, even though authorities may not admit that this is what the doctrine of the church does.  Works and obedience does not produce salvation and godly power by itself. Works accompanied by faith and knowledge, however, can produce miracles.  Faith is, after all, “the moving cause of all action” (works). As I grew older I became more aware that I was making some big leaps of logic and some whopper assumptions in my approach to salvation and worship.  Many of those miss-calculations were encouraged by the words of some leaders in the church who have meant well, but didn’t really understand the Lord’s program.  I believed that these men were telling me truth and they were receiving it directly from Heavenly Father.   I looked to them for my salvation instead of going directly to God for answers.  I was taught, indirectly, it may be dangerous to ask certain things of God because God speaks to prophets, not to normal people like me. The Lord might even be a little miffed that I would question anything I had been taught.  Even if I did receive answers from God to doctrinal questions, it might actually be from a bad source.  It is better to rely on the words of “modern” prophets and leaders.  They will tell me what to do to get to heaven.  By accepting this premise, I was placing my salvation in the hands of men.  The very thing the scriptures warn us not to do.

This is the case for people in all religions,  whether it is Mormons, which was the church I was brought up in, or Catholics, Baptists, Islamist, Hindu, etc.  Humans tend to take the easy road and attach themselves to a guru, pastor, bishop or spiritual leader who can provide the answers.  This way the person they look up to does all the hard thinking and we just have to follow what they say to do. Humans are always looking for the “easy” button.

By looking to men exclusively rather than God to inform and teach us correct principles, we miss out on all those things that God promises to the faithful who know him.  Things like miraculous healings, ministration of angels, gifts of the spirit.  These things should be experienced every day.  I am not saying don’t listen to prophets and authorities who are generally wise and have some good advice, but look to the author of all righteousness for personal direction in your life.  He is anxious to talk to us.

There are hundreds of thousands of blogs on the internet.  Why start another one?  I don’t intend to compete with anyone for audience,  I only want to present to family and friends some ideas and beliefs that I have discovered and adopted.  It is easier for me to express my thoughts in writing then to try and represent them in a conversation.

In his preface to the book, The Day Man Lost, John Toland bemoaned the  mass of books published on World War 2. “To pick one’s way through the frightening … mass of overpraised war literature that has been dumped on us we must look for help from within.  The solution is to set up our own rigid standards and then apply them ruthlessly to the growing mound of books beleaguering us.  He suggests three measures to determine whether a book is worth our time: 1)  the book should be well written; 2) There should be new material presented of some importance, or new insights given; 3) the book must be credible.  Toland could just as well have been talking about Blogs.  I promise that I will follow these standards as much as possible.

Craig Richards