The seraphim and cherubim are plasmoids

Ezekiel 1: Ezekiel’s vision of the four living creatures

Ezekiel chapter one describes a vision that Ezekiel saw by the river of Chebar:

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. (Ezekiel 1:1-3.)

And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. (Ezekiel 1:4-14.)

By saying that a “whirlwind came out of the north,” it means that Ezekiel was beholding a vision taking place in the north, as in the far north, meaning in the interior of the hollow earth. The “great cloud” of brightness and fire that Ezekiel saw was the same as the “great luminous cloud” of fire that Olaf Jansen saw suspended in the inner space of the earth’s interior:

The great luminous cloud or ball of dull-red fire — fiery-red in the mornings and evenings, and during the day giving off a beautiful white light, “The Smoky God,” — is seemingly suspended in the center of the great vacuum “within” the earth, and held to its place by the immutable law of gravitation, or a repellant atmospheric force, as the case may be. I refer to the known power that draws or repels with equal force in all directions. (Quoted from The Smoky God, Part III, page 26.)

The four living creatures that came out of the great cloud (the inner Sun) were not naked (unembodied or disembodied) spirits, nor embodied spirits connected to (mortal or immortal) bodies of flesh and bones—and thus they were neither ministering spirits, angels nor angelic beings—but were those plasmoids which are known in the scriptures as cherubims. From the Wikipedia entry on plasmoid:

A plasmoid is a coherent structure of plasma and magnetic fields. Plasmoids have been proposed to explain natural phenomena such as ball lightning, magnetic bubbles in the magnetosphere, and objects in cometary tails, in the solar wind, in the solar atmosphere, and in the heliospheric current sheet. Plasmoids produced in the laboratory include field-reversed configurations, spheromaks, and in dense plasma focuses.

The word plasmoid was coined in 1956 by Winston H. Bostick (1916-1991) to mean a “plasma-magnetic entity”:

The plasma is emitted not as an amorphous blob, but in the form of a torus. We shall take the liberty of calling this toroidal structure a plasmoid, a word which means plasma-magnetic entity. The word plasmoid will be employed as a generic term for all plasma-magnetic entities.

The four plasma-magnetic entities which Ezekiel saw were not “living creatures” in the sense that they were living, breathing creatures, i.e. they weren’t alive. They were “living creatures” only in the sense that they seemed to be alive and they looked like creatures. In other words, they were merely Etch A Sketches made out of plasma.

Just as a man can take up a pencil and draw a picture of a unicorn on a piece of paper, and we can look at the drawing on the paper and see it, for the paper is real and the lead of the pencil that has been scraped onto the paper is also real, both being real objects, yet we do not say that the drawing is a real unicorn, but merely a representation of a unicorn; and just as that same man can draw many pictures of a unicorn, in sequential motion, on many pieces of paper, and then take those pieces of paper and put them together in order, and then flip through them like a book, so that the individual drawings appear to move, showing an animated movie, and these are all real objects, even real pieces of paper and real pencil lead scrapings, yet the animated unicorn is not a real unicorn, but merely an animated representation of a unicorn; and just as that man can color all his drawings, in vibrant paint, so that each individual piece of paper looks as close to a unicorn as it is possible to be, and then photograph these painted drawings and put the photographs onto film, in sequential order, and then add sound effects and cause the unicorn to speak, and after all that show his film to an audience, although the film is a real object and the sound coming out of the speakers of the theater is really audible, yet the unicorn that now dances around across the screen in glorious colors and brays and speaks in a human’s voice is still not a real unicorn, but merely the representation of one; and just as the man can take up wire and latex and other materials and make a three dimensional sculpture of a unicorn, in full color and in full size, and add robotics and mechanics and hidden speakers that allow the creation to move and speak and make sounds and run and leap and so on, and even though this creation is made out of real objects, yet when a child sees it and says to his father, “Daddy, is that a real unicorn?” the father will reply, “No, son; it is not. It’s just a representation of one that looks very realistic”; so in like manner God has power to create three dimensional representations out of plasma, that when beheld by mortal men appear to be living creatures, yet they are still just Etch A Sketches.

Ezekiel’s description of these plasmoids showed that each of them stood upon two legs like a man does, but their feet were straight and hoofed, like calves’ feet, and their heads had four faces each, each one facing a different direction—the face of a man looked straight ahead; the face of a lion looked to the right; the face of an ox looked to the left; and the face of an eagle looked straight back—and they also had four wings each with the hands of a man (and no mention of any arms) under each wing on each side. As if all of this weren’t as unlike a man enough, their feet also sparkled like burnished brass. (Sparkling, in particular, is what plasmoids are good at, given their electrical nature.)

They also did not move like living creatures do, turning as they went, but instead moved in straight lines—straight forward, or straight backward, or straight left or straight right—just as the rook piece in a game of chess moves:

Ezekiel also stated:

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. (Ezekiel 1:13-14.)

The cherubim that Ezekiel saw were electrically discharging and appeared to him to be like burning coals of fire or lamps. They were, in fact, arc lamps. From the Wikipedia entry on arc lamp:

An arc lamp or arc light is a lamp that produces light by an electric arc (also called a voltaic arc). The carbon arc light, which consists of an arc between carbon electrodes in air, invented by Humphry Davy in the first decade of the 1800s, was the first practical electric light. It was widely used starting in the 1870s for street and large building lighting until it was superseded by the incandescent light in the early 20th century. It continued in use in more specialized applications where a high intensity point light source was needed, such as searchlights and movie projectors until after World War II. The carbon arc lamp is now obsolete for most of these purposes, but it is still used as a source of high intensity ultraviolet light.

The term is now used for gas discharge lamps, which produce light by an arc between metal electrodes through an inert gas in a glass bulb. The common fluorescent lamp is a low-pressure mercury arc lamp. The xenon arc lamp, which produces a high intensity white light, is now used in many of the applications which formerly used the carbon arc, such as movie projectors and searchlights.

The electric plasma arc that Ezekiel saw went up and down between the four plasmoids, and it appeared to him to be bright fire. He also saw that lightning came out of the arc. In fact, Ezekiel saw that when the cherubims moved, they did so at the apparent speed of light, looking just like lightning bolts. People often mistake these and the other passages of scripture which speak of the cherubim and seraphim, as if they were speaking of angels, not understanding that these passages are describing very specific types of electrically discharging plasmoids.

In fact, if you take a look at the various religious beliefs about angels, you’ll see that different religions, sects and individuals often have these plasmoids listed as part of their official (or non-official) angelic hierarchy. For example, the Wikipedia entry on angels in Judaism lists seraphim, cherubim, chayot ha kodesh, ophanim and hashmallim as part of the angelic hierarchy, even though none of these things are angels, but merely plasmoids. Christianity isn’t any better, listing, according to the Wikipedia entry on Christian angelology, the seraphim as “the highest angelic class” with the cherubim as a close second. Even some latter-day saints fall into these same errors, misguidedly referring to there being a “seraphim level,” as if being a seraph (which is a non-living plasmoid) was something a person should aspire to.

Now, before I proceed, it needs to be understood that Ezekiel was seeing the very same four cherubim that God placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, which likewise had the electric plasma arc going up and down between the cherubim, looking like a sword of fire:

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24.)

Continuing on with Ezekiel chapter one:

Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. (Ezekiel 1:15-25.)

The wheels that Ezekiel saw were pinched plasma columns going through and around each of the cherubim. Instead of seeing the whole column, the prophet (Ezekiel) only saw a ring-like cross-section part, which appeared to be a wheel within a wheel. Because the pinched plasma column envelopes each cherubim, wherever the cherubim goes, the “wheel” seen goes with it, whether it be up, down, forward, backward, left or right. As Ezekiel saw, “the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels,” meaning that the pinched plasma column was the source of the cherubim’s power, like every other plasmoid (for all plasmoids are formed of pinched plasma columns).

Ezekiel also here mentions that the rings were full of eyes encircling the cherubim. These weren’t, of course, real eyes, but only additional plasma displays that looked like eyes.

He also states that the cherubim were under a firmament, meaning that the cherubim were not in heaven, but on earth, which is just where God put them (at the east of the Garden of Eden).

Now, their wings were not the wings of a bird or a bat, which fly by flapping in air and are composed of solid matter, but were plasma wings that do not flap to fly or move. When the cherubim mount up, that is, when they rise up (levitate) in the air, the plasma wings extend upward; (and we can assume that when they move forward or backward or left or right, the plasma wings extend outward); and when they stand still on the earth their wings extend downward, one wing covering one side of each of their four sides. But again, when they move, the wings don’t flap, nor in fact do they need to flap, for plasmoids move electrically. As the wings are composed of plasma, which can be dense like solid matter, or less dense like liquid, or even less dense like a gas, the wings flow with electrical power, which means that when when the electrical current goes down, so do the wings, and when the wings extend out or upward, it means means that the electrical current has gone into high power mode, and thus a sound would be produced, electrically.

Ezekiel said that their wings made a noise of great waters that sounded like a voice, even like the voice of Jehovah, and also as if it were the noise or speech of a multitude. Again, this wasn’t from flapping wings, but from electrically produced voices, such as what our current technology has finally done using laser-induced plasma in the air:

Ezekiel also heard another voice which came from above the firmament, from the throne of Jehovah in the firmament of heaven:

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. (Ezekiel 1:26-28.)

The throne that Ezekiel saw is the same throne that Olaf Jansen saw:

The base of this electrical cloud or central luminary, the seat of the gods, is dark and non-transparent, save for innumerable small openings, seemingly in the bottom of the great support or altar of the Deity, upon which “The Smoky God” rests; and, the lights shining through these many openings twinkle at night in all their splendor, and seem to be stars, as natural as the stars we saw shining when in our home at Stockholm, excepting that they appear larger. “The Smoky God,” therefore, with each daily revolution of the earth, appears to come up in the east and go down in the west the same as does our sun on the external surface. In reality, the people “within” believe that “The Smoky God” is the throne of their Jehovah, and is stationary. The effect of night and day is, therefore, produced by the earth’s daily rotation. (Quoted from The Smoky God, Part III, page 27.)

An understanding of the hollow earth theory gives us the tools to correctly interpret the location of the vision. The vision isn’t speaking of the outer surface of earth and of a throne up in heaven in outer space, but of the inner surface of earth and of a throne set in the midst of the heavens of inner space.

Ezekiel 2 & 3: God speaks to Ezekiel; the Chebar river vision ends; the same vision ensues in the plain

While beholding the vision at the river Chebar, God spoke to Ezekiel, as recorded in chapters two and three. Later, at the end of the vision, Ezekiel said this:

Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place. I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. (Ezekiel 3:12-14.)

Again, the noise of a great rushing that Ezekiel heard wasn’t of the flapping of the wings or of the wheels spinning around or grinding away, but of the electrical sound effects produced by so much electrical current coursing through these plasmoids and the pinched plasma column they were embedded in. Also, this wasn’t really the end of the vision because later he went to the plain and the same vision was opened up to him again:

And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee. Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face. Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house. (Ezekiel 3:22-24.)

So he obeyed and went to his house.

Ezekiel 4 to 7: Ezekiel while at his house

I am going to skip over these chapters because they do not have anything to do with the topic of this post.

Ezekiel 8 (verses 1 through 4): Ezekiel at his house sees the vision of the plain again

While Ezekiel was sitting in his house, God again opened up the same vision he had seen in the plain, which was the same vision he had seen at the river of Chebar:

And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber. And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain. (Ezekiel 8:1-4.)

Ezekiel 8 (verses 5 through 18): Ezekiel sees abominations among the people

In verses 5 through 18 of this chapter, God showed Ezekiel the evil things people were doing in secret. It is the wickedness and abominations among the people which kindles God’s wrath, unleashing the destroyer upon the world (in the next chapter).

~1st tangent remarks begin~

Ezekiel 9: Ezekiel sees six men led by a man clothed with linen

Ezekiel is next shown the destroyer during the end times and also his end-time helpers:

He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; and the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 9:1-4.)

And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. (Ezekiel 9:5-7.)

And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. (Ezekiel 9:8-11.)

The man clothed with linen that Ezekiel saw marking the foreheads of the righteous with the writer’s inkhorn by his side is the restoring Elias, who is the same angel ascending from the east that John saw (which Joseph Smith identified as the restoring Elias), who would be writing the Father’s name upon the foreheads of the 144,000.

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (Revelation 7:1-4.)

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1.)

Ezekiel saw that Elias would come with six men, who themselves were destroyers, as they had destroying or slaughtering weapons in their hands (and thus operated under the spirit and power of Elias, which is the spirit of destruction), and he saw that Elias was in charge of the six, given that they were commanded by the Lord to follow Elias, and their task was to destroy the people who were not marked in their foreheads. These six men are the same as the four angelic helpers (which Joseph Smith identified as having power to destroy) and two witnesses of the angel that John saw. And thus we find the four angelic helpers slaying the third part of men, just as four of the six men with the man clothed with linen that Ezekiel saw used their destroying weapons to slay men:

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. (Revelation 9:13-15.)

And we also find that the angel’s two witnesses likewise were engaged in killing men, just as two of the six men that Ezekiel saw were with the man clothed with linen went forth with slaughtering weapons and slew men:

…and the angel stood, saying,…I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. (Revelation 11:1,3-5.)

Ezekiel’s man “clothed with linen” compared to Daniel’s man “clothed in linen”

Ezekiel’s man clothed with linen is the same man clothed in linen that Daniel saw in his own vision, at first alone and then later on with his two witnesses:

And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. (Daniel 10:4-9.)

Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? (Daniel 12:5-8.)

This shows that Daniel, Ezekiel and John were all shown a vision of the end times and all three of them saw the destroyer, his two witnesses and (in the case of Ezekiel and John) his four angelic helpers. (Zechariah also recorded that he saw the same group of seven men but I won’t get into that in this post.)

~1st tangent remarks end~

Ezekiel 10: Ezekiel identifies the four living creatures as cherubim

In the tenth chapter of Ezekiel, Ezekiel saw the man clothed with linen go in between the wheels and the cherubim and get coals of fire and scatter them over Jerusalem. By now, having seen the same vision three times, he finally knows what these creatures are and so he categorically identifies them as cherubim:

Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory. And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh. And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels. And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out. (Ezekiel 10:1-7.)

And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings. And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone. And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went. And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel. And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar. And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them. When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims. Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward. (Ezekiel 10:8-22.)

Of especial note is that Ezekiel here notices that every part of the cherubim and their wheels were full of eyes, and not just the rings.

The opening of the Garden of Eden

Ezekiel saw that the destroyer went in-between the cherubim and took fire from between them. He also explained where the cherubim were, writing, “Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house” and “every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house.” In other words, the destroyer will have to go to the east of the Garden of Eden, where the four cherubim are, and there he will open up the garden again by snuffing out the electrical arc lamp (the flaming sword) between them.

Normally anyone who goes to the garden would get electrocuted and incinerated by these plasmoids, burning up in electrical fire, but as it is impossible to kill the destroyer, and as he is the restorer of all things, the restoration of all things must, of necessity, include the re-opening of the Garden of Eden, therefore the destroyer will travel to the cherubim, walk right up and short circuit the pinched plasma column that powers them, allowing access, once again, to the tree of life.

~2nd tangent remarks begin~

John’s eighth angel is the same man clothed with linen that Ezekiel saw

When the seventh seal opened, John saw the seven angels getting the seven trumpets.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (Revelation 8:1-2.)

Then he saw an eighth angel standing at the altar, who filled the golden censor with fire from the altar and cast it to the earth, just as the man clothed with linen Ezekiel saw took coals of fire from between the cherubim and scattered them over the city:

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:3-5.)

We see from this that John, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah and many others all described different aspects of the same vision of the end-time ministry of the destroyer, hence subtle differences, just as Lehi and Nephi caught different details of the same tree of life vision (Lehi missing the fact that the river of water was filthiness). Okay, now let’s turn our attention away from the destroyer and back to the topic of the seraphim and cherubim.

~2nd tangent remarks end~

John’s vision of four beasts

Revelation chapter four from the King James Version reads:

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:1-11.)

The same chapter from the Joseph Smith Translation reads (and notice the differences, shown in bold italics):

After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened into heaven; and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat there was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And in the midst of the throne were four and twenty seats; and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns like gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven servants of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne were the four and twenty elders; and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within; and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory, and honor, and thanks to him that sits on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sits on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (JST Revelation 4:1-11.)

Ezekiel’s four living creatures compared to John’s four beasts

First I want to point out that newer translations of the Bible use the same descriptive words for the creatures that both John and Ezekiel saw, whereas the KJV uses different words. For example, the New King James Version says this:

Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. (NKJV Ezekiel 1:5.)

And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. (NKJV Revelation 4:6.)

The 2009 Reina-Valera Spanish language version of the Bible also uses the same terms, calling them “seres vivientes,” which means “living beings.”

y en medio de ella, la figura de cuatro seres vivientes. (Ezequiel 1:5.)

y en medio del trono, y alrededor del trono, cuatro seres vivientes llenos de ojos por delante y por detrás. (Apocalipsis 4:6.)

Only the King James Version calls these creatures something different in each passage:

Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. (KJV Ezekiel 1:5.)

and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (KJV Revelation 4:6.)

The JST follows the KJV in using “beasts” to describe what John saw and “living creatures” to describe what Ezekiel saw, because to the prophetic mind of Joseph Smith it was all the same thing and either description works for the Greek source word; nevertheless, all modern translations use either “living creatures” or “living beings” for both Ezekiel and John.

Why do the modern translators deviate from the KJV? Because although the Greek word could be translated as both “beasts” or “living creatures/beings,” in this particular passage and context it is understood by all the modern interpreters that these are symbolical beasts, more in line with the cherubim of Ezekiel, and not actual beasts, and therefore using the word “beasts” conjures up the thought of a real animal, of which they are not, therefore the newer versions all agree that it is more correct to translate it as “living creatures” or as “living beings.” The modern translations, then, show that the beasts that John saw were of the same type of living creatures that Ezekiel saw. In other words, both Ezekiel’s living creatures and John’s beasts were cherubim. But if you use only the KJV, you might end up thinking they were different things.

At any rate, there are other clues in the text which indicate that John and Ezekiel were actually viewing the very same vision, but were just describing different aspects of it. For example, both Ezekiel and John saw a throne that had a rainbow encircling it, and they both saw that there was someone sitting on it:

John: “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Revelation 4:2-3.)

Ezekiel: “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.” (Ezekiel 1:26-28.)

Combining the colored stones

Ezekiel said that the throne had the appearance of a sapphire stone. Sapphire stones look like this:

John said that the Man sitting on the throne had the appearance of a jasper stone and a sardine stone. Here’s what a jasper stone looks like:

And here’s what sardine stone (carnelian) looks like:

 

John said the rainbow looked like an emerald. Here’s what an emerald looks like:

Ezekiel said there was a fire within the throne, like the color of amber. Amber looks like this:

Now, combining what each prophet said, we get: the Man of sardine and jasper was sitting on the sapphire throne, and there was amber fire encircling within the throne, which fire proceeded up and down from His loins, and around this fiery throne was an emerald rainbow.

Notice again what Olaf Jansen said of the inner Sun:

The great luminous cloud or ball of dull-red fire — fiery-red in the mornings and evenings, and during the day giving off a beautiful white light, “The Smoky God,” — is seemingly suspended in the center of the great vacuum “within” the earth, and held to its place by the immutable law of gravitation, or a repellant atmospheric force, as the case may be. I refer to the known power that draws or repels with equal force in all directions.

The orb he saw in the sky changed colors throughout the day, but one color he did notice actually matches the sardine and jasper colors that Ezekiel saw. The sky itself that surrounded the orb was nitrogen-rich blue, like the atmosphere we see around us here on the outside surface, which again calls to mind Ezekiel’s mentioning of a sapphire.

We can surmise, then, that these scriptural texts are talking about the spherical inner Sun, located in the interior of the earth, suspended at the center of the planet by gravitation, in inner space. And the Man sitting on the throne wasn’t sitting atop it, meaning on the outside of it, but at its precise center, being above all. (Standing on the inner surface of the earth and looking up, the highest point would be the exact center of the inner Sun, which Olaf Jansen said the inhabitants of that inner world called: “the throne of Jehovah.”)

Now, to show that this is correct, I will go to the next part of what John said:

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (Revelation 4:4.)

Joseph Smith corrected that text to read as follows:

And in the midst of the throne were four and twenty seats; and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns like gold. (JST Revelation 4:4.)

This correction is important because it reveals the location of the throne. Joseph Smith said the following about the 24 elders:

Q. What are we to understand by the four and twenty elders, spoken of by John?

A. We are to understand that these elders whom John saw, were elders who had been faithful in the work of the ministry and were dead; who belonged to the seven churches, and were then in the paradise of God. (D&C 77:5.)

When Jesus died, He went to paradise, which, according to His own words, is in the heart of the earth:

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:38-40.)

The heart of the earth would be at the earth’s center, which is where Olaf Jansen said the inner Sun is found. Therefore, the inner Sun is where paradise is located. And the righteous dead do not wait for their resurrection on the outside of that sphere, but within it. The current Bible text incorrectly has the 24 elders and their 24 seats “round about” the throne, meaning encircling it. Joseph Smith corrected this to read that the 24 seats and 24 elders were “in the midst of the throne,” meaning that they were inside the throne.

Unless a person understands that the throne spoken of is a spherical one, with outer and inner surfaces, the idea of seats being in the midst of a throne makes no logical sense, whatsoever. People who read these passages envision a typical kingly throne that men make, like unto a chair, not a moon-sized, or planet-sized, or Sun-sized spherical throne. Getting the right image, though, causes the text to finally make sense.

Okay, continuing on with John’s text, he mentions something that Ezekiel doesn’t:

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (Revelation 4:5.)

Joseph Smith changed this to:

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven servants of God. (JST Revelation 4:5.)

Continuing with John’s text, we find that both John and Ezekiel mention a crystal:

John said: “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal:” (Revelation 4:6.)

Ezekiel said: “And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.” (Ezekiel 1:22.)

Joseph Smith identified John’s crystal sea of glass in this way:

Q. What is the sea of glass spoken of by John, 4th chapter, and 6th verse of the Revelation?

A. It is the earth, in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state. (D&C 77:1.)

Joseph also said this:

In answer to the question—Is not the reckoning of God’s time, angel’s time, prophet’s time, and man’s time, according to the planet on which they reside?

I answer, Yes. But there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.

The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth; but they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.

The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim.

This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s. (D&C 130:4-9.)

Continuing on with the text:

and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (Revelation 4:6.)

Once again, Joseph Smith corrected this to read:

and in the midst of the throne were the four and twenty elders; and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (JST Revelation 4:6.)

Joseph Smith needed to make this correction because it shows the proper placement of both the elders and the beasts. The elders were in the midst of the throne, meaning that they were within the throne, while the beasts were round about the throne, meaning that they encircled the throne, or to be plainer, they were below the firmament of crystal which surrounds the throne. In other words, the four beasts were on earth, even on the inner surface of the outer shell of earth, below the firmament of heaven.

To understand this placement, we need to understand that just as the outer surface of earth has a blue atmosphere, which is the “firmament of heaven,” which is below the vacuum of outer space, so the inner surface of earth has a blue atmosphere, the “firmament of heaven,” which is below the vacuum of inner space. The throne of Jehovah is set in the center of that vacuum of inner space directly above the blue firmament of heaven, which is the inner atmosphere. The four beasts, then, are below that firmament, on earth, where God had originally placed them at the beginning. Again:

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Gen. 3:22-24.)

The cherubims have been there, on earth, at the east of the garden of Eden, ever since. Because the outer shell of earth encircles the throne of Jehovah which is set in the middle of the inner earth sky, the JST corrected the Revelation text to say that the four beasts were “round about” (encircling) the throne.

Looking at the same corrected (JST) verse, we can also see that what John saw matched what Ezekiel saw:

and in the midst of the throne were the four and twenty elders; and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (JST Revelation 4:6.)

Two verses later, John says:

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:8.)

Compare that to what Ezekiel said about the cherubim:

As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. (Ezekiel 1:18)

And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. (Ezekiel 10:12)

These “eyes” are vortices, that is, they are smaller rotating columns of plasma seen at a cross-section within the larger column (think: rotating spherical wheels within a larger spinning wheel) and they fill up all the observable volume of space, like toroidal pearls on a string. To the observing prophet, they look just like eyes, complete with sclera, iris and pupil. (Now, for those who want a primer on plasma physics, here is Anthony Peratt’s hour-long presentation on petroglyphs):

Continuing on, we find that the four beasts that John saw had the same or similar faces that Ezekiel’s cherubim had:

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (Revelation 4:7.)

As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. (Ezekiel 1:10)

One difference is that Ezekiel described one of the faces as that of an ox, whereas John described that same face as that of a calf. Both words are descriptions of bovine animals, thus it’s prophetically the same thing.

Another difference is that John’s beasts were four with one face each, while Ezekiel’s living creatures were four with four faces each. Another difference is that John’s beasts had six wings whereas Ezekiel’s cherubim had only four. Does this mean that these were different things? No, not at all. Plasmoids alter their appearance and structure according to the electrical environment. When the electrical environment changes, their forms change accordingly. But they are still the same things.

Now that we’ve mentioned the four beasts and their wings and eyes, let’s see what Joseph Smith had to say about all of this.

Joseph Smith’s explanation of John’s four beasts

Q. What are we to understand by the four beasts, spoken of in the same verse [Revelation 4:6]?
A. They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John, in describing heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.

Q. Are the four beasts limited to individual beasts, or do they represent classes or orders?
A. They are limited to four individual beasts, which were shown to John, to represent the glory of the classes of beings in their destined order or sphere of creation, in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity.

Q. What are we to understand by the eyes and wings, which the beasts had?
A. Their eyes are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge; and their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, etc. (D&C 77:2-4.)

Thus, cherubims are just three dimensional divine drawings that God made using plasma. They have no soul, nor free will. They are like animatronics or automatons or pre-programmed robots made out of plasma, that respond to their environment in predictable ways. These things are plasmoids of a very specific type, which cannot be reproduced in a laboratory, and which move, speak, glow, hold things, praise God, etc.

Notice that the Bible Dictionary entry on cherubim calls attention to their symbolic nature:

Cherubim
Figures representing heavenly creatures, the exact form being unknown. They are found in the Holy of Holies, on the Mercy Seat of the Ark (Ex. 25:18, 22; 1 Kgs. 6:23–28; Heb. 9:5), and in the visions of Ezekiel (Ezek. 10; 11:22). In the account of the Fall, cherubim are represented as keeping “the way of the tree of life” (Gen. 3:24).

The author or authors of that entry were obviously taking Joseph Smith’s words in D&C 77 as their guide.

John’s four beast’s compared to Isaiah’s seraphim

Okay, going back to verse eight, John says the following:

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:8.)

Why is it that they rest not day or night? Because they are just electrical appliances. As long as your alarm clock doesn’t eventually disintegrate or otherwise break down from overuse, you can keep it plugged into the electrical outlet, or you can keep its batteries in, and you can keep it turned on, all of the time. The same principle applies to plasmoids, which never experience wear and tear. You can keep them powered for all eternity and they never break down.

Now, notice that John’s cherubim were saying something very similar to what Isaiah’s seraphim were saying:

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:1-4.)

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. (Isaiah 6:5-7.)

What’s the difference between the cherubim and the seraphim? The seraphim are above the firmament of crystal, where God’s throne is, while the cherubim are below the firmament of crystal, which is below God’s throne. But the seraphim and cherubim are both likewise plasmoids.

So, when Joseph Smith prayed the following about seraphs, he wasn’t talking of angels, nor of angelic creatures, but of divinely made representations (drawings or animations or sculptures that move and make sound and speak) of heavenly things and truth:

And help us by the power of thy Spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright, shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing Hosanna to God and the Lamb! (Doctrine and Covenants 109:79.)

Unfortunately, the Bible Dictionary entry on seraphim gets it partly right and partly wrong:

Seraphim
Probably fiery beings. Angelic beings mentioned in the account of Isaiah’s vision (Isa. 6:2). They are represented as winged and partly human in form. They are attendants in Jehovah’s court, the ministers of the heavenly sanctuary, joining in adoration before the throne.

It is certainly true that seraphim are fiery (as are cherubim), but it is incorrect to say that they are angelic beings. They are most definitely not angelic beings, but are just more plasmoids.

If it looks like a plasmoid, moves like a plasmoid and sounds like a plasmoid, it’s an angel! (So they say.)

To recap: When a pinched plasma column changes its electrical current, going higher or lower in electrical power, the plasmoids within that column likewise begin to alter their form and appearance. The four cherubim that Ezekiel saw, the four beasts that John saw and the seraphim that Isaiah saw are all the result of the same process. A plasma column forms, becomes pinched and creates a plasmoid of a specific type, called a cherub, which at certain power levels stays put on the earth, while at other levels it moves along or mounts up, raising its wings up or down accordingly, all the while making electrically-produced noises which sound like voices. When the electrical current changes, so does its form. Beginning with four wings, it now sprouts six and whereas it started with four faces, now it has only one, each plasmoid with a different face. Also its electrically-made sounds appear to chant, “Holy, holy, holy,” etc. If you lift the cherubim up above the firmament, now its form changes again, into that of a six-winged seraphim, which also begins to chant, “Holy, holy, holy.” But it’s all the same manifestation, just in different locations and at different power levels.

Thus, the four beasts that John saw are the same four living creatures that Ezekiel saw—which Ezekiel identified as cherubim, and which Joseph Smith called figurative expressions and representations—and the seraphim that Isaiah saw are just more of the same type of manifestation.

In conclusion

The point of this post is merely to put forth the understanding that the seraphim and cherubim aren’t a type of angel or angelic creature, but are graphical and auditory and tactile representations made of plasma, created by God to teach divine principles and to give Himself glory.

Obviously, none of this matters one iota to anyone’s salvation. Anyone can continue to believe the seraphim and cherubim are merely strange, unknown types of angels, and they can hold onto that belief until the day they die, and if they have kept their covenants they’ll still be saved, but I thought I would clear up some of this mystery anyway.

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The desolating scourge

The Word of Wisdom

A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—to be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints. (D&C 89:1-3.)

The Word of Wisdom is for the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days, but it has two applications:

Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—that inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him. (D&C 89:4-5.)

The warning is in consequence of the evils and designs which do exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, from the time the revelation was first given to Joseph Smith (February 27, 1833) to the time of the Elias who restores all things. The forewarning, however, is in consequence of the evils and designs which will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, which will be during the end times.

When Elias gets out of his box, he will initiate a church reset. This will reset the Word of Wisdom back to being merely a word of wisdom “to be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint.” Thus it will no longer be binding upon the saints.

Moses as a repeating pattern

After his reset, Elias will go away for a time, perhaps even for a long time, to his hidden kingdom, to enjoy himself and to let the wheat and tares ripen. We will then get a repeat scenario of when Moses went away:

And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights. (Exodus 24:18.)

While Moses was up in the mount, talking with God for such a long time, the people down below started to wonder why he was delayed so long:

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. (Exodus 32:1.)

Aaron then made them a golden calf, had them get naked and dance and sing and worship the idol, as they engaged in revelry.

And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. (Exodus 32:5-6.)

When Moses and Joshua came down the mountain, they heard the noise of the huge party the idolaters were making:

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. (Exodus 32:15-18.)

Moses then blew his top, or as the record says, his “anger waxed hot.” He then made the idolaters drink the idol (which likely made them sick) and ordered them killed:

And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. (Exodus 32:19-20.)

And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. (Exodus 32:25-28.)

As with Moses, so with Elias

Elias, before he goes away, will cause a golden age of prosperity to dawn upon mankind, the likes of which modern society has never before seen. As the church will also be reset by Elias before he leaves, the Word of Wisdom will be a non-binding principle, making the people free to drink wine, strong drinks, mild drinks, hot drinks, smoke tobacco and so on.

In his absence a great apostasy will ensue, during which the wicked tares will take the abundance of their goods and throw continual parties, eating and drinking to excess, for the valleys will be fat with produce and plenty of animals to slaughter and the people will be engorged with riches:

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! (Isaiah 28:1.)

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. (Isaiah 28:7-8.)

And so they will become drunkards engaging in revelry and riotous behavior. At some point, Elias will come back, and like Moses, his anger will wax hot by what he sees:

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. (Isaiah 28:2.)

Unlike Moses’s anger, which got appeased, the anger of Elias will be like a raging volcano, unable to calm down, and he will send forth a plague upon the people, a desolating scourge which will be an overflowing sickness:

For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming. (D&C 5:19.)

And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. (D&C 45:31.)

The wicked will attempt to protect themselves from the desolating scourge by quarantining themselves in above ground places of refuge and below ground caverns and facilities, but the destroyer will send forth hail and storm to destroy the places of refuge and a flood of waters to flush them out of their underground hiding spots:

Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. (Isaiah 28:14-19.)

The difference between Moses and Elias

Again, Moses’s anger was eventually appeased. Not so with Elias. This sickness will be an ongoing event, going out day and night, from the moment Elias returns and blows his stack, until Jesus comes back and the wicked of the world are entirely destroyed. It will be a perpetual curse from that day forward until there are no more wicked. Only then will Elias’s anger be appeased.

Elias’s anger, then, is patterned after God the Father, and not after Moses. When the children of Israel worshiped the golden calf, God’s first instinct was to allow His anger to wax hot so that he could destroy the whole of them and make a new nation out of Moses:

And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. (Exodus 32:9-10.)

In other words, the anger of the Lord is manifested by the destroyer acting. The destroyer does not discriminate, therefore if the anger of the Lord would have waxed hot, the now angry destroyer would have come down and killed every last one of them, both idolater and innocent bystander, both men, women and children, because the principle the destroyer acts upon is: wipe the slate clean and start over again.

But Moses intervened on behalf of the children of Israel, trying to keep them alive. Despite that intervention, the destroyer had already begun to become angry, requiring, at the very least, that those who refused to repent be killed, which would appease the angel’s anger:

And the Lord said unto Moses, If they will repent of the evil which they have done, I will spare them, and turn away my fierce wrath; but, behold, thou shalt execute judgment upon all that will not repent of this evil this day. Therefore, see thou do this thing that I have commanded thee, or I will execute all that which I had thought to do unto my people. (JST Exodus 32:14.)

The whole plan of salvation, then, is simply a way to appease the anger of the destroyer, so that he doesn’t act. Once God begins to get angry, the destroying angel also starts to get angry, and as he is the executor of God’s wrath, once he gets angry, he begins to act, and that’s the problem.

While the destroying angel is in the heavens, things are done so as to appease his (and thus God’s) anger, in order to save as many souls as possible. But once he comes to earth during his mortal probation, he must be incited to more anger than he’s ever before felt and then unleashed upon the populace.

Now it needs to be this way, for of all the emotional states, anger is the most energetic. Because the end-time work is infinite in scope, the destroyer needs all the energy he can muster to accomplish it. Thus it is through anger that the restoration of all things takes place. God allows His destroyer’s anger to rage endlessly so that the righteous get fully protected and the wicked get fully destroyed:

For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth. (Isaiah 28:21-22.)

God protects His people from the destroyer’s wrath

Just as God provided a means by which the children of Israel could survive the wrath of the destroyer, namely, the Passover, so God has provided a means to the Gentiles saints whereby they will be able to survive the coming desolating scourge:

And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen. (D&C 89:18-21.)

This, then, is the actual end-time purpose of the Word of Wisdom.

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Calculating the End Times

From the beginning, from the time I first picked up a Roman Catholic Bible as a little child, having just learned how to read, I have always been particularly fascinated with the end times. The terms “end times” and “end-time” is derived from the book of Daniel:

And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. (Daniel 8:19.)

And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. (Daniel 11:35.)

And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (Daniel 12:9.)

The end times, then, are the times that immediately precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Despite my fascination, I never tried to figure out when these times occur. Other people around me constantly speculated as to when these events would happen, but I never had any frame of reference by which to make a calculation, so I just left that task undone, trusting that the Lord, in His own due time, would begin to reveal the mystery to me.

I received the gift of the word of knowledge at the age of nine, and have received very many manifestations of that gift throughout the years since, but it wasn’t until shortly after I started this blog on 7 October 2007, that I began to receive manifested points of reference which finally allowed me to start figuring out the end times. The following is a list of manifested understandings, some of which I have released on this blog, some of which I have released privately, and some of which have never previously been released. Taken together, these understandings have finally allowed me to begin to calculate the end times.

Manifested understandings #1

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the mid-point in the earth’s temporal existence. – The Holy Ghost manifested this to me as I read Alma 40:16-19. This understanding, combined with information found in other scriptures, allowed me to get the first end-time point of reference: the ending of the sixth thousand years and the beginning of the seventh thousand years, which will occur in spring of 2033. In addition to that manifestation, the Holy Ghost also manifested to me that the meridian of time was a 70-year period, beginning 35 years before Christ’s resurrection and ending 35 years after it. I previously released this information in The Meridian of Time post.

As a corrective adjunct to that post, I will add the following:

If our calendars are correct, Jesus’s resurrection occurred in 33 A.D. And based upon the available information we have access to, we know it occurred during the springtime. We also know that Jesus was resurrected early on a Sunday morning, which information comes from the New Testament. Putting the resurrection on a springtime Sunday and then counting backwards, then, we first use this bit of information:

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40.)

That’s three 24-hour periods. So, from early Sunday morning to the previous early Saturday morning is the first 24-hour period. And from early Saturday morning to the previous early Friday morning is the second 24-hour period. And from early Friday morning to early Thursday morning is the third 24-hour period. This means that Jesus was crucified and died on a Wednesday. From the Nephite record we know that He died on the fourth day of the month, the first day being His birthday. Therefore, He died on Wednesday (day four), and the preceding Tuesday was day three, and the preceding Monday was day two and the preceding Sunday was His birthday.

After the Vernal Equinox (which initiates spring), on some Sunday during the spring of 33 A.D., Jesus had His 33rd birthday, then was crucified the Wednesday following, then was buried by the time early Thursday rolled around, then rose from the dead early Sunday morning. That much can be calculated.

(Had I included the Matthew 12:40 scripture into the calculations of The Meridian of Time post, the above would have been the output.)

The important number in the above information is the spring 33 A.D. date for Christ’s resurrection, because from that we can begin to calculate the end-time period. There were 4000 years from the Fall to spring 33 A.D. and there will be 2000 years from spring 33 A.D. to spring 2033 A.D., which marks the end of the sixth thousand years and the beginning the seventh thousand years.

Because of the manifested understanding given in The Meridian of Time post, then, we have a temporal marker (spring of 2033) for the conjunction between the sixth and seventh thousand years, which we need in order to calculate the rest of the end times.

Manifested understandings #2

Doctrine and Covenants 77:6-7 expounded. – At some point the Holy Ghost manifested to me the meaning of the book sealed with seven seals, namely that it was the plates of Mormon and referred specifically to the sealed portion of those plates, and also that the events that happen upon the opening of the seven seals are not events that occurred in the past, meaning in the thousand years that those seals pertain to, but are events that happen in the future, during the end times, upon the opening of each seal. The exposition of these verses constitute multiple manifested understandings, in which I learned that the Elias who restores all things would translate each successively opened seal into all the languages of the world, and then he would install the information found in each unsealed part into world society, thus restoring all things. It was also manifested to me that the first six parts would be translated and installed prior to the temporal marker—spring of 2033—while the seventh part would be translated and installed after that marker. This meant that the end times proper would begin before spring of 2033 and end after spring 2033. I released this information previously on this blog.

Manifested understandings #3

The end times is a 70-year period. – As I was reading Doctrine and Covenants 130:14-17, I had a thought about the restoration being a 70-year period, which I published in The “dispensational counting’ thought post. At the time I didn’t have confirmation about it, and at first thought that maybe the 70-year period would be split between Joseph Smith (who used up 24 years and three months of it) and the Elias who restored all things, but later I was given to understand that the end times was, indeed, a 70-year period, and that Elias would reset what Joseph Smith did, restarting a new 70-period, in his own time, so that Elias would have 70 full years, to complete his enormous task.

I learned that the restoration was, essentially, a (salvific) dress rehearsal, using a stand-in actor (Joseph Smith) in place of Elias. On set, the principals remain out-of-sight, in their trailers, while the stand-ins are put in front of the cameras, so that the technical details of the lighting and filming is worked out before the camera actually rolls. Stand-ins have the same height and build as the principal actors so that the camera can be set up properly. When things are perfect, the stand-ins retreat and the principals enter the set, take their places and then the cameras roll.

In the case of Joseph Smith, God used a stand-in who was a seer, not a miracle-working seer like the principal, and then everyone on the set went through the motions as if it were the real thing. The real thing was supposed to last for 70 years, which, for the dress rehearsal, would have been from 1820 to 1890, but Joseph Smith got tired and wanted a rest, so God gave him a rest and he got off the set in 1844 (by dying). The whole practice was done as if this were the actual restoration of all things, which it wasn’t. It was merely a rehearsal, like facsimile number three from the Book of Abraham. Nevertheless, God used it to lay a foundation, to get Elias’s shadow to earth, to give Elias something more to work with than merely the Bible.

Creating an end-time window

Using the above understandings, we can create two possible end-time windows.

The first window gives us the earliest time that the end times can begin, by putting one second of time after the temporal marker and the rest before it, like so:

2033 – One second after temporal marker – Official end of the end times.

2033 – Temporal Marker – End of sixth thousand years/beginning of seventh thousand years.

2026

2019

2012

2005

1998

1991

1984

1977

1970

1963 – Official start of the end times.

The second window gives us the latest time that the end times can end, by putting one second of time before the temporal marker and the rest after it, like so:

2103 – Official end of the end times.

2096

2089

2082

2075

2068

2061

2054

2047

2040

2033 – Temporal Marker – End of sixth thousand years/beginning of seventh thousand years.

2033 – One second before temporal marker  – Official start of the end times.

From this we see that 1963 is the earliest that the end times can begin, while 2103 is the very latest it can end. The 140-year window of 1963 to 2103 is the only possible time the 70-year end times can occur. However, there are other understandings which allow us to narrow down this window.

Manifested understandings #4

Elias will slow down the Earth’s rotation so that it takes a thousand years for it to rotate once. – This will make the Millennium a single, thousand-years-long day of eternity. He will perform this miracle of slowing down Earth’s rotation at, or just before, the opening of the seventh seal, which occurs at the temporal marker of spring of 2033. Another manifested understanding, along the same lines, is this: when John the apostle and Joseph Smith spoke of silence in the heavens for the space of half an hour, they were speaking according to the time of the new rotational velocity of the planet:

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (Revelation 8:1.)

And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; (Doctrine and Covenants 88:95.)

Using an online calculator, we can find out how long this is in current time.

If 1000 years is one day, then if we take 365.25 days (one current year) and multiply that by 1000, we get 365250 current days in a thousand-year-long eternal day. Now, in any current day there are 60 minutes to an hour and 24 hours in a day, so 60 times 24 gives us 1440 minutes in a current day. We then divide 365250 by 1440 to find out how many current days there are in one eternal minute, which gives us 253.64583333333 current days per eternal minute.

Now, the D&C 88:95 revelation says the silence lasted for the space of half an hour, which is 30 minutes, so it couldn’t have lasted less than 30 minutes. But Revelation 8:1 says the silence lasted for about the space of half an hour, which means it wasn’t exactly 30 minutes, but must be slightly more than 30 minutes. If it was 31 minutes long, it could still be said to be 30 minutes long, for there are 30 minutes of silence in 31 minutes of silence. We can assume, then, taking both scriptures together, that the silence lasted between 30 and 31 minutes in length. Now, all we need to do is multiply our days per minute number by 30 and by 31 to find the window of time that the silence lasted. What we get is:

30 minutes = 7609.3749999999 days; 31 minutes = 7863.02083333323 days.

To find out how much that is in years, we just divide 365.25 into each of the days numbers, which gives us:

7609.3749999999 days = 20.83333333333 years; 7863.02083333323 days = 21.52777777778 years.

(By the way, I teach that during this window of silence Elias will finish translating and implementing the information on the seventh part of the sealed portion of the plates of Mormon.)

Narrowing down the end times window

With this new information, we can narrow down our end times window. If there are at least 20.83 years after spring of 2033, then we can subtract 20.83 years from the 70-year total, bringing us to 49.17 years. So, 49.17 years need to be accounted for. Perhaps those 49.17 years occur prior to spring of 2033, or perhaps afterward. But there cannot be more than 49.17 years prior to spring of 2033. Our new beginning date to the 70-year period, then, is spring of 2033 minus 49.17 years, which is 1984. The end times cannot begin earlier than spring of 1984.

Our new end-time window, then, is:

2054 – Official end of the end times.

2047

2040

2033 – Temporal Marker – End of sixth thousand years/beginning of seventh thousand years.

2026

2019

2012

2005

1998

1991

1984 – Official start of the end times.

Manifested understandings #5

D&C 88:95 states the following:

And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; (Doctrine and Covenants 88:95.)

How can the face of the Lord be unveiled immediately after, when, according to John the apostle, the seven trumpets still need to be blown after the half hour of silence, followed by the seven plagues being poured out? This mystery has dogged latter-day saints from day one, from the time the D&C 88 revelation was given. Nobody has ever had a single clue how to harmonize D&C 88:95 with Revelation 8:1. So I guess it’s up to me to do it.

Immediately after what?

Everyone who reads the verse incorrectly answers that question with a: “Immediately after the half hour.” And then they get really, really confused, because there is no way to harmonize the two scriptures, as if the two verses are not talking of the same timeline. Yet they are talking about the same timeline.

The correct (and manifested) answer to that question is the following: “Immediately after the hour.” The Lord is referring to the last thing He was speaking of. The very last thing He was speaking of was the hour of time. Remember, there was silence in the heavens for the space of half of what? Of an hour. And it is of an hour that the Lord was referring to when He said, “and immediately after.” Immediately after that particular hour, the curtain of heaven shall be unfolded and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled.

The wording was written the way it is so that the latter-day saints wouldn’t be able to figure this mystery out for all these years, until the end times got near and then someone, somewhere, would have the mystery’s explanation manifested to him or to her by the gift of the word of knowledge. Which has now happened.

It’s the first hour of the new day

Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming. (D&C 77:12.)

When Joseph Smith revealed that “in the beginning of the seventh thousand years” the work would be completed, the period of time that constituted “the beginning of the seventh thousand years” would be one single hour. This beginning hour is “the hour of judgment,” in which the Lord God will “judge all things”:

Therefore, tarry ye, and labor diligently, that you may be perfected in your ministry to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time, as many as the mouth of the Lord shall name, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come; (D&C 88:84.)

How long is that hour?

It is twice as long as the half an hour. Doing the math, then, as half an hour is 20.83333333333 current years of the thousand-years-long eternal day, then an hour is twice as long, or 41.6666666667 current years of the thousand-years-long eternal day.

When we add 41.66 years to spring of 2033, this brings us to fall/winter of 2074. This is the very date when “the curtain of heaven [shall] be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled” (D&C 88:95.)

Further narrowing down the end times window

With this new information, we can further narrow down our end times window. If there are at least 41.66 years after spring of 2033, then we can subtract 41.66 years from the 70-year total, bringing us to 28.34 years. So, once again, 28.34 years need to be accounted for. Perhaps those 28.34 years occur prior to spring of 2033, or perhaps afterward. But there cannot be more than 28.34 years prior to spring of 2033. Our new beginning date to the 70-year period, then, is spring of 2033 minus 28.34 years, which is either the end of 2004 or the beginning of 2005. The end times cannot begin earlier than the end of 2004.

Our new end-time window, then, is:

Fall/Winter of 2074 – Official end of the end times.

2068

2061

2054

2047

2040

2033 – Temporal Marker – End of sixth thousand years/beginning of seventh thousand years.

2026

2019

2012

End of 2004/Beginning of 2005 – Official start of the end times.

Ten divisions of seven years

A 70-year period can be divided into ten, seven-year periods, and looking over the new end-time window, that pattern seems to immediately jump right out. For example, the half hour (30 minutes) of time is 20.83 years, while 31 minutes is 21.54 years. Given that John says the silence was about the space of half an hour, this means it was for more than 20.83 years, and it just so happens that 21 years is slightly more than 20.83. Also 21 years is composed of three, seven-year periods.

An hour of time is 41.66 years, which is just slightly less than 42 years, and 42 years just so happens to be composed of six, seven-year periods.

When we look at the time prior to the spring of 2033 temporal marker, we again see that 28.34 years is just slightly more than 28 years. And 28 years just happens to be composed of four, seven-year periods.

If we assume, then, that the end of the first hour of time, at the beginning of the seventh thousand years, is not when the Lord actually steps foot on this earth, but when His throne, the brown dwarf He’s traveling on, enters this solar system and then that is when all people will look up and see His face (meaning the face of His brown dwarf throne) and that that is the great sign referred to here:

And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together. (D&C 88:93.)

—the throne itself will have wings, that is, discharging plasma out its sides that will look like wings; and when wings are folded up, and then unfolded so that they go out to the sides, it’s kind of like a scroll being unrolled:

And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; (D&C 88:95.)

—this is why the tribes of the earth will mourn, for they will look up and know that their time is up, for the Lord’s throne will already be visible in the sky, and their doom will be sealed; in a matter of mere months they will all be dead:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30.)

—if we make this assumption, then, that immediately after the hour of time the Lord’s throne will enter the solar system and spread its wings and all people on earth will see it, then we must also assume that it will take a little bit of time for that brown dwarf to travel through the whole solar system to get to Earth and destroy the wicked. How much time might it take? Perhaps it’ll take the few months that remain between fall/winter of 2074 (when the first hour ends) and spring of 2075.

If the above assumptions are correct, then we can correct the timeline to align it with the ten, seven-year periods, like this:

Spring of 2075 – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ/The official end of the end times.

2068

2061

2054

2047

2040

Spring of 2033 – Temporal Marker – End of sixth thousand years/beginning of seventh thousand years.

2026

2019

2012

Spring of 2005 – Official start of the end times.

Checking the calculation

The way to see if the above is correct is fairly straightforward. There are 42 years after spring of 2033 and 28 years before it. So all we need to do is add up the times that John mentioned in the book of Revelation, from the opening of the seventh seal onward, and see if they fit into those 42 years.

John makes mention of hours, days, months and years. The easiest way to do this, then, is to convert all of that into one unit and then add them all up. I will use days as my unit.

1 year = 365.25 days.

7 years = 2556.75 days.

14 years = 5113,50 days.

21 years = 7670.25 days.

28 years = 10,227.00 days.

35 years = 12,783.75 days.

42 years = 15,340.50 days.

Okay, so let’s start:

Revelation 8:1 mentions “about the space of half an hour,” which we’ll just calculate as one half hour, which, is: 7609.375 days.

5 trumpets then sound from Revelation 8:2 to Revelation 9:4.

Revelation 9:5 mentions 5 months of torment. The length of a biblical month is 30 days, so we multiply 5 months by 30 and get: 150 days.

The 6th trumpet then sounds.

Revelation 9:15 mentions an hour, a day, a month and a year. An hour is 0.0416 day. A day is 1 day. A month is 30 days. A year is 365.25 days. The total is: 396.29 days.

Then there is the mighty angel, seven thunders, the little book and the measuring reed given to John.

Revelation 11:2 mentions the Gentiles will tread the holy city for 42 months, which is 1260 days.

Revelation 11:3 mentions that the two witnesses will prophesy for 1260 days.

It says in Revelation 11:9-11 that the two witnesses will be dead for 3.50 days.

Then the seventh trumpet sounds.

Then the great wonder is seen in heaven.

Revelation 12:6 says that the woman flees into the wilderness for 1260 days.

Revelation 12:14 says that the woman flees into the wilderness for three and a half times, which is widely understood to be three and a half years (1278.375 days), or 1260 days. (Even if this is a redundancy, we will count it, anyway.)

Revelation 13:5 says that the beast continues for 42 months, which is 1260 days.

The second beast appears, the people worship the image, the mark of the beast is introduced and the 666 number is mentioned.

The 144,000 are mentioned and 3 angels sound trumpets.

Seven last plagues are poured out.

Mystery Babylon is explained – ten kings rule 1 hour. This hour could be a 60-minute hour, or it could be a 41.66 year-long hour. Both work for the context. If Babylon is formed at the beginning of the eternal hour, in other words, in spring of 2033, then they rule for one hour, until fall/winter of 2074, later to be destroyed by the brightness of the Lord’s coming.

Babylon is destroyed in one day and in one hour. This day could be both an eternal day (for Babylon will be destroyed in the seventh thousand years) and also a current day (being destroyed in 24 hours of current time.) The hour could be an eternal day (for Babylon will be destroyed in the 41.66 year-long hour) and it also could be a current hour (a 60-minute hour). Any of these interpretations work.

Adding up the numbers

Adding up the above numbers in bold type, the total number of days mentioned by John in the book of Revelation, from the opening of the seventh seal to the imprisonment of the devil by Abaddon, is: 14,459.165 days. In years that’s: 39.58 years, which is well within the 41.66 years of the first hour and the 42 years of the last six seven-year periods. So this calculation works.

I ain’t touching Daniel

The end-time numbers given in Daniel follow a different point of reference than John’s numbers and I do not, as yet, have any manifested information about them, so I will leave those numbers alone for now.

The beginning of the end times

Because we can calculate the ending year of the end times, namely, 2074/2075, we can then calculate the beginning year: 2004/2005. However, 2004 and 2005 have already come and gone, and the end times haven’t, as yet, begun, nor has Elias yet gotten out of his box, which appears to falsify this 70-year window. But I say, The above 70-year window is still correct because Elias will be performing lots of corrections of errors (COE’s) and thus he will make this window to be correct. It doesn’t matter that the window is not currently 70 years long because the discrepancy will be undone by Elias when he starts changing times and seasons:

..and also that God hath set his hand and seal to change the times and seasons, and to blind their minds, that they may not understand his marvelous workings; (D&C 121:12.)

Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: (Daniel 2:20-21.)

Elias, once he gets out of his box, will make this all happen by using time reset miracles. Time reset miracles (rewinding the time) is one of the reasons why his ministry is referred to as the strange work:

For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. (Isaiah 28:21.)

The destroyer is sent to perform the end-time work because he needs to end time. In other words, he needs to destroy time and put eternity in its place. To destroy time you’ve got to be able to dominate time, and thus this particular miracle-working seer will be performing the most powerful miracles of all: time miracles. So, all that matters is that Elias gets out of his box prior to spring of 2033. As long as that happens, none of the prophecies will fail.

Today and tomorrow

In this scripture we find the Lord speaking after His thousand-year-long day manner.

For after today cometh the burning—this is speaking after the manner of the Lord—for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon. (D&C 64:24.)

According to my understanding, then, it is today until spring of 2033. At that point, tomorrow begins.

The eleventh hour

Section 33 was given in October of 1830. Verse three states:

For behold, the field is white already to harvest; and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard.

An hour in an eternal day is 41.66 years. If we take the 70-year period given to Elias and overlay it onto the 70-year period given to Joseph Smith, using it as a pattern, we must likewise divide Joseph’s period into a 28-year period, followed by a 42-year period. The 28-year period represents the ending of one day and the 42-year period following represents the beginning of the next. The ending hour of the day is the eleventh hour, so, in Joseph’s day, counting 28 years from the First Vision (spring of 1820) brings us to spring of 1848. That is when the eleventh hour was supposed to end and when the new day and the new hour was supposed to begin, which would have been from spring of 1848 to spring of 1890, but Joseph Smith died in 1844, in the eleventh hour of the previous day.

Since then we latter-day saints have been perpetually stuck in the eleventh hour. An hour is only supposed to last for 41.66 years, but this eleventh hour mentioned in this scripture has lasted from 1806 (that’s when the eleventh hour began) to 2019, a total of 213 years! Ask any latter-day saint, “Prophetically, what hour are we in? Ninth hour, tenth hour, eleventh hour, what?” and they’ll all answer, “Oh, we’re in the eleventh hour!”

None of our leaders can get us out of this eleventh hour. Only Elias can.

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“The Davidic Servant” Error

The erroneous doctrine of “the Davidic Servant”

There is a false, speculative doctrine—which is found among certain latter-day saints who are at the fringe, as well as among former members who have been excommunicated or who have resigned from the church, and also among the many break-away sects—which I call “the Davidic Servant” error, which takes

1) the scriptures that mention the Branch,

2) and the ones that mention an end-time servant named David,

3) and all the scriptures that speak of the Elias who restores all things (who is, in actuality, Joseph-Nephi),

4) and a few more scriptures that speak of Jesus Christ,

5) as well as Avraham Gileadi’s translation of Isaiah and his interpretations of the scriptures,

6) and then combines all of that with a teaching Joseph Smith gave on 10 March 1844,

7) along with three speculating paragraphs published in the Times and Seasons on 15 February 1842 (which is when “the Davidic Servant” error appears to have begun),

8) and also a sentence uttered by Orson Hyde on 22 November 1841 during his Prayer of Dedication on the Mount of Olives,

and from all of that it creates a fictional, end-time personage called, “the Davidic Servant” (who is an amalgamation of the real person, Jesus Christ, and the real person, Joseph-Nephi), and who is supposed to be a mortal man named David (who is descended from the ancient David) that will build the throne of David/Israel, and rebuild and restore Jerusalem and the temple, and gather and restore Israel and also the kingdom of Israel, and who will rule over the mortal population of Israel on the throne of David as its mortal king.

Additionally, according to “the Davidic Servant” error, when Jesus Christ returns at the Second Coming, He will rule over the immortal, resurrected population (which will not be present much, but which will come and go to and from other planets as they choose, thus being mostly absent from Earth), and Christ will rule over the mortal population only virtually, through this mortal Davidic king, who himself will continue to rule over the mortal population of Israel forever.  Thus, the error has two end-time kings, an immortal One (who is Christ) to reign over immortals and a mortal one (who is “the Davidic Servant”) to reign over mortals, and it dictates that the two populations (mortals and immortals) won’t mix much.

Now, those who accept this error take all of that as a starting point, swallowing it whole, and then begin to further speculate as to the identity of this fictional character, some ascribing John the apostle to “the DS” and adding in whatever scriptures speak of John, while others go even farther and assign the Holy Ghost as “the DS,” throwing in even more scriptures to shore up their theory. Others speculate that one of the top leaders of the church will be the man. Still others think there will be a “DS” over the Jews, Jerusalem and the Old World, while there will be a different end-time servant over the New World (America). Some believe that “the DS” will be Joseph Smith, returned from the dead. And so on and so forth, with endless speculations from all sorts of quarters of the disaffected and fringe elements of the latter-day saints.

Regardless of what version of “the Davidic Servant” error is subscribed to, all the followers use “Davidic Servant” or “DS” as an identifier of the doctrine. They don’t put “Davidic Servant” in quotations as I do because they believe it’s a real person, whereas I teach that it’s all a fiction. Thus, I state that it’s a quote unquote “Davidic Servant.” When I use quotation marks on this term, it is with the understanding that I am referring to this false doctrine, which assigns a non-Jesus Christ personage to an end-time servant named David. Regardless of who the adherent believes that “the DS” is, they all think it is not Jesus Christ. Thus, the words, “the Davidic Servant,” or merely, “the DS,” identify the error, as an encoded term, so that those who mention “the Davidic Servant” or “the DS”, trying to discuss what the man will do, or where he will be from, or what he will be like, or who his identity is, have already revealed themselves as having fallen into the error.

I teach that “the Davidic Servant,” as described by the different versions of this false doctrine, is non-existent. It’s entirely made-up by uninspired people who have allowed foolish and unfounded speculations to filter and replace the actual word of God, so that they imagine and believe a fantasy, and then teach that fable they’ve created to others, all the while scoffing and spurning at any attempt to correct the error and dislodge them from it. Like a drug, this particular delusion has proven to be addictive and those who have drunk of its poison become members of a sort of “DS” cult, who all believe they possess “eyes to see” and “ears to hear” what they consider is “the secret or hidden knowledge,” which in reality is just a falsehood built up from a misunderstanding of the scriptures.

Those who have read my words on this blog, published in my various posts and also in the comment sections, know that I have never once mentioned any “Davidic Servant.” Anyone can perform a search for this term on this blog and will discover that only One Who Is Watching (OWIW) mentioned the term in two of his own posts, and there have also been 7 comments left in the comment sections of various posts (as of today’s date) which mention it, none of which were authored by me. Why have I never mentioned “the Davidic Servant”? Because there is no such person.

Again, when speaking of the end-time servants who will be performing ministries among us, I have never used the incorrect term, “the Davidic Servant,” but have ever used the correct terms when referring to Christ:

the Stem of Jesse, the Branch, the Messiah, etc.,

and I have ever used the correct terms when referring to Christ’s forerunner, the Elias who restores all things:

the rod, the root of Jesse, Elias, the restoring Elias, the Elias who restores all things, the Elias restorer, the Elias destroyer, the Josephite, the Josephite restorer, the Josephite destroyer, Joseph-Nephi, the destroyer, the destroying angel, king Abaddon, king Apollyon, etc.

Thus the whole “Davidic Servant” error, from top to bottom, goes against what I teach and also contradicts what the LDS church officially teaches. In this post, then, I will correct the error by exposing its fallacies and refuting its foundation, put forth the correct doctrine and I will also publicly release some new teachings (’cause I might as well, right?) I will begin this task with the official teaching.

The official teaching: the end-time David is Christ

The official LDS church teaching is that the end-time Personage known in the scriptures as “my servant David”/”David my servant” is Jesus Christ. In Chapter 13 “The Establishment of Zion (Isaiah 1—12)” of the Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi, published in 1982, we read:

(13-58) Isaiah 11:1. Who Is the “Branch”?

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote the following analysis of the meaning of the Branch:

“Since it takes a first and a second coming to fulfill many Messianic prophecies, we of necessity must consider them here, and in the case of the Davidic-Messianic utterances show also how they apply to our Lord’s Second Coming. Christ is the Son of David, the Seed of David, the inheritor, through Mary his mother, of the blood of the great king. He is also called the Stem of Jesse and the Branch, meaning Branch of David. Messianic prophecies under these headings deal with the power and dominion he shall wield as he sits on David’s throne, and have reference almost exclusively to his second sojourn on planet earth.

“Jesse was the father of David. Isaiah speaks of the Stem of Jesse, whom he also designates as a branch growing out of the root of that ancient worthy. He recites how the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; how he shall be mighty in judgment; how he shall smite the earth and slay the wicked; and how the lamb and the lion shall lie down together in that day—all of which has reference to the Second Coming and the millennial era thereby ushered in. (Isa. 11.) As to the identity of the Stem of Jesse, the revealed words says: ‘Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ.’ (D&C 113:1–2.) This also means that the Branch is Christ, as we shall now see from other related scriptures.

“By the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord foretells the ancient scattering and the latter-day gathering of his chosen Israel. After they have been gathered ‘out of all countries whither I have driven them,’ after the kingdom has been restored to Israel as desired by the ancient apostles in Acts 1:6, then this eventuality, yet future and millennial in nature, shall be fulfilled: ‘Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ (Jer. 23:3–6.) That is to say, the King who shall reign personally upon the earth during the Millennium shall be the Branch who grew out of the house of David. He shall execute judgment and justice in all the earth because he is the Lord Jehovah, even him whom we call Christ.

“Through Zechariah the Lord spoke similarly: ‘Thus saith the LORD of hosts: … I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. … I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day [meaning that the wicked shall be destroyed and the millennial era of peace and righteousness commence]. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.’ (Zech. 3:7–10.) Of that glorious millennial day the Lord says also: ‘Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne.’ (Zech. 6:12–13.)

“That the Branch of David is Christ is perfectly clear. We shall now see that he is also called David, that he is a new David, an Eternal David, who shall reign forever on the throne of his ancient ancestor. ‘It shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, ‘that is, in the great millennial day of gathering, that ‘they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.’ (Jer. 30:8–9.)

“‘In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness,’ which is to say that because the Great King himself reigns in her midst, even the city shall be called after him. ‘For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel. … If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne.’ (Jer. 33:15–21.) David’s temporal throne fell long centuries before our Lord was born, and that portion of Israel which had not been scattered to the ends of the earth was in bondage to the iron yoke of Rome. But the promises remain. The eternal throne shall be restored in due course with a new David sitting thereon, and he shall reign forever and ever. …

“Through Ezekiel, the Lord speaks of this One Shepherd in this way: ‘I will save my flock. … And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them.’ When that day comes, ‘I will make with them a covenant of peace,’ the Lord says, meaning they shall have again the fulness of the everlasting gospel. Then ‘there shall be showers of blessing’; all Israel shall dwell safely and know that the Lord is their God. (Ezek. 34:22–31.)

“Through Ezekiel, the Lord also tells of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which becomes the instrument in his hands to bring to pass the gathering of Israel. Of that day of gathering he says, ‘I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all.’ In that day he promises to ‘cleanse them,’ by baptism, ‘so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.’

“Then the Lord restates that his gathered people shall have his everlasting gospel with all its blessings; that he will set his sanctuary, meaning his temple, in their midst forevermore (as Zechariah recorded); and all Israel shall know that the Lord is their God. (Ezek. 37:15–28.)

“How glorious shall be the coming day when the second David, who is Christ, reigns on the throne of the first David; when all men shall dwell safely; when the earth shall be dotted with temples; and when the gospel covenant shall have full force and validity in all the earth!” (The Promised Messiah, pp. 192–95).

Notice, in particular, that the apostle refers to the Branch as a “Branch of David.” He does this because the scripture says that the Lord will “cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David” (Jer. 33:15.) In other words, the Branch will both be a descendant of David of old, as well as a new David.  Thus, the end times David and the Branch are one and the same and so when the apostle begins to teach about the Branch, he must, of necessity, explain about the end times David. We see from this lengthy quotation that this is the teaching that is given to church students in an officially approved manual; namely, that Jesus Christ is the very end times David spoken of in the scriptures. This teaching, given in the above quotation by elder Bruce R. McConkie, wasn’t just put into the church student manual, but also into the chapter headings of the official LDS edition of the Bible, for all the chapters that deal with the end times David. For example, for the chapters that elder McConkie quoted from, these are the pertinent chapter headings:

The Branch, who is the King (the Messiah), will reign in righteousness (Jeremiah 23); Zechariah speaks about the Messiah—The Branch will come (Zechariah 3); Zechariah crowns Joshua, the high priest, in similitude of Christ, the Branch, who will come—Christ will be a priest upon His throne forever (Zechariah 6); David, their king (the Messiah), will reign over them (Jeremiah 30); The Branch of Righteousness (the Messiah) is promised—The Seed of David (the Messiah) will reign forever (Jeremiah 33); The Messiah will be their Shepherd (Ezekiel 34); David (the Messiah) will reign over them (Ezekiel 37).

Some of the chapter headings of the chapters that the Topical Guide entry of Jesus Christ, Davidic Descent of mentions also give this same teaching:

Psalms 89
A messianic psalm—A song setting forth the mercy, greatness, justice, and righteousness of the Holy One of Israel—The Lord will establish David’s seed and throne forever—God’s Firstborn will be made higher than the kings of the earth.

Psalms 132
A messianic psalm—Of the fruit of David’s loins will the Lord set One upon His throne—The Lord will bless Zion, and her Saints will shout for joy.

Isaiah 9
Isaiah speaks about the Messiah—The people in darkness will see a great Light—Unto us a Child is born—He will be the Prince of Peace and reign on David’s throne

Isaiah 11
The stem of Jesse (Christ) will judge in righteousness—The knowledge about God will cover the earth in the Millennium—The Lord will raise an ensign and gather Israel

Acts 13
Saul and Barnabas are called to missionary service—Saul, now called Paul, curses a sorcerer—Christ is a descendant of David—Paul offers the gospel to Israel, then to the Gentiles.

This shows that the Brethren themselves believe that the end times “my servant David” and “David my servant” personage mentioned in the scriptures, who will reign as king and prince over the house of Israel, is none other than Jesus Christ, the King Messiah.

Now, in another part of that same Chapter 13 of that same manual, it says this:

(13-63) Isaiah 11:13–14. “Ephraim Shall Not Envy Judah, and Judah Shall Not Vex Ephraim”

Anciently, during the days of the divided kingdoms, Judah (the leading tribe of the Southern Kingdom) and Ephraim (the leading tribe of the Northern Kingdom) were often in competition. Sometimes they were even at war with each other. Isaiah prophesied that in the last days that conflict would come to an end. Ezekiel, in a similar prophecy, promised that the house of Israel would no longer be divided, but under their true king, the New David (see Notes and Commentary on Isaiah 11:1) there would be one united nation again. (See Ezekiel 37:15–25.) Jeremiah and Zechariah also spoke of the future reuniting of the house of Israel (see Jeremiah 3:18; Zechariah 10:6–7).

Emphasis mine. Notice that the manual points the student to the section that I quoted at the start, which talks about the New David and which identifies that Personage as Christ. Notice also that there is no equivocation in the teaching. It is made unmistakably crystal clear and plain as day in its meaning. And this is the official LDS teaching on the matter.

Understanding the official teaching: the name of God is Jehovah

Three connected, omnipotent, omniscient and perfect Persons are, when taken together as a group, called “the Godhead” (Col. 2:9), or just, “one God” (D&C 20:28): even the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The Father and the Son are Personages of Spirit who also have bodies “of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (D&C 130:22) and both Their spirit bodies and Their physical bodies have “the form of man” (Mosiah 13:34; Ether 3:15-16; 1 Nephi 11:11.) The Holy Ghost, however, is a Personage of Spirit who does not have a body “of flesh and bones” (D&C 130:22.)

When one speaks of God, it is generally the Father who is referred to, for He is the Supreme Governor of the Universe, the Father of all mankind and the One to whom the Son and the Holy Ghost submit and from whom They derive Their power and authority. Nevertheless, because the Son and the Holy Ghost are connected to the Father in perfection, and partake of all His attributes and powers in fullness, thus forming the Godhead, or becoming “one God,” this oneness between Them in which they share all things, allows even the title of “God” to be shared and applied to the Son and the Holy Ghost. Thus each Person is called God: the Son is God and also the Holy Ghost is God, and not just the Father.

In Hebrew, the tetragrammaton (a specific 4-letter combination) identifies the covenant or proper name of the God of Israel. In English this name is written out as Jehovah, Yahweh or some other variation. (It is actually pronounced: ^EEAA_OOAA^EE.) In the King James Version, the Jewish custom of never speaking the name of God has been followed, and the name is generally denoted by LORD or GOD, printed in small capitals.  Following the pattern of oneness, in which They all share everything, so it goes with the name of Jehovah. Jehovah is the name of the Father and the name of the Son and the name of the Holy Ghost. Given that all three members of the Godhead have the same covenant name of Jehovah, we are commanded to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”:

Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. (D&C 20:73)

We don’t baptize in three names, but only in one name, which all three bear: Jehovah.

So, for example, in D&C 110:1-10 we find Jesus Christ referring to Himself as Jehovah. Yet in Luke 20:41-44 and in Mark 12:35-37 Jesus cites Psalms 110:1 and identifies Himself as “my Lord” and not as “The LORD” (Jehovah.) This implies that “The LORD” (Jehovah) in that verse refers to the Father and not to the Son.

In 3 Nephi chapters 20 and 21, Jesus applies the name of Jehovah to both Himself (the Son) and to the Father. Here Jesus mentions Micah 4:12, referring to Himself as Jehovah (the LORD) :

And I [Jesus] will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. (3 Nephi 20:18)

But they know not the thoughts of the LORD [Jehovah the Son], neither understand they his counsel: for he [Jehovah the Son] shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. (Micah 4:12)

And here He mentions Micah 4:13, which is the very next verse, but this time Jesus refers to Jehovah (the LORD) as the Father:

For I [Jesus] will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I [Jesus] will make thy horn iron, and I [Jesus] will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I [Jesus] will consecrate their gain unto the Lord [Jehovah the Father], and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I [Jesus] am he who doeth it. (3 Nephi 20:19)

Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I [Jehovah the Son] will make thine horn iron, and I [Jehovah the Son] will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I [Jehovah the Son] will consecrate their gain unto the LORD [Jehovah the Father], and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. (Micah 4:13)

Here Jesus says that it was Jehovah the Father who covenanted and spoke to Abraham:

And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. (3 Nephi 20:25)

Now the LORD [Jehovah the Father] had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3)

Here Jesus mentions Isaiah 52:9-10 and refers to Jehovah as the Father:

Then shall they break forth into joy—Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Father hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Father hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of the Father; and the Father and I are one. (3 Nephi 20:34-35)

Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. (Isaiah 52:9-10)

Here Jesus mentions Micah 5:8-15 and refers to Jehovah as the Father:

And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off. Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they repent; for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots; and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds; and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers; thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands; and I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities. And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away. For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel; and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. (3 Nephi 21:12-21)

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. (Micah 5:8-15)

Again, we find Jesus saying to the Nephites (in 3 Nephi 24:1), “Thus said the Father unto Malachi:” and then He quotes Malachi 3:1, which reads:

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

This means that  “the LORD of hosts” (Jehovah) in this verse is the Father.

Or, when we turn to Numbers 27:16, we find Jehovah being called the God of the spirits of all flesh, which is a reference to the Father, not to the Son.

And Jesus said to the Jews, “I am come in my Father’s name” (John 5:43.) And what is that name? It is the name of Jehovah. Thus, both the Father and the Son bear the name of Jehovah.

It is Jehovah who covenanted with Israel, yet Jesus taught the Nephites in 3 Nephi 21:4 that the Father covenanted with His people Israel, but in 3 Nephi 15:5 Jesus says that He Himself covenanted with His people Israel. Who, then, is Jehovah: the Father or the Son? Again, it is both, for They both bear the same name. And so on for the rest of the scriptures.

The name Jehovah distinguishes

Now, all of a group having the same name so that they are distinguished from all others is a custom that is found among men:

And now it came to pass that the king and those who were converted were desirous that they might have a name, that thereby they might be distinguished from their brethren; therefore the king consulted with Aaron and many of their priests, concerning the name that they should take upon them, that they might be distinguished. (Alma 23:16)

The name may be a given name, such as what George Foreman did, in which he named all five of his sons, “George,” and also named one of his daughters, “Georgetta.” It is even customary to give the same name both to men and women, and thus you might have a man named Jose whose first child is a son and so he names him, “Jose,” and then his wife gives birth to another son and he names him, “Jose Maria,” and then his wife gives birth to a girl and he names her, “Maria Jose.” In this case, all four individuals bear the same given name of Jose: the father and two sons bearing it as their first given name, whereas the daughter bears the name as her second (middle) given name.

Or, the name may be a surname, such as how all the Nephites were surnamed Nephi, and all the Jacobites were surnamed Jacob, and all the Josephites were surnamed Joseph, and all the Zoramites were surnamed Zoram, and all the Lamanites were surnamed Laman, and all the Lemuelites were surnamed Lemuel, and all the Ishmaelites were surnamed Ishmael and so on and so forth. The Gentiles also distinguish their families by a common surname which all the members of that particular family bear.

Regardless of what the name Jehovah is, whether it is a given name or a surname, its purpose is to identify the group, which is the Godhead. All those who pertain to that particular group bear this particular name of Jehovah, which distinguishes Them from all others and from every other group.

Elohim is not the covenant or proper name of the Father

Elohim just means “God.” However, in the temple rites, Elohim is used as the Father’s name, to differentiate between the Personages of the Father and the Son, the latter being called Jehovah in the temple. The temple rites use symbolism and representations to teach principles, the principle here being that the Trinity doctrine is false and that the Father and the Son are two distinct Personages and not one nebulous mass of nothingness. The use of the name Elohim in the temple is not meant to be taken as the literal, personal name of God, but latter-day saints routinely make the mistake, anyway.

Jehovah is first the Father, then the Son

Latter-day saints, when they see the tetragrammaton written out in the King James Version of the Bible as LORD or GOD in small capitals, or as Jehovah or Yahweh, etc., in other versions, assume the name is referring to the Son unless the context of the passage indicates that the Father is the One who is being referred to, in which case they assume that the passage must be an instance of Jesus speaking as the Father with “divine investiture of authority.” But the proper way to read these passages is to first assume that the name refers to the Father, unless the context indicates that it refers to one of the other members of the Godhead. If the Father fits into the passage, then you interpret the name as referring to the Father. If the Father doesn’t fit, then you plug in the Son, or, lastly, the Holy Ghost, if the Son doesn’t fit.

This confusion on the part of the latter-day saints about the name of Jehovah is one of the reasons why there is conflict between us and the Christians and Jews, who all read the tetragrammaton as referring to the Father and are utterly confused as to why the latter-day saints insist that the pre-mortal Jesus Christ is Jehovah, and not the Father. In our rush to distance ourselves from the Trinity doctrine, which indeed is false, we have mistakenly tossed away an actual truth: that the Godhead is all named Jehovah.

It is the Father’s servant David

Returning with this knowledge of the name of God to all the passages that mention the end-time servant David, we now are able to clearly see that the one who is speaking in the passages is the LORD, who is Jehovah the Father. So, let’s review the scriptures cited by the apostle.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD [Jehovah the Father], that I [Jehovah the Father] will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS [Jehovah Our Righteous]. (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

In the above passage the Father says He will raise unto David a righteous Branch, a King that shall reign and prosper, in whose days Judah shall be saved and Israel dwell safely, and the name of this Branch King David will be Jehovah Our Righteousness.

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Thus saith the LORD of hosts [Jehovah the Father]; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I [Jehovah the Father] will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I [Jehovah the Father] will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (Zechariah 3:7-8)

In the above passage the Father says He will bring forth His servant the Branch.

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And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts [Jehovah the Father], saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD [Jehovah]: even he shall build the temple of the LORD [Jehovah]; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6:12-13)

In the above passage the Father says to behold the man whose name is the Branch, who shall bear the glory and sit and rule upon His throne, and who shall be a priest upon His throne. He also mentions the one who will grow up out of the Branch’s place and who will build the temple of Jehovah. Before continuing, I will take the time to expound the above scripture by explaining about prophetic switches.

Prophetic switches

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:” (Isa. 11:1)

Jesse was the father of David; the Stem of Jesse and the Branch are one and the same person: Jesus Christ; and the rod that comes of the Stem of Jesse is Elias (Joseph-Nephi). So, in the following scripture:

“And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” (Zechariah 6:12-13)

it begins by speaking of the Branch (Jesus Christ) : “Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH;”

then it switches to speaking of Elias (Joseph-Nephi) : “and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: even he shall build the temple of the LORD;”

then it switches back to speaking of the Branch (Jesus Christ) : “and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne:”

finally it ends by speaking of the covenant of peace that will exist between the Branch (Jesus Christ) and Elias (Joseph-Nephi) : “and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

An alternate translation from the Hebrew (found in the footnote of Zech. 6:12) of the first part reads:

“Behold the man: Branch is his name and from beneath him one shall branch forth and he shall build the temple of Jehovah.”

The one who builds the temple of Jehovah, who branches forth from beneath the Branch (Jesus Christ), is Elias (Joseph-Nephi), who is the rod that comes forth out of the Stem of Jesse (Jesus Christ):

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,” (Isa. 11:1)

and who is the rod of Christ’s strength:

“The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: ” (Ps. 110:2)

and who is “a servant in the hands of Christ…on whom there is laid much power” (D&C 113:4.)

Thus, there are two main end-time personages spoken of in the scriptures, one being Jesus Christ (the Stem of Jesse/the Branch) and the other being His forerunner, Elias (the rod/root of Jesse, who is Joseph-Nephi.) The prophetic switch between these two servants happens often in the scriptures. For example, in Isa. 11, Isaiah begins in verse 1 to speak of Elias (the rod), then switches to Jesus Christ (the Stem of Jesse/the Branch) and continues to speak of the Branch in verses 2-5, but then in verse 10 he switches back to speaking of Elias (the root of Jesse):

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

10 ¶ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1-5,10)

Zechariah does the same prophetic switch. In chapter 3 of his prophecy he speaks of the Branch (Jesus Christ), using Joshua the high priest as a type of the Branch. But in chapter 4 of his prophecy, he speaks of Elias (Joseph-Nephi), using Zerubbabel as the type of Elias. This shows that these two (the Son of God and His forerunner) are prophetically linked.

It is the Father’s servant David, continued

For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts [Jehovah the Father], that I [Jehovah the Father] will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: but they shall serve the LORD [Jehovah the Father] their God, and David their king, whom I [Jehovah the Father] will raise up unto them. (Jeremiah 30:8-9)

In the above passage the Father says that the people will serve Him and also will serve David their King, whom the Father will raise up to them.

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Behold, the days come, saith the LORD [Jehovah the Father], that I [Jehovah the Father] will perform that good thing which I [Jehovah the Father] have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

In those days, and at that time, will I [Jehovah the Father] cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness [Jehovah Our Righteous].

For thus saith the LORD [Jehovah the Father]; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me [Jehovah the Father] to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.

And the word of the LORD [Jehovah the Father] came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD [Jehovah the Father]; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. (Jeremiah 33:14-21)

In the above passage the Father says that He will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David and this Branch will execute judgment and righteousness, and in His days Judah shall be saved, Jerusalem will dwell safely, and Jerusalem will have the same name as the Branch King: Jehovah Our Righteousness. (See Jeremiah 23:5-6 where the Branch is also called Jehovah Our Righteousness.) The Father also affirms that the covenant He made with David of old about his throne always being occupied by one of his seed will be fulfilled.

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Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD [Jehovah the Father] unto them; … And I [Jehovah the Father] will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD [Jehovah the Father] will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD [Jehovah the Father] have spoken it. (Ezekiel 34:20,23-24)

In the above passage the Father says He will set up one Shepherd over them and this one Shepherd is the Father’s servant David, who shall feed them and be their Shepherd. The Father will be their God and the Father’s servant David will be a Prince among them.

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And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD [Jehovah the Father]; … And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I [Jehovah the Father] have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. (Ezekiel 37:21,24-25)

In the above passage the Father says that His servant David will be King over Israel and Israel will all have one Shepherd and the Father’s servant David shall be their Prince forever.

We see from this review that the apostle’s words are true, in which he wrote, “That the Branch of David is Christ is perfectly clear.” It is perfectly clear. Once a person understands that Jehovah in these passages is the Father, then it becomes self-evident that Jesus Christ “is also called David, that He is a new David, an Eternal David, who shall reign forever on the throne of His ancient ancestor,” just as the apostle and LDS church have taught.

The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith quotation

There is a saying of Joseph Smith that people often quote regarding the end times David, which I will cite here in its original context. The bold type is the part people recite:

This spirit of Elijah was manifest in the days of the Apostles in delivering certain ones to the buffitings of Satan that they may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, they were sealed by the spirit of Elijah unto the damnaton of Hell untill the day of the Lord or revealtion of Jesus Christ [23] Here is the doctrin of Election that the world have quarreled so much about, but they do not know any thing about it, The doctrin that the Prysbeterians & Methodist have quarreled so much about once in grace always in grace, or falling away from grace I will say a word about, they are both wrong, truth takes a road between them both. for while the Presbyterian says once in grace you cannot fall the Methodist says you can have grace to day, fall from it to morrow, next day have grace again & so follow it, but the doctrin of the scriptures & the spirit of Elijah would show them both fals & take a road between them both for according to the scriptures if a man has receive the good word of God & tasted of the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away it is impossible to renew them again, seeing they have Crucified the son of God afresh & put him to an open frame shame [24], so their is a possibility of falling away you could not be renewed again, & the power of Elijah Cannot seal against this sin, for this is a reserve made in the seals & power of the priesthood, [25] I will make evry doctrin plain that I present & it shall stand upon a firm bases And I am at the defiance of the world for I will take shelter under the broad sheler cover of the wings of the work in which I am ingaged, it matters not to me if aIl hell boils over I regard it ownly as I would the crackling of thorns under a pot A murderer; for instance one that sheds innocent Blood Cannot have forgiveness, David sought repentance at the hand of God Carefully with tears, but he could ownly get it through Hell, he got a promise that his soul should not be left in Hell, [26] Although David was a King he never did obtain the spirit & power of Elijah & the fulness of the Priesthood, [27] & the priesthood that he received [28] & the throne & kingdom of David is to be taken from him & given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his linage [29] Peter refered to the same subject on the day of pentecost, [30] but the multitude did not get the endowment that Peter had but several days after the people asked what shall we do, Peter says I would ye had done it ignorantly speaking of crucifying the Lord &c He did not say to them repent & be baptized for the remission of your sins but he said repent therefore & be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, Acts iii, 19 this is the case with murderers they could not be baptized for the remission of sins for they had shed innocent Blood. (10 March 1844 (Sunday). At Temple. See History of the Church, 6:249-54, and Teachings, pp. 335-41.)

Of these words, the apostle, Bruce R. McConkie, wrote:

‘Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah and the fullness of the priesthood; and the priesthood that he received, and the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage.’ (Teachings, p. 339.) Thus, even though a man’s calling and election has been made sure, if he then commits murder, all of the promises are of no effect, and he goes to a telestial kingdom (Rev. 21:8; D. & C. 76:103), because when he was sealed up unto eternal life, it was with a reservation. The sealing was not to apply in the case of murder.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:347.)

Joseph Smith’s words were spoken in the context of the doctrine of falling from grace. “The doctrin that the Prysbeterians & Methodist have quarreled so much about once in grace always in grace, or falling away from grace I will say a word about,” he said, and then he went on to say that the idea that “once in grace you cannot fall” is false, and also the idea that “you can have grace to day, fall from it to morrow, next day have grace again & so follow it” is also false. The real doctrine is that there are certain sins that you can commit and afterward repent from and still obtain the top reward (exaltation), but there are also sins that, once committed, prohibit you from obtaining the top reward (exaltation), even if you are truly sorry for having done them. The shedding of innocent blood (murder) is one such sin that stops a person from receiving exaltation, and thus, a person who commits murder falls from the exaltation they might have had. Such people do not receive forgiveness, but must suffer for their sins in hell. Only after such suffering, in which they themselves (and not just Christ) has paid the penalty for their sins, if they are sorry for their sins and have turned from them, they can inherit a telestial kingdom. So Joseph Smith said, “A murderer; for instance one that sheds innocent Blood Cannot have forgiveness, David sought repentance at the hand of God Carefully with tears, but he could ownly get it through Hell, he got a promise that his soul should not be left in Hell”. David, then, having fallen from grace by shedding the innocent blood of Uriah, had to go through, and suffer in, hell in order to obtain his full repentance and be accepted back into the kingdom of God, but the kingdom glory he could receive was telestial only, not any glory higher than that.

Joseph Smith also stated that “although David was a King he never did obtain the spirit & power of Elijah & the fulness of the Priesthood.” This means that David didn’t obtain what latter-day saints obtain in the temple, whereby they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, by the Melchizedek priesthood, unto their exaltation. He received a priesthood, yes, but it wasn’t the fullness of the priesthood which latter-day saints receive, it wasn’t the fullness of the spirit and power of Elijah, therefore his shedding of innocent blood didn’t cause him to become a son of perdition, to be cast out into outer darkness at the last day, but was accounted as if a non-temple endowed and sealed member of the church committed murder. Such a person, who has never been through the temple rites, falls from their exaltation, being unable to gain it in any way, falling entirely from the grace that accompanies that reward, but they may suffer in hell for their sins and at the last day come forth, having repented and suffered the penalty, and still obtain a kingdom of glory, even in the telestial kingdom. David, then, was in this same situation.

All saints are promised eternal life on condition of enduring to the end, even those who have never gone through the temple:

But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me. And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved. Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:14-20)

Had David endured in faith to the end, despite not receiving what latter-day saints who go through the temple rites receive, he still would have inherited his exaltation. But he blew it and lost all that was promised to him.

The covenant God made with David

Everything started with Saul, who would have had his kingdom established forever, if he hadn’t disobeyed God’s commandments and offered burnt offerings without actually possessing the authority to do so.

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

But he blew it before he got that promise from God, so God put David in Saul’s place and David also ended up blowing it, but not before God made the above mentioned covenant with him, in which his throne would be established forever and his seed would occupy his throne forever. So, according to the foreknowledge of God, He had already planned that the Seed of David (Christ) would be raised up out of David’s lineage, into a new David, and all things that pertained to the first David, who was now fallen from grace, would be given to the last David, who would never fall from grace, and that last David would occupy the first David’s throne forever, as an immortal King Messiah, the King who was the Branch of David, and thus David’s throne and kingdom would be established forever. Thus, Joseph Smith taught:

“the throne & kingdom of David is to be taken from him & given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his linage”

The throne and kingdom of David is the throne and kingdom of Israel, and in the last days, that is, during the end times, another by the name of David, who would be a descendant of the ancient David, would receive David’s throne and kingdom. But David hasn’t yet lost his throne and kingdom. It’s still his and it’s still called his.  The throne and kingdom of the first David gets transferred to the last David only when the last David comes down from heaven and occupies it. And once occupied by the immortal King Messiah, who is the Branch of David, nothing and no one can ever dethrone Him, thus fulfilling the covenant.

Christ got and gets everything that pertained to David’s eternal reward

In addition to the throne and kingdom of David, which have not yet been given to Christ, David’s wives that were given to him by the hand of Nathan the prophet and other prophets, which pertained to the promise of exaltation (for only exalted people are married in the afterlife), have already been given to Christ:

David’s wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these things did he sin against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife; and, therefore he hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them out of the world, for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord. (D&C 132:39)

This another is the same another that Joseph Smith mentioned:

“the throne & kingdom of David is to be taken from him & given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his linage”

When the Lord removes the blessings He bestowed upon one man, He takes everything He removes and gives them to another servant. He doesn’t divvy up the loot among several servants. Thus, in both the parable of the talents and the parable of the pounds, everything that the unwise and foolish servant possessed was taken and the whole of it was given to only one other servant. Also, in the following scripture we see that when Saul transgressed, the Lord took from him the kingdom of Israel and his house and his wives and gave the whole lot to David:

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. (2 Samuel 12:7-8)

Although David fell from his exaltation, his wives did not, and so Nathan or some other servant of God performed whatever ordinance was necessary to seal them to Christ, as His eternal brides. When Christ came to earth, then, He was already married and sealed to these women, who were at that time disembodied spirits dwelling in paradise. When He died, Christ went to paradise, where He met the righteous saints and prophets and also His wives.

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. (Matthew 22:30)

A woman cannot be resurrected and then afterward be given to a husband, nor can a man marry a woman after his resurrection. As there is a finality to the resurrection, all gospel ordinances have to be done before it occurs. This means that the brides of Christ had to be sealed to Him before He, and they, were resurrected, and so this is what must have happened.

Upon His resurrection, then, these wives of His were also resurrected, and thus He was reunited with His brides, and the lot of them entered into their exaltation. When Christ returns, then, with ten thousand of His saints, among those saints will be His wives, and the people will wonder, “From whence did these women come? When did you marry them?” They were the wives of David, the first David, and also the wives of Saul who were given to David, all of which David lost through his transgression, whereby they were then given to the last David, who would never lose them, because He is Christ.

Orson Hyde’s Prayer of Dedication

On 22 November 1841, Orson Hyde, the latter-day saint apostle, dedicated the Holy Land for the gathering of Israel. The prayer he uttered on the Mount of Olives was, apparently, given to him by revelation. In one part of the prayer, he said the following:

Thou, O Lord, did once move upon the heart of Cyrus to show favor unto Jerusalem and her children. Do Thou now also be pleased to inspire the hearts of kings and the powers of the earth to look with a friendly eye towards this place, and with a desire to see Thy righteous purposes executed in relation thereto. Let them know that it is Thy good pleasure to restore the kingdom unto Israel — raise up Jerusalem as its capital, and constitute her people a distinct nation and government, with David Thy servant, even a descendant from the loins of ancient David to be their king.

Some have taken this statement as meaning a mortal end times servant named David, but they are mistaken. It refers to the Branch King David, who is King Messiah, the immortal, resurrected Christ.

The Times and Seasons article

Three months after elder Hyde’s prayer, there were three paragraphs of a Times and Seasons article published on 15 February 1842 that took up the topic of an end-time David. Here are the three paragraphs; and notice that I’ve put parts of the third paragraph in bold type to show that the ideas espoused are mere speculations put forth by the writer(s):

Ezekiel after giving a description of the resurrection of the House of Israel, and the coming forth of the stick of Joseph (Book of Mormon,) and its being united with the stick of Judah (the bible;) and also the restoration of the House of Israel, that are in a state of mortality, back upon their own lands, says: “Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them: and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherin our fathers have dwelt, and they shall dwell therein, even they and their children, and their children’s children, forever; and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabe[r]nacle also shall be with them; yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people, and the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the mid[s]t of them for evermore.”—Ezek. xxxvii. 23–28. The above quotation has a particular allusion to that portion of the righteous that will remain in the flesh, and dwell on the earth, and eat the fruit of it. But the difference that will be, satan will be cast out of the earth, and he will have no power to tempt or deceive them: they will a[l]l be righteous, and not defile themselves any more. The Lord will set his sanctuary in the midst of them, and they shall multiply and be increased in number,—which they will continue to do, during the Millennium. The fact that they will multiply and increase, shows that they will be in a state of mortality.

The immortal saints will be made kings and priests, and they shall reign with Christ; but is is not said that the mortal ones shall be made kings and priests, to hold authority with Christ like the immortal ones, while in a state of mortality; only they shall have a king, priests, and all other necessary officers, to administer all ordinances, and perform all necessary ceremonies. We mean a king that shall be chosen or proceed out of their midst. Isaiah speaking of this day says, the Lord will restore their judges as at first, and their counsellors as at the beginning. This will be the time that God will restore their kingdom unto them which the apostles alluded to when they inquired of Jesus, if he would then restore the kingdom to Israel. (See Acts, i. 6)

According to the prophets the name of this king shall be David; not the patriarch David who was the son of Jesse; but a literal descendant of his. Some suppose that the Psalmist David will be raised from his tomb, and again reign over Israel; but we consider this one of the most unreasonable ideas that could be advanced. He no doubt will be in the Lord’s own due time raised from the dead, but not to act the part of a prince in the midst of Israel who remain in the flesh. Neither will any of the patriarchs act the part of an earthly king; although they will reign with Christ. Indeed, we have no reason to believe that Christ himself will act the part of an earthly king, or priest, to any great extent. It is inconsistent for us to suppose that the immortal saints, who are glorified, will be perpetually confined in the midst of the mortal ones. Because it is said, they shall reign on the earth, is no reason why we should say they shall be constantly among the mortal saints. The idea is that the earth will be under the control of Christ and the glorified saints, and Christ will virtually reign over the whole earth, and this David will be subject to him. The redeemed saints will reign on earth, and perhaps have in many respects, authority over the mortal ones. We do not wish to be understood, that there will be a total or entire separation between [p. 690] the mortal, and immortal; but the object of the foregoing remarks is to show the distinction of privilege. The prophet says, that the Lord shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously; hence, when the redeemed saints dwell on earth, they will dwell in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, which places the Lord will fully prepare for them. We might dilate upon this part of the subject, that is, the reign, and dominion of the redeemed saints, till we fill a volume; but brevity admonishes us to hasten. Those who are anxious to learn more concerning this reign of the saints, can search the scriptures for themselves.

So these are speculations. In Mormonism we are free to speculate but these speculations aren’t correct. They are based upon the (incorrect) belief that resurrected and mortal beings will exist but not intermingle during the Millennium, and thus the (erroneously supposed) necessity for a mortal king David, along with an immortal resurrected King Messiah. Here’s a full breakdown of these three paragraphs:

Correcting the Times and Seasons: first paragraph

I will quote again parts of these three paragraphs, to make the correction. The parts in bold are incorrect:

Ezekiel after giving a description of the resurrection of the House of Israel, and the coming forth of the stick of Joseph (Book of Mormon,) and its being united with the stick of Judah (the bible;) and also the restoration of the House of Israel, that are in a state of mortality, back upon their own lands, says:

First, the Book of Mormon functions as a type or as a shadow fulfillment of the stick of Joseph, while the Bible functions as a type or shadow of the stick of Judah. The literal fulfillment of these prophecies will occur when the plates of brass (the real or literal stick of Joseph) and the Book of the Lamb of God (the real or literal stick of Judah) comes forth and are translated by the Josephite.

Secondly, the text of Ezekiel says nothing about them being mortal. That’s just an assumption. A false assumption. Will they be mortal when their King (and it’s King with a capital K, for this will be King Messiah) reigns over them? Nope. How do we know that they will not be mortal? Well, for starters, because of what happened to Moses:

And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth. And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him. (Moses 1:9-11)

The Son of God will be returning at the Second Coming in His full glory. Nothing mortal can survive the Advent of the Son of God. All things mortal will be destroyed. This is why Elijah the prophet must come back to deliver the Priesthood to the Josephite before Jesus returns, because the Priesthood that will be delivered to him will be the same that causes transfiguration, or translation, for unless all things are transfigured or translated, the Earth and all things upon it will be destroyed in God’s presence. This is why Moroni stated:

Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. (D&C 2:1-3)

“Utterly wasted” means destroyed. So, the Josephite will have to use this Priesthood of transfiguration and transfigure all things that will be saved and redeemed, before Jesus gets back, which will, in part, fulfill this scripture:

Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming.

Q. When are the things to be accomplished, which are written in the 9th chapter of Revelation?

A. They are to be accomplished after the opening of the seventh seal, before the coming of Christ. (D&C 77:12-13)

So, the notion that these gathered people of the house of Israel will be mortal is patently false.The Josephite will gather all things and then redeem all things, saving them from the destruction which happens at the Second Coming, because all the things he has transfigured through this Priesthood (which will be delivered to him by Elijah the Tishbite, who himself was translated or transfigured) cannot be destroyed by the Lord’s glory. Thus they are protected from, or prepared for, His Coming. This is why the Lord told Joseph Smith the following:

Nevertheless, he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome, and shall receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come; when the earth shall be transfigured, even according to the pattern which was shown unto mine apostles upon the mount; of which account the fulness ye have not yet received. (D&C 63:20-21)

The day of transfiguration is the day of the Josephite, when all that will be saved with be transfigured or translated, prior to the Second Coming of the Lord. Thus, the writers of this article in the Times and Seasons didn’t have a clue of what they were talking about. The speculation about the house of Israel being mortal at the gathering and installment of their King is pure bunk. The house of Israel will be composed of resurrected personages, even those spoken of in Ezekiel 37, verses 1 through 14, while the rest will be translated personages, even those spoken of in verses 20 to 22 of the same chapter.

After citing Ezekiel 37:23-28, the Times and Seasons article says:

The above quotation has a particular allusion to that portion of the righteous that will remain in the flesh, and dwell on the earth, and eat the fruit of it. But the difference that will be, satan will be cast out of the earth, and he will have no power to tempt or deceive them: they will all be righteous, and not defile themselves any more. The Lord will set his sanctuary in the midst of them, and they shall multiply and be increased in number,—which they will continue to do, during the Millennium. The fact that they will multiply and increase, shows that they will be in a state of mortality.

Here we see that the writer or writers of this piece have continued their faulty reasoning, thinking that only mortal people can multiply and increase. No, not only mortal people can multiply and increase. Resurrected, translated and mortal people can all multiply and increase. Their is no evidence to back up the claim about “multiply and increase” meaning that they must be mortal. It is just thrown out there and assumed to be true. But it’s patently false.

God is a resurrected Personage. Does He have children? Does His seed multiply and increase? How about all the people who receive the promise of exaltation? Do they multiply and increase after their resurrection?

And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my lawye cannot attain to this glory. For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me.

Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins—from whose loins ye are, namely, my servant Joseph—which were to continue so long as they were in the world; and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the world should they continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them. (D&C 132:19-22,30)

Correcting the Times and Seasons: second paragraph

In this next part the article continues to insist that the scripture means that in the Millennium there will be mortal people:

The immortal saints will be made kings and priests, and they shall reign with Christ; but is is not said that the mortal ones shall be made kings and priests, to hold authority with Christ like the immortal ones, while in a state of mortality;

Actually, nothing is said about anyone being mortal. That is merely a false supposition made by the article’s writer(s). All who survive the Second Coming will be the ones who are saved and redeemed and sealed, per D&C 77:12, which I quoted above. Does anyone really think these saved people won’t be made kings and priests?

Once we make one error in understanding, like this “mortal” supposition, everything that builds upon that error will diverge further and further from the path of truth. You must correct the initial mistake first, as I have done, and then the rest can be seen to be fully wrong, and can then be tossed into the trash, because you must start over again upon the proper and true foundation, which will take you to a different and more correct conclusion: namely, that the king and shepherd mentioned in these scriptures is none other than the resurrected Christ, King Messiah.

Correcting the Times and Seasons: third paragraph

According to the prophets the name of this king shall be David; not the patriarch David who was the son of Jesse; but a literal descendant of his.

This is correct. But there are only two people in the scriptures who are spoken of as “the son of David.” One is Joseph, the step-father of Jesus. The other is Jesus Christ Himself. In fact, the New Testament stresses over and over again that Jesus Christ is a descendant of David, calling Him the Root of David twice. Thus, Jesus Christ is a literal descendant of David, and is also the King Messiah that was prophesied to reign over Israel one day. Jesus Christ matches all the prophecies perfectly. But if you have this error about the man needing to be mortal in your head, then you go awry and enter into “the Davidic Servant” error.

Some suppose that the Psalmist David will be raised from his tomb, and again reign over Israel; but we consider this one of the most unreasonable ideas that could be advanced.

This is true. It is unreasonable because David fell from his exaltation. His priesthood, throne and kingdom are to be given to a descendant of his in the last days, per Joseph Smith, therefore it cannot be the old David, but must be a new David:

Although David was a King he never did obtain the spirit & power of Elijah & the fulness of the Priesthood, & the priesthood that he received & the throne & kingdom of David is to be taken from him & given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his linage

Just as there was a first Adam and then a last Adam, so there was a first David and also will be a last David. Jesus Christ will fulfill both roles.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:45-48)

Okay, continuing on with this article:

He [the Psalmist David] no doubt will be in the Lord’s own due time raised from the dead, but not to act the part of a prince in the midst of Israel who remain in the flesh. Neither will any of the patriarchs act the part of an earthly king; although they will reign with Christ.

True enough, so far.

Indeed, we have no reason to believe that Christ himself will act the part of an earthly king, or priest, to any great extent.

This is not correct. We have plenty of reasons why Christ Himself will be a King over all Israel, namely: because this is what all the scriptures teach and preach.

It is inconsistent for us to suppose that the immortal saints, who are glorified, will be perpetually confined in the midst of the mortal ones.

Here again we see the persistent error of a division between mortal and immortal, which won’t exist, for all will be either translated (transfigured) people, or resurrected people, and no one will be mortal. Last I checked translated people fit in quite well among resurrected people, which is why Elijah was translated and went to heaven, as well as all the other people who have been translated. Resurrected people and translated people have no problem dwelling with each other.

Because it is said, they shall reign on the earth, is no reason why we should say they shall be constantly among the mortal saints.

Here again is mentioned the false division between mortal and immortal. Resurrected beings can come and go as they please, but this planet is where they will have their inheritance, so they will make their abode here, on planet Earth, as they were promised by God. The writers of the article are setting up this idea of traveling resurrected people who will be nominally present, so that they can put forth their false idea of a mortal king reigning over mortal Israel.

The idea is that the earth will be under the control of Christ and the glorified saints, and Christ will virtually reign over the whole earth, and this David will be subject to him.

Here we have the first mention of virtual reality! And we Mormons have the honor of having put forth the idea! No, Christ won’t “virtually reign” over Israel, He will literally and personally reign over the entire people. And David won’t be subject to Him, because Christ and the end-time David are one and the same Being, He being the new, or second, or last David. So, this idea of theirs might make for a good fictional movie, but it is not based upon the scriptures, nor upon truth, but upon an erroneous and speculative idea about mortals and immortals not mixing, and upon a mortal population needing a mortal king, while an immortal population needs an immortal King.

In truth, we have always had an immortal, or resurrected, King over us, even God the Father. God was our King in the heavens and He had a body of flesh and bones while we were mere spirits. That shouldn’t mix, right? But there we were, under our King who looked and was so vastly different from us. Down here on earth, we get clothed in mortal flesh. Who was our King? Still God the Father, who was an immortal or resurrected personage. Yet He still told us what to do. Or, if you want to say that the Son was our King, then before His First Advent, He was a Spirit. How’s that for incompatibility? We were mortals of flesh and blood, and our King was an immortal Spirit! Then He came down and partook of flesh and blood, but alas!, He didn’t reign over Israel! (Not yet, anyway.) Later He died and was resurrected, and now we had the same problem, for our King was a resurrected Personage of flesh and bone, like His Father, and we were still mortal beings. Next he’ll return in His resurrected body to reign over Israel and Israel will be both resurrected and translated. Is there a problem with any of this? The writers of the Times and Seasons article saw a problem, but the problem was in their own minds, for they were obsessed with privilege (as we will soon see) and they felt a need that that privilege remain intact:

The redeemed saints will reign on earth, and perhaps have in many respects, authority over the mortal ones. We do not wish to be understood, that there will be a total or entire separation between [p. 690] the mortal, and immortal; but the object of the foregoing remarks is to show the distinction of privilege. The prophet says, that the Lord shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously; hence, when the redeemed saints dwell on earth, they will dwell in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, which places the Lord will fully prepare for them. We might dilate upon this part of the subject, that is, the reign, and dominion of the redeemed saints, till we fill a volume; but brevity admonishes us to hasten. Those who are anxious to learn more concerning this reign of the saints, can search the scriptures for themselves.

Thank goodness for brevity! So, they were obsessed with the distinction of privilege and so erroneously divided the population into mortal and immortal, with a mortal king David and an immortal King Messiah, the one to be over the mortal population, and the other to be over the immortal one, but with the resurrected ones exercising authority (privilege) over the lowly mortal ones, etc. But despite all these errors, they give one good bit of advice: “search the scriptures for themselves.” That advice should have been the only words put into this article.

The name David (Beloved) identifies Christ

The name David means Beloved, and so when the Father says in the scriptures, “my servant David,” it is the same as if He were saying, “my servant Beloved,” or “my beloved servant.” The Beloved Servant of God the Father is Jesus Christ, who is also His Beloved Son, or, to put it another way, God’s Son David (Beloved.) Jesus Christ, then, is both the Beloved Son of God and also the Beloved Servant of God:

Yet it pleased the LORD [Jehovah the Father] to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD [Jehovah the Father] shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I [Jehovah the Father] divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:10-12)

The above passage is speaking of Jesus Christ, yet the Father calls Him “my righteous servant.” The prophetic use of the word “Beloved” or “David” in connection with a servant of God or a Son of God identifies Jesus Christ as the One in question. And so we get:

Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: (Isaiah 5:1)

and

Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him. (3 Nephi 11:7)

An analysis of the biblical name David

An excerpt from Abarim Publications’ Biblical Name Vault: David

The name David in the Bible
David is the youngest of eight (1 Samuel 16:10-13) or seven (1 Chronicles 2:15) sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite, and the first king of the united Kingdom of Israel. He was not the first king of Israel because that was Saul (1 Samuel 10:1). Saul, however, never managed to make peace in Israel.

Popular as this name is nowadays, in the Bible there is only one person named this way. Many names occur more than once, but David’s name was never repeated. Perhaps it was for venerative reasons that nobody named their child after the great king David of Israel. The Bible also only lists one Adam, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the list goes on.

The name David (Δαβιδ; Dabid) appears frequently in the New testament, but solely in constructions: Both Joseph and Jesus are called “son of David” (Matthew 1:20, 9:27, Mark 10:47), and Jesus is additionally called the “root of David” (Revelation 5:5, 22:16). The Messiah’s reign is referred to as the “kingdom of David” (Mark 11:10) and the “throne of David” (Luke 1:32), and His reign would rebuild the “tent of David” (Acts 15:16). He who is holy can open and no one will shut and vice versa, using the “key of David” (Revelation 3:7). And once Paul refers to a statement occurring in Psalm 95:7, as being “in David,” meaning the work of David (Hebrews 4:7).

The name David occurs 59 times in the New Testament; SEE FULL CONCORDANCE.

Etymology and meaning of the name David
Most Bible translators and commentator will render the name David as Beloved, but as always with important names, the etymology of the name David is disputed. But we can’t help noticing the distinct similarity of this name with the Hebrew root דוד (dwd) that yields דוד (dod), generally meaning beloved. This word is also the Hebrew word for uncle — 1 Chronicles 27:32, for instance, speaks of דוד־דויד, or “David’s uncle”:

The entire web page on David can be read by clicking here.

Of particular note are these words:

The Messiah’s reign is referred to as the “kingdom of David” (Mark 11:10) and the “throne of David” (Luke 1:32), and His reign would rebuild the “tent of David” (Acts 15:16). He who is holy can open and no one will shut and vice versa, using the “key of David” (Revelation 3:7).

I will quote those referenced scriptures. First Mark:

And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. (Mark 11:7-10)

Next, Luke:

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:31-33)

Notice the similarities of the above passage to this passage in Ezekiel:

And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. (Ezekiel 37:24-25)

and also to this passage in Isaiah:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Next, Acts:

And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. (Acts 15:13-17)

Finally, Revelation:

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; (Rev. 3:7)

These scriptures do, in fact, support the Abarim Publications’ view that: King Messiah’s reign is referred to as the “kingdom of David” and the “throne of David,” and His reign would rebuild the “tent (tabernacle) of David,” and that King Messiah is the Holy One who can open and no one will shut and vice versa, using the “key of David.”

From these scriptures it appears that Jesus Christ, “the son of David” and “the Root of David,” even the King Messiah, will get all things that were given to David, doesn’t it? Here’s that Joseph Smith quotation again, for comparison:

Although David was a King he never did obtain the spirit & power of Elijah & the fulness of the Priesthood, & the priesthood that he received & the throne & kingdom of David is to be taken from him & given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his linage

More on the key of David

I taught the following in the King Abaddon post:

Now, the angel (Elias) Gabriel possessed keys, and keys are only obtained during a mortal probation. Notice again what Joseph Smith said:

While speaking in 1839 to members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and some Seventies prior to their leaving for missionary service, the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Noah, who is Gabriel, … stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in heaven.” (Quoted from History of the Church, 3:386. Cited in Noah, The Great Preacher of Righteousness by Joseph B. Romney, Ensign, February 1998.)

So, when we read that Elias (the angel Gabriel) possessed “the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things,” this means that Gabriel must have already had a mortal probation. The same principle applies to each and every angel that holds keys:

And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hope! (D&C 128:21)

Therefore, given that Moroni, Michael, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John the Beloved, Gabriel, Raphael, Moses, Elijah and Elias all came to Joseph Smith as angels possessing keys, all of these men had already had mortal probations. They obtained their keys in mortality, and then retained them when they died or were translated. Joseph Smith also obtained the keys of the mysteries and sealed things during his mortal ministry, and he retains those keys still, even after his death.

Jesus Christ, then, received the special key of David during His earthly ministry. Now, notice what Isaiah prophesied about the key of David:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 22:20-25)

The above words were spoken to Shebna, a government official. In the prophecy, Eliakim is made into a type of Christ, who will replace Shebna. Eliakim means “God shall cause to arise.” The prophecy points forward to the literal fulfillment, in which Christ receives the robe of Shebna, the girdle of Shebna and the government of Shebna is committed into His hand. Additionally, He will have the key of the house of David (the key of David), but will be fastened as a nail in a sure place, a reference to the crucifixion of Christ. Notice, in particular, that Christ will be “for a glorious throne to his father’s house.” Thus it is Jesus that inherits David’s throne. He has a right to that throne not just because He is a descendant of David through Mary, but specifically because He, and He alone, possesses “the key to the house of David.”

There can be no other “Davidic Servant” coming forth in the end times, to reign upon David’s throne, because no other person, except Christ, possesses the key of David necessary to establish that throne forever. The key of David is given to one repository only. So, either there is a mortal “Davidic Servant” who reigns upon the end-time throne of David, or there is an immortal Branch King David who reigns upon the end-time throne of David. There cannot be two Davids reigning upon two thrones of David, nor can there be two Davids reigning upon the same throne, for to reign on that throne requires the key of David, which only one person possesses.

To determine, then, which personage reigns, the fictitious “Davidic Servant,” or the real King Messiah, we just need to answer this question: Which one has the key of David? And that’s easy to answer because the Revelation of Saint John the Divine reveals that Christ has the key of David, therefore He has the right to rule on that throne and He is the one who will “be for a glorious throne” to both His father David, and His Father Jehovah, for He will establish that throne forever.

Now, the only way for “the DS” cult to get around this fact is to make the claim that Jesus Christ Himself will come to earth, before the Second Coming, and commit the key of David into the hand of a mortal descendant of David, whose name is also David, so that the mortal servant can reign upon the throne of David. But there is no prophecy or scripture of any kind that supports such a claim. Should someone come forth making that claim, it will be readily seen as baseless. The only evidence of a pre-Second Coming appearance of Christ is the meeting to take place at Adam-ondi-Ahman. But in that meeting, Jesus won’t be delivering keys into the hands of others, but all the repositories of the various keys, even all the servants of God who were given unique keys, such as this unique key of David that Jesus possesses, will deliver those keys back to Christ. So, He will be the one receiving keys, not committing them to others.

This fact alone, then, that Jesus Christ holds the key of David, invalidates the whole “Davidic Servant” error.

Abaddon’s key

Now, one last thing about keys before moving on. The fact that “keys are only obtained during a mortal probation” proves that king Abaddon is a servant of God.

The idea among latter-day saints that king Abaddon is the devil (which idea is put forth in the Bible Dictionary entry of Abaddon) is unsupported in the scriptures because king Abaddon is the angel who possesses the key of the bottomless pit:

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:1,11)

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:1-3)

All keys are obtained during the mortal probation, therefore this angel cannot be the devil, for the devil will never have a mortal probation. Therefore, this must be a divine angel (as I have taught on this blog) who has already been born into mortality. Okay, back to the topic at hand.

The ancient David as a type

The boy David, who later became king David, was given the name David (Beloved) because he functioned as a type of King Messiah, as a Beloved King type. Even after David’s transgression, he still performed the kingly functions in righteousness, so that he continued being the Beloved King type. The end times is not when types are brought forth, but when the literal things the types are patterned after finally appear. Thus, the prophecies of the end times David, are not of another David type, but of the literal David, the one that the king David type was patterned after, even the One who would not fall into transgression.

The Davidic Servant is real; “the Davidic Servant” is not

The word “Davidic” means “of David.” In the scriptures, there is an end times Personage that is prophesied to come forth who is “of David,” meaning that He will be a descendant of the ancient David. This Personage is the Branch:

In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 33:15)

The Branch, then, is a Branch “of David,” or, to put it another way, a Davidic Branch. This Branch is the same as the end-time Personage called in the scriptures “my servant David” or “David my servant.” Therefore, the name of this Personage is Beloved (David.) Thus, there is, indeed, a Davidic Branch Servant named David, and this Beloved Davidic Branch Servant is Jesus Christ.

In addition to the Branch (Jesus Christ) being Davidic, so is everything that He is associated with. The kingdom of David, the throne of David, the tent or tabernacle of David, the key of David, the house of David, etc., all these terms can be re-termed as: the Davidic kingdom, the Davidic throne, the Davidic tent or tabernacle, the Davidic key, the Davidic house, etc. All of these Davidic properties belong to Jesus alone.

There is no mortal branch of ancient David, whose name is also David, who reigns upon David’s throne in the last days, as king of mortal Israel. Such a personage is that figment of speculating Mormons’s imagination which is known as “the Davidic Servant.” I put this imaginary personage in quotation marks as “the Davidic Servant” to indicate that I am speaking of the fictional entity, and not of the real Davidic Servant, who is Jesus Christ.

“The Davidic Servant” is a misnomer

By taking the scriptures that speak of the end-time Branch of David (Christ) and the ones that speak of the end-time “my servant David”/”David my servant” (also Christ) and combining them with the scriptures that speak of the end-time Elias and his ministry, “the DS” cult has invented a fantastical figure which resembles aspects of both Christ and Elias, yet isn’t exactly like either one. Almost all of the scriptures used to bolster this professed, but fictional entity come from the ones that speak of Elias. But Elias isn’t like Christ, at all, and any attempt to make him appear to be and act like the Savior shows that “the DS” cult has no idea, whatsoever, about this end times servant.

For starters, Elias is not even said to be Davidic! His lineage is only spoken of as coming from Jesse, not David, and there is no place in the scriptures, anywhere, that indicates this man will be a descendant of David. Thus, the labeling of him as “the Davidic Servant” is a misnomer. There isn’t a shred of evidence that Elias is descended of David. In fact, as the rod/root of Jesse, Elias’s lineage is given as of Jesse and of the house of Joseph, which includes two tribes (Ephraim and Manasseh), but nothing is ever said of David.

I teach that Elias is the same Josephite mentioned in 2 Nephi chapter 3, who will be the one mighty that is raised up from among the posterity of Joseph the son of Lehi, and therefore Elias will be a Nephite of the same lineages had among that ancient people, namely: Judah, Manasseh and Ephraim.

Elias, as I teach him, is the destroying angel, even the king Destroyer (Abaddon), and as a descendant of Jesse, we can assume that Jesse named his eight sons prophetically and that the destroyer is prophetically linked to the name of one of those sons. This isn’t so unusual, for I, myself, named my own sons prophetically, according to the spirit of prophecy which was upon me, and so the meaning of their names will be manifest in their lives, and we also have evidence that Jesse named at least one son prophetically, because David, which means Beloved, was so named because through him would come God’s Beloved Son, King Messiah, thus making David a type. If Jesse, then, named David prophetically, then we might assume that he did the same with all his sons (as I did with my own).

Is there any son of Jesse whose name points prophetically to the destroyer? Yes, in fact, there is. Jesse’s third son was named Shammah. And what does Shammah mean? It means “Waste; Appalling Desolation.” Why would a father name his son, “Desolation?” Well, if the king Destroyer would be coming through that child’s loins, it makes perfect prophetic sense to call him that.

The Nephites came from the Lehi (Manasseh)/Ishmael (Ephraim) group, but later they also combined with the Mulek (Judah) group. Mulek was a son of Zedekiah, king of Judah, and thus a direct descendant of David. So, we know that the lineage of David was had among the Nephites, but what about Shammah? Was his lineage also found among the Nephites? Perhaps:

And it bordered upon the land which they called Desolation, it being so far northward that it came into the land which had been peopled and been destroyed, of whose bones we have spoken, which was discovered by the people of Zarahemla, it being the place of their first landing. And they came from there up into the south wilderness. Thus the land on the northward was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called Bountiful, it being the wilderness which is filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind, a part of which had come from the land northward for food. And now, it was only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; and thus the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward. (Alma 22:30-32)

We typically think that the land Desolation—which was far to the north, strangely enough (for king Abaddon’s kingdom will likewise be in a far country to the north)—was named because of the destruction of the Jaredites, and perhaps that is the case, or perhaps that’s not the case:

Now it was the custom of the people of Nephi to call their lands, and their cities, and their villages, yea, even all their small villages, after the name of him who first possessed them; and thus it was with the land of Ammonihah. (Alma 8:7)

Shammah the son of Jesse may have had descendants among the Mulek party, and perhaps when they made their first landing, the descendant of Shammah put Shammah’s name (Desolation) upon the land. And where is the land Desolation in modern times? At least part of the land of the United States of America enters into the land Desolation. And where does Elias the destroyer come from? From Zion, which is found in the USA:

The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion (Psalms 110:2)

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; (AoF 1:10)

Which part of the USA will Elias come from? Likely that part which resides within the borders of the ancient land Desolation.

Now, the Lord hasn’t revealed these mysteries, as yet. But suffice it to say that there is no scriptural evidence that the end-time Elias is a descendant of David, therefore it is incorrect to refer to the end-time Elias servant as “the Davidic Servant.”

Addressing Gileadi

Avraham Gileadi is a part of the group that believes in “the Davidic Servant” error. Given that he is widely considered an authority on the writings of Isaiah, those who also believe in “the Davidic Servant” error feel that they are now in good company. Unfortunately for them, even if the whole world believed in “the Davidic Servant” error, that still wouldn’t make it any less wrong than it already is.

From Gileadi’s FAQ page on his Isaiah Institute web site, it states:

Do other prophets besides Isaiah prophesy of God’s endtime servant?

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, and others prophesy of God’s endtime servant who gathers Israel’s twelve tribes from dispersion and restores them to lands of inheritance on a parallel with the prophecies of Isaiah. As a descendant of David named David, God’s servant reunites Israel and Judah, builds the temple in Jerusalem, and establishes the political kingdom of God on the earth in preparation for Jehovah’s coming to reign among his elect people as King of Zion.

If Gileadi had left out the phrase “As a descendant of David named David” from the second sentence, the above would have been perfectly true and it would have been an apt description of part of Joseph-Nephi’s mission. But Gileadi shows himself as mixed up as the others by conflating the actual Davidic Servant (who is Jesus Christ) with the non-Davidic Servant forerunner (who is Joseph-Nephi) and by creating a non-existent entity named David who is a descendant of David of old, who does all the things Joseph-Nephi will do and who is not Jesus Christ.

Now, before I proceed, let me just say that Avraham Gileadi gets a lot right. I am actually quite impressed by how much he gets right. But in a sea of white, the single, solitary black spot gets all the attention, and so it is with me. I cannot help but hone in on the errors.

It is my belief that the correct things that Gileadi has come to are a result of diligent study and the use of the Jewish scriptural interpretation techniques. In other words, his writings and interpretations don’t come from the Holy Ghost. His teachings or interpretations aren’t manifested understandings, and so errors creep in, for no man-made interpretation technique is perfect.

Nevertheless, perhaps if he had had some of the keys I have given in this post, these errors would have been kept more or less at bay. For example, if only he had understood that special keys are obtained in mortality (as stated by Joseph Smith), then he would have known that Jesus Christ is the only One who could possibly be the Davidic Servant to reign upon the throne of David, because He is the only One who possesses the key of David. Thus, in the following passage of scripture, which speaks of a son reigning upon the throne of David forever, Gileadi would have instantly known that the passage speaks of Christ; but instead, he mistakes it as speaking of the fictional “Davidic Servant.”

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7, KJV)

For to us a child is born, a son appointed,
who will shoulder the burden of government.
He will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, One Mighty in Valor,
a Father for Ever, a Prince of Peace—
that sovereignty may be extended
and peace have no end;
that, on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
his rule may be established and upheld
by justice and righteousness
from this time forth and forever.
The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will accomplish it. (Isaiah 9:6-7, Gileadi’s translation)

Additionally, Gileadi believes that the KJV mistranslates the above verses, as he explains here:

Although Handel’s Messiah cites this prophecy of Isaiah in reference to Jesus—perhaps based in part on its mistranslation in the King James Version of the Bible—no scriptural writers do so because that would entirely remove it from its literary-scriptural context in the Book of Isaiah. As the exemplar of his people, Jehovah nevertheless embodies the divine attributes of counsel (Isaiah 25:1; 28:29); valor (1:24; 49:26); fatherhood (45:10; 63:16); and kingship (Isaiah 33:22; 43:15). Jehovah’s servant and his associates, too, therefore, evidence these same attributes (Isaiah 11:2; 13:3; 22:21; 46:11; 49:23).

It is strange that Gileadi would call this passage mistranslated by the KJV given that the same passage of Isaiah was found on the plates of Mormon and translated by Joseph Smith in a virtually identical manner as the KJV:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this. (2 Nephi 19:6-7)

If we are to pick a translation, surely the KJV wins over the Gileadi one in this passage, given that the Book of Mormon translation is word-for-word the same as the KJV, and because we know that Joseph Smith’s translation is both correct and divinely given.

Again, if Gileadi had understood that the name Jehovah could refer to each of the three members of the Godhead, he would not force every single scripture that speaks of Jehovah to refer to Jesus Christ alone. To illustrate my point, Gileadi goes on to say the following in the same commentary on this chapter of Isaiah:

Other Hebrew prophets, too, predict the millennial rule of a descendant of David named David who is not identical with Jehovah, Israel’s divine King (Isaiah 33:17, 22; 43:15), but who prepares the way for Jehovah’s coming (cf. Isaiah 40:3-5; 52:7): “They shall serve Jehovah their God and David their king, whom I will raise up to them” (Jeremiah 30:9); “I Jehovah will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them” (Ezekiel 34:24); “David my servant shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd. . . . and my servant David shall be their prince forever” (Ezekiel 37:24-25).

Here we see Gileadi’s inability to see that the name Jehovah in the passages refers to the Father, and not to the Son. The name David in the passages in fact refer to God’s Beloved, who is Christ.

A final example is from Isaiah 11: 1-5, which reads as follows in the KJV:

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Gileadi translates this passage as follows:

A shoot will spring up from the stock of Jesse
and a branch from its graft bear fruit.
The Spirit of Jehovah will rest upon him—
the spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the spirit of counsel and of valor,
the spirit of knowledge
and of the fear of Jehovah.
His intuition will be guided
by the fear of Jehovah;
he will not judge by what his eyes see,
nor establish proof by what his ears hear.
He will judge the poor with righteousness,
and with equity arbitrate for the lowly in the land;
he will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth
and with the breath of his lips slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be as a band about his waist,
faithfulness a girdle round his loins.

Joseph Smith said the following about this passage:

Who is the Stem of Jesse spoken of in the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th verses of the 11th chapter of Isaiah?

Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ. (D&C 113:1-2)

So, to be clearer, according to the Lord, as revealed to Joseph Smith, Christ is the one spoken of in verses two, three, four and five, as well as in verse one. But Gileadi sets this revelation completely aside, because he is stuck in his own interpretation, which he believes is correct. And so after citing verse two, he says:

Although all three messianic individuals in Isaiah’s olive tree allegory evidence the divine attributes here listed, grammatically they apply to the last one mentioned—the branch—Jehovah’s end-time servant. Word links confirm that identity: “My servant whom I sustain, my chosen one in whom I delight, him I have endowed with my Spirit; he will dispense justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1); “He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, One Mighty in Valor” (Isaiah 9:6); “Because of his knowledge, and by bearing their iniquities, shall my servant, the righteous one, vindicate many” (Isaiah 53:11).

Now, Gileadi is correct when he says, “grammatically they apply to the last one mentioned—the branch.” In other words, verse one mentions three individuals: the rod, the Stem and the Branch, but the last one mentioned is the Branch, and therefore the next verses (two to five) apply to the Branch. Yet Joseph Smith said that verses two to five apply to the Stem. Nevertheless, both Joseph Smith and Avraham Gileadi are correct because the Stem of Jesse and the Branch of David are one and the same individual: Christ.

Where Gileadi goes wrong is in his assumption that the Branch of David is “Jehovah’s end-time servant.” In other words, he assumes that the Branch is the end-time servant who prepares and restores all things. He says that “word links confirm that identity” and then cites Isaiah 42:1, which speaks of Joseph-Nephi; and he cites Isaiah 9:6, which speaks of Jesus Christ; and he cites Isaiah 53:11, which speaks of Jesus Christ. This shows how messed up one can get by falling into this “Davidic Servant” error, in which two distinct servants of God are conflated into a single, fictional entity.

And thus we see that it doesn’t matter how much scholarly knowledge you obtain, or how much diligence you apply in study, unless you are in possession of certain revealed keys, you will still fall into many errors, including this “Davidic Servant” error.

The gift of the word of knowledge is what is needed

The apostle, Bruce R. McConkie, who I quoted at the beginning of this post, has been shown to have been in actual possession of the gift of the word of knowledge, for his knowledge of these things far surpassed all the others. I myself also possess this same gift, and going back and reviewing what McConkie wrote I find myself amazed at just how much knowledge he was able to obtain using that gift. It is that gift that allows the scriptures to be understood and to have the things of God revealed, for God keeps His stuff in an unsearchable format:

Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God. (Jacob 4:8)

Through the use of this gift, then, all errors can be corrected, so that we may all end up having a correct understanding:

To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge. (D&C 46:18)

McConkie obviously made an attempt at a correction, or at least he gave the correct knowledge, but his correction didn’t stick. People persisted in “the Davidic Servant” error just the same. He’s now dead and gone and nobody is attempting a correction. So with this post I will add knowledge to his correction, using my own gift, and who knows?, perhaps this time it will stick.

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King Abaddon, the destroying angel: the Father’s royal executioner and emissary of justice

The pre-mortal Josephite

We know that Satan, who is the devil, was the angel Lucifer in the heavens before his fall. And we know that Adam is the archangel Michael (per the scriptures and the temple endowment), that Noah is the angel Gabriel (per Joseph Smith)

While speaking in 1839 to members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and some Seventies prior to their leaving for missionary service, the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Noah, who is Gabriel, … stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in heaven.” (Quoted from History of the Church, 3:386. Cited in Noah, The Great Preacher of Righteousness by Joseph B. Romney, Ensign, February 1998.)

and that Jesus Christ is the Father’s Angel of mercy, the Firstborn. But who is Joseph-Nephi?

And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. (D&C 89:21)

Joseph-Nephi is the destroying angel, who is also simply known as the destroyer:

For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. (Exodus 12:23)

The section heading of Doctrine and Covenants section 61 states:

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, on the bank of the Missouri River, McIlwaine’s Bend, August 12, 1831. On their return trip to Kirtland, the Prophet and ten elders had traveled down the Missouri River in canoes. On the third day of the journey, many dangers were experienced. Elder William W. Phelps, in a daylight vision, saw the destroyer riding in power upon the face of the waters.

Then there are these verses of the section, which speak of the very same destroyer of the Passover:

Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you, O ye elders of my church, who are assembled upon this spot, whose sins are now forgiven you, for I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts; but verily I say unto you, that it is not needful for this whole company of mine elders to be moving swiftly upon the waters, whilst the inhabitants on either side are perishing in unbelief. Nevertheless, I suffered it that ye might bear record; behold, there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter; for I, the Lord, have decreed in mine anger many destructions upon the waters; yea, and especially upon these waters. Nevertheless, all flesh is in mine hand, and he that is faithful among you shall not perish by the waters.

…

Behold, I, the Lord, in the beginning blessed the waters; but in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters. Wherefore, the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters. And it shall be said in days to come that none is able to go up to the land of Zion upon the waters, but he that is upright in heart. And, as I, the Lord, in the beginning cursed the land, even so in the last days have I blessed it, in its time, for the use of my saints, that they may partake the fatness thereof. And now I give unto you a commandment that what I say unto one I say unto all, that you shall forewarn your brethren concerning these waters, that they come not in journeying upon them, lest their faith fail and they are caught in snares; I, the Lord, have decreed, and the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof, and I revoke not the decree. (D&C 61:2-6,14-19)

The destroying angel was specifically created, and endowed with power, to destroy all things, top to bottom, which are found in God’s kingdom:

Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster [the destroyer] to destroy. (Isaiah 54:16)

Thus, he is the Father’s royal executioner.

In the heaven’s above, the destroyer was separate from all the other angels, reporting to no one but the Father Himself. This angel was mightier and stronger and more powerful than all the rest of the angels combined. Only God (the Father, the Son or the Holy Ghost) is more powerful then he.

Mormon theology gives the angelic hierarchy as being: 1st, God the Father; 2nd, the Firstborn; 3rd, Michael the archangel, then all the other angels below Michael, beginning with Gabriel. The destroying angel, however, is not a part of that hierarchy, and so for him it goes: 1st, God the Father; 2nd, the destroying angel; then everyone else (including Christ) below him.

God has two arms

When the Father expresses mercy and salvation and creation, He does so through Christ and Michael and Gabriel and the rest of the angelic hierarchy. But when the Father expresses judgment and justice and destruction and death and curses and scattering, He does so through the destroying angel. These two angels, Jesus and the destroyer, represent God’s two arms, His arm of mercy and His arm of justice.

The demonic destroyer is patterned after the divine destroyer

Lucifer, “an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God” (D&C 76:25), who fell from heaven and became the devil and Satan, desired to be the Only Begotten Son of God according to the flesh, instead of Jesus the Firstborn, but he was denied that position, and being thus denied the opportunity of becoming the Savior and Redeemer and Messiah of mankind, in his rage he discarded Christ, the Father’s Angel of mercy, as his chosen pattern, and looked instead to the Father’s angel of destruction, even to the divine destroying angel, as his pattern, patterning himself from that point on after that individual, becoming a demonic destroying angel.

And just as the divine destroying angel (who destroys God’s enemies) is called the destroyer:

Behold, the destroyer I have sent forth to destroy and lay waste mine enemies; and not many years hence they shall not be left to pollute mine heritage, and to blaspheme my name upon the lands which I have consecrated for the gathering together of my saints. (D&C 105:15)

so the demonic destroying angel (who is God’s enemy that seeks to destroy God’s works) is likewise called the destroyer:

And behold, the watchman upon the tower would have seen the enemy while he was yet afar off; and then ye could have made ready and kept the enemy from breaking down the hedge thereof, and saved my vineyard from the hands of the destroyer. (D&C 101:54)

Now, the devilish plan was simple: the demonic destroyer just needed to cause people to die in their sins, so that they became filthy, and then the divine destroyer would do the rest. Nothing in the Father’s kingdom was immune to the destroyer’s destructive power, therefore even God Himself could be destroyed. All the devil needed to do was get the destroyer’s sense of justice kindled and focused towards whatever the devil wanted destroyed, and the nature of the destroyer was such that he would end up annihilating it. Basically the plan was to use God’s own rules, and His own designated destroyer, against Him. The stakes were high, though, for if the devil failed, this same destroyer had power to, and would, annihilate the devil and his followers. The gamble nearly backfired right from the start because after the rebellion, while still in the heavens, the destroyer nearly ended the existence of the devil and the one-third.

The destroyer’s first employment

The earliest recorded actions of the destroyer that we have in our current scriptural canon were mentioned by the prophet Isaiah:

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? (Isaiah 51:9)

Rahab in the above scripture, according to my understanding, is the one-third of the hosts of heaven that rebelled with Lucifer, and the dragon is the fallen angel himself. I have taught on this blog that the one-third, as well as all those who die in their sins, are connected to the devil through chains of hell. It would appear that after the devil and his whore wife Rahab (the one-third) rebelled against God, while they were still in heaven, the destroyer rose up against them and proceeded to destroy their spirit bodies, beginning by cutting (detaching) the chains of hell that connected the one-third to the dragon, wounding the dragon. But, for some reason, the destroyer was stopped before he completed his work of annihilation. I suppose it was because the other angels were alarmed at seeing these spirits (their siblings!) annihilated before their very eyes by the destroyer, and they cried out to the Father to make him (the destroyer) stop, and so the Father ordered him to stop. Thus, the devil and the evil spirits that comprised the one-third were spared. But their eternal, immortal spirits were, nevertheless, cut and wounded, which is supposed to be impossible, showing that the destroyer has been given power to destroy everything, even immortal and eternal things.

No qualms about killing the guilty

The near destruction of Rahab and her dragon king (being spirit siblings of the destroyer, as well), shows that the destroying angel was given a healthy dose of the Father’s sense of justice, without any corresponding dose of the Son’s mercy. In other words, he’s completely merciless. He had no qualms about “cleaning up” Father’s kingdom of these now filthy things, even though they were his brother and sisters. (For more information on the “sisterhood” of Rahab, see the post, The brides of Satan, and its follow-up comments.) His intention was not to kick them out, but to eradicate them altogether. But the other angels aren’t like that. They have a sense of justice, but also the Son’s compassion and mercy. And mercy is what they wanted for these doomed souls. So, the Father stopped the destroyer’s work before completion. And it must have been the Father’s intervention, for the destroyer will only listen to and obey the Father.

Banishment substituted for destruction

Instead of employing His singular destroying angel, then, the Father employed Michael and the vast host of heaven, and together, this two-thirds group was able to overpower the dragon and his one-third group, casting them out of heaven to earth. This shows just how powerful a being the destroyer is. He alone was more than a match for the devil and the one-third (which is an infinite number of spirits), not only being able to cast them out, but able to make them entirely extinct, whereas it took the whole rest of heaven (the two-thirds) to be able to force Satan and his hosts of hell out.

During the banishment procedure, the destroyer stood and watched, without any participation on his part. Thus, to Michael and the rest went the glory of that great accomplishment.

No participation in the Creation

When Jesus formed the earth, with Michael participating, creating this world under the Father’s guidance, the destroyer stayed in the heavens, watching. He was created to destroy, not to create. In addition to the endowment, which teaches that Michael helped create this earth, we have also been taught by our leaders that all of us participated in some way in the creation of the earth. However, that cannot be entirely true, for the destroyer did not participate in any way in the creation of the earth. His expertise is strictly in demolition, not construction:

And everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of men, by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord your God. For whatsoever things remain are by me; and whatsoever things are not by me shall be shaken and destroyed. (D&C 132:13-14)

It is the destroyer that will fulfill the above scripture by shaking and destroying every single thing that does not come under the protective power of God’s Son. But before that day—when he will hew down all the trees that have born evil fruit and toss them into the eternal fire—comes, he has already performed, and also yet will perform, many other works of destruction. Let’s review some of the past ones.

The days of Enoch

In the days of Enoch there were vast changes made to earth, such as land coming up out of the sea and mountains fleeing, etc. There were enemies of the people of God who came against them, and when that happens, and destruction goes forth from the Lord, the destroying angel is inevitably employed. Therefore these passages in the Book of Moses may have had the destroying angel involved:

And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him. There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off and went upon the land which came up out of the depth of the sea. And the giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God; and from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness. (Moses 7:13-16)

This land that came up may have later sunk down, becoming, perhaps, the legend of the lost continent of Atlantis. The destroying angel would be the one used by God to sink an entire continent, killing every last soul found upon it. Also, the destroyer is the one employed by God to send out curses.

The destroyer has a throne

Just as Jehovah has a traveling throne, which is one of those celestial objects that is classified by astronomers as a brown dwarf, so the destroying angel has a traveling, planetary throne. We don’t exactly know what kind of celestial object it is. It may be another brown dwarf, but I suspect (and will assume for the rest of this post) that it is, instead, a monstrous, planet-sized, blue comet called after himself and thus known as the destroyer.

Behold, the destroyer I have sent forth to destroy and lay waste mine enemies; and not many years hence they shall not be left to pollute mine heritage, and to blaspheme my name upon the lands which I have consecrated for the gathering together of my saints. (D&C 105:15)

Whenever really big acts of destruction are called for, the destroying angel passes by earth with his throne,

And the spoiler [the destroyer] shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken. (Jeremiah 48:8)

whereas when little or localized acts of destruction is what is required by God, then the destroying angel leaves his throne at home in the heavens.

It may be that the popular notion of comets being harbingers of doom does not come from normal-sized comets, but from this one mega-sized comet’s various passes through our solar system in the past. So destructive is this thing that it has given all comets a bad name.

The flood of Noah

If we continue making our way forward through the scriptural canon, we can see that the destroying angel and his destroyer throne have been quite active throughout history. The flood of Noah was a worldwide catastrophe that was caused by the pass-by of some massive and monstrously-sized heavenly body. It wasn’t Jehovah’s throne (the brown dwarf) that passed by, but the monstrous comet, the destroyer’s throne.

No compunction about killing innocents

Again, it needs to be understood that the destroying angel is endowed by God with a full portion of His sense of justice, without any of the normal portions of God’s mercy given to the other angels. This angel, therefore, has no qualms, whatsoever, about killing innocents, even children.

And the LORD said,

I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them….

And God said unto Noah,

The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:7,13)

Both the wicked adults and their innocent children, as well as the innocent animals, were to be destroyed.

Now, God cannot employ His other angels for such a work, because they would all cry out, “What about the innocents!” and perhaps even revolt. The destroying angel alone can do such divine work, because his sense of justice is exactly like God’s sense of justice, but without the accompanying sense of mercy that comes of Christ. In other words, all other angels are Christlike, whereas this particular angel is not. He is representative of God’s justice, with no mercy extended to anyone.

The dividing of the earth

And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. (Genesis 10:25)

This event also was possibly the destroying angel’s handiwork, performed by a pass-by of his throne.

The Tower of Babel

And the LORD said,

Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:6-9)

Who was the Father speaking to? His Angel of mercy? Nope. He was likely speaking to His angel of destruction. After all, confounding the language of people and scattering them is a curse, not a blessing. Curses are a manifestation of God’s justice, not of His mercy, and they come under the jurisdiction of the destroyer.

This tendency to confound people’s languages in order to scatter them will follow the destroying angel into his mortal probation:

And thus prophesied Joseph, saying:

Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. (2 Nephi 3:14)

Previously on this blog I have given my understanding of the above scripture as meaning a confounding of languages, but I never gave scriptural support for that. So, I will take the time to do so now.

The 1828 Dictionary gives the following definitions of “confound,” (and also notice that one of them means to destroy) :

CONFOUND, v.t. [L., to pour out. Literally, to pour or throw together.]

1. To mingle and blend different things, so that their forms or natures cannot be distinguished; to mix in a mass or crowd, so that individuals cannot be distinguished.

2. To throw into disorder.
Let us go down, and there confound their language. Genesis 11.

3. To mix or blend, so as to occasion a mistake of one thing for another.
A fluid body and a wetting liquor, because they agree in many things, are wont to be confounded.
Men may confound ideas with words.

4. To perplex; to disturb the apprehension by indistinctness of ideas or words.
Men may confound each other by unintelligible terms or wrong application of words.

5. To abash; to throw the mind into disorder; to cast down; to make ashamed.
Be thou confounde and ber thy shame. Ezekiel 16.
Saul confounded the Jews at Damascus. Acts 9.

6. To perplex with terror; to terrify; to dismay; to astonish; to throw into consternation; to stupify with amazement.
So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood a while as mute confounded what to say.
The multitude came together and were confounded. Acts 2.

7. To destroy; to overthrow.
So deep a malice to confound the race of mankind in one root.

Now, notice the text of Ether, concerning the confounding of the languages at the Tower of Babel:

And Kib was the son of Orihah, who was the son of Jared; which Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered.

And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him:

Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words.

And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded. Then Jared said unto his brother:

Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.

And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded. (Ether 1:32-37)

So, in the above scripture we see that God confounded the people’s languages, but the text also speaks of the people themselves being confounded, with the understanding that “confounding people” meant that their languages were confounded. This use of the word confound doesn’t mean that the people were perplexed or abashed or any of the other uses of the word, but merely that their language was altered to the point that they couldn’t understand anyone else, nor anyone understanding them. This sense of the word given in Ether chapter one is the same sense of the word as used in 2 Nephi 3 (according to my understanding.) So, this angel’s enemies aren’t going to be merely perplexed or abashed or ashamed, like Laman and Lemuel were when they were confounded by their father,

And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them. (1 Nephi 2:14)

but they will literally be cursed and their language confounded, just like at Babel.

Now, this cursing needs to happen, because this angel, during his mortal probation, will be translating all the records into all the languages of the world, both living and dead languages. He will need to translate the records into the dead languages because all the dead languages are coming back, as part of the restoration of all things. How do they come back? By a repeat of the confounding of languages that occurred at Babel. He will curse his enemies, confounding their languages, and the world’s languages will multiply, so that every language that ever existed on this planet will be spoken again, necessitating him translating the records into all the old languages, too.

The slaying of the priest of Pharaoh

Abraham was offered up upon the altar as a sacrifice by the priest of Pharaoh and Elkenah and he lifted up his voice to God for help and God helped him by sending an angel to him, an angel who saved him, not by saving life, but by destroying life:

And as they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and he filled me with the vision of the Almighty, and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands;…Behold, Potiphar’s Hill was in the land of Ur, of Chaldea. And the Lord broke down the altar of Elkenah, and of the gods of the land, and utterly destroyed them, and smote the priest that he died; and there was great mourning in Chaldea, and also in the court of Pharaoh; which Pharaoh signifies king by royal blood….Now, after the priest of Elkenah was smitten that he died, there came a fulfilment of those things which were said unto me concerning the land of Chaldea, that there should be a famine in the land.(Abraham 1:15,20,29)

Now, after the Lord had withdrawn from speaking to me, and withdrawn his face from me, I said in my heart:

Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee; thou didst send thine angel to deliver me from the gods of Elkenah, and I will do well to hearken unto thy voice, therefore let thy servant rise up and depart in peace. (Abraham 2:12-13)

God performed all this destruction through His destroying angel, His emissary of justice, who always leaves a path of destruction wherever he goes.

Sodom and Gomorrah

Notice in the Joseph Smith Translation of this account that the three angels prayed for God to send down fire and brimstone:

And the Lord did not destroy Sodom until Lot had entered into Zoar.  And then, when Lot had entered into Zoar, the Lord rained upon Sodom, and upon Gomorrah; for the angels called upon the name of the Lord for brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.  And thus they overthrew those cities and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.  (JST Gen. 19:30-32)

They didn’t work a miracle, but merely prayed in faith and God responded by sending down fire and brimstone, destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, all the plain, all the inhabitants of those cities and everything that was growing upon the ground. In other words, total destruction of everything. Was it God that sent down the fire and brimstone? Yes, but He likely did it through His appointed representative for dealing out justice, the destroying angel, just as God shows mercy through His appointed representative for showing mercy, Christ. God does all these things, yes, but vicariously, through His appointed emissaries.

Now, just as with the flood of Noah, there were likely little children, innocent children, found among the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding region, and these kids got killed, too. (It would be quite abnormal for cities to be entirely composed of only an adult population.) So the destroying angel would be the only one capable of performing such a task.

Abimelech cursed and nearly killed

The destroying angel, being the most powerful angel the Father has (excepting only the Father’s Angel of mercy, who is Christ), represents the power of God and has a tendency of cursing all those who oppose God’s will. We see this with Abimelech, who was cursed, along with his household, and also threatened with death:

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him,

Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said,

Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me,

She is my sister?

and she, even she herself said,

He is my brother:

in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

And God said unto him in a dream,

Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine….

So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife. (Genesis 20:3-7,17-18)

So, all the curses that are found in the scriptures are likely the handiwork of the destroying angel, for although the Angel of mercy has power to curse (for Christ has all power), when God wants something cursed, and one of His mortal servants utters a curse in faith, according to His sense of justice, the tool He uses to send out the curse is the destroying angel.

Joseph Smith mentioned this cursing tendency of the destroyer

The George Laub journal contained a transcription of one of Joseph Smith’s sermons, which was this:

24th chapter of Revelations of John Mathew, Mathew 6 & 7 14 verses, & the orriginal translation Reads thus and I will Send you a nother witness & he shall preach this gospel to all nations to the ends of the world But woe to that man or woman who Shall lift up their or his hands against god’s witness for the[y] are rasing their hands or arms against the power of god and the[y] will be cursed.

So, Joseph Smith believed that God would send a witness to the world, who would preach the gospel to the ends of the world, and whoever opposed that witness would be opposing the power of God and would end up cursed. This witness, of course, is none other than Joseph-Nephi, the destroying angel. So, we can expect that as soon as the Josephite is let out of his box, curses will go forth.

The Passover

The Passover is actually named after the destroyer. The Father came down with His destroying angel and looked at the door posts and lintels, and wherever there was lamb’s blood, He would prohibit the angel from entering there and killing the firstborn of man and beast, causing the destroyer to instead pass over the household. The ordinance has four individuals in play: God the Father, who is the One looking to see if the Lamb’s blood is protecting the household from the destroyer; the Lamb, represented by the lamb’s blood upon the door posts and lintels; the devil, who is tempting people to not comply with God’s commandments to put the lamb’s blood on the door posts and lintels, so that they aren’t under the Son’s protection; and finally, the destroying angel himself, whose job is to “clean up” all the filth, by executing them. The message of the Passover is that there is a destroying angel, and he will annihilate you unless you come under the Lamb’s protection, and you cannot come under the Lamb’s protection unless you comply with God’s commandments, so obey God’s commandments or perish!

The destruction of the Amorites by hailstones

The book of Joshua says the following:

And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. (Joshua 10:11)

These hailstones came from the destroyer, for hail (as well as floods) are his specialty:

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. (Isaiah 28:2)

In fact, his power over the waters has been amply demonstrated not only with Noah’s flood, but also with another great event of the past:

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? (Isaiah 51:9-10)

The above seems to me to be referring to an event that occurred in conjunction with the passage of the Lost Ten Tribes through the Arctic Ocean as they traveled north.

Also, in the aforementioned Doctrine and Covenants section 61, the Lord gave instructions for how the saints should travel, but He also gave an exception for the destroyer, who was yet to be born:

Behold, I, the Lord, have appointed a way for the journeying of my saints; and behold, this is the way—that after they leave the canal they shall journey by land, inasmuch as they are commanded to journey and go up unto the land of Zion; and they shall do like unto the children of Israel, pitching their tents by the way. And, behold, this commandment you shall give unto all your brethren.

Nevertheless, unto whom is given power to command the waters, unto him it is given by the Spirit to know all his ways; wherefore, let him do as the Spirit of the living God commandeth him, whether upon the land or upon the waters, as it remaineth with me to do hereafter. (D&C 61:24-28)

The destroyer is the one who has power to command the waters, and the destroyer has the privilege of having it given to him by the Spirit to know all his ways, meaning how he should travel, whether by land or by water, so the destroyer is not restricted by these commandments, but can travel as he sees fit, according to the manifestations of the Spirit in him.

The heavenly Elijah/Elias

I’m not going to go over every instance of destruction, or cursing, or scattering or miracle that the destroying angel was likely involved in. Instead, I want to turn my attention to the fact that the destroyer is the heavenly Elijah/Elias, after which the earthly Eliases were patterned after. This is why we find Elijah the Tishbite doing the following:

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him,

Thou man of God, the king hath said,

Come down.

And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty,

If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.

And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him,

O man of God, thus hath the king said,

Come down quickly.

And Elijah answered and said unto them,

If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.

And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. (2 King 1:9-12)

The fire that came down from heaven was sent by the heavenly Elias, who is the destroyer.

Now, these soldiers were just following orders. They weren’t doing anything wicked. All the captains did was communicate the king’s order and they were killed for it, along with their fifties. That’s pretty harsh. But Elijah the Tishbite had exercised faith, and also they had dared to do a very big no-no: they dared to command an Elias.

The heavenly Elias, who is the destroying angel, reports to no one, except to the Father. Nobody tells the heavenly Elias what to do. Not even Christ. An earthly Elias is no different. Earthly Eliases come on the Father’s authority, and the Father’s authority trumps the authority of everyone else, including the authority of the Son. A mortal king’s authority, then, is nothing in comparison.

Notice that the third captain of fifty was able to avoid getting himself and his fifty turned into toast only by humbling himself before Elijah and submitting to his authority:

And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him,

O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah,

Go down with him: be not afraid of him.

And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. (2 Kings 1:13-15)

God the Father’s authority is upon the earthly Eliases, therefore, if anyone commands an Elias, it is as if they had commanded God the Father Himself. And if anyone offends an earthly Elias, it is as if they had offended God the Father Himself. Whatever is said or done to one of His earthly Eliases, God the Father takes it personally, hence the quick execution of the first two fifties.

We see this same principle with Elisha, who got a double portion of the spirit of Elijah. (And the spirit of Elijah the Tishbite was the spirit of the heavenly Elijah, who is the destroying angel.) Look what happened when some young people made fun of Elisha’s baldness:

And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him,

Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. (2 Kings 2:23-24)

The destroyer is the one who curses and slays people, therefore, Elisha, acting in the authority of the destroyer (and the destroyer’s authority is the Father’s authority), being offended, could send forth a curse and it would happen immediately. The mocking that those people did was taken personally by God the Father and required swift justice and judgment, hence them being torn to shreds.

Because the destroyer’s authority is as high as it gets, even Christ submits to it, despite Him being the Heir to the throne. Jesus submits to the Father’s authority in all things, and so when the heavenly Elias, or one of the mortals that come patterned after him—who are the destroyer’s (and the Father’s) proxies—exercises their authority, Christ submits to it. Hence we find this curious exchange:

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying,

I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

And Jesus answering said unto him,

Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.

Then he suffered him. (Matthew 3:13-15)

Jesus went to John to be baptized of him. In other words, Jesus went to submit Himself to John’s authority. John the Baptist was an Elias. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, therefore He came authorized by the Father:

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:17)

Notice that John forbade the Lord from being baptized. That took some guts to do, right? Jesus’s authority was greater than John’s, wasn’t it? Not really, because John was authorized by the destroyer himself, and thus was fully authorized to forbid Him. In other words, it was John’s call to make whether to baptize this sinless Man. “Suffer it to be so now,” therefore, was not a command, but a petition, which John accepted. It had to be a petition, for nobody but the Father Himself can legitimately command an Elias. Not even Christ.

Proxies of the Father and proxies of Christ

There are two types of proxies, then. All mortal Eliases are proxies of the Father, representing one of the Father’s arms, even His arm of justice, whereas others become proxies of the Son, representing the Father’s arm of mercy. So, for example, those who possess priesthood, are representatives of the Son, hence all ordinances we do are done in the name of Jesus Christ, or having been commissioned of Jesus Christ. And those who are “the least of Christ’s brethren” also become proxies of Christ, per this scripture:

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand,

Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,

Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them,

Verily I say unto you,

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,

Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying,

Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying,

Verily I say unto you,

Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:31-46)

But proxies of the Father are reserved only for Eliases.

The spirit and power of Elias

When Elijah the Tishbite challenged the prophets of Baal to call down fire from heaven, he mocked their failed attempts:

And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said,

Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. (1 Kings 18:27)

and then after they failed, and after he succeeded in calling down fire from heaven, Elijah killed them:

And Elijah said unto them,

Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.

And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. (1 Kings 18:40)

All of this behavior is at odds with normal prophets of God, who are meek and humble and long-suffering and compassionate, just like Christ. Mocking, though, is an attribute of the heavenly Elias, who was prophesied by Isaiah to have a sharp tongue during his mortal probation:

And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword (Isaiah 49:2)

Sharpness of tongue, then, is an attribute of the heavenly Elias, which was exhibited by the earthly Eliases. Additionally, Elijah the Tishbite and his successor, Elisha, also exhibited the tendency of the heavenly Elias to curse and kill.

We see this same pattern with the other two mortal Eliases that came after Elijah and Elisha. John the Baptist was an Elias sent to prepare the way of the Lord, and he was sent in the spirit and power of Elias. Jesus also came in the capacity of an Elias. Both of these men demonstrated this spirit and power during their ministries.

For example, John the Baptist spoke with much sharpness:

Then said John to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, crying against them with a loud voice, saying,

O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves,

Abraham is our father; we have kept the commandments of God, and none can inherit the promises but the children of Abraham;

for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also, the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. (JST Luke 3:12-14)

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them,

O, generation of vipers! Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Why is it that ye receive not the preaching of him whom God hath sent? If ye receive not this in your hearts, ye receive not me; and if ye receive not me, ye receive not him of whom I am sent to bear record; and for your sins ye have no cloak. Repent, therefore, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance; and think not to say within yourselves,

We are the children of Abraham, and we only have power to bring seed unto our father Abraham;

for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now, also, the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore, every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. (JST Matthew 3:33-37)

Jesus also routinely used sharp speech, calling his enemies hypocrites and fools and serpents and vipers. But He only cursed once, and that was to a fig tree, but it amply demonstrated that He also came in the spirit and power of Elias, like the others before him:

Now in the morning, as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it; and there was not any fruit on it, but leaves only. And he said unto it,

Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward, forever.

And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw this, they marveled and said,

How soon is the fig tree withered away! (JST Matthew 16-18)

And on the morrow when they came from Bethany, he was hungry; and, seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to it with his disciples; and as they supposed, he came to it to see if he might find anything thereon. And when he came to it, there was nothing but leaves; for as yet the figs were not ripe. And Jesus spake and said unto it,

No man eat fruit of thee hereafter, forever.

And his disciples heard him. And they came to Jerusalem. And Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of them who sold doves, and would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them,

Is it not written,

My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?

But ye have made it a den of thieves.

And the scribes and chief priests heard him and sought how they might destroy him; for they feared him because all the people were astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, calling to remembrance, said unto him,

Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. (JST Mark 11:14-23)

The above also shows that Jesus acted as an Elias when He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of the dove-sellers and did not allow any one to carry a vessel through the temple. All this use of force was Him acting in the capacity of the heavenly Elias. So Jesus was an Elias, just as John the Baptist had said:

John answered them, saying;

I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is of whom I bear record. He is that prophet, even Elias, who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose, or whose place I am not able to fill; for he shall baptize, not only with water, but with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. (JST John 1:27-28)

But Jesus did not come in the full capacity of the heavenly Elias, for He was here representing God’s arm of mercy, not His arm of justice. He was a shadow or type of what was yet to come. Thus He rebuked his disciples when they wanted to manifest a bit more of the spirit and power of Elias than what Jesus and John the Baptist had already done:

And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said,

Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

But he turned, and rebuked them, and said,

Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.

And they went to another village. (Luke 9:51-56)

We see from this that the spirit and power and mission of Jesus was to save, while the spirit and power and mission of Elias is to destroy. In other words, the heavenly Elias (after which all earthly Eliases are patterned) is the destroying angel. The apostles, prophets, seers, revelators and saints were and are patterned after Jesus, the saving Angel, but there have also been a few individuals who have been given a portion of the spirit and power of the heavenly Elias, who have been patterned after the destroying angel. Nevertheless, these Elias men have only demonstrated small degrees of his spirit and power because they were always meant to be mere shadows and types of the actual destroying angel.

Noah was also an Elias

And in those days there were giants on the earth, and they sought Noah to take away his life; but the Lord was with Noah, and the power of the Lord was upon him; and the Lord ordained Noah after his own order and commanded him that he should go forth and declare his gospel unto the children of men, even as it was given unto Enoch.

And it came to pass that Noah called upon the children of men, that they should repent; but they hearkened not unto his words.

And also, after that they had heard him, they came up before him, saying,

Behold, we are the sons of God. Have we not taken unto ourselves the daughters of men? And are we not eating, and drinking, and marrying, and given in marriage? And our wives bear unto us children; and the same are mighty men, which are like unto them of old, men of great renown.

And they hearkened not unto the words of Noah. And God saw that the wickedness of man had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually.

And it came to pass that Noah continued his preaching unto the people, saying,

Hearken and give heed unto my words. Believe, and repent of your sins, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers did, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made manifest; and if you do not this, the floods will come in upon you;

nevertheless, they hearkened not. And it repented Noah, and his heart was pained that the Lord had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said,

I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man, and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth Noah that I have created them and that I have made them; and he hath called upon me, for they have sought his life. (JST Genesis 8:6-15)

Why did the Lord send in the floods? Was it because the people were really wicked? Nope. It was because Noah regretted that God had created mankind and that so much wickedness was now everywhere, and he called upon God to destroy the world. The spirit of Elias is the spirit of destruction and justice and judgment, and Noah here was exercising this very spirit in his desire for God to wipe everything out and just “start over” with him and his little family.

Noah also acted as an Elias in his cursing of Canaan:

And Noah began to till the earth, and he was a husbandman; and he planted a vineyard, and he drank of the wine and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent; and Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his brethren without; and Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done unto him; and he said,

Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

And he said,

Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant, and a veil of darkness shall cover him, that he shall be known among all men. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. (JST Genesis 9:27-31)

Noah, then, is an early scriptural example of a mortal servant of God operating under the spirit and power of Elias and during his mortal ministry he obtained the very keys that the actual heavenly Elias would end up using to restore all things:

And also with Elias, to whom I have committed the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began, concerning the last days; and also John the son of Zacharias, which Zacharias he (Elias) visited and gave promise that he should have a son, and his name should be John, and he should be filled with the spirit of Elias; (D&C 27:6-7)

Joseph Smith understood from this revelation that the Elias in question was the angel Gabriel. (And anyone reading the above passage will come to the same conclusion.) Later on, though, he revealed in one of his speeches that Noah and Gabriel are one and the same person. How did Joseph Smith know? Because Joseph Smith was a seer operating under Elias’s shadow, which itself is the spirit and power of Elias, allowing one to more easily recognize Eliases, and thus this spirit, in conjunction with his gift of the word of knowledge, allowed him to plainly see that Noah was an Elias. And using this same gift, Elias Noah = Elias Gabriel also pops out.

Now, the angel (Elias) Gabriel possessed keys, and keys are only obtained during a mortal probation. Notice again what Joseph Smith said:

While speaking in 1839 to members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and some Seventies prior to their leaving for missionary service, the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Noah, who is Gabriel, … stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in heaven.” (Quoted from History of the Church, 3:386. Cited in Noah, The Great Preacher of Righteousness by Joseph B. Romney, Ensign, February 1998.)

So, when we read that Elias (the angel Gabriel) possessed “the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things,” this means that Gabriel must have already had a mortal probation. The same principle applies to each and every angel that holds keys:

And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hope! (D&C 128:21)

Therefore, given that Moroni, Michael, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John the Beloved, Gabriel, Raphael, Moses, Elijah and Elias all came to Joseph Smith as angels possessing keys, all of these men had already had mortal probations. They obtained their keys in mortality, and then retained them when they died or were translated. Joseph Smith also obtained the keys of the mysteries and sealed things during his mortal ministry, and he retains those keys still, even after his death.

The keys of these various angelic/translated personages (which they retain even after their mortal ministries) are meant to be used by the Elias who restores all things, not by the angels themselves. The angels act, then, as repositories, until the destroying angel comes down to earth for his own mortal probation and then directs each of them to deliver their keys into his hands. Each of them used these various keys to a mere degree during their mortal ministries, whereas when they deliver their keys into the hands of Elias the destroyer, he will then use them in their absolute fullness.

Thus, even though Noah/Gabriel possesses “the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things,” this does not mean that he will be the one who actually brings to pass the restoration of all things, for he is not the Elias who restores all things. He merely possesses these keys—for he was the instrument God used back then to restore the earth back to a state of righteousness by wiping out the wicked, leaving only a righteous branch—which keys he will deliver to the man whose spirit he operated under in mortality: Elias the Josephite destroyer. In D&C 27, Moroni and Elijah and Peter and James and John are also said to possess certain keys, but none of these people will be using their keys during the end times. No, they will merely be delivering them to Elias the Josephite, and then the Josephite will use them to work his wonders.

The Elias Noah, like the other mortal Eliases I have mentioned, did not operate under a fullness of the spirit and power of the heavenly Elias, but merely under a portion, making him yet another shadow of the end times Elias, which is the actual heavenly Elias.

John the Beloved also acted under the spirit of Elias

John the Beloved apostle of Jesus Christ was a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, but because he became translated and was assigned an Elias role to play during the end times (see D&C 77:14), John likewise received a portion of the spirit and power of Elias. Hence we find, through the revelation of Joseph Smith, that John actually uttered a curse, acting as an Elias:

Behold, I, the Lord, in the beginning blessed the waters; but in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters. Wherefore, the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters. And it shall be said in days to come that none is able to go up to the land of Zion upon the waters, but he that is upright in heart. (D&C 61:14-16)

This curse that God had John utter, did not come to pass immediately, like the curses that the Elias who restores all things will utter, but was to be fulfilled during the end times, during the ministry of the Josephite, who will cause, by the working of miracles, John’s curse to be made sure. This is why the Lord says, “the days will come” and “it shall be said in days to come.” The curse was uttered by John, but not activated, for such activation comes only from the destroyer himself.

Regarding Joseph Smith

As I explained in the In closing, what Mormonism is section of the John the Revelator is not the Elias who restores all things post, Mormonism is Elias’s shadow. Therefore Joseph Smith was a seer operating under the spirit and power of Elias. Nevertheless, Joseph never said that he, himself, was Elias, nor even an Elias. He only affirmed that the spirit and power and office of Elias was in operation during the Mormon restoration. And it indeed was.

In the same sermon, Joseph differentiated between the spirit and power and office and keys of Elias, and those of Elijah, as well as those of Messiah. But the spirit and power of Elias and the spirit and power of Elijah are the same spirit, just operating in different modes. It worked for Joseph Smith to view these things as separate and distinct, but they are two sides of the same coin, just as Elijah and Elias are the same name, one translated into English from Hebrew, and the other translated into English from Greek. But it’s the same name.

The spirit of Elias (Mode One) manifested in Joseph Smith via his revelations and translations. In other words, the word of God transmitted through Joseph Smith was the spirit and power of Elias. If you look through the Doctrine and Covenants, you’ll see that God repeatedly warned of curses if obedience wasn’t given to His commandments. Curses are manifestations of the spirit of Elias. But Joseph Smith never cursed anyone. He was told by God that he could curse people, and God would honor those curses and He would cause the curse to happen (in God’s own due time, not immediately, for this was merely Elias’s shadow, not Elias himself), but Joseph never cursed anyone. So, he didn’t act like an Elias.

The spirit of Elijah (Mode Two) manifested in Joseph Smith via the priesthood ordinations, offices and keys bestowed by the angels, which allowed the ordinances of salvation and exaltation to go forth and be recorded in the heavens. Now, Joseph Smith split these two spirit modes into two divisions, holding the Aaronic priesthood as the standard and representative of the spirit of Elias, while the Melchizedek was held as representative of the spirit of Elijah, and you can certainly do this. It worked for him to see it that way, and it works for others to see it that way, so let people believe this all they want. Nevertheless, both priesthoods represent the spirit of Elijah, for baptism is an ordinance of salvation, and both Aaronic priests as well as priests or elders after the order of Melchizedek have power to baptize. Baptism, then, represents Mode Two of this spirit, and baptism can be done by priests of the Aaronic order. So, the distinction he makes isn’t as black and white as he wanted it to be.

The spirit of Messiah is the manifestation of the spirit of power (miracles.) The spirit of power manifested to a degree in the life of Joseph Smith with all the baptisms of fire that he had, and the visions and angelic ministrations.

Joseph Smith, then, operated in a degree under the two modes of the spirit of Elias/Elijah, and also had a degree of the spirit of Messiah, but he was a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, not of the Father. This is why the Lord refers to the message (Mormonism) as the Father’s messenger, and not to Joseph Smith.

And even so I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me. (D&C 45:9)

Joseph Smith, then, cannot be considered an Elias, but as he operated under a degree or shadow of this spirit, I will account him among the others anyway.

Other manifestations of the spirit of Elias

The spirit and power of Elias has manifested from the very beginning and also at various and sundry times. For example, right after the fall of Adam, this spirit manifested:

And I, the Lord God, said unto the serpent:

Because thou hast done this thou shalt be cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life; and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed; and he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Unto the woman, I, the Lord God, said:

I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

And unto Adam, I, the Lord God, said:

Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the fruit of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying—

Thou shalt not eat of it,

cursed shall be the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. By the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou shalt return unto the ground—for thou shalt surely die—for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou wast, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Moses 4:20-25)

Later on it manifested after Cain slew Abel:

And the Lord said unto Cain:

Where is Abel, thy brother?

And he said:

I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper?

And the Lord said:

What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground. And now thou shalt be cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. (Moses 5:34-37)

And it manifested during the days of the secret combination that the murderer Lamech pertained to:

Wherefore the Lord cursed Lamech, and his house, and all them that had covenanted with Satan; for they kept not the commandments of God, and it displeased God, and he ministered not unto them, and their works were abominations, and began to spread among all the sons of men. (Moses 5:52)

In those days the spirit of Elias began to be poured out upon the world, because of the wickedness of the people:

And thus the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men. And God cursed the earth with a sore curse, and was angry with the wicked, with all the sons of men whom he had made; for they would not hearken unto his voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him whom he declared should come in the meridian of time, who was prepared from before the foundation of the world. (Moses 5:55-57)

And during the days of Enoch the spirit of Elias was manifested and began to be poured out upon the land and men:

And the Lord said unto me:

Prophesy;

and I prophesied, saying:

Behold the people of Canaan, which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and shall slay them that they shall utterly be destroyed; and the people of Canaan shall divide themselves in the land, and the land shall be barren and unfruitful, and none other people shall dwell there but the people of Canaan; for behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever; and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people. (Moses 7:7-8)

And the Lord said unto me:

Go to this people, and say unto them—

Repent, lest I come out and smite them with a curse, and they die. (Moses 7:10)

And the giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God; and from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness. (Moses 7:15-16)

And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord; and he said unto the Lord:

Surely Zion shall dwell in safety forever.

But the Lord said unto Enoch:

Zion have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed. (Moses 7:20)

And during the days of Methuselah this spirit also manifested:

And it came to pass that Methuselah prophesied that from his loins should spring all the kingdoms of the earth (through Noah), and he took glory unto himself. And there came forth a great famine into the land, and the Lord cursed the earth with a sore curse, and many of the inhabitants thereof died. (Moses 8:3-4)

The spirit of Elias, then, is a spirit of destruction that brings curses. But it also brings plagues. For example, during the ministry of Moses, all those plagues that he unleashed upon the land and people of Egypt, were manifestations of the spirit and power of Elias, which was put upon the heads and possessions of the unbelieving and rebellious.

Fast-forwarding to Joseph-Nephi

Joseph-Nephi is yet another earthly person we know of who can be added to the list of men that have possessed and/or operated under the spirit and power of Elias.

To recap: On this list we could put Noah, Elijah the Tishbite, Elisha the son of Shaphat (who had a double portion of Elijah’s spirit), John the Baptist, Jesus the Christ, John the Beloved, Moses, Joseph Smith and probably many others, including many of the Nephite and Jaredite prophets.

All of these individuals were patterned to a degree after the heavenly Elias, making them his shadows and types. But Joseph-Nephi isn’t merely patterned after the heavenly Elias, he actually is the heavenly Elias. This means that he is the very destroying angel and as such, nobody can tell him what to do.

A different sort of angelic ministration

When Joseph Smith started receiving the ministration of angels, beginning with his First Vision and then continuing with Moroni’s many visits, as well as other heavenly personages, he was continually being instructed by Jesus or by the angels. For example, he wrote:

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (Joseph Smith—History 1:17)

At that point the Son took over the conversation and all subsequent ministrations or visions had the Son or the angels speaking to Joseph, giving him instructions. If ever the Father was seen or heard afterward, He merely bore record of the Son, as He did in the First Vision. We are taught in the church that this proves that Joseph Smith was really a prophet, for all revelation comes through Christ, according to President Joseph Fielding Smith:

“I would like to call your attention to one little thing in the first vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is very significant, and Joseph Smith did not know it. If he had been perpetrating a fraud, he would not have thought of it. You will recall in your reading that the Father and the Son appeared, and the Father introduced the Son and told the Prophet to hear the Son.

“Now suppose the Prophet had come back from the woods and had said the Father and the Son appeared to him, and the Father said, ‘Joseph, what do you want?’ and when he asked the question and told him what he wanted, the Father had answered him; then we would know that the story of the Prophet could not be true.

“All revelation comes through Jesus Christ. I have not time to go into the scriptures and give references for that, but that is the fact.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 5 vols., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1957–66, 1:16.) [Quoted from The Magnificent Vision Near Palmyra by James E. Faust.]

Despite what President Smith said above, all this proves is that Joseph Smith wasn’t Elias. For everyone other than Elias, all divine revelation comes through the Son of God. But for Elias, revelation comes directly from the Father. There is no intermediary. (And for his proxies, if there was an intermediary, it was the destroyer himself.)

So, when the destroyer, who is currently boxed up and hidden somewhere by the Lord, comes out of his box, he will finally experience the ministration of angels, possibly getting a First Vision type of experience like Joseph Smith did. But there will be one huge difference in the accounts this man will give of these divine visits: when the Father appears with His Son Jesus Christ and all the holy angels, it will be the Father speaking and instructing the Josephite, not the Son. All instructions and orders will go from the Father directly to His emissary of justice (the Josephite), and whatever interaction the Josephite will have with Christ and the angels will be as their superior officer.

In other words, if an angel appears to this man, the angel will merely say, “Okay, boss. What are your instructions?” The angels will not be instructing him, but will be receiving instructions from him. Even Jesus Christ Himself will be taking His orders from the destroyer, as evidenced by the vision John the Revelator saw:

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud,

Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (Revelation 14:14-16)

So, here we have the Son of Man taking orders from an angel. Which angel? The destroying angel. In fact, just about all orders that John sees and hears barked out during his end times vision are issued by the destroyer, who is the one in charge of the whole end times affair.

When the Father comes down

There have been only a few recorded instances in which God the Father actually came down to earth. All the rest of the time, He just remained in heaven and allowed someone to see a vision of Himself, and bore record of His Son. So, the times when He comes down are special and important.

During the Creation we know the Father came down. And when He came, He was the one in charge:

And God said,

Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)

Who was the Father speaking to? He was speaking to the Son. And the Father was the one in charge. He was the one barking the orders.

During the Tower of Babel confounding, the Father came down:

And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said,

Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. (Genesis 11:5-7)

Who was the Father speaking to? This time He was speaking to the destroying angel. And the Father was again the one in charge. He was the one barking orders.

During the Passover, the Father came down, along with His destroying angel:

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

…

For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. (Exodus 12:12-13,23)

Once again, it’s the Father doing the work, looking for the blood of the lamb, and then stopping His destroyer from entering those domiciles. Every single time the Father comes down, He is actively participating and directing everything and everyone.

But notice that the First Vision account does not follow this pattern:

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—

This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that:

“they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. (Joseph Smith—History 1:17-20)

Here the Father comes down, but just points to Christ and tells Joseph that Christ is His Son and to hear Him. Then He clams up and the Son does all the talking. The vision is bizarre for this reason. The Father doesn’t come all the way down to earth only to let His Son do all the talking! The Father could have just stayed in heaven, given Joseph a vision of Himself sitting upon His throne, and pointed to Christ, telling Joseph that He’s His Son and to listen to Him, and then let Christ speak. Why did the Father come down and then clam up?

Now, church apologists will say He came down to show that He had a body and was distinct from the Son, but He could have done that while remaining in heaven. There is no need to come down to earth with His Son, only to have the Son do all the talking. When the Father comes down, He takes charge of things. So why did all of that happen the way it did?

The answer is because Joseph Smith’s First Vision was a mere shadow, just like all the rest of Mormonism. Mormonism is Elias’s shadow, therefore even the First Vision is incomplete. The First Vision was supposed to have the Father instructing the miracle-working seer, with His Son and the angels present and listening, and then after the instruction the miracle-working seer takes charge and starts issuing orders to the others present, as the Father’s emissary in charge of the end times work. That’s how it is supposed to go down. But that didn’t happen. It didn’t happen because the seer of that time was Joseph Smith, not Elias. So, we got a shadow of what’s going to happen. God the Father came down, announced His Son, and then stopped, because Elias himself wasn’t present, only Elias’s shadow was present, the seer being Joseph Smith the Gentile, so the Son took over, as He always does when dealing with His own proxies, for Joseph Smith was a proxy of the Son, not of the Father, therefore, he dealt with Jesus. But the Father had to come down anyway because even the First Vision of Elias’s shadow requires the Father being present.

Now, when the First Vision happens a second time, it will be with Elias himself present, who is the Josephite and the actual destroying angel, and not just his shadow, and at that time, the First Vision will replay in a different way, with the Father coming down with Christ and the angels like the first time, but this time Christ and the angels will be silent and taking orders from the seer, and the Father will be talking directly to His emissary of justice, the destroyer, and instructing him in all things that pertain to the dispensation of the fullness of times.

King Abaddon

In the Revelation of St. John the Divine, John mentions that the insect army he saw had a king over them:

And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:11)

King Abaddon, or king Apollyon, is none other than the destroying angel. The Bible dictionary gives the following for these names:

Abaddon
A Hebrew word found in the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament denoting “the place of the lost” (Job 26:6; Prov. 15:11; 27:20), which the King James Version translates as “destruction.” In Rev. 9:11 it is used as a name of the devil. See also Apollyon.

Apollyon
Destroyer, a Greek translation of the Hebrew word Abaddon, or “Destruction”; in Rev. 9:11 it is the name of the Angel of the Abyss (bottomless pit) made familiar to English readers by Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.

Thus, king Abaddon means, “king Destruction,” and king Apollyon means, “king Destroyer.” However, the Bible Dictionary is incorrect in stating that Abaddon “in Rev. 9:11 it is used as a name of the devil.” It most certainly is not used in that verse with reference to the devil (who is the demonic destroying angel.) No, in that verse it is used for the divine destroying angel.

King Abaddon, therefore, will be a literal king, over a literal kingdom. And yet, the Josephite, according to my understanding, is from the USA. So, how can he be an American and yet be a king? We have no kings here, right? But he won’t be a king in America. His kingdom will be located in a far country, in the east and in the north:

Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. (Isaiah 41:2)

I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay. (Isaiah 41:25)

Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:11)

The Josephite, then, will be born and raised as an American, enter into his shadow (Mormonism) and then get put into a spiritual box and hidden by the Lord (which is where he is now) to “cook” for awhile. At some point he will emerge from that box as the rod of Jesse, fully empowered and capable of working all manner of miracles, and then he will send out an announcement of his deliverance from his box, and he will also send forth curses, cursing all his enemies and working miracles to cause catastrophic changes in the conditions among men, to allow him to get his promised carrot (which is his divinely bestowed reward) and start his own work. We must assume, then, that this carrot must at least partially consist of a kingdom, in some far away and unknown land, in which he goes there and establishes himself as king, even as King Abaddon, thus fulfilling these and other scriptures that say that he comes from a far country in the east and north, such as the following which also speaks of the distant kingdom he will establish:

But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. (Daniel 11:44)

The location of king Abaddon’s kingdom

Anyone who has studied Jan Lamprecht’s work (see the post, The hollow earth theory, the plasma model and Mormon theology), or Rodney Cluff’s work (see the post, Our Living Hollow Earth), on the hollow earth theory, will instantly understand that the destroyer will undoubtedly set up his kingdom on the inner surface of the earth, in the hollow of the earth. This is because the directions “east” and “north” and its description as “far away” give its location away. If you continue to travel north on just the right course, you will be led into the interior surface of the planet, and then once inside, if you continue to travel east on just the right path, you will be led to where king Abaddon will set up his kingdom. It can only be called a “far country.” In fact, it’s about as far away a far country as one can travel to. There is no place more hidden than king Abaddon’s kingdom land.

This means that the Josephite, once out of his box, will divide his time between both sides of the world, outside here with us, where he was born in America, and also inside where the kingdom he will establish will be. This is absolutely necessary, for he will be performing a work of salvation that must save the whole world, both inside and out, but it also means that from time to time the Josephite will “go missing,” and during these times nobody will be able to figure out where he’s gone to.

From Rod to Root

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (Isaiah 11:1)

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)

There are four parts of the plant mentioned by Isaiah in Isaiah 11:1,10. A rod, the Stem, a Branch and a root. Who are these people? They are:

• Stem=Christ (per D&C 113:1-2)
• Branch=Christ
• Rod=Josephite
• Root=Josephite

The Branch and rod are instruments of destruction and judgment. These are horizontal instruments. They grow horizontally from the plant. What do you do with a branch or a rod? You use it to strike others with it. You hold it horizontally from you, in your hands.

The Stem and root are instruments of salvation and mercy. These are vertical instruments. They grow vertically upward or downward. The Stem, which offers us individual salvation, is not sufficient to save us. Although He brings us up to God, connects us to God, He also needs the root to connect to the rest of us, as a group. Thus, individual salvation is represented by the Stem (Christ), while group salvation is represented by the root (the Josephite.)

Both Jesus and the Josephite will undergo a role reversal, each one performing one role at first, and then the second role at last. So, Christ came as the Stem (and instrument of mercy) during His first coming, and He’ll come as the Branch (and instrument of judgment) during His second coming. And the Josephite started out as the destroying angel, even the rod, in the heavens, as the instrument of God’s judgment, and when he is empowered here on earth, he will resume that exalted position of rod. Thus, curses and destruction will immediately go forth once the guy is powered up, for he resumes his rod role.

And as the rod, he will have one lineage:

What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse?

Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power. (D&C 113:3-4)

With this lineage, he will be “partly” a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim.

But then he will miraculously switch from destroyer to savior, which is entirely impossible, for he was “made to destroy” as Isaiah said, so this switch goes entirely against his very nature, and he will begin a work of salvation, as one of the saviors on mount Zion, this time performing all the work perfectly. This miraculous switch from destroyer to savior, or from judgment to mercy, switches his position, too, from horizontal to vertical, and he becomes the root, an instrument of mercy and salvation.

And as the root, his lineage will be re-assigned (see the post, Re-assignment of parentage) :

What is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter?

Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days. (D&C 113:5-6)

(Notice that no longer is he “partly” descended, but he’s fully descended.)

It is Christ then, not the destroying angel (the Josephite), who will destroy the wicked at the Second Coming, for the Josephite will be in root mode when Christ comes back, while Christ will be in Branch mode.

Thus, there are not four servants spoken of by the designations root, rod, stem and branch, but just two, for there were always just two sons of God who were designated and appointed by God to pull off the entire salvation and redemption of all things: Jesus (who pulled off the infinite amount of suffering required) and the Josephite (who will pull off the infinite amount of work required.)

The prophecies now make sense

Now that I have this understanding that the Josephite is the none other than the destroying angel, and that this angel reports to the Father only, and everyone, including Christ, will be taking orders from him during the end times, and also that he is the very king Abaddon (king Destruction) spoken of in the book of Revelation, many of the prophecies I have taught in private now make a bit more sense.

For example, the CA earthquake I had prophesied about on this blog will be caused by the Josephite, and when I learned that I wondered, “What kind of a prophet or seer goes around destroying things?” It made no sense to me. That is, until I learned who this guy really is. And there are very many other prophecies I have uttered (in private) about the things he will be destroying outright, catastrophically, which show that there will be no gradual changes performed by him, but everything will be a series of jolts. Ready or not, once he gets out, we won’t be able to get off his roller coaster ride of vast and abrupt changes.

Also, the nature of his curses is now apparent to me. In other words, these words don’t apply to him:

And now, verily I say unto you, if that enemy shall escape my vengeance, that he be not brought into judgment before me, then ye shall see to it that ye warn him in my name, that he come no more upon you, neither upon your family, even your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation. (D&C 98:28)

Nobody, but nobody is going to escape this guy’s vengeance. Once this man is out of his box, whoever even looked at him funny is going to be cursed, no matter when they did it. Whoever he feels “escaped” God’s vengeance while he was in his weak state will be dealt with, by miraculous power, so that every enemy of his will be “brought into judgment.” It doesn’t matter how many years the man has been in his box, he undoubtedly has got a list of grievances that people have done to him, and once out, these people are going to suffer. For all we know his enemies have completely forgotten about him, but he undoubtedly has not forgotten about them. In other words, nobody holds a grudge like this guy! His sense of justice will not quit until it is entirely satisfied. And by “entirely,” I mean “entirely” in the Lord’s sense (an hundred-fold!) :

And if he do this, thou shalt forgive him with all thine heart; and if he do not this, I, the Lord, will avenge thee of thine enemy an hundred-fold; and upon his children, and upon his children’s children of all them that hate me, unto the third and fourth generation. (D&C 98:45-46)

This applies equally to those in the church. Anyone at all who offended this man, whether in the church or out, whether in the leadership or not, is getting cursed. And those who have left the church, or removed their names from it, or who are inactive, or who have been excommunicated, will be promptly told to get back in, and if they don’t immediately jump back into those re-baptismal waters and repent, severe curses will go out. There won’t be any long grace period. He will expect immediate compliance, and if there is none forthcoming, he will consider the person disobedient and take immediate and swift and severe action against him. This will apply equally to men and women.

So, this guy isn’t Christlike, at all. He is a saint, sure, but he’s unlike any of the other saints, because his nature is not one of saving, but of destroying.

So, when he is released from his box, the saints are going to have a rude awakening, because none of us have ever experienced someone like this before, someone who will rebuke you if you do something wrong, and if you don’t repent on the spot, will cover you with Job sores:

So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. (Job 2:7)

or with the daughter of Zion curse:

And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground. (Isaiah 3:24-26)

or with whatever else he thinks of, for your wickedness and rebellion. This guy will expect to be obeyed by all, without delay. Submissive obedience and respect to him and his authority, honoring him in his high and holy calling, will be the only way to avoid the penalties he will be dealing out.

Also, we are going to see something that is quite bizarre, for this man will be doing what Jesus did: sending angels to do his bidding at his whim.

And now Jesus knew that John was cast into prison, and he sent angels, and, behold, they came and ministered unto him. (JST Matthew 4:11)

This means that he will be able to convince the world, easily, of the truth of all his words. The church leadership will be utterly convinced, there will be no room for doubt, and thus anyone who disobeys this man will do so with full knowledge that he’s speaking the truth and without any excuse to be made, so that when the curses immediately fall upon them, they won’t be able to say they didn’t know what was coming.

Also, the planets will be easily manipulated by him, using his miraculous power, or using his throne, for he will be obeyed in all things, by all things, except by the rebellious. In other words, we are in for the show of shows, as the Father puts all things, all power, all authority, into this one man’s hands. And thus, as the Josephite is the Father’s emissary, it will be the Father who prepares the way of His Son, just as the scriptures state:

The Father prepares the way

And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying:

Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things—and when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel. (1 Nephi 14:16-17)

Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. (3 Nephi 21:27-28)

The end times work is of the Father, not the Son

So, the work of the Father, as the scriptures in the Book of Mormon repeatedly say, will commence in the last days:

And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth. (2 Nephi 30:8)

And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel,

saith the Lord. (2 Nephi 3:13)

Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto you, house of Israel, when the work shall commence, that ye shall be about to prepare to return to the land of your inheritance; yea, behold, I write unto all the ends of the earth; yea, unto you, twelve tribes of Israel, who shall be judged according to your works by the twelve whom Jesus chose to be his disciples in the land of Jerusalem. (Mormon 3:17-18)

And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. (3 Nephi 21:26-28)

And when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things—it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel. (3 Nephi 21:7)

Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land. (Ether 4:17)

and this work will be performed by the Father’s emissary of justice, who is the destroying angel, who is Joseph-Nephi, who is the Father’s messenger, just as the Father told Malachi:

And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them. And it came to pass that after they were written he expounded them. And these are the words which he did tell unto them, saying:

Thus said the Father unto Malachi—

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. (3 Nephi 24:1)

The Father, then, not the Son, will be sending a messenger during the end times, and this messenger will come authorized by the Father, not by just the Son. This is not to say that the Josephite, being already a member of the LDS church (according to my understanding), will not possess the two priesthoods (of Melchizedek and of Aaron.) We can expect that he will, indeed, possess these priesthoods, like every other male member of the church. However, he will also possess the seal of the living God, which is of the Father:

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, (Revelation 7:2)

Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?

A. We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying:

Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things. (D&C 77:9)

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1)

When the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his Father’s name written on their foreheads. (D&C 133:18)

So, this is not Aaronic priesthood, nor Melchizedek priesthood. This is something above and beyond what we have. We don’t have it, but the Josephite will have it. How will he get it? Probably directly from the Father Himself. He is the Father’s personal servant, after all. He’s got direct access to Him.

Before the end times begins

But let me back it up a little bit. Before the Father’s work begins, the Josephite is put into a spiritual box in which he cannot make not even one degree of progress:

Then I said,

I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: (Isaiah 49:4)

While in this box, he “cooks,” pushing against the spiritual forces locking him in, performing a spiritual isometric press, becoming stronger and stronger in faith, but continually frustrated. At some point he will finally be strong enough to get out and he will then be given what I call his “carrot on a stick.”

yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, (Isaiah 49:4)

This carrot must be, at least in part, the kingdom I have been talking about, with lands and a house or palace and servants, etc. His house or palace, in fact, has been prophesied by Isaiah to be “glorious.” So, we know it is particularly special and probably is going to be constructed in a miraculous manner. In other words, it will be an “impossible-to-exist” house:

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)

As I explained in the last post (The Prophet who is like unto Moses), the Josephite will be bringing a special group of Gentiles with him to the Lost Ten Tribes.

Concerning the records of the Lost Ten Tribes, we know nothing. Joseph-Nephi will likely have to go to wherever these tribes have been placed, and get their records, bringing their records back to the Gentiles, in powerful translated forms. Once the Gentiles have all the words of Christ that were given to the Jews, to the Nephites, to the Lost Ten Tribes, and to any other scattered branch of Israel, then the prophecy of the Gentiles rejecting the fullness of the gospel can be literally fulfilled.

Concerning the Gentiles bringing these records to the Jews, to the Nephites, and to the Lost Ten Tribes and any other scattered branch of Israel, it shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish this feat for the Jews and the Nephites, but as for the Lost Ten Tribes, given they are hidden away somewhere, Joseph-Nephi may need to bring a group of Gentiles with him, who possess all these records, so that they can fulfill the prophecies and give them to the tribes.

The fact, then, that Joseph-Nephi will be traveling to where the Lost Ten Tribes are to get their records, and traveling back to where the Gentiles are, and then traveling with Gentiles to where the Lost Ten Tribes are, so they can give the other tribal records to the Lost Ten Tribes, and also the fact that at some point, when Joseph-Nephi will begin to gather the tribes together he will again need to go to where the tribes are, because the function of the keys of gathering indicate a need for him to personally lead the Lost Ten Tribes back to their original tribal lands:

After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north. (D&C 110:11)

All of this indicates that Joseph-Nephi will have untrammeled access to travel back and forth, to and from the place where the Lost Ten Tribes are. For others it will be impossible to get to them, but not for him (and this special group of Gentiles he may bring with him.)

We can assume, then, that this special group of Gentiles will be part of his carrot. Perhaps they will consist of his family and friends, taken from the outside world and brought to the inside world, where his kingdom is.

After he obtains his miraculous carrot (whatever it entails), he will then start his own work:

yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. (Isaiah 49:4)

This is not the Father’s work, but the Josephite’s work. Whatever it consists of, it’s going to be huge, affecting the entire world. Like the carrot, it will be a work of miracles and restoration, only on a much grander scale. Only after the Josephite has obtained his carrot and fully established his own work will the Father’s work begin. And it is the Father’s work that officially begins the end times.

The end times prophecies begin in 1 Nephi 13

I have already gone over the prophecies found in 1 Nephi 13 and 14, so I will not take time to review them in this post. Where 1 Nephi chapter 14 ends, Revelation chapter 4 begins, so let’s jump ahead to John’s end times vision.

A review of the Revelation of St. John the Divine

Given that Elias the Josephite is the point man for all things during the end times, we can expect that he will be found all over John’s end times vision.

The first voice, speaking like a trumpet

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said,

Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1)

This loud voice may have been the Josephite’s voice. It would make sense that it was his voice, given that he is the one in charge of all end times affairs and he is the first sign that appears. Also, notice that the voice commands John to come up. A trademark of the Josephite’s is him barking orders to people.

A strong angel concerned with the sealed book

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,

Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? (Revelation 5:2)

The destroyer is described as being strong. Also, this angel is particularly concerned with the sealed book. The sealed book is the sealed portion of the plates of Mormon (per my understanding), and it is the Josephite who will be the one that translates it, therefore it makes sense that this angel is the Josephite.

A voice from the midst of the four beasts, commanding not to hurt

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say,

Come and see.

And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say,

A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. (Revelation 6:5-6)

As we shall see later, both the angel ascending from the east and king Abaddon (who are one and the same person) give “hurt not” commandments. This voice is likewise giving similar commands, therefore, this voice is possibly also the destroyer’s voice.

The angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God, commanding not to hurt

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying,

Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (Revelation 7:2-3)

Per Joseph Smith, this is the Elias who restores all things. Therefore, this is the destroyer, Elias the Josephite. Notice, also, that this angel has a loud voice, just as the first voice was loud like a trumpet. The location of this angel is “from the east,” meaning that this angel (the Josephite) is already by this time established on the interior surface of the planet, as king Abaddon, and so he is ascending out of the interior of the earth, from his kingdom, to the outer surface of the planet.

The eighth angel at the altar

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:3-5)

This eighth angel might also be the Josephite. Notice that he is in heaven with the seven angels. He is the one that gets everything started, before the seven angels begin sounding their trumpets, after the seventh seal is opened and the space of about a half hour of time has passed. It would make sense that this angel, then, is the Josephite, because this angel is doing exactly what the Josephite does: leading everything. Also, although he is an eighth angel, he is not numbered by John as part of the seven. He’s separate from the other angels. That fits the Josephite.

The flying angel with a loud voice, saying “Woe!”

And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice,

Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! (Revelation 8:13)

This may be the Josephite.

King Abaddon, the angel of the bottomless pit

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

…

And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:1-4,11)

This star which fell from heaven, who is the angel of the bottomless pit, who is king Abaddon/king Apollyon, is definitely Elias the Josephite. Notice that king Abaddon commands the insects not to hurt the grass or any green thing or any tree, and that he mentions the seal of the living God in the foreheads of the sealed men. The Josephite is in root mode at this point, and therefore is trying to save all that can be saved.

Now, I wish to speak about these insects for a bit, since they have something to do with the Josephite.

The Lord’s insect army

Revelation chapter nine is often interpreted as containing prophetic symbolism for wars among men during the end times. John’s description of the locusts, horses and horsemen is typically interpreted as symbolically referring to the war machinery and weapons used by soldiers of the last days. Joel chapters one and two speak of the same events happening in Revelation chapter nine, with Joel also referring to locusts, horses and horsemen. And so many also interpret the first and second chapters of Joel as referring to wars among men during the end times, and thus as mere symbols.

The truth of the matter is that these three chapters are not referring to men, but to an insect army, a swarm of insects, the likes of which the world has never before seen. The Lord created these peculiar insects during the Creation of the world, and then hid the creatures, away from men, to multiply endlessly for nearly 6,000 years, so that He could unleash them upon the wicked of the last days as a plague. They have been kept in check, in their hidden place, this whole time. Joel and John both attempt to describe what these things look like, how they behave and what they can do. Neither Joel nor John had ever seen such insects before because the Lord has kept them hidden. They are described as locusts, horses and horsemen because the insects are of different classes, orders, stages or types. As nobody has ever seen these things before, when they finally make their appearance, we will fully understand that the description of them that John and Joel made was accurate.

Now, I will show from the Bible, from both Joel and Revelation, that these two servants of God were prophesying of (Joel) and seeing in vision (John) the very same event.

Both mention locusts

That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. (Joel 1:4)

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (Revelation 9:3)

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (Revelation 9:7)

Both mention the creatures resembling horses and horsemen

The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. (Joel 2:4)

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (Revelation 9:7)

And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. (Revelation 9:9)

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. (Revelation 9:16-17)

Both mention the creatures setting things on fire

O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. (Joel 1:19-20)

A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. (Joel 2:3)

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. (Joel 2:5)

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. (Revelation 9:17-18)

Both mention the people being in pain or torment

Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. (Joel 2:6)

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. (Revelation 9:5)

Both mention the creatures causing the Sun to be darkened

The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: (Joel 2:10)

And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. (Revelation 9:2)

Both provide imagery of a flying swarm of insects

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. (Joel 2:1-2)

And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (Revelation 9:2-3)

Both mention that the creatures make the sound of chariots

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. (Joel 2:5)

And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. (Revelation 9:9)

Both mention the creatures have teeth like lions

For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. (Joel 1:6)

And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. (Revelation 9:8)

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. (Revelation 9:17)

Both call the creatures an army

The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: and the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:10-11)

Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. (Joel 2:19-20)

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. (Revelation 9:16)

Other details differ between the two accounts

Joel calls the creatures “a nation” that is “without number” and that they are “a great people and a strong” and that “there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it.”

For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. (Joel 1:6)

A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. (Joel 2:2)

Whereas John actually gives a number of 200 million to them:

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. (Revelation 9:16)

The reason for the discrepancy is that John is speaking of a specific insect type, which he calls “the horsemen,” which is of a limited number, numbering but 200 million, whereas the rest of “the army,” consisting of other types of insects, are without number.

Joel says the insects devour everything and “nothing shall escape them.”

He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. (Joel 1:7)

A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. (Joel 2:3)

Whereas John says they are commanded to not hurt (eat) the plants.

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. (Revelation 9:4)

It could be that John here was specifically referring only to not hurting the grass, plants and trees of the righteous, and not to all plant life in general. This may make sense, considering the angels were told by Elias not to hurt the plant life only until the 144,000 are sealed in their foreheads.

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying,

Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (Revelation 7:2-3)

Once they are sealed (and they got sealed in chapter 7, in an event that occurs before chapter 9), then plants can be harmed. But the plants of the righteous (their crops) should be just as protected by the seal as the righteous themselves. So, this may be an instruction concerning not harming the crops of the righteous.

Speculation on where the bugs come from

Okay, so the above is my official interpretation, namely, that these are insects of a kind God has kept hidden from us, which is why the descriptions given by Joel and John are so confusing to people. Now I’m going to speculate a little bit about where these bugs come from.

There is one location I have heard of that might be a proper place for the “hidden place” of these bugs: the Inner Sun of the hollow earth. Legend has it that the Inner Sun is at the center of the earth, surrounded by a vacuum of space, thus nothing at the Inner Sun can get to the shell of the earth, and nothing at the shell can get to the Inner Sun suspended in the sky by gravity at the center, or pit, of the hollow shell. The King James Version calls the place these bugs come from, “the bottomless pit,” although other translations call it, “the pit of the abyss.” Certainly, considering the descriptions I’ve heard about this peculiar celestial object, the Inner Sun can be described as a pit of the abyss. It is very much like the pit of a fruit, if we think of the earth as a very large fruit with a pit at its center spot.

If the Inner Sun is also hollow, like the outer earth shell, then it might have polar openings like the earth does, each of which may give the impression of an immeasurably deep gulf, even a “bottomless pit.” Regardless of the way we define the word “pit”—as the pit at the center of a fruit, or as a deep hole’s innermost recess—the Inner Sun seems to fit the description.

Now descriptions of the Inner Sun are that one side of it (one of its hemispheres) shines with light, while the other side (the other hemisphere) does not, with the base of the Sun being dark but allowing some light to shine through, very much in the shape and glow of a moon, and also like twinkling stars. Apparently, the way the shell spins around it, presents an illusion of a rising and setting sun and a rising and setting moon, and also of twinkling stars in the heavens above.

Now, what has never been explained in the various descriptions that I have read is why one half of it is dark, or semi-dark (if it shines like the moon or twinkles like stars.) If we assume that this Inner Sun exists as described, and if we assume that there are some flying insects we don’t know about, then it may be that the Lord put “His great army” of very special insects on one hemisphere of this glowing Inner Sun orb, to cover its surface, making it dark. It may be that these insects feed off of the radiation given by the Inner Sun, and sometimes they gather, allowing some light to shine forth as the “moon” or as “twinkling stars.” As men do not live on the Inner Sun, but on the inner and outer surface of the earth’s shell, and as there is a vacuum of space between the Inner Sun and the shell, these insects would never have had any interaction with man since the day of their creation.

Thus, they would be hidden “in plain sight,” for men living on the inner surface of the shell would look up at night at the dark side of the Inner Sun and the darkness they would see would really be the bodies of these innumerable insects upon the surface of the Inner Sun, blocking the light, but they would never know it.

Also, the description of the insects as having breastplates of iron and so forth makes it seem like they are prepared or created to inhibit a place where conditions are really harsh, such as the surface of an Inner Sun, and the description of fire and smoke and brimstone coming out of their mouths may simply mean that these things absorb Inner Sun radiation, but also may release it from their mouths, just like the fictional Godzilla does, except for real.

The fiery flying serpents

Of especial note is that these insects fly and belch fire. The fiery flying serpents that the Lord sent to afflict the Israelites in the wilderness did the same thing:

And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. (Numbers 21:6)

The Book of Numbers does not say that they flew, but Nephi says they were fiery flying serpents:

And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. (1 Nephi 17:41)

Also Isaiah says fiery flying serpents in his prophecy:

Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. (Isaiah 14:29)

Now, the reason why this may be important is that both the creatures described by Joel and John, as well as the fiery flying serpents, may be denizens of the surface of the Inner Sun. This is why both belch fire and also why they fly. It requires the Lord, or one of His angels working a miracle, to allow whatever is on the surface of the Inner Sun to travel through the vacuum of space to the inner or outer surface of the earth’s shell without dying. Nevertheless, the creatures can’t walk the distance, but must fly. So, it may be that all these various creatures living on the surface of the Inner Sun fly for this very reason, so that if the Lord extends the atmosphere which is found above the Inner Sun, so that it reaches and connects to the atmosphere surrounding the shell, the creatures, be they fiery flying serpents or fiery flying insects, can fly to the new location.

So, when we read:

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (Revelation 9:1-3)

If “the bottomless pit” is the Inner Sun, then smoke cannot come out of it and go into the void or vacuum of space. Smoke cannot arise in a vacuum. So, the angel must be extending the Inner Sun atmosphere to connect to the outer shell atmosphere, allowing the insects to escape to the outer world. The smoke itself may not even be smoke. That may simply be the dark “cloud” of the swarming insects as they ascend up and outward to the outer world. And, given that their breastplates are, as it were, “of iron,” it may be that these creatures naturally follow the Earth’s magnetic lines of force. In other words, as soon at the angel extends the atmosphere, they rise, following the magnetic lines outward. This may explain why Joel describes them as being very ordered, marching in ranks or columns:

They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. (Joel 2:7-8)

As for their numbers being innumerable, it may be that they are stacked, one on top of another, on the surface of the Inner Sun, feeding off of the radiation there, and as they multiply, they add more levels to the stack, so that it gets higher and higher and higher over time. The only limitation may be the extent of the solar atmosphere, which may be many miles high. Given the reduced gravity on that orb, none of them may topple over or be pressed by any weight. Thus, for 6000 years the Lord can continuously multiply His “northern army” without any humans or natural predators to molest them, so that they become a truly endless number of creatures. Thus, Joel’s words about the appearance of this particular army being such a spectacular event that has never happened before makes a bit more sense:

Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. (Joel 1:2-3)

A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. (Joel 2:2)

The Lord is obviously quite proud of this innumerable insect army He has created. After this event happens, we will be talking about it in astonishment for quite some time. Okay, the speculation is over.

King Abaddon’s natural jurisdiction

Elias the Josephite, in his capacity as king Abaddon, living in his hidden, inner earth kingdom, would have jurisdiction over the Inner Sun, as well as the rest of the inner earth world. Thus, he would be the one who would possess “the key to the bottomless pit,” where all these insects come from. These are all the “secret places,” the treasures of which the end times Cyrus was prophesied to get:

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.(Isaiah 45:1-4)

(And what will be the surname that God will give the end times Cyrus? It will be Joseph-Nephi.)

So the Josephite destroyer will go into the interior of the earth (bringing with him some Gentiles he selects) and there he will establish his kingdom. We may assume, then, that initially his kingdom land will occupy only a portion of the landmass found within the earth. (The other portion of land will be inhabited by the Ten Lost Tribes.) Later the Ten Lost Tribes will come out of the interior of the earth, to the outer world, leaving the interior uninhabited, except for the Josephite and the people of his kingdom, which kingdom will then extend to all of it. Thus, he will become the king of the whole interior, whose jurisdiction must also encompass every part of it, including the Inner Sun.

It is important that he be there, too, because it is in the Inner Sun (assuming that it is the bottomless pit) where the devil will be bound for a thousand years. It is king Abaddon the Josephite destroyer who will bind Satan and his angels, and it will be king Abaddon residing on the inner surface of the planet, gazing up at the Inner Sun, who watches over the devil, making sure he remains bound. Thus he becomes the keeper or warden of this prison for the devil and the one-third, and must reside on the inside surface of the earth, where he can keep watch over it.

Okay, I’ll continue going through Revelation.

A continuation of the review of Revelation

The voice that came from the four horns of the golden altar

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet,

Loose the four angels which are bound in the bottomless pit. (JST Revelation 9:13-14)

This might be the voice of the Josephite.

The mighty angel standing upon the sea and the earth

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. (Revelation 10:1-3)

The destroyer is said to be mighty. This angel may very well be the Josephite. Most latter-day saints believe this angel is the seventh angel, who is the archangel (Michael), because of what is written in D&C 88, but this angel is not identified by John as the seventh angel. Also, this angel swears with an oath and speaks of the sounding of the trumpet of the seventh angel:

And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:5-7)

So, “the angel…sware…that…in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,…the mystery of God should be finished.” Thus, he cannot be the seventh angel, because he is talking of someone else who is the seventh angel.

It also makes sense that this angel is Elias the Josephite because he ends up giving John an Elias mission, and who would be better to give an Elias mission to John, save Elias himself?

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him,

Give me the little book.

And he said unto me,

Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me,

Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. (Revelation 10:9-11)

Notice also that John requests that he be given the book (for the words, “Give me the little book,” is a request, not a command, for Elias cannot be commanded), but the angel does not give the book but instead commands John to “Take it, and eat it up.” This angel is the one barking orders, just as the Josephite will do.

Now, concerning that scripture in D&C 88, which I am sure some reader will bring up:

And then shall the first angel again sound his trump in the ears of all living, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the mighty works of God in the first thousand years. And then shall the second angel sound his trump, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the thoughts and intents of their hearts, and the mighty works of God in the second thousand years—and so on, until the seventh angel shall sound his trump; and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swear in the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer; and Satan shall be bound, that old serpent, who is called the devil, and shall not be loosed for the space of a thousand years. (D&C 88:108-110)

The order given in the section for the trumps sounding and the standing of the angel upon the sea and land is different than what is given in the Revelation of John. The mighty angel of Revelation chapter ten stands upon the sea and earth after the sixth trump sounds and before the seventh trump sounds, whereas the angel standing upon the sea and earth in D&C 88 stands upon the land and sea after all seven trumps have been blown the first time, and then all seven trumps are blown a second time, and only after the second time, does this angel swear that there shall be time no longer. Everyone who reads this passage in D&C 88 assumes that the “he” of “and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea” is the angel that is mentioned just before the semicolon: “the seventh angel shall sound his trump;” but that semicolon might represent a shift of focus, whereby the Lord is now talking about someone different than the seventh angel. In other words, He might now be talking of the Josephite and not the seventh angel (who is Michael.)

The angel who has two witnesses

The angel who spoke to John in Revelation chapter ten, continued to speak to him in chapter eleven:

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying,

Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. (Revelation 11:1-4)

This is yet more evidence that this angel is none other than the Elias who restores all things: the Josephite. The Josephite comes with two witnesses, per Zechariah:

Then answered I, and said unto him,

What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

And I answered again, and said unto him,

What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?

And he answered me and said,

Knowest thou not what these be?

And I said,

No, my lord.

Then said he,

These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. (Zechariah 4:11-14)

These two witnesses will be men who witness the entirety of the restoration of all things, in all its infinite greatness. Every single miracle that Joseph-Nephi does, these two men will see, so that they will be able to testify to the whole thing, from beginning to end. This will fulfill the law of witnesses.

In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. (2 Corinthians 13:1)

So, although there is only one man (the Josephite) who will perform an infinite number of impossible tasks, there will also be two men who will be able to say that they saw him do it all.

The destroyer’s helpers will likewise be destroyers

Before I continue through Revelation, I wish to explain something about the destroyer’s helpers.

Elias the Josephite destroyer will have two witnesses, plus four (or eight) angelic helpers, plus John the Beloved. These helpers all act as Elias destroyers. Also, there will be 144,000 high priests.

Now, the principle is the same as with Christ. Just as Christ the Savior has His helpers, who are His servants, acting as saviors, who represent Him and do the same things He does, so Elias the destroying angel’s helpers will act as Eliases and destroyers, representing him and doing the same kind of things he does.

Thus, John the Beloved apostle of Christ will destroy through that curse that he put upon the waters.

And the two witnesses who stand by the Lord/God of the whole earth, who is the Josephite, will also act as Elias destroyers:

And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. (Revelation 11:5-6)

They will be killing people, through miracles, and sending out plagues and curses at will. These two miracle-working prophets, in fact, will be so powered up, that I suspect that they aren’t just any two people. Everyone has their own idea as to the identity of the two witnesses, but based upon this gift of the working of miracles that they will manifest, which so closely matches the same gift that the Josephite will have, this may be a genetic thing. In other words, it may be that the two witnesses will be none other than the Josephite’s sons. This makes a bit of sense to me, given that they will get to witness the whole miraculous work, from beginning to end, so they must have an extra close and special relationship to the destroyer.

The four angelic helpers are also said to be destroyers:

Q. What are we to understand by the four angels, spoken of in the 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness. (D&C 77:8)

So, these are likewise acting as Elias destroyers. The identity of these four seem to me to be translated Nephites, namely, the three translated Nephite disciples of Christ, plus one more. The fourth may be Alma the younger. I haven’t, as yet, made that determination.

There are also four angels spoken of in this passage:

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet,

Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. (Revelation 9:13-15)

These four may be the same four spoken of before, or an additional four. Either way, they are acting as Elias destroyers, for their purpose is “to slay the third part of men.”

Joseph Smith received the following about the 144,000:

Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel—twelve thousand out of every tribe?

A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn. (D&C 77:11)

If they are administering the everlasting gospel, then they are performing ordinances of salvation and exaltation among the populace of the world. This is the spirit of Elijah, which deals with priesthood and keys and ordinances, and the spirit of Elias, which deals with the word of God (for surely they will also be preaching the gospel); but they don’t appear, from the scriptures, to be cursing anyone or killing anyone or destroying anything. So, calling them Elias destroyers may be premature. Nevertheless, if they are the group that will be “binding up the law and sealing the testimony” not only among the righteous (see the post, What It Means to Bind Up the Law and Seal Up the Testimony), but also among the unbelievers and rebellious, delivering them “over unto darkness,” then perhaps it can be said that they will be acting as Elias destroyers:

Therefore, tarry ye, and labor diligently, that you may be perfected in your ministry to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time, as many as the mouth of the Lord shall name, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come; that their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and in the world to come. (D&C 88:84-85)

Behold, and lo, there are none to deliver you; for ye obeyed not my voice when I called to you out of the heavens; ye believed not my servants, and when they were sent unto you ye received them not. Wherefore, they sealed up the testimony and bound up the law, and ye were delivered over unto darkness. (D&C 133:71-72)

Okay, so now I’ll return to John’s Revelation vision.

Back to reviewing Revelation

A great voice from heaven

And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them,

Come up hither.

And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (Revelation 11:12)

The two witnesses will be killed and then three and a half days later they will come back alive. Then they hear this great voice telling them to come up to heaven, and they ascend. Whose voice is it? The most obvious answer is it is the Josephite’s voice. They are his witnesses, after all. He would be the one to call them to him, for their place is by his side, for they “stand by the Lord of the whole earth,” who is king Abaddon.

Now, it needs to be understood that the Josephite must complete the whole work of salvation and redemption by the sounding of the seventh trump:

Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming. (D&C 77:12)

And his witnesses must see it all. So, by the time the two miracle-working prophets start the days of their prophecy, we can assume that the Josephite will have finished all the work of salvation and redemption for the dead, from the days of Adam to the present, and all the work of salvation and redemption for the living, and all the work of salvation and redemption for the as-yet unborn, so that all that is left to do is to go to the spirit world and fully complete the preaching of the dead that Jesus Christ started:

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1 Peter 3:18-20)

For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Peter 4:6)

Jesus spent about a day and a half in the spirit world, preaching to the spirits in paradise, and organized a missionary force to go and preach to the spirits in prison (according to the vision of Joseph F. Smith.) This missionary force has been preaching to the spirits in prison ever since, which is a period of nearly 2000 years now. However, given that the Josephite must re-do everyone’s work perfectly, he will need to go to the spirit world and re-do all of the preaching, all by himself, while all the spirit missionaries rest from their labors. This same principle applies for all the other work that he does, too, for when he starts working, we all will stand still and just watch, for our imperfect works will cease and we will behold perfection unfold before our very eyes:

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. (D&C 123:17)

So, our works only continue until the Josephite begins working.

Now, the prophecy of the two witnesses begins after the sixth angel has sounded his trumpet and before the seventh angel has sounded. So, after the two witnesses have finished their prophecy and are killed, their bodies remain dead for three and a half days. This means that their spirits go to the spirit world, to be with the destroyer, for he will be there as an embodied spirit, even as a translated man, whereas they will be there as disembodied spirits, and thus, as disembodied spirits they will be able to view the spirit world and witness the work of preaching that he does, resuming their position by his side, as his witnesses. The Josephite won’t be a disembodied spirit, because his preaching must be a miracle, and given that it is impossible for a physically-embodied man to preach to spirits—for spirit missionaries are required to preach to spirits, while embodied missionaries are required to preach to embodied people—he will do it anyway, performing this impossible task nonetheless. And he will do it in record time, too, taking only three and a half days to preach to every single soul found in the spirit world, convincing everyone of the truth and establishing the two-handed condition among them. That work of preaching being finished, he will either ascend to heaven, while his two witnesses use their own miracle-working gift to re-enter their bodies, coming back alive, or he will use his miracle-working gift to bring them back alive and then he will ascend to heaven. (Either way, he ends up in heaven and they end up alive again, on earth.) Then they will hear the voice of the destroyer speaking to them from heaven to “come up hither” and they will ascend to again be by his side, to witness the final act he does, just before the seventh trumpet sounds, which is this:

And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying,

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:13-15)

The angel that commands the Son of Man

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud,

Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (Revelation 14:14-16)

Only the Josephite has authority to command Christ and have Him obey like this. He is the only one who fits as being this angel.

The angel with power over fire

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying,

Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. (Revelation 14:17-18)

Again, the Josephite speaks with a loud voice and barks orders to everyone, so he fits here, too. Now, it may seem strange that the Josephite appears to be all over the place, on earth, in heaven, in the bottomless pit, in the interior of the earth, everywhere apparently. It is normal for one to say, “It cannot all be him. He cannot be everywhere at once. It is absolutely impossible to be in two places at once!” But keep in mind that the Josephite must do an infinite amount of impossible work in an impossibly short amount of time, and thus nothing can nor will be impossible for him to do in order to accomplish it all, not even being in two or more places at the same time. (Try wrapping your mind around that.) So, every single one of these instances may literally be him.

Also, this angel has power over fire. Will the Josephite have power over fire? Of course, he will.

The great voice out of the temple commanding the seven angels with the plagues

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels,

Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. (Revelation 16:1)

This is probably the voice of the Josephite.

The great voice coming out of the temple saying, “It is done.”

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying,

It is done. (Revelation 16:17)

Again, this is probably the voice of the Josephite. He starts the whole thing and he is the one who will say when it is finished.

The angel having great power

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,

Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (Revelation 18:1-3)

This angel is quite possibly the Josephite.

The mighty angel throwing the millstone

And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying,

Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. (Revelation 18:21)

This guy has “Josephite destroyer” written all over him.

The angel standing in the Sun

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven,

Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. (Revelation 19:17-18)

The Josephite certainly will have power to stand in the Sun, plus this angel has a loud voice and is inviting the fowls to feast upon wicked men. That’s something that probably only the destroyer would delight in.

The angel that binds the dragon

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:1-3)

This is Elias the Josephite, who has power to seal all things, including Satan and his angels. Notice, also, that here the Josephite, who is embodied, is laying hold of a spirit being, and binding him. This is altogether impossible, but he does it anyway.

About the end times plagues and destruction

John’s Revelation vision has seven seals opened, then seven trumpets blown and finally seven vials full of plagues poured out, with some major events happening each time afterward. Every time something major happens, it should be understood that the Josephite is the one causing it. (Even the actions of the wicked during the end times are but reactions to something he does.) The angels blowing trumpets or pouring out vials do not cause the prophesied major events that follow to happen. They merely exercise faith that the prophecies will be fulfilled, and then the Josephite uses his gift of the working of miracles to make them happen. After all, these things are all curses and death and destruction and demolition, which is his area of expertise. (Nevertheless, the final end of the wicked, in which they are burned up by the brightness of the Lord’s coming, won’t be the handiwork of the Josephite destroyer, but of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will be coming back as a destroying Elias, even as Elias the Messiah, who is the Branch.)

Yet more keys to discerning impostors

The information in this post, then, gives yet more keys to discern impostors who may appear, claiming to be the Elias who restores all things. For example, anyone who claims to be Elias, who says he saw the Father and the Son, and that the Son gave him instructions, or that he saw angels and the angels gave him instructions, is an impostor. Anyone who is not professing to be a king, is probably not Elias. (I assume he will let it be known that he is a king from a far country.) Anyone who is meek and lowly and Christlike and loving and kind and forgiving, etc., is probably an impostor. Elias will be sharp tongued, offending people left and right. He will not be adverse to using force and may even mock people. And he will undoubtedly have enemies and have no qualms about destroying them. In fact, Elias will have five points of motivation for getting out of his box:

• Simply getting out (so that he can finally progress)
• Avenging himself of his enemies
• Obtaining his beloved carrot
• Engaging in his personal work
• Doing the Father’s great and marvelous work of restoring all things

The second point in particular, about the enemies, is extremely important. As the Lord said,

Therefore, inasmuch as you are found transgressors, you cannot escape my wrath in your lives. (D&C 104:8)

so it will be with the Josephite. None of his enemies will escape his wrath. Even if his enemies die before he gets out of his box, the man will merely rewind the time to a point at which they are yet alive, and then severely punish them.

So those who come before us in sheep’s clothing, pretending to be Elias, who have no enemies, cannot be him. Elias will be more like a devouring and lone wolf than a saintly lamb. Everything about the man will be intimidating, even perhaps in his weak state.

More on the end times Cyrus prophecy

Concerning just how intimidating the Josephite will be, I’ll turn again to Isaiah’s prophecy of the end times Cyrus:

I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:5-6)

We see from this that the Father Himself is going to gird the Josephite for the express purpose of having the whole world know that there is no God besides the Father.

I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward,

saith the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 45:13)

And the Father Himself will raise this man, in righteousness, and direct all his ways.

Thus saith the LORD,

The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying,

Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. (Isaiah 45:14-16)

So, God will deliver the entire world’s wealth and its inhabitants to this man and they shall fall down before him and supplicate to him and confess that God is in him.

Surely, shall one say,

in the LORD have I righteousness and strength:

even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. (Isaiah 45:24)

Again, we see from this that there will be one (and that “one” is the Josephite) who will obtain righteousness and strength (see the post, The Strength of the Lord) through the Lord, and to him men will come and everyone who opposes him or who is angry at him, will be cursed. Given all of the above (and more like scriptures), describing the Josephite as “intimidating” may actually be a gross understatement.

Don’t make the fatal mistake

My hope with this post is that we don’t make the mistake of rejecting this guy because of his abrasive nature. Many people who expect an end times servant to come have the wrong idea about what he’s going to be like, or who he is, or who he was in the heavens. Having a proper understanding of the Josephite’s pre-mortal role as the destroying angel, the Father’s royal executioner and His emissary of justice, and as an actual king over an actual kingdom here on earth, with an earthly throne and also a heavenly throne (the monstrous comet!), will allow us to more easily identify him when he appears, to more easily understand his destructive nature and to more easily submit to his authority (which will be from the Father, not just from the Son.) Also, because of his tendency to curse those who slight him, submission to his authority will mean the difference between being cursed and blessed, miserable and happy, alive and dead, saved and damned. In other words, let this guy have his way in all things! Having a knowledge, then, of his nature will allow us to make allowances for it, instead of getting offended and committing spiritual suicide by rejecting him. As long as we take as our example the third captain of fifty, and grovel before before the Elias destroyer, we will survive his advent:

And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him,

O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. (2 Kings 1:13)

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John the Revelator is not the Elias who restores all things

Revelation chapter 10 reads as follows:

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,

Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said,

Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him,

Give me the little book.

And he said unto me,

Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me,

Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. (Revelation Chapter 10)

Joseph Smith was asked a question about the book and gave the following answer by revelation:

Q. What are we to understand by the little book which was eaten by John, as mentioned in the 10th chapter of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that it was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things. (D&C 77:14)

Everyone who reads this scripture thinks that the part that says, “this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things” must be referring to John, but the question was not asked about John, but about what we should understand by the little book that he ate.

Where it is written

Joseph Smith said, by revelation, that “this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things.” So, where is it written that Elias must come and restore all things? Here:

And his disciples asked him, saying,

Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

And Jesus answered and said unto them,

Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. (Matt. 17:10-11)

Lots of Eliases, but there’s only one Elias who restores all things

Now, there are lots of different Eliases, for Elias (which is simply the name Elijah translated from the Greek) is a title for anyone who is sent by the Lord to prepare the way before Him. Jesus taught the following to His disciples:

But I say unto you,

Who is Elias? Behold, this is Elias, whom I send to prepare the way before me. (JST Matt. 17:13)

This means that all angels operate as Eliases, because part of their mission is to prepare the way of the Lord:

…neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness. And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him. And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men. (Moroni 7:29-32)

Also, all men who prepare the way of the Lord operate as Eliases. Thus, both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ (who prepared the way of the Father) are Eliases, nevertheless, there is a specific Elias who restores all things:

And he [John the Baptist] confessed, and denied not that he was Elias; but confessed, saying;

I am not the Christ.

And they asked him, saying;

How then art thou Elias?

And he said,

I am not that Elias who was to restore all things.

And they asked him, saying,

Art thou that prophet?

And he answered,

No.

Then said they unto him,

Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

He said,

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,

Make straight the way of the Lord,

as saith the prophet Esaias.

And they who were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him;

Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not the Christ, nor Elias who was to restore all things, neither that prophet?

John answered them, saying;

I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is of whom I bear record. He is that prophet, even Elias, who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose, or whose place I am not able to fill; for he shall baptize, not only with water, but with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. (JST John 1:21-28)

We see from this that John the Baptist identified both himself and Jesus Christ as Eliases (and he also identified Jesus as the Prophet that Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 18:15-19), but John indicated that he himself was not that Elias who restores all things.

Thus, there is more than one Elias spoken of in prophecy, but they are different people performing different works at different times, and not just the same person reincarnated or transmigrated, such as for example Elijah the Tishbite coming back to earth and being born again as John the Baptist, as some erroneously believe and teach. No, these are all different Eliases, meaning different people bearing the same title of Elias.

The Elias who restores all things is not a composite personage

Nevertheless, nor is the Elias who restores all things a bunch of different people, like a composite Elias, which erroneous teaching was taught by Bruce R. McConkie and others:

According to the plan and program of the Lord, the dispensation of the fulness of times is “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). This restoration is to be effected by Elias. Before the winding up of the Lord’s work, the promise is: “Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things” (Matt. 17:11). With these ancient scriptures before us, these questions arise: Who is the promised Elias who was to come and restore all things? Has the work of restoration taken place? Or is it something that is yet future?

Correcting the Bible by the spirit of revelation, the Prophet restored a statement of John the Baptist which says that Christ is the Elias who was to restore all things (Inspired Version, John 1:21-28). By revelation we are also informed that the Elias who was to restore all things is the angel Gabriel who was known in mortality as Noah (D&C 27:6-7; Luke 1:5-25; Teachings, p. 157). From the same authentic source we also learn that the promised Elias is John the Revelator (D&C 77:9, 14). Thus there are three different revelations which name Elias as being three different persons. What are we to conclude?

By finding answer to the question, by whom has the restoration been effected, we shall find who Elias is and find there is no problem in harmonizing these apparently contradictory revelations. Who has restored all things? Was it one man? Certainly not. Many angelic ministrants have been sent from the courts of glory to confer keys and powers, to commit their dispensations and glories again to men on earth. At least the following have come: Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James and John, Moses, Elijah, Elias, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael (D&C 13; 110; 128:19-21). Since it is apparent that no one messenger has carried the whole burden of the restoration, but rather that each has come with a specific endowment from on high, it becomes clear that Elias is a composite personage. The expression must be understood to be a name and a title for those whose mission it was to commit keys and powers to men in this final dispensation (see Doctrines of Salvation, 1:170-174). (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:492-493; see also Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., p. 221)

Notice that McConkie says, “Correcting the Bible by the spirit of revelation, the Prophet restored a statement of John the Baptist which says that Christ is the Elias who was to restore all things (Inspired Version, John 1:21-28)” In point of fact, that text does not say that Christ is the Elias who was to restore all things. It only says that Christ is Elias. In other words, Christ is an Elias. This is the first error McConkie made.

Notice also that McConkie says, “By revelation we are also informed that the Elias who was to restore all things is the angel Gabriel who was known in mortality as Noah (D&C 27:6-7; Luke 1:5-25; Teachings, p. 157).” In point of fact, the text does not say that Gabriel is the Elias who was to restore all things. It only says that Gabriel holds “the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things.” These keys will be delivered by Gabriel to Joseph-Nephi, who will then use them to restore all things. This, then, is the second error McConkie made.

Again McConkie says, “From the same authentic source we also learn that the promised Elias is John the Revelator (D&C 77:9, 14).” This post is going to attempt to correct that erroneous assumption, for the revelation in question does not say that John is the Elias who was to restore all things. Three strikes, McConkie.

McConkie started out wrong in this endeavor because he came up with the wrong answer to the question he posed, “Who has restored all things?” McConkie (and I suppose other latter-day saints of like thinking) have supposed that the restoration of all things has already occurred. But latter-day saint scripture explicitly states that the restoration of all things has not, as yet, occurred and thus is still future to us:

Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers—for ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God—therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began. (D&C 86:8-10)

So, given that the restoration of all things is still future to us, the answer to McConkie’s question, “Who has restored all things?” is: no one has restored all things. And the answers to McConkie’s other questions, “Who is the promised Elias who was to come and restore all things? Has the work of restoration taken place? Or is it something that is yet future?” is: Joseph-Nephi is the promised Elias who was to come and restore all things; and a work of restoration has taken place, but not the restoration of all things, which is yet future to us.

Therefore, all the Eliases we have so far seen, have been Eliases who are not the Elias who restores all things, for that specific work of restoration, and that specific Elias, is yet future to us.

The Elias who restores all things is a specific person

Just as the prophet Elijah the Tishbite was a specific person who had a specific mission, and thus was a specific Elias, so John the Baptist was a specific person who had a specific mission, and thus was a specific Elias. Jesus taught:

But the days will come, when the violent shall have no power; for all the prophets and the law prophesied that it should be thus until John. Yea, as many as have prophesied have foretold of these days. And if ye will receive it, verily, he was the Elias, who was for to come and prepare all things. (JST Matt. 11:13-15)

John, then, was the specific Elias who was to come before the First Coming of Jesus and prepare all things for Him. In like manner, there is a specific Elias who was to come before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and restore all things:

Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist, and also of another who should come and restore all things, as it is written by the prophets. (JST Matt. 17:14)

The word “another” indicates a specific person who restores all things, not a composite personage. Okay, let’s get back to Joseph Smith’s revelation concerning the book that John ate.

A mission

According to Joseph Smith, the book that John ate was a mission for him to gather the tribes of Israel. Now, books contain words, do they not? And how does one receive a mission? Does not one receive a mission from someone else? Does not someone else say to the person receiving the mission, “Go do this and that?” Are not words used to send someone on a mission? The book, then, is representative of someone’s words, even the words of the someone who is sending somebody else (John) on a mission. Whose words does the book contain? The book contains the words of that Elias who restores all things (who is Joseph-Nephi.)

An ordinance

The eating of the book by John represents John’s ordination to the mission. How does one get ordained to a mission? Does not someone lay hands on another person’s head and say words? Whose words are used to ordain John to his mission to gather the tribes of Israel? Why, the words of that Elias who restores all things (who is Joseph-Nephi.)

John accepts the mission from Elias

It is interesting that the mission (which represents that Elias who restores all things, his words and his mission to gather the tribes of Israel) was in the hand of an angel, for, as already stated above, angels themselves also bear the title of Elias. Thus, John taking the book out of the hand of the angel is representative of John accepting the mission to gather the tribes of Israel from the hand of Elias.

An available mission

Was the book open or closed? It was open:

And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,…And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. (Rev. 10:2,8)

So, this little mission was open, or available to be filled by someone. And God chose John to fill it. He then took the book (accepted the mission) and ate it (was ordained to the mission.)

This has happened before

Eating books is nothing new in prophecy. It happened to Ezekiel:

And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee;

Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; and he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. (Ezekiel 2:6-10) Moreover he said unto me,

Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. And he said unto me,

Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee.

Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. (Ezekiel 3:1-3)

Just like John, Ezekiel saw a roll of a book, which was in a hand—but this was a disembodied hand, representing the hand of the Lord, and not the hand of an angel, meaning an Elias—and the book was spread open before Ezekiel by the hand (therefore it was an available mission, ready to be filled), and then Ezekiel ate it and was commanded to speak the Lord’s words to the people. So, the book roll contained the words of the Lord, representing an available mission of the Lord for Ezekiel to accomplish, and Ezekiel accepted this mission by the hand of the Lord, and then was ordained to the mission by the Lord when he ate the roll.

Now, back to the book that John ate.

A little mission

What kind of a book was it? It was a little book. What kind of a mission was it? It was a little mission. (Not a big or a great mission.) As it was a little mission, it wasn’t a mission for John to gather all the tribes of Israel, just some of the tribes. How many tribes? Probably just two: the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. During the time of John’s mortal ministry, those were the two tribes that occupied the land of Jerusalem, and those were the two tribes he was familiar with. So, he gets to participate in the end time events by receiving a little mission to gather a couple of the tribes of Israel (Judah and Benjamin.)

The big mission

The mission to gather the tribes of Israel is the mission of that Elias who restores all things, who is Joseph-Nephi:

Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?

A. We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things. (D&C 77:9)

Joseph-Nephi has the mission to gather all the tribes of Israel, but because John is slated to participate in the end times work, he delegates to John a little mission, while reserving the big mission of gathering the rest of Israel himself.

Why must Joseph-Nephi be the one to gather the larger portion? Because the smaller portion (Judah and Benjamin) are of a finite number, whereas the larger portion (all the rest of the tribes and branches) are as numberless as the sands of the seashore. Thus, they are essentially infinite in number. Normal miracle-workers can’t handle that kind of workload, for not only must Joseph-Nephi gather them, but he’ll also have to number them. Joseph-Nephi will be a miracle-worker’s miracle-worker, performing feats that normal miracle-workers can’t do. Gathering the numberless and then numbering the numberless is beyond the scope of John or any other servant of God. Only Joseph-Nephi will be able to accomplish the feat. So, to Joseph-Nephi is given the bulk of the work, while all the rest of his mortal and angelic helpers are given a little bit of work.

For example, when the angel who ascends from the east (who is Joseph-Nephi) tells his four angelic helpers to not harm anything until the servants of God have been sealed, they seal 144,000 of the tribes of Israel.

And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (Rev. 7:4)

That works out to 36,000 sealed per angel (of the four.) That’s a finite number which they can handle. But notice that John also saw another population:

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb…And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev. 7:9-10,13-14)

This numberless host were of saved people. It is impossible for man to number them, but Joseph-Nephi will number them anyway. These people get sealed, too. By whom? By Joseph-Nephi. Why must he be the one to do it? Because their numbers are too great, requiring a miracle of outrageous power to accomplish the feat. And that’s just the sort of power Joseph-Nephi will have. He will have “much power” laid upon him. Not “much power” from the perspective of man, but “much power” from the perspective of God:

What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse?

Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power. (D&C 113:3-4)

So, Joseph-Nephi will reserve to himself all the truly great tasks which are impossible for others to perform, while delegating only the smaller tasks that others can handle, according to their level of faith.

Eternal words

The representation of Joseph-Nephi as a little open book might be hard for some people to swallow, but he is also represented by a rod (Isaiah 11:1), a root (Isaiah 11:10), a candlestick (Zechariah 4) and so on, and yet these other symbols are readily accepted by the same people. In another revelation, Joseph-Nephi’s description is representative of all these symbols:

And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God; (D&C 85:7)

The scepter of power is representative of a rod; clothing of light is representative of a candlestick; eternal words is representative of a book; and a fountain of truth is representative of something that goes down deep in the earth, such as a root. So, nobody need choke on the open book being a symbol for Joseph-Nephi.

John is commanded to take the book, therefore, he cannot be that Elias who restores all things

In Revelation 10 we find that John is commanded by the voice to take the book:

Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him,

Give me the little book.

And he said unto me,

Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. (Rev. 10:8-9)

John does not volunteer to take the book. He is first commanded to take it, then he goes to Elias (the angel) and says to give him the mission. The fact that John is commanded to accept and perform the mission, and does not merely volunteer for it, shows that he cannot be that Elias who restores all things, for the Elias who restores all things is a strictly volunteer position. God cannot command anyone to be the Elias who restores all things. It must be requested by someone.

The command to restore all things is unjust

It needs to be understood that the restoration of all things is accomplished by one man, and one man alone, although there are helpers, both angelic and human, who participate, according to their prayers and desires. In other words, all the servants of God who desired to participate in the end times events, and who prayed in faith toward that end, were given some small role to play, God disbursing the various assignments as He saw fit. Thus, John’s desire to work more was rewarded with a commission to gather the tribes of Israel in the end times. God chose John for that particular work, and He chooses all His other servants for all the other participatory works they will engage in during the end times, commanding them to do this or that.

But the role of “restorer of all things” cannot be given to anyone by God, for it is too great for man. It is too much work. It is endless work, infinite work. It is unjust to put such a workload upon the shoulders of just one man, and God is a just God. Were God to command someone to perform the restoration of all things, He would cease being just, and thus He would cease being God. Therefore, God is incapable of commanding any man to be the Elias who restores all things.

Nevertheless, it is a principle of the gospel what whatsoever you ask for, in faith, believing you will receive, nothing doubting, shall be granted. Thus, God can only fill the position of “Elias who restores all things” if one of His sons requests it in faith.

God, knowing all things from the beginning, had a very special spirit son, a special servant, who He knew would request to be the Elias who restores all things. So He held this spirit back, for thousands of years, to be held in reserve until just before the end times begins, even now, and then sent him to earth to be born, knowing full well that at some point in the man’s life he would exercise exceedingly great faith and ask to be the Elias who restores all things. Given that a valid and faith filled request would be made, God would have to put upon the man the very burden, just as he asked, and thus God would get His needed Elias to save all of mankind.

John the Revelator, however, did not request the mission, but was first commanded to do it, showing he is not that Elias who restores all things.

Now, some reading this might wonder, “Just how big is Joseph-Nephi’s mission?” I will show you.

A very literal deadline: the Second Coming of Christ

First, let’s talk about when the mission needs to be completed. Joseph Smith revealed the following about Revelation chapters 8 and 9:

Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming.

Q. When are the things to be accomplished, which are written in the 9th chapter of Revelation?

A. They are to be accomplished after the opening of the seventh seal, before the coming of Christ. (D&C 77:12-13)

In Revelation 8 the seventh seal is opened. This occurs in the beginning of the seventh thousand years, therefore this occurs after 11 April 2033. The events in chapters 8 and 9, then, take place after 11 April 2033, after the seventh seal is open, but before the coming of Christ.

In other words, all the events described by Joseph must take place before Jesus gets back. If these things don’t happen, absolutely nobody gets saved.

An endless number of impossible-to-perform tasks to be completed perfectly in an impossibly short amount of time

What has to occur? Again, notice what Joseph says:

in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming. (D&C 77:12)

So, God will 1) sanctify the earth, 2) complete the salvation of man, 3) judge all things, 4) redeem all things, 5) seal all things; and He will do all of this 6) to the end of all things. This encompasses both 1) the preparing of His work and 2) the finishing of His work. And all of this vast amount of work must occur before Jesus comes back.

The Lord God accomplishes this work through a single, solitary individual named Joseph-Nephi, who is a miracle-worker seer of faith levels never before seen or even imagined. Joseph-Nephi, then, must sanctify the earth (bringing it back to its pre-Fall condition), complete the salvation of man (referring to group salvation), judge all things (for the inhabitants of Zion will judge all nations and all things pertaining to Zion, will they not?), redeem all things and seal all things, even to the end of all things, meaning a sealing which encompasses both past, present and future, or to be plainer in writing, which seals both the dead, the living and the as-yet unborn.

Thus, for the restoration of all things, Joseph-Nephi must reveal all things, restore all things, gather all things in one, in Christ, seal all things, number all things, restore all things to their lands of inheritance, disburse all inheritances, sanctify the planet and redeem all things upon it (not including the wicked, of course.) In other words, Joseph-Nephi must do it all and also, he must do it all perfectly, with no errors, whatsoever.

Now, if you can’t wrap your mind around all of that, which must be fully finished perfectly, and before Jesus gets back, it’s likely because this great and marvelous work is beyond human comprehension. Yet it must be done, irregardless, because this is how we are group-saved, otherwise we will all get destroyed on the day of the Lord’s Second Coming. So, let me take the opportunity to expound upon group salvation.

Group salvation

A connection to Christ (oneness with Christ) is not enough to save. We must also have a connection to (oneness with) each other. This is the doctrine of perfection:

I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine. (D&C 38:27)

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:20-23)

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10)

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

These passages show the doctrine of group salvation in which a group of persons is made perfect. Perfection is necessary for salvation because nobody can be saved while continuing to break God’s commandments, and perfection is a commandment of God required of all mankind:

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Thus, the doctrine of perfection is the doctrine of group salvation, which is why Joseph Smith wrote the following:

And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.

And now, in relation to the baptism for the dead, I will give you another quotation of Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:29: Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?

And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. (D&C 128:15-18)

The means by which we become perfect is through oneness with each other and also with Christ, which creates a saved group of perfect people, yet given that we are all one, we are considered “the (singular) body of Christ.” As Christ considers us part of His body, the entire group becomes saved. Whatsoever, or whosoever, is outside of “the body of Christ,” is not considered part of His body (or fold), but is considered part of the other fold (the devil’s fold), and thus is not saved.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:16)

The body (or fold) of Christ is one, not two or three or four. Just one. Therefore, it is a single group of united people that spans all of time, from the beginning to the very end, and they are all connected to (one with) each other. This is why Paul wrote:

God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:40)

They (that is, the dead) cannot be made perfect without us because they are part of the body (or fold) of Christ, just as Paul and the saints of his day were part of the body (or fold) of Christ, just as we latter-day saints are part of the body (or fold) of Christ, and there cannot be more than one fold (or body) of Christ, therefore, we all must be made one, even one fold, otherwise, we are not God’s. Thus, all dead saints, and all living saints, and all the future unborn saints, need to be connected to each other in some way, to become one. There cannot be two unconnected groups of saved people, but only one huge group that spans all of time, all connected to each other, all one body and fold of Christ. Unless this is so, there is no perfection for any of them, for this is the only way any of them can fulfill the commandment to “be ye therefore perfect.” They must all be part of the same, connected group.

Now Adam has the “keys of salvation” (D&C 78:16), therefore, the group that composes “the body of Christ” must be connected to each other all the way back to Adam. These “keys of salvation” aren’t the keys of individual salvation, but of group salvation, and will be used upon all those who comprise the (singular) body of Christ. The problem lies, then, that each time God reveals a dispensation of the gospel to people on earth—to this civilization, or to that civilization—and another “body of Christ” is formed, these groups of people remain unconnected to the other groups, and also unconnected to Adam; for everything must lead back to Adam so that he can use those keys of (group) salvation. Adam has the promises, and so whoever is connected to him, likewise has the promises. Given that cycles of wickedness and apostasy have happened over and over again throughout the world’s history, so that a righteous people become wicked and then self-destruct and get wiped out, their histories being wiped out and their very existence being altogether forgotten, and then God plants another seed in another location, and the process starts all over again, the wicked becoming righteous, then later becoming wicked again and getting wiped out—all these righteous people that lived in various places and at various times must be connected to each other, and to Adam, to be a part of the (singular) body of Christ. Thus, all these people must be gathered together in one, meaning one (singular) body of Christ, being one group of connected people who are one with each other, and one with Christ. But this cannot be done. It is simply impossible.

Nevertheless, if this is not done, then there is no group salvation. There is no body of Christ. And thus the people of this earth become cursed and rejected by God, for they are not considered as His, but instead are considered part of the devil’s fold, having not obeyed God’s commandments “to be perfect” and “to be one.” So, when He comes back, He destroys not only the whole human population, but also their dominions, which is this planet and all that ever existed, or might have existed, upon it. Thus, we are screwed. All is lost. There is no hope in sight. That is, except for this one little tidbit of hope:

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (Ephesians 1:7-12)

Thus God, seeing that His righteous saints would be destroyed by their inability to keep His commandment to be perfect, because they have no power to connect themselves to all the other groups of righteous persons who have lived on this planet, nor to Adam, He ordained that in the last days He would gather all things together in one (and this includes all the saints of all ages into one body of Christ), and He would do this before His Son Jesus Christ came back, so that the gathered body of Christ could be group-saved. How would God accomplish this feat that would span all of time, all of earth and also all of heaven? By using a very special instrument of exceeding faith, even the appointed rod of power that would be in His hands, which rod is that miracle-working seer known as Joseph-Nephi, the Elias who restores all things.

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. (Psalms 110:1-2)

And his disciples asked him, saying,

Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

And Jesus answered and said unto them,

Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. (Matthew 17:10-11)

Thus, Joseph-Nephi must come, meaning that it is vital to our salvation that he comes (and he will come out of Zion, which is America), otherwise we won’t be group-saved, or be accounted as the body of Christ. And also Joseph-Nephi shall come out of Zion (America) and perform that mighty and necessary work of making Christ’s “whole body fitly joined together” (Eph. 4:16) to perfection.

Joseph-Nephi is the Lord’s salvation unto the ends of the earth

Isaiah chapter 49 contains the words of Joseph-Nephi. Notice what he says here:

And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him,

Though Israel be not gathered,

yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. And he said,

It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:5-6)

Jesus Christ is our individual Savior, saving us individually, but when it comes to group salvation, we all participate, becoming saviors on mount Zion:

And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. (Obadiah 1:21)

The principle is that we are to perform the works we are commanded to perform, and do all within our power, and then we are saved by the grace of God, who makes up for our lack.

For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. (2 Nephi 25:23)

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. (D&C 123:17)

Each of us does some small amount of group salvation work, according to our faith, and when you count it all up, when all that work is added together, it is not enough to complete the full task of group salvation, thus the group remains unsaved, because the work of salvation must be done to full completion and it must be done perfectly, otherwise it is insufficient to save. In other words, just as Jesus worked out, and needed to work out, a perfect atonement, in order to save us individually, so the group salvation work must be done perfectly and completely, in order to group-save us.

The Restoration brought about by Joseph Smith, then, being a partial restoration, is insufficient to accomplish the task of group salvation. Mormons have no power to connect themselves to Adam, nor to the Nephite fold of saints, nor to any other group of saints of antiquity. And the same goes for the primitive saints of Jerusalem, the saints of the Nephite dispensation, and of every other dispensation that ever existed. None of that was perfect, none of that was done to completion, none of that connected the various folds of the Lamb into one fold, nor did any of that connect the future souls, the as-yet unborn souls, into the fold. All of that, then, is insufficient to save us, and given that there is no individual salvation without group salvation, nor group salvation without individual salvation, this planet is toast unless God shows forth His grace.

God’s group salvation grace is Joseph-Nephi

Joseph-Nephi, then, is the manifestation of God’s grace, because this man will be endowed with all the gifts, fully empowered to godlike levels, so that he will be enabled to accomplish the entire workload, thus completing the salvation of man to perfection. It won’t matter that it is impossible for an imperfect man to do anything perfectly, he, being the greatest miracle-worker of all time, will perform a mighty miracle and do it perfectly anyway.

Now, because Joseph-Nephi is accounted as one of us, as part of the fold, as one of the many group saviors, the work he accomplishes is accounted as part of the work done by the fold, and thus is accounted as having been accomplished by the group (all of us) and thus we all are accounted as having complied with God’s commandments. We do an infinitesimally small amount of the work, and then Joseph-Nephi re-does our work perfectly, and also does the infinitely large amount of work that is left, completing everything perfectly. Thus, he quite literally does it all, because he has to re-do our lousy efforts so that all things are perfect.

The numbering of Israel

Now, I wish to impress upon the reader that John the Revelator is not up to the task of doing what Joseph-Nephi needs to, and will, do. Normal servants cannot accomplish such grand works, because they lack the necessary faith. God loves each and every one of His servants, and they all exercised mighty faith, including John the apostle, but the workload of the Elias who restores all things is essentially infinite, and neither John nor anyone else (nor perhaps the entire group’s faith combined,) is equal to the task. It will take a man who has all the gifts; and not just spiritual gifts, but all the physical gifts, as well; nor just fully maxed out gifts, but with their limits taken off, so that his faith is beyond the limitations. So, I’m talking of a super special servant who desires, and obtains by his faith, godlike powers, for only the power of God can accomplish the task.

Anyway, to more fully demonstrate what I’m talking about, I will expound upon the great numbering of Israel.

Moses gathered the house of Israel from the land of Egypt and numbered them (see the Book of Numbers, chapters 1-4 and 26), intending to restore them to the land of their inheritance. This same scenario will play out a second time during the last days. Israel will be gathered out from the nations and then numbered.

As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: and I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 20:33-38)

Ezekiel’s words: “And I will cause you to pass under the rod,” mean that Israel is “to be numbered as the flock.” The rod or staff is held out over the flock by the shepherd and as each head of sheep passes under it, the flock is numbered by the shepherd, one-by-one. This great event (the numbering of Israel) only occurs after Israel is gathered, and is yet another impossible miracle to be accomplished by the rod, who is Joseph-Nephi.

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (Isaiah 11:1)

The reason why the numbering of Israel is impossible is because God promised Abraham his seed would be numberless:

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. (Genesis 13:16)

And he brought him forth abroad, and said,

Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them:

and he said unto him,

So shall thy seed be. (Genesis 15:5)

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; (Hosea 1:10)

So God set up the parameters whereby His end times miracle-working seer (Joseph-Nephi) could perform yet another impossible miracle, for God numbers all His sheep and thus all His sheep must be numbered by Joseph-Nephi:

And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory. And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture. (1 Nephi 22:24-25)

Hearken, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you, for, behold he commandeth me that I should write, saying:

Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel. (3 Nephi 30:1-2)

God never varies from what He says

Lest some claim that “the numbering” mentioned in the scriptures is merely a symbolic token and not a literal occurrence to be performed by Joseph-Nephi, consider these scriptures:

And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. (Mosiah 2:22)

I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round. (Alma 7:20)

For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. (D&C 3:2)

So, as He has said His sheep shall be numbered, they shall be literally numbered, even though that is entirely impossible to do, because He has made them as numerous as the dust of the earth.

The purpose of the vision of all mankind

The scriptures record that the brother of Jared and also Moses saw visions in which all mankind, from beginning to end, were shown to them:

And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth. (Ether 3:25)

And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered. (Moses 1:8)

And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God. And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore. (Moses 1:27-28)

This “vision of all mankind” was a privilege given to these servants (and perhaps to others) in which they were shown the vast numbers of people Joseph-Nephi would have to deal with. This vision serves a purpose; it was not merely eye-candy, or for God to show off. Neither the brother of Jared, nor Moses, had the capability of numbering all those people, let alone gathering them, sealing them, and so on. So for them the vision was wondrous and marvelous. And also for us who read the accounts of these visions. But for Joseph-Nephi this “vision of all mankind” is a necessary part of his ministry, for he needs to see what he’s working with, in order to number them, etc. So, that’s what the vision is for. That’s its purpose.

How is it that there will be so many of the house of Israel?

It is because all saved Israel must be numbered, which includes both all the saved living and all the saved dead who have existed since the days of Adam, and will also include all the unborn souls who will be saved. In addition to all these saved of Israel, the Gentiles who repent, from the days of Adam to the end of time, both the living, dead and unborn of them, will also be numbered among the house of Israel.

There are about 7 billion known people living on the planet right now, and it is estimated that there have been about 100 billion people that have lived here so far. (Estimates vary.) 100 billion people is not “numberless,” but that number does not take into account the unborn, who also will be numbered by Joseph-Nephi. Nor does it take into account the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel.

The Lost Ten Tribes, alone, will be numberless

Ten of the twelve tribes of Israel went “missing” over 2000 years ago and haven’t been heard from since. Some people think that all these people were incorporated into the Gentile nations when they traveled “to the north countries.” Some stragglers of these tribes may have stayed behind in Gentile nations, but the bulk of them continued trekking north until they reached a hidden place on planet Earth that no one knows anything about. God has kept these people there, in this “hidden place” on Earth, multiplying like rabbits on steroids, so that now, over 2000 years later, they are as numberless as the sands of the seashore or the stars in the heavens. Their numbers are simply incalculable, thus fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham.

Gathering all things: the return of the Lost Ten Tribes

One of the endlessly many missions given to Joseph-Nephi will be to gather all things in one. This includes gathering all the living tribes of Israel, including the Lost Ten Tribes.

After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north. (D&C 110:11)

The keys mentioned in the above scripture are currently with the LDS church, but are only used to gather spiritual Israel (the Gentiles) into the true church and fold of God. They are not used to gather literal Israel from the four parts of the earth, nor to lead the ten tribes back from the land of the north. For these functions, the leaders of the church are merely holding onto the keys until Joseph-Nephi shows up fully empowered, at which point he will receive them from the church leaders, for as the root of Jesse, he has a right to them:

What is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter?

Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days. (D&C 113:5-6)

Given that these keys are for the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north, this means that Joseph-Nephi will personally go to where these tribes are hiding, and then personally lead them back. He is the point man in all this end times work, taking the lead of everything.

When the Lost Ten Tribes return from wherever they’ve been hidden, their vast numbers are going to cause great problems:

Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live,

saith the Lord,

thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears,

The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.

Then shalt thou say in thine heart,

Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? (Isaiah 49:18-21)

Despite the fact that their numbers will be essentially endless, making the land masses groan under their combined weight and causing all who behold their masses to be astonished and wonder where all these people could possibly be put (for they will crowd out every available spot), Joseph-Nephi will be tasked to number every last one of them, and he will do so:

And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have other sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister. For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them. But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them. (3 Nephi 16:1-3)

Thus, when the Lost Ten Tribes arrive, we will all see that God’s promise to Abraham concerning the number of his seed was literal and not figurative or purely symbolic. And we will discover that all our current branches of mathematics are inadequate to ascertain the exact number of the persons making up each of the twelve tribes. Concerning the arrival of the Ten Tribes, the Lord has said:

And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence. (D&C 133:31)

So, their numbers will be vast, truly beyond comprehension, requiring Joseph-Nephi to restore the divine mathematics used in the heavens by God to count all His endless creations.

Why they must be numbered

The gathering of Israel is followed by the numbering of Israel, which is followed by Israel being restored to the lands of their inheritance. The tribal lands are inherited according to the number of each tribe. A tribe that has a greater number of people, receives a greater land grant; a tribe with a lesser number, receives less land for their inheritance. This is according to God’s commandment, given to Moses and Joshua, for Moses numbered the tribes of Israel (as recorded in the Book of Numbers) and then Joshua brought the tribes into their tribal lands and divvied up the land according to the numbering Moses had counted.

Joseph-Nephi will be patterned after all the prophets, seers, revelators and other servants of the Lord. So, he will be like Moses, delivering God’s people and gathering them out of the Gentile nations (and the Lost Ten Tribes from wherever they currently are), and then numbering them. And he will be like Joshua, bringing them into their tribal lands and then giving out inheritances according to their numbers. Joseph-Nephi will do all of this and much, much more.

Inheritance by tribe, and thus, numbering according to tribe

Because tribal inheritances are given out according to tribe, all who are accounted as Israel, both literal Israel and adopted Israel (Gentiles who repent and are numbered among Israel), must be placed in one of the twelve tribes. So, you don’t get placed in Israel, but in the tribe of Manasseh, or the tribe of Ephraim, or the tribe of Gad, etc. Then, when your entire tribe (let’s say it’s Gad) is counted by Joseph-Nephi, the land for Gad will be appointed, and then you will receive your inheritance on that land appointed for Gad. This is how it works. So, each tribal member must be assigned a tribe, and each tribe must be numbered, and then land must be appointed, with designated tribal land boundaries, and then you are given a piece of that land for yourself and all your descendants. It’s not a simple task, by any means.

Patriarchal blessings and lineage

The practice of receiving patriarchal blessings in which tribal lineage has been designated has been going on for about 200 years now and the LDS church is fastidious in recording every single patriarchal blessing ever given, and more especially those tribal lineages, and practically nobody knows why we do this, except that we’ve been commanded to do it.

Those tribal lineage designations we latter-day saints receive in our patriarchal blessings are going to be used by Joseph-Nephi to number us into the tribes of Israel, and for the latter-day saints to receive their future tribal land inheritances. Joseph-Nephi is going to take the tribal lineage revelations given in those patriarchal blessings, correct and perfect them, setting them in order

And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong…to set in order the house of God (D&C 85:7)

and then fully complete what Joseph Smith started, but on a grander and global scale, covering both the living, the dead and the unborn. He’s going to scale it completely up into the stratosphere (really straight into heaven), so that every saved person on this planet, from the beginning of time to the very end, gets put into a tribe of Israel, so that he can give them a land inheritance. The LDS leadership do not speak of this practice, why we do it, nor do they attempt to number the LDS population by tribe, because that is not their jurisdiction. They are merely to keep the work given to them by the Lord ongoing until Joseph-Nephi shows up to take over and finish everything to perfection.

Not enough land

The planet Earth will be too confining to fit all the new arrivals, which will include the Lost Ten Tribes as well as all the resurrected saved people who will be returning and who must also received a land inheritance (for as Jesus said, “the meek shall inherit the earth.”) Joseph-Nephi, then, will have to perform yet another glorious and astonishing miracle, and make the planet expand or enlarge in size, so that there is now plenty of room to fit everybody.

Now, this is only one of innumerable other impossible tasks that Joseph-Nephi will be given to accomplish before Jesus gets back. But this task alone, the coming numbering of Israel, is going to be as big a deal as any of the other tasks Joseph-Nephi is labored with.

Okay, back to John.

When John receives his mission

Chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation sets the stage for the opening of the seven seals of the sealed book.

Chapter 6 events occur after Jesus opens each of the six seals. These events take place after Joseph-Nephi appears on the scene fully empowered and before 11 April, 2033, which is the date that the sixth thousand years ends.

The events of chapter 7 take place after the sixth seal is opened and before 11 April, 2033.

The events of chapters 8 and 9 take place after 11 April, 2033, after the Lord has opened the seventh seal, but before the Lord’s Second Coming, and concern the sounding of the first six trumps by the angels.

Chapter 10 is when John receives his commission, even his mission and ordinance to gather the tribes of Israel, and takes place after 11 April, 2033, but before the Lord’s Second Coming, and between the sounding of the sixth and seventh angelic trumps.

Thus, John is not now gathering any tribes. The gathering of the tribes of Israel hasn’t even started yet. So, the idea that some have that John is with the 10 Lost Tribes, preparing them or whatever, is all conjecture and fantasy. Joseph-Nephi is the point man in all the end times work, therefore, John will go to Joseph-Nephi and receive his commission from Joseph-Nephi.

If we take Revelation chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 to be chronological, then John’s mission of gathering the tribes of Israel will start only after the sixth angelic trump is sounded, which occurs after the 11 April, 2033 date, and before the seventh trump and before the Second Coming. And yet, the Elias who restores all things (who is Joseph-Nephi), has been active on the scene since chapter 6, for when the Lamb opens one of the seals of the sealed book, it is the Elias who restore all things (who is Joseph-Nephi) that translates that sealed record into all the languages of the world. John the apostle, though, doesn’t mention anything about having to perform any works, at all, during chapters 6, 7, 8 or 9. In other words, John receives his mission too late in end time events to be the Elias who restores all things, for that man has already been furiously working to restore all things by the time of chapter 10 of Revelation. This is yet more evidence that John is not the Elias who restores all things.

The principle of identification proves John is not the Elias who restores all things

It is my understanding that when a prophet or servant is known, he is identified. Thus, when Joseph Smith was asked, “Who is the Stem of Jesse,” he could identify the person (since Jesus had already lived) and so he gave the answer plainly:

Who is the Stem of Jesse spoken of in the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th verses of the 11th chapter of Isaiah?

Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ. (D&C 113:1-2)

But when Joseph Smith is asked about the rod and the root, this man (for it is the same man, Joseph-Nephi) had not been born, yet, and thus was unknown and unidentifiable to Joseph Smith, and so he answered in these vague ways:

What is the rod…?

Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ…

What is the root of Jesse…?

Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse… (D&C 113:3-6)

Another example of this principle in operation in the scriptures is concerning Joseph Smith’s translation of the Book of Mormon. When Joseph Smith came to the part which talked of a book called “the book of the Lamb of God,” Joseph Smith translated out the Nephite words word-for-word, because he couldn’t identify the book:

Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God…And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth from the Gentiles unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren. (1 Nephi 13:28,38)

But later on in the translation, when Joseph Smith came across the Nephite words, “a books,” he was able to identify it as “a Bible,” and so he did a functional translation and simply called it the Bible, which identified it for us:

And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say:

A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.

But thus saith the Lord God:

O fools, they shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them?…Thou fool, that shall say:

A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible.

Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?…Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written. (2 Nephi 29:4,6,10)

Or, when Jesus was talking of John the Baptist to the people, He identified John the Baptist as the Elias who prepared all things:

And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John,

What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written,

Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Verily I say unto you,

Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. But the days will come, when the violent shall have no power; for all the prophets and the law prophesied that it should be thus until John. Yea, as many as have prophesied have foretold of these days. And if ye will receive it, verily, he was the Elias, who was for to come and prepare all things. (Matt. 11:7-12; JST Matt. 11:13-15)

Later when the disciples asked Jesus about the scribes saying that Elias must come first, Jesus again identified John the Baptist as Elias by again quoting the same scripture he quoted above, about the messenger who is sent before the Lord’s face, who prepares His way before Him. The Lord did this specifically because John the Baptist was known to the disciples, and therefore He identified him, but notice that the other Elias, the Elias who restores all things, had not yet been born, and so the Lord left him unidentified, and the apostles didn’t know who that was, only that it was someone else:

And his disciples asked him, saying,

Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? (Matthew 17:10)

And Jesus answered and said unto them,

Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things, as the prophets have written.

And again I say unto you that Elias has come already, concerning whom it is written,

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me;

and they knew him not, and have done unto him, whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. But I say unto you,

Who is Elias?

Behold, this is Elias, whom I send to prepare the way before me.

Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist, and also of another who should come and restore all things, as it is written by the prophets. (JST Matt. 17:10-14)

So, we see this principle in operation in the scriptures. Now, concerning the above scripture, which identified John the Baptist as Elias, and left another Elias unidentified, it needs to be understood that Jesus spoke these words to his disciples right after coming down from the mount of transfiguration:

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus,

Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said,

Arise, and be not afraid.

And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying,

Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

And his disciples asked him, saying,

Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? (Matt. 17:1-10)

Thus, Peter, James and John were there, asking Him about Elias. Jesus identified John the Baptist as one Elias, but spoke of another Elias who was yet to come and restore all things. And yet John the apostle was in that audience, hearing His words. If John was the Elias who restores all things, why didn’t Jesus simply identify John His beloved apostle as that Elias? Because John wasn’t and isn’t the Elias who restores all things.  Joseph-Nephi is.

John didn’t identify himself as the angel ascending from the east

Yet another evidence using this same principle of identification when something can be identified is seen in John’s account of the Revelation vision. In chapter 7 John sees an angel ascending from the east, but does not say that this angel is himself. And yet, from Joseph Smith we know that this angel is the Elias who restores all things. Surely John the apostle should have recognized himself in vision, right? But he didn’t recognize the angel ascending from the east, because it wasn’t him. It was Joseph-Nephi. If it had been John, he would have said he saw himself ascending from the east as an angel. But he didn’t say that. So it was someone else. In fact, all the angels John saw were people other than himself.

Jesus is an Elias; and He also restores all things

Some might bring up Jesus as being the Elias who restores all things, so I will address that, too. John the Baptist testified of Jesus, saying:

He it is of whom I bear record. He is that prophet, even Elias, who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose, or whose place I am not able to fill; for he shall baptize, not only with water, but with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. (JST John 1:28)

And Joseph Smith received a revelation in which the Lord said:

I am the Lord thy God, and I gave unto thee, my servant Joseph, an appointment, and restore all things.  (D&C 132:40)

So, Jesus Christ is an Elias and He also restores all things. This doesn’t mean that Jesus Christ is that Elias who restores all things. It merely means that He restores all things through the instrument in His hands, which is the rod of power, who is Elias (otherwise known as Joseph-Nephi.) Thus, He uses Joseph-Nephi’s faith to work all the wonders necessary to restore all things. And Joseph-Nephi restores all things through his faith (which He received from God), which faith also allows him to use the power and gifts of God.

So, the one is in the hands of the Other; One cannot do anything among men unless men have faith and He only works among men according to their faith, and given that the person in His hands has, essentially, endless faith, He can fully work among men and effect the restoration of all things; the other works by the power of the One, by using the faith which the One gave him. So, God claims credit for all the works that Joseph-Nephi will do, because Joseph-Nephi will do it by God’s power, using faith God gave him, acting as God’s instrument. Nevertheless, it is still Joseph-Nephi who does it, and so he also gets credit. Understand?

And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren. (2 Nephi 3:24)

What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse? Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power. (D&C 113:3-4)

These servants are too humble and timid to accomplish the task

There is a distinct difference between Joseph-Nephi and all the other servants of God. All the others, from the beginning of time to now, have all been far too meek. Now, meekness and humility is a good thing, sure, but when you are dealing with a task that might as well be infinitely scaled up so that it is of gargantuan proportions and truly impossible to accomplish any way you look at it, such as the workload that will be put upon the shoulders of Joseph-Nephi, you need a different kind of attitude. You need cojones. Big ones. The biggest ones of all.

Every one of the servants of God in the scriptures was humbled to the dust by the callings they had received, and often wished, at first, to back out of their callings because they didn’t feel worthy or properly qualified. Moses tried to back out:

And Moses said unto the Lord,

O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

And the Lord said unto him,

Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

And he said,

O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses (Exodus 4:10-14)

John the Baptist tried to get out of baptizing Jesus:

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying,

I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (Matthew 3:13-14)

John the Revelator fell down before the angel and even tried to worship him!

And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me,

See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. (Revelation 22:8-9)

Gideon was so unsure of himself that he kept asking for witnesses. And so on and so forth. Joseph-Nephi won’t be like that. He will be super tenacious, like a bulldog, ready and willing and desirous to tackle the task with all he’s got.

Also, all the other servants have been content with their missions and tasks. They desired to see the salvation of man completed, and strove to accomplish it, but they failed, each and every one. To comfort them, God simply showed them the vision of Joseph-Nephi’s ministry, so that they could see it would eventually be accomplished, and they were then content with their labors.

Nevertheless, all of these servants were astonished by what they saw Joseph-Nephi do (for the work of his ministry is truly great.) Now, you cannot perform the restoration of all things and be astonished by it at the same time. If a servant of God goes and performs a marvelous work and is astonished by what he does, the work ceases. Astonishment causes a cessation, because you are left in wide-eyed wonder, without strength. So, Joseph-Nephi is like the others in faith, but unlike them in that his mortal vision, for some reason, isn’t impressed by the great works he does.

A (prophetic) psychological profile of Joseph-Nephi

In other words, what impresses others doesn’t impress him. And he wants to be impressed. So, this is, essentially, an extremely bored individual, who loathes the things of man and who has a need or desire to only see truly great things, even the greatest things of all (which are the things of God), in order to be impressed. He needs an extra-special and an extra-difficult challenge, otherwise he’s bored out of his mind. So, God has to give him not a large task, but the whole task, the entirety of the work of group salvation and the redemption of all things. God piles on the workload, infinitely, because this man glories in doing big and wonderful things. Whereas others shout, like Martin Harris, “Tis enough! Tis enough! Mine eyes have beheld! Mine eyes have beheld!” after seeing an angel, Joseph-Nephi is the sort of person that says, “More! More! I want to see it all! Show me all the angels!” Others experience the spirit of power and wet their pants. Joseph-Nephi experiences the spirit of power and says, “Oh, yeah! That’s exactly what I want! All of the time!” The apostles of Jesus on the mount were “sore afraid” after hearing God the Father’s voice, but Joseph-Nephi in that same situation would have jumped up and down for joy and asked to hear more and to see God, too. So, this is not an ordinary person. Normal people see the light of God and retreat in fear, this man runs right into it at breakneck speed to find out what’s behind it.

Therefore, although it is a romantic notion that people have that John the Beloved is the Elias who restores all things, or that Joseph Smith will be the one to come back and accomplish the restoration of all things, and although I hate to break all yer bubbles, it simply ain’t any of these people, or anyone else of the scriptures you may think. This is an entirely new servant of God, held back for millennia, to be born in our age. And he’s unlike anyone we’ve ever seen before.

Now, I’ll use the rest of this post to expound a little bit more about Joseph-Nephi, since I’ve gained a much greater understanding about him and his mission since last I posted.

Isaiah 49:1-12

These verses speak of Joseph-Nephi and his mission, but I’m not going to expound this whole thing. I’m just going to point out a few things.

The first six verses are the words of Joseph-Nephi himself:

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; and said unto me,

Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Then I said,

I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.

And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him,

Though Israel be not gathered,

yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. And he said,

It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:1-6)

Listen, O isles, unto me—This first part is the announcement I spoke about before on this blog. When Joseph-Nephi becomes fully empowered, going from weakness to strength, he will make an announcement that he is now on the scene, which we will all hear. Like everything else about this man, it will undoubtedly be done by some mighty miracle.

The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name—When explaining his history, Joseph-Nephi will mention his mother and her womb, so that he will begin the account of his history from before the time he was born. Also, given that Gabriel ministered and announced the birth and name of both John the Baptist and Jesus before they were born, we may see this scenario repeat.

In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; In his quiver hath he hid me—Joseph-Nephi will be hidden in a place that is impossible to find. I believe that he may be hidden in time. In other words, this man will have power to do all things, including changing times and seasons. I have already on this blog explained that he will need to alter the past, something that is altogether impossible. He will also have power to perform reset miracles, including time reset miracles, so that one instant we are in 2017 and in the next instant when he performs the miracle, all of time has been rewound to some past year or time, affecting all the living and dead, the planet locations, etc. If he does such a thing, that makes our current timeline an alternate timeline in which God can fully prepare him to be the mighty seer he is destined to become, giving him all the practice he needs to be fully expert in all the powers and gifts of God. Isaiah’s quiver symbol, then, brings up the idea of parallel timelines, for what is a quiver? Is it not a bunch of tubes (which are lines) aligned together? And Joseph-Nephi is the “polished shaft” (a long, slender cylinder, or rod, with a pointed end) that Isaiah says is hidden in one of the tubes (time lines) of that quiver. If and when he resets the time, then, he will literally “burst onto the scene” as the fully empowered Josephite, and the devil of the past will poop his spiritual pants. The devil of today knows who this man is, of course, just as he knew who Joseph Smith was, but Joseph-Nephi is hidden somewhere, as a protection to him, so the devil’s servants can’t get to him to assassinate him while he is in his weakness. Wherever he is, then, he is safe. Also, this timeline serves as a place of “hidden darkness” in which he can be hidden and prepared by the Lord, and raised up properly. The devil, knowing Joseph-Nephi’s plans (if indeed he has such plans) to perform a time reset miracle and rewind the time to a former year cannot do anything to counter this miracle. The devil cannot prepare his past self for the advent of Joseph-Nephi from the future, for the devil is likewise affected by a time reset miracle, so that when the reset occurs, the devil will have been reset to a former time and will have no knowledge of this alternate future. His past devilish self, then, will have to deal, as best he can, with a fully empowered Josephite bursting onto the scene unexpectedly.

Do you remember that I said in a previous post that I thought that Joseph-Nephi should be empowered, Joseph Smith should show up and issue the Proclamation, and the New Articles of Confederation (or something like it) should be installed, all before April of 2017? And yet none of that happened. Well, my feelings haven’t changed one bit. I still feel like this stuff is going to happen before April of 2017. Which is impossible. Unless the guy is going to perform a time reset miracle…

Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified—He is representative of Israel (he who prevails with God) and God will be glorified by the work that he accomplishes. (And why not be glorified by him? He will accomplish the whole work, after all!)

I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain—This means that Joseph-Nephi’s weak phase is a manifestation of the anti-prosperity miracle. In other words, God has placed the man in a spiritual box by this miracle, so that he cannot get ahead, not even one iota. The man then must exercise faith in order to get the miracle off of him, and when his faith gets strengthened some more, God puts even more of the miracle on him. Instead of giving up, the man exercises even more faith, and then God boxes him up even more, and so on it goes, endlessly. Eventually the man’s faith becomes super-charged and over-developed, like faith on steroids, becoming so mighty that it is impossible for God to keep him boxed-in any longer by the miracle, and the man, by his faith alone, gets himself out of the box. The anti-prosperity miracle, then, at that point, no longer works, and so it flips or reverses polarity, like the switch of a light, changing from the anti-prosperity miracle, to the prosperity miracle, and the man then prospers miraculously according to his now outrageously great and strong faith. In other words, God is applying a spiritual isometric press to the man, giving him something impossible to push against, with his faith, to super-develop it. Joseph-Nephi needs exorbitant amounts of faith in order to accomplish the mission of restoration, so God must deal with him a bit different than other servants. Mighty faith is not enough. He needs “exceeding faith,” meaning faith that exceeds all, going beyond all limits.

And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren. (2 Nephi 3:24)

So, this man’s faith will be entirely off the scales and well into godhood territory. It is the anti-prosperity miracle, which hedges up his way, which prods him continually to try to get the thing off of him. And this prod, like a button God pushes, keeps him heading in the direction he needs to go, which is the direction of more and more, and of stronger and stronger faith. No servant of God, then, will hold a candle to him when God is done with this process of over-developing his faith. He will be altogether different than any man the world has ever seen. This is why the scriptures speak of three bigwigs: Christ the Messiah, the Prophet spoken of by Moses, and Elias that restores all things. Jesus Christ is the Prophet, and He is God, so He’s obviously big. But the Elias who restores all things is right up there on the same level as Christ and the Prophet in importance, and yet he’s just a man. But his faith level pushes him up to the Christ and Prophet level, making him essential to our salvation.

Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord—This refers to his reward for having requested in faith to be the Elias who restores all things. God’s Great and Marvelous work is essentially infinitely large, so the Elias who restores all things gets certain privileges as a recompense for having to single-handedly perform so much work. What is his reward? All of his desires will be given to him in this life, without limitations. In other words, it will be done by the power of God, therefore nothing is off the table, nothing is impossible. Whatever he wants, he will get. As much as he wants, where he wants, who he wants, etc. He gets his full desires given to him…just as soon as he gets himself out of the spiritual box! This, then, is another motivation he has. I call this his “carrot on a stick” and as soon as he is free of the box, by his faith, he will have all the miraculous power of God needed to create his carrot and obtain it and be satisfied by it. Now, he needs to be satisfied and content and blissful with his carrot, because the restoration of all things is an infinite amount of responsibility, and that alone is too much stress for any one man. Should this man fail at his task, all of creation will be destroyed at the Second Coming of Christ.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6)

Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. (D&C 2:1-3)

So, our salvation fully depends upon the success of his mission. Therefore, he must be entirely stress-free. His carrot then will comfort him and make his life blissful, so that he can fully concentrate on the infinite number of things he must do to group-save us all.  Despite all the stress that the work God lays upon him will cause him, his divinely bestowed carrot will just as rapidly remove that stress. And thus, God has fully planned for his success, and thus our success, for he will succeed and save us all.

The Lord formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him—This shows that Joseph-Nephi’s sole life purpose is this restoration of all things. It’s what he was born for. It’s the reason for his very existence. John the apostle and all the other servants who lived out their lives in the past, served other purposes of God. Sure, other servants will participate in the end time events, but they will play a secondary role in the restoration of all things, not the primary role like Joseph-Nephi will have. This man’s mortal sojourn will be fully occupied by God’s holy work of restoration and salvation of all things.

It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel—In other words, it’s too small a thing. Bringing the house of Israel back to God, so that they repent and come to Christ, and raising them back up into tribes, gathering them, numbering them, sealing them, giving them inheritances, and so on: all of this work is too small a thing for Joseph-Nephi to do! This is what God is saying. His workload needs to be much more heavy because the man has a seemingly endless amount of faith. This means that God will intentionally pile on the workload, piling it up and up and up, to the very heavens above, so that Joseph-Nephi is absolutely swamped with impossible things to do, and has to do everything, in the process saving both Israel and the Gentiles and also the entire earth, becoming God’s salvation unto the ends of the earth. He’s got enormous faith, so he will use it all, which makes workloads less than infinite too easy to accomplish. Therefore God will make it infinite for him, so that he won’t be so bored with life. And it will be so large, a truly infinite workload, that he will need every last drop of faith he’s got to accomplish it all.

Again, because his faith will be orders of magnitude greater than anything we’ve ever seen here on earth, God must give the man a challenge, so the number of impossible tasks needed to be accomplished will multiply endlessly. Every task will be impossible and there will be infinite numbers of them and every problem he will face will be impossible to solve and there won’t be enough time to finish any of it, etc. Yet, none of that will matter, because Joseph-Nephi will accomplish it anyway, even if he has to alter all of history to do it. Most servants of God have some respect for the laws of physics and the Universe, having limitations in their brains as to what is “appropriate” to do with miraculous power. This man, though, will have no such limitations. He will have the power to do anything, and so he will alter all reality and even time itself, as he sees fit, and will bring all time, past, present and future, together, gathering everything, and everyone, into the present, so that we all enter eternity. This man, then, starts out in one point of time, one point of reference, but then using these vast powers his faith affords him, will start altering reality and conditions among men, as he sees fit and as necessary, in order to get all the work done before the deadline. Given he’s a bulldog and not a timid individual, then, God needs to make it all as difficult as possible for him, as challenging as possible, giving him impossible puzzles to solve, which perhaps involve time and space manipulations, etc. To God this is fun stuff, watching a single, solitary servant do everything that is thrown at him, no matter how hard or impossible it is, and in record time. To God this is manly stuff. And in this way God proves to man, once and for all, that by faith all things are accomplished, by having a single special servant accomplish all things. And for Joseph-Nephi, given the type of bulldoggish, bored and unimpressed person he is, to him it is all fun, too. Thus, it is a glorious time for both.

The promised carrot gives him confidence galore, even in weakness

Of note is the fact that even in the man’s weakness, he’s supremely confident that his promised carrot is assured and that he will be glorious in the eyes of God. We don’t know what his carrot will be, but Isaiah gives us a glimpse of it here:

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)

That rest that Isaiah speaks of is not Joseph-Nephi’s eternal rest, for he will be a translated man, and thus will never die, or sleep in the earth. He will live and live and live and live, right here on earth, enjoying his carrot forever, after he has completed the salvation of man. So, the rest is referring to the man’s house here on earth, which Isaiah says will be “glorious.” I have previously taught on this blog that Joseph-Nephi will be working almost exclusively by miracles, therefore we can assume that his house will be something impossible, some reality-altering miracle he has conjured up in which to live, which defies the laws of physics. (Remember, he gets whatever he wants as a recompense, even if it’s impossible.)

The carrot comes before he starts the work of the Lord, for the carrot has to keep the man stress-free, so we can expect that as soon as he gets out of his box, he’ll go for his carrot. Whatever it is, it will undoubtedly alter conditions among men, given that a slew of reality-altering miracles will proceed forth from him to obtain it. It is the promised carrot, then, and the eventual release of himself from the spiritual box, that serves as the man’s motivation. And think about it. If you were told by God, “I’ll give you whatever you want; all your dreams will come true, by my power, once you get yourself out of this box I’ve put you in,” wouldn’t that be some mighty strong motivation? So, the guaranteed promise of his carrot will make the man of supreme confidence, despite being in his box.

Riches galore and a hated man

We must likewise assume that once out of his box he’ll be richer than all the world’s rich people combined. He will be the lord of this earth, and it will be done by the miraculous power of God, operating the prosperity miracle upon him according to his now over-developed faith. So, while weak, he will be a poor man, because of the super-empowered hedge miracle placed upon him, which stops his economic progress, but once off of him, a super-empowered prosperity miracle will be placed upon him, which will make his way straight in all things, all obstacles and stumbling-blocks being forever removed from his path. And thus, once freed from the box, God will bless him beyond belief and also confound all his enemies:

And thus prophesied Joseph, saying:

Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. (2 Nephi 3:14)

This dual miracle, the prosperity miracle upon him and his enemies confounded, plus the fact that he will now be the richest man alive, by a long shot, in other words, his wealth will be impossible to count, for all things about this man will be miraculous, thus, he will hold the financial destiny of the world in his hands. So, nations are going to hate him, for they will see that suddenly this man, who has come out of left field, has power and control over them:

Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers,

Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. (Isaiah 49:7)

He will be a servant of rulers. Now, how will he serve the rulers? We don’t know. But whatever service he provides to them, it will be something they need, something that only he can supply, something that puts them in his control. In other words, he will set the terms of the service and they will have to agree to his terms and so he will have them right where he wants them, and they will know it, and they will hate him for it.

The man in control and in authority

So, Joseph-Nephi will be the end times Zerubbabel who gets put in authority over the nations of the world:

And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying,

I will shake the heavens and the earth; and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day,

saith the Lord of hosts,

will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel,

saith the Lord,

and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee,

saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:20-23)

The name Zerubbabel means “born in Babylon” and as Joseph-Nephi will be a Gentile, born here in America (the USA), he fits the prophecy. Thus Zechariah’s Zerubbabel prophecy also applies to Joseph-Nephi:

And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, and said unto me,

What seest thou?

And I said,

I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying,

What are these, my lord?

Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me,

Knowest thou not what these be?

And I said,

No, my lord.

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying,

This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying,

Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,

saith the Lord of hosts.

Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying,

Grace, grace unto it.

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it;

and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. (Zechariah 4:1-10)

Joseph-Nephi, then, will both lay the foundation of God’s house and also finish it. He will build the whole thing, from top to bottom, and it will not be done by the might or power of man, but by the Spirit of God. So, the end times Zerubbabel (Joseph-Nephi) will be working mighty miracles to cause all the prophecies that were spoken by the holy prophets from the very beginning to now, to be precisely fulfilled, including the temple and city that Ezekiel saw in vision, as recorded in the last half of his book.

Joseph-Nephi will also be the end times Joseph who was sold into Egypt and the end times Zaphnath-paaneah:

And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him,

Bow the knee:

and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,

I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-paaneah; (Genesis 41:42-45)

According to the Bible Dictionary, Zaphnath-paaneah is:

A name given by Pharaoh to Joseph (Gen. 41:45). Although its meaning is uncertain, the Rabbinical commentaries, following the Targum, interpret the name as “he who reveals that which is hidden.”

And this is exactly what Joseph-Nephi will do, for he will translate the sealed portion of the plates of Mormon, revealing all hidden things.

Joseph-Nephi will have all the spirits

Joseph Smith gave a discourse on Mar. 10, 1844, in Nauvoo, Illinois, in which he expounded on the spirit and calling and office and power of Elias, Elijah and Messiah. Some people present during that discourse took notes, which you can read by clicking here. The gist is this: one spirit does the preparing (what Joseph referred to as the spirit of Elias), while another spirit does the finishing (what Joseph referred to as the spirit of Elijah),

and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming. (D&C 77:12)

while a third spirit does the empowering (what Joseph referred to as the spirit of Messiah.) All three spirits manifested during the Mormon Restoration, hence, the world can trust in Mormonism. It is truly the kingdom seed.

Likewise, during the ministry of Joseph-Nephi, all three spirits will manifest, except that they will manifest fully, as the fully mature kingdom tree, and not as mere shadows, or as the kingdom seed.

And so on and so forth.

This post serves as a correction

With this post I have attempted to correct a few errors found among the saints. Hopefully I have succeeded.

To recap: John the apostle is not the Elias who restores all things. That is Joseph-Nephi. John merely receives a small mission from the hand of Joseph-Nephi to gather some of the tribes of Israel, which mission he will accomplish in the future.

The deadline for the completion of the group salvation of man and the redemption of this earth is the Second Coming. All work (including all temple work) must be accomplished perfectly prior to that day, otherwise we are all doomed. Latter-day saints have been erroneously taught to believe that our work for the dead has no deadline, and that we can complete it at our leisure during the Millennium. D&C 77:12, however, proves that this teaching and belief is false. No temple work will be done during the Millennium.

The work that must be accomplished before the time of Jesus’s Second Coming is much greater than the work we are currently doing in our temples. God must sanctify the earth, complete the salvation of man (which refers to group salvation), judge all things, redeem all things, and seal all things unto the end of all things, both for the dead, the living and the unborn, through His miracle-working seer, Joseph-Nephi, otherwise this creation and everything on it will be destroyed.

Nothing done in this dispensation or in previous dispensations is sufficient to group-save us, because work done partially is insufficient. It has to be entirely done to completion, and also perfectly done, otherwise it’s useless. Thus, the Restoration produced by Joseph Smith is entirely useless to save us, because it is missing parts (such as the work for all the unborn), there is not enough work done of the parts that are intact, there is no way to connect all the folds into one and nothing is done perfectly. And everything else done in previous dispensations is also useless, missing parts, partially done and imperfect. Unless Joseph-Nephi appears and takes all that work and completes it perfectly, re-doing it perfectly, we are all toast. The good news is that that is exactly what is going to happen, and it will all happen before Jesus gets back.

In closing, what Mormonism is

The reader might ask, “If Joseph-Nephi is the actual Elias who restores all things, then what is Joseph Smith and what is Mormonism?” The answer is: Mormonism is Joseph-Nephi’s shadow, even his foreshadow.

Joseph-Nephi is the Lord’s forerunner for the Second Coming of Christ. Therefore, if Christ is a shining light, brighter than the Sun, and His forerunner is standing in front of Him, with his back towards Him, ready to sprint ahead and prepare His way, that bright and shining light of Christ hits the back of Joseph-Nephi and casts a shadow in front on him, even a foreshadow. Depending on how low the light Source is, the foreshadow might be really long.

So, between 100 and 200 years before Joseph-Nephi was born, his foreshadow arrived in the form of the church and gospel of Jesus Christ, as restored by Joseph Smith. Whereas Joseph-Nephi is the Lord’s messenger that He sends to prepare the way before Him, and is a man of flesh and blood, his foreshadow is not a man of flesh and blood, but just a silhouette of the restoration of all things that he will accomplish. Therefore, the foreshadow (Mormonism) becomes both the messenger and the covenant:

And even so I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me. (D&C 45:9)

Later on Joseph-Nephi, a man of flesh and blood, will be both the messenger and the covenant given to group-save the people:

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:

and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:

behold, he shall come,

saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

Thus saith the Lord,

In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; (Isaiah 49:8)

Just as some like to build up John the Revelator into something more than he is, so others like to build up both Joseph Smith and the Restoration he performed into something more than he and it was. Neither John the Revelator, nor Joseph Smith will be the miracle-working seer that will be known as Joseph-Nephi, nor will they perform, nor be able to perform, the work he will do. Nor is the Restoration Joseph Smith performed, which we know as Mormonism, equal to the restoration of all things that Joseph-Nephi will accomplish. It’s just a foreshadow of something infinitely greater to come.

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The Proclamation: An Appeal for Prayer

Another president-elect: here we go again

Five elections left—Between now and April of 2033, there are five presidential elections left.

Date:	Nov. 2016	Nov. 2020	Nov. 2024	Nov. 2028	Nov. 2032	Apr. 2033
Approximate Number of Years Left of 6th Thousand Years	16 ½	12 ½	8 ½	4 ½	½	0

The Proclamation still has not gone forth

Back in 2008, I gained the understanding that the proclamation commanded by the Lord in D&C 124 to be made by Joseph Smith “to all the kings of the world, to the four corners thereof, to the honorable president-elect, and the high-minded governors of the nation in which you live, and to all the nations of the earth scattered abroad” (D&C 124:3), still had to be issued by Joseph Smith and given to some president-elect of the nation under the U.S. Constitution. Joseph Smith never made that proclamation because he died before he could do so, so the Twelve Apostles wrote up their own proclamation in 1845 to obey the instructions found in that revelation. Their proclamation, though, was addressed to “all the King’s of the World; To the President of the United States of America;  To the Governors of the several States; And to the Rulers and People of all Nations.” Most Mormons would say that the deed was fully done as the apostles had the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and I would have agreed with that assessment, except that, as I said, in 2008 I got a new understanding, which indicated that Joseph Smith needed to come back from the dead and make that proclamation still. Not to a President of the United States, but to a president-elect of the United States.

2008 was an election year and Barack Obama was the new president-elect, so I wondered and waited and watched to see if Joseph Smith, newly risen from the dead, would show up and issue the proclamation. In January of 2009 I even received a manifested belief that Joseph Smith was now back in the flesh somewhere. This manifestation served to increase my anticipation of the release of the proclamation, but Joseph never showed up.  After the botched swearing in ceremony, in which President Obama could still, technically, be called the president-elect, I still continued to wait and watch. Eight years have now gone by and no proclamation has been made. There has been a suggestion that maybe it was issued in secret or privately, but I do not believe that. There is no evidence, whatsoever, that Joseph has returned or that the proclamation was issued to president-elect Obama. So, the prophecy remains unfulfilled.

This turns my attention, then, to the next five presidential elections.

I didn’t know

In 2008 I didn’t know anything about the Josephite, nor about the future Confederacy, nor about the April 2033 date for the end of the 6th thousand years, nor about the need for Joseph Smith to appoint Joseph-Nephi as his successor. A lot of new information, and clarification, about the prophecies has come forth in the last eight years. Back in 2008 I thought that Joseph Smith would make the proclamation, being sent only by the Lord. Now, however, having learned about the Josephite, it is my understanding that when the Josephite is empowered, Joseph Smith will appear to him and appoint him as his successor, and then the Josephite will send Joseph Smith to make the proclamation. So, the proclamation cannot go forth until the Josephite is empowered.

While the proclamation waits for the Josephite, the Confederacy waits for the proclamation. So, a New set of Articles of Confederation (NAC) cannot be installed until Joseph Smith makes the proclamation to a president-elect of the nation under the United States Constitution (for there is no president-elect under the NAC.) The proclamation is all important because it will prophesy of the future events of the 6th thousand years (and perhaps also of the 7th thousand years), that concern the kingdoms and nations of the world.

Let it be written in the spirit of meekness and by the power of the Holy Ghost, which shall be in you at the time of the writing of the same; for it shall be given you by the Holy Ghost to know my will concerning those kings and authorities, even what shall befall them in a time to come.  (D&C 124:4-5)

This leaves them all “without excuse” (D&C 124:7), for they will know exactly what will happen and the consequences of their actions.

Given the great number of things that must occur between now and April of 2033, and the fact that it all starts with the empowerment of the Josephite and the release of Joseph Smith’s proclamation—which must be issued to a president-elect of the U.S. Constitution—that leaves only the aforementioned five elections as possible times the proclamation can be issued.

Narrowing it down to one

There are approximately 16 ½ years left of the 6th thousand years. According to my understanding, here are some of the things that have to happen in this time frame—(not listed in chronological order) : The Josephite must be empowered; The Proclamation must be made by Joseph Smith to the president-elect under the U.S. Constitution; The State of Israel must cease to exist; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must be broken up (by an earthquake); The Book of the Lamb of God must appear; The Church of the Lamb of God must be established; The United States of America must be established as a Confederacy; The promised land must be fortified; The Great and Abominable Church must be formed; The Great and Abominable Church must remove many plain and precious parts from the Book of the Lamb of God; The saints of God must be brought down into captivity by the Great and Abominable Church; The Gentiles must go out of captivity to the promised land; The Remnant must be scattered and smitten; A great war must occur between the nations of the world and the Gentiles on the promised land; The Gentiles must stumble; The Book of Mormon and Small Plates of Nephi must be re-translated; The Large Plates of Nephi, the Plates of Brass, and the Plates of Ether must be translated; The world must split into two churches; Zion must be redeemed; The House of Israel must begin to gather; The first six seals must be opened via the translation of 6/7 parts of the Sealed Portion; The Josephite must perform all the work for the dead (of the first 4000 years) and resurrect these people prior to 1823, changing the past; The 144,000 must be sealed; Wars must ensue among the wicked; Saints must be martyred; The Sun must turn black, the moon to blood, the stars fall, and mountains and islands must be moved out of their places; etc.

Right off the bat the fifth election can be crossed off. 2032 leaves only half a year, which is not enough time for all these many prophecies to be fulfilled. Even the third (2024) and fourth (2028) strike me as too little time (8 ½ and 4 ½ years, respectively.) That leaves this year (2016, giving about 16 ½ years) and the next presidential election (2020, giving 12 ½ years.) Of the two dates, my mind cannot help but think it must be 2016.

16 ½ years seems to me to be the perfect amount of time to accomplish everything. It can be broken down into three parts. First, there is half a year. In this period of time, the Josephite can be empowered, Joseph can issue the proclamation (before the swearing in ceremony in January of 2017), and the Confederacy can be installed by April of 2017. That gives us a full decade (ten years) under the NAC, from April 2017 to April 2027, in which all of the prophecies can be fulfilled minus the opening of the six seals. The last six years, then, are reserved for the opening of the seals, one seal opened per year.

Again, it seems to me that God would give the Gentiles no less than a decade (ten years) to repent, before He started opening the seals. That invalidates the 2024, 2028 and 2032 elections, because they don’t even leave ten years. Also, it seems to me that God would open one seal per year, requiring an additional six years. That invalidates the 2020 election. Which leaves this year’s election (2016) as the likeliest time when the proclamation would be made.

I may be the only one

I may be the only one that believes all this stuff. If so, then this post will have no effect, whatsoever. If, however, there are others who believe these things, then I will speak to those who believe, and perhaps some good will come of the post.

To the believers: let’s empower the Josephite

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of the status quo. I’m dying for the Josephite to be empowered, for the proclamation to go forth, for the Confederacy to be established, for the new scriptures to be translated, for the angels to start descending from heaven, for the miracles to start happening and for the prophecies to be fulfilled. Yet it all begins with the empowerment of the Josephite. There is an ideal window of about three months, between now and December, in which if he gets empowered, the proclamation can go forth and the prophecies can start to be fulfilled and we won’t have to wait until the next election in 2020.

So, let’s pray for this guy. Let’s pray that he gets empowered NOW. Let’s pray that the proclamation goes out to the president-elect this year.

It may be that the Josephite is even weaker than first thought. It may be that he needs our daily prayers and supplications, perhaps even our fasting. Pouring out our souls to God in his behalf day and night wouldn’t hurt, either. It may be that the hold up isn’t the Josephite. The hold up may be us. There are scriptural precedents for all these things.

And behold, their prayers were also in behalf of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth.  (Morm. 8:25)

The ancients knew that the Josephite would be raised up and would accomplish his mission, yet they still prayed for him. How many of us believing in him are doing the same? God received the prayers of His ancient saints in behalf of His miracle-working seer. Has He received the same from His modern saints? Perhaps God requires of us the same offering of prayers that was given by the ancient saints before He empowers His seer.

We know Jesus is coming back, and yet the saints of the future will be praying for it anyway:

Calling upon the name of the Lord day and night, saying:

O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence.

And it shall be answered upon their heads; for the presence of the Lord shall be as the melting fire that burneth, and as the fire which causeth the waters to boil.  (D&C 133:40-41)

James taught:

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  (James 5:16)

This is increased when there are more people involved.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.  (D&C 6:32)

For verily I say, as ye have assembled yourselves together according to the commandment wherewith I commanded you, and are agreed as touching this one thing, and have asked the Father in my name, even so ye shall receive.  (D&C 42:3)

In this case, the one thing touched, upon which all are agreed, is the empowerment of the Josephite in the next few months. When groups of people do this, God takes notice and action.

And again, I say unto you that ye shall not go until ye have preached my gospel in those parts, and have strengthened up the church whithersoever it is found, and more especially in Colesville; for, behold, they pray unto me in much faith.  (D&C 37:2)

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the people in Ohio call upon me in much faith, thinking I will stay my hand in judgment upon the nations, but I cannot deny my word.  (D&C 39:16)

The saints were instructed to uphold Joseph Smith, and also the First Presidency, by the prayer of faith.

And if ye desire the glories of the kingdom, appoint ye my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and uphold him before me by the prayer of faith.  (D&C 43:12)

Of the Melchizedek Priesthood, three Presiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church.  (107:22)

This same principle may apply to the Josephite.

According to my understanding, the Josephite is already among the LDS population, but maybe because no one is upholding him by the prayer of faith, the Lord is leaving him in his weakness. This accords to the law and doctrine of deliverance, which requires exact obedience to the deliverer, by those being delivered. If we do not do what the Josephite (who is a deliverer) says, with exactness, the Lord will not empower him to deliver us. The Josephite hasn’t said anything, for he is unknown, but the fact that he is among the people already may put the law of deliverance into effect, through our prayers.

So, let’s cause the Lord to empower him by praying to God in much faith, and get the end time events started.

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Shutting the mouths of false teachers

And..the church…had peace…save it were a few contentions concerning the points of doctrine which had been laid down by the prophets…  (Hel. 11:21-22)

And it came to pass that after there had been false Christs, and…after there had been false prophets, and false preachers and teachers among the people…  (Words of Mormon 1:15-16)

…and their mouths had been shut, and…all these having been punished according to their crimes…  (Words of Mormon 1:15-16)

…there began to be much strife. But it came to pass that…many of [the] brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end to their strife…  (Hel. 11:23)

In other words, for this post, in addition to the scriptures, I’m going to use my own revelations to correct the errors promoted by false teachers currently found among the saints.

There have only been three known churches of Christ

The first church of Christ was founded by Alma Nephi, when he baptized Helam (and also himself) in the waters of Mormon, followed by the subsequent baptism of the rest of the group.  This church was formed about 147–145 B.C. and began with about 204 people.  The account of its establishment is found in Mosiah 18.

The second church of Christ was founded by Jesus Christ during his ministry among the Jews.

The third church of Christ was founded by Joseph Smith, Jun., which was organized and established in Manchester, Ontario County, New York, USA, with six people, on 6 April, 1830.

Three verses of scripture mention an ancient church

Here is the first part of the entry of “Church” from the Bible Dictionary:

From the Greek, Ecclesia, meaning “an assembly called together.” The church is the organized body of believers who have taken upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ by baptism and confirmation.  To be the true church it must be the Lord’s church and must have His laws, His name, and be governed by Him through representatives whom He has appointed (3 Ne. 27:1–12; D&C 115:4).

This is true.  God Himself must recognize it as His church, it must bear His name, have His revealed word as its foundational text, be built upon His gospel and rock, and possess His priesthood.  Every latter-day saint understands this definition of the church.  So far so good.  Now let’s look at the next part of this Bible Dictionary entry:

In this sense, the church began with the days of Adam and has been on the earth among mankind whenever there were a group of believers who had the priesthood and revelations of heaven.

This is false.  If you take up the Standard Works, and look at the Old Testament (whether you look in the King James Version, or in the Joseph Smith Translation, it doesn’t matter), you will find no mention of any church during that period of time.  This is because there was no church of Jesus Christ during those times.  Prior to the establishment of Jesus Christ’s church in the Old World, and to the establishment of Alma Nephi’s church in the New World, the laws and ordinances of God were administered to the people tribally.  Continuing on with this BD entry:

The word church is used only twice in the four Gospels (Matt. 16:18; 18:17) but is frequently mentioned in Acts, the epistles, and Revelation.

This is true.  This is because Jesus organized and established a church among the Jews and it continued after His resurrection under the direction of His apostles.

The Old Testament uses the term congregation for church.

This is false.  The Old Testament uses the term congregation to mean “an assembly of persons” and more specifically, “an assembly of persons met for the worship of God, and for religious instruction.”  An assembly of persons, belonging to a tribe or tribes, meeting together to offer sacrifice to their God (to worship God) or meeting in a synagogue for religious instruction is not a church.  Nor does it constitute a church of Christ.  Such assemblies need not have entered into any covenant with God, witnessed by baptism, nor received any laying on of hands, etc., to congregate and worship or to receive and give religious instruction.  Thus, the Old Testament uses the term congregation, not church, for these gatherings.  More of the BD entry:

The word kingdom is often used in the scriptures to mean the church, since the church is literally the kingdom of God on the earth.

This is false.  The word kingdom means kingdom.  (Duh!)  A kingdom is “the inhabitants or population subject to a king.”  The kingdom of God, then, are the people that submit to the law of God as administered by His priests, whether it is administered tribally, or via the church of Christ.  Thus, in the Book of Mormon, we find that the Nephites, when they were established under kings—from the reign of first Nephi, who consecrated his brothers Joseph and Jacob as priests and teachers, all the way to the last Nephite king, Mosiah, who also had his consecrated priests—all Nephite kings had priests, for these patriarchal orders were patterned after the kingdom of God, and God Himself, who is the King of the Universe, has priests.  And these priests, in pre-Alma days, or in pre-Jesus days, operated tribally, administering the ordinances and laws of God to the people under a tribal protocol.  These tribal orders, then, were as much the kingdom of God as were the churches of Christ, which also had ordained priests to administer the gospel ordinances and laws.  Kingdom, then, can apply to both the tribal and church protocols, and does not automatically mean or indicate that a functioning church of Christ is present.

Here’s more of the BD entry:

The Book of Mormon, as it speaks of Old Testament events, uses the word church (1 Ne. 4:26), and the Doctrine and Covenants speaks of the church in Old Testament times (D&C 107:4).

The first part is true and the second part is a supposition.  It is true that Joseph Smith translated the Egyptian word found in 1 Ne. 4:26 into church, but this did not mean a church of Christ, but merely “an assembly of believers.”  In other words, a “congregation of believers.”  The Jews in the land of Jerusalem at that time cast out, killed by stoning and other means, or tried to kill all those who believed in this prophesied Messiah that would suffer and die for the sins of the world.  They in no way, shape or form belonged to any church of Christ.  But they certainly professed a belief in Moses and his law, and also the prophets (the ones that didn’t prophesy of Christ or of the Jews’ destruction, that is), therefore, this was a congregation of believers in Moses and the law and the prophets, but not in Christ, who attended the Jewish synagogue.  Joseph translated it as church, for a church is an Ecclesia, meaning “an assembly called together,” and that’s what this congregation was.  But this wasn’t a church of Christ, but merely a gathering under tribal authority and protocols.  Here is the scripture in question:

And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.  And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.  And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls.  And I also bade him that he should follow me.  And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me.  And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls.  (1 Ne. 4:22-27)

Now look at the Bible Dictionary entry for Synagogue:

A Jewish meetinghouse for religious purposes. The furniture was generally simple, consisting of an ark containing the rolls of the law and other sacred writings, a reading desk, and seats for the worshippers. Its affairs were managed by the local council of elders, who decided who should be admitted and who should be excluded (Luke 6:22; John 9:22; 12:42; 16:2). The most important official was the Ruler of the Synagogue (Mark 5:22; Luke 13:14), who was generally a scribe, had care of the building, and superintended the various services. There was also an attendant who performed clerical duties (Luke 4:20). The Sabbath morning service was the most important in the week and included a fixed lesson (Num. 15:37–41; Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21) and two lessons for the day, one from the law and the other from the prophets. A sermon was generally preached in explanation of one of the lessons (Luke 4:17; Acts 13:15). The existence of synagogues in every town in which Jews were living, both in Palestine and elsewhere, was a great help to the spread of the gospel, early Christian missionaries being generally able to get a hearing there (see Acts 13:5, 14; 14:1; 17:1, 10; 18:4), and the synagogue worship provided in many respects a model for early Christian worship.

Okay, so hopefully that explains the use of the word church in 1 Ne. 4:26.  So now to address D&C 107:4.  Here are the first four verses of that section:

There are, in the church, two priesthoods, namely, the Melchizedek and Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood.  Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest.  Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God.  But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood.

The Bible Dictionary author supposes that this mention of a church in ancient days in “the Doctrine and Covenants speaks of the church in Old Testament times,” but that is just an assumption, a supposition, a mere guess.  There is no evidence, whatsoever, that any church of Christ was found in Old Testament times, whether before Melchizedek, during his times (and he was a contemporary of Abraham, who likewise mentions no church), or after him.  As the most ancient church of Christ established on this earth was the one formed by Alma Nephi on this American continent, this D&C verse may be speaking of Alma’s church.  It need not apply to anything more ancient than that.

Stephen’s testimony in Acts 7 also mentioned a church in the times of Moses, but again, this wasn’t a church of Christ, but a congregation of the tribes.  Non-KJV bible translations use assembly or congregation, instead of church.  Here are his words in the KJV:

This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel,

A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, saying unto Aaron,

Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. (Acts 7:37-40)

So there you have it.  There are only three verses in all of the scriptures that speak of a church in pre-Jesus or pre-Alma times, and two of the verses (1 Ne. 4:26 and Acts 7:38) are really talking of a tribal congregation or assembly, while the other passage (D&C 107:4) is speaking, in all likelihood, of either Alma’s church or Jesus’ church.  That is the extent of all the “evidence” for the existence of a church of Christ before Christ and Alma.

Nonetheless, as latter-day saints know absolutely nothing about the gospel administered tribally, to deal with the apparent operation of God’s priesthoods in antiquity, they have taken the church model and protocols and applied them to the past.  Even though there is no church mentioned or found in the ancient text, they, nevertheless, using their “church filters,” cause their eyes to see an ancient church everywhere, in every time period.  “It’s there, in the word congregation!  Or it’s over there, in the word kingdom!  Lo!  The church of Christ is everywhere!  It has been here since the very beginning!  This isn’t a restoration of the church of Christ that was established in Jesus’ day, but a restoration of the church of Christ from Adam’s time!  Our religion is that ancient!”  And so the sayings go.

How the false teachers use Abinadi and Alma

False teachers, working from the same false church-from-the-beginning reference point, have crafted a false narrative by superimposing the gospel as administered tribally upon the gospel as administered by the church.  Specifically, the application of Abinadi’s prophecy to Noah and his priests and people, by false teachers and false prophets—who attempt to use it as an example that God can, and does, use outsiders to correct and call the ministers of His church to repentance—is a misapplication.  Where these false teachers err is in their assumption that Abinadi and Noah and his priests and people were actually in any church of Christ.  They weren’t.  They weren’t living under church protocols, but under tribal protocols, which are different.

The only model that can be applied to the current church of Christ, founded by Joseph Smith, is a church model.  In other words, you must use a church example, not a tribal one, to show how the church of Christ is supposed to function.  So, we’ve got three churches: one founded by Alma the Nephite (the most ancient one), one founded by Jesus the Jew, and one founded by Joseph the Gentile of Ephraimite lineage.  You can look at the Nephite church, which begins with the baptism of Helam, or at the Jewish church, which begins with Jesus’ church, and apply those to the Gentile church, but you cannot turn to Abinadi and Noah and his priests and say, “See?  Abinadi wasn’t in the priesthood hierarchy and yet God used him to call them to repentance!”   So what?  There was a tribal protocol in place during that time that provided for that and Abinadi followed it precisely.

Tribal rights are passed on through literal lineage

Not all tribal functions have been revealed, as yet, but we do know a few things.  For example, lineage played a part in tribal priesthood.  Therefore, Aaron and his firstborn sons had (and still have) a right to the bishopric, by birth.  That’s a tribal protocol which is currently found in the church of Christ.  There is literal lineage (father to son) and priesthood lineage (priesthood father to priesthood son.)  In other words, priesthood rights can be passed on tribally, through literal seed (father to son, or for Aaron and all his firstborn sons), and that is a tribal operation, but also they can be passed on via the laying on of hands, from one unrelated man to another unrelated man.  The first man becomes the “priesthood father” of the second man, who becomes the “priesthood son.”  Thus, this conferral of priesthood by the laying on of hands is spoken of as having a lineage and seed.  So, I can trace my Aaronic “priesthood lineage” from the man who ordained me (who is my priesthood father), to the man who ordained him (my priesthood grandfather), and so on, back to Oliver Cowdery, and thus back to John the Baptist.  And so forth with the Melchizedek priesthood.

An example of the two kinds of seed (literal and priesthood) can be seen from the following scripture:

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations; and I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal. (Abr. 2:9-11)

Another example is of evangelical ministers, which is a tribal office that is currently found in the church (since we need it here until the tribal functions are fully restored) :

It is the duty of the Twelve, in all large branches of the church, to ordain evangelical ministers, as they shall be designated unto them by revelation—the order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made.  (D&C 107:39-40)

And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant William be appointed, ordained, and anointed, as counselor unto my servant Joseph, in the room of my servant Hyrum, that my servant Hyrum may take the office of Priesthood and Patriarch, which was appointed unto him by his father, by blessing and also by right; that from henceforth he shall hold the keys of the patriarchal blessings upon the heads of all my people, that whoever he blesses shall be blessed, and whoever he curses shall be cursed; that whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (D&C 124:91-93)

Not only were priesthood rights transmitted by birth under the tribal model, but so were gifts.  In the Nephite society, it was the seed of Jacob, all the Jacobite sons, who had a right to the gift to prophesy.  As such, any male Jacobite, filled with the Spirit, was duly authorized to preach repentance to anyone, including priests, teachers and kings.  As they were Jacobites—their surname being Jacob-Nephi—they were within the Nephite tribal congregations, therefore they weren’t from the outside.  Also, as they were Jacobites, they had a right to prophesy.

Abinadi was likely a Jacobite, descended from Abinadom.  Thus, he was fully within his rights to call these people to repentance.  The whole thing followed tribal protocols, but not church protocols, for under church protocols, we are not to command him who is at our head.

But thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom; and thou shalt not command him who is at thy head, and at the head of the church; for I have given him the keys of the mysteries, and the revelations which are sealed, until I shall appoint unto them another in his stead. (D&C 28:5-7)

Also, the elders of the church are not to be taught by others, but are to be the ones who do the teaching.

Again I say, hearken ye elders of my church, whom I have appointed:

Ye are not sent forth to be taught, but to teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my Spirit; and ye are to be taught from on high.  (D&C 43:15-16)

So, God will not use outsiders to call any of the church elders to repentance.  God will only use church ministers to call them to repentance.  (This means that if you’ve been excommunicated, repent and come back in.  If you start calling any part of the church to repentance, that is evidence that you do not have the Spirit of God.)

Additionally, the record states that “there was a man among them whose name was Abinadi” (Mosiah 11:20), so Abinadi was actually a part of Noah’s people and kingdom.  So, he was in no way an outsider.

An affront to the king’s right to judge

After Abinadi gave his prophecy to the people, they were livid, and when king Noah learned of his words, he also was fuming mad, and he said,

Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great affliction?  I command you to bring Abinadi hither, that I may slay him, for he has said these things that he might stir up my people to anger one with another, and to raise contentions among my people; therefore I will slay him.  (Mosiah 11:27-28)

The reason for all this anger was two-fold.  The first reason was because, under tribal prototol, it was up to the kings to judge the people.  King Mosiah later would say,

Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments… (Mosiah 29:13)

Also, when there was iniquity in the church, Alma went to the king to have him judge them, according to tribal protocol:

And he said unto the king:

Behold, here are many whom we have brought before thee, who are accused of their brethren; yea, and they have been taken in divers iniquities. And they do not repent of their iniquities; therefore we have brought them before thee, that thou mayest judge them according to their crimes. (Mosiah 26:11)

Secondly, it was the prerogative of the kings to call upon the prophets, priests, teachers and other leaders, as helps, in their mission of judging the people and establishing peace:

…behold, it came to pass that king Benjamin, with the assistance of the holy prophets who were among his people—for behold, king Benjamin was a holy man, and he did reign over his people in righteousness; and there were many holy men in the land, and they did speak the word of God with power and with authority; and they did use much sharpness because of the stiffneckedness of the people—wherefore, with the help of these, king Benjamin, by laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land. (Words of Mormon 1:16-18)

This was the tribal protocol for just kings. And in the whole history of the Nephite people, there had only been just kings. Jarom said, “our kings and our leaders were mighty men in the faith of the Lord; and they taught the people the ways of the Lord” (Jarom 1:7.) But Noah was an anomaly. He was an iniquitous king.  In the case of an iniquitous king, judgment reverted to the LORD under tribal protocol, but this had never happened before, for Noah was the first wicked Nephite king.

This is why Noah’s question is two-fold: “Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great affliction?”  When Noah asks, “Who is Abinadi?” it isn’t because Abinadi is an unknown person, some passerby that happened to enter into the land, and it isn’t because Abinadi isn’t a part of the priests of Noah, like many of the false teachers like to assert.  No, what Noah is saying is, “Is Abinadi king, or am I king?  Who has the right to judge this people, him or me?”

Assuming that Abinadi was, indeed, a Jacobite (and if so, his name would have been Abinadi Jacob-Nephi), Abinadi had the right to prophesy, but this always happened with the king’s advance notice and approval, and under the king’s guidance, not out-of-the-blue, without any notification whatsoever to the reigning king.  So, king Noah felt affronted.

Additionally, the prophecy of Abinadi went contrary to what the king and his priests were saying.  They proclaimed celebration and prosperity, while Abinadi’s prophecy was of affliction and bondage.  Noah assumed, therefore, that as the people appeared to be prosperous and content, and they gave their common consent to all he did(!), that he must be a just king, and therefore Abinadi must be the one out of sorts.  Therefore Abinadi must be a false prophet.  And also the name of “the Lord” that Abinadi invoked must not be the real Lord, but a false god.  (This is why king Noah asks, “Who is the Lord?”)  Abinadi, then, was the obvious guilty party, under tribal protocol (assuming a just king, that is.)  And so he and his people did not believe the prophecy.  They thought it was all made up:

And it came to pass that they were angry with him; and they took him and carried him bound before the king, and said unto the king:

Behold, we have brought a man before thee who has prophesied evil concerning thy people, and saith that God will destroy them.  And he also prophesieth evil concerning thy life, and saith that thy life shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire.  And again, he saith that thou shalt be as a stalk, even as a dry stalk of the field, which is run over by the beasts and trodden under foot.  And again, he saith thou shalt be as the blossoms of a thistle, which, when it is fully ripe, if the wind bloweth, it is driven forth upon the face of the land. And he pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it. And he saith all this shall come upon thee except thou repent, and this because of thine iniquities.  And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be condemned of God or judged of this man?  And now, O king, behold, we are guiltless, and thou, O king, hast not sinned; therefore, this man has lied concerning you, and he has prophesied in vain.  And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into bondage, or be taken captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast prospered in the land, and thou shalt also prosper.  Behold, here is the man, we deliver him into thy hands; thou mayest do with him as seemeth thee good.

So none of this has anything, whatsoever, to do with Abinadi not being a part of the body of Noah’s priests, but this is how the false teachers would like to spin it.

Okay, so my point is that Abinadi acted under proper tribal protocols.

A brief aside

It is not my intention to fully expound this Abinadi episode, but I will point out a couple of things, before moving on to Alma’s actions.

First, Noah, priests and people were focused on the law of Moses, thinking that salvation came by it, and they discarded the Ten Commandments, whereas Abinadi pointed to the Ten Commandments, saying that those who obeyed those commandments would be saved.

The people essentially broke every single one of the Ten Commandments.  They all “became idolatrous” (Mosiah 11:6-7.)  That broke the Second Commandment.  The king and priests spoke “vain words” (Mosiah 11:7,11) to the people.  That might indicate that they broke the Third Commandment.  The king and priests did not work, but were “supported in their laziness” (Mosiah 11:6.)  That broke the Fourth Commandment.  King Noah “did not walk in the ways of his father” (Mosiah 11:1.)  That indicates that he broke the Fifth Commandment.  The people “did delight in blood, and the shedding of the blood of their brethren” (Mosiah 11:19) and also they consented to the death of Abinadi.  This broke the Sixth Commandment.  They had “many wives and concubines” (Mosiah 11:2,4,6,14) and spent time with harlots and committed whoredoms.  That broke the Seventh Commandment.  They returned from war with the Lamanites, “rejoicing in their spoil” (Mosiah 11:18.)  That might indicate that they didn’t just get their own stuff back from the Lamanites, but took (stole) additional things that the Lamanites possessed.  That would break the Eighth Commandment.  The high priests would “speak lying” (Mosiah 11:11) words to the people.  That would violate the Ninth Commandment.  Finally, king Noah levied a tax upon the people (see Mosiah 11:4,6,13.)  This would violate the Tenth Commandment (per the post, Thou shalt not “covet”.)

Second, despite breaking pretty much every single commandment of God, notice that Abinadi does not say to them that their priesthood was now null and void, that they had no more keys, that because of their apostasy and sinful ways, the “church was no longer true,” etc., as the false teachers like to spin it, but instead, Abinadi continues to recognize the authority of these corrupt priests to the very end, ending his sermon in this fashion:

Therefore, if ye teach the law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come—teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father. Amen. (Mosiah 16:14-15)

So, this was not a case of “Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man!” that the false teachers would like it to be.  Now, let’s look at Alma.

Alma, the priest of Noah

Alma repented of his sins, ran away when Noah tried to kill him, wrote the words of Abinadi, and then began preaching in private.

Keep in mind that the tribal protocols were still intact under Noah and his priests.  But Alma couldn’t return, because they would just try to kill him again.  He was now an outsider, but he still had priesthood authority.  He was also under the obligation to teach the people the truth of Abinadi’s words.  He couldn’t teach them tribally and then tell them to go back and submit to the tribal authority of Noah as believers in Christ, because once it came out that they believed as Abinadi did, they would likely be killed, as well. So, what was Alma to do?

The answer is that he used his priesthood to form a church of Christ.  Noah and his priests operated under the tribal model, so Alma used his faith to have his converts operate under the church model.  This would protect them from the oppressions of king Noah, for they could meet in secret, be baptized in secret and so forth.  On the one hand, they would still participate in tribal functions, under Noah and priests, as well as in church functions, under Alma.

The church rises, the tribe goes away

But notice that once the church comes into existence, Satan inspires the king to destroy it, so they run away.  Then they are found by the Lamanites and finally escape to king Mosiah.  King Mosiah, a seer with his own tribal priests, seeing that Alma’s immense faith has caused a church of Christ to be formed before Christ had come to establish it(!), starts to set in motion the cessation of the priesthood within the tribal protocols.  He turns the monarchy into a system of judges without priests, gives Alma full authority over the church and the ordination of priesthood, and hands all sacred items to Alma’s son Alma.  Alma the younger then becomes first chief judge, high priest of the church, and all priesthood is now centered in the church.  From this point on, the priesthood no longer operates tribally, but within the church of Christ, exclusively.  The church of Christ has full sway over which ordinances are salvific, and which are not.

This pattern follows with the other two churches, too.  The church established by Jesus had exclusive authority.  The church established by Joseph Smith has exclusive authority.  No ordinances are salvific without church authorization, for either of these three churches.  All those who claim that they can baptize without church authorization, using Mormon priesthood, and that those baptisms are legitimately salvific in the Lord’s view, are wrong.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints possesses the keys over all the ordinances of salvation, exclusively.

Three published revelations given to me

Okay, hopefully that covers the Abinadi-Alma point that is always brought up by false teachers.

As the cry of false teachers and false prophets is always the same—the church is apostate, the keys are no longer valid, the practices of the church no longer conform to the revelations, etc.—I am going to use Abinadi logic to deal with these assertions:

And it came to pass that after Abinadi had made an end of these sayings that he said unto them:

Have ye taught this people that they should observe to do all these things for to keep these commandments? I say unto you,

Nay;

for if ye had, the Lord would not have caused me to come forth and to prophesy evil concerning this people. (Mosiah 13:25-26)

Joseph Smith organized and established the church of Christ on 6 April, 1830.  I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 19__, at the age of nine.  About a month before my baptism, I received a revelation from the Holy Ghost, in which the Spirit said to me:

“This [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] is the ONLY true church!”

This revelation was received while I was attending a Mormon church service for the very first time, and it was accompanied by a baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.  The meaning of the revelation was that the members of this particular church had valid ordinances of salvation.  In other words, that their priesthood authority was the only priesthood which was valid and authorized by God.

Now, all those who say that this church is apostate, or that the priesthood is no longer here, or some of it is missing, or the ordinances have changed, or that the keys are not valid, etc., and point to any point of time between 1830 and 19__, the year I received this revelation, are in error.  I say to them like Abinadi said to those priests:

Did the church become false at any time during this period from 1830 to 19__?  I say to you,

No, it didn’t;

for if it did, the Lord would not have caused me to receive a revelation that the church was true in 19__.

Now, either the church was true in 1830, and then became false, and then was restored back to true by 19__, or it has remained true the entire time, from 1830 to 19__.  As we have no record of any restoration that has occurred after Joseph Smith’s death, and, in fact, no such restoration will occur, except by the hand of the Josephite, then the church must have been true during this entire time.

So, that covers the period from 1830 to 19__, but what about the period since 19__?  Could there have been an apostasy since then?  Could the keys have been lost since the year I received that revelation?

No, because there is also this revelation, which I received in 2014:

Behold! Thus saith the Lord:

Thou shalt shut thy mouth, for none of my saints shall be authorized to speak against the leaders of my church, to criticize and correct them publicly, unless I send them. And thou shalt be sent, but the time is not yet, neither for thee, nor for any others, therefore, thou shalt heed these words and hold thy tongue.

Notice in particular that the Lord says, “the leaders of my church.”  Again,

Did the church become false at any time during this period from 19__ to 2014?  I say to you,

No, it didn’t;

for if it did, the Lord would not have caused me to receive a revelation that this was still His church in 2014.

So, this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still the Lord’s church, as of 2014.  And since 2014, there has been no indication from the Spirit, whatsoever, that the church has ceased being the Lord’s church, therefore, it’s still true, the keys are still here, the priesthood is still valid, and the Lord still recognizes it as His.

Anybody, then, who goes around saying this church no longer holds the keys, or is apostate, or does not have the priesthood (or not all the priesthood), or the ordinances have been changed or corrupted, or the Lord has rejected the church, and so forth—anyone who teaches such doctrine is a false teacher, because they go against these revelations of mine.

There is only one response that a false teacher can say to this, and that is, “These revelations are not true.”  But they are true, and this can be demonstrated by anyone praying to God about them.  God will tell any earnest seeker of truth that the above two revelations are true, and as they are true, these other phonies are false teachers.

Now, before I address the final point that false teachers always bring up, which is the fact that the practices of the church do not match the revelations of Joseph Smith in a great many instances, I will put up the third revelation, which is the tribal revelation, to show that this tribal doctrine and protocol, in which the kingdom of God was administered to the people tribally, is not something I made up on my own, but which was revealed to me by the Holy Ghost in 2010:

Be of good comfort, for verily, thus saith the Lord:

The priesthood existed before the organization of the church and is to serve both church and tribe. Although the tribes of Israel are not gathered, yet they are known to me, along with all the tribes of the earth.

For the Lord beholds no man alone, but sees the lineage of all families, of all the children of men, and of these lines form tribes.

I have yet to restore tribal functions,

saith the Lord,

nevertheless, the church ordinances of baptism, confirmation, administration of the sacrament, and priesthood ordinations, may be performed within a tribe, as tribal ordinances, under tribal authority or keys. Thus the priesthood may operate within a tribe, independently from the church, and within the church, independently from a tribe.

Nevertheless, thou shalt not substitute the church for the tribe, nor the tribe for the church.

Yet thou mayest establish thy tribe using these priesthood ordinances, and conform your tribal practices to the revelations of my servant Joseph Smith, Jun.,

saith the Lord.

¶ Because thou fearest to sin, thou shalt not administer of the sacrament at home to thy family, as a church ordinance, unless the bishop permitteth it.

For it is not meet nor right to establish a home church, apart from the body of the saints; nevertheless, thou art permitted to administer of the sacrament, as a tribal ordinance, to those that pertain to thy tribe.

For I require the saints of my church to meet together often, to worship me as a group, and thou shalt also worship me at all times, and the church is ordained and established unto this end,

saith the Lord.

Likewise the tribe is to worship me, as a group and individually. Wherefore, establish thy tribe, if thou wilt, using the priesthood, that ye may worship me as a group, in conformity to my revelations, given to my servant Joseph, that I may pour out my Spirit and gifts upon thee and thine, that thou shalt have no more cause to mourn and murmur concerning the meetings of my church. But take care not to go beyond the bounds I have set, until I have seen fit to reveal the tribal functions. Amen.

This shows that the priesthood “is to serve both church and tribe,” which means that before the churches established by Alma and Jesus, the kingdom of God was administered tribally, for that is what existed back then: tribes of Israel and tribes of the earth.

Two published revelations given to Joseph Smith

There are also two revelations which were given to Joseph Smith that show that the church still has all of its keys.  The first is:

Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness. (D&C 13:1)

Those are the words of John the Baptist to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery when he gave them the Aaronic Priesthood. Notice that he says that that priesthood will remain on earth until the sons of Levi offer a sacrifice to the Lord in righteousness. Have the sons of Levi done this, yet? No, they haven’t. Therefore, this priesthood and all its keys are still here in the Lord’s church.

Here is another revelation of Joseph Smith:

Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers—for ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God—therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began. (D&C 86:8-10)

This does not refer to the literal seed, but to the priesthood seed and priesthood lineage and priesthood fathers. So, the fathers of Joseph and Oliver were John the Baptist and also Peter, James and John, and Joseph and Oliver were lawful heirs, according to the flesh, for these priesthoods were conferred by the laying on of hands, of flesh and bone people, therefore it was done “according to the flesh.” Some people go way out in left field and think this scripture is speaking of the literal seed, or that Joseph and Oliver had priesthood rights by birth, from their mortal fathers, etc., but no such imaginary scenario exists, for they were Gentiles and had no right by birth to the priesthood, but via ordination by the hand of these resurrected personages. And so the lineage spoken of here is not the literal seed of Joseph and Oliver, but their priesthood seed. For example, owing to my priesthood lineage, Oliver Cowdery is one of my priesthood fathers. And I am one of his priesthood sons. And so forth. I am a part of his priesthood posterity.

Now, this priesthood (which includes both priesthoods) was to remain “until the restoration of all things.”  Again,

Has the restoration of all things occurred, yet?  I say to you,

No, it hasn’t;

therefore, this priesthood and all its keys are still with the church.

There is no getting around these revelations, neither mine nor Joseph’s.  If the false teachers are teaching correct doctrines, then both my revelations and also Joseph Smith’s are false.  If Joseph’s and my revelations are true, then the false teachers are in error.  It can’t be both ways.  As all these revelations are true, everyone can expect these two priesthoods, and their keys, to remain in this church until the restoration of all things.

These are the keys

As for what keys they have, this is what the Lord says about that:

For unto you, the Twelve, and those, the First Presidency, who are appointed with you to be your counselors and your leaders, is the power of this priesthood given, for the last days and for the last time, in the which is the dispensation of the fulness of times, which power you hold, in connection with all those who have received a dispensation at any time from the beginning of the creation; for verily I say unto you, the keys of the dispensation, which ye have received, have come down from the fathers, and last of all, being sent down from heaven unto you. (D&C 112:30-32)

So, it is to the Twelve and First Presidency that we should look as key holders.  Now, notice what they have done with their keys since the death of Joseph Smith:

The church is out of order

According to the law of expediency, the church leadership must operate according to what is expedient.  In the absence of the revelations of a seer (Joseph Smith or Joseph-Nephi) they are to use this law and their keys, to keep the work moving forward, building up the church upon the foundation Joseph Smith laid, until the next seer (Joseph-Nephi) arrives to add to the body of revelation and restore the rest of all the things.

Because of hinderment, and especially if the hinderment is continual, things can quickly get out of order.  So, let’s say you start with 10 numbered blocks, from 1 to 10, which Joseph Smith restored, and let’s say that there are, in total, 1000 blocks to be restored.  Those 10 blocks represent the foundation of the restoration of all things, as well as the foundation of the church, which was accomplished by Joseph.  The order is from 1 to 10, but even in Joseph’s time, there was hinderment, so, for example, the law of consecration and stewardship had to be put on hold, and we got a new revealed block, which was the law of tithing.  After Joseph’s death, the leadership, holding the keys, had to move the work forward as best they could, under whatever inspiration they could get.

But again, hinderment comes, for Satan opposes this work, and maybe the order must be changed a little, so that there is no halt in the work.  Maybe blocks number 4 and 5 get swapped.  Later, there is more opposition, and the law of expediency requires that to keep the work moving forward, blocks 2 and 7 must be swapped.  Maybe with so much opposition, block 10 must have its practice ceased, but the block must remain, so it is hid under block 9.  And so on, as time goes on the blocks get more and more out of order.  Yet they are all still there.

The uninspired man, and in particular the false teachers and false prophets, will say that this is not the true church, for look at all the blocks.  They are out of order!  They no longer conform to the revelations of Joseph Smith!  But remember, these are uninspired, false teachers.  They cannot see the hand of God if it was placed right in front of their blind faces.

And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God; while that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning. (D&C 85:7-8)

This prophecy cannot be fulfilled unless the house of God first gets out of order.  This is really, then, two prophecies: one of the house of God getting out of order, and one of the house of God being set in order.  Those who say: “That the house of God being out of order, or it not conforming to the revelations of Joseph Smith, is evidence that it is no longer the house of God” are false teachers, for this prophecy of Joseph Smith prophesies that the house of God will first get out of order, yet it still will be the house of God, for later on it (the house of God) will be set in order.  It never ceases to be the house of God during this process.  Therefore, all those who seek to “steady the ark of God” to restore order to it, are the ones who are uninspired.  The house of God getting out of order is a state which conforms to the revelations of Joseph Smith.  And the leadership, acting under the law of expediency, and getting this house more and more out of order, are acting under inspiration of God.

It was always the intention of God to have the house get all jumbled up, and then one day He had always planned that this guy, called a mighty and strong one, would come and set the whole mess right.  So, if you want to follow a false teacher out of this church, do it with the understanding that these people haven’t got a clue as to the workings of the Spirit.

A key to discerning the time of apostasy

When did the most ancient church of Christ (the one established by Alma Nephi) go into apostasy and cease to exist?  The answer is when God took away His twelve disciples.  (Later, under Mormon, it was when He took away all of His disciples.)  And when did the church established by Jesus among the Jews go into apostasy?

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares:

Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed; and after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness. (D&C 86:1-3)

Once again, the answer is when the apostles were taken away. (The tares had been sown in the church while the apostles were still ministering, but only when they were taken away did the tares become capable of choking the wheat and driving the church into the wilderness.) And in our day, when will the church go into apostasy?

Now, I say unto you, and what I say unto you, I say unto all the Twelve:

And again, I say unto you, that whosoever ye shall send in my name, by the voice of your brethren, the Twelve, duly recommended and authorized by you, shall have power to open the door of my kingdom unto any nation whithersoever ye shall send them—inasmuch as they shall humble themselves before me, and abide in my word, and hearken to the voice of my Spirit.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.

Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth,

saith the Lord.

And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth,

saith the Lord;

first among those among you,

saith the Lord,

who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house,

saith the Lord. (D&C 112:14,21-26)

Again, the answer is the same: the day of vengeance, wrath, burning, desolation, weeping, mourning and lamentation will begin first among the Twelve apostles.  (And this day has not come, yet.)  So, when the Lord removes the twelve Gentile apostles, that is the day when the tares, which are already sown among the wheat of this church, will begin to choke the wheat. But as long as we have the twelve apostles among us, the church is not apostate, it still has the priesthood, the keys are still here, the ordinances are still valid, and so forth. Even my prophecies concerning the breakup of the church and of the descent into wickedness (by the tares of this church) bear out this principle, for the church breakup and wickedness of the tares only occurs when the quorum of the Twelve are taken out of the picture. So, all of this shows that a key to know whether this church is still valid in God’s eyes, is the existence of the quorum of the twelve apostles. If that quorum exists, the church is still true.  And since we do have the Twelve among us still, this (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) is still the Lord’s church and believe it or not, all the expedient disordering that is being done with their keys is under inspiration of God.  So, hopefully this post will do something to help shut the mouths of the false teachers who are spreading lies among the saints.

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I’ve changed my mind

I used to think that the latter-day saints could self-correct and bring the current church practices back into conformity to the revelations of Joseph, and to that end I advocated, among other things, the use of the law of common consent to put a stop to practices that went contrary to the scriptures.  (See, for example, Is our procedure for sustaining a rubber stamp?)  But over the years of this blog’s existence it has become apparent to me that the latter-day saints are incapable of self-correcting.  This used to cause me consternation, but I’m not worried about it anymore.  And neither should anybody else be.  There is going to be a major correction, but it won’t come from the body of the saints doing it of their own volition under inspiration of the Holy Ghost.  The saints need to be convinced to self-correct, but they aren’t convinced.  I certainly haven’t been able to convince anyone, or at least, not enough people, to make any difference.  But also, the leadership needs to be convinced that they need to self-correct, and once again, they aren’t convinced.

So, although I still recommend that everyone should conform their lives, as best they can, to the revelations of Joseph Smith, within the context of the current church practices, I no longer believe that there will be enough people doing that to alter the church course and bring it back into conformity to the revelations.  Therefore, here is my recommendation: don’t go against the keys.  If whatever you are doing is brought into question by the authorities, submit to those keys.  If they say, “Either you wear purple socks or you are out of here,” then by all means, wear purple socks!  Go to the Lord in prayer and say, “Well, this doesn’t exactly accord with Your written word in the revelations, but they have the keys which You gave them, so I will submit to those keys.”

Perhaps you will say of me, “That’s kind of a cop-out, don’t you think?”  Not really, though.  You see, I’ve got a new view of things, of how things are going to go down, or how the church correction is going to be effected.  Those who say, “I’m going to conform to the revelations as I see fit and understand them, these leaders be damned!” are not being led by the Holy Ghost.  But the Holy Ghost is most definitely leading me.  And if you don’t believe me, then ask God, “Is the guy who calls himself LDS Anarchist led by the Holy Ghost?” And if you are capable of receiving revelation, God will manifest to you that I am.  So, anyone, from any quarter, that says the LDS leadership has apostatized and their keys are null and void is either mistaken or telling an outright lie.  The keys are here.  The church is still true.  We, the LDS church, have the only baptism of John found anywhere on the earth, John having appeared and conferred this authority upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.

And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, and spake unto him, saying,

Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?

And he answered and said unto them,

I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

And they reasoned with themselves, saying,

If we shall say,

From heaven;

he will say,

Why then believed ye him not?

But and if we say,

Of men;

all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.

And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.  And Jesus said unto them,

Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. (Luke 20:1-8)

And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and say unto him,

By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

And Jesus answered and said unto them,

I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

answer me.

And they reasoned with themselves, saying,

If we shall say,

From heaven;

he will say,

Why then did ye not believe him?

But if we shall say,

Of men;

they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.  And they answered and said unto Jesus,

We cannot tell.

And Jesus answering saith unto them,

Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. (Mark 11:27-33)

Also, there is the revelation (D&C 22) Joseph Smith received concerning non-church baptisms, so those who say a non church-authorized baptism is good enough to satisfy the requirements of the gospel are lying through their teeth, or deceived by the devil, or just misunderstanding the scriptures.  Whatever the case, they are in error and in need of correction.

Now, although the church practices do not fully conform to the revelations of Joseph Smith, that is not enough reason to warrant abandoning the ship or making claims of the leadership or membership apostatizing.  And, in fact, it turns out that no one is authorized to correct the leadership.  (See “Keep your mouth shut and hold your tongue!”  (Leave the leadership alone.).)

Again, let me be perfectly clear: 1) Anyone that claims the current LDS church is no longer God’s church is not inspired of the Holy Ghost.  Period.  This is still, indeed, God’s church.  2) Anyone that claims that the LDS church ceased being God’s church long ago, during Joseph Smith’s life, or right after he died, is not inspired of the Holy Ghost.  3) Anyone that claims that church ordinances performed without church authorization are binding as ordinances of salvation, is not inspired of the Holy Ghost.  4) Anyone that claims that the LDS church leadership no longer hold the keys, is not inspired of the Holy Ghost.  5) Anyone that claims that the LDS church’s departure from the precise conformity to Joseph Smith’s revelations nullifies their priesthood and church keys, is not inspired of the Holy Ghost.  6) Anyone advocating leaving the LDS church, or advocating that people not join this church, are not inspired of the Holy Ghost.  7) Anyone advocating that people who have left the LDS church are better off apart from it, or that they ought to stay where they are and not come back in and submit to the keys, is not inspired of the Holy Ghost.

Here is what the Holy Ghost will inspire a saint to do: conform to the revelations of Joseph Smith with exactness, but if the leadership of the church conflict with that conformity, then the Holy Ghost will inspire that person to conform to the keys.

The reason why the Holy Ghost operates after this fashion, or will operate after this fashion, is because the Lord already has the Josephite prepared to make the correction.  He will and must convince the world, right?  And how will he convince?  Through the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, working mighty miracles.  The leadership is going to be convinced.  The church is going to be convinced.  The whole world will be convinced.  And the correction will be made seemingly over-night.  It will be the now convinced LDS leadership telling the people, “Yesterday that was how we did it, but today we have received new divine instructions, and we are now doing it by the book, even by the revelations of Joseph, with exactness.”  And the church will correct in an instant.

But not even the Josephite is authorized, or empowered, to make the correction now.  While in his weakness, he doesn’t and can’t convince anybody.  It’s just his word without any divine manifestations of heavenly approval in attendance, which word is just as good as anybody else’s.  So, for all intents and purposes, the weak Josephite is just like any other member of the church, completely useless to make any church corrections.

That being true, that the Josephite is powerless at this present time to correct the church, why in the world would anyone else think they could do it?

Once again, I want to be perfectly clear, so I’ll give more details: the Lord’s authorized servant, the Josephite, who will be the one to actually make the correction, 1) will be a man already in this church, but not in the LDS church leadership; 2) will not be someone who has been kicked out of the church; 3) will say the church or priesthood keys are still in and with the church; 4) will not advocate non church-authorized baptism or other ordinances as ordinances of salvation; 5) will not be against the current church leadership, at any point; and 6) will convince the church leadership (and entire church) by working mighty signs and miracles such as Moses did when he began his ministry, going to the elders of Israel to perform signs, so that they knew that the time had come for a course alteration (see Exodus 4.)  And then the church will correct.

Now, what happens after that, I do not know, for there is still the prophecy I received about the earthquake and the break-up of the church, which prophecy will come to pass, but how and when and in what order all these things will play out, I haven’t a clue.  And there are a whole mess of other things I’ve received concerning the future and the Josephite, which have me completely baffled as to how they will play out, but all this stuff is real, so it will happen when it happens, and that’s good enough for me.  Let it suffice that I am saying that I have prophesied a great many things, but none of them match the “church as currently organized has apostatized” scenario.  My point is this: I know my prophecies are real, so if you are following a man or woman who claims to be a prophet and inspired of God, and they are going against what I have prophesied or received in revelation, ditch ’em quick.  Don’t follow that person.  They are in error and you are in error if you believe them.  And if you don’t believe me, then ask God about my prophecies.  It doesn’t matter that you don’t know all of what I have prophesied.  Ask God and He will tell you that my prophecies are true.  And when He does, repent and come back in to the fold, and conform as I stated above, and wait patiently upon the Lord until He sends the Josephite to make the correction.

I swear I think I’m probably speaking to the wall when I write these words—for my experience is that people just refuse to ask God about me and my revelations and prophecies.  But those who do, get answers only in the affirmative (confirmations of their truth.)  So, I will try once again, and say that the Lord will not send any mere prophet to correct the church.  What we are looking and waiting for is a seer, not a prophet.  And he won’t be a mere seer, he will be a miracle-working seer, even the greatest miracle worker of all time.  So cast all these wannabe phonies aside.  There will be no church correction until this seer shows up fully empowered.

One last thing: those who are no longer members of this church, many of whom have good intentions and truly believe what they believe, who have been “excommunicated” not by the (now defunct) elder’s court, but by the high council, although this has been done in error, in contradiction to the revelations, nevertheless, these people, if they turn around and criticize and correct and ridicule (revile), etc., they are not inspired of the Holy Ghost.  As I see it, there is only one impediment found in the church questions, and that is the one dealing with the claim that they are seers.  But even there, they do have a seer stone (although they don’t know how to use it.)  But all other questions, concerning keys and beliefs and the revelations of Joseph and so forth, are reasonable to expect of a person who wants back in.  So, if these corrections from the leadership are not accepted, that ain’t the leadership’s fault.  But if the excommunicant believes the keys are here, and believes the revelations and the doctrine, and submits to the keys, but cannot accept that the leadership are seers, and the leadership won’t let them in for that single reason alone, then that ain’t that man’s fault, that comes upon the leadership’s head.  And the Josephite will correct that.

But from my vantage point, that is not what is going on.  These people who get “excommunicated” express views of unbelief on various important points, and no longer accept the keys.  My understanding (which may be entirely wrong) is that the leadership really isn’t so much concerned with the titles, “prophet, seer and revelator,” as they are with the assertion that they have the keys.  I can only suppose that if someone says, “I fully believe that the leaders have the keys, and I will submit to them, and I believe that they have the seer stone, and that they are capable of receiving prophecies and revelations for their respective callings,” I can only assume that if those exact words were said, that the leadership would let them back in.  But if a person says this, repenting and humbly accepting whatever correction is given to them, and the leadership still refuses to let them in, then that’s a horse of a different color.  But I don’t think that is what is happening, at all.  But even if that does happen, the saint should just continue to meet with the saints and wait for the correction to come via the Josephite.  He or she should not go on a mission to correct the leadership publicly.

Okay, enough of this pointless rant.  I usually only like to put up posts that contain new information, and this post doesn’t seem to have anything new (to me, at least), but I feel like it needed to be said anyway.

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Word-for-word vs. functional translations

Good translations decode the function from the source language and then encode it into the target language. The language function should be the same, or as close to the same as possible, in each language. If the source language uses formal language, the target language ought to do the same, so: formal decoded and formal encoded, informal decoded and informal encoded, poetry decoded and poetry encoded, and so on, the function of the source encoded into the target language according as the source text changes.

There are five levels of translations with increasing accuracy:

 1) Sounds. What are the sounds of the original?
2) Words. What do the original words mean?
3) Phrases. What do the original phrases mean?
4) Concepts. What concepts are involved in the original?
5) Affect. What does the original do?

The King James Version translators decoded the original words of the Bible as best they could and then tried to make them into phrases that made some sense, keeping the syntax of the original source languages as intact as possible. Joseph Smith did the very same thing in all of his translations and revelations.  Unfortunately, what we ended up with is a text that gets only to the second or third level of translation, and which is constructed not like English, but like Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. English is such an amazing language that, even doing this you can still grasp a lot of the meaning of the original text. But on the other hand, doing this also masks a lot of the meaning, for the phrase, concept and affect levels are never fully revealed. Only by fully decoding the original language in all its levels, and then encoding those levels into English syntax, so that it sounds like seamlessly flowing English and not a choppy translation from another language into English, does the reader get to more fully grasp what the various functions of the original text were trying to convey.

I am going to show what I mean by doing some translation. I am going to translate the title page of Mormon’s Book and part of the first chapter of Nephi’s First Book of His Reign and Ministry (notice my change in titles) by decoding the function of the original translated text, as word-for-word translated by Joseph Smith, and then encode it back into flowing English syntax. We’ll see if I do a good job.

I suppose that I must give a disclaimer: my translations should not be taken in any way as correct. When translating from one language to another, only someone who fully understands both the source and target languages, and who has power to convey the various textual meanings between languages, is qualified to translate. I know neither Hebrew, nor Egyptian, nor Greek, nor Aramaic, and, according to my detractors, I’m also deficient in English. So, I am not qualified to make a proper translation. I’m doing this, then, merely as a demonstration of what a bona fide functional translation might look like.

Joseph Smith’s Translation	My Translation
The Book of Mormon An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God. An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ. (Title Page)	Mormon’s Book This account is:—written on plates by Mormon’s own hand; taken from Nephi’s plates, being an abridgment of that record of Nephi’s people and the Lamanites; written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel, and also to the Jews and the Gentiles; written by the spirit of prophecy and revelation to fulfill a commandment; written, sealed up, buried in the earth and entrusted into Jehovah’s care, so that it will not be destroyed; prophesied to be taken out of the earth and translated by God’s gift and power; sealed and buried in the earth and entrusted into Jehovah’s care by Moroni’s own hand, to be taken out of the earth in due time by a Gentile who will translate it by God’s gift. There is also an abridgment taken from Ether’s Book included, which is a record of Jared’s people, who were scattered at the time Jehovah confounded the people’s language, when they were building a tower to get to heaven. The purpose of this record is to show to the remnant of Israel’s house the great things that Jehovah did for their fathers, and so that they might know Jehovah’s covenants, so that they are not cast off forever. It is also to convince the Jews and the Gentiles that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, and that he manifests himself to all nations. Now, if there are faults in this record, they are the mistakes of men, so do not condemn God’s things, otherwise you will not be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ. (Title Page)
The First Book of Nephi His Reign and Ministry An account of Lehi and his wife Sariah, and his four sons, being called, (beginning at the eldest) Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. The Lord warns Lehi to depart out of the land of Jerusalem, because he prophesieth unto the people concerning their iniquity and they seek to destroy his life. He taketh three days’ journey into the wilderness with his family. Nephi taketh his brethren and returneth to the land of Jerusalem after the record of the Jews. The account of their sufferings. They take the daughters of Ishmael to wife. They take their families and depart into the wilderness. Their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness. The course of their travels. They come to the large waters. Nephi’s brethren rebel against him. He confoundeth them, and buildeth a ship. They call the name of the place Bountiful. They cross the large waters into the promised land, and so forth. This is according to the account of Nephi; or in other words, I, Nephi, wrote this record. (1st Nephi Title and Summary)	Nephi’s First Book of His Reign and Ministry This account is of Lehi, of his wife Sariah, and of his four sons, who were named, (from oldest to youngest) Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi. In this record:—Jehovah warns Lehi to leave the land of Jerusalem because the people seek to kill him after he prophesies of their iniquities; he travels three days into the wilderness with his family; his four sons, led by Nephi, return to the land of Jerusalem to get the record of the Jews; there is an account of their sufferings; they take Ishmael’s daughters to wife; they depart into the wilderness with their families, suffering afflictions during their journey; their travelling path is given; they come to a vast ocean; Nephi’s brothers rebel against him, he confounds them and builds a ship; they name the place Bountiful; they cross the ocean, arrive in the promised land, and so forth. This record is taken from Nephi’s version and testimony of the facts, or in other words, I am Nephi and I wrote this record. (1st Nephi Title and Summary)
I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. (1 Ne. 1:1)	My name is Nephi and I am writing an account of the life experiences that I had with God, for I had good parents who taught me what my father knew about God, and although I had many afflictions from time to time, yet Jehovah highly favored me my entire life so that I ended up with a vast knowledge of God’s greatness and goodness. (1 Ne. 1:1)
Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. (1 Ne. 1:2)	I am writing this book in my father’s language, which is Egyptian used by the Jews as if it were Hebrew. (1 Ne. 1:2)
And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge. (1 Ne. 1:3)	I testify that the book that I am writing is true; and I alone am writing it, by my own hand; and I am writing it according to my firsthand knowledge. (1 Ne. 1:3)
For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed. Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people. (1 Ne. 1:4-5)	For as my father, whose name was Lehi, lived in the land of Jerusalem his whole life, I have personal knowledge that in the commencement of the first year of Zedekiah’s reign, who was the king of Judah, and throughout that same year, many prophets came prophesying to the people, telling them that if they did not repent the great city Jerusalem would be destroyed, consequently, on one of my father’s trips away from the land of Jerusalem, he prayed with all his heart to Jehovah in behalf of his people. (1 Ne. 1:4-5)
And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly. (1 Ne. 1:6)	While he was praying to Jehovah, a pillar of fire came down onto a rock before him and remained there, and he saw and heard many things which caused him to shake tremendously and to tremble uncontrollably. (1 Ne. 1:6)
And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen. (1 Ne. 1:7)	Afterward he returned to his own house in the land of Jerusalem and he threw himself upon his bed, for he was overpowered by the Spirit and by the things that he had seen, so that he had no more strength. (1 Ne. 1:7)
And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. (1 Ne. 1:8)	Then the Spirit carried him away in a vision, so that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God himself sitting upon his throne, surrounded by innumerable groups of angels who were singing to and praising their God. (1 Ne. 1:8)
And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. (1 Ne. 1:9)	Afterward he saw Someone descending to earth from the heavenly throne and he noticed that this Personage radiated light brighter then the noon-day Sun. (1 Ne. 1:9)
And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament. (1 Ne. 1:10)	He also saw twelve others following him, and the light they radiated was brighter than the stars in the sky. (1 Ne. 1:10)
And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read. (1 Ne. 1:11)	These came down to earth and went forth upon it, but the first Personage went to my father, stood in front of him, and gave him a book, telling him to read it. (1 Ne. 1:11)
And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. (1 Ne. 1:12)	As my father read, he was filled with Jehovah’s Spirit. (1 Ne. 1:12)
And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon. (1 Ne. 1:13)	He read, “Wo, wo to Jerusalem, for I have seen your abominations!” In fact, my father read many things about Jerusalem, namely, that it and its inhabitants would be destroyed, and many would die by the sword and also would be carried away captive into Babylon. (1 Ne. 1:13)
And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! (1 Ne. 1:14)	After my father had read and seen the many great and marvelous things of this vision, he voiced many praises to Jehovah, such as: “O Jehovah God Almighty, your works are great and marvelous! Your throne is high in the heavens and your power, goodness and mercy are over all the earth’s inhabitants; and you will not allow anyone to die who comes to you, because you are so merciful!” (1 Ne. 1:14)
And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him. (1 Ne. 1:15)	This is how my father praised his God, for his soul rejoiced and his whole heart was filled with emotion, because of all the many things that Jehovah had shown to him. (1 Ne. 1:15)
And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account. (1 Ne. 1:16)	Now I do not give an unabridged account of my father’s writings, for he wrote a lot of things that he saw in visions and dreams, and also that he prophesied and spoke to his children. (1 Ne. 1:16)
But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life. (1 Ne. 1:17)	Instead, I will write of my own life experiences with God, but notice that I am abridging my father’s record in this book, the plates of which I have made with my own hands, and then afterward I will give the account of my own life. (1 Ne. 1:17)
Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard. (1 Ne. 1:18)	So I want you to know that after Jehovah had shown to my father so many marvelous things concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, notice that he went forth among the people and began to prophesy, and to declare to them all the things he had seen and heard. (1 Ne. 1:18)
And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world. (1 Ne. 1:19)	But the Jews mocked his testimony, for he testified that he knew of their wickedness and abominations; and he testified that the things he had seen and heard, and also the words he had read in the book, plainly showed that a Messiah would come and redeem the world. (1 Ne. 1:19)
And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (1 Ne. 1:20)	It was at this point that the Jews became angry with him, after they had heard these things about the Messiah, just as they had been angry with the ancient prophets, whom they had cast out and stoned and killed; and they also sought to kill my father. But notice that I will show to you that Jehovah’s tender mercies are over all those who he has chosen, making them so mighty that they are empowered with deliverance, all because of their faith. (1 Ne. 1:20)
For behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life. (1 Ne. 2:1)	For notice that Jehovah spoke to my father in a dream and said to him, “Lehi, you are blessed because of what you have done; and notice that this people seek to kill you because you have faithfully declared to them the things I commanded you to declare.” (1 Ne. 2:1)
And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. (1 Ne. 2:2)	Then Jehovah commanded my father in a dream to flee into the wilderness with his family . (1 Ne. 2:2)
And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness. (1 Ne. 2:3-4)	As he was obedient to Jehovah’s word, he did as Jehovah commanded him, and so he left his house, the land of his inheritance, his gold, his silver, and all his precious things, and took nothing with him, except it were his family, provisions and tents, and fled into the wilderness. (1 Ne. 2:3-4)

Analyzing the two versions

English titles—First of all, I did away with all the funky Hebrew title syntax and just called it by what a person speaking English would call it: Mormon’s Book and Nephi’s First Book. Nephi’s First Book Of His Reign and Ministry presupposes that there is at least one other such book, and there is: Nephi’s Second Book, which is also of his reign and ministry. The difference between the two is that the first book deals with his reign over and ministry to his brothers, whereas the second book deals with his reign over and ministry to his people (for the brothers split and formed the Lamanites.)

No more broken sentences—It is not correct English to say: “An account of that.” No, you need to say, “This is an account of that.” The function remains the same, even though the syntax is different in the two languages. Joseph, though, keeps the Hebrew syntax intact, creating a non-English sentence. (Never mind that we can still understand it. That is simply the immense power of English to communicate, even when written and spoken incorrectly.)

Lord to Jehovah—There is no need to hide the name of God anymore. This translation is not intended to hide meaning, but to reveal it, therefore all the “Lord’s” are converted into “Jehovah’s.” (You can think of a functional translation as an unfolded translation, which reveals what a native speaker of the source tongue would understand by the source text.)

Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men.  (Mosiah 8:19)

I, Nephi and my father, Lehi—In the source language, these demarcations indicate a switching of gears. When Nephi is talking of himself and then he switches to talking of his father, he uses, “my father, Lehi” to make note of the switch.  When he is talking of his father and then he switches to talking of himself, he uses, “I, Nephi.” These things are not necessary in English because we can understand the narration just fine with a simple “I” or “my father.” Also, “I, Nephi” can mean “I am Nephi” and “My name is Nephi” and also “I myself” or “I personally,” emphasizing that the person speaking is going to show something through their own power, with an emphasis on “I”. Etc. My translation takes advantage of these nuances. Joseph’s does not.

Clause orders reversed—In English we say “I did this because of that,” not “Because of that I did this.” The latter syntax is fine for Hebrew, but in English it’s bad. Converting it into the proper English order, although a different syntax, does not reduce the function.

Functional translations are plain—Starting in 1 Nephi 1: 1, it can be plainly seen what the functional translation is trying to say, namely that Nephi is uniquely qualified to write what he is writing and that this book is a book of divine manifestations. There is nothing secular even implied. Now, a Gentile might read Joseph’s translation of 1 Ne. 1:1 and say, “But the text doesn’t say that!” That’s true, the words in Joseph’s translation do not implicitly state what is in my translation, but that is because it isn’t a functional one, but merely a word-for-word one. For example, the movie “Like Water for Chocolate” is a translated movie, from Spanish to English. The title was translated word-for-word from Como Agua Para Chocolate into Like Water For Chocolate (Como=Like, Agua=Water, Para=For, and Chocolate=Chocolate.) To a Spaniard, though, what those four words are referring to is the making of hot chocolate, which is made with nearly-boiling water. The meaning to a Spaniard then is: At the Boiling Point, meaning that things are getting so hectic that the protagonist of the movie is about to explode. The English title translation doesn’t communicate the function of the original Spanish text, it merely translates the four words of the original title word-for-word. So, for example, a Gentile that says that Joseph’s translation, which says, “like water for chocolate” doesn’t say what my translation converts it into (“at the boiling point”), would be both right and wrong. On a word-for-word level, that’s true, it doesn’t say that. But on a functional level, it communicates exactly what the author was trying to convey.

Some examples of this in my translation are “which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians” converted into “which is Egyptian used by the Jews as if it were Hebrew,” or “I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge” converted into “I testify that the book that I am writing is true; and I alone am writing it, by my own hand; and I am writing it according to my firsthand knowledge,” etc.

Yeas—The word translated by Joseph Smith as “yea” means “yes” on a word-for-word basis, but “indeed” or “in fact” or “in truth” on a functional level, and when used with “and” the order should be reversed in English, so that “yea, and” becomes “and in fact.” But these affirmative additions in Hebrew are not always necessary when encoding the function into English, and so they often can be left out.

And it came to pass that—This phrase, found in the scriptures, and more especially in the Book of Mormon, is merely an indicator that “this is the next thing that happened.” It is not meant to be translated out into words, but the KJV translators, and also Joseph Smith, did so anyway. And so we get 50 million “and it came to passes” in the Book of Mormon. Pretty much every single one can be left out of the text without changing the meaning one iota. English doesn’t need them to convey the source function. It can be translated as “then,” or as “afterward” or as “so then” etc., or it can be merely left out.

At Jerusalem—The functional understanding of “at” + [city] means “in the land of [city].”

First year/same year—The reason why Nephi even mentions these facts (in 1 Ne. 1:4), as well as the fact that Lehi lived there all his life, is to show that he has personal knowledge of what he is saying, since, as he is Lehi’s son, he also must have lived at Jerusalem his whole life.

As he went forth—The function of this expression in 1 Ne. 1:5 is to show that Lehi routinely left the land of Jerusalem. This is why verse 7 says, per Joseph Smith:

And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.

Behold—The function of the word Joseph translated as “behold” means “pay attention to what follows.” Unfortunately, we don’t use the word “behold” very much in modern speech, therefore it doesn’t have the effect on us that it should. Perhaps in Joseph Smith’s time it did, but not any longer. So, to make it have the oomph it needs to have, to draw the readers attention to what follows, it needs to be translated as “notice that” or as “observe this.”

Saying—”Saying” is a marker in the source language and it was never intended to be translated out. It literally means “to say” and it indicates that what follows is a direct quotation. In English, when we want to show a direct quotation, we use “comma, quotation mark…” And that is how it is supposed to be translated, not as the word, “saying.”

Why we have only word-for-word translations

I suspect that both the King James Version translators (who did a word-for-word translation of the Bible) and Joseph Smith (in his continual use of the KJV translation style, both for the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, the JST of the Bible, and also for his revelations in the D&C), were divinely inspired of God, so as to keep the Restoration of the Fulness of Times at less than a “1/100th part” of the total Restoration. In other words, I now believe that Joseph Smith’s translations and revelations were intended to keep almost all of the facts hidden so that when Joseph-Nephi goes back over these things to re-translate them into plain English (and into other languages), not only are we going to get the 116 lost pages of the Book of Mormon restored, but the text of the Book of Mormon will now be a fully functional translation, so that now the Gentiles will fully comprehend all the Nephite meanings. Hence, we will get a fulfillment of these prophecies:

Because of their faith their words shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto their brethren who are the fruit of thy loins; and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers.  (2 Ne. 3:21)

And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them  (2 Ne. 33:4)

So, even the English translations we have will be strengthened by the Lord, through the faith of the Josephite.

Expressing beyond Joseph Smith’s language

Your eyes have been upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and his language you have known, and his imperfections you have known; and you have sought in your hearts knowledge that you might express beyond his language; this you also know.

Now, seek ye out of the Book of Commandments, even the least that is among them, and appoint him that is the most wise among you; or, if there be any among you that shall make one like unto it, then ye are justified in saying that ye do not know that they are true; but if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation if ye do not bear record that they are true. For ye know that there is no unrighteousness in them, and that which is righteous cometh down from above, from the Father of lights. (D&C 67:5-9)

Notice that the Lord merely says that the language of Joseph has no unrighteousness in them, not that that it is strong or powerful. So, as the saints did desire to express beyond Joseph’s language, and as God grants to His saints what they desire to have, it would not surprise me if we are slated to get at some point a new, vastly improved and quite different English version of the entire canon, courtesy of the Josephite.

New witnesses must appear

Keeping in mind that if I am right on this point—that the Josephite will re-translate the Standard Works, including the Book of Mormon, and all the revelations of Joseph, into exceedingly plain and powerful English—then the Book of Mormon he brings forth will not look in any way like what we currently have.  So the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, whose testimony is affixed to Joseph Smith’s translation, cannot be affixed to the new edition.  Three new men must be selected to witness that the vastly different re-translation is of God.  This means that those prophecies in the Book of Mormon that speak of the witnesses to the book must have a dual fulfillment, and the second fulfillment will really be the primary fulfillment, while the first fulfillment was merely a shadow.

The full power of the Urim and Thummim to be employed

The Lord said this about the Urim and Thummim, or the interpreters, as the Nephites called them:

For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write. (Ether 3:24)

When something is magnified, it becomes larger and you can notice more detail about it. Thus, when translating ancient (or even modern) languages, a seer (using the Urim and Thummim) can notice and fully understand all the functions of the text, but notice that Joseph Smith didn’t really use the Urim and Thummim, except at the very beginning of the translation of the Book of Mormon, in which he produced the 116 lost manuscript pages. As they became lost, no one but Joseph, his scribe and a few others (such as the people who stole them) ever got to see them. For the rest of the translation, he used a “seer stone” and interestingly enough, what he produced wasn’t a functional translation, but merely a word-for-word translation. The use of the Urim and Thummim for the first part may have been necessary for a shadow fulfillment of Moroni’s prophecy that the Book of Mormon would be translated by the Urim and Thummim. But as the shadow is never meant to be the principal fulfillment, those pages went missing and the Urim and Thummim was taken from Joseph and never returned, and we ended up with a translation produced by a single, solitary “seer stone.” So, it may have been that Joseph, using the seer stone, could not notice and fully understand all the functions of the text, and thus produced a word-for-word translation, which was what he could perceive through the use of the stone, and later on, even without it.

When the Urim and Thummim is given to the next seer, then, it will be used to produce a fully functional text in English, for the next seer will perceive every functional nuance of the original language, but that is only half of the work of translation, because then you need to encode those functions into the target language, and every man is limited both by his knowledge of the target language (which is usually his own) and also by the limitations of the target language to express the functions of the source language. English is an extensive language, having not only a lot of words, but also a whole lot of shades of meaning, so attempting to know all of the various English words and ways of expression seems to me like an impossible task, but perhaps it is not necessary to know everything, for most English speakers don’t use the entire gamut of the English lexicon anyway. Perhaps they use only, say, several thousand words over their whole lifetime, and so let’s say that a seer may be able to learn the number of words necessary. But what about the functional limitations of a language?

Impossible translations

It is often impossible to decode the functions from one language and then encode all those same functions into a second language.  Everyone who knows two or more languages knows that each language has strengths and weaknesses and they are not always the same, and often what needs to happen is the use of circumlocution, which is speaking in a round-about way to communicate the general idea of the source language function to the target language audience, because there is no direct way to do it.  For example, if I say, “She sells sea shells by the sea shore,” and then I tell you to translate that into another language, you may be able to translate the word function but perhaps not the sound and affect functions (all the ‘s’ sounds and the tongue-tying effect.)  Depending upon what the functions are, it may simply be impossible to do.

But remember that the Josephite is going to be working in the spirit of power, so even though it may be impossible for you and me and everyone else, that isn’t going to be able to stop him from doing it.  If necessary, he will alter the target language miraculously, so that now these functions will be able to be expressed in it, new words appearing instantly with etymological histories already attached.  (Remember what was stated about the Lamanites in the post, The definition of eternal!)  So, we are in for days that will cause everybody, both believer and unbeliever alike, to gape in amazement.

More on Joseph Smith’s translations

In the above side-by-side comparison, we see that Joseph translated the engravings into English pretty much word-for-word, writing out each clause as they appeared on the plates. Although his translation still retains meaning, a translator isn’t supposed to simply convert a word from one language into an equivalent word in the target language, because there are idioms and word plays and other functions in the text that give fuller meanings and understandings to the one who knows the language. So, a translator must be familiar enough with the source language to fully understand the text and all its intricate functions in that language, and also must be familiar enough with the target language to be able to convert the functions and not just the words of the source text, into the target language. Joseph Smith didn’t do this. He merely converted one word into another word and when the output text didn’t make any sense in English, or not enough sense, or when it seemed to say the opposite of what it was intended to say, then he took what he translated out and made it more readable and understandable by doing the slightest functional translation he could. To demonstrate what I’m talking about, consider the two versions of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, the first draft and the revised draft:

1851 Edition of the Pearl of Great Price (First draft of the JST)	1878 Edition of the Pearl of Great Price (Revised draft of the JST)
Behold, this is my work to my glory, to the immortality and eternal life of man.	For this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
blessed be the name of God for my transgression, for in this life I shall have joy,	Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy,
Behold, you have driven me out this day from the face of men, and from your face shall I be hid also; … And it shall come to pass, everyone that finds me will slay me because of my oath.	Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the Lord, and from thy face shall I be hid; … and it shall come to pass, that he that findeth me will slay me, because of mine iniquities.
inasmuch as they were born into the world by the fall which bringeth death, by Water and Blood and the Spirit, which I have made, and so become of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again of Water and the Spirit, and cleansed by Blood, even the Blood of mine Only Begotten, into the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.	By reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten.

(Btw, I took the above from the article, How We Got the Book of Moses.)

There is also Alma 46:40, which was improved by Joseph Smith after the first version:

And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year was very frequent in the land—but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases, which was subsequent to man by the nature of the climate— (earliest version)

And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land—but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases, to which men were subject by the nature of the climate—(current version)

This shows that Joseph Smith didn’t really do a functional translation, but instead he gave us a word-for-word translation.

Don’t compare the seed to the mature tree

Mark Twain wrote this about the Book of Mormon:

All men have heard of the Mormon Bible, but few, except the elect have seen it or at least taken the trouble to read it. I brought away a copy from Salt Lake. The book is a curiosity to me. It is such a pretentious affair and yet so slow, so sleepy, such an insipid mess of inspiration. It is chloroform in print.

If Joseph Smith composed this book, the act was a miracle. Keeping awake while he did it, was at any rate. If he, according to tradition, merely translated it from certain ancient and mysteriously engraved plates of copper, which he declares he found under a stone, in an out of the way locality, the work of translating it was equally a miracle for the same reason.

The book seems to be merely a prosy detail of imaginary history with the Old Testament for a model followed by a tedious plagiarism of the New Testament. The author labored to give his words and phrases the quaint old fashioned sound and structure of our King James translation of the scriptures. The result is a mongrel, half modern glibness and half ancient simplicity and gravity. The latter is awkward and constrained, the former natural, but grotesque by the contrast. Whenever he found his speech growing too modern, which was about every sentence or two, he ladled in a few such scriptural phrases as, “exceeding sore,” “and it came to pass,” etc. and made things satisfactory again. “And it came to pass,” was his pet. If he had left that out, his bible would have been only a pamphlet. (Taken from here and with corrected spelling.)

What Twain was looking at was the seed. Everything we have in scripture is simply in seed form, almost entirely folded up and devoid of functionality. Knowing this allows us to reply to assessments like Twain’s by saying, “Wait a bit. This is just a foundational seed and it is going grow into something that will knock your socks off.”

Now, we know that the scriptures that we have are going to be dumbfounding when converted into their functional form, because they are not man’s words, but God’s words, and God’s words are always greater than man’s words. In fact, God’s [fill-in-the-blank] is always greater than man’s [equivalent fill-in-the-blank.]

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isa. 55:8-11)

So, when the scriptures are converted from their present seed form into their fully functional, mature tree form, these works of literature are going to outstrip every and all literary works combined that man has ever been able to produce. God is going to show to the world that man is absolutely nothing compared to Him. The current release of His word in seed form to man is almost like a running joke, a game that He is playing, and the joke is on us because we are so ignorant and stupid that we look at the seed and say, “Bah! That’s ain’t nothing! I can do much better than that! Is that all you got? That’s the best that you can do?” And so forth, like idiot children who know nothing at all about anything, who when presented with a seed they’ve never seen before and told, “This is the most amazing thing you’ll ever see,” they don’t understand that it’s still in seed form and that when it sprouts, after they have ridiculed both the seed and the Man that planted it, they are going to eat their words and be put to shame.

Speaking of words, there is also this to consider:

Mighty in word and deed

Lehi prophesied this about the Josephite:

And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren. (2 Ne. 3:24)

So, he will be mighty both in word and in deed. There are only four individuals in our current canon who are referred to as being “mighty in word and in deed.” Moses was one of them. Christ was one of them. Nephi was another one. And the last one will be the Josephite.

And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. (Acts 7:22)

And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: (Luke 24:19)

And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will. (Hel. 10:5)

I have repeatedly emphasized that Joseph-Nephi will be the greatest miracle worker bar none, but that only covers deeds. His words, both spoken and written, are also going to enter into the realm of the impossible.

Another functional translation

Just for fun, I will do another functional translation, of a scripture that causes a lot of confusion among latter-day saints. I do this to show that a word-for-word translation might give one impression of the meaning of the source language text, while a functional translation of the same text might give exactly the opposite, or at least a vastly different impression of the meaning. So here is Jacob 2:23-24 word-for-word translated by Joseph Smith and functionally translated by me:

Joseph Smith’s Translation

My Translation

But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son. Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.

But God’s word weighs heavily upon my shoulders because of your grosser crimes. For notice that this is what Jehovah says, “These people begin to grow iniquitous, for they do not understand the scriptures that were written about David and his son Solomon having many wives and concubines, and thus they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, which has always been abominable to me,” says Jehovah.

Fulness has two stages or forms: seed and sprouted

The functional translations for the Standard Works can be considered part of the developing fulness of the gospel and scriptures. We currently have the fulness of the gospel in word-for-word (seed) form, but later, when we get it in functional form, there will be Gentiles that are going to reject that particular form of the fulness. The example above shows the reason for the rejection, because there are two forms or stages of gospel fulness, seed (folded) and sprouted (unfolded), and not everyone is going to like the sprouted form, because it gives the plain meaning, without any room to wiggle around it.

Plainness for Nephi and even for Isaiah

Nephi wrote the words of Isaiah and said that Isaiah’s words “are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy” (2 Ne. 25:4.) He also said that

in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass. Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them. (2 Ne. 25:7-8)

Nephi also said of his own words that “I proceed with mine own prophecy, according to my plainness; in the which I know that no man can err” (2 Ne. 25:7.) And yet, men do err over Nephi’s words, so Nephi is not speaking of nobody erring while his words are in their seed stage, but when they are transformed into their functional form. The same goes for Isaiah, which is going to completely shock the world, for Isaiah is hard to understand and nobody but liars and bona fide prophets—and I know of no prophet—can read Isaiah in seed form plainly. So, “the words of Isaiah are not plain” (2 Ne. 25:4) to anyone currently in existence.

The transformation of Isaiah’s words from seed to sprouted form will be part of the reason why in “the last days,” when Isaiah’s prophecies start to come to pass, men will know of a surety and will understand them and will look upon them as “of great worth.” Nobody is going to be left with even one single excuse that “they didn’t understand” God’s words. Everything we have is about to be

given unto [men] in plainness, even as plain as word can be. (2 Ne. 32:7)

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