Taking a cursory look back upon the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to today, one often makes the conclusion that we have been and currently are a blessed people. After all, we have built many temples and cities (see Hosea 8:14). We are exquisitely rich with an accumulated liquid reserve of at least 120 billion dollars in assets but with all the current property under the various umbrella organizations directed by the church, we are fast approaching becoming a trillion dollar organization (see Revelation 3:17).
We generally enjoy the praise of the world for our strong values and good lives. Members of the church are found in all echelons of political and corporate power. We wear the finest of twined linens to our meetings and we wear the whitest of white of shirts under our matching suit coats. Our temples are lavishly adorned with exquisite materials and built to the most exacting of standards.
Contemplating these things might even cause us to relax and put up our feet as we sail upon the “good ship Zion” towards celestial bliss. We may be tempted to say to ourselves that “all is well in Zion” because she prospers. Many may feel a real sense of pride because we perceive our beliefs and our church to be more “true” than everybody else’s.
Now I don’t want to be accused of ingratitude for what has been preserved by the church and handed down to us today. Largely because of the church, we have more of the words of the Lord namely in the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, the Book of Mormon and the JST of the Bible; all of which have greatly blessed my life and opened my eyes to the mysteries of God.
As flawed as they were, we have received a great spiritual legacy from the Prophet Joseph and his contemporaries and by what has been preserved by the stewards of the foundational restoration movement from Brothers Brigham to Russell Nelson. This however does not mean that we haven’t inherited falsehood along with the dews of heaven. In fact the Lord has said in many ways that anything more or less than his truth actually is from a dark source and cometh of evil.
Because we have been given much we have a tendency to believe that we enjoy a fullness of what the Lord was intending for our spiritual forefathers. If we think we have it then we do greatly err and neither understand our history nor the scriptures and neither understand the power of godliness. Confusing what we have inherited today for the fullness has and does cause many to stumble and fall and to end up casting aside essential truths because of the falsehoods that we have inherited along with these truths.
I am an active member of the church but I see things from a different perspective. Once I cast aside the traditions of the fathers that are incorrect and see the current state of the church today it saddens me to see how we are wandering in darkness and calling it noon day, as if there is not more to be restored.
It may be that we really were rejected to a degree for treating lightly the commandments of the Lord (see D&C 124:31-32). What more evidence do we need of a fall from grace than being run out of Nauvoo, to have no more new oracles of God, no more prophecy and revelation, no more miracles, no more charismatic gifts.
Even the leadership succession crisis was evidence that we were even at that time perhaps an abandoned people. The only other legitimately ordained prophet who was to succeed Joseph at the head of the church was killed before Jospeh died (Hyrum Smith).
If we are using the world’s yardstick to prove divine favor do not the Catholics have greater buildings, more temples and superior real estate holdings and more members? Where are the fruits of our actual divine favor today? No matter how many times we ascend up unto the Rameumptom and declare how great and highly favored we are, it doesn’t make it so.
Is it possible that we have been cast loose into the world for a season to await the redemption of Zion? We likely do not possess the order of the Melchizedek priesthood as described in JST Genesis 14 which apparently was taken away. The charismatic gifts of the spirit are all but vanished. Our faith and love is waxing cold. The day of miracles is passing us by. The eyes of the prophets seem to have been closed.
There is ample evidence that these things are so however this doesn’t mean that the church doesn’t have a role in accomplishing the Lords work upon the earth, it just means that this role may have been downgraded to a preparatory one as opposed to the role given to a people who actually attain the fullness from the Lord. We may have been relegated to this preparatory role because of the iniquities of our spiritual fathers of the restoration.
No longer do the Elders go forth in the power of the Lord to bind up the testimony and seal up the law however I do believe that sharing the restored truths of the gospel and allowing others to make sacred covenants as taught by the LDS church is an important preparatory work.
Now the great question to be asked is will we be faithful over a few things that we have been entrusted with and prove to the Lord that we are worthy of weightier responsibilities? Will we bury our talent or will we multiply it to the glory of our God? Will we be faithful enough to be numbered among the house of Israel and not sin against and reject the gospel or will we continue on as the salt that has lost its savor thenceforth good only to be trodden down under the foot of the Lord’s people? (See 3 Nephi 16)
There is only one remedy that will prepare this people to receive more of what the Lord is willing to give and that is repentance: Church-wide-sackcloth-and-ashes-humility-and-repentance. But who will declare it? With all the technology at our disposal, who is issuing the voice of warning? We need to become as a little child and be taught by the Lord himself the truths that we lack. We need to discard all false precepts and traditions and be ready for the marvelous work and a wonder that is upon us, which foundations were laid by Joseph but were not completed.
There is no need to leave the church because of the many follies and mistakes that riddle our history. I only bring this up so that we can season our testimonies and our pride with grace and humility so that we can be taught more and be willing to cast aside any false beliefs we may have accumulated by our association in the church.
I also write these things to give hope to those who correctly perceive the disconnect between our collective traditional narrative and reality. This disconnect causes so many to lose faith and to discard everything; the false along with the true and this saddens me. Only a true understanding of our history and our current status will allow those who have discovered unsavory things to put all the pieces of this puzzle into its correct context.
Even as a potentially downgraded church, there are many things that are true including the additional words of the Lord restored to us through Joseph as well as the authority to administer the outward ordinances. The commandment to partake of the Sacrament in memory of Christ and to stand as witnesses of Christ in all that we do is true. The divine injunction to receive the Holy Ghost is true. It is still important to bear one another’s burdens and show forth charity to all and to stand as a witness to God at all times and in all places and to spread forth the Word of the Lord to as many as will receive it.
It may be that we are called upon as a church body to wait a little season for another chance to prove faithful and receive that which has been lost to us. It could very well be that false traditions in the church may prevent us from recognizing some of the truths of God, however it is important to realize that only in truth is there a way forward, anything more or less than this comes from evil.
Will there will be a remnant of this people who will be gathered again with the House of Israel? Who will declare the marvelous work and a wonder that is upon us, who will declare it? Who will abide the day? Who will rise up and lift up the voice; and with the voice together sing, and who shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion? Who will break forth into joy and sing together as the Lord makes bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth see the salvation of God?
It is my humble prayer and petition that some remnant of this people, even the current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be found worthy for these great blessings according to the worthiness, grace, merits and mercy of the Holy Messiah. No amount of vitamins will prepare us for what is coming; no amount of “preps”, no amount of trusting in the arm of flesh; but perhaps repentance can so that we can get out from under the curses and limitations that we have inherited and truly be a blessed, even a Zion people.