"Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways;...

It sounds like it might have been hard for the record-keeper at this point to write what the Lord Jesus Christ told them to say.  It certainly isn't politically correct and paints an entire section of the human family with a very broad brush of defamation. I can't think of many modern people who would defend these words for fear of being shunned. This is the entire contents of a chapter of the Book of Mormon and the closing statement on the record of Christ's visit to the western hemisphere.  It is both damning and hopeful, which typifies the tenor of the root message that Jesus has always given.

 3 Nephi 30

1 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:

2 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.

I hope we aren't too offended by the sins of our "Gentile" nation as called out by the Lord himself. How many of them do we personally imbibe in? Christ isn't shy or waffling - "all ye Gentiles", not just some; "your wicked ways", not mistakes.  These are strong words that don't quibble or downplay what Jesus finds very serious sins.

On the more hopeful end, Christ commands that we "Turn" and "repent of [our] evil doings". That requires abandoning our "evil doings" and changing our behaviors and desires.  The doctrine of Christ is reiterated yet again - "come unto me" and "be baptized".  Jesus assures again that we get "a remission of sins" and "be filled with the Holy Ghost".  Finally, you are not longer counted among the wicked Gentiles but are "numbered with my people".  When we change as the Lord directs, there is no distinction between the covenant children of Israel and anyone else - all followers of Jesus are treated the same, no matter their ancestry or their past actions. 

We can all turn from our "wicked ways" and follow Jesus instead.  We can all enjoy the promised rewards that Christ offers to all of those who "come unto me".  Make the change!

"...the sword of his justice..."

I hope I have made it more than obvious over the years that the disobedient should fear God. The scriptures we have are replete with warnings of the destruction that will come to those who choose not to reconcile themselves to Christ and his commandments, who broadcast behavior against publishing gratitude for their personal blessings from the Lord and his merciful kindness toward us.

All of the quotes in this post come from the 3rd Book of Nephi, chapter 29 and were written by an ancient Western hemisphere prophet named Mormon living three hundred years after the coming of Christ to the Americas, following his resurrection. This comes to us through the larger Book of Mormon. 

1 And now behold, I say unto you that when the Lord shall see fit, in his wisdom, that these sayings shall come unto the Gentiles according to his word, then ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled.

Mormon here is talking about the Book of Mormon that he was assembling and that would be translated and published by Joseph Smith in the 1820's. The Book of Mormon is a tool to bring the children of Israel to the knowledge of their God, another witness alongside the Bible to the fact that *all* of God's promises will be kept and are already in the midst of being kept. 

2 And ye may know that the words of the Lord, which have been spoken by the holy prophets, shall all be fulfilled; and ye need not say that the Lord delays his coming unto the children of Israel.

3 And ye need not imagine in your hearts that the words which have been spoken are vain, for behold, the Lord will remember his covenant which he hath made unto his people of the house of Israel.

Here is the idea that "the Lord delays his coming" or the modern analogue that God doesn't exist because we don't see evidence of his presence. The covenant the Lord made with the children of Israel is not forgotten or disbanded.

4 And when ye shall see these sayings coming forth among you, then ye need not any longer spurn at the doings of the Lord, for the sword of his justice is in his right hand; and behold, at that day, if ye shall spurn at his doings he will cause that it shall soon overtake you.

5 Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works!

"...spurn at the doings of the Lord,..." is an apt phrase - this is at the crux of modernity. It is so common to decry God that it isn't even trendy or chic anymore. We once called the poor and lowly "humble", but even these have adopted godlessness and curse the heavens.

The term "wo" or the more modern "woe" is to be noted here. Christ the Lord bears a sword and he will use it to punish those who have "spurned" him and cause such people "woe".  I think this goes beyond feeling badly - many people will find that, when the grace of God is removed from them, many things that they thought were dependable, such as water and crops growing and well-oxygenated air, will be denied them and a deeper agony with a "Jesus signature" on it will come.   

6 Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!

7 Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ!

For those being described here, upon whom "woe" will come as a proclaimed by Christ himself, it is stated by Mormon why people deny the Lord and his abilities:  "to get gain" - as in power and money. It is even said that such people are like angels of Satan (sons of perdition) and will get the same reward - "no mercy" - as further proclaimed by Christ. 

8 Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any of the remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them, and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn.

9 Therefore ye need not suppose that ye can turn the right hand of the Lord unto the left, that he may not execute judgment unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel.

Again and again, Mormon affirms that Christ will keep every promise he ever made, even the ones said by his prophets.  He will bless those who obey (the right hand) and he will punish those who reject the Lord (the left). There is that dirty "judgement" word again and an assurance that those who put themselves on the "left" hand of God will not get the merciful result they have assured each other that a "loving"  God showers down on everyone, no matter their behavior. It has never been so.

As Mormon does, let me assure you that the children of Israel will be redeemed as they obey God. You can be adopted into the family of Israel through sincere repentance and authoritative baptism and receive all the blessings and promises due to every righteous child of the covenant.  You can do it because Christ has made it possible for you as you seek for it.

Opening Ourselves Up to Heaven's Inspiration

Recent messages from general conferences remind us of the imminent second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to prepare ourselves and to warn our neighbors of this prophesied future event. A common theme is the absolute necessity for all to better hear and feel the Spirit of God and act on its promptings.

We are counseled to turn more purposefully toward Christ and to follow the Savior far more stridently and be more dedicated as his disciples. Doing the will of Christ for each of us in the last days is a personalized endeavor that you and I only learn through direct inspiration from the Spirit.

One of my purposes in this talk is to persuade more of us to open ourselves to the influence of the Lord and the Spirit so we can be led to the situations we are meant to be in and so we can become the people we are meant to be. This has been referred to with the phrase Let God prevail , because he loves us, knows what is best for us, and we need to better learn to put our trust in him . 

In 2012, I was in a very stable job based here in Tucumcari. Lisa seemed happy but I was very unfulfilled. Should I go back to college, find a different career field, or just look for a new situation? I offered some prayers about my problem, but they weren’t very specific and how on earth was the Spirit supposed to answer a question like “What is my next step?”

“What do you do when you have prepared carefully, have prayed fervently, waited a reasonable time for a response, and still do not feel an answer? You may want to express thanks when that occurs, for it is an evidence of [Heavenly Father’s] trust. When you are living worthily and your choice is consistent with the Savior’s teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust. As you are sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, one of two things will certainly occur at the appropriate time: either the stupor of thought will come, indicating an improper choice, or the peace or the burning in the bosom will be felt, confirming that your choice was correct. When you are living righteously and are acting with trust, God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision.”

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer,” Ensign, May 2007, 10.

I began to pray new prayers.  I wasn’t asking Heavenly Father for an detailed explanation of what I should do. I decided to pursue opportunities that I found appealing and pray that wise opportunities would come to pass and that bad opportunities would fall apart, because on my own, I usually can’t tell them apart.  Like praying for things like patience, our Heavenly Father has proven eager to steer me toward improvement and the best path for me and my family and throw up obstacles to paths we should not tread.

Here are some examples of failed opportunities from 2012 and 2013:

• Going to graduate school in Scotland;

• Working with an old employer doing marine seismic oil exploration;

• Entering the US Foreign Service and working at embassies; and

• Taking the family and working in Alaska.

(Lisa actually agreed to some of these, I won’t say which.)

It was very difficult to see some very tempting opportunities disappear, but I trusted that the Lord knew better what I should do than I did.

Ultimately, this method got me to earn an online master’s degree, jobs working with computer servers, military and government contracting work, a move to Oklahoma City (and back), and finally to the executive position I hold presently.  As Lisa and I look back, each situation prepared us for further opportunities and contributed to our progression, all without much planning or goal-setting on my part.  The Lord and the Spirit have been in the driver’s seat and it has worked out very well and in ways that I would have never anticipated.

The random conference talk radio station

I wanted to listen to General Conference talks each Sunday Morning.  At first, I had downloaded all the sessions and created a simple script to play each complete session in turn during the morning - The problem was that because I woke at very specific times, I only really listened to one or two talks from any one session.

It went a little better when I played each session randomly instead of in order, which gave me a different session each Sunday Morning.  Although an improvement in providing conference sessions on different days, I only heard the first few talks of each session and often missed the Prophet who commonly speaks last.

I changed my setup and downloaded each individual talk and hymn and randomized those - now I heard a different talk or piece of music as I listened in the mornings.

BUT I DIDN’T!  I discovered that randomness let the Lord influence what was heard and when it was heard!

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the talks from the First Presidency. It’s disproportionate relative to how many other talks are available in the randomized playlist, but it is still there. Through this mechanism, I have somehow allowed the Lord to produce his own “general conference mix” tailored to the needs of myself and my family, I believe.  By doing this, I have come to realize that I opened something of a door in our lives and let the Lord in.

Pres Nelson - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng

Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”

Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”

You don’t have to wonder about what is true. You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.

I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”

Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe!”

Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.

For several months, I worked during the week relatively close to the temple in Albuquerque. In a very miraculous way, I was able to acquire a car that reduced my expenses sufficiently to make twice-weekly trips to do temple work. I don’t think that I would have been led to the opportunity to buy this particular car unless I had been committed to using it to attend the temple often.  When we are resolved to do the work the Lord commands us to do, the Lord provides us with time and resources to accomplish that work, it seems. God rewards those who are obedient in numerous ways, large and small.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/10/59nelson?lang=eng :

My brothers and sisters, I plead with you to make time for the Lord! Make your own spiritual foundation firm and able to stand the test of time by doing those things that allow the Holy Ghost to be with you always.

Never underestimate the profound truth that “the Spirit speaketh … of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be.” “It will show unto you all things what ye should do.”

President Nelson has summed up the grand key to getting the inspiration all of us need.  “Let God prevail.”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/46nelson?lang=eng

When your greatest desire is to let God prevail, to be part of Israel, so many decisions become easier. So many issues become nonissues! You know how best to groom yourself. You know what to watch and read, where to spend your time, and with whom to associate. You know what you want to accomplish. You know the kind of person you really want to become.

Now, my dear brothers and sisters, it takes both faith and courage to let God prevail. It takes persistent, rigorous spiritual work to repent and to put off the natural man through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It takes consistent, daily effort to develop personal habits to study the gospel, to learn more about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and to seek and respond to personal revelation.

During these perilous times of which the Apostle Paul prophesied, Satan is no longer even trying to hide his attacks on God’s plan. Emboldened evil abounds. Therefore, the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let God prevail in our lives, to learn to hear His voice, and to use our energy to help gather Israel.

As we face these last days, may we heed the counsel of our prophets and apostles and better connect with the Holy Spirit.  As we do, we will get the specific answers that we need.

Now, I leave you with the blessing of my fathers:

• The LORD bless you and protect you!

• The LORD deal kindly and graciously with you!

• The LORD bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!

Christ's "fulness of joy"

Have you ever wondered what makes Jesus happy? Through all his service to others, one might think it might be staying busy in healing and teaching. Yet again, the Book of Mormon records a tidbit of insight into the key to the joy of the Savior..

3 Nephi 27

30 And now, behold, my joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea, and even the Father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generation; for none of them are lost.

31 Behold, I would that ye should understand; for I mean them who are now alive of this generation; and none of them are lost; and in them I have fulness of joy.

In asking the question to my wonderful wife, she offered several thing in relation to our obedience to Christ's commandments and remembering him.  When I said that Jesus himself encapsulated all that she had said into a simple statement, she of course wanted to know this statement.

This is what he said, not just once but twice in two verses: "...none of them are lost...".

In a world crammed full of distractions, numberless causes and concerns on which to exercise one's energy and virtue, the Messiah simply wants each of us not to get lost. In my mind, the statement brings up the concept of Christ as the Shepard and all of us as sheep - we need to stay with the Shepard always, so that we don't wander off and become "lost" to him.

Jesus is a constant - he is always there.  If someone gets "lost", it is our leaving Christ and the principles that he taught and the ordinances and behavior that he commanded of us. When we choose to follow the Savior, it gives him joy, as he brings us closer and closer to salvation and our Heavenly Father.

Leave "Utah" and Scatter Yourselves: There are Individuals Far Afield that You Need to Touch

I wrote this bit of an essay some years ago.  It came to mind several times since and I shared the concept of "the Utah cultural center" with others recently and there was general agreement that it rang true with their experience in LDS-dominated places.  "Utah" here can mean an LDS-dominated place (like the State of Utah) or the attitude of only associating in a significant way with certain Latter-Day Saints of the same background.

Many people think that where they live and the occupation that they pursue are the basic manifestations of themselves. Can I redirect you into a different way of thinking? Over the years, I have become convinced that it is who we are (our background), who we are striving to become (our attitudes and activities), and (perhaps most importantly) the people that we touch which should be the attributes that define us the most and steer our future plans.

Each of us need an ultimate goal to attain, a goal that defines our lives and give purpose to our passions. This is usually tied up in our religious devotion and already determined by the God that we serve. For instance, my God offers me the attainment of his status. My devotion to him is the personal adoption of his goals as my own. The subordinate goals I set for myself, if I do things properly, should always be at least '''in-line''' with the master goals and most of these should actually work toward the accomplishment of that highest attainment. (Newer comment - this is the seed-thought of the "Agenda of God" video series.)

There is also something to be said for eliminating distractions to the attainment of one's ultimate goal, such as working for riches for their own sake, acquiring status and possessions only to aggrandize oneself, working long hours for a more comfortable retirement, among so many other motivations. Each of these can also be necessary subordinate goals to a higher one, but so many people make such base activities their end goal. The great danger of the act of amassing means (which is what these things do) is their diverting ability. One can easily lose sight of and interest in the ultimate goal in the heady rush of accomplishment that rewards us with riches and fame.

Can I offer a thought on how one might find a higher purpose and work to do? It might not be immediately lucrative or satisfying to baser desires, but it might align people closer with the work of Christ.

There is a natural inclination among like-minded people to congregate together to draw strength from each other. This has been a very positive force for inculcating a pervasive culture of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed by Joseph Smith and as promulgated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in children and youth. This was a part of preaching for many years to "gather to Zion", which was often interpreted as a physical relocation to places where there were many church members in the Rocky Mountains region of North America, primarily in the state of Utah. This encouragement to geographically gather officially ended nearly fifty years ago, replaced by the charge to build up Zion where church members already live. Where once there were isolated pockets of believers outside of Utah, one can often find vibrant communities of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) called wards or branches who strengthen their members and welcome visitors seeking a stronger relationship with God and Christ.

The spread of the gospel in the world has been predominately carried out by young Utah men temporarily acting as ambassadors from a distant land and culture and faith. These have been remarkably effective in helping people discover the church and the gospel we preach. Sadly, many LDS congregations where I live outside of Utah function as little more than "Utah cultural centers" that are run by and for Utah expatriates. Such can easily be identified when they send their children back to the Utah homeland to find mates rather than encouraging them to marry into local convert families. It hearkens back to the biblical story of Jacob who traveled back to his mother's homeland to find a mate in Rachel. Such behavior is understandable, but it promulgates the idea that the Latter-Day Saint community is a rather closed society that often doesn't see recent local converts as authentic covenant equals. The gospel is for all people and cultures, but that might be hard to see given the behaviors of many members who, as the example highlights, only see the "Utah-bred" as acceptable mates. As nations and regions become less welcoming of outsiders and influences that might be viewed as corrupting and foreign, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints might increasingly find itself also unwelcome, such as in Russia. I think it's important to discover new attitudes and adopt new ways of living in a new place while also sharing the gift of Christ's gospel with our neighbors.

I have considered for a long time the concept of spreading ourselves and therefore Christ's gospel across the globe. In every hamlet and village, there should be at least one authorized holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood who is openly sharing the gospel with their neighbors in a culturally appropriate way and providing the ordinances necessary for exaltation to people in that area. Those who have been made strong in the gospel from a pervasive Church influence in places like Utah might make conscious choices to relocate themselves to isolated parts of the world, not just as some assigned short-term "mission", but permanently and by their own volition.

Such "settlers" could find local jobs and, as much as local culture allows, integrate into their new community as thoroughly as they can. For instance, as local families accept and make gospel covenants, their children should become prime candidates for marriage to the children of families with multi-generational experience in the gospel. Ties to the old homeland might take second-place to the relationships being forged today that help the local community see their Latter-Day Saint neighbor, the gospel, and the Church as their own. It is sad to find that wards and branches seem like foreign enclaves where local converts become strangers in their own hometown and second-class citizens in the household of Christ.

Wherever you are, you can integrate into the community around you and touch lives for good. Love and neighborliness are universally accepted and influential. As neighbors find and embrace the gospel that they see in you, let these relationships continue to grow and bind us all together, sharing the gospel and our lives as equal partakers. What is often lacking in many parts of the world is a first and firm Latter-Day Saint neighbor (firm in location and faith). You could fill that void by choosing to leave "your Utah" behind while clutching onto your more-important faith and simply making your chosen destination into your authentic home.

"...come unto me and be baptized..."

The verse before was a simple statement of the "good news" of Christ found in the Book of Mormon, framed in the cleanliness needed to be with God in the hereafter.  Now, Christ commands us in what needs to be done to be cleansed by the Savior:

3 Nephi 27

20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

The fourth Article of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a statement of belief around these principles and ordinances:

“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

There has already been much said of faith and repentance previously in the blog, but the concept of the Holy Ghost is included here and bears some thought.

Whether you consider the Holy Ghost as a part of the Godhead or just as the influence of God in our lives, this verse points out its power to sanctify.  When we commit ourselves to Christ through the outward ordinance of baptism, God acknowledges that commitment by a gift of the Holy Ghost, a constant guide and companion, to help us become better followers of Jesus.  Our willingness to follow promptings from the Spirit brings further inspiration - if we ignore those promptings or do wickedly, we drive the Spirit away and are left on our own.

I personally attest to the divine origin of prompting of the Holy Spirit.  As I pray and work to be obedient to the Lord's commandments, I have been inspired to do many things that have blessed my life and the lives of others. Of course, I repent and change to improve and I have been baptized and work to keep the commitments I have made to Christ, which makes the regular companionship of the Spirit possible, as Jesus mentions in this verse.

"...no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom;..."

Jesus continues to spiral into a very short and direct statement of the gospel itself.  I'll follow suit.

3 Nephi 27

19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

I know there are many ideas of what "salvation" is.  Christ puts it in a very stark light - salvation is to be clean and in God's kingdom. So much for disputations on what salvation is.

Then, we are told that we are only saved through being clean through Jesus' blood or his atonement for us.  He cleans us and makes us fit for God's kingdom.  He does it "because" of faith in Christ, "repentance of all their sins", and faithfulness until death.  Christ has specific qualifications for the cleansing he can do and they are all actions or works that must be done.

Doing these things does not cleanse us. Christ cleans us. However, Jesus won't clean us for entering the kingdom of God unless he sees our individual effort on the requirements he has spoken in this short verse. 

This is very clear and very specific.  Put your trust in Christ and what he can do, become obedient to his commandments, and keep doing all of this and following his example for as long as you live.  As you do this, Jesus cleans you and brings you to the rest of God's kingdom.  It is simple and easy to understand, yet challenging to do.