I feel like we are missing something.
I believe that God, through Joseph Smith was seeking to offer "
this generation" (see D&C 5:10) something more than what was already here. An easy, almost obvious answer seems to be Zion. The Lord has given a reason of why the people who lived during Joseph's lifetime failed at their attempt for Zion:
D&C 101:6
Behold, I say unto you, there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances.
An additional impediment to ever establishing Zion is found in that the Lord through Joseph had sent missionaries early on to find the Remnant of Lehi and to convert them by use of the Book of Mormon. Instead of accomplishing that task, they instead had success with teaching the Gentiles around Kirtland, Ohio. The missionaries sent to convert the Remnant of Lehi, were held back from being able to preach to the Native Americans by federal agents. So the "Church" focused on converting more Gentiles and offering them the covenant that was represented by the Book of Mormon. However the Book of Mormon makes it plain that the Gentiles can not lay hold on the covenant without first having converted the Remnant of Lehi. (See
3 Nephi 21:6-7;
22-27;
1st Nephi 13:34-42;
1st Nephi 14:1-2)
I believe that recovering the Remnant of Lehi remains a very large impediment to our ever getting the command to form a gathering that ends up being Zion.
This morning as I was pondering on why the Lord seemed to be holding back from showing us where to go to try to convert the remnant, this thought entered my head.
Why would God send a people -to convert the Remnant- who aren't prepared to receive the covenant that will come through the Remnant?
This has caused me to consider why God sent the men by way of commandment in Joseph's time to find and preach to the Remnant of Lehi, and then allow that they only meet impediments that stopped them from even finding a whereabouts of the Remnant? Could it be that in some way they weren't prepared to receive the covenant that would come through the Remnant?
After Joseph was taken from the earth (having accomplished everything that was necessary for him to accomplish..which includes laying out God's word on how to accomplish Zion) there has been a cooling off period that has allowed the people of the subsequent generations to re-look at just what it was that God through Joseph was doing, why the previous generation failed, and how we can make it right in the present generation. I find it interesting that those who have been called and sustained by the common consent of the members of the church to "
...declare faithfully the commandments and the revelations, with power and authority unto the church....which [God has given] unto [Joseph]..."(see
D&C 28:2-3;) have largely felt inspired to focus on the importance of eternal families and honoring marital covenants.
Zion is going to need a Zion people, (One with the Lord!)
Within my life as a Latter-Day Saint I have noticed that despite the fact that the presence of the Gospel, as found in the Book of Mormon, is available to me, I am not without cultural/societal baggage that is contrary to the Gospel as found in the Book of Mormon. At least one area that I have noticed baggage that probably could be released is in the way I look at marriage. When my wife and I were first married I treated my marriage with me as superior to my wife. Despite teachings in Latter-Day Scripture to the contrary, I gave into the concept that I was wiser than my wife, and therefore needed to lead my family. It was her job to listen to me. I would be diligently faithful to my covenants, and felt it incumbent upon myself to learn the gospel so I could teach it to her and my children.
In surprising retrospection, I have seen that largely my wife has treated our marriage in the same way. It was my duty to learn the gospel and anything that was important I would tell to her. Other than that, she should concern herself primarily with the duties of house operation -which mainly includes child rearing- and I would delegate any of the remaining responsibilities to her as I saw fit.
Much of this cultural baggage I have found -perhaps erroneously- is reflected within Mormon culture at large. That would look something like this: You have a leader at the top that is suppose to study the gospel and know it inside and out. This guy is so "in-tune" with God that perhaps he has open conversations with Him. The transcripts of these discussions are kept from me because of my need to exercise faith in a God that I can not yet see. However, he passes along any pertinent information to those who are assisting him in directing the people who make up "The Church." Those who assist him then pass down pertinent information to those below them until it filters down to me. Therefore for me it seemed largely irrelevant to try to study out the
more mysterious passages of scripture (See Joseph Smith History 1:72-74) because I left it up to those above me to not lead me astray; and whereas there were seemingly good guys who were doing
obvious good things: I trusted.
The Book of Mormon's teachings concerning these things
The teachings found inside the Book of Mormon seem to come from areas of deep struggle and pained efforts to persuade people to stay away from the baggage that I had been carrying.
2 Nephi 28:31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
verse 24 of the same chapter: Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
The form of scripture study performed by me previously in my life was very easy. Essentially I memorized the concepts of the scriptural citations that confirmed what I already believed and left the rest -more mysterious passages- up to the highest leader at any given time. I assumed that being that he was a good guy that he didn't dare say anything apart from what the Holy Ghost dictated to him. I was trusting man, and making the arm that I relied on flesh. This was fine until a spokesman of the leaders of the Church announced that a century long held faith tenet of the members of my church had begun in
the absence of revelation and that it did not represent the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Suddenly I understood that good people could be capable of teaching not only
opinions cloaked as Gospel Knowledge, but that such could be done flat out erroneously and not represent the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I realized that I was doing exactly what Nephi warned me against.
Back to my point
I had done wrong. By doing wrong I had brought my wife to do wrong.
Early in the ministry of Joseph Smith and also a year before his death, he brought up
Ezekiel 14. An interesting chapter for any leader to ever bring up. The event where Joseph brought this topic up a year before his death was in Nauvoo to a gathering of the Relief Society. We have
the minutes of Eliza R. Snow. She notes the prophet:
read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel--said the Lord had declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church--that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls--applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall--that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy.
If you haven't read Ezekiel 14 lately I would suggest it so that you can see what Joseph was referring too. Among other things the claim made there is that: "
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in [a land], they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God...Though these three men were in [the land], as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate."
Prophets of God cannot deliver any but themselves. If you depend on a prophet it makes you dark in your mind. Depending on the prophet IS neglecting the duties devolving upon you.
What is it that God was offering to the inhabitants of the earth through Joseph Smith that we didn't already have? At a minimum, The Book of Mormon. What is the Book of Mormon...or what is it's purpose?
For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto [Nephi's] seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb. And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation. And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, [Notice how the Lamb indicates the connection between the coming forth of the writings of the seed of Nephi to the gospel contained in it and how that then brings, in the attempts by those who receive it, the desire to live Zion]
for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be. 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...And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks-And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded....Later the Lamb said: it behooveth the Father that [the works of the Nephites; their writings]
should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; 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.
The Book of Mormon is a sign that the Father wants to make
His promised covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31-34) with us.
The Remnant need to be converted
through gentile preaching (See 3 Nephi 21:6).
And we [
gentiles (see D&C 109:60)] need to be converted to what
Joseph taught (see Doctrine and Covenants 5:7-11).
When there are those whom God considers converted, he will
send his angels to
gather them out (see Revelations 7:2-10; Doctrine and Covenants 77:11)
How do we know when we are converted?
I believe that the law of Zion is what Jesus taught in Matthew 5-7. The perfect place to start living that is within our own families. I believe one way to indicate whether we are converted and ready to receive the covenant that will come through the Remnant of Lehi, is how well we live this law in our families. Do we give our other cheek to our spouse instead of retaliating when they are angry with us? Do we give our children a stone when they desire for
bread (see John 6:35)? Do we hearken to/reject prophets who are known by their fruit (This could include listening to the wisdom that flows from our wife)? If our spouse/sibling believes we have wronged them and that we owe them our coat do we give them our cloak also? Do we let our light shine to our family or do we hide it in a bushel? Do we refrain from throwing epithets such as "
Fool!" to our spouse/children/parents/siblings? Before we seek the face of God do we make ourselves right with our brother? Do we avoid lust in our hearts? Do we put our spouse away? Do we perform to the Lord our oaths made to our spouse and family members? Do we give two miles of effort when only a single mile was asked? Do we borrow freely to those in our families that ask? Certainly there are those in our family who we agree with more than others. With those who rub us wrong; do we love them as much or more than those who we get along with more easily? Do we practice religious hypocrisy before our family members? Are we quick to judge those who are closest to us? Do we see and point out their errors while expecting them to have charity for our mistakes? Do we proclaim "
Lord, Lord.." with our mouth, and leave our brother in want?
The Savior said that in as much as you have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me. The easiest place to begin to follow the Lord by serving those around us is within our own families. Specifically husbands and wives. Once mastering that circle let the circle grow wider.
I believe that in so doing, we can be forgiven of our sins and made clean. Thus we will invite the sealing of families by the Angels of God to actually begin. When there are those who are sealed, I believe that then God can bring the covenant through the Remnant of Lehi unto those who are thus prepared.
