True Knowledge and Losing Nephite Status

 1 Nephi 12:19 - 23, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 18

And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel. And because of the pride of my seed and the temptations of the Devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed. And it came to pass that I beheld and saw the people of the seed of my brethren, that they had overcome my seed, and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land. And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw wars and rumors of wars among them, and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many generations pass away. And the angel said unto me, Behold, these shall dwindle in unbelief. And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief, they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim, 1 Nefi 3 par. 18

And while the angel spoke these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brothers did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel. And because of the pride of my seed and the temptations of HaSatan, I beheld that the seed of my brothers did overpower the people of my seed. And it came to pass that I beheld and saw the people of the seed of my brothers, that they had overcome my seed, and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land. And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw wars and rumors of wars among them, and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many generations pass away. And the angel said unto me, Behold, these shall dwindle in unbelief. And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief, they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.

Is it possible for us to pause here and consider what Nephi is feeling as he witnesses the ultimate destruction of the nation of his descendants?

Haven't we all either been in situations or seen situations or even watched situations portrayed to us where there is a battle between good and evil or wrong and right or justice and injustice?

Don't we hope in our hearts that what is right, what is good, and what is just will prevail in the end?

Don't we desire ultimate happiness for all?

I do not claim to know what was going through Nephi's mind at this moment but is it possible that what he recorded following this vision is an indication of his heart being filled with deep sorrow at such an eventuality being shown to him?

And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been carried away in the spirit and seen all these things, I returned to the tent of my father. And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them; for he truly spake many great things unto them which were hard to be understood save a man should inquire of the Lord. And they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought. And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, and also because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men. And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all because of the destructions of my people, for I had beheld their fall. (1 Nephi 15, NC 1 Nephi 4 par. 1)

What is entailed in being overcome by one's afflictions?

When one possesses the knowledge that Nephi possesses how can afflictions overcome them?

We talked about this before with Enoch and the depths of his feelings concerning the destructions and waste that the wickedness of men causes.

Is it possible that anyone who comes to the same level of knowledge as what Nephi has arrived to here feels just as deeply as Nephi sorrow at the suffering of all because of wickedness?

Is it possible that one of the effects of true knowledge is sorrow for the waste and destruction among men because of wickedness?

What would an individual who possesses true knowledge be willing to sacrifice in order to right the wrongs of the wickedness of others?

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 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 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 sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.(Mosiah 14:10 - 12, NC Mosiah 8 par. 5)

The above is Abinadi before the court of king Noah quoting Isaiah concerning Christ.

Is it possible that the phrase "by his knowledge shall my righteous Servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities", may also include as additional meaning to experiencing the iniquities of others the meaning of being willing to give Himself a sacrifice because of the knowledge He possesses? 

The Prophet Joseph declared the following.

All the religious world is boasting of righteousness; it is the doctrine of the devil to retard the human mind, and hinder our progress, by filling us with self-righteousness. The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs.(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 241)

Is it possible that a sure sign of one who possesses true knowledge from heaven, like Nephi, is their real and unfeigned compassion, their deep feelings of sorrow, for perishing souls?

If we are to become like Christ then don't we necessarily have to progress in knowledge until we can like Christ become willing to give ourselves as infinite sacrifices because of our compassion for all others who would perish without our sacrifice; which desire to sacrifice comes it would appear from having true knowledge?

 And what constitutes the real difference between a saved person and one not saved is the difference in the degree of their faith — one’s faith has become perfect enough to lay hold upon eternal life and the other’s has not. But to be a little more particular, let us ask: Where shall we find a prototype into whose likeness we may be assimilated, in order that we may be made partakers of life and salvation? Or in other words, where shall we find a saved being? For if we can find a saved being, we may ascertain without much difficulty what all others must be in order to be saved — they must be like that individual or they cannot be saved. We think that it will not be a matter of dispute that two beings who are unlike each other cannot both be saved, for whatever constitutes the salvation of one will constitute the salvation of every creature which will be saved. And if we find one saved being in all existence, we may see what all others must be or else not be saved. We ask, then: Where is the prototype? Or where is the saved being? We conclude as to the answer of this question there will be no dispute among those who believe the Bible that it is Christ. All will agree in this, that he is the prototype or standard of salvation, or in other words, that he is a saved being. And if we should continue our interrogation, and ask how it is that he is saved, the answer would be, because he is a just and holy being. And if he were anything different from what he is he would not be saved, for his salvation depends on his being precisely what he is and nothing else. For if it were possible for him to change in the least degree, so sure he would fail of salvation and lose all his dominion, power, authority, and glory, which constitutes salvation. For salvation consists in the glory, authority, majesty, power, and dominion which Jehovah possesses, and in nothing else, and no being can possess it but himself or one like him. Thus says John in his first epistle, 3:2,3 [1 John 1:13]: Behold, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And any man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. Why purify himself as he is pure? Because if they do not, they cannot be like him. (Teachings and Commandments, Section 110, Lectures on Faith, Lecture 7th par. 9)

If what the Prophet Joseph taught in Lectures on Faith is true, that to be a saved being is to be precisely what Christ is and nothing different, how is that achieved?

How long did it take Christ to come to possess the knowledge He possessed in order to be ready and willing to offer an infinite sacrifice to justify many?

Is such knowledge to be gained in a lifetime?  In two lifetimes?

What does the Prophet Joseph say?

Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pgs.346 - 347)

When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave.(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 348)

If we look at what Joseph declared then did Christ "learn" how to become God by going from grace to grace, a small degree and capacity to a great one, and from exaltation to exaltation, until he had climbed up the ladder to His sacrifice?

Is the offering of oneself as an infinite sacrifice for all others a principle of exaltation?

If it is not all to be comprehended in this world then where beyond the grave and how long will it take to perform the great work and learn our salvation and exaltation?

Is it a sign that we are advancing in learning the principles of exaltation when we demonstrate true compassion on perishing souls as Nephi did?

What did Jesus say? (Mark it, Elder Rigdon!) The Scriptures inform us that Jesus said, As the Father hath power in Himself, even so hath the Son power—to do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious—in a manner to lay down His body and take it up again. Jesus, what are you going to do? To lay down my life as my Father did, and take it up again. Do we believe it? If you do not believe it, you do not believe the Bible. The Scriptures say it, and I defy all the learning and wisdom and all the combined powers of earth and hell together to refute it. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 346)

Is this the pattern of salvation and exaltation?

The Prophet Joseph said the following.

Knowledge saves a man; and in the world of spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 357)

If an individual must be precisely like Christ in order to be saved or in other words to be exalted and they can only be exalted or saved by knowledge then doesn't that mean that anyone who really gets knowledge will be humbled by it and filled with compassion by the possession of it until they arrive, through the eons of time, at the point that Christ arrived at, through the eons of time, where they are able to declare as Christ declared that they will lay down their life as their Father did and take it up again?

Can we see in this a way to test if we are in possession of true knowledge?

Does true knowledge exalt a person because it humbles them?

What did Moses declare after he had seen his vision in the mount?

And it came to pass that Moses looked and beheld the world upon which he was created. And as Moses beheld the world, and the ends thereof, and all the children of men who are and who were created, of the same he greatly marveled and wondered. And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon him, 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 he did again receive his natural strength like unto man. And he said unto himself, Now for this once I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. (Moses 1:8 - 11, OC Genesis 1 par.2)

If it is true that true knowledge humbles us and instills compassion in us then how should we consider the following?

No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood; only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned, by kindness and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul; without hypocrisy and without guile; ...(D&C 121:41 - 46, Teachings and Commandments, 139 par. 6)

If someone declares that they hold priesthood and what they declare causes us to feel pride or self righteousness then are they imparting true or pure knowledge?

If they are not imparting pure knowledge then do they really hold any priesthood at all?

There are some tremendous things to consider as we consider Nephi's reaction to seeing the destruction of the nation of his descendants.

There is another consideration as we look at what Nephi is recording here in this part of the vision.

If I understand correctly Nephi possesses sealing power which means that what he inscribed here on the plates was binding because it was done by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Again, our little study group believes that Nephi did not record anything on the plates he was not commanded to record.

How hard would it be for Nephi, feeling the affliction of the loss of his people, to inscribe those words on the plates knowing that they were binding words of prophecy?

We have an example in Enos of just how carefully one who holds sealing power speaks or records anything so as not to bind the Lord to something that would injure others.

And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me, I will grant unto thee according to thy desires because of thy faith. And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him: that if it should so be that my people the Nephites should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people the Nephites, even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth some future day unto the Lamanites, that perhaps they might be brought unto salvation. For at the present, our strugglings were vain in restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that if it were possible, they would destroy our records, and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers.(Enos 1:12 - 14, Enos 1 par. 3)

Enos ,who had been given the promise by the Lord that whatever he asked would be granted, after laboring long to arrive at what he wanted, carefully worded his request to the Lord; "if it should so be that my people the Nephites should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people the Nephites, even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth some future day unto the Lamanites, that perhaps they might be brought unto salvation."

Enos was righteous and was most certainly acquainted with the prophecies and writings of Nephi and he knew that the Nephites would be destroyed eventually from the very records he was asking the Lord to preserve but in his request he carefully states, if it should be... and by any means... which does not bind the Lord to perform anything upon the people in the request except for preserving the records.

Would Nephi be any less careful with the sealing power than Enos?

Do we think that Nephi would have inscribed a binding prophecy concerning the destruction of his people on the plates unless he was commanded to by the Holy Ghost?

Would it be good to look seriously at what is going on here?

Is it not also important to consider what is going on with the Nephites at the time Nephi is viewing in his vision?

There is a podcast I would recommend to everyone; on the website denversnuffer.com in the podcast section.

It is Podcast 123, "Numbered Among".

In the podcast the following is shared concerning the events Nephi saw here in his vision.

Then in Alma, there's a prophecy that Alma gives explaining what he knows is going to happen to the Nephites and his descendants. He says, 

Then shall they see wars and pestilences, yea, famine and bloodshed, even until the people of Nephi shall become extinct. Yea, and this because they shall dwindle in unbelief and fall into the works of darkness, and lasciviousness, and all manner of iniquities. Yea, I say unto you that because they shall sin against so great light and knowledge, ...I say unto you that from that day, even into the fourth generation shall not all pass away before this great iniquity shall come. ...when that great day cometh, behold, the time very soon cometh that those who are now, or the seed of those who are now numbered among the people of Nephi, shall no more be numbered among the people of Nephi. But whosoever remaineth and is not destroyed in that great and dreadful day shall be numbered among the Lamanites, and shall become like unto them. (Alma 21:2 RE) 

So, the prophecy that Alma gives says that whatever remnant there may have been of Nephi that will exist after the great apostasy following four generations after Christ's visit among the Nephites, whoever's left is no longer a Nephite, but they are numbered among the Lamanites, even if they are descendants of Nephi. 

So, we get to Helaman, and in Helaman, the theme picks up again. He's describing where things are going to be headed, and as he says, 

...from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and scattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are no more called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites. (Helaman 2:4 RE, emphasis added) 

So, you can change your identity. You can change your identity from being a Nephite into becoming a Lamanite. You can change your identity from being a Lamanite to being a Nephite. But more importantly, you can change your identity from being a Gentile into being of the house of Israel. 

Then we get to Christ and the events that occur at His visit with the Nephites, immediately preceding that. In the 30th year that they're reckoning time from in Third Nephi, 

It came to pass that those Lamanites who had [been] united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites, and their curse was taken from them (3 Nephi 1:11 RE). 

They were numbered among the Nephites and were called Nephites.

Why is this important for this conversation?

Doesn't this show that our actions really do matter in determining our status before the Lord?

The Pharisees considered that their status before God was determined because they were "children of Abraham" by blood.

John declared to them,

 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 has 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 brings not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.(Luke 3:7 - 9, NC Luke 3 par. 5)

God today by covenant has established a way whereby we as Gentiles can be adopted into the House of Israel and therefore change our status before God by participating in authorized ordinances and performing godly works.

What Nephi saw concerning his seed and how he felt about what would befall them has so very much to do with things and events that are happening here and now to us.

My ability to communicate things that are so important from scripture is so weak.

I don't possess knowledge at this point in the journey to clearly declare truth and knowledge with power like Nephi did.

As I have mentioned before, I hope that others' skepticism of my present understanding of things from scripture will impart to anyone reading these things a desire to look into these matters for themselves in order to get their own understanding and be willing to show me the error of my ways.

I can only see good in sharing ideas, understanding, and insight from scripture with each other even if or maybe especially if they are differing ideas, understandings, and insights.

Beyond the Fourth Generation and Our Day

 1 Nephi 12:11 - 18 , NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 17

 And the angel said unto me, Look. And I looked and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness, and their garments were white, even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me, These are made white in the blood of the Lamb because of their faith in him. And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness. And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together. And the angel said unto me, Behold thy seed and also the seed of thy brethren. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren, and they were gathered together to battle. And the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw, yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell. And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the Devil which blindeth the eyes and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost. And the large and spacious building which thy father saw is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God and Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the holy ghost beareth record from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and for ever.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim 1 Nefi 3 par. 17

And the angel said unto me, Look. And I looked and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness, and their garments were white, even like unto the Lamb of Elohim. And the angel said unto me, These are made white in the blood of the Lamb because of their faith in him. And I, Nefi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness. And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together. And the angel said unto me, Behold your seed and also the seed of your brothers. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brothers, and they were gathered together to battle. And the angel spoke unto me, saying, Behold the fountain of filthy water which your father saw, yes, even the river of which he spoke; and the depths thereof are the depths of She’ol. And the mists of darkness are the temptations of HaSatan which blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men and lead them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost. And the large and spacious building which your father saw is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf  divides them, yes, even the sword of the justice of the Elohe Kedem and Mashiach who is the Lamb of Elohim, of whom the Ruach HaKodesh bears record from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and for ever.

I find it rather timely that we are looking at Nephi's view of the final throes of the nation comprised of his, Nephi's, descendants at this point in the history of the Gentile nation of America.

I would like to return to a prophecy given September 2017 at the time God, for the first time in the latter days, offered a covenant to the Gentiles to allow them to be adopted into the House of Israel.

Immediately following the administration of the covenant this prophecy was declared.

Those who have entered faithfully into the covenant this day are going to notice some things. The spirit of God is withdrawing from the world. Men are increasingly more angry without good cause. The hearts of men are waxing cold. There is increasing anger and resentment of gentiles. In political terms, it’s rejection of white privilege. Language of scriptures gives a description of the events now underway and calls it the end of the times of the gentiles. This process with the spirit withdrawing, will end on this continent, as it did with two prior civilization in fratricidal and genocidal warfare. For the rest of the world, it will be as in the days of Noah in which, as that light becomes eclipsed, the coldness of men’s hearts is going to result in a constant scene of violence and bloodshed. The wicked will destroy the wicked. The covenant, if it is kept, will prevent you from losing light and warmth of heart as the spirit now steadily recedes from the world. The time will come when you will be astonished at the gulf between the light and truth you will comprehend and the darkness of mind of the world. Be charitable and patient and labor to reach others. They will judge you harshly, but nevertheless be kind to them. They are going to grow to fear you, but that’s only part of how darkness responds to light. Give them no reason to fear you. The time will come for us to gather, but between now and then, be leaven. Preserve the world. Be salt. Preserve the world, even if it hates you.(Closing Remarks, Covenant of Christ Conference, Egyptian Theater, Boise, Idaho, September 3, 2017 Denver Snuffer, Jr.)

With respect to what Nephi is viewing concerning the nation comprised of his posterity and applying this to our day I would like to focus a little on what Nephi recorded as follows.

Behold thy seed and also the seed of thy brethren. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren, and they were gathered together to battle. And the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw, yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell.

Mormon gives some commentary in 4th Nephi that is interesting and that leads us into what we are looking at.

And now I, Mormon, would that ye should know that the people had multiplied insomuch that they were spread upon all the face of the land, and that they had become exceeding rich because of their prosperity in Christ. And now in this two hundred and first year, there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world. And from that time forth, they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them, and they began to be divided into classes. And they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ. (4 Nephi 1:23 - 26,NC 4 Nephi 1 par. 5)

Does the above commentary clearly demonstrate the principle that the Prophet Joseph taught below?

The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 181)

Is it possible that the wearing of costly apparel and all manner of fine pearls and fine things of the world is part of revolting at those things that come from God?

Is it possible that to be divided into classes is also a part of revolting at those things which come from God?

When the angel told Nephi ,"...the large and spacious building which thy father saw is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men..." , was the angel pointing out what Mormon commented on above?

Was it the vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men at that time that caused them to revolt at those things which came from God and allowed the devil to take power?

We looked at the great and spacious building in an earlier post and discussed how to avoid entry into it.

I am still of the same opinion now that I was when I addressed the great and spacious building in an earlier post that it is impossible to list all the ways to enter into the great and spacious building because they are diverse and they are so many that they cannot be numbered.

I still believe that the wise path is to simply focus on righteousness and become as a little child.

Nephi also records what the angel said concerning the mists of darkness.

the mists of darkness are the temptations of the Devil which blindeth the eyes and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.

Could the above be an apt description of what was further recorded in 4 Nephi?

And it came to pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away, there were many churches in the land. Yea, there were churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness. And this church did multiply exceedingly because of iniquity and because of the power of Satan, who did get hold upon their hearts. And again, there was another church which denied the Christ, and they did persecute the true church of Christ because of their humility and their belief in Christ. And they did despise them because of the many miracles which were wrought among them. Therefore, they did exercise power and authority over the disciples of Jesus who did tarry with them, and they did cast them into prison; but by the power of the word of God which was in them, the prisons were rent in twain, and they went forth doing mighty miracles among them. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding all these miracles, the people did harden their hearts and did seek to kill them, even as the Jews at Jerusalem sought to kill Jesus, according to his word. And they did cast them into furnaces of fire, and they came forth receiving no harm. And they also cast them into dens of wild beasts, and they did play with the wild beasts, even as a child with a lamb; and they did come forth from among them, receiving no harm. Nevertheless, the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches and to do all manner of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people of Jesus, but the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed away.  And now it came to pass in this year, yea, in the two hundred and thirty and first year, there was a great division among the people. And it came to pass that in this year, there arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they were true believers in Christ. And among them there were those who were called by the Lamanites: Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites. Therefore, the true believers in Christ and the true worshipers of Christ, among whom were the three disciples of Jesus who should tarry, were called Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites. And it came to pass that they who rejected the gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. And they did not dwindle in unbelief, but they did willfully rebel against the gospel of Christ, and they did teach their children that they should not believe, even as their fathers from the beginning did dwindle. And it was because of the wickedness and abominations of their fathers, even as it was in the beginning. And they were taught to hate the children of God, even as the Lamanites were taught to hate the children of Nephi from the beginning. And it came to pass that two hundred and forty and four years had passed away, and thus were the affairs of the people. And the more wicked part of the people did wax strong, and became exceeding more numerous than were the people of God. And they did still continue to build up churches unto themselves and adorn them with all manner of precious things. And thus did two hundred and fifty years pass away, and also two hundred and sixty years. (4 Nephi 1:27 - 41, 4 Ne. 1:27-41)

When it is mentioned that Satan had power over the people, that the peoples' hearts were hardened, that the people were led by many priests and false prophets to do all manner of iniquity, that the people in general did smite upon the people of Jesus, that the people did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness from year to year and that there was finally a great division among the people; is that a detailed description of the Devil blinding the eyes and hardening the hearts and leading the children of men into broad roads to perish and be lost?

If we look in the glossary of terms we can read what it means to dwindle in unbelief.

When one prizes his or her errors and holds them as true (when they are not), one dwindles in unbelief. Unbelief is often used in connection with losing truth, forsaking doctrine, and therefore, “dwindling.” The phrase “dwindling in unbelief” is the Book of Mormon’s way to describe moving from a state of belief, with true and complete doctrine, to a state of unbelief, where the truth has been discarded. Miracles end because men dwindle in unbelief. (Glossary of Terms, "Dwindle in Unbelief", Teachings and Commandments)

If true and complete doctrine is lost then do the children of men perish?

What did Mormon say?

And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case, that these things are true which I have spoken unto you — and God will shew unto you with power and great glory at the last day that they are true — and if they are true, have the day of miracles ceased? Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the holy ghost from them? Or will he so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? Behold, I say unto you, nay. For it is by faith that miracles are wrought, and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men. Wherefore, if these things have ceased, woe be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain. For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name. Wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also, and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made. (Moroni 7:35- 38, NC Moroni 7 par. 7)

If the state of man is as though there had been not redemption made does that sound like a state of perishing and being lost?

Do we read in 4 Nephi that miracles ceased generally among the people after so many years?

Didn't Mormon state that a cessation of miracles was a sign of unbelief among a people?

The account in 4 Nephi also clearly states that those who became Lamanites and Lemuelites and Ishmaelites willfully rebelled against the gospel of Christ.

Does that statement clearly show a revolt against what has come from God?

With all of this as an introduction for how the Nephite and Lamanite nations arrived at the point where they experienced the depths of hell can we now look at their experience of being caught in the fountain of filthy water?

Mormon and Moroni were required to record the demise of the Nephite nation.

If we look at just one comment by the prophet Mormon concerning the Nephite and Lamanite nations can we see just how far they had fallen into the depths of hell?

 ... And it is impossible for the tongue to describe or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites. And every heart was hardened so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually. And there never had been so great wickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel (according to the words of the Lord), as were among this people. (Mormon 4:7 - 12, NC Mormon 2 par. 2)

Further on in the book of Moroni we read of Mormon's report to Moroni describing the horrid acts of rapine and cannibalism that occurred among the Nephites and Lamanites.

What I would hope that we could consider as we take all of this in are the words of Mormon to his son Moroni below.

 ... And now behold, my son, I fear lest the Lamanites shall destroy this people, for they do not repent. And Satan stirreth them up continually to anger one with another. Behold, I am laboring with them continually. And when I speak the word of God with sharpness, they tremble and anger against me. And when I use no sharpness, they harden their hearts against it. Wherefore, I fear lest the spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them. For so exceedingly do they anger, that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death. And they have lost their love one towards another, and they thirst after blood and revenge continually. And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation. For we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.(Moroni 9:1 - 6, NC Moroni 9 par. 1)

Can we see in this statement of Mormon something similar to the prophesy given in September of 2017 concerning our nation?

Satan stirred up the Nephites continually to anger with one another.

In the prophesy we read, Men are increasingly more angry without good cause. The hearts of men are waxing cold. There is increasing anger and resentment of gentiles. In political terms, it’s rejection of white privilege.

Is there a parallel here?

If we look at the rioting and unrest of this past year is it possible to detect that very same spirit that was manifest among the Nephites at the time of Mormon and Moroni also being manifest in our nation today?

What did Mormon say concerning the spirit of the Lord among the Nephites?

Wherefore, I fear lest the spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them.

What does the 2017 prophecy state?

The spirit of God is withdrawing from the world.

Is there a parallel here between what Mormon described with the Nephite nation and our nation today?

What did Mormon say concerning the people of his day?

For so exceedingly do they anger, that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death. And they have lost their love one towards another, and they thirst after blood and revenge continually.

What doe we read in the 2017 prophecy concerning this nation?

This process with the spirit withdrawing, will end on this continent, as it did with two prior civilization in fratricidal and genocidal warfare. For the rest of the world, it will be as in the days of Noah in which, as that light becomes eclipsed, the coldness of men’s hearts is going to result in a constant scene of violence and bloodshed. The wicked will destroy the wicked.

Is there a parallel here between what Mormon and Moroni experienced and what is going on nowand what will happen very soon?

Did the Prophet Joseph see this coming?

I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing
their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against
armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of Man has said that the mother shall be against the
daughter, and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow
the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged.
I know not how soon these things will take place; but with a view of them, shall I cry peace? No;
I will lift up my voice and testify of them. How long you will have good crops, and the famine be
kept off, I do not know; when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh at hand.(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 161)

As we look at what led the Nephite and Lamanite nations to the depths of hell can we not look at ourselves and see that we have revolted against the things given from God and therefore have given Satan power over us?

Was there a revolt against the things of God right from the beginning of the restoration?

And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received, which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation rests upon the children of Zion, even all, and they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon, and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say but to do according to that which I have written, that they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom. Otherwise, there remains a scourge and a judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion, for shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, verily I say unto you, nay. (D&C 84:54 - 59, T&C 82 par. 20)

Is unbelief mentioned in the church even at this early point?

If we are in a state of unbelief then aren't we in a state as if there had been no redemption made?

Isn't that a parallel to where the Nephites and Lamanites found themselves being blinded and their hearts hardened in unbelief ?

Aren't those the temptations or mists of darkness the angel mentions to Nephi?

Doesn't that have direct application to those of the restoration initiated by the Prophet Joseph?

As we talk about unbelief and hard heartedness among those who claim to be part of the restoration began by Joseph can we consider the Prophet Joseph's following statement as well?

Many men will say, “I will never forsake you,1 but will stand by you at all times.” But the
moment you teach them some of the mysteries of the kingdom of God that are retained in the
heavens and are to be revealed to the children of men when they are prepared for them they will
be the first to stone you and put you to death. It was this same principle that crucified the Lord
Jesus Christ, and will cause the people to kill the prophets in this generation.
Many things are insoluble to the children of men in the last days: for instance, that God should
raise the dead, and forgetting that things have been hid from before the foundation of the world,
which are to be revealed to babes in the last days.
There are a great many wise men and women too in our midst who are too wise to be taught;
therefore they must die in their ignorance, and in the resurrection they will find their mistake.
Many seal up the door of heaven by saying, So far God may reveal and I will believe. All men who
become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ will have to receive the fulness of the
ordinances of his kingdom; and those who will not receive all the ordinances will come short
of the fullness of that glory, if they do not lose the whole. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pg. 309)

Is the above why the Prophet Joseph right close to his death stated to those in the church,

You don’t know me; you never knew my heart. No man knows my history. I cannot tell it: I shall never undertake it.(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 361)

If the prophet Joseph was laid under a strict command to only impart according to the faith and diligence of the early saints then isn't the above statement very telling about their condition right before his death?

Has that condition improved or worsened?

In the glossary of terms we read the following concerning apostacy.

A deliberate, intentional, or willful rejection or refusal to accept what God offers to man; a rebellion. When mankind limits what they will permit God to reveal, setting boundaries to His teachings, they rebel. But that rebellion only limits themselves. Mankind, whether as a group or a single person, is either gaining (restoring) light and truth or losing (apostatizing) from light and truth. This world is a world of change. Nothing remains the same. Either growth or decay are at work everywhere. They are also at work within every person. One either searches out new truth — finds it, lives it, and thereby becomes restored to truth — or one backs away from it. If one is backing away, losing it, neglecting it, and discarding it, one is in the process of apostasy. With respect to God’s people, apostasy is always marked by a change of ordinances and breaking of the covenant. “In ancient times, apostasy never came by renouncing the gospel, but always by corrupting it…. The great apostasy in the time of the apostles was not a renouncing of faith but its corruption and manipulation.” (Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, "Apostacy")

Since Joseph have we backed away from truth Joseph taught?

Have we changed the ordinances?

Have we broken God's covenant?

My point is that wouldn't it be a more safe path for us to look inward and see that we have probably revolted against the things God has sent and therefore must turn to Him and accept what He offers or we must most assuredly end up in the very same predicament as the Nephites and Lamanites full of anger and thirsting for blood?

Shouldn't we look around at present circumstances and see that because we initially rejected and revolted against what God sent that Satan has gotten power over the whole nation?

Are we divided into classes like the Nephites?

Are we involved in the wearing of costly apparel and of the fine things of the world like the Nephites?

The account of 4 Nephi also mentions the establishment of the secret combinations among them as in days of old.

Do we see the existence of secret combinations in our nation today?

What hope do we have to escape the dire circumstances that are now in process?

We read above something that Mormon declared to Moroni that is very important.

And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation. For we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.

I am not a Mormon or a Moroni.

I am however a believer in Jesus Christ.

I believe that the labor that I can perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay is to invite and exhort all to come to Christ through the Doctrine of Christ and partake of the new covenant God has established in this day.

As one who has partaken of the covenant I have an obligation to, Be charitable and patient and labor to reach others.

Anyone anywhere may get on to bornofwater.org and request the ordinance of baptism following the exact process Christ declared to the Nephites when He visited them following His resurrection.

Following authorized baptism one may partake of the new covenant God has established to gather in all who would be gathered like chicks under their wings.

I believe the words of the 2017 prophecy that state 

The covenant, if it is kept, will prevent you from losing light and warmth of heart as the spirit now steadily recedes from the world. The time will come when you will be astonished at the gulf between the light and truth you will comprehend and the darkness of mind of the world. Be charitable and patient and labor to reach others. They will judge you harshly, but nevertheless be kind to them. They are going to grow to fear you, but that’s only part of how darkness responds to light. Give them no reason to fear you. The time will come for us to gather, but between now and then, be leaven. Preserve the world. Be salt. Preserve the world, even if it hates you.

That is our hope.

God is working to vindicate His promises to the ancient Fathers.  

I believe that Nephi's record of what he saw concerning his seed here is critical for us as Gentiles in this present perilous time. 

Just as Nephi declared, And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God and Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the holy ghost beareth record from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and for ever.

I believe that the gulf that will divide those who will follow God in this nation and those who will not does comprise His justice of withdrawing His spirit.

As the prophecy states, The time will come when you will be astonished at the gulf between the light and truth you will comprehend and the darkness of mind of the world.

There is a sign that will be manifest on the 21st of this month, the winter solstice.

It is the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the sky that will create a bright star.

I am sure that there is a more correct meaning of the sign than what I will share here but in my mind I feel that at this point of greatest darkness in history as symbolized by the winter solstice a rare bright light breaks forth bringing hope in the form of the work God is now undertaking among men as represented by the light of the conjunction of the two planets that occurs only rarely.

I have read that this sign will be visible to the entire world just as this work is now underway to invite all who will come to come from the four quarters of the earth to Christ and be saved.

Nephi's record is truly timely.

Three Full Generations Washed White

1 Nephi 12:11 - 18 , NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 17

 And the angel said unto me, Look. And I looked and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness, and their garments were white, even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me, These are made white in the blood of the Lamb because of their faith in him. And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness. And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together. And the angel said unto me, Behold thy seed and also the seed of thy brethren. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren, and they were gathered together to battle. And the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw, yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell. And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the Devil which blindeth the eyes and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost. And the large and spacious building which thy father saw is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God and Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the holy ghost beareth record from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and for ever.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim 1 Nefi 3 par. 17

And the angel said unto me, Look. And I looked and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness, and their garments were white, even like unto the Lamb of Elohim. And the angel said unto me, These are made white in the blood of the Lamb because of their faith in him. And I, Nefi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness. And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together. And the angel said unto me, Behold your seed and also the seed of your brothers. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brothers, and they were gathered together to battle. And the angel spoke unto me, saying, Behold the fountain of filthy water which your father saw, yes, even the river of which he spoke; and the depths thereof are the depths of She’ol. And the mists of darkness are the temptations of HaSatan which blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men and lead them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost. And the large and spacious building which your father saw is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf  divides them, yes, even the sword of the justice of the Elohe Kedem and Mashiach who is the Lamb of Elohim, of whom the Ruach HaKodesh bears record from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and for ever.

At the beginning of this paragraph is evidence of what we discussed before that exceedingly many have been able to have their garments washed and made white.

Nephi is very careful to point this out. 

Not only did he state that they were a righteous people he specifically stated that their garments were white like unto the Lamb of God.

Again, we have the following from the glossary of terms concerning garments being made white.

Their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb (Alma 10:1). “To have white garments is to have the blood and sins of your generation removed from you; to be purified; to be sanctified by the Lamb — removing from you, and taking upon Himself, the responsibility to answer for whatever failings you have. This is not ritual purity. This is purity in fact.”(Garments Washed White, Glossary of Gospel Terms, Teachings and Commandments)

Could it be said of these three generations of individuals that the countenance of the Lord smiled upon them as well as the Lord's countenance had smiled upon the twelve disciples when He first came among them?

As we look at the situation of these three generations can we consider the following from the prophet Mormon?

And if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the holy ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity. For if he have not charity, he is nothing; wherefore, he must needs have charity. And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all. For all things must fail, but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth for ever. And whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with them. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified, even as he is pure. Amen. (Moroni 7:44 - 48, NC Moroni 7 par. 9)

Is what Mormon is describing in any way related to the experience of the three full generations here in the Americas following the visit of the resurrected Lord?

When Nephi declares that the garments of these three generations were white even like unto the Lamb of God does that mean that these folks when they had their garments washed white could declare that when He, Christ, appeared they knew Him because they were like Him?

According to Mormon, is the possession of charity the way to be made pure even as He, the Lord is pure?

Does Mormon equate the possession of charity and being made pure even as the Lord is pure with becoming sons of God?

How does Mormon state that one comes to possess charity?

If one must become a true follower of Jesus Christ in order for the Father to bestow charity upon them then how does one become a true follower of Jesus Christ?

What occurred immediately following the Lord's departure from these people that allowed them to become true followers of Jesus Christ?

And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and also the thirty and fifth, and behold, the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them and did truly repent of their sins were baptized in the name of Jesus, and they did also receive the holy ghost. And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites; and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another. And they had all things common among them; therefore, there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free and partakers of the Heavenly gift.(4 Nephi 1:1 - 3, NC 4 Nephi 1 par. 1)

Does the above have the appearance of all the people of the land coming and partaking of the Doctrine of Christ?

Christ declared His doctrine to the Nephites when He first appeared to them following His resurrection.

What did Nephi declare concerning the Holy Ghost, which is part of the Doctrine of Christ?

And now behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts? Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the holy ghost, ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the holy ghost? Angels speak by the power of the holy ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them, it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock. Wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way and receive the holy ghost, it will shew unto you all things what ye should do. Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.(2 Nephi 32:1 - 6, NC 2 Nephi 14 par. 1)

Let's look again, from the glossary of terms, how the Holy Ghost is instrumental in an individual being made pure or becoming sanctified.

The baptism of fire and the holy ghost is for sanctification. It is done upon the body and the Spirit within each person. The work of this “baptism of fire” is always sanctification. It brings the recipient into greater contact with God. The end of that increasing contact is to receive the Son, through whose blood all can be sanctified (see Genesis 4:9). Once sanctified, one is prepared for the presence of the Father (see Alma 21:3; 1 Nephi 3:5). It is the companionship of the Spirit that makes one justified by leading him or her to do what is right. It is the resulting application of Christ’s blood on one’s behalf that sanctifies (see Genesis 4:9). One cannot receive sanctification without first receiving baptism and then also the holy ghost. “In effect, you receive holiness through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. This in turn makes your own spirit holy.” Man is unworthy to enter into God’s presence and, therefore, requires a power higher than his own from which to borrow purity. This purifying agent is the holy ghost (see 3 Nephi 9:3–4). Christ will administer the final rites and confer the final blessings only upon the pure (see 3 Nephi 9:4–5). The reference to “blood” as sanctifying is a reference to the Lord (see Genesis 4:9). He alone sanctifies. Christ sanctifies mankind; they don’t sanctify themselves. “To be purified, to be sanctified by the Lamb — removing from you, and taking upon Himself the responsibility to answer for whatever failings you have — this is not ritual purity. This is purity in fact. To be sanctified is to be qualified to stand in the presence of God without sin, clean of all blood and sin — righteous forever. He is Christ’s, and Christ is the Father’s, and all that each of them will be is the same; for we shall see Him as He is, because we will be like Him. To be like Him is to be sanctified.”

It would appear that there was no magic performed by the Savior when he visited the peoples of the Americas following His resurrection.

It appears to me that their sanctification came as a result of their individual application of the Doctrine of Christ.

My present understanding is that it was their individual reception and companionship of the Holy Ghost following authorized baptism that facilitated their being made holy; the Holy Ghost showed them all things that they should do until Christ manifested Himself to them individually in the flesh and they began to observe the things that He began to teach them.

Was it the companionship of the Holy Ghost that caused them to deal justly with one another and caused them to get rid of all contentions and disputations?

Why does the inspired scriptural account only speak of all things in common following total conversion, an end to all disputations, and dealing justly with one another?

From reading the account above, doesn't it appear that having all things in common was a side effect of these people living after the manner of happiness?

If the initial push to get to this equality and peace was to start with all things in common wouldn't the scriptures state as much?

If such is the case would it be improper to try to have all things in common before experiencing the conversion these folks experienced?

In the entire book of 4th Nephi we have the account of what Nephi is seeing here in vision.

Here is part.

And it came to pass that the seventy and first year passed away, and also the seventy and second year, yea, and in fine, until the seventy and ninth year had passed away. Yea, even an hundred years had passed away, and the disciples of Jesus whom he had chosen had all gone to the paradise of God — save it were the three who should tarry. And there were other disciples ordained in their stead, and also many of that generation which had passed away. And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people; and there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness. And surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. There were no robbers, nor no murderers, neither were there Lamanites nor no manner of -ites, but they were in one the children of Christ and heirs to the kingdom of God. And how blessed were they, for the Lord did bless them in all their doings, yea, even they were blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had passed away. And the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land. (4 Nephi 1:14 - 18, NC 4 Nephi 1 par. 3)

From this account in 4 Nephi we read that they all individually had the love of God dwelling in their hearts.

Is it possible that this "love of God" dwelling in their hearts is the very same charity Mormon was describing? 

What kind of society exists among a group of individuals who for three complete generations had their garments made white because of their faith in Jesus Christ; who had the love of God dwelling in their hearts?

There have only been two societies in recorded history that became Zion. Because of the age of the world at the time, both were taken into heaven. We have very little to help us understand why these two succeeded. Apart from describing them as of “one heart, one mind, and no poor among them” we know little else. But perhaps that is one of the most important things we can know about them. Maybe the point is that nothing and no-one stood out as remarkable or different within the community. There were no heroes and no villains, no rich and poor, no Shakespearian plot lines of betrayal, intrigue, ambition, conflict and envy. There was no adultery, theft, robbery, murder, immorality and drunkenness. In other words, nothing to entertain us, because all our stories, movies, music, novels, television plots and social media are based upon and captivated by everything that is missing from these societies. 

The centuries-long period of peace described in the Book of Mormon occupies only a few short pages in 4 Nephi. Their society was marked by the presence of peace, the absence of conflict, and abiding stability. This is what they attained: “[T]here were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another. And they had all things common among them; therefore, there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free and partakers of the Heavenly gift.” Because there was no future ministry for them to perform, their Zion society was not taken to heaven. Because the world was not yet ready for the Lord to return in judgment, neither Enoch nor Melchizedek returned with their people to fall on their necks and kiss them.  These people were most remarkable for what they lacked. How they grew to lack these divisions, contentions and disputes is described in very few, simple words: “[T]hey did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft, both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord. And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people in all the land.” 

What were the names of the leaders? We don’t know because apparently there were none. Who were their great teachers? Again, we don’t know because they were not identified. Who governed: apparently no one. They had things in common, obeyed God’s commandments, and spent time praying and hearing the word of the Lord. They were so very unlike us. To make the point clear for us, the record of these people explains, “there was no contention in the land because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people; and there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness.” All the negatives were missing because the love of God dwelt in their hearts. Something else describes them, “And surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.” Consider those words carefully. You cannot be happier than by allowing the love of God to dwell in you. The happiest people who have ever lived did so by the profound peace they displayed, equality they shared, fairness they showed one another, and love of God in their hearts. This is a description of our social opposites. Reviewing the Answer to the Prayer for Covenant, the Covenant and the recent parable of the Master’s House shows that the Lord is pleading for us to become this. It is not easy. It will require civilizing the uncivilized. However, it is necessary to become the wise virgins and the invited guests wearing the wedding garment. ("Civilization", Denver Snuffer, 2018, pgs. 22 - 23)

As we look at what Nephi is pointing out to us here in his vision with the added benefit of having the actual record of the people involved could we learn something important for today?

What righteousness is required in order to establish a society of peace?

Do we have anything, any group of people, now in existence at this present time who have the love of God dwelling in their hearts or in other words have had the Father bestow this charity upon them because they are true followers of His Son?

How would an individual initiate for themselves the process of becoming a true follower of Jesus Christ in order to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost to purify them in order to be able to dwell with such a group as Nephi saw?

Where could an individual go to partake of the Doctrine of Christ to initiate this process?

I know where anyone can go to partake of the Doctrine of Christ.

They can visit bornofwater.org and request baptism from someone who has been given authority from Jesus Christ to perform the ordinance.

The only requirement is for an individual to believe the Doctrine of Christ as Christ declared it to the Nephites when He came following His resurrection.

The ordinance is performed to allow an individual to connect to Christ.  There is no organization to join.

At this moment in history I believe that understanding and doing what these three generations of people did is the only path to peace for any group of people small or large in the world.

It is precisely because they became true followers of Jesus Christ and had this charity "the love of God" that dwelt in their hearts that they were able to live together in peace without envy and strife, without tumults and whoredoms, without lying and murders or any manner of lasciviousness.

The actions of the "love of God" or charity are opposite to those listed above.  

The actions of those who possess charity, because they are pure like Christ is pure having their garments made white with His blood, bring about a society where all are made free and made partakers of the Heavenly gift.

The Multitudes Who Had Not Fallen

 1 Nephi 12:1 - 6, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 15

And it came to pass that the angel said unto me, Look and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea. And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle one against the other. And I beheld wars and rumors of wars and great slaughters with the sword among my people. And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away after the manner of wars and contentions in the land. And I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them. And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise. And I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises. And I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent, and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces, and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up. And I saw many cities, that they were sunk, and I saw many that they were burnt with fire, and I saw many that did tumble to the earth because of the quaking thereof. And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth. And behold, I saw the multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord. And I saw the Heavens open and the Lamb of God descending out of Heaven, and he came down and he shewed himself unto them.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim 1 Nefi 3 par. 15

And it came to pass that the angel said unto me, Look and behold your seed, and also the seed of your brothers. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yes, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea. And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle one against the other. And I beheld wars and rumors of wars and great slaughters with the sword among my people. And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away after the manner of wars and contentions in the land. And I beheld many cities, yes, even that I did not number them. And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise. And I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises. And I saw the earth and the rocks, that they split, and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces, and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up. And I saw many cities, that they were sunk, and I saw many that they were burnt with fire, and I saw many that did tumble to the earth because of the quaking thereof. And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth. And behold, I saw the multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of yhwh. And I saw the Heavens open and the Lamb of Elohim descending out of Heaven, and he came down and he showed himself unto them.

I know that this is backtracking to the previous paragraph in the Book of Mormon but I would like to look at the statement made by Nephi about the multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.

Continuing with the idea that the Lord did not command Nephi to write anything that could not bring greater understanding of His ways, what could be learned of the ways of God from Nephi seeing multitudes who were not swept off during the great period of destruction at the time of the death of the Lord?

If we go to the account we read the Lord's words to these people Nephi sees here.

And it came to pass that there was a voice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth upon all the face of this land, crying, Woe, woe, woe unto this people. Woe unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent, for the Devil laugheth and his angels rejoice because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen. Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof. And behold, that great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk in the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof to be drowned. And behold, that great city Moronihah have I covered with earth, and the inhabitants thereof, to hide their iniquities and their abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come up anymore unto me against them. And behold, the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk, and the inhabitants thereof, to be buried up in the depths of the earth; yea, and the city Onihah and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Mocum and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Jerusalem and the inhabitants thereof. And waters have I caused to come up in the stead thereof, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come up anymore unto me against them. And behold, the city of Gadiandi, and the city of Gadiomnah, and the city of Jacob, and the city Gimgimno — all these have I caused to be sunk, and made hills and valleys in the places thereof; and the inhabitants thereof have I buried up in the depths of the earth, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up anymore unto me against them. And behold, that great city Jacob-ugath, which was inhabited by the people of king Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire because of their sins and their wickedness, which was above all the wickedness of the whole earth because of their secret murders and combinations, for it was they that did destroy the peace of my people and the government of the land. Therefore, I did cause them to be burned to destroy them from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up unto me anymore against them. And behold, the city of Laman, and the city of Josh, and the city of Gad, and the city of Kishcumen have I caused to be burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof, because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets and stoning them whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations. And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from the ground against them. And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land and upon this people because of their wickedness and their abominations.  O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me, ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father and the Father in me, and in me hath the Father glorified his name. I came unto my own and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled. And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name. For behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled. I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood, yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings; and ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the holy ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the holy ghost and they knew it not. Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin. Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life and have taken it up again; therefore, repent and come unto me ye ends of the earth and be saved. (3 Nephi 9, NC 3 Nephi 4 pars. 6 - 7)

One thing that jumps out at me concerning the Lord's words to the people left on the land is that those cities He burned and buried and sunk into the sea were destroyed so that the blood of the prophets and the saints would not come up to Him against them any more.

Was that another way that the Lord declared this? "...because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets and stoning them whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations. And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from the ground against them."

Is it when a people cast out all of the prophets and stone those who are sent to declare unto them their wickedness that the blood of the prophets and the righteous saints cries from the earth unto the Lord against that people? 

The Glossary of Terms in the Teachings and Commandments states the following concerning the phrase the Lord uses of blood crying from the ground.

Blood “crying from the ground” is not the same thing as a person crying out for vengeance. Keep the context in mind. It is the blood that was shed upon the earth which cries out for vengeance, fairness, or retribution. Something unfair has occurred, and the cry of the blood “upon the ground” is a reminder of the injustice of it all. The ground is a reference to the earth, which has a spirit, intelligence, and is able to communicate (if a person were capable of listening). The earth is a female spirit, and she regards herself as “the mother of men.” This earth is offended when the men who are upon her kill one another or engage in any form of wickedness upon her surface. As she beheld the disorder and murder caused by that generation upon whom the flood was unleashed, she lamented: Woe, woe is me, the mother of men. I am pained; I am weary because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? (Genesis 4:20). Even if the person whose blood was shed departed this earth forgiving those who made offense against him, yet would “the ground” cry out for vengeance because the earth has become filthy by reason of the killing that took place upon her. She, as the “mother of men,” regards the killing of men upon her as an abomination. She cries out. She is offended. She wants righteousness to appear on her, as has happened before. She longs that it be brought about again. When, instead of Zion, she has the murder of men upon her face, it is so great a lamentation by her spirit that “the ground cries out for vengeance” because of the atrocity. (Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, Blood Crying for Vengeance)

The Lord declared that there were none righteous among the people of the cities that were destroyed.

Do we have other examples of this type of event?

What about Sodom and Gomorrah?

When Abraham was pleading with the Lord for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah how many righteous people were required by the Lord to reside in the cities in order for the Lord to spare the entire populace of the area?

Once the angels had removed Lot and his family could it be said of the people of the area that there were no righteous among them?

What about the city of Amonihah among the Nephites?

Was their destruction caused for the same reason as the destruction of the listed Nephite cities following the death of the Lord?

Had the people of Amonihah cast out all of the prophets and the righteous from among them before they were destroyed?

Was there blood crying from the ground for vengeance upon the inhabitants of Amonihah?

And it came to pass that there came a voice again unto the people, and all the people did hear and did witness of it, saying, O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, O ye people of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you! And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel who have fallen! Yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem as ye that have fallen, yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not! O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart! But if not, O house of Israel, the places of your dwellings shall become desolate until the time of the fulfilling of the covenant to your fathers.  And now it came to pass that after the people had heard these words, behold, they began to weep and howl again because of the loss of their kindred and friends. And it came to pass that thus did the three days pass away. And it was in the morning and the darkness dispersed from off the face of the land, and the earth did cease to tremble, and the rocks did cease to rend, and the dreadful groanings did cease, and all the tumultuous noises did pass away, and the earth did cleave together again that it stood, and the mourning and the weeping and the wailing of the people who were spared alive did cease. And their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and the thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. And thus far were the scriptures fulfilled which had been spoken by the prophets. And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not, and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared. And they were spared, and were not sunk and buried up in the earth, and they were not drowned in the depths of the sea, and they were not burned by fire, neither were they fallen upon and crushed to death; and they were not carried away in the whirlwind, neither were they overpowered by the vapor of smoke and of darkness. (3 Nephi 10:3 - 13, NC 3 Nephi 4 pars. 9 - 10 )

Here we see in the Book of Mormon the delineating factor for those who survived the judgments. 

"And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not, and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared. And they were spared, and were not sunk and buried up in the earth, and they were not drowned in the depths of the sea, and they were not burned by fire, neither were they fallen upon and crushed to death; and they were not carried away in the whirlwind, neither were they overpowered by the vapor of smoke and of darkness."

What things qualified these people to be labeled by the Lord as the more righteous part of the people?

They received the prophets and didn't stone them.

They did not shed the blood of the saints.

It doesn't say that they were exceptional folks.

Didn't the Lord in fact call these survivors to repentance?

O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

If the Book of Mormon was written for us then what am I to learn from this?

Is this event, the destruction of the wicked here in the Americas at the time of the death of the Lord, an example of what Moroni declared as he was abridging the account of the Jaredites?

And now we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands. Wherefore, he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off, for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land that they are swept off. And this cometh unto you, O ye gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God, that ye may repent and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness be come, that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land hath hitherto done. Behold, this is a choice land; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under Heaven if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who has been manifested by the things which we have written. (Ether 2:9 - 12, NC Ether 1 par. 7)

If the above commentary of Moroni is related and the destruction that occurred was a result of the people here being ripened in iniquity then are shedding the blood of the saints and casting out the prophets God has sent and stoning them signs that a people are ripe for destruction?

Who are saints?

Could saints be considered to be those who are innocent before God?

Would killing the innocent fit with the meaning of injustice being committed on the earth and the earth mourning because of the injustice?

Is it possible in our present nation that blood cries out from the earth for vengeance because of the exceeding multitude of murders and atrocities committed against the unborn and innocent in this nation?

If I support policies and/or laws that uphold the shedding of the blood of the innocent unborn or I support rulers who advance policies and/or laws that promote the shedding of the blood of the innocent unborn am I complicit in the shedding of the blood of the saints? 

Would I be considered one of the more righteous if I am complicit in the shedding of the blood of the innocent unborn?

Who are the prophets?

Didn't the Lord mention multiple prophets sent to the various cities to declare repentance unto them?

Do we have the names of all of those prophets?

I don't believe so.

Were the prophets who were sent to warn the various cities to repent independent from an institution?

What about Samuel the Lamanite; was he independently sent by the Lord, as a prophet, to declare repentance?

How about Abinadi?

Is there a pattern here?

How would I know who would be a true prophet sent from God to declare repentance?

Would the message of repentance from a true prophet of God cause warm fuzzy feelings inside of me or would the message cause me to squirm and be uncomfortable?

Is repentance a comfortable thing?

Does a message of repentance cause positive or negative emotions?

Can I declare that a message does not come from God because it is a negative message or because it causes negative emotions inside of me?

In my opinion, there are a lot of questions that ought to be considered with respect to what the Lord has declared concerning His judgments upon a nation or a people.

I believe that I ought to seriously consider the many questions arising from the Lord's declarations of His judgments if I am to personally avoid being a part of shedding the blood of the innocent and casting out and stoning the prophets.

If I desire in any instance to at very least belong to a group of people that the Lord would declare are a more righteous part and worthy of being spared even though they must repent wouldn't I be wise to consider these matters?

What about secret combinations?

Is the thriving of these abominable combinations in a nation also a sign of a people who are ripe for destruction?

Don't the scriptures tell us that these combinations commit secret acts of murder and seek to destroy the righteous and to kill the innocent?

If I support any laws, policy, etc. that upholds secret combinations or that gives them more power over the people am I complicit in the atrocities that they commit?

I believe that these are very important questions to ask myself.

Continuing on with the consideration of this event I would ask, how was the Lord able to sweep the wicked off of the land without killing the more righteous part of the people with His tremendous judgment?

I would invite you to read the following.

I agree with this statement.

I was asked about all the destruction associated with the end time and how do I cope with that. Look, I saw the sequence of events that will take place. After I was shown that, I went to the Doctrine and Covenants and it was really remarkable because the sequence of events appear, in what I saw, in exactly the same order as they are listed in the Doctrine and Covenants. And it struck me that Joseph may have seen exactly the same thing, because it happened in the same sequence. The destruction may seem random, but from what I saw it was extraordinarily targeted, extraordinarily aimed to accomplish the destruction of the wicked and the preservation of the righteous. In 3rd Nephi the account of the destruction there confirms it was the more wicked who were destroyed. On June 6th of 1944, the invasion of D-Day was launched. Two men who were significantly older than the average G.I. that hit the beaches of Normandy on that day where my father, who landed on Omaha Beach, and Hugh Nibley, who landed on Utah Beach. Utah Beach was a cakewalk compared to what happened on Omaha. My father’s job was as a combat engineer to blow up the tank traps so that the expected tanks could clear the beach and assist in over taking the pill boxes. There wasn’t a single tank that made it to Omaha Beach that day, because the weather was so rough that the tanks sank and they didn’t make it ashore. The tank traps were literally the only thing that blocked the incoming fire. Therefore to blow up the tank traps would  have been to blow up the cover and kill your fellow GIs. The soldiers were grateful for the tank traps they hid behind them. My father instead used the Bangalore mines to blow up some obstructions so they could get up the hills, and neutralize those who were killing them. My father didn’t suffer any injury on Omaha Beach. Everyone in his company was a casualty, but he on June 7th of 1844 formed up with a new company and went on to fight through France. Ultimately he fought in the Battle of the Bulge as well. On Utah Beach, Hugh Nibley, who was a well-educated man at the time and was an intelligence officer, didn’t have to come in with a gun. He came in riding on a Jeep with a bunch of books. His purpose was to interrogate captured enemy as an intelligence officer. And as he came onto the beach in a jeep, a round fell on the beach in front of him, blew a hole in the beach and his Jeep went down and up and bounced through the crater. Reflecting on that moment he recalled that the one thing that came through his mind at the time was, “the Book of Mormon is true.” In the midst of all this violence, you can see how wars and the way that men treat one another, really does result in selective destruction, even though there is chaos. Later on in the war, he noted that one of the villages he had visited as a missionary which had been very hard-hearted and very unwilling to receive anything, who treated missionaries poorly, was a place where there was a lot of destruction. He reflected upon how the more wicked element were killed, just like the Book of Mormon. The coming destruction is no different. You want to be protected? It’s in the cavern of the rock, which is Christ. Literally, a hand grenade can land in the middle of the crowd and if the Lord has a righteous man among them, he can save that person if He chooses. The things that I have seen suggest that it’s not destruction we should fear, nor violence, it is our own unworthiness. Our greatest fear should be our sins. (Denver Snuffer, Boise Q&A transcript, Boise General Conference, September 2016) 

I do not presently believe that If I become righteous or that if I am found in the camp of the more righteous that I would necessarily pass through the coming destructions having my life spared or be unharmed.

The prophet Joseph taught the following concerning the judgments to come.

I explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also that it is a false idea that the Saints
will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and “the
righteous shall hardly escape;” still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith;
yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness
of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed principle to say
that such and such have transgressed because they have been preyed upon by disease or death, for
all flesh is subject to death; and the Savior has said, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” (September 29, 1839.) DHC 4:11. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pgs. 162 - 163)

Remember what Alma declared to Amulek in Amonihah as the righteous wives and children were being burned alive in front of them?

And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire. And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he was also pained, and he said unto Alma, How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore, let us stretch forth our hands and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. But Alma said unto him, The spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand. For behold, the Lord receiveth them up unto himself in glory. And he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just. And the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day. Now Amulek said unto Alma, Behold, perhaps they will burn us also. And Alma said, Be it according to the will of the Lord. But behold, our work is not finished; therefore, they burn us not. (Alma 14:9 - 13, NC Alma 10 par. 7)

Is it possible that those who were allowed to perished in Amonihah were in the same condition as those Lamanites who were slain when they allowed their enemies to come upon them and they resisted not?

And it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they are saved. And there was not a wicked man slain among them, but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people. (Alma 24:26 - 30, NC Alma 14 par. 12)

Are these examples in the Book of Mormon proof of what the Prophet Joseph declared that, " many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God."?

If I can live so that I find myself in the camp of the more righteous or I would hope the camp of the righteous would it matter if physically I am called home during the winding up scenes here?

If I were to find myself in the same position as the Lamanites who prostrated themselves before their enemies would I have anything to fear with death?

Would I be able to find myself in the same position as the three Hebrew youths and be able to declare as they did to Nebuchadnezzar, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up." (Daniel 3:13 - 18, OC Daniel 3 par. 3)?

My present understanding of how God works with respect to destruction and wickedness and righteousness is in alignment with this following statement.

This is the reason why, before the Flood, it was necessary to remove Zion. God cannot destroy the righteous. The wicked can destroy the wicked, and the wicked can destroy the righteous. But when Zion is here, the wicked cannot destroy Zion because it is God’s government. And because the wicked cannot destroy Zion, and God will not do so, Zion necessarily was taken up into heaven. The same thing happened with Melchizedek's city. ("Zion Will Come", Denver Snuffer 4-10-16 Moab, Utah, pg. 12)

What Nephi shares here in his vision concerning the multitudes who had not fallen, in my opinion, is very important for me to consider because I believe that the judgments of God are falling and will continue to fall upon this nation and upon all nations.

I also believe that God is working a work to gather all who will be gathered under their wing.

There is a new covenant God has established again and invited all to come and take part that they may abide the day of the Lord's coming in judgment upon the earth and not be swept off of this nation beforehand.

The following is a prophecy given during the first offering of this new covenant September 3 2017.

Those who have entered faithfully into the covenant this day are going to notice somethings. The spirit of God is withdrawing from the world. Men are increasingly more angry without good cause. The hearts of men are waxing cold. There is increasing anger and resentment of gentiles. In political terms, it’s rejection of white privilege. Language of scriptures gives a description of the events now underway and calls it the end of the times of the gentiles. This process with the spirit withdrawing, will end on this continent, as it did with two prior civilization in fratricidal and genocidal warfare. For the rest of the world, it will be as in the days of Noah in which, as that light becomes eclipsed, the coldness of men’s hearts is going to result in a constant scene of violence and bloodshed. The wicked will destroy the wicked. The covenant, if it is kept, will prevent you from losing light and warmth of heart as the spirit now steadily recedes from the world. The time will come when you will be astonished at the gulf between the light and truth you will comprehend and the darkness of mind of the world. Be charitable and patient and labor to reach others. They will judge you harshly, but nevertheless be kind to them. They are going to grow to fear you, but that’s only part of how darkness responds to light. Give them no reason to fear you. The time will come for us to gather, but between now and then, be leaven. Preserve the world. Be salt. Preserve the world, even if it hates you. (ClosingRemarks Covenant of Christ Conference, Egyptian Theater, Boise, Idaho, September 3, 2017, Denver Snuffer, Jr., pg 1)

I see this prophecy moving towards fulfillment.

It saddens me greatly but I know that the word of God must be fulfilled.

I hope for myself to become one of the righteous who faithfully keep this covenant I have entered into.  

I hope to be a leaven for the world around me and to be kind to all who are in my sphere of influence. 

Then I can trust in the promises of God that I will either be preserved or I will die with the sure knowledge that I am clean, through Christ, before God.