Dominions

1 Nephi 14:11 - 14, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 28

And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters, and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters. Nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together in multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth. And they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim 1 Nefi 3 par. 28

And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters, and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. And it came to pass that I beheld the assembly of the Lamb of Elohim, and its numbers were few because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters. Nevertheless, I beheld that the assembly of the Lamb, who were the k’doshim of Elohim, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together in multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Goyim, to fight against the Lamb of Elohim. And it came to pass that I, Nefi, beheld the power of the Lamb of Elohim, that it descended upon the k’doshim of the assembly of the Lamb and upon the covenant people of yhwh, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth. And they were armed with righteousness and with the power of Elohim in great glory.

In the previous post we touched on what appears, as I presently understand, in the scriptures to be a sparsity of people who will qualify as members of the church of the Lamb of God to be gathered in at the last.

This present understanding comes from what the prophet Jeremiah stated in his prophecy.

Turn, O backsliding children, says the Lord, for I am married unto you. And I will take you one of a city and two of a family and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when you have multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord — neither shall it come to mind, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visit it, neither shall that be done anymore. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk anymore after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days, the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. (Jeremiah 3:14 - 18, OC Jeremiah 2 par. 3) 

Does the phrase "one of a city and two of a family" denote a great multitude of people?

Does this match with what Nephi declared, "I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small"?

If there are scattered people, maybe not even small groups of people but just in many cases individual people (one of a city and two of a family), who live all over the earth who have heard the voice of Christ in the message He has sent and they comply with the requirements to become a member of the church of the Lamb of God, would that match with Nephi's and Jeremiah's statements above?

Does the Lord need a large number of people to vindicate His promises to the ancient Fathers and the human family as a whole?

When the flood occurred upon the earth, how many individuals were spared?

For it is better, if the will of God should be so, that you suffer for well-doing than for evil doing, for Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit, that he might bring us to God — for which cause also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, some of whom were disobedient in the days of Noah while the long-suffering of God waited, while the ark was preparing, wherein few (that is, eight souls) were saved by water — the like figure at which even baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. (1 Peter 3:17 - 22, NC 1 Peter 1 par. 4)

Wasn't the Lord able to carry on with His covenants to the entire human family for the entire history of the earth through just eight souls who were saved on the ark at the time of Noah?

Shouldn't that give us pause as we consider what number of people the Lord would need to vindicate His promises to the ancient Fathers from the beginning?

Are there so few people who respond to the Lord because His work is competitive or is it because what He has is for all but few determine to cooperate with Him?

Does the Lord need a great host to perform any work He undertakes to do?

How many souls did the Lord cause to go with Gideon when the Lord caused a slaughter of the hosts of Midian?

Don't the scriptures describe the hosts of Midian like unto grasshoppers for numbers and yet the Lord had only 300 souls go with Gideon to confront them?

There’s this description that’s given in 1 Nephi 14, beginning at verse 12:

And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. (See also 1 Nephi 3:28 RE)

I mean, we’re not going to get 15 million people. But it’s not necessary that we get 15 million people; it’s only necessary that the invitation be extended. If the invitation is extended and if the hearts of people respond, there is a resilience, there is a power; there is something inside of them that cannot be broken. And we’re not looking for anything other than the few.

The scriptures do not foretell any great numbers will repent. Christ said: I will take you one of a city and two of a family and I will bring you to Zion (Jeremiah 3:14; see also Jeremiah 2:3 RE)—too few, perhaps, to impress the world, but the Lord does not view things as do men. The Lord describes those who respond to His invitation as His elect. He explained: [Mine] elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts (D&C 29:7; see also T&C 9:3).

Nephi foresaw how few believers there would be in the last days.

He beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. (1 Nephi 14:12; see also 1 Nephi 3:28 RE)

The Lord requires us to invite the world to repent but not to expect large numbers to do so. Numbers matter to man, but the hearts of men matter to the Lord. It is the quality of conversion, not the quantity. He always spoke of having few sheep. Of the likely billions living at the time of Enoch, only some few thousand were saved—and only eight by Noah. The end times will be like those days. ("Nephi, part 2", Denver Snuffer Podcast, Podcast #59, March 03, 2019)

Why would such a small number of individuals respond to the Lord's invitation to become part of the church of the Lamb of God?

Is His invitation, His message, hard to hear, or to say it in other words, is it uncomfortable?

Has the Lord's message always been uncomfortable to hear?

What did Laman and Lemuel say concerning the Lord's message through Nephi to them?

And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold, they said unto me, Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than which we are able to bear. And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked according to the truth, and the righteous have I justified and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day. Wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center. And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth and say, Thou speakest hard things against us. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord. And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord, insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness. Now all these things were said and done as my father dwelt in a tent in the valley which he called Lemuel. (1 Nephi 16:1 - 6, NC 1 Nephi 5 par. 1)

What about the Lord's message or invitation through Himself at the time of His mortal ministry?

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you? What, and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickens, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. (For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him.) And he said, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except he does the will of my Father who has sent me.  From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God. (John 6:60 - 69, NC John 5 pars. 18 - 19)

Was the message of the Lord through Samuel the Lamanite uncomfortable to hear?

Was the message of the Lord through Lehi uncomfortable to hear?

Was the message of the Lord through Abinadi uncomfortable to hear?

How many people of all of King Noah's court recognized and responded to the Lord's invitation to them through Abinadi?

Even with just one individual responding to the message He sent through Abinadi was the Lord able to fulfill His purposes?

Is there a pattern here?

Does this conform with what the Lord has revealed for His work to be done?

... for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work. ...For behold, I am God, and I am a God of miracles, and I will shew unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and for ever, and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith. (2 Nephi 27:15 - 23, NC 2 Nephi 11 par. 20)

Can and has the Lord done His own work among the children of men throughout time with a very limited number of individuals?

If this is the pattern throughout history then should I be very careful to make sure to consider and look into messages that are purported to be from the Lord, even if they are uncomfortable or, in other words, hard to hear?

If I confine myself to what I feel comfortable with, is it possible that I might find myself outside of the church of the Lamb of God?

Does this point of view conform with what is recorded in scripture?

What does Nephi say concerning the "dominions" of the whore of all the earth?

I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters, and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

What is the definition of "many waters"?

And he says unto me, The waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire; for God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:15 - 18, NC Revelation 6 par. 13)

John the revelator saw the same thing Nephi did and he gave us the definition of the many waters that the whore they both saw sits upon.

According to Nephi and John this whore has dominion over peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues that are upon the whole earth.  This whore exists among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

How extensive is that?

I have already expressed in my last post that my present understanding of who comes to be a part of the church of the Lamb of God, which Nephi is speaking of here, has been modified by time and experience and reflection.

I now consider that there is no earthly organization, institution, religion, etc. that fits as the church of the Lamb of God.

That having been said, how then should I view every earthly organization, institution, religion, etc. which wields influence among the nations, kindreds, tongues, and people of the earth?

What about the term "whore"?

Why does Nephi use such a negative and ugly term to describe those things that have dominion over the whole earth in one way or another?

Please consider the following.

The other and all-inclusive great church is comprised of all philosophies, all belief systems, all unbelief systems, all rationalizations, all theories and vanities that distract people from repenting and following Christ. These vary from very good things that are uplifting, and possess even great portions of truth, to the degrading and perverse. This all-inclusive church is a “whore” because she is completely indiscriminate and open for all to have her acceptance and affection. She welcomes you. The only requirement being that you have false beliefs.
She will make you rich, or she will make you covet riches. If she gives them to you it is to corrupt you. If she withholds them from you, it is so you will lust and envy what you do not have.
Look at her list of trade goods, given in the description of her fall by John the Revelator:
“And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.” (Rev. 18: 11-13.)
The final two on the list are the reason for the other items. The earlier ones lead inevitably to slavery and loss of the souls of men. The devil, who founded her, is not interested in anything other than slavery and the loss of your soul.
The great illusion of a whore is to imagine she likes you. To imagine she cares for you. To imagine she desires what you desire and is cooperating with you because she finds you attractive, appealing, and that you fulfill her longing. It is a lie, an illusion and a fraud. Her bodily diseases are less virulent than her contamination of the soul. Empty, false, vain and foolish thoughts occupy the imagination of those who have intercourse with the great whore. She prefers the lie, relies on it. You would not be her customer if not for the lies.
What an amazing congruence of sexual images and religious failing have been given to us by Nephi and John the Revelator. How apt! How perfect! Imagining something that is degrading and debilitating to be sacred. It is a work of a god or a devil. And of course it is for us to decide between them.
The whore does have her allures, doesn’t she? How many of us are in her embrace, speaking of love and Jesus and the joy of the Saints, while remaining wretched, poor, foolish and lost? She offers you vanity as a religion. “Vanity” because it is vain, or without any effect to save, i.e., without power. Only a form of godliness, nothing real. ("1 Nephi 14:10", Denversnuffer.com, July 8, 2010)

I agree with the above.

What Nephi is talking about here is critical at this point in history.

If I as an individual desire to escape the allure of the "whore" don't I have to cry out to God as a solitary individual and hear the Lord's voice, His invitation, which, if the scriptural accounts are correct, will be uncomfortable to me which will break my heart and cause me to awake to a sense of my awful state?

My present understanding is that God who loves us infinitely does not reassure us that all is well in Zion, yeah Zion prospereth, all is well.

God understands the depth of our darkness and for this reason my present understanding is that any message They send will call us to repentance or in other word invite us to turn and face Them; which is uncomfortable in the world we live in.

Why at this point does Nephi use the term "dominions" to describe influence of both the "whore" and the "church of the Lamb of God"?

How does the world at large understand the word dominion?

What comes to mind?

Do the terms control, compulsion, authority, rule, etc. come to mind as one thinks of the word "dominion"?

Do we see these actions of control, compulsion, authority, rule, etc. in action among all of the nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples, of the earth today with the resultant misery and slavery and conflict of the multitudes of the human family?

Is that not abundantly apparent?

Does the Lord have a different definition for the word "dominion"?

Likewise, the word “dominion” in the understanding of the gentile can convey the impression of a prison warden exercising control over captives. I think the word “dominion” should be understood instead to convey the idea of a gardener who is responsible for making the garden thrive, grow and bear fruit. To be clear, the three greatest examples of wielding “dominion” in the correct manner as we should understand it are, first: Christ, who is probably without any peer, unquestionably the greatest example of one holding the greatest dominion, and who also likewise showed the greatest example of how to wield dominion. He beseeched people to believe. He pled with them for their own good. He knelt to serve them. He denied that He had a kingdom of this world. (John 18:36) He tried to prepare people for a better one. But He was more intelligent than they all and He was the greatest of them all. (Abr. 3:19) Unquestionably holding the greatest dominion and He wore it as a light thing. His yoke was easy. (Matt. 11:30) In this world, Adam, after Christ held the greatest dominion. (Gen. 1:26-28) But Adam taught and pled and instructed (Moses 5:12) but did not abridge the agency of his children, even when one of his sons killed another of his sons. Adam did not execute Cain. Cain was sent away. Adam held dominion, but he exercised it like our Lord, pleading for the best interest of others. Adam invited and solicited all to obey God, hoping for their best interests. The third great example of holding dominion in a godly way was Moses. He is called in scripture “meek above all men which were upon the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3) and yet gentiles depict him as a bully and a strongman. Moses saw no reason to be jealous when others were out prophesying. “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them.” (Num. 11:26-29) Moses, like Adam and Christ, is an example of how the word “dominion” should be understood. All three were gardeners responsible for trying to make their garden thrive, grow and bear fruit. In reality, those who have held the greatest dominion given by God have invariably lived lives of meekness and service. They were the opposite of what gentiles regard as a strongman. They were the opposite of a dictator or boss. They were more like loving grandfathers, gentle gardeners, and encouraging friends—trying to get the best from those who would allow them to teach. ("Things to Keep Us Awake at Night," Denver Snuffer, St George, March 19, 2017, pg. 19) 

In this world, how appealing is it to try and exercise "dominion" with persuasion, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, kindness, and pure knowledge?

Does this give new meaning to the Lord telling Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world?

How popular among the rulers, presidents, leaders, etc. of any and all earthly institutions is the notion of living lives of meekness and service like King Benjamin, who worked with his own hands for his support and did not rely on the people to support his lifestyle?

Is it any wonder Nephi sees that the "dominions" of the church of the Lamb of God are few?

Do we hear a cacophony of voices in all of the groups, institutions, religions, etc. of the earth that promise safety, salvation, security, etc. in exchange for our upholding them with our time and money and the sacrifice of our ability to choose?

Aren't their voices alluring?

The illusion and fraud they perpetrate is to make you imagine that they like you, that they care for you and desire to work in cooperation with you because they find you desirable and attractive.

It is all a lie.

There is a vision that Enoch had, Moses restored, and is now part of the Old Covenants in Genesis. In the LDS scriptures it is in the Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses. In that vision Satan had the whole world bound in a great chain, and he looked up at heaven and laughed. It is in OC Gen. 4:15: “And he beheld Satan, and he had a great chain in his hand, and he veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.”

That great chain is not physical, but mental. The chain used by our common enemy is made of lies and deceit.

People are not depressed irrationally. They are responding in a normal way to an abnormal perception made of lies. They despair because they think there is reason to be despairing. But that is because they accept what the “world” is telling them about our present condition. Part of waking up is realizing that most of what is said, taught, claimed and broadcast in society is filled with lies about mankind’s condition, the state of society, and lies designed to inspire envy, jealousy and discouragement. ("Email:Depression," Denversnuffer.com, February 03, 2020)

How different is the "dominion" exercised among the diminutive group of the church of the Lamb of God from the "dominion" exercised by the whore of all the earth?

Wouldn't it be so much more joyful and liberating to hear and heed the uncomfortable invitation of the Lord and awake and come out from among the nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples who are dominated by the whore who reigns with blood and horror on this earth?

Nephi is recording this, not because he is a crank, but because he has charity for us and he has seen our sorrowful benighted condition and he is trying desperately to alert us to our pitiful condition.

I again testify that the church of the Lamb of God does exist now through the grace and mercy of God and our Lord Jesus Christ.  

I invite all men to comply with the conditions to become a member of the church of the Lamb of God who's dominions are small but who will, if faithful, come to a perfect day and who will receive what is necessary to cooperate with Christ as He brings again Zion before His coming in glory to the world at the last day.