The Work of the Father Commences

 1 Nephi 14:15 - 17, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 29

And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots, and behold, thou seest all these things. And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots — which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose foundation is the Devil — then at that day the work of the Father shall commence in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim, 1 Nefi 3 par. 29

And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of Elohim was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spoke unto me, saying, Behold, the wrath of Elohim is upon the mother of harlots, and behold, you see all these things. And when the day comes that the wrath of Elohim is poured out upon the mother of harlots — which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose foundation is HaSatan — then at that day the work of the Father shall commence in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants which he has made to his people who are of the house of Isra’el.

From what I presently understand, I believe that Nephi is giving us a sign at this point in the record of his vision.

Now we get some indication of timing. A great deal has been described, but the timing of the events has been left out until now.
The “day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots” – that is, when the great and abominable church is caught up in worldwide violence, every nation at war with its neighbor or within itself. It is when those events are underway “the work of the Father shall commence” to fulfill all the prior commitments and covenants.
First, the great whore will reel and stagger as a drunkard, drunk with her own blood.("1 Nephi 14:17", Denversnuffer.com, July 12, 2010)

As pointed out above, isn't Nephi saying, in so many words, that when we see "x"  occurring among all nations that that is a sign that "y" is beginning?

Is it possible for any individual then to be able to look at certain events happening in the world and to be able to apply the words of Nephi so as to know that somewhere in the world, amidst the descent of the world into chaos and horror and bloodshed, they will be able to find the Father performing a work?

Is it possible that an individual who comes to such a realization, regardless of where they find themselves can experience that Christ's hand is stretched out still as Isaiah spoke?

What is this work of the Father?

Up to this point we have been speaking of the labor that Christ is performing in the vineyard with some few servants but now Nephi is distinguishing that when the sign of the wrath of God upon the nations is given that signals the work of the Father begins.

Is this work of the Father something that we ought to consider?

If we believe that God gave every word of the Book of Mormon to the Prophet Joseph to write down to bring us to a greater understanding, which our small study group believes, then shouldn't we be able to find a little more information in the scriptures concerning the work that is attributed to the Father?

Do we have further guidance for us in these words from Christ to the Nephites? 

But if they will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance. And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city which shall be called the New Jerusalem. And then shall they assist my people, that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. And then shall the Powers of Heaven come down among them, and I also will be in the midst. And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and then shall the work commence with the Father among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. And they shall go out from all nations, and they shall not go out in haste nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward. (3 Nephi 21:22 - 29, NC 3 Nephi 10 par. 1)

In the above statement by the Lord to the Nephites the Lord is speaking concerning the gentiles if they repent.

The Lord declares that these above events among repentant gentiles will occur before the work of the Father commences.

Is it reasonable to put what the Lord declared into chronological order here?

If we do so is this the order?

1) Repentant gentiles harken unto the Lord's words and harden not their hearts against those words.

2) The Lord establishes His "church" among those repentant gentiles. (Remember the Lord's definition of His "church".  It is not an institution.)

3) The repentant gentiles come into the Lord's covenant and are then numbered among the remnant of Jacob. (Their status as gentiles is changed to belonging now to the family of Jacob in the Lord's eyes)

4) The Lord's people, assisted by gentiles, and as many of the house of Israel that shall come build a city which shall be called the New Jerusalem.

5) They assist the Lord's people that they, the Lord's people,  may be gathered in who are scattered upon all the face of the land into the New Jerusalem.

6) The Powers of Heaven (a.k.a. the angels of heaven) come down among the gathered people and the Lord Himself is in their midst.

Now, after the above events, the Lord declares that the work of the Father commences among all of the dispersed of the Lord's people, even the lost tribes, that the Lord declares the Father led out from Jerusalem.

Have any of the above events begun or been fulfilled?

If so, how?

I believe that the first three of these events the Lord described have been fulfilled.

I have spoken in my earlier posts how the Lord has sent His words through an authorized servant to the gentiles inviting them to repent. My view of this fulfillment is in the posts " The House of Israel Shall no More be Confounded" and "A Great and A Marvelous Work Among the Children of Men".

I have spoken earlier about the "church" the Lord has established among some few repentant gentiles and my experience with that "church" in the posts "The House of Israel Shall no More be Confounded" and "There Are Save Two Churches Only"

In the post " The House of Israel Shall no More be Confounded" I bore witness and described my personal experience of being part of a group of gentiles being extended a covenant from the Lord and receiving that covenant in order to be numbered among the remnant of Jacob no more to be accounted as gentiles conditioned upon their faithfulness to the extended covenant.

If such things truly have occurred, and I testify that they truly have occurred, then there are three remaining events declared by the Lord to the Nephites that must occur before the work of the Father begins.

How would the final three events be enabled to take place?

As part of the covenant He extended the Lord declared the following.

Teach your children to honor me. Seek to recover the lost sheep remnant of this land and of Israel and no longer forsake them. Bring them unto me and teach them of my ways, to walk in them. (T&C 158 par. 11)

As part of accepting and keeping the covenant the Lord has sent, right at this moment there are concerted efforts underway to bring the glad tidings of Christ to the Jews and to the seed of Lehi on this land in an effort to recover them as is required by accepting the Book of Mormon.

Anyone may go to the following video and see for themselves the work that is being done by a small repentant group to recover the lost sheep remnant of this land and of Israel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRkkUTQB1i0

When the Lord revealed an answer to a prayer for acceptance of the scripture project, undertaken to repent and remember the words of the Lord given to the Prophet Joseph, in July 2017 the Lord declared the following as part of His word concerning the removal of the altered text known in the LDS Doctrine and Covenants as Section 132.

Whenever I have people who are mine, I command them to build a house, a holy habitation, a sacred place where my presence can dwell or where the Holy Spirit of Promise can minister, because it is in such a place that it has been ordained to recover you, establish by my word and my oath your marriages, and endow my people with knowledge from on high that will unfold to you the mysteries of godliness, instruct you in my ways, that you may walk in my path. And all the outcasts of Israel will I gather to my house, and the jealousy of Ephraim and Judah will end; Ephraim will not envy Judah and Judah will not provoke Ephraim. (T&C 157 par. 41)

This declaration establishes the knowledge that at some point in the near future those who have accepted the Lord's newly extended covenant in 2017 and have become, through faithfulness to that covenant, numbered among the Lord's people Israel will be commanded to build a house to the Lord where His presence can dwell.

That house will necessarily need to be built on the land that the Lord will reveal to become the place of New Jerusalem; the temple being the foundation of New Jerusalem and eventually Zion.

In addition to what the Lord declares here concerning His house to be built, the building of His house will also vindicate Christ's words to the Nephites above when He declared, "I also will be in the midst".

This is stated clearly by the Lord in His newly extended covenant in section 158 of Teachings and Commandments.

I will visit my house, which the remnant of my people shall build, and I will dwell therein, to be among you, and no one will need to say, Know ye the Lord, for you all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (T&C 158 par. 15)

I am a living eyewitness to the now occurring events among a small group of people that are calculated to bring about the vindication of these things.

If the Lord was able to continue all of His promises to the entire human family throughout the entire history of the world with eight souls who were saved from the flood then how big a group would the Lord need to vindicate His words to the Nephites?

Please understand, I witness that all of this to this point and all that is to follow has been and is and will be accomplished according to the will of God not according to the will of a man or group of men.

The Lord alone is driving this work.  He is in charge and it is only by His mercy and grace that sufficient light is given to repentant souls to accomplish what He has in His heart to be accomplished.

What has been completed and is being completed and will be completed is not and could not and will not be completed by the ambitions and desires of men to control.

Now, the Lord declared that all of this work to be done is preliminary to the work the Father will do.

Nephi declared by the power of the Holy Ghost that when the wrath of God is poured out among all nations kindreds and tongues and people that that would be the sign that the work of the Father would now commence.

Therefore, as the world presently descends into chaos and darkness on the one hand the Lord is presently sending more and more light and commandments among His people to enable them to complete their labors in His vineyard to the end that He may vindicate His promises to the ancient Fathers and re-establish the House of Israel again not more to be thrown down.

Is there an apparent balance here?

Is there a present continuing increase of light among the penitent while there is a present continuing increase of darkness among the wicked?

Does this match Nephi's description of the great and a marvelous work being everlasting on the one hand or on the other?

Now to the work of the Father.

Please consider the following

The “commencement” of the work is “for the fulfilling of His covenants.” What does it mean to “fulfill?” Will every whit of His covenants be all completed, all finished, all kept? (D&C 1: 38.)
Interestingly, the “fulfilling of His covenants which He hath made to His people who are of the house of Israel” is not divided into “remnant” and “gentile.” At the time when His final work begins, all of “the house of Israel” will be remembered, in whatever scattered place they may be found. Why the change? Why no longer focus upon the “remnant” and “Jew” and “gentile” and “scattered house of Israel?” Why does He now call them all “his people?”
Do the fractures heal? Do the divided groups come together at last? Will the scattered, lost and forgotten remains of Israel be found throughout the world? (Jacob 5: 67-68.) Will the results be a restoration of all Israel, no matter what group they may have been identified with previously? (Jacob 5: 72-73.) Will these divided, but remembered people become one at last? (Jacob 5: 74.)
How much purging will be needed to bring this to pass? (Jacob 5: 71; D&C 45: 68-71; D&C 133: 9-12.)("1 Nephi 14:17", Denversnuffer.com, July 12, 2010)

And the following

And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people”(verse 26). Because when you gather to hear what you’re going to hear there, this is the final stage in the Father’s work. This is the work that requires holiness to accompany even its teaching.

“Verily I say unto you, in that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby His people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward” (3 Nephi 21:26-29).

Again and again the notion that this work can be hastened is denounced. Again and again it’s to be a place in which the preparations are done first. Again and again it suggests that before we can gather together we must have that heart, that mind which can make us one.

Turn back and look at the results– Doctrine and Covenants45, beginning at verse 65: “And with one heart and with one mind, gather you up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you. And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God; And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion”(verses 65-67). They won’t come unto it because to go there is like Acts chapter 5– you cannot endure that environment if you’re abiding a telestial law. You’d be consumed.

“And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety. And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another. And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand. And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy” (D&C 45:68-71).

Think about what it would take to transplant various populations, from various locations (not in haste), with everything having been prepared in advance. And in our currently fragmented society, unless you’re willing to experiment with your own effort to live the law of tithing by organizing yourselves and governing yourself, miscellaneous groups will never make it. But people of God will.("The Remnant", Podcast #16, Denversnuffer podcast, April 29, 2018)

1) How is it possible for one to obtain holiness in order to receive the teachings that will come during the work of the Father?

What was the word of the Lord concerning what was to be had in a house built to His name?

And again, verily I say unto you, how shall your washings be acceptable unto me except you perform them in a house which you have built to my name? For, for this cause I commanded Moses that he should build a tabernacle, that they should bear it with them in the wilderness, and to build a house in the land of promise that those ordinances might be revealed which had been hid from before the world was. Therefore, verily I say unto you that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, and honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name. (D&C 124:37 - 39, T&C 141 par. 12)

These ordinances the Lord declared that have been hid from before the world was will be revealed  when a house that He commands to be built to Him is built and ordered and accepted by Him.

These ordinances are calculated, as I understand to expand the human mind and to bring holiness and godliness among the meek and penitent who the Lord reveals should receive them in His house.

As I understand it, the things that must be and will be taught for the work of the Father to come to completion will require a holy, godly people who are taught and come to understand those things which are unlawful for man to utter nor are men capable of uttering those things.  

As I presently understand it, this is why the building of a house to the Lord is preliminary to the Father's final work.

2) This work of the Father will entail the gathering of all of the scattered remnants throughout the earth home to the lands of their inheritances. 

Think about what it would take to transplant various populations, from various locations (not in haste), with everything having been prepared in advance. And in our currently fragmented society, unless you’re willing to experiment with your own effort to live the law of tithing by organizing yourselves and governing yourself, miscellaneous groups will never make it. But people of God will.

As I understand it, the Father's work will be a destructive work in order for the transplanting to take place.

Christ will come. Once the covenant has been renewed, the city of Zion will follow. The Lord’s presence will come, and then the final stage begins.

…even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among…the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may [be]come [in] unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. And they shall go out from all nations; …they shall not go out in haste, nor…by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward. (3 Nephi 21:26-29)

It’s not gonna happen in haste. And the work of the Father that will commence in those nations, to commence the possibility for the gathering, will involve destroying a great deal of political, social, and military obstructions that prevent the gathering, prevent even the preaching to those that would gather if they could hear. But the work of the Father (and it’s always masculine when it comes to destruction)… The work of the Father is going to bring this to an end. All the scattered remnants will be brought back again. The original, unified family of God will be restored again. The Fathers will have our hearts turned to them because in that day, once it’s permitted to get that far, we will be part of that family again. ("Renewal, Part 2", Podcast #108, Denversnuffer Podcast, March 21, 2020)

The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph the following that will be part of the work of the Father in gathering home all the dispersed of His people upon the earth.

... And he shall utter his voice out of Zion and he shall speak from Jerusalem, and his voice shall be heard among all people and it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder which shall break down the mountains, and the valleys shall not be found. He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries and the islands shall become one land, and the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided. And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people and shall reign over all flesh. And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord, and their prophets shall hear his voice and shall no longer stay themselves, and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence, and a highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep. Their enemies shall become a prey unto them, and in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land. And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants, and the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence, and there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim, and they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy. Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the heads of the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows. And they also of the tribe of Judah, after their pain, shall be sanctified in holiness before the Lord, to dwell in his presence day and night, for ever and ever. (D&C 133:16 - 35, T&C 58 par. 3)

This is such a tiny introduction to all that will be accomplished with the work of the Father at the last.

In my opinion the Father's work is a subject that ought to be studied and we ought to carefully consider and undertake to be a part of everything that is preliminary to His work.

Jeremiah prophesied the following concerning this great last work.

Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, says the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt — but, The Lord lives who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries to which I had driven them. And they shall dwell in their own land.(Jeremiah 23:5 - 8, OC Jeremiah 8 par. 17)

The events that will occur during this work of the Father to gather in again all that have been scattered will so far eclipse the events of the delivering of the children of Israel from Egypt that from that point on no one will look to the events of Egypt anymore in declaring the power of God.  They will look at the events of the work of the Father to declare the power of God.

Although the Lord's hand is always stretched out for us to repent, wouldn't it behoove us to repent now and become part of the balance of light that is even now increasing, according to the will of the Lord, among any who are penitent instead of finding ourselves part of the descent into darkness that will occur preceding the Father's work, making it more difficult or even impossible to repent later because of a greater loss of light?

The sign of the commencement of the Father's work is a sobering sign indeed.

The Wrath of God

 

1 Nephi 14:15 - 17, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 29

And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots, and behold, thou seest all these things. And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots — which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose foundation is the Devil — then at that day the work of the Father shall commence in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim, 1 Nefi 3 par. 29

And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of Elohim was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spoke unto me, saying, Behold, the wrath of Elohim is upon the mother of harlots, and behold, you see all these things. And when the day comes that the wrath of Elohim is poured out upon the mother of harlots — which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose foundation is HaSatan — then at that day the work of the Father shall commence in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants which he has made to his people who are of the house of Isra’el.

To share my present understanding of what Nephi is recording here I would like to insert again a prophecy that was declared on September 03, 2017 to begin.

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. (Closing Remarks, Covenant of Christ Conference, September 03, 2017, Denver Snuffer, pg. 1)

I have mentioned in an earlier post that I believe that the "wrath" of God is manifest by God withdrawing, or in other words, the spirit of God ceases to strive with a person or a people or a nation or in this case, with what Nephi is witnessing, the majority of the living human family on the earth.

The above prophecy speaks of this "wrath".

As we look at world history and especially the scriptures can we detect that once the spirit of the Lord withdraws warfare and bloodshed rush in?

Does this cycle have to run until it is completed?

Is there anywhere in the scriptures where we can see that the Lord would have stopped this cycle of withdrawal once it had begun?

What about these words from the prophet Mormon?

Do they declare that Christ would have stopped the withdrawal?

And my soul was rent with anguish because of the slain of my people, and I cried, O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord? O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you? Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss. O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen? But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return. And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies. And then ye must stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged according to your works. And if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you. Oh that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of Heaven, knoweth your state, and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy. (Mormon 6:16 - 22, NC Mormon 3 par. 4)

What about these words from the prophet Isaiah?

He saw our day and prophesied of it.  The following is concerning the judgments in our day.

For wickedness burneth as the fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forests, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire; no man shall spare his brother. And he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry, and he shall eat on the left hand and they shall not be satisfied. They shall eat, every man, the flesh of his own arm: Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand stretched out still.  Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees and that write grievousness which they have prescribed, to turn aside the needy from judgment and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherless. And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory? Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand stretched out still. (2 Nephi 19:18 - 20:4, NC 2 Nephi 9 pars. 14 - 15)

Isiah even uses the term "wrath of the Lord of Hosts" when he is declaring why the land is darkened.  It is darkened because of the withdrawal of the spirit of the Lord of Hosts. 

Isaiah is declaring that because of the withdrawal of the Lord's spirit the people of the land have become the fuel of the fire.  They will be so angry with each other that Isaiah says that no man shall even spare his brother.  Isaiah declares that because the spirit of the Lord has withdrawn they will even commit cannibalism, "They shall eat, every man, the flesh of his own arm".

The Prophet Joseph saw the same thing. 

The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes.

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)

Didn't we see the Nephites coming to this point of anger and warfare and bloodshed to the point that they committed cannibalism at the close of their history?

Isaiah declares that among the people of the land there is no escape from this, yet in both paragraphs the word of the Lord through Isaiah is "his hand stretched out still."

Doesn't that describe the Lord still offering, even in the midst of this horrible carnage and destruction and cannibalism, to stop this cycle upon condition of repentance?

What about the Lord's own words to the Nephites following the great destruction on the land of the Americas following His death?

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. (3 Nephi 10:3 - 7, NC 3 Nephi 4 par. 9)

Doesn't the Lord's question to the remaining Nephites, following His report to them of the cities that He had destroyed, cause us to see that He would have spared them at any moment if they had turned to Him?

I do not believe that the Lord has any desire to have such bloodshed among all the nations kindreds tongues and people who are overcome by the whore of all the earth.

I do believe, however, that it is a natural consequence that He must allow to occur because of continued unrepentant sin.

When wickedness overcomes people who have been taught to be better, it is a natural progression for them to be destroyed. The Book of Mormon has been available for nearly two centuries. It warns us and our ancestors of the following: “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 1:7RE ("Destruction and Rejoicing," DenverSnuffer.com, Jan 10, 2021)

Can we look at the United States and at the nations at large and see continued unrepentant sin?

Isn't the following just one example of a multitude of our national unrepented sins?

It is estimated that in January and February of this year the greatest cause of death in the United States has come from one of our great evils of abortion. An estimated 141,000 abortions in those two months, added to the estimated 51,000,000 slain since 1973. Abortion is the leading cause of death in the US. By tolerating this mass killing we are not unlike those who anciently killed their children sacrificing them to the false god Molech. The Lord repeatedly condemned this: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Again, you shall say to the children of Israel, Whoever he is, of the children of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that gives any of his seed unto Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people because he has given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do in any way hide their eyes from the man when he gives of his seed unto Molech and kill him not, then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go whoring after him to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.” “that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.” “to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech, which I commanded them not;” 

What kind of a society allows killing 51,000,000 innocent children to continue uninterrupted over 47 years? As we have been told, “Nevertheless, when the wicked rule, the people mourn. Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men you should observe to uphold; otherwise, whatever is less than these comes of evil.”7 We have elected and upheld men and women who have tolerated this obscenity for 47 years. The United States will be punished for this. By and by you will see the “chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed has made a full end of all nations.” That full end of nations will include the US. ("The Heavens Are Open, (And Therefore We Have Work to Do)",Denver Snuffer, Hurricane, Utah, March 22, 2020, pgs. 1 - 2)

Is it any wonder that the loss of the Lord's spirit will cause even familial acts of violence and cannibalism when, even before the withdrawal of the Lord's spirit from this nation, we condoned the slaughter of so many innocent children?

Isn't this a dire situation?

Are we in the midst of the cycle?

Can we look around us now and see that we are approaching the threshold of what Nephi is being shown here in vision?

Why don't we wake up?

The cycle of wickedness and destruction often includes a complete inability of the wicked to detect their grave errors. They have their religion, and are comfortable with it. They think their pretenses are enough...How odd it is that the self-proclaimed “righteous” are almost without exception those who are most wicked, fallen, abominable and proud. You rarely encounter a corrupt group in the Book of Mormon who are not also quite involved in a false religion. The false religions in the Book of Mormon frequently teach that the followers are righteous and highly favored of God. (See, e.g., Alma 31: 14-18.)

Wouldn’t it be amazing if this kind of mistake could be made again by people who think themselves holy, better than others who do not enjoy the fullness of God’s favor/Gospel, and destined for salvation while all others were doomed to an inferior kingdom? It’s almost too ridiculous to even consider. Those things are behind us now, aren’t they? Because we are promised salvation, and for us to fail would be for God to fail, and we know He’s not going to do that. ("Wickedness and Destruction," Denversnuffer.com, December 20, 2011)

Wasn't the above the condition that existed among the Jews at the time Lehi prophesied to them; they were too "righteous" to see their wickedness?

Is it possible that such was the condition that existed among the Nephites when Mormon recorded that the "day of grace" had passed for them?

Does there come a point when, because of wickedness, a person or a people or a nation or all nations become slaves to their anger and their wickedness so that their "day of grace" is past?

To have the "day of grace" be passed, does that mean that the Lord is unwilling to accept repentance at that point?

I don't believe so.

From everything I have read in the scriptures, my present understanding is that at any point these people in the scriptures could have repented and the Lord would have accepted it.

Is there anything that can be done to escape this coming global catastrophe of  bloodshed?

Lehi and others warned their contemporaries that they “must repent or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.” 1 Ne. 1:2RE Although he made the warning, he prayed for the people he had been warning, “even with all his heart in behalf of his people.” Id., paragraph 3. This should make us ask, who exactly were “his people?”

While praying on behalf of “his people” a pillar of fire descended “and he saw and heard much.” Id. This overcame him, and he went home and collapsed. As he laid on his bed, he was “carried away in a vision.” Id. In the vision he was shown “concerning Jerusalem: that it should be destroyed and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.” Id.

Terrible destruction was just around the corner. His city and many of its residents would die, and the rest would go into captivity. But Lehi’s response seems oddly out of place. Instead of being sorrowful at what he saw instead, “he did exclaim many things unto the Lord, such as, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the Heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!” Id. Why this reaction?

Destruction was coming, but that had nothing to do with those who “come unto” the Lord. People were to be destroyed and enslaved, but Lehi’s prayer on behalf of “his people” gave him assurance that “they shall not perish” because they had come unto the Lord.

...destruction does not await those whom the Lord has promised by covenant that: “And you shall be called the children of the Most High God, and I will preserve you against the harvest. And the angels sent to harvest the world will gather the wicked into bundles to be burned, but will pass over you as my peculiar treasure.” T&C 158:17-18

So there is reason to fear coming judgments upon the wicked, but also reason to exclaim, like Lehi: Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God Almighty! Your throne is high in the Heavens, and your power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and because you are merciful, you will not suffer those who come unto you that they shall perish! ("Destruction and Rejoicing," DenverSnuffer.com, Jan 10, 2021)

The Lord is working a work right at this moment on the earth that is open to every living man, woman, and child. 

Anyone, anywhere in the world, who believes in the doctrine of Christ can manifest repentance by requesting baptism by someone who has had authority given to them directly from Jesus Christ.  They need only go to www.bornofwater.org and request baptism and someone will contact them and perform the ordinance free of charge.

I invite everyone to come unto Christ and believe on Him and partake of His ordinances and obey His commandments so that as the Lord withdraws His spirit from among the nations His spirit will not be withdrawn from you.  And in that way you will escape the judgments to come upon the wicked.

I do believe that the Lord allows this judgment to occur among the wicked for a couple of purposes.

1) When the wicked have been allowed to destroy each other, and in that manner wickedness is swept from off of the face of the land, the land becomes cleansed.

2) I believe that the secret combinations that seek to destroy the freedom of all men will find that during this time of judgment they will lose their control and their best laid plans will come to naught.

3) To demonstrate #3 I would like to misapply part of a vision contained in the Teachings and Commandments.

Among those who waited, however, was a man who knelt and prayed, and waited patiently for his Lord. After a great time, the Lord came to this man and took him by the hand and led him into the pass where the great beast guarded the way. As the Lord led, however, the beast was ever occupied with attacking others, and therefore its back was turned to the Lord and the man. And so they passed by unnoticed, safely to the top. The Lord sent the man to the Fathers who, when they saw the man, inquired of him, How came you to be here and yet mortal; the last who came here were brothers who had been slain, and you are yet alive? And the man answered, I waited on the Lord and he brought me here safely. (T&C 163 par. 4)

My misapplication is in applying the role of the nations of the earth overcome by the whore all warring with each other to the beast and those being attacked by the beast and applying the role of the man led by the Lord to the miniscule group who repent and follow the Lord.

As the wicked destroy the wicked among all nations of the earth the work of the Lord among the small miniscule group of people will pass by the unnoticed.

I do not believe that the Lord intends for His people who repent to have a head on confrontation with the rest of the world.

I do believe that as those who play the role of the beast and those being attacked complete their part that obstructions to the work of the Father, borders, armies, national regulations on travel, etc., will fall away because of the all encompassing bloodshed which will occur.

Zion is the answer to the question of where to find peace as the Lord withdraws His spirit; manifesting His wrath among the nations overcome by the whore of all the earth.

And it shall come to pass among the wicked that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety, and there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven, and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another. And it shall be said among the wicked, Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible, wherefore we cannot stand. And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion singing with songs of everlasting joy. (D&C 45:68 - 71, T&C 31 par. 15) 

Please consider the following.

In the book of Matthew, chapter 24 is Christ’s most extensive prophecy about the future events including the time of His Second Coming. While He gives some details in Matthew chapter 24 there is a statement that He makes: “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:37) He makes an analogy between the events that occurred during Noah’s time and what we will see on the earth at the time of his return. Let me read you a description of the events at the time of Noah —and these are the kinds of events with which we typically associate the days of Noah: “And God saw that the wickedness of men had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually. The earth was corrupt before God, and it was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence, and behold I will destroy all flesh from off the earth.” (See, Genesis 1:5-7; Moses 8:22, 28-30) Ominous. Terrible. Reason for concern. That is what we generally think of. But there’s another side to that. That other side includes obviously Noah. You can’t have the days of Noah without having a Noah. Another contemporary who lived at the same time with Noah was Enoch, who built a city of righteousness where people gathered together to worship the only true God, who were then in turn taken up to heaven. That group of people, taken up to heaven, are going to return with the Lord when He comes again in glory. Book of Jude –there is only one chapter in there. “Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these things saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.” (Jude 1:14) There were those that were taken up into the heavens numbering in the tens of thousands who will return with him. So if there is reason for pessimism when Christ predicts that, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the time of His return,” (Matthew 24:37) there is also extraordinary reason for optimism because we are going to see things like Noah and his family –that included Shem, who would be renamed Melchizedek, about whom the apostle Paul had a great deal to say in the book of Hebrews even comparing that man, a son of Noah, to the Lord Himself –actually we ought to flip that. He compares the Lord Himself to that man. And then there is Enoch. And so while we tend to look at the prophecy Christ gave concerning His coming negatively, about how far degenerate the world is going to go, those are the tares ripening. ("Christian Talk 1, Cerritos California," Denver Snuffer, September 21, 2017, pgs. 1-2)

I testify that just as in the days of Noah there is a servant of God on the earth right now, like unto Noah, who is authorized by having God's message to teach.  I also testify that God has restored ordinances, including a covenant He has established, that is available to all people everywhere. 

May we awake to our terrible predicament and repent.