Into the Wilderness

1 Nephi 16:11, NC 1 Nephi 5 par. 4 

And it came to pass that we did gather together whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us. And we did take seed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim, 1 Nefi 5 par. 4

And it came to pass that we did gather together whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of our provisions which yhwh had given unto us. And we did take seed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness.

I believe that it is important a various times along the way to reiterate the purpose of this blog.

I have no intention of presenting thoughts and ideas that must be accepted as the truth and all or even any significant amount of what the Book of Mormon teaches.

What is presented here is a sample of some of my present understanding of the principles, teachings, tenets, etc. that are presented in the Book of Mormon.

At best my present understanding of anything at all in the Book of Mormon is woefully incomplete but more likely it is incorrect.

The sole purpose for this blog is to hopefully inspire folks to take a patient, considered, thoughtful, and prayerful look into the Book of Mormon for themselves.

For me personally, I have found that the Book of Mormon has no limit to the depths of understanding it can and will yield to anyone who will look at it with fresh eyes and careful and ponderous thought as though they were a child.

Nephi seems to be very deliberate with everything he inscribed on the plates.

Here we have him listing, very specifically, three groups of items that they gathered together for their trip into the wilderness.

1) Whatsoever things we should carry 

2) All the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us 

3) We did take seed of every kind 

Why be so deliberate and specific?

What would be instructive by including such a deliberately stated list of items taken for the journey?

What should come to my mind as I read "all the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us"?

Is Nephi simply recognizing that the Lord provided all the provisions they have?

This part of the record raises a question for me.

Is there a scriptural pattern of things the Lord does to lead a people away from a society doomed to destruction?

Does the Lord always lead a people away from an existing societal structure when He intends to do a work among men?

If there is a pattern would I benefit from recognizing it to be able to determine for myself if the Lord is undertaking a work among men?

At what point in societal cycles has the Lord worked a work among men by seeking to lead a people out?

Is it possible that leading a people out is in any way related to what God declares here in these following verses?

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

And in this very hour, he began to weep over Jerusalem, saying, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone them who are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen her brood under her wings, and you would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. And truly I say unto you, you shall not know me until you have received from the hand of the Lord a just recompense for all your sins, until the time come when you shall say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. (Luke 13:34 - 35, NC Luke 9 par. 3)

And again, the Lord shall utter his voice out of Heaven saying, Hearken, O you nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who made you: O you nations of the earth, how often would I have gathered you as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not? How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by my own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgments, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but you would not? Behold, the day has come when the cup of the wrath of my indignation is full. (D&C 43:23 - 26, T&C 29 par.8)

Should it be important to us that we have recorded in every volume of scripture we presently possess that statement of the Lord about gathering people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing?

The first time I can recollect in scripture that God led a people out from among an existing society was the record of Enoch.

What was happening in the world at the time that Enoch was called by God to preach repentance?

And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land among the people. And as he journeyed, the spirit of God descended out of Heaven and abided upon him. And he heard a voice from Heaven saying, Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people and say unto them, Repent, for thus says the Lord: I am angry with this people and my fierce anger is kindled against them, for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off. And for these many generations, even since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark. And in their own abominations have they devised murder and have not kept the commandment which I gave unto their father Adam. Wherefore, they have falsely sworn themselves, and by their oaths they have brought upon themselves death. And a hell I have prepared for them if they repent not. And this is a decree which I have sent forth in the beginning of the world, from my own mouth, from the foundation thereof. And by the mouths of my servants your fathers have I decreed it, even as it shall be sent forth in the world unto the end thereof. (Moses 6:26 - 30, OC Genesis 4 par. 1)

Aren't these very seriously ugly societal events occurring at the time of Enoch; seeking their own counsels in the dark, in their abominations devising murder, falsely swearing themselves, bringing death upon themselves by their oaths?

Who initiated these oaths that brought upon them death and who initiated the counsels in the dark?

Wasn't it Cain following Lucifer's direction?

What does the Book of Mormon have to say concerning these ancient oaths and dark counsels established by Cain?

Hugh Nibley in his lecture series on the Pearl of Great Price in 1986 had this to say about the above verse in the book of Moses.

All our scriptures here are apocalyptic.  That means that they are revealed, they are brought forth, by times of pressure and crisis.  And they always come on the eve of great destructions.  That's why they're given to us.

Read the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants, "Hearken ye people of the earth," and so forth.  "Therefore ye people fear and tremble."  That's the theme of the seventh verse of the first chapter; therefore fear and tremble oh ye people.

This is the message because these things always come when they're badly needed; when the world has been going the wrong way for a long time and it's time to set things right again.

And it's always accompanied by violent upheavals of nature and world upheavals; political, international, and everything else.

We're going to get a lot of that here. You see it in the days of Adam. We, now we see it in the days of Enoch. ("Enoch", Pearl of Great Price Lecture Series - 22, Hugh Nibley, minutes 2:25 - 3:10)

“Each of the great dispensations of the gospel has come in a time of world upheaval, when the waywardness of the human race has been matched by...climactic restlessness of the elements” (Hugh Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, p. 164).

As we look around presently, is there any parallel to what is occurring in our society today?

Do the secret oaths of death and the dark counsels abound around us?

Do we witness violent upheavals of nature and world upheavals both politically and internationally?

In his day what was Enoch called by God face to face to do?

Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people and say unto them, Repent, for thus says the Lord: I am angry with this people and my fierce anger is kindled against them, for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off.

If we were to peruse the scriptures and consider the events that were unfolding in the world in the brother of Jared's day at the tower of Babel would we find them to be similar?

Was what the brother of Jared received from God apocalyptic in nature for his time?

What about the events in the society of Jerusalem during Lehi's day?

What about the events occurring in the days of king Mosiah the first,

Behold, I, Abinadom, am the son of Chemish. Behold, it came to pass that I saw much war and contention between my people, the Nephites, and the Lamanites; and I, with mine own sword, have taken the lives of many of the Lamanites in the defense of my brethren. And behold, the record of this people is engraven upon plates which is had by the kings, according to the generations. And I know of no revelation, save that which has been written, neither prophecy. Wherefore, that which is sufficient is written. And I make an end.  

Behold, I am Amaleki, the son of Abinadom. Behold, I will speak unto you somewhat concerning Mosiah, who was made king over the land of Zarahemla. For behold, he being warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi — and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him into the wilderness — and it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him. And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord. And they were led by many preachings and prophesyings, and they were admonished continually by the word of God. And they were led by the power of his arm through the wilderness until they came down into the land which is called the land of Zarahemla. And they discovered a people who were called the people of Zarahemla. Now, there was great rejoicing among the people of Zarahemla, and also, Zarahemla did rejoice exceedingly because the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass, which contained the record of the Jews. (Omni 1:10 - 14, NC Omni 1 pars. 5 - 6)

Do we see in the brief mention of events in the book of Omni that just as Hugh Nibley stated things had been going in the wrong way among the Nephites for a long time?

And I know of no revelation, save that which has been written, neither prophecy. Wherefore, that which is sufficient is written. And I make an end.

If the King of Heaven has ceased to speak to them is that not going in the wrong way?

Was it time to set things right in the days of king Mosiah the first?

Whenever we look at the history of the world can we see in scripture that when God goes to work to lead a people our from among a dying society that there is much commotion?

Is there any indication of such a commotion today?

When God begins a work among men to try to prepare a people to lead them out, as a scriptural pattern, who does He send to declare repentance?

What is the sign of their authority from God?

As we read concerning Enoch further on in the record we discover that he was a "nobody" so to speak in the eyes of the people.

And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord, and spoke before the Lord, saying, Why is it that I have found favor in your sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me, for I am slow of speech; why am I your servant? ... (Moses 6:31 - 34, OC Genesis 4 par. 2)

Wasn't the message that Enoch delivered the sign of his authority from God?

 And it came to pass that Enoch went forth in the land among the people, standing upon the hills and the high places, and cried with a loud voice testifying against their works. And all men were offended because of him. And they came forth to hear him upon the high places, saying unto the tent-keepers, Stay here and keep the tents while we go there to behold the seer, for he prophesies. And there is a strange thing in the land: a wild man has come among us. And it came to pass, when they heard him, no man laid their hands on him, for fear came on all them that heard him, for he walked with God. (Moses 6:37 - 39, OC Genesis 4 par. 4)

When he comes among the people his message is so powerful that the people quake at hearing it but they still did not know who he is nor where he came from.

And there came a man unto him, whose name was Mahijah, and said unto him, Tell us plainly who you are and from where you came. And he says unto them, I came out from the land of Cainan, the land of my fathers, a land of righteousness unto this day; and my father taught me in all the ways of God. And it came to pass, as I journeyed from the land of Cainan by the sea east, I beheld a vision, and lo, the Heavens I saw. And the Lord spoke with me and gave me commandment; wherefore, for this cause — to keep the commandment — I speak forth these words. And Enoch continued his speech, saying, The Lord who spoke with me, the same is the God of Heaven. And he is my God, and your God, and you are my brethren. And why do you counsel yourselves and deny the God of Heaven? The heavens has he made, the earth his footstool, and the foundation thereof is his. Behold, he laid it. And hosts of men has he brought in upon the face thereof, and death has come upon our fathers; nevertheless, we know them and cannot deny. And even the first of all we know, even Adam, for a book of remembrance we have written among us according to the pattern given by the finger of God, and it is given in our own language. (Moses 6:40 - 46, OC Genesis 4 par. 5)

So if we are to consider Enoch as a pattern, can we discover that God uses outsiders, almost all of the time despised by the priests and ruling classes, as His prophets to call people to repentance and to lead a repentant people out from dying societies if they will?

If we look at Lehi does he fit this pattern?

Was Lehi of the priestly or ruling class in Jerusalem?

What about Jeremiah his contemporary?

What about Abinadi among the people of king Noah?

How about Elijah?

Was the Lord considered an outsider among the priestly and ruling class at Jerusalem?

When Ether came prophesying among the Jaredites was he part of the priestly or ruling class?

What about the prophet Joseph?

Was Joseph accepted by the religionists and leaders of his day?

With all of the above examples, wasn't it the message they were commanded to declare, wasn't that the sign of their authority from God?

Why would God follow such a pattern?

Last general conference [April 5, 2014] the entire First Presidency, the Twelve, the Seventy, and all other general authorities and auxiliaries voted to sustain those who abused their authority in casting me out of the Church. At that moment, the Lord ended all claims of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to claim it is led by the priesthood. They have not practiced what he requires. The Lord has brought about His purposes. This has been in His heart all along. He has chosen to use small means to accomplish it, but he always uses the smallest of means to fulfill His purposes. (T&C 166:3)

If God intends to do His work through the smallest of means then that would mean that He would use the weak and the despised among men for they are the smallest of means aren't they?

Lying spirits appeal to your pride and vanity. God will chasten you and require you to be meek and serve both Him and your fellow man. Lying spirits will tell you that you are some great and mighty person. God will remind you that only He is strong, but He uses the weak things of this world to accomplish His work. Therefore, no one can take credit but Him for whatever is accomplished.

Proud, foolish and vain people have never built Zion. Only the penitent, the meek, and the humble can qualify to be around as God does His work. ("Today and Yesterday," Denver Snuffer, Denversnuffer.com, July 21 2014)

Don't the weak and despised of men have a more accurate view of their situation before God than the noble, proud, titled, and educated?

Don't the weak and despised of men trust in the Lord and do His will without improvising unlike the noble, proud, titled, and educated?

As I look around me today, in this time of commotion, is it possible that I might find that God is sending forth truth from an unlikely source, someone weak and despised by the noble, educated, titled, and proud, in an effort to prepare a people to lead them out from a dying society?

How likely was it that a 14 year old farm boy saw God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ?

Did that defy tradition and culture?

What would the apocalyptic, as Hugh Nibley put it, message from God consist of?

What was the message Enoch was sent to declare?

I beheld a vision, and lo, the Heavens I saw. And the Lord spoke with me and gave me commandment; wherefore, for this cause — to keep the commandment — I speak forth these words. And Enoch continued his speech, saying, The Lord who spoke with me, the same is the God of Heaven. And he is my God, and your God, and you are my brethren. And why do you counsel yourselves and deny the God of Heaven? The heavens has he made, the earth his footstool, and the foundation thereof is his. Behold, he laid it. And hosts of men has he brought in upon the face thereof, and death has come upon our fathers; nevertheless, we know them and cannot deny.

Wasn't Enoch's message defiant of the then settled culture and religion of that day?

What was Lehi's message to those at Jerusalem?

Shouldn't we expect that the message God sends through these small means will be uncomfortable even unnerving for us compared to our traditional beliefs and ideas?

Isn't the message always a message of repentance?

If God is setting things right again because things have been going the wrong way for a long time then doesn't that require a message of repentance?

How is such a message viewed by a majority of the human family?

What is the scriptural pattern here?

Should it surprise us if a message from God, sent through an unlikely source, is not well received?

What did the Prophet Joseph declare concerning the small means (true prophets) who were sent to declare a message from God?

The world always mistook false prophets for true ones, and those that were sent of God, they considered to be false prophets and hence they killed, stoned, punished and imprisoned the true prophets, and these had to hide themselves “in deserts and dens, and caves of the earth,” and though the most honorable men of the earth, they banished them from their society as vagabonds, whilst they cherished, honored and supported knaves, vagabonds, hypocrites, impostors, and the basest of men. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 206)

If a people, no matter how small the group, does respond to God's call to repent and is willing to be gathered even a chicks are gathered under the wings of a hen, what is the pattern God uses to lead them out?

Let's start back with Enoch.

And it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it were the people of Canaan, to repent. And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them, and he spoke the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled — even according to his command — and the rivers of water were turned out of their course, and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness. And all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him. There also came up a land out of the depths of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God that they fled, and stood afar off, and went upon the land which came up out of the depths of the sea. And the giants of the land also stood afar off. And there went forth a curse upon all the people who fought against God.

And from that time forth there were wars and bloodsheds among them, but the Lord came and dwelled with his people and they dwelled in righteousness. The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord which was upon his people. And the Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains and upon the high places, and did flourish. And the Lord called his people Zion because they were of one heart, and of one mind, and dwelled in righteousness, and there was no poor among them. And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days that he built a city that was called the city of holiness, even Zion. (Moses 7:12 - 19, OC Genesis 4 pars. 13 - 14)

The Lord by His power led Enoch and the people of God out and protected them. The power of the Lord was among them and they built a city of holiness that the wicked would not come unto.

When the Lord led the children of Israel out of Egypt in an attempt to gather them as chicks did He lead them out of Egypt by His power?

When the Lord led Lehi and his companions out of Jerusalem did He lead them by His power?

When the Lord led Mosiah the first and all who would believe the words the Lord had commanded him to speak out from among the Nephites did the Lord lead them by His power?

And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord. And they were led by many preachings and prophesyings, and they were admonished continually by the word of God. And they were led by the power of his arm through the wilderness until they came down into the land which is called the land of Zarahemla.

Did the Lord lead the more righteous among the Nephites out from the wicked by His power at the time of His crucifixion?

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 10:8 - 13, NC 3 Nephi 4 par. 10)

What did the Lord declare to the Prophet Joseph that must occur for a people to be led out in our day?

Behold, I say unto you that the redemption of Zion must needs come by power, therefore I will raise up unto my people a man who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel, for you are the children of Israel and of the seed of Abraham, and you must needs be led out of bondage by power and with a stretched out arm. And as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be. Therefore, let not your hearts faint, for I say not unto you as I said unto your fathers, my Angel shall go up before you, but not my presence. But I say unto you, my Angel shall go up before you, and also my presence, and in time you shall possess the goodly land. (D&C 103:15 - 20, T&C 104 par. 4)

Has this event occurred?

Do we have a record in our day of the presence of the Lord going up before a people to lead them out to Zion, a city of holiness?

My understanding of scripture is that God works in patterns.

By seeing the scriptural patterns we may be better prepared to recognize what God is doing in our present day.

My present understanding is that in the days of Joseph a light broke forth among them that sit in darkness, and it was the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but they received it not, for they perceived not the light and they turned their hearts from Christ because of the precepts of men. 

The Lord sought in the days of Joseph to gather a people even as a hen gathereth her chicks but they would not be gathered and Joseph was murdered by the conspiracy of those who were part of the church he had begun.

As Hugh Nibley put it, apocalyptic messages come from God after things have gone the wrong way for a long time and just before a period of great destructions.

On September 10th 2013, 169 years following the death of the Prophet Joseph, the Lord began again an apocalyptic message calling people to repentance after 169 years of the ever increasing loss of light following the death of the Prophet Joseph.

The Lord used the smallest means, a weak individual hated and despised by those in power and authority, to deliver this message of repentance.

The Lord instructed this weak and despised individual face to face and gave him the errand of declaring His message.

The message that has been and continues to be delivered by this individual is the sign of his authority from God.

The earth and the political and international events of  the world are all in commotion and upheaval.

All of these elements from the scriptural pattern are present right now today.

All that remains is for a people to respond to the message God is sending by turning to face Him so that they may be led by God's power and His stretched out arm as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings out from among a dying society.

I am a witness that these things are occurring right before our eyes.  I have been a willing participant in this Restoration movement and as I have stated before my soul has been enlarged and it has become delicious to me.  It has passed Alma's test for planting the seed.

I invite everyone to come in and be part of God's great work among the human family in our day.

The pattern will be completed.  A group of people will be led out by power.  Jeremiah saw that event.

...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)

Part of God's power has already been manifest in the light He is sending down presently and by way of a covenant He has condescended to provide for anyone who will willingly accept it.

There are two places anyone may go and find this message.

www.thetentalks.com

www.learnofchrist.org

Upon review of this message, if anyone desires to act according to the message they may go to www.bornofwater.org and request baptism as a sign between them and God alone that they accept His apocalyptic message for our day, desire to receive the holy ghost which the Father pours out upon all who follow the example of His Son Jesus Christ by being baptized, and desire to be gathered and led out from a dying society.

 

It is readily apparent that great destructions are upon us now and men's hearts have grown cold heeding lies and deceits instead of truth and growing ever increasingly angry with one another without cause.

God has begun to save what He began with Joseph that will culminate in a righteous people being led out from among the wicked to a place of holiness even as Enoch and his people.

I testify, as a living participant, that this is currently underway.