A sign and Bearing Record

1 Nephi 11: ,NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 6

 For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before sat my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what desirest thou? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bare the fruit of which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness. And after ye shall have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

TSJ 1 Nefi 3:6

For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that yhwh was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in my heart, I was caught away in the spirit of yhwh, yes, into an exceedingly high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before set my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what do you desire? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Do you believe that your father saw the tree of which he has spoken? And I said, Yes, you know that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hoshianna to yhwh, the El Elyon, for he is Elohim over all the earth, yes, even above all! And blessed are you, Nefi, because you believe in the Son of the El Elyon; wherefore, you shall behold the things which you have desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto you for a sign, that after you have beheld the tree which bears the fruit of which your father tasted, you shall also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall you witness. And after you shall have witnessed him, you shall bear record that it is the Son of Elohim.

Here Nephi is told that he will behold what he desires to see and understand because of his belief in the Son of the Most High God.

What about the particular way that the spirit phrased the introduction of the vision to Nephi?

Why is it important that the spirit said, "this thing shall be given unto you for a sign,"?

Why not just say "after you have beheld the tree which bears the fruit of which your father tasted, you shall also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall you witness."?

Are we invited to learn something from that fact that right here Nephi is being told that he is receiving a sign?

Was Nephi seeking a sign?

Was Nephi desiring to see the same things his father, Lehi, had seen in order the prove that his father was speaking the truth?

What is the difference between what Nephi desired (to see what his father, Lehi, had seen; which the spirit declared was a sign) and the temple authorities who confronted the Savior after He drove the money changers from the temple for example?

The temple authorities, who had authorized the profiteering, confronted Jesus asking, If you think you have a right to exercise authority over the temple, while identifying yourself as God’s son, show us a sign to prove you have this right, so we can believe you. Jesus answered and said, I will replace the holy of holies in three days with a new holy House of God. The Jews declared, It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you replace it in three days? But he was talking of the temple of his resurrected body. Later after he was resurrected from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this to the temple authorities, and they remembered the scripture, and what Jesus had said to the disciples. (Teachings and Commandments, Section 171, The Testimony of St John Chapter 1 par. 19)

Would it be critical to understand the difference between the actions of Nephi and the actions of the temple authorities who confronted the Lord?

What has the Lord declared about people who seek for signs?

The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and testing Jesus, desired of him that he would show them a sign from Heaven. And he answered and said unto them, When it is evening you say, The weather is fair, for the sky is red; and in the morning you say, The weather is foul today, for the sky is red and overcast. O hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot tell the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there shall no sign be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them and departed. (Matthew 16:1 - 4, NC Matthew 8 par. 15)

Why did the Lord sternly charge those He healed to be silent about the matter?

And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed him, crying and saying, Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on us. And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said unto them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you. And their eyes were opened. And sternly he charged them, saying, Keep my commandments and see you tell no man in this place, that no man know it. But they, when they had departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. (Matthew 9:27 - 31, NC Matthew 4 par. 13)

This happened on multiple occasions by the way.

Does it have anything to do with this?

And he that seeks signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation. Verily I say unto you, there are those among you who seek signs, and there have been such even from the beginning. But behold, faith comes not by signs, but signs follow those that believe. Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men nor as they please, but by the will of God. Yea, signs come by faith unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleases God. And with whom God is angry, he is not well pleased, wherefore, unto such he shows no signs, only in wrath unto their condemnation. Wherefore, I, the Lord, am not pleased with those among you who have sought after signs and wonders for faith, and not for the good of men unto my glory. (D&C 63:7 - 12, Teachings and Commandments 50 par. 3)

Is it possible that the Lord, knowing the wicked and adulterous nature of those who seek for signs, did not want a following of people who were there to see great miracles?

Christ said to tell no one because it would attract the wrong kind of follower. It would attract the adulterers. It would attract the sign seekers. It would attract the wrong kind of people. Satan tempted Christ asking him for signs that were self-serving. Bread for the Lord to eat when the Lord was hungry. A show of angelic support when he would be cast off the Temple's pinnacle. At his death, the wicked emanded signs from him. Spare yourself from the crucifixion; heal yourself. Signs are by their very nature self-serving and attention-grabbing, and it is just inevitable. (Denver Snuffer, "Signs Follow Faith", March 2019, Centerville, Utah, pg. 13)

Remember what the Lord declared about the city of Capernaum?

And you, Capernaum, which are exalted unto Heaven, shall be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. (Matthew 11:23 - 24, NC Matthew 6 par. 6)

Capernaum enjoyed the earthly presence of the Lord and it was also the place where many miracles and great works occurred.

Isn't it evident from the Lord's words that the city of Capernaum failed to believe on Christ as the Son of God?

Is it putting people in a position where they incur the wrath of God and bring condemnation upon themselves to manifest a sign if they do not already believe?

Is this why the Lord was careful to instruct the recipients of the miracles He wrought to not publicize the miracle?

This sign Nephi is receiving then is coming because Nephi already has belief and the Lord declared above that "signs follow those that believe. Yea, signs come by faith...Yea, signs come by faith unto mighty works".

The scriptures demonstrate that anyone who believes in Christ the Son of God will receive signs; not because they seek them but because the Lord is confirming their belief and their faith.

As an example, Nephi's initial experience concerning his inquiry about his father's words.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceeding young, nevertheless, being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore I cried unto the Lord. And behold, he did visit me and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. (1 Nephi 2:16 - 24, NC 1 Nephi 1 par. 9)

Wasn't the softening of Nephi's heart a sign that God gave to him?

When Alma spoke of the experiment on the word of God how it would grow and swell if we would give it place, isn't the growing and swelling a sign from God that the word is good?

There is a part of Joseph Smith's history that is dear to me because of the experience I had.

Following their baptisms, Joseph and Oliver experienced the following.

Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of...(Joseph Smith History 1:74, Teachings and Commandments, Section 1, Joseph Smith History part 14 par. 4) 

Wasn't this a divine sign that followed because of Joseph and Oliver's belief in the Doctrine of Christ?

Following my re-baptism on the 21st of September 2014 I began to experience the very same sign.

What about the following sign the Lord set forth?

I give you a new commandment, That you love one another. Love each other as I have loved you. If you have love for each other it will be a sign that will identify you to all mankind as my followers. (Teachings and Commandments, Section 171, The testimony of St John 10 par. 7)

Does the following align with what the Lord stated here above?

Signs follow faith. Signs follow faith by the will of God, not of man. From the Teachings and Commandments: And these signs shall follow them that believe:in my name they shall do many wonderful works (T&C82:22). You want a sign that someone is a follower of Christ? Go ask the single mother with children who's being helped by the tithes of a fellowship that go directly to help her whether that is a wonderful work in her life and in her experience, and that's the first sign —perhaps the primary sign; perhaps the greatest sign. Because it’s relieving the need of someone that needs it. (Denver Snuffer, "Signs Follow Faith", March 2019, Centerville, Utah, pg. 14)

The Lord has further stated, concerning signs,

And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name they shall do many wonderful works; in my name they shall cast out devils; in my name they shall heal the sick; in my name they shall open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf, and the tongue of the dumb shall speak; and if any man shall administer poison unto them, it shall not hurt them; and the poison of a serpent shall not have power to harm them. But a commandment I give unto them that they shall not boast themselves of these things, neither speak them before the world, for these things are given unto you for your profit and for salvation. (D&C 84:65 - 73, Teachings and Commandments section 82 par. 22)

Is Nephi's experience with signs instructive for us so that we can understand "how great things the Lord has done"?

Shouldn't we be confident that if we do not seek for signs but we believe in Christ and act on that belief that God, according to His will and His timing, confirm our belief and our actions?

Receive Him. It may start very slow, very small, very distant. Act on that. Hearken to that. It gets louder. You will never wind up in the company of Gods and angels if you’re not willing to have faith in those preliminary things that you receive that ask you to go and to do. ("Who Is Christ", Denver Snuffer Podcast, Episode 3, Denver Snuffer.com.  Also 40 Years in Mormonism Talk Series Talk #7, "Christ:Prototype of the Saved Being", Ephraim, Utah, June 28, 2014)

If we consider Nephi's journey to this point where he receives this sign does it not follow this course?

What you need is a true message from God.  That is what the restored Gospel says it is.  If you would like to know if those claims are true, you must want to believe it and be willing to ask God to find out.  You must have a "desire" to believe.  Then you must "cry unto the Lord" so the Lord can aid you to overcome unbelief.
Although the end of the process may be great and glorious, it begins very humbly.  It began so with Nephi.  It begins similarly with everyone who will walk that path.  Interestingly, wherever you are in the path, the next step is always the first step all over again.  Whenever you encounter the doubts and skepticism, the route through them is the same route taken to find faith in the first place. (The Second Comforter, Denver Snuffer, pgs 65 - 66)

We've discussed this before.

Isn't Nephi's experience included in here so that we may see the path we can and we must trod in order to come back to God?

Aren't the signs, even the small ones, that God gives along the path meant to confirm that we are still on His path after we have traveled the distance God requires us to travel to that point?

Wouldn't this way of doing things, God's way, make the process of walking in the path more important than the signs received?

Isn't it the process of walking the path that allows us to become like God?

Is it the same for each of us just like it was for Nephi?

Again, as always, there is so much more to consider and so many more resources that can be accessed than can be shared in a blog post.

Hopefully, the post gives the inspiration to dig deeper into the matter.

At the end of this paragraph, according to my present understanding, isn't Nephi being told that he is going to become a "preacher" in the sense that Paul was talking about; what we covered in the last post?

Nephi is told, "after thou hast beheld the tree which bare the fruit of which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness. And after ye shall have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God."

Nephi, after this experience, will have a true message from the Father. He will be sent to bear record of the Son of God.

Believing in the Son of the Most High God

1 Nephi 11: ,NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 6

 For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before sat my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what desirest thou? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bare the fruit of which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness. And after ye shall have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

TSJ 1 Nefi 3:6

For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that yhwh was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in my heart, I was caught away in the spirit of yhwh, yes, into an exceedingly high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before set my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what do you desire? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Do you believe that your father saw the tree of which he has spoken? And I said, Yes, you know that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hoshianna to yhwh, the El Elyon, for he is Elohim over all the earth, yes, even above all! And blessed are you, Nefi, because you believe in the Son of the El Elyon; wherefore, you shall behold the things which you have desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto you for a sign, that after you have beheld the tree which bears the fruit of which your father tasted, you shall also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall you witness. And after you shall have witnessed him, you shall bear record that it is the Son of Elohim.

It is interesting to me that following Nephi's confession of belief in the words of his father, Lehi, we have a reaction by the spirit accompanying him.

And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God

How about that?

Does there seem to be some excitement expressed here in praising God and blessing Nephi for his belief in the Son of the Most High God?

What is it about Nephi's belief that is so exceedingly exciting to the spirit?

What can or should I do to come to believe in the Son of the Most High God in a manner that will engender the same excitement by the spirit for me?

Evidently the belief that Nephi exhibits is rare upon the earth.  Why?

What is the difference between faith and belief?

Is there a difference?

More than belief; a principle of action that requires one to act on belief in order to produce faith. The Lectures on Faith are a study on the topic. Joseph Smith defined faith as a principle of power through action, in which one puts those beliefs into action and thereby acquires power. Joseph related faith to having power. One can spend a lifetime as a “believer” without ever developing faith. Before belief can turn into faith, action is required. Without some action consistent with belief, a disciple cannot move along from mere belief to developing faith. It is action, obedience, and living in conformity to God’s will that yields faith. The commandments give us a chance to develop faith, which begins in very small ways. Emotional, sympathetic feelings are the beginnings of this seed sprouting. After that, the mind begins to “get” or to “see” the truthfulness of the system. Faith covers a broad spectrum. It begins embryonic and weak but can develop into an “unshakable faith” in the truthfulness of a principle. Jacob described this kind of faith; it results in actual power (see Jacob 3:2). In the Book of Mormon, the word “faith” is used when an angel has ministered to someone. Moroni 7:7 says, Behold, I say unto you…it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men. Wherefore, if these things have ceased, woe be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.
The development of faith will save one, but faith is not the end, and much more is offered if one is willing to receive it. Belief becomes faith, and faith becomes knowledge. Knowledge is what one gets when they are “redeemed from the fall” as Christ explained to the Brother of Jared. “Faith in Him comes by hearing the word of God, delivered as He authorizes, by whomever He chooses to deliver it. If we receive God’s word preached by someone He sends, then we can have faith in the Son of God. We can receive Him. But if we harden our heart, blind our mind and refuse to receive what He offers today, then we do not and cannot have faith in Him. We fall short of the faith required by His sons and daughters. This has always been the test. This will always be the test. I have been sent, and God is proving you. Joseph Smith testified to these things, and I am now a second witness. Therefore, two proclaim the same doctrine.” (Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, "Faith")

I remember a statement made by the apostle Paul.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they are sent? — as it is written: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! So then faith comes by hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:14 - 15, 17 , NC Romans 1 par. 49)

What does this statement of Paul have to do with having a belief in Christ?

What does Paul mean when he declares, concerning those who must hear about Christ in order to believe in Him?

If a preacher is necessary in order to preach so that those who hear can begin to believe in Christ what is the criteria to be a preacher?

What does it mean to be sent?

Is this related to what occurred with Jacob, Nephi's younger brother?

And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts and indulge themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old, desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son. Yea, and they also began to search much gold and silver, and began to be lifted up somewhat in pride. Wherefore, I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having firstly obtained mine errand from the Lord. For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph, had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people by the hand of Nephi. And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence. Wherefore, by laboring with our mights, their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise, their blood would come upon our garments and we would not be found spotless at the last day. (Jacob 1:15 - 19, NC Jacob 1 par. 4)

Is this an example of someone who has been sent, a preacher?

Weren't Jacob and Joseph ordained priests before Jacob went to the temple to preach?

Was Jacob preaching on his own initiative or was he preaching because a Higher Authority (God) had sent him?

If Jacob had presumed to go to the temple himself and preach what he thought would be important, instead of being sent by God, would his words have had the effect of causing people to believe in Christ?

When we are talking about inspiring a belief in the Son of God is this element of a preacher being "sent" from God with an actual message from God an indispensable element?

Is it possible that inspiring actual real belief in the Son of God is impossible to do if an individual is trying to "preach" without being "sent"?

Do the scriptures bear up the necessity of one being a true "preacher" only if they are "sent"?

What examples do the scriptures give?

How about Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, King Mosiah the first, King Benjamin, Alma, Abinadi, the sons of King Mosiah among the Lamanites, Nephi son of Helaman, Samuel the Lamanite, Ether, Paul, Peter, Jacob, John, Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Isaiah, the Prophet Joseph Smith, etc., etc., etc.?

Did any of these individuals act of their own accord to "preach" or were they all "sent"; God having given them a clear message to impart?

What happens if we endeavor to "preach" when we haven't been sent?

And now behold, my brethren, I have spoken unto you according as the spirit hath constrained me; wherefore, I know that they must surely come to pass. And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel. For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other, Behold, I, I am the Lord’s — and the other shall say, I, I am the Lord’s — and thus shall everyone say that hath built up churches and not unto the Lord. And they shall contend one with another, and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the holy ghost which giveth utterance. And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel. And they say unto the people, Hearken unto us and hear ye our precept, for behold, there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men. Behold, hearken ye unto my precept. If they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work... (2 Nephi 28:1 - 10, NC 2 Nephi 12 par. 1)

Have you ever listened to an individual try to "preach" by trying to use their life or work experiences and/or learning and education to explain Christ, His attributes and His gospel, in order to convince those listening that they know something concerning Christ?

Have you ever heard an individual try to "preach" by using the claim that God has given them authority to preach and there are no others who are able to utter a word from God by the power of the Holy Ghost because God hasn't given any others authority to speak but them?

In the history of the world, including today, what has been the predominant influence as far as "preachers" go?

Have there been more times when there were "preachers" who were actually "sent" or have there been more times when there are pretenders seeking to "preach" without a real message from God?

When God gave the command not to take His name in vain, did He give that command because He knew how destructive to peoples' real belief in His Only Begotten Son (and therefore destructive to their salvation) it is for pretenders to declare in their pride their own understanding and learning?

Is it clear how destructive to the souls of men it is to take the name of the Lord in vain; to say you speak in the name of the Lord when you have no authority to do so?

Is Nephi in a situation where he has and is hearing a message from a "preacher" (Lehi) who actually has been "sent"?

Given the history of the world would that be one thing that makes Nephi's belief in the Son of God a rare thing?

What about unbelief?

What is that unbelief?

Is unbelief the same as disbelief?

How might that apply to this event of Nephi's belief in the Son of God?

The following is from the glossary of terms in the Restoration Edition scriptures.

As used in the Book of Mormon, it means one does not understand and has not accepted true doctrine. The word unbelief means to accept false doctrine or to have an incomplete and inaccurate understanding of correct doctrine. Unbelief is often used in conjunction with losing truth, forsaking doctrine, and “dwindling.” The phrase dwindling in unbelief is the Book of Mormon’s way to describe moving from a state of belief, with true and complete doctrine, to a state of unbelief, where the truth has been discarded. Miracles end because men dwindle in unbelief. (Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, "Unbelief")

I would like to use an example from the Book of Mormon to illustrate the above definition of unbelief.

And Ammon began to speak unto him with boldness, and said unto him, Believest thou that there is a God? And he answered unto him, I do not know what that meaneth. And then Ammon said, Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit? And he said, Yea. And Ammon said, This is God. And Ammon said unto him again, Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in Heaven and in the earth? And he said, Yea, I believe that he created all things which are in the earth, but I do not know the Heavens. And Ammon said unto him, The Heavens are a place where God dwells, and all his holy angels. And king Lamoni said, Is it above the earth? And Ammon said, Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart, for by his hand were they all created from the beginning. And king Lamoni said, I believe all these things which thou hast spoken. Art thou sent from God? Ammon said unto him, I am a man, and man in the beginning was created after the image of God. And I am called by his holy spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true; and a portion of that spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge and also power, according to my faith and desires which are in God. 
Now when Ammon had said these words, he began to the creation of the world, and also to the creation of Adam, and told him all the things concerning the fall of man, and rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures of the people which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father Lehi left Jerusalem. And he also rehearsed unto them (for it was unto the king and to his servants) all the journeyings of their fathers in the wilderness, and all their sufferings with hunger and thirst, and their travel, etc. And he also rehearsed unto them concerning the rebellions of Laman, and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael — yea, all their rebellions did he relate unto them. And he expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem down to the present time. But this is not all, for he expounded unto them the plan of redemption which was prepared from the foundation of the world; and he also made known unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and all the works of the Lord did he make known unto them.
And it came to pass that after he had said all these things and expounded them to the king, that the king believed all his words. And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, have mercy, according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me and my people. And now when he had said this, he fell unto the earth as if he were dead. (Alma 18:24 - 43, NC Alma 12 pars. 15 - 17)

Did king Lamoni possess a portion of true doctrine?

Did Lamoni have an inaccurate and incomplete understanding of correct doctrine?

Was Ammon a true "preacher" who had been "sent" with a true message from God?

As an important aside, where was the message Ammon was sent to deliver located?

What was engendered in Lamoni by hearing of Christ from a "preacher" who was "sent"?

How did Lamoni get into his original state of unbelief?

... Now we see that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence from the beginning of their transgressions in the land. Nevertheless, I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment than for you if ye remain in your sins, yea, and even more tolerable for them in this life than for you, except ye repent. For there are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites, for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that cause them to remain in their state of ignorance. Therefore, the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land. And at some period of time, they will be brought to believe in his word and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name. (Alma 9:13 - 17, NC Alma 7 par. 3)

It was the traditions of their fathers that caused the Lamanites to persist for generations in a state of unbelief.

When "preachers" who were truly "sent" from God came among the Lamanites they did just what the above scripture states, they began to believe in the words of Christ because they now had the entire correct true doctrine of Christ in their possession and they discarded the traditions of their fathers.

This brings in something we must absolutely consider when it comes to looking inside to determine within ourselves if we are filled with unbelief.

We must consider the traditions of our fathers.

What does the Lord have to say about the traditions of the fathers?

The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one. Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning, and God having redeemed man from the Fall, man became again, in their infant state, innocent before God. And that wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth. (D&C 93:36 - 40,T&C 93 par. 11)

It would appear that the traditions of their fathers cause the wicked one to have great power over the children of men because by these traditions he is able to take away truth and light from the children of men causing a sore state of unbelief.

The following is an example of this.

Now, in the days of the apostles, the law of circumcision was had among all the Jews which believed not the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it came to pass that there arose a great contention among the people concerning the law of circumcision, for the unbelieving husband was desirous that his children should be circumcised and become subject to the law of Moses, which law was fulfilled. And it came to pass that the children, being brought up in subjection to the law of Moses, and gave heed to the traditions of their fathers, and believed not the gospel of Christ, wherein they became unholy. (D&C 74:2 - 4,T&C 21 par. 2)

Does this give new understanding to the Savior's explanation of His parable of sower and the seeds?

Hear therefore the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and understands not, then comes the wicked one and catches away that which was sown in his heart; this is he who received seed by the wayside. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word and readily with joy receives it, yet he has not root in himself and endures but for a while; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he is offended. He also who received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word and understands and endures, which also bears fruit and brings forth: some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. (Matthew 13:18 - 23, NC St. Matthew 7 par. 4)

Why wouldn't someone understand the word of the kingdom of God?

Would their traditions get in the way of them understanding how God really works among men?

The Savior uses the same term for the adversary, "the wicked one", who catches away that which is sown in peoples hearts as He uses in the Teachings and Commandments, "the wicked one", who takes away truth and light because of disobedience and the traditions of the fathers.

Is this just a coincidence?

In the history of the world, including now, is it more prevalent for people to receive the word of the Lord or is it more prevalent for people to reject it because they follow their fathers' traditions?

Is it a tradition from our fathers that only a certain number of select individuals can receive revelation from God that is binding for all of God's children?

I mean really.  

If a Lehi or an Abinadi or even a Samuel the Lamanite (he came among people who already had a true "preacher" among them) came and called us to repentance would we hear the message they were sent to deliver or would we laugh and scorn and declare that our traditions from our fathers of having scriptures and leaders and sacred space to worship shows that these folks are lunatics?

When the Lord came upon the earth He spoke words that were and still are binding upon all of God's children.

At the time the Jews had an institution with leaders, who were the only ones allowed to speak authoritatively, and they had scriptures, and they had sacred space for worship.

According to the traditions of their fathers, they did not need Christ or His words because they already had what they needed to be saved and Christ was an outsider after all.  He had not risen through the ranks of the hierarchy to become authoritative and to be "trained in the ministry".

Is it a tradition of our fathers that someone must have years of experience in leadership and study in an institutional setting (they must be "trained in the ministry"), they must rise through the ranks, in order to qualify to receive and speak God's authoritative words?

Is it a tradition from the fathers, not found anywhere in scripture, that we can follow someone in authority, anyone, besides Christ and they will not lead us astray?

Could we say that Lamoni's and the other Lamanites unbelief was damning to them?

Were they kept from light and truth because of the traditions of their fathers?

Are we any different?

Isn't our unbelief damning to us?

Doesn't our unbelief because of the traditions of our fathers remove light and truth from us?

There is much much more that we could cover here but even with just these two things we've talked a little about, the need of a preacher who is sent, and the unbelief that comes from following the traditions of our fathers, is it apparent how rare a thing it is to find a person or people on the earth who truly do believe in the Christ, the Son of God?

Is it no wonder that the spirit who was accompanying Nephi cried out in a loud rejoicing voice, "Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God,"?

Here is joy being expressed that something that is so rare on the earth, true belief in the Son of God, exists here in Nephi.

If I am to come to have the same belief in the Son of God as Nephi then I too must reject the traditions of my fathers and seek to hear the message of a preacher who truly has been sent.

I am in luck because I know that the purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince both "the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations."

I know that the Book of Mormon is filled with the words of preachers who have been sent.

It would behoove me to read the Book of Mormon with the intent of seeing what it can teach me instead of reading into it the traditions of my fathers, allowing the wicked one to come and take away the light and truth the Book of Mormon can impart to me.

I also know that at this moment in time there is a living "preacher" who has been "sent" with a true message from the Father.

This is kind of a hard thing for me though because if my understanding of these things is correct then I am left without excuse if I refuse God's words.

I Believe All the Words of My Father

1 Nephi 11: ,NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 6

 For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before sat my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what desirest thou? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bare the fruit of which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness. And after ye shall have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

TSJ 1 Nefi 3:6

For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that yhwh was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in my heart, I was caught away in the spirit of yhwh, yes, into an exceedingly high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before set my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what do you desire? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Do you believe that your father saw the tree of which he has spoken? And I said, Yes, you know that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hoshianna to yhwh, the El Elyon, for he is Elohim over all the earth, yes, even above all! And blessed are you, Nefi, because you believe in the Son of the El Elyon; wherefore, you shall behold the things which you have desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto you for a sign, that after you have beheld the tree which bears the fruit of which your father tasted, you shall also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall you witness. And after you shall have witnessed him, you shall bear record that it is the Son of Elohim.

Right after Nephi's response to the inquiry of what he desired, the spirit asks the question, "Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?"

Why would the spirit ask Nephi that question?

Hasn't Nephi demonstrated by his actions that he believes the words of his father, Lehi?

With what Nephi has already received isn't it apparent that Nephi does not lack belief?

The reason this is interesting to me is because folks who have progressed further up the path than where I am at presently, like Nephi, are being asked this question.

For example:

And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood. And the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear. And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth, and the Lord said unto him, Arise. Why hast thou fallen? And he saith unto the Lord, I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me, for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood. And the Lord said unto him, Because of thy faith, thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood. And none of those now living have come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast, for were it not so, ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this? And he answered, Nay, Lord. Shew thyself unto me. And the Lord said unto him, Believest thou the words which I shall speak? And he answered, Yea, Lord. I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth and canst not lie. (Ether 3:6 - 12, NC Ether 1 par. 12)

I would expect that this question would be asked of me because I am far from the place on the path that Nephi and the brother of Jared find themselves, but here is the brother of Jared standing at the veil with the Lord on the other side and the brother of Jared sees the Lord's finger come through the veil to touch the stones and yet when he desires to see the Lord completely the Lord asks him "Believest thou the words which I shall speak?"

Isn't that just a little bit curious?

Why, when an individual comes so far are they asked if they do believe or will believe words that have or will be spoken?

I found an explanation for the question of the Lord to the brother of Jared that I find very interesting and has caused me to consider my own motives in seeking to communicate with heaven.

Why do you think the Lord posed the question, If I show myself to you, will you believe in me? Why do you think that Mormon writes about how he’s spoken face-to-face in plain humility, as one man speaks to another? We want the thundering and the lightning and the ground-shaking on Sinai, and when the Lord appeared to the brother of Jared, before appearing, He asked him, Now when you see me, are you going to believe me? He loveth all who will have him to be their God… Well, I knew not that God was a man… You seem so much bigger and better when you were the burly thunderer from behind the curtain announcing that you are the great and powerful Oz. But now that the curtain’s drawn aside and you’re like— Man was created in your image, and it literally means that. It takes some of the varnish off it all.

God’s greatness does not consist in striking awe in the eye of the beholder because of glory. It consists in the humility, the virtue, the goodness, the purity of the being. We worship God, not because He is powerful. We worship God because He represents everything that is pure and holy and good—everything that is desirable above all else. The purity of that fruit that was delicious that father Lehi talked about and Nephi wrote about, it is so because of its goodness. Because it is exactly what the highest and the best and the most noble should be. That’s who God is. ("Meekness & Humility, Part 2", Denver Snuffer Podcast, Podcast #94)

Is it possible that our understanding of things, as far as what we may consider being the "light show" of revelation, is off?

Is it possible that the knowledge that is conveyed from heaven (revelations, visions, prophesy) is all meek in nature and so those receiving it are asked "will you believe" or "do you believe" because what is received is not loud and grandiose and appealing to vanity, even though it may be sweeping in its scope?

What about this account from Elijah?

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. (1 Kings 19:11 - 13, OC 1 Kings 4 par. 26)

Is it possible that what the Lord taught to Elijah here is relevant to everything He reveals from heaven to those who will believe?

Is it possible that this is why the Prophet Joseph taught

A fanciful and flowery and heated imagination be aware of, because the things of God are of deep import, and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Your mind, O man, if you will lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost Heavens, and search into and contemplate the lowest considerations of the darkest abyss, and expand upon the broad considerations of eternal expanse. You must commune with God. How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of God than the vain imagination of the human heart? None but fools will trifle with the souls of men. (Teachings and Commandments, 138 par. 18)

Is it a fanciful and flowery and heated imagination to consider that communication from the heavens would be thundering and loud and would it appeal to the vain imagination of the human heart to consider that "Hey if I commune with God it is me talking to the thundering giant"?

Am I supposed to take away from Nephi's experience that if I truly begin to communicate with heaven I will need to have my heart right to believe what is said because it most certainly will not appeal to my vanity?

Should I consider that whatever I may receive from heaven will be calculated to cause me to consider the characteristics that God possesses and that I must come to possess and my own infinite deficiencies that must be overcome if I am ever going to learn how to be like God?

Is it hard for me to believe that my own deficiencies are so great?

Is it possible that this is a pattern that can be applied to all things received from heaven?

Are the messages from heaven so unassuming that one must be able to believe in order to receive them?

These accounts come to mind.

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you and you shall be clean. But Naaman was angry, and went away and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spoke unto him and said, My father, if the prophet had bid you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, Wash and be clean? Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan according to the saying of the man of God, and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:8-14, OC 2 Kings 2 par. 15)

What could be more simple and unassuming for healing than to be washed (baptized) in the Jordan river seven times?

For in that day, for my sake, shall the Father work a work which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them, and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them. But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore, they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will shew unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the Devil. Therefore, it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the gentiles, it shall be done even as Moses said — They shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant. And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through, both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off. Yea, woe be unto the gentiles except they repent, for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots, and I will cut off the cities of thy land and throw down all thy strong holds. And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers. Thy graven images I will also cut off and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities. And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms shall be done away. For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day, whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel, and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. (3 Nephi 21:9 - 21, NC 3 Nephi 9 par. 12)

What is more simple and unassuming than the Lord sending a man to declare His words to a people?

Does the ability to believe in simple and unassuming things figure in very prominently in being able to receive knowledge from heaven?

Do the questions posed to Nephi and to the brother of Jared have any relation to the principle taught in the scriptures that by small and simple means great things are brought to pass?

It is very difficult for me to express the questions I have concerning this account with Nephi and its relation to other things.

I know for myself from the experience of the past few years that the Lord works marvelous and wonderous works that are simple and unassuming and require that people develop the ability to believe in small things in order to see God's mighty works come to pass.

I also wonder if what was asked of Nephi is also at least partially related to what Joseph taught below.

The plea of many in this day is, that we have no right to receive revelations; but if we do not
get revelations, we do not have the oracles of God; and if they have not the oracles of God, they are
not the people of God. But say you, What will become of the world, or the various professors of
religion who do not believe in revelation and the oracles of God as continued to His Church in all
ages of the world, when He has a people on earth? I tell you, in the name of Jesus Christ, they
will be damned; and when you get into the eternal world, you will find it will be so, they cannot
escape the damnation of hell. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 272)

Was it necessary for Nephi to voice his belief that his father Lehi had a vision of the tree in order to qualify to receive the vision?

Was Nephi, by responding yes, opening the way for himself to receive the oracles of God?

If this is all related is it also related to what the Lord said to the father of the possessed boy?

And they brought him unto Jesus, and when the man saw him, immediately he was convulsed by the spirit, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming. And Jesus asked his father, How long a time is it since this came unto him? And his father said, When a child; and ofttimes it has cast him into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him. But if you can, I ask you to have compassion on us and help us. Jesus said unto him, If you will believe all things I shall say unto you, this is possible to him that believes. And immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief. (Mark 9:20 - 24, NC Mark 5 par. 9)

Is it necessary that no matter how far up we may find ourselves on the path that there will still be a need to believe words from the Lord that we have never heard before?

An Exceedingly High Mountain

1 Nephi 11: ,NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 6

 For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before sat my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what desirest thou? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bare the fruit of which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness. And after ye shall have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

TSJ 1 Nefi 3:6

For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that yhwh was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in my heart, I was caught away in the spirit of yhwh, yes, into an exceedingly high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before set my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what do you desire? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Do you believe that your father saw the tree of which he has spoken? And I said, Yes, you know that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hoshianna to yhwh, the El Elyon, for he is Elohim over all the earth, yes, even above all! And blessed are you, Nefi, because you believe in the Son of the El Elyon; wherefore, you shall behold the things which you have desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto you for a sign, that after you have beheld the tree which bears the fruit of which your father tasted, you shall also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall you witness. And after you shall have witnessed him, you shall bear record that it is the Son of Elohim.

I have expressed before and wish to express again that as a small study group we have the understanding that every word in the Book of Mormon is deliberately put there by God through Joseph Smith.

So, when we read that Nephi was caught away in the spirit of the Lord INTO an exceedingly high mountain, we wonder what that means.

At the beginning of the account found in the book of Moses, now in the Old Covenants at the beginning of Genesis, we read the following introduction to the account of Moses before the face of God.

The words of God which he spoke unto Moses at a time when Moses was caught up into an exceedingly high mountain, and he saw God face to face, and he talked with him; and the glory of God was upon him, therefore he could endure his presence.(Moses 1:1 - 5, OC Genesis 1 introduction)

We also have this account of the Savior being caught up to an exceedingly high mountain and, just like Moses, having the Devil come to Him afterward to tempt Him to worship him instead of God.

And again, Jesus was in the spirit, and it took him up into an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. And the Devil came unto him again, and said, All these things will I give unto you if you will fall down and worship me. Then said Jesus unto him, Depart from here Satan, for it is written: You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. Then the Devil left him. (Matthew 4:8 - 11, NC Matthew 2 par. 7)

As an aside, the record of the above event makes me wonder now if the Lord's ascent and then the Devil coming to tempt Him to worship him were two separate events occurring at separate times just like what happened to Moses.

Then we have the account of the transfiguration of the Lord when He took Peter, Jacob, and John to a "high" mountain apart from everyone else.

Whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. And they shall not have part in that resurrection when he comes. For truly I say unto you that he shall come, and he that lays down his life for my sake and the gospel’s shall come with him, and shall be clothed with his glory in the cloud, on the right hand of the Son of Man. And he said unto them again, Truly I say unto you that there are some of them that stand here who shall not taste of death until they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
And after six days, Jesus took Peter, and Jacob, and John, who asked him many questions concerning his saying. And Jesus leads them up into a high mountain, apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceedingly white as snow, so white as no fuller on earth could white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here, and let us make three tabernacles: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elias; for he knew not what to say, for they were sorely afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Beloved Son; hear him. (Mark 8:38 - Mark 9:7, NC Mark 5 pars. 4 - 5)

The Savior prophesied that there would be those among His twelve who would see the kingdom of God come in power before they died and then he took the three INTO a high mountain, apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them and showed them the kingdom of God coming in power, thus fulfilling His prophecy.

Christ, in Luke 9: 27-31, prophesies: "But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God." That is the latter-day kingdom. That is the one Christ said was not of this world, but which He will come and inherit at the end. So He says some of you who are alive today will not die until you see Zion. The gymnastics that have gone into trying to explain that by Catholic and Mormon commentators is rather amusing. Let‟s keep reading. "And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem."
He said some of those living then are not going to die until they see the Kingdom of God to be
established at last upon the earth. Then He took those three up the Mount, and they see things not
yet fully revealed to mankind. Now turn to D&C 63:20-21: "Nevertheless, he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome, and shall receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come; When the earth shall be transfigured, even according to the pattern which was shown unto mine apostles upon the mount; of which account the fulness ye have not yet received." He vindicated His prophecy by showing them the latter-day Zion with the earth‟s entire transfiguration. That is His Kingdom. Therefore, there were those standing in that generation who did not die until they first saw the latter-day triumph of the Kingdom of God. He fulfilled His own word. Luke put the Lord‟s promise in His gospel immediately before His account of the Mount of Transfiguration for that reason. (Denver Snuffer, 40 Years in Mormonism, #6 Zion, pg. 154)

We also have these words from the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning John on the Isle of Patmos.

Now we learn from the Book of Mormon the very identical continent and spot of land upon which the New Jerusalem is to stand, and it must be caught up according to the vision of John upon the isle of Patmos.  Now many will feel disposed to say, that this New Jerusalem spoken of, is the Jerusalem that was built by the Jews on the eastern continent. But you will see, from Revelation 21:2, there was a New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, adorned as a bride for her husband; that
after this, the Revelator was caught away in the Spirit, to a great and high mountain, and saw the
great and holy city descending out of heaven from God. Now there are two cites spoken of here.
As everything cannot be had in so narrow a compass as a letter, I shall say with brevity, that there
is a New Jerusalem to be established on this continent, and also Jerusalem shall be rebuilt on the
eastern continent (see Book of Mormon, Ether 13:1-12). “Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and
he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come;
after it should be destroyed, it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord, wherefore it could
not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old.” This may suffice, upon the subject of
gathering, until my next. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 86)

I am sure there are many other scriptural references I have missed concerning individuals being taken into an exceedingly high mountain and some references which are not so apparent but constitute the same type of event.

As I read concerning Enoch and what he saw I wonder if he was not seeing things from this perspective even though it does not explicitly state that.

As we look into all of these accounts can we see some obvious commonalities in all of them?

In all these accounts, the spirit takes them into an exceedingly high mountain.  They all ascend.

In all of these accounts, they are able to look down and see things that have been and that are and that will be on the earth.  They are all given knowledge.

It doesn't specifically mention it in all of the accounts but is it possible that they all received assignments with respect to ministering the gospel to their fellowmen on the earth? 

Nephi speaks of this type of event occurring multiple times for him.

Nevertheless the great goodness of the Lord in shewing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth, Oh wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh, my soul grieveth because of my iniquities. I am encompassed about because of the temptations and the sins which doth so easily beset me, and when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins. Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support, he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me. Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night time. And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high, and angels came down and ministered unto me. And upon the wings of his spirit hath my body been carried away up on exceeding high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things — yea, even too great for man — therefore I was bidden that I should not write them. (2 Nephi 4:17 - 25, NC 2 Nephi 3 par.7)

Is it possible that one of these events was when Nephi was commanded and shown how to build a ship?

And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying, Arise and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain and cried unto the Lord. And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying, Thou shalt construct a ship after the manner which I shall shew thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters. And I said, Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shewn unto me? And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools. (1 Nephi 17:7 - 10, NC 1 Nephi 5 par. 15)

What are we to understand by this "exceedingly high mountain" that people are taken "into" even multiple times?

Where is this place?

In a recent revelation concerning marriage, the Lord revealed something very important.

But know also that I can do my work at any time, for I have sacred space above, and can do my work despite earth and hell. The wickedness of men has not prevented my will, but only kept the wicked from what they might have received. (Teachings and Commandments, Section 157 par. 40)

Is this sacred space above, where the Lord can do His work despite earth and hell, in any way related to being carried away into an exceedingly high mountain?

In the scriptures, there are at least two instances where those who were receiving a heavenly visitation were told that they were in sacred space.

And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not near here. Put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows. And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good and large land, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come unto me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you unto Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:4 - 10, OC Exodus 2 par.3)

Is this another account of the event when Moses was taken into an exceedingly high mountain?

Is this account demonstrative of what the Lord declared in the revelation concerning sacred space above where He can do His work?

And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man before him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him and said unto him, Are you for us or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What does my lord say unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Remove your shoe from off your foot, for the place on which you stand is holy. And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13 - 15, OC Joshua 1 par. 17)

This experience with Joshua appears to be similar to the experience of Moses.

Is this sacred space above in any way related to the following scriptures?

Wherefore, stand in holy places and be not moved until the day of the Lord come, for behold, it comes quickly, says the Lord. Amen. (D&C 87:8, T&C 85 par. 4)

And in that generation shall the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be men standing in that generation that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge, for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. But my disciples shall stand in holy places and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices, and curse God, and die. And there shall be earthquakes also in diverse places and many desolations. Yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword one against another and they will kill one another. (D&C 45:30 - 33, T&C 31 par.7)

Behold, it is my will that all they who call on my name and worship me according to my everlasting gospel should gather together and stand in holy places, and prepare for the revelation which is to come when the veil of the covering of my temple in my tabernacle, which hides the earth, shall be taken off and all flesh shall see me together. And every corruptible thing, both of man or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of heaven, or of the fish of the sea, that dwell upon all the face of the earth, shall be consumed, and also that of element shall melt with fervent heat, and all things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth. (D&C 103:15 - 20, T&C 101 par. 4)

Is the exhortation of the Lord to stand in holy places in any way related to what is happening to Nephi at this point in the Book of Mormon record?

Can the Lord's words have multiple meanings?

Could standing in holy places be applicable to what is happening to Nephi here and also be applicable to something else?

I don't know the answer, as yet, to the question of whether all of this is related to being carried by the spirit into an exceedingly high mountain. I honestly have been left with more questions personally than answers.

I do consider that there is an important purpose in having a scriptural record of such events and I believe that if this subject is looked into sufficiently it will yield understanding as to how such events apply to any individual for their salvation.

I read of accounts, such as the visit of the angel Nephi to the Prophet Joseph, and my understanding, because of the details in the account, is that there was no ascension at that time.

The record of the Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon receiving the vision from which the section in the scriptures of the three degrees of glory was written also shows, as I understand it presently, that there was no indication of an ascension physically of Joseph and Sidney.

I don't know when or why at some times the Lord causes an individual to ascend into an exceedingly high mountain and other times not.

I have considered that the type of information conveyed, or the necessity to perform a sacred ordinance, or the assigning of an individual to a task to minister to others on the earth are all reasons that one must be caught up or ascend "into an exceedingly high mountain."

We have a modern contemporary account of someone living who has been carried into an exceedingly high mountain.

This is his account.

But I’ll tell you what happened in that first visit, because it really reflects poorly on me. And I have no problem telling the story because it shows what a poor candidate I am for doing any kind of work on an errand from God. I can still close my eyes and see everything about it. It made that indelible of an impression upon me at the time. I was caught up— I know that the scriptures speak using a phrase, ‘I was caught up to an exceedingly high mountain.’ I think I understand what that phrase means because I was, in fact, caught up. I could see the circle of the horizon of the earth in the distance.

Shawn: So you just crushed the flat-earthers right there!

Denver: Yeah. I could see, and I was standing on an actual surface.

Shawn: Okay.

Denver: And there were actual walls, and there were paintings on the walls, okay? And I’m taking this in. And there’s a personage there. I could sketch him if you gave me— Well, I’m not going to do that. (I thought she was going to hand me a pen.) 

Shawn: (He thought you were bringing him a pallet!)

Denver: Yeah, I could sketch him ‘cause I can still picture him. Okay, he had a beard, he had hair, but it was not, like, long and flowing. It was reasonably well groomed, and, you know, not shoulder length but not collar length either—white hair, white beard, elderly, as somber a personage as you would ever encounter. And he said to me exactly this: “On the first day, of the third month, in nine years, your ministry will begin; and so, you must prepare.” 

Shawn: Wow.

Denver: That’s exactly what he said. Okay, so, here’s my attention span—I hear that and I think, “I wonder why the walls are transparent? Why would you have a wall if you can see right through the thing? And why are they painting? Don’t they have photography? And why is it that I know that painting I’m looking at is Moses? Because I know that face is the face of Moses! And no one’s ever shown me a picture, but that’s Moses—and he’s bald. I had no idea Moses was bald. Because one of the criteria for the high priest— A defect included baldness. That’s weird! And where are we?” 

So, this is where my head is at, and I’ve just had an angel give me— I didn’t ask, “Prepare? Wh…what? How? Mini…ministry? Wh…whaat?” And the man literally waited. He wasn’t going to force anything. He had a message, he had the content, and he gave it to me. It was up to me then to inquire, and I didn’t inquire. I’m acting like a tourist. It’s only weeks later, I mean— Then I was dismissed, I mean, and as I was dismissed I noticed, as I departed, that there was someone arriving. And I thought, “Does heaven operate like, you know, a bus terminal where there are people coming and going all the time? ‘Cause that’s interesting.” And I believe that as I departed, that the direction that someone arriving came from was earthward, and therefore, coming up. 

But the whole thing was singular. I didn’t talk about it, but I did write down an account of that. And it was only weeks later that it occurred to me that that was an opportunity to learn a whole lot, but I didn’t ask a single question. In fact, I was so distracted that I didn’t— I got out of it a message that I didn’t understand, that deserved inquiry, that deserved some amplification, explanation, elucidation—something other than those words because I didn’t know what to make of those words. And as I thought about it in the weeks that followed, all I had were questions. So when I had questions then I made it a matter of prayer—and I got nothing. (This is the second part of Shawn McCraney’s interview of Denver Snuffer, which was recorded on October 8th, 2019 in front of a live audience, found on DenverSnuffer.com, podcast # 89)

With this account, we can see that there was a message given by a heavenly messenger that gave the burden of a ministry to Denver.

Why was it necessary for him to ascend to receive this message?

All of this makes me wonder about the Lord's revelation to the Prophet Joseph concerning a temple in Nauvoo.

In this revelation, the Lord declared, concerning the temple:

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.  And verily I say unto you, let this house be built unto my name that I may reveal my ordinances therein unto my people, for I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fullness of times. And I will show unto my servant Joseph all things pertaining to this house and the Priesthood thereof, and the place whereon it shall be built. And you shall build it on the place where you have contemplated building it, for that is the spot which I have chosen for you to build it. If you labor with all your mights, I will consecrate that spot that it shall be made holy. And if my people will hearken unto my voice and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place. (D&C 124:37 - 45, T&C 141 pars. 12 - 13)

Are these things that are mentioned in this revelation, the oracles in your most holy places wherein ye receive conversations, the statutes and judgments for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, and honor, and endowment of all her municipalities, etc. all things that are attended to in the top of an exceedingly high mountain unless there is a sacred and holy spot on the earth where God has commanded that a house to His name be built and it is completed according to His will and He accepts it as His house?

I apologize for the length of the citation below from a blog post but I believe what I have copied is important in order to understand something that might be related to this idea of "an exceedingly high mountain" or rather the possibility of having an acceptable substitute for the exceedingly high mountain.

There is a relationship between ascension in this life and the right to ascend in the afterlife which is mentioned, but not well explained, in scripture. It is undeniably present in one verse of the D&C. That verse states:

“All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, … by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine anointed [meaning Christ], … are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead.”

There are two ascents. One is temporary and happens when men are “caught up,” but then return to this world. It represents overcoming the world and returning the individual back to the presence of God. It is called “redemption from the fall” (Ether 3:13) because it brings the individual back into God’s presence. That form of temporary ascent is designed to establish a covenant or promise related to the other, more gradual ascent through development of the individual. The temporary mortal ascent secures a promise for the individual that they will be permitted to make the eternal ascent to where God and Christ dwell in the afterlife.

The second form is the actual ascent, involving redemption and securing eternal life. It is a methodical process over eons of time to bring those who ascend to reside where God and Christ dwell. (D&C 76:62, 112.) In the King Follett Discourse Joseph Smith said this:

“Thus you learn some of the first principles of the gospel, about which so much has been said. When you climb a ladder, you must begin at the bottom and go on until you learn the last principle; it will be a great while before you have learned the last. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it is a great thing to learn salvation beyond the grave.”

This is the growth, by degrees, which results in exaltation. “Here, then, is eternal life–to know the only wise and true God. And you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves–to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done–by going from a small degree to another, from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you are able to sit in glory as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.” (Id.)

The second form of ascent cannot happen in mortality, but is accomplished over time. It requires attaining to the resurrection, meaning that death has no claim on you because you merit eternal life. This is what Christ gained in His life and through His sacrifice here. We are dependent upon His merits to overcome death. But we will have to attain the same thing before we finish the second form of ascent. Christ is the “prototype of the saved man” and we must “be precisely what he is and nothing else” or not be saved according to the Lectures on Faith. (Lecture Seventh, Paragraph 9.)

For mortals, the first form of ascent is possible. The scriptures, in particular the Book of Mormon, contain accounts of those who have ascended to God’s presence and overcome the fall of mankind. Many Old Testament prophets did likewise, but their accounts were redacted by the Deuteronomists because of hostility to the doctrine.  The reality is that most people, even very good believing people whose lives are filled with Christian charity and love for their fellow man, are not going to ascend even temporarily while they live in this fallen world. The first ascent is covenant-filled. God brings us before Him to establish a covenant assuring the eternal ascent. Most people will ascend over eons, because that process is based on the determination and commitment people have to follow God and His Christ.

In this fallen world, the great challenge is to lay hold of the covenant right to ascend to God’s throne. (Rev. 3:20-21.) It is true that God is no respecter of persons and everyone CAN, but the truth is that very few will obtain the covenant while in the flesh.

In His mercy, God has made provisions for all people. He loves all mankind equally, has planned for allowing those good and believing people who will not qualify in their own right to ascend the “mountain of the Lord” into His presence to receive it through more ordinary means. God’s purposes cannot be defeated, even by man’s weakness. God has other means to qualify people to be His covenant family.

The purpose of a temple (meaning an actual temple commissioned, ordered, blessed, accepted and visited with His presence) is to substitute for the temporary ascent of a mortal into God’s presence.  A real temple becomes “Holy Ground” and the means for making available to faithful people in every state of belief and hope the opportunity to receive, by authorized means, the same covenant, obligation, association, expectation and sealing through an authorized and binding arrangement in sacred space. This is the same thing they can receive from God directly if they enter into His presence while still in the flesh. In effect, the temple becomes an extension of heaven.  God, angels and mankind are able to associate there as in Eden. It is a return to Eden, where “God walks in the cool of the day.” (Gen. 3:8.) (Why A Temple?, Denver Snuffer.com, April 29, 2016)

This post talks about the necessity of the temporary ascent to the Throne of God while here in mortality in order to be able to receive the right from the Father to continue to progress onward after this life.

Is it possible that the act of being caught up into an exceedingly high mountain is part of the preparation needed to make the ascent to the Father's Throne?

If that is the case, then would "an actual temple commissioned, ordered, blessed, accepted and visited with His presence" be an acceptable place to accomplish what right now God only accomplishes in "sacred space above", in the top of an exceedingly high mountain, because of wickedness on the earth?