Turning Water into Wine

First of all, I recommend everyone read this proposal concerning the Guide and Standard. Come back to this post after you’ve read it.

Jesus’ First Public Miracle

The Testimony of St. John, chapter 1, says,

On the third day of the week, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his followers were invited guests at the marriage. And when the wedding party wanted more wine, his mother said to him, They have run out of wine. Jesus replied, Mother, why are you talking to me about it? The time for me to provide sacramental wine has not yet arrived. But his mother instructed the servants, Whatever he tells you to do, follow through with it.

There were six waterpots made of stone that were used for ceremonial purification in religious observances, each containing twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus instructed the servants, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he said, Now remove some and take it to the host. And they took it to him. When the host of the wedding tasted the ceremonial water, it had been converted to wine. But he did not know the source that converted the water, unlike the servants who recognized the Source. The host of the feast called for the bridegroom, and praised him using a proverb, saying, Careful men introduce their plans using the best wine, and later, when their followers are drunk, then their worst — but you have brought us better wine than at the start.

This was a sign confirming his role as the Messiah that was performed

by Jesus in Cana of Galilee. It was a demonstration of authority over both the

elements and ordinances of salvation. Those who recognized this as a sign of

his authority were awed as they considered it was him present among them.

After this he went down to Capernaum, he, his mother, his brothers, and

his disciples, and they were there a few days...

...

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover many believed on his name

when they saw the healing miracles he did...

This miraculous event might have something to do with what’s going on right now. Let’s take a look and you can decide for yourself.

The Before-Party

The tenth talk given in Phoenix says,

Every time you partake of the Sacrament it is a reminder of the promise there will at last be some great wedding feast. It is not just in remembrance of the blood and of the body, but it is also a preliminary to the final feast the Lord intends to offer in which His blood and His body achieve success in redeeming some few! His atonement was to redeem. The wedding feast is a celebration of the Lord’s triumph. But His triumph produces saved souls. The redeemed are His great trophy!

Keeping this idea in mind, we can see that Jesus’ statement from the Testimony of St. John is true, when applied to today. “The time for me to provide sacramental wine has not yet arrived.” It is not time for the great wedding feast yet. That feast comes later, at the very end. At the wedding in Cana, Jesus’ Mother told the servants to follow the Lord because She knew He would provide wine preliminary to what it’s supposed to point to. So what can the Lord provide to us today, before the time of the great wedding feast?

Six Waterpots

According to my understanding, the number six is the number of men and weakness. It falls short of perfection. It’s imperfect and flawed. I am one of those “six waterpots”. I have been thirsty and I have partaken of the waters freely, as I have been asked to do. I would like even more nourishment, but I cannot turn water into wine. That requires a higher Power and it requires me to “follow through with” “whatever he tells [me] to do.” And so I will try to fill my waterpot “up to the brim” no matter how weak I am.

It’s noteworthy that the waterpots contained “twenty to thirty gallons”. Why are we told this? Remember that these waterpots might represent our imperfection. Perhaps the fact that they hold different amounts tells us that we need not have uniform views on everything before the Lord can work with us. I think it’s okay to disagree on at least some things, as long as we are each following the Lord as best as we know how. Perhaps the different volumes in the waterpots indicate that we can each add the guide and standard of our choosing to our own scriptures.

Three more questions related to the waterpots: Does the fact that there were six of them relate to the six men who were in the Lots group? And is it significant that the one woman in the Lots group received the words of the Lord? And is it relevant that the Lord told her, “You have filled the measure in which I have called you.”?

A Sign

The host of the feast at the wedding in Cana did not know how the wine was produced or who produced it. But he did recognize its fine quality and he realized how remarkable such a thing was that late into the feast. If the Lord provides the best wine at the end, shouldn't we expect the most powerful miracles in these end times?

Those at the feast who knew what to look for were able to perceive the Lord’s authority and were appropriately awed. Those at Jerusalem who witnessed His miracles believed on His name. We know that miracles alone cannot produce faith. But miracles were a necessary part of the Lord’s ministry. Should we expect anything less in these last days? Maybe such things can all begin when we, as an imperfect and weak group, follow through with whatever the Lord tells us and recognize the freedom everyone has to disagree with others, thereby eliminating contention.

Comfort

I try not to take anything in the scriptures for granted. John tells us that Jesus, his Mother, his brethren, and his disciples all went to Capernaum right after the wedding in Cana. Nothing else is said about it. What could it mean? I looked up what Capernaum means and apparently it translates into “Nahum’s Village”. I looked up what the name Nahum means and it translates into “Comfort”.

How marvelous that the Lord brought his family and followers to a village of “comfort” directly after involving “servants” in His first public miracle! Can that happen in our day? If so, how?

Mother Knows Best

The entire event at Cana began with the Lord’s Mother asking Her Son to provide wine that was necessary for the feast. She told the servants to listen to Him. When they did, the Lord’s ministry could begin. How will the Lord’s ministry begin through us? How will we take the gospel to the remnant and other gentiles in a convincing manner?

Were we not just taught about the Mother? Were we not recently informed of how She instructs Her children to follow Her Son, the Lord? The talk, “Our Divine Parents”, contains a lot of information that can’t be repeated here. But the things that were taught may be important for how the work of the guide and standard gets completed. This blog post may also be of value.

The Freedom to Disagree

I invite everyone to seriously consider the proposal I linked to at the top of this post. I see wisdom in it. I see a potential way to fulfill all the Lord’s commandments regarding the statement of principles we are to adopt by mutual agreement. Personally, I am drawn towards the Lots document, but I won’t begrudge anyone who prefers another document. And perhaps we can each add an appropriate guide and standard to our own scriptures. That way, everyone’s freedom to choose is respected, nobody has to feel like they’re being forced into something, and we can continue to be one with each other. I’ll be praying and fasting on April 14th to be able to understand what the Lord would have me do regarding all of this.

The Book of Esther, or the Story of the King's Bride

I believe that the Book of Esther is a book of prophecy for the last days. Here are a few things to think about when studying this book.

Who is the king?

What is the feast?

Who did the king specifically invite to his feast?

Who is the queen?

What does it mean if the king’s bride lost her standing?

What does it mean if the king was searching for a new queen/bride?

Is it significant that Esther was an orphan?

Mordecai took Esther under his wing when she had no one to take care of her. Does he represent anyone?

What are the things Esther was given for purification? Do those things mean anything today?

Is it significant that Esther was given seven maidens and given the best place in the house of women?

Why did it take twelve months for Esther to get ready before seeing the king?

Is it significant that Esther took nothing with her except for what was given her?

Esther “obtained grace and favor in [the king’s] sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen”. Is that supposed to relate to something today?

Is it significant that Haman was promoted “above all the princes that were with him” right after Esther is made queen?

Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, thus putting his life, along with the lives of all the Jews, in jeopardy. Will that have a real-world application?

Mordecai implored Esther to intercede on behalf of the Jews, raising the possibility that she might have “come to the kingdom for such a time as this”. What does this tell us about the purpose of being the bride of the King?

What is Esther’s “royal apparel” that she put on?

Has anyone else ever found themself in the presence of the King without being invited? If so, were there any common threads that allowed them to be in that situation?

Is it significant that it took five years before Mordecai was finally honored for what he did for the king?

Is there anything to learn from the way Mordecai was honored?

Haman faced the wrath of the king and lost his life. Is it significant that neither Esther nor Mordecai demanded any kind of punishment for Haman, even though they were directly threatened by him?

Is it significant that the plot against Mordecai and the Jews was turned against the enemies of the Jews?

What power protected the Jews on the day they were supposed to be killed?

“Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple, and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.” The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor.” What does that mean for us in the last days?

The Jews, under the direction of Mordecai, held annual feasts to remember and celebrate their deliverance. Has that happened before? Will it happen again?

There Shall Be Many

2 Nephi 12 [all references are to the Restoration Edition] says:

Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of hosts, for notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me. Nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me, for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long saith the Lord God of hosts.

But behold, there shall be many at that day, when I shall proceed to do a marvellous work among them that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people which are of the house of Israel, and also, that I may remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed, and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed. And my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth for a standard unto my people which are of the house of Israel.

…

For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth and be written unto the Gentiles and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed. And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem and that they are descendants of the Jews. And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them, wherefore they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ which was had among their fathers.

Despite the “many” Gentiles who will not take the Gospel of Jesus Christ seriously and will say, “Eat, drink, and be merry,” there will also be “many” Gentiles who will take the Gospel seriously. These “many” Gentiles will carry the words which are written to the descendants of Lehi and Nephi. Those descendants will come to the knowledge of their fathers and to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The term “many” is, of course, relative. “Many” in one sense is only a few in another. Here’s what I think. Guessing how many people there are that belong to the remnant of Jacob that need to have the words of scripture carried to them, the Lord probably needs labor from just about everyone who has a real desire to preserve the restoration. There aren’t exactly tons of people who truly believe in the restoration. But I’d say that, with all of us in the movement combined, we do qualify as “many,” even if it’s just barely. We are all called to the work or at least we all have the chance to be called to the work.

In Denver Snuffer’s transcript of his talk in the St. George Doctrine of Christ conference, he announced the following revisions made to some verses of scripture:

Original text is shown below in black print, and revised replacement text in red print and cross-out showing deletions revealed by the Lord:

Alma [14]:

…that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time ye go out of

this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal

world.

…the same spirit you hearken to obey while living in the flesh shall, upon

your death, have the same power to influence you to hearken unto that spirit

in the next life.

3 Nephi [7]:

…the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice,

…the Gentiles should not at that time hear my voice,

3 Nephi [9]:

So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews, …

So great faith as yours have I never seen among all the Jews, …

Ether 1:

And never has man come before me with such exceeding faith…

And none of those now living have come before me with such exceeding

faith…

Ether 1:

And never have I shewed myself unto man whom I have created for never

has man...

And to none of those now living whom I created have I appeared, for none

have …

D&C 31:

And again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your

bodies.

And again, hard liquor is not for the belly, but for the washing of your

bodies.

Testimony of John 5:

And the Jewish Passover feast was approaching.

And the feast was approaching

While I believe each of those revisions helps us to understand the context in which it is found, I also believe that all seven of those revisions, when grouped together, are telling us Gentiles something very important.

The Alma 14 and 3 Nephi 7 revisions go together. If we Gentiles can hear the Lord’s voice, are we indeed hearkening to His voice? Which Spirit will have power to influence us to hearken to Him in the next life (see The Testimony of John for a lot on that topic)? For the 3 Nephi 9 revision, the Savior can say something similar to us if we can just hearken to Him in this life, believe what He says, and then do what He says as the Nephite disciples did. Remember it was the Nephite disciples to whom Jesus spoke those words after the glorious endowment they received because they obeyed His commandments at the earliest opportunity. The example of those disciples is not something to be jealous of. It is something to emulate. The revisions to Ether show us the huge opportunity in front of us. I have no reason to doubt the Lord’s appearing to many in this movement. and those appearances are meaningful, I’m sure. But I don’t believe what the brother of Jared typifies has been fulfilled in our day yet. The brother of Jared wanted to give light to those in darkness - those who needed to cross the everlasting gulf of misery and woe that separated them from the promised land. He was endowed with great power and knowledge to be able to do that, both literally and figuratively. There is no reason we cannot do that today. Related to that, the sons of Mosiah, whose work typifies the great and marvelous work of the last days, were collectively “comforted” by the Spirit of the Lord in preparation for their mission. We have that same unique opportunity today to receive that Comforter as a group of Gentiles, to prepare us for the work to which we can all be called. The D&C 31 revision reminds me of the washings that happened in the Kirtland temple. Perhaps it is hinting at what the Lord expects to have happen so that we are properly prepared. Finally, the Testimony of John 5 revision reminds us that the wedding feast is indeed approaching. All are invited, and those who will hearken to the King are specifically commissioned to bring everyone who will come to it. If we refuse to come, there will certainly be consequences.

“Many are called, but few are chosen.” That is how it has gone throughout pretty much all of scriptural history. But it sounds like the Lord hopes to change that to, “Many are called, and many are chosen.” It comes down to this: If you don’t believe you are called, then you will certainly not be chosen. But if you believe in the restoration and follow the Doctrine of Christ, you have assuredly been called, assuming you desire to do the work (and if the Doctrine of Christ includes having charity, you ought to have that desire). Be believing. All things are possible to him that believeth.

---

There are two efforts that relate to preaching the Gospel to Native Americans that are seeking out those with similar desires (that I am aware of): A committee to help support missionary work among Native Americans and an invitation to preach to the Hopi tribe. If you are aware of any other efforts that are casting a wide net to find like-minded individuals, please share them in the comments.

Out of Captivity, Part II

Part I

D&C 99 [RE] says, “If ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work, for behold, the field is white already to harvest and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perish not, but bringeth salvation to his soul.” D&C 5 [RE] has similar themes but includes this striking idea: “Whosoever will thrust in his sickle and reap, the same is called of God.” In other words, if you want to participate in the great and marvelous work, you simply need to have the desire and then you are called to the work. How do you show your desire? What is the evidence of your desire? You thrust in your sickle and you reap. It appears that that is the only way to know that you have been called.

The sons of Mosiah, after their conversion, desired to serve by preaching the word of God (Mosiah 8 [RE]). There is no record of God or an angel telling them to thrust in their sickles. That desire was simply part of them after they were born again. It was not until they were already in the wilderness, after they had set their hands to the work, that they were properly prepared and constituted for the work by the Lord.

And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness and they fasted much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his spirit to go with them and abide with them that they might be an instrument in the hands of God...And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his spirit and said unto them, Be comforted, and they were comforted. And the Lord said unto them also, Go forth among the Lamanites thy brethren and establish my word, yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may shew forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah and also those who were with them took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God. (Alma 8 [RE])

Who, specifically, comforted the sons of Mosiah? What form did that comfort take? Was the reception of that comforter an end in itself or was it a means to an end? Whatever the answers to those questions are, it is evident in the record that what they received empowered them sufficiently to perform the work they set out to do. And they didn’t wait around to receive that power before going and doing. They had faith in God that He would empower them after they began the work. I find it noteworthy that they were in great need of courage when they were in the wilderness. One who knows the outcome of their mission might imagine that they would have had extreme confidence in what they were doing. But they were so unsure of themselves that they didn’t even know for certain if they were doing the right thing. They were weak. Fortunately, we know what God can do with weak things.

But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness; not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls. Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us and said, go amongst thy brethren the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. (Alma 10 [RE])

The Lord provided the sons of Mosiah with what they needed at the very moment they needed it and not before. If “faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, constitutes [us] for the work” (D&C 99 [RE]), when exactly do we become so constituted and who does the constituting? Can we take those things upon ourselves or must they be received? If they can only be received, why would God ever bestow such gifts upon us? Are they to be consumed upon our lusts or can they only be used for specific purposes? Is there a reason the marvelous work and a wonder has been less than marvelous these many years? Can that change? Why would that change? If there is a new opportunity being offered to be called to a truly marvelous work, then perhaps we ought to pay close attention.

Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII

An Invitation to Go to Work