An Invitation to Go to Work

Out of Captivity

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII

[If you haven’t already read the “Out of Captivity” series that immediately precedes this post, I highly recommend that you do to understand the background of this invitation]

I will be on the Hopi Indian reservation in north-eastern Arizona during the weekend of September 23rd and 24th for the purpose of teaching the Gospel. I imagine I would arrive there as early as the 22nd and perhaps leave as late as the 25th. I will probably find a campground nearby to sleep each night I’m there. I would like to invite anyone who feels a similar desire to join me. If you are interested in joining me in preaching to the Hopi that weekend, please send an email to missiontothehopi@gmail.com and I will create a Google email group so we can discuss the effort and plan whatever needs to be planned. Of course you are free to not do that and show up that weekend anyway. I anticipate that there will be many questions about this mission so I hope to address at least some of them here.

I don’t intend to control anything that will happen that weekend. Thankfully, I am in charge of absolutely nobody and, while I may have brought up the idea to do this specific thing, nobody needs to listen to me. I’m sure the Spirit will guide each person in what they need to do. Of course, that doesn’t automatically mean the complete lack of organization on the part of those that participate.

I don’t know what the work will actually look like, I don’t know if it will require any subsequent visits, and I don’t know if it will require any money. I know very little about what is going to be accomplished there. I have ideas and hopes about some of those things and I know others will have ideas as well. For those who wish to join me as equals in this endeavor, we will be able to talk about our ideas, pray about them, and make decisions over the next several months.

I don’t believe this mission is any sort of exclusive opportunity. The Lord is very clear that anyone who has desires to serve is called to the work. I’m sure there will be other missionary efforts in other parts of the world. I hope this is just one of many efforts in the work of the Lord. There is absolutely no reason to judge or condemn anyone who doesn’t want to participate, including those who are opposed to this endeavor.

While I may have hopes about what this mission can accomplish, I make no assumptions about the outcome. Enos and Ammon both had righteous desires to preach to the Lamanites and I’m certain they both acted in faith. The former didn’t see any success while the latter saw lots of success. My desire is to do good and invite people to follow Jesus. People need Him. The way people respond to the work does not define my reason for doing this. While I would certainly rejoice if anyone accepts the message, I will be happy just to spread the good news.

I don’t know if the Hopi are descended from anyone in the Book of Mormon and I don’t know if this mission will fulfill any prophecy whatsoever. The Lord can worry about that. Honestly, those things don’t matter nearly as much as the fact that the people on the Hopi reservation are children of God who need redemption. The people are the focus. Prophecies will take care of themselves as we follow Christ and love and serve people.

There are probably many good points people could make that would show the folly of this missionary effort. Make no mistake: They would be right. I am weak and this is a weak effort. Just like the mission of Ammon and his brethren, this mission is a bad idea (Alma 14 [RE]). It is an idea so dumb and bad that hardly anyone would ever think it could possibly be useful. Yet I remain convinced that we need more ideas like it. It is my experience that the Spirit often inspires “bad” ideas that go against conventional wisdom. It was certainly a “dumb” idea when many of us started seeking for more knowledge of God outside of mainstream religion. So I hope everyone follows the dumb and bad ideas they receive through inspiration that lead them and others to believe in Christ.

St. John 2 [RE] says, “The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth, so is every one who is born of the Spirit.”

Out of Captivity, Part VII

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI

The story of Jesus’ visit to the Nephites may be instructive to us today. Allow me to present distinct elements of His ministry among the Nephites, each with a brief description.

It began with a very personal manifestation of the Son of God (3 Nephi 5 [All references are to the Restoration Edition]). Jesus showed Himself to the Nephites and ministered to them on an individual level.

Jesus chose servants to minister (3 Nephi 5). Nephi and eleven others were chosen to baptize and teach the people.

Jesus taught His doctrine, which included His commandments (3 Nephi 5, 6, & 7). He clearly explained His doctrine of repentance, baptism, and becoming as a little child. He followed up by explaining the fulness of His doctrine, the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus explained how something different was now underway (3 Nephi 7). People were confused about the Law of Moses being done away. He explained how that was possible and how He had always been the One to look to.

Jesus prophesied many things, with a particular focus on the restoration of Israel through the ministration of the Gentiles (3 Nephi 7). He told the Nephites about the existence of other sheep, or rather, other tribes of Israel that will be ministered to and will eventually be gathered in. He explained that the Gentiles will receive the records of the Nephites in order to teach Israel.

The people were not ready to understand Jesus’ message (3 Nephi 8). The people were weak in their minds and were thus unprepared to receive what Jesus offered them.

A ritual ordinance was demonstrated to the people so that they would know what to do (3 Nephi 8) Jesus used their little children to show the people what He wanted to have happen and to show what was possible for them to receive.

Jesus departed for a season (3 Nephi 8). He left the people and went to His Father for their sakes. Apparently some waiting time was necessary due to their lack of preparation.

Servants worked tirelessly to prepare people for when Jesus would return (3 Nephi 9). Jesus promised He would come the next day. Many people were impressed to spend a great deal of time and energy preparing people to be where Jesus wanted them to be.

Many people came to the right place at the right time but they were greeted by only messengers at first (3 Nephi 9). I don’t know if anyone was disappointed when they got to the appointed place, but Jesus wasn’t there yet and the people were taught by those who were chosen by Jesus.

The words of Jesus were repeated in their original form with no deviation (3 Nephi 9). There can be no doubt that the very best efforts were made to preserve exactly what Jesus taught the previous day. Fidelity to His word was very important because the salvation of everyone depended on the doctrine being exactly correct.

The commandments of Jesus were not only said with exactness, but also done with exactness (3 Nephi 9). Directly after the disciples taught exactly as Jesus taught, they were baptized exactly as Jesus commanded the previous day.

The very things that Jesus promised would happen did happen (3 Nephi 9). The Holy Ghost fell upon the disciples and they were baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost.

Unimaginable blessings were poured out (3 Nephi 9). The heavens were opened as angels descended to minister, Jesus Himself appeared in the midst of them, and a miraculous and indescribable endowment was given to the disciples.

Let us now see how these same elements have been introduced in these latter-days.

It began with a very personal manifestation of the Son of God (Joseph Smith - History). To start the dispensation of the latter-days, God the Father and His Son appeared to Joseph Smith and ministered to him.

Jesus chose servants to minister (Joseph Smith - History, D&C 1). Joseph Smith, among others, were called to receive revelations and teach the people.

Jesus taught His doctrine, which included His commandments (3 Nephi 5, 6, & 7). To teach us His doctrine, He gave us the same words He gave to the Nephites.

Jesus explained how something different was now underway (D&C 4). Everything revealed in the latter-day dispensation is meant to build up His church and not to destroy it. It is all meant to get people to look to Him and to prepare people to receive Him when He comes again.

Jesus prophesied many things, with a particular focus on the restoration of Israel through the ministration of the Gentiles (1 Nephi 3; 3 Nephi 9). The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants are filled with a lot of knowledge about the gathering of Israel and the stewardship of the Gentiles.

The people were not ready to understand Jesus’ message (D&C 37 & 49). The early saints had numerous problems that prevented them from receiving everything that the Lord was offering.

A ritual ordinance was demonstrated to the people so that they would know what to do (D&C 40). An endowment was given in the Kirtland temple and Joseph Smith instituted the original ritual form that the LDS Church inherited. These things demonstrate to the saints the things that they are expected to do in this life.

Jesus departed for a season (2 Nephi 12; 3 Nephi 7; Mormon 4; D&C 27, 37, & 49). The early saints lost the chance to receive the Lord’s fulness and would have to wait for a time before He would present another opportunity.

Servants worked, are working, and will work tirelessly to prepare people for when Jesus will return (D&C 37; The Train). We are now caught up with the present. This work of preparation is happening now. How will we respond? Were any of the Nephites annoyed when they were woken from their sleep by those telling people where Christ would be the next day? Did anyone stay in bed?

Many people will come to the right place at the right time but they will be greeted by only messengers at first (D&C 27). The scriptures are clear that we must receive the Lord’s servants in order to receive the Lord. Were any Nephites disappointed when they went to Bountiful and only found twelve men claiming to have the words of Jesus? Did anyone leave because of their disappointment?

The words of Jesus will be repeated in their original form with no deviation (3 Nephi 5; D&C 27, 33, 49, 77, 85, & 88). The work of preserving the words of the Lord as they were revealed is going on right now and anyone can offer their assistance to this work. It is hoped that the product of this effort will be the words of Jesus with no deviation. When the Nephite disciples taught the Lord’s words, did the Nephites value those words as if they were spoken by the Lord Himself? Will we value His words as if they were spoken by the Lord Himself?

The commandments of Jesus will not only be said with exactness, but also be done with exactness (Jacob 3). Once we have accurately preserved the words of the Lord we can set about going and doing whatever the Lord has commanded. Everything will be in vain until this step is taken. The Nephite disciples obeyed Jesus’ command to be baptized at the earliest opportunity after they had taught the people His exact words. In fact, it was the obedience to Jesus’ commands that allowed Him to appear in their midst. How long will we wait to obey Jesus’ commands after we faithfully preserve His words?

The very things that Jesus promised would happen will happen (1 Nephi 3 & 7; D&C 21 & 100). If what the Lord commands is actually done, His promises will be fulfilled. The Gentiles who repent will have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost, the Lord will not leave His servants comfortless, the great and marvelous work of the Lord will begin, and He will make bare His arm in the eyes of all the nations. Ultimately Israel will be restored according to the Lord’s covenants. These things have to happen if some Gentiles repent and obey. The Lord is bound to do what He says.

Unimaginable blessings will be poured out (Malachi; 2 Corinthians; D&C 23 & 27). The restoration of Israel seems to be only the beginning of the great and marvelous work God will do in these last days. The blessings that will be given are currently incomprehensible.

There seems to be many parallels between the Nephites back then and us in our day. Will we be at least as faithful to what we receive as the Nephites were to what they received? The Lord needs a people who will repent and act in faith. He has a plan for getting people out of captivity. The entire world can benefit from what He is trying to do. It is my prayer that we can shake off our unbelief and false traditions and receive everything the Lord has to offer. We must fearlessly move forward. The Lord will grant unto us our righteous desires if we believe and obey His words, which are true and faithful.

I say unto you Ezra and Northrop, Open ye your ears and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God whose word is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow, soul and spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. For verily, verily I say unto you that ye are called to lift up your voices as with the sound of a trump to declare my gospel unto a crooked and a perverse generation, for behold, the field is white already to harvest, and it is the eleventh hour, and for the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard. And my vineyard has become corrupted every whit and there is none which doeth good save it is a few only and they do err in many instances because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds.

And verily, verily I say unto you that this church have I established and called forth out of the wilderness, and even so will I gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in me and hearken unto my voice.

Yea, verily, verily I say unto you that the field is white already to harvest, wherefore thrust in thy sickle and reap with all thy might, mind, and strength. Open thy mouth and it shall be filled and thou shalt become even as Nephi of old who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness, yea, open thy mouth and spare not and thou shalt be laden with sheaves upon thy back, for lo, I am with you. Yea, open thy mouth and it shall be filled saying, Repent, repent and prepare ye the way of the Lord and make his path strait for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, yea, repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, yea, be baptized even by water and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.

Behold, verily, verily I say unto you, This is my gospel and remember that they shall have faith in me or they can in nowise be saved. And upon this Rock I will build my church, yea, upon this Rock ye are built and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against you. And ye shall remember the church Articles and Covenants to keep them. And whoso having faith, ye shall confirm in my church by the laying on of the hands and I will bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them. And the Book of Mormon and the Holy Scriptures are given of me for thine instruction and the power of my spirit quickeneth all things. Wherefore be faithful praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you that ye may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom, for behold, verily, verily I say unto you that I come quickly. Even so. Amen. (D&C 117)

An Invitation to Go to Work

Out of Captivity, Part VI

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V

Alma 12 [RE] says, “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.” If the great and marvelous work of the latter-days is going to be anything like the work Ammon and his brethren did, there will certainly be a need for patience and long-suffering. There will undoubtedly be many afflictions. People may respond violently. Christ’s messengers will have to endure it all as He did. That will mean constant forgiveness and a refusal to retaliate. That will require a lot of faith as those delivering the good news will have to rely completely upon the Lord for their protection and not upon the arm of flesh.

The latter-day work will have at its aim nothing less than Zion. As it turns out, the servants who go out and teach will have to live the laws of Zion, for those “who shall seek to bring forth my Zion…shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost” (1 Nephi 3 [RE]). Those laws include a refusal to use violence. I once saw the following comment in an online discussion about Zion. I think it can help us understand why the path of complete forgiveness and non-violence is so important.

To create Zion, a city of peace, a city that the Lord protects and defends through His own power (you can look in Moses 7 to see how Enoch's city was defended - it wasn't through anything people did), I agree that we need to have Zion in our heart. I think that having Zion in our heart means having faith in God's laws that pertain to Zion. I think that having faith in God's laws that pertain to Zion means doing the works of Zion on an individual level, for faith without works is dead (James 2:17). I believe that our actions are the evidence and a by-product of our faith (Hebrews 11:1). I don't think that the faith that is necessary to be able to dwell in Zion will spontaneously appear if aspiring Zionites gather together. I think that the faith necessary to be able to dwell in Zion will have to exist in each person prior to any sort of gathering. What will those individuals be doing before a gathering begins? Will their individual conduct look the same whether they are in Zion or not? Or will their individual conduct change after they have gathered together?

When I look at D&C 98 [D&C 36 (RE)], I see two paths. One path allows for the destruction of your enemies (as long as a surprisingly strict set of limits are followed). This path is explicitly "justified" (v. 31) and is therefore no sin. Certainly such a path has been used over and over again in many books of scripture. What has also happened over and over again in many books of scripture is a lack of Zion (3 Nephi 10:5). In other words, people have continually rejected the offers from God to live according to the laws of Zion and to gather.

The other path in D&C 98 is in accordance with what was taught in the Sermon on the Mount. It is the consistent and perfect application of forgiveness and the utter refusal to reward your enemy "according to his works" (i.e. the refusal to give your enemy what he deserves) (v. 31). This is the path of blessing your enemy. This path is more than justification and is more than simply being without sin, but it is counted as "righteousness" (v. 30). This path provides blessings for "thy children and thy children’s children unto the third and fourth generation" (v. 30). Is Zion not an inheritance for a thousand years worth of generations of your descendants? If it is, then I suspect that aspiring Zionites will need at least three and four generations worth of blessings. And blessings only come when we obey the laws upon which they are predicated (D&C 130:21). This path of proclaiming peace is for those who "seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children" (v. 16) which, interestingly enough, is exactly what is needed in order for the earth to avoid being utterly wasted/cursed at the Lord's coming (Malachi 4:5-6; 3 Nephi 25:5-6; D&C 2; JS-H 1:36-39). Again, the law upon which this blessing is predicated consists of renouncing war and proclaiming peace. Can you renounce war while partaking in it? Can you proclaim peace while carving out exceptions with the sword?

These are incredibly difficult topics, not only to explore, but to consider putting into practice. What would it mean for you and your family to renounce war and proclaim peace? What would have to change? What kind of trust in God does that take? If these things are hard, what does that mean? Does it mean they're of God or does it just mean that they're suicidal? Would God ever require anything seemingly suicidal? Are there people in scriptures who accepted death rather than practice war? What happened to them? What blessings did they secure for their children?

I suppose only God can let you know whether I'm on to something or whether I'm just on something. What marvelous decisions that need to be made.

So let’s apply the principles taught in that comment to the great and marvelous work that needs to happen at some point. Imagine going out to teach people the Gospel. Imagine what might happen to you if you did. Could you handle getting beat up? Getting thrown into jail? Having your clothes taken away? Being in chains? Getting mocked and spit upon? Being deprived of food and water? Having your life threatened? I could go on. Could you endure all these things and still seek to serve the very people who are abusing and tormenting you? Could you suffer death before striking your enemy? If we can’t do these things or can’t even desire to be able to do these things, we probably shouldn’t bother thrusting in our sickles. The Lord will wait for people who seek to bring forth Zion before granting the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost to convince the nations. Those people will already be living the laws of Zion.

Part VII

An Invitation to Go to Work

Out of Captivity, Part V

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

D&C 65 [RE] contains "laws which…are sufficient for both here and in the New Jerusalem.” So we can be sure that whatever we are told in that revelation will apply when the New Jerusalem is actually built or being built. In other words, these are not lower laws that bring condemnation and death. Among the many laws in that revelation, it says, "Thou shalt not take thy brother's garment, thou shalt pay for that which thou shalt receive of thy brother." While that particular commandment is perfectly consistent with everything else the Lord has commanded, something about it bothered me at first. Maybe I’m very different from other people but, in my mind, it was kind of out of place. The revelation already commanded the saints to not steal so it appeared redundant. And, for a revelation that talks a lot about consecration, that one part seemed a bit overly concerned with trade and economic gain. What’s the deal?

Directly before that commandment, it says, “Thou shalt stand in the place of thy stewardship.” When taken in context, this is a new thought so, unless this statement is supposed to stand completely alone and unrelated to the rest of the revelation (unlikely, in my opinion), our stewardship is somehow related to the idea of paying our brother for his garment. What is our stewardship? If you go a bit further back in the revelation, we find a clue. “I will consecrate the riches of the Gentiles unto my people which are of the House of Israel.” That is a fantastic description of the Gentile stewardship that is prophesied throughout the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture. This relates to the major Book of Mormon theme of the Gentiles delivering the Gospel to the Lamanites and assisting in gathering in the rest of Israel. We are rich while Israel is poor, pertaining to the knowledge of spiritual things. Thus the need to consecrate our riches unto them (or risk getting drunk off of our riches).

As Gentiles (of the tribe of Ephraim), we have a stewardship. It is to bring the Gospel to the Lamanites (of the tribe of Manasseh, who is Ephraim's brother). This land is already promised, by covenant, to the Lamanites since they are descendants of Lehi. We Gentiles are seeking a covenant upon this land. Those who hold title to this land (i.e. Lamanites) are still around, even if they are not currently exercising their rights upon the land. That means they will necessarily be involved if any of this covenant land gets promised to Gentiles. If, in scripture, a garment is related to a covenant status, whose garment do we seek to wear as a covenant people? If we want to be established upon this land of promise, are we not seeking the garment of our brethren, the Lamanites? Are we not aiming to be numbered among the seed of Lehi? So the big question is, are we seeking to take our brother's garment without paying for it? Of course, such an act would go against the laws pertaining to the New Jerusalem. What exactly would be the payment? What could we possibly offer to Lehi’s family that would be an acceptable payment for permanent residence on their land they have a promise to by covenant?

According to its title page, the Book of Mormon was “written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel…to come forth in due time by the way of Gentile; the interpretation thereof by the gift of God…which is to shew unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the LORD hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the LORD, that they are not cast off forever.” An acceptable payment to Lehi’s family, so that we may justly receive our “brother’s garment,” may be as simple as showing them the great things the Lord did for their fathers, teaching them the covenants of the Lord, and letting them know that they are not cast off forever. We have a stewardship. We have the Book of Mormon in our possession. We can indeed “pay for that which [we] shalt receive of [our] brother.” All of this can and should be done, “by the gift of God,” if we are not of little faith.

Part VI | Part VII

An Invitation to Go to Work