Let the Journey Begin . . .Part 2

After 40 years (period of cleansing and preparation) it is finally time to enter the promised land. You've made some mistakes, worshiped a few golden calves, (anything you can physically touch, see, smell, hear or taste) as carnal men and women tend to do, but you are ready for the next step. It won't be easy. In fact you are going to let go of many of the things you assumed were true. One of the most shocking changes in your perception is the role of prophets. As you journeyed with Moses (the living prophet) you came to love, revere and respect him. Though there were times when you felt resentful of what he told you to do and you murmured just a tad, you grew to love the man. You knew that he spoke for God on your behalf and you were commanded to hearken unto his words. Perhaps you went a step further and put him on a pedestal and even worshiped him to a certain degree. Though he pointed the way to Christ, you wanted him to speak with God on your behalf. He took on that role because God commanded him to. You weren't ready to talk with God face to face as another man speaketh. Personal revelation was too scary for you. You were not quite ready to become a King or Queen, or Priest or Priestess. You preferred for Moses to take the lead in your lives and so he did. Moses struggled with you in the wilderness just like you did and you recognized what a great blessing he was in your life. You became accustomed to him being your leader. You became used to listening to his voice and doing what he asked you to do. You began to forget what you were wandering in the wilderness for. You began to think that the promised land was some far away dream that would never come in your lifetime. So you were content to continue wandering and being led. Until one day, it was time. Your period of cleansing and preparation had ended. But you find out something that is disturbing. Moses (the living prophet or the scriptures) isn't allowed to go with you! Moses can't bring you into the promised land. You don't understand. It seems cruel and strange that God would not allow your great leader to continue to lead. Why?

Moses made an easy (natural) mistake. Instead of giving God the credit for the miracle of the water flowing from the rock for the thirsty children of Israel, he gave himself the credit. But wait, Millennial Mormon guy, why would a loving God do such a thing!? It was just a mistake and couldn't Moses repent? Of course he could and I'm sure he did. But the Lord disallowed him to enter the promised land to teach us all an important lesson that we must never forget. Prophets (living or dead ones) cannot save us. That has never been their purpose or role. They cannot perfect us. They cannot lead us into the celestial kingdom. They cannot lead us into a land flowing with milk and honey. They can only take us so far. They are flesh and blood. They have an important role and purpose. They are special witnesses of Jesus Christ. They are types and showdows of Him just as everything is. Only He can bring us home. Only He can perfect us. Only He can save us. Only He can show us who we really are. Only He can be our Exemplar, Savior, Redeemer, and Mediator. The living and dead apostles and prophets are types and shadows and the natural man tends to put his faith in, and worship the types and shadows and forgets the meaning behind them.

Who leads the children of Israel across the river Jordan (threshold of the Terrestrial)? Joshua (Jesus) takes the lead now. Moses dies (or is translated) as all temporal things do. He was flesh and blood. When the living prophet "dies" and Joshua becomes our new leader then we are ready for the next step in our spiritual journey. The room becomes brighter and we see things clearer. We see the promised land.

But wait Millennial Mormon! Hold on just a minute. Are you telling us that we shouldn't listen to the living prophet anymore and just do whatever we want?! Of course not. Jesus did not come to destroy the law and the prophets but to fulfill them. Jesus Christ is the point. He is what the law and the prophets have always pointed to. When we are ready to accept that, then we are ready to move forward. Nothing has been lost. Your telestial wanderings have served a purpose and you would not be where you are today without them. You aren't losing anything. You aren't going to destroy the living prophet or his words because you are entering the promised land. They have been fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

"I'm still not convinced Millennial Mormon. Show us a sign! Show us proof!"

Careful now. An adulterous generation (fragmented carnal man) seeks signs.

Very well.

Let's try John the Baptist, one of the greatest living prophets ever, and see what he says:

John did baptize in the wilderness (Telestial Kingdom), and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Aaronic Priesthood). And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem (those who were in outer darkness), and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey (all symbols of the earthy, physical, lone and dreary telestial world); And preached, saying, there cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. (Mark 1:4-7)

When we are ready to leave outer darkness and gain greater light and truth we look for messengers and God sends them to us. We seek and then we find. In God's mercy, because we learn line upon line, precept upon precept, he sends messengers who cry in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. That is the purpose of apostles, prophets and the scriptures. God is the same yesterday today and forever. Who have been the messengers in your life? We love those messengers. But they are not the Christ. We must let them go before Christ comes. Don't take my word for it. Listen to John the Baptist again:

Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying (becoming perfected or whole or holy). And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he (Jesus) that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him (every knee shall bow and every tongue confess). John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. (John 3:25-31)

Are you ready to let the living prophets decrease and Christ increase? Moses and John are flesh and blood. Moses died or was translated. John the Baptist died. The early apostles died. Joseph Smith died. Brigham Young died. President Hinckley died. Are you ready to let them go? I had a hard time letting President Hinckley go. Even though I knew that Thomas S. Monson was indeed a true prophet. Finally, in the book of Revelation two prophets are killed and lie dead in the streets of Jerusalem before Christ returns (Revelation 11).

"I'm still not convinced Millennial Mormon! I am going to follow the living prophet until I die."

Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong at all with that. Christ will be ready to lead the way into the promised land (Terrestrial Kingdom) when you are ready.

"So are you saying that I worship the living prophets and I can't seem to let them go?"

Well, perhaps. Only you can be the judge of that. I do know that Paul was very concerned that the Corinthian saints were tending to worship the personalities of the apostles and prophets instead of seeking perfection through Jesus Christ. (see 1 Corinthians chapter 3. A great chapter that clearly illustrates these principles. Can ye bear it?)

If you are reading this then perhaps you are ready to leave behind your "Nicodemus Mormom" ways and begin a millennial reign inside yourself. On the other hand, you may not be ready. And that is okay. There is no rush. Take your time. If you are afraid then stop reading this blog. If you are fearful then it isn't the right time. This blog is just my opinion and can be rejected at any time. You are not bound to listen or to follow. If the Spirit prompts you to read more then so be it. You are always welcome on this blog. Anytime.

Finally listen to this beautiful passage of scripture and feel what the Lord might be saying to you: And Moses went up from the plains of Moab (Telestial Kingdom) unto the mountain (Temple) of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, and all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, and the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed (children of the prophets): I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab (Telestial Kingdom), according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchure unto this day. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (how I saw President Hinckley when he died). And the children of Israel wept for Moses (I wept for Pres. Hinckley and still miss him) in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. And Joshua (Jesus Christ) the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him (pointed to him and been a special witness): and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses (to become perfected in Christ). And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders, which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, and in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:1-12)

The Lord wants all his people to become prophets (D&C 1:20; Numbers 11:29). He wants to speak with you face to face. He wants you to live your life by personal revelation. He is ready for you to take this step when you allow the prophets to decrease and Christ to increase. The law and the prophets will always be a part of you. You will forever and always be grateful for these messengers that pointed you toward Jesus Christ.

End of Part 2.

Let the Journey Begin . . . Part 1

Greetings to everyone out there. Special greetings to all those Nicodemus Mormons out there struggling in the wilderness. Peace be with you. Thank you for reading this blog. Your questions and comments are always welcomed.

Recently, I have been pondering my own journey as a "Nicodemus Mormon" towards Millennial Mormonism. In case you haven't read previous posts, a Nicodemus Mormon is a certain manifestation of the natural man. He or she tends to view the abundant types, shadows and symbols all around us in only a literal, concrete, natural and physical way. He is tempted to worship these signs and symbols and often gives in. As a result, he finds himself in a lone and dreary wilderness, dependent on strict laws for physical and spiritual survival. These carnal (physical/outward) commandments keep him safe but they are a heavy burden. Until the natural man or woman is subdued and submissive, this wilderness journey is grievous and at times miserable in spite of the miracles happening all along the way.

One elegant way to describe this journey is the story of the children of Israel leaving Egypt. It is very appropriate because for all intents and purposes, modern Israel (the Church) is not that different than ancient Israel. The journey begins in Egypt or the world (Outer Darkness), through the lone and dreary wilderness (Telestial Kingdom), and continues with the death of Moses, Joshua taking leadership and the battles to conquer the promised land (Terrestrial Kingdom), and finally settlement. Hopefully, you will begin to see the parallels and this journey as your own story and your own journey.

As you recall, the children of Israel were in bondage to Egypt (the Material World) for 430 years (period of cleansing and preparation). The Lord called a mighty prophet (Moses) to lead the people out of Egypt. It was extremely difficult for Egypt to let go of Israel. (And conversely for Israel to let go of Egypt). Only through miracles, the prophet, and the priesthood, was this accomplished. Even after Israel left Egypt, the armies of Egypt came after them to return them back to slavery and bondage. The Apostle Paul describes the miraculous "baptism" that occurred as the Red Sea was parted and the children of Israel were led to safety. They were led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire (the Spirit) by night into the wilderness.

Although Egyptian bondage was horrific and dark, many of the children of Israel looked back to Egypt and wanted the meager benefits that were provided rather than having to trek through the desert with the threat of death, thirst and starvation all around them. Understandable or one might say it is even "natural"! They murmured and complained to Moses who then asked the Lord to provide water and food for the people. The Lord took care of their physical needs and brought them to the mountain (temple) where he was prepared to make them a "kingdom of priests" (and kings). Sound familiar?

However, the people said "unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die" (Exodus 20:19). Moses "sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; but they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fullness of his glory. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also; And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel; which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal (physical/outward) commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb" (D&C 84:23-27).

Why was the Lord so angry? What was it that triggered the Lord removing the higher priesthood from ancient Israel? Sometimes when we ask a question, we may not be prepared for the answer. Joseph Smith asked a lot of questions. I don't know that he was always prepared for the answers. Can you handle the truth?

The answer is that they wanted a prophet to speak for them rather than receiving personal revelation and having a close relationship with God. As a consequence, the Aaronic priesthood continued and they wandered in the wilderness (Telestial Kingdom) for 40 (time of cleansing and preparation) years.

Like ancient Israel, do we prefer to have the prophet speak for the Lord on our behalf rather than communing with him ourselves and knowing him face to face? Does that frighten and scare us like ancient Israel?

But wait Millennial Mormon! Hold on just a minute. We have the Temple! We have the Melchizedek priesthood! The Lord didn't take it away, he restored it to the prophet Joseph Smith through Peter, James and John right?! Yes, that is true, however, just because the Melchizedek priesthood is conferred upon us does not mean that it is operating (see D&C 121:37). Many are called but few are chosen right?! And just because we have the Temple does not mean that we have understanding.

So if you believe that we in the church seem to have a lot of rules, laws and commandments, then you can look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you have preferred to hear the word of the Lord through the living or dead prophets (scriptures) rather than receiving personal revelation and seeking a "face to face" relationship with God. Numerous carnal commandments are a natural consequence of your choice to avoid the close relationship that God wants to have with you. Instead of this millennial relationship with Jesus Christ, carnal man continues to indulge in fear rather than faith.

Worse still, there are some who, in spite of seeing miracles in the wilderness and the Lord working through the living prophets or the scriptures, feel so burdened and miserable in the wilderness, they actually end up going back to Egypt (Outer Darkness) to renew their bonds of slavery to the world. Some of these individuals can become very bitter and full of rage towards the prophets and the children of Israel (the Church). They feel as if they have been robbed in the wilderness much like Laman and Lemuel. As the scriptures abundantly teach, there is "weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth" in outer darkness. These are they who are worse off than they were before. These people "maketh war with the saints of God, and encompasseth them round about and know God's power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—They are they who are the sons (or daughters) of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born (baptized) (D&C 76:29-32). They can't leave it alone (lake of fire and brimstone). As the living prophets have described, "they can leave the church but they can't leave it alone." You probably know some of these poor folks. They are consumed with such bitterness and rage that I can't help but feel pity for them and I wish them nothing but peace, love and blessings. Joseph Smith said this: "When a man begins to be an enemy to this work, he hunts me, he seeks to kill me, and never ceases to thirst for my blood. He gets the spirit of the devil—the same spirit that they had who crucified the Lord of Life—the same spirit that sins against the Holy Ghost." (Joseph Smith, King Follet Sermon). It's sad that there are still people today that are like this.

Travelling through the wilderness (Telestial Kingdom) is a necessary part of our spiritual journey. It requires great sacrifice and there is much pain and sorrow but there are extremely beautiful miracles and moments all along the way. It is a kingdom and a world beyond what we can even imagine if we were to look at it through spiritual eyes. We feel the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives and it brings so much comfort and peace to us as we wander in the wilderness. We have a living prophet to guide us and we have the scriptures. Although, we may occasionally murmur, there is something inside of us that tells us to press on. Endure to the end. It is not over. The journey continues . . .

End of Part 1