Brigham Young's Revelations: January 30, 1846

Revelation through President Brigham Young to Reuben Miller, concerning the false claims of James J. Strang, who was at the time vying to lead the Church after the Martyrdom.  (Fred C., comp. Collier, Unpublished Revelations of the Prophets and Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, volume 1, (Salt Lake City: Collier's Publishing Company, 1979), 104):

1. Thus saith the Lord unto Reuben Miller through Brigham Young -
2. That [James J.] Strang is a wicked and corrupt man and that his revelations are as false as he is -
3. Therefore turn away from his folly - and never let it be said of Reuben Miller that he ever was led away and entangled by such nonsense.

Wilford Woodruff's Revelations: November 24, 1889

Revelation Received Sunday, November 24, 1889, by President Wilford Woodruff, (Journal of Wilford Woodruff), (Also Messages of the First Presidency 3:175), at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.  This revelation came to President Woodruff as he was contemplating issuing the Manifesto a year prior to its actual issuance, which occurred on October 6, 1890:


Thus saith the LORD to My servant Wilford, I the
Lord have heard thy prayer and thy request, and
will answer thee by the voice of My Spirit.
2 Thus saith the LORD, unto My servants, the
Presidency of My Church, who hold the keys of
the Kingdom of God on the earth.
3 I the Lord hold the destiny of the Courts in
your midst, and the destiny of this nation, and all
other nations of the earth in Mine own hands; all
that I have revealed, and promised and decreed
concerning the generation in which you live,
shall come to pass, and no power shall stay My
hand.
4 Let not My servants who are called to the
Presidency of My Church, deny My word or My
law, which concerns the salvation of the children
of men.
5 Let them pray for the Holy Spirit, which shall
be given them, to guide them in their acts.
6 Place not yourselves in jeopardy to your
enemies by promise;
7 Your enemies seek your destruction and the
destruction of My people.
8 If the Saints will hearken unto My voice, and
the counsel of My servants, the wicked shall not
prevail.
9 Let My servants, who officiate as your
Counselors before the Courts, make their
pleadings as they are moved upon by the Holy
Spirit, without any further pledges from the
Priesthood, and they shall be justified.
10 I the LORD will hold the Courts, with the
officers of government, and the nation
responsible for their acts towards the inhabitants
of Zion.
11 I, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, am in
your midst. I am your Advocate with the Father.
12 Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
13 Fear not the wicked and ungodly.
14 Search the Scriptures, for they are they which
testify of Me; also those revelations which I have
given to My Servant Joseph, and to all My
Servants since the world began, which are
recorded in the records of divine truth.
15 Those revelations contain the judgments of
God, which are to be poured out upon all nations
under the heavens, which include great babylon.
16 These judgments are at the door, they will be
fulfilled as God lives.
17 Leave judgment with Me, it is Mine saith the
LORD.
18 Watch the signs of the times, and they will
show the fulfillment of the words of the LORD.
19 Let my servants call upon the LORD in
mighty prayer, retain the Holy Ghost as your
constant companion, and act as you are moved
upon by that spirit, and all will be well with you.
20 The wicked are fast ripening in iniquity, and
they will be cut off by the judgments of God.
21 Great events await you and this generation,
and are nigh at your doors.
22 Awake, O Israel, and have faith in God, and
His promises, and He will not forsake you.
23 I, the Lord will deliver My Saints from the
dominion of the wicked, in Mine own due time
and way.
24 I cannot deny My word, neither in blessings
nor judgments.
25 Therefore let Mine anointed gird up their
loins, watch and be sober, and keep My
commandments.
26 Pray always and faint not; exercise faith in
the LORD and in the promises of God; be valiant
in the testimony of Jesus Christ.
27 The eyes of the Lord and the Heavenly Hosts
are watching over you and your acts.
28 Therefore be faithful until I come. I come
quickly, to reward every man according with
deeds done in the body.
Even so, Amen.

Wilford Woodruff's Revelations: February 22, 1877

Revelation Received Wednesday, February 22, 1877, by Apostle Wilford Woodruff, (Wilford Woodruff Journal, March 1, 1877), at St. George, Utah Territory, while he was serving as the President of the St. George Utah Temple:

The Spirit of the LORD rested upon me, and
conveyed the following testimony to me;
2 Let My servant Wilford call upon the virgins,
maidens, daughters and mothers in Zion, an let
them enter into My holy Temple on the first day
of March, the day that My servant Wilford has
seen the time allotted to man, three score years
and ten.
3 And there let them receive their washings and
anointings and endowments for and in behalf of
the wives who are dead, and have been sealed to
My servant Wilford, or they who are to be sealed
to him; and this shall be acceptable to Me, saith
the LORD.
4 And the dead of My servant shall be redeemed
in the spirit world, and be prepared to meet My
servant at the time of his coming, which shall be
at the time appointed unto him, though not
revealed to man in the flesh.
5 Now, go to and perform this work, and all
shall be accomplished according to the desire of
your heart.

John Taylor's Revelations: September 27, 1886

Revelation Received Monday, September 27, 1886, at Centerville, Utah Territory.  (John Taylor Papers, LDS Archives).  The LDS Church denies the validity of this revelation.  Also, Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained in 1934:  “If the Lord had wanted plural marriage to continue according to the interpretations some [Fundamentalists] give of President Taylor’s [1886] revelation, He would have allowed President Taylor to have lived and enforced it but He took him and raised up President Wilford Woodruff who was inspired to give the Manifesto" (Letter dated 31 December 1934.  Musser, Ballard-Jenson Correspondence, 27).  Notwithstanding that the LDS Church denies this revelation, it is herein reported, solely for historical and educational purposes:

My son John: You have asked Me concerning the
New and Everlasting covenant-- how far it is
binding upon my people.
2 Thus saith the LORD: All commandments that I
give must be obeyed by those calling themselves
by My name unless they are revoked by Me or by
My authority;
3 And how can I revoke an everlasting
covenant?
4 For I the LORD am everlasting and My
everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor
done away with; but they stand forever.
5 Have I not given My word in great plainness
on this subject?
6 Yet have not great numbers of My people been
negligent in the observance of My law and the
keeping of My commandment;
7 And yet have I borne with them these many
years, and this because of their weakness because
of the perilous times;
8 And furthermore, it is more pleasing to Me
that men should use their free agency in regard
to these matters.
9 Nevertheless I the LORD do not change, and
My word and My covenants and My law do not.
10 And as I have heretofore said by My servant
Joseph Smith: All those who would enter into my
glory must and shall obey My law;
11 And have I not commanded men that if they
were Abraham's seed and would enter into My
glory, they must do the works of Abraham?
12 I have not revoked this law, nor will I, for it is
everlasting-- and those who will enter into My
glory must obey the conditions thereof;
Even so, Amen.

John Taylor's Revelations: April 28th, 1883

Revelation Received through John Taylor on Saturday, April 28, 1883, at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.  (John Taylor Papers, LDS Archives):

You have asked Me why your mind was confused
and dull within the last two days.
2 Verily thus saith the LORD, by the whisperings
of His Spirit, and the still small voice, that the
arrangement which you have contemplated with
My servant Thomas is not acceptable to Me.
3 He should have listened to your offer, which
would have been profitable to himself and
acceptable to Me.
4 When you rejected his offer, you did right, and
My Spirit was with you.
5 But when you, in your zeal to show that you
had faith in Me and in My word, accepted
propositions and assumed responsibilities which
were not in accordance with the order that I
showed you, you did wrong, and I withdrew My
Spirit.
6 For it is forbidden My Presidency to go into
debt unless I, the LORD, command it; for these
things lead to confusion and bondage.
7 Besides, have I not shown unto you, My
servant John, a way to raise a fund which should
be at your disposal for the accomplishment of My
purposes? --And by which the rights and
properties of My people should be preserved in
all of these matters?
8 You must abide by this principle.
9 My servant Thomas does not understand this
matter.
10 Confer with him on this subject, and if he can
see these things and follow counsel, he shall assist
you in the developments contemplated.
11 For you, nor My servant George Q. Cannon,
cannot attend to these details;
12 But if he, Thomas, cannot enter freely into
this matter without restraint, then shall you
arrange with him according to wisdom, and
withdraw from the consummation of the
contemplated arrangement.
13 Behold, I have shown unto you many things,
and I will continue to make know unto you My
will, from time to time, on things temporal as
well as spiritual; things pertaining to My church,
My kingdom, and My Zion.
14 And you shall be My mouthpiece, saith the
LORD, and I will greatly bless you, and lift you
up, and exalt you, saith the LORD;
15 For your words and works are acceptable
unto Me, and I know of your zeal and integrity in
My cause, and you shall be made a blessing to My
people, and your name shall be honored in Israel,
and in this nation, and among the nations of the
earth; for they that honor Me, I will honor.
16 And I will also greatly bless My servant
George Q. Cannon, who is acceptable before Me,
and who is exceedingly desirous to do My will.
17 And I will also bless My servant Joseph F.
Smith, whose heart and spirit are right before
Me, and who is also desirous to fulfill My law;
18 And these your counselors shall be greatly
blessed with you;
19 And you shall be My mouthpiece unto them,
and I will show unto them My will from time to
time.
20 And you shall be one in spiritual things and
also in temporal things in due time.
21 And I will show unto My people, and unto
the world, that this world is Mine, and that I
created it by My power--
22 And the gold and silver and copper and brass
and iron and riches and precious things thereof,
and all that pertains thereunto are Mine--
23 And My people shall know that they are
Mine, and that they live in Me, and move and
exist in Me, and have their being from Me,
24 And that all which they possess is Mine, and
is obtained of Me, and that they are, and can only
be, stewards over that which I have given unto
them to possess, and which they could not have
only of Me and by Me;
25 Whether it relates to this earth and the
fullness thereof-- to wives, children, and friends,
to gold, silver, houses, lands, riches and
possessions pertaining thereto-- or to thrones,
principalities, powers, dominions and exaltations
in My eternal kingdoms.
26 And My Presidency shall be one, and the
Twelve shall be one, and the Presidencies of
Stakes and the High Councils shall be one.
27 And all of My holy priesthood in their several
quorums, standings, offices, and positions shall
be one, and all of My priesthood shall be united
as one.
28 And they shall be one with My people, and
My people shall be one with them.
29 And I will be one with them, and be their
God.
30 Let every person, therefore, be diligent and
act in their several positions, callings or
priesthood, and honor and magnify the same, and
honor and obey Me, the Lord their God, and
respect and obey the counsels of My holy
priesthood, and I will honor and exalt them, saith
the LORD, in time and throughout eternity.
31 And as it regards My servant John Taylor, it is
not necessary for him to attend to the minutia or
details of either spiritual or temporal things, but
only to give general directions, or as I may
manifest from time to time.
32 And his counselors are to be his assistants--
and the First Presidency shall call upon the
Twelve, the presidents of stakes, the bishops, and
others to assist in these duties.
33 And I will raise up wise and prudent men,
from time to time, to assist in temporal as well as
spiritual things, for they are all one with Me.
34 And then let the Twelve call upon the
Seventies, and let the high priests, the councils,
the elders, and bishops and the lesser priesthood,
and all who labor for Zion, be diligent and
obedient.
35 And let every man put in his sickle and reap,
and fulfill and magnify his calling, office or
Priesthood.
36 These things belong to My priesthood, but
more properly to the School of the Prophets.
37 Let the School of the Prophets be organized,
even all such as are worthy.
38 But if they are found unworthy, they shall not
have a place in My school-- for I will be honored
by My priesthood;
39 And let My laws be made known unto them
as may be deemed expedient.

John Taylor's Revelations: October 13, 1882

Revelation Received Friday, October 13, 1882, at the Gardo House, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.  (John Taylor Papers, LDS Archives; see also Messages of the First Presidency, 2:348).  "This revelation dealt with Church organizational matters, including the call of three men to fill vacancies in the leading quorums of the Church.  When the First Presidency was reorganized in October 1880, John Taylor called Francis M. Lyman and John Henry Smith to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  However, this still left one vacancy in the Quorum.  A second vacancy occurred when Orson Pratt died on October 3, 1881.  Church leaders struggled to identify two men to fill these vacancies, resulting in no callings at either the April or October 1882 general conferences.  On Friday, October 13, President Taylor received a revelation on the subject" (Holzapfel and Jones, "'John the Revelator': The Written Revelations of John Taylor", BYU Religious Studies Center, http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/champion-liberty-john-taylor/11-%E2%80%9Cjohn-revelator%E2%80%9D-written-revelations-john-taylor#_edn1).  Herein Elder Heber J. Grant is called by revelation to fill one of the three vacancies.  Grant would later become the seventh President of the Church, serving from 1918-1945:

Thus saith the LORD to the Twelve, and to the
Priesthood and people of My Church:
2 Let My servants George Teasdale and Heber J.
Grant be appointed to fill the vacancies in the
Twelve, that you may be fully organized and
prepared for the labors devolving upon you, for
you have a great work to perform;
3 And then proceed to fill up the presiding
quorum of Seventies, and assist in organizing that
body of My Priesthood who are your co-laborers
in the ministry.
4 You may appoint Seymour B. Young to fill up
the vacancy in the presiding quorum of Seventies,
if he will conform to My law;
5 For it is not meet that men who will not abide
My law shall preside over My Priesthood;
6 And then proceed forthwith and call to your
aid any assistance that you may require from
among the Seventies to assist you in your labors
in introducing and maintaining the Gospel
among the Lamanites throughout the land.
7 And then let High Priests be selected, under the
direction of the First Presidency, to preside over
the various organizations that shall exist among
this people;
8 That those who receive the Gospel may be
taught in the doctrines of My Church and in the
ordinances and laws thereof, and also in the
things pertaining to My Zion and My Kingdom,
saith the LORD, that they may be one with you in
My Church and My Kingdom.
9 Let the Presidency of My Church be one in all
things; and let the Twelve also be one in all
things; and let them all be one with Me as I am
one with the Father.
10 And let the High Priests organize themselves,
and purify themselves, and prepare themselves
for this labor, and for all other labors that they
may be called upon to fulfill.
11 And let the Presidents of Stakes also purify
themselves, and the Priesthood and people of the
Stakes over which they preside,
12 And organize the Priesthood in their various
Stakes according to My law, in all the various
departments thereof, in the High Councils, in the
Elders Quorums, and in the Bishops and their
Councils, and in the Quorums of Priests, Teachers
and Deacons--
13 That every Quorum may be fully organized
according to the order of My Church;
14 And, then, let them inquire into the standing
and fellowship of all that hold My Holy
Priesthood in their several Stakes;
15 And if they find those that are unworthy let
them remove them, except they repent.
16 For My Priesthood, whom I have called and
whom I have sustained and honored, shall honor
Me and obey My laws, and the laws of My Holy
Priesthood, or they shall not be considered
worthy to hold My Priesthood, saith the LORD.
17 And let my Priesthood humble themselves
before Me, and seek not their own will but My
will;
18 For if My Priesthood whom I have chosen,
and called, and endowed with the spirit and gifts
of their several callings, and with the powers
thereof, do not acknowledge Me I will not
acknowledge them, saith the LORD; for I will be
honored and obeyed by My Priesthood.
19 And, then, I call upon My Priesthood, and
upon all of My people to repent of all their sins
and shortcomings, of their covetousness and
pride and self will, and of all their iniquities
wherein they sin against Me;
20 And to seek with all humility to fulfill My
law, as My Priesthood, My Saints, and My people;
21 And I call upon the heads of families to put
their houses in order according to the law of God,
and attend to the various duties and
responsibilities associated therewith, and to
purify themselves before Me, and to purge out
iniquity from their households. And I will bless
and be with you, saith the LORD;
22 And ye shall gather together in your holy
places wherein ye assemble to call upon Me, and
ye shall ask for such things as are right,
23 And I will hear your prayers, and My Spirit
and power shall be with you, and My blessing
shall rest upon you, upon your families, your
dwellings and your households, upon your flocks
and herds and fields, your orchards and
vineyards, and upon all that pertains to you;
24 And you shall be My people and I will be
your God;
25 And your enemies shall not have dominion
over you, for I will preserve you and confound
them, saith the LORD, and they shall not have
power nor dominion over you;
26 For My word shall go forth, and My work
shall be accomplished, and My Zion shall be
established, and My rule and My power and My
dominion shall prevail among My people, and all
nations shall yet acknowledge Me.
Even so, Amen.

John Taylor's Revelations: June 28, 1882

Revelation Received on June 28, 1882, at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.  (John Taylor Papers, LDS Archives).  "This revelation reassured the leaders of the [Council of Fifty] and of the Church that the Lord controls the destiny of nations, his Church, and his kingdom" (Holzapfel and Jones, "'John the Revelator': The Written Revelations of John Taylor", BYU Religious Studies Center, http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/champion-liberty-john-taylor/11-%E2%80%9Cjohn-revelator%E2%80%9D-written-revelations-john-taylor#_edn1).


Am I not King of kings, and Lord of lords?
2 Do I not rule in the heavens above and in the
earth beneath, as I will, saith the LORD?
3 And though men do not acknowledge Me, yet
do I control them; and I will control them
according to My will and purposes;
4 And I will make use of the kings of the earth,
and the rulers and powers of the earth to
accomplish My purposes, saith the Lord God your
Redeemer-- and none shall stay My hand.
5 And I will build up My kingdom as I have
heretofore decreed and made known through the
mouth of Mine holy prophets, so far as they have
declared My purposes pertaining thereto;
6 And I have many other things to make known
and to proclaim relative to My church, and to My
kingdom, and to the building up of My Zion on
the earth.
7 Behold, you are My kingdom, and rulers in My
kingdom, and then you are also, many of you,
rulers in My church according to your
ordinations therein.
8 For are you not of the First Presidency, and of
the Twelve Apostles, and some Presidents of
Stakes, and some bishops, and some high priests
and some seventies and elders therein?
9 And are ye not all of My church, and belong to
My holy Priesthood?
10 And then are ye not all of My kingdom, and
do you not belong to My kingdom, and are ye not
the representatives thereof, even My
constitution?
11 And am I not your God, even your Redeemer
and your King?
12 Behold, I have told you to do as I command
you, and have I not a right to dictate in the affairs
of My kingdom?
13 And is it not incumbent upon you to obey Me
as your LORD, your lawgiver, and your King?
14 Behold thus saith the LORD, I will be obeyed
by My council, and if they do not acknowledge
Me, I will not acknowledge them, saith the Lord
of Hosts, the God and King of the whole earth.
15 Speaking of My church, behold I established
My church that I might reveal unto them My
word, and My will, and the law of the Gospel,
and the order of the Holy priesthood.
17 And I set in order My priesthood, even the
Aaronic and Melchizedek;
17 And I have sent forth Mine elders to the
world to preach this gospel of the kingdom to all
people and to gather Mine elect from among all
nations.
18 That a people might be prepared through My
gospel, through the manifestation of My Spirit,
even the Spirit of Truth, the Gift of the Holy
Ghost, the Comforter, and through the teachings
of My holy priesthood, and the revelations of My
will, to comprehend the law of My gospel;
19 To be one with each other, and to be one with
Me as I am one with the Father.
20 To comprehend and obey the principles of
righteousness, virtue, holiness, purity, and the
love and fear of God;
21 And to assist in building My Zion unto Me,
saith the Lord of Hosts, and to prepare for the
salvation and redemption of the world, even the
living and the dead.
22 And again, it required this gospel, this
priesthood, this revelation, this unity, this Spirit,
to introduce the kingdom of God, the law of God,
the authority and dominion of God, that the will
of God might be done on earth as it is done in
heaven.
23 I rule now among the nations, but not by
their consent, and the rulers of the earth do not
know Me or My law, nor recognize My
authority.
24 They have their free agency and use it; so
have also My people, and they use their agency
through My gospel to serve Me, to obey My law,
and to build up My church and kingdom.
25 For outside of My church there is no people
on the earth who will listen to My law.
26 And if there was no people who would listen
to My law, how could I have a kingdom, and how
could I be their ruler?
27 I have established My kingdom to be a shield
and protection to My church, to learn and
comprehend My law, and to carry out My
purposes, that My will may be done on earth as it
is done in heaven;
28 The church through the law and Spirit of the
gospel to preserve the virtue and purity of the
kingdom.
29 And the kingdom to preserve and protect the
church from the aggressions of the wicked and
ungodly.
30 And behold, I do not want My own will, but
the will of My Father;
31 The same is My Father and My God, and your
Father and your God, and we are One: I in Him,
and you in Me.
32 Am I and My Father with the church? Yes.
33 Am I not your God, your Ahman Christ? You
so acknowledge Me.
34 My Father is King of kings, and Lord of lords.
35 I rule as My Father directs Me, and if ye rule
and direct according to My will, under the
direction of My servant who is your President
and head, are we not one, and is it not the rule
and government of God?
36 And any kingdom, or government, or
dominion that is not under My direction, and
does not acknowledge Me, I will not
acknowledge, saith the Lord of Hosts;
37 And if they fight against Me and My laws,
and My church, and My kingdom, they shall be
overthrown in Mine own due time, for I have so
decreed.
Even so, Amen.

"Go ye into all the world" 1974 Regional Representative Seminar

As The Mormon Eagle's motto is "It is better to represent ourselves than to be represented by others", I post the video of the remarks made by President Spencer W. Kimball at the 1974 Regional Representative Seminar.  At the time, there were only the Presidency of the Seventy as General Authorities; all other Seventies were Stake Seventies, called by Stake Presidents.  It was not until 1975 (the next year) when the First Quorum of the Seventy was reconstituted as a General Authority Quorum.  Now, there are 8 Quorums of the Seventy, which number of Quorums can expand to any number the Lord wants.  Contrast the statistics in this video with the Church today, and one stands in awe at the growth the Lord has caused to be throughout the world.  Here it is:

Mormon Marriages and Divorce

This essay is not necessarily a doctrinal exposition, but rather a statement of the facts as they are, and a few remarks on the subject therein elucidated.


According to the United States Census Bureau in their "Marital Events of Americans: 2009", Utah's marriage rate during that year was a full 9% and 7 % higher among men and women, respectfully, than compared with other states in the survey.  However, the divorce rate of Utahns is roughly the same as the national average.  This says a lot about marriage, The Church of Jesus Christ, and Satan.  Let me elucidate further.

Sealing Room in the Salt Lake Temple

The Family: A Proclamation to the World states, "We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children."  This mandate the Church is keeping, as evidenced by the higher marriage rate of Utah men and women than the national average.  We Latter-day Saints know that marriage is not a mere earthly contract, but an eternal bind that stretches forth millennium upon millennium.  The Lord hath said, 

 And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever (D&C 132:19).

Now, covenants entered into in the Holy Temple must be kept with vigilance and courage, for Satan, as is evident by Utah's divorce rate roughly at the national average, is destroying the family.  How, then, might we nurture the family and the relationships therein sanctified?  Elder Russell M. Nelson, an Apostle of the Lord, taught, "Because it is ordained of God, the intimate physical expressions of married love are sacred. Yet all too commonly, these divine gifts are desecrated.  If a couple allows lewd language or pornography to corrupt their intimacy, they offend their Creator while they degrade and diminish their own divine gifts. True happiness is predicated upon personal purity" ("Nurturing Marriage", April 2006 General Conference).  Let us stay pure, for the Lord saith, "Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy" (Lev. 19:2).

President Ezra Taft Benson, a Prophet, taught, "It is time to awaken to the fact that there are deliberate efforts to restructure the family along the lines of humanistic values.  Images of the family and of love as depicted in television and film often portray a philosophy contrary to the commandments of God" ("Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships", October 1982 General Conference).  We must defend the institution of marriage, both within our home and in the media, for Satan wills it destroyed.  The prophet Moses wrote that, "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" (Gen. 2:25).  God created Adam and Eve, one man and one woman, and, as evident by the foregoing scripture, married them for eternity, for at this time death had not entered the world - thus showing that marriage is an eternal institution, and not to be entered into outside the House of the Lord, lest that relationship not last forever.  God created Adam and Eve, and not Adam and Steve, thus also showing that homosexual marriage is not marriage at all, but an evil social contract condoning sin.

Lastly, Elder David B. Haight, another Apostle, said, "Scripture reveals that, after the earth was developed, God created man in His own image and gave him dominion over the earth.  By the side of man stood the woman, sharing with him the divinely bestowed honor and dignity of supremacy over all other creations" ("Marriage and Divorce", April 1984 General Conference).  I love how Elder Haight speaks of Adam as having Eve by his side, then stating they two are granted "honor and dignity of supremacy over all other creations".  This means, in my view, that Adam has the honor of nurturing and taking care of all creations - the flowers, fish, fowls, animals, and his wife Eve.  Likewise, Eve has the honor of nurturing and taking care of all creations of God - the flowers, fish, fowls, animals, and her husband Adam.

I know what I have spoken is true.  I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only institution on Earth with the Authority and Power to make marriages last forever, and that if not entered into within the walls of a House of the Lord, will not be forever.  I know marriage is an holy institution, given of God that we might become like him - even progress to a God as He is.  I know if we, as led by the Holy Spirit, nurture our marriages, making sure our eternal partner is happy, all will be peace, no matter what the circumstances otherwise.  In the mane of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Murder of the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith and His Brother Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail

The most traumatic event in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the murder of Joseph Smith the Prophet and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch on 27 June 1844.  It occurred at Carthage Jail in Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois.  There are many different accounts, which we will examine here.

Carthage Jail.  The off-white non brick building was added in 1850, 6 years after the murder

Speaking prior to his incarceration in Carthage Jail, Joseph Smith said (evidently knowing of his impending death), "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me — he was murdered in cold blood. (D&C 135:4)"

The mob stormed these stairs in order to reach the bedroom where the Innocents were

 jailed.

The Nauvoo newspaper Times and Seasons had this to say in regard to the murders,  

"The guard [at Carthage Jail] was surprised by an armed Mob, of between 150 to 250, painted red, black and yellow, which surrounded the jail, forced in - poured a shower of bullets into the room where those unfortunate men were held. . . . They [Joseph and Hyrum Smith] fell as Martyrs amid this tornado of lead, each receiving four bullets! (Times and Seasons, Volume 5, Number 12, 1 July 1844)"

The original door with the bullet hole through which a bullet flew and killed Hyrum.

 Elder Willard Richards describes the event he was witness to.  Said he,

"Possibly the following events, occupied near three minutes, but I think only about two, and have penned them for the gratification of many friends.

Carthage, June 27th, 1844
A shower of musket balls were thrown up the stair way against the door of the prison in the second story, followed by many rapid footsteps.   While Generals Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Mr. Taylor, and myself, who were in the front chamber, closed the door of our room against the entry at the head of the stairs, and placed ourselves against it, there being no lock on the door and no ketch [latch] that was useable.

The door is a common panel, and as soon as we heard the feet at the stairs head, a ball was sent through the door, which passed between us, and showed that our enemies were desperadoes, and we must change our position.  Gen. Joseph Smith, Mr. Taylor, and myself sprang back to the front part of the room, and Gen. Hyrum Smith retreated two thirds across the chamber directly in front of and facing the door.

A ball was sent through the door which hit Hyrum on the side of his nose when he fell backwards extended at length without moving his feet. From the holes in his vest, (the day was warm and no one had their coats on but myself,) pantaloons, drawers and shirt, it appears evident that a ball must have been thrown from without, through the window, which entered his back on the right side and passing through lodged against his watch, which was in his right vest pocket completely pulverizing the crystal and face, tearing off the hands and mashing the whole body of the watch, at the same instant the ball from the door entered his nose.
As he struck the floor he exclaimed emphatically; "I'm a dead man."  Joseph looked towards him and responded, "O dear! Brother Hyrum!" and opening the door two or three inches with his left hand, discharged one barrel of a six shooter (pistol) at random in the entry from whence a ball grazed Hyrum's breast, and entering his throat passed into his head, while other muskets were aimed at him, and some balls hit him.

Joseph continued snapping his revolver, round the casing of the door into the space as before, three barrels of which missed fire, while Mr. Taylor with a walking stick stood by his side and knocked down the bayonets and muskets, which were constantly discharging through the door way, while I stood by him, ready to lend any assistance, with another stick, but could not come within striking distance, without going directly before the muzzle of the guns.  When the revolver failed, we had no more fire arms, and expecting an immediate rush of the mob, and the door way full of muskets half way in the room, and no hope but instant death from within: Mr. Taylor rushed into the window, which is some fifteen or twenty feet from the ground.  When his body was nearly on a balance, a ball from the door within entered his leg, and a ball from without struck his watch, a patent lever, in his vest pocket, near the left breast, and smashed it in "pie," leaving the hands standing at 5 o'clock, 16 minutes, and 26 seconds -- the force of which ball threw him back on the floor, and he rolled under the bed which stood by his side, where he lay motionless, the mob from the door continuing to fire upon him, cutting away a piece of flesh from his left hip as large as a man's hand, and were hindered only by my knocking down their muzzles with a stick; while they continued to reach their guns into the room, probably left handed, and aimed their discharge so far around as almost to reach us in the corner of the room to where we retreated and dodged, and then I re-commenced the attack with my stick again.  

Joseph attempted as the last resort, to leap the same window from whence Mr. Taylor fell, when two balls pierced him from the door, and one entered his right breast from without, and he fell outward exclaiming, "O Lord my God!"  As his feet went out of the window my head went in, the balls whistling all around.  He fell on his left side a dead man.  At this instant the cry was raised, "He's leaped the window," and the mob on the stairs and in the entry ran out.  I withdrew from the window, thinking it of no use to leap out on a hundred bayonets, then around Gen. Smith's body.  Not satisfied with this I again reached my head out of the window and watched some seconds, to see if there were any signs of life, regardless of my own, determined to see the end of him I loved; being fully satisfied, that he was dead, with a hundred men near the body and more coming round the corner of the jail, and expecting a return to our room I rushed towards the prison door, at the head of the stairs, and through the entry from whence the firing had proceeded, to learn if the doors into the prison were open.  

When near the entry, Mr. Taylor called out, "take me" I pressed my way till I found all doors unbarred, returning instantly caught Mr. Taylor under my arm, and rushed by the stairs into the dungeon, or inner prison, stretched him on the floor and covered him with a bed in such a manner, as not likely to be perceived, expecting an immediate return of the mob.  I said to Mr. Taylor, this is a hard case to lay you on the floor, but if your wounds are not fatal I want you to live to tell the story.   I expected to be shot the next moment, and stood before the door awaiting the onset. (Times and Seasons, Volume 5, Number 14, 1 August 1844)"


President John Taylor had this to say concerning Joseph Smith the Prophet:  

"Joseph Smith, the ^aProphet and ^bSeer of the Lord, has done more, ^csave Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it.  In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the ^dfulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain.  He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own ^eblood; and so has his brother Hyrum.  In life they were not divided, and in death they were not ^fseparated! (D&C 135:3)"


I also know that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living Church on Earth, invested with the Authority to act in the name of God.  I know the Book of Mormon is true, and that Thomas S. Monson is indeed a prophet of God for our day!  I say this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Mormon Theology no. 9 - Becoming Worthy and Receiving Forgiveness

I remember on my mission to California attending Saddleback Church in Rancho Santa Margarita.  At the end of a sermon, Pastor Rick Warren looks at us and says, "It's not about works!", referring to the misconception that Mormons believe they work their way into Heaven, and that its actually all about grace.


In this essay, we will examine, from an active Latter-day Saint's Bible and Triple Combination, the Lord's commandments to remain worthy of His grace and receive His forgiveness - every single day of our lives - not just once.  It must here be remembered that the men herein quoted (including Christ) were Apostles of Jesus Christ and Prophets, Seers, and Revelators in their day, dispensation, and time.  Remember, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7)."  God always works in this way, anciently as well as in modern times.

In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth.  "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them (Gen. 1:27)."  God gave unto Adam and unto his wife Eve two commandments whilst they dwelt in the Garden of Eden.  "And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Gen. 2: 16-17)."  He then married Adam and Eve, and the record states, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh (Gen. 2:24)."  The two commandments received were to not eat of the Forbidden Fruit and to multiply and replenish the earth.  But, Adam and Eve transgressed the law, ate of the Fruit, and were kicked out of the Garden and out of the presence of God and the Lamb.  "And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying; Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?  And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.  And then the angel spake, saying; This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.  Wherefore, thou shalt to all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore (Moses 5:6-8)."  God, through His angel, commands Adam to "not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness (Alma 12:32)."  It is through the Son Jesus Christ - and Him only - that forgiveness is possible, as taught to Adam by the angel.  Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon confirm this fact.

When the Savior was in His mortal ministry, He plainly taught the keeping of His commandments and repentance are needful to receive God's forgiveness.  "If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15)."  The Lord of the Earth also said, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3)."  Mark wrote of Jesus that He Himself said, "repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15)."  During the Last Supper of our Lord, He instituted the ordinance of the Sacrament, saying, "this do in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19)."  The purpose of the Sacrament is to renew a covenant, which the Apostle Paul says, "shew[s] the Lord's death till He come.  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:26-27)."  Here we remark that the Apostle Paul (upon who's teachings the majority of Christendom's churches are based) says that one must be worthy - no questions asked - to partake of the Sacrament, and thus receive the Lord's fellowship.  What exactly does "fellowship" mean?  The Lord said, "If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love (John 15:10)."  The Lord's "fellowship" is literally the love of the Savior, love for the Savior, and love from the Savior.  Thus, if the Savior states that He needed to keep commandments to abide in God the Father's love, certainly we should all follow the Prince of Peace and keep His commandments, shall we not?

What has the Lord said about repentance and forgiveness in the present dispensation through His prophets?  "I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven (D&C 1:31-32)."  Christ states in a similar but more clarifying tone, "Nevertheless, thou art not excusable in thy transgressions; nevertheless, go thy way and sin no more (D&C 24:2)."  Lastly, "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.  By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins - behold, he will confess them and forsake them (D&C 58:42-43)."


What do the Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (including the Bible) say about it's own teachings?  The words of the Son of Man Himself, "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33)."  Speaking of these words of the Savior, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, "Because Christ had overcome the world . . . all mankind would be given . . . immortality!  Additionally . . . there would be the richness of eternal life!  These . . . justified the Twelve being of good cheer - not their grim, temporary circumstances (Neal A. Maxwell, "Be of Good Cheer”, Ensign, Nov 1982, 66)."  Also, we can read more of the non-despair-laden teachings from the Book of Mormon: "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.  For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven . . . (Mosiah 2:41)."

I urge the reader to consider the facts.  There is a God in heaven.  He has sent His Son as a ransom for all sin, pain, and loss if we but give heed through repentance, commandment and covenant keeping, and being of good cheer.  The Lord has called a Prophet to restore Ancient Christianity named Joseph Smith, Junior.  There is a Prophet of God on the earth today, President Thomas S. Monson.  The Book of Mormon does lead people to be of good cheer, for I have witnessed it in my own life and in the lives of hundreds of Californians and many others.  I know this is true.  In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!