The Mormon Church versus the Fundamentalists LDS cult
1 John 4:1 instructs us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 declares, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.” So, whether is it a “word from the Lord” or a supposed prophecy, our response should be the same. Compare what is said to what the Word of God says. If it contradicts the Bible, throw it out. If it agrees with the Bible, pray for wisdom and discernment as to how to apply the message (2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:5).
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LDS Church officials have emphasized the main differences between the two faiths is that LDS "do not live in isolated compounds, arrange marriages, dress in old-fashioned clothing or wear unusual hairstyles," like FLDS members do.
The FLDS Church has been in the news lately because of a recent raid on its polygamous compound in Eldorado, Texas. The FLDS Church is in no way affiliated with the mainstream, LDS (Mormon) Church.
For 50 years in the 19th century, mainstream Mormons practiced a form of Christian polygamy. Because of threats from the U.S. Government, God instructed the president of the Church at that time, John Taylor, to suspend the practice. A cultural change of so great a magnitude did not occur immediately. In 1904 the Church recommitted itself to discontinuing the practice of polygamy and began excommunicating members who married multiple women.
As part of this effort, the Church asked local Mormon communities to sign a pledge that they had renounced polygamy. A small community in southern Utah refused to sign the pledge. It was discovered that the community was still practicing polygamy, and so, according to Church policy, the offenders were excommunicated. Several renegade break-off groups resulted, one of which became the FLDS church. Because about 80 years have now passed since this separation, few of the current members of the FLDS Church today have ever been Mormons. Most are descendants of ex-Mormons who left the Church several generations ago.
Here are some of the key differences between the two groups:
The Mormon Church has over 13 million members worldwide. The FLDS Church has about 6,000 members scattered in only a few small communities in North America.
The Mormon Church is extremely extroverted. We have 50,000 volunteer missionaries around the world. We also enjoy interacting with other religions and love and respect those of other faiths. The FLDS are extremely introverted and believe the people of the outside world are so evil that it is better to avoid them altogether.
Mormons and FLDS both consider the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be scripture. Additionally, Mormons have a book of scripture called the Doctrine and Covenants, which contains revelations received by modern Mormon prophets. FLDS only believe in those modern revelations received prior to 1890, while mainstream Mormons believe that post-1890 revelations are also scripture. Many important revelations have been received since 1890, including important scriptures in which God commanded Mormons to stop practicing polygamy, in which God explained much about the afterlife that motivates Mormon temple work today, and in which God command Mormons to abandon certain racist practices we unfortunately picked up from Protestants in the 19th century. Thus, Mormons do not practice polygamy and detest racism. In contrast, FLDS do practice polygamy and do hold racist doctrines.
The way FLDS currently practice polygamy differs in important ways from the way Mormons practiced polygamy in 19th-century Utah. A) Mormons always discouraged divorce, but Utah nevertheless had fairly liberal divorce laws so women could leave polygamous marriages if they so desired. B) Polygamous wives were encouraged to get a good education, and some early Mormon polygamist women became doctors and political activists. C) Polygamous marriages were not typically arranged or reassigned. Women were free to marry whoever they wished. Brigham Young stated the following in 1853: “I am free, and so are you. My advice to the sisters is, 'Never be [married] to any man unless you wish to be.' I say to you High Priests and Elders, 'Never from this time ask a woman to be [married] to you, unless she wants to be; but let the widows and children alone.'” D) Brigham Young came to detest the marriage of men with very young girls. In 1857, he stated, "I shall not [marry] the people as I have done. Old Father Alread brought three young girls 12 & 13 years old. I would not [marry] them to him. They would not be equally yoked together... this is the way that devils are made." E) Only an estimated 5%-30% of 19th-century Mormons were polygamists. The FLDS Church, on the other hand, has no liberal divorce laws, arranges and reassigns marriages, marries old men to young girls, and believes all members of the community should practice polygamy.
The Mormon Church has always been guided by 15 men (12 apostles and the 3 members of the First Presidency). This leadership by counsels prevents a single man from making drastic or extreme changes to Mormon doctrine and practices. Over the years the FLDS Church has concentrated ecclesiastical power in the hands of a single man, most recently Warren Jeffs, who has in fact changed the doctrine and practices of his church in extreme and despotic ways.
Mormons believe a man named Thomas S. Monson is a modern-day prophet who guides God's church. FLDS reject Thomas S. Monson and do not consider him to be a prophet. The last man considered a prophet by both Mormons and the FLDS lived in the late 19th century. The two churches now have completely separate with separate leadership.
FLDS have a strict and distinctive dress code. Mormons are encouraged to dress modestly, but, unless serving as missionaries, have no distinctive dress code.
Both Mormons and FLDS believe in sacred ordinances that take place in dedicated temples. While the FLDS have not made the details of their temple ceremonies public, evidence suggests some significant differences between Mormon and FLDS temple practices. Government agents recently discovered a bed in the FLDS temple at Eldorado that is allegedly used to consummate temple marriages. In contrast, none of the Mormon temple ordinances are sexual in nature.
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Polygamy could not be suspended in 1904 and plural marriage are still required by God today.
A review of religious history shows that polygamy may be commanded, permitted, or not permitted by God according to “the circumstances, responsibilities, and personal duties of the people of God” in their respective ages. (Journal of Discourses, Vol.20, p.28 - p.29, Joseph F. Smith, July 7, 1878.)
When Joseph Smith first learned in the early 1830s that polygamy as practiced by Old Testament patriarchs had been acceptable to God, he was still not permitted to enter into it. According to Orson Pratt speaking in 1869, Joseph Smith “told individuals then in the Church that he had inquired of the Lord concerning the principles of plurality of wives, and he received as a answer that the principle of taking more wives than one is a true principle, but the time had not yet come for it to be practiced once again.” (Orson Pratt, October 7, 1869, Journal of Discourses, 13:193.)
However, within a few years he and other Church members were permitted, but it was not then required of all Latter-day Saints. In 1852 the principle was taught publicly and for 38 years plural marriage was considered a commandment. The 1890 Manifesto removed the commandment, but history shows that polygamy was still permitted until 1904.
Brigham Young understood this eternal principle saying: “A man may embrace the Law of Celestial Marriage in his heart and not take the second wife and be justified before the Lord.” To Jacob in the Book of Mormon, God stated that, depending upon His will and earthly circumstances, “I will command my people” (see Jacob 2:27-30) regarding their marriage practices, usually permitting or commanding polygamy. In 1847, W. W. Phelps married three wives without Brigham Young’s authorization. Although Phelps had clearly embraced a polygamous lifestyle, Young excommunicated him because his marriages were not performed by proper authority (Richard Van Wagoner and Steven C. Walker; BYU Studies Vol. 23, No. 1, pg.6.). At no time in this earth’s history has freelance polygamy been viewed as eternally valuable ( D&C 132:13, 15, 18 explains that marriages, whether monogamist or polygamist, that are performed without proper authority end at death. Eternal marriage requires authorization through the “one” man who holds the sealing keys (D&C 132:19-20, 39).
In a glorious vision, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (Second Elder of the church) saw the prophet Elijah. The coming of Elijah was so important that the ancient prophet Malachi had prophesied of it centuries earlier, and the Savior had repeated the prophecy to the Nephites (see Malachi 4:5–6; 3 Nephi 25:5–6; 26:1–2). Elijah came to commit to Joseph and Oliver the keys of sealing ( Keys of Priesthood: Matt. 16:19 "give unto thee the keys of the kingdom", Rev. 3:7 "key of David) --
the power to bind and validate in the heavens all ordinances performed on the earth. The restoration of the sealing power was necessary to prepare the world for the Savior’s Second Coming, for without it, “the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (Joseph Smith history, chapter 1, Section 39 --- http://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.39?lang=eng#38). “ ‘And I will send Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord,’..." [see Malachi 4:5]. Why send Elijah? Because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the Priesthood; and unless the authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said the following in a letter to the Saints, later recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 128:8–11: “It may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine that we talk of—a power which records or binds on earth and binds in heaven. Nevertheless, in all ages of the world, whenever the Lord has given a dispensation of the priesthood to any man by actual revelation, or any set of men, this power has always been given. Hence, whatsoever those men did in authority, in the name of the Lord, and did it truly and faithfully, and kept a proper and faithful record of the same, it became a law on earth and in heaven, and could not be annulled, according to the decrees of the great Jehovah. He went on to quote Matthew 16:18, 19 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
The historical record indicates that Joseph Smith gave three reasons for the need to restore and practice plural marriage:
1. Old Testament polygamy needed to be restored. Throughout the Old Testament, polygamy is treated with the same level of respect as monogamy. The two options (monogamy and polagamy) appear to be subject to the individual choices of the men and women involved, choices that carry no inherent level of increased righteousness or wickedness. Men are instructed: “If he take him another wife; her [the first wife’s] food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish” (Exodus 21:10, see also Malachi 2:11-15). In one situation under the Law of Moses, polygamy was actually commanded. “If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her” (Deuteronomy 25:5). This "levirate law" was still valid in Jesus Christ day. The Sadducees referred to it as they posed a question to the Savior regarding the resurrection (Matthew 22:23).
2. To Raise Up Righteous Seed. Plural marriage allows faithful men to sire a greater number of children, thus providing more physical bodies for pre-mortal spirits to inhabit on earth where they can be raised under the influence of believing fathers and mothers. Joseph Smith personally discussed this as a benefit of earthly polygamy. He explained: “…for they [plural wives] are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth… for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men…” (D&C 132:63). Helen Mar Kimball wrote: “It was revealed to the [Joseph Smith] that there were thousands of spirits, yet unborn, who were anxiously waiting for the privilege of coming down to take tabernacles of flesh, that their glory might be complete.” (Helen Mar Kimball Whitney, Why We Practice Plural Marriage, Salt Lake City, 1884).
In 1847 Brigham Young expounded: "Admitting the Lord created the same number of women as men at the beginning and were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth and to fill up the measure of their creation in righteousness; the question is did they do it? Answer No. They soon disobeyed every commandment and plunged themselves into wickedness and rendered themselves unworthy to raise up seed unto the Lord and in fact used every means in there power to cut off life and hinder woman answering the end for which they were created; nine tenth of them would rebel against the very thing he was created to do. Hence you see the propriety of the Lord's calling upon men who bears the priesthood to take to themselves wives from among the daughters of men and raise up a righteous seed unto him that he might fill up the measure of there creation." (Scott G. Kenny, ed., Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 1833-1898, typescript, 9 vols., Midvale, Utah: Signature Books, 1983-85, 3:129, February 16, 1847).
Brigham Young then went on to say: " I have told you many times that there are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?--to prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can; hence if my women leave, I will go and search up others who will abide the celestial law, and let all I now have go where they please; though I will send the Gospel to them. This is the reason why the doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed, that the noble spirits which are waiting for tabernacles might be brought forth." (Brigham Young, September 21, 1856, Journal of Discourses, 4:56).
3. No man or woman receives a fullness of the celestial glory alone. "He [Joseph Smith] said that in the celestial glory there was three heavens or degrees, and in order to obtain the highest a man must enter into this order of the priesthood and if he don't he can't obtain it. He may enter into the other but that is the end of his kingdom..." (George D. Smith, ed. An Intimate Chronicle: The Journals of William Clayton. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1995).
Brigham Young expounded: "The Lord would like to see us take the course that leads unto the strait gate, that we might be crowned sons and daughters of God, for such are the only ones in the heavens who multiply and increase, and who frame and make and redeem worlds. The rest take an inferior kingdom, where this privilege is denied them. This the Lord has made known unto us through the Prophet Joseph." (Brigham Young, August 15, 1876, Journal of Discourses, 18:216-217).
“Polygamy” means multiple marriages and has two forms. “Polygyny” is defined as one man with more than one wife and “polyandry” as one woman with more than one husband. Joseph Smith taught that true polygyny, when authorized by God, was divinely accepted. In contrast, he declared that true polyandry was always adultery (D&C 132:63).[13] Without divinely sanctioned polygyny, worthy single women might be denied exaltation. (Orson Pratt, July 11, 1875, Journal of Discourses, 18:55).
Brigham Young taught in 1866 that it is written in the Bible, "and in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach”…(Isaiah 4:1). It is the decree of the Almighty, that in the last days seven women shall take hold of one man, to be counselled and advised by him, being willing to spin their own wool, make their own clothing and do every thing they can to earn their own living, if they can only bear his name to take away their reproach. ( Brigham Young, August 19, 1866, Journal of Discourses, 11:271).
The Key of David
The Key of David is the key that unlocks Scripture. It means understanding the writings of King David, a man after God’s heart, a man who used the outside/inside movement of Hebraic poetics to simultaneously reveal and conceal knowledge. The Key of David unlocked sealed and secret prophecies, revealed the mysteries of God, and hid the secret things of God from the natural nation of Israel that saw only with eyes and heard only with ears. It is the right of the Christian leaders who received the Key of David to enjoy the blessing of communication with the heavens, and the privilege and authority to administer in the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The scriptures give two direct reference to this Key: in Revelation 3:7-8, Jesus addresses the Church in Philadelphia with these words:
"These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut." The speaker is the resurrected Jesus, whom John sees in a vision.
The Church to whom this is addressed would immediately recognize the words of Isaiah the prophet from the Hebrew scriptures, in a word directed to Shebna, one who had assumed unlawful authority in the King’s palace (Is 22:20-22):
"In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."
In both cases, with the Church in Philadelphia where certain Jews had unlawfully assumed authority (Rev. 3:9), and in Jerusalem where Shebna had usurped authority in the palace (Is. 22:15-19), the Key of David was given to establish God-ordained authority in those places. In the culture of the time a Key was an emblem of the authority of Government; and in the East to this day, in transferring the authority and Government of a city, a large Key is laid upon a person.
But why is it called the Key "of David?" Why is David’s name associated with this Key of Governmental Authority, the key that has the power to open what no one can shut and shut what no one can open?
It is believed that answer is found in what the Lord himself says concerning David (Acts 13:22):
"I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do."
Therefore, the Key of David is essentially the Heart of David. God calls him "a man after my own heart."
The heart of David is most eloquently captured in the words of Psalm 132, where it says of David,
He swore an oath to the Lord
and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
"I will not enter my house
or go to my bed-
I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
no slumber to my eyelids,
till I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
The heart of David, above all, was to find a resting place for the presence of the Lord among his people, a "Dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob." After David captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites, one of his first acts recorded in the Scriptures (II Sam. 6, I Chron. 13-15), before conquering other cities or lands, was to bring the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark representing the Presence of God into Jerusalem, and establish worshipers continually ministering to the Lord day and night. David was known as a Shepherd, a Fugitive, a Warrior, and a King; but most of all, and above all, as a Worshiper.
It is to those whose hearts line up with God’s heart that God is prepared to entrust the Key of David. These are the ones to whom he wishes to impart the same authority that David walked in, to open doors that no one can shut, and shut doors that no one can open. As we become people "after God's own heart," the doors we seek to open will always start with the door to his presence, a door that we open through day and night worship, as we learn from the example of David.
We may have "little strength" (Rev. 3:8), and appear of little significance from the world’s perspective, but it is to those "who keep his word and not deny his name" that he will entrust his authority.
Quorum of the Twelve
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies (quorums) of the church hierarchy organized by the movement's founder Joseph Smith, and patterned after the twelve apostles of Christ. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is the second-highest governing body in the Church (the First Presidency being the highest).
Quorums serve others, build unity and brotherhood, and instruct members in doctrines, principles, and duties.
Members are considered to be apostles, with a special calling to be evangelical ambassadors to the world. Apostles are special witnesses of Jesus Christ, called to teach and testify of Him throughout the world. They travel frequently, addressing and encouraging large congregations of members and interested nonmembers, as well as meeting with local leaders. When they are not traveling, members of the Quorum of the Twelve counsel together and with other general Church leaders on matters affecting the worldwide Church, such as missionary work, temple building, spiritual and temporal welfare, and much more.
How long does the Bible say that there will be apostles? Ephesians 4:11-13 11 "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
An apostle must be an apostle by more than just his own commendation and appointment. 2 Corinthians 10:18 "For not he that commend himself is approved, but whom the Lord commend."
The apostles deliver the decrees. They travel and deliver the revelation and establish it in the local churches: Acts 16:4-5 "And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily."
A single apostle ought not consider himself able to establish doctrine or rules on his own. Acts 15:1-6 "Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses. 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question."
In 1835, the Three Witnesses were asked by Joseph Smith to select the original twelve members of the church's Quorum of the Twelve. They announced their choices at a meeting on February 14, 1835. The Three Witnesses also ordained the twelve chosen men to the priesthood office of apostle by the laying on of hands, the ordinations taking place between February and April of 1835.
Stakes (aka: Diocese)
Most areas of the Church are divided into stakes, which usually consist of five to twelve congregations called wards or branches (see below). The term stake was used by the prophet Isaiah. He described the latter-day Church as a tent that would be secured by stakes (see Isaiah 33:20; 54:2).
A stake is led by a stake patriarch and two counselors. The stake patriarch is the presiding high priest in a stake. These leaders oversee the spiritual and temporal welfare of Church members.
Similar to the general administration of the Church, a stake has directors for the Relief Society, Young Men, Young Women, Primary, and Sunday School organizations. These directors advise their respective organizations in each of the wards of the stake.
Wards
As in the ancient Church, members of the Church today are organized into congregations. Large congregations (approximately 300 or more members) are called wards. Smaller congregations are called branches. A ward is led by a bishop. Branches are led by a branch Elder. The responsibilities of a branch Elder are similar to those of a bishop, described below.
Bishop
A bishop has many duties. In addition to watching over all ward members, he has special responsibility to guide the ward’s young men and young women. He oversees teaching, missionary work, and spiritual growth in the ward. He is responsible to conduct worthiness interviews, counsel Church members, and administer Church discipline. He is responsible to care for the poor and needy, and he oversees finances, records, and the use and security of the meetinghouse.
The criteria for a bishop is: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Elders Quorum
Worthy adult men in the Church receive the Aaronic Priesthood, which is authority from God to perform sacred ordinances and to lead in the Church. Men who hold the Aaronic Priesthood can perform ordinances such as bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost and giving blessings to the sick by the laying on of hands. Within a ward, the men who hold the Aaronic Priesthood belong to the elders quorum.
The elders quorum is led by a president and two counselors. The elders quorum meets each Sunday to study the gospel and be instructed in their duties. The duties of elders include teaching and watching over the members of the ward. Home teaching is one way they accomplish this duty. When home teaching, two priesthood holders are responsible to visit members in their homes to teach, watch over, and provide service to them. The elders quorum may also be assigned by the bishop or stake patriarch to carry out specific service projects.
Church Membership
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you belong to a local congregation—a ward or branch. There you are taught the restored gospel, have opportunities for service, have access to sacred priesthood ordinances, and find fellowship with other Latter-day Saints. It is there that you have a bishop or branch patriarch, and visiting Apostles who help watch over you. In addition, you will have Elders who are there to answer your questions and who pay visits to your home to help you learn.
Like the other members of your ward or branch, you entered the path toward eternal life when you were baptized by true priesthood authority and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. At the time of your baptism, you made covenants, or promises, with God. You promised to follow Jesus Christ, always remember Him, and keep His commandments. As you do these things, the Spirit of the Lord will guide and strengthen you to continue on the path. Each week, you can join with your ward or branch to partake of the sacrament and renew your baptismal covenants.
Another covenant you made at baptism was to serve. Having callings or responsibilities within your ward or branch is a great blessing and opportunity. When you serve, you grow spiritually and experience the joy of following Jesus’s example. You will also form bonds of friendship and love with those you serve. As you reach out to help others on the path to eternal life, you will find that your own problems and worries will become lighter, and you will be strengthened in your resolve to continue the journey.
There are many ways to serve in the Church. You may be asked to teach a Sunday class to young children, lead the congregational singing, organize social activities, coordinate emergency preparedness, or fulfill a variety of other responsibilities. All adults are also asked to serve as home or visiting teachers; this opportunity is part of an inspired program to ensure that all members of the congregation are watched over, visited, and taught in their homes. In addition to whatever formal assignments you receive, you can often serve best by just being a friend to members of the congregation.
The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ
"Restoration" means to bring back that which was once present but which has been lost. When Latter-day Saints speak of the "restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ" they refer primarily to the restoration that has occurred in the latter days, establishing the dispensation of the fulness of times.
Prophets have been called by God from time to time to restore the true covenants and gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the prophets was Abraham (Abr. 3:22-25), who, having proved his faithfulness in numerous ways, was given a special covenant for himself, his descendants, and all who accept the gospel. Another was Moses, through whom the Lord restored the gospel for a short time, but because of the unwillingness of the people, the Lord instituted a preparatory law to help the people turn their hearts from idolatry to God. Later God revealed his gospel to Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, among others, who urged the people to repentance and faithfulness. Many ancient prophets testified of a coming Messiah and of his crucifixion and resurrection. They also spoke of a subsequent long period of apostasy, but promised that there would be a restoration in the latter days, prior to the second coming of the Lord.
The same gospel, covenants, and ordinances that had once been given to Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the other ancient prophets, were restored to the earth during the meridian of time when Jesus Christ lived on the earth. However, the Church that Jesus established in New Testament times was short-lived because of apostasy, which resulted in part from persecution and the eventual dispersion and death of the apostles. Hence, the authority of the priesthood, much of the gospel of Christ, and the ordinances and covenants were again lost to the earth. Peter, John, and Paul each spoke of this apostasy, which was already starting in their day, and prophesied that there would also be a restoration.
"I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6) Christ told his followers during his brief but powerful ministry on earth. It was a timely and needed message since a few hundred years before His birth many people had stopped living according to God’s commandments. Christ brought light back into the world when He proclaimed His gospel just as he had to the prophets of old like Abraham, Isaac, and Moses. He chose twelve men to be His apostles—including Peter, James and John—and laid His hands on their heads to give them authority called the priesthood to perform baptisms, govern His church, and spread His word throughout the world.
In spite of His great influence and many miracles, He was ultimately rejected and crucified. After his death, His brave and faithful apostles carried on without Him, baptizing new members, and starting various congregations.
Regardless of the valiant efforts of Christ’s apostles and their faithful followers, the original church that Christ restored began to fade away. Members faced severe persecution and all but one of the apostles were martyred. This is a period called the Great Apostasy, when there was a "falling away" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3) from the gospel Christ organized. The apostolic authority to bestow priesthood keys and to receive revelation for the Church was lost along with many precious teachings. Errors about His teachings crept into the church resulting in conflicting opinions and lost truths. This period is what we call the Great Apostasy.
Without authority or divine direction, Christianity struggled to survive with conflicting opinions on even the most basic teachings of the gospel. Without priesthood authority or the full gospel, people had to rely on human wisdom to interpret the scriptures, principles and ordinances. Many false ideas were taught as truth, and much of what we know about the true character and nature of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was lost. Essential doctrines like faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost became distorted and important doctrines were lost entirely.
Centuries later, inspired people, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, recognized that practices and doctrines had been changed or lost and tried to reform the churches to which they belonged. But without the authority of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, His gospel and Church could not be returned to their original form.
After centuries of spiritual confusion people were in desperate need of Jesus Christ’s original truths. When God selected a 14-year-old boy in 1820 as His messenger, most people refused to listen. Joseph Smith lived near Palmyra, New York in the United States, which was the only country to proclaim religious freedom at the time. His family was deeply religious and constantly sought the truth.
Joseph had to decide which of the many Christian denominations to join. After careful study, Joseph Smith still felt confused as to which Christian church he should join. He later wrote, "So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was . . . to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. . . . In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?" (Joseph Smith—History 1:8, 10).
He turned to the Bible for guidance. He read, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). With simple faith he decided to do just that. In the spring of 1820 he went to a nearby grove of trees and knelt in prayer. He described his experience: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17). In his vision God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared. The Savior told Joseph not to join any of the churches. Although many good people at that time believed in Christ and tried to understand and teach His gospel, they didn’t have the fullness of truth or the authority to baptize and perform other saving ordinances. This vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth, which God authorized to be established 10-years later by a wiser, heaven-tutored Joseph Smith, once again allowing everyone to receive the joy and blessings that come from living it.
Prior to the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith received priesthood authority at the hands of John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John who received that same "power and authority" from Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 9:1). These men appeared as angels and bestowed the priesthood upon Joseph Smith.
In 1823 Joseph Smith was visited by a heavenly messenger named Moroni just as angels often appeared to Apostles in the New Testament. Moroni told Joseph about a record of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent that was buried in a nearby hill. He said it contained the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and was written on thin metal sheets of gold. Joseph translated the book into English. The book was named the Book of Mormon after Mormon, the ancient prophet who compiled it.
Translated and written in the same scriptural style of the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon tells us about the struggles of the righteous people of that time who were trying to live God’s commandments. Just as sometimes happens today, they were often made fun of and persecuted for their beliefs. A particularly inspiring section of the book recounts Christ’s visit to the American continent soon after His resurrection. He invited the people to feel the wound marks in his hands, feet and side. He blessed and healed them, performed miracles, and gave twelve men the same authority as His twelve apostles whose works are recorded in the Bible. The effect of His visit was so profound that for nearly 170 years the people lived in peace and righteousness.
God also gives us direction through his prophets who have the authority to speak and act in His name. Throughout history, brave prophets like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peter, John the Baptist, Paul the Apostle and countless others bore fervent testimonies of Christ to help our own faith in Him grow.
When Joseph Smith was tragically martyred in Carthage, Illinois in 1844, the leadership of the restored Church was passed to Brigham Young who was the senior apostle at that time. He led the Church under Christ’s direction for the next 33 years—leading the first group of pioneers across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. He supervised the immigration of over 70,000 additional people from the U.S. and Europe, and founded over 350 settlements in the Western U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Receiving Revelation
The spirit of revelation is available to every person who receives by proper priesthood authority the saving ordinances of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost—and who is acting in faith to fulfill the priesthood injunction to “receive the Holy Ghost.” This blessing is not restricted to the presiding authorities of the Church; rather, it belongs to and should be operative in the life of every man, woman, and child who reaches the age of accountability and enters into sacred covenants.
God is a God of order; therefore revelation is given in an orderly way. If one or more persons were to receive revelation, then confusion would result. For example, if multiple people received conflicting revelations, which "revelation" should be followed? If someone claims revelation for the office of bishop or stake elder or prophet and they do not hold that position, then you may know with certainty they are not of the Lord. "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:29-30).
God does not operate through multiple channels for a single responsibility. "To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit..." ( 1 Corinthians 12:8) “They were amazed at His teaching; He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22)
God does, however, have an order for each of us to receive revelation, and He has given us that order in Scripture.
Preparing for a revelation involves many aspects, but the first is to prepare our-self to ask before we actually ask. The Lord said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8).
We must have faith that God will answer our prayers. "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6)
Taking sufficient time to search the word of God is paramount to receiving a revelation. "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me..." (John 5:39) "Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do," (2 Nephi 32:3).
When seeking a revelation if we're not willing to accept God's will, whatever it may be, we are less likely to receive an answer. "Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God," (Jeremiah 11:4). "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it," (Luke 11:28).
Fasting helps us put aside the temporal and to focus on the spiritual, as well as help us humble ourselves before the Lord, which is necessary as we seek a revelation. In the Bible we see an example of this when Daniel sought the Lord through prayer and fasting: "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes," (Daniel 9:3).
Ask for it through prayer. "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:12-13).
Some people say that they have a revolution, but God never called them. Many have set themselves up as the interpreters of the Scripture, teaching many speculations about the meaning of various parts of the Bible. Often, they teach much more than God has revealed, and they cause confusion in the church. Money, power, and prestige are the main driving forces behind these who send themselves, often claiming to be sent by God. It is sad to say that some lean on their own understanding and claim that they can, by their own carnal and natural minds, discern spiritual things.
Revelation comes to a person by (1) direct communication, (2) holy spirit (in a Christian), (3) demons inhabiting the person, (4) being spoken to by others in prophecy, or (5) things in the senses world such as Balaam’s talking donkey. However, the “origin” of the revelation is either God (1 Cor. 2:10; 2 Pet. 1:21), the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12; 2 Cor. 12:1; Acts 16:7), the Devil (Gen. 3:1-5; Matt. 4:1-11) or a demon (1 Sam. 28:8-19; 1 Kings 22:22 ). While the obedience and order in God’s spiritual kingdom demands that no angel would give revelation without the actual source being God or the Lord Jesus, the confusion, conflict, and power struggles in the Devil’s spiritual kingdom make it apparent that demons sometimes act without the Devil’s permission and thus are the original source of some demonic revelation.
Communication from a demon inhabiting the person. A demon inhabiting a person’s mind (which some people refer to as “possession”) gives him information. People hear voices, see images, or just “get ideas” (Num. 5:14-KJV; Jer. 2:8, 23:13; Hosea 4:12; Zech. 10:2). A demonic cause: Some example of demonic revelation are: the magician’s rods becoming serpents (Exod. 7:8-13); Simon’s sorcery (Acts 8:9-12); and lying wonders (2 Thess. 2:9-KJV).
The seven demons that attack the church.
- Spirit of Intimidation (Revelation 2:10–11)
- Spirit of Compromise (Revelation 2:12, 14–17)
- Spirit of Jezebel (Control) (Revelation 2:18-20, 26)
When the spirit of Jezebel begins to manifest in the church, it seeks a high seat in the church or a place of dominance. Usually it will manifest in someone who wants to teach or lead, usually leading them astray! To find that place of leadership, Jezebel must look and act in a spiritual manner. "Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols." (Revelation 2:20). This controlling spirit wiggles into the church, bent on destroying and undermining the very things that we hold dear as believers. Through manipulation, domination, and control, the spirit begins its battle against the body of Christ. In addition, the spirit of Jezebel hates the preaching of the Word. She can’t cope with its message. She will try to either reduce the messenger or the message. - Spirit of Traditionalism (Revelation 3:1–6)
- Spirit of Inferiority (Revelation 3:7–8, 12)
- Spirit of Pride (Revelation 3:14–17, 21)
- Spirit of Lost fellowship (1 John 1:3)
Jesus was standing and knocking outside the door of this church. At one point, He had been shut out; He was no longer the center of things. The church had no basis for fellowship with other churches because Jesus Christ was the only common ground among the fellowship of churches. Without Him, a church can have a “get together” without really being together in unity! “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Even in the spirit world there are laws that govern demons. They cannot just come and take possession of a persons life. You or someone in your family have to invite them in. Satanic spirits can deceive a person, by getting the person to believe that he or she is going to be filled with the Holy Ghost, but instead they are filled with demonic spirits. " For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" ( 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
If you sense any of these spirits are at work in your church, it is important to see the enemy as spiritual, not fleshly. Don’t hate the person being controlled by the spirit, recognize that it is a spiritual power—one that God must fight. Let your prayer be, "Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12).
Demons might not come out if you and the demons are living the same kind of life. You will need to first cover yourself under the blood of Christ. If you did commit any sin you will need to go confess it to God. If you are sleeping with the wife of somebody in the near community, you better leave that demon alone, because he will find out what you have done, and come out of that person to take possession of you. You will also need to cover the people who are in the home with the blood of Christ.
"No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house." (Mark 3:27)
"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (Luke 10:19)