unraveling the latter-day signs of the times with types...
TRANSCRIPT
Unraveling the Latter-day Signs of the Times with Types and Shadows from the Book of Mormon
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Pahoran II - “. . . they sent forth one Kishkumen, even to the judgment-seat of Pahoran, and murdered Pahoran as he sat upon the judgment-seat.” (Helaman 1:9)
Cezoram - “. . . Cezoram was murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgment-seat.” (Helaman 6:15)
Cezoram’s son - “. . . his son, who had been appointed by the people in his stead, was also murdered.” (Helaman 6:15)
Seezoram – “your judge is murdered, and he lieth in his blood; and he hath been murdered by his brother, who seeketh to sit in the judgment-seat.” (Helaman 8:27)
Lachoneus – “…they did destroy upon the judgment-seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land.” (3 Nephi 7:1)
The government then falls . . . .
“And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.”
“And every tribe did appoint a chief or a leader over them; and thus they became tribes and leaders of tribes.” (3 Nephi 7:2-3)
What if . . .?
The Book of Mormon is the greatest revelation
of significant latter-day prophetic history.
Not only is the Book of Mormon for our day . . .
. . . but every critical latter-day event is foreshadowed within it’s pages
. . . and these events are foretold generally in the correct chronological order.
Not only does it contain prophecies of the last days but the narrative itself is a prophecy.
What did Mormon know?
For Our Day: Covenant on the LandThe For Our Day documentary series explores the prophetic parallels in the Book of Mormon referencing statements from latter-day prophets of God and the Standard Works. For Our Day: Covenant on the Land discusses the covenant on the Promised Land for both ancient and modern inhabitants.
For Our Day: Divinely Sanctioned Governments (DVD)For Our Day: Divinely Sanctioned Governments compares the Nephite and Latter-day governments of liberty.
Statesmen & Symbols: Prelude to the Restoration (2014)From the producers of For Our Day, comes a fascinating documentary exploring temple symbolism. Discover the reason behind Joseph Smith's involvement with Masonry, the purpose of inverted pentagrams on LDS temples, the use of sacred symbols by the Founding Fathers and more!
Book of Mormon Parallel Events TimelineThis timeline overlays the Book of Mormon history with Latter-day prophetic history and organizes the matching events.
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of [baptism], which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel . . . I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. . . . I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee (Isaiah 48:1-5)
Using the Book of Mormon as our guide in interpreting latter-day events.
Why?
Most correct book
“Few men on earth, either in or out of the Church, have caught the vision of what the Book of Mormon is all about. Few are they among men who know the part it has played and will yet play in preparing the way for the coming of Him of whom it is a new witness.” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, pg. 159)
“If they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon?We should constantly ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?’” (Ezra Taft Benson, CR October 1986, The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion)
Now behold, I will show unto you that they . . . did murder the chief judge of the land.
And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land. . . . And the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets. (3 Nephi 7:1-2,6)
Both established on word of God
Representatives chosen by the voice of the people
People judged according to commandments
Checks and balances
Federalism
Approved of by the Lord
Judges took sacred oath to maintain the law
Established monetary system
I heard the prophet Joseph Smith say if the people rose up and mobbed us and the authorities countenanced it, they would have mobs to their hearts’ content.
I heard him say that the time would come when this nation would so far depart from its original purity, its glory, and its love for freedom and its protection of civil rights and religious rights, that the Constitution of our country would hang as it were by a thread.
He said, also, that this people, the sons of Zion, would rise up and save the Constitution and bear it off triumphantly. (Eliza R. Snow 556 )
“The Government of the United States will never fail.”
Sacred Cow
While discussing the petition to Congress, I prophesied, by virtue of the holy Priesthood vested in me, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that, if Congress will not hear our petition and grant us protection, they shall be broken up as a government, and God shall damn them, and there shall be nothing left of them — not even a grease spot. (Joseph Smith, Millennial Star, Vol. 22, p. 455)
The whole government is gone; it is as weak as water. I heard Joseph Smith say nearly thirty years ago, “They shall have mobbings to their hearts’ content, if they do not redress the wrongs of the Latter-day Saints.” Mobs will not decrease but will increase until the whole government becomes a mob, and eventually it will be State against State, city against city, neighborhood against neighborhood. (Brigham Young, Deseret News, Vol. 9, p. 2, May 1, 1861. (Gerald N.
Lund, The Coming of the Lord [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1971], 68.)
We had a great war upon this continent some years ago; but there will yet be wars pass through these United States, and through other nations, until it will be mournful to hear the report of the bloodshed, the sorrow and trouble that will be caused thereby, as also by pestilence, famine and earthquake, and the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds, and storms and tempests, etc., etc. (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 24, pg. 200. )
And when the nation with which we are associated is shaken to its centre and crumbles to pieces…it will continue to fall and to crumble, until it is no more, and by and bye there will be an end of it. Not so with the kingdom of God; it will stand, and continue to exist and spread and go forth. (John Taylor, JD 11:26, 1864)
When I contemplate the condition of our nation, and see that wickedness and abominations are increasing, so much so that the whole heavens groan and weep over the abominations of this nation and the nations of the earth, I ask myself the question, can the American nation escape? The answer comes, No; its destruction, as well as the destruction of the world, is sure; just as sure as the Lord cut off and destroyed the two great and prosperous nations that once inhabited this . . . because of their wickedness, so will he them destroy, and sooner or later they will reap the fruits of their own wicked acts, and be numbered among the past.
. . . All the words of the Lord will be fulfilled upon the nations, which are written in this book. The American nation will be broken in pieces like a potter’s vessel, and will be cast down to hell, if it does not repent, and this, because of murders, whoredoms, wickedness, and all manner of abominations, for the Lord has spoken it. (Wilford Woodruff, Matthias F. Cowley, Wilford Woodruff, p. 500.)
The prophets in our day have continually warned us of these internal threats-that our greatest threat from Socialistic Communism lies within our country. . . . As the First Presidency pointed out in a statement signed in 1936, if we continue to uphold Communism by not making it treasonable, our land shall be destroyed, for the Lord has said that whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations to get power and gain until they shall spread over the nation–behold, they shall be destroyed. The Lord has declared that before the second coming of Christ, it will be necessary to destroy the secret works of darkness in order to preserve the land of Zion- the Americas. (Ezra Taft Benson, General Conference Address, October 7, 1961. )
Even this nation [America] will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground, and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin, this people [Latter-day Saints] will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean, and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction.
Then shall the Lord say go tell all my servants who are the strength of mine house my young men and middle aged &c come to the Land of my vineyard and fight the battle of the Lord . . . [then] the Foreign saints shall come to fight for the Land of my vineyard for in this thing shall be their safety and they will have no power to choose but will come as a man fleeth from a sudden destruction . . . I know these things by the visions of the Almighty.(Joseph Smith, Sermon delivered at Nauvoo, Illinois July 19, 1840, Source: Howard and Martha Coray Notebook)
“Then shall the Lord say go tell all my servants who are the strength of mine house my young men and middle aged &c come to the Land of my vineyard and fight the battle of the Lord . . . [then] the Foreign saints shall come to fight for the Land of my vineyard for in this thing shall be their safety and they will have no power to choose but will come as a man fleeth from a sudden destruction . . . I know these things by the visions of the Almighty.” (Joseph Smith, Sermon delivered at Nauvoo, Illinois July 19, 1840, Source: Howard and Martha Coray Notebook)
“And the lord of the vineyard said unto one of his servants: Go and gather together the residue of my servants, and take all the strength of mine house, which are my warriors, my young men, and they that are of middle age also among all my servants, who are the strength of mine house, save those only whom I have appointed to tarry; And go ye straightway unto the land of my vineyard, and redeem my vineyard; ” (D&C 101:55-56)
Heber C. Kimball said it was revealed to him that the last great destruction of the wicked would
be on the lakes near the Hill Cumorah.
- J. Golden Kimball (son of President Heber C. Kimball)
And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations;
Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished. (Jeremiah 46:28)
For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. (Jeremiah 30:11)
Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.
There will not many calamities come upon the nations of the earth, until this people first feel their effects, and when hard times commence they will begin at the house of God, and if there is any house of God on the earth, where is it? It is here, is it not? It is where the people have assembled together according to the commandments of the Almighty. We have got to feel the effects of these things, and if we do so patiently it will be good for us. . . . We talk about those in the household of faith, and those who are inclined to serve the Lord, they will be the ones to suffer first.
And do you hear it, O Israel? and have you seen it, and felt the pangs of war, when they have sent their army to this Territory, intending to drive us from our homes? As they commenced it upon the house of God, it must go forth upon themselves; for as they measured out to us, it must be measured unto them fourfold. (Heber C. Kimball, "Unity—Commandments of God, Etc.", Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, pp. 327-334, January 6, 1861.)
“. . . the judgments will begin at the house of God. We have to pass through some of these things, but it will only be a very little compared with the terrible destruction, the misery, and suffering that will overtake the world who are doomed to suffer the wrath of God. It behooves us, as the saints of God, to stand firm and faithful in the observance of his laws, that we may be worthy of his preserving care and blessing.” (Wilford Woodruff JD, 21:100)
“. . . I further testify, that unless the Latter-day Saints will live their religion, keep their covenants with God and their brethren, honor the Priesthood which they bear, and try faithfully to bring themselves into subjection to the laws of God, they will be the first to fall beneath the judgments of the Almighty, for his judgment will begin at his own house." (Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, April, 1937, p. 60.)
“Sometimes we hear someone refer to a division in the Church. In reality, the Church is not divided. It simply means that there are some who, for the time being at least, are members of the Church but not in harmony with it. These people have a temporary membership and influence in the Church; but unless they repent, they will be missing when the final membership records are recorded.
“It is well that our people understand this principle, so they will not be misled by those apostates within the Church who have not yet repented or been cut off. But there is a cleansing coming. The Lord says that his vengeance shall be poured out "upon the inhabitants of the earth. . . . And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me. . . ." (D&C 112:24-26.) I look forward to that cleansing; its need within the Church is becoming increasingly apparent. (Ezra Taft Benson, To the Humble Followers of the Church, Conference Report, April 1969, pp. 10-15)
Judgment begins at the House of God, and the “Mormon” will be the first to feel the chastening of the Almighty, because we looked for better things of him: he has light and knowledge, and knows better than to be guilty of such acts. (Orson Hyde, "Gathering the Saints, Etc.", Journal
of Discourses, vol. 2, pp. 61-70, October 8, 1854.)
“The Great Battle will be at Jerusalem [Israel nation state] only”
Sacred Cow
In the latter-days, the saints are overcome and trodden down through persecution
The Lord’s people are forced to gather The world’s largest gentile army (200,000,000) comes from the north against
the Lord’s people The righteous, who have previously gathered out from the nations and live
in peace in their own land, humble themselves calling upon the Lord for deliverance
The Lord’s people have previously prepared with seven years of provisions and fortified themselves for battle
The Lord destroys all but one sixth (16.7%) of Gog’s forces Invading army is buried on the mountains of Israel for 7 months and the
weapons are burned for 7 years
When does this occur?
Where does this occur?
Who are the Lord’s people?
Who is the army of Gog?
Why is this significant to the latter-day prophetic history?
Has the world ever seen a force of 200,000,000 soldiers?
Previous fulfillments of Joel were not THE fulfillment
Christ’s death
Gordon B. Hinckley stating Joel had been fulfilled October 2001
After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou [Gog] shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
“And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.” (D&C 101:80)
Great Migration
English settlers, primarily Puritans to Massachusetts
Early missionaries
Missionary Work
Future gathering
“We stand today on a mountain peak, on a majestic, glorious peak in the midst of the mountains of Israel. . . . With our souls attuned to the infinite, we seem to hear a heavenly choir whose celestial strains resound through the mountains of Israel.” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Coming Tests and Trials and Glory)
Israel, Israel, God is Calling Redeemer of Israel Hope of Israel Ye Elders of Israel Come O Thou King of Kings
Let Israel now be gathered home. Come All Ye Sons of God
The latter-day work has begun:To gather scattered Israel inAnd bring them back to Zion to praise the Lamb.
The Morning Breaks Arise O Glorious Zion O Ye Mountains High Behold the Mountain of the Lord
What Glorious Scenes Mine Eyes Behold When Ephraim's records I unfold,
All things appear divinely new. . . . . The scattered sheep, who once were sold
In darkness o'er the mountains far,
Shall now return unto their fold . . . Now Israel, long oppressed and grieved
In ev'ry land, in ev'ry clime,
Shall hear the word of God and live;
This is the time, the chosen time.
Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden doorGive me your tired, your poor, your tired, poor.
The War of 1812
The Civil War
The Mexican-American War (only because Texas became a state during the war)
In respect to the Latter-day Saints in America the only war was the War of 1812 which was essentially finishing the Revolutionary War.
“The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight; they have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day; but they died without the sight; we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory; it is left for us to see, participate in and help to roll forward the Latter-day glory.” (History of the Church, 4:609–10; from “The Temple,” an
editorial published in Times and Seasons, May 2, 1842, p. 776; Joseph Smith was the editor of the periodical.)
“And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.” (Ezekiel 38:11-12)
Of “the top 20 developed nations, and the U.S. has the most extreme wealth-concentration of them all. ”
Forbes headline: Astonishing Numbers: America's Poor Still Live Better Than Most Of The Rest Of Humanity
“Your children will live under Communism… You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright; but we will keep feeding you small doses of Socialism until you finally wake-up and find that you already have Communism. We won’t have to fight you, we’ll so weaken your economy until you fall like overripe fruit into our hands.” (Nikita Khrushschev,
Premier of the Soviet Union, 1958 to 1964 in a recorded conversation with Ezra Taft Benson, President Eisenhower’s Secretary of Agriculture in 1959.)
Who has the covenants?
Who has broken the covenants?
Who has been blessed with freedom, prosperity and peace?
We are a covenant-making and a covenant-taking people. We have the gospel which is the new and the everlasting covenant: new in that the Lord has revealed it anew in our day; everlasting in that its principles are eternal, have existed with God from all eternity, and are the same unchangeable laws by which all men in all ages may be saved. The gospel is the covenant which God makes with his children here on earth . . . We are children of the covenant which God made with Abraham, our father. ” (Bruce R. McConkie, Conference Report, October 1950, pp. 13-17)
“. . . we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.” (Proclamation on the Family)
“Blood moons are caused by pollution in
the atmosphere making the moon red”
Sacred Cow
Great lights in heaven (Helaman 14:3)
No darkness (Helaman 14:3)
New star (Helaman 14:5, 3 Nephi 1:19, 21)
Many signs and wonders in heaven (Helaman 14:6)
Sun darkened, moon give no light (Helaman 14:20)
Righteous look for the signs (2 Nephi 26:8)
Dialogue between leaders
Who is Gog?
Communist
How the Saints deal with the battle of Gog
Food Storage
Self-Defense
Prepared
And now it came to pass when Lachoneus received this epistle he was exceedingly astonished, because of the boldness of Giddianhidemanding the possession of the land of the Nephites, and also of threatening the people and avenging the wrongs of those that had received no wrong, save it were they had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable robbers.
They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea;
And again, that they were wronged while in the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord . . .
And his brethren were wroth with him because they understood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord.
And again, they were wroth with him when they had arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him.
And again, they were wroth with him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he robbed them.
And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi. (Mosiah 10:12-17)
Women
Blacks
Poor/Labor
Children
Labor
Women => Men, Patriarchal family
Blacks => Whites
Poor => Rich, Bourgeoisie
Children => Parents
Labor => Management
Who saw visions and then gave counsel?
If we are to be saved in an ark, as Noah and his family were, it will be because we build it. . . when harvest comes, giving us the grain, it is for us to preserve it–to save the wheat until we have one, two, five or seven years’ provisions on hand, until there is enough of the staff of life saved by the people to bread themselves and those who will come here seeking for safety. (Brigham Young, (quoted by Marion G. Romney – April Conference, 1976))
Years ago, Brother Kimball counseled the people to lay up two years' provisions, and then enough for four, for six and for seven years. I have it now, and I am dealing it out. (J.D. 12:219)
This is part of our religion--to lay up stores and provide for ourselves and for the surrounding country; for the day is near when they will come by thousands and by millions, with their fineries, to get a little bread. Suppose it is not coming, will it hurt you to lay up the products of the earth for seven years? Will it hurt you, if you have your guns, swords, and spears in good condition, according to the law of the United States? (J.D. 5:163-164)
Let us heed the counsel given about storing up provisions, and, instead of freighting our food away to feed strangers, let as go to work and build good substantial granaries, and fill them with breadstuff, until every man and woman has enough on hand to last for seven years. (George A Smith, JoD12:142)
A few years ago President Young gave counsel to the people of the Territory-most of whom agreed to it-to lay by seven years provisions. We were to have commenced three years ago, and were to have laid up one year’s bread over and above the year’s supply. The following year we were to add another year’s supply, and so have continued until we had our seven year’s supply laid up. (George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 9th, 1867. JoD 12:138)
The Battle of the Great God is over Communism
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Why are we losing the freedom battle?
Imagine there's no heavenIt's easy if you tryNo hell below usAbove us only skyImagine all the peopleLiving for today...
Imagine there's no countriesIt isn't hard to doNothing to kill or die forAnd no religion tooImagine all the peopleLiving life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamerBut I'm not the only oneI hope someday you'll join usAnd the world will be as one
Imagine no possessionsI wonder if you canNo need for greed or hungerA brotherhood of manImagine all the peopleSharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamerBut I'm not the only oneI hope someday you'll join usAnd the world will live as one
No heaven and no hell
“when a man was dead, that was the end thereof.” (Alma 30:18)
“God—a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be.” (Alma 30:28)
Living for today
“And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms” (Alma 30:18)
“there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.” (2 Nephi 28:7)
Nothing to kill or die for I hope that ye will deliver up your lands and your possessions, without
the shedding of blood
No religion I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers, and because I do not
teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words. (Alma 30:23)
Living life in peace Jeremiah 6:13-30
I hope someday you’ll join us
yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with our secret works, and
No possessions, Sharing all the world
partners of all our substances
A brotherhood of man, The world will live as one
become our brethren that ye may be like unto us—not our slaves, but our brethren
“. . . we've never had a better generation of young people in the Church than we have today.” (President Gordon B. Hinckley, Church News interview, June 7, 1995)
“You, our youth of today, are among the most illustrious spirits to be born into mortality in any age of the world. Yours is a noble heritage and a wonderful opportunity.” (Harold B. Lee, Youth and the Church, 1970)
“For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming. ” (Ezra Taft
Benson, In His Steps)
In a real Latter-day Saint home there is no such thing as a generation gap. We never heard of it until a few years ago, and where did it start? It started with some of these so-called social reformers, these do-gooders who are used as tools of the adversary to drive young people away from their parents and to get parents to let down in their responsibility to give guidance and direction to their own children. (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 406)
"Christianity will go," he said. "It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now;” (John Lennon, interview with
Maureen Cleave, London Evening Standard, "More Popular Than Jesus" 3/4/1966)
Now it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers. (Mosiah 26:1)
And thus were the Lamanites afflicted also, and began to decrease as to their faith and righteousness, because of the wickedness of the rising generation. (3 Nephi 1:30)
Book of Mormon
Church programs?
Fathers working with sons
Nephi & Lehi
Jacob & Enos
King Benjamin & Mosiah
King Mosiah & his missionary sons
Alma the Elder & Alma the Younger
Alma & Helaman/Shiblon/Corianton
Helaman & Nephi/Lehi
Mormon & Moroni
Joseph F. Smith “… This patriarchal order has its divine spirit and purpose, and those
who disregard it under one pretext or another are out of harmony with the spirit of God’s laws as they are ordained for recognition in the home.” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine (Deseret Book Company, 1968). pp. 287.)
Bruce R. McConkie “Among the saints the family is the basic unit of the Church and of
society, and its needs and preservation in righteousness take precedence over all other things. True family organization is patriarchal in nature; it is patterned after that organization which exists in heaven (Eph. 3:15);” (Mormon Doctrine)
“There is no higher authority in matters relating to the family organization, and especially when that organization is presided over by one holding the higher Priesthood, than that of the father. The authority is time honored, and among the people of God in all dispensations it has been highly respected and often emphasized by the teachings of the prophets who were inspired of God. The patriarchal order is of divine origin and will continue throughout time and eternity.
“There is, then, a particular reason why men, women and children should understand this order and this authority in the households of the people of God, and seek to make it what God intended it to be, a qualification and preparation for the highest exaltation of his children. In the home the presiding authority is always vested in the father, and in all home affairs and family matters there is no other authority paramount.”
“As a head of a family, I have a right to know these things; I have a right to know what influences are brought in and around my house, what spirits predominate there, and I have a right to know what a man’s religion is.
‘But do you not allow liberty of conscience?’ Yes. You can worship what you please—a donkey or a red dog—but you must not bring that worship into my house; I do not believe in your gods, I believe in the God of Israel, in the Holy Ghost, in the spirit of truth and intelligence, and all good principles; and if you want to worship your gods, worship them somewhere else, and if anybody else wants to worship them, they can do so: you can go on to one of those mountains and worship your gods, or if you are living in a house here, you can be a worshipper of Buddha if you please; but I do not want it in my house, and I do not want the spirit that you have—the spirit of those gods, visible or invisible; I do not want their teachings, spirit, nor influences.” (John Taylor, “Divine Government, Etc.“, Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, pp. 51-59, January 18, 1865.)
“. . . choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
(Joshua 24:15)
For Our Day: Covenant on the LandThe For Our Day documentary series explores the prophetic parallels in the Book of Mormon referencing statements from latter-day prophets of God and the Standard Works. For Our Day: Covenant on the Land discusses the covenant on the Promised Land for both ancient and modern inhabitants.
For Our Day: Divinely Sanctioned Governments (DVD)For Our Day: Divinely Sanctioned Governments compares the Nephite and Latter-day governments of liberty.
Statesmen & Symbols: Prelude to the Restoration (2014)From the producers of For Our Day, comes a fascinating documentary exploring temple symbolism. Discover the reason behind Joseph Smith's involvement with Masonry, the purpose of inverted pentagrams on LDS temples, the use of sacred symbols by the Founding Fathers and more!
Book of Mormon Parallel Events TimelineThis timeline overlays the Book of Mormon history with Latter-day prophetic history and organizes the matching events.
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