A Message to PureMormonism reader "Anonymous"
Dear Anonymous Reader,
Jesus said we are judged by our words. It is out of the abundance of my own personal grief and frustration with all branches of the Restoration, my mouth speaks. I'm not personally condemning anyone. But voicing my own cry for what is right, but has been trampled by men.
We rob the poor because of our fine sanctuaries. Our worldly temples, fine cloths, fast cars, yet forget that God made us to be different!
God made us in His image, to be tender, lovers, peacemakers, innovators, developers, and servants of each other according to each our personal skills and gifts. To serve as the Holy Ghost leads!
For as I beg God for the rain, for the harvest, for my nurture and support, so should I also give to those whom beg for the same like support. IN this, I become like God! In this, should I not give to those in need, I am condemned, becoming like the enemy!
Operating as God intended, the Body of Christ is a perfect Celestial immune system. A healthy body is never poor in any part of it! Because if properly fed, (as the Saints should be but are not yet) every cell in that body is doing it's personally assigned job to maintain the health of the (growing) body, according to the laws of God! Should Christ's Church be any different?
The Revolution the Restoration was supposed to bring, rejuvenation, reunification to Christ's people, to strengthen and teach the principles of true spiritual unity, equality, and love. to teach all men to learn the ever demanding discipline of peace! To beat their swords into ploughshares is only the kindergarten, square 1 basics. To be one with oneself, being one, even as the Father and the Son are one.
But what does being one mean?
Said differently, the Apostle Paul, in his many letters to the church, often spoke about the battle over temptation which rages within. Paul was speaking about the incongruence of self. Telling us the physical man if not trained in good carnal disciplines, will rule the spiritual man, instead of the other way around. Leaving members of the church struggling, wave tossed and double minded in their deeds.
The Restoration's purpose was to teach the people the power of the Carnal (Aaronic) and the Spiritual (Melkezedic) Laws. For if the carnal man cannot obey the carnal laws of God, how can he or she obey the higher, more Godly spiritual laws?
Can One Expect His Or Her Prayers Answered if their words and deeds don't match?
Without congruent agreement between the deeds of body, and the conscious awareness of the spirit, what created being have access to the throne of God through prayer, and hope to be heard?
I must not only honour God with my lips, but also with my deeds. The carnal and the Spiritual must mesh in line, if they are real, and truly of God. Each manifest together in agreement with the other.
When the carnal (temporal) laws, and the spiritual (Melkezedic) disagree, we see, a split people, a split church, nearly powerless and almost impotent of true authority. Meaning the confirming presence of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is vacant.
I found prayer becomes more powerful, when my deeds of repentance, back my words. When I obey the commandments, keeping the laws of God, not for brownie points with the church, but because I wish to be heard in heaven, and hope Heaven will respond to my plea of support.
Then there is credibility, because I have taken the time to try to craft within myself, something God will see and be able to honour when I ask my petition. Better yet, if I hear the Lords Spirit, and repent, doing as He directs me to pray, my obedient repentance and life change decisions, increase chances of my prayer being answered.
The Restoration was supposed to teach us all the art and high personal discipline of Temporal/Spiritual self control... That we may serve and love one another to new life, that the dead may rise, the sick be healed, the poor be given, the hungry fed, the prisoners be set free, and the needs of the "whole body" be served.
If I cannot command my own body to new and vibrant life in Christ, how can I raise the dead and heal the sick? I cannot knowingly, or unknowingly eat foods and poisons daily, then expect God to wamp me with spiritual power to heal ourselves or others at the last miraculous moment. God does not reward dysfunctional behavior with heavenly attention.
Can a man obey the Higher Spiritual Laws? If he continually chooses to break the carnal, lesser temporal laws of cause and affect? Can a man work out his salvation with Christ, if I continually kill myself temporally on a daily basis? "For in as much as I do it, unto the least of these my brethren, I've done it unto me"...
What if the Least of These My Brethren Starts With Me?
Could I treat my body badly, like I treat the least of these my brethren? Will I not do the same to Christ as I do to myself? Will I not do to my brethren, as I do to my own body? My body which is "Christ's Temple" , will I not do the same to my church?
This is Called the power of the "Carry Over Effect"...
If I do good in one area, that discipline transfers to eventually effect every area of my life in due time. If I do evil in 1 area, the same carry over effect will apply, making other good areas in my life evil. Or we have the Restoration, partly good partly evil, cancelling each other out. Salt which has lost it's savour.
Hence the scripture God cannot tolerate sin, even in the "least degree" See D&C. The reason is the Carry Over Effect.
Stewardship is stewardship. While many will argue the point, let's use myself as an example... If I let my teeth rot out because of my poor tooth care habits, chances are good my checking account balance and relationship with God probably look the same way. Again, the Carry Over Effect from 1 area, begins to effect every area of my life.
Yet Stewardship is learning how to live in the Kingdom of God. Stewardship is not some kind of hoop jumping people must do to be good "Mormons" or impress an imperfect and most times, impotent, un-prophetic priesthood. Stewardship is not just about money, and sending your tithes of 10%.... Money does not make one a steward. Indeed it's easier for a camel to walk through a needles eye than a rich man to what?
Brother believe me, many rich men can steward money, but they'll still go to hell because they forsake the needs of their fellow man.
The Restoration has faltered! Not because there cannot be power, or celestial learning ordained by God, but because men and women of the Restoration, in our pride, seek to use the story of Joseph Smith and Company, to their own self aggrandizement and profit! Not the least of these has to do with money! Yes I said money!
This is purely my observations...
Or members of the Restoration, (I am guilty myself of this) want to like cheerleaders, saying yay yay Raah Raah! "We're the Restoration", "we're God's special people" while polishing our finger nails with an air of self indulgent importance. Something I never think God intended....
All at the great expense and physical/temporal/spiritual slaughter of not just the Saints, but all mankind as we labour in great bondage to our sins,
For if Zion had happened, would the Middle East be in the trouble it's in? If Christ were here teaching, would the United States be what it has become? And would the Restoration be practically dead of Godly Power, or spiritually authority?
The Glory (power) of God cannot come, to a people who will not repent and prepare themselves to accept it in the manner God wishes to give it. The Kingdom cannot come to a people who will not temporally prepare themselves so they will not defile the Kingdom and Kingdom way of life spiritually.
If the Kingdom comes before we Saint's are ready, we're dead!
That's an ugly, but well prophesied fact! Remember 3 Nephi, Christ's 1st coming to the Americas, is type and shadow of Christ's Second Coming. Coming to a backyard near us if we don't repent and get real in our personal walk with God.
This is God's Holy Land! Never shall the unclean and defiled come into it again... But to get there, the land shall have to be cleansed. Only a remnant shall be left. (read your Book of Mormon and D&C, they say so)
Only in Zion and in Jerusalem will be Safety.
The only safety in Zion for the Saints, will be if those saints like the Jebusites of the Bible, stand still in their strength. The Lord God is our light life and strength. If we will not, "be still and know I Am God", few if any Saint's will be left. Zion is only as safe, as the Saint's choose to be. If we choose to be a wicked and abominable people around others, we soon shall become and endangered and extinct people. If we choose to repent and become a safe, peace loving people, making ourselves personally safe and edifying comfort to all around us, as led by the Holy Ghost we shall have safety in Zion.
The Focus, is and should be the deep personal discipline, of self examining repentance. Coupled with a REAL relationship with Jesus Christ who is our Light, He whom allows us to see ourselves. Emmanuel! God Within US! He allows us to see ourselves for what we are, and He shows us how to change ourselves, if we're sincerely willing to do so.
We must forsake our idols, become still inside, and begin to follow the Holy Ghost, who will not only say, but do His will for their personal lives.
An Idol, is anything we give more time to than God and our walk with Him. T.V., Nintendo, X-Boxes, Food, Bad News, Fox, CNN, ABC, CBS, B.S. can be idols. The Internet can be an Idol, shopping can be worshipped, movie theatres an holy shrine which defiles the mind.
Some people worship their own arms legs, or the tattoos on them. I'm not sure which.
Some people worship and idolize their church. Rather than the God of their church.
Many a Saint I've heard tell me of their health woes beyond what is appropriate. After about the second or third time of telling, I usually get the message. But some people really get into how bad their life is, rather than repenting and doing something which makes us themselves and all of us together more effective and healthful servants to God's Kingdom.
A saint's time is to be spent with and determining the will of God for their lives. It's fun! It's empowering! It's an adventure!
We must not do man's will, not the Prophets will, not the Apostles will, not the President of Seventy or the Bishops will, though we obey the laws of the land, not the governments will.. But we do the will and desire of the Holy Ghost! And we must! Because only the Holy Ghost/Jesus Christ, can teach us all what we each personally need to know, not just to heal our body, but also heal Christ's body, in doing so, we must first seek to heal our own body and spirit which constructs our soul.
Only God knows our answer to enable our healing.
Only a relationship with God, through Christ can give us our answers. Fake church will not do. Pseudo religion just makes God mad!
A sincere and praying people, who's only care is about what God thinks, will save this world, this church or what's left of it, and a remnant of this people who take God seriously. (I'm not deciding who)
If we're sincere, then the people of this world, and this church, will not only know us by our love, but by our DO! They will know us each by our personal dedication to peace, our tough disciplined, peaceful action. Doing peace, in the face of a warlike enemy is tough! But the only way.
Not just in relationship with man, but in our relationship with God also. To carry off the task of inner personal peace, we must forsake the carnal, meaning we regulate the carnal only to good and moderate behaviours. Otherwise we won't regulate ourselves with the deeply destructive spiritually bad behaviours. (again the Carry Over Effect)
Using that which is carnal to the health and benefit of man, rather than to lesser destructive behaviours and thinking.
Our relationship with God/ through Christ, requires we take upon ourselves the same acts of kindness, diet patterns, fasting patterns, cleanliness patterns, health care patterns ect. For if we love not our own body to new life, how can we love the body of Christ to a new and everlasting life?
Remember the Original Sin started with nourishment? I changed my life, by changing my diet, taking upon myself the Old and New Testament dietary laws. After all, how is it the Restoration can teach that God changes not, Malichi 3:6 in selling skeptics the Book of Mormon, but decide it's OK to eat pork?
Well does God change his laws or not? I found out personally a clean diet as God originally commanded helps me see God.
Priesthood cannot preach spiritual powerful, impact-full sermons, work miracles or raise the dead, when their personal stewardship habits give them obesity and heart disease, landing them in intensive care units.
The above sounds terrible uncharitable of me right? But let's think about this! When overweight priests instruct the membership of a Restoration Church how to loose weight, who's going to take them seriously? Yet to this day, we talk Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration, but rare is there power seen in the church as was with Joseph Smith, where Peter, James, and John and John the Baptist came and taught the church. Perhaps even Christ Himself. So what has changed? And why has it changed? Is it possible we have greater light and knowledge than the rest of the world, but do not practise it? Does God ignore an obedient church and priesthood?
How can I give you something I never had? Many of us in the Restoration try to spiritually communicate and give to others the Ever Lasting Gospel. Something we've never spiritually "magnified" and
mastered for personal ourselves. For had we mastered the gospel, we should be able to do many mighty works!
Those of us having never truly bought the true everlasting gospel goods for ourselves, shows people we're not serious. This little slip of theological logic the worlds is quick to observe in us.
What has the church become today? We talk Saintly Restoration, we attempt to teach the scriptures, but our acts are hollow, like Heathens. (yes I'm correct, heathens are zealously religious)
Because we honour God with our lips, but not with our actions... We have a church void of the Power of God. Void, excepting in the small degree that God will confirm the Book of Mormon as His Word to those who actively ask Him. We forget there is a world out there, desperately searching for their own self congruent identity. The worlds people often feel inside there should be a God, but they also feel inside that God must, like themselves be congruent and without hypocrisy. He should be at peace, a master of Himself, in control and they desperately feel they should also feel that way in their own lives, but do they not. They will not except a church or an idea of a god who waffles in ideologies. They know this because by their own experience, the world system has taught them to be either hot or cold. To do or quite. No half way acts are acceptable.
A world who understands that if they don't like their situation, they must repent, get a college degree, get a G.E.D. a certification, a trade school education, something that empowers them to overcome their life problems and situations. The world knows that any true church of God, also must have a minimum of of repentance required of them. Their must be great power also. To enable them, to empower them, to assist with their repentance.
We as Saint's have gotten lost in " Archaeological Evidences for the Book of Mormon", proving Book of Mormon Geology, and showing Joseph Smith "was to a prophet. Others of us, can get lost in who has "true priesthood authority". None of this matters to the world. Nor frankly, to God... I'm not saying there isn't true priesthood authority, nor am I saying Book of Mormon geography or archaeology is not important. Each is part of the whole picture. But only a small part.
Common! When a starving man needing a sandwich on the street is shown a Book of Mormon map, do you really think he's going to be interested? Or should we give him according to his need?
The world only cares about 1 thing. How to improve their lives, overcome their fears, personal health and spiritual problems. The peoples of the world may not even know what their problems are, they just know they have them... They know a change of repentance is necessary.
Who Get's Attracted to an Unrepentant Church?
Magnifying a Gospel of Un-Repentance
When an unrepentant Church of the Restoration seeks to evangelize people of the world, those people who will most gravitate to those unrepentant priests and members, will also be unrepentant. Because the "good people of the world" will know better, for even in their worldly state, they know the voice of the Good Shepherd, and "no other will they follow". End result a church of many hardened hearts get's built. Not by Jesus, but by man. A Church of men with some sincere, but unfed people mixed in. This should not be.
To Accomplish the Restoration Mission the Church Must Repent To Raw Transparency.
This self discipline of repentance which I speak. Is to be real in our walk, with God, with all men, with our families and our communities. Not just to ask God "is the Book of Mormon from you", but to ask God, how should I live my daily life in view of the Book of Mormon? The repentance I speak, is that we ask God, and then do what He tells us, take action upon the answer He gives us.
True Repentance requires a deep unstoppable desire, a burning curiosity to know God at all costs to self. The willingness to search, to question all boundaries, stereotypes, and ideals. Above all, to personally be honest, to question ourselves about what we really know about God.
We the Restoration churches are poor by our own choices, and the world is more poor and even more desperate because of our own corporate disobedience to God. We in the land of Zion and of Zion (Independence MO.) have not yet bothered to "lift the yoke from off our necks" (see 2 Nephi and 3 Nephi 12) " "oh captive daughter of Zion"
But we have chosen to languish in captivity, walking down into the ways of Egypt. (the world) See Isaiah chapter 30.
I grew up in this church called the Restoration, and I believed in it and still do. But oh the personal mistakes I've made, the pain I've personally experience, because of the failure of what was supposed to be a Holy Church of God, and a Holy, spiritually educating Priesthood. Were they not supposed to feed and educate the flock? Have they? Sometimes yes, many times no! That is my opinion. But the scriptures also bear my own story.
It ticks me off to think about it!
Yes my sins are my fault. I'm not responsible for the sins of my fathers! My only responsibility to the sins of my father's is to stop them from manifesting in me. The buck stops here with me. In each our personal lives, the proverbial buck stops with us all. Which is why I write this post.
\
Jesus said we are judged by our words. It is out of the abundance of my own personal grief and frustration with all branches of the Restoration, my mouth speaks. I'm not personally condemning anyone. But voicing my own cry for what is right, but has been trampled by men.
We rob the poor because of our fine sanctuaries. Our worldly temples, fine cloths, fast cars, yet forget that God made us to be different!
God made us in His image, to be tender, lovers, peacemakers, innovators, developers, and servants of each other according to each our personal skills and gifts. To serve as the Holy Ghost leads!
For as I beg God for the rain, for the harvest, for my nurture and support, so should I also give to those whom beg for the same like support. IN this, I become like God! In this, should I not give to those in need, I am condemned, becoming like the enemy!
Operating as God intended, the Body of Christ is a perfect Celestial immune system. A healthy body is never poor in any part of it! Because if properly fed, (as the Saints should be but are not yet) every cell in that body is doing it's personally assigned job to maintain the health of the (growing) body, according to the laws of God! Should Christ's Church be any different?
The Revolution the Restoration was supposed to bring, rejuvenation, reunification to Christ's people, to strengthen and teach the principles of true spiritual unity, equality, and love. to teach all men to learn the ever demanding discipline of peace! To beat their swords into ploughshares is only the kindergarten, square 1 basics. To be one with oneself, being one, even as the Father and the Son are one.
But what does being one mean?
Said differently, the Apostle Paul, in his many letters to the church, often spoke about the battle over temptation which rages within. Paul was speaking about the incongruence of self. Telling us the physical man if not trained in good carnal disciplines, will rule the spiritual man, instead of the other way around. Leaving members of the church struggling, wave tossed and double minded in their deeds.
The Restoration's purpose was to teach the people the power of the Carnal (Aaronic) and the Spiritual (Melkezedic) Laws. For if the carnal man cannot obey the carnal laws of God, how can he or she obey the higher, more Godly spiritual laws?
The Beginnings of Self Maintenance
Can One Expect His Or Her Prayers Answered if their words and deeds don't match?
Without congruent agreement between the deeds of body, and the conscious awareness of the spirit, what created being have access to the throne of God through prayer, and hope to be heard?
I must not only honour God with my lips, but also with my deeds. The carnal and the Spiritual must mesh in line, if they are real, and truly of God. Each manifest together in agreement with the other.
When the carnal (temporal) laws, and the spiritual (Melkezedic) disagree, we see, a split people, a split church, nearly powerless and almost impotent of true authority. Meaning the confirming presence of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is vacant.
I found prayer becomes more powerful, when my deeds of repentance, back my words. When I obey the commandments, keeping the laws of God, not for brownie points with the church, but because I wish to be heard in heaven, and hope Heaven will respond to my plea of support.
Then there is credibility, because I have taken the time to try to craft within myself, something God will see and be able to honour when I ask my petition. Better yet, if I hear the Lords Spirit, and repent, doing as He directs me to pray, my obedient repentance and life change decisions, increase chances of my prayer being answered.
The Restoration was supposed to teach us all the art and high personal discipline of Temporal/Spiritual self control... That we may serve and love one another to new life, that the dead may rise, the sick be healed, the poor be given, the hungry fed, the prisoners be set free, and the needs of the "whole body" be served.
The Ministry Gap???
If I cannot command my own body to new and vibrant life in Christ, how can I raise the dead and heal the sick? I cannot knowingly, or unknowingly eat foods and poisons daily, then expect God to wamp me with spiritual power to heal ourselves or others at the last miraculous moment. God does not reward dysfunctional behavior with heavenly attention.
Can a man obey the Higher Spiritual Laws? If he continually chooses to break the carnal, lesser temporal laws of cause and affect? Can a man work out his salvation with Christ, if I continually kill myself temporally on a daily basis? "For in as much as I do it, unto the least of these my brethren, I've done it unto me"...
What if the Least of These My Brethren Starts With Me?
Could I treat my body badly, like I treat the least of these my brethren? Will I not do the same to Christ as I do to myself? Will I not do to my brethren, as I do to my own body? My body which is "Christ's Temple" , will I not do the same to my church?
This is Called the power of the "Carry Over Effect"...
If I do good in one area, that discipline transfers to eventually effect every area of my life in due time. If I do evil in 1 area, the same carry over effect will apply, making other good areas in my life evil. Or we have the Restoration, partly good partly evil, cancelling each other out. Salt which has lost it's savour.
Hence the scripture God cannot tolerate sin, even in the "least degree" See D&C. The reason is the Carry Over Effect.
Stewardship is stewardship. While many will argue the point, let's use myself as an example... If I let my teeth rot out because of my poor tooth care habits, chances are good my checking account balance and relationship with God probably look the same way. Again, the Carry Over Effect from 1 area, begins to effect every area of my life.
Yet Stewardship is learning how to live in the Kingdom of God. Stewardship is not some kind of hoop jumping people must do to be good "Mormons" or impress an imperfect and most times, impotent, un-prophetic priesthood. Stewardship is not just about money, and sending your tithes of 10%.... Money does not make one a steward. Indeed it's easier for a camel to walk through a needles eye than a rich man to what?
Brother believe me, many rich men can steward money, but they'll still go to hell because they forsake the needs of their fellow man.
The Restoration has faltered! Not because there cannot be power, or celestial learning ordained by God, but because men and women of the Restoration, in our pride, seek to use the story of Joseph Smith and Company, to their own self aggrandizement and profit! Not the least of these has to do with money! Yes I said money!
This is purely my observations...
Or members of the Restoration, (I am guilty myself of this) want to like cheerleaders, saying yay yay Raah Raah! "We're the Restoration", "we're God's special people" while polishing our finger nails with an air of self indulgent importance. Something I never think God intended....
All at the great expense and physical/temporal/spiritual slaughter of not just the Saints, but all mankind as we labour in great bondage to our sins,
For if Zion had happened, would the Middle East be in the trouble it's in? If Christ were here teaching, would the United States be what it has become? And would the Restoration be practically dead of Godly Power, or spiritually authority?
The Glory (power) of God cannot come, to a people who will not repent and prepare themselves to accept it in the manner God wishes to give it. The Kingdom cannot come to a people who will not temporally prepare themselves so they will not defile the Kingdom and Kingdom way of life spiritually.
If the Kingdom comes before we Saint's are ready, we're dead!
That's an ugly, but well prophesied fact! Remember 3 Nephi, Christ's 1st coming to the Americas, is type and shadow of Christ's Second Coming. Coming to a backyard near us if we don't repent and get real in our personal walk with God.
This is God's Holy Land! Never shall the unclean and defiled come into it again... But to get there, the land shall have to be cleansed. Only a remnant shall be left. (read your Book of Mormon and D&C, they say so)
Only in Zion and in Jerusalem will be Safety.
The only safety in Zion for the Saints, will be if those saints like the Jebusites of the Bible, stand still in their strength. The Lord God is our light life and strength. If we will not, "be still and know I Am God", few if any Saint's will be left. Zion is only as safe, as the Saint's choose to be. If we choose to be a wicked and abominable people around others, we soon shall become and endangered and extinct people. If we choose to repent and become a safe, peace loving people, making ourselves personally safe and edifying comfort to all around us, as led by the Holy Ghost we shall have safety in Zion.
The Focus, is and should be the deep personal discipline, of self examining repentance. Coupled with a REAL relationship with Jesus Christ who is our Light, He whom allows us to see ourselves. Emmanuel! God Within US! He allows us to see ourselves for what we are, and He shows us how to change ourselves, if we're sincerely willing to do so.
We must forsake our idols, become still inside, and begin to follow the Holy Ghost, who will not only say, but do His will for their personal lives.
An Idol, is anything we give more time to than God and our walk with Him. T.V., Nintendo, X-Boxes, Food, Bad News, Fox, CNN, ABC, CBS, B.S. can be idols. The Internet can be an Idol, shopping can be worshipped, movie theatres an holy shrine which defiles the mind.
Some people worship their own arms legs, or the tattoos on them. I'm not sure which.
Some people worship and idolize their church. Rather than the God of their church.
Many a Saint I've heard tell me of their health woes beyond what is appropriate. After about the second or third time of telling, I usually get the message. But some people really get into how bad their life is, rather than repenting and doing something which makes us themselves and all of us together more effective and healthful servants to God's Kingdom.
A saint's time is to be spent with and determining the will of God for their lives. It's fun! It's empowering! It's an adventure!
We must not do man's will, not the Prophets will, not the Apostles will, not the President of Seventy or the Bishops will, though we obey the laws of the land, not the governments will.. But we do the will and desire of the Holy Ghost! And we must! Because only the Holy Ghost/Jesus Christ, can teach us all what we each personally need to know, not just to heal our body, but also heal Christ's body, in doing so, we must first seek to heal our own body and spirit which constructs our soul.
Only God knows our answer to enable our healing.
Only a relationship with God, through Christ can give us our answers. Fake church will not do. Pseudo religion just makes God mad!
A sincere and praying people, who's only care is about what God thinks, will save this world, this church or what's left of it, and a remnant of this people who take God seriously. (I'm not deciding who)
If we're sincere, then the people of this world, and this church, will not only know us by our love, but by our DO! They will know us each by our personal dedication to peace, our tough disciplined, peaceful action. Doing peace, in the face of a warlike enemy is tough! But the only way.
Not just in relationship with man, but in our relationship with God also. To carry off the task of inner personal peace, we must forsake the carnal, meaning we regulate the carnal only to good and moderate behaviours. Otherwise we won't regulate ourselves with the deeply destructive spiritually bad behaviours. (again the Carry Over Effect)
Using that which is carnal to the health and benefit of man, rather than to lesser destructive behaviours and thinking.
Our relationship with God/ through Christ, requires we take upon ourselves the same acts of kindness, diet patterns, fasting patterns, cleanliness patterns, health care patterns ect. For if we love not our own body to new life, how can we love the body of Christ to a new and everlasting life?
Remember the Original Sin started with nourishment? I changed my life, by changing my diet, taking upon myself the Old and New Testament dietary laws. After all, how is it the Restoration can teach that God changes not, Malichi 3:6 in selling skeptics the Book of Mormon, but decide it's OK to eat pork?
Well does God change his laws or not? I found out personally a clean diet as God originally commanded helps me see God.
Priesthood cannot preach spiritual powerful, impact-full sermons, work miracles or raise the dead, when their personal stewardship habits give them obesity and heart disease, landing them in intensive care units.
The above sounds terrible uncharitable of me right? But let's think about this! When overweight priests instruct the membership of a Restoration Church how to loose weight, who's going to take them seriously? Yet to this day, we talk Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration, but rare is there power seen in the church as was with Joseph Smith, where Peter, James, and John and John the Baptist came and taught the church. Perhaps even Christ Himself. So what has changed? And why has it changed? Is it possible we have greater light and knowledge than the rest of the world, but do not practise it? Does God ignore an obedient church and priesthood?
How can I give you something I never had? Many of us in the Restoration try to spiritually communicate and give to others the Ever Lasting Gospel. Something we've never spiritually "magnified" and
mastered for personal ourselves. For had we mastered the gospel, we should be able to do many mighty works!
Those of us having never truly bought the true everlasting gospel goods for ourselves, shows people we're not serious. This little slip of theological logic the worlds is quick to observe in us.
What has the church become today? We talk Saintly Restoration, we attempt to teach the scriptures, but our acts are hollow, like Heathens. (yes I'm correct, heathens are zealously religious)
Because we honour God with our lips, but not with our actions... We have a church void of the Power of God. Void, excepting in the small degree that God will confirm the Book of Mormon as His Word to those who actively ask Him. We forget there is a world out there, desperately searching for their own self congruent identity. The worlds people often feel inside there should be a God, but they also feel inside that God must, like themselves be congruent and without hypocrisy. He should be at peace, a master of Himself, in control and they desperately feel they should also feel that way in their own lives, but do they not. They will not except a church or an idea of a god who waffles in ideologies. They know this because by their own experience, the world system has taught them to be either hot or cold. To do or quite. No half way acts are acceptable.
A world who understands that if they don't like their situation, they must repent, get a college degree, get a G.E.D. a certification, a trade school education, something that empowers them to overcome their life problems and situations. The world knows that any true church of God, also must have a minimum of of repentance required of them. Their must be great power also. To enable them, to empower them, to assist with their repentance.
We as Saint's have gotten lost in " Archaeological Evidences for the Book of Mormon", proving Book of Mormon Geology, and showing Joseph Smith "was to a prophet. Others of us, can get lost in who has "true priesthood authority". None of this matters to the world. Nor frankly, to God... I'm not saying there isn't true priesthood authority, nor am I saying Book of Mormon geography or archaeology is not important. Each is part of the whole picture. But only a small part.
Common! When a starving man needing a sandwich on the street is shown a Book of Mormon map, do you really think he's going to be interested? Or should we give him according to his need?
The world only cares about 1 thing. How to improve their lives, overcome their fears, personal health and spiritual problems. The peoples of the world may not even know what their problems are, they just know they have them... They know a change of repentance is necessary.
Who Get's Attracted to an Unrepentant Church?
Magnifying a Gospel of Un-Repentance
When an unrepentant Church of the Restoration seeks to evangelize people of the world, those people who will most gravitate to those unrepentant priests and members, will also be unrepentant. Because the "good people of the world" will know better, for even in their worldly state, they know the voice of the Good Shepherd, and "no other will they follow". End result a church of many hardened hearts get's built. Not by Jesus, but by man. A Church of men with some sincere, but unfed people mixed in. This should not be.
To Accomplish the Restoration Mission the Church Must Repent To Raw Transparency.
This self discipline of repentance which I speak. Is to be real in our walk, with God, with all men, with our families and our communities. Not just to ask God "is the Book of Mormon from you", but to ask God, how should I live my daily life in view of the Book of Mormon? The repentance I speak, is that we ask God, and then do what He tells us, take action upon the answer He gives us.
True Repentance requires a deep unstoppable desire, a burning curiosity to know God at all costs to self. The willingness to search, to question all boundaries, stereotypes, and ideals. Above all, to personally be honest, to question ourselves about what we really know about God.
We the Restoration churches are poor by our own choices, and the world is more poor and even more desperate because of our own corporate disobedience to God. We in the land of Zion and of Zion (Independence MO.) have not yet bothered to "lift the yoke from off our necks" (see 2 Nephi and 3 Nephi 12) " "oh captive daughter of Zion"
But we have chosen to languish in captivity, walking down into the ways of Egypt. (the world) See Isaiah chapter 30.
I grew up in this church called the Restoration, and I believed in it and still do. But oh the personal mistakes I've made, the pain I've personally experience, because of the failure of what was supposed to be a Holy Church of God, and a Holy, spiritually educating Priesthood. Were they not supposed to feed and educate the flock? Have they? Sometimes yes, many times no! That is my opinion. But the scriptures also bear my own story.
It ticks me off to think about it!
Yes my sins are my fault. I'm not responsible for the sins of my fathers! My only responsibility to the sins of my father's is to stop them from manifesting in me. The buck stops here with me. In each our personal lives, the proverbial buck stops with us all. Which is why I write this post.
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