Gathering Clarification
Looks like I need to clear up a few things about the gathering.
I see a lot of quotes lately from my book The Literal Gathering of Israel. I started writing this when I was still in the church in 1978 and was writing it to the members of the church. Thus I used Mormon language that would appeal to their mindset and used quotes that would appeal to their sense of authority.
Afterwards, I wrote The Gathering of Lights for the masses. In this I was freer to express myself more universally and more clearly present the purpose of the gathering.
One has to read the first through a filtering process with the realization that one has to present truth to the Mormons in a different context than other seekers to reach their core.
Now I’ll touch on a few of the points under discussion.
Is Susan doing the right thing in creating a gathering place on her own initiative?
It is certainly not in any of our power to declare that she has no right to do this. If she feels an impression from her soul to do this and moves ahead then she will receive many benefits, even if she fails. A failure in a work, taken to heart, is merely a step toward ultimate success.
A reader made a good comment on this:
“At least Susan is DOING something at Safe Haven and even if it turns out to NOT be an ‘official’ gathering point she is gaining a LOT of useful experience and learning sustainable living techniques.”
Question: Shouldn’t there be just one gathering place for all the lights?
It is true in early Mormon days there was one main gathering place, but even at that time there were other lesser places.
We can learn from studying the early Mormon experience, but those who seek to duplicate it line by line will be met with failure. We must continually follow the soul which leads us to new things and greener pastures. The gathering illustrates a principle and the core principle must always be sought. If this is done then we have the possibility of success.
There will be a time in the future where there will be a main gathering place for the lights but even here some of the lights will feel impressed to remain at other places on the planet.
If a person says he is doing a thing because he is following his soul it is not for us to judge. He may or may not be right, but we must allow him or her to move ahead without condemning them. Time will tell the sincere seeker whether or not his direction was correct.
Should I declare a gathering place for us?
It’s a little premature for that.
[1] There is no fund to buy lands let alone build upon them.
[2] There’s probably less than a half dozen in the group who would move from their homes and families even if we had a place for them.
We need an event that will bring these ideas to the attention of the masses so thousands will become interested in the gathering concept before we can build anything that will last.
Reader comment: Joseph Smith again verifies this: “BEFORE the tabernacle can be with men, the elect must be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.”
Before the “Tabernacle” can be with men…… or in other words….. Before the first Molecular Entity can be with men, the elect must be gathered from the four quarters of the Earth.
JJ: The tabernacle being with men is not associated with the creation of the molecule. Moses and the Israelites had the tabernacle with them in the wilderness, but there was no molecule.
Jesus created a molecule before there was a major gathering.
The gathering of lights on a major scale will cause a permeation of the Spirit of God among the people thus causing the tabernacle of God to be with men.
On the other hand, all we need for a molecule is 24 people capable of sustained soul contact. Such a molecule would have power to initiate a gathering.
The gathering principle is being picked up by many and there are those planning on building communities on the sea. Another group with resources is thinking of buying a large plot of land in the Honduras and creating their own free society. This idea will continue to grow until something significant occurs.
Question: Can you clarify what you mean by this statement: “We may have to gather thousands before we find the 24 capable of creating the first molecule.”
I said “we may have to”. On the other hand, we may not. We may get lucky and create a molecule from the group we are creating here in the Keys. We will sift through thousands as we already have on the internet, that’s for sure.
The difficulty is that there are only a few who have the soul contact and other qualities necessary to create the first molecule. To find 24 such souls require a sifting through many thousands.
A molecule would have power to initiate a gathering but a gathering may be underway before a molecule is formed.
A reader was questioning the wisdom of Susan creating a gathering place on her own initiative, as it is not spearheaded by me or the Keys group in general.
As far as seeing eye to eye with Susan on her project I indeed support it completely. If I were in charge of it I’m sure some of the details would be different, but that is of no moment. At best she will create a safe haven for people in that area and at worst it will be a learning experience.
I have had no revelation on the major gathering place. At present I feel impressed to stay in Boise and work with people on the internet and locals. When we are ready to gather the place will be manifest.
Here is one of my favorite Mormon scriptures around individual initiative:
“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily, I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.” D&C 58:26-29
Perfectionism is the enemy of creation, as extreme self-solicitude is the enemy of well-being. – John Updike
My 26, 2013
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