2000-1-15 08:27:00
Chapter Eight
All Are Brethren
It is interesting to examine the belief of the typical religious person on the gathering. Many feel that God chose the Hebrews because they were special or unique in some way and that he wanted a group with a robot like obedience to his every whim. These Israelites were to rule the world because they were chosen and the rest of the world was to be subservient to them.
This feeling is now transferred to the believers among the Christians. They believe that their mere acknowledgement of Jesus as their "personal Savior" (a term not mentioned in the Bible) or some other belief will give them some power in the next world, or on this one in the future, to rule over all others who do not believe as they do.
They forget the words of Jesus that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is not he who dictates and rules, but he who is the greatest servant. This is the lesson Israel did not learn and why she failed in her world mission. Jehovah foresaw this failure when he became aware of the golden calf and told Moses: "Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation." Exodus 32:10 Jehovah saw that he must start again from scratch if he were to succeed in his great endeavor, but Moses wouldn't let him and said: "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written." Exodus 32:32
It is interesting that his conversation took place just after God had given Moses a new set of tables said to be written in his own hand. Jehovah was dismayed because he saw that these higher concepts he was about to present would be like casting pearls before swine in attempting to work with a people that were behaving like animals and worshipping a golden calf. Yet he had his heart set on introducing higher concepts even if he had to destroy them all and begin with Moses alone, but alas, Moses refused to cooperate. In effect Moses said: "If the people go, I go with them." It is possible that Moses later regretted making intercession for the people when he found out how difficult it was to make any progress with them.
When Moses came down from the mount he then broke the tables before his people and the glorious concepts that were to be presented to the people were reduced to powder to await the appearance of "the people which shall be created" [Psalms 102:18] as David prophesied. Jehovah and Moses then began the laborious task of making the best of a bad situation. They had to work with a people that had little desire to improve, could not recognize the god within, and could hardly focus on the one god without.
We have only hints available from the Bible as to the contents of these broken tablets. They can be found in inspired statements of various prophets such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Joel, Jesus and others, but the whole plan of God circles around the gathering principle.
The purpose of the gathering of Israel was not for the benefit of a small group of Hebrews, but for the whole world. God is "no respecter of persons" [Acts 10:34] and whatever he does he does with the world's benefit in mind. We are told" "God so loved the WORLD that he gave his only begotten Son ..." [John 3:16] He did not send Christ to benefit the Hebrews, or one nation, or one people, but the whole world.
How then, one may ask, was the world to benefit from God working with a select group of Hebrews and making them into a great nation as was his stated intention?
The answer is twofold: First we must realize that IsraEL is the power within man to prevail as God and that it lies latent in every person. Before this power can be emulated it must first be demonstrated by one man in its fullness. This demonstration was performed by the Christ. Before the power can be used by all groups it must again be demonstrated by one group. It was hoped that that group would be the Hebrews, but they failed in their mission mainly because of their separateness. They began to think they alone possessed the power of Israel and God was going to make them great and none others. They were the chosen people favored by God forever. Because the Hebrews sought to be first and to be served instead of serving, they became last in opportunity for spiritual progression and even rejected their Messiah.
Thus we see that the first great mission of gathered Israel is to set an example for other peoples to emulate and benefit from. This mission was outlined by Isaiah: "And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah (The true worshippers of God) from the four corners of the earth." Isaiah 11:12 The purpose, then, was to set up an ensign for the other nations to look toward and benefit therefrom.
The second benefit Israel was to receive from the gathered state was service. Abraham and later Jacob were given the following promise: "And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 28:14
The families of the earth are to be blessed by Israel by their service to humanity. Whenever one of the race of men obtains inspiration from the god within and prevails for the cause of good or God, then he becomes an Israelite blessing his brethren. All of the great scientists, explorers, politicians, and leaders in history who have blessed humanity through their efforts have been the true seed of Israel. This seed is yet small in number, but the day will come when a large portion of humanity will recognize and use the power of Israel in them and then the seed will be as numerous as the dust of the earth. The knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth as the water does the sea.
One may question as to how or why Israel is to be gathered as prophesied and whether a literal gathering is meant, or a symbolic gathering of the minds. For the answer, let us again go back to the days of Moses.
Just before Moses departed from Israel he gave them a final exhortative speech and outlined what would happen to them as a people if they obeyed the will of God, and the consequences if they were disobedient. He told them that if they took his teachings to heart that they would become the mightiest nation on the earth which none other could challenge. They would be wealthy, have good health, abundant harvest, and the Lord would bless them that good would come of all they set out to do.
If they disregarded the teachings of God then they would be cursed above all other people. Other nations would overcome them, they would be poor, have lots of disease, poor harvest, and be cursed in everything they set their hand to do.
If they continued in their neglect, then the Lord figured that it was useless to keep them together as a people so he foretold for them the worst punishment of all: "And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to naught; and ye shall be plucked from off the land wither thou goest to possess it. And the Lord SHALL SCATTER THEE AMONG ALL PEOPLE, from one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone." Deuteronomy 28:63-64
As is well known, the Moses experiment failed. The Hebrew people were not yet high enough in consciousness to continue on their own after Moses left and they all but completely ignored the important parts of the teachings of Moses; thus they became subject to the cursings of God rather than being blessed above all other people. (Keep in mind that when the Bible speaks of any curse from God it is really indicating the laws of cause and effect. God does not sit up there on a throne throwing down curses right and left.)
The scattering prophecy was literally fulfilled around 600 BC when the Hebrew kingdom was overrun by Babylon and the inhabitants were taken into captivity. This began the period which is knows as the Diaspora, the dispersion of Israel. Several times later various Jews and Jewish converts tried to reestablish the kingdom of Israel and by the time Jesus walked the earth they were a politically compromising people subject to the Roman empire. They were by no means sovereign of themselves as was promised if they were righteous.
It was during this period that the final rejection of the Jews took place. This is clearly illustrated in a parable given by the Master:
"There was a certain householder (God working through Moses), which planted a vineyard, (The Kingdom of Israel) and hedged it round about, (set borders for the kingdom), and digged a winepress in it (established teachings), and built a tower (gathered the people and built a temple) and let it out to husbandmen, (those who were to lead the people), and went into a far country:"
"And when the time of the fruit (service to humanity) drew near, he sent his servants (prophets, true IsraELites) to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. "Again he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son (Jesus Christ). But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance (the favor and support of the people and the kingdom). And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, (excommunicated him) and slew him."
"When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard to OTHER HUSBANDMEN, which will render him the fruits in their seasons."
"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone (Christ) which the builder (The Jews) rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. (The foundation to the kingdom). This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, THE KINGDOM OF GOD SHALL BE TAKEN FROM YOU, AND GIVEN TO A NATION BRINGING FORTH THE FRUITS (Service to humanity) THEREOF." Matthew. 21:33-43
According to the words of Christ here God had all but given up on the Jewish religionists as far as establishing an ensign to the nations goes. What kind of ensign could God establish through a people who reject the powerful words of Christ? Obviously, an ensign must be set up through a people who give some credibility to the words of Christ and are opened to new truth.
Keep in mind here that the Jews were not rejected because they are the children of the devil or inherently evil, but because their religious system degenerated to an authoritative structure that strangled out individual freedom of choice and made unfruitful soil for the kingdom of God.
Before we continue it is important that we dispel a false teaching which is causing much hatred and separateness among otherwise well meaning people toward the Jews. The Jews in return seem to hate them back for the simple reason that neither looks upon the other as brethren.
This teaching permeates various Neo Nazi groups, the Klu Klux Klan, and less radical, but sincere Kingdom Identity believers. Orthodox Christians are amazed at their beliefs and abhorred by them, yet they do not challenge them because they are grounded in the world of feeling and the Kingdom of Identity people actually use more reason in their interpretations. Thus they attract some of the more intelligent among the Christian believers.
Their basic error comes from a misinterpretation of the following scripture: "Jesus said unto them (the Jews), If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God ... Ye are of YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, lusts of your father ye will do." John 8:42-44.
The identity people accept this literally. They believe that the devil was a literal being who existed in the days of Adam who fathered children at the same time that Adam did and that Jesus was merely identifying the Jews here as being descendants from this being, the actual children of a devil.
One may wonder how an intelligent person could fall for such a misunderstanding for isn't it obvious that Jesus was speaking symbolically? No, it is not when one considers another scripture: "And the Lord said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this (beguiled Eve), thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field (They believe these are the blacks); upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity (hostility) between thee and the woman, and BETWEEN THY SEED AND HER SEED; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:14-15
The average Christian will read this and conclude: "So that's why women are afraid of snakes!", but why would God make a big deal about women being afraid of snakes? In this case the Identity people are the more logical. First it is obvious that the serpent was not a snake for he talked with Eve and argued with her and "beguiled" her. Secondly he obviously did not go about on his belly before the curse was pronounced, and thirdly, we are told that the seed of the two will hate each other. Racial hatred does seem to be a more appropriate interpretation here.
These Identity people have also researched the genealogy of the Jews and discovered that many of them are not literal descendants of Israel for after the Babylonian captivity many supposed heathens were converted to the Jewish religion and returned to Jerusalem. They believe that these converts were the seed of the serpent and they are the ones who crucified Christ. They believe that since the Babylonian captivity the children of the devil have lead the Jews and sought for world dominion and that the Jewish people are now a world conspiracy headed by the devil to defeat true Israel. This belief is further supported by this scripture: "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, AND ARE NOT, BUT DO LIE; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." Revelation 3:9 Thus they believe that those who claim to be Jews today are not Israelites, but do lie, but are actually "the synagogue of Satan."
These Identity people believe that the Aryan people, or the white race are the true Israelites and are the "chosen ones" to reign supreme on the earth and all other peoples will be subservient to them. They even refuse to call a non-Aryan a "brother" because they do not think of them as literal children of God as they believe they are. Most Identity people do not hate other races just as they do not hate animals, but view them with an extremely separative outlook and believe they are incapable of acquiring the attributes of godliness.
One should be able to see the dangers of the above ideology. Separateness always leads to strife, conflict and war. In fact many of the identity people are expecting a race war just around the corner. The only way that the white race could remain the supreme overlords of the earth is through war and bloodshed and then confining the other people of the earth by force, as Hitler tried to do. The power of IsraEL lies latent within each man and the only way to keep other races from gaining the attributes of godliness is to suppress them and keep them in ignorance of their true heritage as human beings. The Identity people make the same mistake the ancient Jews made and forget the injunction of Christ: "He that is greatest among you shall be your servant." Matthew 23:11 Any person or people who believes himself to be the greatest should seek to be the greatest servant instead of seeking for others to serve him.
The identity people also believe that part of the Jewish conspiracy consists in destroying the Aryan race through intermarriage and the financing of teachings and political thought which promulgate such. They do not realize that the Aryan race and even the Jewish people to a lesser extent are the result of many intermarriages and that there is not a pure race on the earth. In reality the Jews and Aryans have a common origin and are true brothers if the fact could be recognized. In truth it must be eventually realized if peace on earth is to be established.
Since the philosophy of the Identity people was established through a fairly deductive exegesis of the scriptures, then the flaws are best pointed out in the same manner. We shall just discuss several important points of doctrine.
Flaw number one: The Jews are not our brothers, but are the devil's offspring. They are the "synagogue of Satan". We should have nothing to do with them. They are our enemies.
Reply: Paul did not seem to agree with this as he said: "He (God) giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made OF ONE BLOOD ALL NATIONS OF MEN for to dwell on all the face of the earth . . .thou he be not far from every one of us . . .For we are also his offspring: Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God . . ." Acts 17:25-29.
But how can all of us (including Jews and other races) be the offspring of God and of "one blood" if the father of the Jews is "the devil" as Jesus said? The answer is quite simple. Jesus was using a figure of speech for he acknowledged that Abraham was the progenitor of those whom he accused of being fathered by the devil (adversary). "They (the Jews) answered him, We be Abraham's seed . . ." (And Jesus answered:) "I know that YE ARE ABRAHAMS SEED; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham .. .Ye are of your father the devil . . ." John 8:33-44
Here Jesus clearly acknowledged that the Jews were the "seed" of Abraham, but merely pointed out that they were doing the works of an adversary and behaving as if the devil were their father. The Jews cannot be the "seed" of Abraham and at the same time be the seed of the devil unless Abraham's forefather was a devil.
Paul gave another beautiful thought that is never quoted by the identity people: "For ye are ALL the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:26-29
The promised blessings then have nothing to do with who a person's literal father is, but to obtain them one must "put on Christ". In other words follow his example.
The ancient Jews in desiring to kill Jesus had done the reverse. They had put on the devil (adversary of truth). Thus the devil was their symbolic father. Any Christian who wants to kill a Jew also has the devil as his father.
Jesus explained clearly how to put on Christ and be of his brethren: "For whosoever SHALL DO THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Matthew12:50 "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, (Jesus is my personal savior) shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which in heaven." Matthew 7:21
He that doeth the will of the Father then has put on Christ (even if he is not a Christian) and becomes the true promised seed and a heir to the Kingdom of God.
And how does one do the will of the Father so he can enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus clearly explained and the answer had nothing to do with any "personal savior" "following a prophet" priest or pope, or being a member of any church.
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked and ye clothed me, I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME. "Then shall he say also unto them of the left hand, Depart from me, yea cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto the? Then shall he answer them, saying , Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, YE DID IT NOT TO ME." Matthew 25:34-45
Most Christian people mouth approval of these beautiful words, yet they do not seem to believe then in deed. If they have a neighbor who is a sincere person and follows the positive precepts mentioned by Jesus, yet does not believe as they do, they will condemn the person to an eternal hell because he does not see the light. In reality the neighbor is not only seeing the light, he is DOING the light.
Few take time to meditate on exactly who "the least of these by brethren" are. The average Christian will equate him or her with the most unfortunate within their particular congregation, but the poor or sick within one's own group may actually be far from the "least" in his eyes. He may actually look upon the person with great esteem just because he is a member of the group. Who, then, would be the least of the brethren from the point of view of a Kingdom Identity believer? It is obvious that the least of the brethren among them are the Jews. They hold them in lower esteem than any other people. Therefore, whatsoever they do unto the Jews, or Blacks, they do unto Christ.
Who is the "least" of the brethren from the point of view of a born again Christian? In his mind it will be the Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, or some cult member. Who is the least of the brethren for a Mormon? It will be someone who has been excommunicated for apostasy. The least of the brethren is not some obviously poor soul who is easy to love, but the most difficult person in the world to love. Think of that person in you mind. Whatsoever you do to him, you do unto Christ, for the Christ consciousness lies latent in every man, and somewhere back in time each of us were at the point of evolution that the least of the race are.
If this one point could be grasped, then much would be done to end strife and turmoil on the earth and the reappearance of the Christ would be speeded up for if he were to come now there are many who would esteem him as the "least" of the children of men just as they did the first time.
The Identity people may still ask who the seed of the serpent in Genesis are for it does definitely say that he will have seed which will be at war with the woman. The best answer to this is given in the twelfth chapter at this time. Here we have the description of the "enmity" between the "woman" and the "serpent" (verse 9) also called the "dragon" and "the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world." The woman here is the true church of God and we are clearly told that her seed are those "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17
Obviously then, the seed of the serpent would be those who disregard the teachings of the Master and "persecute" the woman and her seed (verse 13) and "accuse" them before God. (verse 10).
Here we are given three almost infallible guides to recognize the seed of the serpent.
1. He will ignore the basic teachings of Christ. In particular he will not do justice to the "least" of the brethren.
2. He will persecute and try to stop or harm the "least" of the brethren. He will often do this in the name of God believing he is fighting against the devil.
3. He will accuse the "least" of the brethren before God or whoever will listen to try and stop them or harm them. The seed of the woman do not accuse to cause harm, but usually find themselves on the defensive from the many darts that are thrown at them. The person that points the finger of damnation and throws the first stone usually belongs to the seed of the serpent.
Even though the seed of the serpent and the woman are basically symbolic representations of truth there is also a literal side to almost any scripture.
When various Adams came to the earth they found that there was already people upon the earth. Because their bodies (Adams) were of a higher vibrational order than the humans they were not to partake of the food on the planet or have intercourse with the opposite sex or consequently their vibrational rate would be lowered and they would be trapped within the magnetic life force of the earth for a long period of time. Some of the Adams "fell" for this temptation and became trapped here and fathered children. On the other hand, the literal children of Lucifer were destroyed (Isaiah 14:21-22) and he possessed the bodies of various humans to try and trap the various Adams on the earth, for they were descended from the stars as he was and he hoped to get one to "worship" him to the extent that appropriate bodies could be developed so he could reincarnate back on to the earth and gain control. As was stated this almost happened with Hitler, a near literal descendent from one of the Adams.
Interbreeding helped the evolutionary process somewhat but the more desirable method involved no mating with the earth people, but to appear among them and help them as Gods walking among men. Their method of helping the humans was based on the ancient occult truth that "we evolve to become as that which we gaze upon, and as that which holds our attention". As the God-Adams held the attention of the humans, the humans would become as the God-Adams, but if the Adams fell from their lofty station the humans would have no higher life to gaze upon. When the Adams fell they became like the humans that began to draw their the Adams attention and the occult law worked in reverse for them.
To my knowledge there are no literal offspring of Lucifer on the earth today, but there is a literal offspring of many adversaries or devils from ages past. Even of these it is written that God visits "the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." Exodus 20:5 After three or four generations even the effects of the greatest of sins wears off and the children often become the "seed" of the woman.
It doesn't matter who we are descended from, whether it be the highest God or the lowest devil, whether it be an exalted person from the stars or a lowly human we are brethren if we do the will of the Father and, unrealized by many, all life everywhere is interrelated and has the seed of Godliness, and just as we call ourselves the children of God here on the earth so do the inhabitants of other planets who also are our brethren.
The Identity member believes then that the Jews are the "synagogue of Satan" or the children of the devil and often quote Revelation 2:9 for substantiation, but this scripture does not say that the Jews are of the synagogue of Satan, but "them which say they are Jews, and are not . . ." The synagogue of Satan here seems to be those who are NOT Jews, so why call the Jews the children of the devil?
Furthermore Christ acknowledged in the parable of the husbandmen previously quoted that the Jews who were to crucify him were the authorized husbandmen that God "let . . .out" the kingdom to. (see Matthew 21:33) They were not outsiders usurping authority as the Identity believers teach.
Jesus further acknowledged that the Jews were authorized husbandmen for he stated: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not after their works: for they say and do not." Matthew 23:2-3 The Jews were the husbandmen sitting in Moses' seat and Jesus even suggested that the people recognize their authority. He never did accuse them of not being in their rightful place. Jesus even made the statement: "Salvation is of the Jews". John 4:22 He said this partially because he was a Jew himself.
The identity people seem to look upon all Jews as "enemies" as if they were the devil's own people because they allegedly are descended from him, but they are the children of the one God just as we all are and the Identity people would be alarmed to discover that back in the ancient past the Aryan race and the Jew had the same literal forefathers.
It is true that many Jews are in government and banking and they often seek their own interests just as any other group does. There may even be a few of them conspiring to control the world through controlling money, but most of the Jews have nothing to do with any great evil intention. The Dark brother not only appears among Jews, but also the Aryans, as did Hitler, and other races which offers opportunity.
The Jews do present a danger, however, but it is not because they are the children of the devil, and the danger is not unique to them. The same danger is presented by the Mormons and several other minority authoritarian religious groups among the Aryans. The Mormons are the only ones with enough strength to pose a similar threat as the Jews.
The danger in both of these groups lies in the strong authoritative thoughtform that binds them together, and gives them their total inflexibility, feeling of specialness, and the sense that they have a destiny to rule the world and eventually all others will be subject to them. They feel that their leaders are to be followed implicitly without questioning. They believe the highest form of government is a theocracy in which God rules as an infallible dictator. They will not have to worry about injustice, because God does not make mistakes and if he speaks through a prophet then it is infallible.
Notice that the above beliefs are the same attitudes that lead to the rise of Hitler. If the German people would have taken the time to question a bit more and think for themselves Hitler would not have gained power. Remember that most Nazis were sincere people who were trying to do what was right in their eyes, and individually they were no more evil than inhabitants in other countries, but they were deceived by the craftiness of men. If a truly evil man were to gain the leadership of either the Jews or the Mormons the world would be in big trouble.
The Mormons did not start out as an authoritarian religion. The founder, Joseph Smith, was an initiate of a high degree working in cooperation with the Christ. The creating of a religious system was a mere stepping stone to a higher purpose in mind and if possible it would have been avoided entirely as evidenced in one of his revelations: "For it is because of your DEAD WORKS that I have caused this last covenant and this church to be built up unto me, even as in days of old." Doctrine and Covenants 22:3
If the people's works were not dead then The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would have never been established. As it was, Joseph tried to make it as non-authoritarian as possible and even refused to call Mormonism a sect. An effort was made to restore the truths of the early Christian religion, but the plan backfired and after Smith was killed the church drifted away from its original intention and the greater truths of Mormonism became submerged by more orthodox Christian doctrines, the most dangerous of which is that their president is infallible when speaking for the church and that God will never let him fall or lead the people astray. Joseph Smith never taught such doctrine.
Mormonism may yet be a light to the world, however, for Smith prophesied of a time to come that the house of God would be "set in order". D&C 85:7.
The Mormon organization corresponds favorably with esoteric teachings. They have a prophet-president at the head symbolizing the "Father" aspect. Next comes the "First Presidency" corresponding to the trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost aspect. Then they have the council of the twelve apostles, just as there are twelve planets (three hidden), and twelve signs of the zodiac. Finally, there is the first quorum of the Seventy with seven presidents corresponding to the "seven Spirits before the throne" or the seven sacred planets.
Joseph Smith taught about "resurrected beings" who had overcome death and could appear to man and talk "face to face" and even shake hands. He said that these were as "gods" and that each man had the seed of godliness within him and would go "from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation until we obtain the resurrection of the dead". He taught that Christ, his Father and the highest God there is was once a humble mortal man.
He taught about three kingdoms of glory which correspond to Humanity, the Spiritual Hierarchy consisting of Christ and his disciples, and Shamballa where dwells "God, the highest of all". He and Brigham Young both taught that Adam was "our Father and our God", the Ancient of Days. This also corresponds to the Ancient Wisdom.
The problem Joseph had was that of clothing much esoteric truth in a garb that would be acceptable to the many inflexible people he had in his flock. This camouflaging of the truth once led him to exclaim: "Would to God I could tell you what I know! But you would call it blasphemy and want to take my life!"
The little truth he revealed so excited even his own followers that the some of the people most responsible for his death were those who were once believed to be his closest friends.
Smith said that the church was out of order several years before he was martyred and was going to set it straight after the temple in Nauvoo was completed. Unfortunately, he was killed before the temple was completed and unable to accomplish this task.
Of course, Mormons think that it was all part of God's will that he died when he did, but his death was premature for the accomplishment of the plans of the Christ. Just before his death he was given a revelation that made clear his way of escape, but when he tried to escape his martyrdom his best friends called him a coward and he returned to face his doom making the statement: "If my life is worth nothing to my friends, it is worth nothing to me." This was a mistake on his part. In this case it would have taken more courage for him to save his life for the kingdom's sake, than to die a hero's death. Disciples must always place the cause of truth above all else.
Several of Smith's predecessors tried valiantly to keep his essential truths alive, but the Mormons proved to be as capricious as the old Jews and began to dessert the most important teachings designed to create the kingdom of God, not the least of which was the Gathering of Israel.
Smith was told in a revelation: "Verily, thus saith the Lord, I say unto you, if those who call themselves by my name and are essaying to be my saints, if they will do my will and keep my commandments concerning them, let them gather themselves together unto the places which I shall appoint unto them by my servant Joseph, AND BUILD UP CITIES unto my name, that they may be PREPARED for that which is in store for a time to come." D&C 125:2.
This gathering together and building cities was so important that Smith included it in the articles of faith which is still memorized by the Mormons today: "We believe in the LITERAL gathering of Israel . . ." Today Mormons and others who teach the gathering of Israel either believe it pertains only to the Jews or themselves in a figurative sense. However, a literal gathering of Israel has always been an essential part of the plan of the Spiritual Hierarchy from the days of Moses, to Christ, and finally in modern times as we shall see.
Copyright 2000 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved