Tag: Babylon

Our Personal Babylon

Joseph Dewey

 

Our Personal Babylon

The rest of chapter 18 covers a central point and, instead of going through it verse by verse or line by line, we’ll comment on it as a whole.

“For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

“How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

“And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

“The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

“The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

“And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

“And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” Rev 18:5-24

This indeed sounds like what the fall of Babylon represents – a major disaster.

The description of destruction is accurate for the old Babylon that represented the corruption of wealth and power in the days of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar.

It indeed was destroyed and did not rise again. However, in writing this prophecy, you know that John had Rome on his mind because much of the description is peculiar to it in John’s time. For instance, all of the merchandise mentioned was desired by and traded by Rome. Rome was the great financial empire of the time and was the greatest symbol in recorded history of the misuse of sex, money and power.

As we said earlier, however, this Babylon stands for something greater than ancient Babylon, Rome, the United States or any other country or empire. It stands for the corrupt use of money, power and sex, which in their purity are gifts from God to be used with wisdom.

There are two major interpretations we need to examine here, the inner and the outer. Let us first look at the inner.

The vision of John has taken us through the life of Christ, or advanced disciples, from his work in the world to how it develops through the group work of disciples as the work reaches a consummation. The fall of Babylon happens by an event that takes place as the teachings of Christ are maturing through his followers.

But the question that needs to be asked is this: why does a Babylon even exist among dedicated workers who are seeking to manifest the kingdom of God?

The answer is that they have not come out of Babylon, but are a part of it as the scripture says. What does this mean? It means that, as even those who are fairly enlightened grow up within a corrupt system. They are captivated by the corruption and buy into much of it. We covered a few things earlier, but the basic reason for the corruption is that money, power and sex are seen as a means to satisfy self above and beyond their use to promote the ways of the Spirit and to build a better world, or the kingdom of God.

So, why do disciples get deceived? Are they not aware they use money, power and sex for self above the selfless service?

The answer is that they are not aware.

Why, then, are they not aware? Should it not be obvious?

It is not obvious. Let us give an example to clarify.

Jim is a believer in the scriptures, the kingdom of God and sees himself as a follower of Christ. He is active in his church or organization that represents his belief system and listens to the teachings. He donates regularly to the organization and feels that he has done his part as far as right use of money. Then he spends the rest of his money on making his life as comfortable as possible.

What is wrong with this picture?

What is wrong is his attitude of mind more than the black and white of his actions.

Why does he give to his church or organization?

More often than not, it is to get approval from an unseen God or to satisfy the Beast of authority. This is a necessary step to secure a good place in the hereafter and maybe some praise in this world.

Does he know how the money is put to use? Does it go to build buildings or to pay the salary of a minister who is not advancing the world of Spirit on earth?

Then what is the motive of his use of the rest of his money? It is to make life more comfortable and secure. Will the use of his money and power have any beneficial residual effect if he were to die the next day? In most cases no.

This is illustrated in a parable given by the Master:

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:15-21

This rich man had only one thought of what to do with his abundance – use it for self and security. He was probably a good person by most standards. He legitimately earned his wealth, did not steal and kept the precepts of his religion. Even so, he was a victim of his own personal Babylon. That night he died and discovered that he had done little or nothing to use his money for the good of humanity. He had no treasure in heaven.

Eventually, in the life of the disciple comes the realization that his money and power have been misdirected, and nothing he is doing is laying up the true treasure in heaven. When this realization comes, his personal Babylon falls within the hour and he makes a personal commitment to use all his energy, money and power in the service of humanity as he sees it through the eyes of the soul.

Before this realization, he was unwilling to take any risk in order to render service. After the realization, he is prepared to lose everything – all his wealth, power, sacred honor and even his life, if necessary, to take a step toward making the will of God manifest on earth as it is in heaven.

The Higher Self

Question: Is my solar angel supposed to be me (my higher self) or some entity between me and the highest?

Your solar angel is more like your divine mother who has nourished you from an embryo, or your monad. The source of your monad, or spiritual seed, is your divine Father.

Your higher self is your upper Triad often called Atma-Budha-Manas. These are three higher vehicles wherein consciousness can reside. Since only an advanced disciple can ascend in consciousness to reside in the upper Triad the upper Triad of the regular seeker is occupied by the Solar Angel. From this upper Triad the Solar angel seeks to guide and stimulate you.

When your consciousness then ascends to the upper Triad your Solar Angel returns home and then through the Triad you seek to know your true source, your Father. The conclusion of this step was spoken of by Christ when he said “I and my Father are one.”

There is no darkness and no fog. There is no night or day. There are no storms nor peace, no rest nor strife; only the steadfast will of God which works toward good. Discipleship in the New Age, Vol 1 Page 460

Aug 11, 2006

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Babylon

Joseph Dewey

Babylon

“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Revelation 14:8

After the disciple receives the revelation of the “everlasting gospel” or the language of the soul, which is the language of principles, or eternal words, he then attaints to another level of consciousness symbolized by this other angel. The world which had been presented to him through pieces of data falls, never to rise again.

Babylon means and represents confusion, and when the principle behind information is not seen, confusion is always the result. This reveals to us the core principle behind Babylon, which is corrupt communication caused by attention on data rather than being a seer of principles.

Just like two or more people can witness an accident or event and report so differently that one may wonder if they saw the same thing, even so, do two or more who receive data or facts see much differently. Two can have before them the same words, the same Bible, the same polls etc. and their understanding can be a universe apart. But if two or more see the same principle through the eyes of the soul their oneness is assured.

The instant the principle behind the facts is seen confusion, or Babylon falls, and is no more. Now the disciple has eternal words built on principles, all is seen with clarity and confusion no longer exists.

The scripture says “she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

The people of all nations are made to drink facts and data often jumbled together to force distorted incorrect conclusions. The main incorrect conclusion that results is the attention on the outer false Gods of unjust authority. This causes the people to commit fornication against their own souls. Because of this mistake many painful problems occur which is the “wrath of her fornication.”

Here are the next verses:

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14: 9-12

As explained earlier, to worship the Beast or his image is to give the power of the God within to a person or thing, which exists in the outer world. To receive the mark in the forehead is to think as one is told to think by this external god. To receive the mark in the right hand is to labor or act as one is told to act by such an external one.

To take the mark and receive assurances from the external authority always seems to be the safe route but this is a powerful illusion that is dispelled by lifetimes of torment. The pilgrim receives one torment after another because of his wrong choices. The torment spoken of comes not in a burning hell in the other world, but in this one.

All who receive the mark of the beast undergo tremendous suffering over as many lifetimes as they continue to receive it, but those who particularly suffer are sincere seekers who touch the soul and receive a degree of communion with the inner God. Time and time again over a series of lifetimes they are torn between listening to the voice within or the voice without. Some guru, priest, prophet or authority keeps distracting them. Unfortunately, as they pass through this part of the path of liberation, they make the wrong choice again and again until they become so internally weary with the result of their choices that they finally shift in consciousness and give more weight to the inner than the outer voice. After this shift occurs, they receive the name of God in their forehead and escape the mark of the beast. They still have external problems but internally the torment is completely gone and they receive the inner peace that passes all understanding.

But of those who receive the mark of the Beast it is written:

“…and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”

If the seeker receives a degree of soul contact and knows the inner voice yet lacks faith in it over the outer and gives allegiance to a god without, he is tormented indeed. He feels the presence of the inner angels and the Christ consciousness. He tries to ignore that presence as he follows the Beast, but he can’t completely let it go and thus follows the Beast while yet “in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”

“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:11

Even though the voice of the Beast seems to offer temporary safety this is not the case on the inner planes. To follow the Beast the seeker tries to suffocate the inner voice. Then he tries ignoring it, denying it, rebelling against it, and listening to the noise of the Beast to drown it out etc. These tactics seem to work for a while, but the moment he reflects internally the inner God is again sensed and an inner awareness that he his allegiance is to the Beast makes his spirit in conflict with his true identity.

He never feels satisfied. Something seems missing, even though he may often claim to be fulfilled.

Then sooner or later the outer beast, taking the place of God, will give him a commandment or order that completely violates the direction of the inner God. This violation causes him “torment” and allows him “no rest.” Then to make matters worse the Beast gives him other commandments he cannot obey. The moment he violates them his torment is increased as if he were a furnace being stoked.

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12

All the saints went through such mistakes and torments in past lives and must be patient and endure their outward afflictions that pay off their karma. In addition, great patience is needed to deal with others still under the control of the Beast.

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” Revelation 14:13

Those who “die in the Lord” are those who have escaped the mark of the Beast. After death they no longer face outward conflicts from the Beast and his agents but have a much deserved rest. The disciples have a choice and can go to a heavenly situation where their good works follow them. They enjoy a period of bliss or they can continue to serve from the other side and assist the Christ and his Masters.

There are no wise few. Every aristocracy that has ever existed has behaved, in all essential points, exactly like a small mob. G. K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936), “Heretics”, 1905

March 18, 2006

Copyright by J J Dewey

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The Literal Gathering of Israel, Chapter Fifteen

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 15 of 16 in the series Literal Gathering

Chapter Fifteen

A Roar From Zion

After Zion is established in her strength we are told that “The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn.” Amos 1:2

Which shepherds shall mourn? They will not only be the shepherds in the Mormon Church, but all other churches for they will see that the light of truth will cause their foundation of sand to crumble away. Also the shepherds in the governments of the world will mourn for their people will demand more freedoms like unto Zion and the leaders will no longer be able to leech off the people. All other shepherds shall also mourn: shepherds in education, finance, science, industry – even all departments of human life which have their growth restricted by Babylon.

The day will soon come when “the saints of the Most high shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever… And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” Dan 7:18&27

Of Zion the Lord said: “Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee I will destroy kingdoms.” Jer 51:20 Then of Babylon he said: “Behold, I am against thee O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.” Jer 51:25 In other words, the kingdom of God will destroy those that destroy the earth in order to prevent the end of all flesh as Jesus mentioned. But remember, it is the system that will be destroyed arid not necessarily all the members thereof.

“But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for behold, I will save thee from afar off (America is far from the land of Israel), and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. (Such is not the case with the present inhabitants of Israel.) 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 WITHER 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.” Jer 46:27-28

During the building of Zion we are told that Babylon will fall and in this time John said: “The cities of the nations fell.” Rev 16:19 After the fall of these cities the Lord commands: “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them (The inhabitants of Zion) stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and MAKE THE DESOLATE CITIES TO BE INHABITED.” Isa 54:2-3

Isaiah also tells us that the righteous are not the only ones who gather together, but that the wicked will gather together for the purpose of destroying Zion: “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake… No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” Isa 54: 15&17 “The Lord of Hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.” Amos 5:15 “And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shall know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” Isa 49:23

Isaiah also tells us that the ruined cities will be rebuilt: “And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, AND THEY SHALL REPAIR THE WASTE the desolations of many generations. And stranger shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the priests of’ the Lord: Men shall call you the ministers of our God: YE SHALL EAT THE RICHES OF THE GENTILES, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.” Isa 61:4-6

Ezekiel speaks in a similar vein: “And the cities shall be inhabited and the wastes shall be builded: And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase arid bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings… Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness arid from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh, And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land I gave to your fathers… And they shall say, this land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced and are inhabited.” Eze 36:10-11,25-27, 36

It is interesting that after the destruction of the wicked Ezekiel says: “And they that dwell in tile cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire (use them for fuel) SEVEN YEARS.” Eze 39:9

These scriptures all appear to refer to a time near the beginning of the millennium. We will cease here as far as the future goes for most of us are familiar with the prophesies of the thousand years of peace.

SUMMARY

It is hoped this treatise gives the reader an idea of the importance of the gathering in the Lord’s eyes. It is hoped that he will grasp that Zion is more than just church members scattered throughout the world. After all John Taylor said: “I repeat, our mission is to preach the Gospel, and to gather the people who embrace it. And why’? That there might be a nucleus formed, a people gathered who would be under the inspiration of the Almighty, and who would be willing to listen to the voice of God, a people who would receive and obey his word when it was made known to them. AND THIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GATHERED CONDITION ARE CALLED ZION, or the pure in heart.” J.D. 23:262

Orson Pratt said that the gathering is so essential that it would be a sign of a false prophet if the principle were left out of his teachings: “Now supposing that Joseph Smith had all these proofs that I have named to testify concerning the divinity of this book, and had said nothing about the gathering, what then? Why you and I could go to our homes and say ‘Good bye Joseph Smith, we do not believe you to be a prophet.’ Why? Because the latter day dispensation was to be characterized by the gathering together of all things in one that are in Christ, and you have said nothing about it, and therefore we reject you.” J.D. 17:275

Using Orson Pratt’s logic then it looks as if we must reject the Mormon leaders today, but he not only includes the leaders with this principle, but angels: “Now if this angel who brought this gospel from the heavens, and commanded this church to be organized, HAD LEFT OUT THIS GATHERING TOGETHER IN ONE, we would have reason to suppose him TO BE AN IMPOSTER. why? Because the great essential feature of the latter day dispensation was a gathering together in one of all things in Christ.” J.D. 18:45

We have also indicated that the gathering, that is a literal gathering, will be essential to our physical survival. This is nowhere more vividly portrayed than by Joseph F. Smith “In the days of Noah, when he preached the gospel to the antediluvian world, he was given a special commandment, to build an ark, that in case the people would reject him and the message sent unto them, that himself and all who believed on him might be saved from the destruction that awaited them. In this dispensation there is a principle or COMMANDMENT PECULIAR TO IT. WHAT IS THAT? IT IS THE GATHERING THE PEOPLE UNTO ONE PLACE. The gathering of the people is as necessary to be observed by believers as faith, repentance, baptism, or any other ordinance. It is an essential part of the gospel of this dispensation, AS MUCH SO, AS THE NECESIITY OF BUILDING AN ARK BY NOAH, for his deliverance, was a part of the gospel of his dispensation. Then the world was destroyed by a flood, now it is to be destroyed by war, pestilence, famine, earthquakes, storms, and tempests and the sea rolling beyond its bounds, malicious vapors, vermin, disease, and by fire and lightenings of God’s wrath poured out for destruction upon Babylon. The cry of the angel unto the righteous, of this dispensation is, Come out of her my people, that ye partake not of her sins, and that ye receive riot of her plagues.” J.D. 19:192

This statement by Joseph F. Smith when he was a young man was made during his finest hour. If he had the stamina to follow through with this conviction in later life he would go down in the history books of the millennium as a great man, but unfortunately, later in life he seemed to lose his zeal for the gathering.

We were told that to fulfill the commandment to gather we are to build cities unto the lord. Sidney Rigden said that the gathering together “into cities appointed” was “the object for which the saints are gathered together.” Elders Journal I Pg 53

Yea, the time will again soon come when actual cities of light will be raised to the Most High and the pure in heart will gather there and a modern Noah’s ark will be established.

Many will ask where these cities are to be and when they will be built. When a significant number respond to the gathering message the places of gathering will be made known.

“And the spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev 22:17

The invitation is out for the pure in heart to gather and Joseph Smith’s words still apply to us today: “Some may have cried peace, but the saints and the world will have little peace from henceforth. Let this not hinder us from going to the stakes (Cities); for God has told us to flee, not dallying, or we shall be scattered, one here, and another there. There (in the cities) your children shall be blessed, and you in the midst of friends where you may be blessed.” TPJS Pg 160

Up to now the church has been blessed with a degree of the Lord’s Spirit even though it has been out of order, but now the invitation to the wedding feast is going out; those who reject it will be disturbed in spirit and there will be will be a noticeable change in the spirit of the members of the church in the next few years.

The time is verily approaching when the saints are to gather anew. Is it not obvious that the final days of this age are upon us and that great desolations await the wicked and the time of the next gathering is at hand? Come, then, out of Babylon, my friends that ye receive not of her plagues for great will be the physical and spiritual suffering of those who do not heed the commandment. Will you not drop to your knees my brethren after having read this with a prayerful heart and then ask God in the Name of Christ if this principle of gathering still applies to us today as outlined here? Do this really wanting to know and He will manifest the truth to you by the power of the Holy Ghost accompanied with the peace that passeth all understanding. Others have received this witness, and God is no respecter of persons. Will he not answer you? Verily, yes.

My desire is that all who wish to call themselves Latter-Day Saints will heed the words of Brigham Young who pleaded: “O ye saints in the United States, will you listen to the voice of the good Shepherd? WILL YOU GATHER? Will you be OBEDIENT to the heavenly commandments?” Mill Star 14:22

 

Copyright 1979 by J J Dewey

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Eternal Lives, Chapter 6

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 6 of 17 in the series Eternal Lives

Immortal Bodies

“A man may act as proxy for his own relatives; the ordinances of the Gospel which were laid out before the foundations of the world have thus been fulfilled by them, and we may be baptized for those whom we have much friendship for; but IT MUST FIRST BE REVEALED TO THE MAN OF GOD, LEST WE SHOULD RUN TOO FAR.” History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.17, p.366

As we put the pieces of Mormon Doctrine together the picture becomes clear: Adam was once a faithful mortal on another planet. He was faithful and was resurrected and went to the celestial kingdom. Then, after ages of additional progression, with the help of “morning stars” he organized this earth and came down here with his celestial body and eventually made it physical and mortal again to create a physical seed for himself. That’s two lives for Adam right there. How can one deny it? One may say that Brigham Young did not know what he was talking about, but if one claims superior revelation to Brigham where are his works and words to show evidence of this intelligence? Art thou greater than Brigham or Joseph who taught Brigham?

Interestingly, a celestial spirit can also slow his vibrations to create a physical body. Church authorities generally believe that Jesus Christ was once Jehovah and that he lived as a spirit only before his birth, but on the contrary we find the Jehovah and two associates appeared to Abraham in PHYSICAL BODIES: “And the Lord (Lord is from the Hebrew YAHOVAH which means Jehovah) appeared to him (Abraham) in the plains of Mamres and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, THREE MEN stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said My Lord (This Lord is from the Hebrew ADONAY meaning master), if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and WASH YOUR FEET, and REST yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a MORSEL OF BREAD, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, SO DO, AS THOU HAST SAID. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly THREE measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hastened to dress it… And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, AND THEY DID EAT… And the MEN rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the Lord (Again YeHOVAH translated Jehovah) said shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?… And the men (two of them) turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord”(YeHOVAH) Gen 18:1-8; 16-17, & 22. Then after the two men went to Sodom Abraham made his famous bargain with Jehovah to save the two cities, then we are told: “And the Lord (YeHOVAH) went his way…” Verse 33

In the next chapter we are told: “And there came two angels to Sodom at even..,”’ Gen. 19:1 Lot met them and offered them his house to sleep in and suggested they wash their feet and he made a feast also “and they did eat”. Verse 3. “But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round about, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: and they called unto Lot and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know (have sex with) them.” verses 4-5 Later, as they were about to burst the door down to get the two men and Lot was trying to hold them back “the men (the two angels) put forth their hand, AND PULLED LOT INTO THE HOUSE to them, and shut the door,” verse 10.

Who can doubt that all three of three heavenly beings had physical bodies! They rested, they ate, they washed their feet, they slept, their bodies were seen by both the righteous and the wicked with no apparent glory. Lastly, their bodies were able to make physical contact with mortal men. The two angels “pulled Lot into the house.”

How were these non mortal men able to produce their physical bodies when there was no resurrection yet? Perhaps they were translated you say? That would really throw our doctrine for a loop if Jehovah was merely translated. Most would rule that out. Joseph Smith told us how to recognized resurrected angels from heaven. He said: “offer him your hand and request him to shake hands with you. If he be an ANGEL he will do so, and you will feel his hand. D & C 129:4-5. This is how we tell the messenger is not a spirit, but an resurrected Angel according to Joseph. (Read the whole section). How is it that Jehovah fits Joseph Smith’s description of a resurrected angel?

From this we can at least gather that Jehovah was able to produce a physical body before any recorded birth on the earth. This is also indicated in the Book of Mormon. When Jesus appeared to the brother of Jared he said: “Behold, this body which ye now behold is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and EVEN AS I APPEAR UNTO THEE TO BE IN THE SPIRIT WILL I APPEAR TO MY PEOPLE IN THE FLESH.” Ether 3:l6. Even though Jesus had a celestial body, the faith of the Brother of Jared was so great that the vibrations of that celestial body were lowered so it actually became physical. The Brother of Jared actually saw Christ in a physical body for he saw him even as he would appear in the flesh. That the body was physical to the Brother of Jared is also indicated by his statement: “I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.” Ether 3:8

Jacob also wrestled with and angel who he later called “God” indicating it was Jehovah. Interestingly, Jacob actually got the best of him. Whoever this personage was, Jacob certainly touched him to prove that he had a physical body and even got his thigh out of joint. See Gen. 32:24-30. According to D&C 129 this person would have been resurrected. For resurrected persons capable of physical manifestation are often called angels as contrasted to beings of spirit only. This is especially indicated in: “IF HE BE AN ANGEL he will do so, and you shall feel his hand. If he be the spirit of a just man made perfect he will come in his glory; for that is the only way he can appear.” These persons spoken of above did not appear in glory so they must have been “Angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones.” D&C 129:1

These facts bring up questions that just cannot be answered by orthodox doctrine. What was Jehovah doing producing a physical body when we are told a spirit from God can only appear in Glory? Did Christ have some resurrection or translation before he was born to Mary? If not, how did he or some other being appear to Abraham in a physical body??? Again the doctrine of reincarnation supplies the answers. If Adam experienced mortality on another world previous to his coming here then surely Christ, being up there with Adam, also had much experience, and had also experienced mortality on other worlds to prepare him to be the master of this one. Someday, you and I will do what Adam and Jesus did when we experience our “eternal lives in the eternal worlds.” Is it not glorious to contemplate eternal life you can understand?

Another LDS stumbling block to accepting the doctrine of reincarnation is the doctrine of salvation for the dead and eternal marriage, The question arises as to why should one be baptized for the dead if he is going to come back into mortality in the future and continue to work out his salvation?

First let us point out that some scriptures used to support baptism for the dead are misunderstood. When Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith he quoted Malachi 4:5-6 a little differently than it reads in the Bible: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children THE PROMISES MADE TO THE FATHERS, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.” D&C 2:1-3

Has anyone stopped to ask, after reading this scriptures, what are the promises made to the Fathers? If I did not stop now and then to ponder and question what I read I would not be writing this and would yet be “at ease in Zion”. But to continue, there are, of course, a number of important promises made to our fathers, but there is one promise which is written about more than any other, and that is the gathering of Israel (the gathering of Lights).

Many today are not aware of the significance of the gathering and think that members are accomplishing it when they merely convert people to the church so they can gather each Sunday. But that’s not gathering any more than the sectarians. If Joseph Smith were to speak to you today, he would say the LDS have become sectarians. Joseph Smith began the gathering of Israel and Brigham Young and others tried to continue it so the saints could “come out of Babylon.” If the early leaders were here today they would call to mind the parable of the wheat and the tares and behold the good seed is being strangled by the tares and declare : “An enemy hath done this.” Matt 13:28.

The original gathering as outlined by the earlier prophets failed and now it has to be done all over again. We must gather upon “a land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey, upon which there shall be no curse when the Lord cometh.” D&C 38:18 Is Utah such a land? Verily, no. There are as many curses in Utah as any typical U.S. state. Utah residents are in “the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon” D&C 133:14

Many times in the scriptures the saints are commanded to come out of spiritual Babylon. “O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart. but if not, O house of Israel, the places of your dwellings shall become desolate until the time of the fulfilling of the covenant to your fathers.” III Nephi 10:6-7.

The LDS think they will be safe if they have their year’s supply of food and yet remain in spiritual Babylon – they are at ease in Zion. But if a calamity should occur none will be spared peril who remain in Babylon, years supply or not. When a hundred hungry men with clubs and sticks come at your door for food where will be your salvation then? The gathering is “for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.” D&C 115:6 The gathering failed as it had in other dispensations, the storm was delayed, but now it must be done all over again. This time we will succeed. The Lord knew that the gathering started by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young would not be permanent; nevertheless, much good has been accomplished, and the way has been prepared for a future gathering in the fullness of the glory of the Father.

The church today teaches that baptism for the dead must be done for all people clear back to Adam, but such a teaching is contrary to the scriptures and a very clear teaching by Joseph Smith who stated:

“A man may act as proxy for his own relatives; the ordinances of the Gospel which were laid out before the foundations of the world have thus been fulfilled by them, and we may be baptized for those whom we have much friendship for; but IT MUST FIRST BE REVEALED TO THE MAN OF GOD, LEST WE SHOULD RUN TOO FAR.” History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.17, p.366

Now this is not a quote from Joseph that you will hear soon in General Conference.

He said the following which is at odds with current Mormon Doctrine:

(1) Baptism for the dead is for those with whom we have “much friendship for.”

(2) We “must” have revelation as to whom we must be baptized.

(3) If we do not follow these guidelines we will go “too far.”

The too far is most probably the “endless genealogies” (I Tim 1:4) that Paul told us to avoid.

Unfortunately the LDS church has drifted far from these guidelines and have strayed into endless genealogies which have nothing to do with friendship or revelation.

Concerning the dead, Joseph Smith said: “Without us, the dead could not be made perfect, nor we without them.” History of the Church Vol. 6; Pg 252. Why do we need the dead for our salvation? Joseph answered: “We must have revelation from them.” (See same page) What kind of revelation will the dead give us? They will not only give us assistance on genealogy when needed, but they will aid us in the gathering, for they are very concerned that it is successful so Zion can be established and they can come forth in their next incarnation (the first resurrection) at the beginning of the millennium of peace. The dead want a peaceful world available when they have to come back here.

Another interesting point is that baptism in the temples is not only for the dead, but in the early church members were to also baptize those who were sick to effect a healing

There is really no conflict between the doctrine of reincarnation and baptism for the dead. Each life a person lives he accumulates guilt for certain sins that must either be atoned for or he must suffer for them in a future life. It was never intended that we should baptize the dead clear back to Adam, but the ordinance was mainly for friends and relatives who accepted the basic principles of the gospel and were honorable people. Joseph Smith said: “Every man who has a friend in the eternal world can save him, unless he has committed the unpardonable sin.” History of the Church Vol. 6 pg. 313. Thus the ordinance was instituted so we could help lift the burden of guilt from those who we love. Contrary to popular belief all do not need the physical act of baptism. All do need, however, that spiritual baptism of having their sins (guilt) washed away. Mormon helps us out here: “For behold all little children are alive in Christ, and also ALL THEY THAT ARE WITHOUT THE LAW (the non Christian nations: see D&C 45:54) For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such BAPTISM AVAILETH NOTHING.” Moroni 8:22.

Baptism will only help those who are subject to the laws of the gospel. Why baptize then for the dead who are not under the law when it “availeth nothing???” If we had enough faith we would have revealed to us the dead who are to be baptized, and such a baptism would be a great help to him in washing away guilt caused by the law, and thus releasing a burden he may have on the other side of the veil. He could then be born to the holy parents who shall bring again Zion, for such parents will truly “seek a Godly seed”. Malachi 2:15.

If a Godly seed is not produced and a gathering is not effected – that is that we “should gather together, and stand in holy places” D&C 101:22, then there will not be a people prepared to meet the Lord when he comes and the “whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.” D&C 2:3

Joseph Smith pointed out that the people at the time of John the Baptist and Jesus were rejected with their dead and if we are not faithful we will be rejected with our dead. This indicates that our generation is not responsible for saving the dead of a past age. This is clearly pointed out in the scriptures: “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies…” Titus 3-9 “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies…” I Tim 1:4 “We are just responsible for “OUR” dead; not for endless genealogies. Let me repeat: baptism for the dead is to help “our dead”.

Once you go back more than 200 years the person has often taken another body here in the physical plane. Sometimes, however, a person may be caught in a world of illusion for many centuries, but generally a few generations is about all that can do any good. Do you think that God is going to keep one person in prison for five thousand years and another equally righteous for only a few years and have the former’s long fate sealed merely because he had the misfortune of being born earlier than your Grandmother? Why should your grandmother only have to wait two years for salvation and someone else thousands?

Then, too, baptism for the dead is only effective for those that repent and “if they would not repent they must suffer EVEN AS I.” D&C 19:17 How can the dead “suffer both BODY and spirit” D&C 19:18 with no body??? Joseph Smith said that baptism for the dead is for those who would have received the gospel if it had been presented to them, and that even they would be judged according to the deeds done in the body.

This helps us to understand the words of Alma: “Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity (the kingdoms of the spirit), behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the hour of darkness wherein there can be NO LABOR PERFORMED…for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal (spirit) world.” Alma 34:33-34

When Alma said that ‘“there can be no labor performed,” he was not teaching contrary to the doctrine of salvation for the dead as the anti-Mormons teach, but he was pointing out as did Joseph that we are judged by the deeds in the body and not out. There can be very little if any repentance in the spirit world for we are possessed by the same spirit as was in the earthly body. Bodily sins can only be paid for in the body. Between lives “there can be no labor performed” and the spirit must wait for another incarnation after the finish of his “rest” and then he can labor again: “And his works shall follow him, and also a reward in the world to come.” (the next incarnation) D&C 63:48.
Copyright 1996 by J J Dewey