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Turning of Hearts to Fathers [message #1066] |
Fri, 07 September 2012 23:44 |
mormonhah
Messages: 11 Registered: July 2012 Location: SLC
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Junior Member |
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As I was lying in bed this morning, I was pondering on the apostasy of the church in the latter days and wondering what the responsibility was of our ancestors that allowed this apostasy to overtake them, especially so shortly after the death of Joseph Smith. Many of them had known him personally. Many of them had heard him prophesy. Many of them had loved him and had committed their lives to the Lord and had lived through many miracles.
The apostasy to which I refer is when the saints had wholeheartedly rejected polygamy, not cared for the many women who had families, and a church president who literally made a covenant with Satan (the Manifesto). Regardless of whether or not polygamy was sanctioned of the Lord is irrelevant. The saints wanted statehood. They were more interested in their lustful desires (goods being shipped in by railway, public education) than establishing Deseret (free from the clutches of the US Government).
They had multiple opportunities to repent, to live simply, to have peace, but somehow they just couldn't apply D&C 103:5-10 to themselves.
At that time, God was ready to burn the vineyard but the servant stayed his hand and we were given the opportunity to come to earth. (Jacob 5:47-51)
As I pondered about how we have been born into such a great deceit and how our ancestors literally sold out themselves and the following generations, I grieved at what they must be feeling now for committing such iniquities after they had received so much light.
I then had a revelation that the scripture which we often quote to refer to doing temple work for the dead came to mind: The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers...(D&C 138:47)
What are those promises? To redeem the dead. How can the dead be redeemed if they aren't worthy? I cannot fully answer that question except that I KNOW that Joseph Smith would go to hell for Emma. I feel very confident in saying that there is no doubt that he has done this and he helped to redeem her.
I know that some of the circumstances that I have faced in my life could be considered beyond the depths of hell. I have had to suffer unthinkable torment from those who call themselves saints. I have been an outcast for the most part of my life because I was never willing to fit in. I am not going to try to compare my problems to others because I have no idea what each person has faced but to make a long story short - I felt abandoned by God for the most of my life. After receiving my patriarchal blessing, I even refused to read it believing that it was only promises meant for the next life.
Realizing that a lot of my sorrows were a direct result of the iniquity of the saints and their turning from the teachings of Christ, I could have been bitter, and I was for a good portion of my life. I will explain how I came to forgive and eventually to love unconditionally to the present - that now I have no need to forgive as I am no longer angry, don't hold grudges, and have been freed of those painful burdens.
I (and we) are going to have to do the work that our ancestors failed to do and that is WHY we have to turn our hearts to them - to love them in spite of what they left us and to forgive them enough to save them.
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:6)
The other side of this is turning the hearts of the father to the children. I have received a witness of who my guardian angel is -- my great-great grandfather. I have heard his voice and he has been around me through some pretty difficult trials.
He would have been alive in the period of time during this stated apostasy.
I love him. I know he made mistakes but I have first-hand knowledge of some of the things he has done for me lately.
That is my personal revelation and witness.
If I had not actually got into this work and been called of God, I would back out. But I cannot back out: I have no doubt of the truth.
Joseph Smith, Jr.
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