Fullness of the Priesthood, Priests and Kings

The following information is taken from, The Words of Joseph Smith by Andrew Ehat, these are footnotes from the book explaining the process and dates of these historical events:

21. The Prophet here teaches that though Abraham had not yet received the fulness of the priesthood, he had received from the Lord the promise of an innumerable posterity both for this world and in the world to come (D&C 132:28-31). Joseph Smith, however, clarifies that Abraham's endowment (Abraham facsimile Number 2, figures 3 and 7) was greater than that which his descendants Aaron and Levi would be allowed; and thus "Abraham's" Patriarchal Priesthood (the ordinances of the endowment and patriarchal marriage for time and eternity) comprehended the Aaronic portion of the endowment. Additionally, the Prophet here clarifies that the Patriarchal Priesthood was not the same as the crowning ordinances of the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Elias returned the authority of promising innumerable posterity, but Elijah restored the authority of the fulness of the priesthood (D&C 110:12-16).  

  
Aside from this theological commentary, it is important to point out that the Prophet's teachings fit perfectly within a historical context. Joseph Smith administered the first ordinances of the Patriarchal Priesthood on 4 May 1842 when he gave both the Aaronic and Melchizedek portions of the endowment to nine men in his store in Nauvoo (see History of the Church, 5:1-2, or Teachings, p. 137; and H. W. Mills, "De Tal Palo Tal Astilla," Annual Publications-Historical Society of Southern California 10 [Los Angeles: McBride Printing Company, 1917]: 120-21). By a year later, most of the nine received the ordinances of marriage for time and eternity. In particular, the Prophet and his wife, Emma, and James and Harriet Adams were sealed on 28 May 1843 (Joseph Smith Diary, Church Archives). Similarly, Hyrum Smith and his wife, Mary Fielding, Brigham Young and his wife, Mary Ann, and Willard Richards and his wife, Jennetta, were all sealed the next day. But the higher ordinances that confer the fulness of the priesthood had not as yet been administered. However one month and a day after this 27 August 1843 discourse, Joseph and Emma received the anointing and ordination "of the highest and holiest order of the priesthood" (Joseph Smith Diary, 28 September 1843, Church Archives). Hence by 27 August 1843, "Abrahams patriarchal power[was] the greatest yet experienced in [the] church." As  abstract as this may seem, the Prophet was not the only one who understood the relationship between these three orders of priesthood blessings that he said were illustrated in Hebrews 7; they who received these ordinances also understood these relationships. For example, Brigham Young later discussed in public discourse the relationship between the Aaronic and Patriarchal orders of the endowment as follows:    
When we give the brethren their endowments, weconfer upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood; but I expect to see the day, when we shallsay to a company of brethren, you can go and receive the [endowment] ordinances pertaining to the Aaronic order of Priesthood, and then you can go into the world and preach the Gospel, or do something that will prove whether you will honor that Priesthood before you receive more. Now we pass them through the [temple] ordinances of both Priesthoods in one day. (Journal of Discourses, 10:309, quoted in John A. Widstoe, Discourses of Brigham Young [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973], p. 396).   

 
Perhaps more important than his later understanding of the relationship between the Aaronic and Melchizedek portions of the endowment is the fact that three weeks before this 27 August 1843 discourse, Brigham Young demonstrated that the Prophet made clear to those who had received the endowment and patriarchal marriage ordinances, that they had not as yet received the fulness of the priesthood. On 6 August 1843, Brigham Young said, "If any in the church [have] the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood [I do] not know it. For any person to have the fullness of that priesthood, he must be a king and priest." Since he had received, with eight others, an anointing in 1842 promising him he would, if faithful, eventually receive another anointing actually ordaining him a king and a priest, Brigham Young therefore added, "A person may be anointed king and priest long before he receives his kingdom" (History of the Church, 5:527, which is quoted verbatim from the contemporary account kept by Wilford Woodruff). Based on his understanding from Joseph the Prophet, Brigham Young said of this third order of priesthood blessings, "Those whocome in here [the Nauvoo Temple] and have received their washing & anointing will [later, if faithful], be ordained Kings & Priests, and will then have received the fullness of the Priesthood, all that can be given on earth. For Brother Joseph said he had given us all that could be given to man on the earth" (Heber C. Kimball Journal, kept by William Clayton, 26 December 1845, Church Archives, italics added). This is the theological and historical context for the Prophet's comments on the three orders of temple blessings outlined in this extremely important discourse.    
               (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, p.303-304)

30. One of the major milestones, if not the major milestone, of the Latter-day work was to be the restoration of the fulness of the priesthood (D&C 124:28). The Prophet's "mission[was to] firmly [establish] the  dispensation of the fullness of the priesthood in the last days, that all the powers of earth and hell [could] never prevail against it" (History of the Church, 5:140, or Teachings, p. 258). What was this fulness of the priesthood? The most concise but inclusive definition of the authority of the fulness of the priesthood was given by Joseph Smith in his 10 March 1844 discourse when he said, "Now for Elijah; the spirit, power and calling of Elijah is that ye have power to hold the keys of the revelations, ordinances, oracles, powers and endowments of the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood and of the Kingdom of God on the Earth and to receive, obtain and perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God[to] have power to seal on earth and in heaven." However, the Prophet had not as yet administered the ordinances that made men kings and priests. Brigham Young said three weeks before this discourse that no one yet in the Church had the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood, "For any person to have the fullness of that priesthood, he must be a king and priest" (History of the Church, 5:527, which is quoted verbatim from the original source kept by Wilford Woodruff, Church Archives). These ordinances were instituted on 28 September 1843 and in the next five months were conferred on twenty men (and their wives, except for those whose names are asterisked): Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, Newel K. Whitney, William Marks, John Taylor, John Smith, Reynolds Cahoon, Alpheus Cutler, Orson Spencer, Orson Hyde*, Parley P. Pratt*, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Levi Richards*, Cornelius P. Lott, William W. Phelps Isaac Morley, and Orson Pratt.* As George Q. Cannon later said,    
Previous to his death. the Prophet Joseph manifested great anxiety to see the temple completed, as most of you who were with the Church during his day, well know. "Hurry up the work, brethren," he used to say, "let us finish the temple; the Lord has a great endowment in store for you, and I am anxious that the brethren should have their endowments and receive the fullness of the Priesthood. Then," said he, "the Kingdom will be established, and I do not care what shall become of me."    
Prior to the completion of the Temple, [Joseph Smith] took the Twelve and certain other men, who were chosen, and bestowed upon them a holy anointing, similar to that which was received on the day of Pentecost by the Twelve, who had been told to tarry at Jerusalem. This endowment was bestowed upon the chosen few whom Joseph anointed and ordained, giving unto them the keys of the holy Priesthood, the power and authority which he himself held, to build up the Kingdom of God in all the earth and accomplish the great purposes of our Heavenly Father."    
Knowing that Sidney Rigdon was the only member of the First Presidency to survive the martyrdom but knowing too that he had not received the ordinances of the fulness of the priesthood, George Q. Cannon added this significant comment: "It was by virtue of this authority, on the death of Joseph, that President Young, as President of the quorum of the Twelve, presided over the Church" (Journal of Discourses, 13:49). Joseph  Smith's followers did believe he "firmly established the dispensation of the fullness of the priesthoodthat allearth and hell [could] never prevail against it." See notes 21  22, 29  38, this discourse.    
               (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, p.306-307)

This is from the body of The Words of Joseph Smith:
Men will set up stakes and say thus far will we go and no farther, did Abraham when called upon to offer his son, 35 did the Saviour, 36 no, view him fulfiling all rightousness again on the banks of jordon, 37 also on the Mount transfigured before Peter and John there receiving the fulness of preisthood or the law of God, 38 setting up no stake but coming right up to the mark in all things here him after he returned from the Mount, did ever language of such magnitude fall from the lips of any man, hearken him. All power is given is given unto me both in heaven and the earth. 39 Offering's sacrifice's and carnal commandments, was added in consequence of transgression and they that did them should live by them. 40 View  him the Son of God at saying it behoveth me to fulfil all rightousness 41 also in a garden saying if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless thy will be done. 42 What was the design of the Almighty in making man, it was to exalt him to be as God, 43 the scripture says yet are Gods and it cannot be broken, 44 heirs of God and joint heirs I with Jesus Christ equal with him possesing all power &c. 45 The mystery power and glory of the preisthood is so great and glorious that the angels desired to understand it and cannot: why, because of the tradition of them and their fathers in setting up stakes and not coming up to the mark in their probationary state. 46    

               (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, p.247)
38. This is the only known record of when, according to Joseph Smith, the Savior received the fulness of the priesthood. Wilford Woodruff's report of the Prophet's 11 June 1843 discourse recorded a significant comment by Joseph Smith regarding this subject: "If a man gets the fulness of God ["priesthood" as in the published version], he has to get [it] in the same way that Jesus Christ obtained it, by keeping all the ordinances of the house of the Lord" (see 11 June 1843, note 9  9). To Joseph Smith, however, it was not the Lord's will that all have Elijah confer upon them the sealing power of the fulness of the priesthood, for as Franklin D. Richards expressed it, we receive the fulness by "being administered to by one having the same power and Authority of Melchizedek" (D&C 132:7).    
Joseph Smith distinguished between the ordination of the twelve disciples as apostles (in Matthew 10) and the bestowal of the sealing power of Elijah upon three of the twelve (in Matthew 17), for he himself received the authority of the apostleship in 1829 (Joseph Smith-History, 1:72; D&C 27:12), but did not receive the sealing power of the fulness of the priesthood until 3 April 1836 (D&C 110:13-16; also text at notes 13-20 & of the 10 March 1844 discourse).    
               (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, p.307-)

43. In his 21 May 1843 discourse (at note 12 &), the Prophet, without elaborating on his statement, said he would "keep in [his] own bosom the design of the great God in sending us into this world and organizing us to prepare us for the Eternal world." Joseph Smith did hint though that the doctrine of eternal marriage was related to the implicit question. Here in the James Burgess account of the 27 August 1843 discourse (three months later), the Prophet finally answers his own question: "What was the design of the Almighty in making man? It was to exalt him to be as God." Given that the  Prophet would have answered the question similarly in May, this is remarkable confirmation of the then unwritten revelation on eternal marriage. When it was written seven and a half weeks later (12 July 1843), this revelation asserted that if couples were sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise through the authority of the sealing power of the priesthood and were also given the promise that they would come forth in the first resurrection, and if they should continue without committing the unpardonable sin, "Then shall they be godsbecause they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them" (D&C 132:19-20).    
               (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, p.308)

Those Elected Are Responsible

Charley Reese (January 29, 1937 - May 21, 2013) was an American syndicated columnist known for his conservative views.^[1] He was associated with the Orlando Sentinel from 1971 to 2001, both as a writer and in various editorial capacities. King Features Syndicate distributed his column, which was published three times per week.

This is his last column

Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail

directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must

assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every

day.  It's a short but good read.  Worth the time.  Worth remembering!

 

                545 vs. 300,000,000 People

                -By Charlie Reese

 

                Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems

and then campaign against them.

 

                Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the

Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

 

                Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against

inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

 

                You and I don't propose a federal budget.  The President does.

 

                You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on

appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

 

                You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

 

                You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

 

                You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve

Bank does.

 

                One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine

Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are

directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic

problems that plague this country.

 

                I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that

problem was created by the Congress.  In 1913, Congress delegated its

Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but

private, central bank.

 

                I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound

reason.  They have no legal authority.  They have no ability to coerce a

senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing.  I don't

care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.  The politician has

the power to accept or reject it.  No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is

the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

 

                Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you

that what they did is not their fault.  They cooperate in this common con

regardless of party.

 

                What separates a politician from a normal human being is an

excessive amount of gall.  No normal human being would have the gall of a

Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.  The

President can only propose a budget.  He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

 

                The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives

sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and

approving appropriations and taxes.  Who is the speaker of the House?  John

Boehner.  He is the leader of the majority party.  He and fellow House members,

not the President, can approve any budget they want.  If the President vetoes

it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

 

                It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot

replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence

and irresponsibility.  I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not

traceable directly to those 545 people.  When you fully grasp the plain truth

that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must

follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

 

                If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

 

                If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the

red.

 

                If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because

they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

 

                If they do not receive social security but are on an elite

retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

 

                There are no insoluble government problems.

 

                Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom

they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice

they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from

whom they can take this power.

 

                Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there

exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or

"politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

 

                Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.  They, and

they alone, have the power.

 

                They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people

who are their bosses.  Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own

employees...  We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Some Functions of a Temple

Some Functions of a Temple:

A.  A Center Place for gathering

     1.  The purpose for the gathering of Israel and the righteous.

The main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose. 
           
It was the design of the councils of heaven before the world was, that the principles and laws of the priesthood should be predicated upon the gathering of the people in every age of the world. Jesus did everything to gather the people, and they would not be gathered, and He therefore poured out curses upon them. Ordinances instituted in the heavens before the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are not to be altered or changed. All must be saved on the same principles. 
               (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.308)

     2.  The Church is not complete without the temple.

 He said the reason of these remarks being made was, that some little foolish things were circulating in the society, against some sisters not doing right in laying hands on the sick. Said that if the people had common sympathies they would rejoice that the sick could be healed; that the time had not been before that these things could be in their proper order; that the Church is not fully organized, in its proper order, and cannot be, until the Temple is completed, where places will be provided for the administration of the ordinances of the Priesthood.   
               (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.224)

     3.  Scriptures 

D&C  57:1-3
1 Hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, who have assembled yourselves together, according to my commandments, in this land, which is the land of Missouri, which is the land which I have appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints.
2 Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion.
3 And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse.

D&C  84:2-5
2 Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.
3 Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased.
4 Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation.
5 For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.

D&C  109:23
23 And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.

D&C  109:56
56 That their hearts may be softened when thy servants shall go out from thy house, O Jehovah, to bear testimony of thy name; that their prejudices may give way before the truth, and thy people may obtain favor in the sight of all;

B.  A place to administer the fullness of the Priesthood

     1.  The fullness of the Priesthood to be restored in the temple

D&C  124:28

28 For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood. 

     2.  Higher ordinances of the Priesthood performed in the temple

Wednesday, 4.-I spent the day in the upper part of the store, that is in my private office * * * in council with General James Adams, of Springfield, Patriarch Hyrum Smith, Bishops Newel K. Whitney and George Miller, and President Brigham Young and Elders Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards, instructing them in the principles and order of the Priesthood, attending to washings, anointings, endowments and the communication of keys pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood, and so on to the highest order of the Melchizedek Priesthood, setting forth the order pertaining to the Ancient of Days, and all those plans and principles by which any one is enabled to secure the fullness of those blessings which have been prepared for the Church of the Firstborn, and come up and abide in the presence of the Eloheim in the eternal worlds. In this council was instituted the ancient order of things for the first time in these last days. And the communications I made to this council were of things spiritual, and to be received only by the spiritual minded: and there was nothing made known to these men but what will be made known to all the Saints of the last days, so soon as they are prepared to receive, and a proper place is prepared to communicate them, even to the weakest of the Saints; therefore let the Saints be diligent in building the Temple, and all houses which they have been, or shall hereafter be, commanded of God to build; and wait their time with patience in all meekness, faith, perseverance unto the end, knowing assuredly that all these things referred to in this council are always governed by the principle of revelation. (May 4, 1842.)    
               (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.237)

     3.  Become Priests and Kings

What was the power of Melchizedek? 'Twas not the Priesthood of Aaron which administers in outward ordinances, and the offering of sacrifices. Those holding the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood are kings and priests of the Most High God, holding the keys of power and blessings. In fact, that Priesthood is a perfect law of theocracy, and stands as God to give laws to the people, administering endless lives to the sons and daughters of Adam.  

Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.322

The declaration this morning is, that as soon as the Temple and baptismal font are prepared, we calculate to give the Elders of Israel their washings and anointings, and attend to those last and more impressive ordinances, without which we cannot obtain celestial thrones. But there must be a holy place prepared for that purpose. There was a proclamation made during the time that the foundation of the Temple was laid to that effect, and there are provisions made until the work is completed, so that men may receive their endowments and be made kings and priests unto the Most High God, having nothing to do with temporal things, but their whole time will be taken up with things pertaining to the house of God. These must, however, be a place built expressly for that purpose, and for men to be baptized for their dead. It must be built in this central place; for every man who wishes to save his father, mother, brothers, sisters and friends, must go through all the ordinances for each one of them separately, the same as for himself, from baptism to ordination, washing and anointings, and receive all the keys and powers of the Priesthood, the same as for himself. 
               (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.362)

     4.  The temple is the foundation of Zion

D&C  124:39
39 Therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name.

D&C  136:37-38
37 Therefore, marvel not at these things, for ye are not yet pure; ye can not yet bear my glory; but ye shall behold it if ye are faithful in keeping all my words that I have given you, from the days of Adam to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Jesus and his apostles, and from Jesus and his apostles to Joseph Smith, whom I did call upon by mine angels, my ministering servants, and by mine own voice out of the heavens, to bring forth my work;
38 Which foundation he (Joseph Smith) did lay, and was faithful; and I took him to myself.

C.  An orientation to the revealed universe and a model of the earth in its solar setting.

     1.  The relationship of Telestial, Terrestrial, and Celestial is taught

D&C  88:17-39
17 And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.
18 Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;
19 For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;
20 That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.
21 And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
22 For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.
23 And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.
24 And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.
25 And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law--
26 Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.
27 For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual body.
28 They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.
29 Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
30 And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
31 And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
32 And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
33 For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.
34 And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same.
35 That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still.
36 All kingdoms have a law given;
37 And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
38 And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.
39 All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.

     2.  The earth is the Lord's temple in the Lord's tabernacle

D&C  101:23
23 And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together.

     3.  It reveals the three rounds of Jacob's ladder

 Paul ascended into the third heavens, and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob's ladder-the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms, where Paul saw and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter. I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them. 
               (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.304)

D.  The temple is a model of the body of Christ and the atonement

     1.  The temple of His body

John  2:18-22
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. 

     2.  The veil of the temple is His flesh

Heb  10:20
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 

     3.  The Father and the Son are the temple of the Celestial Kingdom

Rev  21:22
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 

E.  It is the place where the Lord will reveal himself

     1.  The Lord to come suddenly to His Temple

Mal  3:1
1  BEHOLD, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

D&C  36:8
8 I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my temple. Even so. Amen.

D&C  133:2
2 The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you.

     2.  His presence shall be there

D&C  97:15-16
15 And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it;
16 Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God.

D&C  109:5
5 For thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people.

D&C  42:36
36 That my covenant people may be gathered in one in that day when I shall come to my temple. And this I do for the salvation of my people.

     3.  Orson Pratt statement

In another revelation given in an early period of the history of the Church, the Lord commanded his people to build unto him a House, promising that if they built a house unto his name, according to the commandment and pattern which should be given, and providing they suffered no unclean thing to enter it, so that it should not be defiled, the Lord himself would appear in it; his presence would be there; his glory would be there; and all that should go into that House, who were pure in heart, should see him. Here then you perceive that there are certain places appointed, and certain provisions to be complied with, before the face of the Lord can be seen. He has said that his people are always to build unto his name a house. What for? That his name might be there; that his angels might be there; that his presence might be there; and that there the fullness of the holy Priesthood might be more fully revealed, and that there all the ordinances might be performed, that were ordained from before the foundation of the world. This is the object of Temples. It is to connect the children to the fathers: it is to bring about an organization between the living and the dead. 
               (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols., 19:, p.20)

LDS Apostasy From Freedom and Liberty

This is a very important read. If you need to download it and print it.

The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn

Here is an outstanding video and warning to America by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn.  He is a Messianic Jew - meaning he has converted to Jesus Christ as his Savior and the Messiah.  I love these converted Jews because they bring to us a unique view of the Old Testament.  I have his book, The Harbinger.  However if you watch the first 50 minutes of this video you will not need to read the book.  There are way too many incidents involved in 9/11 associated with Isaiah 9:10 to be  a coincidence.  He makes a powerful case that 9/11 was meant to be a wake up call to America to return to God.  Isaiah 9:10 is a negative scripture meant to defy the God of Israel and the curse that He had placed on them because they were turning from Him. 

Something to Contemplate

Family Watch International update

Here is an update from Family Watch International.  It seems like those trying to lead a righteous, spiritual life are being thwarted and attacked from every direction.  Sharon Slater (head of Family Watch International) tirelessly works to keep the United Nations from destroying the family and gender identification.  Here is her update:

The Deceit of Sex-Obsessed Nations at UN

Dear Robert,

I am tired.  I am sick and tired of the sexual garbage that is being pushed via the UN onto the developing world by rich Western countries.   

This past month the attacks by sexually obsessed UN agencies and some Member States have been more aggressive and deceptive than ever, so we have had to step up our efforts to help developing nations uncover and defeat them.  

What has been happening this past month at the UN is truly insane.

Here is a summary of the good, the bad and the ugly.   

First, we received an urgent email from a UN diplomat warning us about a deceptive ploy to establish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender “rights” in a UN General Assembly resolution on youth.  Sexual rights activists were trying to get nations to endorse the radical Bali Global Forum Youth Declaration.  This troublesome declaration was facilitated by International Planned Parenthood and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 

The Bali Declaration purports to represent what all the youth of the world want, and among other things, says the world’s youth are demanding that governments grant them abortion on demand and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.  It even claims that the youth of the world want prostitution to be legalized!

You would think that such an outrageous document would be laughed at by all clear thinking policymakers, but this was no laughing matter.  A number of developed countries were pressuring developing countries to accept these sexual “wrongs” as sexual “rights.”

The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) was involved in this scheme and posted the Bali Global Youth Forum Declaration on their website here as though it were a UN consensus document.  This was highly irregular and angered many of the delegations we alerted.

This Declaration is so controversial that the country of Indonesia, which innocently co-sponsored the youth forum in Bali where the document was created, has now disassociated from it.   

The proposed youth resolution also sought to establish LGBTQI “rights” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and intersex) for the world’s youth, as well as a right to  controversial comprehensive sexuality education, which is really just a euphemism for education to mainstream LGBT sex and abortion rights education. 

Then we received word from another UN delegate that the United States and a few allies would be proposing “sexual and reproductive health and rights” in a resolution on “the situation of women in rural areas.”  This is some of the most controversial language because it would protect “sexual rights.”  This undefined term can be interpreted basically to protect sexual anarchy.

Then, if that weren’t enough, the resolution being negotiated on the “rights of the girl child” was polluted with a reference seeking to advance the notorious Comments 14 and 15 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.  You may recall that we rallied nations at the Human Rights Council in Geneva in June to reject these comments in a resolution on preventing death in children under five. 

But these people are relentless and are continually trying to insert this garbage wherever they can, hoping that everyone will be too busy keeping up with so many resolutions that they will eventually get something slipped in.  Click here to read our previous alert outlining how these Comments are especially bad because they seek to grant, among other things, sexual and reproductive freedom to children of all ages.

Now, you might think I am done with the ugly section, but I am not.

We received an urgent plea from yet another delegate informing us that the resolution on the family to kick off the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family was being corrupted by the European Union (EU), Brazil, the U.S., and other liberal countries with hostile amendments seeking to redefine the family.  

And finally, we were also alerted to a serious problem with a resolution on protecting “women human rights defenders.”  This resolution is filled with multiple references to gender including “gender oppression,” “gender dimension,” “gender-sensitive,” and “gender rights,” etc.

Norway, which facilitated the resolution, refused to let nations actually negotiate it.  They insisted instead that each delegation could only make one comment per paragraph and rejected any proposals that would define gender as male or female or define what kind of rights these so called women human rights defenders are supposed to be protecting and defending.

Family Watch did some research and found that page 16 of the Foreign Ministry Guidelines of Norway calls for the protection of: “Those working for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people” as a subcategory of  “women human rights defenders” who are at particular risk.”  In other words, Norway, through this resolution, was trying to force their national LGBT policies on all UN Member States.

We also found that the UN-appointed expert called a “Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders” has been abusing her official mandate and is trying to use her position to advance LGBT “rights” as well as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which considers “human rights defenders” to include those who promote the rights of “sexual minorities” (i.e., lesbians, gays, transsexuals, bisexuals, etc.). 

So what happened in all these battles?
We are pleased to announce that a number of UN Member States, mostly G77 countries, (mostly developing nations) from Africa, the Caribbean, and Islamic countries, along with Russia, achieved the following hard won victories after intense battles.

They doggedly refused to accept the unacceptable especially when it came to sexualizing children and won these victories:

• The references to the Bali Declaration and the LGBTQI rights were removed from the youth declaration.
  
• The references to Comments 14 and 15 from the CRC Committee granting sexual and reproductive freedom to children were removed from the child’s rights resolution.
  
• The reference to “sexual and reproductive rights” was removed from the social inclusion resolution.
  
• References seeking to redefine the family were removed from the resolution on the family.

The Third Committee of the General Assembly, the committee that deals with these kinds of issues, is still negotiating some of these resolutions, and then they still have to be adopted at a formal session of the General Assembly.

We pray that none of the pro-family victories above are reversed before they are adopted.

Surely the children of the world would be better served if the liberal nations and rogue UN agencies stopped pushing LGBT rights and the sexualization of children as the answer to every world problem and instead focused on their true needs.

Pro-family citizens around the world owe a huge debt of gratitude to the valiant and dedicated delegates who are holding the line right now in defense of the family and family values at the UN.

Family Watch will continue to assist these delegates in whatever way we can to stop the continual assaults on the health and innocence of children.

Sincerely,
Sharon Slater
President