THE MATTER OF THE STONES

 

When the city of Babel became a strong metropolis under the dictatorial government of Nimrod, the Lord pronounced judgment upon that city by confounding their language ‘that they may not understand one another’s speech’ and so that they may be scattered ‘upon all the face of the land, and unto every quarter of the earth” (JST Genesis 11:5)

Living in the city of Babel was a group of righteous people who had resisted the teachings of Nimrod. One of them was Mahonri-Moriancumr, better known as the Brother of Jared (see Book of Mormon Student Manual Rel. 121-122 (2009) p 362).

Jared had so much faith in his brother, who was highly favoured of the Lord (Ether 1:34) that he asked him to pray to God so that their language and that of their friends would not be confounded. Another request was for God to lead them to a possible ‘land which is choice above all the earth’ (Ether 1:38)

A choice land above all the earth indeed…..enter the Book of Mormon which records in detail the entire history of the Jaredite civilization in the western hemisphere. There is just one significant thing I want to point out about the authenticity of this account. It’s to do with the stones of light that the Brother of Jared procured for their journey in the barges they built.

A few years ago I sought to gain a broader view of the Jaredites. I went to Hugh Nibley’s book, “An Approach to the Book of Mormon” and came across something that left my mouth gaping:

“Nothing in the Book of Mormon has elicited louder whoops and howls of derision than the account in the second and third chapters of the book of Ether of the ships of the Jaredites…..According to J.C. Bennett, the illumination by shining stones, was the “climax” of all of Joseph Smith’s indiscretions, in which he “used his utmost endeavours to see how far he could impose on the gullibility of mankind. It would be useless to make further comments to prove the absurdities of this extraordinary book.

“In 1855 T. Taylder declared this story to be nothing less than “a libel on the wisdom of God”. “It seems impossible”, another investigator wrote, “for sensible men to credit such trash”.  “My soul is filled with disgust at this monstrous absurdity”, cried the Reverend C. Fenwick Ward as he perused the pages of Ether, “that I dare not trust myself to comment upon it”.

“Fawn M. Brodie claimed that “Joseph Smith wrote the book of Ether as a sort of afterthought to cover up the scientific blunders and inaccuracies of the rest of the Book of Mormon which were causing him disturbing doubts and misgivings”.  (Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, p 340,341)

Brother Nibley also quoted many ancient sources that have since come to light comparing the Brother of Jared’s stones to that of Noah who also had a stone for light in the ark and many other ancient practices with likewise stones. He pointed out that none of these ancient sources would have been available to Joseph Smith in his time or to the critics of his day.  And the critics of our day wouldn’t bother searching them.

To the people of Babel, the details of Noah’s ark and the Flood was a certainty that everyone believed in. The tower of Babel was built out of fear of another flood (“Josephus” Book 1, chapter 4).  So I ask, where else would the Brother of Jared gain the knowledge of the stones???? Chapter 3 of Ether does not say that he deliberated and agonized over the solution of light for the barges. It states he went immediately to the mount Shelem and ‘did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones…as clear and transparent as glass’ (Ether 3;1).

I am astounded that anyone could read the Book of Mormon and not be affected by the spirit of it….that such a small thing as sixteen stones could prevent belief of all that is in this amazing book. Once again, I am reminded of: “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27).  If you believe, you are that sheep…..you are His. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire)

NOAH'S POSTERITY

 

We often say how easily we forget history which always repeats itself but it is not that we forget but that the Prince of this world remembers. He remembers his past successes and traps of destruction, how to manipulate the human mind and how to foster their sense of pride against God.

The adversary’s main goal is always human annihilation. He certainly knew how to preserve his murderous cult amongst men and return them to pre-flood conditions. It is easy to imagine that his goal was another deluge to wipe out humanity only this time there stood in the way one thing – God’s covenant with Noah and Enoch that never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth (Genesis 9:9a;11). Nevertheless, within two or three generations after the Flood, Noah was to see his descendants duplicating the abominations of the pre-flood period.

It all started with Noah’s son Ham who married a woman named Egyptus who was a descendant of Cain. Even though Ham ‘walked with God’ and possessed the priesthood like his father and brothers, he was never able to pass this privilege to any of his descendants because of the blood of Cain. Ham and Egyptus had a daughter who discovered Egypt and set up the dynasty of Pharaohs (Abraham 1:21-27). It’s a fascinating story.

Because the Lord knew that city life under the wrong kind of leadership could corrupt a whole nation in one generation, he encouraged Noah and his descendants to observe the patriarchal government through pastoral living. This is the very thing that the enemy opposed in order to return the population to wickedness through a man called Nimrod.

Nimrod was one of the sons of Ham and Egyptus who became the builder and founder of the city of Babel (Genesis 10:8-10). Nimrod was a mighty hunter in the land (JST Genesis 10:5) and not a mighty hunter before the Lord (Genesis 10:9). In fact, he was the prototype of the enemy that lured Cain into his murderous cult.

“He persuaded people not to ascribe their prosperity to God…but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning man from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power. He also said he would be revenged of God, if He should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! And that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers.” (Josephus, Book 1, Chapter 4). Does this not remind you of Cain when he declared:  “Who is the Lord, that I should know him?” (Moses 5:16)

And so Noah’s descendants built a tower of Babel in defiance to God. But something wonderful was born out of this unfortunate human error……the Jaredites and the return to the land of America. All hail to the Book of Mormon and Joseph and our ever-loving God who ensures that the adversary cannot win, not as long as there are humble, faithful sons and daughters of God who are willing to follow Him…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Noah's Ark by James Edwin McConnell)

THE LONG SUFFERING OF OUR GOD

 

There was a great patriarch who stood next in line to Adam in the Priesthood, to whom was given ‘the dominion’ and who was made the father of all living in this day. This man was Noah who was also another noble and great one by the name of ‘Gabriel’, ‘in the beginning’. (“Teachings of Joseph Smith”, p 157).

Noah was born in the year 2,944 B.C. which was four years after the City of Enoch was translated. His greatness is attested by the fact that he was ordained to the priesthood at the unprecedented age of ten (D&C 107:52).

By the time Noah was called by God, at the age of 480,  to preach the message of “repent or perish”, “the society of his dispensation was worse than anything before or since – worse than Babylon where they offered human sacrifices, worse than Greece where they subjected young children to degenerate orgies, worse than Sodom, worse than Gomorah. (W. Cleon Skousen, “The First Two Thousand Years”, p 200)

It was a day when the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth. So successful was Satan that the scripture says the earth seemed veiled with a terrible chain of darkness and Lucifer ‘looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced’.  (Moses 7:24,26)

And so Noah preached for 120 years as a testimony of Jehovah’s mercy until the floods came  (Genesis 5:3; Moses 8:17). But the mercy didn’t end there. During the three days post resurrection, the Saviour went to the spirit world and there organised the preaching of the gospel to those who had lived in the days of Noah and perished in the flood. Peter called this ‘the long-suffering’ of God (1 Peter 3:18-20).

“…..though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). This is the mercy and the long suffering of our God.

And here is the ultimate mercy of the deluge of the Flood which destroyed all the wicked upon the earth save one family:  The people of Noah’s day were so wicked that they ‘transmitted their unrighteous natures and desires to their children and brought them up to indulge in their own wicked practices’. Had they been allowed to live, the generations they were raising would eventually have had no ability to exercise their moral agency because they lived in evil continually and knew no good (see John Taylor, in “Journal of Discourses” 19:158-59). Therefore, The Flood became an act of mercy for generations of spirits yet to come to earth.

Mormon testified that the Saviour would not withhold the power of the Holy Ghost from the earth as long as there is ONE person who could be saved (Moroni 7:36). Abraham tested the Lord on this by trying to save Sodom’s population. He started asking Him if He would spare the Sodomites if there were fifty righteous souls there and the Lord kept re-assuring him that he would not destroy them even for ten’s sake but there were not even ten to be found (Genesis 18:23-33). Such was the case in Noah’s day.

His desire to save is there, the mercy ever extended, the long suffering infinitely present. We just need to want it.

Thy infinite mercy

Thy bountiful long suffering,

Trailing from the cross of Calvary,

Sealed with Your hour of agony.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Our Father Who Art in Heaven by Greg Collins) 

 

MIGHTY PRAYER

 

I am certain that most of us know the importance of praying in faith to receive that which we ask for. The Saviour demonstrated this through the incident of the fig tree which withered at His word before the eyes of the disciples. After teaching them the power of faith he added: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matt 21:19-22)

There is something that makes prayers even more powerful and mighty than faith. It is not just faith but faith in Jesus Christ. Two examples of this come to mind.

During his interlude with God, Enoch pleaded with Him that He would have ‘mercy upon Noah and his seed’ (Moses 7:50) but he did so in the most powerful way that a prayerful plea should ever be uttered. He said: “I ask Thee, O Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt….”(v50).

In other words, he did not use Jesus' name as an ending afterthought, like we are accustomed to do so at the end of our prayers. He began with the Saviour’s name as an acknowledgement of his faith in the source of power through which his petition can be answered.

As a result of his faith in the Saviour and the power of His name, God could not withhold from covenanting with Enoch that He would grant his petition (v51). So powerful did Enoch become in speaking ‘the word of the Lord’ that the earth trembled and the mountains fled (v13). Which word? Without a doubt, he commanded the mountains to flee in the name of Jesus Christ.

My second example is Alma and Amulek who delivered themselves from prison.  Consider the powerful expression of Alma’s faith in Jesus Christ by which a miracle of freedom was brought about: “O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance….” And “the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain….and Alma and Amulek, came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ”  (Alma 14:26-28).

The mountains of our lives can crumble at the mention of His name and the prison doors of suffering can open. My testimony of this truth is based on experience. I have written of this before but I will mention it briefly here. During the greatest trial of my life, my heart was broken in pieces. My petition to God was not for help but for a healing and the prayer went like this: “Through my faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the His Atonement, I ask for a healing of my broken heart…..” I wanted to acknowledge that I knew that true healing can only come through the saving grace of Christ…. and the healing came.

The Saviour should never be an afterthought in our prayers, let alone in our lives. The very mention of His name should inspire in us confidence, faith, hope and reverence. If you want power in your life, you know where to find it. You are one of the privileged in the world who possess such knowledge.

 

I will look for Thee in faith

My Lord and my God;

When I am oppressed,

When I am unloved,

When I am wronged.

 

I will look for Thee

When I can walk no more;

And I will find Thee,

The Saviour of my soul,

Thou who waits for those who call

On Thy name

To renew their strength,

To save them from their fall.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Precious Little Ones by Danny Hahlbohm)

THE GREATNESS OF GOD:

 

 

When the heavens opened and Enoch was clothed upon with glory, he was admitted into God’s presence where he was shown ‘the world for the space of many generations’ (Moses 7:3,4)

After he beheld God’s immense power of creation, he beheld something he didn’t count on.  He saw God weeping over his disobedient children and in amazement he asked: “How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” (v 29) In that instant Enoch saw not only God but the Father (v 33).

If you know what it feels like to be a parent, multiply that by infinity and you will begin to understand who God the Father is: the depth of His love, the depth of His sorrow, the depth of His mercy, the depth of His forgiveness, the depth of His desires to elevate and exalt His children, the very depth of who He is. Enoch did not only understand this but felt it as the Father told him of all ‘the doings of the children of men and their wickedness’ (v 41). So deep was Enoch’s understanding and his empathy that ‘his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook’ (v 41).

If we could but get a glimpse of the Father’s heart we would trust, trust, trust……we would trust His very plan for each of us, explicitly. We would trust His Beloved Son and His power of redemption and we would follow Him to the ends of the earth. If we could just see Him as Enoch saw Him…..and we can.

There is a promise that the Saviour made which makes this possible: “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (John 14:23). If you think this cannot be a literal appearing, think again.

On 2 April, 1843, Joseph was given some clarification regarding certain scriptures and among them was the scripture from the Gospel of John which confirms that the Father and the Son may appear personally to men: “John 14:23 – The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance, and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.” (D&C 130:3)

Jesus was born so that He could reveal to us the Father and Jesus atoned so that we could come back to the Father. The Father and the Son are one in greatness, power, glory and majesty (D&C 50:43; 93:3; 3 N 11:27; John 14:9-11). They are also one in their role of Father (Ether 4:7; Alma 11:38-9; Mosiah 15:4; 16:5). By knowing and loving one, we know and love the other.

Through The One who willingly laid down His life so that we might live, we can, like the prodigal, return into the loving arms of the Father of all creation. May we honour the greatness of Him who holds us in the palm of His hand through the life that we live that we might be the source of His joy forever.

 

I pleaded with you,

In the beginning,

To bring me home again to Thee.

I promised to heed every call,

To avoid every danger,

To abhor every sin.

 

I have laboured, Father,

to bring joy to Thee

and to be worthy

Of Your love for me.

 

When my time comes,

I will come home to Thee

and I will wait

 at heaven’s door knocking

Until I hear the angels sing. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Return of the Prodigal by Pompeo Batoni)

THE CITY OF ENOCH

 

“One of the most outstanding features of the society which Enoch established was the manner in which the Lord instructed him to combine the religious ideals of the people with certain divinely inspired economic principles. The successful practice of these principles resulted in a golden age of prosperity which continued throughout the earthly existence of this community – a total of three hundred and sixty-five years (Moses 7:68).” (W. Cleon Skousen, “The First Two Thousand Years”, p 173)

This golden age of the City of Enoch is the blueprint of New Jerusalem, the modern day Millenial Zion upon the American continent. Enoch’s city had another name: the City of Holiness, even Zion (Moses 7:19). There is only one reason why this city was called the City of Holiness and that’s because ‘the Lord came and dwelt with his people’ and ‘dwelt in the midst of Zion  (Moses 7:16;69). It was He who was the embodiment of holiness and not its people. Much like He will be in New Jerusalem.

When the Saviour comes and resides in New Jerusalem, “the need will disappear for the sun and the moon to give light to God’s covenant people. The Lord Himself will be an everlasting light…and all the city will be lighted up by the glory of His presence….” (Orson Pratt, in “Journal of Discourses”, 14:355-56; see also D&C 133:57-58)

Because the Saviour was there with the people of Enoch, they ‘were of one heart and one mind and dwelt in righteousness and there was no poor among them’ (v 18). This description tells us one thing: because the citizens of Zion were true followers of Christ, they were endowed with His pure love.

Without the pure love of Christ we can never become citizens of Celestial Kingdom. A Zion life-style prepares us for this eventuality. And here is something we need to know. This pure love is unique only to Christ. It is solely His kind of love. We do not possess it and neither are we capable of developing it. His pure love is an endowment on those who love Him and follow Him (Moroni 7:48). That’s the good news.

I am guessing that it took Enoch’s city 365 years of ‘walking with the Saviour’ to reach the state of holiness which ‘lifted them up, even into the bosom of the Father and of the Son of Man’ (Moses 7:24,69). Much like 1,000 Millenial years will prepare us for the same.

When the Saviour returns, those who are spared will be those who are only ‘more’ righteous than those who will not be spared, like the Nephites of old when he appeared to them after His resurrection (3 Nephi 9:13). There will be no perfect people on earth when He comes. Perfection only comes in and through Him. The Saviour will live with His saints upon this earth for a thousand years to perfect them through His grace and endow them with His pure love in preparation for the celestial realm.

When the Saviour returns, Enoch’s city will return with Him to live with Zion, the New Jerusalem (Moses 7:62). This is us. They will meet us there and “we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other” (Moses 7:63)….it will be a meeting of hearts knit together with the pure love of Christ. The Saviour is at the door….the Millennium imminent. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Divine Companion by Yongsung Kim)

THE POWER OF ENOCH

 

In my last post about Enoch, I expounded on the power he was endowed with to overcome the enemies who sought the destruction of the Church of God he established in his day. To recap:

"And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them, and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command, and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him". (Moses 7:13)

 

After I wrote that post, I was reminded of the early pioneers in our dispensation and the persecution and destruction they endured and then I also remembered Nephi’s vision of us in the last days wherein he saw the enemy that will ‘gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth to fight against the Lamb of God and the saints of the church of the Lamb’ (1 Nephi 14:12-14)…… and I wondered what is yet awaiting us.

 

Now for the good news. There is something very interesting about the power the Lord gave to Enoch. It would seem this power was not only for him but was also to be had by his every  descendant.  The interesting thing being is that every mortal is a descendant of Enoch.  

 

Enoch was the Father of Methuselah who was not translated with his father’s city but who died the year of the flood (Moses 8:3-7). Methuselah was the father of Lamech, who was the father of Noah.  Everybody that has been born on this earth after Noah is Noah's descendant and therefore a descendant of Enoch.  The Lord made an oath with Enoch regarding his power which is found in Joseph Smith Translation:

 

"For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself, that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course; to put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God, to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers, and this by the will of the Son of God which was before the foundation of the world". (JST Appendix in Genesis 14:30, 31)

 

Have you ever read of a power so great? It’s a power which greatness must equal the greatness of the enemy of all righteousness we have to fight in the war we are all engaged in.  And what is this power? It is the power of the priesthood.

 

The scriptures are clear that the saints of God are endowed with this power in the temple (D&C 95:8; 109:22). This is where we make covenants which in turn endow us with the power of the saving ordinances of the priesthood. We cannot stand in the presence of God without the mantle of the priesthood upon us.

 

The oath sworn by God to Enoch and his seed is a promise made to us.  All mortals who embrace the power of the priesthood have been promised that by their faith they can do the very works of Enoch. These works lead us to only one place……Zion.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Restoration by Liz Lemon Swindle)