In my previous post about the Restoration Archives, I noted it contained many links to sites important to recovering and continuing the restoration. One of those is the Hebrew Translation of the Book of Mormon. I knew about this project and have been following the progress. There was a recent update on the site dated …
And again, I say unto you that the enemy in the secret chambers seeks your lives. You hear of wars in far countries, and you say in your hearts, There will soon be great wars in far countries, but you know not the hearts of them in your own land. I tell you these things …
A desolating scourge shall cover the earth. All those who have not taken the holy spirit for their guide but instead have accepted the mandated solution from Babylon will find themselves defenseless and with no immunity to the sickness.
Acts 2:17 (see also Joel 2:28) When I was much younger I had visions of the future, specifically my own future. Many of those visions came to pass. As they were happening, I recognized them. They had to do with life choices such as education, work or career, marriage, family, and even where I would …
Visions, Dreams, Spirit World, Last Days, Second Coming Read More »
An Analysis of Some of my Top Posts I find it interesting that my bog still receives a lot of visits from faithful members of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints. This pleases me. I watch the key words and phrases that bring people to my blog and many of them are similar to …
Credit: Brooke Herbert—The Oregonian/AP I believe we will see the downfall of the United States within the next few years. By that I mean the internal political divide will become so intense that this nation will destroy itself in a new civil war. There are those who are intent on seeing this happen and are …
I believe the Lord is gathering a people, the angels are preparing those who will gather at the tops of the mountains to await his coming. I remain convinced it will yet be in my lifetime. There are many who write about the seven year cycles of preparation before the coming of the Lord. We are in a time of final preparation, the last seven years. No, that’s not original with me. You can find lots of folks who write about this, but I am not one to promote timeframes.
Communication systems have failed. There is no cellular network. There is no central government, either on a national or state level. There is no police force, no military. No fuel for the fighter jets and tanks. Our great health care system with all the hospitals, medicines and lifesaving power has been decimated. Distribution of goods is non-existent. Civilization has gone back a hundred and fifty years. No cars, no working sewage systems, no more water distribution.
I did not leave Mormonism. I resigned my membership in the LDS Church. Given the current emphasis by the LDS President on removing the word “Mormon” from the vernacular, I would say the LDS Church has left Mormonism.
…this is a blatant attempt of this secret combination to destroy our nation and all about it that is good. They seek to destroy our past, the first step in revolution. The secret combination can be found in the groups that support this murderous movement.
We have the opportunity to vote on a definition of “Mutual Agreement.” The Lord was petitioned to define the phrase for us a few years back, especially in connection with our many disputations over the Statement of Principles to be used as a Guide and Standard. He did so. It was short, clear and concise. His response honors our agency. He reminds us we must choose. Mutual Agreement means we choose to not dispute one with another.
The LDS Church is NOT the Kingdom of God nor is it Zion. It is long been taught that it is both, but this is erroneous. Zion will not be established in Salt Lake City nor will it be in Independence Missouri. They simply don’t fit the scriptural prophecies.
I have reflected often on this event that was such a turning point in my life. It meant a lot to me then and it still does today. It is significant for several reasons, but perhaps the most significant to me is that it was and is an outward sign to the Lord that I accepted the message of his servant.
Growing up in the LDS Church, I did not hear the term “rapture” used much, if at all. It certainly wasn’t in the official curriculum. “Second Coming” was the phrase commonly used.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. (Micah 5:8) Then shall ye, …
With all thy getting, get wisdom, especially when it comes to marriage where each spouse has different religious beliefs
I’m really getting tired of talking to former Mormons. I would like to talk to Baptists, and to Lutherans, and a Methodist…
With all the bad in the news lately, it’s sometimes hard to focus on the good. With this post, I hope to bring some good things to our attention.
What will you do if you are called upon to sell all that you have and give to the poor?
There will be a gathering of those who want to learn more about the Doctrine of Christ this weekend.
One of the disadvantages of putting so much of one’s energy into a worldly career is the drain on both time and energy to focus on the true purpose of life – finding ways to bless one’s fellow man. Being at the epitome or last days of this worldly career seems to have sapped from …
Fellowship is designed to strengthen one another: to bear one another’s burdens and encourage each other in this life.
A blog requires passion. I say that from eight years of experience. It takes vision. It requires time and effort. It is a labor of love. I loved blogging in Latter-day Commentary, especially in the years 2012-2014 as I was discovering, reading, digesting, pondering and praying about the writings of Denver Snuffer. Obviously the content …
If you don’t mind reading through a personal journal entry you might find some symbolic insights in this post.
One of the quickest ways to get kicked out of the LDS Church is to participate in ordinances outside the order authorized in the Church Handbook. The Church frowns on people performing baptisms or holding Sacrament meetings without the Bishop’s permission. This restriction – this imposed control – was a contributing factor to my resignation …
Last week, I shared some basic ideas pertaining to Zion and how it can be accomplished. Some good comments ensued. When I write about Zion, I’m interested in some of the practical aspects of Zion for a reason. Practical is another word for “practice.” Ultimately, Zion is the Father’s work, and He sends His angels to do that …
In my interview with Denver last week, the subject of the Patriarchal Priesthood was one that interested me the most, so I asked it first. It also happens to be the longest response I received in the interview. I present it here for your consideration. This has motivated me to go back and read the …
I’ve always wondered why some people are afraid of Utah history. The state has many beautiful stories to tell. Most of them are intertwined with the history of the LDS Church. Today I enjoyed a piece of that amazing history up close and personal. I went on a tour of the Dream Mine, also known …
This past week brought three impressive celestial events – the vernal equinox, a solar eclipse and a geomagnetic storm caused by major solar flares with CME’s – Coronal Mass Ejections – that lit up the Aurora Borealis in a most spectacular manner. Most people were unaware of any unusual activity in the sky. It was …
Nobody likes to talk about war, at least I don’t think so. Maybe there are those who delight in the subject. I don’t. However, the theme of war is found throughout the scriptures, indicating it is a topic about which the Lord expects us to be knowledgeable. I don’t think He wants us to become …
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was …
Some of you may know I have definite ideas when it comes to the end times, specifically about what the Lord is going to do in regards to the destruction of the wicked. I am a catastrophist, which means I take literally the word of the Lord in which He says He will fight our …
KALKI COMES ON A WHITE HORSE (From Hindu scripture) “In all nations, wealth and spirituality will decrease day by day until the entire world will be corrupt, crooked and depraved. Then property alone will confer rank or high reputation; money will be the only object of devotion and dedication in people; the vicissitudes of physical sexual …
“They say there’s a special kind’a power up on the mesa,” Mark said in a heavy drawl while he warmed his hands at their poor excuse for a campfire. Jonathan glanced at his new friend, a fellow traveler like him with no place to go. The thin wool blanket he’d pinched from a nearly cleaned-out …
At the request of my bishop, I have created a new space for those who wish to discuss posts from this blog on a closed Facebook group rather than in the comments below. You can find it at this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/latterdaycommentary/ I hesitated a long time before creating this group. I feel strongly such a move should not have been necessary. If …
Facebook Discussion Group for Latter-day Commentary Read More »
They felt the first impact before they heard anything. “Cynthia, Get down,” David said, “This is it.” He crouched behind the seats on the podium, reached up and pulled Cynthia close. She wrapped her arms around him, buried her face in his chest. He held her tight. The first meteorite fragment crashed onto the grounds …
This is a short review of the second of Suzanne Freeman’s trilogy of books based on her near death experience (NDE) of 1999. I reviewed the first, Led by the Hand of Christ (2004) last week and hope to review her final book in the series, The Spirit of Liberty (2013) sometime in the near …
I was invited to join a panel of fellow authors who enjoy writing about the catastrophes of the last days. Randy Lindsay is the author of a recent work of LDS fiction entitled The Gathering. I must be candid and tell you up front I have not yet read it. I have a copy and …
I’ve been reading Isaiah Decoded by Avraham Gileadi. It’s taking me much longer to read than I thought it would. This is not a review of the book but I would like to share some observations. This is only the second book from Gileadi I have read, the other being The Last Days (2nd edition …
I’ve been reading Isaiah Decoded by Avraham Gileadi. I just started it Friday (thanks for the recommendation, Roy). I’m halfway through the book and hope to finish it this week. I have mixed feelings about what I’m reading. I’m not ready to review it yet but it got me thinking about some things relating to …
A Land of Destiny Many years ago I had a dream or a vision about the destiny of this nation. I’d like to share it with you. It has some unique elements I have not found in prophetic statements that others have given us, be they prophet or scholar. By the time you finish this …
I’m not sure if I’ve ever published two posts in a single day. I know I’m going to be busy next week so I probably won’t have time to write then or say what’s in my heart this afternoon. I hope this is helpful to someone. It has to do with the signs of the …
Have you ever thought about what we will see, feel and experience when the physical events of the Lord’s return begin to unfold? What will your life be like on that day when the catastrophic destructions that have been prophesied start to happen? Will your day be different? Will there be anything unfamiliar in the …
I was pleased to be asked to substitute teach Gospel Doctrine class this week. It is about the closing of the Kirtland period, the first missions of the early Saints to Canada and later to England, then the exodus from Kirtland. Of course that exodus was not as dramatic as leaving Nauvoo, but it was …
I think I’m getting excited about blogging again. When I started back in 2007 I did a lot of work to promote this thing. I registered with all the appropriate sites. I left comments on numerous other sites similar to mine. I made sure I stuck to my three themes so my readers would know …
I learn best when I share. That’s one reason why I blog. When I finished reading the first volume of Remembering the Covenant, I thought I would share a few quotes that I found unique and spiritually invigorating. This is the second in a series of quotes from the book and from the blog. I …
I’m grateful to worship with you in church today. I’m grateful also to remember the Lord through the ordinance of the sacrament. There’s something wonderful that happens when we partake of the sacrament. It’s not magic, but even after all these years, I can’t really explain why it’s so special and sacred. It just is. …
As I was preparing my talk for sacrament meeting next week I thought I would look up and see what Denver Snuffer had to say on the subject. Oh boy. There’s no way I could share some of that stuff from the pulpit. It simply goes against what prophets and apostles have taught over the …
Denver Snuffer doesn’t need my help. He is controversial enough on his own to get all kinds of attention from members of the LDS Church. But when he wrote recently that a new star would soon appear, troubling all the world, and that it would be a sign that he was the Lord’s servant, I …
Thirty years ago, I encountered a book that changed my life. It introduced to me a unique way of interpreting and understanding prophetic phrases. Passages of scripture that previously mystified me with their obscurity became clear as day and have maintained that clarity ever since. I know of no other book that has impacted my …
Note added 6-11-13: Greg Smith has published a much more complete review on the FAIR website. And I thought I was being a little harsh in my review here. Well, it’s good to have multiple sources to make comparisons. I hope I made it clear that I got a lot of good from the book even though …
Samuel the Lamanite visited the Nephite people just a few years before the birth and death of the Savior. Because they rejected him, he stood with courage upon the wall of their capital city and declared things the Lord put into his heart and mind. I recently had the opportunity to teach the gospel doctrine …
Is there such a thing as orthodoxy in Mormonism? And who has the right to proclaim what is orthodox in our religion that should or should not be believed? I understand and accept that the men I sustain as leaders in the LDS Church have the right to determine and enforce what should be taught …
“We’re going to crash,” the woman in the seat next to Manny said again. Her voice sounded like brakes squealing on asphalt. She wore a green flowered dress that reminded him of the American housewives of the 1950’s, her hair steel-wool gray. She held both arms straight out, elbows locked, a vice-grip on the sides …
“I don’t think Manny knows what he’s talking about,” whispered the astronomer from Harvard. I could hear her clearly even though she was five rows back. “It’s obvious he still doesn’t understand celestial mechanics,” said her companion, who didn’t even bother to whisper. My daughter Cynthia turned around and glared at them. I ignored the …
“I don’t like travelling,” said Jason as he rolled up his blankets. “You have to pack so much food and water and all those changes of clothes, especially for a long journey.” He wanted to complain some more but the look on his mother’s face stopped him short. Instead he asked, “How long will we …
I’m an avid reader of SpaceWeather.com. While it’s not as popular as Space.com, it focuses on stuff that fascinates me – asteroids, planets, comets, sunspots, auroras, geomagnetic storms and meteors. It is hosted by Dr. Tony Phillips of NASA, who is a long time participant in communicating the science of astronomy to the world. If …
I have a deep personal interest in the anticipated social response to the upcoming movie, 2012. While it looks to be great entertainment from the fertile mind of Roland Emmerich, I am fascinated by the idea of how our society will react to some sort of a major catastrophic cataclysmic event like that depicted in …
I’ve seen dust storms in Denver before, but there’s something different about this one. I can’t put my finger on it. It seems so…I don’t know…red. And why is there so much dust in the air anyway? It’s not all that windy right now. It looks like the dust is falling from somewhere high up …
In a highly unusual move for me, I’m going to endorse a movie based on a trailer. It has already been panned by the critics as over the top, but I like what I’m seeing in the trailer and look forward to seeing it. I don’t go in for the 2012 timeframe, but there are …
Carol and I are flying up to Salt Lake on Friday to attend a gospel-related symposium on prophecy and cosmology. In other words, it is a seminar about Armageddon and the last days. It is being held at the Provo Marriott in the Aspen room. Attendance is expected to be several hundred. I am encouraged …
For as long as I can remember, I have been taught that the battle of Armageddon is a great war that is going to take place somewhere in Israel in the very last days. In fact, it is one of the very last events that is to take place before the Lord returns. If the …
I am more impressed with prophets than I am with scholars. While I know some prophets who are also scholars, I know a whole lot of scholars who know nothing about prophets. Their world of research and peer-review publications is a far cry from the world of revelation and vision-inspired teaching in which prophets excel. …
Mormons are different, really different. I know President Hinckley was emphatic in pointing out that we’re not different, or at least we’re not weird. But there are some things about us that are unique, both doctrinally and culturally and that set us apart from every other religion, Christian or not, and whether we like it …
One of the things that has often intrigued me as I have grown up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is how relatively few in number we are. I am not referring to the thirteen million on the rolls of the church but to those who regularly attend the …
I love reading and hearing Boyd K. Packer. I always have. The man is a conduit for those who love and those who hate the established, traditional ways of the church. I love tradition and am not fond of change. President Monson reminded us several times in this last General Conference that change is one …
In the early days of the LDS church, there was much excitement about the idea of the imminent return of the Savior. The brethren spoke often about the signs of the times and the fulfillment of prophecy in the last days. Those who listened to their speeches would go home to discuss what they had …
When considering the signs of the last days, most people are aware that they are all around us. One of the most obvious today is the sign of wars and rumors of wars. I’m sure it comes up every time a lesson on the last days is taught in a Sunday school class. We will …
In our Institute class this evening we are studying Joseph Smith – Matthew from the Pearl of Great Price. This is the chapter that foretells many of the events of the last days. Of course, this is Joseph Smith’s inspired version or re-translation of Matthew chapter 24. The prophet made more corrections to Matthew 24 …
Across from the Los Angeles temple is the Seagull Bookstore. I usually don’t stop in because we have been buying most of our LDS books from Deseret Book online. Today, I dropped by to see some of the latest releases firsthand. There’s just something about holding a book in your hand and reading the back …
One of the most popular stories on Yahoo News this morning was “Real Death Star Could Strike Earth.” Somehow, we remember in the back of our minds that something like this is prophesied to happen in the last days just before the Savior returns to the earth. I suppose that is why stories like these …
Today’s gospel study is D&C 133:26-34 which has to do with the return of the lost Ten Tribes in the Last Days. I have always wondered from where they will return. Where exactly are the ‘North Countries’ on this earth? After much study I have come to the conclusion that the Ten Tribes are no …
From my gospel study this morning on Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of …
I have received emails and Google hits on my website from people looking for commentary on the rumor that President Monson was prophesied to be the Prophet when the Savior comes. I don’t understand why people are so fascinated with this rumor and have written about LDS rumors before. It doesn’t matter if we know …
In October 2001, just after the destruction of the world trade centers and the tragedy of the loss of all the lives of those who perished there, President Hinckley said this in his opening address of General Conference: “The era in which we live is the fulness of times spoken of in the scriptures, when …
There are occasions when I feel especially appreciative of the unique perspectives of life that come from being a Mormon. Let’s face it, we see life differently than most people of the world. We have the advantage of an understanding of the purpose of life that is very different. There are times when we can …
I’m amazed at the interest and response of so many to the YouTube video (beware of the immature, rude and profane comments) about the TU24 asteroid due to pass by the earth in a few days (Jan 29 2008). The best response is from Phil Plait, the author of the Bad Astronomy blog. Phil has …
Elder Talmage wrote, “Miracles cannot be in contravention of natural law, but are wroght through the operation of laws not universally or commonly recognized.” (Jesus the Christ, p. 148) In other words, what we commonly describe as a miracle such as the healing of the sick, the restoring the sight of the blind or even …
In my scripture study today I jumped from the Book or Mormon to section 84 in the Doctrine and Covenants, specifically to the last verses 114 to 120. In verse 114 the Lord refers to the desolation of abomination. Is that a typo, a reversal in the mind of the prophet Joseph of the familiar …
A few posts back I mentioned in passing the ‘Prophecy Trilogy‘ books of Anthony E. Larson. Mr. Larson and I have begun a correspondence that has included discussion of his books, publishing in the LDS market, and the idea of ‘strange doctrine’. He didn’t call it that but I do. It’s strange because it is …
Tony Badillo from Dallas TX wrote: “In case the people of Malibu can’t figure it out, the fire is almost certainly Divine punishment. There have been other types of punishments and there will me many more until materialistic America in love with sex, porn, riches, violence (including abortion), and deceit and lying is brought to …
So Cal fires: Divine punishment or natural causes? Read More »