Is it possible that more prophecy has been fulfilled than we realize? Plus more on dreams, spiritual warfare, and an easy yet powerful exercise for healing a wounded heart.
Mosiah 18:9 - Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as a witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection that ye may have eternal life
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Christian Persecution on the Rise in China?
My sister sent me this video today and when I watched it I was reminded of the following scriptures:
Matthew 5:10
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 13:21
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Doctrine & Covenants 121:16-19, 23-24
16 Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not sinned before me, saith the Lord, but have done that which was meet in mine eyes, and which I commanded them.
17 But those who cry transgression do it because they are the servants of sin, and are the children of disobedience themselves.
18 And those who swear falsely against my servants, that they might bring them into bondage and death—
19 Wo unto them; because they have offended my little ones they shall be severed from the ordinances of mine house.
23 Wo unto all those that discomfort my people, and drive, and murder, and testify against them, saith the Lord of Hosts; a generation of vipers shall not escape the damnation of hell.
24 Behold, mine eyes see and know all their works, and I have in reserve a swift judgment in the season thereof, for them all;
3 Nephi 12:10
And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 24:9-10
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
The Lord foresaw this time we are living in and spoke about it all throughout the scriptures. Leaders of the LDS Church have made much progress in China and have worked hard to build good relations - that can give us hope. It is estimated that over 60 million Chinese citizens are Christians. Though there are many restrictions at least people can purchase a physical copy of the Bible. I also maintain hope when I'm reminded of this post where I shared some positive insight about this issue from a mission president. Here is a link to the status of the Church and China. http://www.mormonsandchina.org/
Monday, April 23, 2018
An Interview You Need to Watch!
Today this video caught my attention when I saw that it was 1:13:52 in length. There's that number! After watching it I felt the importance of this man's message as he truly operates in third day power in the eleventh hour. This is the kind of faith that's needed in this eleventh hour and these are the kinds of miracles we need to be claiming. I feel we have a lot to learn from our Christian brother's and sisters when it comes to faith.
I've always been a fan of the Sid Roth show because I love the miracles and experiences that the guests often share. Miraculous healings, angelic visitations, the glory of God working in the lives of the believers. I remember at times feeling a little envious that we as Latter-day Saints aren't having these same kinds of experiences in our conferences and meeting houses. I would think about how awesome it would be if members could experience healing at church. If the hand of God would fall upon congregations and we'd witness miracles just like during the time of the Savior. How come so many other Christian leaders and congregations were experiencing these powerful miracles, acts of faith, and witnesses, but it seemed to be lacking or seldom spoken of in our services? Our members have access to the power the Priesthood. We have the restored gospel, yet more and more of our members deal with depression, anxiety, mental illness, and suffer from physical ailments. They accept it as their cross to bear rather than asking for healing miracles through priesthood power. Why?
I was beginning to lose hope in our Latter-day generation, and felt we were slipping away from the powerful faith held by our early fore-bearers of the Church, especially in such a critical time as this eleventh hour. And then...
... at the recent General Conference, President Nelson spoke these powerful words that ushered a wake-up call to the Saints, especially the brethren. I could feel it in the sound of his voice and see it in his eyes. He knows. He knows our potential that we are not tapping into. He knows who and what this generation of Saints is supposed to be. He knows, and he'll see to it that we step into our divine roles and become powerful sons and daughters in the Lord's Kingdom.
He said;
"We see faithful women who understand the power inherent in their callings and in their endowment and other temple ordinances. These women know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen their husbands, their children, and others they love. These are spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God!1 How thankful I am for them!
Likewise, we see faithful men who live up to their privileges as bearers of the priesthood. They lead and serve by sacrifice in the Lord’s way with love, kindness, and patience. They bless, guide, protect, and strengthen others by the power of the priesthood they hold. They bring miracles to those they serve while they keep their own marriages and families safe. They shun evil and are mighty elders in Israel. I am most thankful for them!
Now, may I voice a concern? It is this: Too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. They act as though they would rather satisfy their own selfish desires and appetites than use the power of God to bless His children.
I fear that too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs. Some of our brethren, for example, act like they do not understand what the priesthood is and what it enables them to do.
Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That’s a tragedy that we can eliminate.
Brethren, there are doors we can open, priesthood blessings we can give, hearts we can heal, burdens we can lift, testimonies we can strengthen, lives we can save, and joy we can bring into the homes of the Latter-day Saints—all because we hold the priesthood of God. We are the men who have been “called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of [our] exceeding faith,” to do this work."
Back to the video. As wonderfully bizarre as this man's experiences may sound, I believe his example to be a blueprint for all Christians (especially Latter-day Saints), who believe in the Lord and His power, who understand prayer, who have unwavering faith, and who hear the Lord's voice and obey. The Lord can and will use us as instruments in His hands in these last days - if we are willing.
I have included a link to the full version of this interview that contains extra awesomeness, as well as a link to the transcript for the interview, if you'd prefer to read. :) Enjoy!
https://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/henry-gruver/
https://ofm6z46z825qpxk83fa00q1a-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IS947Transcript_Gruver.pdf
I've always been a fan of the Sid Roth show because I love the miracles and experiences that the guests often share. Miraculous healings, angelic visitations, the glory of God working in the lives of the believers. I remember at times feeling a little envious that we as Latter-day Saints aren't having these same kinds of experiences in our conferences and meeting houses. I would think about how awesome it would be if members could experience healing at church. If the hand of God would fall upon congregations and we'd witness miracles just like during the time of the Savior. How come so many other Christian leaders and congregations were experiencing these powerful miracles, acts of faith, and witnesses, but it seemed to be lacking or seldom spoken of in our services? Our members have access to the power the Priesthood. We have the restored gospel, yet more and more of our members deal with depression, anxiety, mental illness, and suffer from physical ailments. They accept it as their cross to bear rather than asking for healing miracles through priesthood power. Why?
I was beginning to lose hope in our Latter-day generation, and felt we were slipping away from the powerful faith held by our early fore-bearers of the Church, especially in such a critical time as this eleventh hour. And then...
... at the recent General Conference, President Nelson spoke these powerful words that ushered a wake-up call to the Saints, especially the brethren. I could feel it in the sound of his voice and see it in his eyes. He knows. He knows our potential that we are not tapping into. He knows who and what this generation of Saints is supposed to be. He knows, and he'll see to it that we step into our divine roles and become powerful sons and daughters in the Lord's Kingdom.
He said;
"We see faithful women who understand the power inherent in their callings and in their endowment and other temple ordinances. These women know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen their husbands, their children, and others they love. These are spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God!1 How thankful I am for them!
Likewise, we see faithful men who live up to their privileges as bearers of the priesthood. They lead and serve by sacrifice in the Lord’s way with love, kindness, and patience. They bless, guide, protect, and strengthen others by the power of the priesthood they hold. They bring miracles to those they serve while they keep their own marriages and families safe. They shun evil and are mighty elders in Israel. I am most thankful for them!
Now, may I voice a concern? It is this: Too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. They act as though they would rather satisfy their own selfish desires and appetites than use the power of God to bless His children.
I fear that too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs. Some of our brethren, for example, act like they do not understand what the priesthood is and what it enables them to do.
Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That’s a tragedy that we can eliminate.
Brethren, there are doors we can open, priesthood blessings we can give, hearts we can heal, burdens we can lift, testimonies we can strengthen, lives we can save, and joy we can bring into the homes of the Latter-day Saints—all because we hold the priesthood of God. We are the men who have been “called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of [our] exceeding faith,” to do this work."
Back to the video. As wonderfully bizarre as this man's experiences may sound, I believe his example to be a blueprint for all Christians (especially Latter-day Saints), who believe in the Lord and His power, who understand prayer, who have unwavering faith, and who hear the Lord's voice and obey. The Lord can and will use us as instruments in His hands in these last days - if we are willing.
I have included a link to the full version of this interview that contains extra awesomeness, as well as a link to the transcript for the interview, if you'd prefer to read. :) Enjoy!
https://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/henry-gruver/
https://ofm6z46z825qpxk83fa00q1a-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IS947Transcript_Gruver.pdf
Thursday, April 19, 2018
3-D Copy of the Savior?
In April 2011, I wrote this blogpost https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/2011/04/real-face-of-christ.html
about the real face of Christ, based on a 3-D image scan of the famous Shroud of Turin which is believed to be the cloth that covered Christ's body in the tomb. To this date, my post has received 27,091 views making it my most viewed post on this blog.
Yesterday, this video popped up in my YouTube feed and seeing how it was seven years ago this week that I wrote my post, I thought I would share this recent video which was also published this month, with updated images. Technology is sure amazing!
about the real face of Christ, based on a 3-D image scan of the famous Shroud of Turin which is believed to be the cloth that covered Christ's body in the tomb. To this date, my post has received 27,091 views making it my most viewed post on this blog.
Yesterday, this video popped up in my YouTube feed and seeing how it was seven years ago this week that I wrote my post, I thought I would share this recent video which was also published this month, with updated images. Technology is sure amazing!
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Prophecy Fulfilled in Our Day? And Voices From the Grave Reveal the Book of Mormon is True!
Is a pretty big prophecy being fulfilled right now in our day? Does new evidence support that the Book of Mormon is True? After attending a Book of Mormon conference, I discovered new information, findings, announcements, and witnesses that are not only astounding, but jaw-dropping. In this video message I share testimonies and witnesses from non-Mormons, and newly revealed ancient voices from the grave who boldly testify that the Book of Mormon is true and prophecies are being fulfilled right now in our day. Which prophecies are coming to pass? Watch to find out.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Spiritual Warfare - My Response to A Mother's Plea
A few months ago I shared in a video a response I gave to a mother's plea for advice. She had messaged me and expressed her sorrow and frustration towards her teenage son who was making choices that she was not pleased with and worried that his behaviors would rub off onto her younger children. She was angry, tired, exhausted and feeling hopeless. She didn't know how she could love him and put her foot down at the same time. After sharing her feelings with me, I wrote back a response and shared it in a video. Many were touched by the response and I've since had several requests for a transcript copy. I thought I would share it here on the blog so all can reference it anytime:
"Hi, you are so welcome! I'm so happy to hear that you are liking the videos and information that I have shared. Praising can be a difficult thing to do for issues that press so heavy on the heart. It's hard to watch loved ones - especially children go down difficult paths.
I would suggest praising God for what this experience is currently teaching you and what it will continue to teach you. That you are learning unconditional love on a level you never anticipated. That you are starting to have an understanding for what it was must feel like for our Father in Heaven to watch so many of his children (not just one child) struggle and separate themselves from His love. That you are so grateful for His unconditional love for all of His children and that you are so grateful that you can experience what that is like as a parent. That you are learning trust in the Lord in all things. That you are truly believing that and grateful that God has your son and your entire family in the palm of His hands. Praise Him for the blessings that will come from this experience. The blessings that you may not even be aware of yet.
Praise Him that you know that He takes what the adversary uses to pull you down or your son down, for your greatest blessings, and you know that some of your greatest blessings and son's greatest blessings will one day come from this experience. Praise Him that someday your son will be able to empathize and help others who find themselves on this same path - because he will know what that feels like. He will have the much needed perspective to be in a position to help without judgment. Praise Him for the opportunities He offers to put names in the temple, and to send angels for support and protection, and for opportunities for prayer and fasting. Opportunities for miracles. Praise Him that because of this experience you are growing even closer to the Lord and feeling such a need for His guidance and support more than you ever have before and because of that you feel so blessed and grateful to learn to rely on Him. Praise Him for the gift of agency and that you are so grateful your son is allowed his agency and that he is using it to learn the bad so that he can one day cleave to the good. He is learning the bitter so that he can one day appreciate the sweet.
After all the praising I would do an intercessory prayer and imagine yourself standing before the counsels of Heaven pleading on behalf of your son. His spirit will very much appreciate this even though his natural man would not. In prayer plead you case before the Father and request divine intervention. State your case. Speak of your son how you truly know him when he is not under a dark influence. Refuse to see him any other way. Choose to see him in a state of wholeness always. That is who he truly is. State this in your case, and bring up all the good and wonderful things he has done and his best qualities. Speak this before the courts of Heaven and pray for mercy and grace to be upon your son. As the adversary works to accuse and prosecute, you can counteract his words when you speak truth about your son and who he truly he is, and what his destiny truly is. Tell the counsels you are ready for this trial to have closure. As his mother you have stewardship to plead on his behalf, since he is not in a state to do so for himself. I would also suggest increasing your fasting. Fast one day each week, or try a 3 day fast each month in which you Fast 24 hours and break it with a meal (dinner) and then fast another 24 hours and again break it with dinner and then one more day. There is greater power in 3 days - in which I am learning. Do this, and send love to your son all throughout the day. Send love his heart, send loving thoughts to his mind, and speak to his spirit. Even though it may seem like it's not getting through on the outside, it will strengthen his spirit on the inside.
I would also be very specific and detailed in spiritual warfare prayer. Pray for the armies of Heaven to come down and cast out the enemy in every form around your son. Remove the enemy's weapons. Destroy every effort against your son, shred very blue print and plan that the enemy has for your son, tear down all strong holds, expose his plans, tactics, and lies, locate where his armies are encamped and scatter them, cast them out and bind them in a place prepared just for them. Bind them in cords of light permanently until the Lord sees fit fir their release according to His will. Send the hosts of Heaven to cause chaos and confusion in the devil's kingdom. Break it up. Pray for angels to locate any and all portals of darkness that have been opened up in your son's life, and close them and seal them up permanently, that they may have no more access. Pray for angels to open up portals of Heaven in their place, that Heaven may have access and freely flow into his life. Pray for angels and/or the Savior to break His chains. Crush every link. After praying this ask for cleaning angels to come dust away and clean up all residues of darkness left behind. Polish his spaces and places with the light and love of the Savior.
Pray for a shield of light (a Heavenly bubble) to be placed around him with a 5 mile radius, that no darkness may penetrate it. Then pray that while he is in this protection that he remember the truth of who he really is, so he can break free. Pray that he will have a divine encounter with the Spirit, and with Heaven. That he can step forward into his destiny and into his truth as a righteous son in God's Kingdom. Pray this every morning before the day begins and every night before you go to bed. Their is so much power in a righteous mother's prayer. More power than we can even comprehend. Next to the Savior, you are the most powerful person in His life right now.
As you do this each day, and increase your fasting - Heaven will respond to your request and you will see big changes begin to happen. They may seem small at first, but over time Satan will grow weary of this. It will wear the devil out and begin to terrify him, and he will decide to move on to someone else. Praise the Lord that He is working on your behalf each day to bring about break through and healing in your son's life. Praise Him for all the things going on in favor of your son that you cannot see because of the veil. All of the unseen miracles and interventions. Believe that your son is an amazing and honorable child of God, who has a very important role in God's Kingdom - otherwise the adversary would not work so hard to keep him from that. Believe that he will fulfill that role, and that he is counting on you to never give up on him.
The anger and negativity comes from feeling separated from the love of God. It truly is a spiritual death. He just wants to feel that love and security, but isn't sure how to do it. Spiritually he feels like he is suffocating. Whoever has light and God's love - he will try to suck it from them since he is not getting it from the direct source. This is why power struggles and abuse happen. Shield yourself and your other children, and do your best to guide him back to the source - the Lord. Pray for angels to help guide him back.
I know if you do this, you will be triumphant in your efforts! Spiritual warfare is real, and we have to remember that the Savior already won the victory on that third day, and because of that the adversary has no power over us. He wants us to forget that, and believe that things are hopeless. But when we remember it, and live as though we believe it, it truly terrifies him. I know that was a much longer answer than you probably expected, but you've got this! Keep your chin high and your eye on the Lord. Always look to Him. Keep His picture in every room of your home. Take that dominion over your home, it terrifies Satan and his minions. They cannot stand His image or presence. I'll keep you in my prayers."
"Hi, you are so welcome! I'm so happy to hear that you are liking the videos and information that I have shared. Praising can be a difficult thing to do for issues that press so heavy on the heart. It's hard to watch loved ones - especially children go down difficult paths.
I would suggest praising God for what this experience is currently teaching you and what it will continue to teach you. That you are learning unconditional love on a level you never anticipated. That you are starting to have an understanding for what it was must feel like for our Father in Heaven to watch so many of his children (not just one child) struggle and separate themselves from His love. That you are so grateful for His unconditional love for all of His children and that you are so grateful that you can experience what that is like as a parent. That you are learning trust in the Lord in all things. That you are truly believing that and grateful that God has your son and your entire family in the palm of His hands. Praise Him for the blessings that will come from this experience. The blessings that you may not even be aware of yet.
Praise Him that you know that He takes what the adversary uses to pull you down or your son down, for your greatest blessings, and you know that some of your greatest blessings and son's greatest blessings will one day come from this experience. Praise Him that someday your son will be able to empathize and help others who find themselves on this same path - because he will know what that feels like. He will have the much needed perspective to be in a position to help without judgment. Praise Him for the opportunities He offers to put names in the temple, and to send angels for support and protection, and for opportunities for prayer and fasting. Opportunities for miracles. Praise Him that because of this experience you are growing even closer to the Lord and feeling such a need for His guidance and support more than you ever have before and because of that you feel so blessed and grateful to learn to rely on Him. Praise Him for the gift of agency and that you are so grateful your son is allowed his agency and that he is using it to learn the bad so that he can one day cleave to the good. He is learning the bitter so that he can one day appreciate the sweet.
After all the praising I would do an intercessory prayer and imagine yourself standing before the counsels of Heaven pleading on behalf of your son. His spirit will very much appreciate this even though his natural man would not. In prayer plead you case before the Father and request divine intervention. State your case. Speak of your son how you truly know him when he is not under a dark influence. Refuse to see him any other way. Choose to see him in a state of wholeness always. That is who he truly is. State this in your case, and bring up all the good and wonderful things he has done and his best qualities. Speak this before the courts of Heaven and pray for mercy and grace to be upon your son. As the adversary works to accuse and prosecute, you can counteract his words when you speak truth about your son and who he truly he is, and what his destiny truly is. Tell the counsels you are ready for this trial to have closure. As his mother you have stewardship to plead on his behalf, since he is not in a state to do so for himself. I would also suggest increasing your fasting. Fast one day each week, or try a 3 day fast each month in which you Fast 24 hours and break it with a meal (dinner) and then fast another 24 hours and again break it with dinner and then one more day. There is greater power in 3 days - in which I am learning. Do this, and send love to your son all throughout the day. Send love his heart, send loving thoughts to his mind, and speak to his spirit. Even though it may seem like it's not getting through on the outside, it will strengthen his spirit on the inside.
I would also be very specific and detailed in spiritual warfare prayer. Pray for the armies of Heaven to come down and cast out the enemy in every form around your son. Remove the enemy's weapons. Destroy every effort against your son, shred very blue print and plan that the enemy has for your son, tear down all strong holds, expose his plans, tactics, and lies, locate where his armies are encamped and scatter them, cast them out and bind them in a place prepared just for them. Bind them in cords of light permanently until the Lord sees fit fir their release according to His will. Send the hosts of Heaven to cause chaos and confusion in the devil's kingdom. Break it up. Pray for angels to locate any and all portals of darkness that have been opened up in your son's life, and close them and seal them up permanently, that they may have no more access. Pray for angels to open up portals of Heaven in their place, that Heaven may have access and freely flow into his life. Pray for angels and/or the Savior to break His chains. Crush every link. After praying this ask for cleaning angels to come dust away and clean up all residues of darkness left behind. Polish his spaces and places with the light and love of the Savior.
Pray for a shield of light (a Heavenly bubble) to be placed around him with a 5 mile radius, that no darkness may penetrate it. Then pray that while he is in this protection that he remember the truth of who he really is, so he can break free. Pray that he will have a divine encounter with the Spirit, and with Heaven. That he can step forward into his destiny and into his truth as a righteous son in God's Kingdom. Pray this every morning before the day begins and every night before you go to bed. Their is so much power in a righteous mother's prayer. More power than we can even comprehend. Next to the Savior, you are the most powerful person in His life right now. As you do this each day, and increase your fasting - Heaven will respond to your request and you will see big changes begin to happen. They may seem small at first, but over time Satan will grow weary of this. It will wear the devil out and begin to terrify him, and he will decide to move on to someone else. Praise the Lord that He is working on your behalf each day to bring about break through and healing in your son's life. Praise Him for all the things going on in favor of your son that you cannot see because of the veil. All of the unseen miracles and interventions. Believe that your son is an amazing and honorable child of God, who has a very important role in God's Kingdom - otherwise the adversary would not work so hard to keep him from that. Believe that he will fulfill that role, and that he is counting on you to never give up on him.
The anger and negativity comes from feeling separated from the love of God. It truly is a spiritual death. He just wants to feel that love and security, but isn't sure how to do it. Spiritually he feels like he is suffocating. Whoever has light and God's love - he will try to suck it from them since he is not getting it from the direct source. This is why power struggles and abuse happen. Shield yourself and your other children, and do your best to guide him back to the source - the Lord. Pray for angels to help guide him back.
I know if you do this, you will be triumphant in your efforts! Spiritual warfare is real, and we have to remember that the Savior already won the victory on that third day, and because of that the adversary has no power over us. He wants us to forget that, and believe that things are hopeless. But when we remember it, and live as though we believe it, it truly terrifies him. I know that was a much longer answer than you probably expected, but you've got this! Keep your chin high and your eye on the Lord. Always look to Him. Keep His picture in every room of your home. Take that dominion over your home, it terrifies Satan and his minions. They cannot stand His image or presence. I'll keep you in my prayers."
Sunday, April 8, 2018
You Need to Hear This Man's Story!
Over the next few weeks I am going to share posts like this that show what "3rd day power in the 11th hour" looks like. These are testimonies of those who are being gathered in through miraculous means. The inactive, the anti-mormons, and those who never thought they'd ever consider reading the Book of Mormon. It is happening, and you will see it speed up with this new shift!
Did the Shift Finally Happen?
What a historical and incredible General conference! This week's video message is about the theme and message of conference. Did the Heavenly shift mentioned in last week's video message come to pass? Do we really understand the magnitude of living in the hour of 11:59 pm?
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
A New Era - One Man's Insight on Exciting Times that Lie Ahead for the Church
A new friend who follows my channel, shared a link to an audio recording from March 30th 2018 (last week) of her husband’s temple president speaking at a missionary reunion. He has served as a Seventy, mission president and temple sealer, and in this recording, he shared much insight on awesome things pertaining to where the Church is headed, behind the scenes gems and personal experiences with past prophets and current leaders, prophecy already fulfilled and currently being fulfilled, and things that were completely new to me. I felt a strong witness of what he shared and wanted to touch on many of the highlights here without sharing his personal information or identity.
I compiled these highlights below and tried to organize them as best I could. I tried to verify sources for most of what he shared. Some of these were facts he shared from memory. I also added additional facts and background on some of the topics to better help detail his points.
What I enjoyed most about listening to this audio recording was that it was an additional witness to many of the things I have been pondering, and that the Spirit has been teaching me. I feel this information will be a great benefit to many and I am so excited to share!
Here is that transcript (Mostly in his own words).
The Era We Are Living In
We are all foreordained on this earth to do something (no matter what we’ve been through). Right now we are going through a transition period.
When Harold B. Lee became president of the church, in his first meeting with the seventy he quoted D&C 1:35-37 and said, “Those verses are now fulfilled this day.” He then mentioned three disasters that would happen that year and he said, “From this day forth, the natural disasters will only increase in frequency and intensity as we prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior.” He then said, “It is now time to start the work among the Re-organized LDS church, to bring them all back.”
In April 2017 General Conference, President Monson said,
“We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness… If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you… If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far.”
Read D&C 109:38.
"Put upon thy servants the testimony of the covenant, that when they go out and proclaim thy word they may seal up the law, and prepare the hearts of thy saints for all those judgments thou art about to send, in thy wrath, upon the inhabitants of the earth, because of their transgressions, that thy people may not faint in the day of trouble."
We are preparing the Saints (not the world) for those things which are going to come upon the earth, to prepare for the return of the Savior which is not too far away. President Nelson has talked about activating people, preparing the Church and the missionaries to prepare the world for the return of Jesus Christ. We are in a transition period, which means there is a window of time to be on probation again. To see if we will comply and live by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. President Nelson has already scheduled a world tour, and he’ll schedule another one, because he is going to deliver the message personally.
Prophecy Fulfilled
President Kimball related one evening a vision he had seen while in Korea. He had been sent there by President Smith to set up a mission in which Korean leaders told him “No”. He later had the same vision while in Mexico trying to establish a mission there and was also told, “No” by the Mexican government. The Lord prepares his prophets years before they are called. At that time, the missionary work had slowed down in the U.S. and Canada, and Europe was at a standstill. At the time, they had baptized more people in the Utah South mission alone than all missions in Europe put together.
In his vision he saw missionary work pick up in South America, the Philippines, and other places. He saw the fall of the Iron Curtain, and the Bamboo Curtain. He said, “It is now time to start the work among the Jews.” He quoted D&;C 98:16-17. Around that time, thousands of Jews came through to the Washington D.C. temple open house and said that they were interested in learning more. As these Jews traveled back home to their different cities all over the U.S., missionaries were sent to their homes to teach them more. The missionaries were welcomed into their homes yet not one visit resulted in a single baptism, because the missionaries could not answer certain questions about the temple such as much of its symbolism. The Jews are the most knowledgeable people on the earth about temples, other than the Latter-Day Saints. We are often ignorant about our own knowledge and doctrine.
There are changes taking place in the Church at the present time. Are we prepared? The iron curtain fell in 1989 as prophesied in by Pres. Kimball in 1984. Under President Nelson, we will see the Bamboo curtain fall! Are we ready to march? The Lord prepares people along the way. Think about the Jews, China, and you. President Nelson said that when President Kimball told him to learn Mandarin, he learned it. President Nelson is the highest-ranking member of the Church and four years ago he was honored with highest award in China.
The Lord’s Ways Are Not Our ways
When Russell M. Nelson was invited to China to teach the Chinese about heart surgery, he brought along Dallan H. Oaks who met with the Chinese government. Elder Oaks was successful at signing an agreement with the Chinese government which stated that the LDS church would provide full BYU scholarships to Chinese students, and the government could decide which students to send on the condition that if the students were taught the gospel and wanted to join the LDS church, they would be allowed to do so. The first 25 students were all children of the Chinese government leaders and every single one of them got baptized. Chinese students have been joining the Church ever since. This was 1987. These original converts are now at the age where they will soon take their place as heirs to government leadership positions in China, as they replace their parents.
The Church doesn’t announce these things, so you generally won’t hear about them, but the groundwork has been laid. There are currently many LDS braches (50+) in China. People wonder why Dieter F. Uchtdorf was not kept in the presidency. Dallan H. Oaks’ lawyer skills and experience is greatly needed for this transition. He was originally involved in this great undertaking and will continue to see it through. Those contracts have to be worded and signed carefully and properly.
Prophecy About the Jews
In 1917 Israel was asked to fight in World War I. Israelis said they would, if they were given a land where they could gather. As prophesied, they are to gather home to their promised land. In 1917 the Balfour Declaration was passed in British Parliament stating that the Jews could have a place in Palestine to gather home.
Later, the end of WWII led to more than 6 million displaced Jews in Europe who had nowhere to go. In a special session, the UN General Assembly voted on November 29, 1947, to partition Palestine into two new states, one Jewish and the other Arab, a recommendation that Jewish leaders accepted and the Arabs rejected.
In 1967 tensions between Israel and its surrounding neighbors became heightened and there was a 6-day war in which Israel won. Arabs relied on Soviet weaponry and Jordan’s army was equipped with American weaponry and British aircraft. Their warfare technology was far advanced and gave them the advantage. As mentioned in the recording, within three months of Israel winning the war, Jeffery R. Holland went to Jerusalem and signed a contract. He then presented the mayor of Jerusalem with a copy of the dedicatory speech given by Orson Hyde which reads:
“Thou, O Lord, did once move upon the heart of Cyrus to show favor unto Jerusalem and her children. Do Thou now also be pleased to inspire the hearts of kings and the powers of the earth to look with a friendly eye towards this place, and with a desire to see Thy righteous purposes executed in relation thereto. …
“Let that nation or that people who shall take an active part in behalf of Abraham’s children [who include both Arab and Jew], and in the raising up of Jerusalem, find favor in Thy sight. Let not their enemies prevail against them, neither let pestilence or famine overcome them, but let the glory of Israel overshadow them, and the power of the Highest protect them.”
In 1968, BYU began a study abroad program in Israel with just a handful of students renting hotel rooms. By 1989 the BYU Jerusalem Center was in full operation. This how amazing the Lord is. This is how He works in His mysterious ways. In 1974 President Kimball said, “Start the work among the Jews.”
In October of 2014 Jeffery R. Holland and Quentin L. Cook (who is a lawyer) visited Israel. The Church paid the way for Rabbis all throughout the world to visit the temple mount in Jerusalem. Again, they read the Dedicatory prayer of Orson Hyde. It’s been hanging in the mayor’s office ever since 1967. Jeffery R. Holland and Quentin L. Cook signed papers with Jewish nation. We are now one nation again as prophesied in Ezekiel 37:19. Ephraim and Judah. The contract states that we will proved economic aid, medical aid, humanitarian aid, and all that we can to help the Jews gather Israel, except anything that would be military or conquest.
Right after that, a strange thing happened in the United States. A resolution came up before the United Nations. It said that the Jews had to give the West Bank back to the Palestinians, for an independent nation. They had taken it from them in the 1967 war. This happens to be where the Jerusalem Center for the Church is located. The U.S., Britain, and China had veto power. The U.S. was the only one who refused to sign the veto. Obama refused, which meant that Israel would need to give the land back. Then something interesting happened during the election. Trump said, “If I’m elected president I will move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.” Everything that happens in the world whether good or bad, whether by righteous people or wicked people, God uses it to accomplish His purposes.
Finding Our Power in the Priesthood
Eleven years ago, Boyd K. Packer talked about activating the power of the priesthood. President Nelson has said there is a need for righteous men and women who can activate the power of the priesthood. He has said, "Covenant-keeping men and women seek for ways to keep themselves unspotted from the world so there will be nothing blocking their access to the Savior’s power.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/drawing-the-power-of-jesus-christ-into-our-lives?lang=eng
Thirty-six years ago, in 1979, President Spencer W. Kimball made a profound prophecy about the impact that covenant-keeping women would have on the future of the Lord’s Church. He prophesied:
“Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world … will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world.
My dear sisters, you who are our vital associates during this winding-up scene, the day that President Kimball foresaw is today. You are the women he foresaw! Your virtue, light, love, knowledge, courage, character, faith, and righteous lives will draw good women of the world, along with their families, to the Church in unprecedented numbers!
We, your brethren, need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices. The kingdom of God is not and cannot be complete without women who make sacred covenants and then keep them, women who can speak with the power and authority of God!
Today, let me add that we need women who know how to make important things happen by their faith and who are courageous defenders of morality and families in a sin-sick world. We need women who are devoted to shepherding God’s children along the covenant path toward exaltation; women who know how to receive personal revelation, who understand the power and peace of the temple endowment; women who know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen children and families; women who teach fearlessly."
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/a-plea-to-my-sisters?lang=eng
"I fear that there are too many men who have been given the authority of the priesthood but who lack priesthood power because the flow of power has been blocked by sins such as laziness, dishonesty, pride, immorality, or preoccupation with things of the world.
I fear that there are too many priesthood bearers who have done little or nothing to develop their ability to access the powers of heaven. I worry about all who are impure in their thoughts, feelings, or actions or who demean their wives or children, thereby cutting off priesthood power.
I fear that too many have sadly surrendered their agency to the adversary and are saying by their conduct, “I care more about satisfying my own desires than I do about bearing the Savior’s power to bless others.
I fear, brethren, that some among us may one day wake up and realize what power in the priesthood really is and face the deep regret that they spent far more time seeking power over others or power at work than learning to exercise fully the power of God."
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/the-price-of-priesthood-power?lang=eng
Women are missing the point when they speak of wanting to hold the priesthood. The truth is, sisters in Zion have power in the priesthood through the ordinances of the temple. See D&C 84:19-21
19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
Bruce R. McConkie has said that every man, woman, and child only receives certain blessings and gifts through the temple. We covenant to live the law of consecration when we are in the temple. It hasn’t been taught in years past to missionaries in training, but it’s going to be taught now. See D&C 60:13.
13 Behold, they have been sent to preach my gospel among the congregations of the wicked; wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, thus: Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known.
There’s an urgency coming in the Church for the ushering in of the preparation to live a consecrated life as it should be when the Lord returns. This is prophecy that is to be fulfilled. Truth and righteousness will sweep the earth as a flood, men and angels will work together to accomplish this. Moses 7:62.
"And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem."
Prophecy About the Inactive Saints
It’s true we have people falling away. It’s true we are combining wards in some places. It’s true that six out of every ten missionaries that come home, fall away from the Church. But you see, that is going to stop with President Nelson. Realize that we learn powerful lessons from the worst things that happen to us in life. We are to use those experiences to relate with others, empathize with them, and then teach them what we learned and how we overcame. This is why God allows bad things to happen to good people. We won’t understand and appreciate the sweet if we don’t taste the bitter. We can’t relate to those who are bitter if we have no experience ourselves. There are people who will only listen to and connect with certain other people. God has for-ordained all of us to go out and find these people who only we can reach through our unique personalities, talents, and gifts. Wherever we live there are people who live nearby who require a constant labor.
By being good examples and maintaining a valid temple recommend, you’ll be an instrument in the hands of God wherever you live and can bring thousands of souls unto repentance. The Lord has said, “My servants represent Me. If you reject my servants than you reject Me.” So He will speak to the wicked as follows:
See D&C 43:25. The Lord is about to speak to the wicked through increased natural disasters. The church aired a special on TV during conference in which it shared that the Church has made arrangements that the first responders in the East Coast cities will be missionaries. What kind of examples are people going to see? Good examples by the thousands. Because of this we can expect these disasters to increase. In his own words on the recording he said, "We can look for a 'real good famine. Plagues are going to go forth, until all the wicked are destroyed, accept those that remain, who are faithful and want to know God. The Lord tells us that this must needs be so that he can fulfill the promise that He made to the living. These coming years can be referred to as the 'Killing years'".
The first earthquake in Idaho was in 1854. In the last year there have been over 1,000 Idaho
earthquakes. The very day he looked up this information, 72 earthquakes happened. Last year in the world there were 40,757 recorded earthquakes.
The power of God descends upon the covenant people of the Lord. If we repent and attend the temple, we will have the power to change the world in ways we never knew. The Lord sent forth the fullness of the gospel and His everlasting covenant so that we might be partakers of the glories. Through plainness and simplicity, He prepares the weak for the things which are coming. The weak shall confound the wise.
The Coming Record Growth of the Church
We have a new prophet. We are the ones who have been foreordained to prepare the world for the Second Coming. We have angels who have been assigned to us. We have people who are preparing and will be with us. They will be on every side of us. The Church could build thousands of temples if they wanted to. Why don’t they? We don’t have enough ordinance workers. The initiatory ordinances hold the keys that unlock the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let him that is ignorant call upon God that his eyes might be opened and his ears may hear. Start claiming the blessings that are yours in the temple.
We are approaching the days when people will flock to the Church by the thousands and we will not be able to build church buildings fast enough. But the biggest problem we will face is finding leaders that know what is going on. Niue is projected to be the first nation that becomes all members of the Church.
More to Learn About Temples
The old Danish Bible from about 1500 A.D. spoke of baptism for the dead. It was later removed. By our righteousness we secure blessings for four generations forward and back. In June 1833, the Prophet Joseph and his counselors in the First Presidency prepared a plat for the city of Zion—a plan for the layout of the city. President Frederick G. Williams drew the plat, which called for bishops’ storehouses and 24 temples in the center of the city, surrounded by blocks divided into property for residences. Temple 17, 18, and 19 are temples where you make an appointment, you’ll schedule a room, you’ll go in, and the ancestors you are looking for will be there to give you the information you need to do their work. Some temples have to be remodeled for special ordinances that will only be performed in preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord. These are ordinances we don’t talk about publicly. They have been talking about them for the last 20 years on conference, we just don’t understand. It’s all Elder Bednar speaks about. The first talk he ever gave as an apostle had to do with this, and no one understood what he was talking about. The temple is to perfect the living more than it is to do work for the dead. We perfect the living by going and doing work for the dead. Much of the wicked will repent when the calamities are happening. There are many who have been deceived who would accept the gospel but they are blinded and don’t know where to find it. If you leave this life with a valid temple recommend, and you are righteous, you will be exalted.
There are 100,000 revelations that we can receive in the temple. We have to ask and the Lord will teach us. The Lord spoke in parables to protect the ignorant so they would not be held accountable. The symbols of the temple are filled with revelations that we can learn if we ask.
How the Book of Mormon is Key in These Very Last Days
The Church is under condemnation because we do not read the Book of Mormon and do what it says. That is going to change.
Where is the Church going to get all the needed leaders when they are baptizing 2-3,000 people a month? From among the inactive. In 1949 Franklin D. Richards spoke of this. “There’s more leadership among the inactive than there are the active.” In 1974 President Kimball said, “When we have activated all of the un-missioned, un-endowed, unmarried, and all who have fallen away, then we will be prepared to meet the Lord and we will live in times (prior to the Millennium) of luxury and comfort. The prophecy is simply this: we go to the temple to prepare every needful thing. What is every needful thing? It is what you are doing today to be prepared in all things, for the day when desolation and destruction shall come upon the wicked. For the day, when he sends us out to magnify the callings we were extended in the pre-existence. Are we prepared in all things to march? We are to testify and prepare the saints for the Second Coming of the Lord. We have to get the inactive back to the temple (See 2 Nephi 27:35) .This will start slow, but our main job will be just to try and motivate someone to read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is the only book on the face of the earth that has the Divine commission from the Lord Jesus Christ to convert people, because it makes known to the people the “plain and precious things” pertaining to the gospel which have been lost from the Bible.
1 Nephi 13:39-42
39 And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.
40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.
41 And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth.
42 And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.
Once we gain that testimony of the Book of Mormon, we’ll find that it’s really easy to get someone to read it. He shares a personal story of a Catholic man who was assistant to the Catholic priest and his wife was interested in learning about the Church and joining it and he was very upset and would not allow it. He was able to convince the man to allow them 15 minutes of their time in which afterwards they would never return again unless he wanted them to. He agreed and they left him with a Book of Mormon for his wife to read. He decided that night to read some of the pages before his wife did and when doing so he received a vision (the same vision that Lehi had seen), then as he proceeded to read about that same vision in the Book of Mormon he knew it was true. He was baptized right away and has since served as bishop and High Counselor. Start thinking about now what you will say to persuade someone to read the Book of Mormon, but realize when the time comes the Spirit will put the words into your mouth of what you should say. Study the scriptures so you can be a reservoir of knowledge. Be sanctified so that you can be prepared to give an answer to everyone who ask you a question. In the next five years you’ll have more questions asked to you about the Church than you’ve ever had in your life all put together!
I compiled these highlights below and tried to organize them as best I could. I tried to verify sources for most of what he shared. Some of these were facts he shared from memory. I also added additional facts and background on some of the topics to better help detail his points.
What I enjoyed most about listening to this audio recording was that it was an additional witness to many of the things I have been pondering, and that the Spirit has been teaching me. I feel this information will be a great benefit to many and I am so excited to share!
Here is that transcript (Mostly in his own words).
The Era We Are Living In
We are all foreordained on this earth to do something (no matter what we’ve been through). Right now we are going through a transition period.
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| Harold B Lee |
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| Thomas S. Monson |
“We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness… If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you… If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far.”
Read D&C 109:38.
"Put upon thy servants the testimony of the covenant, that when they go out and proclaim thy word they may seal up the law, and prepare the hearts of thy saints for all those judgments thou art about to send, in thy wrath, upon the inhabitants of the earth, because of their transgressions, that thy people may not faint in the day of trouble."
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| Church president will be joined by his wife, Wendy, and Elder and Sister Holland this April, for a 2018 World Tour. |
Prophecy Fulfilled
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| Spencer W. Kimball |
In his vision he saw missionary work pick up in South America, the Philippines, and other places. He saw the fall of the Iron Curtain, and the Bamboo Curtain. He said, “It is now time to start the work among the Jews.” He quoted D&;C 98:16-17. Around that time, thousands of Jews came through to the Washington D.C. temple open house and said that they were interested in learning more. As these Jews traveled back home to their different cities all over the U.S., missionaries were sent to their homes to teach them more. The missionaries were welcomed into their homes yet not one visit resulted in a single baptism, because the missionaries could not answer certain questions about the temple such as much of its symbolism. The Jews are the most knowledgeable people on the earth about temples, other than the Latter-Day Saints. We are often ignorant about our own knowledge and doctrine.
There are changes taking place in the Church at the present time. Are we prepared? The iron curtain fell in 1989 as prophesied in by Pres. Kimball in 1984. Under President Nelson, we will see the Bamboo curtain fall! Are we ready to march? The Lord prepares people along the way. Think about the Jews, China, and you. President Nelson said that when President Kimball told him to learn Mandarin, he learned it. President Nelson is the highest-ranking member of the Church and four years ago he was honored with highest award in China. |
| President Russell M. Nelson, center, of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, receives a painting from the son and grandson of late Chinese opera star Fang Rongxiang, whose life was saved in 1985 by a coronary artery bypass graft operation performed by then-Elder Nelson. The painting, done by the grandson, was presented Friday, Oct. 23, 2015, at the Shangdong University School of Medicine in Jinan, Shangdong, China. |
The Lord’s Ways Are Not Our ways
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| Russell M. Nelson |
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| Dallan H. Oaks with President Nelson |
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| BYU China |
The Church doesn’t announce these things, so you generally won’t hear about them, but the groundwork has been laid. There are currently many LDS braches (50+) in China. People wonder why Dieter F. Uchtdorf was not kept in the presidency. Dallan H. Oaks’ lawyer skills and experience is greatly needed for this transition. He was originally involved in this great undertaking and will continue to see it through. Those contracts have to be worded and signed carefully and properly.
Prophecy About the Jews
In 1917 Israel was asked to fight in World War I. Israelis said they would, if they were given a land where they could gather. As prophesied, they are to gather home to their promised land. In 1917 the Balfour Declaration was passed in British Parliament stating that the Jews could have a place in Palestine to gather home.
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| Jewish Refugees of 1948 |
In 1967 tensions between Israel and its surrounding neighbors became heightened and there was a 6-day war in which Israel won. Arabs relied on Soviet weaponry and Jordan’s army was equipped with American weaponry and British aircraft. Their warfare technology was far advanced and gave them the advantage. As mentioned in the recording, within three months of Israel winning the war, Jeffery R. Holland went to Jerusalem and signed a contract. He then presented the mayor of Jerusalem with a copy of the dedicatory speech given by Orson Hyde which reads:
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| Orson Hyde |
“Let that nation or that people who shall take an active part in behalf of Abraham’s children [who include both Arab and Jew], and in the raising up of Jerusalem, find favor in Thy sight. Let not their enemies prevail against them, neither let pestilence or famine overcome them, but let the glory of Israel overshadow them, and the power of the Highest protect them.”
In 1968, BYU began a study abroad program in Israel with just a handful of students renting hotel rooms. By 1989 the BYU Jerusalem Center was in full operation. This how amazing the Lord is. This is how He works in His mysterious ways. In 1974 President Kimball said, “Start the work among the Jews.”
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| Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks to a Mormon and Jewish delegation at Orson Hyde Memorial Garden in Jerusalem, October 27, 2016. |
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| Israel’s Prime Minister and President Donald Trump Sept. 18 in New York. |
Finding Our Power in the Priesthood
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| Boyd K. Packer |
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/drawing-the-power-of-jesus-christ-into-our-lives?lang=eng
Thirty-six years ago, in 1979, President Spencer W. Kimball made a profound prophecy about the impact that covenant-keeping women would have on the future of the Lord’s Church. He prophesied:
“Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world … will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world.
My dear sisters, you who are our vital associates during this winding-up scene, the day that President Kimball foresaw is today. You are the women he foresaw! Your virtue, light, love, knowledge, courage, character, faith, and righteous lives will draw good women of the world, along with their families, to the Church in unprecedented numbers!
We, your brethren, need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices. The kingdom of God is not and cannot be complete without women who make sacred covenants and then keep them, women who can speak with the power and authority of God!
Today, let me add that we need women who know how to make important things happen by their faith and who are courageous defenders of morality and families in a sin-sick world. We need women who are devoted to shepherding God’s children along the covenant path toward exaltation; women who know how to receive personal revelation, who understand the power and peace of the temple endowment; women who know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen children and families; women who teach fearlessly."
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/a-plea-to-my-sisters?lang=eng
"I fear that there are too many men who have been given the authority of the priesthood but who lack priesthood power because the flow of power has been blocked by sins such as laziness, dishonesty, pride, immorality, or preoccupation with things of the world.
I fear that there are too many priesthood bearers who have done little or nothing to develop their ability to access the powers of heaven. I worry about all who are impure in their thoughts, feelings, or actions or who demean their wives or children, thereby cutting off priesthood power.
I fear that too many have sadly surrendered their agency to the adversary and are saying by their conduct, “I care more about satisfying my own desires than I do about bearing the Savior’s power to bless others.
I fear, brethren, that some among us may one day wake up and realize what power in the priesthood really is and face the deep regret that they spent far more time seeking power over others or power at work than learning to exercise fully the power of God."
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/the-price-of-priesthood-power?lang=eng
Women are missing the point when they speak of wanting to hold the priesthood. The truth is, sisters in Zion have power in the priesthood through the ordinances of the temple. See D&C 84:19-21
19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
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| Bruce R. McConkie |
13 Behold, they have been sent to preach my gospel among the congregations of the wicked; wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, thus: Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known.
There’s an urgency coming in the Church for the ushering in of the preparation to live a consecrated life as it should be when the Lord returns. This is prophecy that is to be fulfilled. Truth and righteousness will sweep the earth as a flood, men and angels will work together to accomplish this. Moses 7:62.
"And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem."
Prophecy About the Inactive Saints
It’s true we have people falling away. It’s true we are combining wards in some places. It’s true that six out of every ten missionaries that come home, fall away from the Church. But you see, that is going to stop with President Nelson. Realize that we learn powerful lessons from the worst things that happen to us in life. We are to use those experiences to relate with others, empathize with them, and then teach them what we learned and how we overcame. This is why God allows bad things to happen to good people. We won’t understand and appreciate the sweet if we don’t taste the bitter. We can’t relate to those who are bitter if we have no experience ourselves. There are people who will only listen to and connect with certain other people. God has for-ordained all of us to go out and find these people who only we can reach through our unique personalities, talents, and gifts. Wherever we live there are people who live nearby who require a constant labor.
By being good examples and maintaining a valid temple recommend, you’ll be an instrument in the hands of God wherever you live and can bring thousands of souls unto repentance. The Lord has said, “My servants represent Me. If you reject my servants than you reject Me.” So He will speak to the wicked as follows:
See D&C 43:25. The Lord is about to speak to the wicked through increased natural disasters. The church aired a special on TV during conference in which it shared that the Church has made arrangements that the first responders in the East Coast cities will be missionaries. What kind of examples are people going to see? Good examples by the thousands. Because of this we can expect these disasters to increase. In his own words on the recording he said, "We can look for a 'real good famine. Plagues are going to go forth, until all the wicked are destroyed, accept those that remain, who are faithful and want to know God. The Lord tells us that this must needs be so that he can fulfill the promise that He made to the living. These coming years can be referred to as the 'Killing years'".The first earthquake in Idaho was in 1854. In the last year there have been over 1,000 Idaho
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| San Diego, California LDS Temple |
The power of God descends upon the covenant people of the Lord. If we repent and attend the temple, we will have the power to change the world in ways we never knew. The Lord sent forth the fullness of the gospel and His everlasting covenant so that we might be partakers of the glories. Through plainness and simplicity, He prepares the weak for the things which are coming. The weak shall confound the wise.
The Coming Record Growth of the Church
We have a new prophet. We are the ones who have been foreordained to prepare the world for the Second Coming. We have angels who have been assigned to us. We have people who are preparing and will be with us. They will be on every side of us. The Church could build thousands of temples if they wanted to. Why don’t they? We don’t have enough ordinance workers. The initiatory ordinances hold the keys that unlock the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let him that is ignorant call upon God that his eyes might be opened and his ears may hear. Start claiming the blessings that are yours in the temple.
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| LDS Baptisms in Nigeria |
We are approaching the days when people will flock to the Church by the thousands and we will not be able to build church buildings fast enough. But the biggest problem we will face is finding leaders that know what is going on. Niue is projected to be the first nation that becomes all members of the Church.
More to Learn About Temples
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| 1833 Plat of zion |
There are 100,000 revelations that we can receive in the temple. We have to ask and the Lord will teach us. The Lord spoke in parables to protect the ignorant so they would not be held accountable. The symbols of the temple are filled with revelations that we can learn if we ask.
How the Book of Mormon is Key in These Very Last Days
The Church is under condemnation because we do not read the Book of Mormon and do what it says. That is going to change.
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| Franklin D. Richards |
1 Nephi 13:39-42
39 And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.
40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.
41 And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth.
42 And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.
Monday, April 2, 2018
My Ancestor & Ancient Book of Mormon Finds in Utah
Wow! Last weekend's LDS General Conference was amazing! My most favorite, the most memorable, as well as historical. I am so excited to share my thoughts in this coming week's video message. Until then, as promised, here is the post as mentioned in last week's video message that I have been working on about some little known Utah history, Book of Mormon artifacts, and my Great, Great, Great Uncle who never married and left behind no posterity. As he has no descendants to tell his story, I happily take on the honor of doing so.
It was interesting to search the web for articles in connection to my ancestor George Keller. I found many online forums that shared their findings and several other versions of his story. Many articles, and passed down verbal accounts had several errors that simply were not true about me ancestor and our family. So while clearing up the facts, I'd like to present the story of My Great Great Great Uncle George Keller and his initial discovery of the cave at Temple Hill.
Recently In the News
My Dad called me the other night and encouraged me to check out the recent news articles in connection to George Keller. So, when I had a minute of free time, I did as he suggested and here is a news article I found in the Sanpete Messenger.
MANTI—Artifacts discovered in a cave behind the Manti LDS Temple may have been left there by an ancient people that figure significantly in the history of the American continent as believed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, woman asserts, despite academic non-consensus about the origins of the items.
Utahna Jessop, a field researcher and teacher with the Ancient Historical Research Association, presented her ideas at a presentation delivered at Manti City Hall on Sept. 20. Jessop said believed that a cave full of Indigenous American artifacts found by John Brewer in 1955 was actually a repository and tomb for ancient Jaredites, a people mentioned in the Book of Mormon, a piece of scripture for Latter-day Saints.
Despite the lack of certain items purportedly left in the cave , and despite conflicting conclusions by scholars, which include a charge of possible forgery, Jessup says she hopes parts of the story may still be shown to be true.
“I’m a born skeptic myself, so I approach this whole thing with an attitude of ‘Oh, I’m not too sure about that,’” Jessop said. “But the more I studied, the more I saw that, ‘How can you refute it now, when we have actual scientific testing done, what can you say?’ Now, granted, it would help a lot if we could find the cave, if we could find the bodies, and then we’ll know for positive sure. What to say to the skeptics? ‘Do your research.’”
According to the Book of Mormon, when God scattered the people and confounded their languages at the Tower of Babel, a certain prophet and his family were commanded to build submarine-like boats (i.e., “barges”) and travel to the new world.
There, they grew into a mighty civilization that Mormon historian Hugh Nibley said was comparable to that of the Mongols. They flourished from the time they arrived in the Americas until their annihilation, through civil war, in 550 B.C. According to the book, they numbered over two million people before their destruction.
Jessop claims that the annihilation described in the Book of Ether does not require that every last Jaredite was killed, proposing that there could have been many individuals far away from the battlefield. She cited Brigham Young as having said that there had been Nephite and Lamanite (other Book of Mormon peoples), and Jaredite presences in the Sanpete Valley over the years.
She relayed the story of John Brewer, a Central Utah man who claimed that an Native American tomb he had found contained tools, pottery, brass bells, ancient records and mummies of people measuring over 8 feet tall.
The records, Brewer said, were carved on metal plates bound together by rings, similar to Joseph Smith’s description of his “golden plates.” Brewer hypothesized that the records were classified according to their importance, with the most important records on gold, then in decreasingly valuable metals, then stone and finally clay.
He described the mummies as large, one male and one female, the man with red hair and a beard, the woman with blonde hair and a golden breastplate. Many of the Brewer plates, as they have come to be called, are in museum collections in Utah.
Jessop discussed the academic response to the Brewer artifacts, namely that of three professors at BYU and the University of Utah who had considered the case, two had decided it was a complete fraud. The third believed there was a possibility that the cave and the plates were what John Brewer claimed they were.
One “gold” plate from the cave had been tested to reveal its age and metallurgy, and was found to be a very recent creation made of brass similar in chemical composition to the metal found in bullet casings. However, in the testing of pieces of bark used to wrap a stone box with metal plates inside, the bark was found to be of the fourth century B.C.
Jessop cited a meeting between Brewer and LDS general authorities, including Apostle Mark E. Peterson, from which Jessop reported they verified Brewer’s claims and started plans to have the cave excavated by archaeologists working for BYU.
Brewer’s cave is behind the Manti Temple, in an area that Brigham Young proclaimed to have been visited by the Book of Mormon figure Moroni, who dedicated the hill to have a temple on it.
http://sanpetemessenger.com/2017/10/04/historian-hopes-there-is-truth-to-story-of-book-of-mormon-era-artifacts-found-in-manti-cave/
Sometime in the late 1870’s a Swedish convert and her daughter immigrated to America. Upon reaching New York her funds being low she secured employment in a hotel. While there she met another convert a Mr. Anderson, they married and together they came to Utah settling in Manti. About 7 months after her marriage to Mr. Anderson in 1879 she gave birth to a mulatto boy whom she named Joseph Anderson born the 25th of January 1880. Naturally her husband was infuriated. A few months later he went to Emery County to take up a fare and his wife remained in Manti with her daughter, then about 9 years of age, and her little son. All kinds of rumors were afloat about them mostly to the effect that he had written and told her she could come to him but that she could not bring the boy, she must dispose of him. Nobody wanted the boy and the town was waiting to see what would happen.
In winter of 1949 he had the misfortune of having his hands frozen which necessitated the amputation of his fingers. In spite of this handicap he continued to be self supporting at the age of 70. This was a pathetic incident in his life.
Here is the account of Mr. John Brewer who later re-discovered the caves as shown to him by my ancestor George Keller. These are excerpts from John Brewer's journal.
MARCH 30, 1955
Who Was John Brewer?
"Brewer lived with his wife in the small town of Moroni, Utah, where he did odd jobs for farmers in the area. For recreation, he collected Indian arrow-heads, and eventually assembled an impressive collection. In early spring, 1955, his numerous artifacts were displayed at the Sanpete County fair, held annually at Manti. While discussing his finds with friends at a local cafe, he was approached by a now elderly negro, George Keller, who told Brewer about a secret cave where many more arrowheads were to be found.
"As Brewer recorded in his personal journal for May 10, "I went and looked for the place but I couldn't find it so I went and asked him (Keller) again where it was but all that I could get was a laugh from him. I thought that he was pulling a fast one on me so I let it go at that." Nine days later, "I went out to the Keller place and offered him some wine with the promise that he would show me the place he had told me about a while back. He said that he would not only show me the place but that we would go in! "No wonder I couldn't find it; I was on the wrong hill. I went into the cave and found 30 arrowheads right off. I went back to the truck and thanked the man. I then asked how he came to know of the cave and he said that he and an Indian boy played there as an old hideaway."
"Nearly twenty years later, I was personally introduced to John Brewer, and he told me about his discovery of the Manti cave in an area behind Temple Hill. We met at Provo, Utah, in the company of Dr. Paul R. Cheesman, head of Book of Mormon Studies in the Department of Religion at Brigham Young University. Brewer impressed me as a soft spoken, kindly man, but without much worldly experience. He told us about his encounter with old George Keller and the difficulties he experienced while locating the secluded cave. In his search for more arrowheads at the site, he was surprised to find a set of stone steps carved into the cave floor. Clearing away some debris, he claimed the steps led to an entrance of a "tomb." Entering this chamber, he saw ten stone boxes. He opened five of them; they all contained small, metal plates inscribed with an unknown script. Nearby lay two large stone coffins. Opening them both, he found they contained mummified human remains. One body allegedly had red hair with skin still attached to its bones, while the other was blond."
http://www.artbulla.com/zion/batcreek.html
Here are drawings by John Brewer of the mummies known as the "Manti Mummies" that he discovered.
This excerpt from the book, Treasures of the Ancients by Stephen B. Shaffer (p. 31-32, Cedar Fort inc. 1996) details the account of the discovery.
Dr. Heinerman followed Brewer into a tunnel that had been dug on a downward track, barely
squeezing and squirming like a worm through the narrow passageway. After a short distance he
came to an opening, and reaching down felt the edge of a set of stairs that led into a chamber. The chamber was about twenty feet long and fourteen feet wide. The air was stifling and breathing was very labored. Several inches of fine dust covered everything, and puffed up with each step
that they took. About twenty-five stone boxes were stacked against one wall and another twenty against the other wall. Most were wrapped with a cover of juniper bark with pine pitch smeared all over them to make them waterproof.
In a smaller chamber were two mummies of large stature. Dr. Heinerman describes the mummies: “The texture of their skin was soft, almost moist, like tanned leather. In the cave I saw an abundance of weapons, swords, tools, copper and metal plates of various sizes, all of which were very curious. Some of the copper, plates were of a strange composition, shattering like glass into fibrous pieces, not unlike the windshield of a car, if dropped. I believe that this chamber houses at least two different ages of antiquities.”
http://greaterancestors.com/man-of-manti-utah/
The Location of Brewer Cave
The hill known as "Temple Hill" was built on a rattlesnake infested stone quarry. According to folklore, a Native American chief pointed to the temple hill, saying the place was the site of an ancient temple and altar but warned people not to explore the dangerous caves beneath the hill. Other versions of this legend state a tunnel under the hill was dug by a pioneer convinced he'd see chambers from ancient inhabitants. After a dream warned him to stop digging or he'd meet a terrible fate, he ignored the warning and was later found dead in the tunnel, supposedly killed by a heart attack.
When the pioneers first arrived in Manti in November 1849, they arrived to three feet of snow and very little protection. The Saints dug into a hillside, living out of caves and grottos that protected them from the ravaging winter winds and cold.
However, when spring came, the Saints quickly discovered they had tunneled into a massive rattlesnake nest, with hundreds of snakes suddenly swarming their camps. Miraculously, though, no one was injured or bitten by the snakes.
The hill that once saved the Saints physically soon became the site for a temple where Saints could obtain spiritual salvation.
http://www.ldsliving.com/Random-Interesting-Fact-The-Only-Temple-You-Could-Go-Through-Without-a-Recommend/s/83133
Here are photos taken of the area near the cave which includes a large alter-like stone, as well as cave entrance. The owner of these photos has stated,
"I read that Temple Hill was sacred to the Indians, & was one of the main reasons for Isaac Morley wanting to settle there as he was deeply interested in it. It's definitely a special place & there is probably a lot we don't know about it. The stories of the Brewer Cave, Noah's Ark launching place, Moroni's Spring, Eagle Mountain, etc. just add to the mystery of Sanpete Valley & I'd love to find out if there is any truth to any of these claims."
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thetreasuresofutah/temple-hill-cave-in-manti-t1176.html
A sacred site indeed, according to this fact site, The morning of the site dedication of the Manti Utah Temple, Brigham Young took Warren S. Snow aside and said, "Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can't move it from this spot."
Lastly, here is a video made of a presentation given by Utahna Jessop, the researcher mentioned in the beginning of this post. If you have any information to add to this post, please share!
It was interesting to search the web for articles in connection to my ancestor George Keller. I found many online forums that shared their findings and several other versions of his story. Many articles, and passed down verbal accounts had several errors that simply were not true about me ancestor and our family. So while clearing up the facts, I'd like to present the story of My Great Great Great Uncle George Keller and his initial discovery of the cave at Temple Hill.
Recently In the News
My Dad called me the other night and encouraged me to check out the recent news articles in connection to George Keller. So, when I had a minute of free time, I did as he suggested and here is a news article I found in the Sanpete Messenger.
MANTI—Artifacts discovered in a cave behind the Manti LDS Temple may have been left there by an ancient people that figure significantly in the history of the American continent as believed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, woman asserts, despite academic non-consensus about the origins of the items.
Utahna Jessop, a field researcher and teacher with the Ancient Historical Research Association, presented her ideas at a presentation delivered at Manti City Hall on Sept. 20. Jessop said believed that a cave full of Indigenous American artifacts found by John Brewer in 1955 was actually a repository and tomb for ancient Jaredites, a people mentioned in the Book of Mormon, a piece of scripture for Latter-day Saints.
Despite the lack of certain items purportedly left in the cave , and despite conflicting conclusions by scholars, which include a charge of possible forgery, Jessup says she hopes parts of the story may still be shown to be true.
“I’m a born skeptic myself, so I approach this whole thing with an attitude of ‘Oh, I’m not too sure about that,’” Jessop said. “But the more I studied, the more I saw that, ‘How can you refute it now, when we have actual scientific testing done, what can you say?’ Now, granted, it would help a lot if we could find the cave, if we could find the bodies, and then we’ll know for positive sure. What to say to the skeptics? ‘Do your research.’”
According to the Book of Mormon, when God scattered the people and confounded their languages at the Tower of Babel, a certain prophet and his family were commanded to build submarine-like boats (i.e., “barges”) and travel to the new world.
There, they grew into a mighty civilization that Mormon historian Hugh Nibley said was comparable to that of the Mongols. They flourished from the time they arrived in the Americas until their annihilation, through civil war, in 550 B.C. According to the book, they numbered over two million people before their destruction.
Jessop claims that the annihilation described in the Book of Ether does not require that every last Jaredite was killed, proposing that there could have been many individuals far away from the battlefield. She cited Brigham Young as having said that there had been Nephite and Lamanite (other Book of Mormon peoples), and Jaredite presences in the Sanpete Valley over the years.
She relayed the story of John Brewer, a Central Utah man who claimed that an Native American tomb he had found contained tools, pottery, brass bells, ancient records and mummies of people measuring over 8 feet tall.
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| Picture of Brewer's plates taken by a witness, shared at this link: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thetreasuresofutah/temple-hill-cave-in-manti-t1176.html |
He described the mummies as large, one male and one female, the man with red hair and a beard, the woman with blonde hair and a golden breastplate. Many of the Brewer plates, as they have come to be called, are in museum collections in Utah.
Jessop discussed the academic response to the Brewer artifacts, namely that of three professors at BYU and the University of Utah who had considered the case, two had decided it was a complete fraud. The third believed there was a possibility that the cave and the plates were what John Brewer claimed they were.
One “gold” plate from the cave had been tested to reveal its age and metallurgy, and was found to be a very recent creation made of brass similar in chemical composition to the metal found in bullet casings. However, in the testing of pieces of bark used to wrap a stone box with metal plates inside, the bark was found to be of the fourth century B.C.
Jessop cited a meeting between Brewer and LDS general authorities, including Apostle Mark E. Peterson, from which Jessop reported they verified Brewer’s claims and started plans to have the cave excavated by archaeologists working for BYU.
Brewer’s cave is behind the Manti Temple, in an area that Brigham Young proclaimed to have been visited by the Book of Mormon figure Moroni, who dedicated the hill to have a temple on it.
http://sanpetemessenger.com/2017/10/04/historian-hopes-there-is-truth-to-story-of-book-of-mormon-era-artifacts-found-in-manti-cave/
Who Was George Keller?
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| George Keller |
Several years ago, when my oldest was just a baby, I traveled one summer afternoon with my family down to visit my Grandma Cavner (My Dad's Mother) who lives in Manti, Utah.
While visiting with her in her home, we learned of some family history books she had in her home. I asked if I could see them. She was surprised that I had never seen them before. I happened to have my video camera with me (this was before smart phones and just around the time of digital cameras). As I saw that this book was filled with stories, personal accounts, and photos of ancestors I knew little about, I became so excited that I turned on my camera and filmed every page. I then went home and transcribed all the images into text and then took still shots of the images in my videos.
While going through this book, I saw this image of George Keller. At first glance it looked like my dad. I wanted to know who this ancestor was, and why I had never heard of him. I showed the picture to my dad and said, "Dad, he looks just like you!" My dad replied, "Oh that's George Keller. He was actually adopted. He was the son of a Swedish immigrant and a freed black slave. Our family adopted him."
This was all new to me. Why had I never heard about George? Though we were not blood related, I had a black American ancestor who was sealed into our family (and looked like my dad). I wanted to learn more.
I learned that because of the stigma at the time, growing up in a small town of mostly all caucasian people, George never married. He never had children to carry on his story. Because he witnessed his father's death and was was unable to prevent it, I believe he carried around that guilt. He also never had the priesthood because of the era and his race. He must have felt like an outsider at times. My heart ached for this ancestor who I had never heard of until now.
My Dad has faint yet fond memories of George. He remembers visiting him as a boy, and George (an elderly man then) cooking up dinner in a frying pan. He remembers George being a very kind man. Many of the stories online about George Keller speak of him as belonging to a family of freed black slaves who settled in Sanpete County. This is not true. Here is a true account of George's bio that I transcribed from my Grandma's family history book about her Great Uncle.
While visiting with her in her home, we learned of some family history books she had in her home. I asked if I could see them. She was surprised that I had never seen them before. I happened to have my video camera with me (this was before smart phones and just around the time of digital cameras). As I saw that this book was filled with stories, personal accounts, and photos of ancestors I knew little about, I became so excited that I turned on my camera and filmed every page. I then went home and transcribed all the images into text and then took still shots of the images in my videos.
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| My Dad |
This was all new to me. Why had I never heard about George? Though we were not blood related, I had a black American ancestor who was sealed into our family (and looked like my dad). I wanted to learn more.
I learned that because of the stigma at the time, growing up in a small town of mostly all caucasian people, George never married. He never had children to carry on his story. Because he witnessed his father's death and was was unable to prevent it, I believe he carried around that guilt. He also never had the priesthood because of the era and his race. He must have felt like an outsider at times. My heart ached for this ancestor who I had never heard of until now.
My Dad has faint yet fond memories of George. He remembers visiting him as a boy, and George (an elderly man then) cooking up dinner in a frying pan. He remembers George being a very kind man. Many of the stories online about George Keller speak of him as belonging to a family of freed black slaves who settled in Sanpete County. This is not true. Here is a true account of George's bio that I transcribed from my Grandma's family history book about her Great Uncle.
Sometime in the late 1870’s a Swedish convert and her daughter immigrated to America. Upon reaching New York her funds being low she secured employment in a hotel. While there she met another convert a Mr. Anderson, they married and together they came to Utah settling in Manti. About 7 months after her marriage to Mr. Anderson in 1879 she gave birth to a mulatto boy whom she named Joseph Anderson born the 25th of January 1880. Naturally her husband was infuriated. A few months later he went to Emery County to take up a fare and his wife remained in Manti with her daughter, then about 9 years of age, and her little son. All kinds of rumors were afloat about them mostly to the effect that he had written and told her she could come to him but that she could not bring the boy, she must dispose of him. Nobody wanted the boy and the town was waiting to see what would happen.
One day Annie (my Great, Great, Grandmother) asked her if she would not be willing to take him. She was in poor health but she told Annie that if she would be willing to give him the care a child of his age would require she might go and ask for him. Annie then 14 years of age gladly consented to care for him and left immediately for the Anderson home. Millie, Eliza and Louise, the three youngest children ages 4,6, and 8 respectively were in raptures over the prospect of having a baby in the home and told their brother Jacob where Annie had gone. “We’ll have no n***** baby in our house” he said and hastily got on a horse and went after Annie forcing her to return home without completing her errand. Jacob was 12 years old and being the only boy among five girls was accustomed to having his own way. Annie came back and warned us to keep quite as she would try again the next day. You may be sure that we said nothing of her plans to our brother.
The next day when he was away from home Annie went to Mrs. Anderson and asked for the child. The mother gladly consented and Annie brought him home that afternoon. His sister accompanied him to keep him from becoming frightened. She took him home that first night and brought him back the next morning and left him. He was 15 months old and just learning to walk. He was attractive, quick and an intelligent child and we all loved him. When our brother saw him he too was immediately won over whereby his name was changed to George Keller. He became a member of the family and was always treated as our very own. He never saw his mother again until one day when he was 6 years old she came to our house on some pretext. She took him on her lap, loved, kissed him, and wept. When she was gone he asked “Why did that woman hold me and cry?” Soon after that she left Manti and I think she never returned.
The boy experienced a normal childhood but as he grew older he often seemed troubled and it was not until after Jacob Keller’s death in 1892 that he was told who his mother was. He was quiet and reserved. He lived with Jacob Keller Jr. on the farm in the summertime but lived at home and went to school in the winter. He loved animals and always had a fine riding horse.
It was known that he went to see his own mother in later years who lived in Emery county Utah. She had experienced extreme poverty and he helped her.
Those who are to him as brother and sisters entertain the kindest of feelings and deepest sympathy for him. When he reached maturity he went to Southern Utah where he was given positions of trust and responsibility as sheep and cattle foreman by men who had known him from boyhood. They knew him to be honest, honorable and highly respected in the community where he was raised.
In winter of 1949 he had the misfortune of having his hands frozen which necessitated the amputation of his fingers. In spite of this handicap he continued to be self supporting at the age of 70. This was a pathetic incident in his life.
I, Ellen Munk Crawford can truly say that my grandmother Keller loved George very much for I well remember seeing him put his arms around her and of her telling him what a good fine boy he was. Her sympathy for him and his gratitude towards her formed a bond of love that is hard to describe. She has been heard to say that George had never spoken a cross or unkind word to her. He now resides on the Keller farm where he hopes he will make his home as long as he lives.
Jacob Keller met with many serious accidents any one of which might had cost him his life and appeared much more serious at the time than the one which did prove fatal. He had not been feeling well for some time and when he felt himself slipping from a small load of hay he did not have the strength to hold on. George the adopted boy was driving and Jacob called him to stop. But the boy could not stop the horses soon enough and father fell to the ground striking his head on the handle of a pitchfork. Dr. H. S. Allen stayed at his bedside all night long but there was nothing to be done he did not regain consciousness. The next day the bishop requested Anna Keller to bathe the feet of her husband as a sacred right as Martha did the feet of Jesus. The bishop then pronounced a blessing upon him commanding his spirit to God. During the sacred service in which his family and bishop encircled about his bed he slipped peacefully away on October 5th 1892 at the age of 55 years and 4 months.
George Keller Observes 86
The Ephraim Enterprise
Friday Feb, 4 1966
January 25th was the 86th birthday of George Keller. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Anderson. “George” as he was known was legally adopted by Jacob Keller Sr. and his wife Anna R. Keller of Manti. At the age of 8 years he was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this was in 1900.
We who knew and loved George knew of his early experiences. Some of these were not so pleasant because he was a mulatto (black and white mix) but nevertheless he was taught to work as a youngster living on the Keller farm in the summer and in the winter time living in town so that he could attend school. He was a normal child in every respect, very attractive, intelligent and quick to respond to those in association. Not once did he hesitate to use his natural musical talent. He played the organ, harmonica and guitar. He also possessed a wonderful sense of humor which was enjoyable to his friends and relatives. Even now he loves to talk, laugh and joke with all his associates.
George completed his elementary grades. Some of his teachers were a Mr. Noyes of Ephraim, William Anderson, Millie Keller, and Leonard Billings of Manti. He loves the church and although he was not permitted to hold the priesthood George graduated from seminary after attending for three years regularly. An outstanding quality which this man has always possessed is that of honesty. In his entire life he has never been in jail or has he ever been dismissed from a job. Paul Smith of Manti has said many times “George could be trusted with any amount of money” and he has been at various times. Even though time is constantly passing by and age making it more difficult for George to see clearly he still maintains a kind and considerate attitude toward everyone.
I recently visited at the home where George resides. He has repeatedly expressed deep appreciation for the people in his life other than family members. Some of these were Rastus Madson of Mount Pleasant, Parley Madsen of Manti, Cameron Brinkerhoff and Leo Bowns of Provo, Emery King known as the King Bros. Teasdale.
When he was 22 years old his real mother Mrs. Anderson came to Torrey from Emery about 5 miles to ask forgiveness for giving him away. Although his hurt was extremely deep, and her apparent guilt a gnawing agony he calmly told her that there was nothing to talk about and that he was grown now and expressed the love he had for those who took him in and cared for him up to this time.
While working in the Henry Mountains he rode his spirited saddle horse within a half mile of his mother’s house every two weeks following the pass to Camp Boulder constantly reminded of what might have been. George was working for the King Brothers living in the Henry Mountains when he got his hands frozen. He visited at Paulsen’s Café very often. It was on one of these visits to Richfield when because of a terrific storm he fell dazed from the winter cold into the deep snow drift barrow pit. Because he was on his way back to the Henry Mountains he was all alone in the dark of the night. He said, “I will always be grateful to the girl who worked in Pace’s Clothing Store in Richfield. She was on her way to work the next morning when she noticed him nearly frozen to death and summoned help. Officers came to his aid, took him to the Richfield hospital where his serious condition necessitated immediate amputation of all fingers to the middle joint. This old man at 86 has not forgotten the bitter agony of this accident. He said, “I was in the Richfield Hospital for 53 days and all the hospital attendants were so nice to me". Jess Keller was the one who picked George up at the hospital. He stayed with him for a few days then he went to Provo for medical help. He told Jess and Halbert Keller they would reject him when they saw him but the hospital attendants were very kind and considerate. This was in 1951 and he stayed one month because he had the flu and it developed into pneumonia.
He went back to the Keller farm for a while then returned to work for the King Brothers now able only to do little kid jobs like tending the rams etc. He received $100 a month for this. George did not have a home after the Keller’s died and he missed them and the kindness they gave him. After his mother and step father left Emery they went to Price and that is where they died. George would like to know his real mother’s name and also where she is buried. Anyone knowing anything about this he would appreciate if this information could be relayed to him. Neil Nielsen Manti/Sterling resident had often told him that he was born in the room next to where he lived. How sad it was the Neil could not have told George more before he passed away at his home in Sterling.
It was most pleasant to visit with George to have him relate various incidents in his life. I hope that sometime soon you can take time out to visit with him. To those who may have any facts concerning Mr. Keller, I would appreciate hearing from you.
George's Discovery
I could not find any mentioning of Brewer Cave in our family history. According to sources shared online,
"Sometime after the turn of the last century, young George Keller and a lad named Lone Eagle were playing among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains above the farm owned by George's father near Manti, Utah... Coming to a massive overhang, the Indian boy pointed to a hole in the mountain side and explained, "This is a special place, the Cave of the Great Spirit. My father says it is the holy place of a people who are dead, and that a Great Chief protects those who are buried there. My father was shown this place by his father when he was a kid. You are the only person other than our people who knows about this place. You must promise not to tell anyone of our secret! Follow me and I will show you inside." The friends explored the site together, and from the cave floor George picked up a few flint heads to play with in his room back home. Over the years, he kept his promise and never told anyone about the chamber guarded by the spirit of a great Indian chief. Lone Eagle eventually moved away, and George worked on the Keller farm. He lived in a hillside shed above the farm, not far from the cave of his boyhood experience, to the east. But he rarely visited the site again and took no further interest in it, until he met John Brewer, many years later."
http://www.artbulla.com/zion/batcreek.html
I could not find any mentioning of Brewer Cave in our family history. According to sources shared online,
"Sometime after the turn of the last century, young George Keller and a lad named Lone Eagle were playing among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains above the farm owned by George's father near Manti, Utah... Coming to a massive overhang, the Indian boy pointed to a hole in the mountain side and explained, "This is a special place, the Cave of the Great Spirit. My father says it is the holy place of a people who are dead, and that a Great Chief protects those who are buried there. My father was shown this place by his father when he was a kid. You are the only person other than our people who knows about this place. You must promise not to tell anyone of our secret! Follow me and I will show you inside." The friends explored the site together, and from the cave floor George picked up a few flint heads to play with in his room back home. Over the years, he kept his promise and never told anyone about the chamber guarded by the spirit of a great Indian chief. Lone Eagle eventually moved away, and George worked on the Keller farm. He lived in a hillside shed above the farm, not far from the cave of his boyhood experience, to the east. But he rarely visited the site again and took no further interest in it, until he met John Brewer, many years later."
http://www.artbulla.com/zion/batcreek.html
Here is the account of Mr. John Brewer who later re-discovered the caves as shown to him by my ancestor George Keller. These are excerpts from John Brewer's journal.
MARCH 30, 1955
Went to work for Mr. Jack Shand, in Manti. While out in the field he came and ask me to go to the Keller Ranch to get some equipment. I met a Mr. George Keller and we got to talking about the fair. I mentioned that I was going to try and set up an arrowhead collection to put on display. He then told me about a cave back of the temple hill. He told me there were lots of arrowheads there.
MAY 10, 1955
I went and looked for the place but I couldn't find it so I went and ask[ed] him again where it was but all that I could get was a laugh from him. I thought that he was pulling a fast one on me so I let it go at that. I told Jack about it and he said to offer him some wine and I might get him to tell me then.
MAY 19, 1955
I went out to the Keller place and offered him some wine with the promise that he would show me the place he had told me about a while back. He said that he would not only show me the place but he would show me the spot himself if I would get him another bottle. I got the bottle and he showed me the place. No wonder I couldn't find it, I was on the wrong hill. It wasn't on the temple hill at all but the one in back of it. I went into the cave and found 30 arrowheads right off. I went back to the truck and thanked the old man. I then ask how he came to know of the cave and he said that he and an Indian boy played there as an old hideaway. He said he had a lot of fun there.
Who Was John Brewer?
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| John Brewer and wife 1955 |
"As Brewer recorded in his personal journal for May 10, "I went and looked for the place but I couldn't find it so I went and asked him (Keller) again where it was but all that I could get was a laugh from him. I thought that he was pulling a fast one on me so I let it go at that." Nine days later, "I went out to the Keller place and offered him some wine with the promise that he would show me the place he had told me about a while back. He said that he would not only show me the place but that we would go in! "No wonder I couldn't find it; I was on the wrong hill. I went into the cave and found 30 arrowheads right off. I went back to the truck and thanked the man. I then asked how he came to know of the cave and he said that he and an Indian boy played there as an old hideaway."
"Nearly twenty years later, I was personally introduced to John Brewer, and he told me about his discovery of the Manti cave in an area behind Temple Hill. We met at Provo, Utah, in the company of Dr. Paul R. Cheesman, head of Book of Mormon Studies in the Department of Religion at Brigham Young University. Brewer impressed me as a soft spoken, kindly man, but without much worldly experience. He told us about his encounter with old George Keller and the difficulties he experienced while locating the secluded cave. In his search for more arrowheads at the site, he was surprised to find a set of stone steps carved into the cave floor. Clearing away some debris, he claimed the steps led to an entrance of a "tomb." Entering this chamber, he saw ten stone boxes. He opened five of them; they all contained small, metal plates inscribed with an unknown script. Nearby lay two large stone coffins. Opening them both, he found they contained mummified human remains. One body allegedly had red hair with skin still attached to its bones, while the other was blond."
http://www.artbulla.com/zion/batcreek.html
Here are drawings by John Brewer of the mummies known as the "Manti Mummies" that he discovered.
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| Male mummy (red hair) |
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| Female mummy (blond) |
Dr. Heinerman followed Brewer into a tunnel that had been dug on a downward track, barely
squeezing and squirming like a worm through the narrow passageway. After a short distance he
came to an opening, and reaching down felt the edge of a set of stairs that led into a chamber. The chamber was about twenty feet long and fourteen feet wide. The air was stifling and breathing was very labored. Several inches of fine dust covered everything, and puffed up with each step
that they took. About twenty-five stone boxes were stacked against one wall and another twenty against the other wall. Most were wrapped with a cover of juniper bark with pine pitch smeared all over them to make them waterproof.
In a smaller chamber were two mummies of large stature. Dr. Heinerman describes the mummies: “The texture of their skin was soft, almost moist, like tanned leather. In the cave I saw an abundance of weapons, swords, tools, copper and metal plates of various sizes, all of which were very curious. Some of the copper, plates were of a strange composition, shattering like glass into fibrous pieces, not unlike the windshield of a car, if dropped. I believe that this chamber houses at least two different ages of antiquities.”
http://greaterancestors.com/man-of-manti-utah/
The Location of Brewer Cave
When the pioneers first arrived in Manti in November 1849, they arrived to three feet of snow and very little protection. The Saints dug into a hillside, living out of caves and grottos that protected them from the ravaging winter winds and cold.
However, when spring came, the Saints quickly discovered they had tunneled into a massive rattlesnake nest, with hundreds of snakes suddenly swarming their camps. Miraculously, though, no one was injured or bitten by the snakes.
The hill that once saved the Saints physically soon became the site for a temple where Saints could obtain spiritual salvation.
http://www.ldsliving.com/Random-Interesting-Fact-The-Only-Temple-You-Could-Go-Through-Without-a-Recommend/s/83133
Here are photos taken of the area near the cave which includes a large alter-like stone, as well as cave entrance. The owner of these photos has stated,
"I read that Temple Hill was sacred to the Indians, & was one of the main reasons for Isaac Morley wanting to settle there as he was deeply interested in it. It's definitely a special place & there is probably a lot we don't know about it. The stories of the Brewer Cave, Noah's Ark launching place, Moroni's Spring, Eagle Mountain, etc. just add to the mystery of Sanpete Valley & I'd love to find out if there is any truth to any of these claims."
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thetreasuresofutah/temple-hill-cave-in-manti-t1176.html
A sacred site indeed, according to this fact site, The morning of the site dedication of the Manti Utah Temple, Brigham Young took Warren S. Snow aside and said, "Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can't move it from this spot."
Lastly, here is a video made of a presentation given by Utahna Jessop, the researcher mentioned in the beginning of this post. If you have any information to add to this post, please share!
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