I’ve never had so many calls, texts, and DM messages about people being so upset about the letter the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent out yesterday about vaccines. It’s kind of strange. People in a million years I’d never think would be “questioning the church” are now questioning. One person told me “My faith in the leaders have been shaken!”
I know this may come off hard to hear, but I feel I need to share this…..
If anyone’s faith is in any leader of any church, you’re bound to have a faith crisis. We have been told not to put trust in the arm of the flesh. What does that mean? It means that in the end, every single human that’s walked this planet, including yourself, will absolutely fail you. They will sin, and they will fall short. It means that if our faith isn’t in and through Jesus Christ alone, we will fail. There is no other way.
We were are supposed to sustain our human being leaders for the callings and keys they hold and perform for certain functions of the church. We are not supposed to have faith, or even trust in them. Does our temple recommend interview questions say, “Do you have faith and trust in these men?” Nope. Question number one says do you have faith in God? Do you see?
My personal opinion is that our current culture sometimes has a strange worship type feel to men who were never meant to be worshiped in the first place.
For example, as soon as you get a certain church calling you can now use the middle initial of your name. Does that give one special powers to use the middle initial? Are people who don’t have a middle initial a little less powerful? Is the doctrine of Christ to use middle initials? Or is that a well intended custom that was created by worldly tradition?
Another example is before a BYU devotional, and before a church leader is introduced in certain settings, they go through a long list of personal achievements and accolades in their life by way of introduction. They will announce all the things they’ve done good, which I understand, but sadly sometimes that well intentioned (sometimes awkward) introduction of these men seems to be even longer than their actual talk. Personally I’d actually like to hear some of the things they’ve done wrong in their life, maybe mixed with a few of their sins and weaknesses they struggle with and repented of. I’d feel a lot more normal and hopeful with my imperfect perfection, to tell you the truth.
I give these examples because in many cases we have adopted, or somewhere believed that these great men who serve are somehow greater than us, and MUST always be right. We are all the same in God’s eyes.
Yes, it’s amazing we have a prophet of God who helps guide the church on the earth, but “would that we were all prophets and would prophecy?” Like Moses once told a man who was tattling on another man for receiving revelation. No I don’t mean we are all church prophets, but prophets to our own homes and families, like it was designed by God.
The President of the Church has the right to dictate the functions of the church. However, family is not the function of the church. The church was made for families. Not the other way around. It cannot and will not become greater than the thing for which it was created. As a Father of my home, who holds the keys to MY family I quote President Oaks,
“The principle that priesthood authority can be exercised only under the direction of the one who holds the keys for that function is fundamental in the Church, but this does not apply in the family. For example, a father presides and exercises the priesthood in his family by the authority of the priesthood he holds. He has no need to have the direction or approval of one holding priesthood keys in order to perform his various family functions. These include counseling the members of his family, holding family meetings, giving priesthood blessings to his wife and children, or giving healing blessings to family members or others. Church authorities teach family members but do not direct the exercise of priesthood authority in the family.”
This may be a hard truth for those who want to perpetrate a political agenda, but it’s the truth. And to me, this letter is obviously a response coming from the church to a political agenda that threatens to hinder their worldwide operations if they do not comply. Yes, I believe this was a political letter where the government asked the church to write. Nowhere does it talk about Jesus Christ. Nowhere does it talk about HIM being the answer. Why? So many said to me, “This letter felt cold?” EXACTLY!! It was cold. Don’t you see?
id not the same thing happen to the Utah saints last year when the area authorities wrote a letter “urging” the mask. Some said it was from God. Some could read through the lines with the spirit. Think about it, only Utah saints are special enough to receive such a letter for our “health and safety”? Why didn’t Idaho saints get such a letter? If it really was from God, why didn’t ALL the saints get the letter? Are they not worthy of the mask? Well, we later found out that it was in fact the Utah government who asked church leaders to write the letter. As a former government official, I know first hand how some government leaders will DO ANYTHING to want to control people, including and ironically using their political agenda in the name of God and using God. Our Utah governor, Spencer Cox, literally said he believes the mask is equal to the “serpent” from Moses time. The serpent represented Jesus Christ. That was his tweet months ago. Don’t you see?
This is why we must have the spirit of discernment. Could I be wrong? Yes. But whether I’m right or wrong, that’s why President Nelson said last year, “It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.”
What’s going to happen when things really start falling apart and some corrupt Government officials really start gripping down with more control? What amendments have they been attacking? Clearly the 1st, right along with the second. What’s going to happen when those same government officials have the church write a letter that says, “Turn in your guns?” Will that be revelation? What about “Turn in your personal property to the state.” What will you do then? Don’t you see?
Believe it or not, many people actually did go to God about this vaccine, and many people did receive direct revelation for them and their families. I did. Personally when I’ve gone to and asked God about this topic, I’ve been told, by Him, not to tamper with this experimental clinical trial drug for me and my children. Further, Covid has been in my house and our antibodies and God given immune systems have already done their job as promised in Doctrine and Covenants section 89. So if you’ve had covid, why would you need a vaccine? The fact that the letter didn’t mention ANY exceptions, let alone talking about Jesus, was why I believe it was NOT a spiritual letter at all. Not even close.
Brigham Young once said, “I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self security. Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not.”
Many people possibly wouldn’t have gone to God and just did as they were told, without question, if the policy said something like, “Saints, God has spoken, this is as important as tithing. This will now be a temple recommend question.” In other words, this is not “By way of commandment” like some are now believing.
We were all not only meant to be prophets (little p), which is simply having the gift of prophecy and testimony of Christ, but we were meant to actually receive revelation. Kinda like if we are to participate in the world’s largest human science experiment, or not, for us and our families.
“I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Rev 19:10
Now, what if all three men in the first presidency did happen to believe the vaccine was the answer for every soul on earth, but it turns our to be wrong? And what if they happen to be wrong on another policy or messaging or medical advice? Do you remember when President Monson said children couldn’t be baptized with gay parents? But then that was reversed with President Nelson? Why? Guess what guys, they too can sometimes get it wrong. Agency is THAT important to God that he allows us, and yes church leaders, to sometimes get it wrong.
“Sometimes from behind the pulpit, in our classrooms, in our council meetings and in our church publications we hear, read or witness things that do not square with the truth. This is especially true where freedom is involved. Now to not let this serve as an excuse for your own wrong-doing. The Lord is letting the wheat and the tares mature before he fully purges the church. He is also testing you to see if you will be misled. The devil is trying to deceive the very elect.” Ezra Taft Benson, Our Immediate Responsibility. BYU Speeches.
What are our ROLES? And to you men, what is YOUR ROLE specifically? What is the role of the church? Is the church really the woman like the book of Revelation says? Is the church not the bride? And is not the WOMAN going to do ALL things possible to protect? Men, are WE DEFENDING the woman properly? Or are you men trying to ask like the woman in this time of WAR? Read the letter. It literally says WAR. Are we in political positions to where we can DEFEND the woman and not become part of the DRAGON who bullies the WOMAN? “and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born? Rev 12:3
Who is going to live in The Celestial Kingdom? Leaders or followers? I believe God is trying to prepare us to become leaders. And real spiritual leaders in the eternities don’t need to be told what to do with universal principles. They act. And they act in doctrine. That’s faith.
Right now we need the Holy Ghost more than ever. We need light and we need love. I believe the greatest test we face right now in these our latter days, is if we will continue to love one another, through our own personal revelations, even if they are at odds with another’s personal revelation. I do not believe this is not whether we are a maskite or Anti-maskite a vaxite or an anti-vacite, but do we truly love one another through our disagreements OR specific missions only WE were given individually.
If Jesus really is coming like Prophets and scriptures tell us, what happened to the part of the story where wicked and corrupt governments take over? Secret combinations? Wicked high priests? Did we just miss that part of the story? Or is our society so amazingly worthy of Jesus coming to just tidy up a little before the millennium? The church was never meant to fight back against the evil. We were with God Himself. The church won’t save you, only Jesus can do that.
Who do we have faith in?
I want to personally testify that I know President Nelson is the Prophet of the church that’s been restored back to the earth. And more importantly I want to testify that Jesus Christ is the light and life of the world. He is my Strength and my Fortress, not any man. Christ is who I try to follow, not a man. He’s the one who will save us, not his church. Without Him in my life I would be nothing. My Faith is in Him.
Here’s my perspective (video below) on just a few more details concerning the LDS church, freedom, and liberty in the last days. I hope you will find some comfort, if any. This is just the beginning, gang. The church (woman) is going to be sending out a lot of letters that may not make sense. Get the Spirit. Buckle up, keep your arms and legs inside, and hold on tight to your principles, we are in the last days.
Eric, you certainly have the keys to receive revelation for your own family, but when you start speculating that President Nelson’s counsel is politically motivated, not inspired, or outside his role, this is fault-finding and evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed. And when you tell thousands of people that a prophetic counsel is “political”, shouldn’t be followed, and shouldn’t have been issued in the first place, that’s the exact definition of apostasy.
It sounds a lot like what Church members say when they enter into same-sex marriages, get transsexual operations or support their family members who do, or ignore counsel that isn’t a “commandment” like don’t get tattoos, body piercings, gambling, and the like. “I prayed about it and God told me it’s not right for me.” “The prophet is just a man, he makes mistakes just like all of us.” “It’s not a commandment, it’s just a teaching/policy and those can change.” People find all manner of ways to set at naught prophetic counsel.
Your use of the quote from President Benson (that refers to local leaders) is interesting, it sounds like you are saying that President Nelson’s counsel is a tool of Satan to mislead and deceive. That doesn’t sound right. Consider how this quote from President Benson might be more relevant to you:
“Sometimes there are those who feel their earthly knowledge on a certain subject is superior to the heavenly knowledge which God gives to his prophet on the same subject. They feel the prophet must have the same earthly credentials or training which they have had before they will accept anything the prophet has to say that might contradict their earthly schooling. How much earthly schooling did Joseph Smith have? Yet he gave revelations on all kinds of subjects. … We encourage earthly knowledge in many areas, but remember if there is ever a conflict between earthly knowledge and the words of the prophet, you stand with the prophet and you’ll be blessed and time will show you have done the right thing. The prophet does not have to say ‘Thus saith the Lord’ to give us scripture.
Sometimes there are those who argue about words. They might say the prophet gave us counsel but that we are not obliged to follow it unless he says it is a commandment. But the Lord says of the Prophet, ‘Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you.’ (D&C 21:4.)” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/…/chapter-11-follow…
You’re not the first person to “read between the lines” of prophetic counsel, find parallels in scriptures somewhere, and declare that you know more than the prophet and that he is mistaken or manipulated, even as you draw near to him with your lips. Denver Snuffer, Matt Gill, Bo Gritz, Roger Billings, Terrill Dalton all in the last twenty years valued their own understanding over prophetic counsel, and each left the church, broke their covenants, and took dozens or hundreds of people with them. They have that judgment on their heads and I pray you don’t follow their lead by putting your political views over your testimony and encouraging your fellow Saints to do the same.
Very well said. This is the full quote from Brigham Young.
“I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p 209).
Blindly following the mantra of “Follow the Prophet” means that you believe him to be infallible. Prophets make mistakes. Some notable ones are Joseph Smith and the 116 pages and the Kirtland Bank. Then there’s Brigham Young and his enacting the ban on blacks holding the priesthood and his Adam-God theory. More recently was in 2015 when Pres. Monson’s banned children under 18 form being baptized who had same sex parents. That was overturned in 2019 by Pres. Nelson. I believe in following the prophet after the Holy Ghost confirms to me what the prophet says is true.
Some excellent points to consider. I take exception to this line:
“Do you remember when President Monson said children couldn’t be baptized with gay parents? But then that was reversed with President Nelson? Why? Guess what guys, they too can sometimes get it wrong. Agency is THAT important to God that he allows us, and yes church leaders, to sometimes get it wrong.”
Not to say that I know you’re wrong or that they never get it wrong, but things can be changed without the previous prophet “getting it wrong.” Often things change because of the Lord’s timing. (E.g. Think of the gospel being preached not during, but AFTER Christ lived on the earth, or the black members of the church not being allowed to have the priesthood up to a certain time.)
I did not know that the government asked The Church to write a letter. Shameful that The Church complied! Later, when a letter did come out to the entire Church membership, do you know if that letter was also a response to a government demandment?( I love that you coined that word BTW)