With the obscene spectacle of the opening of the Olympic Games—its mocking Jesus’ Last Supper and its rearing up the Golden Calf that Israel worshiped in the wilderness—a new low has ingratiated itself into western civilization. Now is laid in plain view where the narcissistic woke trend that has infected formerly Christian nations is leading […]
The End-Time Reign of the Powers of Chaos Read More »
As humanity grows ever more corrupt and God’s Day of Judgment upon the world looms near, many who believe the prophecies of Isaiah and the Book of Mormon wonder at what point God’s servant will come on the scene. According to the Lord’s “pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived” (Doctrine &
The Timing of the Coming of God’s End-Time Servant Read More »
Question: If the scriptures define the restoration of the gospel as the “beginning,” “commencement,” or “foundation” of the Lord’s great and marvelous work (I have wondered about this for a long time), is current missionary work and temple building, which were instituted by the prophet Joseph Smith, still a part of that beginning of gathering
Question about Which “Israel” Has Been Gathering Read More »
Because literary structures and patterns form an integral component of the prophecies of Isaiah, it is essential to learn them if we would understand these prophecies’ meaning. Those who balk at the idea of their having to “analyze” them, who are scared off by the word “literary” and want Isaiah’s words reduced to their lowest
The Significance of Isaiah’s Literary Structures—Part One Read More »
Question: How do the seven laws of Noah, which some people advocate, relate to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Answer: The so-called “Seven Laws of Noah” or “Seven Noahide Laws” are a universal moral code formulated by Jewish rabbis for non-Jews. While several of these laws overlap with the Ten Commandments God gave Moses, all
Question about ‘Seven Noahite Laws’ Taught by Rabbis Read More »
As a pivot point on Isaiah’s spiritual ladder, the Jacob/Israel level consists of people in the world who believe in the true God—the God of Israel—but who are ambivalent about repenting of transgressions. That includes persons who go through the motions of religious worship but who don’t know what it is they need to repent
God’s Laws Pertaining to Isaiah’s Seven Spiritual Levels Read More »
Question: Where does the Jewish expectation of a “messiah the son of Joseph” come from, and how does it relate to a “messiah the son of David”? Answer: Jewish tradition espouses the idea of four messianic persons, the additional two being Elijah and a righteous high priest. It derives these expectations from a wide variety
Question about Messiah the Son of Joseph and Messiah the Son of David Read More »
Nephi’s prophecies of the end-time restoration of the Jews identify two phases: (1) after they have been “scattered among all nations . . . for the space of many generations,” they are at some point “persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind; and (2)
A False Messiah which Should Deceive the People Read More »
Question: When I tried to interest my bishop in the words of Isaiah, he instead encouraged me to listen to the words of the living prophets. Another church member told me to be careful with the words of Isaiah, that they cause people to leave the church. Do the scriptures suggest what we should do
Question about Not Searching the Words of Isaiah Read More »
When the angel of the Lord asks, “Who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10), he is speaking of less-than-glorious conditions under which Jewish returnees from exile in Babylon sought to reestablish Jerusalem and its temple. In comparison to the prophesied end-time restoration of all twelve tribes of Israel, what has been called
A Day of Small Things Read More »
Question: Some say the living prophets supersede the dead prophets. I’m confused because aren’t all scriptures true and of God? What do the scriptures themselves say about this? Answer: Scriptural patterns show that every generation of prophets supports and builds upon those previous to it. No scriptural precedent exists of one generation of prophets’ abrogating
Question about Living Prophets vs. Dead Prophets Read More »
Scriptural definitions of what constitutes a prophet start with Moses: “If there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known to him in a vision and speak to him in a dream.” With Moses, however, Jehovah speaks “mouth to mouth, in plain sight” (peh el peh. . . umar’eh; Numbers 12:6–8). By
What Is a Prophet? Read More »
