Saturday, August 1, 2015

This post like some of the others on this blog is long; however, very relevant to the subject:  the subject being, "The Greater Portion".   There exists on the earth today various individuals who actually believe the scriptures as well as Joseph Smith who "beg" us to make our calling and election sure.  I continue to quote Amonhi as one of many who has, with his wife, accomplished that.

Here is his story:

 
Postby Amonhi » Fri Jul 31, 2015 5:49 am


I have a very strict policy not to share personal information related to my history. This is me following the spirit and not keeping that policy. 

I think that some of this information might add some example and meaning to some of my counsel which has been hard for some to accept because it goes against their understanding of how we should interact with God.

I was raised in the church and in my early teens I demanded that God respond with the threat that if He didn't then either 1) He wasn't there, 2) He was there but didn't have the power to respond in a way I could recognize or 3) He was there and had the power to respond but didn't care about me enough to respond, all of which was reason for me not to 1) Believe in Him, 2) respect Him as a God, 3) Care about Him and so would leave the church principles and teachings of a clean, moral life and would walk my own path which included drugs, sex, other fun like the other young teens my age were doing and making fun of me for not doing. I also told Him that if He did respond, I would Know that 1) He did exist, 2) He was powerful enough respond in a way I would recognize and 3) He cared about me enough to hear and communicate with me and that He would deserve my respect and I would do my utmost to obey and follow Him to the best of my ability. He had one change and it was that moment. 

He responded in a VERY powerful way that I could not refute. It was a very powerful turning point in my life.

A few years later, also in my teens, I had a terrible experience and demanded of God in a very angry and blaming tone, "How could you let this happen! I have done everything you told me to do and you are supposed to protect me from stuff like this!" To which He immediately responded in an equally passionate and direct tone, "I told you how to prevent this 3 times and you heard it but didn't listen!!" And I immediately remembered each of the three warnings that were VERY clear and direct via the Holly Ghost. And so I learned how to recognize the still small voice.

I have counseled others to not pray idly pray but to "demand responses from God" and "put something on the line so that you are risking something. Make it real. Make it count." I have given this advice from my own experience as I found that breaching the veil for me, and for others I have known required an attitude that I encapsulate with the word "demand". Others don't like the idea of demanding answers from God, but I don't know what else to call it or say that I did above. I learned to expect answers when I needed them, the moment I needed them. (I am somewhat impatient I guess.) 

Anyway,
I had memorized all seminary answers before serving a mission, (pray, read scriptures, attend church, obey leaders, pay tithing, etc.). But I was really very unstudied. I read the BoM before my mission like most people were you read each word and by the end of the chapter you don't know or remember anything you just read or only barely got the story line. 

On my mission, I began to study and learn what the scriptures had to say and realized that what the members believed and were taught didn't match up to what the scriptures said. I marked each scripture which required me to know what each verse meant or which doctrines it applied or related to. So, I began teaching what the scriptures said in church and pointing to them as the source while still serving as a missionary and people were astounded and thought I was wise. I simply followed the Lords counsel, 
Doctrine and Covenants 11:21
21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.

Once I had obtained the word through study, the Lord through the still small voice told me the moment I needed an answer what it was with scripture references and cross references. There were a few occasions when I needed some information that wasn't found in the scripture and He gave me a vision showing me in graphic detail the answer, once He pulled a nasty little trick where I read pages of information out of my own set of quad (scriptures) which was from the original text, (as written by Moses, except in English of course), which gave me great insight and detail into a particular concept. It was a nasty little trick because I couldn't go back and reread it, mark it or reference others to it because it wasn't really there. a Year later, the week I returned from my mission and had access to the internet, I looked it up and found that it was accurate to what I read but I had a little more detail than the scholars who spent their lives studying the history of those things.

Like most LDS, I married shortly after returning home while in college. My wife and I got our C&E shortly after we were married, (About 16 years ago now), Joined the Church of the Firstborn, met Christ then met God (Father and Mother), kept having revelations and visions, meeting with the Firstborn, nearly mastered receiving revelation and visions, etc. Until as expected from hindsight, but unexpected from my TBM world view, My wife and I began to have little clashes with my local leaders who were far behind behind us in their own spiritual progression and relied heavily on what I now understand to be correlated doctrine, and yet demanded obedience and wanted to play the role of god in our lives.. You know how leaders are, "God put me in this position, and God put you under me. I am your judge, and I hold your salvation in my hands. As far as you're concerned, I am God over you!"

Some were better leaders than others, but as the lord pointed out,
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, (including leaders in the church), as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. - D&C 121:39


So, we took our plight to the Lord who said,
41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion[/u], by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. - D&C 121

He explained that these verses were talking about leaders in the church who have the priesthood conferred on them and with it were given position in the priesthood and used that position and priesthood to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men (whom they believed to be under their stewardship in and out of the church). And as a result they didn't have true priesthood, ie. the powers of heaven, ie. couldn't cures or bless, ie. couldn't forgive or ascribe sin and were not recognized by God as having any validity beyond the grave, (See D&C 132:7-14). We, my wife and I, were both then called, ordained and sealed as High Priests by angels to be missionaries for the Church of the Firstborn as described here:
11 Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel—twelve thousand out of every tribe?
A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.

And we have served diligently with others who have had similar experiences to do just that.

With that introduction, I invite you to read my first thread on this forum which was written to fulfill my calling and mission, "The Fastest Way to Make Your Calling and Election Sure"

And encourage you to consider obtaining a copy of Elliaison's "The Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Making Your Calling and Election Sure" written by multiple contributors who have he same calling and mission.

Yes, I have researched quite a bit, but as Joseph Smith pointed out,
"Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject" (TPJS, p. 324; cf. HC 6:50).

He also declared that
"the best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask it from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching" (TPJS, p. 191).


I would like to add that while I am a prophet, I don't want to be your prophet. It is not my intention to set myself up as a standard or a leader to be followed. My wife and I adamantly reject followers and have gone to great lengths to prevent Prophet seekers like those who commonly put their faith in President Monson and the other 14 men who lead the LDS church or put their faith in Denver Snuffer and go to him with every little question regarding how to live their lives and what to do to build and live in Zion, etc. If you ask me a stupid question like, "what kind of tooth paste does God want me to use?" I will likely give you a stupid response like, "You tell me some irreverent information first and declare it to be God's will and then I will answer your question in like manor."

My goal is the Lord's goal as spelled out in the Preface to Doctrine and Covenants as given by the Lord,
17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;

18 And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—

19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—[/color]

20 But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;

We don't need more prophets over you, we need more prophets OF you.

Peace,
Amonhi