Foundation Not Firm

The Foundation May not Be so Firm

 

December 26, 2010

 

Dear Rod,

 

Greetings and thank you for the well-wishes and CD.  This missive is to put forth and correct some false assumptions which you have made. These false assumptions cause an incorrect conclusion, misleading Beck and others. One false assumption seems to be that the President is “the prophet” and he can with impunity contradict the standard works.  

 

The Law of Witnesses:

 

1.      Witness no. 1 "We are told that the living oracles take precedence over all other authority, living or dead. We agree that the living oracles take precedence, provided they do not conflict with the dead oracles. `To the law and the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them.' (Isa. 8:20) If it is true that the living oracles take precedence over all others regardless of their disagreements with the dead prophets, then the Saints must necessarily change their faith every time there is a change in the presidency, to conform to the views of the new president." (Bsp. Heber Bennion, Gospel Problems, p. 6)

 

2.      Witness no. 2 Contend for the faith "once delivered" to the Ancients. The same gospel which saved Abraham must save us. "Keep the change" but give me the everlasting truth which does not change to suit the vagaries and foolish traditions and manipulations of mankind. A key: Every principle proceeding from God is eternal and any principle which is not eternal is of the devil. (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.181)  The gospel of the Ancients had power, enough power to turn rivers out of their course, and to translate two whole cities (Salem and Zion before the flood) and catch them along with their inhabitants into heaven. Any change (progress, progressiveism is of the devil, saith the Lord) which deviates from this glory is of that being (the devil) who possesses no glory, but leads to death. Gospel produces life and one cannot overdo life. "I am come that they might have life and that more abundantly". What is better than not tasting of death, but being translated as anciently? Progressiveism be damned! Journal of Wilford Woodruff, September 17, 1854: "...Brother Pratt also thought that Adam was made of the dust of the earth; could not believe that Adam was our God or the Father of Jesus Christ. President Young said that He was, that He came from another world and made this, brought Eve with him, partook of the fruits of the earth, begat children and they were earthly and had mortal bodies. And if we were faithful, we should become Gods as He was. He told Brother Pratt to lay aside his philosophical reasoning, and get revelation from God to govern him and enlighten his mind more, and it would be a great blessing to lay aside his books and go into the canyons as some of the rest of us were doing and it would be better for him. He said his philosophy injured him in a measure. Many good things were said by President Young—that we should grow up in revelation so that principle would govern every act of our lives. He had never found any difficulty in leading this people since Joseph’s death." From synopsis of radio broadcast.

3.      Witness no. 3  The Revelations of Jesus Christ: 

21  And when I the Lord God did speak unto my servant Joseph Smith, that it should be that no one should be appointed to receive Revelations and Commandments excepting my servant Joseph, I the Lord God did provide that he should abide in me, and that as long as he should abide in me, saith the Lord, then it was that he should be the one empowered to speak in my name, as moved upon by the Holy Ghost.

4.      22  And my servant Joseph, saith the Lord, did abide in me, even unto the end.

5.      23  And how much greater, saith the Lord, is my servant Joseph in mine eyes than those whom ye sustain to be your presidencies?

6.      24  For the powers of the Priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and may not be controlled nor handled except upon the principles of righteousness, saith the Lord God.

7.      25  And if it should be that the Presidencies of my church, saith the Lord, should fall into transgression, then they also, shall not have power to speak in my name, for the welfare and benefit of my Saints, or the members which comprise my Church, saith the Lord.

8.      26  For is it not written that I the Lord your God, even Jesus of Nazareth did say while in my power among the Jews, that if thine eye which seeth for thee, him that is appointed to watch over thee to show thee light, become a transgressor and offend thee, pluck him out?

9.      27  It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God, with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

10.  28  And  did I not speak unto my servant Joseph concerning the manuscript of the Book which he had been called upon to translate, that although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he  must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him?

11.  29  And how much greater, saith the Lord, was my servant Joseph than those whom ye, ye perverse and stiffnecked generation, sustain as your presidents?

12.  30  For even Lucifer, wast he not given authority, before the world was made?

13.  31  And did I the Father not cause him to be cast out, even though he be my son?

14.  32  And if I the Father of heaven and earth spared not them who were deceived from before the foundation of the world, do ye imagine in your hearts O vain man, that I will spare thee, even if it should be that all perish?

15.  33  Yea, even though it should be easier that a hand be cut off, yet it be better to retain heaven with one hand than to be cast out with two, saith the Lord.

16.  34  And this hath been a law through all time and also throughout all eternity, among them who are Gods and the Sons of God, even Eloheim.

17.  35  Are ye, ye stiffnecked and perverse generation, different than they in your iniquity?

18.  36  For all of my servants the Prophets have been first cast out from your churches and synagogues, O Israel, and then stoned and crucified and persecuted when it was that they dared when moved upon by the Holy Ghost to speak against them whom ye lift up as your Presidencies who had gone contrary to the covenants which I the Lord God did make with their fathers, even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

 

 

 

Again, thank you for the CD and the well wishes, and as they say in Spanish, “Igual!”  As you might know, I was driven out of Utah to Mexico (after my hometeacher tried to kill me) by the “Mormons” in fulfillment of Helaman 13: 

 

25 And now when ye talk, ye say: If our days had been in the days of our fathers of old, we would not have slain the prophets; we would not have stoned them, and cast them out.

Hel 13:26

 26 Behold ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil.

 

 

 

As you may know, Brigham Young and indeed Church history draws a distinction between President and Prophet.  Brigham said, “God chooses prophets.  You (the Church) do not do this.”  He also said,

 

‘‘ A man may be (the) Prophet, Seer and Revelator, and it may have nothing to do with his being the President of the Church. Suffice it to say, that Joseph was the President of the Church as long as he lived: the people chose to have it so. He always filled that responsible station, by the voice of the people. Can you find any revelation appointing him the president of the Church? The keys of the priesthood were committed to Joseph (by God, not the Church, there was no Church when that event happened), to build up the kingdom of God on earth, and were not to be taken from him in time or eternity; but when he was called to preside over the Church, it was the voice of the people; though he had the keys of the Priesthood, independent of their voice. ’’

Brigham Young JD1:133.

 

This plain doctrine has been obscured by what can only be described as misplaced zeal and a scriptural wresting of DC 43 by the ignorant.  The President of the Church is not above my law, saith the Lord. 

 

 

There are superior offices (in the Kingdom of God) than President of the Church.  We are commanded to seek first the Kingdom of God. The law you quoted at the beginning of the CD presentation, “If any man preaches contrary to the Bible, Book of Mormon, etc, set him down as an imposter.”  Joseph Smith did not make any distinctions.  Joseph did not draw any distinction between “any man” and President. He knew better. The office of President of the Church, chosen by the people, does not confer upon any man infallibility, saith the Lord. The Church has been led astray.

 

"Let this Church which is called the Kingdom of God on the earth. We will summons the First Presidency, the Twelve, the High Council, the Bishopric, and all the Elders of Israel, suppose we summons them to appear here, and here declare that it is right to mingle our seed, with the black race of Cain, that they shall come in with us and be partakers with us of all the blessings that God has given to us. on that very day and hour we should do so, the Priesthood is taken from THIS CHURCH AND KINGDOM and god leaves us to our fate. The moment we consent to mingle with the seed of Cain, the Church must go to destruction.  We should receive the curse which has been placed upon the seed of Cain, and never more be numbered with the children of Adam who are heirs to the Priesthood until that curse be removed." Brigham Young Addresses, Ms D, 1234, Box 48, Folder 3, dated Feb. 5, 1852, located in the LDS Historical Dept. SLC, UT.

 

 

9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

 10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh [unto him];

 

                                    (Ezek  14:910)

 

 

 

As Brigham also said,

I do not care who leads this Church, even though it were Ann Lee; but one thing I must know, and that is, what God says about it. I have the keys and the means of obtaining the mind of God on the subject (independent of the Church,  that is why he professed not to care),

                                    (B. H. Roberts, The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo, p.328)

 

 

Concerning the future of the United States, you seem to be ignorant of the multitude of prophecies in the scriptures concerning the collapse and fall of this hegemony known as the “beast which would wear out the Saints of the Most High” and the return of Father Adam to take away this dominion.  Also you seem to be unaware of the political Kingdom of God established with its attendant councils in the Priesthood set up by Joseph in the spring of 1844 before his death at Nauvoo, independent of the Church.  The Church had no part in this, as a body.  It is this political kingdom of God which will replace the Constitution of the United States, with a “living Constitution” and was called by Orson Pratt much superior to the stepping stone form of government Beck and others worship as an idol.

 

8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things (the United States, saith the Lord).

 9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.

 18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

 20 And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.

 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

 25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.

 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

 

                                    (Dan  7:8-9,18,20-22,24-27)

 

Surely you cannot believe Joseph was unaware of these selfsame prophecies when he was mightily moved upon to set up Councils of the Holy Priesthood which supercede the President of any Church as there are “further offices”.  “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God….”  Jesus of Nazareth. 

 

“There are more than fifty men who have more authority than you do.”  Brigham Young to Sydney Rigdon.

 

. But there are further organizations. The Prophet gave a full and complete organization to this kingdom the Spring before he was killed. This kingdom is the kingdom that Daniel spoke of, which was to be set up in the last days; it is the kingdom that is not to be given to another people; it is the kingdom that is to be held by the servants of God, to rule the nations of the earth, to send forth those laws and ordinances that shall be suitable and that shall apply themselves to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; that will apply themselves to the mother Church. * * *

      Now I want to give you these few words-the kingdom of God will protect every person, every sect and all people upon the face of the whole earth, in their legal rights. I shall not tell you the names of the members of this kingdom, neither shall I read to you its constitution, but the constitution was given by revelation. The day will come when it will be organized in strength and power.” (Brigham Young, JD 27:157-158)

 

To ignore these things or treat with indifference will put in jeopardy the salvation of every soul who does not believe and receive it, saith the Lord.

 

Thank you very much,

 

 

Art Bulla

 

 

 

 

 

• The Revelations of Jesus Christ: http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-28287-3 
• "But we ask, does it remain for a people who never had faith enough to call down one scrap of revelation from heaven, and for all they have now are indebted to the faith of another people...does it remain for them to say how much God has spoken and how much He has not spoken?"  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Two 1834-37 Pg.60
•  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843-44 Pg.365
     When a man goes about prophesying, and commands men to obey his teachings, he must either be a true or false prophet. 
•  Our website: http://www.artbulla.com
•  "All men are liars who say they are of the true Church without the revelations of Jesus Christ and the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which is after the order of the Son of God."  Joseph Smith; TPJS p. 376
• "He that can mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God's own handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know the hand wherever he can see it...." (T.P.J.S., p. 56)

·         10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (New Testament | Galatians 1:10 - 12)

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