Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The Sword of Laban and the Pledge of Joseph

"I will die for you!  Will you die for me?"  Joseph Smith to the Nauvoo Legion
 
Listening to "The Sword of Laban and Joseph's Pledge" by Art Bulla on #BlogTalkRadio  http://t.co/dw7Dynw
 

The Sword of Laban and Joseph's Pledge

by Art Bulla
Tue, Jul 5, 2011
 

  Sword of Laban not to be sheathed until "the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of our God and his Christ".  Sword sat upon a "large table" unsheathed.  This has to do with the political Kingdom of God which shall smash in pieces the image with feet of iron and clay mixed seen by Nebuchadnezzar and explained in Daniel.  The political Kingdom of God must rule in the earth for the prayer prayed by Jesus to be fulfilled:  "Father thy will be done and thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven..."  The earthly pattern must conform authoritatively by revelation through the Lord's anointed and by commandment from him in the name of Israel's God.  This must be the man (there is never but one on the earth at a time) receiving revelation from Israel's God which are written, and contain "thus saith the Lord", not manifestos which are lies.  President of the Church is not the Lord's anointed, saith the Lord.  The people choose their president, but God chooses his prophet, and they are not the same, as in the case of Samuel and Eli, and Saul, showing anointed (Samuel) controlled kingship and was the oracle of God to the High Priest (President).  Further offices explained.  Book of Mormon shows this order:  

1 AND now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma (their President). And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah (anointed). And Mosiah consulted with his priests (Council of 50--political Kingdom of God, which is independent of the Church--"further offices" spoken of by Brigham Young. 
            (Mosiah  27:1)

 

While the Prophet Joseph Smith was in Fayette, the Lord revealed that Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris were to be three special witnesses who would be permitted to see the gold plates (see 2 Nephi 27:12; Ether 5:2-4; D&C 17). They, along with Joseph, would be able to testify of the origin and truth of this ancient record.
David Whitmer explained: "We went out into the woods, near by, and sat down on a log and talked awhile. We then kneeled down and prayed. Joseph prayed. We then got up and sat on the log and were talking, when all at once a light came down from above us and encircled us for quite a little distance around; and the angel stood before us." This angel was Moroni. David said that he "was dressed in white, and spoke and called me by name and said 'Blessed is he that keepeth His commandments.' A table was set before us and on it the records were placed. The Records of the Nephites, from which the Book of Mormon was translated, the brass plates, the Ball of Directors, the sword of Laban and other plates." 5 While the men were viewing these things, they heard a voice that said: "These plates have been revealed by the power of God, and they have been translated by the power of God. The translation of them which you have seen is correct, and I command you to bear record of what you now see and hear." 6
Soon after this event, Joseph Smith showed the plates to eight additional witnesses, who handled them in a secluded setting near the Smith family home in Manchester, New York. The testimonies of both groups of witnesses are recorded at the beginning of the Book of Mormon.

   (Our Heritage A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, p.5)
Sword-of-laban

The Sword of Laban

"You hear a great deal said about finding money. There is no difficulty at all in finding money, but there are a great many people who do not know what to do with it when they do find it. This is the great defect with the human family. I could relate many very singular circumstances. I lived right in the country where the plates were found from which the Book of Mormon was translated, and I know a great many things pertaining to that country. I believe I will take the liberty to tell you of another circumstance that will be as marvelous as anything can be. This is an incident in the life of Oliver Cowdery, but he did not take the liberty of telling such things in meeting as I take. I tell these things to you, and I have a motive for doing so. I want to carry them to the ears of my brethren and sisters, and to the children also, that they may grow to an understanding of some things that seem to be entirely hidden from the human family. Oliver Cowdery went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. Joseph did not translate all of the plates; there was a portion of them sealed, which you can learn from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: "This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ." I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it, and who understood it just as well as we understand coming to this meeting, enjoying the day, and by and by we separate and go away, forgetting most of what is said, but remembering some things. So is it with other circumstances in life. I relate this to you, and I want you to understand it. I take this liberty of referring to those things so that they will not be forgotten and lost. Carlos Smith was a young man of as much veracity as any young man we had, and he was a witness to these things. Samuel Smith saw some things, Hyrum saw a good many things, but Joseph was the leader."    Brigham Young; (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols., 19:, p.39)

·         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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