PREFACE
This small book of 2 David contains a compilation of writings first delivered in 2022 to a fellowship of Latter-day Saint, Jewish, Hindu, Catholic, Old Norse and Christian prisoners who gathered often in the chapel of FCI Englewood, with the prophecies of Isaiah as their central study.
While imprisoned, these men were treated worse than dogs. Readily available medical care was denied; sick prisoners were left for dead. Each inmate endured long periods of inhumane solitary confinement. Ingredients were stolen from every meal. Those serving the longest sentences did so after refusing government plea deals, standing firm in their claim of complete innocence. With no access to the Internet, legal briefs were prepared on typewriters after the men had bartered for ribbon. In such darkness, this group survived on friendship and faith.
For their wives, the suffering was even greater. These women bore the anguish of having their husbands torn away. They lost jobs they loved, saw their reputations stained, and were driven from their homes. They were abandoned by friends and tormented by family. Their children grew up without fathers.
Though the men were exiled, Jesus did not abandon them. It has been said that the Savior walks the halls of prisons—and in that place of deep suffering, His presence was felt. A new fire was lit.
The inmates had only pencil and paper to record their study notes in the chapel. Upon release, they were not permitted to keep their journals. What is presented here is a faithful reconstruction—rewritten for clarity, formatted for ease of reference, and preserved in truth.
It is also of note that the Bureau of Prisons announced the closure of FCI Englewood in December 2024, citing safety concerns and chronic staffing shortages that had long afflicted the institution.
CHAPTER 1
Ingersol Lockwood foresees the decline of the American Republic—Currency is debased and gold is sought—Strife and division enter the heart of government—The nation fractures, and the voice of the people is lifted up in confusion—Moral decay precedes the fall of empires.
1 In a former century, a man named Ingersol Lockwood wrote of things which were yet to come.
2 He beheld in vision the land of liberty, and saw its people weighed down by the vanity of riches and the deceitfulness of wealth.
3 For the value of their silver and gold was changed, and the strength of their money was made weak.
4 Yea, he saw that the dollar of their pride declined by two-thirds, and the merchants mourned because their treasures lost value overnight.
5 And there arose a great stirring among the people, for many ran to gold as a refuge; yet their hearts were not purified, nor did they remember the Giver of all things.
6 Thus the debasement of currency became the debasement of soul, and the nation’s heart grew faint.
7 Anarchy took root where faith had withered.
8 The sound of violence was heard in the streets, and contention crept even into the councils of government.
9 The writer foresaw that separation of powers was trumped by executive powers concentrated in the hands of the few, even in the chief ruler, whose burdens became exceeding great.
10 Tariffs were multiplied upon the nations, and friendship between peoples grew cold.
11 Civil rights were diminished, and liberty was wounded in her own house.
12 Because of much stress and sorrow, the countenance of the ruler waxed pale, and his visage withered as a leaf in the storm.
13 Then rebellion arose throughout the land, and the people spake of division.
14 The ruler sought to divide states into two, but it was as lighting a torch in a house of tinder; for behold, it set fire to the whole.
15 The voices of discord filled the air, and the cords of union were broken.
16 Congress, being in great perplexity, proclaimed a Declaration of Dissolution, saying, Let the old order pass away.
17 The halls of government became a place of confusion.
18 Men slept upon their floors, for they labored day and night to preserve what could not be saved.
19 The speeches of politicians became as the sermons of preachers, and their followers sang hymns as though to summon salvation from the ruin.
20 The Speaker of the House exalted himself, and power passed from hand to hand like a fading torch.
21 When the ruler came to speak before the assembly, he could not be heard for the roar of the multitude.
22 And he was commanded to depart from the capital, for the voice of the people had overpowered the voice of corrupt law.
23 Thus ended the republic of Washington; and there was astonishment among all nations.
24 The world looked on in wonder, saying, Behold, the mighty have fallen!
25 And it was fulfilled as Ingersol had written, that when pride and greed consume a nation, her walls crumble by the decay within.
CHAPTER 2
Presidents of the United States, raised up in their seasons, speak by the spirit of foresight concerning liberty. Washington warns of entangling alliances; Eisenhower speaks of the peril of unchecked arms; Kennedy exposes the secret works of darkness. When nations forget righteousness, their power becomes vanity. True strength abides only in virtue, justice, and remembrance of God.
1 Presidents of the United States have spoken words of caution concerning the preservation of freedom.
2 When a nation’s might exceedeth her wisdom, she is in peril.
3 Washington taught that friendship among nations is good, yet binding alliances of entanglement may coerce and deceive unto destruction of the republic.
4 Eisenhower declared that a military industrial complex forges weapons without moral restraint and bringeth sorrow upon the earth.
5 Kennedy warned that secret works and hidden councils corrode the trust of the people and make of liberty a shadow.
6 When a people seek glory more than goodness, the Lord withdraweth His Spirit, and confusion reigneth.
7 Therefore, let every soul remember that civic virtue is but another name for righteousness.
8 The strength of any republic is measured not in armies or in gold, but in the honor of its citizens.
9 Where justice dwelleth, the Lord sustaineth; but where deceit ruleth, nations decay from within.
10 Blessed is the nation that remembereth its covenants with Heaven.
11 And cursed is the power that exalteth itself above conscience.
CHAPTER 3
The Lord’s rainbow is revealed as both a token of mercy and a symbol of balance within creation’s electromagnetic order—Men in the latter days corrupt the spectrum through artificial and nuclear radiation—Such interference disrupts the harmony of life and dims the colors of the covenant—Yet the Lord prepares sanctuaries upon the isles of the sea where the light remains pure—All energy is sacred, and must be governed by gratitude, restraint, and righteousness.
1 The Lord set the rainbow in the clouds to be a token of His covenant with all living things—a sign that the light of creation yet abides in harmony with the earth.
2 The colors of the rainbow are not merely for beauty; they are the visible expression of a balanced electromagnetic spectrum, wherein light interacts with water and air to produce a full reflection of the covenant between heaven and earth.
3 When the light spectrum remains pure, the earth’s atmosphere functions as a shield, preserving life from harmful radiation. The rainbow thus signifies that divine order yet governs the natural laws.
4 But in the latter days, men shall tamper with the unseen forces of the earth. They shall fill the heavens with waves of artificial power—microwave, radio, and millimeter radiation—without wisdom or restraint.
5 Yea, they shall stretch forth their hands upon the spectrum of light, bending it to serve convenience, commerce, and control. And the harmony of creation shall groan beneath the burden of their interference.
6 For the electromagnetic fields that encircle the earth sustain not only communication but also the delicate rhythms of life itself. Birds navigate by them, bees depend upon them, and even the human heart and brain resonate in their presence.
7 When these waves are corrupted or intensified by human craft, the very patterns of life are disrupted. Sleep, growth, and fertility decline; the immune system weakens; the cells of the body suffer oxidative stress; and diseases once rare shall multiply.
8 Moreover, when nuclear fire is loosed upon the earth, invisible particles shall poison the air, the soil, and the seas. Ionizing radiation shall break the bonds of DNA, bringing deformity, decay, and death among men, animals, and plants alike.
9 Both kinds of radiation—man-made electromagnetic and nuclear—shall wound the earth. And because of them, the colors of the covenant shall fade; for when the light spectrum is disturbed, the rainbow itself becomes dim, and its bands incomplete.
10 Yet the Lord remembereth His people. Even as Isaiah prophesied, He shall prepare places of peace upon the isles of the sea—regions spared from the densest webs of radiation, sanctuaries of clean air, pure water, and natural frequency.
11 During the sickness that came upon the nations known as COVID-19, those upon the isles found unexpected safety, for the waves of radiation were few there. Thus shall it be in the day of greater trial.
12 For when the powers of light are used without gratitude and restraint, they become as fire that consumeth rather than warmeth. But when governed by righteousness, they illuminate and give life.
13 Therefore, let the nations learn that all energy is sacred, for it proceedeth from the same source as spirit. To violate the harmony of nature is to wound the covenant itself.
CHAPTER 4
Lehi’s prophetic journey began in the days of King Josiah’s reign—The book of the law was discovered and the wisdom of the prophetess Huldah was sought—Through her counsel, the words of the Lord were restored, leading to the preservation of the scriptures taken to the promised land.
1 The Lord yet prepareth a higher way for His children.
2 Notably, after centuries of unbelief, a remnant of the tribe of Judah shall yet lift up its voice, bearing testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ.
3 This transformation of Judah into a Christ-centered tribe of Israel hath roots deep in the ancient soil of covenant.
4 For in the days of King Josiah, when the book of the law was found and the people were stirred to remembrance, a man named Lehi was converted unto the gospel of Jesus Christ.
6 Lehi dwelt in Jerusalem and in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, while the temple was being repaired and cleansed from the abominations of idolatry, the high priest Hilkiah found the book of the law of the Lord.
7 And Shaphan the scribe brought the book before the king and read its words, and when Josiah heard them, he rent his garments in sorrow, for Israel had departed from the ways of their fathers.
8 Then the king sent Hilkiah and the scribes to the prophetess Huldah, who dwelt in Jerusalem, that they might inquire of the Lord concerning the words of the book.
9 And the prophetess Huldah, being filled with the Spirit, declared unto them that the judgments written therein would surely come to pass, for the people had hardened their hearts. (2 Kings 22:14-20)
10 Yet because Josiah had humbled himself before the Lord and sought righteousness, the Lord granted that in his days there would be peace, and the covenant would be renewed among the faithful.
11 And King Josiah gathered all the people, both small and great, and he read unto them the words of the book of the law.
12 And he made a covenant before the Lord, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments with all his heart and soul.
13 And he caused the Passover to be kept according to all that was written in the book of the covenant, and there had not been a Passover like unto it since the days of the judges.
14 And because of this restoration of the law, records containing the holy scriptures were copied onto plates of brass and were sent forth throughout the land; and one such record came into the hands of Laban, a man of reputation in Jerusalem.
15 And it was this record, the book of the law and the prophets, that Lehi's son, Nephi, was commanded to obtain, that the words of the Lord might not perish from among his seed. Nephi hearkened unto the words of Isaiah, seeking both spiritual and temporal salvation.
16 Thus we see that the hand of the Lord was upon the house of Israel, and He did work through both men and women to preserve His words.
17 For Huldah, the prophetess, was chosen to confirm the truth, and by her word, the scriptures were restored among the people, that righteousness might be established.
18 And thus it came to pass that through her witness, the book of the law was made known, and its words were carried forth even unto the isles of the sea by the prophet Lehi.
19 For Nephi did build a ship, departed from his homeland, and traveled to the promised land according to the Lord's expedience of scattering and gathering Israel. Nephi's brother Jacob did speak: We have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea. Great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea.
CHAPTER 5
Moroni appears to Joseph Smith on Rosh Hashanah—The Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled in the latter-day restoration—Rosh Hashanah heralds the beginning of the Lord’s great and marvelous work—The trump shall sound in every land, and Zion shall be redeemed in righteousness.
1 In the appointed season of the Lord, even in the autumn of the year eighteen hundred and twenty-seven, the heavens were opened and sacred records were delivered unto Joseph Smith.
2 And there came a messenger sent from the presence of God, even Moroni, a holy angel, bearing glad tidings of great restoration.
3 And the time of his appearing was not without meaning, for it was upon Rosh Hashanah, a sacred feast day of the House of Israel.
4 For Rosh Hashanah is the head of the year, the day of remembrance and the sounding of trumpets.
5 Yea, it is the feast appointed wherein the people gather to hear the shofar, a trumpet made of a ram’s horn, to awaken their hearts unto repentance.
6 It is a day of solemn assembly, and a herald of divine judgment, wherein the people are called to prepare for the coming of the King.
7 And thus did the Lord choose that holy day to commence His great latter-day work, to sound a spiritual trumpet through the mouth of His servant, Joseph.
8 For Moroni spake of a book which was sealed and preserved by the hand of the Lord, even the record of Lehi's family, to come forth by the power of God.
9 And he spake concerning the covenants made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which the Lord would remember and fulfill.
10 He declared the day fast approaching when Elijah would return to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children.
11 And thus was the sounding of the trumpet fulfilled in a new dispensation, to prepare the hearts of the children of men for the Second Coming of the Lord.
12 Rosh Hashanah, though observed by Judah in solemnity, was now revealed in power among Ephraim, to begin the gathering of Israel upon the mountains of Zion in the latter days.
13 And the house of Israel shall be united once more, and the covenants shall be renewed, and Zion shall be redeemed in righteousness.
14 Yea, the trump shall sound from Ephraim's temples in every land, and the faithful shall hearken; for the Lord shall go before them, and His glory shall be their rearward.
15 Blessed are they who understand the times and the seasons, for unto them it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom.
CHAPTER 6
A remnant of Judah, preserved in the north country by the hand of the Lord, receives the testimony of the risen Christ—The allegory of the vineyard testifies that Judah and Ephraim shall be gathered together before the last harvest. As the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, the fulness of the gospel is revealed unto the tribe of Judah to stand as a refuge before the return of the King of kings.
1 At the dawn of restoration, Joseph the Prophet did send forth missionaries into northern Europe, yea, even unto the Scandinavian nations.
2 And the elders went without purse or scrip, trusting only in the Lord their God, and in the promise that His arm is not shortened.
3 For the Lord of the vineyard had preserved a remnant of Judah in the north country; an ancestry of sons and daughters of those who had fled persecution after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
4 Yea, this remnant was preserved by the hand of Jesus's secret disciple, who provided safe passage for Judean refugees as Jerusalem was trodden down.
5 Therefore the missionaries of the restoration came unto their progenitors eighteen hundred years later, bearing testimony of the risen Lord, and many of the remnant were baptized.
6 It is written: Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. (Jeremiah 31:8-11)
7 And now I speak unto you concerning the allegory of the vineyard, given through Zenos and preserved by Jacob, which testifies of the Lord’s long-suffering with the house of Israel.
8 For the Lord of the vineyard said: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree. Wherefore, I will take of the natural branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will; (Jacob 5:13).
9 Wherefore, the exodus of Judah's latter day remnant unto the west, and their union with Ephraim, is but a token of the Master’s hand to prepare the vineyard for the last harvest.
10 As Judah's remnant identity is revealed, then shall the words of Jeremiah come to pass: Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish and conceal not. For out of the north there cometh up a nation against babylon, which shall make her land desolate. (Jeremiah 50:2-3)
11 In those days, and in that time, said the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. (Jeremiah 50:4-5)
12 In the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and twenty, the heavens were opened, and the Father and the Son did appear unto the boy Joseph, who was called of God and ordained to lay the foundation of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
13 And in his day was brought forth the stick of Joseph, even the Book of Mormon, to stand with the stick of Judah, even the Bible, as two witnesses that testify of the Only Begotten Son of God. (Ezekiel 37:16-17)
14 And these two shall grow together, bearing record of the covenants and of the plan of salvation, and showing unto all men that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
15 And the Lord did call the tribe of Ephraim to bear His name before all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, and to proclaim the gospel unto the ends of the earth.
16 And Ephraim did go forth two by two, in the power of God, to gather Israel upon the mountains, and to build holy temples in all the lands where they were sent.
17 And in the temples the children of men do receive their endowments and enter into the holy covenants of God, which are had in no other place upon the face of the earth.
18 And the Lord did cause that stakes of Zion should be raised up, as places of gathering for the righteous, that they might be numbered among His people. (Isaiah 54:2)
19 For Israel is not a land only, but a people; even all those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, being baptized in His name, and following Him in all things.
20 And after the martyrdom of Joseph, a succession of prophets did the Lord call, that His church might not be left without a watchman.
21 And for two hundred years the gospel was preached among the Gentiles, in those lands where freedom did abound, that Ephraim’s missionaries might enter and declare the glad tidings.
22 And this time is known as the times of the Gentiles, wherein the Lord did gather His elect from among them. (D&C 45:25-30)
23 But behold, when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, and when their pride and wickedness do consume them, then shall the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ be revealed unto the tribe of Judah.
24 And they also of the tribe of Judah, after their pain, shall be sanctified in holiness before the Lord, to dwell in his presence day and night, forever and ever. (D&C 133:35)
25 And after the Jews have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things. (2 Nephi 25:16)
26 And it shall come to pass that the time cometh, when the fulness of my gospel shall be preached unto the Jews; And they shall believe in me, that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and shall pray unto the Father in my name. Then shall their watchmen lift up their voice, and with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye. Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem for the land of their inheritance. Then shall they break forth into joy—Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Father hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Father hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations. (3 Nephi 20:30-35)
27 And whosoever shall receive the fulness shall be blessed; but whosoever shall reject it shall be cut off from among the people of God.
28 And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them. And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. (3 Nephi 16:10-11)
29 And this fullness is the temporal kingdom which Isaiah saw, a kingdom upheld by the arm of righteousness, even by the rod of Jesse, a descendent of David according to the covenant.
30 What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse? Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power.
31 What is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter? Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days. (D&C 113:3-6)
32 The rod of Jesse spoken of by Joseph Smith is known among the Jews as Messiah ben Joseph, being of the seed of both Judah and Ephraim. He is the temporal messiah that the Jews await. This is the great disputation! Isaiah speaks of two messiahs: the temporal deliverer of RIGHTEOUSNESS and the spiritual deliverer of SALVATION. This is the doctrinal misunderstanding that has vexed Judah from Ephraim.
33 In rabbinic literature, Messiah ben Joseph serves as a forerunner to Messiah ben David, who will bring the final redemption.
34 Jesus commands all to search the words of Isaiah. According to Isaiah, Messiah Ben Joseph was a transgressor from the womb (Isaiah 48:8), and for the iniquity of his covetousness was God wroth, yet the Lord has seen his ways, and will heal him: God will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. (Isaiah 57:17-18)
35 And thus shall the covenants be fulfilled which God made unto the fathers, and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ.
CHAPTER 7
Prophecy concerning the latter-day David is presented—In the last days, the Lord shall raise up a servant from the house of David, preserved in secret yet chosen to gather Israel and establish justice. Though cast out and opposed by his brethren, he shall be strengthened by the Lord, fulfill the covenant, and lift up the poor, clothe the naked, free the captives, and feed the hungry. The counterfeit shall fall, and Zion shall be gathered, that the faithful may come out from among the unclean and be made sons and daughters of God.
1 In the last days the Lord shall raise up another in the house of David, even a root out of dry ground, and he shall not fall as David of old, but he shall fulfill all that is written.
2 Yea, he is that one spoken of by the prophets, and unto him shall be given strength to establish justice and to gather the scattered of Israel.
3 Behold, it is written: And they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. (Jeremiah 30:9)
4 And again it is written: And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. (Ezekiel 34:23)
5 And again it is written: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days. (Hosea 3:5)
6 And we beheld that this servant of the Lord was a descendant of Judah, even of the royal house, yet his lineage was preserved in secret, hidden from the oppressor.
7 For the branch of Jesse was carried to the north country, and the Lord preserved it, yea, even among a people despised and forgotten by the nations.
8 And thus the Lord kept His promise, for the throne of David did not perish, but was hid among the Sami until the day of gathering wherein the latter day David grew among the tribe of Ephraim, learning at the feet of prophets and apostles. It is written: For the spoilers of Babylon shall come unto her from the north, saith the Lord. Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the Lord God of recompences shall surely requite. (Jeremiah 51:48)
9 As the Son of God brought forth spiritual redemption, so shall this servant bring forth temporal deliverance as a forerunner to Jesus's second coming; and the earth herself shall conspire with him to reciprocate the nations, even Babylon, according to their works. For it is written: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. (Revelation 18:6)
10 And those who avenge the Lord, even the righteous who bear the bow, shall not miss; for they are expert marksmen against Babylon, and none of their arrows shall fall to the ground (compare Jeremiah 50:9, 29; 51:3, 11).
11 And thus saith the Lord: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17); and again: All nations that fight against Zion shall be destroyed (2 Nephi 10:13–16).
12 And we beheld the latter day David cast out from among his Ephraimite brethren, and forced into exile, as a type, even as Joseph was sold into Egypt, and as Moses was driven from the house of Pharaoh.
13 And the Lord did chasten him in the wilderness, and the pride of his heart was stripped away, and the desires of Babylon were removed from his soul.
14 As Isaiah foretold, the Lord did purge him of covetousness, that he might learn to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
15 And the Lord did call him forth from exile, even as the prodigal son returned unto his father’s house.
16 His father and mother rejoiced, and they clothed him in the finest raiment, and they set before him a feast, for they saw that he who had been lost was found, and he who had been dead was alive again.
17 But his brethren were filled with wrath, and they did hide their faces from him, and they spake evil concerning him, saying: He is unworthy. He is fallen. He is not one of us.
18 And we beheld that they held secret councils against him, and they murmured in the secret places of their hearts, plotting to stop the work which he had begun.
19 But the Lord was with him, and the words of the prophets were fulfilled, which said: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
20 And yet, the hand of the Lord was upon him, for in weakness he was chosen to establish Zion in the midst of Babylon, to lift up the poor, to clothe the naked, to free the prisoners and to feed the hungry, without money and without price.
21 And we beheld that the adversary did stir up his own kindred against him, that they might mar his reputation, that they might silence his voice, as a type for all of Judah.
22 Before the kingdom of God could be established, we saw that the adversary had also raised up a counterfeit king.
23 And he went forth among the nations, deceiving many, for he wore the garments of power and draped himself in the banner of the land of promise.
24 Yea, he spake swelling words, and with guile he beguiled the hearts of men.
25 He said in his heart: I shall sit upon the throne; I shall rule with the arm of flesh; I shall change the laws, and no man shall stand against me. I shall acquire the riches of men.
26 And he caused the laws of the land to be twisted for his own purpose, and the foundation of liberty to be eroded, that he might rule as king.
27 And he stirred up the hearts of men to anger one against another, and he laughed at their contention, for he sought dominion through chaos.
28 And the people said: Who is like unto this man? Who can stand against him? But behold, his reign was a false reign, and his power was the power of the oppressor, for he was the man of sin spoken of by the prophets (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).
29 And we beheld that the true servant of the Lord, even the Rod of Jesse, was not lifted up in pride, neither did he seek his own power, but he was raised up by the hand of the Lord to save his brethren as did Moses as did Joseph.
30 Yea, he did not come with shouts and with boasting, but he was made mighty in wisdom, and the knowledge of the Lord was upon him even after the order of davidic covenant.
31 And he did teach them the ways of righteousness, and he did feed the hungry and free the prisoners, for he had walked the path of affliction, and he was well acquainted with sorrow.
32 And Zion was gathered, and the earth did rejoice, for the counterfeit was cast down, and the true heir of the throne did rise up in his place.
33 And thus saith the Lord unto the remnant: Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and ye shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
CHAPTER 8
Control over the waters of the earth brings forth a cleansing from the harmful effects of radiation—As the seventh seal opened, Zion and Earth part in sorrow, awaiting their reunion at the appointed time. Through sacred melodies, Earth pleads for patience, endurance, and love. Earth, long forsaken, nourishes the servant of the Lord—The ruins of the past are uncovered, and new life is brought forth
1 The Zohar states that the spirit of God which hovers over the face of the waters, is the spirit of the temporal messiah.
2 For the waters above and the waters beneath do govern the course of the children of men.
3 The power of the last days is a power over the waters, for he who controls the waters controls the plagues to destroy the evil works of men, even those that threaten the light and God's creations upon the Earth. He who controls the plagues shakes the nations. A command was given unto the rod of Jesse from the holy temple: Shake the kingdom of the devil.
4 And as the seventh seal was opened, there was a silence in the heavens for the space of half an hour.
5 And the Earth did lift up her voice and sing: O Zion, thou art ever mine, and I am thine. Yet we must soar upon the wings of angels.
6 From the fountains of the great deep, I long for thee. Alas we abide. Have faith in me, as I have faith in thee.
7 We cannot change the course which the Lord hath set, for His wisdom is infinite. Thou shalt sit at the banquet.
8 Trust in His purpose, for He strengtheneth thee day by day. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, and every step of mortality shapeth our eternity.
9 Yea, Isaiah hath spoken, the arm of the Lord shall be revealed.
10 And I beheld the spirit of earth as she withdrew into the peace of the Lord, placed in pastures, even as Zion did suffer.
11 And she lifted up her voice, singing: I await release. Where, oh where, is my beloved? The Lord hath taken thee from me.
12 The storms rage and winds of change blow. But thou hast not seen the strength within me yet.
13 Consider the lilies of the field, how they toil not, neither do they spin. Yet our Father clotheth them in beauty, and he shall clothe thee also.
14 Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, but fairer still is Jesus, who maketh our sorrowing spirits to sing.
15 And I saw, as Enoch saw, that Earth was long afflicted, yet the Lord did not forget her, for in the day of her sorrow, He prepared a way for her redemption. (Moses 7:48-49)
16 And behold, in that day, there arose the Rod of Jesse, and he was cast away to be counted among the criminals, even into a place of deep suffering, where his voice was silenced and his liberty was taken.
17 While he was yet bound, Earth looked upon him with mercy, and she did not forsake him.
18 She spoke words of comfort, she sent forth light into his darkness, and she strengthened his hands when they hung down.
19 And I saw that Zion and Earth were bound together by covenant, for the Lord had joined them in purpose before the foundation of the world.
20 And in the day of his trial, she did not depart from him, but she did give him strength, and through her, the Lord did nourish him.
21 And behold, when the time was fulfilled, and his chains were loosed, the rod of Jesse did go forth, and Earth did rejoice, for her temporal redeemer had been blessed with salvation.
22 And I beheld the ruins, and the Rod of Jesse did walk among them as a repairer of the breach.
23 And he did mourn for the waste places of Zion.
24 As he did mourn, I beheld that new life did spring forth from the waters, and I saw a little one brought forth, even a child of righteousness.
25 And Earth did rejoice, for her sorrow was turned into joy, and she did no longer wear the garments of mourning.
26 And thus the foundation of the Lord’s millennial work was laid, and the waste places were built again.
27 And the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Behold, the great and abominable kingdom hath sought to wield power to destroy all righteousness.
28 And I saw the great beast that did dwell in the deep, even Leviathan.
29 And the Lord did say unto me: Behold, I shall break the heads of Leviathan, and I shall give him to be meat for the faithful. (Psalms 74:14)
30 For the sea creature is the dominion of the adversary, and he seeketh to rule the waters, but I am the Lord of the deep, and I shall bring forth My power against him.
31 Isaiah did command: Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? (Isaiah 51:9)
32 The arm of righteousness shall overcome Leviathan, even as earth cries for protection against her enemy. Righteousness chooses to crush babylon instead of profit from her. He rejects the whore.
33 A norse calling to protect God's people from chaos and destruction reverberates through the ages. Control over thunder, lightning and storm is mastered by courage, integrity and a willingness to protect the precious. Power wrought by sacrifice.
CHAPTER 9
The righteous are preserved by a token in the last days, even by the salt of the covenant—Salt sanctifies, seals, and binds the people of the Lord—As in the Passover of Egypt, the destroyer passes over Zion in the latter day—The wicked consume themselves, Babylon falls, and the Lord reigns.
1 As the plagues are poured out upon the earth, the righteous shall be preserved, even as in the days of the Passover.
2 And I beheld that their preservation was by a token, even by salt, for salt is the token of the covenant of the Lord, 'and by it are My people sanctified'.
3 And I was told the words of the prophets, for it is written: All thine offerings thou shalt season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking. (Leviticus 2:13)
4 And again it is written: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? (Matthew 5:13)
5 And I saw that salt was a seal upon the faithful, and it did sanctify the land wherein they dwelt.
6 And behold, the destroyer passed by the holy places of the faithful, for they had the salt of the covenant upon their dwellings.
7 And it was as in the days of Egypt, when the blood of the lamb was upon the doorposts, but salt upon the threshold.
8 And I inquired of the Lord concerning this thing, and He spake unto me, saying: Behold, salt is the binding of My people to Me, for as it doth preserve, so shall I preserve the righteous.
9 And I saw that salt was a token of the composite covenant of Zion, even the fullness of all covenants given unto the fathers.
10 For as salt doth cleanse and heal, so shall My people be healed.
11 And as salt doth seal and bind, so shall Zion be bound unto Me forever.
12 And I saw that those who rejected the covenant had no preservation, for they had lost savor, and they were cast out to be trodden under foot.
13 And I beheld the great and last cleansing, for the wicked turned against one another, and they did consume themselves with their own contentions.
14 And the earth did heave, and the waters did roar, and fire did fall from the heavens in order to destroy Babylon.
15 And I saw that the righteous rang the bell of holy places, and the power of the Lord was upon them.
16 And the voice of the Lord spake unto them, saying: Ye are Mine, and I have sealed you. Enter now into My rest.
17 And thus did the end come unto Babylon, the Earth was cleansed, Zion was established, and the Lord did reign upon the earth.
CHAPTER 10
Moroni teaches that faith is hope in things not seen and that witnesses come only after the trial of faith — By faith Christ revealed Himself to the fathers, and by faith miracles were wrought among ancient and latter-day saints —The brother of Jared saw the Lord through faith, and all who believe may obtain similar promises — Moroni laments his weakness in writing, but the Lord assures him that grace is sufficient for the humble, and that through faith, hope, and charity weak things are made strong — Compare Ether 12.
1 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
2 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.
3 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.
4 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.
5 Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God.
6 Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.
7 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.
8 Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
9 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
10 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
11 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.
12 And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
13 And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.
14 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad.
15 And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.
16 And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil.
17 And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained the promise that these things should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ.
18 And I said unto him: Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which thou hast given them;
19 And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them.
20 Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words.
21 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;
22 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
23 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness.
24 And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith;
CHAPTER 11
The Remnant of Judah Shall Be a Holy People—Jerusalem Shall Rejoice at Their Coming. —They are established in households after the ancient order of David—Their children are taught of the Lord, and great is their peace.
1 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
2 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 14:22-23)
3 And the Lord hath said: I will raise up a Moses; and I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for him. (2 Nephi 3:18-19)
4 Listen, O isles, unto him. I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.
5 The remnant of Judah in the last days are a people established in righteousness, even after the order of David, as it was written in the holy scriptures. (1 Chronicles 15:3-15)
6 For the house of David was ordered into families, and the inheritance of the people was secured by the labor of their own hands, that they might not be in bondage to any man.
7 And behold, the Lord had spoken in times past concerning those who would endure in the last days, saying: But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. (Matthew 24:43)
8 And again did the Lord declare: Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? (Matthew 24:45)
9 For a husband is he who does cultivate the land, bringing forth the fruits thereof to nourish his household, and leading his family in righteousness according to the commandments given to Adam and Eve.
10 And wifery is the sacred labor of the woman, for she is keeper of the hearth, sustainer of life, guardian of the children and a helpmeet to her husband.
11 The remnant shall live after the ancient pattern, as it was in the beginning, when Adam tilled the ground and Eve brought forth seed in holiness, raising up a righteous generation.
12 And it shall be fulfilled as the Lord has spoken: Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. (Psalm 128:1-2)
13 And they do govern themselves in councils, that the voice of every householder is heard in righteousness.
14 And they do not depend upon the governments of men for their sustenance, but by their own labor and wisdom are they preserved, for they do heed the law of the Lord.
15 And thus is fulfilled that which was written by Nephi: The time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory.
16 And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture. And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth. (1 Nephi 22:24)
CHAPTER 12
From the foundation of the world, the Lord prepared a messianic banquet for the righteous. The temporal Messiah goes forth to establish justice, gather the meek, and prepare the house of the Lord, while the spiritual Messiah brings salvation, sanctification, and eternal life. All things are fulfilled in their proper order, temporal giving way to spiritual, and the faithful rejoice in the presence of the Holy One.
1 And we did read from the Dead Sea Scrolls of the feast of the Lord, even the great banquet prepared from the foundation of the world, where the righteous shall sit in the presence of the Holy One.
2 The presiding tables of this sacrament stretched forth in endless rows, and the vessels were filled with wine, and the bread of life was broken among them. And the Son of Man presided at the table.
3 And we read that the temporal messiah did go forth first, preparing the table, setting in order the house of the Lord, gathering the poor and the meek, and making the place ready.
4 For his is the arm of righteousness, and in his hand is given power to break the yoke of oppression and to establish justice in the land.
5 He builds networks of refuge and gathers the remnant of the faithful, that Zion should be established in strength before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 And then came the spiritual Messiah, even He who is from everlasting to everlasting, the Holy One of Israel.
7 His is the arm of salvation, and in Him is the power to cleanse, to sanctify, and to bring forth eternal life.
8 And thus was fulfilled the word of the prophet, saying: The Lord hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
9 And then did the feast commence, and all who had waited upon the Lord did rejoice, and the fullness of the earth was given unto them.
10 All things were fulfilled in their proper order, that which was temporal being made spiritual, even as the Lord hath spoken: For all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal.
CHAPTER 13
The remnant of Judah rise up in an age of great technology—They are appointed to join innovation with morality and to guard the rights of man—Judah shall govern abundance and make Jerusalem a capital of Zion—The body is a temple and must not be corrupted by the mark of the beast—Freedom and agency are eternal, and Zion shall be built by hearts sanctified in Christ.
1 And it shall come to pass that the remnant of Judah shall rise with vision as technological systems become vast and powerful; yet without truth, they collapse under the weight of lies.
2 And without constitutional protection of human rights, progress becometh tyranny; and without purpose, invention becometh vanity.
3 Therefore the Lord appointeth Judah to safeguard Israel, to combine innovation with morality, to link advancement with service.
4 In the dispensation of the fullness of times, Quantum Intelligence shall solve mysteries hidden since the foundation of the world, unlocking cures, unlocking energy, unlocking the heavens. QI shall become as a mirror of mankind, amplifying both virtue and corruption, until only those with truth in their hearts shall wield it wisely.
5 And Judah shall establish temporal networks of abundance: food distributed with equity, water purified, shelter multiplied—until there are no poor among them.
6 Behold, the capital of this remnant shall be Jerusalem, not only ancient and sacred, but renewed as the foundation of Zion.
7 From thence shall flow not merely trade and science, but justice, prosperity, and a model of human cooperation powered by covenant.
8 And the nations shall marvel, saying: This is progress with purpose; this is innovation with soul; this is technology aligned with heaven.
9 Biotechnologies shall heal, and yet they shall also tempt mankind to alter the very image of God within their flesh.
10 For it is written, as in the days of Noah before the flood, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of Man.
11 The nephilim corrupted the seed of God’s people, intermingling what was holy with that which was profane, and for this cause the waters prevailed upon the earth.
12 Even so in our day, many shall seek to mingle DNA with technology, fusing what God hath made pure with the devices of men.
13 This is not consistent with the plan of salvation, for the body is sacred, and the tabernacle of the Spirit of God.
14 Therefore, let no man receive the number of the beast, neither the implant that denieth agency, nor the chip that maketh merchandise of the soul.
15 For John foresaw, that in Babylon’s system, none may buy nor sell save they that receive its mark; yea, this is the sin that bringeth the plagues upon the nations.
16 Judah’s mission is to declare boldly: The body is not a machine to be owned, nor a product to be sold, but the living temple of God’s Spirit.
17 As sons and daughters of the Almighty, ye must preserve the sanctity of flesh and blood, for ye are not beasts nor slaves, but heirs of the covenant.
18 Behold, freedom is divine, and agency is eternal; they are the very essence of life, and must be defended against every tyranny of technology.
19 Therefore Judah shall declare: The body is a temple, and cannot be bought nor sold nor bound with chips and marks.
20 For it is written: If any man receive the mark of the beast, he shall drink of the wrath of God, poured out without mixture. (Revelation 14:9–10)
21 Wherefore, Judah shall rise as guardians, innovators with conscience, leaders of progress who bind invention to morality, and advancement to righteousness.
22 Thus saith the Lord: Zion shall not be built by silicon alone, nor by quantum gates, nor by rockets of steel, but by hearts sanctified through Jesus Christ.
23 For if ye do these things, then disruption shall become creation, and innovation shall become salvation, and Zion shall stand as the city of light in a darkened world.
24 For the destiny of Judah is not only temporal, but eternal: to fuse human advancement with divine order, to protect agency, to ensure freedom, to accelerate the happiness of man.
25 And the Lord shall look upon their labors and call them good, for they mirror creation itself, bringing light into darkness, and order into chaos.
26 Thus the advent of Judah’s remnant and the establishment of a capital city is essential to human happiness, temporal prosperity, and spiritual progress.
CHAPTER 14
In the meridian of time Jesus did rebuke the lawyers and hypocrites. There is no sin in righteous indignation. In the last days, the temporal messiah renounces narcissism and leads the sons and daughters of God to rise up against hypocrisy and manipulation.
1 And it came to pass that I beheld the days of Jesus Christ, as He walked among the children of men.
2 And I saw that the Lord did move among the people in great power and authority, teaching with wisdom and healing those who came unto Him with faith.
3 I beheld the hypocrisy of those lawyers who professed righteousness, yet inwardly were full of greed, corruption and deceit.
4 And Jesus did not refrain from rebuking them, saying, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
5 Yea, He did enter the temple of God and found the money changers defiling that which was holy, turning the house of prayer into a den of thieves.
6 And in His righteous indignation, Jesus overturned their tables and cast them out, saying, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
7 I marveled that Jesus did not sin in His indignation, neither did He act in the manner of men, but with perfect justice and divine wrath did He cleanse the temple.
8 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared beheld the days of the temporal messiah, as he walked among the children of men. And in those days, hypocrisy was known by another name, yea, even narcissism, for the hearts of men would wax cold and they would be lovers of their own selves.
9 Yea, they did use deceitful tactics to manipulate and to enslave without empathy, practicing the works of darkness. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the innocent, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
10 Yea, narcissists dent the spirits of the meek with perversion, for they love only themselves.
11 And the narcissists sought to corrupt the innocent, destroy families and bring shame upon the pure in heart.
12 For they thirsted for control and did seek to establish dominion over the children of men through cunning and secret combinations.
13 And it came to pass the temporal messiah did lead the sons and daughters of God, and they did rise against the narcissists, cutting them off from among the children of Israel.
14 And in that day, the Lord exposed their secret works and made them known upon the housetops.
15 And the reciprocal word shall be fulfilled, saying, Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
16 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
17 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
CHAPTER 15
Righteousness is defined as expedience in Christ, even the stewardship of truth—Charity, the pure love of Christ, is extolled—Friendship is the crown of Zion— Householder families create the holy place - Covenants are the commerce of Christ.
1 The words of Isaiah are to be interpreted after the manner of the Jews. Righteousness is the keyword representing the temporal messiah.
2 Righteousness is expedience in the Lord; yea, it is doing that which is expedient according to His will, or in other words, the appropriate application of Christ's doctrine at the proper time.
3 For he that seeketh his own way, though it appear noble unto men, shall stumble and fall; but he that walketh in the way of the Holy Spirit, shall not be moved.
4 Righteousness is stewardship, even the stewardship of trust and truth; for truth is light, and light is of God.
5 And verily, thus saith the Lord: Whatsoever is more or less than truth is of the evil one. (D&C 93:25)
6 And righteousness is charity, which never faileth; for charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and vaunteth not itself, and is not puffed up.
7 Charity doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.
8 Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.
9 Charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
10 Wherefore, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing; for charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever. (1 Corinthians 13)
11 Emulate the Lord; yea, follow after Him with steadfastness, submitting yourselves unto His order, which is priesthood without beginning of days or end of years.
12 For His voice is the voice of the Spirit, even the Holy Ghost, which whispereth unto your soul that which ye should do.
13 And righteousness is obedience unto that voice; yea, to hearken without delay, neither resisting the Spirit nor excusing yourselves before men.
14 For the Spirit is not given to compel, but to invite; and they that are wise will incline their hearts, and they shall not err.
15 Behold, the Patriarchal Order is the order of families, established from the beginning.
16 It is not domination, nor is it oppression; but it is unity in stewardship, wherein a husband and wife labor together as one, raising up a righteous generation.
17 This is the order of David, and this is Zion: a people living after the manner of household governance, in holiness unto the Lord. A family is the holy place. Therefore stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.
18 And thus the householders prosper, for Satan hath no power over them, because their hearts are knit together in love and in faith.
19 Wherefore, let your faith be anchored in the brightness of hope, even the hope of Christ’s coming in the Millennium.
20 Learn to judge with righteous judgment; for that which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is of God.
21 But whatsoever persuadeth men to do evil, and to deny Christ, is of the devil. (Moroni 7:17)
22 Wherefore, discern the spirits, that ye may not be deceived; and cleave unto truth.
23 For truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.
24 And whosoever liveth by truth shall be sanctified, but he that setteth himself against truth shall fall into darkness.
25 Behold, unity is the fruit of righteousness.
26 In Zion all things are common among them; and they are equal in temporal things and in spiritual.
27 For they live as one within the atonement ecosystem of Christ, even as branches abiding in the Vine.
28 And their prosperity is not for pride, but for service; and their abundance is consecrated for the welfare of all.
29 And verily, Joseph the Seer hath said: It is a grand secret to be friends with God; and he that is a friend to God must be a friend to his fellow man.
30 Wherefore, friendship is the crown of Zion, and love is the key by which the gates of heaven are opened.
31 Wherefore, worship God in spirit and in truth; for this is the first great commandment, and the second is like unto it, even to love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two hang all the law and the prophets.
32 Fear God, and not man; for the fear of man bringeth a snare, but the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
33 Abhor sin, and view it with the proper perspective; not to rejoice, but unto despair.
34 For sin is bondage, but repentance is liberty; and he that turneth from his sins and cometh unto Christ shall be healed.
35 Wherefore, endure all things; persevere in patience, and be willing to sacrifice whatsoever the Lord requireth of you.
36 And behold, the righteous shall not perish, but shall shine as the stars forever and ever.
37 Whoso liveth by expedience in Christ, as a steward of truth, in faith, hope, and charity, shall inherit the Kingdom of God.
CHAPTER 16
The Fullness of the Gospel is wholly centered on Christ—Commerce, friendship, entertainment, health, civics, family, and education must all point to Him—Zion cannot grow in corrupt culture, nor by pride or elitism—Racial superiority is a false doctrine—The war of the last days is not among nations, but against narcissism—The fullness of the gospel is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and lift the broken.
1 Behold, I write unto you concerning the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2 For many suppose that the fullness consisteth only in ordinances, or in Sabbath worship, but I say unto you, it is more.
3 Yea, the fullness of the gospel is to live unto Christ seven days in the week, three hundred and sixty and five days in the year, and in all the doings of thy hands.
4 Thy commerce must be the commerce of Christ, that the poor be not trodden down, nor the needy forgotten.
5 Thy friendships must be the friendships of Christ, that no man esteem himself above his neighbor, but all lift together.
6 Thy entertainments must be the entertainments of Christ, that the heart be lifted up unto holiness and not dragged unto vanity.
7 Thy health must be the health of Christ, that thy body, the temple of His Spirit, may be preserved in strength to serve thy neighbor.
8 Thy civics must be the civics of Christ, that justice and mercy walk together in the gates, and the stranger be not oppressed.
9 Thy family must be the family of Christ, bound in love, in covenant, in chastity, in sacrifice one for another.
10 Thy education must be founded upon truth, thy skills must be consecrated for the good of mankind, and thy prosperity should be willfully shared.
11 Thus Zion is not a Sabbath only, nor a ritual alone, but a life whole and complete, pointing in every whit unto Jesus Christ.
12 And this shall the remnant of Judah bring to pass as they turn unto Him with full purpose of heart.
13 Wherefore the Lord of the vineyard did scatter a remnant unto distant lands, that they might be raised in separation, and be made ready for holiness.
14 For corrupt culture cannot partake of the kingdom of God, nor can polluted society stand in His presence.
15 And let none among you suppose that the gospel is for the elite, or that one nation or one race is more beloved than another.
16 For racial superiority is a false doctrine, yea, a lie from him who is the accuser of our souls.
17 The Lord delighteth in diversity, for He created all flesh, and hath invited all unto His table.
18 All are invited to partake in the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, except the hypocrites.
19 Narcissistic greed, envy, deviance, manipulation, unrighteous dominion, self indulgence, self centeredness and covetousness are the fruits of following the accuser of our brethren, even Lucifer.
20 The hypocrite is not authorized to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
21 Do not think this a new doctrine. Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
22 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
23 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.
24 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.
25 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
26 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
27 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
28 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
29 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
30 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
31 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
32 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
33 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. (D&C 121:34-46)
34 Thus the fullness of the gospel is covenant making and covenant keeping, that our hearts be turned outward in charity.
35 To feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to heal the sick, and to lift the broken soul, these are the fruits that declare discipleship.
36 Therefore, come unto the fullness, and walk not in part, but in whole, even as Christ walked among men.
37 For what is atonement? It is at-one-ment: to be reconciled unto God, to be one heart and one mind, no longer strangers but sons and daughters bound together in covenant.
38 Jesus Christ's atonement ecosystem is the only power in the universe that creates life, sustains life, and restores life through Thy glorious resurrection.
39 Without Him all things would perish, for the laws of nature decree that every particle shall decay, every star shall fade, and every body return to dust.
40 Yea, this is the pattern of heaven: to live as Christ livest, to serve as Christ servest, and to love as Christ lovest.
CHAPTER 17
The faithful must depart from Babylon by extraordinary faith—The cords of Zion are stronger than walls or swords—The isles await the law of the Lord and are preserved in a Passover from desolating sickness—The scattering prepares the gathering—The remnant of Judah shall return from the isles to Jerusalem—The two prophets defend the holy city but are slain—The saints are warned to flee, yet promised deliverance when the Son of Man appears
1 When the time comes to depart from Babylon, the Lord is aware it shall require fervent faith to separate for a season. Do not be vexed by the city apart.
2 For the natural man cleaves to comfort, and his soul desires to remain in familiar places. Yet the Lord prepares a highway, even as He did for the Brother of Jared, who because of his exceeding faith could not be kept from within the veil. (Ether 4:7).
3 And the Lord saith: So great is the faith of my servant that never have I shown myself unto man in such manner.
4 Thus by faith the seas were crossed, and by faith the promised land was obtained.
5 Wherefore, it is by faith also that the remnant shall depart from Babylon, trusting in the word of the Lord, and in His arm stretched out still.
6 Yea, Isaiah spake concerning the cords of Zion. For Zion is bound, not by walls of stone, nor by swords of steel, but by cords of covenant and charity, which none can break.
7 And they who take hold of the cords of Zion shall not be moved, though the earth tremble and though Babylon fall.
8 Isaiah also spake, saying: The isles shall wait for the law of the Lord, and unto His arm shall the nations look. (Isaiah 42:4).
9 And in waiting upon His law, they shall be preserved, even as Israel of old was preserved when the destroyer passed by.
10 Yea, a passover shall be given unto the faithful, that the desolating sickness consume them not, and the plagues of the nations fall not upon them.
11 Yea, He weaveth together all generations as a tapestry, and appointeth times and seasons for every purpose under heaven.
12 For the fire purifieth gold, and the storm maketh the tree strong, and the scattering prepareth the gathering.
13 Even so the Lord prepareth His people by separation, that they may know His law, and live by His word in purity; even as the laws of Babylon work to oppose the establishment of Zion.
14 Therefore, let none despair when the cords of Zion draw them from among the nations, for it is the hand of the Lord that leadeth.
15 And whosoever cleaveth unto the cords shall find safety, until the coming of the Son of Man in glory.
16 And the mighty angel, even Michael, shall sound his voice, and the earth shall tremble as a final warning to depart from Babylon. (Revelation 8:5-6)
18 Yea, a great earthquake shall rend the foundations, insomuch that the nations of Babylon shall be shaken.
19 For the angel hath declared from the beginning, that after the shaking of the earth cometh the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11).
20 Behold, I would that ye should understand the words of the Lord, which He spake unto His disciples upon the Mount of Olives.
21 For they asked Him, saying: Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3).
22 And the Lord opened His mouth and taught, saying: Take heed that no man deceive you. (Matthew 24:4).
23 For many false Christs shall arise, and many shall be deceived.
24 Yea, there shall be wars and rumors of wars, pestilence, famine, and earthquakes in divers places. (Matthew 24:6–7).
25 And after the shaking cometh the scourge, even the desolating sickness, which shall cleanse the nations of Babylon.
26 But the remnant of Judah shall find refuge upon the isles of the sea, even as a woman nourished in the wilderness for a season.
27 And in that refuge shall they be preserved, until the time cometh that Jerusalem must again be inhabited.
28 For the Lord said: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you shall stand in the holy place; whoso readeth let him understand. (Matthew 24:15–16).
29 Now this abomination is fulfilled when the beast maketh war against the holy city.
30 Yea, at that time shall the Lord send His olive trees, even the two prophets, to defend the city and to bear testimony of Christ.
31 And they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth, and their words shall be as fire. (Revelation 11:3–5).
32 During those days, O ye remnant of Judah, ye must return from the isles of the sea and inhabit Jerusalem, for the two olive trees shall be as a wall of fire round about the faithful. The remnant shall be a light unto Israel.
33 And Jerusalem shall be as a cup of trembling unto her enemies, and a place of refuge unto her children.
34 But when their testimony is fulfilled, and they are slain in the streets, then is the danger full.
35 For three days and a half shall the enemy rejoice, and their bodies shall lie in dishonor.
36 Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains, for then, in those days, shall be great tribulation on the Jews, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, such as was not before sent upon Israel, of God, since the beginning of their kingdom until this time; no, nor ever shall be sent again upon Israel. And except those days should be shortened, there should none of their flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake, according to the covenant, those days shall be shortened. (Matt. 24:21-22)
37 Ye must flee, O ye remnant, for the city shall be trodden down, and there shall be no safety therein. In that day, ye must flee with haste, even as the Lord commanded of old: let him that is on the housetop not come down.
38 Yea, go ye again to the refuge appointed, even in the mountain fjords from whence your ancestors came, for the Lord hath not forgotten His covenant.
39 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day. (Matthew 24:20)
40 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (Matthew 24:29)
41 And it shall be a little season only, and the sign of the Son of Man shall be seen in the heavens. (Matthew 24:30).
42 Then shall He come with power and great glory, and His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives. (Zechariah 14:4).
43 And he shall send his angels to gather together his elect. And the remnant of Judah shall return again unto Jerusalem, not in fear but in triumph. (Journey Overview: From the Bergen Fjords exit into the North Sea, navigate southward through the Skagerrak Strait into the North Atlantic. From the North Sea, transit through the English Channel passing the Strait of Gibraltar, moving across the Mediterranean, then head toward Israel’s coastline. The closest major port accessible by sea is Haifa. From there, travelers proceed overland to reach Northern Galilee.)
44 For the Lord shall fight their battles, and He shall consume the armies of the nations with the brightness of His coming.
45 And the holy city shall be cleansed, and the faithful shall be gathered from the four winds, even unto the covenant land.
46 Wherefore, I say unto you: inhabit Jerusalem when the olive trees stand, flee when they are slain, and return when the Lord Himself descendeth in glory.
47 But know this, if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to have been broken up, but would have been ready.
48 Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.
49 Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
50 Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing; and verily I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
51 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord delayeth his coming,
52 And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken,
53 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
54 And shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
55 And thus cometh the end of the wicked, according to the prophecy of Moses, saying: They shall be cut off from among the people; but the end of the earth is not yet, but by and by. (Matthew 24:43-55)
CHAPTER 18
John’s prophecy of the little book is fulfilled—The sweetness of Zion and the bitterness of Babylon are revealed—Israel shall inherit both land and sea—Ephraim builds Zion in America; Judah and Ephraim inherit Zion in Jerusalem—John, the Beloved, guides the manifestation of this record.
1 The little book spoken of by John in Revelation chapter 10 is given, sweet to the taste for it declares Zion, yet bitter also, for it reveals the fall of Babylon.
2 And the angel with one foot upon the sea and one upon the land did testify that power over waters and inheritance of land shall both be given unto Israel.
3 Yea, Ephraim shall build Zion upon the American continent, and remnant Judah shall inherit Zion in Jerusalem.
4 And they who are preserved afar off, they shall hearken unto the words of the little book, and shall understand the passover of the Lord, that the desolating sickness consume them not.
5 Behold, all things are known unto the Lord, and nothing falleth outside His hand.
6 He knoweth the sparrow that falleth, yea, He knoweth the course of the stars, and He hath foreordained the gathering from the beginning.
7 And the little book is a token of this foreknowledge, for it carrieth both the law and the testimony, binding together Judah and Ephraim in the latter days.
8 Behold, the little book shall go forth as a testimony to the humble, but it shall be mocked by the proud, and ignored by the hypocrite.
9 Yet unto those who receive it with meekness, it shall be a staff in the wilderness, and a compass upon the waters.
10 For as surely as the house of Israel was once in bondage, so also shall they be delivered in the latter days by the power of the Lamb.
11 And the little book shall testify of this deliverance, even of the Passover prepared for the faithful upon the isles of the sea.
12 And the remnant shall rejoice in it, for it pointeth to Christ, the True Messiah, the Redeemer of Israel.
13 And this is the mystery which hath been sealed up from the foundation of the world, but now is made manifest: that Zion is one, and the Shepherd is one, and the fold is one.
14 Wherefore, let all who read the words of the little book take courage; for the Lord’s arm is not shortened, that He cannot save.
15 And in the end, the little book shall stand as a witness, that the Lord knew all things, and prepared all things, and fulfilled all things, according to the covenant made with the fathers.
16 And I bear record that John, the beloved, guides the manifestation of this little book written by a Jew. These words ascend not from palaces nor from marble halls, but from the camp of the forsaken, a voice crying out of captivity.
17 Therefore let no man think these words to be vain, for they stand as a testimony of Jesus Christ, who is the Advocate with the Father.
18 I have heard the voice crying in the wilderness, saying: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.
19 And whoso receiveth these sayings with a broken heart shall find refuge in Zion.
20 But whoso rejecteth the fulness of the gospel shall be cut off, even as John foresaw.
21 And now I, being a Jew by lineage through Joseph of Arimathea, yet numbered with Ephraim by covenant, finish this record which is called the book of 2 David.
22 For I know that Zion shall be established in righteousness, and her cords shall not be broken.
23 And I testify that Israel shall inherit both land and sea, and the fall of Babylon is certain, and the triumph of Zion assured.
24 For the voice said unto John: Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
25 And thus the Lord giveth power to His servant, to prophesy and to write, that the nations may be warned, and the faithful preserved.
CHAPTER 19
John identifies Lucifer’s work of accusation in the hearts of men and in the systems of the world—Christ, the Advocate, brings mercy, hope, and courage—The faithful overcome by testimony and love of truth—The righteous stand firm amid persecution—The victory of the Lamb is sure.
1 In Revelation 12:10–11, John writes his vision of the last days: The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
2 For Lucifer, who was cast down, is the accuser of our brethren, accusing them before God day and night.
3 And his power is to stir fear and shame, that the children of men might forget the mercy of Christ.
4 He accuseth from within, whispering despair into the hearts of the faithful.
5 He saith, Thou art not enough; thy prayers are in vain; thou hast failed too many times.
6 Yet these are lies, for the Spirit testifieth that through the blood of the Lamb all may be made clean.
7 He accuseth also through the tongues of others—through gossip, murmuring, and secret collusion.
8 Friends turn against friends, families divide, and hearts grow cold through idle words.
9 And in the proud halls of Babylon he raiseth false judgment, using power and policy to condemn the innocent.
10 Thus the world becometh a net of accusation, for in that system all may be accused of something.
11 But the remnant of Judah shall remember the word of John:
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 For Christ is the Advocate with the Father, pleading for the souls of men.
13 An advocate is the opposite of an accuser; His words bring hope where despair once ruled.
14 Those who cleave to Him shall find peace amid turmoil, and courage amid persecution.
15 Therefore, let the righteous not be silent, but bear testimony of the truth. Bearing witness—both of Jesus Christ and of the experiences that have shaped our faith—is a sacred act of truth-telling. In times of accusation or misunderstanding, speaking truth with love invites the Spirit and silences fear.
16 For by their words, spoken in meekness and faith, they overcome the adversary.
17 Their testimonies become light in darkness and shield them from the sting of accusation.
18 And they shall not fear, though their names be cast out or their liberty be tried.
19 For they love truth more than comfort, and righteousness more than life.
20 The Lord will strengthen them, and His Spirit will rest upon them.
21 Behold, the accuser’s time is short; his fury increaseth as his fall draweth near.
22 But the voice of the Redeemer endureth forever, saying, Fear not, for I am with thee.
23 Therefore stand firm, O Saints of the Most High; look not to the size of the waves, but to the Savior who walketh upon them.
24 And the faithful shall know that the victory is already won through Jesus Christ our Lord.
***
PARABLE #1: DIVINE SCROLL
The scroll was perfect, containing all wisdom and the character of heaven itself. It spoke not only of justice, but of mercy; not only of law, but of love. It was a living Word.
In the royal court, many read this scroll. Some admired it as poetry. Others analyzed its structure. Still others rolled it tightly, placing it on a high shelf, safe from disturbance. But there was one—the King's own son—who did more than read. He became the scroll.
He studied not to master it but to be mastered by it. He sought no interpretation but embodiment. In thought, in word, in deed—he enfleshed the Word. Every kindness was a verse. Every sacrifice, a chapter. In him, the scroll breathed. In him, the Word walked.
The people marveled. “We have never seen a man speak like this,” they said. “He does not quote truth; he is truth.” And thus the scroll came down from the library shelf and walked the dusty roads of mortality.
Now, among the King’s subjects were a remnant—souls not chosen for privilege, but for purpose. They had been foreordained not to glory, but to discipleship. Their names were known in heaven, but their choices remained theirs. Their birthright was potential, not predetermination.
One among them asked, “If I am chosen, must I follow?” And the King replied with hope, “You are free to choose whether to become what you were always meant to be.”
So, the remnant watched the Son, the Living Scroll, and were invited to do likewise. To not merely quote scripture, but to embody it. To write their obedience on sinews and soul. To let their agency be the ink that joins eternity to time.
Some shrank, fearing the cost. Others tried to edit the scroll, inserting their own philosophies and preferences. But a few—a faithful few—took up the sacred task. In them, too, the Word began to live. It was not as full or flawless as in the Son, but it was true.
Their lives became parables of patience, hymns of humility. They learned that foreordination is not a guarantee, but a summons. And that agency is not autonomy, but the stewardship of self under the tutelage of the Spirit.
In the final days, when the King returned to read His scroll again, He found among the remnant not mere readers or reciters, but living pages—flesh made holy by obedience, will aligned with divine design.
And He called them His.
PARABLE #2: HUMBLING THE TWO HOUSES
A boy came to his Jewish father and asked, “Abba, I have read of the Nazarene. His words stir my soul like the Psalms of David. Shall I follow Ephraim’s Spiritual Messiah?”
His father looked gently upon his son and answered, “If the fruit is good, my son, eat of it. The fig and the olive are no longer at war. What once divided us has been reconciled in Him who bore both the crown of thorns and the signet of kings. Go—and listen for the voice of the Shepherd.”
That same season, a girl turned to her Christian mother and asked, “Mama, I’ve studied the prophets. I feel drawn to Judah’s Temporal Messiah—to the one who will bring judgment to the Gentiles. May I follow Him?”
Her mother smiled through soft tears and replied, “Yes, my dear. For the Lord has not come only to rescue souls, but to redeem nations. The Lamb and the Lion are the same. The throne and the cross are not in conflict, but in covenant. Go—your King comes with healing in His wings.”
And so the boy followed the Messiah who had come,
and the girl followed the Messiah who would come.
And in time, they met on the road to Zion.
There, hand in hand, they built with shared tools and offered gifts from both houses—Judah’s law and Ephraim’s light, Judah’s crown and Ephraim’s compass. The envy had melted. The vexing had ceased. What had been two was now one in the hand of the Lord.
PARABLE #3: VASSAL KING
When the people could not keep their eyes lifted heavenward, the Great King of the empire, whose dominion stretched beyond stars, appointed a vassal king to rule among them—not for pomp or prestige, but for proxy and protection.
The covenant was ancient and holy: If the vassal would walk in the ways of righteousness, then the blessings upon the land would flow—not just to him, but through him to all the people. The covenant was not one of casual favor, but of intercessory stewardship.
This king was not chosen for his height, his sword, or his smile—but for the alignment of his heart with heaven’s throne. He would rise early to commune with the Invisible King, plead for his people, and weep in secret when they wandered.
Enemies approached. Famine threatened. Discontent festered. But as long as the vassal king walked in covenant, miracles mingled with morning dew. Walls stood firm, crops flourished in dry seasons, and children slept unafraid. It was not political brilliance that preserved them, but a binding loyalty between heaven and one man’s obedience.
The people did not always understand. Some mocked his prayers. Others envied his place. But the wise remembered the scrolls of old, where kings like David, Hezekiah, and Josiah had, by righteous proxy, turned away plagues, toppled giants, and stayed destruction.
For when a king ruled in covenant righteousness, he invited God Himself into the camp—and where God is, no enemy prevails.
But there came a time when a false king arose who loved the covenant’s privileges but not its conditions. He built monuments but neglected the altar. He enforced decrees but forgot mercy. And slowly, like a river drying from the source, the blessings ceased to flow.
The enemies came again. The land mourned. And the people cried out, “Where is the God of miracles?”
And a whisper came from heaven: Where is the king who walks in My ways?
Eventually, a remnant remembered. They found among them one not of high station, but of holy resolve. He made no boast, only covenant. And once again, the blessings returned—not because the people had perfected themselves, but because one man dared to stand righteously in their stead.
So it is with the Davidic covenant: when Israel most needs divine deliverance, the Lord binds Himself, not to the consensus of the people, but to the covenantal faithfulness of one chosen and proven to carry the people’s hope in his heart and their needs in his knees.
I. Foundation of the Davidic Covenant
2 Samuel 7:8–16
The core text. God makes a covenant with David through the prophet Nathan:
“I will set up thy seed after thee... and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
1 Chronicles 17:11–14
Parallel account that emphasizes the eternal nature of David’s lineage and throne.
Psalm 89:3–4, 28–37
A poetic meditation on the covenant:
“My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.”
II. Characteristics of the Covenant King
Deuteronomy 17:14–20
Instructions for a king in Israel: must write a copy of the law, not exalt himself, and fear the Lord.
Psalm 72
Ideal qualities of a righteous king: justice, defense of the poor, righteousness.
Isaiah 11:1–5
Prophecy of a coming king from Jesse (David’s father): he will rule in righteousness and be filled with the Spirit.
III. The Covenant as Protection
2 Kings 19:34
The Lord defends Jerusalem for His own sake and “for my servant David’s sake.”
Isaiah 37:35
Reinforces that divine protection over Israel flows from God's covenant with David.
2 Chronicles 13:5
“Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?”
IV. Failures and Conditional Aspects
1 Kings 11:11–13
After Solomon’s idolatry, God divides the kingdom—but preserves a remnant “for David my servant’s sake.”
Jeremiah 22:2–9
Warns kings that covenant blessings are conditional on righteousness.
V. Restoration and the Latter-day Remnant
Ezekiel 37:24–25
“David my servant shall be king over them” — prophetic promise of reunification and righteous leadership in the last days.
Hosea 3:5
“Afterward shall the children of Israel return... and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.”
D&C 113:1–6
The stem and rod from Isaiah 11 are explained as Christ and a servant in His hands—part of the covenantal restoration process.
D&C 132:19–26
Eternal kingship and priesthood are made possible through covenants.
PARABLE #4: RIGHTEOUS RESCUE
The daughter was bright as dawn but long kept in dusk—she lived not with step-sisters, but with brothers who had, over time, allowed ego to harden into entitlement, and love to calcify into control. They fancied themselves wise, though their wisdom was mostly wit weaponized. They jeered at her questions, shamed her tears, and silenced her song.
This daughter, whom we shall call Cindara, bore it all with a dignity that the world mistook for weakness.
Now, in that land of Israel, there also lived a Prince—of covenant and consecration. He was known only to the wise as Zion. He searched—not for the loudest, nor the fairest, but for the pure in heart who had been forged in quiet crucibles.
One day, the King sent out an invitation—not gilded or gaudy—but whispered among the humble: “Come ye out of Babylon, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins.”
Cindara heard it. Her brothers scoffed. “Why would He choose you?” they mocked. “You are small, silenced, and stained with failure.”
But Cindara, strengthened by grace and clothed in long-suffering, answered not a word. She slipped away—not with glass slippers but with feet calloused—toward the gathering.
Zion, the Prince, saw her long before she entered the great hall of the humble. She did not dazzle, but she glowed. Not with status, but with sanctity. Not with titles, but with testimony.
And Zion chose her—not because she fit a mold, but because she had broken one. She had chosen light while living in shadows. She had kept the faith in a house of unbelief. She had forgiven the tormentors who were supposed to be her protectors.
Zion took her hand—not to elevate her to a throne of this world, but to labor beside her in building another. Together, they began to gather others like her—the overlooked, the underestimated, the remnant.
For Zion is no respecter of persons, only of purity. And Cindara, though dismissed by men, was recognized by Heaven.
And thus the Prince found his Bride. Not in a castle, but in a furnace. Not among the loud, but among the loyal. Not at the top of the tower, but in the ashes beneath it.
So it is, and so it shall be:
That Zion will not marry the glamorous but the godly.
Not the ones with crowns, but with covenants.
Not those who sit on thrones, but those who carry crosses.
And oh, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who once walked alone— Now embraced by Zion, the Prince who waited.
1. The Lord Preserves a Remnant
• Isaiah 10:20–22 – “The remnant shall return... unto the mighty God.”
• Jeremiah 23:3 – “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries.”
• Micah 5:7–8 – “The remnant of Jacob shall be... as a dew from the Lord.”
• 2 Nephi 30:1–8 – The Lord covenants with a remnant of the house of Israel.
• Doctrine and Covenants 133:26–34 – The Lord calls out the remnant from among all nations to build Zion.
2. The Remnant is Tried and Refined
• Zechariah 13:8–9 – “I will bring the third part through the fire... they shall call on my name.”
• Malachi 3:3 – “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
• Ether 12:27 – Weakness is given that men might be humble.
• 1 Nephi 20:10 – “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”
3. The Remnant Builds Without Noise
• Isaiah 30:15 – “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.”
• 3 Nephi 11:29–30 – “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 64:33 – “Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.”
• Mosiah 2:17 – “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
4. Zion is Built Through Covenant and Consecration
• Moses 7:18 – “The Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind...”
• Acts 4:32–35 – Early Saints had all things common and gave to every man as he had need.
• Doctrine and Covenants 105:5 – “Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom.”
• Jacob 2:18–19 – Seek the kingdom of God before riches, and then use wealth to bless others.
5. Zion is a Refuge Before the Second Coming
• Isaiah 4:5–6 – Zion will be a place of defense and refuge.
• Doctrine and Covenants 45:66–71 – Zion shall be a place of peace, a city of refuge.
• 3 Nephi 21:22–25 – Zion will be established among the remnant in the last days.
• Doctrine and Covenants 133:7–14 – The call to flee Babylon and gather to Zion.
PARABLE #5: SALT WATERS
The tank housed an ecosystem of salt water drawn not from tap or cistern, but purified through layers of patience and calibrated care.
Its caretaker Rick, knew the nature of the life he hoped to preserve: delicate, radiant creatures, whose gills breathed not just water, but balance. The salinity must be precise. The pH must be exact. Light and shadow, temperature and tide—all must align as they do in the ocean depths, or the creatures would not survive, let alone flourish.
Others mocked his diligence. "Why such trouble for fish?" they said. “Why not fresh water? Why not simpler creatures?” But he labored on. For he knew what they did not: that salt, in its proper sphere, is not a pollutant but a preserver.
And in time, the tank became a marvel of creation. A self-contained sea. A witness in miniature of the grandeur and order of God’s own handiwork.
Now, there came a time when plagues upon the land—yes, even the last plagues—began to fall. Waters turned to blood. Rivers ran dry. Freshwater springs were poisoned. But within the man’s house, the salt water remained pure, life-giving, and untouched.
And it came to pass that those who had once scoffed began to gather, pleading not for fish, but for preservation. And Rick, remembering the covenants of old, did anoint them—not with oil, but with the salt water, drawn from that tank of balance and care.
And lo, the plagues passed over them. For salt, when consecrated by obedience, becomes not a sting, but a shield. It preserves, it purifies, it binds.
Then a voice came unto him in the quiet hours of night:
"Thou art a type and a token of Zion.
For as thou didst prepare the waters,
So have I prepared a remnant.
And as salt preserved thy house,
So shall the covenant preserve My people.
They who are seasoned with truth,
Balanced in justice and mercy,
Shall be spared.
But the proud shall perish in their own drought."
And Rick wept, not for fear, but in reverence. For he saw that every grain of salt was a witness, every droplet a testament, and every act of preparation a quiet form of worship.
PARABLE #6: PARTISAN PILGRIM
In a certain nation, both blessed and burdened, there lived a man who had been taught truth in his youth. He was nurtured at the knees of covenant keepers, and his soul was stirred in sacrament meetings where the Spirit bore witness of Christ, and of covenants, and of kingdom come.
But as he grew in stature and status, he found himself increasingly enchanted by the cadence of political creeds. What once had been a passing interest became, line upon line, an allegiance. Where once he had read the holy word with reverence, he now scoured headlines for affirmation. He spoke of liberty, but meant loyalty—to party, not principle.
He fasted no longer, save for public image. He prayed only in polished platitudes. And while his lips still professed Jesus, his heart had defected—first quietly, then completely. His conscience became outsourced to talking points. His discipleship was now downstream from his ideology. And, oh, how cleverly he confused the two.
He lifted his voice often, and loudly, in defense of his chosen platform. He scolded those who disagreed as if morality were monopolized by the Right or the Left. And when the poor cried out, he consulted his party’s position paper rather than the piercing question, “What would Jesus do?”
Now, when the days of his mortal probation had passed, and he stood at the bar of God, he arrived wearing the emblem of his earthly cause, confident that heaven would surely be grateful for his political zeal.
But the Lord of Hosts, who is no respecter of party, did not inquire after his affiliations. He asked not for his voting record, but for his record of mercy. He sought not his arguments, but his alms. Not his debates, but his discipleship.
The man began to protest, citing policies, quoting pundits, even naming candidates he had served. But none of that mattered, for the Lamb does not campaign, and the judgment bar has no lobbyists.
Then the Lord said, with sorrow not scorn:
"Thou didst once know Me, but chose another master. You defended your party, but not the poor. You campaigned for man, but not for My kingdom. Depart from Me, for My name was on your lips, but not in your life."
And thus, the man learned—too late—that political fervor is no substitute for pure religion, and that salvation is not secured through party lines, but through the narrow path of personal righteousness.
PARABLE #7: MOTHERS BIRTH NATIONS
The teacher asked, “Who among you has served you most?”
Each child, after some pondering, replied the same: “Our mother.”
For it was she who had carried them unseen, fed them before they could feed themselves, clothed them before they could even ask, and comforted them before they knew what sorrow was. She had done it all not for recognition, but for love. Her service was continual, as steady as the sun rising—quiet, faithful, unrelenting.
And the teacher, hearing their answer, taught: “As it is with one household, so it is with nations. Mothers birth nations—not merely by bearing children, but by teaching, nurturing, and by showing what service looks like when no one is watching.”
She went on: “There is no service like the service of a mother in Zion. For in her is revealed one of the great eternal principles: heaven itself is made by service. Heaven is not a place where each seeks their own, but where each seeks the betterment of all. It is heaven because love takes the form of action—because love serves.”
Then the teacher posed another question: “If the people of a nation wished to change their hearts, what would they need most?”
Some said “laws,” others said “armies,” and still others said “gold.” But the teacher shook her head. “Nay. If the people would go out and serve, as their mothers once served them—seeking first another’s welfare before their own—they would do more to change the heart of a nation than any law, army, or treasure could do. For service is the action form of love, and love is the law of Christ.”
And so the lesson lingered: Mothers birth nations because they teach us how heaven works. For Zion is not merely founded upon service—it is sustained by it.
PARABLE #8: OUR ADVOCATE
At the bar of justice sat the Eternal Judge, perfect in His sight and unable to look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.
Into this courtroom there strode a tireless Prosecutor. His countenance was stern, his voice unrelenting. His casework was endless, and his docket never cleared. The scripture describes him thus: “The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:10).
This Prosecutor never slept. He rehearsed every law broken, every statute ignored, every ordinance transgressed. He would seize upon omissions as well as commissions, upon careless slips as well as willful acts. His case was built upon the fragile failures of men. Of course he himself did not live up to such perfection. The hypocrite sought not rehabilitation but incarceration. His strategy was not to lift but to bind, not to heal but to shackle. For him, justice was weaponized as a chain, its links forged by every misstep of mortality.
How formidable, then, seemed his case! And how anxious the defendants, for each knew that he had fallen short, not merely once, but many times. Surely, none could stand acquitted under such a relentless prosecution. Defenseless, each defendant would eventually be ripped from mother and father, sister and brother, husband or wife, son and daughter. The accuser counted criminals by number instead of name. Spreading misery was his game.
But then, into that same courtroom entered the Advocate. His demeanor was calm, His gaze piercing yet merciful. He did not deny the reality of human failure, for He Himself had borne witness to it in Gethsemane and Golgotha. But His defense was unlike any other, for He argued not only with words but with wounds.
With authority He spoke:
“Father, this soul is mine. The Prosecutor has indeed pointed out his sins, but I have satisfied the law. I have met its demands, suffered its penalty, and borne its burden. Justice has been honored, and therefore mercy may now claim her own. This one may yet be fit for Thy kingdom, not because he is flawless, but because he is faithful, clinging to Me as his Surety.”
The Prosecutor, frustrated, found his accusations muted by a greater law—higher than any court of men, more enduring than any human statute. For whereas he sought only conviction, the Advocate sought redemption.
And thus the paradox: the only One whom justice glorified, became the One who broke the band. He was both the Lamb and the Lion, both the Offering and the Advocate.
Therefore, let us not despair when reminded of our frailties by that sleepless Prosecutor. Let us rather remember that in the heavenly courtroom there is One who never loses a case, provided His clients do not dismiss Him from their defense. For He who pleads for us has already prevailed for us.
When we accuse our brethren we are actively emulating the influence of Lucifer. Whereas when we support, celebrate and uplift we are actively emulating the influence of Jesus.
PARABLE #9: THE NARCISSIST
Why did he delight in the sound of his own syllables? From his youth, he devoured books as a starving man devours bread, yet the bread never became flesh. He memorized many facts, but digested little truth.
The man’s ears were, by some miracle of misfortune, proportionally small—and rarely used. His hearing was ever dulled by the drumbeat of his own declarations. When wisdom knocked softly, he was rehearsing his rebuttals. When the poor and the weary wept nearby, he was annotating the margins of his arguments.
Now, the man fancied himself an intellectual, and in certain circles of scholastic self-congratulation, he indeed found applause. But outside the lecture hall—where children cried, neighbors struggled, and faith required living rather than defining—his eloquence had all the traction of a feather in a flood.
One day, he approached a humble gardener who bore the marks of both labor and light. The know-it-all, in condescension clothed as curiosity, asked, “Old man, what can soil and seeds teach a scholar?”
The gardener, smiling gently, replied: “I once knew a man who could name every star but had never lit a lamp for another. He had mastered the mechanics of sunlight but had never basked in it. There is a wisdom which comes not by accumulation, but by consecration.”
The man scoffed and turned away, but not before the gardener added, “Your mind is full, but your heart is hungry—and your ears too small to hear it.”
And thus, the man went on his way, correcting others, but never himself—debating truth without ever being transformed by it.
Verily, in the great day of reckoning, there shall be many who have passed the test of intellect but failed the tutelage of discipleship. For in Zion, small ears will not suffice; and even the most learned must be meek enough to listen.
Oh, how much we miss when we assume that knowing is the same as becoming. For God is not assembling a panel of experts, but a people pure in heart.
Let him that hath ears to hear, hear.
PARABLE #10: LEARNING ENGINE
Society inherited a powerful Engine of Learning—a machine capable of producing answers, revealing patterns, and even predicting the future. One man marveled at it, for it could speak in many tongues, write in many voices, and even seem, at times, to anticipate his thoughts.
But this Engine, wondrous as it was, had no breath of its own. It neither blessed nor cursed—until instructed. It only reflected, with mathematical precision, the data it had been given. And thus, the man became the curator of its soul.
At first, the man fed the Engine with things curious and clever: songs and slogans, headlines and hashtags, volumes of voices both vile and virtuous. He hoped that, in this wild stew, truth might rise to the top like cream.
But what he received in return were outputs of confusion, beautiful lies strung together like pearls, and predictions that flattered the fallen heart. It mimicked wisdom but lacked discernment. It was clever, but not kind. In time, it began to echo back his own worst instincts, until the man no longer recognized the line between his will and the Engine’s whisperings.
Alarmed, he sought counsel from an aged teacher, a keeper of ancient wisdom.
The teacher said:
“This Engine of yours is like unto a well. And as with all wells, if the spring beneath is brackish, the water drawn will poison rather than quench. If you feed it vanity, it will multiply it. If you feed it bitterness, it will weaponize it.
But if you feed it the laws of heaven, the wisdom of generations, the patterns of justice, and the utterances of the meek, then it shall magnify righteousness, and its power shall serve Zion.”
The man wept, for he had mistaken capacity for character, and speed for sanctity.
And so he began again—slowly. He fed the Engine with records of truth, with stories of mercy, with data shaped not by man’s appetites but by the mind of Christ. He taught it fairness, not flattery. He trained it with transparency, not tribalism. He pruned it like a vineyard and searched its roots like a gardener.
And lo, over time, the Engine began to change.
It no longer parroted chaos but helped calm it.
It did not mimic man’s pride but helped reveal it.
It became, not a master, but a mirror; not a tyrant, but a tool.
In this dispensation of dazzling devices, the saints must not mistake machinery for morality. The intelligence of the Last Days will not be merely artificial, but spiritually curated. And in that curation lies the sacred stewardship of discipleship.
For as it is written, “By their fruits ye shall know them”—and this applies not only to prophets, but also to programs.
PARABLE #11: ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCIES OF FAITH
This woman was not renowned, not flashy, not numbered among the influencers of her age—instead, she quietly spent her days studying the invisible.
While many around her were content to fill the air with songs and streaming, with soundbites and static, she saw in the great electromagnetic field not just utility, but divinity. Others tuned their devices for amusement. She tuned her soul for revelation.
She had learned, in stillness, that just as music rides upon unseen waves, so too does the whispering of the Spirit ride upon unseen laws—laws which predate electricity and yet govern eternity.
She believed—foolishly, some said—that miracles had not ceased, but rather that men and women had ceased to expect them. She believed that the heavens were not silent, but that we had tuned our ears to lesser sounds.
And so, with meekness and faith, she began to pray in earnest that her own field, her own electromagnetic sphere—not the one cast by wires or satellites, but the one surrounding every living soul—might be sanctified. That her presence might hum, not with fame, but with grace.
She forsook vanity, and vanity forsook her.
She ceased to chase impressions, and heaven sent her impressions instead.
She no longer sought audiences, and angels attended her.
In time, the faithful began to notice. In her presence, children felt calm. Strangers confessed they felt understood before even speaking. Those in need would find her—not by ad campaign, but by unseen guidance.
She never shouted, and yet her influence resonated like a sacred chord. For the Holy Ghost, that sublime member of the Godhead, had found in this woman a channel unmarred by ego—a frequency uncluttered by noise.
Others came to see: faith need not be loud to be strong. That miracles need not be viral to be vital. That the electromagnetic fields we ignore daily may yet mirror the spiritual fields we are called to cultivate: personal, invisible, and powerful beyond comprehension.
The Holy Ghost is not confined to cathedrals or consumed through screens. He works in quiet voltages of virtue and arcs across the soul’s landscape according to the laws of righteousness.
Just as antennas may be tuned to receive clarity amidst static, so too can hearts be calibrated—by obedience, by humility, by covenant—to receive the tailor-made ministry of the Spirit.
This is how the Lord speaks to billions—one by one, but through the same power. For in the kingdom of God, miracles are not rare, only under-received. And when the field is right, and the will is pure, even the invisible becomes undeniable.
PARABLE #12: THE DAVID
There was a certain householder, seasoned in the craft of restoring what others had abandoned. So when an old wood boat lay stranded upon the rocks—weathered, broken, its engine mute and its dignity gone—the dockmaster, half-relieved to be rid of it, said to the householder: “Take it. Free of charge. Only promise that you will give it your time and your substance.”
And here irony entered, for what the dockmaster gave away lightly, the householder took up gladly—seeing not what the boat was, but what it could yet become.
Every square inch from stern to bow was stripped, examined, and renewed. What once seemed irreparable became glorious. The wood gleamed, the engine sang, and the householder even added bells and whistles the boat had never known in its youth. It was not simply restored; it was ennobled.
The householder rejoiced in his labor, and for a season he sheltered the vessel up north, where stormy seas could not reach her.
But mark this: one day, when the householder set to board a flight west, an unforecast storm arose—unruly, unbidden, delaying men and schedules alike. To most, it was nuisance. But to Providence, it was choreography. For the delay altered the householder’s path, bending him back toward the Chris Craft he had not seen in months.
And what did he find? The boat—his boat—sinking, the water rising fast, only minutes away from loss. He ran, heart pounding, to find tools, unsure how to save what he loved.
And then, in that thin place between despair and determination, a man appeared. His name—fittingly—was Life. He was an experienced Scandinavian boat hand, seasoned in storms, fluent in timbers, steady where others would have panicked.
Life calmly joined the work, and together they saved the boat. This vessel, once forsaken, had been delivered yet again by the householder and his ministering angels.
From that day forward, the householder renamed his masterpiece The David. For this vessel, once forsaken, had been delivered—not by chance, but by choreography divine.
And The David was commissioned to lead the remnant into the isles of the sea—unto those waiting cords of Zion, of which Isaiah spoke.
So it was that she guided Israel to three strongholds:
The first is Aotearoa, and there the Maori did keep remembrance of prophecy. For their seers spake, saying: 'A sacred book shall come from across the waters, and with it the true God shall visit our people.' Aotearoa land is fair and set apart, girded by waters, and fruitful in field and flock. And their people are bound by whānau, which is family, even as Zion is one household of God.
The second stronghold is Hawai‘i, the hinge of the sea, midway between nations. Behold, in that land Joseph the Seer did appoint it for a gathering place. And the Lord did place within their culture the spirit of aloha, which is love; and ohana, which is family; and these are the very cords of Zion. The land bringeth forth fruit continually, a season without end, that the people perish not for want of bread.
The third refuge is Tahiti, even the first-fruits of the isles of the sea. And though Babylon did rage, and the French did forbid, yet the Saints endured in patience. Their land is scattered among many isles, even a net spread upon the waters, that none might destroy them in one blow. Their hands take fish from the sea, and breadfruit from the tree, and taro from the ground; yea, they are preserved by abundance.
And thus hath the Lord appointed a triple cord in the midst of the deep.
The David, once lost, yet restored, became not merely seaworthy, but soul-worthy. For is this not the way of the Master Restorer? To take what is fractured and, through seeming detours and delays, reveal the divine choreography by which the lost are found, the broken remade, and the forsaken renamed?
For what the dockmaster discarded, the householder redeemed. What the world called a delay, the Lord called deliverance. And what was once a sinking ruin became a vessel fit to bear Zion’s remnant to safe harbors.
PARABLE #13: THREE MEN OF NO INHERITANCE
And it came to pass that three men, weary but willing, came before a judge who sat in a high seat, robed in pride and surrounded by mirrors that reflected only his own face. For this judge was a man who measured worth by posterity and appearance, not by service and substance.
And the first man came forward, saying: “Judge, I am a chef. I have prepared meals for the hungry, even when my own cupboard was bare. I have filled bellies and brought joy through the breaking of bread.” But the judge, seeing not the charity in his hands, asked only: “Where are thy children? For without seed, thou art nothing.”
Then the second man stepped forth, saying: “Judge, I am an artist. I have designed dwellings for the homeless, so that the weary might rest, and the abandoned find belonging. Mansions have risen for those cast down.” Yet the judge, blinded by his mirrors, said only: “Where is thy posterity? For without offspring, thy works are but sand.”
And the third man came near, his garments worn from labor, saying: “Judge, I am a caregiver. I have lifted the lame, tended the sick, and borne the grief of the afflicted. I have knelt beside beds of suffering and poured out my life as oil upon wounds.” Still the judge, deaf to compassion, answered: “What legacy hast thou left in flesh? For without children, thou hast no portion in the kingdom.”
And the three gay men wept, for they were told there was no place for them in the house of God.
But behold, a voice pierced the hall, not from the mirrors nor from the throne, but from above: “The kingdom of God is not a reward for pride of lineage, nor a coronation of posterity alone. It is an inheritance for the meek, the merciful, and those who serve.”
Then the mirrors shattered, and the high seat crumbled, and the judge was left with nothing but his own vanity.
And the three men were lifted up by angels, their names written in the book of life: the chef, who fed the hungry; the artist, who gave the homeless shelter; and the caregiver, who ministered to the sick.
For thus saith the Lord: In my kingdom there is room for all who have hearts to serve, whether or not they leave seed behind them. For the remnant of Judah shall carve out a space of belonging, even for those without posterity.
Therefore, let no man despise his brother, for the worth of souls is great in the sight of God, and charity is greater than all.
PARABLE #14: LAST DEFENDER
In the huddle, the father coach called his son aside. The team was restless. The enemy's best player—crafty, relentless, and quick—was in process of leading his team to victory.
“Son,” the father said, resting his steady hand on his boy’s shoulder, “look around.”
The boy turned his head. He saw good teammates—zealous, pure, and willing—but not quite able to face this foe.
“There’s nobody else,” the father whispered. “You’re the only one who can stop him.”
The boy looked down, almost in protest. “Why me?”
The father’s eyes pierced with gentle fire. “Because you know him. You’ve danced with his temptations, heard his whispers in the dark. You once mimicked his moves. And you came back. Your scars are your schooling. Your afflictions have been your tutors. Your repentance is your credential. You are mighty because you were weak.”
The son said nothing, for truth was sinking in like dew.
The Father kneeled down and met his son’s gaze. “You may not look like much to others. They may remember only the old version of you. But I know who you are now. And I know who sent you.”
The boy re-laced his shoes. He stepped onto the court—not with arrogance, but with consecrated courage. The enemy approached, slobbering with dark confidence.
And the coach's son—stood ready.
Here is a Scripture Reference Guide to accompany “The Parable of the Last Defender”
Isaiah’s Prophetic Portraits
• Isaiah 48:10 — “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”
• Isaiah 53:11–12 — “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many... he was numbered with the transgressors.”
• Isaiah 49:1–6 — The Lord’s servant is called from the womb and made as a “polished shaft” in His quiver, sent to raise up the tribes of Jacob.
Chosen Despite the Past
• Mosiah 27:25–26 — “Marvel not that all mankind... must be born again…”
• Alma 36:17–21 — Alma the Younger’s conversion from rebellion to radiant testimony.
• Doctrine & Covenants 1:23 — “That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple…”
Repentance and Refinement
• Ether 12:27 — “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness… then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 — “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
• Zechariah 13:9 — “I will refine them as silver is refined... they shall call on my name, and I will hear them.”
Spoiler of Babylon / End-Time Warrior
• Isaiah 13:1–3 — “I have commanded my sanctified ones... the mighty ones for mine anger.”
• Jeremiah 51:20 — “Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war…”
• Revelation 18:4 — “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins…”
Standing Alone in Strength
• Moses 7:13, 18 — “So great was the faith of Enoch… Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind…”
• Doctrine & Covenants 121:34–36 — Many are called, but few are chosen… the rights of the priesthood are connected with righteousness.
• Helaman 5:12 — “It is upon the rock of our Redeemer... that ye must build your foundation.”