We Believe in the Literal Gathering... New Jerusalem

The 10th Article of Faith says:

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

Just what are we to understand about "the gathering" and more particularly Zion, the New Jerusalem?

In the Encyclopedia of Mormonism it states this about New Jerusalem:

For Latter-day Saints, the gathering of Israel involves bringing together the heirs of the covenant to designated places where they can enjoy the blessings of temples (see Abrahamic Covenant; Covenant Israel; Promised Land). Latter-day Saints believe in "the literal gathering of Israel" and hold that, along with a vital future role for the Old World Jerusalem, "Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent" (A of F 10). Church members still look for an eventual temple and permanent headquarters to be built in Zion, a New Jerusalem in Missouri. 

Many ancient prophets saw this city, new Jerusalem:

John in Revelations:

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev 3:12)
In Ether 13:6:

And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.
And Micah 4:2:

And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of theLord from Jerusalem.

The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith:

65 And with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you.

66 And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God; (D&C 45:65, 66)

New Jerusalem will be located in Jackson County, Missouri. More particularly in and around Independence, Missouri. 

The Lord in revelation to Joseph Smith said:

Temple Lot, Independence

2 Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.

3 Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased. (D&C 84:2, 3)

The Temple Lot

On one of my cross country motorcycle trips, I spent some time in Independence, Missouri. I visited the "temple lot" mentioned above. This property is currently owned by a small organization called "The Temple Lot Church." They are a break-off group from our church. The Community of Christ (Reorganized Church) own a lot of the surrounding properties. However, our church owns property that is just kitty-corner to the Temple Lot, and has a visitor's center and stake center located there. 

Independence Visitor Center

I still can remember the deep feelings and impressions I had as I walked on the temple lot property. I felt I was walking on holy ground -- ground that will some day be the place of one of the greatest temples ever erected.

So if we, as a church, are to gather to New Jerusalem and build it up, we must first own or acquire the property. So just how is the church going to do that?

Temple Lot at Far West

About 30 years ago, when I had my mortgage company offices on 33rd South, I worked with a lot of appraisers. One particular appraiser that I became good friends with, who also did a lot of appraisal work for the church, on one occasion told me that I, and the members of the Church, would be surprised with how active the church is in buying up land in and around Independence. He said a lot of the land transactions are taking place through private individuals who are buying up property and then deeding it to the church.

Recently, this year, a news article caught my attention about the church buying some property in Independence.

Adam Ondi Ahman

Deseret News, May 5, 2012:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed Saturday that it purchased 6,000 acres of Missouri farmland and three historical sites from the Community of Christ — the group formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Church is getting ready for the establishment of the New Jerusalem in Jackson County.

President John Taylor has given us more about this city:

We talk of returning to Jackson County to build the most magnificent temple that ever was formed on the earth and the most splendid city that was ever erected; yea, cities, if you please. The architectural designs of those splendid edifices, cities, walls, gardens, bowers, streets, &c., will be under the direction of the Lord, who will control and manage all these matters; and the people, from the President down, will all be under the guidance and direction of the Lord in all the pursuits of human life; until eventually they will be enabled to erect cities that will be fit to be caught up -- that when Zion descends from above, Zion will also ascend from beneath, and be prepared to associate with those from above.

The New Jerusalem will become the new headquarters of the Church, when Christ shall reign and direct the affairs of the entire world.

These are exciting times we are living in. The work is moving forward. The Church is getting ready for the Lord's Second Coming. There is a lot happening for this preparation by the Church that I'm sure we, as members, are not aware of.

I heard recently from someone close to the brethren who said that the General Authorities have recently been using this phrase a lot in their talks and discussions: "The Lord is hastening His work." The dictionary defines hasten as "to move or act quickly." This work is moving quickly.

Yesterday, Mom had a member of the Jordan River Temple Presidency tell her that the calling of missionaries, which use to require two General Authorities to make the decision of where they are to serve, is now requiring six, because of the increase of new missionaries. They have gone from 50,000 missionaries serving to 80,000, and are forecasted to be over 100,000 by the end of next year.

This work is hastening. It is quickly moving forward. And the time is probably not too far off when we will see a new Headquarters of the Church located in Independence, Missouri, called the New Jerusalem.

It may be in my lifetime. To me these are exciting times, with much to do to get ready.

How are we personally doing? Are we ready? Is our house in order? Mom and I are working hard to get our personal houses in order. We have a long way to go, but are working on it. I hope you are too.

Love, Dad

Watch and Be Ready ...and Be Happy!

These are the last days. We know this through scripture and the words of the prophets. These are exciting times to be living. Why? Because we are participating in preparing the world for the Lord's second return. We were selected for this duty -- to raise families that will be a part of this preparation.

To me it seems that things (events) are unfolding almost daily that are indications of just how close we are to when the Lord returns. So I thought I would discuss a few of these events.

War against Israel

Looking at the current issues in the Middle East and Israel, we see the increase of war. There has been a lot said, in the scriptures and by prophets, concerning the last great war against Israel. It will be during this war that two prophets will be slain in Jerusalem and the Savior will return and appear on the Mount of Olives to save and redeem his people.

In Zechariah 14:2 it says:

For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Elder Parley P. Pratt briefly summed up the entire closing scene concerning Jerusalem and the Jews as such:

Suffice it to say, the Jews gather home, and rebuild Jerusalem. The nations gather against them in battle. Their armies encompass the city, and have more or less power over it for three years and a half. A couple of Jewish Prophets, by their mighty miracles, keep them from utterly overcoming the Jews; until at length they are slain, and the city is left in a great measure to the mercy of their enemies for three days and a half, the two Prophets rise from the dead and ascend into heaven. The Messiah comes, convulses the earth, overthrows the army of the Gentiles, delivers the Jews, cleanses Jerusalem, cuts off all wickedness from the earth, raises the Saints from the dead, brings them with Him and commences His reign of a thousand years ....
So, we'll want to keep a close eye on the developing events in the Middle East, for that will be the last great sign.

The fate of the United States

We are all feeling the eminent downfall of this nation, given the results of our recent election. Unless I'm seeing this thing completely blind, our nation's economy is going to continue to be tried and tested. Unemployment will probably get worst before it gets better. And the moral decay of our country will worsten.

However, we need to realize the promises that the Lord has made through prophets about this land we live in.

The Lord said to the brother of Jared:

And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time hence. forth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them.

And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off ....

For it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.
We live in a promised land. As long as we, as a people, keep the Lord's commandments, this land shall be preserved. A statement made by President Harold B. Lee should give us comfort in the future of this nation:

Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the new Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. This is the favored land in all the world. Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won’t fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.

I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through.
So it is important that we are positive in our attitudes with our country. We'll work through the challenges. We always have. Consider the major challenges that our nation has encountered and overcome; A civil war, a great depression, two major wars, civil rights movements, and the list goes on. We will go on as well.

Elements in commotion 

I think we can all agree that the elements are in commotion and increasing every year.

Here is a chart on the increase of earthquakes over the last 100 years:

Here is a chart on the increase of north atlantic storms over the last 75 years:

Do not fear

I want to conclude by saying that we should not fear. These are great times to be living in. Yes, the world is full of wickedness and bad people, but it always has been. As long as Satan has been on this earth, bad times have abound. But, it seems that times, as has been foretold, are getting worst just before Christ comes again. This should be another sign of his coming.

Here are some quotes from prophets that counsel us to be happy and positive about the times we live in and the future that lay before us:

President Howard W. Hunter:

I promise you in the name of the Lord whose servant I am that God will always protect and care for his people. We will have our difficulties the way every generation and people have had difficulties. But with the gospel of Jesus Christ, you have every hope and promise and reassurance. The Lord has power over his Saints and will always prepare places of peace, defense, and safety for his people.
President Gordon B. Hinckley:

I do not know what we did in the preexistence to merit the wonderful blessings we enjoy. We have come to earth in this great season in the long history of mankind. It is a marvelous age, the best of all. As we reflect on the plodding course of mankind, from the time of our first parents, we cannot help feeling grateful.
Elder Boyd K. Packer:

We need not live in fear of the future. We have every reason to rejoice and little reason to fear. If we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we will be safe, whatever the future holds. We will be shown what to do.

President John Taylor:

But out of apparent evil, Providence will bring abundant good, and the lesson which the signs of the times should teach us is one of patience, endurance, and calm reliance on the Lord. The result will be that we shall be stronger, wiser, purer, happier, for the experience gained, and the work of the Lord, delivered by His Omnipotence from all the snares set for its retardation, or plans laid for its destruction, will yet triumph gloriously over all its foes, and the infinite atonement of the Redeemer will accomplish its perfect work. The final victory of the Saints is certain; after the trial comes the reward.

President Marion G. Romney:

I hope we are all familiar with these words of the Lord and with his predictions concerning other coming events, such as the building of the new Jerusalem and the redemption of the old, the return of Enoch's Zion, and Christ's millennial reign. Not only do I hope that we are familiar with these coming events; I hope also that we keep the vision of them continually before our minds. This I do because upon a knowledge of them, and an assurance of their reality and a witness that each of us may have part therein, rests the efficacy of Christ's admonition, "be not troubled.

So, "Don't worry, be happy!"

Love, Dad

Make Lemonade out of Lemons

Well, needless to say, I was pretty bummed out Tuesday night with the outcome of the elections. This feeling carried into Wednesday.

On Wednesday, I had my boss come up to me and asked if I would walk with him. I didn't know what to expect. We walked outside into the parking lot, and walked around for about 45 minutes. He was really distraught with the outcome of the elections. He was asking my opinion of what I thought he should do as a businessman, whether to cut back and play it conservative, or just to go forward.

We talked about a lot of things. But after having some time to think about it, and allow my thoughts to settle down, I wrote this email to all the employees of the iboats' company. (I send out a weekly email to all employees on SEO stuff)

Here is the email:

Given the important election day we all just participated in, I wanted to focus on that and what I think the future holds for us personally and as a company.

Depending on what side of the election you were on, you were either very pleased or pretty bummed out. For the Romney supporters, we are depressed and concerned for what the future holds. I even heard people say that they are considering moving to Canada, that the sky is falling and that the end of the world is near. The Republications are now buying up guns and food storage, and hunkering down for a total economic collapse of the country.

Well, before you consider all of that, let's consider some counsel from some wise men.

Gordon B. Hinckley, in quoting Jenkins Lloyd Jones said,

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. Most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old-time rail journey -- delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." (This quote sits just outside my cubicle as a good reminder)

And Abraham Lincoln put it another way, "Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be."

Rather than run and hide, or go bury our heads in the sand, we need to be optimistic and excited about our future. We still live in the best country in the world, with our freedoms and our free enterprise system.

Over the years I've had the opportunity to be involved in some humanitarian efforts in other countries. I've been to Nepal, Vietnam, China, Bolivia, Turkey, Peru, Honduras, Belize and Mexico. I've learned a lot from villagers in those countries who were living, for the most part, in countries with corrupt governments and suppressed economic systems. I found them always to be optimistic and generally happy. In most areas that I visited, their daily focus was on securing clean drinking water and a source of fuel to cook their meals and heat their homes. In Bolivia, because of deforestation, they gather dried cow dung as a fuel source. Considering their lifestyles, we have it pretty good here, and should have no room to complain.

As we look forward to the future, we need to be optimist and progressive in our thinking. Our country has had to go through challenging events that has shaped our country into what it is today. I've recently been enjoying a TV series on the History Channel called "The Men Who Built America." It explores the men like Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan and Ford, who built massive empires overcoming the growing pains of a young country. Each one of them overcame huge challenges, and ended up on top.

We likewise, can help to shape our nation by continuing forward, no matter what we may imagine the future to be. Successful businesses have always found ways to rise above the challenges of the economy. Matter of fact, I think it is interesting to note how, over the years, American business has been able to make lemonade from economic lemons.

Is the economy going to get worst, be the same or improve under a second term with Obama? I don't think we really know at this point. But, what we do know, is that iboats has had some of their best years in an economy that many have considered to be terrible and dross. We need to build upon those successes and be proactive in our efforts to build and grow. We are certainly the best in our industry. Many of our suppliers and manufacturers look to us as a leader in the online growth of their products.

As Joseph Smith, who had every reason to pull back through adversity, once said, "Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage ... and on, on to victory."

Onward and Upward!

**************************

So, we'll be fine. It's in the Lord's hands, and life will go on.

Love, Dad

"Of the People, By the People and For the People!"

As we approach this coming Tuesday, November 6th election day, I hope we all will realize the gravity of this day. It will be a fork in the road, not only for the American people, but for the Mormon people. This very well can be one of the most important days and events since the day the boy prophet entered a sacred grove and asked the question "Which of all the churches are right?"

I suppose that there are many good men in this nation that are qualified and capable of running this nation, that can help us pull out of this economic and social mess our county is currently in. But I don't think there will ever be another time or a place in which the work of the Lord can go forward boldly like never before, than having this opportunity for a member of our Church, one who, in my opinion espouses the true standards of God, to lead by example and open the door wide for immense interest in our Church.

I don't know how the election will turn out this Tuesday, but it is my hope and prayer that the right man will be elected our next President of the United States.

I've thought a lot recently about what our founding fathers sacrificed to create this free land of liberty, and what they are doing right now to insure that our country and it's constitution is preserved in freedom. Many years ago in a sacred St George Temple room, they appeared to Wilford Woodruff, and demanded their temple work be completed. I can't help but think they are involved in this election and working with Mitt Romney. They have an important stake in this.

This fight for liberty and the freedom of the people (Free Agency) has been going on since our pre-mortal life. It continues today. Satan would have us lose this precious gift, and force us to follow a government that is headed towards the disintegration of the family, the killing of life before birth, and taking away our religious freedoms of prayer and God.

I think Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is just as pertinent today as it was in 1863. Although his address had a civil war theme, if you translate it to today's situation, you'll see the value of his message for us here and now:

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal."

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

This Tuesday, as you cast your ballot, know that you are participating in a great event in Church history, when the "Elders of the church will step in and save the Constitution from ruin."

Love, Dad