When a government building or edifice is so important that it
requires military protection, there is often a ceremonious changing of the
guard that takes place. This procedure, like the one at Arlington
National Cemetery, or Buckingham Palace, provides relief to the first crew as
the next crew comes on duty.
The scriptures tell a story of a similar changing of the guard[i]. The
full story is best realized by studying at least three books of scripture,
which include Nephi's vision, the Savior's ministry among the Ancient Americans,
and a sermon Joseph Smith gave to the early saints, now known as Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Applying the metaphor of the military guard to the scriptural example,
the special edifice that requires protection is the gospel, or God's kingdom on
the earth. The most ceremonious and formal guard to care for her was called to duty
about the time of Moses. The manner of guardianship in the kingdom was given by
him and others of the Lord's holy prophets to the House of Israel[ii], and
involved what we might refer to as the laws and ordinances of the gospel today.
For a time the Israelites succeeded, until they ultimately fell
into apostasy, were scattered[iii],
and lost the Lord's favor and blessings. This initial discharge of Israel as
the steward of the Father's Kingdom on earth was a heartbreaking event, or at
least that is the picture the Bible paints from just about every one of its authors,
and many from the Book of Mormon.
In due time the Lord saw fit to enlist another guard for His kingdom.
Interestingly, He chose a non-covenant people He and His ancient prophets
referred to as Gentiles to fill that role. It might be asked why the Gentiles
were entrusted with this special role. It appears that it is because of the belief
among them, especially in their early days.
Speaking of this changing of the guard to the Gentiles, the Savior taught the Nephites: "And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me ... Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them" (3 Nephi 16:6-7). It seems to me that the Lord is suggesting that it is ones belief that entitles him to a fullness of the blessings of the gospel, not his blood heritage alone.
Speaking of this changing of the guard to the Gentiles, the Savior taught the Nephites: "And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me ... Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them" (3 Nephi 16:6-7). It seems to me that the Lord is suggesting that it is ones belief that entitles him to a fullness of the blessings of the gospel, not his blood heritage alone.
Nephi picks up the story from there and fittingly so, as he is the somewhat
iconic prophet of the Gentile Nation (aka "America"). In 1st Nephi chapter
13, he was shown a land of many nations and kingdoms (v 1-3)
which nations he understood to be the Gentiles. He was then shown the entire duration
of the Gentile guardianship of the Kingdom [iv],
beginning with the colonizing of America and the righteousness of its early
inhabitants. Of those wonderful founders Nephi said he "beheld that the
Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the
Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them" (v 16).
About this point in the narrative, it becomes clear that the Lord
intended for this period of Gentile guardianship to be for them, a day of mercy;
while on the other hand it is a day of judgment upon the House of Israel. Using
the dialogue of Nephi's vision, and of the Savior to the Nephites, we can see
this in two ways: First, Nephi and the Savior both described the scourges and
trials the Gentiles would inflict upon the House of Israel, which in both
accounts referred to the Native Americans (see 1 Nephi 13:34;
3 Nephi 16:8).
The second way the Father intended for this to be a period of
affliction to Israel comes in the next verse: "And because of the mercies
of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my
people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that
after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to
be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from
among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a
byword among them" (v 9). Not
to trivialize the Lord's purposes, but this day of mercy for the Gentiles, and
day of judgment upon Israel feels very much like Israel had been placed in a timeout;
a time for them to go to their room and think about what they've done.
Another fascinating thing happens during this time of Gentile guardianship,
and shows the wisdom and tender mercy of the Lord. Those among the Gentiles who
hearken to Christ become numbered among the seed of Israel. By extension, those
who harden their hearts against Christ remain Gentiles and invoke an age old
warning, reaffirmed by the angel to Nephi: "...if the
Gentiles repent it shall be well with them…and thou also hast heard
that whoso repenteth not must perish" (1 Nephi 14:5).
The Savior further taught that "if the Gentiles will repent and return
unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my
people, O house of Israel" (3 Nephi 16:13).
With that said, I squarely place myself and other truly converted individuals
in that category. Though truly converted covenant members of the church live among a Gentile nation, I believe we can confidently
affiliate ourselves with the House of Israel.
Speaking on behalf of the Lord to the Saints about this Gentile apostasy
and their latter-day rejection of their guardianship, Joseph Smith said, "But
they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their
hearts from me because of the precepts of men. And in that generation shall the
times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Doctrine and Covenants 45:29). Or in the metaphoric terms laid out here, it is time to change the
guard - again.
The Savior gave more detail to the events and conditions that would
lead to this latter-day changing of the guard when he spoke to the Ancient Americans:
"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. And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the
Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto
you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the
fulness of my gospel" (3 Nephi
16:10-12).
The Lord apparently knew the Gentiles would reject their
guardianship, as Israel had done many years before, but this time He planned to
make that transition smooth by retaining the converted seed of Jacob living
among the Gentiles through to the next guard. It is like saying to Israel, come
out of your room now; you've been punished long enough[v],
while sending the unconverted Gentiles to their well deserved timeout; But letting the well behaved Gentiles, now turned to Israel, stick around for the next guard. Isaiah saw this change of guard when he said speaking of Israel, "For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles" (Isaiah 54:3).
When Israel resumes its rightful place in the guardianship of the
Kingdom, it appears that it will come in three stages. I don’t know the details,
or even the order of those events, but the scriptures give an account that
feels a lot like the Return of the King, in the Lord of the
Rings series by J.R. Tolkien. In that story, a war takes place between
men and Orcs. But at the time a major war breaks out, the Kingdom of men are
divided three-ways, The City of Kings (the White City), The Kingdom of Rohan,
and the dead spirits of the Men of the Mountains. In this metaphor, I liken the
kingdom of men to the House of Israel, and the kingdom of Orcs to the Gentiles.
The City of Kings is like the tribe of Joseph; The kingdom of Rohan is like the
tribe of Judah, and the hidden Men of the Mountains are like the lost tribes of
Israel.
When the battle ensued, citizens of the White City had no
confidence due to the sheer numbers of the enemy. But then the Kingdom of Rohan
came to their aid, adding to their strength and confidence. Then in a dramatic
turn of the tide, the numerous Men of the Mountains came out of hiding and
completely annihilated the enemy, and created victory for the Kingdom of Men.
I use this story of three kingdoms coming together at a time of
need and seeming hopelessness to compare to the way Joseph, Judah, and the lost
tribes will come together[vi] and constitute
the House of Israel - the true guardian of the Gospel.
The scriptures use peculiar expressions[vii],
and go to great literary lengths concerning the reacquainted Israelite
Guardianship and the power they will possess. This passage spoken by the Savior
is especially detailed:
Then
shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among
them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be
among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among
the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and
teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine
adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And I will gather my
people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. For I will make
my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron,
and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many
people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance
unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it (3
Nephi 20:16-19).
For those who love America and may have a difficult time letting
her go, invest yourselves wholeheartedly to the House of Israel -
God's covenant people - and embrace Jesus Christ as the one true ruler of this
emerging nation. Come and stand proudly as a member of the new guard of the
Kingdom of God on the earth. With the God of Israel at our head, and clothed in
the robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61:
9-11), this time we will help build and witness an entire world far greater than America
was in the beginning.
[i] See
The Allegory of the Olive Tree (Jacob 5);
Nephi's Vision (1 Nephi 13, 14); The Savior's Sermon (3 Nephi 16); Joseph
Smith's sermon (Doctrine and Covenants 45)
[ii] The
Law of Moses as revealed in many of the early books of the Bible.
[iv] See
1 Nephi 13, 14
[v] Doctrine and Covenants 109:65-67; "The kingdom was not to be restored to Israel in
their day. Let them preach the gospel and save souls before the dire day of
darkness that soon would cover the earth. The promised day of restoration, the
day of Israel’s triumph and glory, the day of millennial glory—all this lay
ahead. It was scheduled for the last days” (McConkie,Millennial Messiah, 309–10)
[vi] “By
and by the Jews will be gathered to the land of their fathers, and the ten
tribes, who wandered into the north, will be gathered home, and the blood of
Ephraim, the second son of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, which is to be
found in every kingdom and nation under heaven, will be gathered from among the
Gentiles, and the Gentiles who will receive and adhere to the principles of the
Gospel will be adopted and initiated into the family of Father Abraham, and
Jesus will reign over his own and Satan will reign over his own” (Brigham
Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, 121–22).
“It is essential in this dispensation that Ephraim stand in his
place at the head, exercising the birthright in Israel which was given to him
by direct revelation. Therefore, Ephraim must be gathered first to prepare the
way, through the gospel and the priesthood, for the rest of the tribes of
Israel when the time comes for them to be gathered to Zion. The great majority
of those who have come into the Church are Ephraimites. It is the exception to
find one of any other tribe, unless it is of Manasseh. It is Ephraim, today,
who holds the priesthood. It is with Ephraim that the Lord has made covenant
and has revealed the fulness of the everlasting gospel. It is Ephraim who is
building temples and performing the ordinances in them for both the living and
for the dead. When the ‘lost tribes’ come—and it will be a most wonderful sight
and a marvelous thing when they do come to Zion—in fulfilment of the promises
made through Isaiah and Jeremiah, they will have to receive the crowning
blessings from their brother Ephraim, the ‘firstborn’ in Israel” (Smith, Doctrines
of Salvation,3:252–53).
Thank you for sharing these wonderful insights. Who would have thought that a changing of the guards is underway? I can totally relate to your comparison of the Lord of the Rings and the House of Israel. It is unfortunate that the changing of the guard will take place in a day of much tribulation and sorrow. Yet, as we stay close to the Lord and His designated Prophet, we will be strengthened and protected.
ReplyDeleteThe analogy of the Lord of the rings was pretty great!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with us, Eric.
(Happy Mormon Girl)
Now I'm finally understanding 3 Nephi 16 & 20 or 21....the remnant of Jacob is the righteous remnant including the returning lost tribes combined with some or all of the accompanying 144,000 who fetch them from their hiding places. Is that how you understand it ? I used to think it was just the lamanites destroying the wicked Gentiles ..... Thanks for all of your work , Eric
ReplyDelete