Mighty Prayer

Mighty Prayer

I taught my Sunday School class today this principle:

Mighty prayer is a prayer where you are told what to say.  Mighty prayer is a prayer where the Holy Ghost tells you what to say.

Many years ago I read a book by Elder Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, in which he talked about the phrase mighty prayer.  He was quoting from the 27th chapter of 3 Nephi where the disciples of Christ had gathered together to ask the Lord what he wanted his church to be called.  He quoted the first verse:

And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting.

3 Ne. 27:1

 He said that being united in mighty prayer is a key to what happened next.

And Jesus again showed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: What will ye that I shall give unto you?

3 Ne. 27:2

 I read that book years ago, and the idea of mighty prayer struck me then.  It wasn't until this past year, however, when I read a book by John Pontius called The Triumph of Zion, that I learned what mighty prayer means.  Mighty prayer is a prayer where you are told what to pray.

The Temple Endowment

I remember a story related by Truman Madsen about Joseph Smith.  He was talking to a sister and told her, "Sister, you don't know how to pray.  Go to the temple and you will learn how to pray."

I have always remembered that, but I didn't really understand that until recently either!  In the temple, there is a very similar pattern:

1. We gather together to pray
2. Then we are told what to pray
3. Then the Lord appears to ask us, "What will ye that I shall give unto you?"
4. We are then allowed to receive the blessing we desire from his hand (including entering his presence)

Of course, in the temple, the endowment session is practice for the time when the Lord actually does bless us with a special blessing by his own hand and we are allowed to actually enter his presence.  That experience, according to Elder Holland, will be preceded by mighty prayer.

The Sacrament

Today in class, we were talking about the sacrament prayers and I had another realization.  The sacrament is also a time when we are gathered together in mighty prayer.  The wording of the prayers must be correct, and we usually assume that is because they are so important.  They are, but I realized today there is another reason.  Perhaps an even better reason.  The sacrament provides the same pattern for mighty prayer!

1. We gather together to pray
2. Then we are told what to pray (the Lord revealed the exact words)
3. After the prayer, and our faithfulness, we are promised the blessing of having "his Spirit" -- meaning the Spirit of Christ -- to always be with us

The Spirit of Christ, in this case, is not the Holy Ghost, but the promise of the second comforter.

The sacrament prepares us to enter the presence of the Lord through mighty prayer.

The Lord's Prayer

In talking to my wife about this, we discussed the Lord's prayer.  That prayer was an example when the Lord told us what to pray!

We often talk of how we shouldn't simply repeat this prayer over and over.  That is not the pattern.  Only two verses earlier Christ tells us that we shouldn't use vain repetitions as the heathen.  He also says the Father knows what we need before we ask him.  That, too, is a key.  We ourselves may not know what we need, but the father does.  So, how do we pray then?  Christ is not just giving us some good things to mention in our prayers, but also the way we should pray.  "After this manner therefore pray ye..." (Matt. 6:8)  For mighty prayer, we should say what we are told to pray by the Lord.

The first two things Christ tells us to pray for include "hallowing," or making sacred, the name of God, and inviting the kingdom of God to come.  The subject of the name of God is important, but must be discussed another time.  Personally and individually, the kingdom of God comes to us when we enter the presence of God, or in other words, when Christ appears to us.  The next phrase is the summation of a mighty prayer: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  There is no greater witness that we accept the will of God than when we engage in mighty prayer and only pray for what he tells us.

A Temple Dedication

In talking with my brother, we could not think of another instance where an ordinance was in the format of a prayer (i.e., addressing Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ) and where we are told what to say.  Many ordinances are prayer-like, but usually address the recipient of the ordinance (such as baptism).  However, my brother did think of a temple dedication.  It just so happens that a temple dedication follows the same pattern!

1. We gather together for a dedicatory prayer
2. We are told what to pray (temple dedications are always read and given by revelation)
3. We invite the Lord to the temple with the Hosanna Shout (Hosanna means "save us")
4. At some point, the Lord suddenly comes to his temple

In our own lives, we can invite the Lord to visit, speak, or even appear unto us through mighty prayer.  When we are worthy enough, the Holy Ghost will tell us what to pray.  This type of prayer is what must occur before we can enter the presence of the Lord and receive a blessing from his hand.

Agency and the Voice of the Lord

Today in our priesthood quorum meeting we talked about the legal definition of agency.  Without going into the "legalese" I will just say that in a legal sense, an agent is someone who has been designated to perform fiduciary responsibilities on behalf of the principal.  In other words, an agent (or servant) does what a principal (or master) would do if they were there.  We see this when someone has "power of attorney" for someone else.

This topic grew out of a discussion of John 5:22-30.  Here are some excerpts:

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
...
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgmentalso, because he is the Son of man. 

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 5:22, 27-30 

In this case Christ was acting as an agent of his Father.  What Christ did was exactly what the Father would do and in fact, it was exactly what the Father told him to do.  Christ was, of course, a perfect conduit for the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and when the Father spoke to him through the Holy Ghost, he always listened and obeyed.

Christ was a perfect agent of the father.

When we join the Church of Jesus Christ through baptism, we take upon us his name and become his agents on the earth:

7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. 

8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ. 

Mosiah 5:7-9

When we are baptized, it is more than a covenant to be obedient to him until the end of our lives.  We are literally given the responsibility to be agents of Christ because we are called by his name.  As agents, we must do exactly as he tells us and what he would himself do.  Otherwise, we are not true agents, our baptism is void, and we can't receive the same reward as true agents of Christ.

10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God. 

Mosiah 5:10

This name and responsibility are what we sometimes refer to as our calling. We are "called" by the name of Christ and become his agents.

33 For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. 

34 They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God. 

Then we are given this reminder about what it means to be an agent of the Lord:

35 And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord; 

36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; 

37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; 

38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him. 

39 And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. 

Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-39

The oath and covenant of the priesthood is literally a charge to become faithful agents of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Principle of Agency

How does being an agent of the Lord relate to the principle of agency?

Until today I did not realize that it is the same principle.  Most of us (correctly) think of agency as the ability or freedom to make choices.  It seems it is a little more specific, though.  We don't get to choose everything.  We often summarize this idea by saying we can make choices, but we don't get to choose the consequences.  I believe that is completely true, also.  But it may be even more specific than that.  We can really only make one choice in terms of agency.

We get to choose whose agent we are.

If we choose to be faithful agents of the Lord we are promised "all that my Father hath shall be given unto [us]."

If we choose anyone else as our master, our shepherd, our father, or our god, we will receive "wages of him."  In other words, we receive no reward from Christ or our Heavenly Father, but from another master.

If, for example, we faithfully worship money ("ye cannot serve God and mammon..."), then we will receive money on earth as our reward.  We forfeit our treasure in heaven.

If we faithfully worship ourselves, putting our own will above the will of God, at most we will achieve only what a mortal can achieve, a full life that ends in death.

If we worship, or become agents, of any master other than God, we are really becoming agents of the devil.  In forfeiting our divine namesake, our calling, and our heavenly family, we use our agency to serve the devil and his work.  The wages of the devil are death, both spiritual and physical.

38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd. 

39 And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil. 

40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil. 

41 Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him. 

42 And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works. 

Alma 5:38-42

The Voice of the Lord

The most interesting thing that stood out to me today was from verse 30 where Jesus says, "as I hear, I judge."  Christ was the perfect example of hearkening unto the voice of the Lord.

As agents of Christ, we must have a way to receive instructions from him.  I can identify several ways an agent or servant would receive instructions from the master:

1. From his written word - The master can write or have others write his words and commandments.  These words can be confirmed by a messenger or by other servants that they are in fact from the master.
2. From other servants - Servants of the master must bear the name and image of the master.  If they do not have his image and authority in their countenance, they are imposters.  Their works must be his works; their words his words.  We have a responsibility to receive all servants of the master if we, too, desire to serve him, but also have the right to a second witness that any servant is from God.
3. From a messenger - We can always receive instructions from the master through his own personal trustworthy messenger.  For the Lord, this messenger is the Holy Ghost.  He can teach us and remind us of the words of Christ.
4. From the master's own voice - Occasionally the master will call to us with his own voice.  We can recognize his voice if we are familiar with his words that have come to us through his written word, his servants, and his messenger.
   
   "29 And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name." (JST Genesis 14:29)
   
5. From the master's own mouth (face to face) - When we have proven that we are worthy servants, that we will hearken to the voice of the master through all hazards, and that we can be trusted with his word, we may get to see the master face to face and receive blessings and instructions directly from him.  This communion will be according to the master's timetable, not the servant's.  However, all faithful servants are promised this opportunity.

Acting as agents of the master could not be simpler.  We must do just as Jesus showed us.  Like him, as we hear, we judge.  Or, in other words, as soon as we hear him, we obey him.  No other instruction and commandment is necessary.

Our only other task is to become better listeners.  But that is a topic for another day...

Sacred Calendars and the Seventh Seal (part 2)

If you would like to begin by reading part 1, I highly recommend it.  This post assumes you have already digested that post about sacred calendars and predicting the future.


In doing some personal research on sacred calendars, I have decided to research the timing of the great meeting at Adam-ondi-Ahman.  For you scriptural scholars out there, I know exactly what you are thinking... "Which one?"  (For those who have no idea what I am talking about, bear with me...)

Adam-ond-Ahman (part 1)

As we discussed previously, I am fascinated by the work of John Pratt on astronomy, sacred calendars, and religious history.  I have seen his list of hundreds of historical dates that have been calculated based on the alignment of holy days (or "holidays") on sacred calendars.  My understanding is that the list is ongoing.  Dr. Pratt has used scriptural, historical, and apocryphal works to approximate a date range and then looks to see if their is a logical calendrical alignment.  If the planets align (literally and figuratively) then he concludes that the day of their alignment must be the day in question.

There are many clues in the scriptures about the timing and dates of certain events in history.  Thus the reason Dr. Pratt has such a long list.  However, there is one date that has not been published by him, and I wanted to try my hand at finding it myself.

The date I wanted to find is mentioned in this scripture:

53 Three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who were all high priests, with the residue of his posterity who were righteous, into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing.
54 And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel.
55 And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him: I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them forever.
56 And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation.
57 These things were all written in the book of Enoch, and are to be testified of in due time. (D&C 107:53-57)

I wanted to know the date of the first assembly at Adam-ondi-Ahman that occurred "three years previous to the death of Adam."  To do so, I used the calendar program Dr. Pratt provides on his website and the death date of Adam discovered by Dr. Pratt previously.

[The given day our father Adam died was Tuesday, 26 Sep, 3071 BC, fulfilling the prophecy from God himself concerning the forbidden fruit where he said to Adam, "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)]

Because there are no clarifiers in the text of the scriptures (such as nearly, almost, more than, exactly, etc.), we can't tell how closely the date would line up with the three year mark.  So, I looked at dates between Jan 3074 BC and April 3073 BC.  The two dates that seem most interesting are:

Friday, 5 Sep 3074 BC 

• This is a holy day on 5 sacred calendars:
• Sacred Round, Mercury, Uniform Mercury, Mars, and Chronos (Uranus)
• Anniversary of Adam's birthday:
• Sacred Round, Mercury, Chronos
• Anniversary of Enoch's birthday:
• Sacred Round, Uniform Mercury

The alignments here with the Chronos (Uranus) calendar are significant.  Of all the Chronos holidays, the most important is the day that Adam was born.  It was that same holiday that the Book of Mormon was first published and Jesus was presented at the temple as a baby (along with other events).  Because the cycle of Uranus is so long, holiday alignments on the Uranus calendar are extremely rare.  If this is the correct date for the first Adam-ondi-Ahman council, having it be the same day as Adam's birth on three calendars is remarkable by itself, but it is astounding to have one of them be the Chronos calendar.

Adam was certainly the central figure of this meeting.  It was Adam that called together his posterity.  He blessed them.  He prophesied to them.  He was praised and blessed by those present.  The Lord himself also appeared to comfort and bless Adam.  Even the valley itself was named after him.  It would definitely be appropriate if the sacred calendars were also celebrating Adam, the Prince, on that extremely special day.

Saturday, 22 Nov 3074 BC

• This is a holy day on 7 sacred calendars:
• Sacred Round, Mercury, Uniform Mercury, Uniform Venus, Mars, Uniform Enoch, Priest, Jubilees
• This is a Saturday (the Sabbath) which is also holy
• Future date of the founding of the city of Enoch (Zion):
• Sacred Round, Mars, Uniform Enoch, Priest
• Future date of Christ's birthday:
• Sacred Round, Mercury
• Future Date of Christ's resurrection:
• Mercury

The most "holy" days in all history according to sacred calendars are:

1. The day that time began (in the scriptures this is called "the beginning of time" or "the foundation of the world")
2. The day that Christ went to the spirit world "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" to begin the work that would free the innumerable spirits in prison from the effects of sin and death
3. The day that Christ was resurrected, fully breaking the bands of death for all mankind

Another event that is also extremely important on the sacred calendars is the birth of Christ.  However, this event is celebrated on two different days.  These two days taken together are significant reminders of the importance of the birth of Christ: 

• The actual day of his birth
• The day that he was "presented to the Lord" at the temple (see Luke 2:21-24)  

The day of presentation marked the end of the days of purification for Mary, and a sacrifice of two turtledoves was made according to the law of Moses.  It seems that the Lord wanted to make it clear that this child was to be the great and last sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Son of God to purify all mankind.

I mention these most sacred days because other holy days have always been made more holy if they fall on these calendar days.  This second date, in addition to falling on an amazing number of holy days, also falls on the dates of Christ's birth and his resurrection.  That day, if truly the same day as a sacred event, would have been very special indeed.

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So, which of these days is the actual date of the first meeting at Adam-ondi-Ahman?  Well, I can't tell.  Perhaps, significant events happened on both days.  Maybe Adam's posterity dwelled with him for a couple of months, to learn all they could from him and to hear him predict "whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation."  When you get that kind of spiritual power together in one gathering, the only conclusion is that many remarkable things would have happened.  One day may not have been enough time for it all.

We may very well find out which day was the most important when we have the second meeting with Adam at Adam-ondi-Ahman.  That day may be on the anniversary of the original gathering and will surely be holy on many sacred calendars as well.  I look forward to that very much.

Sacred Calendars and the Seventh Seal (part 1)

I watched a debate yesterday between a Protestant Scholar (Dr. James White) and an LDS Apologist from the University of Utah (Dr. Martin Tanner).  There were many things that stand out, but one of the things that was mentioned by Dr. White was that "God created all things, even time itself."

Let's take a look at time in the way God looks at it.

God Created Time

First, what is time?  Time is defined by the way it is measured.  For example a day is one complete spin of the earth.  A year is one revolution of the earth around the sun.

Our "times and seasons" are literally defined by the movements of the "heavenly bodies" in our solar system.  We learn this in the Doctrine and Covenants:

42 And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons;
43 And their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth, which comprehend the earth and all the planets.
44 And they give light to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their minutes, in their hours, in their days, in their weeks, in their months, in their years—all these are one year with God, but not with man. (D&C 88:42-44)

In other words, the solar system is a giant clock.  Literally.  We are very familiar with the cycles of the sun, earth, and moon in relation to each other.   They determine our days, months, seasons, and years.  However, while the sun is the center of the solar system, it is important to note that the heavenly clock created by the Lord was designed for us on earth.  We are the focal point.

John Pratt's work in a few paragraphs

In studying the times and seasons, I have been fascinated by the work of astronomer and programmer John Pratt.  His website outlines just about everything you would ever need to know about calendars and dates in relation to the scriptures and LDS church history.  He has defined 14 calendars that can be considered Sacred Calendars because the Lord has used them to mark important dates throughout history.  In other words, special days for the Lord and his work fall on special days on these calendars.

Here is an example.  One of the holiest days on the Hebrew calendar is the "holi-day" of the Passover.  Christ was born on the Passover.  The day Christ was born was obviously an important day for the Lord and he used the Hebrew calendar to designate that day as holy.  It also happened to fall on "holy days" on the Venus calendar, the Mercury calendar, and the Mayan calendar (or Sacred Round calendar, as Dr. Pratt calls it).

Here are the calendars that have been defined and researched by Dr. Pratt:

1. Mercury calendar
2. Venus calendar
3. Mars calendar
4. Uranus (Chronos) calendar
5. Hebrew calendar
6. Sacred Round calendar (variation of the Mayan calendar)
7. Enoch calendar (described in the apocryphal book of Enoch)
8. Temple Priest calendar
9. Jubilees calendar

The planetary calendars are based on their position in our sky.  Each major change in position or direction  is considered a "holy day."  For example, the first day when Mercury disappears because it is between the Earth and the sun.

The Sacred Round calendar has the same cycle as Mercury (both are 260 days long).

The Hebrew calendar is based on moon cycles rather than sun cycles and uses correction months and days to realign it with "new moons" and the solar year.  In fact, almost all of the calendars have these corrections to realign things with solar years.

Dr. Pratt found that if you take existing sacred calendars (using their primary pattern) and eliminate these correction days, you have a completely new set of "holy days."  Using this principle, he added what he calls "uniform" calendars:

1. Uniform Mercury calendar
2. Uniform Venus calendar
3. Uniform Mars calendar
4. Uniform Enoch calendar
5. Uniform Jubilees calendar

According to these calendar alignments, the most holy days in all of history are the first day of Adam's mortality (or what the scriptures call "the beginning of time"), the day Christ visited the Spirit World, and the day of the resurrection of Christ.

Lessons About Time

God is Exact

The first lesson is that God is exact when it comes to dates and times.  If these calendars are accurate (and they seem to be), Christ was born exactly 4000 years after the first day of mortality (the beginning of time), to the day!  Both days were Passover on the Hebrew calendar.

The Doctrine and Covenants revelation about the birth of Christ is likewise accurate to the day.  The church was organized exactly 1830 years after the birth day of Christ.  (That day was revealed to Joseph Smith, by the way, as the exact day the church was to be born.  The church and the Savior will share a birthday forever now!)

So when God says that he has divided his works into seven parts (or "seals") which are the seven thousand years of the Earth's temporal existence (see D&C 77:6-7), he is saying each of the seven seals is exactly one thousand years long to the day.

The Meridian of Time

Because we are still in the sixth seal, and there have been more than 2000 years since the birth of Christ, then something happened that changed the reckoning of time.

Apparently, the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ were all separate from the "hidden things of [God's] economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence." (D&C 77:6)  This period between seals is called "the meridian of time" in the scriptures.

When did the meridian of time end?  Well, here is one clue:

21 Wherefore, the Almighty God gave his Only Begotten Son, as it is written in those scriptures which have been given of him.
22 He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them.
23 He was crucified, died, and rose again the third day;
24 And ascended into heaven...
25 That as many as would believe and be baptized in his holy name, and endure in faith to the end, should be saved—
26 Not only those who believed after he came in the meridian of time, in the flesh, but all those from the beginning, even as many as were before he came, who believed in the words of the holy prophets, who spake as they were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who truly testified of him in all things, should have eternal life,
27 As well as those who should come after , who should believe in the gifts and callings of God by the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and of the Son; (D&C 20:21-27)

Perhaps the reason the meridian of time is separate is because it has never been hidden.  It has been spoken of by all the Holy Prophets since the world began.  For all true prophets testify (or prophesy) of Christ.

This scripture mentions the temptations, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.  If the "meridian of time" includes his coming "in the flesh," which events would count as occurring "in the flesh"?  You could make the claim that death is the end of mortality and so the day of the crucifixion is the final day he was here in the flesh.  You could also say that his body was still here and that he still had claim upon it.  Therefore, the resurrection was his final day "in the flesh."  Because this scripture mentions the ascension as well, that may need to be included likewise "in the meridian of time."

The ascension, interestingly enough, is grouped together with these events in other places as well:

2 Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven. (Mosiah 18:2)

This scripture seems to imply that Christ's "ascension into heaven" was an essential part of our redemption.  That, of course, makes sense.  The whole purpose of the redemption is to bring us back into the presence of God.  Christ ascended into heaven and shows us the way back to the Father.

20 Now, my son, I do not say that their resurrection cometh at the resurrection of Christ; but behold, I give it as my opinion, that the souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous, at the resurrection of Christ, and his ascension into heaven. (Alma 40:20)

Here again the ascension is grouped with the resurrection.

So, the "meridian of time" ended with either the crucifixion, the resurrection, or the ascension of Christ.  Consequently, the seventh seal should be opened exactly 2000 years from one of these dates:

• Crucifixion - April 1, 33 AD
• Resurrection - April 3, 33 AD
• Ascension - May 12, 33 AD

I believe the day of the crucifixion of Christ would be the most likely end for the meridian of time.  This was the last event of the Savior's ministry that was seen by the world, both the wicked and the righteous.  Everything since that time was hidden from the world with Christ in God.  It was also the last day of Christ "in the flesh," or in other words, his last day with a mortal body.

Predicting the Future

Using the same methodology Dr. Pratt used for discovering dates in the past, we can try to discover possible dates in the future.  If we look, for example, at each of the possible dates for the beginning of the seventh seal, here is what we find:

• Crucifixion Anniversary - Friday, April 1, 2033
• This day is exactly 2000 years after the crucifixion on our modern calendar
• It is a Friday, just like the crucifixion
• This is a Holy Day on the following 7 calendars:
• Mercury, Uniform Mercury, Venus, Uniform Mars, Sacred Round
• After sunset: Hebrew (sunset starts the Biblical New Year), Enoch
• This day shares holy days with the birth of King David (M/SR) and the death of ancient Joseph (M/PHC)
• Very appropriate for the passing of the Kingdom from the tribe of Joseph to the second King David (Christ) 
• It also shares two holy days with the date of the publishing of the Book of Mormon (V/PHC)
• Resurrection Anniversary - Sunday, April 3, 2033
• This day is exactly 2000 years after the resurrection on our modern calendar
• It is a Sunday, just like the resurrection
• This is a Holy Day on the Enoch calendar and Priest calendar (in the morning)
• On our modern calendar, it is exactly 197 years after the appearance of Christ, Moses, Elias, and Elijah in the Kirtland Temple and shares a holy day on the Enoch calendar with that event
• It is General Conference weekend, the modern anniversary of the birth of the latter-day church
• It is the "third day" on 5 calendars
• It also shares a holy day on the Enoch calendar with the beginning of time, the birth of ancient Joseph, and the resurrection of Christ
• Ascension Anniversary - Thursday, May 12, 2033
• This doesn't appear to be a holy day on any calendar
• The Hebrew equivalent anniversary would be May 26, 2033 and that day is likewise ordinary

While this future anniversary of the resurrection seems special (and very well could be), it appears that the anniversary of the crucifixion is the more significant day and a better candidate for the day the seventh seal will be opened, the millennium will begin, and a new era will be introduced for the earth.

Words of Caution

While these calendars and these exercises are fascinating, there are a few things to remember:

• I believe everything I am writing here and not trying to mislead in any way.  However, if you are relying on a blog to prepare you for the millennium and the second coming, might I suggest adding some additional sources with a more direct line to heaven.  Always follow the prophets, seers, and revelators of the church.
• I have not seen these dates or events in vision (yet).  Predicting the future without revelation from the Lord is perilous business.  If these dates turn out to be correct, I will not be surprised.  If they turn out to be incorrect, I will not be surprised.
• Many will balk at this exercise and say that we are not allowed to know the date of the second coming.  They might even add an (!) or two.  That may be true for now, but keep in mind that the opening of the seventh seal is not the date of the coming of Christ.
• Many of the "times and seasons" designed into the planets and stars are meant for us in the latter-days.  No other generation had the ability as a society to see the planets and stars or study them like we can.  These dates, then, are our responsibility to study and ponder.  If you ask the Lord to reveal these things to you, it will be easier if he has something to start with.  How will you even know what to ask if you haven't thought this through?

Stay tuned for more of my research into future dates of extreme importance.

Why we are still in the sixth seal

It has been a while since my last post, but this is something worth elaborating.

Are we in the sixth seal or the seventh seal?

Well, we can only be in the seventh seal, or more properly "in the thousand year period after the opening of the seventh seal," if all of the prophecies concerning the sixth seal have been fulfilled.  (I am not one of those that thinks there is some sort of cosmic crossover of the seals because time does not exist to God, or some sort of similar logical stretch.)

Alright, so are there any of the prophecies of the sixth seal that are yet to be fulfilled?

First, let me explain how we might be able to look beyond the book of Revelation to find "other" sixth seal events.  There are really only two straightforward locations in the scriptures that explicitly speak of the sixth seal.  One is, of course, in the book of Revelation (Rev. 6:12 through Rev. 7:17).  The other is in Doctrine and Covenants (77:8-11).  Any other prophecy concerning the second coming requires estimation or guessing to put it "in the right seal."  Or does it?

I actually think that the Lord uses these time periods more often than we might think.  In JST Peter we read:

8 But concerning the coming of the Lord, beloved, I would not have you ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (JST Peter 3:8)

This is specifically "concerning the coming of the Lord."  So, when a second coming scripture says "the day of the Lord" or "in the great and terrible day of the Lord" it is speaking of the seventh seal. When it says "before the day of the Lord shall come" or "before the great and coming day" it is speaking of the sixth seal.

Here are some examples of sixth seal scriptures that follow this format:

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:31) 

5 ¶Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: (Malachi 4:5)

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven. (D&C 45:42)

24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose. (D&C 49:24)

Notice that most of this has already happened.  It is arguable whether we have seen "the stars fall from heaven" or whether "the Lamanites [have] blossom[ed] as the rose."

The Great Earthquake

One significant prophecy that I believe we have yet to see is the great earthquake mentioned by John the Revelator.

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake... (Rev. 6:12)

This earthquake might be part of the same series of events as these signs as well:

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (Rev. 6:14)

I could be mistaken, but I don't think we have seen these things yet.

The Sealing of the 144,000

The Doctrine and Covenants says that the 7th chapter of Revelation takes place during the sixth seal:

9 Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?...
10 Q. What time are the things spoken of in this chapter to be accomplished?
A. They are to be accomplished in the sixth thousand years, or the opening of the sixth seal. (D&C 77:9-10)

There are some pretty significant sixth seal events that are described in Revelation chapter 7. They include:

• "the wind should not blow on the earth" - verse 1
• "there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." - verse 4
• "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb" - verse 9

Again, unless I am significantly out-of-the-loop, these events are also in the future.

The Restoration of the Jews

One final thing, and we'll leave it alone:

The "restoration of the Jews" is an important period of time that must occur before the second coming of Christ.  It will culminate in the appearance of Christ himself to the Jews at Jerusalem.  When he sets his foot upon the Mount of Olives, causing it to divide asunder. the Jews who remain will finally know and fully recognize their true Messiah.  The beginning of the restoration of the Jews must be, according to our method of reckoning, during the sixth seal.  The clue is found in this scripture:

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.
43 And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place; (D&C 45:42-43)

Notice, first of all, the phrase: "before the day of the Lord shall come."  We have a reference once again to the darkening of the sun, the moon turning to blood, and the stars falling from heaven.  Then the scripture also says that "the remnant shall be gathered unto this place."

Lest you think these are unrelated, the next verse says, "then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come."  Anytime a scripture says "then" we know that it will happen in a specific chronological order. Therefore, we have a time period here "before the day of the Lord" and another afterward when the Lord says, "I will come."  The remnant will be gathered unto "this place" during the sixth seal.

The Remnant

Who is the remnant?  It is the Jews.  This particular revelation is an extension of the revelation given by Christ to his Apostles in Jerusalem.  He talks about the remnant earlier in the revelation when he says:

24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;
25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (D&C 45:24-25)

So, the first thing we notice is that this "remnant" of Jerusalem (the Jews) will be scattered among all nations.  Later, after the "Times of the Gentiles" is fulfilled they will be gathered again.  In the previous scripture, we learned that this gathering will occur "before the day of the Lord shall come."  The gathering of the Jews to Jerusalem will occur during the sixth seal.

The Times of the Gentiles

"Ah," you say, "Now I've got you!  The Jews were gathered a long time ago to the State of Israel!  So this proves nothing!" Before getting all hasty and stuff consider this quote from President Benson:

“The Lord has designated these days in which we live as the ‘times of the Gentiles.’ ... The ‘times of the Gentiles’ refers to that period of time extending from when the gospel was restored to the world (1830) to when the gospel will again be preached to the Jews—after the Gentiles have rejected it.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare Yourself for the Great Day of the Lord,” New Era, May 1982)

Again, unless I am totally out-of-the-loop, we are still preaching to the Gentiles and they have not collectively rejected the gospel yet.  Consequently, this time period called the "Times of the Gentiles" is the period in which we are now laboring.

Furthermore, we read this:

9 That through your [Joseph Smith's] administration they may receive the word, and through their [the First Presidency's] administration the word may go forth unto the ends of the earth, unto the Gentiles first, and then, behold, and lo, they shall turn unto the Jews.
10 And then cometh the day when the arm of the Lord shall be revealed in power in convincing the nations, the heathen nations, the house of Joseph, of the gospel of their salvation. (D&C 90:9-10)

Again, notice the word "then."  When the First Presidency "turn[s] unto the Jews" it will be before "the day when the arm of the Lord shall be revealed in power," a seventh seal event.

Timeline

Let's outline everything here:

1. The Times of the Gentiles began in 1830.
2. The Times of the Gentiles will end when the gospel is again preached to the Jews and the Gentiles have rejected it.
3. The First Presidency (and missionary work) will "turn" unto the Jews. (D&C 90:9)
4. The Jews will be gathered unto Jerusalem. (D&C 45:43)
5. The seventh seal will be opened and the seventh thousand years, or the day of the Lord, shall come. (D&C 45:42)

I hope this helps everyone understand that we are still living during the opening of the sixth seal and the Times of the Gentiles.

Weekly Doctrine

So this year (2010) our sacrament meeting (church service) begins at 1:00pm. Since it is such a late starting time, we will probably have lots of time during the morning to do stuff. I have decided to add some material to my Doctrine and Truth blog during the morning hours on Sunday. I hope that those who find this blog enjoy my posts.

President Monson Announces New Temples

I always enjoyed the announcements that President Hinckley would make during the LDS General Conference. I can still remember the buzz from the announcement of the Nauvoo temple. Well, President Monson created one of those moments today when he announced that five new temples would be built in various locations throughout the world.

Here they are in the order they were announced:

1. Calgary, Alberta, Canadia (I always call it Canadia...)
2. Cordova, Argentina
3. The greater Kansas City area
4. Philidelphia, PA
5. Rome, Italy

It was kinda funny when the prophet announced the Rome temple. The whole conference center gasped. I'm sure they were thinking something like, "Wow! We'll be neighbors with the Pope!!" or something. I wasn't really paying attention to that, though. I was more interested in the announcement "hidden" in the middle... the greater Kansas City Area!?

I don't think most members realize that Independence is a suburb of Kansas City. Now I have no idea if the temple announced will be in Independence. It may be on the Kansas side of the river for all I know. That information has not been released yet, but I thought it would be cool to mention a few scriptural references to the temple that will be built there before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the clouds in glory. As the Lord told Moses:

Moses 7: 62
62 ...righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

To begin our discussion, I want to go to a scripture from Malachi:

Malachi 3:1
1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

This prophesy of course has been fulfilled many times, but the most notable fulfillment will be in the future when Jesus Christ suddenly come to the temples built in Zion (New Jerusalem) and in Jerusalem itself. D&C 42: 35-36 talks a little about this. Here are a few scriptures about the location of the temple in Zion:

D&C 57: 1-3
1 Hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, who have assembled yourselves together, according to my commandments, in this land, which is the land of Missouri, which is the land which I have appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints.
2 Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion.
3 And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse.

The lot mentioned in this scripture is larger than we usually think of most lots. It consists of several acres, some of which are owned by the church. A large LDS visitors center is there as well. The Community of Christ has both a temple and an auditorium there. But a small church called the Church of Christ owns the main section which most people consider to be the center of the temple lot. The sign shown at the left here is from that church. I took these pictures myself in 2007. Let throw in some more pictures for kicks, shall we?

Here is the Community of Christ temple with the temple lot in the foreground. (Click on it for a larger version.)


And here is the LDS visitors center.


And now here's a very interesting scripture to tie things together:

D&C 84: 2-4
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.
4 Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation.

So, first of all the building of the city of Zion (or the New Jerusalem) will begin with the building of the temple. The city itself will be located in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri (or the greater Kansas City area...) It will also be built by the "gathering of the saints." Let's not be hasty and start saying that all LDS people have to move to Kansas City to build the City of Zion. As Alma would say, "Ye cannot suppose that this is what it meaneth..." The Book of Mormon makes it clear exactly what will happen:

3 Nephi 23-25
23 And they [the Gentiles] shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.

24 And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.

25 And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst.

It is clear here that the gathering of the Lord's people "in unto the New Jerusalem" will happen after the city has been built. We also learn here that there are three groups that will help build the city--the "remnant of Jacob," "many of the House of Israel," and the Gentiles, who will assist. I'll let you all discover for yourselves who these groups are.

Alright, now here is a long one to finish up:

Ether 13: 3-11

3 And that it [this land] was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.

Now, you may be thinking... "Wait a minute. I thought the House of Israel was going to build the city!?" Let's continue to figure out what Moroni is speaking of here.

4 Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.
...

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.

...

8 Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.

9 And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new.

10 And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.

The New Jersusalem is synonimous with the city of Zion. Enoch and his city of Zion from ancient times was taken up into heaven. This city will return and become part of the New Jerusalem in the last days after the city has been built by the "remnant of the house of Joseph." This is what the scripture means when it says "the New Jerusalem... should come down out of heaven."

11 And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham.

A less commonly understood doctrine is that the people in ancient Jerusalem (or Salem), under the leadership of Melchizedek, also "wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world." (JST Genesis 14: 34-35) It appears that these people, too, will come down from heaven to join with those who have rebuilt Jerusalem in the latter-days. Both cities were taken up into heaven. Both cities will return, in their time, to join their modern counterparts.

For as the prophecy says, "[God] hath said, and sworn with an oath, that the heavens and the earth should come together; and the sons of God should be tried so as by fire." (ibid)

So, to summarize and conclude our discussion:

1. First, the temple will be built in Zion by the House of Israel, the remnant of Jacob, and the Gentiles
2. The rest of the city of Zion will be built next and called the New Jerusalem
3. Then the people of the Lord, the remnant of Joseph specifically, will be gathered to Zion
4. The Savior will come down and dwell among those who dwell in Zion
5. The ancient city of Zion led by Enoch will come down out of heaven and dwell with the latter-day city of the New Jerusalem
6. The ancient city of Salem led by Melchiziedek will come down out of heaven and dwell with the latter-day city of Jerusalem

I hope you enjoy studying these scriptures that are very applicabe to events that are happenning to us right now.


UPDATE:

I learned that the temple will be in Liberty, MO (which is in Clay County not Jackson County). One of the comments to the post also pointed that out.  The building of the temple in Zion is not yet.