"Lord, to whom shall we go?" Charting the Course of the Church from Here to the Second Coming: Part 16

​​Understanding the Trajectory of the Restoration

Okay, who's ready to see the work of the Restoration in an entirely new light?!

​Question 1:

Why does the Lord call the Book of Mormon the "new covenant" in D&C 84:57?

   And they [the children of Zion]
   shall remain under this condemnation
   until they repent and remember
   the new covenant,
   even the Book of Mormon.

Answer Part 1:

The context for D&C 84 is given in verse 2 and it is something quite extraordinary.

Look carefully at what the Lord is trying to teach us:

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

(D&C 84:2)

What do we learn from this?  Well, it appears the Lord established a church (did not restore a church, but established a church) thru Joseph Smith in order to restore his people (his people, or the House of Israel, are restored, not the church).

That clear?

   1.  The Lord established a Church among the Gentiles (his "saints")

   2.  The Church's job is to seek out and "restore" the Lord's people, as spoken by the mouth of his prophets" (we're talking about the remnant of Jacob).

Two separate things.

   3.  So why does the Church need to bring the gospel to the remnant of Jacob?  Because they're the ones in charge of building Zion.

   4.  The Gentile "saints" who are gathered will then be able to stand with "his people" on Mount Zion in the New Jerusalem, who they assisted, and without whom the Gentiles could never have done it.  

There's a symbiosis here.  In other words, in one simple verse, the Lord talks about two separate peoples and their entwined destines.  

   Pretty cool, huh?

Answer Part 2:

Someone might say:

But Tim, doesn't the Lord say 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" (D&C 84:4)?

My response is simply, "Yes.  Yes, that's exactly what He said."

But . . . did it happen?  Nope.  Not under any interpretation I can think of.

Wait a minute.  The Lord's word can't fail, right?  So what is going on here?  

Well, as the Lord explained:

   [If you] do not do the things that I say,
   I will not perform the oath
   which I make unto you,
   neither fulfil the promises
   which ye expect at my hands,
   saith the Lord.

   For instead of blessings,
   ye, by your own works,
   bring cursings, wrath, indignation,
   and judgments upon your own heads,
   by your follies, and by all
   your abominations,
   which you practice before me,
   saith the Lord.

(D&C 124:44-48)

Anybody know of any "abominations" out there?

Let's ask Jacob:

   Ye are beginning to labor in sin,
   which sin appeareth
   very abominable unto me,
   yea, and abominable unto God.

(Jacob 2:5)

Hmmm.  Whatever is Jacob referring to?

   1.  The Abominable Sin of Inequality.

Yup, that's right.  Among the Nephites some had become rich and felt like they were "better than" those who were less fortunate, and had become prideful.  

   O that he would rid you from this
   iniquity and abomination . . . 

   Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, 
   and be familiar with all and free
   with your substance, that they
   may be rich like unto you.

(Jacob 2:16-17)

   2.  The Abominable Sin of Polygamy.

Yup, that's right.  Among the Nephites some of them had begun to practice polygamy.  

   For behold, thus saith the Lord:
   This people begin to wax in iniquity;
   they understand not the scriptures,
   for they seek to excuse themselves
   in committing whoredoms,
   because of the things
   which were written concerning David,
   and Solomon his son.

   Behold, David and Solomon
   truly had many wives and concubines,
   which thing was abominable
   before me, saith the Lord.

(Jacob 2:23-24)

   3.  The Abominable Sin of Racism.

Yup, that's right.  Jacob warned the Nephites:

   The Lamanites your brethren,
   whom ye hate because of their. . . skins,
   are more righteous than you. . . 

   Wherefore, a commandment I give
   unto you, which is the word of God,
   that ye revile no more against them
   because of the darkness of their skins . . .

   Do ye not suppose that such things are 
   abominable unto him who created all flesh?
   And the one being is as precious in his sight
   as the other.

(Jacob 3:5, 9; Jacob 2:21)

​How Would You Rate the Church on these 3 Abominable Sins?

   1.  Inequality.  Fail.

   2.  Polygamy.  Fail.

   3.  Racism.  Fail.

That's right.  It's like we took the worst sins from the Nephites and said to ourselves:

"You know what, let's build a religion around these 3 abominations and make them the centerpieces.  Let's create an authoritarian hierarchy in which our top leaders die as millionaires; let's practice polygamy as a religious sacrament; let's deny Blacks the priesthood even though it's against the gospel of Christ."

Well . . . what did the Lord say would happen if the Church practiced abominations?

(I don't have to tell you.  We've witnessed it first hand.)

Answer Part 3

Okay, now let's get to the good part.  

Why is the Book of Mormon essential to the restoration of the remnant of Jacob?  

In what way is the Book of Mormon "THE new covenant" (D&C 84:57)?

Well, this should be easy.  What's a covenant?  A promise?  

The Book of Mormon Covenant (Promise)

So what did God promise in the Book of Mormon?

Shall we ask Jacob's son, Enos?

   And I had faith, and I did cry
   unto God that he would preserve
   the records; and he covenanted with me
   that he would bring them forth
   unto the Lamanites in his own due time.

   And I, Enos, knew it would be
   according to the covenant
   which he had made; wherefore
   my soul did rest.

   And the Lord said unto me:
   Thy fathers have also required of me
   this thing; and it shall be done
   unto them according to their faith;
   for their faith was like unto thine.

(Enos 1:16-18)

What?  Does this make any sense at all? 

Here Enos has got the Lord on the other end of the line and he asks for . . . some records to be preserved?

("Yeah, Solomon, you'll never believe it. Uh huh.  No, not an understanding heart.  Nope, not that either.  That's right.  Record preservation!")

   Why? 

Why did Enos care?  What was the faith of the Book of Mormon prophets all about?

   [We] did seek diligently 
   to restore the Lamanites
   unto the true faith in God.

(Enos 1:20)

Mic drop.  *Boom.*

Does that sound familiar?  "Restore" who, again?

   Not a church.  Not you or me.  

The Lamanites, who are the remnant of Jacob.

This is what the Lord covenanted to do. 

The Book of Mormon is the record which God covenanted to bring forth in the latter-days in order to bring his gospel to His people, the Lamanites.