The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever

It wasn’t generally evident the Jews were blind until they began fighting against God’s prophets.  Until then, many presumed the situation was not all that dire.  Surely, even some of the very elect almost could not perceive the condition of darkness in which the people stirred.  It took hearing the message of repentance from true prophets to begin opening their eyes, and unstopping their deaf ears (JST Isa. 42:19).  It was that message that began to cause the anger.  


Once the people fought against God’s prophets, it became clear to those who were paying attention that they had been drawing nigh unto God with their mouths, and honoring him with their lips, but their hearts were far from him (Matt. 15:8-9).  They had been “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (ibid.).

The leaders, whom the people followed, and in whom the people had placed their faith, by and large rejected and cast out those God had sent among them with an authentic message.  They led many souls to “the ditch” (Matt. 15:14).  Those who presided were fearful of what was perceived as opposition to their high and honored standing.  Because they weren’t teaching an authentic message, received via an authentic experience, they necessarily took offense when prophets claimed to speak with and for God (Matt. 15:12; 26:33).  These leaders wondered at where these prophets had received their authority (Mark 11:27-33).

Because of honesty and open hearts, some believed the message sent by God (Acts 28:24).  Because of humility, some of those chose to repent and work righteousness.  Because of pride, many cursed God, and the servants God had sent, and damned themselves. 

God even sent his Son among them.  They despised and rejected Him (Isa. 53:3). They esteemed Him not, and hid their faces from Him, as was prophesied (Ibid.).  They were offended because of Him.  They were angry at His message and slew their Lord. 

God’s children in all generations, and in every dispensation, have had a difficult time recognizing true prophets when they are sent.  Joseph Smith taught us that:

“The world always mistook false prophets for true ones, and those that were sent of God, they considered to be false prophets, and hence they killed, stoned, punished and imprisoned the true prophets, and these had to hide themselves ‘in deserts and dens, and caves of the earth,’ and though the most honorable men of the earth, they banished them from their society as vagabonds, whilst they cherished, honored and supported knaves, vagabonds, hypocrites, impostors, and the basest of men” ( Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 206).

Why didn’t God make it as easy for all those previous dispensations as he has for us?  Is He not the same yesterday, today, and forever (Morm. 9:9)?

The Prophet Abinadi, Part 1

The Prophet Abinadi, Part 1

“And it came to pass that there was a man among them whose name was Abinadi; and he went forth among them, and began to prophesy, saying: Behold, thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me, saying, Go forth, and say unto this people, thus saith the Lord – Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms; and except they repent I will visit them in mine anger” (Mosiah 11:20).

Implicit in the phrase “thus saith the Lord” is the idea that the words Abinadi gives the people in his message are not his own but the Lord’s.  He had no need to form the message in his own mind, or to prepare his remarks, because the message was given to him.  He was in fact “commanded” to say the things that he said. 

Notice in this verse that a part of the commandment that came from the Lord to Abinadi was that he use the phrase “thus saith the Lord.” 

“He commanded me, saying, Go forth, and say unto this people, thus saith the Lord…” 

This is a pattern that we see most prolifically in the Old Testament.  The phrase is used there over 400 times by prophet-writers.  Many of our revelations as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants use this phrase. 

The prophets are conscientious and deliberate when attesting to the truthfulness of their message by invoking the name of the Lord.  To use this phrase without authority and without an authentic message from God would be to take the name of the Lord in vain.  This kind of authoritative message, spoken by a messenger who received that message directly from God, is the type of message to which the Lord was referring when he closed his “Preface” to the Doctrine and Covenants:

“What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (D&C 1:38).

“It is the same” because his sent servants neither add to, nor do they take from the message that was given to them from the Lord, but deliver it according to the will of the Lord.  We've superfluously applied this verse to mean the Lord will stand by anything that is spoken "in general conference," for instance, or anything that is in the Ensign magazine, or anything the Bishop said, for "whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."  This is wrong, and the Lord has never promised to stand by all such messages.  The Lord "excuses not" himself.  The philosophies of men, regardless of the calling or office of the man who utters them, and no matter how sincere he may be in his attempts to impart them, cannot save you and do not originate with the Lord.  Any such message is not the same as His "own voice."  God's voice is truth (D&C 88:66).  The sent servant does not fear the consequences of delivering a message of truth because he knows the Lord, and is his friend.  The servant understands that since the Lord excuses not himself, it is not his prerogative to excuse the Lord. 

The Lord is very clear in his message to King Noah’s people that he has seen “their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms.”  There is nothing that escapes his all-searching eye (Mosiah27:31).  Even the most secretive acts of men are not secret, and will all be revealed.  You have a false sense of privacy that is only illusory.  The day is soon coming when the secret acts of all men will be revealed (D&C 1:1-3).

In mercy, the Lord commissioned Abinadi to bring a message of repentance to the people.  It was a message they were not accustomed to hearing.  Noah’s people enjoyed hearing “flattering” words, because they were able to cloak themselves with a false security in their sinful lives.  Because their minds and hearts were conditioned to believe that “vain and flattering words” were of God, they had a very difficult time recognizing the Lord’s messenger when he preached to them an authentic message.  Because Abinadi preached repentance to them, telling them of their sins, the Spirit of the Lord struck their hearts with dread, being convicted under a consciousness of their guilt.  To them, this feeling was not of God.