Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Offer Unto God Thanksgiving

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By Zack Strong
November 27, 2025

This Thanksgiving, many have legitimate reasons to grumble and feel sour. Stress is running high in society. Nations are marshalling for war or are actively engaged in that tragic melee of death. Justice seems to have been denied as both common criminals and predators in high places run free. Crime is exploding. Civil strife is increasing. Families are tearing themselves apart. Innocent babies continue to be sacrificed in their millions on the altars of expediency and egotism. Hedonism is raging through humanity like a wind-whipped inferno. Certain segments of society seem to have forsaken their connection to morality and decency. Many average folks have abandoned all hope and do not know where to turn for relief.

A selfish, tribalistic spirit is emerging, replacing any pretense to unity and a shared vision for life. The forces of anti-Christ have ripped off their masks and parade openly, mockingly, brazenly, viciously, and violently in the streets, on TV, in your social media feed. Our world is at a breaking point and the Biblical horrors prophesied to purge mankind prior to the Lord’s return in glory portend to burst forth at any moment. Nevertheless, all of us – every single precious soul – has a list of things for which to be genuinely grateful.

This Thanksgiving let us be grateful to the Lord. Let us carefully count our blessings. A sacred hymn urges:

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done.”

You are blessed. Never give into the lying whisperings of evil spirits who want to convince you that God is not real and, that, if He is, He doesn’t care about you and isn’t actively trying to help you in your life. He is real – I bear my personal testimony of that fact to the world and to you. He does hear your prayers, though in His wisdom He does not always answer them in ways you want or expect. He is keenly aware of your circumstances. There is absolutely nothing you can teach Him about trials and hardships that He doesn’t already know from firsthand personal experience. A favorite poem by Leona B. Gates illustrates this principle:

“The road is rough, I said,
Dear Lord, there are stones that hurt me so.
And he said, dear child, I understand,
I walked it long ago.

“But there is a cold green path, I said,
Let me walk there for a time.
No child, He gently answered me,
The green road does not climb.

“My burden, I said, is far too great;
How can I bear it so?
My child, He said, I remember its weight.
I carried my cross, you know.

“I wish I had friends with me,
Who would make my way their own.
Ah, yes. . . He said, Gethsemane
Was hard to face alone.

“And so I walked the stony path,
Content at last to know,
That where my Master hath not gone,
I would not have to go.

“And strangely then I found new friends,
My burdens grew less sore.
For I remembered long ago,
He walked the way before.”

Be grateful that the Lord knows every stubbed toe you have ever had, every heavy burden you have ever carried, every false friend that has ever hurt you, and every trial, sorrow, temptation, and catastrophe that you have ever experienced. Know that He cares and that His holy hand is endlessly extended to you no matter how many times you have slapped it away. He said, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16). How can He forget you when His hands still bear the nail marks of His crucifixion when He died for you? Yes, He died for you. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

We can each be thankful for our lives. The fact of our existence is not happenstance. We were begotten by our Father in Heaven and are His precious spirit sons and daughters. We have been given a chance to leave our heavenly abode to live on a planet, possess physical bodies, and learn by our own experience the love of the Lord, the joy of service, the beauty of righteousness, and the unsurpassable happiness of creating and living in families. Our Father has arranged this grand opportunity for us out of His infinite love for us and His desire to see us grow, progress, and become like Him.

We can be grateful that we live on a magnificently beautiful earth. Every part of it has something stunning to behold, from majestic mountains to serene deserts to lush plains. This stunning globe is furnished with abundant resources for everyone; there is absolutely no danger of us running out of anything we need to sustain life and be comfortable. Indeed, there are resources to spare when selfish greed does not get in the way. It is only when man artificially manipulates and attempts to curtail, hoard, or destroy it that there is want. This wickedness has the potential to bring upon us famine and disaster, but the Lord’s Plan provides all of this for us, for which we ought to be daily grateful.

There are so many things for which we can and should be grateful, including mellifluous music, alluring art, exquisite food, and captivating nature with its vibrant colors especially in this autumn season. We can add to this list almost indefinitely. From technology which allows for ease of communication, writing, travel, work, business, banking, agriculture, construction, healing, study, and investigation, to the mindboggling amount of entertainment and education options at our fingertips, to the human imagination and ingenuity of which we see endless examples from the architectural wonders of the ancient world to fine literature that brings characters to life and makes them our very real friends and confidants. There is so much magic in the world that we only need enough humility and gratitude to see and appreciate.

These are mostly material things, but we can also count our greater blessings – the ones that are perhaps more intangible. These include our national heritage of Liberty here in America, to the unprecedented compilation of knowledge available to modern generations, to the beneficial examples of good people, to our own individual families. Allow me to briefly comment of each of these in reverse order.

Not everyone has an ideal family, and some are downright abusive, sometimes destroying the notion of a happy family for the victim. Yet, most of us have at least someone in our families that loves us, cares for us, and has our back, whether a mother, father, siblings, spouse, or children. I am personally grateful that I have such a wonderful family – parents who are unfailingly supporting and loving, siblings who are awesome, and my own wife and daughters who mean more to me than anything. Family ties can be the strongest bonds we develop in this life and the source of our greatest joys and triumphs.

Outside of our families, in society, and in the annals of history, we find shining examples of goodness, strength, and excellence. For me, personally, great men like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Wycliffe, Joseph Smith, . We can draw strength from the collective example of the Pioneers who hazarded the wild plains to live according to the dictates of their conscience or the faithful Pilgrims who crossed an ocean to create a new world where they could worship God or the founding generation of America which risked everything to be free. I am personally grateful for the examples of good people I have found recorded in books – the same books which also hold a place of honor on my gratitude list.

In modern times, we are blessed with an unprecedented array of knowledge. The wisdom of the ages is now at our fingertips because of the internet. On our phones and on our laptops, we can access the erudition of Aristotle, Francis Bacon, and James Madison, the art of da Vinci, Jenny Nyström, Vladimir Volegov, and Jon McNaughton, the comedy of Jerry Seinfeld, Brian Regan, and Studio C, and the sermons of Ezra Taft Benson, R.C. Sproul, and Dallin H. Oaks. Websites like the Internet Archive (archive.org) have attempted to make much of the world’s wisdom available. I hope we take time to thank the Lord that we live in such blessed circumstances.

Finally, Americans can and ought to vociferously thank the Lord on bended knee for their unrivaled heritage of Freedom. Political Liberty is a blessing not many nations have enjoyed. Most who have tasted its richness have not enjoyed it for long before losing it to corruption or oppression. America began with God-fearing Pilgrims and Puritans who established a Christian society in the New World. They founded their institutions, laws, and customs on God’s law. They built their education system on the Bible. Their families and social norms were based on Christian doctrine.

The United States was founded, and its Constitution crafted, by avowed Christians who were humble, noble, worthy men. They bequeathed to us, with the grace and approval of God, a bounty of personal and institutional Liberty that no other nation has ever enjoyed to this extent. Do we take it for granted? I hope we don’t. I pray that we will praise the Lord and thank Him for what we have left of our Freedom, and then show our gratitude by going to work with our might to restore what we have lost and to extend the blessings of Liberty to our posterity. God be thanked that we have stalwart men like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, the Adamses, Henry, Wilson, Morris, Mason, Sherman, Baldwin, Boudinot, Gerry, Strong, Paine, Wythe, Greene, Allen, Marion, Morgan, Knox, Jones, and their inspired compatriots to guide us and ride with us to the victory.

This blessed Thanksgiving, I cite your minds to two pieces of Biblical counsel which you may apply today. First, the inspired Asaph wrote in Psalm 50:

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Psalm 50:14-15).

Second, the Apostle Paul wrote:

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-24).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate reason why we can and should be immensely thankful. He has power to deliver you if you find yourself in negative circumstances. He has power to redeem you if you do those things He has asked you to do. He is faithful and will fulfill all His promises and will bless you as He has blessed you. Count your blessings and be assured that no matter how hard the road, He is with you. Recognize His blessings today and thank Him publicly in your families and privately on bended knee for His kind goodness, unfailing mercy, and radiant love. May the Lord bless you and may you be sincerely thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!

Let Us Live to Make Men Free

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“As [the Lord Jesus] died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.” – Battle Hymn of the Republic

Happy Belated Independence Day! Cherish this sacred day. Honor it. Teach your children to honor the sweet principles of Liberty that make life worth living, and those who risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to hand down such blessings.

Independence Day is not just another holiday. It is special. It is sacred. It stands in a league alongside the other redemption-centered holidays Easter and Christmas.

I spent most of the day completing my final research paper for a Civil War seminar as part of my doctoral program in history at Liberty University. My topic was the secession of my current state of residency, Alabama, and the influence of neighboring states and the propaganda-pushing press on that fateful decision. As my mind wandered from my paper to Independence Day, and I reflected on what Independence and Freedom truly mean, the stark immorality of many of the Southern secessionists’ self-righteous claims about standing for God and upholding a higher law while simultaneously urging the dissolution of the Union and war, if necessary, to keep a race of people enslaved, struck me as especially abhorrent.

The right of secession cannot be doubted; it is the very right invoked by the Founding Fathers in their rebellion against their tyrannical government in 1776. It is the natural right of all peoples and groups who are oppressed or who choose to separate themselves from any society. Birth does not bind us inexorably to one piece or land or to one political allegiance, especially when that allegiance is antithetical to one’s God-given rights and responsibilities. Yet, the morality of splitting apart a God-joined Union to preserve the sovereignty of states that relied upon slavery for existence and for their political power can be doubted. In reality, the Civil War was a counterrevolution against the American Revolution, which in turn was a revolt against 6,000 years of human misery, deception, and thralldom.

The principles of 1776 were and remain revolutionary. They set at defiance six millennia of despotism and bad political theory. The Southern “revolution,” as many of the secessionists called it, was a reversal of the rising tide of Freedom initiated by the American Revolution. It was a repudiation of the Declaration of Independence, of Washington, of Jefferson, of the U.S. Constitution’s plain and noble intent. The sacred Constitution of the United States means nothing, and can scarcely be understood, without the Declaration of Independence. Understanding the foundational principles and ideals espoused in the Declaration is critical to every American who hopes to be a benefit rather than a hindrance to his country

The Declaration of Independence is the most revolutionary single statement ever produced by man outside of the holy scriptures. The second paragraph of that document is the most revolutionary part of a revolutionary document. It begins:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it. . .”

In these immortal words is the core of Americanism. It is what our People chose as their common creed. Whatever diverges from this creed is political heresy and justly deserves to be shunned, opposed, and defeated. To be specific, the above words: 1) acknowledge God as the source of human rights; 2) assert the equality of rights of all people in all ages of time; 3) specify the rights of life, Liberty, and personal free will and stewardship as guaranteed and immutable; 4) proclaim that the purpose of government is to secure Liberty; 5) acknowledge that the source of political power is the People and that their explicit consent in the acts of their representative government is necessary; and 6) affirm the right of revolution and rebellion against corruption and tyranny.

 If one wishes to deny the reality of God and instead assert that rights are derived from nature and one’s humanity, then so be it; each person is entitled to make mistakes and believe falsehoods. I testify, however, that God our Father exists, that His Son Jesus Christ walked the dusty paths of ancient Israel and atoned for the sins of the world, and that America must repent or perish. We will either worship the God of this special land, who is Christ the Lord, or we will be chastised and scourged until we repent or perish. Regardless of one’s personal convictions about God, however, the other points in the American creed are undeniable and universal; they are political Gospel.

One of the genius aspects of the American Revolution is that its principles are eternal and apply to all groups at all times. This can never be overstated. Rights come from God. They do not come from governments, constitutions, majority opinion, consensus, science, studies, laws, charters, or any man-made invention. Each person is entitled to equal rights under the law, including the right to life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through stewardship. The purpose of government is to secure rights and leave the People unmolested to worship their God, work as they choose, and live life to the fullest. The People are the only source of political power and must give their consent to all laws made in their name and under their authority. And therefore the People may rightfully overthrow or alter their government when that government abuses its original intent and becomes an enemy to their rights.

For most of American history, our Republic has fulfilled its purpose admirably. Perfectly? No. But more nearly perfectly than any other system in any other nation and in any other period of time. Our People were once upright and just, learned and intelligent, moral and righteous. They took their responsibility for self-government seriously and were taught how to govern themselves. Our problems have come not because of flaws in our constitutional system but because we have lost our understanding of our core values, our national creed, and the principles of Liberty. We have decreased in our righteousness and fidelity to truth, goodness, hard work, and honor.

Simply look at the corrupt, power-hungry, warmongering, bloody, vicious, wicked men we have selected to be our presidents through the years and you will see how far we have fallen from grace. Without knowing it, we uphold a secret band of robbers, liars, criminals, murderers, and pedophiles to represent us in government, in the courts, and in Congress. Even worse, we are blind to their existence closer to home – in our schools, on schoolboards, in our churches, in the HOA, and so forth. We have become a debauched and hedonistic People and have consequently lost the spirit of discernment and truth. We are completely guilty of the Lord’s rebuke to the Israelites in Isaiah chapter 1:

“I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. . . .

“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. . . .

“How is the faithful city become an harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. . . .

“Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them” (Isaiah 1:2, 4, 21-23).

America is still the greatest nation on earth. I love America! I love our legacy and heritage of Freedom. I love the general goodness and willingness to help exemplified by most of our citizens. I love the opportunities, hobbled as they are by socialistic government regulations, that still abound. Yet, if we are honest, we know that we have fallen. We know that we are not as righteous, faithful, hardworking, dignified, or knowledgeable as we once were. Fortunately, the Lord’s merciful promise is available to our sinful and rebellious generation:

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

“If you be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

“But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 1:16-20).

Let us not rebel but repent! To repent simply means to change. It is to acknowledge the truth that we are imperfect and that we are often selfish and do things that we know are wrong. We may change. On a personal level, we can break any shackles of sin that we have placed on ourselves by crying out to the Lord, exercising faith in Him and His redeeming power, and changing our behavior to conform to His eternal laws and commands. We may prove our repentance by the way we treat others, by the way we honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy, by the way we pay tithes and offerings to help the poor and to assist in God’s effort to expand His Kingdom, and by the way we diligently study what is right and good in all fields, including citizenship in the greatest nation on earth.

If we individually, and collectively repent, our nation will be restored to its former goodness and even surpass it. The Lord has promised:

“And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy sin.

“And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

“Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness” (Isaiah 1:25-27).

If we want good leaders, sound national policy, prosperity, and peace, our course is clear – we must repent and serve Jesus Christ. If we do not, and continue in our rebellion against His laws, our course is also clear – He will purge us. This will either lead to our humility and repentance or to our devastation by the sword, plagues, strife, famines, and all the horrors foretold by the Lord and His prophets.

I urge us to “live to make men free,” as the Battle Hymn of the Republic implores. This includes not only our Freedom from civil bondage and tyranny, but from sin and evil. Evil is entrenched around us. It is in our government, in Hollywood, in the controlled media, in Wall Street, in banking, in academic, in Congress, in the Supreme Court, in the intelligence community, in big business, in the medical industry, in professional sports, in churches, and in our own homes. If we want to be true Americans, we must cling to the creed of our fathers – the Declaration of Independence. We must also honor the God of our fathers, who is Christ the Lord. Only by doing this may we purge ourselves of sin and thereby purge our society of its ignorance, apathy, hedonism, pedophilia, drug abuse, murder, hate, unbelief, pride, and malignant criminality.

I close with a quote and my second of its sentiments. The statement was made by one Mr. Clark, one of the delegates chosen to attend the Montgomery Convention of January 1861 as Alabama debated whether or not to secede from the Union. Mr. Clark, a Unionist, gave an impassioned plea for reason, reminding his fellow delegates of the advantages of the Union:

“I have loved, honored and revered the Union of our fathers. I have cherished it for the good it has accomplished – the liberty it has secured, and the public and private prosperity it has dispensed. The treasure expended in its defence, the privations patriotically endured, and the many heroic lives voluntarily sacrificed to purchase the blessings it affords, I have never forgotten, and can never forget” (Mr. Clark, in William Russell Smith, The History and Debates of the Convention of the People of Alabama (Montgomery: White, Pfister & Co., 1861; reprint Legare Street Press, 2021), 103-104).

This Independence Day season, we should love, cherish, honor, and revere our Union and the Freedom for which it stands. We should remember the extraordinary sacrifices made to obtain and maintain our Liberty, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and prosperous society. Our society has fallen from its pedestal not because of adherence to the principles of our glorious Founding, but out of neglect and sometimes outright repudiation of them. We should therefore seek to rekindle the flame of faith in Christ, loyalty to the Constitution and Declaration, and fidelity to the principles of truth, justice, and personal righteousness.

May God grant us the faith and strength to repent and not perish. The Savior stands with outstretched arms ready to receive us, if we will.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” – Matthew 23:37

“[W]ill ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

“Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.” – 3 Nephi 9:13-14

“O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.” – 3 Nephi 10:6

Zack Strong,
July 8, 2025

I Have Chosen You, and Ordained You

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The Marxist pope has died. Pope Francis brought greater division and confusion to the Catholic Church, and more agitation for socialist politics to the world. He was hardly a role model or an example of the believers. Now, he is gone, and another will fill his shoes. This provides us a perfect opportunity to discuss divine authority, that issue that has been central to nearly every major schism in Christendom for almost two millennia.

Who has the authority to choose the next leader of the Church of Jesus Christ? It should be an obvious answer: Jesus Christ. If it is His Church, He chooses who presides over it and who represents Him as His mouthpiece, oracle, and prophet. And how does Christ reveal His will? Answer: Through revelation. Sadly, most Christians today don’t even fathom that there should be a prophet at the helm, let alone have any conception of how that prophet ought to be selected to preside; most reject the idea of continuing revelation.

I give my personal witness from the Holy Ghost that God directs the affairs of His Church through prophets. Period. Scriptural history provides no clear exceptions to this rule. From the time of Adam down through Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, and again with John the Baptist and Peter, the Lord has always operated through prophets. Always.

If you belong to a denomination (one of 45,000 splinters that constitutes the jumble of confusion that is Christendom today) that is not led by a prophet – let alone one that does not believe a prophet is necessary – you absolutely do not belong to the true Church of Jesus Christ. You ought to hurry to discover where that prophetic guidance is and join yourself to the singular organization that represents the Savior, and which is appointed by Him to gather Israel.

Let’s dispense with the unBiblical, schismatic dogma which pretends that God is the author of confusion, and that He permits people to belong to thousands of contrary organizations all claiming His name. He has never operated that way. To believe He does is to disbelieve the Bible. Rather, the Holy Bible states that there is one Church of Jesus Christ governed by Him through revelation to an ordained prophet:

“Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

“All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. . . .

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. . . .

“. . . there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:7-9, 11, 16).

The Lord is the Shepherd. There is “one fold.” He stands at the door and is the gate by which the sheep enter. All others who create other organizations are robbers and are not approved of Him. The Lord made it abundantly clear that He did not envision a myriad of different churches all professing His name when He taught:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Among the wicked who will be cast off at the Judgment Day are those who profess Christ’s name yet are not joined to His true fold. He is not their Shepherd, and they are not His sheep though they lamely bleat His holy name. Of the more than 45,000 Christian churches in existence, only one is His true fold and all others profess His name in error. Let’s be clear, these souls often profess the Lord’s name in total sincerity and accompany their professions with good works. The are nonetheless in error and do not belong to His Church.

The Lord’s apostles, especially Paul, reaffirmed what their Master had so plainly taught. There was no schism among them, but they all belonged to one unified Churcher under the direction of the prophet Peter. The keys of Priesthood authority were held by the Twelve Apostles, and exercised by its presiding officer, Peter. All lesser authorities answered to them, and they answered to the High Priest of the Faith who is Christ the Lord. There is no other Church structure but this one found in the New Testament. None. In vain do men seek for a church to fit their needs when they should be seeking the Church – the one and only Church of Jesus Christ set up, sanctioned, and led by Him.

The Apostle Paul taught of this unified Church:

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Again, we read, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). A body is not divided. Our limbs are attached to our torso, our head is attached to the neck, the feet are attached to the legs, the fingers are attached to the hands, and so forth. All these parts constitute one body. So, too, the individual members who have faith in Christ, repent of their sins, and are baptized into His Church are unique members with individualized gifts and personalities, yet are part of one single body. They cannot possibly be part of disparate organizations and claim to be one body. That is illogical and defies the plain meaning of words, reason, and common sense. Yet, people torture the text, twisting it to justify thousands of different churches, claiming that each of these is part of the “body of Christ,” despite the often-contradictory doctrines and practices held by the various organizations professing Christ’s name. What a freakish, deformed body!

If Christians truly believed the Bible, they would know that there is but one Church of Jesus Christ. As a result, they would inherently understand that most of Christendom is in apostasy and needs to find the Lord’s Church, not just any church. A careful student of the Bible knows that merely professing Christ’s name means nothing – absolutely nothing. Either Christ is a liar, or many who profess His name and generally lead good lives will be cast off at the Judgment bar because they were careless in finding the one true Church of the Lamb.

The student of scripture knows that the followers of Christ are one – one not only in belief, doctrine, and ordinance, but in name, organization, and affiliation. Paul taught the Ephesians:

“[Y]e are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

“In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Can members of different organizations with different views, dogmas, creeds, and covenants be considered “fellowcitizens?” Of course not! They are not “fitly framed together,” but grow apart and wander in strange paths, seeking after a God who has not claimed them as His because they will not enter the true sheep fold. This is especially true, even redundantly so, if they belong to any organization not built explicitly “upon the foundation of apostles and prophets.”

The Lord personally selected and ordained Twelve Apostles to lead His Church and oversee global missionary effort (Luke 9:1-2). He then chose Peter to preside over the Apostles and exercise the sealing power to bind in earth and in Heaven (Matthew 16:15-19; Acts 1:15-26). He next selected quorums of seventy elders (Luke 10:1). Additional offices were later added, such as evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). The Lord never changed this organizational structure. Full stop. Let’s repeat that fact: The Lord never changed this organizational pattern for His Church.

Whoever changed this structure had no authorization from the Lord Jesus Christ to do so, and whoever denies the need for this hierarchical Priesthood structure established by the Author of our Faith is going outside of the Bible and preaching another Gospel than the one laid down in the sacred text. Let such a person be accursed! (Galatians 1:8)

All of this brings us back to Pope Francis and the papal election process. In a mockery of what the New Testament teaches, popes are determined by men, not by God. They are elected by ballot, not selected by divine revelation of the Holy Spirit. This damning indictment can be leveled even more forcefully at Protestant churches that merely hire a pastor, discount the need for a prophet, and more often than not deny the reality of continuing revelation and the direct guidance of Jesus Christ. At least the Roman Catholic Church has a College of Cardinals, a structured priesthood, ordered procedures, and holds formal conclaves to choose their next pope (an office not established in the Bible, and surely not a prophetic mantel, thus defying Paul’s teachings and the Lord’s pattern).

Let’s review what the Bible says about how a prophet is chosen by the Lord to represent Him and preside over His Church. When Moses was tending a flock on Mount Horeb, “God called unto him” (Exodus 3:4). God called him, he didn’t petition God for the position. The call was unexpected. It was unearned. Moses did not ask for the office or the burden of leadership. The One whose right it is to choose His representatives selected Moses, as He selects all prophets who preside over His Church.

All the prophets were called the same way – by revelation from God. It was not always as dramatic as God’s voice issuing from a burning bush, but it is always the literal voice of the Lord or the voice of His Spirit. Either way, authority only comes from one source – Him. Noah operated under this authority, as did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Elijah and Elisha possessed it, performing some of the most remarkable miracles in Christ’s name that have ever been performed. Isaiah wielded the Priesthood authority, as did Daniel, Malachi, and others. Amos, one of those men called by God, affirmed the eternal necessity of prophets in the Lord’s economy when he said, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

This revelatory process was followed by the Apostles after the death of Judas and the opening of a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The manner in which Matthias was chosen to replace the betrayer is illustrative. The account states:

“And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said . . . .

“For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let [Judas’] habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

“Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

“Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

“And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

“And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

“That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

“And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:15, 20-26).

Who chose the new apostle? It wasn’t Peter. It wasn’t John. It wasn’t James, Matthew, or Philip. Nor was it the collective group of Apostles acting as a quorum. Rather, the Lord showed the Apostles who was to be the next apostle. Peter went through a process before selecting Matthias. He prayed for guidance. He counseled with his brethren. And the will of the Lord was revealed. Notice, there was no debate, no dissent, and no divided vote tally – it was a unanimous decision because it was the Lord’s will transmitted by the Holy Spirit.   Recall Peter’s teaching that prophecy comes not by the will of man, but “as they [are] moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). The Lord alone has authority to select His Apostles and direct His Church.

Indeed, to His Apostles, the Redeemer had previously affirmed, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you” (John 15:16). Peter did not choose himself. He did not ordain himself the presiding officer of the Church of Jesus Christ. James and John did not select themselves. None of the Twelve Apostles earned, chose, or petitioned for their callings. Rather, these men were chosen by the Master to represent Him. Thus, He ordained them, empowered them, and authorized them to perform His work.

Any man who calls himself to a religious office is a liar and a fraud and does not represent Christ. Such a man has no power to baptize or officiate in ordinances. Any pastor or priest who starts his own ministry acts on his own temporal authority and without divine authorization or sanction. No man has a divine commission unless he has been divinely commissioned by the One who governs all things. This commission is not theoretical or metaphysical, but procedural and literal. The Lord put His holy hands on the Disciples heads and ordained them to their special callings, bestowing upon them Priesthood authority to officiate and act in His name. In this way, and this way only, is the Priesthood authority to preside over Christ’s Church bestowed.

No conclave or group of leaders, no matter their sincerity, earthly degrees, understanding of scripture, or popular approval, may direct the affairs of God’s Church or select the man who will preside over them. The Church is not a democratic institution; it is theocratic with God ruling in an unquestioned, uncompromising manner. Christ is King, no one else.

The Roman Catholic Church is founded upon a monstrous lie. That lie is that Peter’s authority – which was not his to give – somehow transferred to Linus, thus granting authority to the popes. Where is the scriptural revelation confirming this monumental change to the system established by the Lord? It’s certainly not in the Bible. And what of the Apostle John who, after Peter, was the ranking officer of the Church? For the authority to have transferred from Peter to Linus, it had to have circumvented John and ignored the order of succession. The simple fact is that Linus usurped John’s rightful authority.

In other words, the line of Priesthood succession supposedly skipped over the Twelve Apostles and devolved upon a bishop who was lower in rank. What honest person can believe that tall tale? Certainly, no one who believes scripture and who reads the New Testament can countenance it. Perhaps that is one of the many reasons why Bible translators and Reformers who attempted to get the word of God into the hands of commoners so that they did not need to live on blind faith alone were so doggedly persecuted. After all, an honest reading of the text destroys the legitimacy of the Catholic Church by stripping it of its authority. Without authority, all its offices, ordinances, and programs mean nothing. Without having been chosen and ordained by the Lord, the popes stand in opposition to Christ and His Kingdom.

For that matter, all other Protestant organizations that splintered off from the Roman Catholic Church are likewise wrong and lack authority. The progeny of error can never be truth. A restoration – the very thing prophesied by Isaiah, Paul, Daniel, and other prophets – of proper Priesthood authority and the organizational structure of the true Church of Christ was therefore required to remedy the rancorous and apostate state of Christendom. Thankfully, graciously, joyfully, the Lord has restored His Church and the keys of the apostolic offices! He has again chosen and ordained prophets and apostles, raised up quorums of seventy elders, evangelists, teachers, and so forth. He has again clarified His doctrine and invites all to come to Him and be saved. He again leads and directs His Church through revelation as He did through Peter.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s restored Church. It is led by a prophet, seer, and revelator who has been duly called by revelation and ordained by the Lord to his position. He is assisted by a Quorum of Twelve Apostles who have the same keys of ministry and presidency. They are aided by Quorums of Seventy elders, a presiding patriarch, a presiding bishop, local stake presidents, bishops, elders, priests, and teaches. Ordained, full-time volunteer missionaries are sent into the world two-by-two to preach Christ and Him crucified, and to share the good news of the Atonement of our Lord and of the Restoration of His Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only truly Biblical Church – the only one that rests firmly upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone and the One who established this Church through His instrumentality and the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

Joseph Smith was the prophet called of God to perform this restorative work. He testified of Christ, that He lives, that the Father lives, and that the Holy Ghost testifies of truth. He testified that he saw Them with his own eyes and that They called him to fulfill their ancient promises of the restoration of Israel. He testified that John the Baptist appeared to him and Oliver Cowdery, conferring upon them the rights and powers of the Aaronic, or Levitical, Priesthood. He witnessed that Peter, James, and John appeared to himself and Oliver Cowdery, laying their hands upon them and ordaining them elders and officers in the Lord’s Church. He testified that Moses and Elijah appeared to confer their keys and offices upon him. He testified that an angel named Moroni delivered to him a sacred record to support the Bible’s witness of Christ which he translated by God’s power that became The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy of a new book being delivered to an unlearned man (Isaiah 29:10-14), Ezekiel’s word regarding the stick of Joseph (Ezekiel 37:15-19), and John’s prophecy that another angel would deliver the everlasting Gospel to a man in the last days (Revelation 14:6). All of this and more was part of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – a marvelous work and a wonder! I testify, because I know it is true through the Holy Spirit, that the Prophet Joseph Smith was a true prophet called of God and ordained by Him to preside over the Church of Jesus Christ in these final days prior to the Lord’s return in glory.

It ultimately matters little whom the cardinals in Rome select to succeed Pope Francis; he has no authority anyway. It matters little that Protestants denounce The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they have more light and knowledge than they do, just as the Pharisees in Jesus’ day condemned Him for giving them new teachings to add to what they had assumed was a closed canon of scripture. It matters not that the world rejects Christ and His representatives now as they always have. What is from God will not fall unless through apostasy and wickedness the Lord revokes the authority that is His to give. “[I]f it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

I again proclaim my personal witness that the Savior Jesus Christ is Lord over the earth. He governs creation. He established His Church in the meridian of time and has reestablished it through Joseph Smith the Prophet in modern times. I testify that prophets are called, not elected, and that they are either ordained of God or they possess no authority to do His work. I witness that the Holy Priesthood authority of God has been conferred by angels and authorized beings in our day through Joseph Smith, connecting us, through him, and through Peter, James, and John, to the Master who presides in all things. I testify of the work of the Lord and of His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is currently led by the prophet, seer, and revelator, President Russell M. Nelson. This work is true! It is marvelous! It is the Lord’s work.

I invite all to come to Christ. Come to Him, investigate His Church, and join yourself to the fold of the Good Shepherd. There is but one sheep fold, and if you think The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the Lord’s Church, then which one has its foundation built upon prophets and apostles, claims divine revelation and conferred Priesthood authority under the hands of the men last authorized to hold it, restores Biblical doctrines neglected throughout Christendom, is structured the way the Lord structured His Church during His Ministry, fulfills the Bible’s myriads of promises of a restitution of all things, builds temples to worship God per the ancient pattern, and sits in full harmony with the Bible? Thankfully, I have my own personal testimony from the Holy Ghost of this all-important proposition, and I know whereof I testify. Come what may, I will stand as a witness for Christ and for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is His. I invite you to receive your own testimony and then to stand boldly in the light.

Zack Strong,
April 21, 2025

Declare the Words Which I Have Spoken

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The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, in His momentous visit to the Israelites then living in ancient America where the Lord had led them when He scattered the tribes, expounded His doctrine in these clear words:

“And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

“And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

“And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned” (3 Nephi 11: 32-34; emphasis added).

Summed up, we may say that it is the Lord’s doctrine that God the Father commands us to come to Christ, believe in Him, repent of our sins, and be baptized. This is the way. It is what the Bible teaches. It is what the prophets have always taught. It is true doctrine and comes from the lips of the Savior of mankind.

Furthermore, the resurrected Redeemer told these same Nephite disciples in ancient America:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

“And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.

“And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

“And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.” (3 Nephi 11:35-39).

The Lord’s Gospel is from the Father; Jesus is the Father’s perfect representative. He is the “author of eternal salvation unto all them who obey him,” and the High Priest of the Church which bears His holy name (Hebrews 5:9-10). We are told to believe in Him, and to believe Him. If we do, and do so in humble sincerity as a child, the Father will send the Holy Ghost to confirm precious eternal truths to our souls, just as He confirmed to Peter the truth that the Man with whom He walked the dusty valleys of the Holy Land was really the Son of God and the promised Messiah (Matthew 16:15-17).

The Holy Ghost, the Son, and the Father are three separate Beings, yet totally united – or one – in their eternal purpose of saving and exalting the Father’s children (Moses 1:39). The singular path that leads to this blessing of salvation and exaltation in the Kingdom of Heaven is believing in Christ, receiving an irrefutable witness of the truth through the Holy Spirit, repenting of and forsaking our sins, being baptized in Jesus’ name, and building upon the rock of the Gospel of Christ while continuously humbling ourselves like little children before our Eternal Father. I testify that this is the way; it is the “way of holiness” (Isaiah 35:8), or the “covenant path.”

The Lord Himself has given us His assurance – and He does not lie – that if we build upon His rock, we cannot fall. Christ is the only sure foundation. The ordinances of His Gospel, of which baptism is the first, link us to Him. Each ordinance we enter into, and each covenant we make with Him, adds another link to the chain that gratefully binds us to our Savior and to His eternal love, grace, and salvation. This salvation that He extends to us on conditions of repentance, baptism, and obedience to every ordinance and law of the Gospel, was made possible through His atoning sacrifice for us in Gethsemane and on the Cross of Calvary, and is ensured by the Resurrection from the powerless tomb.

This Easter season with its all-important Holy Week is the perfect opportunity to focus on Him, to hear Him, and to make or renew our covenants with Him. We can hear His voice in many ways, including through the quiet but sure voice of the Spirit, the words of holy scripture, and the teachings of duly commissioned and authorized representatives. I testify that prophets, apostles, patriarchs, elders, bishops, priests, teachers, and deacons who hold and exercise the Lord’s Holy Priesthood as delegated to them through the proper order of succession leading back directly to the Savior Himself, who bestowed it upon the Twelve Apostles anciently, walk the earth.

The Lord’s representatives come together in a grand conference twice a year to conduct the general business of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to expound doctrine, to fortify the faith of the Saints, to warn against pernicious and Satanic influences, to defend families and moral principles, and to edify each humble hearer who invites the Holy Spirit into the experience. These conferences are some of my favorite events of the year. I have a vibrant personal witness of the reality of living prophets, and that sacred and unshakable witness was gained at the end of the October 2006 General Conference. It was there that I learned what I had already believed; namely, that the Lord Jesus has again called living prophets in modern times and endowed them with His authority to officiate in saving ordinances and to direct the work of salvation.

To His Apostles in Galilee, the Lord instructed, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). In slightly more detail, Matthew records the instruction thus:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20).

To the Nephites, after teaching them the above-quoted instruction concerning believing in Him, repenting, being baptized, and building upon His rock, the resurrected Lord commanded, “Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth” (3 Nephi 11:41). Again, He taught:

“And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you. . . .

“Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. . . .

“And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world” (3 Nephi 18:16, 24-25).

Because I am an unashamed disciple of Jesus Christ, and because I possess an absolutely sure testimony that Jesus is the Savior and that His Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is led by living prophets and apostles, I raise my voice to encourage each of you to come, feel, and see. Tune into General Conference on this April 5th and 6th, or spend time later in the vast archives of this and past conferences. You will be edified, instructed, uplifted, and drawn closer to your Redeemer.

I testify that President Russell M. Nelson, a one-hundred-year-old man of humility and wisdom who stands as the chief prophet, seer, and revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ today, is the Lord’s current mouthpiece. I testify of President Nelson’s counselors, Presidents Oaks and Eyring. I give my witness that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are likewise inspired and hold the authority of the Holy Priesthood, exercising it under the direction of President Nelson and the Lord who is the true Head of His Church. If you have ever wondered what the Lord might say if He were to speak today, stop wondering; come and see.

Rivet your eyes on the Savior. Immerse yourself in His word which is obtained through personal revelation, holy writ, and the teachings of authorized apostles and prophets. God be thanked that He has given mankind apostles and prophets in our day! We don’t need to “wander from sea to sea” and “run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord” (Amos 8:11-12) – it is generously before us set out on the table like a feast. Those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6) may satiate their spiritual cravings by “feasting upon the word of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20).

I testify that at the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, inspired apostles of the Lamb of God will declare the words which He has spoken. They will “enlarge [your] soul . . . enlighten [your] understanding,” and “be delicious to [you]” (Alma 32:28).

Zack Strong,
April 5, 2025

Learn how to watch April 5th and 6th General Conference addresses here.

Access the General Conference archive here.

Holier Week

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This week is Holy Week – the commemoration of the Lord’s final week in mortality before He redeemed all mankind who believe in Him in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross of Calvary. We all have need of being cleansed, redeemed, saved, and perfected by the Savior. All of us have “sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and have deviated at times from His “way of holiness” (Isaiah 35:8). Only Satan, however, wants us to define ourselves by our sins and shortcomings. The Lord wants us to define ourselves by our acceptance of Him, by our sincere striving to follow Him, and by the redemption He freely offers us.

I repeat, we all “have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Because of that basic fact and our inability to save ourselves because we have violated divine law and removed ourselves from God, we have need of a Redeemer to satisfy the demands of justice against us, to pay our debt and set us free, and to reconcile us to our Father in Heaven. Paul taught that we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past” (Romans 3:23-25).

During His final Passover seder, known as the Last Supper, the Lord gave us symbols of His redemption, bread and water (or wine). The bread represented “my body which is given for you” and the cup which “is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20). Matthew’s account of these words adds that the Lord’s blood, which symbolizes the “new testament,” “is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). The word testament means covenant. The Lord’s blood is the supreme covenant – that by which we are cleansed, redeemed, and saved from sin.

The Apostle Paul explained that we have been “purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). He also taught of Jesus “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Yes, we are saved by “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God.” It is “for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament” that they who receive Him “might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:14-15).

The practice of animal sacrifice was given to Adam and Eve, was practiced by the patriarchs such as Noah and Abraham, and was later codified under the Law of Moses given to Israel. This practice, though barbaric to some, was intended to point men’s souls to Christ. It was a foreshadowing of the final sacrifice to be made by the Son of God for mankind’s sins. It was a most hopeful act. Perhaps the gory nature of the blood and burning of animal flesh was intended to impress upon the practitioners the extreme suffering the Savior would endure for them.

John the Baptist identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Peter also identified Him as the Lamb of God, stating that we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). It is through “obeying the truth” and having faith that we are “born again” and “purified” by the blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:21-23).

The ancient Israelite prophet Amulek testified boldly of the redemption of Christ and how it is absolutely imperative for our salvation. Here is his witness:

“I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

“For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else mall mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

“For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of best, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice. . . .

“And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

“And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

“And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

“Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

“Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save” (Alma 34:8-10, 14-18).

Jesus is the Lamb of God who atoned for our sins, ransomed us by His blood, and gave His life for those who believe on His name. He was the last great sacrifice. He fulfilled the law of sacrifice by voluntarily spilling His blood to save us vicariously. His redemptive act placed Him in the position of Mediator. As the Mediator, He sets the terms and conditions by which His blood and grace may save us. At their core, these conditions are faith and repentance. When we exercise faith enough to sincerely repent, which means abandoning bad behaviors and striving to follow the Lord, we are encircled in “the arms of safety” by the One who is “mighty to save.”

Knowledge of the Lord’s sacrifice was given to Adam and Eve. Adam was commanded to teach his children this doctrine:

“Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.

“Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying:

“That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as y e were born in to the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory;

“For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified. . . .

“And now, behold, I say unto you: This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time” (Moses 6:57-60, 62).

I hope you see how incomparably important the blood of Jesus Christ is in the Plan of Salvation. It is the element which cleanses and sanctifies us. Without the blood of Christ, we would be forever lost and without the possibility of salvation. His blood reconciles us with God, redeems us from sin by answering the demands of a broken law and by purifying us and purging away our sins, and is the supreme token that we are His. The blood token was key in the ancient Israelite Passover ritual precisely because it foretold the Lord’s Atonement in Gethsemane and His sacrifice on the Cross. It is to Christ and Him alone that we must look for redemption.

I witness with all my soul that Jesus is the Lamb of God and that during Holy Week He fulfilled the Plan by which we may become holier. From the cleansing of the temple to the washing of the apostles’ feet to the administration of the sacrament to the final acts of Atonement, death on the Cross, and rising from the tomb, everything about Holy Week implies cleansing, purifying, and redemption. The Lord wishes us to be holier than we are, better than we have been, and more than we have imagined. We do it through His blood freely given for us. We access His blood through faith, repentance, and sincere striving to follow our Master, the King of Israel, the Lamb of God. This week, and forever, let us rely upon our Savior and with His cleansing grace become a little holier.

Zack Strong,
March 25, 2024

A Continual Christmas

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 The wise Benjamin Franklin gave us this superb life counsel: 

“Let no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no ambition corrupt thee, no example sway thee, no persuasion move thee to do anything which thou knowest to be evil; so thou shalt live jollily, for a good conscience is a continual Christmas” (Carol Kelly-Gangi, ed., The Essential Wisdom of the Founding Fathers, 80). 

Who doesn’t want to have a “continual Christmas”? Dr. Franklin gave us the way to obtain it – resist evil and choose the right. That is Christianity in a nutshell, for, as the Old Testament teaches: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). 

Fear, here, does not mean trembling, groveling, and servility. It means living with humble and faithful deference to our Master. It is a bold and confident form of living. John taught: 

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

“There is no fear in love; but perfect clove casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:16-18). 

In harmony with the thought that fear is the opposite of Christian discipleship and we ought to live boldly in the confidence that the Father and Son love us, the Apostle Paul taught that we should “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). 

The Lord did not redeem us to make us slaves; He redeemed us to free us. This includes freeing us from sin, death, hell, and, yes, fear. Everything He did and does is to bless us and make us better, wise, stronger, happier, and holier. In a word, His goal is to make us more like Him and our Father in Heaven.  

The Lord Jesus Christ gave many statements that we might consider “mission statements.” On one occasion, He said: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). 

The Christian life is the abundant life. No other lifestyle can produce the same level of lasting happiness, peace, and goodness. The Lord offers us more; a higher and more exalted means of thinking, helping, serving, learning, living, and being. 

We might draw a comparison between what Dr. Franklin called a “continual Christmas” and the “abundant life.” Achieving the abundant life requires us to infuse our lives with more Christ. We can’t have what He offered without Him. There is no salvation, and, ultimately, life, outside of the holy name of Jesus Christ. Only through Him can we access the newness and abundance of life promised to the faithful. 

It is through Jesus Christ and the power of His Atonement that we receive forgiveness for the sins and mistakes we all make. It is through Christ that we receive the power to overcome temptation and evil. It is, then, through Jesus that we receive a clear conscience and the assurance that our lives are right before God. And it is this clear conscience which Dr. Franklin said is a “continual Christmas.” 

The word “conscience” appears only rarely in holy writ. When you search the etymology of the term, you find that it roughly approximates the “faculty of knowing” or being “with knowledge.” Having a conscience, then, is having knowledge within ourselves. The most commonly used scriptural word we can compare “conscience” to is light, or the light of Christ, which imparts knowledge. The light of Christ is an internal compass which can tell right from wrong. 

All people, Christians and non-Christians alike, have this internal compass. We can ignore its subtle warnings and deaden its effect upon us by ignoring it which amounts to us “having [our] conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2). However, it is always there. It is a gift from God to all His children to aid us through the treacherous twists and turns and temptations of life. 

If a conscience can be compared to light, then it would help us all to go to the source of light. What is the source? Jesus Christ.  

The Apostle John taught powerfully that Jesus was and is the light of the world: 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

“The same was in the beginning with God. 

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John [the Baptist]. 

“The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 

“He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:1-9). 

Jesus was and is the Light. He is the Light that gives life – even the abundant life – to men. He is the Light that “shineth in darkness.” His holy light “lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” This is the light of Christ. This is conscience. 

It is by going to the light, or, more appropriately, to the Light which is Christ, that we become happy and have a good conscience that makes life like a “continual Christmas.” The Lord taught this concept more completely when He said: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

“But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:16-21). 

Perhaps it was of this inspired passage that Dr. Franklin was thinking when he said that rejecting evil and doing good produces a “good conscience” and a “continual Christmas.” Regardless, it is true that by coming to the Lord we come to the light, for He is the Light. By entering the light, we reject darkness, evil, and sin, and our deeds are shown, in that light, to be good, which gives us that confident assurance and boldness spoken of by Paul and John, and that “good conscience” spoken of by Franklin. 

If we want more Christmas in our lives, we need more Christ in our lives. If we want a “good conscience,” we need more light to expel the darkness and shine upon our good works. Yes, if we want more light, we need more of the Light of the world. The Master declared: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). 

One of the best pieces of advice I have yet seen for how we can choose the right was given by Dr. Franklin’s close associate, Thomas Jefferson. He wrote: 

“When your mind shall be well improved with science, nothing will be necessary to place you in the highest points of view but to pursue the interests of your country, the interests of your friends, and your own interests also with the purest integrity, the most chaste honour. The defect of these virtues can never be made up by all the other acquirements of body and mind. Make these then your first object. Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give the earth itself and all it contains rather than do an immoral act. And never suppose that in any possible situation or under any circumstances that it is best for you to do a dishonourable thing however slightly so it may appear to you. Whenever you are to do a thing tho’ it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly. Encourage all your virtuous dispositions, and exercise them whenever an opportunity arises, being assured that they will gain strength by exercise as a limb of the body does, and that exercise will make them habitual. From the practice of the purest virtue you may be assured you will derive the most sublime comforts in every moment of life and in the moment of death” (Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, August 19, 1785). 

This is much to learn from this sage counsel. Honor and integrity are more important than any worldly accomplishment. No earthly accolade, status, or recognition can make up for a lack of honor and virtue. Therefore, if we want honor here and hereafter, we should stop before we do anything and ask whether we would be comfortable with God, angels, and all the world observing us. If we continuously practice this, we can strengthen our virtue, increase our integrity, deepen our honor, and develop our conscience.  

By not doing what we know is wrong and by doing what we know is right, we let the light of Christ which is in us shine. The Apostle Paul taught: 

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). 

We all have an internal compass, and we innately know what is right and what is wrong. We know this because the light of Christ “hath shined in our hearts.” That light gives us knowledge of right and wrong and points us to our Savior. It is that conscience inside of us that whispers to us and encourages us to goodness, peace, humility, service, and love. 

It is currently the Christmas season. But why should Christmas – a celebration of Christ – be only one day in the year? Why should we only let the light of Christmas – the light of Christ – shine in our souls one day each December? Why should we only feel the spirit of Christmas – the spirit of Christ – once a year?

By following the light, or, rather, by following the Light of the world, we shun darkness, bask in the warmth of Heaven’s rays, develop a good conscience, and live in the abundant life of a continual Christmas. It is my prayer that we may all let the light – which is the Light – into our hearts today and every day. By doing so, by walking in His holy ways, by being like Him, by rejecting evil, by doing good, we may enjoy a clear conscience and a continual Christmas. 

Zack Strong, 
December 17, 2023

Political Awakening Without Religious Revival Equals Defeat

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Daily, I see conservative pundits gush about the political awakening they see happening in America and around the world. They say, “We’re winning!” and “The political Elite are petrified!” and “They’re running scared!” No, we’re not, and no, they’re not. A political awakening without a religious revival equals defeat. 

On the surface, it appears that the side of truth, light, and right is winning. Bumbling Biden’s corrupt regime is crumbling as more information about his bribery and duplicity emerges despite the best attempts of the controlled press to conceal it. The House of Representatives has opened an impeachment inquiry against the cognitively impaired fake “president,” and his crack-addict son Hunter is facing a felony indictment for lying about his drug habit while purchasing a firearm. Lies of every type are being exposed, whistleblowers are coming out of the woodwork, the January 6th “insurrection” lie is unraveling, the complicity of Big Tech and the Establishment is now well known, the Coronahoax charade is collapsing as the slogan “We will not comply” is trending, judicial victories are proliferating for conservative defendants prosecuted by the tyrannical Establishment, and more. 

Meanwhile, Trump’s support is larger than it ever has been notwithstanding the fraudulent indictments and court cases the political Establishment is throwing at him. Many Democrats have abandoned ship and are now Team Trump. Increasing numbers of minority voters, which have always voted Democrat, are now openly and vocally on Trump’s side. While Biden can’t string two coherent sentences together and is literally being mocked on the world stage, Trump is out there looking as robust as ever at mass rallies and events. The controlled press is collapsing as viewers shift toward independent media. Establishment Republican presidential candidates like Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy, brought in around 12 million viewers to the first presidential debate whereas Trump’s interview with Tucker Carlson on the same night brought in 250 million. 

By every political metric, it appears the conservative cause is full-steam-ahead while liberalism is collapsing in almost comical fashion. However, appearances are often deceiving. I fully admit that a global awakening is now underway. I wrote about this in my 2022 article “Slaves Rising.” Politically, the curtain has fallen, and every honest and aware investigator knows who is really pulling the strings and that they are trying to crush us. We know the demonic agenda that is in the works and the hellish high-tech slavery that is being prepared for us. Yet, I fail to see the necessary religious revival materialize alongside this gratifying political awakening. 

Sure, some Christians are becoming more hardcore, vocal, and organized, but the overall number of Christians is rapidly decreasing while atheists, New Agers, Satanists, and Wiccans are flourishing. Social media outlets like Gab.com are fighting hard against the Satanic conspiracy for the glory of the Lord, but the conspiracy retains its stranglehold on the levers of power in society. Movies like Sound of Freedom, based on the anti-human trafficking efforts of Latter-day Saint Tim Ballard, are outperforming Hollywood’s corrupt excuses for entertainment, yet Ballard is now at the center of malicious smear attack that has turned some of his supporters against him. 

The conservative side has also placed many of their representatives in government, but are these representatives truly religious and moral? Let’s take a case in point. Representative Lauren Boebert from Colorado has been one of the most outspoken critics of the regime and supporters of self-defense rights, the Constitution, and so on. She has openly defied many of the regime’s absurd restrictions, such as when she walked into a session at the Capital armed, and has asserted her rights. Yet do you recall the incident that happened this week? Boebert was kicked out of a theater with her date after vaping and groping her partner while wearing an immodest dress. Then she denied it and lied about doing both, which denial has been contradicted by video evidence. After the video emerged, she admitted her lies. This is one of our side’s most ardent representatives, and yet she is morally bankrupt and a liar to boot. 

Vivek Ramaswamy has risen dramatically in the polls as of late. He says many of the right things yet has a shady past and even shadier connections. The kicker, however, is that he is Hindu. I have nothing against Hindus (in fact, I love Indian culture, cuisine, clothing style, history, etc.), but, in America, we can only afford to have Christians fill the seats of government; not Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, or worse. Christ is the God of this land and it is our duty to vote for Christians if we want His divine favor. 

Why should the fact that a non-Christian and a lying Christian are so popular on our side be a surprise? After all, Donald Trump is essentially worshiped as the savior by conservatives. Trump, you’ll recall, was a braggadocious serial adulterer and a crass individual. I believe he has changed for the better since he first took office, as we all thankfully have the opportunity to do because of the Atonement and grace of Jesus Christ, but his moral qualities – or lack thereof – make him suspect. His lack of virtue, I believe, impairs his ability to discern truth from error, and make correct decisions. 

Think of the vicious and corrupt men Trump surrounded himself with during his first term – men who have almost universally now been exposed as enemies to the Republic who undermined him and his policies at every turn. Had he had a modicum of the Holy Spirit with him, he would have been able to discern between the traitors and patriots and would have achieved far more while in office. 

I’ll quickly add that the Lord sometimes uses those who don’t know Him to further His purposes. Cyrus the Great comes to mind. However, I believe He designed America to be different. This is His land. He founded it. He established the Constitution. He preserved our forefathers and delivered them out of bondage.  

The Lord’s omnipotent hand was so evident in the War for Independence that George Washington was forced to write: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations” (George Washington to Thomas Nelson, August 20, 1778). 

Later, the good General again asserted: 

“The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf—And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favoured” (George Washington to Samuel Langdon, September 28, 1789). 

The God who raised up our nation expects us to worship Him, keep His commandments, and follow His laws. The Bible says: “The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:2). This leaves little room for error. We either remain a moral and Christian People, or we are destined to collapse into ruin and be cleansed by an offended God. 

The Apostle Paul detailed many of the reasons why God judges and forsakes nations. As you read his words, consider whether America is guilty of these sins and bad behaviors: 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. . . . 

“. . . when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

“And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 

“And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 

“Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 

“Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 

“Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 

“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:18, 21-32). 

Paul cited lust, fornication, homosexuality, oath-breaking, lying, contention, anger, envy, gossiping, pridefulness, atheism, ingratitude, corruption, vanity, idol worship, and other sins, as reasons why God forsakes and condemns a nation. Is America guilty of these things? She is.  

Let’s consider the following. We have the world’s largest porn industry and sex-industrial complex (Russia is #2). The American People, once chaste and pure, are hedonistic and sensual. A study from 1949-2003 showed that premarital sex (i.e. fornication) was nearly universal. Here’s a quote: 

“Data from the 2002 survey indicate that by age 20, 77% of respondents had had sex, 75% had had premarital sex, and 12% had married; by age 44, 95% of respondents (94% of women, 96% of men, and 97% of those who had ever had sex) had had premarital sex. Even among those who abstained until at least age 20, 81% had had premarital sex by age 44. Among cohorts of women turning 15 between 1964 and 1993, at least 91% had had premarital sex by age 30. Among those turning 15 between 1954 and 1963, 82% had had premarital sex by age 30, and 88% had done so by age 44.” 

These are shocking numbers. It is more shocking when you understand that sexual sin ranks right behind denying the Holy Ghost and murder in terms of seriousness in God’s eyes. How can a nation where all but a few don’t commit sexual sin expect the Lord’s blessings? Even 67% of Christians, according to a recent Gallup poll, believe that sex between unmarried individuals is ok either “always,” “sometimes,” or “rarely.” A mere 32% of Christians polled actually stood for the Biblical truth that sex before marriage is always sin. 

You may have noticed that the two polls cited disagree slightly. Either the Christians polled in the second instance were lying and fornicating while claiming to believe it’s wrong, or the first poll slightly exaggerated how many people fornicate. Either way, the numbers are astronomically horrific and demonstrate how wicked our society has become. 

Drunkenness, substance abuse, contention, backbiting, gossiping, deceiving, lying, covenant-breaking, homosexuality, transgenderism, child abuse, lust, adultery, fornication, immodesty, criminality, profane language, irresponsibility, laziness, disrespect, dishonorable behavior, disobedience to parents, divorce, domestic violence, infanticide, pride, and so many more iniquitous actions and patterns, characterize modern American and Western culture. Frankly, the entire world suffers from this exact same wickedness, but it is more prominently on full display in living color here in America thanks to the cultural Marxists who are deliberately attempting to rot our nation from the inside. 

Not only do we do these despicable things, but we celebrate them! We call people “heroes” for breaking the Lord’s commandments and flaunting their perversions. California just declared August to be transgender month. Transgenderism is, as many professionals have declared it, a mental disorder. I would classify it more correctly as a spiritual disorder. Yet, despite the science and the common sense, we coddle and play into the fantasies of these people who desperately need our help to free them from the Satanic grip of identity crisis, low self-esteem, depression, and perversion. 

Homosexuality, which is celebrated with gay pride month, is also fawned over by the media, Hollywood, schools, business, and sycophants everywhere. They have their parades, parties, and award shows. People pander to the Sodomites by wearing rainbow stickers, hoisting rainbow flags, and standing in solidarity with them like good comrades/. 

Heterosexual fornication and adultery are no less evil. Most people, unfortunately, don’t think twice about sleeping around and being sexually active outside of marriage, beginning often in middle or high school. It’s just what you do these days. “Everyone’s doing it,” Lucifer, the Father of Lies, whispers in their ears. So prevalent is our perversion that sexual sin is not merely displayed everywhere, but is presented as “cool,” “normal,” “natural,” “good,” and even “healthy.” 

Alcoholism and drug abuse are also eroding the moral fabric of society. The fentanyl crisis, fueled intentionally by Red China as part of the long-term communist strategy of softening us up through drugs, is only one of many drug-related pits out of which we must crawl. The media has gone out of its way to conceal the marijuana-related crime – including auto accidents and deaths – that has followed in the wake of its legalization in places like Colorado. Caffeine, classified as a psychoactive drug, also has us in its grip. On all sides, illicit and dangerous substances are being used to deaden our minds and souls and weaken us in preparation for the enemy’s end game. 

Can a nation that celebrates so much decadence survive? No. It has often been said that if God spared America, He would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. He would also need to apologize to the House of Israel whom He punished and scattered throughout the world for their sexual sins, disobedience, and other wickedness if He lets us get away with the very same sins. 

The reality is that no political fix can pull us out of our morass of immorality. No election will solve our problems. No political savior will save us. To think Donald Trump, or the 2024 election which may never happen, or any other political solution will rescue us, is folly. 

Only Jesus can save us. He is our true Savior. Yet, He will not save us in sin. He can’t save us in sin! He can change us and then save us as we repent of sin, and faith in Him, repentance, and a sincere striving to keep His commandments are prerequisites. 

Is America repenting of her gross violations of divine law? I don’t see it. From my perspective, hearts are becoming more hardened, people and institutions are becoming more corrupt, faith is diminishing, rudeness, vulgarity, and immorality are increasing, marriages and families are imploding, ignorance and superstition are deepening, music and art are becoming more profane, daily interactions are becoming more contentious, government is devolving into tit-for-tat tyranny, tribalism is growing alarmingly, hatred is being fanned, and evil is being celebrated and legalized more than ever before. 

Where in the scriptures can you find the hope that blinds conservatives? When I read the scriptures, I see a progressive worsening of events, conditions, and behavior until the time the Lord returns and cleanses the earth. I don’t see a new golden age of prosperity, peace, Freedom, and prophesied for the time preceding the Second Coming. Rather, I see the following foretold for our day: 

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

“All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. . . . 

“. . . then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those adays shall be shortened. . . . 

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24: 6-12, 21-22, 24). 

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 

“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:4-8; by some researchers’ calculations, we are currently living in the forty two months when the first Beast reigns, and that its bloody demise – paving the way for the second Beast and the Anti-Christ – is slated for 2024). 

“I say unto you that before this great day shall come the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall be turned into blood, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and there shall be greater signs in heaven above and in the earth beneath; 

“And there shall be weeping and wailing among the hosts of men; 

“And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth. 

“And it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent; for the cup of mine indignation is full; for behold, my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not. 

“Wherefore, I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them; 

“And their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets; 

“And it shall come to pass that the beasts of the forest and the fowls of the air shall devour them up. 

“And the great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire, according as it is spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, who spoke of these things, which have not come to pass but surely must, as I live, for abominations shall not reign” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:14-21). 

Abominations reign, even in America. Because of this, Donald Trump can’t save our nation (and I doubt he will be permitted by the powers-that-be to retake the presidency). No election can do it. No political revolution can do it. No great political awakening, as welcome as it is, can succeed in the absence of a concurrent religious revival and mass repentance. 

Don’t buy the hopium so many conservatives are selling. Don’t stake everything on the upcoming presidential election. Don’t put your trust in the arm of flesh, but in the God of Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. 

I testify that Jesus is the God of this land, that He was with our forefathers, and that He established the United States. I witness that He lived, that He lives, and that He is the Savior. He will return soon, but before He does the earth will be bathed in blood, fire, pestilence, perversion, anguish, suffering, tribulation, misery, tyranny, darkness, and evil. Things will not get better, but progressively and exponentially worse. Steel yourself for the coming hardships and shore up your spiritual foundation. 

Remember and apply the parable of the Master: 

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon fa rock: 

“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a crock. 

“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 

“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:21-27). 

The fall is coming. Prepare now. Don’t misplace your hope and trust. Don’t believe in idols, false prophets, and political demigods. Build upon the one and only foundation that will never fall, the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Master, Redeemer, and King.

Zack Strong, 
September 22, 2023

Choose the Right

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The supreme mission of human existence may be summed up in a single phrase: Choose the right. 

This phrase is popular among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One of our most beloved hymns contains these inspiring, instructive, and hopeful words: 

“Choose the right when a choice is placed before you. 
In the right the Holy Spirit guides; 
And its light is forever shining o’er you, 
When in the right your heart confides. 

“Choose the right! Choose the right! 
Let wisdom mark the way before. 
In its light, choose the right! 
And God will bless you evermore. 

“Choose the right! Let no spirit of digression 
Overcome you in the evil hour. 
There’s the right and the wrong to ev’ry question; 
Be safe thru inspiration’s pow’r. 

“Choose the right! Choose the right! 
Let wisdom mark the way before. 
In its light, choose the right! 
And God will bless you evermore. 

“Choose the right! There is peace in righteous doing. 
Choose the right! There’s safety for the soul. 
Choose the right in all labors you’re pursuing; 
Let God and heaven be your goal. 

“Choose the right! Choose the right! 
Let wisdom mark the way before. 
In its light, choose the right! 
And God will bless you evermore.” 

Fundamental truths are taught by these words. For instance, “there’s the right and the wrong to ev’ry question” reinforces in the mind the facts that truth is not relative and that there is a correct and a wrong path. There is no “all roads lead to Rome” concept in the economy of Heaven. Only one road leads to Heaven, while all others, no matter how worthy in some respects they may be, lead elsewhere. 

During His Ministry, the Savior Jesus Christ taught this doctrine: 

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). 

This is at once one of the saddest and most startling of all scriptural declarations. “Few there be that find it” are words that have imprinted themselves on my mind in recent times. I’ve thought of them again and again. They motivate me to work harder to center myself on the covenant path of discipleship.  

Isaiah called this single path that leads to eternal life “the way of holiness” (Isaiah 35:8). A modern prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ, President Russell M. Nelson, has called it the “covenant path,” stating the following in his first address as the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 

“[T]o each member of the Church I say, keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere. . . . 

“Now, if you have stepped off the path, may I invite you with all the hope in my heart to please come back. Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges, there is a place for you in this, the Lord’s Church. You and generations yet unborn will be blessed by your actions now to return to the covenant path. Our Father in Heaven cherishes His children, and He wants each of us to return home to Him. This is a grand goal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—to help each of us to come back home.” 

The “covenant path,” “way of holiness,” or “narrow way,” is the road of Christian discipleship, sacred covenants, and righteousness. The path leads through Jesus Christ and through Him alone. His Atonement activates righteousness in our lives, rewards obedience, and makes our covenants effective. 

In the ancient Israelite record revealed by the Lord, titled The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a prophet named Jacob gave a majestic doctrinal sermon on the Atonement of the Savior. In it, he taught of the strictness and narrowness of the path to Heaven: 

“O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth call things, and there is not anything save he knows it. 

“And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. 

“And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day. 

“And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. . . . 

“O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name. 

“And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them” (2 Nephi 9:20-23, 41-42). 

Truly, the Lord “employeth no servant” at the gate of Heaven. Peter doesn’t stand there. Neither does any other mortal. The Lord Himself stands at the gate. Only by following His narrow path of righteousness, exercising faith in Him, entering into His covenants and ordinances, and knocking on the right door, may we be saved by the Redeemer. 

Jesus is the “keeper of the gate.” Our hope is in Him. Salvation is in Him. Another ancient American prophet-king similarly testified of the Savior’s life, death, and redemption for mankind: 

“For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. 

“And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. 

“And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. 

“And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary. 

“And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. 

“And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men. 

“For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. 

“But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

“And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them. . . . 

“And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:5-13, 17). 

Through the Lord Jesus Christ, all who exercise faith, repent of their sins, and walk in His footsteps by keeping the commandments, “might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy.” Salvation is in Christ. The missionary Amulek once taught: 

“[T]he word is in Christ unto salvation. . . . 

“And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it. . . . 

“And now, my beloved brethren, I desire that ye should remember these things, and that ye should work out your salvation with fear before God, and that ye should no more deny the coming of Christ; 

“That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you. 

“Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing. 

“And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them; 

“But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions” (Alma 34:6, 8, 37-41). 

Yes, salvation is in Christ! The right way is to follow Him. We do that, in part, by believing in Jesus Christ, being baptized, receiving the Holy Ghost as our guide, praying continually, resisting the Devil, enduring the afflictions of this life with hope and faith in Christ, and constantly expressing our gratitude to Him for His mercies and blessings. Doing all this is part and parcel of choosing the right. 

Choosing the right means choosing the Christ. He is the Keeper of the gate. He is the only way and means to salvation and exaltation. He came to earth, gave us a perfect example of perfect obedience to divine law, atoned for our sins, bled horrifically from every pore of His mortal body, died a cruel death on the cross, and rose again triumphantly to shatter death forever. His Atonement also can free us from the chains of sin, hell, and the Devil. This is contingent upon our faithfulness in following the covenant path of holiness. 

The hymn quoted at the beginning tells us “there’s safety for the soul” in choosing the right. The Holy Spirit guides us in choosing the right, which is why we must be baptized by authorized servants of God and choose to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost that they bestow by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-20). The hymn tells us to make “God and Heaven . . . your goal.” When we do, and when we choose to walk the covenant path and approach the strait gate where the Lord Jesus stands as the sole Keeper, we are promised to be blessed “evermore.” 

I know, and testify, that the times in my life when I have carefully walked the path of holiness and have circumspectly kept the commandments with my eyes fastened firmly on my Savior, have been the best and happiest times of my life. As glamorous as sin sometimes looks, and as popular as the selfish paths of hedonism and me-centered living may be, they lead to spiritual death and, ultimately, misery. 

There is only one path to Heaven, and “few there be that find it.” Most Christians, despite professing the name of Jesus, are out of the way and off the path. The path is narrow and strict and does not admit error, sanction sin, or permit false doctrines and man-made creeds. It does not accept ordinances performed without authority. You can be baptized a hundred times and none of them will count unless the one performing the act has been authorized by the Lord, through the proper channels of His Priesthood, to do so. The Lord cannot be deceived; He is the One who keeps the gate. 

The way to find the path, then, is to want to find it and walk it more than anything; to not be content with the “you do you” buffet style of salvation preached by most of Christendom. You should not merely find a church, but the true Church of Jesus Christ. There is only one (Ephesians 4:4-6). And I testify to you with all the fervor of my soul that it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that its officers hold the Lord’s Priesthood authority to properly officiate in saving ordinances that keep us on the covenant path that leads to the Savior who saves us. 

Choose the right? Yes! In the end, it is the only thing that matters. We must choose the right and follow the commandments of God. This is the “whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). I challenge you to use your agency more boldly to come to Christ and follow Him, for choosing the Christ is choosing the right (Hebrews 4:16).  

I close with the words of the chorus of the hymn that is this article’s namesake. I know they are true: 

“Choose the right! Choose the right! 
Let wisdom mark the way before. 
In its light, choose the right! 
And God will bless you evermore.” 

Zack Strong, 
April 14, 2023

Jesus Was No Milksop

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On the Monday after His Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and before His sadistic Crucifixion on Good Friday, the Lord Jesus Christ did something, for the second time, that outraged the corrupt Jewish leaders of the day; He cleansed the outer court of the temple. 

We take these words from Matthew describing the event: 

“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 

“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12-13). 

Mark also recorded the event and added crucial details about officialdom’s murderous reaction: 

“And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 

“And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 

“And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 

“And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine” (Mark 11:15-18). 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He commanded us to love one another, to love our enemies, and to pray for those who treat us badly and persecute us. He turned the other cheek to abusers. He enjoined His disciples to be peacemakers and to proclaim peace. However, this same Lord was a Man of passion, a defender of righteousness, and a zealot for truth. 

Passivity has never been a characteristic of Jesus Christ nor of His Gospel. Compliance with error and evil is not in His playbook. Blind obedience to authority was not something He preached or exemplified. 

Rather, the Lord called the authority figures of His day “vipers,” “liars,” “hypocrites,” and “children of hell.” He snubbed them, disobeyed their orders, broke their traditions, taught His disciples to not follow their example, and was constantly at variance with not only the ecclesiastical, but political, authorities. In the end, He submitted to crucifixion not because He blindly obeyed authority, but because it was the will of our Heavenly Father and He submitted to it in faith as a little child. 

The Lord’s martyrdom was necessary to complete His Atonement and provide means whereby the rest of us could receive remission of our sins and ascend with Christ to Heaven. It was, and is, the central point in the Plan of Salvation. Without the Lord’s Atonement, which required the Lamb’s pure blood to be shed to atone for sinners as a token, none of us could be saved, none of us could receive forgiveness, and none of us could escape the powers of death and hell. If not for this higher and holier purpose in His death, I submit to you that the Lord who is just and disdains evil, lies, and injustice, would have pushed back against the egregiously illegal and farcical trial which condemned Him to death. 

The angry Jewish mobs had often surrounded Jesus with the intent of murdering Him. They once tried to push Him off a cliff. Other times they picked up stones to stone Him. What happened? How did He escape? The mobs didn’t have a change of heart. They didn’t simply let Him pass by to safety. Rather, the Lord exercised His supernatural power to disappear from their presence or otherwise miraculously shield Himself (Luke 4:29-30; John 8:58-59; John 10:30-39). 

It’s impossible to believe that Jesus simply walked through these demon-inspired crowds wielding rocks and fury and murderous intent. Not so. The Lord performed miracles to escape from them because His time to die for the sins of the world was not yet. Thus, if it had not been His time to die on that awful and prophesied Passover, I believe the Lord would have resisted or disappeared as He had done before. He would not have tamely submitted to injustice and murderous mobs. 

Modern society likes to picture Jesus as a loving, caring, tolerant, even permissive Being who accepts anyone, forgives anything, and thinks you’re “perfect just the way you are.” This depiction is at odds with the scriptures. 

Jesus never tolerated sin. He never justified it. He never accepted it. The Lord always preached against evil, debauchery, adultery, wickedness, lust, evil thinking, anger, pride, envy, violence, and every other wicked act, thought, and tendency. He would be described as intolerant, hateful, a bigot, angry, and rebellious were He to live in our day. I have no hesitation in saying that modern “Christendom” would want to murder Jesus were He here among them and were He to teach the same uncompromising and strict doctrines He preached in ancient Israel. 

People don’t comprehend the Lord’s character. They know little to nothing about Him and the Father. They make God in their own image, which is a corrupt, worldly, and imperfect image. They completely ignore the Lord’s doctrine that to know Him and the Father – Their real character and attributes – is eternal life, and the implication that to not know Them is damnation (John 17:3).  

What follows is a keen description of the aspects of the Lord’s character that were at play when He stormed the temple and overthrew the moneychangers’ tables. President Charles W. Penrose said: 

“True, Jesus Christ taught that non-resistance, was right and praiseworthy and a duty under certain circumstances and conditions; but just look at him when he went into the temple, when he made that scourge of thongs, when he turned out the money-changers and kicked over their tables and told them to get out of the house of the Lord! “My house is a house of prayer,” he said, “but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Get out of here! Hear him crying, “Woe unto you Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and then ye make him ten-fold more the child of hell than he was before.” That was the other side of the spirit of Jesus. Jesus was no milksop. He was not to be trampled under foot. He was ready to submit when the time came for his martyrdom, and he was to be nailed on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, but he was ready at any time to stand up for his rights like a man. He is not only called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” but also “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” and He will be seen to be terrible by and by to his enemies. 

“Now while we are not particularly required to pattern after the “lion” side of his character unless it becomes necessary, the Lord does not expect us to submit to be trodden under foot by our enemies and never resist. The Lord does not want us to inculcate the spirit of war nor the spirit of bloodshed. In fact he has commanded us not to shed blood, but there are times and seasons, as we can find in the history of the world, in Bible and the Book of Mormon, when it is justified and right and proper and the duty of men to go forth in the defense of their homes and their families and maintain their privileges and rights by force of arms. . . . 

“. . . Does the Lord permit the shedding of blood and justify it? Yes, sometimes he does. Was not the war of independence of this country justifiable? Were not the rights and privileges of the people of this land trampled under foot, and did they not rise in their might and the God of Battles strengthen their arms and they went forth to victory and brought liberty, not only to themselves and their immediate families, but to hosts of people from down-trodden Europe who are rejoicing today under the Stars and Stripes with liberty of conscience and liberty of speech and liberty of action within proper guidance and direction of righteous law. These principles are to go forth to all flesh. Don’t you forget it. The time will come when they will be carried to all the nations of the earth and they will be delivered from tyrants and oppressors” (President Charles W. Penrose, General Conference, April, 1917). 

The Lord is no milksop! He was a real Man, leader, and warrior. Though perfectly humble, He was full of passion. After He cleansed the temple the first time at the beginning of His Ministry, the scriptures tell us that “his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (John 2:13-17). 

Jesus was zealous. He was fervent in His faith in God the Father. He would no doubt qualify for the smears “religious nut” or “religious zealot” used so commonly today. He was a bold defender of all that was good, holy, righteous, and true. By extension, He was also undaunted in His rebuke of all that was bad, impure, and evil. 

Jesus once told the Pharisee Nicodemus that one of the reasons people didn’t come to Him was because they didn’t want their sins to be exposed and rebuked. Their condemnation was rejecting the light and the truth it revealed: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

“But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:16-21). 

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ can be challenging. Persecution and hatred are your constant companions. The world that loves wickedness and perversion despises those who don’t join them in their revelries. They call good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20). Therefore, they call those who expose evil “evil” while those who revile and reject good are held up as “good,” celebrated as “heroes,” and honored as “philanthropists.” Up is down and black is white – and all by Devilish design. 

When the Lord rebuked evil spirits, He was told that He was possessed by evil spirits. When He healed others, He was smeared as unclean. When He did good, He was called a traitor. Everything He did was criticized, twisted, and mislabeled. Everything He said was discounted. Everything He stood for was rejected. That is why the Lord lamented: 

“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 

“Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 

“That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 

“Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 

“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:33-38). 

The Lord didn’t shy away from the truth to spare people’s feelings. Though we should be as tactful as we can be, facts trump feelings every time. Thus, Jesus emphatically spoke the truth in total sincerity and out of the purest love. Even as He called the unbelieving Jews “vipers,” He held out His hand to them. Even as He listed their crimes and their rejection of His prophets, He said He would gather them if they would only come to Him. 

When the Savior went into the temple at the beginning of His last mortal week on earth and began throwing over tables and chairs and castigating the moneychangers as “thieves” who polluted His Holy House, it was an act of love, devotion, and righteousness. Love requires discipline. It requires rules and consequences for misbehavior. It requires hard, even violent, action, at times. It requires unyielding obedience to eternal law. 

Jesus is the Lord of Hosts or the Lord of Armies. It was He, as Jehovah, who commanded ancient Israel to wage war against the corrupt and pagan inhabitants of the land of Canaan. It was He who flooded the earth when man’s wickedness precluded children having a chance of living normal lives without corruption. It was He who will allow the horrific destructions of the last days to fall upon those who have forsaken or forgotten Him, and who will destroy the armies of Gog and Magog in Israel. Yet, all of it is done out of perfect redeeming love. 

Revelation 19:11-20

Had not the Lord said, through the great prophet Isaiah, that He was pierced and died for us and that He can never forget us? 

“Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 

“But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:13-16).  

This is a clear reference to the Crucifixion and to the marks that even today appear on the Lord’s palms, wrists, and feet. They are constant reminders to Him, and us, of His everlasting care over the House of Israel and over mankind generally. He died for each of us, and His blood will cleanse all who come to Him, enter into sacred covenants with Him that are authorized by the Holy Priesthood, and faithfully walk in His commandments. 

When we think of being like Jesus, we often don’t think of the zealous, defiant, table-throwing version of Him. We think of a benign figure with a head surrounded in a halo of light, speaking pleasing words. That’s the Jesus many want, but it’s not the Jesus we need – and it isn’t the Jesus of scripture. The Lord’s two cleansings of the outer court of the temple serve as a reminder that the Gospel is stricter than we sometimes think, that the path truly is narrow and difficult to traverse, and that the Lord is more fervent in detecting and reproving falsehood and sin than we dare imagine. 

The welcome corollary to the strictness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the promise of eternal joy, complete forgiveness, and perfect healing. We are all sinners, and we all need the Master’s touch. It may be difficult to confess sins, to mend old ways, to ditch bad habits, to reject worldly pleasures, to part company with false friends, to speak out against popular perversion, to stand up against evil in high places, and to engage in consistent repentance, yet it is the only path that leads to satisfaction, happiness, and salvation. It is the only way to do better and be better. 

Let the Lord cleanse the temple of your heart. Let Him throw out the moneychangers, thieves, and hypocrites who have polluted your mind and soul. Let His zeal rest upon you, engulf you, and motivate you. You may momentarily feel the bite of His whip or flinch from the sound of crashing chairs and tables, but this is the cleansing process in action. The tranquility that will follow will be priceless and sweet. You will, if you endure and glory in the cleansing, stand with Jesus in the eternal temple – His Holy House. 

I repeat: Let Him make His abode with you, cleanse you from the inside out, and make you into the man or woman you are meant to be. Go to Him – to the Light – and let Him reprove you, illuminate your imperfections, and begin the process of healing and betterment. It isn’t a depressing journey, but one full of love, joy, and victory. 

When you let Jesus into your heart, and truly pour through the holy scriptures that speak of Him, don’t be shocked to find a far different Being than you once imagined or that society preaches. But that is ok. The world rejects the truth and the light/Light. Cleave to the Light regardless of the opposition. Let your temples be cleansed. And join in the divine work of redemption by following the example of the Savior in ridding your heart, home, and community of that which pollutes them. May the Lord strengthen, guide, and bless you as you follow Him. 

Zack Strong, 
April 5, 2023

Blood Token

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When the ancient House of Israel was in bondage in Egypt, the Lord sent progressively worse plagues upon Egypt until wicked pharaoh finally agreed to let Moses and the Israelites depart and be at Liberty. The last plague was the most severe of all – the killing of the firstborn of every family that did not possess a special token. The token was symbolic – the blood of a lamb. The scriptures recount what the Lord told His prophet, the indomitable Moses: 

“I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 

“And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 

“And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever” (Exodus 12:12-14). 

After receiving these harrowing instructions, Moses relayed them to the Israelites. What he said bears repeating: 

“Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. 

“And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 

“For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 

“And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 

“And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 

“And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 

“That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped” (Exodus 12:21-27). 

What was it that saved the Israelites? Was it Moses? Was it their sheltering at home? Was it the blood of the slain lambs? No. What saved them was their faith in, and obedience to, Jesus Christ who was the true Lamb who would be willingly sacrifice Himself to atone for the world. The blood of Christ, not the blood of beasts, redeemed the Israelites. 

Blood is an important symbol in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the passage cited above, it is called a “token.” A token may be defined as “a sign,” “a mark,” or “a memorial of friendship.” The sign of the slain lamb’s blood is a foreshadowing of the death and Atonement of Jesus Christ. The mark of the blood is an identifier of true disciples. The memorial of friendship of the blood is an eternal covenant between Israel and the Savior of mankind. 

“Gethsemane” by J. Kirk Richards.

Several scriptural references to the redeeming blood of Christ seem appropriate. The Apostle Paul taught of Christ Jesus that “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). 

The same man of God also told the Romans: 

“[A] all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 

“To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:23-26). 

Paul then told the Colossians to give: 

“thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. . . . 

“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself” (Colossians 1:12-14, 19-20).  

Writing to the Hebrews, Paul explained that the Lord had to sacrifice His own blood to bring about the redemption of the world. The eternal law of God required a blood sacrifice. Paul taught in the context of the Passover, Moses, and the sacrifice of lambs under the ancient law. He explained that redemption comes: 

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 

“For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 

“For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 

“For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. . . . 

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. . . . 

“. . . now once in the bend of the world hath [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:12-17, 22, 26-28). 

Jesus sacrificed Himself because the eternal law by which even God is bound required it. It is by the blood of a God that man is purged of wickedness. It is by the shedding of blood that remission of sins is possible. It is by the Garden of Gethsemane, the Cross of Calvary, and the empty Tomb, that mankind could, if they would have faith in the Lord and heed His counsel to “follow me,” ascend with their Redeemer into Heaven to inherit all that God their Father is and has. 

The Savior foretold His own death and the purpose His shed blood would serve. He told those who would listen: 

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 

“Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; cand I will raise him up at the last day. 

“For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 

“He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. . . . 

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:53-56, 63). 

Note that the Savior was not speaking literally. No one drinks His blood or eats His flesh when they partake of the sacraments of the Lord’s supper. This is figurative and symbolic – a token. A blood token. The Lord was simply confirming what all the prophets had prophesied about His death and Atonement, and further teaching that only by looking to Him, doing His words, and partaking of His spirit, could man be saved. 

An Israelite prophet-king named Benjamin, who lived in ancient America in the second century B.C., gave an amazing sermon about the Atonement of Jesus Christ scarcely equaled in holy writ. He persuasively and powerfully taught: 

“For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. 

“And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. 

“And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. 

“And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary. 

“And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. 

“And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men. 

“For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. 

“But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

“And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them. 

“Yet the Lord God saw that his people were a stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them a law, even the law of Moses. 

“And many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows showed he unto them, concerning his coming; and also holy prophets spake unto them concerning his coming; and yet they hardened their hearts, and understood not that the law of Moses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood. . . . 

“. . . I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent. 

“For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:5-15, 17-18). 

Jesus Christ is the only One who can save us. His redemption is for all who will believe in Him, repent of their sins, and walk in faithful obedience to the commandments. A remission of sins comes only through His blood, on His terms, in His way. Unless we humble ourselves and trust in “the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent,” we have no promise of salvation. 

Some fifty years after King Benjamin delivered those inspired words, a great missionary named Amulek also testified of the necessity of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. He preached: 

“Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it. 

“For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made. 

“For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice. 

“Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. . . . . 

“And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law [of Moses], every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal. 

“And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. 

“And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption. 

“Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; 

“Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save. . . . 

“Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. . . . 

“For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked. 

“And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb” (Alma 34:8-11, 14-18, 31, 35-36). 

Powerful doctrine. An atonement was necessary to redeem fallen man. In our fallen state, we could not save ourselves. We had to rely upon the mercy of the Son of God. We had to exercise faith in Him and repent, per the terms and conditions He set in the beginning. Those who do not follow the terms and conditions are subject to the justice of the law. Those who follow the Lord in faith are surrounded by mercy and grace and are redeemed by the Redeemer. 

Without the blood of the Lamb of God, ancient Israel could not have escaped Egypt. Without the blood of the Lamb of God today, none of us can escape our fallen natures and our sins. It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the faith we have in Him which activates it on our behalf, that we are saved. 

One of the clearest teachings on the salvific nature of the Lord’s sinless blood comes from Enoch. Enoch related that the following instruction was given to Adam by the Lord: 

“[B]y reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory; 

“For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified” (Moses 6:59-60). 

When we keep the commandments, we receive the Spirit as our companion and the blood of Jesus redeems us, cleanses us, and sanctifies us. Whereas we are born into earth life in blood, we are reborn into eternal life in the blood of Christ. Unless we do as the Savior commands, we have no life in us, no Spirit to abide with us, and no blood to cleanse us. 

“The Angel of Death and the First Passover” by C. Schonhew, 1897

We now bring this full circle by a quote from a modern prophet of the Lord, John Taylor, who wrote in The Mediation and the Atonement the following: 

“[W]hen the destroying angel passed by the houses of the children of Israel he found the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the door post; which was a type of the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. The angel who was the executor of justice could not touch those who were protected by that sacred symbol; because that prefigured the sacrifice of the Son of God, which was provided at the beginning of creation for the redemption of the human family, and which was strictly in accordance with provisions then made by the Almighty for that purpose — “the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world” —and accepted in full as an atonement for the transgressions of mankind, according to the requirements of eternal justice and agreed to by the Savior and His Father. A proposition is made to meet the requirements of justice, which proposal is accepted by the contracting parties, all these contracting parties being satisfied with the arrangement thus made. . . . 

“Who the redeemed, except those who have accepted the terms of the ransom thus provided? The ransom being provided and accepted, the requirements of justice are met, for those contracts are provided and sanctioned by the highest contracting parties that can be found in the heavens, and the strongest, most indubitable and infinite assurances are given for the fulfilment of that contract, and until the contract is fulfilled the sacrifices are offered as a token and remembrance of the engagements and covenants entered into. God gave a token to Noah, of a rainbow, which should be a sign between Him and mankind that He would nevermore destroy the earth by water; He accepted these sacrifices as a token of the covenant that the Messiah should come to take away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and thus fulfil the covenant, pertaining to this matter, made before the world was. . . . 

“. . . the Lord, through the sprinkling of the blood of a lamb on the door- posts of the Israelites, having saved the lives of all the first-born of Israel, made a, claim upon them for their services in His cause. It is written: 

““And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first- born that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel; therefore the Levites shall be mine; because all the first- born are mine; for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the first -born in Israel, both man and beast; mine they shall be : I am the Lord.” — Num., iii, 12, 13. 

“But the first-born of the Egyptians, for whom no lamb as a token of the propitiation was offered, were destroyed. It was through the propitiation and atonement alone that the Israelites were saved, and, under the circumstances they must have perished with the Egyptians, who were doomed, had it not been for the contemplated atonement and propitiation of Christ, of which this was a figure” (John Taylor, An Examination Into and an Elucidation of the Great Principle of the Mediation and Atonement of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 106-108). 

Israel would have been lot without the Lord and the promise of His redemption, just as the Egyptians were lost and cursed without it. We, too, sit in an apostate condition if we reject the Lord Jesus Christ, His living oracles, His Priesthood authority, and His revealed words, laws, and ordinances. His blood does not redeem those who do not obey His terms and conditions. Those who voluntarily use their agency to submit to Him, have faith in Him, and give service in His cause, have the supreme token of God’s friendship, blessing, and approval to rely upon – the blood of the Lamb of God. 

As Passover and Easter approach, we can worship the Lord, and show authentic appreciation for His atoning blood, by rekindling our faith in His holy name, repenting of our sins, humbling ourselves as an innocent little child, and following the teachings which come from His lips and from the mouths of the men He has set as prophets and apostles in His Church. 

I testify that Jesus is the Christ, that He lives, that He loves each of us, that He died for all mankind, and that His blood will protect, purge, purify, and eventually perfect those who follow Him in faith. If, at the Judgment Day, the blood of the Lamb of God is found upon the doorposts of our heart, we will hear the Lord say to us, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21). 

Zack Strong, 
April 1, 2023