https://denversnuffer.com/2022/09/september-23-25-conference/
A TBM Blog
Paid Remnant Influencer. Thought Leader.
Monday, September 19, 2022
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Zion and the jab
I was reading the “build a house” parable today. The group who wanted to haul the stone to the place had the much harder path than those who found the clay on site and made bricks.
"Those who had compassion said, The master's house is finished. What need is there for further labor to carry stone for the house? Let us not waste the effort of our fellow servants who have labored hardest, and we will put the stones to good use."
The stone builders were in the wrong, but those who had compassion (and the master) found value in the labor of the stoners.
In the end the Master said that
"all of you have labored to do as I have commanded, and proven your faithfulness."
--even though there was “a season of quarreling and disputing”
"I ask again, What have you learned? What ought you to have learned?
…But I say again, there was honor in the labor of others. Whereas I look upon the heart and see faithful service, many among you do not look at, nor see, nor value what I the Lord love in the hearts of my people. As I have said before, I say again, Love one another, labor willingly alongside each other….All who have been faithful are mine." (emphasis mine)
There are specific and general implications in this parable. Perhaps one thing that we ought to have learned is that it seems that the master is very generous in accepting the genuine labor of the servants, even if it happens to be wrongheaded. Perhaps the Lord isn't looking for a people who are right about everything all the time.
So let’s talk politics and covid and all that. Those who believe that the vax is more bad than good probably have an obligation to warn their neighbor about it. And those who believe the vax is more good than bad probably have an obligation to warn their neighbor about it. One group is more or less correct. Time will perhaps tell.
"Friendships have been and are being undermined because of conflicting opinions about this virus. A great deal of the basis for the current opinions are based upon rumors, suspicions, fears and outright lies. Both ill-informed social media and respected leaders have used this as a wedge issue to divide us. Why are we letting that happen? It is our choice to respond with fear and anger."
There is honor in both people’s labor, even if they see the world differently from you. If we cease to be able to labor willingly alongside each other, we may be in danger of not being considered faithful.
Monday, September 14, 2020
Baghdad & Babylon
Five years ago Dave posted on his blog:
"The God of Heaven tells me all the world should pray that Baghdad does not fall."
"Days of distress are upon Baghdad and the days of their troubles are begun. Distress shall overtake them, for those who come shall have no pity."
This seems to indicate that Baghdad would fall, and that our prayers did not abate the Lord's ire. However, ISIS has seemed to be the nation to fall, and Baghdad remains in the hands of the Iraqis.
"The God of Heaven tells me all the world should pray that Babylon does not fall."
"Days of distress are upon Babylon and the days of their troubles are begun. Distress shall overtake them, for those who come shall have no pity."
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Interesting symbolism in the hosanna shout
via GIPHY
via GIPHY
Monday, December 16, 2019
Friday, October 4, 2019
What does a society of prophets look like?
hey guys...I'm getting kinda nervous here...
Given that failure is definitely an option for us...
Are we deferring too much to Dave and in so being darkened in our minds? A comment from Denver holds a lot of weight in deciding relatively inconsequential matters:
Some thoughts shared with me from a conversation Denver had with one of the committee members indicated that the chronological order of that particular talk (OUR DIVINE PARENTS) is not critical.While I believe Dave has stood before the divine council, part of me wonders if we should not be ascribing special weight to his opinions in places where he is not claiming any revelation.
I don't say this to call out others for their deficiencies, I see this in myself. We need a society of prophets, where no one says "Know ye the Lord?" but I am not a prophet. And the reason why we all defer to Denver is that we don't trust anyone else to be a prophet for us.
I think the solution isn't for me to be able to trust your revelations, or for you to trust my revelations.
Therefore, let every man stand or fall by himself, and not for another, or not trusting another. (RE Mark 5:17, LE JST Mark 9:44)
It is for us to each get our own revelations. For every man to stand or fall by himself, and to allow his neighbor to stand or fall by himself. To have the law written on our hearts. (Romans 2:15). For me to trust you to get revelations for you, and for you to trust me to get revelations for me.
A Common starling. Not much to look at. |
It seems likely that we would be in each others' business a bit less, trusting that each can hear God's advice. And for those who can't hear God's voice, that would be job one for that person.
But sometimes a covenant body needs to coordinate to accomplish something, like write a statement of principles or build a temple.
Murmuration of Starlings. Beautiful. |
How on earth do we coordinate to build a temple? If the temple is our bodies housing the Spirit of God, then the answer is well-known. But if it's a physical building that a corporeal Jesus will visit, then there will need to be coordination among a body of believers. But I suspect the command to build a temple will not come until the covenant body has the law written on each member's heart, where each of us (or enough of us) is led by the Spirit. If a command to build a temple comes and we do not have the law written on our hearts, then it will end like Nauvoo. If our hearts aren't right, none of this matters. If our hearts were right, we could coordinate like starlings, with no one in charge but the Lord. I think Dave is really tired of being the head guy in this movement.
Matters of governance such as which of Dave's quotes to include in our scriptures are only practice in learning to get along at this point. Keep in mind that if the movement succeeds, we get Jesus and an unsealed Book of Mormon. A hundred years from now, our yak leather bound set of remnant scriptures will either be replaced with white stones, or it will be kept in an Lamanite museum next to Brigham's walking cane and the conference center podium made from GBH's tree as a reminder of the hubris of failed dispensations.
It just doesn't matter if we get the scripture project exactly perfect.
It just doesn't matter if we got the best Guide & Standard or not.
It just doesn't matter if Dave is a truer prophet than Russ.
It only matters that we each become the kind of people who can live in peace, because those are the people that the angels can gather to Zion.
Many of us (myself included) have forgotten why we got on this spiritual path in the first place. It was because we each discovered that the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel, and he employeth no servant there. That we should follow no man.
But now we are in real danger of being The Church Of Denver, "but receiv[ing] not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant.” Against Denver's wishes, ironically.
If we fail, let's at least fail differently from the LDS from which we came.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Musical Extravaganza Oct 6
The Servant David's 66th Birthday Celebration
October 6, 2019
Location: Chuck-A-Rama in Murray, UT
A gala celebrating the 66th birthday of The Servant David will be held Sunday, Oct 6, 2019, at 8:00 p.m. mountain daylight time at the Chuck-A-Rama in Murray and will be broadcast live in nine languages on youtube.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Abinadi & Sidney
Yea, and I will cause that they shall have burdens lashed upon their backs; and they shall be driven before like a dumb ass. And it shall come to pass that I will send forth hail among them, and it shall smite them; and they shall also be smitten with the east wind; and insects shall pester their land also, and devour their grain. And they shall be smitten with a great pestilence—and all this will I do because of their iniquities and abominations.
And it shall come to pass that except they repent I will utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth; yet they shall leave a record behind them, and I will preserve them for other nations which shall possess the land; yea, even this will I do that I may discover the abominations of this people to other nations. And many things did Abinadi prophesy against this people.
Our cheeks have been given to the smiters, and our heads to those who have plucked off the hair. We have not only when smitten on one cheek turned the other, but we have done it, again and again, until we are wearied of being smitten, and tired of being trampled upon. We have proved the world with kindness; we have suffered their abuse without cause, with patience, and have endured without resentment, until this day, and still their persecutions and violence does not cease. But from this day and this hour, we will suffer it no more.
We take God and all the holy angels to witness this day, that we warn all men in the name of Jesus Christ, to come on us no more forever, for from this hour, we will bear it no more, our rights shall no more be trampled on with impunity. The man or the set of men, who attempts it, does it at the expense of their lives. And that mob that comes on us to disturb us; it shall be between us and them a war of extermination, for we will follow them, till the last drop of their blood is spilled, or else they will have to exterminate us: for we will carry the seal of war to their own houses, and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed.
On the left, we have Abinadi, and on the right we have Sidney Rigdon. Both were preaching hellfire & damnation to a wicked generation. Abinadi did so by God's request. Sidney did so on his own errand.
Abinadi's words, while they got Abinadi burned, lit a fire in the heart of Alma and created a movement that swept the Nephite nation. Sidney's words enflamed the hearts of the Missourians with anger to burn the homes of many saints.
While the duty is upon us to warn our neighbor, it is not our duty to poke the beast. Warn your neighbor one on one as the Spirit suggests. If God asks us to publicly recite the abominations of LDSCorp, then, of course we should do so. But your friends and family are less likely to listen to you after you get excommunicated. Provoking a billion dollar church with its own semi-secret police will likely turn out badly, nor will it bring Zion. My uneducated opinion is that Zion gets established quietly, gathered by angels. The LDSCorp should worry about John Dehlin more than it should worry about the remnant.
Be charitable and patient and labor to reach others. They will judge you harshly, but nevertheless be kind to them. They are going to grow to fear you, but that’s only part of how darkness responds to light. Give them no reason to fear you. The time will come for us to gather, but between now and then, be leaven. Preserve the world. Be salt. Preserve the world, even if it hates you.
Friday, March 22, 2019
Life is Unfair, But You Knew That
https://latterdaycommentary.com/2015/08/21/life-is-unfair-but-you-knew-that/
I just wanted to repost it here in my blog.
***
One possibility is that the abused deserve their abuse—that perhaps they were an abuser in a previous life. This kind of thinking, even if true, can enable abusers—“You totally deserve my abuse, who am I not to fulfill God’s will?" This is the dark side of Hindusim--"we have a caste system because God wills it--we brahmins are on top because of our exceeding righteousness in the past life and you losers are living in squalor because you weren't as righteous in the last life.” Even modern prophets seers and/or revelators can fall victim to this kind of thinking:
On the other hand, was Jesus abused because He was an abuser? What about Abinadi, Paul, Peter, and Joseph?
There is another possible explanation why people endure horrible things in life: Before the earth is created, God says, "I have to respect free will, and some jerk is going to be an abuser. Who will volunteer to take this douche's abuse? Who will volunteer to starve in Africa? Under the volunteerism explanation, it really flips around the question of who the elect really is, and all of us might be found wanting.
After the days of the competition ended, a great feast was called. For the feast, the King invited not only those citizens who participated in the games, but also those who had fled the city rather than participate. Those who had remained loyal and participated in the games were troubled by this.
“Why are those who rejected your plan allowed to be among us?” they inquired.
“For a wise purpose,” said the King.
Many of those who participated resented the presence of those who had fled. Some who fled returned in anger, urging those who stayed to join them in their anger at the King. Some who did not do well were persuaded by the arguments of the returning dissidents.
The great feast turned into a great argument among the residents who stayed and those who had fled. Eventually the people divided themselves into two groups. In one, the King was beloved and his plan was held in esteem. In the other, the King was resented, or worse, hated. They found fault with the King, with his plan, and with the uproar caused among the citizens by the King’s great folly.
When the body was divided, the King addressed them all with these words, “I have been working for some time to determine who I can trust among our people and who I cannot trust. Using wise counsel I have adopted this great plan to decide the matter.
“I knew when the competition was devised it would divide the people. I knew, too, that some would flee rather than participate. I also knew if I invited back to a feast all of the citizens, both those who stayed and those who fled, that it would result in a great division. This was my purpose all along.
“We are faced with many challenges. Some are in forms which you do not understand.
They will test all of us. I must know before we confront the coming challenges who I can trust to remain loyal in my kingdom. Today I know.
Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Ezekiel & Kurt
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Nephi and the law
I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
is that it shouldn’t be read in isolation. 1 Nephi 3:7 is young man Nephi. “Give me a commandment and I will totally nail that commandment.” But then life continues to happen to Nephi:
2 Nephi 4:17
my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. 18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. 19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
Finally, old man Nephi is channeling Paul:
2 Nephi 25
25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments. 26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. 27 Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away.
The law is dead and Nephi is alive in Christ. Nephi's character arc takes him from a righteous young man who thinks he can live the law perfectly into a righteous old man who is transformed by grace.