Journal Entry For October 16, 2022
“The gathering to the New Jerusalem develops in time to the status of being “Zion” where God will visit. The growth is through refinement of the residents of the New Jerusalem.” (Was There An Original?: Paper by, Denver C. Snuffer Jr. P. 35.)
This statement poses to my mind the following:
. There is to be a future gathering.
. This gathering to a place where Christ is not immediately present means that it is primarily a self- selecting process. People will come of their own volition because they desire Zion, and have become sure this is it, or need a place of refuge.
. There will be such a place, determined by the Savior, and designated by Him as the New Jerusalem. When or where is yet to be announced by Him.
. “It will be a physical and spiritual enterprise to be accomplished by the hard effort of those interested in welcoming the Lord’s return.” (Same paper as quoted above. P. 36)
. The effort to transform the initial New Jerusalem into Zion develops in time and not immediately to the status of being Zion, where God will visit. From Enoch’s city to the status of “Zion” took approximately 365 years. ( Moses 7: 19-21 & 68.) How long for us?
. If the New Jerusalem is designated and begins accepting residents, it will become Zion if the criteria of desire, and hard effort are met.
. If it arrives at the point where it can be called “Zion,” God will visit it.
A possible senario
As we packed the truck, preparing to leave our beloved home for perhaps the last time, I spread the map again on the kitchen table so Carma could finish her note taking. It would be these notes which we would use to navigate what we anticipated would be the ten hour drive to our destination.
Yesterday at our Sabbath fellowship meeting we had a special visitor who confirmed many of the rumors, which had been floating out there for over a month about a new temple which had recently been completed. We had followed the news closely to see if the LDS church had built a new temple and heard nothing about it there. The odd thing was that the rumors said this temple had been built on a knoll jutting out from an almost sheer unscalable mountain wall behind it. The pine forested slopes leading to the base of the knoll were said to be interspersed with broad meadows each having a spring or stream which watered its lush vegetation. Emil, the one in our fellowship who many looked to as being most in the know about things happening outside our fellowship, said he had heard all this was situated on a fifteen thousand acre parcel which butted against National Forest land all around it. We realized this couldn’t be an LDS temple. It had to be the one we had all been talking about and waiting for these past four years, since that series of talks had been given.
The most surprising rumor, which as of last night became fact, was that a call had been sent out on the Denver Snuffer web site, for all who could or would to come as you can, and take up residence on a property to be divulged in our next fellowship meetings. Then, last night to an overflow crowd, specific directions were given to the site, and instructions about which logging roads to take after turning off the main road were written down furiously by Carma, as Joanna talked. Joanna, our special guest at the fellowship meeting, explained that at several points before arriving at the destination we would be required to go through gates where we would then follow a guide vehicle to the next gate, and so on through several, until we finally arrived. She explained that it was such a maze of twists and turns and gates and criss-crossing side roads that without the guide we would never find the location.
Other instructions were to arrive at the first gate after dark. Otherwise we would have to wait until dark for an escort. I think this was a security precaution so we couldn’t see where we would be going. And we could only bring one truck or car with an open trailer behind it, if we had one. We were to pack warm clothes and a tent and food.
We found later that a request to turn in all cell phones and other electronics at the first gate before continuing on caused many to turn around and not proceed because the idea of cutting themselves off from the outside world seemed just too much to bear.
The long drive was uneventful for the caravan we joined, which consisted of two other fellowship families, and our son who followed us with the part of his family, that would come, in his truck, towing his boat which met the requirement as an open trailer. The trip itself was uneventful as I say, but the length of it gave plenty of time to think and worry and cry at who and what we were leaving behind.
Joanna had called our destination the New Jerusalem. By that, she said, she wanted to indicate that this was an interim step. This would not, at least for now, be the “Zion” most of us had a mental picture of. This would be a refuge from the escalating destructions taking place in the world and would be a place of intense preparation if we desired. It would also be a place which we could leave if we found it not compatible to our needs and desires without any recriminations from heaven or man. It was also a place we could be expelled from if that became necessary and voted on by common consent. She also said the population would grow over time as many outside found it not in their character to fight against their neighbors, as local law broke down, but would rather flee.
This is my recollection of many things at the very beginning when we became aware of and decided to move to the New Jerusalem.. We have been here now for just a little over two years so I will complete this journal from the perspective of what I have seen during that time, and what at this point I can anticipate now that I have this background.
I haven’t kept count but would suppose that many less than half of all those who came here have remained. The reasons are varied but would include:
. Society has not broken down or become chaotic as fast as many supposed it would. This has broken the faith of many that it actually will.
. The poignancy and melancholy of being without family who refuse to come.
. The deprivation many felt existed here over the comforts they had experienced at home.
. Refusal and or lack of ability to get along with others.
. The relative lack of meat and especially refined foods in the diet that is available here. Many just could not seem to adapt.
. A need for more control over others. I have found the people who come here to be very independent, and when that is coupled with a desire to do all they can for themselves, and then help others who are weaker or slower or less adept, without reward or even recognition from the others they serve, things run very smoothly, and all people become better and more capable, and happy. But there have been some who simply feel they have to direct others, and have to be noticed for their efforts by those others. At this point most of those have left and things for the past year or so have really run quite smoothly, because those who require this power, as they suppose, are gone.
. And perhaps the final reason I will list here as to why many have left is that what goes on here, and what it looked like when they came just couldn’t be reconciled with the mental image most people have of what Zion should be when they come to it.
Otherwise,
There have been many exciting things happen since our arrival. Six months ago a large group of about a thousand showed up at the first gate. This more than doubled the number in the village, and was quite a scramble providing them shelter and food. They were led by a man whom they called their prophet, and all I have learned about them so far is that they came from a long way off. Their “prophet,” I have to say, doesn’t look much like the prophet of most people’s mental image. For sure, there is no suit coat pocket hanky. This one is usually dressed in course work clothes and looks a little worse for wear than those who continually surround him, and he’s very thin, and actually looks quite young. I have found out it’s because he is continually giving away his own clothing, and many times his own food to those he thinks are worse off than himself. It is also said, he fasts a lot. I have been amazed at the love and respect his people seem to have for him. Actually I think he is much older than he looks, because of what I have heard him say the few times I have been privy to his conversations. I don’t know that I would be so inclined to refer to him as a prophet as I would that he seems to be more a teacher, and perhaps even a protector. There are rumors of what he has done by power to save his people in many circumstances. Their great desire of us was that we pronounce great blessings on them through ordinances in the temple. That has now been accomplished and the group left about as they came; after dark, and with very little fanfare. I just thought of something that will seem odd. I have just realized I have no idea how they came or by what conveyance they left.
Another thing which caused quite a buzz just a little while before that group came was during an evening after the sun had gone down, but it didn’t seem to get any darker. I had been reading and didn’t pay any attention to the time or the light. Carma came in from the outside and said something was going on outside and I needed to come and see. The object of everyone’s attention was the temple. It appeared to be glowing or on fire, and also seemed to be the source of light that kept the evening from darkening. At first I was quite alarmed because I thought “fire,” and seemed to see people in the windows and on the roof who I first thought were trying to put out the blaze. But then, somehow I just knew by a process I can’t adequately describe, that it was our Lord and angels in the temple, and that He was the source of the light. This has remained the condition of the temple ever since. It shines during the night. Now, not so bright as that first night, but to look upon the glow is to fill my soul with peace and joy and contentment. It’s physical effect has been to make the harsh darkness of the nights in this very remote place much less frightening, as it now seems there is a very soft glow emanating from the trees, plants and even the earth itself, clear to the borders of the property. The stars and planets are as bright overhead as ever, but the earth seems to be basking in a glow of her own.
The day after that first night of the temple being ablaze, classes were announced and established throughout the community, which are taught by holy men that are now among us. it is primarily a preparation for those who would like to enter into that holy place which has always been on the knoll and receive what now has become available there. But I have now been made aware that there are also advanced classes for those who have been in the temple. The most common piece of equipment in those classes seems to be a rather large telescope. Somehow I always knew this would happen, and hoped to live long enough to see it, and now it’s here. Carma and I a few days ago received our invitation to go inside. I am left without words, and also under covenant not to describe what took place there, as all are to receive it for themselves from the Source, which is not me.
Carma and I, shortly thereafter, received an invitation from one of the gates keeper’s to be the guides in their place to the new comers. So now at the announcement of new arrivals, she and I put on our back packs and climb onto our 4 wheeler and head off with snacks and information and directions for our weary arrivals.
I have left out much about the infrastructure of the New Jerusalem and what takes place on a daily basis here, but let it be known that we are busier and happier than we have ever been in our lives, and when you arrive here, and make the decision in yourself to stay, you also will come to know.
Love to all our family and friends. Mama and Papa hope you all join us soon, and especially before situations in the world, and here make it impossible for you to come.
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Now, in the person of my own self I must declare that I am not invested in any detail of the above scenario, only as it proves to be true.
Keith Henderson