Our fellowship, in its past regular Sunday meeting, became aware as a group that we are in peril. When I say “we” I am referring to the Restoration effort going on today and all those who identify with it. This movement stands in jeopardy.
I have been aware for some time of various efforts among us to take “the Gospel” to the “Lamanites.” Some have done this by living among them for short or extended periods of time. Some have carried Books of Mormon of one edition or another to a target group of their choosing. Others have developed video content to be put on the internet in general, and otherwise on some very specific sites. I applaud all these efforts. I think they all have merit, and I personally think it shows the Spirit of the Lord working on many who have come to feel they have specific responsibilities with the Seed of Lehi. Reading again in the Answer to the Covenant, a person comes to realize that our being blessed by having taken the Covenant is contingent upon two very direct commandments given by our Lord immediately when we sat down after saying “Yes.”
“Now hear the words of the Lord to those who receive this covenant this day.” (Commandment #1) “Teach your children to honor me.” (Commandment #2) “Seek to recover the lost sheep remnant of this land and of Israel and no longer forsake them. Bring them unto me and teach them of my ways, to walk in them.”(T&C 158: 9&11.)
Then to our dismay all of a sudden we learn that these disparate groups have received an invitation by the Hand of God, to allow him to help unify their efforts – which they reject. My hell people, haven’t we learned anything. The podcast this was reported on went on to say that maybe we’ll have to dissolve this fractured effort and wait for a more faithful group of people to rise up, who are willing to bend their effort according to the Lord’s way of doing things; which is to be as noble in their efforts to bring something about as is hopefully, their product.
One in our fellowship, however, interjected a hopeful rumor into this forlorn discussion, in that he heard that in just the last day or so there might be a re-think on their knee-jerk dismissal to the offer of help for unification, and that reconciliation among the factions might yet be possible.
We certainly hope so!
In fact we are counting on it. You, who have had this inspiration to work on this Lamanite effort, have had months and years devoted to your efforts. You have discovered many of the questions which need addressing and maybe even a few of the answers. You have at this point the experience of having gone through a Movement wide effort to produce Scriptures, a Statement of Principles, establish a Temple Fund, and see a Restoration Archives process get underway, et al. And you have right in front of you an on going example of a unified effort to take the Gospel message to the Jews. None of these could have been accomplished or come as far as they have with out unification. They would have all failed, and so will you, without a unified effort. So far none of these have failed. Not that there hasn’t been some butting of knot heads.
So, Are you going to be the first? You may think I have no business butting in with my 2 cents when I am not on any of these group efforts. Well, in that you’d be wrong! We all out here stand in peril of losing what’s been offered if you butt-heads [with those others] who have been personally inspired by the Lord and now are under offer by the Hand of God to help produce unification, shatter like glass, and think you can do this on your own.
So, here’s what we’re gonna do for you. As a fellowship we’re going to pray collectively and individually for you all to get your act together, repent, and come together with your collective knowledge of the subject, and with the help of a dispensation head produce a viable effort.
None of you can affect my individual salvation, but you can make it impossible for me to see Zion in my lifetime. It’s hell for a guy like me to have to admit something like that. I hope I never cause an outcome of something like that for you because of something I refuse to do, which is something of the heart.
SO….
We of this fellowship are exercising our faith, praying for you, individually and collectively we will be praying for your complete turn around and success in this effort you have been called to.
We invite all other fellowships to do the same
with all our love!