Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits

Tonight (3/23/16) is the Feast of Passover. What a beautiful moon rests in the sky! Tonight, the moon was positioned precisely opposite the sun; as the sun was setting, the moon was rising. In the morning, as the sun rises, the moon will set. Thus, tonight, the moon is a perfect reflection of the sun.

The moon is the lesser light that shines in darkness. It is symbolic of Jesus Christ. The sun is the greater light that rules the day. It is symbolic of God, the Father. The Passover is a Sabbath that celebrates Gethsemane; the night that the destroying angel passed over us and Jesus Christ became our Passover. On that night, Jesus Christ was a perfect reflection of his Father. When we imagine Christ in Gethsemane, we must remember that the light that we really see is the light of God the Father. Christ alone is the perfect reflection of the greater light--His Father.

Tomorrow is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is likewise a Sabbath and celebrates when Christ--the Father of the House--removed the leaven from the house. It celebrates Calvary, when Jesus Christ "took away the sin of the world."

Sunday is the Feast of Firstfruits. It is also a Sabbath. It celebrates the day that Jesus Christ became the Firstfruits of those who slept.

At the time of Christ, the Passover, a Sabbath, was Thursday evening. He was crucified on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Friday. It was also a Sabbath. Saturday was the weekly Sabbath. Christ rose from the dead on Sunday, or the Feast of Firstfruits--also a Sabbath. FOUR SABBATH DAYS IN SUCCESSION. NEVER, IN ALL ETERNITY, WILL FOUR SABBATHS OCCUR IN SUCCESSION. In his final days in mortality, Christ demonstrated that he does all the work of salvation--his most important work--on the SABBATH:

On THURSDAY, the PASSOVER, HE SAVED HIS PEOPLE from spiritual death--

On FRIDAY, the Feast of UNLEAVENED BREAD, HE SAVED THE WORLD from an everlasting spiritual death--

On SATURDAY, the weekly SABBATH, HE SAVED THE DEAD who were in darkness in the great world of spirits from an everlasting spiritual death.

On SUNDAY, the Feast of FIRSTFRUITS, HE SAVED ALL from an everlasting temporal death.

With all who have faith in Him, I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. Is it any wonder that HE IS CALLED THE SAVIOR! Is it any surprize that breaking the SABBATH carried imposed a penalty of death!

I invite each of you to take time during these next few days to consider the magnitude of all that happened in the matter of FOUR SABBATH DAYS! Heaven looked down and all eternity rejoiced. These four Sabbath days must never be forgotten and always remembered as days in which our loving Father offered his Son for us.

Today, I feel particularly grateful for Jesus Christ, the Lord and Redeemer of the my soul. I bear witness that he lives and is the Savior of all mankind. Come and be perfected in Him.

Lay Not Our Swords Upon the Shelf

In the Book of Mormon is recorded a vision which Lehi had concerning his family and their journey to the Tree of Life, a symbol of Jesus Christ and the fruit of eternal life. However, because the Book of Mormon was written for our day, Lehi's vision is really a narrative of our lives and the path we must follow to arrive at that Tree and partake of its fruit that is sweet above all.  Of particular interest and importance, Lehi saw an "iron rod" that leads to the Tree. The narrative identifies this rod as the "word of God" (see 1 Nephi 15:23-24).

THE IRON ROD

Artists' depictions of what Lehi saw portray the iron rod as something akin to a hand-railing that extends along the length of the path. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ likewise sing a hymn that suggests the same image, "And, hand o'er hand, the rod along, Through each succeeding day, With earnest prayer and hopeful song, We'll still pursue our way." Notwithstanding, however well-intended the artists may be, the scriptures depict the word of God distinctly as a sword. Hence, although artists' portrayals are generally not harmful, dropping a sword seems to be a more dramatic crisis than simply letting go of a handrail that can be easily found again by walking in its general direction.

Some of the more precise verses portraying this image of a sword are found in the book of Revelation. While exiled on the isle of Patmos, John saw, in vision, "one like unto the Son of man." A salient feature of this man was a sharp two-edged sword that proceeded out of his mouth (Revelation 1:16). In JST Revelation 19:15, this sword is called the word of God. In the King James version of this verse, it is also called a rod of iron. Within the the Book of Mormon, several verses convey the idea that the word of God is a device used for cutting and dividing. One such verse is Helaman 3:29, which states: 

Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil…. 

The apostle Paul similarly described the word of God as "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow…" (Hebrews 4:12; compare D&C 6:2).

As used by the apostle, the Greek for "sharper" is tom-o'-ter-os, which means "to cut as if by a single stroke", in contrast to cutting accomplished by repeated blows, like hacking. Comparing the word of God to a sword that is able to divide asunder joint and marrow in a single stroke suggests that the sword is, indeed, sharp and of considerable size and weight. Something that is often overlooked, however, in this and similar verses is the juxtaposing of this sword with joint and marrow. This close association stems from the Abrahamic OATH of the covenant wherein God instructed Abraham to "take ... an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old" and divide them "IN THE MIDST.…" (Genesis 15:9-10). Unlike the manner whereby one might ordinarily slaughter and carve up an adult animal by cutting around the bones, Abraham divided the animals in the midst…cutting through the skull, backbone, joints, and marrow of each sacrificial animal.

It is not my purpose in this blog to explain why these animals were divided with such precision, even though understanding why is certainly worthy of individual study. However, it is worthwhile to note that it was, in all likelihood, this same instrument of death that Abraham raised over his son, Isaac, when commanded to offer him up (see Genesis 22:2-18). The Hebrew for the particular "knife" that Abraham used is mah-ak-eh'-leth, meaning "something with which to eat." First impressions, therefore, might lead one to conclude that it wasn't much more than a butter knife used at Abraham's table. However, the primitive root of mah-ak-eh'-leth defines "eating" as "consuming or devouring." When brought together, these definitions support the idea that Abraham's knife was something used to consume and destroy; hardly the innocuous kitchen utensil that is often portrayed by artists.

To illustrate this point, Solomon compared two types of teeth ("eating" devices) to distinguish the destructive capacity of a two-edged sword versus this knife, or mah-ak-eh'-leth, that destroys. "There is a generation," he wrote, "whose teeth are AS SWORDS, and their jaw teeth AS KNIVES, to DEVOUR the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men" (Proverbs 30:14, emphasis added). Front teeth, like a two-edged sword, slice into pieces all that is to be eaten. Jaw teeth, like knives, are the eventual destroyer of those pieces; they are powerful and are applied for crushing, devouring, consuming, even "to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow" (D&C 6:2).

Attempting to visualize this cutting instrument that is sharper than a two-edged sword may suggest something like a razor-sharp knife, but of much larger dimensions. Revealing the specific instrument that was likely used, the Lord said to the prophet Joseph Smith in June 1829:

Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my word.

Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap let him thrust in his SICKLE with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God (D&C 14:2-3).

The sickle, "an agricultural implement consisting of a long, curving blade fastened at an angle to a handle," was primarily used by Israel for cutting grass and grains (see www.Dictionary.com, "scythe") of all sorts. They were not shaped like those purchased at Cal Ranch and, because they were primarily used for reaping the harvest, the blade was religiously sharpened. Like other farming tools, sickles also improvised as weapons used against the enemies of Israel. Bringing this concept to light, the Old Testament prophet Joel described the final conflict against the heathen as one wherein the SICKLE is unsheathed because the harvest is ripe and wickedness is great (see Joel 3:9-14).

However authentic this war may appear in Joel's record, one must be mindful of the teachings of the apostle Paul concerning the "evil day," or the day in which we presently live . . . that the decisive contest is "not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12, compare D&C 27:15). Hence, in this spiritual battle against an unseen foe, the apostle Paul recommended that we wield "the SWORD of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God" (Ephesians 6:17). No other voice has declared so plainly that the iron rod is a sword! The word of God can be found in our day in the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the messages of living prophets and apostles.

With the idea that the word of God, or iron rod, is likened to the sickle once used to divide the joint and marrow of those sacrifices offered in token of the everlasting covenant, note the specific description given by Lehi of the two separate groups of people who take hold of the iron rod that leads to the Tree of Life:

And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of THE END of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.

But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of THE END of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree (1 Nephi 8:24, 30).

The END that each group caught hold of was the hilt of a sword. Importantly, as noted by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:17, this sword is the sword of the Spirit and must, therefore, be wielded by Him if it is to have the desired effect. It is the Spirit that carries the word of God into the heart, enlightens the mind, and enlarges the soul. It is the Spirit that discerns the thoughts of the mind and intents of the heart (see Hebrews 4:12; compare D&C 33:1). Together, the Spirit and the word "are the power of God unto the convincing of men" (D&C 11:21). Without its messenger, the word of God are only words on a page. Without the word of God to convey, the Spirit hasn't a message. The Spirit and the word must walk together if conversion is to follow. And, since Jesus Christ is the WORD of GOD (see JST John 1:14), it is appropriate to visualize Him as the iron rod.

Finally . . .  to the point. In the Book of Ether, Moroni recounts an unusual curse that had come upon the land during a time of war and iniquity. Concerning this curse, Moroni wrote:

And now there began to be a great curse upon all the land because of the iniquity of the people, in which, if a man should lay his tool or his sword upon his shelf, or upon the place whither he would keep it, behold, upon the morrow, he could not find it, so great was the curse upon the land (Ether 14:1).

The scriptures have never been more available and convenient than they are today. And, with all this availability and automation, it is hard to imagine that anyone would go unprepared to the battle. Nonetheless, when one lays his sword upon the shelf, the present iniquity is so dreadful that, err he is aware, he may find himself slain in the battle. The apostle Paul foresaw the day in which men would be unable to find their swords, but he renamed it a day in which men would be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth" (see 2 Timothy 3:7). That day is often thought to have already occurred during the Dark Ages. However, the "perilous times" (see 2 Timothy 3:1) that brings about a quandary of "ever learning" was certainly not those years in which there was little to no learning at all. Rather, those were years of ignorance steeped in the traditions of the fathers.

Rather, the apostle Paul was quite precise as to the timing of this academic bankruptcy. With a clarity that only Nephi can match, the apostle expressed that this crisis would come "in the last days." Adding food for thought, President Howard W. Hunter declared that “all dispensations have had their perilous times, but our day will include genuine peril” (see An Anchor to the Souls of Men. Ensign, October 1993, p. 70). It was with this peril in mind that Paul penned his second letter to Timothy foretelling of a time when man would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”—

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

These verses most assuredly point to our day, for Paul’s warning that “we would not endure sound doctrine” alludes to an earlier event of which Paul said was recorded “for an admonition for those upon whom the end of the world shall come" (JST 1 Corinthians 10:11). Summarizing this event, when the children of Israel left Egypt, they did so in haste. One month following their departure, the assembly cried out in hunger. To Moses, the Lord responded: "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them" (Exodus 16:4). Although described by David as angels’ food (see Psalms 78:25), manna tasted like fresh oil (see Numbers 11:7-8). Thus, the congregation often scorned the light bread (see Numbers 21:5). During one such perilous incident, the mixt multitude cried:

Why came we forth out of Egypt?

Who shall give us flesh to eat?

We remember the fish . . . the cucumbers, and the melons . . ..

But now our soul [is] dried away: [there is] nothing at all, beside this manna, [before] our eyes (Numbers 11:4-6).

In retribution for their scorn of this “bread from heaven”—an emblem of the Word of God—the Lord “brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on [either] side . . . round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.” Eager to partake of this flesh, the congregation gathered the quails, and he that gathered least gathered ten homers. (Numbers 11:31-32). Understanding that a single homer is equivalent to 6½ bushel produces a rather ghastly perspective from this unchecked lusting after flesh. Hence, while the flesh was yet between their teeth, “the Lord smote the people with a very great plague,” and many perished. And, in simplified English, they called the place where they buried the dead, “the graveyard of those who lusted." (Numbers 11:33-34, including footnote 34a. King David wrote that the fattest were slain of the plague, see Psalms 78:31).

Just as ancient Israel did not endure the light bread but heaped to themselves flesh, Paul declared that saints of the last days would not endure sound doctrine—the bread of heaven—but instead heap to themselves philosophers espousing perilous ideals, the likes of which include "Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, John Dewey, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes" (see Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson,1988, p. 307). Although latter-day prophets have warned us about these specific individuals, the number that can be added to them espousing perilous “isms” of every kind is truly heaping. Because of them, Nephi wrote, all have “gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men" (2 Nephi 28:14).

Even the humble followers of Jesus Christ do often err because they are taught by the precepts of men. No one, especially the true Church of God, is exempt from the flood that has been cast from the mouth of the serpent in these days (see JST Revelation 12:15). Concerning this very thing, Elder McConkie wrote:

Even in the true Church in the last days there will be some who do not believe the whole body of revealed truth; some who do not give full allegiance to the Cause of truth and righteousness; some who are members in name only and who continue to live after the manner of the world. This also is one of the signs of the times. It shall be as it was among some of old whom Paul rebuked: ‘When ye come together in the church,’ he wrote to the Corinthians, ‘there be divisions among you.’ Contention, debate, and false views have no place in the Church and kingdom of our Lord. The doctrines are his, not ours, and our concern should be to gain the mind of Christ and to think what he thinks on every point. But the fact is that there are divisions in the Church, for the very reason Paul now gives: ‘There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you’ (1 Cor. 11:18-19) (see McConkie, Bruce R., The Millennial Messiah; The Second Coming of the Son of Man. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, p. 59).

Great caution, then, must be exercised with respect to the precepts of men, wherever and whenever they are learned. President Ezra Taft Benson taught:

We encourage you to get your . . . degrees and to further your education; but let us not forget that disaffection from the gospel and the Lord’s church was brought about in the past by the attempts to reconcile the pure gospel with the secular philosophies of men . . . Be careful of blending your worldly training with the gospel courses you teach lest you be guilty of diluting the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and end up teaching the philosophy of men mingled with a few scriptures (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, p. 308).

Gratefully, Nephi provided the litmus test by which we can, through the spirit of discernment, measure the truthfulness of all that is taught: “Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man,” he wrote, “or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 28:31).

Given that we live in the heat of the battle and that casualties occur near and far, frequently and unexpectedly, Moroni's description of how men responded in that day when the curse was so great that swords placed upon shelves vanished in the darkness, is especially appropriate:

Wherefore every man did cleave unto that which was his own, with his hands, and would not borrow neither would he lend; and every man kept the hilt of his sword in his right hand, in the defence of his property and his own life and of his wives and children (Ether 14:2).

May we step forward in the battle. Testimonies can neither be borrowed nor extended; they must be individually won. Laying not our sword upon the shelf, but keeping the hilt of it in our right hand, is the means by which we will be able to defend our property, life, and the lives of our family. Our sword is the only offensive weapon in the whole armor of God that shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil in this day, a day known to prophets of old as "the evil day."

Prophets, Seers, and Revelators

Every General Conference, it is my privilege and blessing to raise my hand to sustain fifteen men, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as prophets, seers, and revelators of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Not too long ago, I was asked to explain the distinction between these three offices. I'm certain that several commentaries provide adequate, if not better, answers to this question. But greater understanding is born within me when I use the scriptures to develop my understanding.
 

First, a PROPHET is one who has the spirit of prophecy, or testimony of Jesus (see Revelation 19:10)...a witness that the words of the prophets that have previously testified of Christ are true. Such would be the case if I received a witness that what Joseph Smith wrote in the Doctrine and Covenants was true. Concerning this testimony, Alma said:

And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God" (Alma 5:47).

Thus, the principal role of a PROPHET is to teach the words of the prophets who have gone before. A prophet is a TEACHER of the true SAYINGS of the PRIOR PROPHETS. Alma continued:

And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again. (Alma 5:49)

When the BRETHREN quote scripture and bear witness that it is true, they are fulfilling their call as a PROPHET. Importantly, Moses declared, "would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" (Numbers 11:29). Hence, the designation of "prophet" is not to be reserved solely for those of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In my own right, I can be, and should be, a prophet...possessing the Spirit of Prophecy or Testimony of Jesus. Only those who receive this testimony "while in the flesh", or would have received it had they been permitted to tarry (see D&C 137:7-8), are candidates for celestial glory (see D&C 76:51, 74, 82 and D&C 138:12, 21). The bottom line is that only prophets inherit the celestial glory, for to enter one must have the Testimony of Jesus, or the Spirit of Prophecy. INDEED, would God that all the Lord's people were prophets!

A REVELATOR is one who has the spirit of revelation...knowing for themselves concerning that which the previous prophets have written. Note the subtle distinction between a prophet and a revelator. Essentially, a revelator makes known that which was already previously known but may have been lost or needs to be revealed again to a new generation. Concerning this role, Alma wrote:

Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know THESE THINGS (that which was previously revealed to other prophets) of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me. 

I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name (Alma 5:46, 48, emphasis added).

When the BRETHREN testify, as Elder Boyd K. Packer has done on many occasions, that they know the Lord, Jesus Christ, and bear witness of Him and His divinity, they are fulfilling their call as a REVELATOR. They are not revealing new doctrine in this office. Rather, they are standing as another witness of those things that prior prophets have already revealed.

Hence, similar to what Moses said concerning prophets, each of us should seek, as Alma did, for the independent revelation of Jesus Christ. This revelation is far more than the simple assurance, or testimony, we receive concerning Christ. When this witness comes "after the trial of my faith" (see Ether 12:6), then I can likewise testify "that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things" (Ether 12:39).

It is little wonder, then, that the apostle Peter said that the "trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7). This appearing, Peter suggested, is a personal and individual event. "Wherefore," Peter continued, "gird up the loins of your mind, (i.e., depart from the Egypt, or that which is forbidden and let virtue garnish thy thoughts) be sober (i.e., do not partake of the wine in the cup of the whore of all the earth), and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST" (1 Peter 1:13, emphasis added).

When Abraham and Lot prayed, Abraham recorded that "the Lord appeared unto me" (Abraham 2:6). We are not informed as to why Lot was not afforded the same blessing, or the covenants which were to follow. Nonetheless, the point of this narrative is that after the Lord had explained the covenants He made with Abraham and his seed, the Lord withdrew from Abraham's presence. Abraham then recorded this significant insight:

Now, after the Lord had withdrawn from speaking to me, and withdrawn his face from me, I said in my heart: Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee;

Thou didst send thine angel to deliver me from the gods of Elkenah, and I will do well to hearken unto thy voice, therefore let thy servant rise up and depart in peace (Abraham 2:12-13).

It is in this context that Moroni commends each of us to "seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen." (Ether 12:41). When I have this great witness, like the BRETHREN, I am a revelator.

When the spirit of PROPHECY and the spirit of REVELATION come together into one man, that man is a PROPHET and REVELATOR. Illustrating this, Jacob wrote:

For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming (i.e., the SPIRIT OF REVELATION); and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us (i.e., the SPIRIT OF PROPHECY). 

Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name.… (i.e., they did what the prior prophets did).

Wherefore, we search the PROPHETS, and we have many REVELATIONS AND the spirit of PROPHECY; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God (Jacob 4:4-6, 8).

Based on the foregoing, EVERY person who qualifies can be, and should be, a PROPHET and a REVELATOR. However, if that person is not a member of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve, he or she is neither ordained nor sustained by the membership of the Church as such. Those not ordained or sustained do not hold the keys and authority of being a "special witness of the name Jesus Christ in all the world" (D&C 107:23). The apostle Paul noted the order in which individuals within the Church have been placed to publicly bear witness of Jesus Christ: "And God hath set some in the church, FIRST apostles, SECONDARILY prophets, THIRDLY teachers…." (1 Corinthians 12:28).

 

Because of this important order, it is my thought that it would be inappropriate for one possessing the spirit of revelation to so declare publicly that he or she does. The right to do so rests first and primarily upon those ordained to the holy apostleship. For this reason, all missionaries called to preach the gospel to the four corners of the earth are extended this calling by one ordained to the holy apostleship . . . "that the testimony may go from [them] into all the world unto every creature" (see D&C 84:61-63). Missionaries are not authorized to share their own testimony to the world. Rather, they are authorized and set apart to share the testimony of the Twelve Apostles to the world. In this manner, missionaries are constrained and given an example as to what they may say and how they may act. When a missionary teaches and testifies of that which is contained in the training manual entitled Preach My Gospel, they are fulfilling their duty of taking the testimony of the Twelve to all the world inasmuch as those lessons were written by and approved for distribution by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

In this regard, I believe that when Paul is making a distinction in the foregoing verse between prophets and teachers, he is referring to prophets who are recognized as such by the general membership of the Church VERUS teachers who are not. Today, members of the Seventy would qualify as those recognized as prophets by the membership of the Church to be "especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world--thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling" (DC 107:25). Teachers, on the other hand, are others within the Church who have the spirit of prophecy, but who are not sustained as prophets. Thus, not all who teach within the Church fall into this category of "teachers". These teachers who are set as a third witness of the truthfulness of this Church, I believe, are the stake presidents holding keys. But even then, not all stake presidents holding keys have the spirit of prophecy, but should obtain it soon after being called. By so doing, they will be prepared and able to fulfill their principal calling of teaching (see Handbook 1 for Bishops and Stake Presidents).

A prophet and revelator who is given the added gift of SEEING that which has NOT been PREVIOUSLY revealed by prophets and revelators, is also a SEER. Since all that we need for salvation has been previously revealed, almost from the days of Adam, the purpose of the SEER seems to center on SEEING those things that are in hidden darkness in contrast to revealing that which is already in the light. A SEER is focused on revealing the iniquities of men and, in particular, those iniquities stemming from the secret combination, where those works are in darkness (see Moses 5:51, 55). In Helaman 8, Mormon commented on these works in darkness:

For behold, Nephi had spoken unto them concerning the corruptness of their law; yea, many things did Nephi speak which cannot be written; and nothing did he speak which was contrary to the commandments of God. 

And those judges were angry with him because he spake plainly unto them concerning their secret works of darkness; nevertheless, they durst not lay their own hands upon him, for they feared the people lest they should cry out against them (Helaman 8:3-4)

The things which could not be written were those things which have been hidden since the days of Cain. The prophets refrained from writing about these secret combinations for fear that individuals would use them for evil. Continuing, Mormon wrote:

Now behold, it is these secret oaths and covenants which Alma commanded his son should not go forth unto the world, lest they should be a means of bringing down the people unto destruction. 

Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the records which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of Gadianton by that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit -- 

Yea, that same being who did plot with Cain, that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world. And he did plot with Cain and his followers from that time forth (Helaman 6:25-27). 

Moroni likewise taught the importance of not "[writing] the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people... (Ether 8:20). And thus, the Urim and Thummim, the two great seer stones, "have been kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he should discover to every creature who should possess the land the iniquities and abominations of his people; And whosoever has these things is called seer, after the manner of old times" (Mosiah 28:17). The seer stones are for seers only, and their primary purposes appear to center on the translating of languages and on bringing to light the hidden works of darkness. 

As might be expected, there stands one servant of the Lord above all who possessed these stones to bring to light all the works of darkness. That prophet is spoken of in the Book of Mormon and is given the name Gazelem:

And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.

And now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying:

I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land (Alma 37:23-25). 

According to George Reynolds, “the word Gazelem appears to have its roots in Gaz - a stone and Aleim, a name of God as a revelator or interposer in the affairs of men. If this suggestion be correct," he continued," its roots admirably agree with its apparent meaning - a seer.” (see George Reynolds, A Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p. 92). The index to the current LDS edition of the Book of Mormon defines Gazelem as a "name given to servant of God." It is appropriate to note that when Jesus called Simon Peter to the ministry he said: "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, a seer, or a stone" (JST John 1:42). Though this name, or title, of Gazelem may be used in regard to any seer who utilizes seer stones, it seems in this instance to be a direct reference to Joseph Smith the Prophet.” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 278). I completely agree. In earlier editions of the Doctrine and Covenants, Gazelem (sic) is one of the pseudonyms used by Joseph Smith to protect his identity from the pursuing mobs.
 

Joseph Smith is the great SEER of these last days! He brought to light the hidden darkness, the darkness hid amidst the teachings of those professing to know Christ! Because of this darkness that was hidden in light, even the Lord of the vineyard had to extend His faculties beyond simply "beholding the fruit" (see Jacob 5:17, 20, 39) to discern its true character. Regarding this particular instance, Zenos, a contemporary of Isaiah, recorded:

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant went down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree whose natural branches had been broken off, and the wild branches had been grafted in; and behold all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree.
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard did taste of the fruit, every sort according to its number. And the Lord of the vineyard said: Behold, this long time have we nourished this tree, and I have laid up unto myself against the season much fruit.

But behold, this time it hath brought forth much fruit, and there is none of it which is good. And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor; and now it grieveth me that I should lose this tree (Jacob 5:30-32). 

As much as at any other time in history, Joseph Smith's era was filled with corrupt professors of religion professing abominable creeds...creeds inherited from their fathers. As foretold by the proverb, "the fathers had eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth were set on edge" (see Ezekiel 18:2). From the Lord's own description, the children "draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof" (see Joseph Smith-History 1:19). As Joseph Smith sat languishing in Liberty Jail, he penned the most poignant verses concerning this hidden darkness found among modern Christianity: 

It is an imperative duty that we owe to God, to angels, with whom we shall be brought to stand, and also to ourselves, to our wives and children, who have been made to bow down with grief, sorrow, and care, under the most damning hand of murder, tyranny, and oppression, supported and urged on and upheld by the influence of that spirit which hath so strongly riveted the creeds of the fathers, who have inherited lies, upon the hearts of the children, and filled the world with confusion, and has been growing stronger and stronger, and is now the very mainspring of all corruption, and the whole earth groans under the weight of its iniquity.

It is an iron yoke, it is a strong band; they are the very handcuffs, and chains, and shackles, and fetters of hell.

Therefore it is an imperative duty that we owe, not only to our own wives and children, but to the widows and fatherless, whose husbands and fathers have been murdered under its iron hand;

Which dark and blackening deeds are enough to make hell itself shudder, and to stand aghast and pale, and the hands of the very devil to tremble and palsy.

And also it is an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation, and to all the pure in heart—

For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—

Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—

These should then be attended to with great earnestness.

Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints, which depends upon these things (D&C 123:7-15).

Notwithstanding there are SEERS among us, the secret combination is also among us. Mormon warned this generation of such things:

Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up (Ether 8:24).

In one of his final testimonies entitled "I Testify", President Ezra Taft Benson likewise warned of these things. Acting in his role as SEER of this people, he said:

I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society. (See D&C 1:14–16; D&C 84:49–53.) It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world (see Ether 8:18–25).

I testify that the church and kingdom of God is increasing in strength. Its numbers are growing, as is the faithfulness of its faithful members. It has never been better organized or equipped to perform its divine mission.

I testify that as the forces of evil increase under Lucifer's leadership and as the forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be required to align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the devil. As these conflicts rage, either secretly or openly, the righteous will be tested. God's wrath will soon shake the nations of the earth and will be poured out on the wicked without measure (see JS-H 1:45; D&C 1:9). But God will provide strength for the righteous and the means of escape; and eventually and finally truth will triumph (see 1 Ne. 22:15–23).

I likewise testify of living prophets, seers, and revelators upon the earth. They are the presiding councils of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This Church is organized by priesthood authority and after the manner of the Savior's earthly ministry. By the Lord's own decree, it is the only true and living church upon the face of the earth (see D&C 1:30). These men receive revelation to guide us in these last days and are honored to bear witness of the name of Jesus Christ into all the world unto every creature. May we listen to their voice...the voice of God...and hearken to their counsel to create safe places for ourselves and for our families amidst a world covered with a hidden darkness.