First Presidency Response

I got a text from Dan Barker the other day. (He used to be my Stake President) He asked if I could come in and meet with him on Thursday May 14th. I was unable to meet and asked him what it was about? He replied that the first presidency had a message for me that they wanted him to deliver to me. I asked if he could just tell me the message over the phone as I would not be in town that evening. I also asked for a written copy of the 1st Presidency's response.

He finally called me during the day on May 14th, and due to our conflicting schedules, he decided to tell me the news over the phone: 

The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Monson, President Eyring and President Uchtdorf, have upheld the decision of the High Council and denied my appeal of their excommunication of me for apostasy.  He also told me that the First Presidency loved me and wanted me back in the church and that they would welcome me back when I was ready. 

I replied that I was still unsure of why I wasn't a member anyway? Why would the church cast out someone who actually lived and did what that church's own scriptures said to do? 

He said, Jon-- Jon, we've been through this...

I agreed and said I'm just amazed at how messed up it all is, and that there is no reason I shouldn't still be a member. 

He invited me to meet with him whenever I wanted and invited me to try and return to the church. 

I replied that I will never submit to the authority of an earthly institution again, and that as they had kicked me out without just cause, (me being innocent of apostasy from God and truth), I was free to pursue God as I pleased and God was free to work through me, independent of the church, according to His will. 

(As an aside, The church had in effect served me a bill of divorcement, freeing me to pursue a new bridegroom, Christ. I would never have severed that marriage, having remained true and faithful while I belonged to that earthly church, I am free now to be one with Christ due to their actions, without committing what would otherwise be in effect "adultery", if I was the one who broke covenants I made in the temple by severing the relationship myself)

I asked for a written copy of the First Presidency response, and was told that the way it worked was that it all was conveyed through him as the stake president verbally to me. I said I did not agree to that and that I wanted written notice and that without it it didn't seem official or binding. (Under law, written notice is required to make something binding in a case of judgement or to "seal" it to be lasting. Without written notice the church is acting under color of law, but it lacks power to be binding, hence I am still a member of Christ's church, having never been given written notice to the contrary). He said there was nothing written he could give me. We said goodbye and that ended that. 

"Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God!" (2 Nephi 27:14)

I am a witness. One of many God will establish. God has filled my mouth as seemeth Him good to assist in bringing forth the words of the book, and to thereby remove the condemnation by not only saying, but by also doing the words of the book as D&C 84 requires:

And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received--

Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written--

That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

(D&C 84:54-58)

What does it mean to "bring forth fruit meet for their Fathers kingdom?"

And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins; (Moroni 8:25)

If this is correct, then repentance cannot and has not occurred until baptism is performed, because baptism is the first fruit of or in other words "fruit meet" for repentance. Baptism meets the requirement. It is the fruit whereby the penitent shows humility and thereby meets or fulfills the law (commandment) upon which the blessing of remission of sins is obtained. Repentance and baptism are twins that work in tandem. Separated, they lie fallow in the ground unable to produce fruit, no matter the good intentions of the individual. Repentance followed by Baptism with Power is the law ordained before the foundation of the world upon which remission of sin is acquired. Baptism pours the Power of Godliness into the recipients priesthood by connecting the individual back to the mind of God. Baptism therefore removes the condemnation on the "church" (the people) if they will just humble themselves and perform it after having repented. 

It is humiliating to be baptized. It is humiliating to come before your own congregation or fellowship of believers and acknowledge you have sin--again. That's why Alma defines humility the way he does: as baptism. 

Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart (Alma 32:16)

Alma draws an equivalency here: be humble, or in other words, be baptized.  

Humility = Baptism

If we plug "baptism" in for the word humility wherever we find it in the Book of Mormon, a whole new meaning comes out, and it addresses the major theme of the Book of Mormon as given by President Benson: Pride. Baptism is the antidote for pride because baptism IS humility! We even call it the "pride cycle" in the Book of Mormon. And the drum beat to combat pride throughout the most correct book is: repent (present tense) and be baptized, (present tense). It is pride and arrogance that keeps us from following our Lord and Savior down into the waters of baptism. Give up your pride and go he baptized so that you can receive the fruit of repentance, which is a remission of your sins! To hold onto pride and refuse to be humble (baptized) is to remain under condemnation. 

Baptism means re-baptism. We wouldn't even think in terms of "re-take the sacrament", we just think of it as sacrament. So why do we think of baptism that way? Do you need to repent? Then do it and them get baptized! That's what the book says. We can argue about traditions and assumptions, but what the book says is not in dispute. Repent and BE baptized. 

Baptism brings remission of sins, or in other words, removes condemnation. And if you do that, the current latter day "church" will cast you aside. I have been cast out for exactly that. Which is exactly opposite of Alma's day: 

"And it also came to pass that whosoever did belong to the church that did not repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God--I mean those who were lifted up in the pride of their hearts--(didn't get baptized) the same were rejected, and their names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the righteous." (Alma 6:3)

Remember humility = baptism, so pride means they refused to repent and be baptized! therefore Alma had their names blotted out, because The Lord said:

"The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people" (Alma 5:57). The qualifier here for Alma being, they refused "re" baptism!  The current doctrine of the LDS church, of a "one and done" baptism, results in your name being blotted out of the book of life! (According to Alma). Don't do that! 

Good is called bad, and bad is called good. I am sure these churchmen mean well, but if you follow them they will damn you! Your name will be blotted out if you don't repent and be baptized! Repent! Awaken! Arise, "all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things" Alma 5:57

Coming out from the wicked here is not necessarily a physical separation, but it is at the very least a separation of spiritual magnitude. Separate your spiritual eternal soul from the prideful wicked, by what you do: get baptized. Baptism is how one comes out and becomes separate. 

"For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand. And now, my brethren, what have ye to say against this? I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled." (Alma 5:58)

"What have ye to say against this?" Go ahead and try! Try to deny the Christ with your excuses and lies that following a man will justify you! There is a law, irrevocably decreed before the foundations of the world! That law is baptism! Repentance is fruitless without it, or in other words, without baptism your name will be blotted out! And "if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled."  

You can't argue away the law. It is preordained. It is eternal. You break yourself against the law. The way is simple. Small things in many instances confound the wise. I was forced to choose the Master I serve by what law I obeyed. And the church chose their master by what law they obeyed. To he humble and submit and be baptized follows a law, which having followed it, makes me subject to Christ. To revile and cast out a soul for obeying a law which brings salvation, makes these four quorums subject to the devil. We all choose our Master by the laws we obey or disobey. 

My excommunication was sanctioned and ratified by all four Quorums that were equal in authority in the LDS church according to D&C 107. The Stake High council, the Quorum of 70, the Quorum of Twelve, and now the 1st Presidency, all being equal in authority have cast me out, severing their ties with me an innocent man, giving another witness that they have lost the keys of the kingdom. God has left them to themselves. God has made me a witness of Him and of His work thereby. The restoration of the Gospel of Christ as begun by Joseph is now recommencing. 

1. Believe that God has recommenced His work

2. Believe in and perform the Doctrine of Christ

3. Serve and love one another giving succor and support; bearing one another burdens. 

This is what we are charged with. More is coming if we obey with exactness what we've been given. May God have mercy on all of us as we endeavor to come unto Christ, and having Him as our God by obeying His laws.