#3 "Therefore I will raise up unto my people a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel"

Many critics of the church list numerous unconditional promises and prophecies in the Doctrine and Covenants that never came to pass in an attempt to discredit the Prophet Joseph Smith and the revelations he brought forth.

Clearly, there are many specific promises and prophecies pertaining to specific events and people that have never come to pass during the last 160 years since these promises were made.

Many Latter Day Saints really struggle in their testimonies of latter day revelation for this reason. It creates doubts in their minds and the D&C becomes a sealed book to them because it looses credibility and does not make sense... hence, they focus on the Book of Mormon and they shelf the many things in the D&C that don't make sense to them....

The following commandment contained in section one of the D&C contains the key for unsealing the messages in latter day revelation. But it requires incredible faith to believe the following commandment/promise from the Lord:

"Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall ALL be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same"

God knew that the D&C would try the faith of the Latter Day Saints. He knew that it would appear that many of his promises and prophecies would fail and he wanted to force us to deal with this issue... to test our faith, and to increase our faith.

In the above quoted verse, God is holding his own feet to the fire while commanding us to search the promises and prophesies he gave to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

He is letting us know that none of the unconditional promises and prophecies contained in the revelations he gave the Prophet Joseph Smith will fail... they will all come to pass! In order for the above statement from the Lord to be true, he will need to bring people back from the dead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you have the faith to believe he will do that?

It is only after you test your faith in this promise that the D&C becomes an open and understandable book of scripture.

Once you pass this test of faith the D&C will open up and become unsealed. It will begin to make perfect sense and it will become so incredibly interesting and exciting and illuminating that you will not be able to put it down.

You will begin to realize that some parts of the D&C are speaking about the 2nd watch while other parts are speaking about the 3rd watch!!!!!

Many of the future posts pertaining to this blog will deal with promises and prophecies contained in the D&C that are referring to the 3rd watch.... they will still be fulfilled despite the fact that they appear to have failed!

The Marvelous Work has to do with raising people from the dead so they can finish their ministries... Isaiah speaks of this. Many of the ancient prophets speak of this.

Many fundamentalist Mormons that I speak with are waiting for a NEW servant to come forth and usher in the Marvelous Work. They use the following verse from the Book of Mormon to justify their belief that a Descendant of Lehi will rise up and gather the elect

" And there shall rise up one mighty among them who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being and instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing fo pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and uto the seed of they brethren" (2 Nephi 3:24)

If you compare the 3rd chapter of 2nd Nephi with the JST of Genisis 50 as well as other key verses in the four standard works, it becomes apparent that verse 24 shown above is NOT referring to a NEW servant that will come forth to usher in the Marvelous Work... it is referring to an OLD servant that will RETURN to finish his work!

In a prophecy contained in section 101 and 103 of the D&C the Lord tells us how he is going to redeem Zion. The parable tells of how the Lords people will begin building a tower (temple) but they get distracted. Contention takes place among the workers and they fail to complete it. Then the enemy comes and scatters the Saints. At a later time, the Lord returns his main servant and other servants to the vineyard to tear down the tower of the enemy and redeem Zion.

The failure to build the temple took place in the 2nd watch. The return of the Servant takes place in the 3rd watch.

The Lord has identified that the last, main servant that returns to gather and lead the other servants in pruning the vineyard for the last time and redeeming Zion is the Prophet Joseph Smith.

"Therefore I will raise up unto my people a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel. For ye are the children of Israel and of the seed of Abraham, and ye must needs be led out of bondage by power, and with a stretched-out arm. And as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be.... Verily, verily I say unto you, that my servant Joseph Smith Jun., is the man to whom I likened the servant to whom the Lord of the vineyard spake in the parable which I have given unto you. ..." (Section 103: 16-21)

The above prophecy is an unconditional prophecy given by the Lord. Do you have the faith to believe it? Do you have the faith to believe that God can and will return the Prophet Joseph Smith back to the vineyard to lead Gods people out of bondage and compete his work?

In future posts I will provide other evidences from visions, revelations and patriarchal blessings that Joseph Smith has a two part calling that requires him to return to the earth and give a final warning to the world.