In order to understand the present, it is important to understand the past. As the recent comments by Pope Benedict demonstrate, the world is being deceived by a spirit of Lucifer and his followers. Everyone will be forced to choose between the increasing darkness and the light of conscience and truth.
Joseph Smith visited Brigham Young twice in vision after he was martyred. In the first vision, he appeared with a mottled gangle of goats and sheep. Brigham laughed and was rebuked by Joseph, who told him that he should not mock the flock of Christ. In the second vision, Joseph told Brigham to teach the people to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
This second commandment clearly explains what Churches should be teaching, in contrast with what they actually teach. Religions are supposed to exist to teach men how to draw close to the promptings of conscience and the Holy Ghost. That is their primary mission. This points to every person being able to communicate with God directly for guidance and personal Revelation.
When religious institutions become corrupted they seek to replace God with so called "mortal mediators". The fact that such mediators even exist within an institution is evidence of its apostasy from the true principals of Christianity, which is to teach people how to communicate with God directly.
Ancient Judaism, which I would argue was apostate Christianity, exemplified the various institutions that are created within a Church that relies on the wisdom of man, instead of the principals of personal Revelation. In this article, I will further break-down these organizations and show their modern equivalents.
1. The Herodians
The Herodians were apostate Jews that used religion to gain political power over the Jewish nation. Herod rebuilt the temple, not to glorify God, but to glorify himself as a mortal god. He was well educated in both Greek Philosophy and Rabbinic law. The former justified his hedonism and immorality, the latter was a weapon for political control.
In Mormonism, I believe that Mitt Romney and his followers could be labeled as Herodians. Like Herod, Romney has used the Mormon Church to gain political power. Like Herod, he lacks a moral compass and any real affinity towards the Doctrines of the Church. Those that followed Herod were looking for political gain, even if it came at the expense of the Church. The same can be said for many that follow of those that follow Mitt Romney. Apostasy for political gain and power.
2. The Sadducees
These were the college professors of their day. The Sadducees were trained in Greek philosophy and the Scientific method. They were also hedonists that felt a particular loyalty to the Herodians. Sadly, Brigham Young University is the modern Mormon equivalent to the Jewish Sanhedrin. Moral compromises at BYU are evident in its embrace of Illuminati-CFR faculty and department chairs.
Evolution, moral relativism and worldly attitudes are embraced by these modern Sadducees. Their guide to all truth is their physical senses and the scientific method. They publicly profess spirituality and a love for all things Mormon. Secretly, they plot with the Herodians and Pharisees to extend their political and cultural acceptance by the non-Mormon masses.
3. The Pharisees
These were the lawyers of apostate Judaism/Christianity. The oral traditions developed by them and their predicessors became such a burden on the people that Jesus openly defied them (IE: walking on the Sabbath). There's was a belief rooted in customs and rituals. They washed extensively before every meal and developed purification rituals for every event. They operated under the belief that outward appearance was what mattered.
Jesus called the Pharisees the worst form of hippocrites. He explained that they were indeed beautiful outwardly, but inwardly they were guilty of murder, adultery and all other abominations. He then counselled them to clean up their inner vessels before worrying about their outward appearance.
In modern Mormondom we can see the influence of modern Pharisees as they suppress the evil deeds of the Satanic infiltrators or even participate in them. They call on the victims to repent through forgiveness and let the guilty go forward and abuse other victims. Their primary motivation is greed and avarice.
The Temple:
All three of the above groups were frequent in their Temple attendance. The goal being to show the people how righteous they had become. While Jesus accepted the Temple itself as His Father's House, He emphatically rejected the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians as the enemies to God.
Before His crucifixion Jesus rejected the Temple and cursed it to destruction. It appears that the general unworthiness of those that were in regular attendance, and provided a good deal of financial support for the structure, had actually defiled the building with their presence.
While the Temple provided a place for meditation, prayer and necessary ordinances, Jesus taught that every mortal body should be a Temple of God. He thus reaffirmed the importance of personal sanctification through obedience to the Commandments of God.
Conclusion:
Man cannot be sanctified by external ordinances and endless rituals. True spiritual sanctification comes from personal obedience to the Commandments of God, personal prayer, studying the Scriptures and Fasting (going without food and water for 24 hours).
Jesus added the higher laws of repentance (forsaking bad evil deeds) and a common concern for those around us. He never justified the evil deeds of others, although He was quick to forgive the truly penitant.
Miracles are necessary for the salvation of this generation. Miracles come through faith and obedience. Those that rely on their education, wealth or political influence cannot overcome the coming judgments through human understanding alone. These will quickly join with the enemies of God and help them to establish their one-world, Satanic government because of their infatuation with mortal abilities.
Mortals that cannot receive their own answers from God through conscience and revelation, will be those that are the easiest to deceive. Only the power of God can break through Satanic illusions and counterfeits.
