On the fulfillment of Ether 3:98

From: Dwight Burford
dpburford@all4liberty.net


On the fulfillment of Ether 3:98

February 19, 2018

Dear Family and Friends,

The day before yesterday, on February 17, I was reminded of a vision I had been given exactly two years earlier. At about 6 a.m. on February 17, 2016, I awoke to a vision of a massive storm, like a large hurricane, as it was moving across the U.S. What I was shown compelled me to tell my wife, Pam, in that moment we awoke, “It’s beginning!”

Alongside this massive storm, a much smaller storm also appeared in the vision. I was given to know that this smaller storm was the 2007 Greensburg tornado and that it was also present in the vision to provide perspective in terms of the relative size of these storms. (Here is a link to some information about that Greensburg tornado.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_outbreak_of_May_4%E2%80%936,_2007

So I looked more closely and saw that the Greensburg tornado was very small and relatively insignificant when compared to this massive storm yet to come. To be clear, the storm that is coming upon this land is going to be much more devastating and cover a much larger part of the country.

Along with the vision there came a knowledge of the authority by which this judgment would come upon America. To explain, I need to go back several days before this vision was given.

On the Friday before (on February 12, 2016) at around 7 p.m. Germany time (or noon CST), I checked into an airport hotel in Hamburg, Germany. When I got to my hotel room, as is my custom I knelt beside the bed and thanked the Lord for my safety and salvation and asked Him to make the room a sanctuary for my rest that night. I then opened my suitcase and took out my travel set of scriptures for a worship center on the lampstand next to the bed.

As I picked up my pocket 1908 edition of the Book of Mormon, a particular verse came to mind. So, I opened it and was amazed to find that I had turned right to that very verse. When I read it, a strong impress came upon me, affirming to me that what I was reading in the verse to which I had been directed was relevant to that day.

This scripture was Helaman 3:65, which is about Nephi telling the people in his day that their chief judge had been murdered. A very sobering witness came over me as I read this passage, like a foreboding warning.

The next day, Saturday, February 13, I stayed in Amsterdam. The warning I had received the night before stayed with me all day, so much so that after checking into my hotel room in Amsterdam and praying as is my custom, I reviewed several news sites on web. That is when I learned that Judge Antonin Scalia reportedly died sometime in the night or early morning of the 13th. (Here is a link to some information about Judge Scalia.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonin_Scalia

The news reports not only appeared to confirm the witness I had received the evening before, but they also gripped me with a very deep sense of somberness and sadness, causing my thoughts to go to Ether 3:98.

98 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 build it up.

After looking around on the web some more, I emailed my wife, Pam, to tell her about the experience and how I had been shown, less than a day before his death, that Judge Scalia had been murdered by a secret combination (or perhaps more than one). When I returned home on the 15th, I was still troubled by what I had been shown. My concern was reinforced when I read some online articles about the unusual way in which his death was handled (e.g. no autopsy, a death certificate issued without an examination of the body, etc.). Such irregularities made the handling of Judge Scalia’s death suspicious in and of itself, and served to reinforced the understanding given to me the prior day that a secret combination had been responsible for his death.

Returning now to the vision I received on February 17, 2016: In the vision I was shown that this same Nephi, the one speaking in Helaman 3:65, was the one who showed me this vision on the 17th. Also, it was confirmed to me that Nephi is still under the particular authority of the covenant relationship with God that is outlined for us in the same chapter of Helaman in verses 3:114-124:

114 And it came to pass as he was thus pondering, being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murderings, and their plunderings, and all manner of iniquities – and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him, saying,

115 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word which I have given unto thee, unto this people.
116 And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but have sought my will, and to keep my commandments.
117 And now because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee for ever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.
118 Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God.
119 Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.
120 Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth, shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.
121 And thus, if ye shall say unto this temple, It shall be rent in twain, it shall be done.
122 And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done.
123 And behold, if ye shall say, God shall smite this people, it shall come to pass.
124 And now behold, I command you that ye shall go and declare unto this people that, Thus saith the Lord God, who is Almighty, except ye repent, ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction.

Briefly stated, this holy man (like those mentioned in the Words of Mormon 1:23-27), who is under a special covenant relationship with God, still has authority to call for judgments upon this land according to the word of God. It will be done even as he prays for the purpose of bringing about the work of righteousness in these latter days, especially that of establishing Zion. Said another way, Nephi still serves in the capacity outlined in the covenant the Lord made with him.

This revelation came as a great comfort to me, knowing that a holy priesthood is overseeing the judgments to come. Thus, we can be sure the willing and obedient will be gathered together on Zion’s holy hill, both to be preserved and to build up the waste places of Zion in order that they might prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord (see Genesis 7:69,70 IV with III Nephi 13:38-62 etc.).

To sum up, it is my understanding that the secret combinations involved in Judge Scalia’s death have also murdered other leaders and citizens in their quest to own and rule the planet. And I am concerned that there could soon be, and most likely will be, more murders of those who stand in their way, ranging from leaders of countries to individual citizens and groups of citizens.

It also appears to me at this point that their murderous exploits are what will bring the coming judgments upon the nation (per Ether 3:96-102), which have been revealed to many as massive storms and disturbances upon the land (cf. D&C 43:5a-6d). Why? There are those, like Nephi, who are charged by God to seal both on earth and in heaven the unbelieving and rebellious through such judgments (Helaman 3:120-124). From D&C 1:2c-2e we read:

D&C1:2c And verily, I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal, both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious; (see Helaman 3:120)
2d yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure;
2e unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man. (compare with Luke 6:36-38)

Of truth, the Lord is bringing timely warnings to His people to prepare them for what is coming. My hope and prayer are that everyone will heed the warnings and prepare accordingly. Note that the most important preparation is spiritual, to get right with God in all things, and to treat everyone we meet justly and mercifully by walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8,9). And remember, as it is so plainly stated in voice of warning above, the reward each of us receives from the Lord will be according to the reward we gave to others while in this life.

God’s richest blessings in Jesus Christ to you all as we see the day of the Lord approaching (Hebrews 10:22-39),

Dwight Burford