From: Francis Harper
wbfrmsup@iowatelecom.net
Francis Harper Message - March 2, 2018
Dear Ones,
We should take warnings and give warnings. The Lord has been warning our nation with preliminary judgments since 09/11/01. We have been called as watchmen. “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman . . . therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword [of justice] come and taketh him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. . . . But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword [of justice] come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezekiel 33:3-10). Thus we see the sacred, solemn duty we have as watchmen to warn the people, beginning with members of our own families.
In The Book of Mormon, the same principle is applied to the watchmen. Jacob wrote, “. . . taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads, if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our mights, their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise, their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day” (Jacob 1:19-20). Jacob was speaking primarily of the responsibility of the priesthood to teach and warn the people to repent and change their ways.
Some have quoted the late Billy Graham, wherein he stated that 70 percent of those who consider themselves Christians will not escape the “wrath to come.” I am using the words of John the Baptist, as he spoke to the religious people of his day (Matthew 3:33 IV; 3:7 KJV). We can take comfort in knowing that God will be our Judge, and his judgment will be just.
We must beware and resist the liberal theology accepted by many in our world today. “And there shall also be many which shall say, Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God, he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this. . . . and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner . . .” (2 Nephi 12:10-12).
There is no such thing as a little sin! “. . . I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven . . .” (D & C 1:5f). “For we know it is by grace we are saved after all we can do” (2 Nephi 11:44). “And the Lord said unto me, Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men, and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; and thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God” (Mosiah 11:186-187).
This is the warning and blessed hope we have to share with all who are within the range of our voices and who have ears to hear. Lord, give us the heart of Alma, who said, “O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people” (Alma 15:52).
My love to all,
Francis Harper
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Warn the People
“Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned, to warn his neighbor; therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads” (Doctrine and Covenants 85:22a). On July 10, 2015, the words, “I send you forth to testify and warn the people” were repeated many times in my mind. The Holy Spirit was urgently reminding me of my calling. And I must add, this is the calling of every dedicated Christian. We must take our calling very seriously, “as we see the day approaching.” “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting [warning] one another; and so much the more, as you see the day [of the Lord] approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Going to church on Sunday morning, and to the midweek prayer service, should not be a debatable issue in our homes. We promised to be faithful in our church attendance on the day of our baptisms. The streets are not crowded on Sunday mornings; they are often as silent as a morgue! Paul warned, “For he hath made it impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost . . . if they shall fall away, to be renewed again unto repentance . . . For the day cometh that the earth shall be cleansed with fire . . . therefore, they who bring forth not good fruits, shall be cast into the fire; for their end is to be burned” (Hebrews 6:4-8). Not long ago, a young man who is a member of our church called and asked, “Do we believe the earth will be cleansed by a literal fire?” I assured him that we certainly do believe this. In answering his question, I read the words of Malachi 4, which were quoted four times to Joseph Smith, Jr.; “For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear [honor] my name shall the sun [Son] of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall [protected; preserved]. And ye shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 4:1-3). Jesus quoted the same words of Malachi to the Meso-Americans in 3 Nephi 11:22-24. He said further, “These scriptures which ye had not with you the Father commanded that I should give unto you, for it is wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations” (3 Nephi 11:29). We are the future generations who need to hear and heed the words of Malachi. Jesus is the second witness of the truth of the words of Malachi. After witnessing the great mounds of ashes at the site of Sodom, near Masada, Israel, I have no doubt that God will, in the near future, destroy the wicked as he did “in the days of Lot” (Luke 17:2830). “. . . and it becometh every man who hath been warned, to warn his neighbor; therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads” (D & C 85:22a). “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:30-31).
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