We,
as a covenant people, were commanded by God to develop a statement
of principles to be used as a guide and standard. The following
statement is the result of the contributions of many. As a people,
we agreed to the following methodology in its creation: we confined
ourselves to the words of the Lord as found in our canonized
scriptures and given to his servants Joseph Smith Jr. and Denver
Snuffer Jr.
We,
as a people, therefore stand as witnesses to the work of Jesus
Christ in our day and declare as truth and with soberness that God
has set his hand yet again to call his people to labor in preparing
the way for Jesus Christ’s return. We invite all who receive this
witness to come and learn of his ways. Therefore, as commanded by
the Lord, we as a covenant people offer the following statement of
principles to help guide you in this process.
A
GUIDE AND STANDARD
The
Lord commanded us, I require a statement of principles to be
adopted by the mutual agreement of my people, for if you cannot do
so, you will be unable to accomplish other works that I will require
at your hands. When you have an agreed statement of principles, I
require it to also be added as a guide and standard for my people to
follow. Remember there are others who know nothing, as yet, of my
work now underway, and therefore the guide and standard is to bless,
benefit and inform them.
JESUS
CHRIST
The
Lord admonished us, I descended below it all, and know the
sorrows of you all, and have borne the grief of it all, and I say to
you, Forgive one another. Be tender with one another, pursue
judgment, bless the oppressed, care for the orphan, and uplift the
widow in her need, for I have redeemed you from being orphaned and
taken you that you are no longer a widowed people. Rejoice in me,
and rejoice with your brethren and sisters who are mine also. Be
one. For you to unite I must admonish and instruct you, for
my will is to have you love one another. It is not enough to say you
love God; you must also love your fellow man. I have given to
you my doctrine, and have also revealed teachings, commandments,
precepts, and principles to guide you, and it is not meet that I
command you in all things — reason together and apply what I have
given you, and it will be enough. Each of you must equally walk
truly in my path, not only to profess, but to do as you profess.
Love one another and you will be mine, and I will preserve you, and
raise you up, and abide with you for ever.
The
Doctrine of Jesus Christ
The
Lord proclaimed, I will declare unto you my doctrine. And this is
my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto
me — and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth
record of me, and the holy ghost beareth record of the Father and me
— and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men everywhere
to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is
baptized, the same shall be saved, and they are they who shall
inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me and is not
baptized shall be damned. Verily, verily I say unto you that this is
my doctrine and I bear record of it from the Father. And whoso
believeth in me believeth in the Father also, and unto him will the
Father bear record of me for he will visit him with fire and with
the holy ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me and the
holy ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me, for the
Father and I and the holy ghost are one. And again I say unto you,
ye must repent and become as a little child and be baptized in my
name or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto
you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a
little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
Verily, verily I say unto you that this is my doctrine. And whoso
buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against them. And whoso shall declare more or less
than this, and establisheth it for my doctrine, the same cometh of
evil and is not built upon my rock, but he buildeth upon a sandy
foundation and the gates of hell standeth open to receive such when
the floods come and the winds beat upon them. Therefore, go forth
unto this people and declare the words which I have spoken unto the
ends of the earth.
The
Law of Christ
The
greatest instruction given by God at any time, to any generation, is
a rule of community found in the Sermon on the Mount and in the
Sermon at Bountiful. The Law of Christ is found there.
ORDINANCES
Baptism
As
to the commandment to be baptized, even Jesus Christ went to be
baptized by John to fulfill all righteousness. Nephi taught:
And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to
be baptized by water to fulfill all righteousness, oh then, how much
more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water?
Denver said, Baptism has always been required from the days of
Adam until the present. Baptism is always the sign of acceptance of
what God is doing in each generation. Whenever there are people of
faith on earth, they have always been invited to perform the
ordinance of baptism as a sign of their faith.
The
Lord commanded, And he said unto them, On this wise shall ye
baptize, and there shall be no disputations among you. Verily I say
unto you that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words and
desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize
them: behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my
name shall ye baptize them. And now behold, these are the words
which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying,
Having
authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the holy ghost. Amen.
And
then shall ye immerse them in the water and come forth again out of
the water. And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name, for
behold, verily I say unto you that the Father and the Son and the
holy ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me,
and the Father and I are one. And according as I have commanded you,
thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you.
Any
who want to be baptized should be. Before baptism, teach [them] the
Doctrine of Christ. This living ordinance should be performed in
living water, if possible. Connect with God by using the things He
provides.
Little
children are not accountable before God, and therefore their
mistakes, offenses, and errors are covered by their innocence, and
the atonement of Christ. Anyone who thinks otherwise does not
understand God. Mormon said, It is solemn mockery before God that
ye should baptize little children…this thing shall ye
teach: repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and
capable of committing sin.…but little children are alive in
Christ.
A
record needs to be kept of the names of those baptized. Record their
name[s] and submit them to the central recorder’s clearinghouse. A
single volume with names will be deposited in a temple to be built
before the Lord’s return.
Once
baptized, we can receive the Father’s testimony of His Son by the
power of the holy ghost. It comes as a result of baptism [and is]
given according to the Doctrine of Christ to any who repent and are
baptized following His direction.
If
ye will enter in by the way and receive the holy ghost, it will show
unto you all things what ye should do.
Sacrament
The
sacrament should be taken in the way God commanded. Partake of the
sacrament in your families and in your gatherings. Use wine. If you
are opposed to alcohol or have a medical condition that prevents you
from using wine, use red grape juice. Use the symbol of the blood of
our Lord.
The
Book of Mormon recounts: And it came to pass that Jesus commanded
his disciples that they should bring forth some bread and wine unto
him.…And when the disciples had come with bread and wine,
he took of the bread, and brake and blessed it, and he gave unto the
disciples and commanded that they should eat. And when they had eat
and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the
multitude…And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body
which I have shewn unto you…And it came to pass that when
he had said these words, he commanded his disciples that they should
take of the wine of the cup and drink of it, and that they should
also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it. And it
came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled.
And they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink and they were
filled. And when the disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them,
Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is
fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father
that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you. And this
shall ye always do unto those who repent and are baptized in my
name, and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood which I have
shed for you that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always
remember me. And if ye do always remember me, ye shall have my
spirit to be with you. And I give unto you a commandment that ye
shall do these things.
And
they did kneel down with the church and pray to the Father in the
name of Christ, saying,
O
God the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus
Christ to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those
who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of
thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God the Eternal Father, that they
are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always
remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them,
that they may always have his spirit to be with them. Amen.
The
manner of administering the wine. Behold, they took the cup and
said,
O
God the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus
Christ to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who
drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy
Son, which was shed for them, that they may witness unto thee, O God
the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may
have his spirit to be with them. Amen.
Marriage
& Family
After
the creation, marriage was the first ordinance. All the elements of
the gospel point back to marriage as God’s final purpose for
mankind. If we will love our husbands or our wives, we will please
God. Do so and God can preserve your marriage into eternity. Above
all else, marriage is what God wants most to preserve. Marriage is
the image of God.
The
Lord said, Marriage was, in the beginning, between one man and
one woman, and was intended to remain so for the sons of Adam and
the daughters of Eve, that they may multiply and replenish the
earth. I commanded that there shall not any man have save it be one
wife, and concubines he shall have none. I, the Lord your God,
delight in the chastity of women, and in the respect of men for
their wives. Marriage by me, or by my word, received as a holy
covenant between the woman and I, the man and woman, and the man and
I, will endure beyond death and into my Father’s Kingdom, worlds
without end.
This
should be the description of all our houses and families: a family
of prayer, a family of fasting, a family of faith, a family of
learning (therefore a family of glory), which brings a family of
order, and therefore a house of God. Our children will be the means
to preserve Zion. Without their conversion, Zion has no chance of
surviving.
The
Lord has commanded, Teach your children to honor me.
PRIESTHOOD
Priesthood
in its highest form is an opportunity to serve and bless others.
Power can only come from Christ. The reason authority is given is to
make men more like God; to lift and to elevate them. Priesthood is
confined to men because of the Fall and the conditions ordained at
that time. Until things are reversed at the Millennium, it will
remain for men alone to perform the public ordinances thus far given
to us.
Receiving
Power in Christ
There
are three steps. The first is ordination. Any man holding priesthood
can ordain another man. Man alone can do this first step. Because
John the Baptist laid his hand on Joseph and Oliver, we have
continued the practice to lay hands to confer priesthood. We should
continue to respect that tradition. No one should baptize until they
have had priesthood conferred on them by someone who can trace their
authority back to John the Baptist, through Joseph and Oliver. The
second, if you’re functioning outside of a family, is sustaining,
which requires seven women. Seven women must sustain, one being the
wife if the man is married. And thirdly, confirmation must come from
Heaven. Heaven must ratify.
Keep
a record of the line of authority from the one who does the
ordination. [Maintain in your] possession a written certificate
signed by the seven women proving the sustaining vote, and everyone
involved should record it in their personal records, particularly
the day when the Lord confirms the authority to the man.
Wait
until the spirit ratifies your ordination before you act. Ask God to
give you the power. Get his “word” through the spirit, just as
Alma did. After Alma repented, but before using authority to
baptize, he asked God to give him power. God, seeing his repentance,
accepted it, and poured his spirit upon Alma to give him power to
baptize. The proof of God’s approval was in Alma’s experience
and the effect of the ordinance on both Helam and Alma.
If
we get power to baptize, we get it from Him. Power is required. It
must come from Christ. The pattern must be followed.
Joseph
Smith wrote: No power or influence can or ought to be maintained
by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering,
by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned, by kindness and
pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul; without
hypocrisy and without guile.
The
Lord said, And again, the husband is to hold priesthood to
baptize and bless the sacrament of bread and wine in the home, and
the husband and wife are to bless their children together. For the
husband to use authority to administer outward ordinances outside
his own family, his wife must sustain him. I have told you that to
remove authority to use priesthood outside a man’s family requires
a unanimous decision by twelve women. A council of twelve women must
be convened, either in the man’s home fellowship among those who
are acquainted with his daily walk, or in private at a general
conference, also including among the twelve women from the
conference those who are acquainted with his daily walk, so that no
injustice results. Reinstatement of the man’s authority must be
considered by the same council of twelve women when the man
petitions for the decision to be rescinded, and requires seven of
the twelve to agree upon his reinstatement, which can occur at any
time. During the period of suspension, nothing affects the man’s
duties and responsibility in his own family.
FELLOWSHIPS
& GATHERINGS
The
Lord said, Whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my
church.
We
read in the Book of Mormon: And the church did meet together oft
to fast, and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the
welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of
bread and wine in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.…And their
meetings were conducted by the church after the manner of the
workings of the spirit, and by the power of the holy ghost, for as
the power of the holy ghost led them, whether to preach, or exhort,
or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.
The
Lord said, And behold, ye shall meet together oft, and ye shall
not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together,
but suffer them that they may come unto you, and forbid them not.
We
must become precious to each other.
True
religion, when it is present on the earth, always exists in a
community of believers. [Fellowships are] informal, based only on
the Doctrine of Christ, and require acceptance of Christ’s simple
statement of His doctrine, faith to believe and act, repentance from
sin, and baptism. Every denomination in the world can be represented
in these fellowships. This is not designed to limit the
possibilities of shared faith, but to greatly expand them. We are
all equal believers accountable to God.
There
can be conferences that can be called by anyone, but must include
seven women if the business includes priesthood ordination. There is
no need for any building to be purchased or built. Meetings can be
anywhere.
We
cannot allow ourselves to be drawn in to inequality when the result
of this labor is to make us one body equal with one another. We
cannot imitate the failures of the past by establishing a hierarchy,
elevating one above another, and forgetting that we must be of one
heart, one mind and with no poor among us.
The
Lord said, Although a man may err in understanding concerning
many things, yet he can view his brother with charity, and come unto
me and through me he can with patience overcome the world. I can
bring him to understanding and knowledge. Therefore if you regard
one another with charity, then your brother’s error in
understanding will not divide you. Study to learn how to respect
your brothers and sisters and to come together by precept, reason,
and persuasion rather than sharply disputing and wrongly condemning
each other, causing anger.…Even strong disagreements should
not provoke anger nor to invoke my name in vain as if I had part in
your every dispute. Pray together in humility and together meekly
present your dispute to me, and if you are contrite before me, I
will tell you my part.
I
have given you a former commandment that I, the Lord, will forgive
whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all
men.…If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly
Father will also forgive you; but if you forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your
trespasses…But again I say, judge not others except by the
rule you want used to weigh yourself.
Tithing
The
primary purpose of collecting the tithes and the yield upon it is to
bless and benefit the lives of those in need. Assist the poor
directly, looking for God’s guidance in so doing. Help provide for
those who need housing, food, clothing, healthcare, education, and
transportation, or children that need care. Take the money the Lord
intended for the poor and administer it for the poor. [The Lord
desires us to] have no poor among us.
One
tenth of your surplus after you have taken care of all your
responsibilities, all your needs, whatever’s left over — one
tenth of that is your tithe. After you gather your tithe, look at
your brothers and your sisters who are there in your meeting, and
help those who have needs. Christians should take care of the poor
among them, and no one should be looking at the flock and saying, I
need your money to support myself.
The
relief of the poor among you refers to the poor among the
individual fellowship. If there are no poor among you, then excess
donations should go to the temple, but they can be shared as your
fellowship determines by common consent. God’s people are always
required to build a temple. Therefore, there needs to be preparation
for the coming commandment.
ZION
& THE COVENANT
Zion
consists of people living in harmony with God. It is defined in
revelation as the pure in heart (see T&C 96:7). Prophecy
also confirms it will be an actual location, and a place of
gathering.
God
alone will establish Zion. His instructions are vital and necessary
for us. Once He instructs us, the scriptures can then be used to
confirm that His direction to us now is consistent with what He
prophesied, covenanted, and promised would happen. But the path to
Zion is to be found only by following God’s immediate commands to
us. That is how He will bring it. He will lead us there.
Zion
and the New Jerusalem are a place, occupied by covenant people, and
not something an individual can be or become. People who gather
there will all need to be individually redeemed, individually
penitent, individually connected to God, but will only belong to the
community if they belong to the covenant and are of one heart and
one mind and have all things in common between and among them.
The
Lord said, I covenanted with Adam at the beginning, which
covenant was broken by mankind. Since the days of Adam I have always
sought to reestablish people of covenant among the living, and
therefore have desired that man should love one another, not
begrudgingly, but as brothers and sisters indeed, that I may
establish my covenant and provide them with light and truth.
The
Book of Mormon was given as my covenant for this day and contains my
gospel, which came forth to allow people to understand my work and
then obtain my salvation. The Book of Mormon is to convince the
gentiles, and a remnant of Lehi, and the Jews, of the truth of the
words of my ancient prophets and apostles, with all the records
agreeing that I am the Lamb of God, the Son of the Father, and I was
sent into the world to do the will of the Father, and I am the
Savior of the world. All must come unto me or they cannot be saved.
Hear therefore my words: Repent and bring forth fruit showing
repentance, and I will establish my covenant with you and claim you
as mine.
Those
sustained by seven women (or a man inside his own family) who
receive [the covenant] also have authority to administer the
ordinance to others who want to be numbered among God’s people. To
administer to others, repeat the ordinance. Read aloud the Lord’s
Answer (see T&C 157) and the words of The Covenant
(see T&C 158). Ask them to stand and say, Yes, and they will
become one of the Lord’s covenant people. Do not change the words
of the covenant, for to change an ordinance is to break it.
The
Lord said, It is not enough to receive my covenant, but you must
also abide it. And all who abide it, whether on this land or any
other land, will be mine, and I will watch over them and protect
them in the day of harvest, and gather them in as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings. I will number you among the remnant of
Jacob, no longer outcasts, and you will inherit the promises of
Israel. You shall be my people and I will be your God, and the sword
will not devour you. And unto those who will receive will more be
given, until they know the mysteries of God in full. But remember
that without the fruit of repentance, and a broken heart and a
contrite spirit, you cannot keep my covenant; for I, your Lord, am
meek and lowly of heart. Be like me.
He
concludes, Cry peace. Proclaim my words. Invite those who will
repent to be baptized and forgiven, and they shall obtain my spirit
to guide them. The time is short and I come quickly, therefore open
your mouths and warn others to flee the wrath which is to come as
men in anger destroy one another. The wicked shall destroy the
wicked, and I will hold the peacemakers in the palm of my hand and
none can take them from me. Be comforted, be of good cheer, rejoice,
and look up, for I am with you who remember me, and all those who
watch for me, always, even unto the end. Amen.
