"And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people,
and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them
wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day;
for on the third day the Lord will come in the sight of
all the people upon mount Sinai." (Ex 19:10-11) I
believe that the Lord has called the body of Christ to
wash our clothes (sanctify ourselves) and be prepared
to receive His Will on April 6, 2005. The Patriarchs of
the Restoration have asked us to continue to prepare
spiritually for the entire time before April 6. At this
meeting,, it is hoped and anticipated that the Lord will
give us instruction and set His house in order. If the
Body is to be blessed on April 6, we would pray that it
would come through humility and preparation; and not
from chastisement.
Whenever the church, in times past, came before
God in a state of disarray or sin, it came in sackcloth and
ashes for a period of time--to represent a spirit of
repentance and unworthiness. If we are to sanctify
ourselves, as in times past, it will likely not be done
quickly. As members of the Body we have been asked
to fast at least two meals a week and to pray every day.
We have been asked to "feast upon the words" of Christ
at least two hours per week. (See "Spiritual Preparation
of the Body of Christ") Would doing any of these
things violate God's word? I ask this question because
there are some who cannot, at this time at least, accept
the call which has been given.
If you are one who does not accept the message to the Body given by the Patriarchs, you may still be a part of the gathering on April 6-8. Do we not all agree that we must become one body, embracing the cause of Zion? Do we not all agree that we should clarify our shared purpose and vision, and provide an opportunity for the Saints to share their collective desire and commitment to the cause of Zion? The meeting on April 6, in my belief, has no agenda; other than such agenda as may be dictated by Lord Jesus Christ. Those who may be concerned about any "secret" agenda, should recognize that the saints who comprise the body of the restoration saints have already proven that they cannot be forced to accept any leadership that they deem to be in violation of God's Word.
Unless you are a person that engages in "fuzzy logic", a
General Assembly as called by the Presidency of Church and/
or its quorums, is currently impossible to call. Does that mean
we cannot have any kind of general assembly? If the Body,
as currently situated, is in a disorganized state, as it was in
1860, how could it proceed to reorganize, if the quorums had
to be in place before a general assembly was to be called?
When the church met in 1860 to reorganize, there is, to my
knowledge, no mention of that meeting being called a "General
Assembly". Yet the meeting was held and the church was
reorganized. At this time however, we do not have a mandate
to reorganize the church. What we have is a call, as in King
Benjamin's day (See Mosiah, Chapters 1-3) to come together.
What is the purpose of the April 6 meeting? It is: "to
assemble as the Saints of God, united in and through Jesus
Christ, with a spirit of expectation of receiving God's forgiveness,
healing and direction for the perfecting of His people
and the accomplishing of His purposes." Who is invited to
this meeting? "Any person who adhers to the teachings of the
Church of Jesus Christ, as established in the beginning,
implemented as Christ walked the earth, restored in 1830 by
the prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. and reorganized in 1860, are
welcome." What will be different about this assembly of the
Saints? In all honesty, probably nothing; UNLESS the Saints
make honest and sincere spiritual preparation as we have
been called to do. On the other hand, I am hopeful that the
Saints will come to the meeting on April 6, having made
spiritual preparation. I am hopeful that the Saints will be
united in purpose and expectation. I am hopeful that we will
receive a blessing of the Lord's Spirit that will cause us to
marvel. (See D&C 10:6)
I am a person that takes the promises of the Scriptures
seriously. It is my faith that we can rely on God's Word. I can
only hope that it is now time for the promise in Luke 12:38-
47 (and other prophesies) to be fulfilled. Are you willing to
prepare? Will you commit, in devotion and humility, to make
this spiritual preparation? Create in us a clean heart O Lord,
and renew a right spirit within me.