PART ONE

Three individuals take part: my son Gregory, my wife Irene, and myself. Each represents a group: Gregory - present-day youth, Irene - the honorable people of the earth, the honest in heart, etc. and I represent the faithful priesthood and, at times, the faithful Saints. The events that are witnessed are not actual, but an allegory of those events; therefore, an interpretation is necessary.

As it begins, Irene and I are standing on a street corner in an unfamiliar city. We are there to search for Gregory. He is a considerable distance away, somewhat to the left, and high up in the air. His long-time friend, Randy Dragon, is there also. Randy is on Gregory's left, just a trifle behind. Gregory speaks, "Dad, I'm coming, but not yet."

The interpretation is that the youth of today, more than ever, are "up in the air." They are confused and uncertain. This fact is self-evident. When will this unhappy condition be ended? Randy represents the pull of the world that is influencing their generation, yet is not sufficient to take today's youth completely away from the call of the Lord. Basically they want to do right but lack direction and incentive. Had my spiritual influence, or that of the priesthood, been sufficiently strong, Gregory would have "come home". It is yet to be.

Another point that should be emphasized: Gregory addressed his remarks to me only, and not to his mother, although Irene was wholly visible to him. What is the significance?

PART TWO

Now there is a break in time. I am alone on the same corner. In the meanwhile, we have found lodgings in a row of condominiums some distance to my rear. They are made of stone, of beautiful and fine construction, a soft tan in color. Although joined together, each condo is of different height. Some are three, some four and some five stories high. They represent institutions that provide for the poor, the indigent, the battered, the lost, of which, according to a recent report, there are seventy-five in this country. Different heights indicate a difference in ability to provide services. They are removed both by purpose and intent from that which now gains my interest.

There, before me, just across a narrow street begins another row of condos, which extend a great distance. These are all three stories in height, are faced with red brick, and, although joined together, are separate units for their property is divided by wrought iron fencing. Each has a small front yard in front of which runs a wrought iron fence the entire length of the units. The sidewalk is fairly wide and in good repair. The street, made of cobblestone, is also fairly wide and in good repair. They are reminiscent of streets in old London that have been in existence about 200 years. While looking upon this scene, I felt a certain kindred spirit with the place, yet I was not altogether comfortable with my surroundings. The words of Paul to the Hebrews came to mind.

PART THREE

The distressful conditions that existed upon the land had their desired effect. I resolved to repent and be more diligent in my covenant with the Lord, and for a time this intent prevailed. But, like the Nephites, after a while I became careless, my times of repentance were less frequent, need for prayer too often forgotten, and study of the word overlooked. When this condition occurred the thought "business as usual" was strongly impressed upon my mind.

Whatever effect that which had taken place had upon the priesthood and upon the citizens of the land, who recognized the hand of Divinity in its operation, was short-lived. It is well to remember that this was taking place in a time of comparative peace.

And is not this our condition today, 1999? We are presently enjoying a most blessed state of living, more so than at any time in the history of our country. "All is well in Zion."

(This is a personal aside. I am not one to place credence in coincidence. However, on the "Good Morning" show on November 29 an event occurred that made me wonder at the timing. Charles Gibson interviewed a man, whose name I do not remember, from the front office of the President. Apparently a finance bill had recently been agreed upon between the President and Congress, one that had been in the making for some time. Mr. Gibson's summary of that fact was, "Business as usual." These were his words. The impression given was that there would be little, if any, change in the way our government does its business, especially in the area of finances.)

It is well to note that the nations of the world wait for a concrete, if not a perfect, example of honest government where material blessings are enjoyed by everyone, and they look to this land for that example. The Lord intended that this hope would be consummated through the church in the redemption of Zion.

We have failed as a church and as a nation. Therefore, both are under condemnation. "And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you, At that day when the Gentiles (1) shall sin against my gospel, (2) and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, (3) and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all the people of the whole earth, (4) and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and of secret abominations; And if they shall do all these things, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fullness of my gospel from among them; And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them." -III Nephi 7:34-36

There are those who see America's potential. Steve Forbes, writing in a recent issue of Imprimis makes this observation. For the first time in five thousand years of recorded history, there is only one superpower. Even the Roman Empire at the height of its imperial grandeur did not have the global influence that America enjoys today. Whether the politicians and intellectuals of other nations admit it or not, their citizens are looking to America as the model for the 21st century. It comes down to this: if we get it right, the rest of the world has a chance to get it right. If we get it wrong, the rest of the world is in deep trouble. This may sound like arrogance speaking, but in truth it is humility - the sort of humility that comes from bearing a heavy burden of responsibility. It is not easily assumed, and once assumed, it cannot be laid aside.

As satisfying as prosperity may be for the Saints, there is also a tendency to forget one's baptismal covenant. The temptation to "go with the flow" is ever present. Great faith in the word of God is now necessary. The prophecies written of our day are true. He who heeds them not will fall. Those who believe and obey will remain until the Lord's appearing.

"Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you; . . . The Lord . . . shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you. For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. Wherefore prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; . . . Go ye out from Babylon . . . Go ye out from Babylon . . . from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon." D&C 108: 1-2

PART FOUR

Then, as suddenly as it had ceased, the destruction was renewed, this time with greater intensity than before. Everything was coming down. Where could I go for safety? Could the place where Irene was living be secure? I turned to go there only to see it, too, destroyed, but not in the same manner as the other buildings. It appeared to be destroyed from within, literally blown up, for it raised up and then settled down in a heap of rubble. No one within could possibly survive! For the interpretation see, "Why would everything need to be destroyed?"

It was then, at the last moment, that I saw something that may have been there all the time but which, no doubt due to my interest in world events, I had overlooked. It was so close that all I had to do was to reach out and touch it - a house; a house that was not being affected by the conditions with which it was surrounded. There was a porch on the front with posts at either end supporting its roof. Taking hold of the post on the right, I stepped onto the porch and then turned to witness the final destruction taking place, but not before observing three conditions affecting the house.

First, it was a one-story home that appeared to have been built in the 19th century. Second, although solidly constructed, it had sustained some damage not caused by what was presently taking place, for its foundation had been forcibly removed, causing it to fall onto its sills. The first tier of clapboard siding was sprung out somewhat and, to a lesser degree, the second tier. The damage could be readily repaired. Third, at one time it had been painted white, but, due to long-standing neglect, the pollutions surrounding it had caused it to become a dirty, dingy gray.

What covers all three conditions?

It is a perfect picture of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The church of Jesus Christ came into being in the 19th century, organized on April 6, 1830, continued in the reorganization. Furthermore, its foundation, the priesthood, (See Go Ye and Teach slides) was forcibly removed by the document known as #156, and the subsequent "ordination" of women to priesthood offices. And also the church's pure, original doctrine as written in the Inspired Version of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine & Covenants have been so radically changed or polluted as to be hardly recognizable. Could there be a more accurate description of the church as it is today?

Who and what, then, is the church?

Joseph Smith III stated the principle in a pamphlet entitled The Rejection of the Church. To quote, in part: "It is a principle well known in civil law, and ought to be in ecclesiastical circles, that, whenever a church is founded, its principles of faith formulated, . . . that portion of the membership that remains in adherence to the Faith as it was before the change was attempted or made, is the Church. . . . the Church is that part of the members remaining true to the original tenets."

Joseph Luff, in the article "Unto Those Who Have Ears to Hear" found in the book, Concerning Our Whereabouts, confirms his brother's definition thus:

"Wheresoever my law is in honor and my ordinances are held as a sacred thing, even as they were delivered unto you from the beginning, Behold there is my church; and he that imagineth change in them hath not known me, for I change not, and my ordinances are my witness."

Also see D&C 3:16a. "Behold, this is my doctrine: Whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church."

However, membership alone does not constitute the church. The organic structure; priesthood, ordinances and doctrine are an equal part. These two combined are the church. When they are functioning together in harmony, the purpose of the Lord will be consummated under His direction in the redemption of Zion and not before, however well-intentioned good men may be.

Also, it is written, "And again this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked." (Matthew 24:32) How can "this gospel of the kingdom" be preached except by an authoritative, consecrated priesthood? This prophecy uttered by Jesus Christ speaks of our day and generation, our young men and middle aged, as noted in D&C 98:7d,e.

Nevertheless, in spite of the woeful condition of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it is, in my opinion, still the church of Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that the faithful are invited to return. To repeat, this is the method the Lord has ordained to finalize His work before the millennial reign of peace.

This reason, from my point of view as an individual, is acceptable, for I was immersed in the experience, but how will my brothers respond? For most, if not all, to return to the RLDS church in its present condition is unthinkable. It will take far more persuasion than the word of one man, how well-intentioned he may be. It is imperative that conditions, both secular and spiritual, become so intolerable that there is no alternative.

And so it is! First, the Lord allows Satan to finish his work. Satan can no longer destroy the priesthood, but the method and the delight and the means of man's physical survival is in his hands. Now that this is gone there is complete chaos, and he does so quickly.

This commercial breakdown has to begin with America. In the past other dominant nations, Germany, Britain and more recently Russia and Japan, have experienced considerable financial failure, but the results have been short-lived. When the U.S. economy fails, the entire world, every nation, will follow, for all depend upon our stability. This will affect everyone in this land, including the most consecrated Saint. That which has been set aside for such a time as this, as important as that will be, will not be nearly enough. It is then that the faith of the Saints will be tried, "as was Abraham." Those whose faith is weak may well "curse God and die," spiritually if not physically. Those who depend upon the Lord will survive.

Now even as the priesthood and the church had nowhere to go, so the Lord will provide the only means of escape. In D&C 98:7 the Lord rebukes the priesthood for their previous slothful ways, and having done so states His course of action, His salvation for the faithful. A man will be chosen, usually referred to as the "one mighty and strong:" a man whom the people will trust, not affiliated with the various factions within the church, a man who will be given authority and power to "gather together the residue of my servants," and will go "straightway unto the land of my vineyard, and redeem my vineyard, for it is mine, I have bought it with money."

And to make certain that no one misunderstands, the Lord, two months later, speaking through His prophet, states:

"Behold, I say unto you, The redemption of Zion must needs come by power; therefore I will raise up unto my people a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel, for ye are the children, and of the seed of Abraham; and ye must needs be led out of bondage by power, and with a stretched out arm; and as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be." D&C 100:3 d,e

PART FIVE

Although the opportunity to enter His church was extended, I did not attempt to do so. Instead, I remained on the porch. All the porch had to offer was protection from the devastation. I remained caught up in the continuing ruin for a short while, until I became aware that the house was moving away and up from ground level. It was imperceptible at first, so slowly did it rise. Now my interest was centered in this turn of events. By this time it was apparent that the devastation was almost complete.

I entered the house through the front door, although I was not permitted to see how that was accomplished or the appearance of the interior. For whatever good reason, what took place in the church was withheld as was also the duration of its rise, for it continued to rise until it was high and lifted up from the earth.

An answer for the reason that this information was withheld may be found in D&C 85:20-26. "The first laborers in this last kingdom" were given a specific commandment. They must "assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves: and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean."

To make this possible, further instruction followed: "I give unto you a commandment, that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom; ... in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, ... that ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again, to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you ... ." When these commandments are honored, then the elders would be able to "bind up the law, and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment ... ."

Church history, from the day this commandment was issued until the present, proves that the Lord still waits on a sanctified priesthood. (Since the Lord's mandates are never withdrawn, this is yet to be finalized.)

Therefore, the words, "Let those who are not the first elders, continue in the vineyard, until the mouth of the Lord shall call them, for their time is not yet come," is a natural sequence. Knowing that the first elders would fail in their mission, their Heavenly Father prepared a way to take the gospel to other nations in the process of time. The day when those who are not the first elders are sanctified is suggested in verse 23. These men will be prepared to "seal up the testimony" for they will have a testimony to take to the world. Furthermore they will "bind up the law" for they will keep the whole law. Their garments, their lives, will be "clean from the blood of this generation."

It is within the structure of the church that the cleansing, their sanctification, will take place. While their purification is in process, the outward evidence of God's displeasure against the wicked is being demonstrated. That which is recorded in verse 25 precedes that which is prophesied in verse 24 The inhabitants of the earth are then called to judgment, for Christ's return is now imminent. At this point Satan is bound (see verse 26c).

PART SIX

When I became a part of the experience again, I was standing in front of the church, gazing down on a plain below, a plain that appeared to be devoid of all vegetation. The noise and confusion had ceased. All was at peace.

Now I was extremely anxious to go on a mission to find those who had been spared. The distance to ground level was great. There was no visible means, such as a staircase, to descend. To jump meant certain death; yet I had no fear to do so and it was accomplished with ease. I had been endowed with a power, not of man but of God. I moved away some distance. Then I turned to see where I had been. A great, solid Rock, as far as the eye could see in either direction, had arisen and upon it rested His church. It was no larger than it had been before its rising, but now it shone in glorified brilliance, cleansed, purified, sanctified, as were those within its walls. Satisfied, I turned to fulfill my mission. By changing the "I's" to "priesthood" here, the interpretation is obvious.

"And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my Rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against him." D&C 3:17

PART SEVEN

For several years this last portion I am about to relate, I could not understand. Eventually, the interpretation was given.

Moving in the direction to where those spared, the pure in heart, would be found, my way was blocked by a high, red brick wall. Some distance at the left end of the wall was a red brick edifice of ancient date. The rear of the structure was visible. It had a door. Would it be possible to pass through that I might continue on my way? Moving closer, I could see great cracks throughout the wall. To attempt to open the door would certainly cause the wall to crumble! Why had this building not been destroyed with the rest?

Looking along the wall in the opposite direction, there was a gate through which I passed, only to find myself in what appeared to be a monastery garden. It had the outward appearance of life, yet all vegetation was dead. The plants stood erect, their boughs and parts in place, but all was brown and lifeless.

Passing through to the other side, I came upon a metal fence with a gate. This gate was locked with a padlock. As I was wondering how I could open the gate, a man rushed out of the building, wringing his hands in great distress, while looking upon his home. He was of middle age, average height, somewhat overweight, and bald with a fringe of hair from his ears around the back of his head. He was dressed in a similar manner to the priests of the Middle Ages, a garment from his neck to his ankles with a cord around his waist, grey in color. Calling to him, I requested that if he had a key for the gate would he open it. Without acknowledging my presence by word or glance, he came to the fence, produced a key from his clothing, and unlocked the padlock. Then he went back into his church. I opened the gate and proceeded on my way.

As I proceeded on my way, I saw Irene (those spared) coming toward me. She was climbing over the rubble, but her eyes were intent on coming toward me.

The vision ended.

The difficulty with the interpretation of this part was two-fold. Why did the priesthood have to pass through Satan's domain? And why was his church still standing, though damaged beyond repair?

What better way could the Lord portray the binding of Satan before Christ's return, his unwilling acceptance of the Lord's priesthood, the deceit in his message, and its total lack of truth as portrayed in his surroundings? As for the other problem, his church still standing! While Satan is bound, his church with its organization, is inoperative. At the end of the seventh millennium, Satan will be given free rein, for a time, to tempt mankind again, at the end of which he and those with him "shall be cast away into their own place." Then, at that time, it is written, "She is fallen, who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication: she is fallen! is fallen!" (D&C 85:32)

The interpretation of Irene climbing over the rubble would indicate that there will be difficulties to face for those searching for the truth and for those called to take the message of salvation to them.

CONCLUSION

Is the interpretation of this dream correct? I do not know for certain about all its parts, but at present this is the way I see it. The future will prove or disprove what now appears to be correct. For certain we are passing through those "perilous times" prophesied by Paul.

In preparing this paper it was my intent, among other reasons, to endeavor to more precisely determine the year of Christ's return, although for purposes set forth in the beginning, one should not expect any more than minimal accuracy.

In my opinion, we are in that period of time understood as "a time of comparative peace." In fact, we are right at the end of that time. There is another reason why I choose this era. On one occasion while discussing this vision with Irene, she remarked, "This dream is literal (actual)." It not only has a spiritual connotation, but also it is physically real.

When the dream began Gregory said, "Dad, I'm coming, but not yet." His remark was addressed to me only. He has "not yet" returned. If or when he should do so, Irene will not be here. Irene passed away sixteen years ago. For her this dream is actual. As for myself, I am alive when the vision ended. At age eighty-two, how many more active years may I expect? This leads me to believe that fulfillment is close, a few years at most. Be that as it may, the day of "the lion and the lamb" is near at hand.

"Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand, and who can abide the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appeareth, for he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap; and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Let us, therefore, as a church and a people offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, . . . " D&C 110:24

RGGg. December 1999