Vision of Seventy T. Evan (Tommy) Thomas

1992

"In this concern [of the various factions of the church] I asked the Lord for guidance and the warmth of assurance which His Spirit brings. The answer came while I was reading the Scriptures in my study. I was fully awake, and there appeared before me, as if on a screen, the title of Sister Byrna Zerr's book, In Behalf of Joseph. As I looked upon this, there appeared with it the words, "In Behalf of the Restoration and the Reorganization." Yes, of a surety I was impressed that I needed to continue to defend the Restoration and the Reorganization. Then there appeared before me the old sign in front of the Buckner Restoration Branch as it looked when they were constructing their new building. That sign had on it the words, "Buckner Restoration Branch--proclaiming the original doctrine of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." I felt this wording was pleasing to the Lord.

"For some time I have been impressed to state from the pulpit that I am a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints--"orthodox". I have done this--and whenever I have done so, there has been assurance of its truthfulness. I am troubled when I hear some of the saints projecting the idea of taking their name off the records of the Church. I trust they will make sure that in so doing they have not taken their name out of the Lamb's Book of Life as well.

"In this vision, as I gazed upon the scene before my eyes, I received a testimony reaffirming to me the original doctrines of His Church, and the words of the revelation, "the only doctrine which is in me." For a moment I saw all the branches, in a peaceful, quiet, beautiful scene, all bearing the name of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

"There then appeared before my eyes an article from a southern newspaper that a sister had given me several years ago. I had filed it away and perhaps forgotten it; but here it appeared before me again. In that article was the story of orthodox members of an Episcopal church in a large city. They were declaring to the world (and in defiance of their hierarchy) that they were the true believers of the Episcopal Church and that they were orthodox....

"The scene continued to unfold. There appeared before me a darkened area, like a black cloud, and the outline of the Church in Utah in all its worldly power. I saw them waiting. The intent of their waiting was for the hierarchy of the Reorganized Church to fall because of finances, doctrinal apostasy, and the joining of the mainstream Protestant ecumenical movement. Waiting, it seemed, so that when the hierarchy abandons the Church's name, the Book of Mormon, and the Restoration, the Utah Church can step in as the only body of people of the Restoration who can claim the Kirtland Temple (the heart of the Restoration because it is the only House of the Lord on earth), and declare in court that they have the only continuing authority for the 1830 Church. I realized that if the saints in the Restoration branches give up the name, this is what will happen. We must not let this happen!

(quoted in Vision #11, pp. 3-4, emphasis added)

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