"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in ALL things." (2 Nephi 2:11; emphasis mine)
For every truly-pronounced prophecy, there are usually many, many more false ones. I mean, these are the last days! Why expect anything else?
Over the last few months, we've been exposed to quite a few prophecies about President Trump's "sure" and "certain" re-inauguration. And as of this minute, they were all proven wrong. Here's my proof:
- “First of all, I want to say without question, Trump is going to win the election,” and “The Lord told me the president is going to be re-elected.” (Pat Robertson, "700 Club," Christian Broadcasting Network founder)
- “God has called President Trump to lead this next four years (a second term) in our country.” (Sid Roth, host of "It's Supernatural")
- "This morning when I woke up, I didn’t even know there was an election because I had been in the future and I saw that President Trump had won.” (Kevin Zadai, YouTuber, author, speaker)
- “There is no doubt whatsoever. (Trump) will win. That’s God’s plan,” and “The rocks are about to move and Trump will be president no matter what you hear. He will sit in office for four more years and God will have His way in this country.” (Kat Kerr, President of One Quest International, a for-profit religious corporation)
- “Donald J. Trump would be re-elected.” (Jeremiah Johnson, founder of Jeremiah Johnson Ministries, author, minister)
- “Tika hatta onda ora batta ronda aka aka ora manda rasa ta" (Paula White, televangelist, prosperity theologian, spiritual advisor to Donald Trump, prophesying a 2nd term in an unknown, uninterpreted tongue)
When Emotions Override Truth
The above is just a small sampling of those who predicted what we now know is false: Biden, not Trump, was inaugurated today. There are many -- including some within our own faith -- who also gave similar/verbatim prophecies. In some cases, repeatedly.
Given that these prophecies are now officially "false," it's legitimate to ask why they were pronounced in the first place. The possibilities include:
- God was wrong.
- Biden persuaded God to change His mind.
- God changed His mind on His own volition, but deliberately/accidentally didn't tell these "prophets".
- God changed His mind on His own volition, and told these "prophets", but they never passed that fact on to us.
- These “prophets” never heard God in the first place, but instead heard their own emotions, thoughts and egos OR they heard a lying spirit.
I vote option #5. You?
It's not like this is the first time this has happened.
"Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.
Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them." (Jeremiah 14:13-16, also see Jeremiah 23:16-22)
Soon, many of these “prophets” may pronounce some convoluted excuses for their fake divinations: Trump can always run again and win in four years (aka "moving the goal posts"), we didn't pray enough for a Trump inauguration (aka it's our fault, which God's omniscience never took into account), they were just testing us to see if we'd fall for a falsehood...blah, blah, blah.
There are others who have pronounced prophecies via dreams or visions from God. In one case, the recipient described God as either tapping or pounding His fist on a calendar, underscoring horrible disasters and man-made tragedies which -- in the final analysis -- never happened.
"But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
Most of these frauds will do anything to get us to look the other way as they continue prophesying while they hold the scriptures, stand in front of a flag and in many cases, ask for more money. Perhaps a few will publicly repent and ask for forgiveness.
And we should forgive them, as well as pray that they be given experiences so they recognize their errors and resolve not repeat them. Beyond that, we leave it to Yeshua, who says, "To me belongeth vengeance" (Deuteronomy 32:25). The consequences He'll mete to these 'prophets" will be both just and merciful.
But what is the lesson to be learned for all the rest of us?
As was conjectured above, it's unlikely these "prophets" ever heard God in the first place.
"And therein," as the bard would say, "lies the rub."
A VERY Common Occurrence: When We Use the Name of the Lord in Vain
I believe that good, old-fashioned wishful thinking is the prime motivating factor behind most false prophecies. We want people to like us, to love us. And the ability to give people hope and reassurance in a dark, confusing time can be a powerful, beguiling motivator.
False prophecy isn't the only place where this uninspired wishful thinking is manifest.
Let's talk about priesthood blessings.
For example, in Jack Weyland's book "Charly," the character Sam gives his wife (Charly) a blessing on her deathbed. There, he blesses her that she'll be better. Instead, she dies shortly thereafter.
This isn't an unusual occurrence. I've seen similar things happen so often, that the tendency among members is to just simply dismiss it by saying, "Well, I guess it wasn't God's will." That's interesting because I thought that's what blessings are supposed to be -- the relaying of God's words and will to a mortal via a mortal.
So let's consider these false prophecies and what I call "false blessings" what they actually are: "using the Lord's name in vain."
I know we LDS tend to think of "using the Lord's name in vain" in terms of profanity. As yes, that's applicable. But so is using God's name in such a manner as to produce no result: a futile, useless, ineffective, ineffectual, impotent, unsuccessful, failed endeavor.
Put into a religious context, when you pronounce a false prophecy, or give a false blessing, you are using His name to produce an unproductive, fruitless result. That's not what God does. That's not who He is. When God does something, He produces results. They bear fruit.
And when you let your emotions, your own supposed logic, your desire for someone to be healed or given hope to override God's true words -- and you do it in His name, no less -- then you are preaching, pronouncing and proclaiming an impotent, useless God. You're also breaking a commandment that ranks higher than breaking the sabbath day, murder and adultery.
That's why knowing God's voice and God's will -- a primary focus of this blog, especially over the last year -- is so important. Know His voice and will, and you can move mountains. Don't, and you break no small commandment.
False Prophecies vs Misinformation
Now, while you'll probably never publicly pronounce a prophecy anytime soon, and you'll be a little more on guard not to use the Lord's name in vain, you'll likely be faced with other, subtle opportunities to pass on information that can be just as destructive to others.
All throughout 2020, you and I were exposed to gargantuan amounts of "misinformation" -- "false information that is spread, regardless of intent to mislead." (We were also likely exposed to copious amounts of "disinformation," or "false information, as about a country's military strength or plans, disseminated by a government or intelligence agency in a hostile act of tactical political subversion").
2021 is quickly shaping up to be a banner year in terms of misinformation. Take, for example, this last week. Here's just some of the supposedly reliable information my friends passed on to me. Again, this is all within the last week:
- "Conclusive evidence will be released showing national wealthy elite and government leaders are pedophiles."
- "Trump fled the U.S. for Europe."
- "The Pope was arrested."
- "The Italian government has collapsed."
- "The entire Netherlands government resigned."
- "Trump invoked the Insurrection Act. He will remain President until all domestic enemies are arrested."
- "The Mayor of Oklahoma City was informed by POTUS via email that the Insurrection Act has been enacted and arrests will begin in that city."
- (The weekend before the inauguration) "Trump will invoke the 'Stafford Act.'"
- (The weekend before the inauguration) "Homeland Security is preparing to mobilize the National Guard. They will announce a nationwide, two-week quarantine for all citizens. All businesses will be closed."
- (From someone’s nephew who is an ex-military naval officer, the weekend before the inauguration) "Trump announces that it is the 'calm before the storm.'"
Although these friends didn't intentionally mislead me, and they (thank goodness) never pronounced these things in the name of the Lord, they did induce varying degrees of concern, uneasiness and even anxiety. All they needed to do was spend 30 seconds on Google. But no, they were lazy, they were sloppy and they diverted my time to have to confirm their unsubstantiated rumor.
I understand that these days, it's hard to differentiate between fact and fiction. But just like the false prophet and the false blessor, the false purveyor of information erodes their credibility with a lie for zero reason whatsoever. And the more they do it, the less credible I find them in all facets of their lives.
How about you? Will you resolve to check things out before you misinform others?
"The Truth Frequency"
As I watched misinformation swirl around me last year (and to a greater extent this year), I developed a theory:
The truth is its own frequency.
Those who passionately seek the truth -- I mean, they are willing to put A LOT of effort into understanding truth -- tend to be more "tuned in" to the truth in all factors of their lives. And because of their appreciation of the truth, God blesses them with greater and greater degrees of the Gift of Discernment.
"PROVE all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21; emphasis mine).
Conversely, those who don't put in the strenuous efforts to better discern truths tend to be a little more freaked out by just about anything, confused and even anxiety-ridden. They have chosen to not only tune out the truth, but often seek comfort from others who may or may not be as well.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it." (Amos 8:11-12)
I won't pronounce a prophecy right now, but it's pretty safe to assume that as we approach the day of the Lord's return, we'll see more, not fewer, fake news stories, false prophecies, false memes and false messages. And to cope with it all, we'll see more, not fewer, false blessings.
We'll see more pronouncements that (despite whatever national or worldwide calamity is happening) everything's going to be fine, serene and secure. Just ignore whatever bad thing is happening, because it'll be OK. And as history demonstrates, sometimes those sources will exist in the unlikeliest places.
So if you want to not be a deceiver or to be deceived, if you truly want to develop your Gift of Discernment, then first, you may want to consider drinking more from the scriptures. Tune directly in to God’s frequency. Second, consider your sources -- who you listen to, watch and read. Shut off the flow of misinformation and disinformation that’s influencing your spirit, body and mind. Third, make darn sure you’ve verified any information you share with others.
Look -- it's nice to be optimistic, but to be optimistic at the expense of realism is always a dangerous proposition.
I understand and share people's hopes and dreams regarding the betterment of the United States. We want the Deep State snuffed out of existence, for the judicial system to convict America-haters, the rich and powerful who have gotten off scott-free and the Constitution and Bill of Rights to reign supreme. We long for the day when the press is truly fair and objective in its analysis and reporting, and social media upholds -- instead of abridges -- our freedoms.
Yet we know that "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:4). A time when people will "call evil good, and good evil," "put darkness for light, and light for darkness," "put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter," "who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!" (Isaiah 5:20-21). Yet God will eventually turn "wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish" (Isaiah 44:25).
Go read what Nephi, Mormon, Moroni, John the Revelator and Isaiah said about the ultimate destiny of America, the Gentiles and in fact our world. They're all in agreement with Jeremiah -- not these false prophets -- on one crucial fact: that God will "make a full end of all nations" (Jeremiah 30:11). It's going to happen, ok? Just accept that fact. And those who want that delayed are, in essence, wishing for Christ's return to also be delayed.
Time to End the Waiting
Your inability, and perhaps unwillingness, to be tuned in to "The Truth Frequency" may eventually cost you your physical and eternal life.
There's a story by an unknown author called something like "The Devil's Meeting."
He's meeting with a few of his demons, who are giving him ideas on how they can keep people from truly coming to the Lord. The devil said, "Listen up. As you know, the enemy has been too successful in recruiting mortals to his cause. We need to find a new strategy to keep them out of his clutches."
The first demon said, "I shall tell them that there is no God." The devil said, "Don't be an idiot. They only have to look at the wonders of creation, their own human form, even a tiny baby, the sun, moon and stars and planets each day on their perfect course, the constant cycle of the seasons to know without a doubt that a creator has had a hand in their making."
The second demon said, "I shall tell them that God is not good." The devil said, "That won't work either. They all know that God is the one who forgives even the greatest of sins."
The third demon said, "We can just tell them that they have plenty of time to make up their minds." The devil liked that decision and said, "That's true."
Over the decades, I've seen that many in our faith have zero sense of urgency regarding the last days. They think they have plenty of time. That the pre-millennial tribulations are something their kids or grandkids will have to grapple with. That they can come to God later, when it's apparent that they really need to do it or the ever-popular, "The Brethren will let us know when it's time to come to head for the hills."
Hey, if your confidence in your timing and in your security in trusting in the arm of flesh is endorsed by God, then see where it gets you. In the meantime, others will be sticking to the revealed words of God and assuming nothing, knowing that the Lord's return and the events preceding it will come "as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
You're no doubt familiar with developing relationships. You can't expect a deep, symbiotic relationship with a person you just met. Likewise, it's also illogical to assume you can not only hear Yeshua's voice, but also dialogue with Him, at the last possible minute. You're only fooling yourself if you do. And heaven forbid if you persuade others to think the same, too.
As history has shown, God is usually pretty swift to take such people, and their complacency, into the afterlife...in a place they'd rather not spend eternity in.
Do You Stand for Truth...or Not?
Personally, I believe that today, we are witnessing the last gasps of mankind's appreciation of truth. Our "leaders" have abandoned it. Our media has abandoned it. Our courts have abandoned it. And in many ways, church members have abandoned it. And those who love liberty, freedom and all that our Founding Fathers fought and gave their lives for -- the truth -- well, they weep that fables now reign supreme.
When mankind turns its back on truth, then God will repeatedly warn us to repent and return to Him. That's why He sends us things like plagues and pandemics, which are allowed to continue until we repent. And if we turn our backs on that opportunity, then the end of all nations can't be too far behind. Just ask Ether and Moroni how that went for their nations.
"this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant." (Isaiah 30:9-13)
Sometimes, I wonder why we don't hear more people talking about the one and only antidote to all these problems: Yeshua HaMashiach. I hear about leaders, men of renown, celebrities who encourage us to think nice things and do nice things. But do we hear an emphasis on humility? Turning to God? Repenting? Rejoicing in His mercy? No, not so much.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
As I've grown up in our faith, I was constantly fed a diet of a Lord who is unsmiling, quick to anger, unmerciful and unforgiving of those in unfortunate circumstances, a God who is now more concerned about administration than ministration.
Yet within the last 9 years (as I've been doing this blog), I've come to discover that He's quite the opposite of those attributes. He's so humble, full of life, laughter and love. But just as much, He's so eager to forgive at depths I can't fathom. All He wants is for you to wake up. Seek Him. Hear Him. Trust Him and His atonement, what He says...no matter the doubts by yourself and others. Then seek the forgiveness He desperately offers you...
...so that in your life, there will be no more false prophecies, false blessings and false messages.