Item 143
Proper Perspective
~ and ~
Divine Investiture

    Too often we only see things from our personal perspective and we further fail to take to time to recognize just who it is that we are dealing with. That is we do not fully appreciate or understand the very position of our God. Neither do we see from the time and perspective from which an item is revealed and written. Rather, we are into ourselves and what is closest and nearest unto us. We read the Book of Mormon from the modern perspective of the here and now and not the then and to see things from that end and neither from the view point of the others so involved. And we totally fail to place God in his proper place. Rather be tend to place him were it convienent for us to place him and make him what we would have him be and what we would have those around us be as oppsed to him.

First, what is the proper perspective of our God? Just who is this Jehovah of the Old Testament. Do we see from his perspective and his place in the scheme of things? Most likely we do not. Do we even know what it is that the Divine Investiture of God is and how it is to be played out from the perspective of God, rather than to just make of it what we will at the time be just happen to pass it by?

The first article of faith speaks of three Godly figures: God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and also the Holy Ghost. Do we fully understand and comprehend these three and who and what they are in relationship to each other? Or are we as lost as the Bishops of Inovation of 325 A.D., who would make them to be what it was that they would decided and create them to be according to their own perspectives and egotisticly determined mind sets. Do we as they tell God what it is that God is? Or do we let God define himself and learn from him and the propers sources just what it is that God, each one of the three are and how they relate and function one with the other.

Are they just some mystery beyond imagination, except when we want them to be such and such and then to us that is what they are? As Newton pointed out, it is no deep matter of the metaphysical nature of God that God has set before us that he expects us to figure out, or divine by our own intellitual imagination to determine to be or not to be. And any one ought to be able to count to 3. And on that easiest of notions it begins.

So It Begins

Jesus taught us one of the simpilest and easiest critical point to understand in the very words with which he taught us to pray. "Our Father Who Art in Heaven." And Jesus was speaking of God the Eternal Father, Our Father of our spirits. We are his spirit children. We are children of God. But the simpilest thing that Jesus taught is just where is our Father of our spirits located. And that is that He is in His Celestial Heaven. "Our Father Who Art in Heaven." He is not one who rushes around from here to there across the universal to settle every cry and tear all by Himself. He is not a God of hilter-skilter, but he is a God of Order. And the Order of God depends of deligation.

The greatest principle of priesthood calling and authority is to deligate to man to act in behalf of God: to act in his name. God does not have to rush right out of His heaven to satisfy every one of his children's wants and slightest desires. Those that need to be handle can be handle by the investiture of priesthood deligantion.

So on the highest teir where Gods do operation, when an already Celestial God need to have a mortal temporal task do in a probationary state that could not live or exsist within the presence of his divine glory He can aughorize and empower one from among us who pertains unto this probationary state to deal with it in his stead and in his behalf by virtue of his deligated priesthood authority.

You often hear of Jesus being refered to as our elder brother. In one perspective that is exactly who he is. Of all of God the Father's spirit children, Jesus, who is the same as Jehovah, is the firstborn son in the spirit of Our Father Who Art in Heaven. And being the Firstborn spirit son, that make him as one of us who pertain to this temporal creation. He is our elder brother, the oldest of all we spirit children of God the Eternal Father.

And in the great council in heaven, when God the Father had declared the Plan of Redemption unto all His children, He did stand forth before them to speak. And he declare that the Plan required one of those who pertain unto this temporal probation to become the Deliverer and Redeemer unto the rest of the children of God. And he enquired, "Who shal I send?" And the Firstborn son in the spirit, whose right it was, stood forth and said, "Here am I, send me."

And yet another of the great ones named Lucifer then also stood and said, "Hear am I, send me." And the father determined after some discussion that he would send to First, meaning that he would send forth Jehovah, the Firstborn son, whose right it was, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the children of God under the Plan of Redemption.

Now this was before the foundation of the world, before the temporal creation. And the Father anointed, consecrated and ordained and empowered His the Firstborn son in the spirit, placing upon him all the rights and powers of the prieshood of God to stand in the stead of the Father in all things. And this that Jehovah would become a Ministering God unto the children of the Father unto the intent and purpose of "bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

And thereby afterwards the Father commanded and directed the Son, the Ministering God of the temporal redeemtion to go forth and create the heavens and the earth according to as the Father so directed him to do. And thus it was the Jehovah did as the Father commanded and his also taught all the children of God according to the very Word of God according to the Plan of Redemption. But Lucifer took it upon himself to contend against Jehovah and the Father and he did draw a third part of the children of the Father after him.

But as it was said by John the Apostle concerning the Word, the Word being that as taught by Jehovah to the children of God and so was Jehovah referred to as the Word:

    "IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    "The same was in the beginning with God.
    "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
    "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."     ~ New Testament | John 1:1-4

And thus by this Divine Investiture of the Power of God the Father upon Jehovah the Son, was Jehovah made to stand in the stead of the Father in all things as though he was the Father; the Father having positioned Jehovah to stand in his stead as God of the temporal creation and the temporal world. And Jehovah did do as the Father commanded, and under the direction of the Father, Jehovah was the Creator of the temporal heavens and earth and all that in them are. And is was that Jehovah was made to stand in the stead of the Father as the Ministering God of the Old Testament. The Father in his Celestial Kingdom of Glory in the Heavens of eternity, while His spirit Firstborn spirit son administered the Work and Power of God upon all that was done. And Jehovah not only was the God of the Old Testament, statnding in the stead of the Father, representing the Father and often speaking even as the Father in the Father's behalf unto the children of God. But then also Jehovah was made to be also the Savior and Redeemer of the New Testament, that is after the Condescenssion of God, when Jehovah the spirit God of the Old Testament did condescend to come down to earth and to be born of woman that he might suffer the pains of taking the sins of the world upon himself, as the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. Thereby did Jehovah as Jesus Christ redeem all that he had created under the direction of the Father. And then he was not only the representative Ministering God in the stead of the Father, but he was then also the only means and way by which the children of God might come to be saved and redeemed from the fall of man. And the Jesus Christ would the also act as the Advocate, Mediator and Intercessor between God and man, Heaven and earth, until fulfilling the very purpose and design of Got to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." And the Father further gave him the right to rule and reign over the Millenial Day and to Judge the children of God according to their good works and the righteousness of their hearts and souls, having their weaknesses and sins washed away by the atonment of Christ, having the righteousness of the Lord imputed upon them that they might stand before God and gain a kingdom of glory according to the righteous works and rewards they did earns by their orbedience to the law, commandments and ordinances of God according to his Holy Order of the Priesthood of God.

Now this is the perspective of the Father and Son and the Holy Ghost or Spirit did commune between the spirit of God and the spirit of man, and was that by which the spirits of men were known unto God. And yet as the Son did stand in the stead of the Father in all things as the only way and means by which man might be saved, so also was the Son empowered with the fulness of the Godhead bodily, that in such instances as needful, he could minister unto the needs of man in all ways needful to bring each child of God unto redemption accord to each man's degree of obedience and intelligence gained here upon this temporal propation of the second estate, that of the pre-mortal life being the first estate and that final judgment of man unto glory becoming last and final estate.

The Perspective of Jehovah

Now this was the perspective from which Jehovah did minister unto the children of God, standing in the stead of God pretaining to this temporal estate; he having been so empowered by the Father, commanded and directed by the Father to do that which he did do. Being as though he was the same as the Father in all things excepting that of course Jehovah was not the very Father of spirit, as the Father, Elohim, was kept that only unto himself.

And thus as Jehovah did stand as the God of the Old Testament as though he was the Father, speaking as the Father betwix times and thus also speaking of himself as the Messiah to come in the third person, he so speaking as if he were the Father, standing in the stead of the Father in all things.

And this was the perspective from which Jehovah did present to Joseph of Egypt those promises and blessing that he did reveal and pronounce unto him in relation to the fulfilling of the covenant blessing of the Birthright of the Firstborn according to the Patriarchal Order, Joseph being that Last Great Patriarchal Father of the covevant by whom all things must need come to the bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of the children of God, whose children the fathers of Israel had remained from Abraham to Isaac, from Isaac to Jacob, and from Jacob to Joseph and through the seed of Joseph's son Eprhaim to come in whom the convenants were to be fulfilled.

And so in the day of Joseph, perhaps some 1750 years (round about 1750 B.C.) before the Messiah was to come, Jehovah speaking as the Father in behalf of the Father, in the stead of the Father, did speak unto Joseph of those 'branches' and descendants who were to come of him, his seed through Ephraim, who by the promises of the everlasting covenants would be fulfilled.

The Challenge of the
Perspectives of JST 50:24-36 & 2 Nephi 3:4-20

        JEHOVAH >>    Deliverer                    scattering                                                             USA          gathering        
                                             Jehoshua    Elijah     Lehi                      M&M                                   Bom    LDS      JESUS

               1750                1350  Obed ~ David   721-588              0        400                                  1776  1830 36       2000

           Joseph > Egypt  Moses  promised land   Bible  Temple  Jesus      Apostasy             R~R~R "R" Joseph        <<< We
          of Egypt                 ( > > > > L I K E N E D < < < < Christ                                                   Smith

From the perspective of Jehovah as stated to Joseph of Egypt from about 1750 B.C. the promises of the covenant were many to come forth in the furture. In contrast 'We' as we look from the 21st century do but first happen upon Joseph Smith and he becomes our prime focus. Thus we tend to related everything to him. This 'backwards' perspective is a false perspective considering what Jehovah did promise Joseph, the Last Great Patriarchal Head of the Patriarchal Order concerning the promises of the fathers concerning the Birthright of the Firstborn.

From the perspective of Jehovah and Joseph of Egypt, the matter of first concern would be that of the central primary concern of the coming of the Messiah and also that of the Deliverance of the children of Israel out of the captivity of Egypt by the hand of Moses. And it was Moses who was likened in the similitude of Jesus Christ or as Moses would put it, a prophet like unto himself would the Lord raise up. Of course this was the Lord Jehovah who was Jesus Christ speaking of such things to come, but he was speaking in the stead of the Father, in the name of the Father by the voice of the Father as though he was the Father and thus speaking concerning himself as Jesus Christ in the third person.

From that wider and broader perspective from the past with all things to be done laid out before them, Jehovah would explain to Joseph of Egypt all that would be done to fulfill the covenants of the blessed birthright. There would be the gather of the children of Israel unto the their land of promise from thence they would be scattered into the nations of the earth. Then certain of the branches of Joseph would be broken off and brought unto the promises land of Joseph, that being America. The two great scriptural records would be prepared, the Bible and the Book of Mormon, the testaments of two nations unto the confounding of those who would discredit the word of God and seek to frustrates it truth.

The Jews, among who the single branch of the Messiah was hid would first only be scattered temorarily. The would be brought back to rebuild the Temple and prepare for Christ to be born of Mary, would would come out of the seed of Joseph by way of Obed and David. Other great and important prophets of the ages from the promised seed of Joseph would come forth such as Joshua to establish the children of Israel in their land of propmise and Elijah who would eventually restore the keys of the sealing and binding powers to bind on earth as it is in heaven. And there there would be Lehi and Nephi whose descendants Mormon and Moroni would facilitate the production and deliverance of the Book of Mormon to the Latter-day Church of Jesus Christ preparing for the Second Coming of the Lord.

After the birth of Jesus Christ in the meridian of time there would eventuate the great apostasy and the ages of the mists of darkness would prevail upon the earth. From which such as the age of awakening would come as the spirit of enlightenment would be restored. There would be such as the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Revolution, which would lead to the Restoration in the time of Joseph Smith by and through whom it would then come.

From our reverse perspective what men have tended to first see it the perspective of our great and grand latter day prophet. And there has been a natural tendence to so related all things first and foremost unto him. He then become that 'choice prophet' who is likened unto Moses. Some over zealous fans even make him out to be that Messiah ben Joseph who the Jewish Rabbis have imaged by their spliting of the Messiah into two, the suffering Messiah and the glorious Messiah. Such is the myopic simplified perspective of looking backwards as just the most recent event without seeing the fulness of the broader perspective of the whole of the matter that was before Jehovah as he explained the promises of the the covenant to Joseph of Egypt as they were to be accomplished.

The challenge is to read from the perspective of Jehovah and Joseph of Egypt as to what was ahead from their view point. Give Joseph Smith his just dues, but do not attempt to make of him more than what he is by attributing to him that which belongs to such other matters.

Now in closing perspective consideration. The Lord is in three positions upon the 'graphed illustration' of perspective above. He is there as the God of the Old Testament standing in the stead of God the Father, the Great I AM, and speaking as the Father and even refering to himself in the third person. Then he is there as the Christ Child, even the Suffering Messiah. And finally he is there as the great and glorious LORD and KING of the Second Coming and the Millenial Day. Certainly he stands as primary, central and paramount. And no negative inflection about it, from his perspective as Jevhovah of about 1750 B.C., it is He who is the focal point. It is he, himself, he introduces first and speaks of humbly as the 'choice seer' from the perspective of speaking as the Father. And it is He, who is likened unto Moses or rather Moses is likened unto himself. And it is even He who has been hidden in David/Judah, and is spoken of as that one fruitful Branch of Ephratah, who is little among the thousands of Judah (Micah 5:2). Where better to hid the Christ in God but in Judah when all of Ephraim is being scattered, broken off and carried away to America, the land of Joseph?

Ironically he is speaking with Joseph of Egypt at the time and it will unto and with those of Ephraim that he will come to in the latter-day to rule and reign in the New Jerusalem of the land of Joseph in the Millennium. Though most known as of the house of David, it is he who is partly as Son of God but also as son of Mary from Jesse as well from Ephraim of the house of Joseph (D&C 113:4). He has been kept from view so well, it will only likely be when in comes and states it himself, that it will widely become known and accepted that he is of the covenant birthright of the lineal priesthood of the father through Joseph.

And as such, Jehovah spoke of Moses who was to come, having need to have been adopted into the house of Joseph by being raised by the daughter of the King who at that time was an unworthy son of Ephraim, so that Moses had to be raised up in his stead (see item 137 and 142).

Also Jehovah, speaking as the Father, revealed unto Joseph as one of the promises and blessing of the covenant to come as by is Birthright, that the Messiah would come out of his loins. And here with Jehovah spoke as the Father in the first person, and of himself in the third person as being that promised Branch that would come by the rightful fathers, and that he would be likened as unto Moses. And that he would be a choice seer raised up to do whatever work that God had given him to do for the behalf of the children of God (see item 137 and 142).

And then again Jehovah speaking as the Father, set out before Joseph that another of the branches of Joseph would be those who had gained the promised land under Moses, but would turn from God and be scattering into the kingdoms of the earth. And from thence be broke off to come to the land of American, where in the latter days they would be ministered to and visited by the Messiah that would come again.

Then also Jehovah spoke and showed unto Joseph of Egypt of the brach that would bring forth the Book of Mormon to be the accompanying book and witness before the world to establish, prove and remove the confounding of the word of God that would arise in the earth. And there in Joseph saw the people of Lehi and Nephi and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as the stick of Joseph with the Stick of Judah, the Bible.

And Jehovah showed and explained to Joseph of Egypt that one who would be brought up out of much weakness, being but an uneducated plowboy and day laborer, to be the promised prophet of the latter-day dispensation of the fulness of times. And that he would again be a descendant from him, as they all would be. And that he would be named Joseph, called after the name of his father Joseph and also after the name of his ancestor, Joseph of Egypt.

And thus Jehovah, speaking as the Father, did show unto Joseph the promises to come by him that including three dispensation heads in Moses, Jesus (spoken of by Jehovah in the third person), and Joseph Smith. He also showed him many of the branches of Joseph that would run over the wall to the Americas, the Land of Joseph, that would bring about the Book of Mormon upon which the restoration was to be established as the stick of Joseph along with the stick of Judah. And he showed him the many branches that would be led to the Americas that were of his seed, that would establish that great nation of liberty, and be that which would not only restore the gospel but further come forth to take the gospel to every nation kindred tongue and people. And not only this, but that which the Lord did show and reveal unto Joseph was all of the prophet who would come from him including such as Elijah who would restore the keys of sealing and binding on earth as it is in heaven.

And thus from this perspective did Jehovah speak unto Joseph of Egypt and show him all things that would come by him through that Birthrigh held by him in the Patriarchal Order of the fathers. And not having the broad perspective we turn back to cover again in more detail that which was set out concering Moses, Jesus, and Joseph Smith.

The Perspectives of the Three Dispensation Heads and Branches

Looking from about 1750 B.C. forward to the time when Moses, Jesus and eventually Joseph of the latter days would come, Jehovah does speak as the Father to Joseph of Egypt. He tells Joseph that the LORD GOD would raise up a righteoud Branch out of Joseph's loins. And also out of his loins, a prophet, who He will identify as Moses, who is (not the Messiah who is called Shilo). From the perspective of 1750 B.C. with those events yet to come in the future, it is almost a seeming necessity to understanding to make sure that the prevellant disputation between the identity of Moses as the Delivering Redeemer and the Messiah also yet to come be clearly distinguished. Moses was not the Messiah called Shilo, though many of the children of Israel would look unto him as being such.

    This is JEHOVAH Speaking as the FATHER unto Moses and Speaking
    of Himself as the Only Begotten in the Third Person

    "And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all." ~ Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:6

    Moses and Aaron Fail to Recognize God's Power~
    This Added to the Confussion Betwix Moses, Jehovah/Messiah

    ¶ "And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." ~ Old Testament | Numbers 20:12 (7-13)

    Moses Tells of a Prophet to Come Like Unto Him:
    Since JEHOVAH Spoke as the FATHER, Moses Fails to Understand He is the Messiah?

    ¶ "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;" ~ Old Testament | Deuteronomy 18:15

    A Jewish Fragment Dimishing the Prophet to Come

    ¶ "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face," ~ Old Testament | Deuteronomy 34:10

    Nephi in the Book of Mormon Witnesses the Prophet Was the Holy One of Israel

    "And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness." ~ Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 22:21

    Jesus Christ Establishes It Was He Who Was Likened unto Moses

    "Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.
    "Verily I say unto you, yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me."     ~ Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 20:23-24

    Luke Attemps to Clarify It

    "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
    "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.    " ~ New Testament | Acts 3:21-22

    But Does Luke Make It Better Or Not?

    ¶ "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
    "This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the *angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:"     ~ New Testament | Acts 7:37-38

    Moroni Clarifies It Was Christ

    "In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that that prophet was Christ; but the day had not yet come when "they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people," but soon would come." ~ Pearl of Great Price | JS-History 1:40

Now to some it might seem a small thing. It kept Moses and Aaron from entering into the land of promise. And whether Joseph Smith really wants to get caught up into this being the prophet like unto Moses thing or not; Knowing Brother Joseph, he really would not appreciated it. Yet some over zealeous Book of Mormon students who are great fans of Joseph Smith seem to rush in to make Brother Joseph to be that prophet like unto Moses of JST 50:29, 2 Nephi 3:9. It one makes those references to be unto Joseph Smith, then they have made the 'choice seer' as Joseph Smith of JST 50:26-28 and 2 Nephi 3:6-8; rather than as being the Messiah our of the loins of Joseph.

Perhaps Brother Joseph should be asked if he likes being thrown into the middle between Moses and the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Jehovah. Perhaps Joseph Smith in his state of weakness and humility would rather be left out of that discussion and would be just as happy to not be considered as being first refered to in JST 50:30 and 2 Nephi 3:11. Certainly after the discussion of the record of Joseph of JST 50:31 and 2 Nephi 3:12, being that written and confounding false doctrine as the Book of Mormon from the plates of brass when combined with the Bible; and then is further speaks of Joseph Smith coming out of weakness and being made strong by he implied strength of the Lord, is perhaps more where Joseph Smith would prefer to remain (JST 50:32 & 2 Nephi 3:13).

Putting Joseph Smith in those earlier verses takes the whole of those covenant promises of the Lord make unto the Great Last Patriarch Joseph of Egypt, more to being just about Joseph Smith, than the whole of the covenant promises of the Covenant Birthright of the Firstborn under the Patriarchal Order of God. We all love and honor Joseph Smith. Maybe some ought to not be so zealous as to make of him such as Messiah ben Joseph in the place of Jesus Christ, and to get in between the dispute between Moses and Jesus Christ and the Lord Jehovah, who is the same, in makeing of Brother Joseph another Moses or even that prophet likened unto Moses.

* Oh, and by the way, who was that 'angel' who spake unto MOSES in Mount Sina/Sinai. If that 'angel' was the Lord God Jehovah, it may not be a very good place to be in to be who made that down grade in the status of our God, the Mighty God Jehovah.