Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Duane Crowther on the Conditional Nature of Book of Mormon Prophecies and Warnings

  

The Conditional Nature of Book of Mormon Warnings

 

Many important warnings to last day inhabitants of America are recorded in the Book of Mormon. These warnings are usually given in conditional prophecies concerning future events. The Lord’s promises made concerning this choice land are often based on alternatives—they contain an all-important IF. Implicit in each warning is a specific principle. The prophetic warnings describe what will happen if the people of America obey the principle in righteousness, they also warn what will transpire if the people choose to disobey that principle and work iniquity. (Duane S. Crowther, Inspired Prophetic Warnings [Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 1987], 27)

 

. . .

 

And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them [Zion and the covenant people of the Lord]; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him.
And they that believe not in him shall be destroyed, both by fire and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine. And they shall know ath the Lord is God, the Holy One of Israel.
For shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
But thus saith the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for the mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contend with them that contendeth with thee
And I will feed them that oppress thee, with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (2 Ne. 6: 14-18)

 

Note that his prophecy is conditional: men will be able to escape destruction if they believe in God, but they will be destroyed by a series of judgments if they fail to meet the condition of belief in God.

 

Note also that the prophecy has a specific time of fulfillment: the unbelievers will be destroyed in the period when God moves to fulfill His covenants with Israel (2 Ne. 6:12) by gathering and recovering her (2 Ne. 6:11). This event is clearly placed in the future in a chronological order of last days events set forth by the Savior Himself, . . . (Ibid. 28)

 

. . .

 

The Savior’s Warning: Unbelieving Gentiles Will Be Cut Off By a Remnant of Jacob (3 Ne. 21:1-14)

 

The Lord presents a similar prophecy in a different context, but again sets belief in God as the criterion which will allow some to escape destruction in America in the last days. Christ is speaking of the same time and place as in His former prophetic warning: He speaks of an event in connection with the future gathering of Israel (3 Ne. 21:1) which takes place “in this land” where the Gentiles are “set up as a free people by the power of the Father” (3 Ne. 21:4). He describes, once again, two groups who are differentiated by the belief in God. He tells of the righteous portion of the Gentiles, who are willing to believe in God, that the Father

 

. . . may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; . . . (3 Ne. 21:6)

 

These believing Gentiles are contrasted with the unbelieving who will reap destruction as the Savior gives His prophetic warning. According to the Master, the unbelieving Gentiles will be destroyed by a remnant of Jacob which will cut them off:

 

Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant.
And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces
, and none can deliver.
Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off.
Yea, woe be unto the Gentiles except they repent; . . . (3 Ne. 21:11-14. His prophecy continues in detail, describing the great destruction which will be brought upon the Gentiles.) (Ibid., 30-31; cf.
Parley P. Pratt's Prophecy Concerning the "Unbelieving Gentile" in Mormonism Unveiled (1838))