🌿 Perhaps We Are All Being Called to Repent

I listened to a video recently about church finances, tithing, hidden funds, and the history surrounding Lorenzo Snow.

Some of the claims were disturbing.

Some were familiar.

Some raised questions I have wrestled with for years.

As I listened, I found myself wondering who needed to repent.

The obvious answer would be church leaders.

If money was hidden, that should be acknowledged.

If mistakes were made, they should be corrected.

If trust has been broken, honesty is the first step toward healing.

But as I sat on the porch thinking about it, another thought came.

What if the call to repentance is bigger than that?

What if the Lord is calling all of us to repent?

📖 The Ancient Pattern

Again and again the scriptures tell the same story.

The people prosper.

The people become comfortable.

The people begin trusting in institutions, leaders, wealth, programs, traditions, and systems.

And eventually they stop seeking the voice of God for themselves.

The problem was never merely money.

The problem was always misplaced trust.

Nephi warned:

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm." (2 Nephi 4:34)

That warning applies to everyone.

It applies to leaders.

It applies to members.

It applies to critics.

It applies to me.

🌿 What If We Have Missed The Point?

For years, many trusted the institution.

Now many trust the critics.

Some trust historians.

Others trust podcasts.

Some trust YouTube.

Some trust AI.

Everyone seems to have a voice.

Everyone seems to have an answer.

Meanwhile the Savior keeps saying the same thing He has always said:

"My sheep hear my voice." (John 10:27)

Perhaps that is the repentance being required in our day.

Not merely changing organizations.

Not merely changing opinions.

But learning once again to hear His voice.

🪶 Zion Was Never About Accumulation

The Book of Mormon gives a very simple description of Zion:

"There were no poor among them." (4 Nephi 1:3)

That scripture has always fascinated me.

It doesn't say:

"There were large investment funds among them."

It doesn't say:

"There were impressive institutions among them."

It doesn't say:

"There were powerful leaders among them."

It says:

"There were no poor among them."

The Nemenhah records repeatedly point to the same principle.

The poor are not primarily cared for through programs.

They are cared for through covenant relationships and consecration.

People caring for people.

Families helping families.

Communities lifting burdens.

Hearts changing.

That is Zion.

❤️ My Own Repentance

As I look back, I realize I have had my own repentance to make.

There was a time when I became angry.

There was a time when I became bitter.

There was a time when I focused more on what was wrong than on what Christ was trying to teach me.

The Lord has been correcting me too.

Not by asking me to ignore problems.

But by reminding me where my focus belongs.

The answer has never been an institution.

The answer has never been a movement.

The answer has never been a personality.

The answer has always been Christ.

🌅 A Final Thought From The Porch

Perhaps hidden things are being revealed for a reason.

Perhaps the Lord is shaking many assumptions.

Perhaps He is inviting us to reconsider traditions we have inherited.

But if all of that simply makes us angry, we may miss the greater invitation.

The greater invitation is repentance.

Not merely for leaders.

Not merely for institutions.

For all of us.

To return to Christ.

To hear His voice.

To care for the poor.

To seek Zion.

To love one another.

And to trust Him more than we trust men.

That may be the real awakening.

🌿 Just something I've been pondering from the porch.

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🌿 About the Nemenhah Records

Many readers have asked about the Nemenhah Records.

The Nemenhah Records are a collection of writings that claim to preserve teachings, history, prophecy, and spiritual instruction among indigenous peoples of the Americas. Whether you are simply curious or deeply interested, I encourage you to study them for yourself and compare them with the scriptures you already know.

The records are available through Amazon and can be found by searching:

🔍 Nemenhah Records
🔍 Phillip Cloudpiler Landis

As with all things, I encourage you to seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost and allow the Lord to be your teacher.

🌿 Sunday Study Group

Several of us gather each Sunday morning to read and discuss the Nemenhah Records together. We come from different backgrounds, ask honest questions, and seek to learn from one another while keeping Christ at the center of the discussion.

If you would like information about joining the study group, simply leave a comment below and let me know. Be sure to include a way for me to contact you, and I will be happy to reach out.

🌿 Search the Blog

There are now many studies available on a wide variety of subjects.

Click the magnifying glass (🔍) at the top of the blog and search topics such as:

Christ
Holy Ghost
Zion
Second Comforter
Hearing His Voice
Nemenhah Records
Temple
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The Doctrine of Christ
The Remnant

Take what helps.

Leave the rest.

Keep seeking Christ.

— The True Remnant