Topical Study of Babylon

Due to current events I have decided to share the chapter on Babylon. Normally I would wait and share it later but current events have made this more timely and so I decided to post this chapters contents to the blog immediately.]

There is more personal commentary in this chapter than in previous chapter and so I add this disclaimer that conclusions are my own and do not represent the views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or anyone other than myself.

Babylon

We are about to embark on a topical study of Babylon. Prophecies of the fall of Babylon are dark and depressing. Reflecting on the nature of these events, one can not help but ponder the nature of a God who allows such acts of devastation and destruction among his children. It’s for this reason we begin the study of Babylon with an explanation of our Heavenly Father.
Prophets of the Book of Mormon provide plain and simple declarations of the nature of God and his feelings toward mankind. We can locate the following reference by focusing on the word “world” in the concordance for the Triple combination. For example Nephi says:

For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.
He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.
Behold, doth he cry unto any saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith; Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.
Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.
Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.(2 Nephi26:23-28, emphasis mine)

Heavenly Father and Christ love the people of this world. God loves all mankind without respect to race, color or creed. They are begotten sons and daughters of God. (D&C 76:24) Everything He does benefits the world. Unfortunately, His children frequently reject his invitation to follow the plan of happiness and eternal joy. These blessings come to man as a consequence of obedience (D&C 130:21) as they realize the benefits of the Atonement and repent. To choose an alternate course is to follow a path contrary to the plan of happiness. We might say they follow the plan of unhappiness. This alternate path is self damning and self destructive. When course corrections are needed, like a dutiful parent the Lord chastens his children as he did the Nephites:

Yea, wo unto this people who are called the people of Nephi except they shall repent, when they shall see all these signs and wonders which shall be showed unto them; for behold, they have been a chosen people of the Lord; yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them; yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them.(Helaman 15:3, emphasis mine)

The previous reference was identified by using the key word “chastened.” I have done past studies on the words chasten or derivatives thereof prior to writing this book and was familiar with the results of this topical study. As we continue to study topically we see their relevance more clearly as they appear to magically fit in to the context of each successive study we embark on. It becomes a testimony that all truth does circumscribe into one great whole.
The Lord takes no joy in punishing his children. Often divine restraint is needed when He refrains from intervention because He knows our character grows through experience, especially adversity. (Hebrews 5:8) Too often we believe adversity is brought upon us by God’s judgments instead of consequences of our own agency or actions imposed upon us by others. Our Heavenly Father is patient; (even in our suffering) if He knows the outcome will bless our lives. In times of extreme wickedness God (out of mercy) may terminate our lives to arrest our descent deeper into hell. He foreknows us (Romans 8:29) and our eventual outcome and if He knows our descent will escalate He intercedes to arrest that descent and achieve the best possible outcome for ourselves.
The Lord’s response to our sins is proportional to the seriousness of the situation. The Doctrine & Covenants reflects a hierarchy of proportional responses the Lord uses to stir his people to repentance:

And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.
For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.
And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.
And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.
(Doctrine & Covenants 88:88-91, emphasis mine)

The Lord uses ascending levels of testimony to stir the hearts of men to return to Him. The first level is not mentioned in this passage but consists of the quiet whisperings/feelings of the conscience or Light of Christ. (D&C 84:46-53) The next level is the testimony of His servants. Each level of testimony is louder and more explicit than the previous level. As if to scream repentance and scare the proverbial “hell” out of his children, the Lord utilizes the forces of nature to bring them to the realization they have little control over their circumstances and the Lord alone holds the key to their deliverance. Becoming familiar with the concept of “strategic retreat,” I began to notice patterns like this in the scriptures that reflect this concept as it relates to God’s mercy and patience. That is what brought this reference to my recollection.
Natural calamity is described as having a “voice” that shouts to the sinner they must repent or suffer. It would be like turning up the volume on a radio until our undivided attention turns solely to the music or conversation broadcast. The Lord eventually gains our complete attention without distraction when we are ready and willing to seek salvation.
We should realize not all adversity is a consequence of sin. Adversity is tailored to our individual circumstance and the Lord allows affliction to challenge the best of his children, testing them and/or providing opportunities to build character and learn from adverse conditions. Righteous Prophets tend to experience the greatest persecution often at the peril of their lives. More often than not they suffer for the sins of others as opposed to their own sins, in Christ like fashion.
The parable of the Olive Tree in Jacob gives a depiction of how the Lord views His children when judgments upon Babylon are poured out upon earth:

And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little longer, for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of mine vineyard.(Jacob 5:51, emphasis mine)

The prospect of losing the trees, (a metaphor for God’s children), of the vineyard causes the Lord to grieve. He loves and cares about all of his children and demonstrates reluctance and restraint when confronted with the prospect of destroying the vineyard as it ripens in iniquity.
The world is coming to an end, many prophecies must be fulfilled and time is short. Because of limitations on time allotted to this earth, the Lord begins a process of “winnowing” out the wicked from the righteous. Earth must prepare for a time when the Lord unites the kingdom of God on earth with the kingdom of God in heaven. Jacob’s allegory describes the process in simplistic terms, communicating the Lord’s objective effectively:

Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good and the most precious above all other fruit.
Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I shall prune my vineyard.
Graft in the branches; begin at the last (the Gentiles) that they may be first, (Joseph Smith Jr. and the restoration of the Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ) and that the first may be last (Israel is the last to return to a covenant relationship with God) and dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the last; and the last (Gentiles) and the first, (Israel) that all may be nourished once again for the last time.
Wherefore, dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once more, for the last time, for the end draweth nigh. And if it be so that these last grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural fruit, then shall ye prepare the way for them that they may grow.
And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard.
For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root (Israel, “Root of Jesse”, D&C 113:5-6) and the top (Gentiles, “Rod”, D&C 113:3-4) may be equal in strength, (Isaiah 11:13) until the good shall overcome the bad and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; (Isaiah 11:14-15, Egypt symbolically represents Israel’s captors/persecutors) and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard.
And the branches of the natural tree
(Gathering of Israel) will I graft in again into the natural tree; (Restoration of Israel)
And the branches of the natural tree (Gathered of Israel) will I graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit and they shall be one.
And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all the land of my vineyard; (lands of Israel’s inheritance) for behold, only this once will I prune my vineyard.
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few.
And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.(Jacob 5:61-71, emphasis & commentary mine)

The allegory in Jacob is one of the occasions where the Lord uses a parable to provide a “sixty thousand foot” view of how a prophecy is to be fulfilled. We are allowed to see the beginning to the end. The parable format protects those who are unprepared while enlightening those who take time and make an effort to discern the meaning of the metaphors. In this allegory the Master of the vineyard (the Lord) is content to withdraw and let the vineyard follow its natural course. Periodically the Master calls His servant to accompany him to his vineyard, consulting with the servant on appropriate courses of action relevant to each location. This last time differs from His previous visits. The Master tells the servant to call additional servants to help in actively cultivating the vineyard. Unlike previous times, the Master remains fully engaged and works the vineyard with His servants, “preparing the way” (an Aaronic Priesthood phrase applied to a preparatory mission of an Elias for a greater work. Think John the Baptist) for an abundant harvest at the end of the season. The harvest of fruit will be the establishment of Zion and restoration of Israel to righteousness.
The Master and His servants work the vineyard like it’s never been worked before. It grieves Him to lose this vineyard after all the time and effort expended to bring fruit to bear one last time. This marks the end of worldly influence as we have come to know it. It brings to end the days when men’s hearts “are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men…,” (D&C 121:35)
The process begins with pruning and grafting branches. The old, original tree, (represented by the stump and roots), receive branches of the wild trees (the Gentiles) with modest results. To correct the problem the Master and His servants prune away from the original tree the wild branches that fail to bear fruit. In essence, some Gentiles who are drawn to Christ fall short of repentance and the fruits of righteousness. As Gentile branches are pruned away they are replaced with branches from the original tree (Israel), which were grafted (scattered) earlier in the parable into wild trees throughout the vineyard (the Gentile world). As this process continues the Master is careful not to let the strength of the roots exceed the strength of the branches. A delicate balance is maintained. Equality in nourishment between the strength of the roots and branches is carefully managed.
This is far from a passive endeavor for the Master and his servants. Working together with all their might, is a formidable statement considering the power and resources the Master (Christ) has at His disposal. They loosen the soil around the base to increase absorption, prune branches to insure those that remain receive the benefit of nourishment, working dung into the soil at the base to add nutrients and promote growth. Their efforts insure a bountiful harvest. These steps are metaphors for the Lord preparing the world for more truth. He does so by disrupting the status quo. (Dig the soil) He then removes the wicked gradually, particularly those who impede the work of the Lord and His servants. (Pruning) Dunging the base of the trees provides nourishment. Truth is the food of the Spirit. Light, truth and spirit are all synonymous. (D&C 84:45) They are synonyms for the word of the Lord as well. Metaphorically the allegory tells us the Lord will disrupt the earth, prune back the wicked and nourish the remnant with more truth. More words are brought forth from the Lord. More light, more knowledge, more scripture. One way to destroy darkness is to increase light. (D&C 50:23-25, 93:28) In this context the words of Joseph Smith assume greater prophetic depth:

Thus after this chosen family had rejected Christ and His proposals, the heralds of salvation said to them, “Lo we turn unto the Gentiles”; and the Gentiles received the covenant, and were grafted in from whence the chosen family were broken off but the Gentiles have not continued in the goodness of God, but have departed from the faith that was once delivered to the Saints, and have broken the covenant in which their fathers were established; and have become high-minded, and have not feared therefore, but few of them will be gathered with the chosen family. Have not the pride, high-mindedness, and unbelief of the Gentiles, provoked the Holy One of Israel to withdraw His Holy Spirit from them, and send forth His judgments to scourge them for their wickedness? This is certainly the case.
Christ said to His disciples, that these signs should follow them that believe:- “In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”; and also, in connection with this, read 1st Corinthians 12 chapter. (Spiritual gifts) By the foregoing testimonies we may look at the Christian world and see the apostasy there has been from the apostolic platform; and who can look at this and not exclaim, in the language of Isaiah, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant?”
The plain fact is this, the power of God begins to fall upon the nations, and the light of the latter-day glory begins to break forth through the dark atmosphere of sectarian wickedness, and their iniquity rolls up into view, and the nations of the Gentiles are like the waves of the sea, casting up mire and dirt, or all in commotion, and they are hastily preparing to act the part allotted them, when the Lord rebukes the nations, when He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. The Lord declared to His servants, some eighteen months since, that He was then withdrawing His Spirit from the earth; and we can see that such is the fact, for not only the churches are dwindling away, but there are no conversions, or but very few: and this is not all, the governments of the earth are thrown into confusion and divisions; and Destruction, to the eye of the spiritual beholder, seems to be written by the finger of an invisible hand, in large capital upon almost every thing we behold.(TPJS, Joseph Fielding Smith, pgs. 15-16, emphasis & comment mine)