Isaiah 40:9-11/ D&C 1 "The Arm of the Lord"

The last post ended just as we were about to examine the "arm of the Lord" that was to be revealed as a precursor to the wrath of God being poured out upon the "unbelieving and rebellious." This is an area I have studied extensively including writing a chapter on the subject of the "Moses Prophecy." This may be the most pivotal prophecy for those seeking understanding of the works of God in the last days. I will give a condensed explanation of this prophecy.

The "Moses Prophecy" begins in Deuteronomy 18 and is mentioned in one form or other throughout the Standard Works of the Church. In a nutshell Moses said:

"A prophet shall the Lord God raise up to you of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things and whoso will not give heed to the words of that prophet shall be cut off amongst the people." (Deuteronomy 18:15 for the exact wording)

This reference appears with minor variations throughout the Standard works and can barely be identified in section 1 of the Doctrine & Covenants, verse 14. This verse says:

"And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people." (D&C 1:14)

In this quote the "arm of the Lord" is linked to the Lord's voice and the voices of His servants. If one relied solely on Moses words the prophecy would be limited in its fulfillment to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. When section 1 is added to the mix we see the advent of the "arm of the Lord" will include servants of Christ as well as the Savior Himself.

The literal fulfillment of the prophecy is explained in 3 Nephi 21 which condenses its application to one mortal servant who brings forward words of Christ:

"For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.
But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.
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." (3 Nephi 21:9-11)

Without considering other references that relate to this passage, Church scholars generally assume/believe this prophecy applies to the Prophet, Joseph Smith. The chapter I have written dispels this conclusion and offers an alternative. For our abbreviated purpose I refute that conclusion with one reference from the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 24:

"And thus cometh the end of the wicked, according to the prophecy of Moses, saying: They shall be cut off from among the people; but the end of the earth is not yet but by and by." (JST Matthew 24:55)

Joseph Smith did not live to witness the end of the earth and the destruction of the wicked so the Moses prophecy is not fulfilled until the end of the world or destruction of the wicked. Therefore the servant must be someone other than Joseph Smith. Someone who comes after the prophet of the restoration who brings forward the words of Christ and whose mission is equated/associated with revealing the "arm of the Lord."

The "arm of the Lord" is revealed when the additional words of Christ are brought forth by the servant of the Lord. The revelation of these sacred truths are added to what has already been revealed and remove all excuse from those who choose not to enter sacred covenants with Christ. Their choice to reject the new revelations constitute rebellion because there will be no question of the veracity of the revelation nor the source from which it comes. The excuse of ignorance is removed when these hidden truth's come to light. All that is left is rebellion and the "unbelieving and rebellious" are those who are cut off from the covenant people. These revelations justify God in cleansing wickedness from the earth in preparation for His return.

When we return to Isaiah 40:10 we learn that the Lord's arm "shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him."

The servant referred to as the "arm of the Lord" will rule for the Lord, suggesting kingship. This king brings his reward with him. This may mean he is sealed up to his exaltation and has entered a covenant with the Lord that assures the kings exaltation and eternal life before he accomplishes his work. That would fit in with the work of John the Revelator because section 77 identified John as the "angel from the east" who instructs the four angels not to hurt the earth until he, John seals the servants of God in their foreheads prior to the destruction of the wicked. (D&C 77:8-9,14)

This is a lot to digest but I will attempt to recap and summarize what we have reviewed and hope it leads us all to deeper thoughts regarding the content the Lord has revealed and how much those revelations have been neglected by the general body of the Church. This is why we remain under condemnation and demonstrates just how lightly we take what has been given.

I guess we feel it is not our obligation until a General Authority articulates it over the podium. Unfortunately for us, the General Authority messages are tailored to newer members of our faith and rarely address these issues in depth. It is not that it is beyond their capacity. Their messages are designed to elevate those whose faith is most tender. Others are expected to seek, ask and find directly from the Savior, for that is purpose of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, "But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;" (D&C 1:20)

We must stop trusting in the arm of flesh. Curses and woes follow those who do.