"A Word of Warning"

I got permission from the poster of this article to analysis it here on my blog. The poster goes by the name Ammon, and posted the following text on an LDS MySpace discussion board. Having heard about such missives in Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven" and elsewhere, I was excited by the opportunity to dissect one, both for style and content. Ammon could probably be vaguely defined as a Mormon, though he does not appear to be a member of the mainline, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Rather Ammon suggest this group to be perhaps the most accurate organized Church in the world, accepting the Book of Mormon as scripture, yet holding to a understanding of salvation that is more Evangelical in nature.

"A word of warning from the Lord unto the churches of the restoration...Behold, I say unto my church in Salt Lake City, Repent! and remeber my covenant people even the Lamanites. Your programs have failed in times past because you have attempted to help my people with selfish motives. The money you use on rebuilding Babylon and her places of commerace should be spent on bringing relief to my covenant sons. Are they not easy to find? I have gathered them together on reservations but because of your neglect to continue uneducated and poor. Carry them on your shoulders, offer them education and relief without expectation. And you will avoid wrath when they come unpon the gentiles as a young lion amoung the sheep.Further more I say unto you... thine endowments are a stench unto me, they are a remnant of the secret combinations of satan and his angels that he gave to man in times past. Your secret handshakes and passwords will not gain you entry into heaven, but only the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Repent in sackcloth and ashes and come before Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Nevertheless, I will be merciful unto you who have entered these dead temple works, because in many things my people do err because they are led by the precepts of men, but if you have true faith in my Son, your sins will be forgiven you.To the churches in Independence..Repent! and cease to bicker one with another. Come together in unity and show the world that the Book of Mormon is a source of true brotherhood and not contention and strife.Specifically unto the Community of Christ I say... Repent! Cease from trying to please the world, repent of the abominable pratices in your midst, which are not pleasing unto me. Cease to give that which is sacred unto those who are not worthy through baptism, cease to ordain women to my priesthood, why do you reject the role of mothers, the most important role for building up my kingdom and raising up princes and kings. I will not suffer long with you.Thus saith the Lord unto my churches. Amen and amen.June 5th, 2007"

Now that we've had the text let's begin to dissect it.

A word of warning from the Lord unto the churches of the restoration...
Opening reminiscent of the Doctrine and Covenants or the New Testament.


Behold, I say unto my church in Salt Lake City, Repent!
The text address a number of 'branches' of Mormonism, in a style similar to Biblical Epistles addressing the seven Church's of Asia, ect.

and remeber my covenant people even the Lamanites.
Read: American Indians.

Your programs have failed
The Indian Placement program and other efforts to better the Native Americans.

in times past because you have attempted to help my people with selfish motives.
Bad motives are often the cause for divine reputation in scripture

The money you use on rebuilding Babylon and her places of commerace should be spent on bringing relief to my covenant sons.
Use the money being spent on the redevelopment of downtown Salt Lake to help the Indians.

Are they not easy to find? I have gathered them together on reservations but because of your neglect to continue uneducated and poor.
Extends prophecy's found early in the Book of Mormon to there present state. The genitals would kill many 'Laminates' and drive them from their lands. Here the text suggest that this was part of God's plan, to bring the 'remnants' to reservations, where they could be best aided by his Church, in preparation for last days events. Yet the Indians by and large are still in a deplorable state of readiness, having not be adequately aided by the Church.

Carry them on your shoulders, offer them education and relief without expectation.
Help them unselfishly...

And you will avoid wrath when they come upon the gentiles as a young lion amoung the sheep.
If you do God will turn the wrath of the future reinvigorated Laminate peoples away from their Christan benefactors. Some parallels to Passover.

Further more I say unto you... thine endowments are a stench unto me, they are a remnant of the secret combinations of satan and his angels that he gave to man in times past. Your secret handshakes and passwords will not gain you entry into heaven, but only the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Repent in sackcloth and ashes and come before Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Nevertheless, I will be merciful unto you who have entered these dead temple works,
Rejects the more esoteric and 'works' oriented theological innovations of Joseph Smith. Perhaps these are written off as the works of a fallen prophet. Endowment, ect. is works oriented not grace oriented and is to be rejected. Endowment consists of fragments from dark and secret works of Satan, parallels here to anti-Masonic fears of Joseph Smith's time, and passages in the Book of Mormon condemning 'secret combinations'.


because in many things my people do err because they are led by the precepts of men, but if you have true faith in my Son, your sins will be forgiven you.
God will forgive those of righteous heart who have been blinded by the works of men.

To the churches in Independence..Repent!
Now addressing the Community of Christ church, the former RLDS.

and cease to bicker one with another.
Referring to large theological divisions within that church.

Come together in unity and show the world that the Book of Mormon is a source of true brotherhood and not contention and strife.
C of C needs to return to proper recognition of the Book of Mormons scriptural statues, something now in dispute within that body.

Specifically unto the Community of Christ
Here Church being referenced is specifically identified, something not done in references implicitly oriented towards LDS Church above.

I say... Repent! Cease from trying to please the world, repent of the abominable pratices in your midst, which are not pleasing unto me.
Calling on C of C to reverse current trajectory in becoming like a mainline protestant church, such as the Episcopalians whose Sunday school literature they sometimes use.

Cease to give that which is sacred unto those who are not worthy through baptism,
Perhaps the C of C does not have rigours enough standards for their baptismal candidates.

cease to ordain women to my priesthood,
Something the fmr RLDS Church has done since the mid 1980's.

why do you reject the role of mothers,
This article takes said ordination of women as exemplative of a larger rejection of traditional or 'God given' women's roles.

the most important role for building up my kingdom and raising up princes and kings. I will not suffer long with you.Thus saith the Lord unto my churches. Amen and amen.June 5th, 2007
Standard closing, and presumptive date of revelation.

Conclusion: Well I have no definitive conclusions to present here as generally understood. I just wanted to analyse the thing. Mostly interested in its use of style and language that would be recognizable to Latter-day Saints as having scriptural aspirations. Ammon will probably comment below.