Come Follow Me 2 Nephi 26-30: Insights By Gogo Goff

I hope you enjoy some insights from my Come Follow Me 2 Nephi 26-30. (If you missed last week’s insights for Come Follow Me 2 Nephi 11-25 click here). Save this pin to read later.

Secret Combinations

“And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness…”
2 Nephi 26:22

One of the most repeated themes of the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants is the Lord’s warnings about the Secret Combinations that will exist in the last days to thwart the work of the Lord.

In the words of a Prophet: “There is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon —it is a conspiracy fact.” ~Ezra Taft Benson

Further, he testified: “I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society. It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world.”

Creeds and Precepts.

“Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men”
2 Nephi 27:25

The Creeds are the roots of all that is wrong within mainstream Christianity. Jesus Christ Himself declared “their creeds are an abomination in my sight.” (See JS—H 1:19.) But why? Why does Jesus Christ view the creeds as an abomination? Because they cause men to draw near to God with their mouths, but they remove their hearts far away from God and to Satan!

To understand this one must understand the status of Satan and the status of God. Because of his rebellion, Satan was cast out of heaven. His punishment was that God denied him a body, and the ability to be a father. He is a spirit without body, parts, or passions.

Or in other words, Satan coveted God’s status of a God, he rebelled and got permanently denied the essence of Godhood which is having a body and being an eternal Father/Mother.

When the creeds of Christendom were being written Satan influenced them. He tricked creedal Christianity to teach that we are actually not children of God and that we are merely adopted by Christ. Further, he convinced them that the most exalted form was a spirit without a body, thus God has “no body; he has no parts; he has no passions.” By doing this He stripped God of His fatherhood and His body and effectively stripping Him of His status of God.

Satan convinced Christians to reject God the Father much like he convinced the Jews to reject Christ. If you ask a Christian to describe the God they will describe the damned status of Satan’s soul rather than the exalted status of God the Father.

And then here is the kicker, Satan then encourages other Christians to attack us, for not believing and following HIS creeds, saying we can’t be Christain unless we do. So what do we believe?

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost” (A of F 1:1). “This first article of faith epitomizes our doctrine. We do not accept the Athanasian Creed. We do not accept the Nicene Creed, nor any other creed based on tradition and the conclusions of men.”
Gordon B. Hinckley

Here is a video I did on this topic:

Denying the Witness.

“And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.”
2 Nephi 28:4

The one thing that every ex-Mormon has in common is simple: They have denied the witness of the Holy Ghost. At one point they had a witness from Diety and that was enough. They were willing to follow God based on their witness from the Holy Ghost alone.

Then Satan came demanding signs. And they decided that their witness from the Holy Ghost was not enough anymore and they deny it. Many Churches flat out teach against the idea that knowledge can and should be based on witnesses from God. Satan must rejoice that he has gotten so many to reject the truth and its source.

So let us cleave unto the faith and witness from Deity that we do have, knowing that in time, more understanding will come!

A Bible, a Bible!

“Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.”
2 Nephi 29:10

Many people flat out reject the Book of Mormon because we already have a Bible! It is important to not repeat the same mistakes the Jews who crucified Christ made. And one of those mistakes was rejecting a New Testament because of an Old Testament.

The Book of Mormon and other scripture is not meant to replace the Bible any more than the New Testament replaced the Old Testament. It is meant to complement and help complete it so that we can better live by its teachings! Here is a video I made addressing the notions that all truth is contained in the Bible.

The Restoration.

“And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth.”
2 Nephi 30:8

When someone speaks of the restoration our first thought is to often think of the early days of the Church. To think of the Prophets like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. But the reality of the matter is that the restoration, and the need to take it to all the world, has not been completed.

It is still an ongoing process, and many many many more people need to receive the gospel message in order for them to have a Restoration.

For an in-depth article about the Restoration see The Need for a Restoration.