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| {{JosephSmithPortal}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Question: Why did Joseph describe the United Order in revelation as "everlasting" and "immutable and unchangeable" until Jesus comes?]] |
| {{draft}}
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| ==Criticism==
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| Critics claim that Joseph gave a false prophecy when he described the United Order in revelation as "everlasting," "immutable and unchangeable," "until I [Jesus] come."
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| ===Source(s) of the criticism===
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| *{{CriticalWork:Abanes:One Nation|pages=462, 617 n. 14}}
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| ==Response==
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| The relevant scripture reads (color emphasis added for clarity):
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| :1 Verily I say unto you, my friends, I give unto you counsel, and a commandment, concerning all the properties which belong to the order which I commanded to be organized and established, to be a united order, and <font color="red">an everlasting order</font> for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men until I come—
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| :2 <font color="blue">With promise immutable and unchangeable, that inasmuch as those whom I commanded were faithful they should be blessed with a multiplicity of blessings;</font>
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| :3 But inasmuch as they were not faithful they were nigh unto cursing.
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| :4 Therefore, inasmuch as some of my servants have not kept the commandment, but have broken the covenant through covetousness, and with feigned words, I have cursed them with a very sore and grievous curse.
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| :5 For I, the Lord, have decreed in my heart, that inasmuch as any man belonging to the order shall be found a transgressor, or, in other words, shall break the covenant with which ye are bound, he shall be cursed in his life, and shall be trodden down by whom I will;
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| :6 For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in these things—({{s||DC|104|1-6}})
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| Several points need to be made:
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| * the practice of the Order is not prophecied to be "<font color="blue">immutable and unchangeable</font>." Rather, the Lord says that the ''promise'' is "immutable and unchangeable"—and, that promise is that "inasmuch as those whom I commanded were faithful, they should be blessed with a multiplicity of blessings.
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| * the United Order is to be <font color="red">everlasting</font>—that is, it is always the Lord's highest law. Temple-worthy Latter-day Saints promise to observe the law of consecration. They are not, at present, commanded to enter the United Order, but covenant to do so if asked.
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| * the Lord makes it clear (verses 3-6) that some might break the covenant, and suffer the penalty. Thus, failure to live the law is not failure of a prophecy, but failure to live a commandment.
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| ==Biblical parallels==
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| There are other
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| ==Conclusion==
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| ==Endnotes==
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| ==Further reading==
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| ===FAIR wiki articles===
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| {{ProphecyWiki}}
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| ===FAIR web site===
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| {{ProphecyFAIR}}
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| ===External links===
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| {{ProphecyLinks}}
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| ===Printed material===
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| {{ProphecyPrint}}
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