FLDS Priesthood History for 5th - 8th Grade Students

Taught by Warren Jeffs

Tape # 33 – March 18, 1996

Subject: The Resurrection of Our Savior
How you treat this testimony, of the life of our Savior, is a matter of your eternal life or eternal
death. To turn away from Him and His prophet (Rulon Jeffs) is death. Right now, many of you believe
your parents and rely on what your parents understand. You must know these things for yourself.
Jesus said on the cross, to the two thieves before they died, “This day, thou shalt be with me in
Paradise” - or the spirit world. For the righteous, the spirit world is a paradise. For the wicked, it is not a
paradise. It is a time of great uneasiness and terror, a time of punishment. When Jesus died, He went
where all spirits go when they die. They go to the world of spirits which is on this earth. Jesus was in the
spirit world about two and a half days and while He was there, He organized the priesthood men and
women to begin teaching the gospel to the people in the spirit world. Many millions of people died at the
flood and throughout all the generations of time. For that two and a half days, the Savior taught the
people in the spirit world. Those who heard the gospel in Noah's day could now hear it again, after three
thousand years in the grave. The way could be opened up for them to repent now. Also, all those who had
never heard the gospel could now hear it because the Savior called His priesthood people to begin
teaching it. He had a work to do in the spirit world.
As certain wives of the Savior came toward the cave, they looked and saw the guards on the
ground as though they were dead and the stone was rolled away. The ladies ran and looked in and they
saw two angels sitting in there, who told them the Savior was risen, and to hurry and tell the brethren.
Mary Magdalene stayed after Peter and John had left. She saw a man who she thought was the gardener.
Weeping, she told the man if he had taken Jesus, to give Him back to her. The man said "Mary" and at
that moment, she saw it was Jesus. She went to hug Him and he said, “No, before I can be with you, I
first must ascend to my Father in Heaven." He told Mary to tell the brethren that He had risen. Jesus
conquered death, paid for the sin of the fall and earned the right to be the first to be resurrected. It was
Father Michael who came down and took the Savior's hand and brought Him out of the grave. This
teaches us the principle that a righteous father will resurrect his sons and his wives. A man's daughters
will be resurrected by their husband.
After His resurrection, the Savior appeared to five hundred people, not just to the twelve. That
testimony that God lives is before us. It should be such a strong truth in your mind now, that you will
believe and know that you must answer to Him who bought us with a price, through the suffering of His
own body and the shedding of His own blood. Suffering more than man can suffer, He conquered death,
that we might live, but if we dishonor Him and do wickedly, His resurrection and our resurrection will
only be to our condemnation. We will be brought out of the grave, even if we are wicked, but if we're
wicked, we will be resurrected to our eternal damnation. It will be because of what we chose to do. I bear
you this testimony that I have the witness of the holy spirit of God in me. That Jesus Christ lives and is
the God we worship. He has spoken from the heavens. He visited the prophet Joseph with His Father. He
spoke to President Barlow to call President Jeffs and by the appointment of God, President Jeffs is the
1
Prophet whom our Lord and Savior honors. Put your trust in the man that our Savior trusts and you will
be led through your obedience to this Prophet, unto eternal life. Death is conquered. All will be
resurrected. When you come out of the grave, you will be resurrected young. If you die old, your body
will be resurrected young. If you die young, without having grown up yet, you will be resurrected the
same size you laid your body down. While the body is in the grave, it can't grow - but if a baby dies, for
instance, when it's resurrected, it will be a baby. After it comes forth and the spirit and body unite, then
that baby's body will grow and he or she will grow to a man or woman, whichever they are.
If a mother loses her child, the child will be resurrected young, and if the mother is faithful, she
will raise her child after the resurrection. She will have that privilege. So, she loses nothing, in reality, if
she's faithful. The older people will be resurrected in their full stature, in the bloom of their life - strong
and looking young. Some have wondered does the body get older? We've been told that God's hair is pure
white. Whatever color it was before, we don't know. These Gods are full of the Holy Ghost and they will
bring us forth and reward us according to the spirit we keep here. Dear young people, I want you to
believe. If you die in your sins and will not repent, if you will not become like God by keeping sweet - if
you refuse to do it, know that there is another kingdom for you besides the celestial. We will be satisfied
with nothing less than the highest degree of glory in the celestial kingdom. We want to go where Jesus
and His Father live.
I rejoice in the truth of how the first persons to see our Savior, were His wives. That shows you
that women can come into the presence of God. It is their virtue, their innocence that allows them to
come into His presence. Women will receive that privilege through their husband. When will you be
given eternal life? It will be when you're worthy of the personal visit of our Savior, to you. When a man
receives it, he will be allowed to bring his wives who are prepared and one with him, into the
presence of God. That is what you're working for. It is not just for certain people, according to their
names. It's for anyone who will obey and prepare. The Lord is looking for a people who will come into
His presence in our day. Just like those men did, so can you, but you must be clean and pure and
obedient. You can do it, young people, for the Savior has promised He would appear again on earth, in
our time. It will be after the lifting up, after the judgments. It will be those who do keep sweet.
The time to prepare is now, and it will be those who love Him and love one another. When we do
wrong, we lessen our chances, says Uncle Roy, of receiving that privilege. So watch and pray always and
obey the priesthood over you. President Jeffs today, holds the power to bring a people into the presence
of God. He will succeed. May we do so also.
Where will Jesus return? He will come in the clouds of Heaven, with the Heavenly Hosts, to
destroy the wicked. He will first come to the Mount of Olives, just outside the city of Jerusalem. Next,
He will come to the land of Zion - here, where the New Jerusalem is. Next, He will touch the mighty
ocean and all the continents of the earth and the earth will reel to and fro and there will be a mighty
destruction, a burning of fire, baptizing the earth with fire at the beginning of the Millennium. On this
land, all corruptible things will be destroyed. Only the pure, those who have overcome evil, and live with
the spirit of peace in them, will be preserved. And the Lord will bring a new people in preparation for His
coming. When He comes, this great event will take place. We don't know the day or the hour when He
comes. We must live by faith and prepare. Our Savior is coming on the earth again, to rule personally for
a thousand years. We will see and hear Him. Now is the time to become like Him, while there is yet time.
2
 Keep sweet no matter what - that is how. Now you've been taught these truths at this age. You
weren't born to waste the first ten years, twenty years - to go around being a Gentile and then repenting.
The Lord needs you, the blood of Israel, to honor Him in your young years. Make this preparation. I give
you this message from the words of the prophets today.

March 20,1996
Subject: Day of the Pentecost; Conversion of the Jews
I want you young people to realize that the work of every prophet is as though our Savior was
there - the prophet, being the key holder, or representative of the Lord.

The man who took the place of Judas Escariot, the twelfth apostle - a man who was faithful to the
end, was named Mathias. On the day of Pentecost, suddenly there was a sound as a mighty, rushing wind.
Scrolls of fire appeared throughout the building and came upon the people. So much of the Holy Ghost
came upon them, they could see it as fire. At that time, the power of their calling rested upon them.
You see, young people, there's a difference between being called to do a work and having the
spirit of your calling. The twelve had been called as twelve apostles long before, but they had to humble
themselves, pray and obey, so the spirit of their calling would rest upon them. And now, with the Holy
Ghost in them, they had the power of their priesthood - the power to act in God's stead, as though God
Himself were performing the work. This is true with every priesthood man, every wife in the celestial
law. They act in God's stead to those they govern and rule over.
The noise was heard by many of the Jews outside of the temple Peter and the other apostles came
out of the temple and saw the crowd - thousands from different countries. The prophet Peter taught the
people the testimony of Jesus Christ. People who were innocent and clean enough to believe, accepted
the gospel. Others who loved evil, though they heard the very same prophet, because of their wickedness
of their lies, they would turn and try to kill the prophets. That day, three thousand people were baptized,
converted. The work of the apostles grew very rapidly. Thousands upon thousands of Jews believed and
accepted the truth. Many people were brought to Peter and the apostles to be blessed and they were
healed.
What does this show us, young people? It shows us that the priesthood of God acts in the same
authority of God. They act in God's stead. Even as Jesus performed these miracles of healing, so did the
apostles, and thus it is with President Jeffs today. He has the power of God and can do things as though
God Himself were here. That's what I want you to believe.
As these thousands of Jews were; converted, the believers were taught the holy united order.
Many of them would sell all their possessions and they would bring the money to the twelve apostles and
give all they had to the priesthood, then they were given what they needed back, to take care of their
needs.
How does a person lie to the Holy Ghost? It's when he lies to the fountainhead of the Holy Ghost
- the prophet, after he has made covenants to live laws of God. You can only live that holy, celestial law if
you give everything. You can't lie and expect to be blessed.
Every day, there were more and more believers who joined with the priesthood, living the holy
united order. They had nothing that was their own, but all things were common. This is what took place
3
in this dispensation. One of the very first laws revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith was the united order.
The Saints were driven out of Jackson County, and we've been cast out of that land for the last hundred
and sixty-five years because the Saints wouldn't love one another by living the united order. This law was
required in Jesus' day. It's required today. You can't go to Heaven unless you live the holy united order
and celestial marriage. You must live those laws, and you must be honest in them.
Because there were so many believers, the high priests of the apostate church rose up in anger,
sent the soldiers and arrested the apostles. They put them in prison. During the night, an angel came and
lifted them out of the prison and put them into the temple that morning. The wicked priests called all the
rulers of the Jews together - a huge crowd ready to judge these twelve apostles, who were in the temple,
teaching about Jesus Christ. The priests demanded by what authority they were teaching. Peter answered
this: "We ought to obey God rather than men, etc." The Holy Spirit cut the priests to the heart. They knew
what Peter said was true, but notice what happens to people who receive the witness of the Holy Ghost -
they know the word of the prophet is true, and yet they love evil. They knew it was true but they wanted
to kill the apostles. They didn't love the truth. They wanted the lies and the glories of the world. Just
because people might hear the words of the prophets doesn't mean they will obey those words or love
them. Only those who love truth - who despise evil and want to be good, will obey.
The wicked priests and their followers took the twelve and beat them, spit upon them and they
commanded them to not teach about Jesus being the Son of God. The twelve went back home, among
their friends and rejoiced in the privilege of being persecuted in the name of Jesus Christ. Many
thousands were converted, yet, whenever the Lord sets up His kingdom, the devil sets up his. He will
inspire his followers to stop the work of God. Now persecution would increase. The twelve witnessed a
disagreement among their own people, as though the twelve would take their turn taking care of earthly
things, like waiting on tables and serving people. The twelve were called to an office and calling to teach
the people the truth, not to always handle earthly affairs. In our day, we know those men called to take
care of earthly affairs are the bishops - Uncle Fred (Jessop) and Uncle Winston (Blackmore).
The Lord has promised in this day, a people will be preserved. You see how the work of God
continues through the priesthood - the power of God with that priesthood. Ok, I want you to believe.
Please believe these words. Don't take them lightly.