"Now I, Jeraneck, say that I have been to the valley of this great battle and I have beheld the remains of the battle and it filled my heart with sadness for I know that this valley has been sanctified ... and it filled my heart with great sadness..." Book of Jeraneck, 13:106
Each of us has a solemn obligation to, first, understand by the Spirit what has said about the mission of the Church; second, to catch the prophetic vision of missionary work and third, to implement completely in our own lives the words of the Lord and of His living Prophet pertaining to missionary work.
The most important counsel and direction on missionary work comes to us through the Lord to his Prophets, for the Prophet is literally the mouthpiece of the Lord. So stated the Lord: “For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth. In all patience and faith” (D&C 46:2/1835; D&C 21:5 Utah Version)
I testify to you by the Spirit that we should stand as living testimonies of what the Lord would have us do today. I fear that unless we fully understand the words of Prophets past and Prophets present and catch the vision of missionary work, and implement the words of the Lord, we will be held accountable before God. I also fear that we have not yet done what the Lord would have us do as directed to us in his revelations concerning missionary work.
The Lord has asked that we place great emphasis on the sacredness of bringing souls unto our Father in Heaven and the importance of greatly increasing convert baptisms. The Lord has given us much direction on this matter in fact he spoke to o John and Peter Whitmer on this very issue he said, “And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father.’” (D&C 40:3/1835)
As a Church, we have not yet caught that vision. Members are not bringing people and ultimately members into the Church year on year. We have not yet met the challenge and charge laid out by the Lord. As far as convert baptisms are concerned, we have only been converting a few people a year for the last six years. I say to you and to all our members wherever they may be, that we must have more converts. They must be well converted. No gimmicks to get baptisms. They must be real converts, but we do want more converts. It is imperative that we do as the Lord commands and bring souls unto Christ and bring them unto his church.
I call upon the members of this Church to actively go out into the world - not merely to make friends for the Church, though that is important - but to properly convert and baptize.“He that believeth and is baptized must be saved.” (Mark 16:16.) Note that the scripture says not he that heareth, but he that believeth and is baptized, and that is the important part.
For if we sit back in complacency and do nothing, then the Lord's Church will not grow, tithing will remain stagnant, and so the Church will remain stagnant and wither on the vine. And what will we say when we stand before the Lord as he calls us forward at judgment?
Shall we stand and say, ‘Lord I tried, but it was too hard, I had other priorities,’ or shall we stand and say, ‘I did as you commanded. I ploughed the field that was white and ready for the harvest; I spoke and I went out; I laboured hard in your name.’
Let me put it this way, and please take the time to think about this before answering to yourself. Do we really believe in revelation? If so, then why can we not accept the revealed Word of God? He has revealed to us that we should look on the fields; for they are white and ready to harvest (John 4:35.) It has be ready since the inception of the Church under our dear Prophet, Brother Joseph, who was commanded to restore Christ’s Church in these Latter Days. He has asked us again in modern day scripture to go out and harvest the field. (D&C 39:2/1835)
We have been given revelation in the form of great new scripture. Who are we to withhold that blessing from the world? Who are we to deny them a chance at salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and his Church?
I ask each and every one of you, and I will include myself, to set for our church a goal that we shall get up and go out in to the world to the marketplaces and to the streets to endeavour to bring souls unto the Lord and to impart what has been given us as a gift by Almighty God.
Let us act in obedience so faithfully, that the Lord, in the final day, shall say to each one of us, “Well done, good and faithful servant… you have served me well.” (Matt. 25:21; Book of Jeraneck 9:12)
Bear testimony. Amen
- Jacob 3 (2-4)
“I cry unto you as your servant, and as thy servant and thy Prophet, I bless this land in thy name, for we have been faithful and we have erected many stone monuments unto thee, just as you have commanded us to do. And we have done this not for our own edification but for yours, Oh, Lord, and we have done this so that those that follow after us will know that we were the People of Light and that we followed thy teachings and thy principles and I ask, Oh, Lord and Saviour, that you will guide us on our journey, that you will guide us across the seas to our new land, that you have promised us. “
- Book of Jeraneck 6:6
"Pillaging and violence are before us, and strife and contention arise.
The violence, destruction of property and disregard for civil society we have witnessed in recent days is truly shocking to all men and women of conscience throughout the land.
I call on all who cherish and labour for peace should pray for those effected by this outburst of violence, including those who have lost their livelihoods, their businesses and their homes.
I share the vision of the Prophet Isaiah, who prayed that, "violence shall no more be heard in the land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders." (Is. 60:18)
Those who riot should turn towards God with peace, humility and repentance, for “from violence he redeems their life.” (Ps. 72:14)
But also, those who commit violence against others should know that the Lord shall repay them “according to the works of their own hands.” (Jer. 25:14) and shall "punish the wicked for their iniquity" and "cause the arrogance of the proud to cease." (Is. 13:11.)
"We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments," wrote the Prophet Joseph Smith, "and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly." (Doctrine & Covenants, section 102, 1835 edition.)
It is the hope and prayer of myself and of the members of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ that peace shall reign in the land, and that all will love one another, as the Lord loves us. And that all peoples shall, in the words of the Apostle Paul, "be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."
Peace be to you all,
Matthew Gill
Prophet, Seer and Revelator,
Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ
Hilton, England
The Prophet Matthew Gill has released the following statement on the tragedy in Norway:"We were saddened to hear the news of the mass shooting and bomb explosion in Norway, it is unthinkable to have to deal with events such as these. The church would like to send its condolences to all those people that have lost loved ones in the tragic events that have transpired in Norway over the last few days.
The church has friends in Norway and we hope that we are able to offer any assistance that we can to you at this time.
As the Prophet of the church, I pray that those have experienced loss at this time may find comfort on the arms of the saviour that they might be able to feel of his spirit at this time although difficult it may seem I want you all to know that the Lord is with you in this our of need and that he will send the Holy Ghost to comfort those that stand in need of comfort.
Once again our thoughts are with all the people of Norway at this time. Peace be with you."
The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ would like to take this opportunity to publicly express its thanks to all those individuals and business involved in helping the charitable arm of the church The Latter Day Charity Relief it is thanks to you and your willingness to help that our charity relief efforts have been such a great success. It has been a long road getting this far and reaching out to all the people that we have done, however with your help it has been worth it. The church has been able to offer help to families and individuals all over the world especially those in need on the African continent. You will all be aware of the most recent news coming out of Africa, and it is with your help that we have been able to offer both monetary and clothing relief to the people who now find themselves in much need of both.
In these last days the Lord has seen fit to call a people forth to set right what has for so long been in error. He has seen fit to enlighten humanity with more revealed scripture and has enabled us to read the words of others who also worshipped at the feet of Christ. As so today h e has chosen to do away with the errors of the Easter season.
"This week we been witnesses to the awesome destructive power of the forces of the nature of the world, we have seen the light of life for many extinguished in the face of that awesome force. The people of Japan have borne the brunt of this destruction to such an extent that it boggles the mind to think of this force and the life it has taken.As God's representative upon the earth and as the leader of The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ, I send out the heartfelt condolences and prayers of all the members of the church to all the people in Japan at this time and to our few but obedient followers in Japan. We are with you in thought and in prayer, peace be upon you, our thoughts are with you and we will do all we can to help and assist in this time of great sorrow. May the peace of the Lord be with you may it rest upon you and give you a sign of rest and comfort in these hard and troubled times.I know it may seem that the Lord has abandoned you, that he has left you alone, but I bear testimony that he is with you now more than ever. The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ is committed to using the little resource that we have including our charity to send aid and help to those who may stand in need of it at this great of sorrow.
Once again our prayers and thoughts are with you all. God bless you."
The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ would like to announce that from today we are starting a charity drive with immediate effect. The church will operate this charity drive via our Charity partner Latter Day Charity Relief. Many of our new members who have joined the church had raised the issue of raising money for those members in far of countries and in our own who are in need. In a meeting held two nights ago it was decided that a church that runs under a mandate from God can ill afford to ignore the needs of our fellow brothers and sisters no matter where they are in the world.
Statement by Prophet Matthew P. Gill on the shooting in Arizona, USA: "I was shocked to hear of the wanton destruction of life and the mindless menace of violence which took place in the United States of America in Tucson, Arizona on the 8th of January 2011. As the Prophet of the church I wish to pass on my condolences on behalf of the church here in the United Kingdom, and as the Prophet of the whole Church worldwide.
One day we shall have peace on this earth one day we shall have the peace and calm that we crave and desire, but it will only come through Jesus the anointed one the Messiah the Son of God. Until that day we may walk through darkness but we carry before us the Light of Christ and we carry that to the whole world. It is up to all right thinking Christan men and women, even children to stand out against acts if violence and oppression.
The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ extends its condolences to all who have lost during this tragic time, we pray that you may find some peace and feel of the Lords comfort in your time of sorrow. Peace be with you."
The Prophet and his family welcomed the arrival of new son Leonardo Philip Gill in to the fold on Friday the 13th of August 2010. Leonardo is the Prophets second son arriving some six and a half years after the birth of his first son Levi Matthew Gill. We wish the Prophet and his wife all the best and hope that they have many wonderful and exciting years ahead with both Leonardo and Levi. Once again we wish the Prophet and his family all the best and say congratulations on your new arrival.
Dear Brothers and Sisters it has been reported today through the Internet news channels that Archaeologists studying the land surrounding Stonehenge have discovered the remains of another ceremonial monument a few hundred yards away. It is wonderful news for the church as we believe that this once again stands as material evidence of the validity of the Book of Jeraneck. Please read the article below and then take the time to read the Book of Jeraneck which can be found to download on the church website http://www.ldchurchofjesuschrist.org/.
This Sunday will see the first of the two annual General Assemblies of The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ. The 2010 Spring General Assembly will be held on Sunday the 16th of May at five pm English time.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1267061/Clinically-dead-boy-saw-grandmother-Heaven.html#ixzz0lexWjCiR
Easter is a wonderful time of year for all who believe in Christ, but for the members of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ it holds a special place in our hearts. As members of the church we have been commanded not to partake in the worldly rituals that so often surround us when Easter burst forth upon us, rather we have bee reminded by the Lord in revelation that we are to remember him and the sacrifice that was given so that we might live. This sacrifice has often been seen the crucifixion and that is all and nothing is given to the work done in the Garden of Gethsemane. As members of the church we believe that all of the work of atonement was undertaken in the Garden of Gethsemane. Christ's agony in the garden so unfathomable to the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. The thought that He suffered through fear of death is untenable. Death to Him was preliminary to resurrection and triumphal return to the Father from whom He had come, and to a state of glory even beyond what He had before possessed; and, moreover, it was within His power to lay down His life voluntarily. He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental endurance could have suffered so; for his human organism would have succumbed, and syncope would have produced unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, "the prince of this world" could inflict. The frightful struggle incident to the temptations immediately following the Lord's baptism was surpassed and overshadowed by this supreme contest with the powers of evil.
In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Saviour took upon Himself the burden of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world. Modern revelation assists us to a partial understanding of the awful experience. In March 1830, the glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, thus spake: "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent, but if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I, which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit:
Dear brothers and sisters it has been a long time since our last blog address to you all. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that helped the church move forward last year and especially to those in the United States who have broken new ground for the church in establishing the church on the Promised Land..jpg)
The membership of the church is of vital importance to moving the work forward and to fulfilling our first mandate given to us by the Lord, to fill the whole earth with books of Jeraneck and to bring out of darkness and in to the light that which was lost. The book of Jeraneck is probably the most unique book of Scripture that we have today, it is one of just a few things that sets us apart from any other Mormon faith, and it most defiantly sets us apart form main stream Christianity. However we believe that the book of Jeraneck works hand in hand with other revealed scripture such as The Bible and the Book of Mormon, with which our lives would be far less meaning full. We need those other scriptures to fulfil the piece of the puzzle laid out for us. The Bible is of vital importance to us as it is the only piece of scripture to date that talks of the life of Christ his earthly and mortal probation.
where are we going? We have the answers to all these things the plan that our father in heaven set down for us is here it is here in its purity. The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ is waiting for those who are disillusioned and lost. Maybe you have been an LDS member and become disillusioned with the way they work and operate, maybe you have not found the answers you were looking for, well come to us! Talk with us, visit us and we will indeed help you along the path. My dear brothers and sisters wherever you maybe in the world we love you and we want you to know that we think about you every day, the Lord loves you and wants the best for you, stay the course do not be put of by temptation and your reward will be great.
Christmas is one of the happiest and most memorable times of any year. As we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ, our thoughts carry us beyond that night in Bethlehem, and we think of the glorious gift our Father in heaven gave to us by sending His Son to earth over 2,000 years ago.
APPEAL FOR FUNDS
Due to unforeseen circumstances in computer and printer complications we regret to announce that the November edition of The Times & Seasons will not be available. For all those that have places a yearly subscription please contact the Church head office. We are however pleased to inform you that the church has already begun to sort the problem and the Christmas Edition of the Times & Seasons will be ready for December.
As Mormons our focus of worship should be Jesus Christ. As Mormons and members of The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ our commitment should be to Christ’s teachings. The prophet Joseph Smith said in 1838 “ The fundamental principles of our religion is the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, and rose again on the third day, and ascended up into heaven; and all other things are only appendages to these, which pertain to our religion”
alone. It can sometimes be difficult for us to realise that Joseph Smith was an instrument in the hand so f the Lord and not the Lord himself. We need to put our trust and faith in the Lord more than we need to put our trust and faith in Joseph Smith. The reason we believe in Joseph is because we believe in Jesus, for if we have ultimate faith and belief in Jesus then our love and faith in Joseph is a by product of that love and faith in Christ
the last dispensation of the fullness of times. We also believe that he was given by the Lord Jesus Christ the privilege and honour of bringing forth the Book of Mormon. Be it known to everyone who reads this address that we stand by our testimony of the prophet Joseph. The point that must be recognised is that it was all the will of Christ the Lord, not of man. To do what the Community of Christ and other s have done and dumb down the importance of the Book of Mormon and the role that Joseph Smith played is to impugn the role of Christ. I always find it odd to see people say that they no longer believe that Joseph Smith was called of God or that he went astray and then on the other hand still regard the book of Mormon as sacred.
In this weeks blog post I have asked the Prophet to write a few words for us. It might also be added that the Prophets post can be found in the August issue of The Times & Seasons.
Throughout the history of the world. The majority of people have never been able to recognise a living Prophet. Only a few were able to believe that God could speak to a man who wears the common clay of ones won generation. The rest of the people would idolize the prophets of the past, while they stoned and killed or even persecuted the living Prophets of the present. It is a fascinating study of human nature to see how these people would usually honour the Prophets of the past. Once the Prophets were dead, they would place them on imaginary pedestals, turning them into perfect individuals who had never made a single mistake. Then they would make a selection from their teachings which suited their own particular tastes, and smugly go about living their, lives of wickedness while mouthing a few popular phrases which identifies them with these servants of God.
Much has been said of late about the secrets that Stonehenge and surrounding areas hold. A couple of weeks ago a Time Team special was aired in the UK about the secrets of Stonehenge being solved. I was able to see that time team special and was amazed at just how much information they had discovered that inadvertently supports the book of Jeraneck. It was a wonderful programme that dealt with what the team thought Stonehenge was built for, although we do not agree with much of what was said we do agree on some of the facts that were brought out. Before I go in to some detail it must be noted that on the Time team Special Tony Robinson the 
programme presenter made a statement about archaeologists coming up with theories to prove their own point of view. This must be strongly understood by any one who thinks that archaeologist’s theories are all sound and irrefutable. Archaeologists when faced with a problem they can not prove come up with theories that suit the current situation or there own point of view. This was exampled on the show a couple of times when Tony Robinson said to a member of the archaeology group “You don’t know do you” in answer they said "no" but it was ‘probably the case’ they don’t know they only theories many points about Stonehenge.
Dear friends after a week or so delay the Spring GA is now available. We have posted it here on the blog site for your ease and convenience. It is also available on YouTube if you wish to see it there.
On Sunday the 31st of May The Latter day Church of Jesus Christ held its 4th Annual Spring General Assembly Meeting. It was a wonderful meeting witch was filled with the spirit and one that is eagerly anticipated by our friends overseas. The GA was conducted by the Prophet and the speakers included Elder David Smith who spoke about his strong belief and testimony of the church and the gospel and his love for the Book of Jeraneck. He was followed by a short testimony from Elder Phil Gill, who was then followed by Sister Vicki Gill who gave two wonderful spiritual thoughts that drew laughter and enjoyment from all present. The final speaker was the Prophet who spoke about the wrongs done to Joseph smith and his wrongful association with polygamy.
