FLDS Priesthood History for 5th - 8th Grade Students

Taught by Warren Jeffs

Tape # 34 – March 21, 1996

Subject: Conversion of Paul and Cornelius
You young people, by now, after hearing all this training, should be reaching out to your
Heavenly Father. You should be awakening to what you have been through. You have taken upon you
the name of Jesus Christ, by being baptized. You have made a promise that everything about you
honors Him. You have promised to think of Him and serve Him, even to the end of your days. This is
why the spirit of God is not always with young people - because they don't keep their promise. You
see, you can be faithful to the end if you'll just say your prayers and obey.
Saul - later known as Paul the Apostle, thought the apostate church was the true church and he
thought the Christians were going to destroy his church. He became anxious to destroy the people of
God, so he consented to the death of Steven (an apostle), but he didn't help kill him. Saul was anxious
to put down these so-called evil people. The wicked always called the priesthood people wicked. It's
always that way. Saul got a letter from the high priests in Jerusalem, that gat him permission to use
the high priests and the apostate people or the unbelievers, I will call them, in Damascus.
He traveled to Damascus to find all Christians, arrest them and put them on trial. He spent
much time and energy, persecuting the priesthood. Suddenly, there came a light and a voice was heard
saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou, me?” Saul fell to the earth and asked, "Who art thou,
Lord?" The Lord's voice said, "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against
the pricks, or the thorn bush." Saul asked what he should do. The Lord told him to go to the city.
When the light went away, Saul was blind.
Don't think that all the disobedient people will have some great light to stop them in their sins.
Paul had been foreordained to do a certain work in this earth. He would realize how great his sins
were. The Lord called him because, in his repentance, he desired to save souls. He was like Alma in
the Book of Mormon. The Lord would use him and turn his evil to good. Through his faith and
obedience, Paul was willing to suffer much. When Paul went to the city, he got a priesthood blessing
and immediately, scales fell off of Paul's eyes and he could see. From that moment, he started to
preach faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. He stayed faithful to the end, and never turned back to evil.
Your faith has to be tested to prove you are with the Lord. Most of the New Testament was written by
Paul - beautiful words that he learned from the prophet and from the spirit of God.
We've told you several stories this year about miracles. Notice the miracle we described
yesterday - the lame man - how the Lord performed that for a purpose: to test the leaders of the
wicked, apostate church, and also to strengthen the faith of the obedient. Miracles are not performed
just to entertain people. They are given to the faithful, not to unbelievers. Paul could have rejected the
Lord and become a more wicked man, but he chose to repent.
I say to you again, young people, don't expect some great angel to appear and turn you away
from your sins. You don't have time to go be bad. You only have time to do good and become clean
and pure. Don't tempt the Lord to strike you down, thinking some great miracle will turn you back.
No, the Lord will give you what you want in this day, and we're trying to convince you right now,
while you're young, to want the right.
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 Peter and the apostles had the tradition to stay away from the gentiles. You young people
know - you've studied what the Lord is like. He is no respecter of persons. In every nation, he that
obeys the Lord will be accepted. We've also taught you, the promise to Abraham, that if a gentile is
converted, is baptized and receives the gift of the holy ghost, their blood is changed to the blood of
Israel. They become part of the chosen priesthood family.
The apostles had a training to go through. Peter was impressed (by a dream repeated three
times) to not call people unclean or unworthy of priesthood blessings if the Lord says to give them
priesthood blessings. As he was ending the dream, the soldiers knocked at the door, entered in and
asked for Peter. They took him to their captain, Comelieus and other believers and Peter baptized
them. Literally, these gentiles became part of the house of Israel.
Now young people, there are great lessons in this. We get - in our family associations - where
we feel like we're better than others because of our name, or because our family has been in the work
longer, or whatever. The Lord doesn't look on us that way. You can be born in the prophet's family
and still be rejected. In the Lord's eyes, there are only two kinds of people: The obedient and the
disobedient. If you're a son or daughter of the prophet, that doesn't guarantee your salvation. The only
thing that makes you faithful is obedience.
If others come into the work and they are obedient, the Lord accepts them. Only your
obedience makes you acceptable. No family needs to put down another family because of your name
or you've been in the work longer or your father is a good man. Everybody is important in this
priesthood, if they are obedient. Everybody's important enough to the prophet, that he will correct
them if they are wrong.
I see President Jeffs hurrying to get to his appointment with even the youngest person in this
work. If they've made an appointment with them, he doesn't consider himself so great that he can
ignore them. He will take time for anybody and if he's a little late, he cares enough about what you
would consider the youngest elder, or whoever. He cares for everyone. We need not put others down
because of their name or because we figure our family is a little better. If your family is better, it
should bless others, build up others.
Sometimes your parents will say, "Watch out, that certain friend or that certain family is not
doing just right." I leave that in the hands of the parents. When you're warned about certain
friendships, it's because of your weakness your parents are concerned about. They are concerned that
you will fail if you get with certain friends, so you should take that as a correction for yourself.
Beware of putting down others, but it is possible for parents to have inspiration that if you are
with certain friends, you will do evil. You obey your parents, but still forgive, work with, do right
toward others, and don't just put them down and call them wicked because of their family name. All
people are good if they are obedient, no matter what their name is.
Peter went back to Jerusalem and oh, the Jews, his own brethren were upset. How could he do
this thing - allow gentiles to be baptized, allow gentiles to be in the same house with him? The Lord
gave Peter that vision to give him strength, even against the complaining of his own brethren. It also
shows you how the people would question the prophet. That was a great weakness among the people
of all ages. When they question the prophet and accuse him of doing wrong, you know they don't
understand priesthood and they might fall away. Peter was patient and told the story how Cornelieus
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had a visit from the angel, how he had the dream, how the spirit of God told him these people should
be baptized. These Jews started to humble themselves and learn the true character of God. In every
nation, those that obey will be accepted.
I want you to believe, for the same priesthood is here in President Jeffs and in your fathers.
These miracles, these blessings the Lord gives, will be ours if we will just believe and obey. The
Lord will send you young men forth one day. That's why you are sitting here, having this
training. You will go to the nations of the earth. You will go among the ten tribes. Some of you
will go south among the Lamanites, and you will teach them these stories - this gospel. We're
not going through this just to be entertained and to forget. I yearn you young people will be
raised up to be used by our prophet.
Talking to the young ladies, you are being prepared to teach children to have faith in God -
your children - so they can be used by the Lord. You ladies will go into the temples with your
husbands, and give blessings to all the people that have lived on the earth, in the spirit world now,
who will receive it. There are such great things ahead of you. You must have this training as part of
your life. You weren't born to be a gentile and just go get a job. You were born to help build the city
of Zion and do the same work the ancient prophets performed. I testify of this to you, and ask
Heavenly Father to give you a love for these truths you are learning, that you will live for our prophet
and do his will.

March 25,1996
Subject: Stories of the Prophets
Every teacher in priesthood is to teach as moved upon by the Holy Ghost. That means every
listener should receive by the same spirit. You and I are here to do the will of the prophet whom the
Lord has sent. If we'll humble ourselves with that faith because we are doing his will, the Lord will
give us an increase.
Paul began teaching the gentiles, and the Jews gathered up other Jews and leaders and rose up
against Paul, rejecting the word of Paul. Yet, the gentile people received the words of Paul. The Jews,
as a people, would eventually reject the word of God. The gentiles would have the gospel clear until
John Taylor's day. The Jews would be driven and scattered hereafter. Remember, the teachings you
had about Abraham: When any gentile was baptized and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, if they're
truely repentant, the spirit of God will come into them and change their blood to the blood of Israel,
and they will be accepted. They will be part of the priesthood family. When a gentile receives the
spirit of God, they actually look different. Their outside features change. They look brighter and
happier, the spirit of God shining from their face, their countenance and their eyes.
When the Jews saw many gentiles joining the church, the priesthood, they got angry and drove out
Barnabas and Paul from that city. The way of the priesthood is, when a people reject the message, the
teachings of the priesthood, the prophets shake off their feet, the dust off their feet, as a testimony
against those wicked people. When the prophet speaks, it is the word of God. A prophet is a teacher.
He doesn't just rebuke and cast people out. He will work with his brethren.
These great miracles were performed only to do the will of God. What if a person comes
among us, performing miracles? Does that mean he's a man of God, or woman of God? No. Only
those that obey the prophet are righteous.
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 One day, you will see great revelations and miracles of Satan - perhaps in the near future.
Because a person can perform those miracles does not mean it's of God. They also have to be a person
obedient to the prophet, to be righteous. Miracles don't make a person righteous. It's their obedience
to the prophet. We should never ask for a sign or think we need to go follow someone because they
give some great miracle. What if somebody walked in here right now and called for fire from Heaven
to appear, or perform some great miracle? How would you know they are of God or the devil?
The devil can perform miracles. The only way you can know if that person was of God is if
you are obedient - if you have the spirit of God in you, witnessing to you. I'm afraid many of our
people would run and follow an imposter if he was performing great miracles among us. Tie yourself
to the prophet because we live in a day when there will be miracles and revelations of Satan. What if
the Lord allowed sickness to come upon us, and many times He does, and what do many people do?
They run immediately to the doctors. They run immediately to apostates sometimes, who supposedly
have cures.
The Lord allows those tests to see if we'll turn to Him first. Even if others in other areas of the
earth can heal the sick, turn to the Lord first. That is why sickness is allowed - beware turning to
apostates or gentiles first. If the spirit of God leads you to go a certain way, you follow that
impression. This offends Heavenly Father when we forget Him and run after all these different ways.
I voice this because there are certain Allredites, other people in apostate groups, who are
getting into spiritualism. I took one of my ladies down to have a test, and this woman said to her, "We
want you to have a spirit massage, a spirit massage to align your spirit, so you can heal your body." I
voice this to you because the sorcerers are right here, in this valley. They are the people that prescribe
herbs and ways to heal you, and they are getting into spiritualism or revelations of Satan and you can
be trapped, you can offend the Lord. Suppose you do get better? You've then given the glory to the
devil, and you've turned away from the Lord. Beware. Turn to your priesthood head.
Turn to your Heavenly Father in faith and seek a blessing, and guidance what you should do,
in faith, lest you turn to the evil powers. One of the easiest ways is when our bodies are sick, where
we turn to the devil instead of the Lord. I testify to you young people, the same priesthood power is
here, that performed those great works. The Lord is blessing this people through that priesthood
power, keeping the gentiles busy with what they're doing - allowing this priesthood people time,
peace, and our blessings we need to make the preparation. Quickly prepare, young people.
Believe these stories - quickly turn to Heavenly Father and get to know His spirit. The time is
short. We're going through this training that we normally only give to high school - we're giving it to
you because the time is so short. You need to hear these things now. How sad it will be, if you listen
to all these truths and then ignore them. You need to take them, believe them, and start living with
faith in the true God and His prophet.