"The Word of the Lord Brought to Mankind by an Angel"
Unlike the other churches of the restoration, I have talked about so far, The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message was not created during the succession crisis, but instead in the 1920s. Despite this, it is the fourth largest Mormon denomination, with over 12,000 members.
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| Otto Fetting |
As The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message was born out of the Church of Christ, Temple Lot, they share a lot of similarities. They reject the doctrine and covenants, plural marriage, celestial marriage, baptism for the dead, and the doctrine of exaltation. They do not believe in the office of Prophet-President, with the Quorum of the Twelve leading the church. Their scriptural canon contains the King James Bible, the Record of the Nephites (their name for the Book of Mormon), and The Word of the Lord Brought to Mankind by an Angel.
Message 1
1. “Don’t change The Articles of Faith and Practice, because the Lord inspired the men that wrote them. See to it that they are not changed.
2. The revelation that was given for the building of the Temple1 was true and the Temple soon will be started.
3. Three more men will be placed in the twelve this spring, and that they were much needed in the quorum. These men will be chosen at the spring conference.
4. The Temple will be built, if not by the people in charge, the Lord will raise up a people that will build it.
5. The coming of Christ is near at hand and Christ will not delay His coming because of the unfaithfulness of the people.
6. The blood of this generation will be required of all those that profess the name of Christ.
7. He would not hold us responsible for the mistakes of others but would require us to be true to our calling and tell the truth.
8. I will hold others responsible for their work in their day.
9. Fear not, while things may look dark to you now, God would overrule and the future would be brighter.
10. There is Thomas E. Barton, Joseph H. Camp, and Alma O. Frisbey. They are good men.”
But he did not say that they should be placed in the quorum of twelve; just said, “They are good men.” Now this is the essence of what he told me. He further said,
11. “Be humble; if you want your work accepted of men and God, it will be by the spirit of humility. You will win favor with God and man and your success is in telling the truth in humility.”
I sat down and wrote it soon after the Messenger left and this is as near correct as I can give it. I could see the form of a man, I heard his voice, I felt the slap on my shoulder and I felt his influence in the room in my presence.
Message 5
1 “In 1899 the servant of the Lord laid his hands on you and set you apart from among men to represent Christ, and gave you authority to preach the gospel and bring others into His kingdom. That authority has not been taken from you, and never will be taken from you unless you deny the Lord your God. 2 Again in 1926, you, with your brethren, were set apart as members of the twelve to represent Christ and His Church, with the same authority as the apostles of old. Many are representing Christ but not Christ and His Church, but you men have been chosen to represent Christ and His Church as He established it when He was here.
3 Remember, satan in times past has led men away from the teachings of Christ and His Church, but let it not be so with you. Others have been led away by adultery because of following the whisperings of satan, but let it not be so with you. Some have been led by pride and the love of the praise of men, but let it not be so with you. All these things and many more come from the whisperings of satan. Let not your hearts be tempted neither by the praise of men nor by the love of money, because it will rob you of the Spirit and goodness of God.
4 The Lord has called you men to assist in His work in these last days, to build up the kingdom of God; and to help in His work. Let there be added with you Elmer E. Long, B. C. Flint, and James E. Yates, as members of the twelve apostles in The Church of Christ. And if you men and brethren will work in peace with the love of God in your hearts, then God will bless you, and also the Church for your sake, and God will love you, and will bless you and the people and your work.
5 You men, with others, shall assist in the building of the Temple3, the house of the Lord, which shall be started in 1929. The Lord will give you seven years in which to complete the work. While it may be slow in the beginning, the Lord will open the way and many will help. Let the work be well done and as the Lord will open the way, and direct from time to time. As you stand in need, He will direct and send you help. Think not that the work can be done without the help of the Lord. He will send His Spirit and His Messengers from time to time, for this house shall not be built by promises, but by sacrifice; but the Lord God shall sanctify the house that shall be built in His name, and the glory of the Lord shall rest upon it, and the Spirit of the Lord shall fill the hearts of men, and Christ shall come to it, and the cloud that shall rest upon it shall sanctify it and the lives of His people.
6 Let all those who can assist in the work of the Lord, and let the bands be broken of the blind shepherds who have led away the Lord’s people to dry pastures and to by and forbidden paths, that they may return unto the Lord, their God.
7 Let the house be built of steel and concrete, and let the outside be gray stone, polished. Let the pillars and foundations be strong. Let the basement or first floor be finished, that the Lord’s people in Independence may gather there for their services. Let the main floor be used when the Lord’s people gather for their General Assemblies from time to time, at which times the Lord’s Spirit will rest upon them in great power, and will direct them in their work that the gospel may be preached to all nations in power, for behold your message shall be a message of love, and this power shall come to the servants of the Lord and His people.
8 The cloud shall not rest upon the house all the time, but only when the people of the Lord shall assemble therein, in humility and love; then will the Lord meet with them. Let the length of the building be double the width thereof, so that the main floor may seat three thousand five hundred. The people that will gather there at times will be many, for great will be the desire of the people to come to the Lord’s house, and the Lord will meet them in the hour of their great need, when they confess their sins unto Him, and the weak shall be made strong.
9 Let the roof be strong, let the beams be of steel, the center be rounding, and let the building be fireproof in all parts that nothing can burn.
10 To the servants of the Lord, let your voice be heard everywhere, warning the people that the coming of Christ is near at hand. Preach the gospel, cry repentance to all people and nations, that all may be warned.
11 Do not be harsh with your brethren who also believe in the coming of Christ and the building of the Temple, and if you will present your message in love you will win your brethren, and many will help. Yea, let your message go to them first, for many have looked for this day when they could help; nevertheless, you shall start your preparations for the Temple now, and in 1929 your weak efforts shall start in faith to begin the work which shall be great when finished.
12 Great shall be the joy of the people of the Lord, not so much because of the house, but because the Lord shall sanctify His people. His power will be with them and His Spirit will fill their souls with joy. The house shall be a sheltering rock to them, a haven of rest wherein they will find spiritual food and knowledge, a school wherein they will learn of God’s goodness.
13 Let all your work be done in faith, for behold you can do nothing without faith. Faith will make you strong. Prepare yourselves to be a people who can meet the Lord at His coming.
14 Let each one warn his neighbor in love and faith. Prepare the ground, then will your harvest be great. Think not that you are weak and cannot warn your neighbor, for the Lord is strength, and inasmuch as you will trust Him in your work He will give you the strength you need. Think not that satan will not tempt you, for his power will also be manifested, and unless you are spiritually minded you will not detect his work by which he will seek to destroy your work. Ask, and ye shall receive as to your needs from day to day. Let all things be done in love and faith.
15 Warn ye the people that they may till the soil, for famine will come, and many things that shall make people idle and no work, and all those that shall not seek to supply themselves with the fruits of the soil will suffer. Let the people of the Lord take warning and keep out of debt, lest when the trying times will come they shall lose, but those that are wise will seek to supply themselves with that which they need and be therewith content.
16 Work while you can, and save while you can, that each may have their home and the soil to grow food for their families, that none may suffer. Follow not after the craze of the world, for the Lord wants a holy people.
17 I will come from time to time, and will direct in the work ye shall do that a people of the Lord may be prepared for His coming.”
Message 6
1 “I am John, the servant of the Lord, a Messenger sent from God, a colaborer with you to prepare a people for Christ when He shall come again, which will not be long; but before that time many things will come to pass, as it is written. The Temple must be built, but it will be built through great tribulation, when trying times will be on the earth; and because of the iniquity that shall be in the hearts of men, many shall have no faith in the Gospel of Christ. God will chasten many, for He wants a tried people. You have had losses but you will have more; and it is best that you isolate yourself from the business world. For behold, you shall be tried as Joseph of Egypt was tried, for some of your brethren are seeking to destroy your life; and you will also be accused of adultery, the same as Joseph was; and while trials shall come to you, and losses, yet you shall not want for bread; and if faithful to your trust, at the end you shall receive your reward for your labor.
2 Joseph Smith did a great work in his day; yet he sinned before the Lord in many things by not keeping the commandments that were given to him, and in not building the house of the Lord; yet he repented, and in the end he will be numbered with the prophets of old. Be ye not like him, but build ye the house according to the pattern that shall be given to you. Let the Temple be ninety feet in width, and one hundred and eighty feet in length, and let there be an inner court, fifty-five feet by sixty-five feet; and let there be an outer court. Let there also be a lower court, or basement, as I told you before, and let it be twelve feet in height from the lower floor. Let the walls be made of concrete and steel. Let the foundation be two feet six inches in width. Let the foundation go to the rock. Let the outside be covered with cement and tar, and tile perpendicular, so that the lower rooms may be dry; for the people shall gather there for their prayers and fastings unto the Lord. Let the room be light. Let the frames of the windows be of steel, and let them be placed in cement. Let the glass be heavy. Let the steel of the whole building go to the foundation, and let them be tied with angle steel and concrete every four feet, that the building may be strong; for trying times will come; for the heaven and the earth will be shaken1, and men’s hearts will be filled with fear; but to you who are faithful, the Lord shall be with you; nevertheless, your faith shall be tried and many shall wax cold.
3 I will come to you from time to time to give you the plans of the house of the Lord; but remember, inasmuch as you and your brethren shall be humble before the Lord, and shall do His will, I shall come to you; but if you are not true, your minds will be darkened, and these plans shall be withheld from you. Pray often; heed not the advice of men, for God will direct in the building of His house; for the Lord spoke to Joseph Smith thus:
4 ‘Verily I say unto you My friends, I speak unto you with My voice, even the voice of My Spirit, that I may show unto you My will concerning your brethren in the land of Zion, many of whom are truly humble, and are seeking diligently to learn wisdom and to find truth; verily I say unto you, blessed are all such for they shall obtain, for I, the Lord, showeth mercy unto all the meek, and upon whomsoever I will, that I may be justified, when I shall bring them into judgment.
5 And inasmuch as My people build an house unto Me, in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, My glory shall rest upon it, and My presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it, shall see God; but if it be defiled I will not come into it, and My glory shall not be there, for I will not come into unholy temples.
6 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten, that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance, in all things, out of temptation; and I have loved you; wherefore you must needs be chastened, and stand rebuked before My face, for ye have sinned against Me a very grievous sin, in that ye have not considered the great commandment in all things, that I have given unto you, concerning the building of Mine house, for the preparation wherewith I design to prepare Mine apostles to prune My vineyard for the last time, that I may bring to pass My strange act, that I may pour out My Spirit upon all flesh. But, behold, verily I say unto you, there are many who have been ordained among you, whom I have called, but few of them are chosen; they who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noonday; and for this cause, I gave you a commandment, that you should call your solemn assembly; that your fasting and your mourning might come up into the ears of the Lord your God.
7 Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave you a commandment, that you should build a house, in which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high, for this is the promise of the Father unto you; therefore, I command you to tarry, even as Mine apostles at Jerusalem; nevertheless My servants sinned a very grievous sin.
8 Verily, I say unto you, it is My will that you should build an house; if you keep My commandments, you shall have power to build it; if you keep not My commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you; therefore you shall walk in darkness. Now here is wisdom and the mind of the Lord; let the house be built after the manner which I shall show unto three of you, whom ye shall appoint and ordain unto this power. And the size thereof shall be fifty and five feet in width, and let it be sixty-five feet in length, in the inner court thereof; and let the lower part of the inner court be dedicated unto Me for your sacrament offering, and for your preaching, and your fasting, and your praying, and the offering up of your most holy desires unto Me,’ saith your Lord. For thus spoke He unto Joseph Smith who heeded not His words.
9 But let this house be built, for great shall be the joy of the people of the Lord, not so much because of the house, but because the Lord shall sanctify His people; His power will be with them and His Spirit will fill their souls with joy. The house shall be a sheltering rock to them, a haven of rest, wherein they will find spiritual food and knowledge, a school wherein they will learn of God’s goodness.
10 Take this Message to your brethren who have obeyed the gospel. Many will believe it, but some will reject it, because darkness has clouded their mind; nevertheless, in time to come others will accept it.
Message 12
1 “I have come to you from time to time, to instruct you as to the work of building the Temple, and the organization of The Church of Christ, and reestablishing it again in its fullness, that the church may again receive the power and Holy Ghost as in the days of old, and that as on the day of Pentecost, the servants of the Lord may be filled with the Spirit of God, that they may take the message of the Gospel of Christ to the nations of the earth, for the Lord has reserved unto Himself this remnant on the Temple Lot, to set the Church in order. I have come to you in your own language that you may understand, and impart it to the children of men, and that the Message might be understood by all people, in its plainness, that they may have no excuse at the judgment day, for verily these things shall come to pass.
2 The Lord has looked upon you and your brethren, and has seen the humility of your souls, and your desire to carry out the instructions that the Lord has given you from time to time, and thus far your work has been accepted of the Lord. But remember, you must remain very humble before God, and do the things He has, and will command you to do, or the Spirit and light that the Lord has given you will be withheld from you, and your minds will become dark, and doubt and fear will enter your souls. Therefore, seek the Lord often in prayer and in the humility of your souls. The work that the Lord has commanded you to do will come before you. Contend with no man, only contend for the truth. For the truth will make you free. Contentions will darken the mind, and the Spirit of God will not dwell in the hearts of men who are contentious.
3 The plans as drawn by your brethren are correct as to the foundation, that is, as to size, but let the pillars be added to the outside, four feet eight inches in length, and two feet eight inches in depth, and let the pillars on each corner be the same size. Dig the trenches, and bring the foundation to the level of the basement floor, and your steel fifteen inches above the grade level. Let your fabricating be done, so that your work may continue from there, for behold, many important things shall come to pass, and many things shall yet be given but I will come from time to time to instruct you, that the work will not be delayed.
4 Behold, the Lord has rejected all creeds and factions of men, who have gone away from the Word of the Lord and have become an abomination in His sight. Therefore, let those that come to The Church of Christ be baptized, that they may rid themselves of the traditions and sins of men; preparing themselves, that they may be fit and worthy for the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost, and as the greater power shall come, that they may be ready to receive it with joy. For this is the time of the restitution and restoration of all things, and this must come to all that shall be permitted to dwell in the presence of Christ, for sin cannot receive the glory of God, nor the power of the Holy Spirit.
5 Let not the building of the Temple hinder the preaching of the gospel but let those that have been appointed and set apart for the Temple work, see that all things be done after the pattern that I shall give. And let those that have been called and set apart to carry the Gospel Message to the nations of the earth do their work, as they have been instructed. Let them preach the things as they are found in the Bible and The Record of the Nephites. Let them take the Message to Jew and Gentile, to all classes, tongues and peoples. Let the men who have been placed in charge and appointed to look after and receive the tithes, offerings and oblations, be mindful of their work, that the moneys so received are spent wisely. Let them give an accounting to the Church, that things may be done in justice to all, always being mindful that they are ambassadors for Christ and the Church, and that they will be without excuse to God, for everyone must be faithful to their trust for this is the Lord’s work, and so shall it be required of him in the last day.
6 Remember, the Lord committed to Joseph Smith a great work in his day, and power and authority to re-establish The Church of Christ in his day as in the days of old. He gave him the pattern to establish it as in the days of the apostles, and restored the priesthood and authority of the Son of God to the children of men. Yet, because of pride and the love and praise of men, he sinned before God, and much of his work has been destroyed, but he will be saved as by fire, and will be numbered with the prophets of old. Again, the Lord has called others to prune His vineyard, to bring the Gospel of peace, to establish His Church as in the days of old, that the power of the priesthood may be again enjoyed as in the days of old.
7 Behold, the Lord changes not, again He has sent me to instruct the children of men as to the building of the Temple, the size thereof, the inner court and the outer court, the construction of the building, the time to begin work, the time to complete the building of the Temple, the material it shall be built of, and I will come from time to time to instruct you, for thus was I commanded to instruct Joseph Smith. But because he was not true to the trust, this was withheld from him. Remember, you have been intrusted with this work, therefore be humble that you fail not in your work.
8 And as I laid my hands upon Joseph Smith, so now I lay my hands on you, that greater power and greater light might come to you, and to set you apart to do the work intrusted to your care and in your day. Remember, the priesthood was not and will not be taken from the earth since I conferred it on Joseph Smith; but the greater power of the priesthood has been withheld because of the transgression of those who have been intrusted therewith. Therefore, see that all things are done after the pattern I will give you, that in all things you may please the Lord your God. Be true to the trust that has been placed upon you and your brethren, each one in his place and calling, for the Lord will hold each one responsible in their work that must be done and will require it at their hands in the last day. Some will fail because of the temptations that shall come to them, but they will suffer loss. But, remember, Christ is at the head of the Church, and will direct His work. He is the Great High Priest of His people and He will direct the work as in days of old. I therefore bless you in the name of Christ, and admonish you to seek not the praise of men but be humble before God, and the people of the Lord, and your brethren. The priesthood and authority that was placed upon you by the servant of the Lord will never be taken from you unless you deny the Lord your God, but if you are not true to the trust imposed upon you, you shall suffer loss and lose your crown. The Lord will reveal to you from time to time the things pertaining to the building of the Temple and the work that must be done by The Church of Christ, that the people of the Lord might be instructed of the things that shall come to pass. Amen.
9 Let C. A. Spilsbury be set apart among men to fill the vacancy in the quorum of twelve, that the work may not suffer, for this is a day of haste as I have told you. Let him take the field with the Gospel Message, as he is not burdened with the cares of life as some are. Let the elders who are not burdened with the cares of life go from place to place and prepare to take the Message to other nations, but let those go to the far off fields that are not burdened with the care of children, and let their companions go also. Use wisdom in these matters, be careful in your expenses, while and where you labor, that more may be sent into the harvest field.
10 Let your work on the Temple continue, working as fast as the moneys come in but keep out of debt. Contract no debt with any man, for this work must be done by sacrifice and not by promises. For behold the people of the Lord are glad to help in this work of the Lord, by tithes and by offerings, for thus did the people in the days of old, which was pleasing unto the Lord, for this was the law in Abraham’s day who paid tithes and the Lord blessed him, and the Lord will bless in your day all those that shall keep His law. Therefore pay your oblations to the Lord in all things that your work may be accepted of Him, so that when trying times are upon the earth your work might stand the test. Let the gospel be preached; let the poor be provided for; let the Temple be built, that in all things you may be the children of God.
11 Those that will heed the warnings that I have given to them in the past will be blessed; those that will not believe will lose; nevertheless, take the Message to them, and the honest in heart will accept it.
12 I am John the Baptist that prepared the way before Christ and I will prepare the way before Him again, and a people to receive Christ when He comes. Send this Message to your brethren, the twelve first; then send it to the nations of the earth with all the rest now in print, but the things I have shown to you in vision, keep that only for your brethren, give not that to the enemies that seek to hinder the work of the Lord.
13 I will come from time to time until the work is finished after the pattern. Be humble, and the Lord will bless you by His Spirit, and men will be blessed by the Message in time to come. Amen.”
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