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"The Endowment"
by Earl R. Curry
Characteristic No. 7: There shall be an endowment of visitation and ministry
of those who have tarried, as the Three Nephites, and
John the Revelator.
Such as these four also live on a higher level
of nearness to God and
of life than do any who live on the earth.
Not only are they
free from the ills and pains of mortality, but much more important than this,
satan has not power over them to tempt them.
They are so sanctified and holy that the powers of earth cannot hold them.
In many ways they are as angels of God.
Mormon has borne record that he saw them and that they ministered to him.
Others of this day have seen them, in reality or in vision.
When the day of endowment comes,
and as the great Father wills,
then they shall talk with you too, face to face.
They have power
to call upon the Father in the name of Christ and
to show themselves unto whatsoever man it seemeth them good.
They know of the mighty, the far-reaching purposes of the Eternal One, and therefore
to what more appropriate group of men could they show themselves than to
those who are being prepared for the last time to
bind up the law and
seal up the testimony.
Moreover, all these who have tarried are to do a great and marvelous work,
even among the Gentiles.
Even as the Lord in wisdom sees fit, they shall minister unto
all the scattered tribes of Israel, and
unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.
Now, why will the Lord bless the time of endowment with this visitation of
those who have tarried?
All these have experienced the power of endowed ministry.
All have had marvelous association with the Savior of the world.
All have been caught up into heaven.
All have a superlative grasp and understanding of the
meaning,
characteristics, and
purpose of the Kingdom of the great Father.
All have ministered in great power, so much so that the forces and powers and
restraints of men could not bind them.
Because of all this, the convincing power of God
was, and
is, and
will be with them.
With you, oh men of God of this day, will
they share some of the vastness and the glory of their experiences.
Before you shall
they bear testimony, and
in you and
thru you shall their testimony
be amplified and
be carried to all nations, even as foretold of old.
They will assist you in coming to that place
where you, too, can
bear testimony and
minister unto all who will hear,
with the convincing power of the Eternal Father.
Nor is this all.
They shall help you understand many of the
deep and precious words and
promises, and
prophecies, and
truths of the scriptures that you do not now understand.
To John, on the Isle of Patmos, on the Lord's day, came that
deep and
far-reaching and
highly symbolical vision called the Book of Revelation.
Behold, in the gracious providence of the Heavenly Father, he shall
stand among you and
declare the interpretation of this prophetic word,
so marvelous in all it covers, and he shall
develop it in the utmost completeness.
This will he do because God would not have you ignorant in all the matters this
book of Revelation foretells.
To John was reserved the right to have this great vision unfolded to him.
Behold, how fitting and how gracious that in the last days,
even those days that John foresaw,
that he shall be granted the very appropriate privilege of
making this word utterly plain and understandable
to the ministers of God's power.
Besides this, the three Nephites will bear testimony also.
They have known the content of those plates and records which are not as yet
brought forth to the world,
yet of which the Book of Mormon testifies.
Of these records it is written that
they contain the word of the Holy Prophets and
they foretell the course of events, somewhat as in the Book of Revelation,
even down to the end of time.
Of these things will they be permitted to bear testimony, and in turn shall
they become part of your convincing testimony as you bear theirs
to all kindreds, tongues, and peoples.
Thus, as in other characteristics of the endowment,
will the great Father bring unto you
marvelous experiences and
resources and
prophetic light.
Thus will He show you, thru these servants of endowed experience,
what you, too, can do,
when you, too, have made yourselves completely ready for all of the
endowment experience.
Thru these, your experiences,
shall you know
that the record of all that Jesus has done, both
in the land of Jerusalem and
in the land Bountiful of Ancient America,
is true and certain
beyond the faintest shadow of doubt.
Surely, as you of today shall prove yourselves increasingly
worthy and
dedicated and
loyal to all that is
highest, and
noblest and
Christ-like,
even so will God withhold nothing that will endow you and make you not only
ministers of convincing power, but also
ministers whom no powers of men or satan can withstand, for
by and thru you,
by the power of His Spirit, will He thresh the nations.
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