The Lord's Magnificent Intention for Kirtland Temple

by Earl R. Curry

A Question of Prophetic Inquiry

Glorious Father and marvelous Creator, bless me as Thy servant and high priest as I shall now seek to perceive and think Thy Son's thoughts after Him, for this Easter time of March, 1975. What would my Savior like to have said to His people here in Kirtland, where still stands the Lord's House, and peradventure to others elsewhere as well?

Prayer of Invocation and Dedication

First of all, Glorious Father, I thank you for the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and that on that first Easter day He arose from the dead and is alive forever more! Also, I rejoice that I and others can come to this Thy holy temple, wherein there dwells a holy spiritual Presence that lifts and enlightens all who come reverently, and in deep faith, and with high purpose before Thee - Thou from Whose glorious intelligence flows the universe. I plead that Thou wilt bless me as an expressor of the compassionate concern for us so very human people, who have such tremendous need to know Your altogether exalted thoughts and our Savior's thoughts and desires for us. Also I plead for ability to express that which shall pass before my mind, even that which has already been seen in part, but needs fuller understanding. I thank You, Great Father, for the momentary surge of spiritual power and uplift that came to me as I approached the door of this Thine house. Grant to me, All Gracious One, once again the gifts of inspired writing and keen discernment.

The Word of the Lord in Response to My Prophetic Inquiry

To you, My aging servant, even as you see the rays of the sun shining momentarily through the east windows to where you sit in the lower court of the temple, near where I stood and appeared to Joseph and Oliver, nearly one hundred and fifty years ago, even so do I long with an intense yearning to share the light of My Spirit and My Presence with you, and with all who will come in holy desire before Me. Yea, not for a brief moment, but increasingly and gloriously!

What can I say to you, I, Who suffered the agony of crucifixion on Calvary's cross - an agony made intense because of physical pain, augmented by the distress of rejection by those whom I longed to call My chosen people? What can I say to you and to My people that will stir you to the very depths of your beings, and enable you to appreciate the tremendousness of my resurrection on that first Easter morning centuries ago; and appreciating, to marvelously transform your lives into the very holy people, I, the Lord Jesus, would have you become? And this both for your own sakes, and the sakes of millions of the sons and daughters of men?

My people, I would have you know that you are living in the time of the end, the end of wickedness - concerning which My disciples inquired. I told them then, even as I say unto you now, that because of the exceedingly gross sins of the human race, a desolating abomination will overwhelm mankind as a whole, and, unless there is repentance, the earth shall be emptied and few men left, just as foreseen by Isaiah of old.

In this your day, I have not left Myself without witnesses. Many decades ago, I spoke through My elder Harry Thomas, whose earthly body lies in the congregation of the dead, near this My house:

"I forewarn you of wars most distressing, that with times onward march will increase."

Again, in February of 1914, I caused a sign to appear in the heavens over the temple here in Kirtland - when for a brief half hour a perfect cross was superimposed on the moon, signifying that with the coming of World War I, there would begin to be poured out the destructiveness of wars and the multiplication of evils. That very year, in August, war - a terrible war - erupted. Since, there has been World War II. Now, mankind is fearful of another, terrible in its consequences.

Again, because of this spreading power of destructiveness and this terrible multiplication of evil, I permitted, in a time of vast dismay, that My servant Joseph Luff should write:

"The restraining gates My mercy
 Led Me oft to interpose,
 Shall the devastating currents,
 Fraught with woe - no more oppose."

And yet, oh, My people, how can I, the Lord Jesus Christ, consign the world to destruction and the sons and daughters of men to annihilation, yea, even the sons and daughters created in Mine own image and in the image of the Everlasting Father? How can I, Whose finest characteristic is love, forsake the world, and you who are My covenant children? Yeah, I am compelled, because of the nature of My personality and the fact that I am the Son of God - I am compelled to use all the powers of My being and the utterly immense resources of energy abiding in the Holy Spirit to overcome the onrushing waves of evil and to reach out to save heedless and increasingly distraught mankind!

Oh, My people, hear Me! I, therefore in the very early days of the Restoration commanded My people in 1833, yea, even here in Kirtland, to build this very House of the Lord in which you write. Why? Not for such services and activities such as are curried on in the many churches among mankind, then or since. For verily among all there is a tendency to have a form of godliness but to deny the power thereof. No! This House of the Lord is not for ordinary religious concerns, but rather for extraordinary! Yea, that My servants and My people might through My ways and means of preparation, be endowed with power from on high, and that they might be empowered under the magnificent intelligence and the illuminating enablement of Him who created the universe. Only thus can the mighty work and a wonder, predicted by the Prophet Isaiah millenniums ago, be brought forth or continued and accomplish its enormous mission for all mankind.

Alas, My people of 1830 could not long live on this high level or nearness to the Great Empowerer. Human short-sightedness entered in. Too great trust in their own wisdom hindered. Persecution from without arose. Worldliness overcame many. So, such special blessings as came to them fell far short of all that was intended.

Nevertheless, My people, is it conceivable that My magnificent intention for the grand empowerment of the Restoration shall be set aside or forever ignored? Shall God's marvelous and even miraculous outreach to blind and suffering humanity be as a forgotten dream of the night? Surely, worlds without end, such ought not to be! I say unto you who are this present generation, I would have you made increasingly aware that I, the Lord Jesus, am setting about, through the years, to recover and move toward the realization of a mighty concept and ideal.

In years long gone by, I sent an angel to Elder E.A. Stone, when he first entered the hallway of this holy building. This angel, knowing My high future intention, said to him, quoting from Malachi, "The lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to this Temple" (adding one letter).

Also, be reminded that I bade my servant John F. Garver to declare to a reunion service, almost two score years ago: "My people, you have gathered here year after year. You have attended the preaching services, the prayer and testimony meetings, and the classes. Returning to your homes, you have said within yourselves, 'That is all there is to Kirtland Temple.' But, I say unto you, 'You have not even begun to dream of that which I, the Lord, had in mind, in the building of this temple - things which as yet have only been partially realized. In the years of the future they will be realized; and when they are, their effect and their influence shall be felt throughout the wide, wide world!'"

Furthermore, there is your own testimony, My servant, that indeed not too many years in the future, I, the Lord will appear to My servants here, that I will teach them and prepare them, and endow them with spiritual power, such as the world has never known - to go to every kindred, tongue and people, for the last time, with a grand message of invitation and of warning.

Thus, to any who may hear or read this My word to My aged servant, I way unto you, there are great things yet to be done here in My house of tremendous preparation. What may be done elsewhere is not for you to know. There is a high destiny for the temple, this House of the Lord…

I would have you marvel that this will yet be. I would have you rejoice that this is so. I would have you cultivate a growing vision and appreciation of what is yet to be done here.

You marvel and are even astounded at the discoveries being made in the scientific researches of men - researches that enable them to build amazing machines and equipment; or that enable them to communicate around the world almost instantaneously; or that calculate with incredible swiftness; or that make it possible to place men on the moon; or that dismayingly may almost blow the world apart, causing widespread genocide - almost in the twinkling of an eye.

Behold, I, the Lord Jesus, unequivocally say unto you, My people, who have such marvelous possibilities waiting to be aroused within you, I say unto you that which is My intention to be done here, ought to be done and must be done - to the glory of God in the highest, and the reaching out and uplifting of multitudes of humanity. These great outpourings of the Holy Spirit, these amazing developments that will come out of a supremely blessed School of the Prophets, this very extraordinary development of prophetic mindedness of a very high order, this ennoblement of human personality that will make men so pure and so holy that the heavenly Father can increasingly share vast powers of the Holy Spirit with them. All this and much more! Behold, such will far exceed any of the extraordinary achievements of men engaged in scientific research! My servant has not words nor powers of enlightened imagination to adequately describe the richly God-blessed experiences that are, in My highest intention, before you.

My people, My dearly beloved people, what a wonderful destiny will open up to you as you increasingly become truly co-laborers with Myself, with the Holy Spirit, and with that supremely glorious Being Who is the everlasting Father. Forces and powers and mighty influences are already being set to work to bring about the achievement of My far-sighted designs. Some of these you can see. Some you do not see. But more and more you shall see them…

THEREFORE:

My people who dwell in the land of Kirtland, I, the Lord, am asking great things of you!

· I ask you to become truly enlightened students of the Holy Scriptures

· I ask you to become truly spiritually alive, yea, even grandly alive.

· I ask you to become increasingly Christlike in daily living.

· I ask you to be very prayerful, learning the possibilities of mighty prayer.

· I ask you to become a very loving and forbearing and forgiving people.

· I ask you to rise above your dismays that so bind and hinder you.

· I ask you to seek to discover My exalted intentions.

· I ask you to become increasingly kind to each other.

· I ask you to be forward looking and prophetic minded.

· I ask you to become a people of great and mighty faith.

· I ask you to truly stand forth, in all God's wonderful ways, becoming as a city set on a hill, a holy people, a united people, a people whose virtues and standards are far above the world around you.

Do these and many ways like unto these, and you will grandly become a colony of heaven! I want your love. I want to guide you amidst the complexities of life of this your day. I want to make you an extraordinarily wonderful people. I want the temple to become as a mount of transfiguration where the majestic purposes of the Lord of hosts stand out in plainness, in beauty, and in ever-widening circles of uplifting influence.

I say unto you, My people here, together with My people elsewhere, if you will respond to My pleading and My setting before you lofty goals, and shall with increasing earnestness and dedication move toward the development and realization of My far-sighted magnificent intention, you and My Church will quickly become a tremendous influence for uplift in the world. You will win to your expanding influence thousands and tens of thousands of men and women of good will and holy desire, who long to see God moving in majesty and power. You will see the Word of God increasingly made flesh in splendid Zionic living and achievement. And, yea, the powers of wickedness and hell will not be able to withstand you.

When these things come to pass and a glorious redeemed people arise, then shall the dismay of Gethsemane and the anguish and the agony of the cross be forgotten in the immense joy of both Myself and My people! This is My Word to you, My aged servant, and this you will share as wisdom and opportunity make possible.

This is My larger view and My thoughts I would share with you this Easter of 1975, even I Who am alive forevermore; even I Whom Isaiah called wonderful, counselor, the mighty Son of God, the ambassador of the everlasting Father, the prince of peace, yea, the establisher of the Kingdom of God - that kingdom which Daniel saw set up in the last days, that will never be destroyed! Even so, amen.