The quote that we use on the cover from Pres. Benson identifies the work's two main themes of establishing Zion through each of us experiencing the mighty change. Originally the proposed title was "On Becoming A Zion People" but we changed it to "Experiencing The Mighty Change" when we learned of an already published book bearing the title "Becoming A Zion People." We thought it would be helpful to explain this because the scope of the book covers not only the mighty change but the larger subject of many aspects of establishing Zion and is the reason why we begin by addressing the key to establishing Zion.
This is a collection of essays written over a number of years, many in the 1970's. It is our desire that these thoughts and scriptures be weighed for their merit and the spirit that you may experience as you read them rather than for who any of us are. We each feel that we have enjoyed the companionship of the Spirit as we have labored on our portions. We hope your experience as you read confirms that.
The mighty change is quite real! For those who wonder just what the mighty change is we recommend you turn first to the Appendix and read there a couple of personal accounts of this mighty change.
We have ventured to offer our thoughts on this subject because we have encountered a great many who do not understand either the reality or importance of this change and many who appear to resist believing it. In our cases we each required substantial effort and a number of years of searching the scriptures to identify and pull together from the four standard works key scriptural verses and develop at least some understanding of their meaning. It is our hope that by sharing the results of our collective efforts your learning time may be shortened and that many more will come to understand, seek for, and experience this mighty change.
The scriptures and statements from several modern Prophets are extensively quoted throughout and are the foundation as well as the entire framework for the thoughts we offer for your consideration. It is our hope that even though the material quoted may be familiar to you, nonetheless you will carefully read and ponder it for additional insights and evaluate whether it supports the point being discussed. Furthermore, more often than not the quotes contain significantly more meat than is highlighted or commented on.
Hal Wilcox, previously identified as Author I, wrote all of the chapters in Part II. Randy Klimt, previously identified as Author II, wrote all of the chapters in Parts I, III and V. Part IV was written principally by a third man and Hal Wilcox, with some minor contributions by Randy Klimt. All contributing authors are active, temple attending, committed Latter Day Saints. None of us has any fame or "name" or is known outside our own immediate circle of friends and acquaintances. We are all quite ordinary members of the church, all High Priests, have served in a variety of church callings the "highest" of which is Bishop, and all love the Lord and have searched the scriptures and pondered over them for many years. We have backgrounds in various educational, business and professional fields. Most of us have experienced the mighty change.
We are certainly not infallible. To the extent that we may be off the mark on some minor points we draw comfort from the views the Prophet Joseph expressed in April 1843, speaking of some differences over parts of the Book of Revelations.
It is not very essential for the elders to have knowledge in relation to the meaning of beasts, and heads and horns, and other figures made use of in the revelations; still, it may be necessary, to prevent contention and division and do away with suspense. If we get puffed up by thinking that we have much knowledge, we are apt to get a contentious spirit, and correct knowledge is necessary to cast out that spirit.
The evil of being puffed up with correct (though useless) knowledge is not so great as the evil of contention. Knowledge does away with darkness, suspense and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is.
There is no pain so awful as that of suspense. This is the punishment of the wicked; their doubt, anxiety and suspense causes weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.
In knowledge there is power. God has more power than all other beings, because he has greater knowledge; and hence he knows how to subject all other beings to Him. He has power over all.
I will endeavor to instruct you in relation to the meaning of the beasts and figures spoken of. I should not have called up the subject had it not been for this circumstance. [Now comes the reason for our including this material.] Elder Pelatiah Brown, one of the wisest old heads we have among us, and whom I now see before me, has been preaching concerning the beast which was full of eyes before and behind; and for this he was hauled up for trial before the High Council.
I did not like the old man being called for erring in doctrine. It looks too much like the Methodists, and not like the Latter-day Saints. Methodists have creeds which a man must believe or be asked out of their church. I WANT THE LIBERTY OF THINKING AND BELIEVING AS I PLEASE. IT FEELS GOOD NOT TO BE TRAMMELED. IT DOES NOT PROVE THAT A MAN IS NOT A GOOD MAN BECAUSE HE ERRS IN DOCTRINE.
The High Council undertook to censure and correct Elder Brown, because of his teachings in relation to the beasts. Whether they actually corrected him or not, I am a little doubtful, but don't care. Father Brown came to me to know what he should do about it. History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 340.
To any non-LDS (non-Mormon) readers we again would ask you to suspend your disbelief of Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, etc. and read on letting the Spirit guide you. We say again that what Joseph Smith taught simply explains the full significance of the Savior’s teaching to Nicodemus in John 3:5.
The following little known teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith should be of intense interest to every Christian and especially to every Latter Day Saint.
The Savior says, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." "Though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." according to Galations 1:8. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (hereafter "TPJS"), Joseph Fielding Smith at pg. 314.
I will leave this subject here, and make a few remarks on the subject of baptism. The baptism of water, without the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost attending it, IS OF NO USE; they are necessarily and inseparably connected. An individual MUST be born of water AND the Spirit in order to get into the kingdom of God. TPJS at pg. 360.
Every man lives for himself. Adam was made to open the way of the world, and for dressing the garden. Noah was born to save seed of everything, when the earth was washed of its wickedness by the flood; and the Son of God came into the world to redeem it from the fall. But except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. This eternal truth settles the question of all men's religion. A man may be saved, after the judgment, in the terrestrial kingdom, or in the telestial kingdom, but he can NEVER see the celestial kingdom of God, without being born of water and the Spirit. He may receive a glory like unto the moon, [i.e. of which the light of the moon is typical], or a star, [i.e. of which the light of the stars is typical], but he can NEVER come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, unless he becomes as a little child and is taught by the Spirit of God. TPJS at pg. 12
19 To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.
D&C 77:11 Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel - twelve thousand out of every tribe?
A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN.
I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions: they cannot stand the fire at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law, and go through and receive their exaltation, I am unable to say, as many are called, but few are chosen. Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 331.
For those interested in learning more about "being born of the Spirit" we encourage you to READ ON. Should you encounter in any one chapter material that you consider to be incomplete or troubling, remember that the first (but not the only) rule of understanding is to read on. Our efforts to break the material into various topics is arbitrary because the gospel is a seamless web and cutting it into pieces is for convenience only. Furthermore, different people organize ideas differently. In addition, many scriptures have multiple aspects and are often quoted in different chapters or subsections as those different aspects are explored. The book contains 27 chapters plus the Appendix. That is quite a bit of material.
What we are really getting at here is that you may well not see the complete picture that we are attempting to lay out until you have read it all, perhaps more than once. So, read on - and enjoy!
We hope our efforts may be at least some help to those who earnestly seek to come fully unto Christ.
Hal Wilcox & Randy Klimt
March, 1998