Awake with Only One Eye Open
The term “awake” is a powerful word link in the Book of Mormon and the book of Isaiah. It connects God’s elect with concepts such as accepting greater light and knowledge, detecting and renouncing corruption, and ascending to a higher spiritual level.1 On the other hand, “sleep” is associated with captivity, darkness, and the chains of hell. 2
The Lord described His “elect” who will abide the day of His coming as those who “will hear [His] voice, and shall see [Him], and shall not be asleep.”3 These, the Lord said “shall be purified, even as I am pure.”4 To be purified and abide the day, the faithful disciple must be awake.
Many latter-day disciples are taking Moroni’s call to “awake to a sense of your awful situation” increasingly serious.5 They recognize that conspiring men have, and do exist in political circles, seeking for power and gain. This recognition has perhaps become more widespread since 2020 where we witnessed no shortage of visible political intrigue. These awakening disciples may even see where the road ahead leads for this secret combination — overthrowing “the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries,” and bringing to pass “the destruction of all people” through a tyrannical one world government.6
A growing number, however, of those who have awakened seem to close one eye when the corruption comes too close to home. It is as if they are awake with only one eye open—willing to readily acknowledge the political corruption taking place while overlooking the accompanying religious villainy. These people are, in a way, still on the “All is well in Zion” train; and we know where that carefully leads.7
Although these friends cherish freedom and even believe there is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon, only a conspiracy fact,8 it seems they cannot stomach the idea that the Church is in on the conspiracy. They recognize the evil in the United Nations yet close their other eye over the Church’s tight-knit relationship with this Satanic new world order. They know the j@b is an instrument of death being used by conspiring men, yet appear to have forgotten, or at least attempted to forget, that the president of the Church, a self-proclaimed member of skull and bones, urged everyone to be good global citizens and receive it.
Individuals who refuse to acknowledge the full measure of corruption, including the priestcraft of the beloved seers who don’t see and prophets who don’t prophesy, are choosing to remain half-asleep.
Amulek was “called many times” but “would not hear,” for he “did harden [his] heart.”9 [Note the latter phrase is a word link connecting his persona as a type to the end-time when the Gentiles harden their hearts against the fulness of the gospel and more words of Christ.] Concerning Alma’s preaching that their audience had been “such a highly favored people of the Lord,” but having “transgress[ed] contrary to the light knowledge which they [had]",” were now “a lost and a fallen people,” Amulek said “I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know.”10 He knew the apostasy was taking place among the people and their leaders, however, he ignored it, and said he “went on rebelling against God in the wickedness of my heart.”11
It appears Amulek’s principal reasons for refusing to acknowledge the full scope of corruption among his leaders were the social and economic repercussions, for he had “many kindred and friends,” and had “acquired much riches by the hand of [his] industry.”12 Perhaps he didn’t want to go against the grain and contradict the generational traditions in place such as ‘follow the brethren.’ Or perhaps the priests of Ammonihah blasted the timeless lie that the arm of flesh cannot lead you astray when it possesses a particular religious office. To contradict the pulpit narrative and even hint the people were “lost and fallen” would no doubt have brought him a degree of isolation.
Another possibility is Amulek was not confident enough in his own relationship with God to step away from dependence on the priests. His confession that although he was part of the religion, and was “a man of no small reputation,” he had not “known much of the ways of the Lord,” betrayed his initial self-doubt, even if he conceded the statement was a “mistake.”13
Many today find themselves in a similar condition to Amulek—knowing yet not wanting to know, opening one eye but closing the other. The words of Elijah to all Israel gathered at mount Carmel are relevant; to those awaiting his showdown with the prophets of Baal he poignantly asked: “How long halt ye between two opinions?”14 The Lord’s words in the Book of Mormon and the book of Isaiah stare such fence sitters in the face.
Kingcraft and priestcraft have ever been united in their efforts to physically and mentally enslave mankind, preying upon the people’s credulity. In his history of priestcraft in all ages, William Howitt began with this statement:
“This unfortunate world has been blasted in all ages by two evil principles—Kingcraft and Priestcraft—[both] taking advantage of human necessities…beneficial in their natural operation—[namely] the necessity of civil government, and that of spiritual instruction, [and] have warped them cruelly from their own pure direction and converted them into the most odious, the most terrible and disastrous scourges.”15
Satan has not drifted from his age-old approach of uniting the state and the church in wickedness; after all, what could be more effective in enabling the state to exercise control over people than the influence of the church on their minds?
We need not be surprised by this. Nephi prophesied that “in the last days or in the days of the Gentiles,” the Lord will have “poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes. . . and YOUR RULERS AND THE SEERS hath he covered because of your iniquity.”16
Through word links, Isaiah depicted the political and religious leaders of God’s people in the last days paralleling each other — implying the same level of wickedness and corruption would take place among them both.
Political Leaders: “The ministers of Zoan have been foolish, the officials of Noph deluded; the heads of state have led Egypt astray. Jehovah has permeated them with a spirit of confusion; they have misled Egypt in all that it does, causing it to stagger like a drunkard into his vomit.”17
Ecclesiastical Leaders: “Woe to the garlands of glory of the drunkards of Ephraim! These too have indulged in wine and are giddy with strong drink: priests and prophets have gone astray through liquor. They are intoxicated with wine and stagger because of strong drink; they err as seers, they blunder in their decisions. For all tables are filled with vomit; no spot is without excrement.”18
If Isaiah intentionally linked the political and religious leaders of God’s people together, then by what logic can we separate the two from one another? How could we stand by the idea that the political leaders over the people of God are corrupt but not their religious leaders?
Furthermore, Isaiah revealed the double-dealing collusion of the priests and prophets of Ephraim. He foretold of the “scoffers who preside over these people” hiding behind falsehoods,” and entering into a covenant with Death, a code name for the King of Assyria in Isaiah’s prophecy—the evil tyrant who presides over the devil’s regime in the last days.19 They will have entered into this treachery in an effort to preserve themselves, so that “should a flooding scourge sweep through the earth, it shall not reach [them].”20 If these Ephraimite priests, prophets, and presiding authorities are not the modern-day apostles of the Church, then who are they?
Mormon similarly recorded several indicting types and shadows for us, divulging the complicity of kingcraft and priestcraft.
Ammonihah was ruled by a chief judge who was surrounded by “many lawyers and judges and priests and teachers which were of the profession of Nehor.”21 These leaders, the Lord told Alma, did “study at [that] time that they may destroy the liberty of [his] people.”22
Later we read of the conspiring leaders over the Nephite people who had become proud and wealthy, allowing Satan to lead away their hearts to iniquity.23
“Now it came to pass that those judges had many friends and kindreds; and the remainder—yea, even almost all the lawyers and the high priests— did gather themselves together and unite with the kindreds of those judges which were to be tried according to the law.
And they did enter into a covenant one with another, yea, even into that covenant which was given by them of old, which covenant was given and administered by the devil, to combine against all righteousness. Therefore they did combine against the people of the Lord and enter into a covenant to destroy them.”24
For what reason would Mormon include these types if not to show us the collusion we would see in the last days among our own judges, lawyers, and high priests?
Why would Mormon show us a story where the people sustained high priests who had entered into a covenant with the devil to destroy them and subvert their liberty?
King Noah and his priests both were “lifted up in the pride of their hearts,” both were “supported in their laziness and in their idolatry and in their whoredoms,” and both deceived the people with “vain and flattering words.”25
How can we read this story without noticing the political and ecclesiastical collusion? Were Noah’s priests any less wicked than he was? Certainly this story depicts the inter-dependence of kingcraft with priestcraft in order to be successful in carrying out tyranny and living off the people. Why did Mormon include this if it would not be directly relevant to us?
Notwithstanding his initial cognitive dissonance, Amulek eventually supported the prophetic Servant the Lord sent to the people to testify of their wickedness. He said “I know he is a holy man. . . and I know that the things whereof he hath testified are true.”26 The people were “astonished, seeing there was more than one witness which testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come.”27 He preached boldly and suffered alongside the Servant figure.
With the help of the Lord Amulek repented, and came to see what he had closed his eye to for so long. In order to rise like him, we must discern both kingcraft and priestcraft. Are we willing to look with both eyes open?
Moroni urged us Gentiles to “awake to a sense of your awful situation” because of the secret combination which “shall be among you.”28 Will we accept the full implication of his words “among you”?
Isaiah ch’s 52:1-3; 2 Ne. 1:13-14, 21-23; 2 Ne. 4:28; 2 Ne. 9:47; 2 Nephi 27:3; Jacob 3:11; Mosiah 2:38-40; Alma 5:7; Alma 7:22-23; Ether 8:24
2 Ne. 1:13; 2 Ne. 27:5; Alma 5:7
D&C 35:20-21
Ibid.
Ether 8:24
Ether 8:25
2 Nephi 28:21
Ezra Taft Benson, Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints
Alma 10:6
Alma 9:30-32; Alma 10:6
Alma 10:6
Alma 10:4
Alma 10:4-5
1 Kings 18:19-21
William Howitt, A Popular History of Priestcraft In All Ages and Nations, pg. 1
2 Nephi 27:1,5
Isaiah 19:13-14
Isaiah 28:1, 7-8
Isaiah 28:15
Isaiah 28:15
Alma 14:14-18
Alma 8:17
3 Nephi 6:10-16
3 Nephi 6:27-29
Mosiah 11:5-7
Alma 10:9-10
Alma 10:12
Ether 8:24