Revelation on free agency. Many of the first members of the Church had come out of autocratic religious traditions and wished to be led in the New Covenant in a similar way. The message of this revelation is that everyone must learn to stand independently in Christ before they can obtain a true vision of what leadership in the Christian community is. However, there is the real danger for those coming from such authoritarian backgrounds to swing to the opposite pole and disdain authority altogether, and this is indeed what later happened in the Church. They were at first were very dependent on their leaders for their spiritual nourishment. Having obtained their freedom in Christ, many members rebelled against all forms of leadership, becoming first "private churches" or cliques with their own gospel agendas within the Church and later leaving the Church altogether to become "solo Christians". The true Church, however, is a tightly knit, disciplined and structured unitary fellowship made up of souls free in Christ who have chosen of their own free will the Body concept described by Paul as "living sacrifices" (Rom.12:1-8). The Kingdom is like the sea, the saints like rivers flowing into the sea. Those who do not flow to the sea -- to an integrated fellowship -- eventually stagnate like the Dead Sea into which the River Jordan fruitlessly flows. Perfection is only possible in the Body. Church leaders must get right with God before they can lead. All who have received light have a sacred responsibility. Movement is life; those who do nothing spiritually stagnate. We must choose life or death. Fear is natural but obedience is still possible, imitating Christ. Our callings here were received in the pre-mortal worlds. Mortality is bitter-sweet, as also is repentance. We do not know what we are able to do until we do it. Christ empowers us to do His will [Oppsal, Oslo, Norway].

1. To the saints scattered one here, and one there, in the wilderness, who have chosen not to gather but to await in the wilderness, either inwardly or outwardly, or both:

2. A river must flow to remain pure, receiving into it other rivers, great and small, until it entereth the Great Sea and becometh one with all other rivers.

3. The sea is the Church, which is the community of the saints, that nourisheth the world in all its aspects.

4. But that river which floweth not unto the sea must eventually die.

5. The saints are the rivers, and unless they flow together into one Body of Christ, or one sea, they shall fall away one by one, saith the Lord, like an ember that falleth out of the fire and groweth cold.

6. All things have their likeness, and all things that are true bear witness of Me, and therefore also bear witness of each other.

7. Therefore let those who are in the wilderness, one here and one there, come unto the Body1 and be taught and perfected in the degree to which they have been called, for there are none in the Church of Christ yet ready to stand independently in Me.

8. But ye must stand independently in Me, saith the Lord, learning to do all that I have commanded you, for My servant {the Presiding Patriarch} will not always be among you and you will be unable to lean upon him for your strength.

9. And he will be taken from you sooner that ye think, so that I may commence the full restoration of the Holy Order, which is his first calling.

10. But because the Church hath not learned to stand independently, and hath hestitated, the work of the New Covenant hath been delayed, saith the Lord.

11. Let those who have been called to lead the Church of God put their lives in order, neither excusing themselves nor procrastinating the day of their repentance.

12. They have not heard My Voice because they have not done these things, and have sought their own ways, which lead unto death. And even now each suffereth the penalty of his sins.

13. Ye who have been [spiritually] ordained with much Light, and love, and keys:

14. Ye cannot always flee your respon- sibilities, for the gifts which ye have received have come by grace, which is the undeserved loving kindness of the Father;

15. And if ye will not flow into the sea, with your virtues and vices hand-in-hand, your gifts will atrophy and ye will not receive your sanctification and healing, for ye will be restricted or damned in fulfilling the measure of your creation.

16. In movement there is life, saith the Lord, but in stillness there is death. He who hath ears will hear and understand.

17. Therefore let those who have been called speedily repent, not exploiting the gift of free-agency to list after their own desires.

18. Let them examine their consciences openly, and hear the Voice of God which hath called them many times; yet none hath said: "Here am I" (Is.6:8).

19. Nevertheless ye must choose, either life or death;

20. And each tasteth the death of his own choices even now, and knoweth the truth, but will not act.

21. And thus the whole burden of the Church hath fallen upon the Patriarch.

22. Verily, verily, saith the Lord: My grace is always sufficient for every man's needs (2 Cor.12:9), and I call none who are not able to bear the burdens of their callings.

23. And their burdens shall be made light because when a man yieldeth unto My Light, working with it and not against it, he will always be sustained by it, growing into it and becoming sanctified by it.

24. By this means a man climbeth into his spiritual endowment and is continually justified.

25. All those who have been called into holy offices were called before the foundation of the world, receiving the keys thereof in the worlds of spirit;

26. And they came forth into the world of matter having accepted their callings, else they would have remained behind until they had received a calling commensurate with the degree of agency they were willing to exercise.

27. Oftentimes a man knoweth not that he is able to walk until he hath lifted up his foot and begun to walk;

28. And thus the revelation and the testimony may not come until he hath begun to walk.

29. Yea, and even I, your Lord, shrank before the Cross, but I was obedient and drank that cup.

30. And behold, because I drank, I drank not only bitterness and gall -- which is the atonement -- but also joy, which is the resurrection of all matter, from the highest {finest} to the lowest {coarsest}.

31. Thus I set the example for you, ye saints of the New Covenant, calling you to be imitators of your Saviour, even Hewho speaketh unto you now, as I imitated My Father.

32. And if I, the Lord, had not drunk the bitter cup (Mt.26:39), great would be the despair of mankind!

33. Yea, for ye would be without hope, and the work of My Father would have come to naught, and all would have returned unto the void, even the master of the void, who is the devil.

34. Ye cannot taste the sweet without the bitter, for which cause ye were sent into this world;

35. And there is bitterness that cometh forth from right choices that leadeth to sweetness, and there is bitterness that cometh from wrong choices that leadeth unto more bitterness.

36. The first leadeth unto life and the second unto death.

37. Therefore choose ye this day which fruit ye shall partake of, for this is a day of choosing.

38. Drink the bitter cup of repentance -- which appeareth bitter to the carnal mind but is sweet unto the spiritual mind -- and it shall be made sweet;

39. For the finger of the Lord healeth the poisoned waters and maketh them whole.

40. Put to death your own wills and be baptised into My will2, saith the Lord, that I might be the Master of your lives and impart unto you everything that I have. Even so. Amen.