Communion Service April 3, 2005

Communion Service
April 3, 2005
Hill Cumorah, Jalapa de Diaz, Oaxaca, Mexico

Hymn "I Have Found the Glorious Gospel"
Hymn "The Voice of God is Calling"
Hymn "Look for the Beautiful"

Forrest Liggett opened the service with an honor to the seven directions. He used a sage smudge from the fields of Pine Ridge. He then smudged each person present and placed the remaining smudge in the grass just east of the group. The wind coming out of the east kept us bathed in the cleansing smoke of the sage during the service.

Forrest opened the service with an invocation. He invited the presence of God and then called down legions of angels to surround the mountain. Angels of all types, warrior angels, ministering angels, healing angels, guardian angels. He called for them to surround the mountain to protect us and to assist us in proclaiming the message of Christ that the hill contained. He asked for this in the name of Jesus Christ.

The following is the sermon given by David Brown:
Each of us has arrived here as a part of a journey. We each have a story to tell concerning how we have arrived here today on this hill. As I share with you my story, think about your story and the series of events that has brought you to this place.

My story begins in 1998 when I had just been ordained to the office of Priest. No sooner had the ordination taken place but Satan hit our family hard. I spent many evenings out on my back porch. Having put the children to bed, I spent many hours praying and meditating that what I was doing was the right thing. During the course of my meditations I began to sense a presence of someone off in the distance. There was a field out behind my house and when I closed my eyes I could see the image of a man out in the field. He was dressed in buckskin, standing outside his teepee with his arms folded and looking at me—almost as if he was waiting for me to do something. As the spring turned into summer and fall approached he continued to be there when I prayed and meditated, and I got to where I expected him to be there.

That experience continued with no change, he was always there. One evening in the fall of 2001, Paul Lucero came to our congregation and spoke to us about the concepts of cellular ministry. After the meeting I spoke with Paul concerning my experience and asked if he had any insight as to what it meant. He told me that my visitor was a spirit guide who was sent to awaken me; that I have something important that I needed to be doing. He suggested that I needed to discover what my purpose was for the visit of the spirit guide, and he directed me to a couple of books to read.

I followed Paul's direction and over a period of time I found myself being drawn to understand the culture and ways of the Native Americans. This understanding has taught me so much concerning the connection of all living things. At the same time that this was going on I feel that God planted within me a strong desire to understand the workings of quantum mechanics. I am not a mathematician; in fact my real love is American Renaissance literature. The logical aspects of math and science do not fit my mind so well. But, I could not get enough information concerning the development of quantum theory.

I read several books and checked out a couple of Nova Series videos from the library in my effort to understand the workings of sub-atomic particles. My search for the workings within the atom led me to an understanding that is very unique. I know now that my journey and God's revealment of His mystery to me is why I am here today. I want to share that with you now.

In the early twentieth century there was a man named Albert Einstein who was searching for a unifying theory to the universe. He understood that there were several forces in the universe that explained several different phenomena. Electromagnetic theories explained forces of attraction, Newtonian theories explained laws of motion and of bodies with mass, and in later years Mr. Einstein worked with atomic strong and weak forces to try to understand what single force could tie all these together and explain the behavior of all matter. He believed in the concept that the simplest theory is the best. 

In the early stages of his search he uncovered some interesting observations and developed the Theory of Special Relativity and then he defined the Theory of General Relativity. His advanced understanding of the behavior of light eventually led to the formula that changed the world; E=mc2.The atomic theory he discovered provided the unleashing of tremendous power by accelerating atoms to the speed of light and destabilizing the immediate environment. This caused the inquiring minds of scientist to try to understand the make-up of the atom and why it behaved this way under these extreme conditions. Scientist began a deeper investigation of the make-up of the atom. They confirmed the theories of protons, neutrons, and electrons. They found other sub-atomic particles like photons, blueons, and quarks. Scientist knew how to unleash this massive atomic power, but there was no theory to fully explain the behavior of the sub-atomic particles.

Here are some of the things they discovered about sub-atomic particles. When atoms are smashed by speeding electrons they give off particles of energy in a form of light. These particles of energy are photons. With the development of electron microscopes they discovered that these photons had some unique and unexplained behaviors. First, when two particles were unleashed from the same atom, they continued to move and vibrate in unison, regardless of the distance they traveled apart. It is as if they continued to communicate with each other and distance is not a factor. Second, the particles behave differently when they are observed. In other words, they either have conscience awareness and change their behavior because someone is watching, or the observer can change the behavior of the particles by watching and imposing a force of expectation upon it. Do you understand what the scientist are saying in words they will never use? We have an effect on our environment at the very foundation of the make-up of matter! Sub-atomic particles of light respond to the expectations of the observer!

During the 1950’s there began to be a group of men who started to apply an atomic theory developed by Max Born in the 1920s. This theory spoke of outcomes in the sense of probabilities--not absolutes. All scientific theories from Galileo up to Einstein speak of behaviors in the sense of absolutes. There are no variations from the outcome when all the variables are met. But, quantum theory is a theory of probabilities, not absolutes. Over the decades, scientist discovered that when they apply quantum theory to the behavior models of sub-atomic particles, it works every time. Sub-atomic behavior is a science of probabilities, not absolutes. Sub-atomic particles of light are affected by the expectations or influences of the environment and can change from instance to instance.

Let me read some scripture that gives spiritual background to this science:
Genesis 1:1-8 "And it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this heaven and this earth; write the words which I speak. I am the Beginning and the End; the Almighty God. By mine Only Begotten I created these things. Yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth upon which thou standest. And the earth was without form, and void; and I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep. And my Spirit moved upon the face of the waters, for I am God. And I, God, said, Let there be light, and there was light. And I, God, saw the light, and that light was good. And I, God, divided the light from the darkness. And I, God, called the light day, and the darkness I called night. And this I did by the word of my power; and it was done as I spake. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

It is no accident that the very first form of matter that God called into existence is light! Light is the foundation of all matter and it is in and through all things. Now let us build on this:
John 1:1-10 "In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made which was made. In him was the gospel, and the gospel was the life, and the life was the light of men; And the light shineth in the world, and the world perceiveth it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came into the world for a witness, to bear witness of the light, to bear record of the gospel through the Son, unto all, that through him men might believe. He was not that light, but came to bear witness of that light, Which was the true light, which lighteth every man who cometh into the world; Even the Son of God. He who was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not."

In this passage we find that light and Christ are one and the same. Both were in existence from the foundation of all things. Modern day scripture makes it even more plain:
Doctrine & Covenants Section 85:2a-3b "This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom; which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ, his Son; he that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth, which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made. And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand. And the light which now shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God, to fill the immensity of space. The light which is in all things; which giveth life to all things; which is the law by which all things are governed; even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things."

From these scriptures we can now understand what science is just now beginning to uncover; that the foundation of all matter is light--the light of Jesus Christ. He is in and through all things. We can now understand that this is not just metaphor but a scientific fact. Light is the foundational building block of all matter. There is no such entity as darkness--there is only an absence of light. This, too, is a scientific fact. And, particles of light are affected by the influence of its environment. The foundational make-up of all matter is based on probability--not absolutes. The make-up of our world is based on the influence we provide to it. The realm of quantum mechanics is the realm of prayer and miracles. We ask for the inspiration of the divine and these particles of light--particles of Christ respond to the prayers of those who have faith. Faith is not just belief, but a force that changes the environment. And, light responds to morality (a Kantian concept). Consider this passage from the Book of Mormon:
Mormon 7:17-18 "And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge, ye shall also be judged. Wherefore I beseech you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ, that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ."

And this also from the Holy Scriptures:
Matthew 6:19-24 "Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single to the glory of God, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light which is in thee be darkness, how great shall that darkness be. No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon."

From these scriptures we see that light is equivalent to goodness and darkness is equivalent to evil. Darkness is not an entity but an absence of light--it is the absence of Christ--Christ being "the light that lighteth every man." So, we see that our spiritual being invites good or evil based upon what we choose to see through the light of the body--our eyes. We can choose to see the goodness and cause our light to shine brighter, or we can choose to see evil and dim the light within ourselves. "Look for the beautiful, look for the true" as our hymn reads. This decision to see the best in others is also an expression of love--another synonym for light, truth, and Christ. We can influence the environment we are in by seeing the good in others and thus increasing it in ourselves, or we can choose the opposite and see the worst in others and thereby reduce the light within us. Love then becomes the outward expression of being filled with light. Love is a verb that indicates the sharing of light from one to another. Or allowing the Spirit or light of Christ to flow through you and outward to another living being. In the light of quantum mechanics this concept rings with scientific truth.
Doctrine & Covenants Section 50:5a-6f "Verily I say unto you, He that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the spirit of truth, or some other way? and if it be by some other way, it be not of God. And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the spirit of truth, or some other way? if it be some other way, it be not of God: therefore, why is it that ye can not understand and know that he that receiveth the word by the spirit of truth, receiveth it as it is preached by the spirit of truth? Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understandeth one another, and both are edified and rejoice together; and that which doth not edify, is not of God, and is darkness: that which is of God is light, and he that receiveth light and continueth in God, receiveth more light, and that light groweth brighter and brighter, until the perfect day. And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you, for he that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is least, and the servant of all: wherefore, he is possessor of all things, for all things are subject unto him, both in heaven and on the earth, the life, and the light, the spirit, and the power, sent forth by the will of the Father, through Jesus Christ, his Son; but no man is possessor of all things, except he be purified and cleansed from all sin; and if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus, and it shall be done: but know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask, and as ye are appointed to the head, the spirits shall be subject unto you."

From this scripture we can understand that light and truth are also inseparable. Therefor, Christ is literally light and truth. Light is quantified. In other words, once you receive light you have not received all of the light. The scripture states that if you continue in God you will receive more light and it will grow brighter and brighter. If you are cleansed from all sins and are filled with the light of Christ then all matter is subject to you. Not by your own power, but because all matter is subject to its Creator and by being filled with the light of the Creator, then all matter will respond to the light and truth it understands. This is the secret of the prophets and the sages of old. Pray knowing that what you pray for is a Christ-like and loving thing and having received a remission of sins, that for which you pray will be granted!

Those who have experienced those mountain-top moments when they have seen the Christ or an angel of God, speak of how the surroundings were so transformed that there was an overpowering oneness--as if there was no separation of things, but that all living matter was connected and a part of everything else. This insinuates that separation is a construct of the mind. The reality is that in the spiritual realm there is no separation, we are all connected in ways that we can not understand in this world. We see, taste, hear, smell, and feel things that are unique to our own experience and assume that our physical being operates totally separate from all other living matter. That is a fallacy. In the spiritual realm we are all connected and what you do has an affect on the rest of the environment in which you find yourself. Again, it is the light of the body, the way in which you choose to view the world. If you see God in all things then you will experience God in all things and you will create an environment that contains more light. That is our calling, to bring the light of Christ into this realm to a greater degree. To be filled with the light and love of Christ and to share his light and love with all that we interact with.
Mormon 4:27-39 "Search the prophecies of Isaiah. Behold, I can not write them. Yea, behold I say unto you, that those saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this land, shall cry; yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth, he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them. And he knoweth their prayers that they were in behalf of their brethren. And he knoweth their faith; for in his name could they remove mountains; and in his name could they cause the earth to shake; and by the power of his word did they cause prisons to tumble to the earth; Yea, even the fiery furnace could not harm them; neither wild beasts, nor poisonous serpents, because of the power of his word. And behold, their prayers were also in behalf of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth. And no one need say, They shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for out of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; And it shall come in a day when it shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one should speak from the dead. And it shall come in a day when the blood of the saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of darkness; Yea, it shall come in a day when the power of God shall be denied, and churches become defiled, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts; yea, even in a day when leaders of churches, and teachers, in the pride of their hearts, even to the envying of them who belong to their churches; Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be heard of fires, and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands; and there shall also be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places; Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; There shall be murders and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations, when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day."
Mormon 4:75-94 "And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, Have all these things past, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles. Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God? Who shall say that it was not a miracle, that by his word the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word, man was created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word, hath miracles been wrought? And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles. And if there were miracles wrought, then why has God ceased to be a God of miracles, and yet be an unchangeable being. And behold I say unto you, He changeth not; if so, he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men, is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust. Behold I say unto you, that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ, it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth. For behold, thus saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God unto his disciples who should tarry; yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; and he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved, but he that believeth not, shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover; And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth. And now behold, who can stand against the works of the Lord? Who can deny his sayings? Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord? Who will despise the works of the Lord? Who will despise the children of the Christ? Behold, all ye who are despisers of the works of the Lord, for ye shall wonder and perish. O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him. Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God."
Mormon 7:27-41 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, hath miracles ceased, because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men; For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him, will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens? And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, hath miracles ceased? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, shewing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind, in every form of godliness. And the office of their ministry is, to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and to do the work of the covenants of the Father which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him; And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; And after this manner bringeth to pass the Father the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men. And Christ hath said, If ye will have faith in me, ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me. And he hath said, Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved. And now my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will shew unto you with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true; and if they are true, has the day of miracles ceased? Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? Behold I say to you, Nay, for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men."

Over and over again we are admonished that if miracles have ceased then it is because of unbelief. We need to understand that miracles can be expected. It is contingent only upon the amount of Christ's spirit we allow to be inside of us. My brothers and sisters, allow your whole being to be filled with the light of Christ and know that you can become a powerful servant for Christ. How do you think that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were able to walk through the fire and not be consumed? Why were the prisons not able to confine Alma? Why was Daniel not eaten by the lions? How was the Brother of Jared able to move the mountain? It is because they were literally filled with the light of Christ and the elements around them recognized the light and truth of their Creator and they responded in love to the desires of these vessels of light. The beasts knew the light of their Creator. The fire could not consume something that was so completely righteous. The prison walls and mountains obeyed the desires of those so filled with the light of Christ--those elements had no choice but to obey. This is the mystery of God concerning the light of the world and the power of prayer. Christ is the foundational light of all matter and we are called to fill ourselves with His light until we reach a state of righteousness that causes all matter to respond in kind and reach the potential for which it was created. We are to be beings of light filled with the love of Christ.

A Prayer given for the group:
Heavenly Father, I have done as you have commanded. I have shared this mystery and knowledge with my brothers and sisters and I now seal upon them the light of Jesus Christ that it may work in them and flow through them to a world that stands in need. So many have lost faith and know not where to turn. Bless these your children that they may be beings of light filled with the love and light of Jesus Christ. May they share the gifts which you have given them in ways as guided by your Spirit and may they be your hands and feet to minister in your stead. Grant them a greater portion of your Spirit of truth, love, and righteousness, and again seal upon them and fill them with the light and love of Jesus Christ. For I pray this in the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.

Hymn "What a Glorious Thing to Be, In the Light"
Forrest then read from Enos:
Enos 1:4-11 "Behold I went to hunt beasts in the forest; and the words which I had often heard my father speak, concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart. And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication, for mine own soul; And all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came, I did still raise my voice high, that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me saying, Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away. And I said, Lord, how is it done? And he said unto me, because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away, before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole."

Forrest spoke of the importance of finding the purpose for which we were brought to this hill. He spoke of how the Native Americans would go on vision quests that they might possess a vision of who their Creator intended for them to be. He then challenged us to move out into the hillside to pray and meditate for about an hour and to meet back when the group began singing again. During that time we were to pray, find a connection or oneness with the creation around us, and knowing that God could not lie, ask for an experience that would reveal the reason for our being.

We parted and went to places along the hillside to be alone and pray. After about forty-five minutes several men came and asked for Neil Steede to come with them to speak with the Mayor. Forrest Liggett and Neil Steede went together. The rest of us stayed on the mountain and as Neil and Forrest headed down with their escorts we began to sing and continued singing. Then we gathered together at the spot of the earlier service and we began our communion service.

Ron VanFleet was in charge. He read scripture and we sang a couple of hymns. He then asked for someone to pray for the people in the city of Jalapa. Jerry Stoner offered that prayer.

Scott Norwood and Elrey Goheen assisted in the serving of the bread and the wine.

After this we had a prayer service that lasted about forty-five minutes. Many of the prayers were for Neil and Forrest that they may be watched over and protected.

We then parted. Some were feeling the heat of the day and began the trek down the hill. Others began to explore the side of the hill, while others yet spent more time alone in prayer and meditation. We all met at the vehicles at the bottom of the hill at about 5 PM and headed back to town.