My name is Christopher Harper. I am 14 years old and have been a member of the TLC for about three and one half years. I gained my testimony by listening to the things that my parents taught me, and by listening to the things that our prophet, Jim Harmston, has taught me. Jim Harmston has been teaching us out of the prophecies of Isaiah, and it is clear to me that these are the last days, and also that the prophecies of Isaiah are true because the things that he prophesied are starting to happen. I believe we need to obey God’s commandments and keep our covenants. If we do not, then we will be condemned. When I do keep God’s commandments, and my covenants, I feel the spirit, and it is such an overwhelming feeling, that you don’t want to break the commandments or your covenants.
I have been endowed for over one year. This has resulted in many good experiences in my life. I’ve learned to use the “keys” to obtain witnesses and to learn the answers to questions. I believe that this is the way that we can approach and be close to God.
I believe that plural marriage is a commandment from God and all His children must live it to come into His presence in the Celestial Kingdom. My father has three wives, and while sometimes this presents challenges, it is also a good experience. It helps to refine your nature.
I have some scriptures on this subject;
1. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand where in I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines-
2. Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee and touching this matter.
3. Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same.
4. For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter in my Glory. (D&C Sec. 132:1-4 )
Now here is another scripture;
61. And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood, if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.
62. And if he have ten virgins given unto him in this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore he is justified.(D&C Sec. 132:61-62)
I believe that most all of us have covenanted with God and told him that we would live this commandment and return unto him. We as a people must live this commandment if we want to make it to the Celestial Kingdom, as Brigham Young and others specifically taught. Most of us are, or were in a plural marriage family one time or another, I’m talking about M.M.P.
As God tells me that I need to get married I am prepared to live Celestial Plural Marriage. Let me give you one more scripture.
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name, to take away or reproach. (Isaiah 4:1)
That scripture, I believe, tells us that no two women are the same, and that each is an individual, with differences and different personalities. That is just my opinion, but as in my father’s family, each of his wives contributes different things to build up our family using her own unique talents.
If God has given us commandments, should not all of Israel live it? I think we should and will.
My testimony on the Gathering grew immensely after I heard the models, I have a scripture that Jim uses in the models:
25. And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him shall find pasture. (1 Nephi 22:25)
That is one of my favorite scriptures, here is another scripture:
And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance. (2 Nephi 10:8)
I don’t quite remember if Jim uses that scripture in the models but that scripture has great power and can help people. Here are more scriptures:
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:12)
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the Kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. (Isaiah 13:4)
I think these scriptures pretty much explain it, and I just want to say that by reading these scriptures they increase my testimony.
I believe that James Dee Harmston is the prophet seer, revelator, of the Lord Jesus Christ in these last days. I understand that the last days are now and I believe that we as a people need to become unified. Now here is something that Joseph Smith said:
If any man preach any other Gospel than which I have preached, he shall be cursed. (T.P.J.S. page 366)
I believe that this pertains to this day of the gathering. Here are a couple of scriptures on a few things that I heard in our Book of Mormon class. Lately we as a people have been studying Mosiah, and here is one of my favorite scriptures that we studied.
O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men: for they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them. (Mosiah 8:20)
If you look closely you can see old Hebrew expressions in that scripture, Jim has taught me to see that in scriptures and other things.
I believe that Jim is just before God, and I know that Jim is doing it the right way, and those are my feelings on the matter. Jim needs to try and test us for our benefit and for us to make it and receive higher ordinances to enter the Church of the Firstborn. (C.F.B.)
We as a people need to heed to Jim’s teachings, like what Joseph Smith said in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith page 366. When I talk about James Dee Harmston I tend to get overwhelmed with the spirit, as I know he is the prophet here upon the earth at this time.
I have read over again the pamphlets, and my favorite one is Joseph Smith Jr. as well as all the rest but that one is my favorite. Here let me quote for you something that Brigham Young said:
I told the people that if they would not believe the revelations that God had given, He would suffer the Devil to give revelations that they, priests and people, would follow after. . . . I told the people that as true as God lived, if they would not have truth, they would have error sent unto them and they would believe it. (Brigham Young, 8 June 1878, Deseret News)
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.