Hicks MisQuotes

Wow! That is a bunch of words! But what a bunch of tangled reasoning and twisted scriptures. Since we have gone over a lot of these ideas in the past, I think I will concentrate on your distorted use of the word of God in just a few instances.

Amos 3:7-Living Oracles

You use this to prove "that God has raised up prophets in our day". Your reasoning does not follow. If God does not do anything unless He reaveals doctrines through prophets, this would prove that there was no need of a restoration including prophets for they were there already. If someone from the fifteenth century were to cite this verse, a period that you claim was suffering from a complete, prophetless apostacy, you would conclude that, at that period, God wasn't doing anything! So you must accept that there were true prophets throughout the nineteen Christain centuries or you must abandon that verse to prove that YOUR prophets recieve revelation but only since the "restoration".

Other Books

You say, "1 Nephi 13 is about the restoration of the Book of Mormon as part of 'other books which came forth by the power of the Lamb'". However, you will see, if you read carefully, that verse 39 says "And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets [Old Testeent] and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb [New Testimaent] are true". The purpose "other books" is for the "the convincing....that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true". If one was to believe your Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, one would be convinced that the Bible IS NOT true nor translated correctly. Therefore, those books cannot be the "other Books". For the same reason, Josesp Smith could not be the Choice Seer.

2 Nephi 3:11. "But a seer will I raise up ....not to the bringing forth my word only [Book of Mormon], saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them [Bible].

The more one believes the doctrine of Joseph Smith and your living oracles, the more convinced one would be that the Bible isn't true. Therefore, again, they can not be the "other books".

Christ to the Spirits in Prison

You cite 1 Peter 3:18-9

18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

You would have us believe that those who who are rebellious and those who rejected Christ, who die in their sins are in "spirit prison" and not in paradise (see your bubble chart shared above). Yet, your beloved section 138 tells us who Christ went to in spirit prison and we discover that, according to that "revelation", spirtit prison and paradise is the very same place!

Doctrine and Covenants 138:11. As I pondered over these things which are written [1 Peter 3:18-9], the eyes of my understanding were opened, and the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I saw the hosts of the dead, both small and great.
12. And there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of THE SPIRITS OF THE JUST, WHO HAD BEEN FAITHFUL IN THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS WHILE THEY LIVED IN MORTALITY;
13. And WHO HAD OFFERED SACRIFICE in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God, and had SUFFERED TRIBULATION IN THEIR REDEEMER'S NAME.
14. All these had departed the mortal life, firm IN THE HOPE OF A GLORIOUS RESURRECTION, through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
15. I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand.
16. They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death [spirit prison].
18. While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives [spirit prison] who had been faithful;
19. And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on conditions of repentance.

Behold, as Peter wrote, Jesus went to the spirits in prison, spirit prison. These were the righteous, these were the just people who lived righteously and died before Jesus' incarnation and death! He went only to those righteous souls who, according to Peter, were in the spirit prison. But what about those who you claim are in your spirit prison?

20. But unto the wicked he did not go, and among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not raised;
21. Neither did the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence, nor look upon his face.
22. Where these were, darkness reigned, but among the righteous there was peace;

Therefore, when you quote 1 Peter 3:18-9, you don't understand that verse or you don't understand Section 138. You do not see that the spirits in prison were those in paradise!

Acts 3:21

"Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began".

The Book of Mormon clarifies what this restitution spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets. It is nothing but the Resurection and mercy filled judgement!

Alma 40:21. ....there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
22. Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of those things of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets.
23. The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.
24. And now, my son, this is the restoration of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets--

To claim that Acts 3:21 speaks of your latter-day restoration is twisting a verse to your end and is a mistaken effort.

The Thief

SAYS YOU: "When the Lord said: "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43), he was not saying that the thief was instantly saved and would go immediately with Jesus to his Father's kingdom.... In reality, this statement could only have meant: Today you will be with me in the paradise of spirits (i.e. that portion of the spirit world reserved for the righteous dead)."

 ME: Yet, you would have us believe that this thief went to your understaning of spirit prison to wait until he is taught your doctrine and until his temple ordinances are done by someone else. Contrary to that, Jesus didn't put him in your spirit school. He met him in that day in paradise. You think people can pass over from spirit prison to paradise only after being taught and baptised by proxy. Clearly, the thief skipped your spirit school and any encounters with your righteous dead elders and proxy baptism! He didn't need any of that.

13. ....the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous....[the beggar and thief]
14. ....and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness. [the beggar and thief were so clothed upon entrance into paradise]
16. .... they who are righteous shall be righteous still....
18. But, behold, the righteous....shall inherit the kingdom of God....[right from paradise]

Who are in paradise? The righteous including the beggar and thief! What do the righteous paradise dwellers inherit? The Kingdom of God! Where was the thief and beggar that day? In paradise? What did they, therefore, inherit? The Kingdom of God! You say Jesus "was not saying that the thief was instantly saved and would go immediately with Jesus to his Father's kingdom". Correct! He did not go immediately into the Father's Kingdom, but that is what he would certainly inherit after the judgement. Therefore, "the thief was instantly saved" and was waiting only for the resurection of the Just and the judgement to proceed to the Father's Kingdom.

Oddly, you cited the Rich man and Lazarus, "The Savior hinted at the divided nature of the spirit world in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. In this parable he referred to the righteous portion of the spirit world as 'Abraham's bosom'". We see that the beggar, upon his death, went right to paradise! "....the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom" (which you determined was paradise}. He skipped your spirit prison, proxxy baptism and temple ordinances!

So all your twists and turns in your citations and explanations fall to the ground and your doctrine cannot be sustained by the word of God.

Your tangled doctrine is such a mess because you insist on misapplying Book of Mormon, Bible and, surprisingly, the Books of your Living Oracles (other books). One simply cannot consistantly use the scriptures to teach your doctrine. And yet your "other Book" commands you

Doctrine and Covenants 42:12 And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel.

You simply cannot do that honestly.

You will dismiss all of the above without correcting. I guess these observations are meant more for those who may stuble across our discussion. They will probably see nothing after this post.