835 Manti Phone Prefix

The Remnant Reconciled

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Introduction

Manti, Utah is infamous in the LDS community for its tendency to harbor fringe elements and off-shoot fundamentalist groups.  The mainstream Mormons view their fringe neighbors as "apostates." Meanwhile, the fringe view themselves as the chosen "remnant" and the mainstream Mormons as being part of a body that has grown apostate, hence their justification in distancing themselves if not outright removing themselves from or being removed from the rolls of the Church.

There are probably more excommunicated Mormons per capita in Manti than in any other town on earth.

Perhaps the most famous of these off-shoot groups in Manti is the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (TLC), headed by Jim Harmston. They have made state, national, and even international news for their unconventional views.

We should not be surprised, therefore, that encoded within the Bible is an extensive commentary on Manti, Utah.

The telephone prefix for all of Manti (and neighboring town of Sterling) is 835.

It turns out that the words and pages numbered 835 in the Old and New Testament lexicons have amazing relevance to the Manti phenomenon. Here we will probe some of these and discuss their relevance.

While the following commentary is focused on Manti, its scope of application is much more broad.

Words on, before, and after page 835 in Zodhiates

Not only are the words on page 835 of Zodhiates NT lexicon relevant to Manti, but the words on the pages before and after reflect amazing commentary as well.

click here to go straight to p. 835

Page 832 is a good place to start this, though there are several words prior to this which are also germane to the idea of Manti.  The following words come from page 832.

This definition calls to mind a primary scripture cited often and usually memorized by those who consider themselves the "remnant."

    "And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God." (D&C 85:7.)

The awakened remnant realizes that one cannot "set in order" something unless it is first out of order, which pronounces a grim view on the "all is well" sentiment held by the mainstream.

It's interesting that "gathering" would be listed as an antonym for this word. This shows that "antonym" does not always mean "opposite," but can mean "counterpart," for gathering and receiving an inheritance are two fundamental elements of the fulfilling of the covenants of the Father in these latter days.

"Therefore, awake, awake, put on strength." (Isa. 52; Moroni 10; etc..)

The "apostates" claim that the mainstream has fallen asleep, while they themselves have had their eyes opened.  The very next section of the D&C affirms such a scenario.

    "Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares;
    "Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed;
    "And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose heart the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign--behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness."   (D&C 86:1-3.)

Mainstreamers would say that this refers to the dark ages. The awakened remnant would agree, but would show that it also has application to the early restoration of the Church by Joseph Smith, followed by a drifting away. 

As people awaken to a bright sense of our awful situation, they see that destruction lies at the door because we have been lulled into a sense of false security.  They see that the prophecies describe many cataclysms both man-made and natural that will fall upon this people except they repent -- which they don't appear to be doing.

. . . except the cataclysm of these end times will ultimately be by fire, preceded by many precursor purgings.

As people become awakened, they know of the great importance of "watching" for the signs of the times to unfold.  They know of the importance to "follow closely" the voice of the Lord in obedience.  They know of the injunction to forsake Babylon and to become clean vessels of the Lord. They see the folly of trusting in the arm of flesh, of following man blindly.

Babylon is going to be destroyed, along with all those who do not depart from her midst.  Many see this as not just spiritual but physical as well.  For such among the LDS folks, Manti (and Sanpete valley in general) has been one of the primary places of refuge to which they consider fleeing. There they hope to find like-minded folks with whom they can join in strength of conviction.

Here is a great irony.  The remnant folks read the prophecies which state that those who do not hearken to the words of the Lord will be "cut off" from among the people." (e.g. III Nephi 21:11.) With fear and trembling they do all they can to hearken to the Lord and heed his warning. What happens then?  Often they find themselves booted out of the very church that mothered them up to that point. They are "cut off," as it were.  This is a very scary proposition, inasmuch as the penalty for being cut off has eternal consequences.  Is this threatened severance from earthly membership hold sway in the heavens?  Yet they know in their heart that they have been faithful to the truths they have been given and that they have been dealt with unfairly by man.

The words which follow seem to describe excommunication and other disciplinary rigors to which these humble saints are subjected.

Now we're on page 833.

Unrighteous dominion is the rule rather than the exception in these disciplinary hearings, whether or not they result in excommunication. The ecclesiastical leader is usually intimidated by the level of knowledge exhibited by the person on trail, and reverts to an appeal to his own vested authority to try and bring the person into line with the mainstream as they see it.

Now we're on page 834, one prior to 835, the phone prefix of Manti/Sterling.

This word is so perfect in describing the excommunication proceedings for these "apostates" who have come to find that all is not well in Zion.  They are accused of evil speaking against the Lord's anointed, of reviling the "one and only true and living Church on the earth."  That they dare question that there might be mistakes of judgement being made on the part of the current leadership is viewed as crass blasphemy of everything the Church stands for. How could this lowly lay member possibly see something that the vastly experienced leaders have somehow missed? Preposterous.

"If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" (Matt. 10:25.)

"...If he saith All is well, ye will not find fault with him,"
[But] "If a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out, and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, and ye will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil."  (Helaman 13:28,16.)

Herein is an incredible paradox.  It is in the heat of such confrontation with those very ecclesiastical leaders which you had hitherto believed held the keys of your salvation, that you define your soul.  If you relent to their intimidation, then you lose your conviction and are subjected to the darkness under which they labor. If you hold to the truth you feel in your conscience with faith in God, then you have embraced the light and suffered the shame of the cross, even as did the Savior. You either must be willing to leave behind the very institution which nourished you to this point, or the truths which it taught you will flee. They may deem you as one possessed of a devil, of a deceiving spirit, but in your heart you will know that God is with you and that you have found truth.

And now, page 835, the phone prefix of Manti, Utah, hotbed of hotbeds of Mormon outcasts.

Another paradox?  In being stricken from the rolls of the Mormon church for holding true to convictions of truth deeply held, one actually becomes numbered as a soldier of God.

Short and sweet.  The title "remnant" is unquestionably favorable in prophecy.

Note the ironic opposite of synonyms, 5275: "remain," and 620: "to leave behind." One remains fixed on the rock of Jesus Christ, while leaving behind that which would seek to pull them from that rock.

    "Therefore, let every man stand or fall, by himself, and not for another; or not trusting another.
    "Seek unto my Father, and it shall be done in that very moment what ye shall ask, if ye ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive.
    "And if thine eye which seeth for thee, him that is appointed to watch over thee to show thee light, become a transgressor and offend thee, pluck him out.
    "It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire." (JST-Mark 9:44-47.)

There can be no doubt that this scripture is making reference to the fact that sometimes we may even have to choose between following a beloved church leader versus following Christ. Man is fallible.  God is the only sure foundation upon which we can build.

Below is the famous statement by Heber C. Kimball about "a test, a Test, a TEST." But note how it is quoted by his son, J. Golden Kimball, who had a flare for truth.  Note that he places this test in the context of the tendency to place too much trust in our ecclesiastical leaders.

    ...All the men in the United States cannot prevent a man from thinking. There are not Apostles enough in the Church to prevent us from thinking, and they are not disposed to do so; but some people fancy because we have the Presidency and Apostles of the Church they will do the thinking for us. There are men and women so mentally lazy that they hardly think for themselves. To think calls for effort, which makes some men tired and wearies their souls. Now, brethren and sisters, we are surrounded with, such conditions that it requires not only thought, but the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Latter-day Saints, you must think for yourselves. No man or woman can remain in this Church on borrowed light. I am a strong believer in the following statement made by my father in the House of the Lord in 1856 "We think we are secure in the chambers of the everlasting hills, but the time will come when we will be so mixed up that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall; for I say unto you there is a test, a Test, a TEST coming, and who will be able to stand?" (J. Golden Kimball; Conference Report, April 1904, p.29)

In Jewish law, this was the ultimate punishment. In the Church context, excommunication is the most severe punishment that can be rendered, though some might seek to promote a more severe penalty against the offensive party. Certainly the outcasts in Manti in times past have feared that physical harm could come to them. And those fears were probably not unfounded, though their preparatory response has perhaps been perceived as overblown at times.  To this day, they are watched carefully by the U.S. government because of their separatist martyr mentality.

I find this definition the most ironic and the most hopeful. In the midst of so much dissension and disputation, that there would come a reconciliation could be ascribed to nothing short of a miracle.  But I believe in miracles. Indeed, I find my greatest motivation in seeking for just such a miracle of reconciliation between the unfairly estranged and the sleeping giants of Mormonism. Is that what this word definition portends?

The next word, and last on page 385 is actually the etymological root for the above word 2643.

I find personal motivation in the fact that the root word allaso is the closest NT Greek word to the Greek transliteration of my last name, Allan. It is my hope that the works brought forth by the Lord through my hand (such as the studies found on this GreaterThings web site) might play some role in this miracle of reconciliation.

Now we are on page 836.

This second reference to the "remnant" juxtaposed now right next to a word meaning reconciliation would suggest that the remnant who inherit the land following the purgings that are coming will be those who are of the supple disposition to be able to reconcile with God and with their fellow men.

In reading this definition, what comes to my mind is a picture of many thousands of saints coming to this valley for refuge during coming times of calamity, and being well-cared for by their brothers and sisters in the gospel who they previously had thought to be "apostate" but now see are noble warriors for the Lord. They will cheerfully feed, clothe, and shelter these weary refugees, which will be a tremendous factor in their reconciliation.

In addition to the meanings mentioned for word 2646 above, I think of the following scripture in reference to Babylon versus Zion.

    "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." (Jeremiah 1:10; see also 1 Nephi 17:37,38.)

Old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new.

Page 835 in Gesenius

In light of the above definition, consider now the definitions on page 835 of Gesenius' Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon.

8075 (1) to be astonished; (2) to be laid waste, desolated

8075-8078 [same as 8075]

8080-8081 fatness; fruitfulness; fertile

Words around word 835 in Greek

Now let's take a look at the words surrounding word 835 in the Greek NT lexicon.   Again, we are quoting from Zodhiates.

This first definition captures how each extreme views the other.

This attitude and disposition is so typical in religious disagreements over tenets.   "I'm right, you're wrong; I'm righteous, you're wicked." Yet the very attitude is evil -- whoever possesses it. Paul exhibits to us the properly humble frame of mind when he says he is the "chiefest of sinners."

This next word captures the struggle between force and freedom, compulsion versus long-suffering; righteous versus unrighteous dominion.  This struggle is at the heart of the battle between the mainstream and the fringe.  Too often, the mainstream attempts to control the fringe, and the fringe seek to control their own.

Freedom is a primary principle of truth which the remnant come to hold very dear in their heart.  Yet ironically, they often end up repeating the very same cycles of unrighteous dominion among their associations.

Isaiah says, "All tables are filled with vomit, so that there is no place clean." (Isaiah 28:8.)  This doesn't leave much room to boast in any camp.

This next word continues this commentary on compulsive authoritarianism versus meek ministering.

This next definition and its commentary by Zodhiates is rich with application to the Manti struggle.

The mainstreamers are viewed by the fringe as "sheep" who blindly follow along. Ironically, Christ uses the imagery of a sheepfold as a key metaphor in prophecy.   "There shall be one fold and one shepherd."

Pied piper.  On one end, Satan lulls us to sleep with his siren song.  On the other hand, the righteous are depicted as those who hearken to the voice of the Good Shepherd.  Of whose fold are we?

And now, here is word 835.

There is probably not a larger collection anywhere per-capita of excommunicated Mormons than in Manti. Those who have been excommunicated, rightfully or wrongfully, tend to view themselves as having been "gathered out" as wheat from among the midst of the tares -- or to use the metaphor above, having been gathered into the true fold of God. Yet they need to remember that some are commanded to "tarry," for the good they can do.  Meanwhile, the mainstreamers view these outcasts as having strayed from the flock, becoming vulnerable to the wolves that lurk in the shadows of hidden mysteries.   On the other hand, these outcasts see themselves as resisting the flow of the heard that is heading toward an abyss.

There it is again.  The Good Shepherd doth call after you.

Through this struggle comes immense growth for those who yield their hearts to God. And the new wine remnant will increase, the righteous branches grow stronger, as they place their trust in the Lord and let his spirit dwell in them.  There they will find peace and reconciliation with their brothers, whichever extreme they currently find themselves.

Word 835 in Hebrew

833 To be straight, right; upright

834 who, which, that

835 Happiness

Those who keep the commandments of God and hearken to his voice shall prosper in the land.

by Sterling D. Allan; Manti, Utah; April 16, 1999

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