Chapter 3—Darkness and Confusion
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness” on the first day (Genesis 1:1–4). Light, needed to exalt man, comes from the Spirit of God. The creator “lit up the sky” and declared, “It is I who make the sky light after darkness.”
The early 1800s were a time of religious revival and enthusiasm, but still devoid of pure truth. Joseph Smith described the “great zeal manifested by the respective clergy,” but congregations were only “converted as they were pleased to call it . . . So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.” Even a slight deviance from truth eventually results in “a scene of great confusion” (JS–History 1:6, 8). Confusion came from the “impossible” act of knowing truth based on other’s claims. Joseph realized
The same effort Joseph gave is required of all who seek eternal life. When Abraham turned to God, he also learned his people had strayed from what God revealed. Abraham, as a “lad, began understanding the straying of the land, that everyone went astray after graven images and after pollution” (Jubilees 11:16) so he prayed fervently to be saved from error. “My fathers, having turned from their righteousness, and from the holy commandments which the Lord their God had given unto them, unto the worshiping of the gods of the heathen, utterly refused to hearken to my voice; for their hearts were set to do evil and were wholly turned to” their own interests (Abraham 1:5–6).
Levi knew his posterity was not immune from apostasy and prophesied that they would become a people of “ungodliness and transgression . . . acting impiously, leading Israel astray, and stirring against it great evils from the Lord” (Testament of Levi 10:2).
In 1835, a few years after the light of the latter-day Restoration broke forth, Joseph said great darkness still overpowered the land.
Condemnation is inevitable if we remain in darkness, confusion, unbelief, or “harden our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us” (Alma 12:13).
Confusion and disorder are tactics of the devil, who does “rage in the hearts of the children of men and stir them up to anger against that which is good” (2 Nephi 28:20). “Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16). The faithful are warned, “Satan will harden the hearts of the people to stir them up to anger against you, that they will not believe my words . . . Yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them” (D&C 10:32, 63).
Only after we are truly converted, understand His doctrine, and have His Spirit are we blessed with a call to preach it. Premature assumption of this privilege to preach His gospel without true knowledge and understanding perpetuates error. The sons of Mosiah exemplified the process for obtaining a divine calling to preach in His name. They “waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer and fasting. Therefore they had the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:2–3).
Supposing we are called by God when we are called by men claiming His name is not foolproof. God calls us to preach His gospel when our knowledge is sufficient.
“Wo to the inhabitants of the world because of confusion.” Confusion reigns in “the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh” (1 Nephi 22:22). Satan’s kingdom has long ruled this world. After the flood cleansed the earth of wickedness, Nimrod built up many cities. “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel,” or Babylon (Genesis 10:10). “Jeremiah calls Babylon a ‘destroying mountain,’ an expression that in Hebrew also means a ‘corrupting’ or ‘decadent’ kingdom.”
Nimrod’s people built a temple tower to ensure a flood would never destroy the earth again, forgetting that “the Lord sits enthroned over the flood . . . as King forever” (Psalm 29:10, NIV). The Babylonians wanted to make a name for themselves, but underneath their efforts was rebellion against God. They cast off His kingdom for their kingdom saying, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4, NASB). An antichrist and archenemy of Abraham, Nimrod and his people built their own tower and city of refuge as an attempt to avoid God’s divine judgments. This greatly differed from Abraham, who “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).
Ironically, Babylon’s misguided efforts to avoid scattering resulted in their scattering and confusion. “That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages” (Genesis 11:9, NLT). Babel, if derived from balal, has dual meanings to anoint or consecrate but also to confound or confuse. What they thought was light was actually darkness.
Instead of worshipping God in His revealed manner, they sought to take ascension into their own hands by creating a city and tower made of bricks, not godliness. Their temple-tower took 43 years to build with phenomenal manpower. “Its height amounted to 5433 cubits and 2 palms” (Jubilees 10:21), about 1.5 miles high with innumerable stairs that took “a year to mount to the top.” The tower’s bricks were valued even more than life.
Babylon’s tower was built to “reach into heaven” (Genesis 11:4). Egyptian texts may explain Nimrod’s motive: “a staircase to heaven is laid for [the king] so that he may climb up to heaven thereby.” Also meaning ‘gate of God,’ Babel’s many stairs may be a counterfeit type of Jacob’s ladder at Bethel, meaning ‘house of God,’ the ‘gate of heaven.’
Possessing the stolen holy garment of Adam, Nimrod claimed divine kingship and priesthood but sought his own glory. It was
No matter how tall their tower, “confusion never can enter into the kingdom of heaven.” When darkness and confusion abound, Babylon is in full reign. Those who choose Babylon “provoke themselves to the confusion” (Jeremiah 7:19).
What men build, God will tear down. What men create, He will destroy. Babylon’s enormous tower was destroyed by “a great wind,” interesting imagery given that a destructive whirlwind comes as the result of blasphemous temple worship in the last days too. For their rebellion, God will “stretch the line of confusion over [their city] . . . There is no one there to call it a kingdom” (Isaiah 34:11–12, ESV). “They will name it ‘No Kingdom There’ and all its princes will come to nothing” (ISV).
Without His Spirit, “the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark” (Jeremiah 4:28, NIV). Light and truth overcome darkness and confusion. Only the humble recognize that today, as anciently,
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 . . . 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. (JST John 1:1–2, 4–5)Just as the JST equates the gospel with light, the KJV equates the world to darkness: “the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not” (John 1:5). Darkness results when we do not perceive, desire, or obtain light. Although “innocent in the beginning,” it does not take long before men refuse the light of Christ by getting distracted or holding to error. “Being careless with the truth opens the way to enslavement by falsehoods.” The error and lies we inherit fill the world with darkness and confusion.
[Darkness is] supported and urged on and upheld by the influence of that spirit which hath so strongly riveted the creeds of the fathers, who have inherited lies, upon the hearts of the children, and filled the world with confusion, and has been growing stronger and stronger, and is now the very mainspring of all corruption, and the whole earth groans under the weight of its iniquity.
It is an iron yoke, it is a strong band. They are the very handcuffs, and chains, and shackles, and fetters of hell. Dark and blackening deeds are enough to make hell itself shudder, and to stand aghast and pale, and the hands of the very devil to tremble and palsy. (D&C 123:7–10)The Dark Ages were just that—a long era of darkness where the light of truth was refused and corruption ruled nations, hard and rebellious hearts ruled people, and apostasy ruled religion. Simply put, “They were dark because they heard not the voice of the Lord” (Barnabas 8:7).
The early 1800s were a time of religious revival and enthusiasm, but still devoid of pure truth. Joseph Smith described the “great zeal manifested by the respective clergy,” but congregations were only “converted as they were pleased to call it . . . So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.” Even a slight deviance from truth eventually results in “a scene of great confusion” (JS–History 1:6, 8). Confusion came from the “impossible” act of knowing truth based on other’s claims. Joseph realized
that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to ‘ask of God,’ concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture. (JS–History 1:13)The Restoration began when Joseph sought truth from God instead of priests or people. Putting his faith in God, Joseph endured powerful darkness to see the light, which included knowing that all religions had become corrupt. Not asking God keeps us in darkness and confusion.
The same effort Joseph gave is required of all who seek eternal life. When Abraham turned to God, he also learned his people had strayed from what God revealed. Abraham, as a “lad, began understanding the straying of the land, that everyone went astray after graven images and after pollution” (Jubilees 11:16) so he prayed fervently to be saved from error. “My fathers, having turned from their righteousness, and from the holy commandments which the Lord their God had given unto them, unto the worshiping of the gods of the heathen, utterly refused to hearken to my voice; for their hearts were set to do evil and were wholly turned to” their own interests (Abraham 1:5–6).
Levi knew his posterity was not immune from apostasy and prophesied that they would become a people of “ungodliness and transgression . . . acting impiously, leading Israel astray, and stirring against it great evils from the Lord” (Testament of Levi 10:2).
In 1835, a few years after the light of the latter-day Restoration broke forth, Joseph said great darkness still overpowered the land.
Darkness prevails at this time as it did at the time Jesus Christ was about to be crucified. The powers of darkness strove to obscure the glorious Sun of righteousness that began to dawn upon the world and was soon to burst in great blessings upon the heads of the faithful; and let me tell you, brethren, that great blessings await us at this time, and will soon be poured out upon us, if we are faithful in all things, for we are even entitled to greater spiritual blessings than they were because they had Christ in person with them to instruct them in the great plan of salvation. His personal presence we have not, therefore we have need of greater faith.Darkness, the result of sin, is accompanied by uncertainty, disorder, and confusion. “Frauds and secret abominations and evil works of darkness . . . lead the minds of the weak and unwary into confusion and distraction.” Confusion distracts and disorients, leaving us unsure of the right way to God. David prayed it would not be his fate: “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion” (Psalm 71:1). “The Angel of Darkness leads all the children of righteousness astray and until his end, all their sin, iniquities, wickedness, and all their unlawful deeds are caused by his dominion in accordance with the mysteries of God . . . for all his allotted spirits seek the overthrow of the sons of light.” And the most effective way to create confusion is to diminish the light of truth. The true and living God “is not a God of disorder” (NLT) or “confusion” (NASB), “but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Condemnation is inevitable if we remain in darkness, confusion, unbelief, or “harden our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us” (Alma 12:13).
Behold, here is the agency of man and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation. (D&C 93:31–32)“Keep these sayings which I have commanded you that ye come not under condemnation; for wo unto him whom the Father condemneth” (3 Nephi 18:33). Condemnation is darkness, and darkness is confusion. The only remedy is to hear His voice.
By this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.
And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—that they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. (D&C 84:49–58)Taking His word ‘lightly’ means we do not give it appropriate weight or priority. It includes having an indifference, carelessness, or lack of concern for its importance. In 1832 the restored church was condemned for taking His word lightly. A decade later, rebuke came again.
We have been chastened by the hand of God heretofore for not obeying His commands, although we never violated any human law or transgressed any human precept. Yet we have treated lightly His commands and departed from His ordinances and the Lord has chastened us sore.Jesus reprimanded the Jews for neglecting “the weightier matters” (Matthew 23:23) because of their light-mindedness. “I am against them that . . . cause my people to err by their lies and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them. Therefore they shall not profit this people at all” (Jeremiah 23:32). Men are “weighed according to their light” (1 Enoch 43:2) so omitting weightier things has eternal consequence.
Confusion and disorder are tactics of the devil, who does “rage in the hearts of the children of men and stir them up to anger against that which is good” (2 Nephi 28:20). “Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16). The faithful are warned, “Satan will harden the hearts of the people to stir them up to anger against you, that they will not believe my words . . . Yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them” (D&C 10:32, 63).
Only after we are truly converted, understand His doctrine, and have His Spirit are we blessed with a call to preach it. Premature assumption of this privilege to preach His gospel without true knowledge and understanding perpetuates error. The sons of Mosiah exemplified the process for obtaining a divine calling to preach in His name. They “waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer and fasting. Therefore they had the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:2–3).
Supposing we are called by God when we are called by men claiming His name is not foolproof. God calls us to preach His gospel when our knowledge is sufficient.
I command you that you need not suppose that you are called to preach until you are called. Wait . . . until you shall have my word, my rock, my church, and my gospel, that you may know of a surety my doctrine. (D&C 11:15–16)If we do this, God promises “the gates of hell shall not prevail” against us (D&C 10:69). Nibley warns, “Those who fondly suppose that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail’ is a guarantee of the security of the church on this earth are inventing a doctrine diametrically opposed to the belief of the early church . . . Satan possesses the power of this world.” Those who do not obey or understand His gospel “shall stumble and they shall not prevail” (Jeremiah 20:11).
“Wo to the inhabitants of the world because of confusion.” Confusion reigns in “the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh” (1 Nephi 22:22). Satan’s kingdom has long ruled this world. After the flood cleansed the earth of wickedness, Nimrod built up many cities. “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel,” or Babylon (Genesis 10:10). “Jeremiah calls Babylon a ‘destroying mountain,’ an expression that in Hebrew also means a ‘corrupting’ or ‘decadent’ kingdom.”
Nimrod’s people built a temple tower to ensure a flood would never destroy the earth again, forgetting that “the Lord sits enthroned over the flood . . . as King forever” (Psalm 29:10, NIV). The Babylonians wanted to make a name for themselves, but underneath their efforts was rebellion against God. They cast off His kingdom for their kingdom saying, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4, NASB). An antichrist and archenemy of Abraham, Nimrod and his people built their own tower and city of refuge as an attempt to avoid God’s divine judgments. This greatly differed from Abraham, who “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).
Ironically, Babylon’s misguided efforts to avoid scattering resulted in their scattering and confusion. “That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages” (Genesis 11:9, NLT). Babel, if derived from balal, has dual meanings to anoint or consecrate but also to confound or confuse. What they thought was light was actually darkness.
Instead of worshipping God in His revealed manner, they sought to take ascension into their own hands by creating a city and tower made of bricks, not godliness. Their temple-tower took 43 years to build with phenomenal manpower. “Its height amounted to 5433 cubits and 2 palms” (Jubilees 10:21), about 1.5 miles high with innumerable stairs that took “a year to mount to the top.” The tower’s bricks were valued even more than life.
Babylon’s tower was built to “reach into heaven” (Genesis 11:4). Egyptian texts may explain Nimrod’s motive: “a staircase to heaven is laid for [the king] so that he may climb up to heaven thereby.” Also meaning ‘gate of God,’ Babel’s many stairs may be a counterfeit type of Jacob’s ladder at Bethel, meaning ‘house of God,’ the ‘gate of heaven.’
Possessing the stolen holy garment of Adam, Nimrod claimed divine kingship and priesthood but sought his own glory. It was
not enough that [Nimrod] turned men away from God, he did all he could to make them pay divine honors unto himself. He set himself up as a god and made a seat for himself in imitation of the seat of God.“The Lord came down to see the city and the tower” (Genesis 11:5). He found “none that doeth good . . . They are all gone aside” (Psalm 14:1, 3) so He considered the punishment. He scattered and “confounded the language of the people,” except the very few who asked Him (Ether 1:33).
No matter how tall their tower, “confusion never can enter into the kingdom of heaven.” When darkness and confusion abound, Babylon is in full reign. Those who choose Babylon “provoke themselves to the confusion” (Jeremiah 7:19).
What men build, God will tear down. What men create, He will destroy. Babylon’s enormous tower was destroyed by “a great wind,” interesting imagery given that a destructive whirlwind comes as the result of blasphemous temple worship in the last days too. For their rebellion, God will “stretch the line of confusion over [their city] . . . There is no one there to call it a kingdom” (Isaiah 34:11–12, ESV). “They will name it ‘No Kingdom There’ and all its princes will come to nothing” (ISV).
For My people are foolish, they know Me not. They are stupid children [who] have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, but to do good they do not know. I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. (Jeremiah 4:22–23, NASB)‘Confusion’ and ‘emptiness’ are the same words scripture uses to describe the earth as being “without form and void” when “darkness was upon” it. Only after “the Spirit of God moved upon” it was there light (Genesis 1:2), for “whatsoever is light is good” (Alma 32:35).
Without His Spirit, “the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark” (Jeremiah 4:28, NIV). Light and truth overcome darkness and confusion. Only the humble recognize that today, as anciently,
confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God. (Jeremiah 3:25)
For footnotes and references, click HERE.