"...Why are ye fearful o ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm."
We can all recognize this passage. Take a moment to process it.
First, "faith and fear cannot live simultaneously" (I know this is quoted from someone).
Second, storms especially in the ocean come in waves, how are they manifested in our lives?What storms in our life keep us from sleep (REST)? Are they really of great importance that even if death were imminent it would really be that bad?
It would if you didn't understand God's plan.
I never knew why the Savior would react in such a fashion. I'm sure he wasn't yelling at them when he made this statement or said it in a way that was condescending, but his words expressed such great disappointment that I'm sure it pierced even the strongest of the saints, his followers. I see it as the "the look" that mothers give that help us understand we're not following orders. The look that pierces the soul and helps steer us back to the sure path and gives us perspective. To another disciple the Lord said "Follow me; and let let the dead bury the dead" after the man had said "Suffer me first to go and bury my father".
Seems a little harsh no? But we know what he meant, his intentions. He knew God, he was God, and he could see the least of us and the greatest of us. All he did in his ministry was to invite us to put the world aside and serve with full intent. So, that we could live again. Salvation is for the living not the spiritually dead.
It's amazing that his words could be so straight forward and unquestionably thoughtful that you could not argue them or even get upset by them, if you knew that His intention was to serve God first. Sometimes all this work can seem cumbersome and overwhelming, but we have to remember that our eyes only see the present and that there is a veil not far distant, where all of our work from this life is made manifest by those that have already passed. Doctrine and Covenants teaches that "there is a time appointed of every man, according as his works shall be" (121:25) Which I understand that it means that as long as we are fulfilling not our will but that plan which the father laid out for us, then we will be allotted the time necessary to achieve our greatest potential. Regardless of the storms which beset us we should only set sights on the rest which will be given to us after we have passed from the test of our mortal existence. To Joseph Smith the Lord taught (D&C 122) And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if the fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge the way; and above all, id the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall five thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain abound with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore fear not what man (the world) can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever" (122:7-9). He promised that priesthood would remain with him, just as the apostles had in that same boat, when the Savior calmed the storm. It is important to recognize the council that we must set the world aside and rely on the Savior to protect and guide us in our mission as our days are known, as long as we are here fulfilling our purpose. The prophet Joseph Smith did as much as he could in the similitude of the Savior and as promised he received his glory and fulfilled more than any mortal man could have accomplished. I know this is true, in his name, Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Doctrine and Covenants 59: The "good things of the Earth"
Please read.
This revelation was given to Joseph Smith two years prior to section 89. It is every bit as inspiring as 89. I feel that because of the cunning of man, God had to be a little more specific about the uses of specific (foods and herbs) things. In 59:17 He states that he gives us the "good things" for our use. In 89 he uses the word "prudence". I seem to think that it comes down to what we learn of the nature of man from 121: 39. It is sad but true. It's for our protection and his love for us that God gives us bit and pieces of insight and with diligence and patience we can master ourselves to overcome our natural impulse and do our Father's will.
I have realized in my studies that we are each so uniquely different and are strengthened and weakened by different things (What is your Kryptonite?). So, when it comes to nutrition it's all about what feels good, not tastes good, but really FEELS right. "Yea, all these things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and enliven the soul. And it pleaseth God that the hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were the made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion. And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." (D&C 59:18-21). I think we need to look at this and say, that these commandments were given to us to that we act on but are not acted upon (2 NE 2:26). Think about it?
Side note:
So, If food is our weakness? And we allow for it to take hold of us and allow ourselves to indulge in it because we are in a weakened state, which later makes us feel worse, it is sin, no? So why then do we justify putting things into our body that are definitely not healthful and preach moderation, when it clearly debilitates our bodies to function appropriately? ugh...
I think Elder Widtsoe stated that it's easier to eliminate a food completely that is unhealthful than to eat it in moderation.
God wants to bless his children, but he cannot do so unless our offerings are in righteousness (D&C 128:24). And that we can confess our sins with humble hearts ( D&C 64: 7) and submit ourselves to His will. The blessings are never ending. D&C 89: "And all saints who remember to keep and so these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint." That's enough for me. We are here to strengthen ourselves, to overcome the forces of the destroyer, to find wisdom and joy. "Adam fell that men may be and men are that they might find joy." (2 NE 2: 25). I hope I can be an example of this kind of righteousness, because to whom much is given much is required (D&C 82:3). With a little faith I am sure I can achieve this. In his name, Jesus Christ.
This revelation was given to Joseph Smith two years prior to section 89. It is every bit as inspiring as 89. I feel that because of the cunning of man, God had to be a little more specific about the uses of specific (foods and herbs) things. In 59:17 He states that he gives us the "good things" for our use. In 89 he uses the word "prudence". I seem to think that it comes down to what we learn of the nature of man from 121: 39. It is sad but true. It's for our protection and his love for us that God gives us bit and pieces of insight and with diligence and patience we can master ourselves to overcome our natural impulse and do our Father's will.
I have realized in my studies that we are each so uniquely different and are strengthened and weakened by different things (What is your Kryptonite?). So, when it comes to nutrition it's all about what feels good, not tastes good, but really FEELS right. "Yea, all these things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and enliven the soul. And it pleaseth God that the hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were the made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion. And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." (D&C 59:18-21). I think we need to look at this and say, that these commandments were given to us to that we act on but are not acted upon (2 NE 2:26). Think about it?
Side note:
So, If food is our weakness? And we allow for it to take hold of us and allow ourselves to indulge in it because we are in a weakened state, which later makes us feel worse, it is sin, no? So why then do we justify putting things into our body that are definitely not healthful and preach moderation, when it clearly debilitates our bodies to function appropriately? ugh...
I think Elder Widtsoe stated that it's easier to eliminate a food completely that is unhealthful than to eat it in moderation.
God wants to bless his children, but he cannot do so unless our offerings are in righteousness (D&C 128:24). And that we can confess our sins with humble hearts ( D&C 64: 7) and submit ourselves to His will. The blessings are never ending. D&C 89: "And all saints who remember to keep and so these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint." That's enough for me. We are here to strengthen ourselves, to overcome the forces of the destroyer, to find wisdom and joy. "Adam fell that men may be and men are that they might find joy." (2 NE 2: 25). I hope I can be an example of this kind of righteousness, because to whom much is given much is required (D&C 82:3). With a little faith I am sure I can achieve this. In his name, Jesus Christ.
Today I feel ANGRY
Grrrr....I hate being angry. The feeling is like a stab that cuts you deeply into you heart and leaves such incredible pain and for some reason we hang on to it. I know it's a choice, but sometimes there is a grieving period that is necessary to overcome that incessant need to lash out and destroy something.
I can "shake it off",
I know it.
I just wish it never happened in the first place. It's so debilitating. I can't imagine how the Savior overcame such emotions, but I have been able to overcome it in other aspects of my life, so I know I can grow tolerance for those that are intolerant of EVERYTHING. I can't help but have a defense mechanism that is primeval and uncontrollable.
It's my weakness...
I can't stand people that have no consideration for others. That have no real grasp on life and are not merciful or empathetic on those that are working hard at making life easier on them. I wish I could be more like Ghandi, the Savior, and all others who have overcome the trivialities of human psyche and emotion. I have never felt such remorse for these feelings. I feel like an addict trying to overcome these feelings.
I can "shake it off",
I know it.
I just wish it never happened in the first place. It's so debilitating. I can't imagine how the Savior overcame such emotions, but I have been able to overcome it in other aspects of my life, so I know I can grow tolerance for those that are intolerant of EVERYTHING. I can't help but have a defense mechanism that is primeval and uncontrollable.
It's my weakness...
I can't stand people that have no consideration for others. That have no real grasp on life and are not merciful or empathetic on those that are working hard at making life easier on them. I wish I could be more like Ghandi, the Savior, and all others who have overcome the trivialities of human psyche and emotion. I have never felt such remorse for these feelings. I feel like an addict trying to overcome these feelings.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
To clean or not to clean, that is the question.
3 NEPHI 27:19 "And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom ; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness into the end. "
Since I've had children, I realize that I spend a lot of time organizing my house not necessarily cleaning but moving stuff up and down and all around. With every season, my needs change and there is a change of mind where something should go or how it should function; I guess that's natural. Change is good every now and again, it's renewing to our minds and opens doors to creativity; however, I do believe if I took the time to plan out the changes by making small adjustments as opposed to major overhauls, I would find that I could be more efficient with the time and energy spent maintaining my house. I have found that a house with less has more to give! How wonderful is our maker in his wisdom. Now I can be more precise when I clean and I can put away my laundry quicker, it's such an incredible blessing.
Less is definitely more.
Well, how can this principle work in our lives? Let me make it simple. Less time fussing over temporal things, means that you have more time with the Savior, your family, and friends. Therefore, order in your home requires 1. Purging the excess 2. Planning your day 3. Delegating chores 4. Being consistent and then when the time comes to do a deep clean in your home, it won't be complicated, painful, or very time consuming. The more we allow the world to pile up on us, the more time we have to spend digging ourselves out of that mess. See where this is going?
I felt the spirit indicate to me that this was definitely the next post. I wanted to call it "my house" but it no longer seemed fitting, since it is the "The Lord's house" He created it and then gave us the stewardship and the agency to do as we please with it. We cannot imagine the magnitude of responsibility that was placed on us before coming to this life. We recognize that we acquire knowledge in the trials that we pass, but there is wisdom in process to overcome tribulation (Doctrine and Covenants 127:2). Acquiring wisdom from trials is like deep cleaning a house. In order to attain it, you have to take the junk out, get organized and then put your gloves on. That's why it's important to simplify. Simplification is the basics. I was talking to my husband and I said, "You know, life is one big circle: For example, here we are and the Lord gave us herbs to cure all manner of illness (Alma 46:40), we then create a title for someone that can cure us called a Doctor, who then realizes that the body is complex and requires all sort of study and experimentation, fast forward, we get pharmaceuticals, surgery,etc...forward a little more, now we realize that too much medicine has side effects, medicine is only to be taken short term, even Tylenol causes cancer, and we end up back to simplifying our ways, chicken soup it is!" You gotta laugh about that. We are not smart, we're just curious and the Lord entertains us.
So, what does my house look like? I look around and I see projects that have yet to be completed. I think we can all attest to that. I sit and I plan and I desire to do something about it, but I busy myself with other things and then it starts all over. I finally realized that I needed to spend some time thinking about what I do all day that impedes me from creating a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of learning. I learned that I could have that, if I spent a little less time organizing and a little more time cleaning. "Just do it!" It's not that hard to start it even if you don't know exactly how it all plays out. In the end, you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment from doing something, that sitting there planning and waiting for the process to be made perfectly clear in your mind. I'm not saying that having a plan is bad, but the most important is the end goal, the process will be made clear in your mind as you strive to have the Spirit with you (Doctrine and Covenants 124:97).
Since I've had children, I realize that I spend a lot of time organizing my house not necessarily cleaning but moving stuff up and down and all around. With every season, my needs change and there is a change of mind where something should go or how it should function; I guess that's natural. Change is good every now and again, it's renewing to our minds and opens doors to creativity; however, I do believe if I took the time to plan out the changes by making small adjustments as opposed to major overhauls, I would find that I could be more efficient with the time and energy spent maintaining my house. I have found that a house with less has more to give! How wonderful is our maker in his wisdom. Now I can be more precise when I clean and I can put away my laundry quicker, it's such an incredible blessing.
Less is definitely more.
Well, how can this principle work in our lives? Let me make it simple. Less time fussing over temporal things, means that you have more time with the Savior, your family, and friends. Therefore, order in your home requires 1. Purging the excess 2. Planning your day 3. Delegating chores 4. Being consistent and then when the time comes to do a deep clean in your home, it won't be complicated, painful, or very time consuming. The more we allow the world to pile up on us, the more time we have to spend digging ourselves out of that mess. See where this is going?
I felt the spirit indicate to me that this was definitely the next post. I wanted to call it "my house" but it no longer seemed fitting, since it is the "The Lord's house" He created it and then gave us the stewardship and the agency to do as we please with it. We cannot imagine the magnitude of responsibility that was placed on us before coming to this life. We recognize that we acquire knowledge in the trials that we pass, but there is wisdom in process to overcome tribulation (Doctrine and Covenants 127:2). Acquiring wisdom from trials is like deep cleaning a house. In order to attain it, you have to take the junk out, get organized and then put your gloves on. That's why it's important to simplify. Simplification is the basics. I was talking to my husband and I said, "You know, life is one big circle: For example, here we are and the Lord gave us herbs to cure all manner of illness (Alma 46:40), we then create a title for someone that can cure us called a Doctor, who then realizes that the body is complex and requires all sort of study and experimentation, fast forward, we get pharmaceuticals, surgery,etc...forward a little more, now we realize that too much medicine has side effects, medicine is only to be taken short term, even Tylenol causes cancer, and we end up back to simplifying our ways, chicken soup it is!" You gotta laugh about that. We are not smart, we're just curious and the Lord entertains us.
So, what does my house look like? I look around and I see projects that have yet to be completed. I think we can all attest to that. I sit and I plan and I desire to do something about it, but I busy myself with other things and then it starts all over. I finally realized that I needed to spend some time thinking about what I do all day that impedes me from creating a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of learning. I learned that I could have that, if I spent a little less time organizing and a little more time cleaning. "Just do it!" It's not that hard to start it even if you don't know exactly how it all plays out. In the end, you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment from doing something, that sitting there planning and waiting for the process to be made perfectly clear in your mind. I'm not saying that having a plan is bad, but the most important is the end goal, the process will be made clear in your mind as you strive to have the Spirit with you (Doctrine and Covenants 124:97).
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Fanatical
I have come to terms with the fact that I'm a bit fanatical about health, all aspects of it. I find that discovering the inner workings of our mind and body are always completely interconnected and our knowledge of that empowers us to use our temples to its maximum capacity. It's like buying a computer and only using it for the "office components" such as word, excel, etc, when in reality it can serve you in so many other capacities. Basically, it comes down to reading the manual.
Nevertheless, I am glad that I was never a trained physician because it breaks down our well being down to the cellular level, which takes away the greater purpose of the human body, and trust me, the body as a whole functions very differently than its separate components. I don't think the medical community knows much about overall health, but don't get me wrong, I do believe they know how to fix a broken person. Nevertheless, when it comes to our day to day well being, that's entirely up to us to know how to manage. Health is a practice. We must study it and live it in order to appreciate it.
As I pondered that concept, I was thinking, hey, so is Faith. Although the medical community's focus is not on preventive care; the church helps us achieve great faith by teaching us the principles that strengthen the building blocks of faith, which is achieved by the simple act of obedience.
There are perfectly practical and good ways of restoring and building faith, which require time and effort. This effort comes from our heart-felt desire to do the will of the Father. If there is no work involved in faith, then what would you value?
I was doing a Pilates video a few days ago and before the whole hour long session began, the teacher focused on teaching us about perfect breathing and posture, and then she made sure that you focused on how it felt as opposed to how it looked, which is necessary because we are all different, right? I was thoroughly convinced that I was having a spiritual revival, I finally got it. I finally understood and valued where I was in my practice (spiritual). We are all at different levels spiritually; however, the level is determined by your understanding, application and commitment to that principle. As we apply any one principle into our lives, we can learn how it functions in the "big picture" and then we acquire a testimony. Our testimony is a manifestation of this practice and as we become more committed to our application of "the gospel" we awaken our spiritual potential.
She also talked about your weak spots and how you have to embrace them and appreciate where you are in that particular pose. I was taken away in the moment. I realized that it all worked together. Adversity is essential in unlocking the power of faith. If not, we would take it for granted and just assume that it's there for us. If there is no work, there is no faith. The work that we do is not necessarily graded but it shows our commitment to the work that we are asked to do in this life, any effort on our part builds faith. So, when someone presents me with the argument that the atonement is for everyone and we believe in works, which is not the ways of the Lord; I could respond by saying, " well yes, because faith without works is dead". You cannot grow without strengthening the muscles of faith and thus you won't be prepared to receive the glory which is our Father's in the life to come.
I know my Savior came and died for us, so that we could grow our testimony of Him that gives us all, even our Father in Heaven. We must embrace the challenges that are given us as opportunities to strengthen character and spirit, which demonstrates our commitment to the Saviour's work. That is the glory of our Father, which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Of this I bear witness, In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Nevertheless, I am glad that I was never a trained physician because it breaks down our well being down to the cellular level, which takes away the greater purpose of the human body, and trust me, the body as a whole functions very differently than its separate components. I don't think the medical community knows much about overall health, but don't get me wrong, I do believe they know how to fix a broken person. Nevertheless, when it comes to our day to day well being, that's entirely up to us to know how to manage. Health is a practice. We must study it and live it in order to appreciate it.
As I pondered that concept, I was thinking, hey, so is Faith. Although the medical community's focus is not on preventive care; the church helps us achieve great faith by teaching us the principles that strengthen the building blocks of faith, which is achieved by the simple act of obedience.
There are perfectly practical and good ways of restoring and building faith, which require time and effort. This effort comes from our heart-felt desire to do the will of the Father. If there is no work involved in faith, then what would you value?
I was doing a Pilates video a few days ago and before the whole hour long session began, the teacher focused on teaching us about perfect breathing and posture, and then she made sure that you focused on how it felt as opposed to how it looked, which is necessary because we are all different, right? I was thoroughly convinced that I was having a spiritual revival, I finally got it. I finally understood and valued where I was in my practice (spiritual). We are all at different levels spiritually; however, the level is determined by your understanding, application and commitment to that principle. As we apply any one principle into our lives, we can learn how it functions in the "big picture" and then we acquire a testimony. Our testimony is a manifestation of this practice and as we become more committed to our application of "the gospel" we awaken our spiritual potential.
She also talked about your weak spots and how you have to embrace them and appreciate where you are in that particular pose. I was taken away in the moment. I realized that it all worked together. Adversity is essential in unlocking the power of faith. If not, we would take it for granted and just assume that it's there for us. If there is no work, there is no faith. The work that we do is not necessarily graded but it shows our commitment to the work that we are asked to do in this life, any effort on our part builds faith. So, when someone presents me with the argument that the atonement is for everyone and we believe in works, which is not the ways of the Lord; I could respond by saying, " well yes, because faith without works is dead". You cannot grow without strengthening the muscles of faith and thus you won't be prepared to receive the glory which is our Father's in the life to come.
I know my Savior came and died for us, so that we could grow our testimony of Him that gives us all, even our Father in Heaven. We must embrace the challenges that are given us as opportunities to strengthen character and spirit, which demonstrates our commitment to the Saviour's work. That is the glory of our Father, which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Of this I bear witness, In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Glory...Scriptural definition of...God's Glory...Grace...which is which?
A question was pressed upon my mind yesterday and my 20 minute scripture study turned into an hour long search for the meaning of Grace, which led me to the meaning of Glory. In Doctrine and Covenants 93 John the baptist testifies of the Savior saying that "he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace...and thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not the fulness at the First."
As Heavenly Father's firstborn, the Savior had to prove himself in mortality as well as in the pre-mortal life. He was begotten of the father, the Savior had to endure temptations as we did, and it was necessary for him to be begotten of the Father so that he could overcome the trials and temptations of this life and receive the fulness of his glory. At this stage in the game, none of us are able to receive that glory, we know from the scriptures of prophet's personal encounters with God, that we would perish because of our flesh but the Savior was his son in the flesh and therefore he did receive it.
"And I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one- The Father because he gave me of his fulness , and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men." (D&C 93:4)
This scripture shows us how perfectly planned our Earthly existence was that our Father knew that the Savior had to be His literal offspring, so that we could have hope. This puts into perspective how difficult our trials are in this life that the Savior had to be of royal "spiritual" decent to overcome the world. Grace for grace is exactly this: our ability to overcome temptations by putting our Father's needs before our own, which is why charity is such an important characteristic in the process of sanctification. We must literally "clothe ourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace." (D&C 88:125) Wow, we must become charity, we must become our Savior...As we do so, we are "quickened in Him" (D&C 88:50), "preserved by His law" (D&C 88:34) "that you might come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness" (D&C93:19).
"For behold, this is my work and my glory -to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)
I couldn't have described glory in a better way. We are here to bring God's glory into the world. We are preparing the way for the Savior to reign in this world. His death was the greatest act of charity that anyone could have given humankind. By this point in His ministry, he had received the fulness of his Father's glory, or he "saw the big picture" and submitted himself to the plan as the leading role of pure martyrdom. As he looked upward with faith he was able to realize that no matter how difficult the challenges of this life were, death was just a part of the bigger plan and he was willing to sacrifice it all, so that he could bring to pass" the immortality and eternal life of man". So, I ask myself, where do I fit into this great plan? And am I a willing servant and diligent in pursuing my potential?
I've seen this scripture used many times in the church and for the most part the manner in which it is used remains the same, which is to show God's love for his children. It shows us that His joy comes purely from watching His children progress and develop a lasting bond with Him through covenant-making and perseverance. The bond that is forged in this life is the bond of charity and our willingness to live according to His laws and covenants. His glory, as stated above, is to have us return to His presence and live forever in joy. In order to accomplish this, we must do His will through good works(grace) in this life. He manifests His power through our grace (benevolence) for His Children.
Glory is our renewal and our reward and grace is the enabling power which he gives us to fulfill His work. The Savior retells of his mortality, "I was in the world and received of my Father, and the works of him were plainly manifest" (D&C 93:5). The third article of faith states "We believe that through the atonement of Christ all man kind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel". Saving ordinances are the bond that keep us affixed to the glory of God. Once we have done the work for ourselves, Heavenly Father provided a way for us to bring that joy to those who have passed from their Earthly existence and into the next life without knowledge or means to receive salvation in the flesh through living ordinances. We achieve this when we maintain our eye single to the glory of the Father and our " whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you. and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things"(D&C 97: 8). "Verily I (Savior) say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice-yea, every sacrifice which I the Lord, shall command-they are accepted of me".
Amen.
As Heavenly Father's firstborn, the Savior had to prove himself in mortality as well as in the pre-mortal life. He was begotten of the father, the Savior had to endure temptations as we did, and it was necessary for him to be begotten of the Father so that he could overcome the trials and temptations of this life and receive the fulness of his glory. At this stage in the game, none of us are able to receive that glory, we know from the scriptures of prophet's personal encounters with God, that we would perish because of our flesh but the Savior was his son in the flesh and therefore he did receive it.
"And I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one- The Father because he gave me of his fulness , and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men." (D&C 93:4)
This scripture shows us how perfectly planned our Earthly existence was that our Father knew that the Savior had to be His literal offspring, so that we could have hope. This puts into perspective how difficult our trials are in this life that the Savior had to be of royal "spiritual" decent to overcome the world. Grace for grace is exactly this: our ability to overcome temptations by putting our Father's needs before our own, which is why charity is such an important characteristic in the process of sanctification. We must literally "clothe ourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace." (D&C 88:125) Wow, we must become charity, we must become our Savior...As we do so, we are "quickened in Him" (D&C 88:50), "preserved by His law" (D&C 88:34) "that you might come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness" (D&C93:19).
"For behold, this is my work and my glory -to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)
I couldn't have described glory in a better way. We are here to bring God's glory into the world. We are preparing the way for the Savior to reign in this world. His death was the greatest act of charity that anyone could have given humankind. By this point in His ministry, he had received the fulness of his Father's glory, or he "saw the big picture" and submitted himself to the plan as the leading role of pure martyrdom. As he looked upward with faith he was able to realize that no matter how difficult the challenges of this life were, death was just a part of the bigger plan and he was willing to sacrifice it all, so that he could bring to pass" the immortality and eternal life of man". So, I ask myself, where do I fit into this great plan? And am I a willing servant and diligent in pursuing my potential?
I've seen this scripture used many times in the church and for the most part the manner in which it is used remains the same, which is to show God's love for his children. It shows us that His joy comes purely from watching His children progress and develop a lasting bond with Him through covenant-making and perseverance. The bond that is forged in this life is the bond of charity and our willingness to live according to His laws and covenants. His glory, as stated above, is to have us return to His presence and live forever in joy. In order to accomplish this, we must do His will through good works(grace) in this life. He manifests His power through our grace (benevolence) for His Children.
Glory is our renewal and our reward and grace is the enabling power which he gives us to fulfill His work. The Savior retells of his mortality, "I was in the world and received of my Father, and the works of him were plainly manifest" (D&C 93:5). The third article of faith states "We believe that through the atonement of Christ all man kind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel". Saving ordinances are the bond that keep us affixed to the glory of God. Once we have done the work for ourselves, Heavenly Father provided a way for us to bring that joy to those who have passed from their Earthly existence and into the next life without knowledge or means to receive salvation in the flesh through living ordinances. We achieve this when we maintain our eye single to the glory of the Father and our " whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you. and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things"(D&C 97: 8). "Verily I (Savior) say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice-yea, every sacrifice which I the Lord, shall command-they are accepted of me".
Amen.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
God's law
Adjectives to describe this law:
Infinite, perfect, even Jesus Christ.
Could you say that Christ is the law? He is that which quickens all things. He is the word, he is knowledge, light, truth; he is the law that set order to things (intelligence), which is the simplest spiritual unit. So, again it boils down to believing Christ. We discover that no one in this world is exempt from this law. We have to follow his word and his example, and covenant to be what he needs us to be and give the glory back to our Father in Heaven. As we give that glory back to the Father, we then receive that same glory in return after our mortal existence and "your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened" (D&C 88:28).
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GLORY? Light, knowledge, family, happiness?
I would venture to say that it is respect, honour and trust to have that light, knowledge and family, which all lead to joy. God needs to see that we trust Him first and then he gives us, with that same measure of faith, trust in return. We are entrusted with the responsibilities that were once ours, when the councils of Heaven planned our path of return. We are able to take back that which is rightfully ours, as we give up the things of this world and see beyond the scope of this life and look to the windows of Heaven to fill the measure of our creation.
What is to give up Glory?
Giving up glory just means having humility and gratitude. These gifts are not inherent in all of us, but they are incredible traits that we can develop as we recognize our deficiencies and work toward strengthening the talents that we do possess to the benefit of God and mankind. Once we recognize these problems we can work around or through them and strengthen those gifts that we do have. For example, if you're missing a thumb, don't you think that you can strengthen other muscles and fingers to do what your thumb would have done? In a spiritual sense, we do this by recognizing the Saviour as God's son, recognizing the cleansing power of His sacrifice and accepting Him into our hearts; pledging our entire beings to His service, which is the redemption of all mankind.
This leads to the idea of being quickened...
To be quickened, in my mind, means to have purpose, to fill a void, to be energized by something greater than ourselves. When we serve God first, we are quickened by the fire and joy that burns in our bosoms that we are doing something for the greater good. I am so grateful for the knowledge that has been given to me by the Spirit of truth that has been sent forth by a merciful Father who loves His children and wants to give freely to all. I pray that all who come to this knowledge can sing praises to Him who gave us all, that we may find joy in this life, this day. I leave this in our Saviour's name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
Infinite, perfect, even Jesus Christ.
Could you say that Christ is the law? He is that which quickens all things. He is the word, he is knowledge, light, truth; he is the law that set order to things (intelligence), which is the simplest spiritual unit. So, again it boils down to believing Christ. We discover that no one in this world is exempt from this law. We have to follow his word and his example, and covenant to be what he needs us to be and give the glory back to our Father in Heaven. As we give that glory back to the Father, we then receive that same glory in return after our mortal existence and "your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened" (D&C 88:28).
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GLORY? Light, knowledge, family, happiness?
I would venture to say that it is respect, honour and trust to have that light, knowledge and family, which all lead to joy. God needs to see that we trust Him first and then he gives us, with that same measure of faith, trust in return. We are entrusted with the responsibilities that were once ours, when the councils of Heaven planned our path of return. We are able to take back that which is rightfully ours, as we give up the things of this world and see beyond the scope of this life and look to the windows of Heaven to fill the measure of our creation.
What is to give up Glory?
Giving up glory just means having humility and gratitude. These gifts are not inherent in all of us, but they are incredible traits that we can develop as we recognize our deficiencies and work toward strengthening the talents that we do possess to the benefit of God and mankind. Once we recognize these problems we can work around or through them and strengthen those gifts that we do have. For example, if you're missing a thumb, don't you think that you can strengthen other muscles and fingers to do what your thumb would have done? In a spiritual sense, we do this by recognizing the Saviour as God's son, recognizing the cleansing power of His sacrifice and accepting Him into our hearts; pledging our entire beings to His service, which is the redemption of all mankind.
This leads to the idea of being quickened...
To be quickened, in my mind, means to have purpose, to fill a void, to be energized by something greater than ourselves. When we serve God first, we are quickened by the fire and joy that burns in our bosoms that we are doing something for the greater good. I am so grateful for the knowledge that has been given to me by the Spirit of truth that has been sent forth by a merciful Father who loves His children and wants to give freely to all. I pray that all who come to this knowledge can sing praises to Him who gave us all, that we may find joy in this life, this day. I leave this in our Saviour's name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
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