Divine language: thee, thou, thine, etc.

In 1993, then elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave a talk entitled, "The Language of Prayer" which explains that:

"The words we use in speaking to someone can identify the nature of our relationship to that person. They can also remind speaker and listener of the responsibilities they owe one another in that relationship. The form of address can also serve as a mark of respect or affection."

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, elder Oaks, Divine language: thee, thou, thine, etc.

Ironically, and confusingly for many members of God's family, there is a hidden divine intimacy in biblical language (a phrase that I've borrowed from a Roman Catholic web author -- Joe Heshmeyer) that many look down-on or even disdain. "Modern English conceals the intimacy with which we can speak to God" that almost all speakers of Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian) understand, inherantly (because that is the language that they were born speaking and continue to speak trough their childhood) that there are two differnet pronouns to expres a formal or an informal relationship.

When you are learning or grow-up speaking one of these languages (and I am familiar only with this because I speak italian) there is a "mode" of speaking to another person that is understood as defining of a level of intimacy with that person. For example, if you start a conversation with a stranger, you would never use an informal mode or speak with them informally, as if they were part of your family, just as I found that one would never address a child (small or not) with formal speach--they would not understand you and may be frightened and run away! Using a proper congugation of speech completely changes the way that speakers are understood.

This being the case, it only made perfect sense that children and young missionaries learned to talk to or address their Father in Heaven using an informal mode or tense, as a child/Father would use.

The irony, mentioned earlier, comes when misgueded prayers are formed by those wanting a more intimate relationship yet using a very impersonal language.

"Many people, especially of the older generation, have always assumed that the usage of "thee/thou" is purely for­mal, or even gold-plated formal, and that "you" is informal, or inferior to "thee." In 1951, I, too, believed that "thee/thou/thine" stood for reverential formality; after all, the venerable King James Version used them, did it not? But I had overlooked the fact that "thy" was used informally. In Luke 8:30 we read (KJV): "What is thy name? And he said Legion." In Matthew 1:20 the angel speaks: "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife."

Contrast this usage with "you": "For the poor always ye have with you" (John 12:8). "Blessed are ye when (men) shall revile you" (Matthew 5:11). "For I say unto you..." (Matthew 5:20). The use of "you" in these cases is plural."

...it can be rightly said that when the informal/intimate usage of "thee/thou" slowly lost ground in spoken English, a few centuries ago, the formal "you" gained general acceptance at the same pace. With the loss of "thee/thou," the distinctions of the English address forms slowly faded away, and the use of "you" became more and more prevalent and generic."

JPS

Man's lifespan length changed?

Adam, the first man, lived to be 930 years old. Methusalah, in the bible was the son of Enoch, and was the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah, lived to be nine-hundred-sixty-nine years old (969). He was the longest life recorded in the bible. However, in Genesis 6:3 we are told that, "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years" and in the Book of Mormon we read in the book of 2 Nephi, chapter 2, verse 21, "And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation⁠, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men."

Is there a contradiction in that?

If Genesis 6:3 is a countdown to the flood, Methuselah's long life ends right before or when the flood begins (some believe the exact year). After the flood, lifespans significantly shortened. Noah's son, Shem, for example, lived for 600 years, a considerable decrease from his father's 950, Abraham's father, Terah, lived to be 205, and Moses only 120. From Shem (600) to Peleg (239): lifespan is nearly cut in half. By the time of Joseph (who only lived for 110 years!), lifespans are well below 120. Around the time of Eber to Peleg (5–6 generations after the Flood), lifespans fell below 500 years and never rose again. The nine disciples of Jesus Christ, in third Nephi in the Book of Mormom, other than the three Nephites who desired to live on Earth until the Savior returns, lived only to "the life of a tree", or in 3 Nephi 28:3 or seventy two years old. Today, in the year 2025, the life expectancy of man is 73-74 years old. The decline in human lifespans after the Flood is gradual, not immediate.

So, the truth is: each and every man or woman lives until they've been fully tested, that they can then finish preparations in Spirit prison or Paradise (see Alma chapter 42)...

And, there you have it...

JPS

Jesus Christ’s compassion and mercy

It is easy to feel sorry for those that have sinned; they are essentially sick (and who doesn't or can't feel sorry for anyone who's sick?)! No matter what they've done or are even continually choosing to do, they are just choosing or have chosen to be sick/infected... "Bigotry manifests itself, in part, in unwillingness to grant equal freedom of expression to another", Elder Dale G. Renlund. We must understand and emulate our Heavenly Father's eternal separation between the sin and those who commit sin. As we become closer to Jesus Christ, "... we learn to treat others as He does, regardless of any outward characteristic or behavior." Look at Elder Renlund's analogy from April 2017 to Les Miserables: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/our-good-shepherd?lang=eng Jean Valjean is the sick/sinner and the Bienvenu Myriel, the bishop of Digne, is Christ. “All the same, should the scabs of the sheep cause the shepherd to recoil?” The bishop asks, metaphorically! "The Savior’s mortal ministry was indeed characterized by love, compassion, and empathy. He did not disdainfully walk the dusty roads of Galilee and Judea, flinching at the sight of sinners. He did not dodge them in abject horror. No, He ate with them. He helped and blessed, lifted and edified, and replaced fear and despair with hope and joy. Like the true shepherd He is, He seeks us and finds us to offer relief and hope. Understanding His compassion and love helps us exercise faith in Him—to repent and be healed." "... our genuine conversion brings 'meekness, and lowliness of heart,' which invites 'the Holy Ghost [and fills us with] perfect love,' an 'unfeigned love' for others." We need to go to those who need help--rest-homes, care-centers, homeless-shelters, soup-kitchens... We need to be willing seek-out missionary opportunities as directed by the Spirit--also need to remember that we're not full-time missionaries or general authorities... Be out-of-comfort-zone!!! Till it becomes our comfort zone... "Understanding His compassion and love helps us exercise faith in Him—to repent and be healed... Our role is also to help and bless, lift and edify, and replace fear and despair with hope and joy." We can motivate people to change by our compassion and mercy, just as the Savior did! "The Savior’s compassion, love, and mercy draw us toward Him... [And] through His Atonement, we are no longer satisfied with our sinful state. As we understand His role, through doing as He has done, we become more like Him and naturally do more of His work, which helps us become more like Him. ... The fastest way to become like our Savior is to do His work--as we do His work, we will repent more and understand Him and our Heavenly Father more... “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” "She was motivated to change because of His compassion and mercy." "And the woman glorified God from that hour, and believed on his name.” JST John 8:11 "God is clear about what is right and acceptable to Him and what is wrong and sinful. This is not because He desires to have mindless, obedient followers. No, our Heavenly Father desires that His children knowingly and willingly choose to become like Him and qualify for the kind of life He enjoys." "Our role is also to help and bless, lift and edify, and replace fear and despair with hope and joy." JPS

Covenant Power

How do we access God's Power through making and keeping our covenants?

God has an infinite amount of love for His children. Because Our Heavenly Father's love is infinite, He can and does have an infinite love for each one of His children. He wants to share the infiniate power that He has, as God of the Universe, with us. How can He share that power with us? The only way that we can share in and be able to use that power is through the covenants that He makes with us infividually and as families.

In his talk, given in October of 2011, then Elder Russell M. Nelson, explained: "It is a sacred promise with God. He fixes the terms. Each person may choose to accept those terms. If one accepts the terms of the covenant and obeys God’s law, he or she receives the blessings associated with the covenant. We know that 'when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.'"

The most obvious example of this principle is when God, throughout the ages has made covenants with His children. His covenants occur throughout the entire plan of salvation and are therefore part of the fulness of His gospel. For example, God promised to send a Savior for His children, to be acle to return to live with Him, and He has asked us, in turn for our obedience to His law.

What about day-to-day power and blessings? It, actually, comes through the exact same method: His Son. We are given access to His power, through that blessing of Jesus Christ!

What power do they give us?

Through His atonement, we are each given Power over Death, Power over Sin, and Power to Do-More-than-we-otherwise-would-be-able-to-without-His-Power. So, we would each be resurrected in the final judgement and given perfect, immortal bodies--never to die again. We would be given the blessing of forgiveness and thus be able to become clean and able to enter into reive forgivness for our sins and mistakes as we show our Savior and Redeemer that we have repented and ask for His forgivenes.

The third power is what is oftentimes called "grace" in this world (although, each and every gift that is given to us by our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, can be called, "grace": Power over Death, through the grace of Jesus Christ, Power over Sin, through the grace of Jesus Christ, and Power to Do-More-than-we-otherwise-would-be-able-to-without-His-Power, through the grace of Jesus Christ).

Way back in 2014, Elder David A. Bednar gave a memorable talk regarding a friend who had decided he would cut and haul a supply of firewood for their home from a nearby forest with a newly purchased truck. Remember that talk? It is one of my favorites!

I quote from the talk:

"... [My] friend wanted to demonstrate the utility of the truck and validate his reasons for wanting to purchase it. So he decided he would cut and haul a supply of firewood for their home. It was in the autumn of the year, and snow already had fallen in the mountains where he intended to find wood. As he drove up the mountainside, the snow gradually became deeper and deeper. My friend recognized the slick road conditions presented a risk, but with great confidence in the new truck, he kept going.

Sadly, my friend went too far along the snowy road. As he steered the truck off of the road at the place he had determined to cut wood, he got stuck. All four of the wheels on the new truck spun in the snow. He readily recognized that he did not know what to do to extricate himself from this dangerous situation. He was embarrassed and worried.

Can't we all see ourselves in this or a similar situation? I know that I can!

My friend decided, “Well, I will not just sit here.” He climbed out of the vehicle and started cutting wood. He completely filled the back of the truck with the heavy load. And then my friend determined he would try driving out of the snow one more time. As he put the pickup into gear and applied power, he started to inch forward. Slowly the truck moved out of the snow and back onto the road. He finally was free to go home, a happy and humbled man."

It was the weight from the load that enabled the friend of Elder Bednar to escape his dire predicament. Without the weight from the wood that he'd just cut down from the trees, his truck would not have and could not have found the traction needed to move forward, to drive out of the forest, and to get back onto the road that would take him home.

I quote again from the talk: "Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints."

We all know that the obstacles of death and sin will keep us from returning to live with our families and with our Savior and Heavenly Father. All will be resurrected. All who want and have faith enough will receive forgivness as they ask for it. The power of Jesus Christ is essential and necessary for that. Elder Bednar reminds us or maybe points-out another obstacle that would keep us from returning to God, Christ, and our families, though (and for me, this was the first time I had actually recognized this obstacle): Christ's atonement gives me Power to Do-More-than-I-otherwise-would-be-able-to-without-His-Power!

In Matthew 11:28–30, the Savior said:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”.

Haven't we all, me included, felt our individual loads of demands from school and work and family obligations and financial stresses other obligations, afflictions from stress, other mental illnesses or fatigues, and even the weight that comes to us from our blessings and options? The weight that comes from constraints and even opportunities and privileges? Social weight?

Elder Bednar says, again,

A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals that enables them to pull together on a load. A yoke places animals side-by-side so they can move together in order to accomplish a task.

Consider the Lord’s uniquely individual invitation to “take my yoke upon you.” Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with His. As we trust in and pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

How have you felt power from your covenants in your own life?

JPS

Are you fluent in the language of the Spirit; the language of God?

In first Nephi, chapter 11, verse 11, we read, "And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another."

Nephi had already learned the language of the Spirit and knew how to communicate with him... And, now, in a dream or vision, they are able to speak and have a conversation just as you would have in person, on Earth (or in person on God’s planet [Kolob?]).

JPS

Can man see more than one member of the Godhead at the same time?

Sure, in cases like John the baptist at Christ's baptism or with Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove... Or in verse 1 Nephi 11:27 where Nephi sees Christ and the Holy Ghost (with the Father recognizing the Son--which is exactly like John the Baptist...). But what about 1 Nephi 11:12 (where the Holy Ghost had gone before Nephi's presence when the Virgin was with child...) or how the disciples aren't given the Holy Ghost till after Christ is no longer with them! -- in the economy of God, I just don't think that man needs more than one member of the Godhead there at once (redundant?)!

Just as scriptures are not re-translated if it's possible to get your hands on the already-existing copy! Is there another reason why no more than one member of the Godhead is usually seen at once?

Later, in that same chapter, chapter 11 of 1 Nephi, in verse 21, it says, "21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father⁠! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?" Which First time Nephi calls the Spirit or refers to an “angel”... which coincides with what I say about God can’t be at the same place at the same time—God the Father, God the Son, or God the testator...

The Holy Ghost was talking to Nephi till this verse, when Christ is in the picture, and now “the angel” is used... may still be The Holy Ghost, but Nephi refers to him as “the angel”...

And in verse, 12 of 1 Nephi, chapter 11, we read, "And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence."

As if both thr Spirit and the Son of God both be in the same place, both being seen by the same mortal being on a mortal plane

Who can tell me why?

Actually, I think I know why... It is because Jesus is going to come-on-the-scene in thr next verse and then stay for the duration of the chaoter... Can't have two Gods in the same place, at the same time, for no special teason... Must have something to do with the economy of God!

Actually, every time that Jesus Christ or God the Father reveal themselves to man, the Holy Ghost will also be there, and, God the Father often or always makes an introduction of His Son when the second comforter is given...

JPS

Sins of Omission

Probably, even though not much is said about sins of omission an omission is not the same as a comission...

For example, letting someone die because you don't do all you can to save them is not the same as killing them... Or is it? Neither of them is murder because there was no intent to kill them, but negligence could be considered like unto murder or something like it.

I guess the bottom line is: just don't do it (or just don't not do it in the case of omission...).

I frankly don't want to be involved! I don't want to be a judge in this situation... Put me through law school, heal my brain from the affects of the traumatic brain injury first, appoint me an elect me to be a judge, and put this case on trial and I'll gladly be the judge, but not right now...

Just do the right thing in every case! Just do it!

We all know when we'e done solething that's a sin. But what about not doing something or ignoring a prompting or forgetting about a prompting you should have followed immediately? A sin of omission is a doing too, remember...

I wonder how merciful the Lord will be on sins of omission and if there is some cut-off about what counts as a "prompting from the Holy Ghost"... and I feel ok about repenting for sins I've COMMITTED, but if I don't know about the will of God then I can't intentionally choose to do it--right? Or is that just a plea of ignorance?

I am essentially saying that I am not accountable for not obeying a prompting I was not aware of... I am saying that I can't follow a prompting that I never felt! Doctrine & Covenants section 131:6, says, "It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance⁠." What’s the deal there? Learn to feel the promptings of the Spirit more clearly in your life!

*** look at "We Can Do Better and Be Better”, April 2019 talk by President Russell M. Nelson! (metanoeo)

A thought: the finer the “grading” will be in the Celestial Kingdom—we all know what sort of sins of commission we will have done, but when the sin is recognizable only by you, God the Father&Son, & the Holy Ghost, it comes down to acting on promptings or not, and that determines how much Spirit you have in life and your obedience, and where you will be in the Celestial Kingdom, right?

Christ will be the perfect judge but couldn’t we just say, broadly, that the more obedient you are, the more Spirit you have and the more Spirit you have the better you’ll be able to follow finer spiritual promptings… also, the more spirit you have the harsher the penalty will be for not following the Spirit! And, so, you can loose it all for making some choices—fall far-down the stairs/ladder/slide from your choice and need to climb back-up the ladder/stairs. Could be seen as a one-for-one grading system when perfectly seen and understood…

Sin grades: action, words, thoughts Celestial grades: promptings for actions, words, thoughts

JPS

Is “real intent” really an important ingredient for answered prayers?

Doesn't real intent have to do, directly, with faith?

If faith, as we learn from the epistle written to the Hebrews, is the substance or assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, and we learn from Joseph Smith that faith is the moving cause of all action from his first lecture in his Lectures on Faith, and we learn from Moroni, in the Book of Mormon that we can know that the same book is true, from God, our Heavenly Father, when we ask Him if that book is true,

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

So, now let's combine this idea with my previous blog about faith, called "Spiritual Event Horizon" and Joseph Smith's assertion that faith is both belief and action and marry that idea with Moroni's promise that real intent is needed to receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon. What you have, now, is the knowledge that in order to have miracle happen that was being prayed for you must have faith coupled with real intent--why would you have that prayer answered if you have no faith and why do you think you have faith with no real intent.

Joseph Smith went into the Sacred Grove, in Upstate New York, to pray...but not only to pray to find out which church was true or God's church on the Earth, but which church was true, so that he would join himself to that church! It wasn't simply a spiritual exercise and it wasn't a prayer to find out his curiosity, it was a prayer, that once answered, would provide Joseph with a blueprint as to what to do next! Once Joseph knew what church to join, he was going to be baptized in that church and act on his newfound knowledge. Joseph was praying do that he would know what to do next! That was why he was able to pray with such faith...

Just think about it: If you are asking a question so that you will have your next action informed by the answer to your question (which is exactly why Joseph was praying!), what are the chances that God is going to answer that question more fully and set you on the path that is going to lead to the most action or see you do the most good in your life and others? Not to put a utilitarian spin on the the whole prayer discussion, because God will answer each of our prayers if made in faith, regardless of the outcome or number of things or people affected or the good done by that parayer being answered...

Nevertheless, the prayer of faith will necessarily be made with real intent! Not only will such a prayer be acted upon but will lead to more prayers and more faith...

JPS

Receiving our Heavenly Father’s gift(s) of life

Can you redefine how you see yourself, once you realize how much Our God and Our Father thinks of us considering that He has endowed us with the gift of life? Before that, how did He think of us as He endowed us with a spirit?

In the Book of Abraham, chapter three, verse 21, we read:

"I dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to declare unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen.

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;"

You were among the among those intellingences that God came down amongst, before the world was...

23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good..."

You were amongst these good and noble intelligences that were made spirits, to come down to this Earth and do those things that would help us become more like the Father of Lights; the Father of our spirits!

Refine yourself! Think of yourself in a higher, holier light and way!

Now, redefine how you see others

Does that change the way we will treat each other, knowing that we are one of those spirits that God gave a spirit body to or knowing that he or she that we are conversing with it one of those spirits?

How fully have you internalized this gift?

JPS

Is the most populated eternal kingdom, the Celestial Kingdom?

I thought that I had always been told that the Telestial Kingdom would be the most populated... why? Is the world of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that pessimistic or that afreaid of rapists and murderers?

Let's think about this for a minute... Ok, maybe a minute more...

I personally think that there will be more people born on this Earth who will inheret the Celsestial Kingdom! Why? Is the world of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints diagreeing with me? No... I just don't think that they are wondering about it! And, why should you wonder? I'm positive that some do, and I just do too!

So, if we all concede that there have been about 117 to 121 billion people born on this Earth, up until the year and including the year 2025, roughly 40–50% are believed to have died before the age of 5, most of them as infants (under 1 year old), then given conservative estimates that about there will have been about 45 billion infant deaths (under age 1) and a broader estimate including child mortality (under age 5), 50–60 billion deaths.

Now, since we know that all children who die before the age of eight will inherit the Celestial Kingdom (as the scripture reads in the book of Doctrine & Covenants, section 137, verse ten: "And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven."), that adds-up to about half of the deaths in this world...

Now, if we add to the population of the Celestial Kingdom every single person that is preached to in the spirit world and accepts the Gospel and their Savior and accepts their posthumous and vicarious baptism, and add every single member of the church who is baptized and is valient, as well as include every person who is mentally challenged to the point that they are not capable of choosing right and wrong (which is becoming more and more prevalent with births as of late...), we easily have a Celestial Kingdom that is more populous than the other two kingdoms--even combined! Even knowing that the Telestial Kingdom, according to the seventy sixth section of the Doctrine & Covenants, verse 109, "But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants of the telestial world, that they were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore", the Celestial Kingdom will be bigger than both the Telestial and the Terrestrial Kingdoms combined.

Now that's a whole-lot-of-bessed children of God!

JPS