31.1.18

Saved by a “what-if” nightmare


What would be the case if that were true, that there was no Atonement made and that men lived according to their own genius?

All men would be sent to outer darkness to be with Satan and his minions, never to be resurrected or redeemed.

Either that, or there would be no God and we would cease to exist when we died, if for some strange reason this world existed and we were born...

Truly, though, if there was no Christ, and no God, we wouldn’t exist, this world wouldn’t exist, the universe wouldn’t exist, and none of us or it would ever exist...

But we know there is a God and that His Christ came to Earth, died, atoned, and was resurrected and that He lives!

JPS

Why do ye go about perverting the ways of the Lord? Why do ye teach this people that there shall be no Christ, to interrupt their rejoicings? Why do ye speak against all the prophecies of the holy prophets?

Tragically ironic or sacrilegious jab?


In Alma, 30, verse 13, we read:

13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.

Tragically ironic to use that word?  The only way we can enter the Celestial Kingdom, return to our father’s presence, clean and redeemed, IS yoked to Jesus Christ!  No...  not tragically ironic, but intentionally used to metaphorically spit on the Savior’s head and tries to corrupt a perfect symbol for how we are saved!

JPS

30.1.18

Mission Prep


Read Alma 26:

1 And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?
2 And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?
3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.
4 Behold, thousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God.
5 Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted.
6 Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.
7 But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day.
8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.
9 For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us, would still have been racked with hatred against us, yea, and they would also have been strangers to God.
10 And it came to pass that when Ammon had said these words, his brother Aaron rebuked him, saying: Ammon, I fear that thy joy doth carry thee away unto boasting.
11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.
12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.
13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?
14 Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell.
15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.
16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.
17 Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state?
18 Behold, we went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy his church.
19 Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction, yea, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us, and doom us to eternal despair?
20 Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls.
21 And now behold, my brethren, what natural man is there that knoweth these things? I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent.
22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing--unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.
23 Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn?
24 For they said unto us: Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers, as stiffnecked a people as they are; whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood; whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity; whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning? Now my brethren, ye remember that this was their language.
25 And moreover they did say: Let us take up arms against them, that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land, lest they overrun us and destroy us.
26 But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.
27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.
28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world--not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.
29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.
30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.
31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.
32 For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy; and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards their brethren.
33 And now behold I say unto you, has there been so great love in all the land? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, there has not, even among the Nephites.
34 For behold, they would take up arms against their brethren; they would not suffer themselves to be slain. But behold how many of these have laid down their lives; and we know that they have gone to their God, because of their love and of their hatred to sin.
35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.
36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.
37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

And, also, Alma 29:9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

Does that Cloned Monkey have a Soul?


Yes.  Otherwise, how could it be alive?  It couldn’t...

All I was saying, was that no matter what man does or tries to do or thinks that they can do, they are not going to thwart God’s plans or derail any part of the Plan of Salvation—whatever is created by God or man, will have exactly the right chance to become and do whatever they are supposed to do!  Nothing and nobody is going to get a raw deal...  no part of God’s Plan is going to be changed without God doing it!  You and Q are giving man too much credit and giving God not enough reverence and awe!  Our Heavenly Father is the God of our entire universe and has been for eons of time—our feeble minds can’t “throw Him a curve”!

Sure, man has taken a creation of God, used what He already have us and duplicated the form of one of His creations.  Let’s say it even is just as bright, intelligent, compassionate as a monkey that is born to a monkey dad and a monkey mom: was it born because one of the human scientists just spoke the words—commanded it to be born?  Can man create trillions of “monkeys” in the same way?  What about a new Earth to live on which to reside?  A solar system?  A galaxy?  A universe?  A man (or a woman)?  An eye?  A heart?  Gravity?  The laws of Phil’s?  The laws of logic?  The laws that allow laws?  Eternal life?  The resurrection?  The Atonement?

From The Book of Mormon, Book of Alma, chapter 26, verse 12:

 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

Verse:


16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.


Do we have to be like Laman and Lemuel and neigh-say all that God does and can do?

Can God not bring to pass His works through us?  For us?

Does that mean that we can become like He is?  Yes!  Does that mean we can become like He is without Jesus Christ and His Atonement and our repentance and His grace and mercy?  No!

Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

JPS

26.1.18

The light that can damn you starts as light that would save you (pendulum)


Once you have had the truth preached to you, and have rejected it, you become harder still...  But, once you have accepted the Gospel and reject it, you are the hardest (and only once having received the Gospel and its ordinances, can you become a Son of Perdition [+ shed innocent blood] and crucify Christ in open shame)—you have to have light enough to reject and deny or betray that light (think of a pendulum that can only swing as low as it can swing high)!  Just as Christ could only Save everyone of our Father In Heaven’s children because He descended below all things...

Right?

JPS

20.1.18

An Aspect of the Atonement of Jesus Christ


In the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, in the seventh chapter of Alma, verse 13, we read:

“Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.”

So, did Christ need to suffer in the flesh or could he have experienced it through the Holy Ghost?  As, the Spirit of the Lord or the Holy Gost knows all things, as it is one with God (3 Nephi 11:27 And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. — Doctrine & Covenanants 20:28 Which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen.).

Answer: he had to/needed to/must have suffered in the flesh for the bowels of mercy to have been activated and for the intelligences of the Universe to have been pained and cried for the injustice--it couldn't have been just a mental exercise or something that could be passed-through through-the-omniscience-of-the-Spirit, but blood had to be spilt--come from every pore!

JPS

12.1.18

If it be Thy will...


Yet, think of the woman with an issue of blood who had to only touch the hem of Christ’s garment and, unbeknownst to Him, virtue was drawn out of Him and healed the woman’s ailment!

On the one hand, one could argue that since Christ wasn't even aware, it happened regardless of His will being aligned with hers...  But, on the other hand, He was already out-and-about, looking to help, right?  Every second of His short, 33 year life, was Him on a mercy mission.  One could argue that it was His will, just owing to the fact that He would have healed her, had she asked Him too or even if He had known that she was looking for Him for just that reason.  The fact that she didn't even talk to Him doesn't change the fact that she had enough faith to be healed and the fact that Christ was unaware of her touch, doesn't alter the fact that her faith combined with Christ's Priesthood and power and virtue combined in such a way that she was healed!

Remember Jairus' daughter (same chapter in Mark)?  She was brought back to life when Christ was in a different town, walking towards her.  Not only that but, He healed the woman with the issue of blood while He was traveling.  

What a chapter...  What a Man...  What a God! (is that silly to say or even think?  By definition, that's what He is. He is a God!)

Let's push the idea that He wasn't even aware, though...  Had He become so in-tune with His Father that He was able to be aware of the thoughts and needs of those in this world?  One could argue that He had, in which case, there would be nothing to wonder about: If she was close enough to "touch the hem of His skirt", then she was close enough for Him to be aware--actually, very close and close enough!  He would be the definition of "being present" in every situation!

The fact is, though, that she was healed.  His virtue did leave His person.  Couldn't even entertain the idea that He didn't know...

Two occasions where Christ didn't necessarily need to even be cognizant of the need and didn't need to even be in the same town to perform the miracles of healing!

JPS

5.1.18

Remember, remember...


Think of how many times, in the Book of Mormon, we are asked to remember!  Remember your father’s, remember what you were taught, remember, etc.  The Jews, it seems, were always remembering, or being reminded that they needed to remember different things: Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, and their other fathers...

Remember that you have made covenants.

Remember that God has made promises to you.

Remember that God will never deny or forget the things that He has promised.

Remember that God has made covenants with Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, or Israel, and that those promises are also made to each member of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Remember that Christ will never forget us; for He has wounds in His hands and feet and side to remind Him forever.

We must remember Him and all that He has taught us...

Won't WE always remember Him and all that He has done for us?

After all, that was President Specer Wooley Kimball's favorite word: REMEMBER!  Or, rather, he believed that it was the most important word in the human language...

JPS

2.1.18

Where is his honor?


God has it, Satan wants it...  

How does Satan have “power” but by honor?

The Lord told Moses, that Satan said, talking to God the Father, Satan said, "And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore five me thine honor."


Also, in the Doctrine & Covenants, we read in section 29; verse 36:
And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;


Again, in the Doctrine & Covenants section 124, verse 55, we read, 
  • "And again, verily I say unto you, I command you again to build a house to my name, even in this place, that you may prove yourselves unto me that ye are faithful in all things whatsoever I command you, that I may bless you, and crown you with honor, immortality, and eternal life."
  • So, what does Honor mean?
    The dictionary says that honor means: high respect; esteem.
    Those and that which has been created by God respect and esteem Him.  They are His creation and the workmanship of His hand.
    What kind of power is derived from honor?
    Those who honor God, delight to follow, obey, and serve Him and those who do, are thus able to share in His infinite power--priesthood power (based on their worthiness and to the degree that their will aligns with God's).
    So, what kind of honor does Satan have?
    Short answer: after this life, he will have none for he has not followed, honored, or obeyed God the Father nor His Son.
    But, why does he have power here on Earth now?   Well, I'm not positive why, but my educated guess would be to say that even Satan is honored by the third of the host of heaven, as said in verse 29 of section 36.  He receives honor from them and for all those who obey him living on this Earth.
    His power, is also curbed by the divine commands from God and any of God's children who call-down the power of God to stop, thwart, banish, etc. him or his powers.
    JPS

1.1.18

When you already know the outcome, you are free!


What I mean, is that when you already know the end and what’s going to happen, then you are truly making a choice and not acting in fear or anxiety or shame or even manipulation—whatever you choose to do is done knowing that you might have chosen something else, and is truly choosing one thing over sonetging else—anything else...

Let me use a quick example to illustrate my point (and you may be able to understand what I’m talking about, in case you are not sure what I’m trying to say...):

In the movie, Minority Report, with Tom Cruise, he (or his character) doesn’t kill the man he believes to have kidnapped his son (and possibly murdered him) even though it has been that he will by the three pre-cogs that see into the future and help prevent murder.  Once Cruise has seen the future, he knows one possible outcome, and he is able to choose differently, which he does—chooses a different outcome than the “future” he sees or the one shown him by the pre-cogs or three people who have cognitive visions of the future...

Outside the world of Philip K. Dick (the author of the story), we (you and I), are more free to make choices when we are aware of what might happen.  The obvious example to me is a priesthood blessing or more specifically, a patriarchal blessing.  A patriarchal blessing is a blessing made by a man, called and ordained in Melchizedek Priesthood to give members of a stake of Zion of the Latter-Day Saints a blessing (it is possible to receive more than one patriarchal blessing, though I’m not sure why you would request more than one...).  “Patriarchal blessingsare modeled after the blessing given by Jacob to each of his sons prior to his death.”

Not only does the blessing tell you what will happen in the future, if you follow God’s will for you in your life, but it also opens-up more possibilities to that which could be my future if I choose it!


Patriarchal Blessings “are gifts of knowledge and strength of one's coming challenges and blessings” (Wikipedia).

The purpose of a patriarchal blessing is (1) to identify the tribe of Israel to which some people belong, others who do not are then "adopted" in and given the same blessings; (2) to bless the member with knowledge and the spiritual gifts that may be obtained by obedience to Gospel principles; (3) to give advice or help to the individual (often this includes foretelling of possible future events, opportunities, and temptations). Within the church, a patriarchal blessing is considered to be a revelation for the recipient, with the promises made in the blessing considered conditional upon the recipient's obedience to Gospel principles.”


According to former church president Ezra Taft Benson, "A patriarchal blessing is the inspired and prophetic statement of your life’s mission together with blessings, cautions, and admonitions as the patriarch may be prompted to give." (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1986, pgs. 43-44). Blessings given in the 19th century often made use of themes, such as an millennialism and polygamy, that are not common in today's blessings. During his presidency, Joseph Fielding Smith advised patriarchs to be conservative in their blessings unless "especially inspired otherwise".[3]

Although they may not be ordained patriarchs, every Latter-day Saint father who holds the Melchizedek Priesthoodcan pronounce blessings upon his child or spouse, as necessary. Such blessings do not reveal the Tribe of Israel to which a person belongs. The church encourages families to create their own records of such blessings, but does not accept them into the official church archives in Salt Lake City as they would a blessing from an ordained patriarch“ (Wikipedia)
So, once you have had your possible future revealed to you, you then are made an agent to choose to follow that which has been promised you, or to choose otherwise.  Other choices, made without an over-arching vision of your life and your future, are choices made based on your (one’s) understanding of a situation, preferences, worries, desires, hopes, impulses, cravings, fears, etc.  If I had a direction that I planned to follow or a destination that I intended to arrive at, I would prefer a “sneak-peak” into where I would be...  That way, I would be free to choose one thing or the other with full cognicense of what I would be doing or where I would be going!

JPS

Because of their fathers...


“Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers.”
Matthew 7:3-4)


Cast the beam out of your eye and then you'll be able to see motes in other's eyes...”

How many people could we say that about?  "The sons of their fathers" covers everybody!

All of us—every single person born on this Earth, is a son or a daughter to imperfect parents (excluding Jesus Christ), and to one degree or another we are brought-up and taught by imperfect parents who, regardless of their desires/wants/wishes/efforts, are raising us in an imperfect world, and thus, will pass-on their own traits of the natural man (Mosiah 3:19) in their parenting!


JPS