What is it about filthiness or uncleanliness that God or the Holy Ghost can’t abide?
And what is it, about choosing sin that makes one unclean?
Here are my thoughts…
To sin is to act contrary to the will of God but what makes that a sin?
Jesus Christ was the only perfect person to live on this Earth, and perfect = clean and able to stand in God’s presence—so inasmuch as I choose to act contrary to that perfection, I am sinning and the laws of Justice demand that I either follow that perfect example or have to pay! That’s just the way it is and always has always been!
To act contrary to that example is to sin and to be unclean or filthy and the reason why is because the demands of Justice require that… but why is that the only satisfiable payment or form of universal currency? Because of the Atonement and the demands of Justice created by the intelligences of the universe require to be satisfied. You can’t fight a tidal wave, right?
In the Book of Mormon, we read, from the little brother of Nephi (the first writer in the book and the first prophet), Jacob, in the second book of Nephi, chapter nine, verse five, “Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.”
“O How Great the Plan of Our God!" Pres. Uchtdorf 10/16
'It seems to be human nature: as we become more familiar with something, even something miraculous and awe-inspiring, we lose our sense of awe and treat it as commonplace.' And the Jews thought Jesus so commonplace, that they murdered their God and their Christ!!!
Helaman 14:15
“For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.”
2 Nephi 9:5
“Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.”
2 Nephi 10:3
“Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ--for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name--should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him--for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.”
That he might perform the resurrection and that the gift of resurrection might be passed onto all men, that all might be raised to the Father and judged of Christ’s Atonement.
I am incredibly thankful that my wife married me, despite knowing that our life would be extra-challenging because of my disabilities and that she still looks to me to make astounding successes that continue to exasperate onlookers or even my own family!
I am thankful for my family--my wife, Jill, my sons, Addison, Quentin, Calvin, and my daughter, Samantha!
I am thankful for my parents and the person that they raised me to become and for helping me continue to be that person even now!
I am thankful for Stephanie for being a stalwart giant in helping me and Addison after our car accident in April of 2001 and being my advocate in retaining all that the crash could have and should have left me with!
I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for this life, for my spirit, my body, the intelligence that He raised and tutored before this life and continues to now, curing this life!
... Pride. The great sermon by Ezra Taft Benson, "Beware of Pride" explains that pride is nothing less than enmity. In the end, pride is enmity towards God. It manifests itself, though, in so many different forms. According to President Benson's talk, pride, looked-at only negatively, can be outright cocky--lifted-up in pride because of some achievement that you have accomplished or status you've obtained, an overabundance in confidence in oneself--looking down on others who haven't achieved such a status. Or, it can be the pride of looking up and thinking that others are most definitely looking down on you or the position you are in.
I hate money. I am happy to be as poor as we are...
All I know, is that in trying to work-it-out in my mind, my wife is confused over what I think and what I believe, and now, at least for right now, she is a little irritated with me and what I might think.
So, the question is: should I ask our Heavenly Father for everything you need? We are commanded to do, just that in Alma 7:23, which reads as follows:
And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.
Well, maybe I don’t even know what I should pray for—not even sure what it is that I need... Luckily, we are told in Romans 8:26 what we should do: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.“
So, to truly ask in faith, you may be concerned that you may ask for things you ought not to ask. You don’t want to ask for things for which one should not ask; like I said...
1 And he spake a parable unto them, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what theunjustjudge saith. 7 And shall not Godavengehis own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long withthem? 8 Itell you that he willavenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Joseph Smith, speaking of that parable, said, “Weary the Lord till he blesses you”!
Weary the Lord until he blesses you... Weary the Lord!
Why is it easier to have a significant spiritual experience at certain places—namely, places where other spiritual experiences have taken place? A. Because we have more faith that it will happen! We know that it’s happened before in the same place... That leads to the question: why do certain places have spiritual events occur there and are thus likely to have more experiences like said experiences in the future (i.e. Sacred Grove in upstate NY, Indepedence, MO, Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Garden of Gethsemene, etc.)?
In his talk, “Snow White Birds”, Elder Packer recalls what President Harold B. Lee taught him, “Revelation is more readily recognized when you’re in the place needed for the revelation.”
Bicentennial year of what? Well, 200 years ago, in 1820, in the spring of 1820, in fact, Joseph Smith had an opening vision and heavenly manifestation that ushered in the last dispensation before the Savior of the World will return for his second coming!
What?
Well, the prophet, our prophet, your prophet, President Russell M. Nelson closed the October 2019 general conference with an invitation for Latter-day Saints to prepare for the subsequent April 2020 general conference, 200 years since Joseph Smith’s First Vision.
Del Parson’s depiction of the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. in the Sacred Grove in Manchester, New York, when he received the First Vision.
“The year 2020 will be designated as a bicentennial year. General conference next April will be different from any previous conference,” President Nelson announced at the end of the Sunday afternoon session.
“In the next six months, I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel.”
In previewing plans for the coming year, President Nelson recounted those “very foundations.”
“In the springtime of the year 2020, it will be exactly 200 years since Joseph Smith experienced the theophany that we know as the First Vision,” he said. “God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph, a 14-year-old youth. That event marked the onset of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness, precisely as foretold in the Holy Bible.”
He recited the succession of visits from heavenly messengers to Joseph—John the Baptist; the early Apostles Peter, James, and John; Moses; Elias; and Elijah. “Each brought divine authority to bless God’s children on the earth once again,” President Nelson said.
He continued, underscoring latter-day scripture, the restored keys and offices of the priesthood, and the organizations and callings of the Church—“all vital parts of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness.”
Latter-day Saint artist Minerva Teichart's The First Vision (1934) depicts a key moment of the Restoration. Photo courtesy of Brigham Young University Museum of Art.
President Nelson invited Church members to read Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price, noting that next year’s Come, Follow Me course of study is the Book of Mormon.
“You may wish to ponder important questions such as, ‘How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?’ or ‘How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?’”
He suggested incorporating the new Book of Mormon Videos into individual and family study.
“Select your own questions,” President Nelson continued. “Design your own plan. Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration. As you do, general conference next April will be not only memorable; it will be unforgettable.”
It only makes sense, and it’s always been a “given” that we will be judged by Jesus Christ, for He is the judge of all the world (Acts 17:31; Rom. 3:6; 2 Ne. 29:11; Mosiah 3:10; 3 Ne. 27:16). In the Book of Mormon, chapter 9, verse 15, we read:
And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment-seatof the Holy One of Israel (#1); and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God (#2).
Didn’t ever see that, did ya?
We will all have judgement passed-on-us by Jesus Christ AND God the Father!
Between then and 30 AD (618 years), the Jews were so wicked that they killed their God.
Looking beyond the mark = learning and studying about your God for your whole life yet not being able to recognize Him when He’s preaching to you and being so offended that He calls himself God, that you condemn him and kill Him.
Will you recognize your God and have his image in your countenance?
I need to bear testimony of my accident and province the fact that all things give glory to God!
Not only share how I was strengthened, but also how I have grown. I was able to bear testimony to those that I worked with as a school counselor, but I need to do it in any and every place I’m in.
