What does it mean to follow Jesus?
To imitate?
To do as he does?
Or to follow Him like he wants to exercise control over us? Grovelling and begging like servants following a king, begging for every scrap of food we get?
The Lord encourages us to follow, as in do what He does, not follow, as in be His slaves. The slavery version of ‘follow’ is Satan’s version. That is the plan that Lucifer offered. And 1/3 of the hosts of heaven fell for the hierarchy model. It is a very persuasive model even here on earth, look how many people love that plan, and uphold the satanic ways of enforcing their hierarchy. “Do as I say, or you will be exiled to hell for all eternity!” What kind of a loving God would do that? None! Only Lucifer does that. And only churches that follow Lucifer’s plan use that type of extortion.
For the sake of the innocent, I’m going to open up a small mystery in the hopes that it will help people recognize a deception used by satan and evil people looking to control others. Satan often uses the name of Christ to accomplish his evil designs. He uses the name of Christ to operate his priestcraft, and tries to connect evil meanings to Christ’s teachings in order to deceive people into believing that it is God’s way. He and his minions go to great lengths to use the scriptures to justify their methods, and they make it so convincing that, if it were possible, the very elect might be deceived.
One of the main strategies is to deceive people into believing that Christ taught and/or set up a hierarchy of power and control. Nothing could be further from the truth! This is the very idea that Jesus taught against. It is against the plan that was decided before the world was. And it is one of the main reasons that the Church leaders had him killed. The Church Authorities absolutely hated that Jesus taught people that regular people could circumvent the Church hierarchy and just go directly to God for salvation. And this happens today as well, One Man-ists say things like, ‘if regular people did this, then surely chaos would run rampant.’ How little they know of our Heavenly Father and His ways.
What kind of parent gives one child the authority to keep another from coming into the house for the night? Or to kick a child out of the family? I don’t give one of my children that kind of authority over another. I am the only one who could ever make that drastic of a decision. And it is the same with God. He is the only one who could make that drastic of a decision.
None of my children are worth more to me than the others; they are all worth everything to me. And it is my job to raise each one to the best that they can be, with the goal that they will become a better parent than I am. And this is exactly how our Heavenly Father feels about us. He wants us to progress as He progresses. He wants all of us to become absolutely great parents, just like Him. It is satanic to think that He wants to rule over us forever.
He wants for us to follow Him, to follow His ways, so that we can enjoy all that He enjoys. And how can we enjoy all that He enjoys, if we don’t follow the same method that He follows? If we follow His example, then we too will achieve as He achieves.
No one gets to the Father except through Christ. Again, “through” does not refer to control, but through His ways, or His methods, or rather the methods that He follows.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because we do all the outward ordinances that we automatically achieve what Christ achieved. There will be many who say, ‘Lord, Lord, haven’t we done many mighty works in thy name?' And the devastating reply will come to those who think they can buy their way in by works, ‘I never knew you’. It is not our deeds alone, but our hearts by which He will know us. This shows that Jesus doesn’t want, or mean for us to follow Him as if He were to exercise control over us, but He wants us to follow as in be like Him.
‘Lord, Lord, haven’t we done many mighty works in thy name?’ They thought they would just have to do the things that Jesus asked, not to actually change their hearts. They thought He was a God of extortion as satan is. They not only expected to get a reward for all their diligent service, but to be rewarded more than others who didn’t work quite so much. But Jesus explained that in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard.
Those who say that you must go through them to get to Christ have misunderstood the teachings of Jesus, thinking that Jesus wanted to exercise control over people, when really He wanted them to become like Him, to have the same joys and freedoms that He has, not to control us.
And those who teach people that control and submission is what God is all about, are perpetuating the anti-Christ doctrine, turning Christ into Satan, and Satan into Christ, saying that good is evil, and evil is good. They do not know Him.
Do not be fooled, go directly to the Father, following the method that Jesus set forth, and He will accept you.
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Wednesday 30 April 2014
Sunday 27 April 2014
A Coming War
On 13 March 2013 @ 1913hrs
There was a city being built, and a huge temple being built in the centre of the city. It was a huge golden temple, and it seemed to have six domed peaks with spires around, and one big one in the centre. The temple was covered in gold, with a great gold throne inside. It was a throne for the Lord, yet someone else sat upon it, it was supposed to be a temple of our Lord, with a city around it. As the vision spread out, the city was surrounded by a great green land with low rolling hills, with farms throughout. It was a very lovely place.
There were horsemen from the north with huge missiles on their backs, and as they rode their horses to the edge of the hill and jumped into the air, the missiles carried them through the air. The missiles flew toward the city, some were stopped by what seemed like a great force field around the city. Some penetrated through the force field and destroyed the city, some of the missiles struck the wall of the temple, but couldn’t break it. But eventually the wall weakened and a few of the missiles broke through and went toward the throne, but there was another force field around the throne that they couldn’t penetrate. The throne shook mightily, but remained standing.
During the attack the true priests of God, dressed in white robes, were gathered outside the city. They stood, hundreds of them, on the side of the hill and witnessed the destruction.
Evil reigned after the destruction. Doctrine changed, but people were still praying and behaving as if what they were doing was good, yet they were following Satan. They had been taught incorrectly, taught that good was evil and that evil was good. Some actually believed that they were doing the will of God. Evil spread throughout the world. Darkness reigned. The sky grew dark and the gold on the temple and on the throne no longer glimmered, but looked dark and shadowy. The old king was gone, and all the leaders were gathered together to choose a new king, and after much contention they did; a man with dark sunken eyes.
When the new king was chosen everyone cheered. Celebrations were held in many countries around the world. In particular, a green-white-red flag, a blue-white-blue flag, and a red flag with stars. Great multitudes of people cheered and waved their flags. The city was rebuilt and the new king gathered huge, enormous armies around him, and they went forth throughout the land causing death and destruction where ever they went. Great destructions lay everywhere. Murder and evil reigned. The new king sat on the throne and taught polluted, adulterated doctrines which spread darkness throughout the kingdom. They sought the true priests of God and murdered all the true followers of Christ that they could find.
At last, only about 6 or 7 true followers of Christ were left, and they were gathered together in hiding to save their lives. They knelt in a circle to pray, and a beam of light shone down from heaven upon them. A great huge beast, with huge wings, a dragon, which looked almost like an enormous bat, stood over the priests of God. It was black and tried to encircle the priests with it’s great wings. But the light from heaven shone down on the priests. They were the last of the true priests of God, and as long as there were true priesthood holders gathered together praying, there would be a place for the Saviour to come.
The group of priests in white robes were the last of the true followers of Christ. They were the nucleus of Zion, and they prayed until the Lord came. The great light came down from heaven upon those priests, and dissolved the beast that surrounded them. The light burst out upon the face of the earth, and shattered and dissolved all darkness and evil. The evil of the king’s city was vanquished, and in the middle of the evil king’s city the temple and courtyard was also destroyed. All that was recognizable in the courtyard was the spire coming out of the ground, which sank into the ground.
As the light burst forth upon the earth, darkness dissipated and the sky became a clear, brilliant blue. A new spire grew out of the ground. It grew and grew and reached the sky. Then underneath it grew a huge white temple, but very unlike the old one. This one spread wide, offering peace and safety to the Lord’s people, and glittered brilliantly in the sunlight as if covered in sequins. The landscape changed and the temple grew upon a huge green hill, surrounded by a countryside of lush rolling hills.
Within the temple there were seven altars, three on each side, and one in the centre. Above each altar there was a portal in the ceiling through which shone a light from heaven, each light being a different colour of the rainbow. Within each light, on the altar stood a heavenly being. Above the centre altar was a larger portal through which shone a most brilliant white light, in which our Saviour, the God of Peace, stood.
.
There was a city being built, and a huge temple being built in the centre of the city. It was a huge golden temple, and it seemed to have six domed peaks with spires around, and one big one in the centre. The temple was covered in gold, with a great gold throne inside. It was a throne for the Lord, yet someone else sat upon it, it was supposed to be a temple of our Lord, with a city around it. As the vision spread out, the city was surrounded by a great green land with low rolling hills, with farms throughout. It was a very lovely place.
There were horsemen from the north with huge missiles on their backs, and as they rode their horses to the edge of the hill and jumped into the air, the missiles carried them through the air. The missiles flew toward the city, some were stopped by what seemed like a great force field around the city. Some penetrated through the force field and destroyed the city, some of the missiles struck the wall of the temple, but couldn’t break it. But eventually the wall weakened and a few of the missiles broke through and went toward the throne, but there was another force field around the throne that they couldn’t penetrate. The throne shook mightily, but remained standing.
During the attack the true priests of God, dressed in white robes, were gathered outside the city. They stood, hundreds of them, on the side of the hill and witnessed the destruction.
Evil reigned after the destruction. Doctrine changed, but people were still praying and behaving as if what they were doing was good, yet they were following Satan. They had been taught incorrectly, taught that good was evil and that evil was good. Some actually believed that they were doing the will of God. Evil spread throughout the world. Darkness reigned. The sky grew dark and the gold on the temple and on the throne no longer glimmered, but looked dark and shadowy. The old king was gone, and all the leaders were gathered together to choose a new king, and after much contention they did; a man with dark sunken eyes.
When the new king was chosen everyone cheered. Celebrations were held in many countries around the world. In particular, a green-white-red flag, a blue-white-blue flag, and a red flag with stars. Great multitudes of people cheered and waved their flags. The city was rebuilt and the new king gathered huge, enormous armies around him, and they went forth throughout the land causing death and destruction where ever they went. Great destructions lay everywhere. Murder and evil reigned. The new king sat on the throne and taught polluted, adulterated doctrines which spread darkness throughout the kingdom. They sought the true priests of God and murdered all the true followers of Christ that they could find.
At last, only about 6 or 7 true followers of Christ were left, and they were gathered together in hiding to save their lives. They knelt in a circle to pray, and a beam of light shone down from heaven upon them. A great huge beast, with huge wings, a dragon, which looked almost like an enormous bat, stood over the priests of God. It was black and tried to encircle the priests with it’s great wings. But the light from heaven shone down on the priests. They were the last of the true priests of God, and as long as there were true priesthood holders gathered together praying, there would be a place for the Saviour to come.
The group of priests in white robes were the last of the true followers of Christ. They were the nucleus of Zion, and they prayed until the Lord came. The great light came down from heaven upon those priests, and dissolved the beast that surrounded them. The light burst out upon the face of the earth, and shattered and dissolved all darkness and evil. The evil of the king’s city was vanquished, and in the middle of the evil king’s city the temple and courtyard was also destroyed. All that was recognizable in the courtyard was the spire coming out of the ground, which sank into the ground.
As the light burst forth upon the earth, darkness dissipated and the sky became a clear, brilliant blue. A new spire grew out of the ground. It grew and grew and reached the sky. Then underneath it grew a huge white temple, but very unlike the old one. This one spread wide, offering peace and safety to the Lord’s people, and glittered brilliantly in the sunlight as if covered in sequins. The landscape changed and the temple grew upon a huge green hill, surrounded by a countryside of lush rolling hills.
Within the temple there were seven altars, three on each side, and one in the centre. Above each altar there was a portal in the ceiling through which shone a light from heaven, each light being a different colour of the rainbow. Within each light, on the altar stood a heavenly being. Above the centre altar was a larger portal through which shone a most brilliant white light, in which our Saviour, the God of Peace, stood.
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Friday 25 April 2014
Dekanawida Prophecy
The Iroquois have a prophecy given to them by Dekanawida, the Great Peacemaker, in which foretells a time when peace will once again be established among the people.
After forming the original Five Nations Confederacy, Dekanawida left for the Sky World. He told us this story about forthcoming events before he got into his stone canoe for the trip.
“There will come a time when the Ongwehonwe will be befriended by a White Serpent. At first it will be good to you. Seven generations later it will squeeze you so tight against his chest you can hardly breathe.
“Then a Red Serpent will appear. The White Serpent will drop the Onkwehonwe to the ground. Like a baby Ongwehonwe will crawl to the hilly country to heal. Then the White and Red serpents will get into awful war, tearing open Mother Earth and causing mass destruction. All of the fish will turn on their bellies in the water. The birds will fall from the sky. All the elm trees will die. The air will burn your eyes. Then the Red and White serpents will lay around not knowing what to do for a while.
“Out of the south will come a Black Serpent which will take over the war-making of the Red and White serpents. He will start wars with every nation on earth, always looking to see who is his next victim. Eventually he will only see the Ongwehonwe healing in the hilly country. He will say, “I have no fight with them.”
“At that moment a light many times brighter than the sun will come from the east. The Black Serpent will be fearful and swim south never to be seen again by the Ongwehonwe. The Red Serpent will crawl north leaving a snaily trail behind, never to be seen again by the Ongwehonwe.
“Part of the White Serpent’s tail shall break off and crawl to the hilly country to heal with the Ongwehonwe. The rest shall make a feeble attempt to swim toward the light.
Dekanawida continued, “I will return from the sky world then. The Ongwehonwe who have been healing in the hilly country shall be burning tobacco, calling me by name. A great leader will come from the hilly country. No one knows from where he will come. He will come from the Kanienkehaka. His words will be heard by as many as the blades of grass at the same time. All the nations of the world will look to the Ongwehonwe for guidance. We will take our proper place in the council of nations. All three serpents will be washed away. The earth will be cleansed, followed by peace on earth. The Kaianerehkowa, the Great Law of Peace, will be the law of the world.”
I found this prophecy on the Mohawk Nation News blog, and the entire article can be read here.
There are different versions of this prophecy and they are worth researching. Pay attention to the similarities in the different accounts. This is a true prophecy and will come to pass. It blends with other prophecies found in the sacred writings.
.
After forming the original Five Nations Confederacy, Dekanawida left for the Sky World. He told us this story about forthcoming events before he got into his stone canoe for the trip.
“There will come a time when the Ongwehonwe will be befriended by a White Serpent. At first it will be good to you. Seven generations later it will squeeze you so tight against his chest you can hardly breathe.
“Then a Red Serpent will appear. The White Serpent will drop the Onkwehonwe to the ground. Like a baby Ongwehonwe will crawl to the hilly country to heal. Then the White and Red serpents will get into awful war, tearing open Mother Earth and causing mass destruction. All of the fish will turn on their bellies in the water. The birds will fall from the sky. All the elm trees will die. The air will burn your eyes. Then the Red and White serpents will lay around not knowing what to do for a while.
“Out of the south will come a Black Serpent which will take over the war-making of the Red and White serpents. He will start wars with every nation on earth, always looking to see who is his next victim. Eventually he will only see the Ongwehonwe healing in the hilly country. He will say, “I have no fight with them.”
“At that moment a light many times brighter than the sun will come from the east. The Black Serpent will be fearful and swim south never to be seen again by the Ongwehonwe. The Red Serpent will crawl north leaving a snaily trail behind, never to be seen again by the Ongwehonwe.
“Part of the White Serpent’s tail shall break off and crawl to the hilly country to heal with the Ongwehonwe. The rest shall make a feeble attempt to swim toward the light.
Dekanawida continued, “I will return from the sky world then. The Ongwehonwe who have been healing in the hilly country shall be burning tobacco, calling me by name. A great leader will come from the hilly country. No one knows from where he will come. He will come from the Kanienkehaka. His words will be heard by as many as the blades of grass at the same time. All the nations of the world will look to the Ongwehonwe for guidance. We will take our proper place in the council of nations. All three serpents will be washed away. The earth will be cleansed, followed by peace on earth. The Kaianerehkowa, the Great Law of Peace, will be the law of the world.”
I found this prophecy on the Mohawk Nation News blog, and the entire article can be read here.
There are different versions of this prophecy and they are worth researching. Pay attention to the similarities in the different accounts. This is a true prophecy and will come to pass. It blends with other prophecies found in the sacred writings.
.
Thursday 24 April 2014
I CAN - Part 4
I feel remiss if I didn’t state that even though this change of heart happened quickly, the actual changes to my behaviour and communications, and thoughts and emotions did take a great deal of time. It was no easy task, changing the habits that I had acquired over a lifetime.
Not only did I learn in the lessons taught to me of repentance, that I needed to stop doing wrong, and reconcile those wrongs with those whom I had wronged, but it was also part of repentance to do only good from then on.
We must do both!
Stop doing bad things, and ONLY do good things,
Stop communicating bad things, and ONLY communicate good things,
Stop thinking bad things, and ONLY think good things,
Stop feeling bad things, and ONLY feel good things.
We must do both!
And by the time we are ONLY feeling good things in our hearts, we won’t have to worry about what we think, communicate, or do, because those things all come from what we feel in our hearts, so they will be in alignment.
Repentance is such a huge topic, and yet it is so simple. Just turn toward God and start moving toward Him. All the other lessons will come. But if we are moving in the right direction, we are acceptable to Him. It’s all about moving toward God, it’s all about improvement.
Improvement - Constant And Never-ending
I CAN
True repentance brings us into the presence of our Saviour.
Wow, five posts in a row on repentance! It may be time to change topics.
.
Not only did I learn in the lessons taught to me of repentance, that I needed to stop doing wrong, and reconcile those wrongs with those whom I had wronged, but it was also part of repentance to do only good from then on.
We must do both!
Stop doing bad things, and ONLY do good things,
Stop communicating bad things, and ONLY communicate good things,
Stop thinking bad things, and ONLY think good things,
Stop feeling bad things, and ONLY feel good things.
We must do both!
And by the time we are ONLY feeling good things in our hearts, we won’t have to worry about what we think, communicate, or do, because those things all come from what we feel in our hearts, so they will be in alignment.
Repentance is such a huge topic, and yet it is so simple. Just turn toward God and start moving toward Him. All the other lessons will come. But if we are moving in the right direction, we are acceptable to Him. It’s all about moving toward God, it’s all about improvement.
Improvement - Constant And Never-ending
I CAN
True repentance brings us into the presence of our Saviour.
Wow, five posts in a row on repentance! It may be time to change topics.
.
I CAN - Part 3
Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.
I was still so far behind my peers when it came to my knowledge of the scriptures, and of course my social skills were severely lacking, but anytime I would have difficulty, I would ask myself my acronym, CAN I? Then recommitted myself to constant and never-ending improvement.
I learned that if I wanted to be a useful servant of the Lord, I had to get rid of all my sins, and all the baggage that went along with them. I would have to do a lot of work on myself.
I would have to fix everything, especially the outward things like the things I actually do, my outward actions. I had to reconcile, undo things that I did, and turn completely to God. This was no easy task, approaching those to whom I had done wrong, and strive to make it right.
Then I struggled to fix everything that I said. I took responsibility for all of my words and all of my non-verbal communications. I took responsibility for my lack of communication as well, and whether I tried my hardest to ensure that I was not misunderstood by the things I said, and by the things I didn’t say. It was my responsibility to fix it, repent of everything, and turn completely to God.
Next, one of the most difficult things was to fix my thoughts. To not think anything that I shouldn’t think, to only think the most pure thoughts. To repent of every impure thought and never do it again, and turn my thoughts directly and completely toward God. This was quite the challenge since so many thoughts were allowed to just roam free. But the time came to own them, and to leave behind all excuses and justifications.
Perhaps the most difficult part to learn to control was my emotions. To fix my emotions, repent of every negative emotion and feeling, and turn my heart completely toward God. It was almost too much to ask. Way too much to expect from a boy who had a right to be hurt, a right to feel pain. Yet, I knew that if I wanted to progress, that I would have to give up all that pain and anguish that I carried around. I had to learn to forgive more completely than I ever thought possible (which is a subject for another forum).
Through all this, there was a major shift in my acronym. It went from the question Can I? To the statement I CAN!
.
I was still so far behind my peers when it came to my knowledge of the scriptures, and of course my social skills were severely lacking, but anytime I would have difficulty, I would ask myself my acronym, CAN I? Then recommitted myself to constant and never-ending improvement.
I learned that if I wanted to be a useful servant of the Lord, I had to get rid of all my sins, and all the baggage that went along with them. I would have to do a lot of work on myself.
I would have to fix everything, especially the outward things like the things I actually do, my outward actions. I had to reconcile, undo things that I did, and turn completely to God. This was no easy task, approaching those to whom I had done wrong, and strive to make it right.
Then I struggled to fix everything that I said. I took responsibility for all of my words and all of my non-verbal communications. I took responsibility for my lack of communication as well, and whether I tried my hardest to ensure that I was not misunderstood by the things I said, and by the things I didn’t say. It was my responsibility to fix it, repent of everything, and turn completely to God.
Next, one of the most difficult things was to fix my thoughts. To not think anything that I shouldn’t think, to only think the most pure thoughts. To repent of every impure thought and never do it again, and turn my thoughts directly and completely toward God. This was quite the challenge since so many thoughts were allowed to just roam free. But the time came to own them, and to leave behind all excuses and justifications.
Perhaps the most difficult part to learn to control was my emotions. To fix my emotions, repent of every negative emotion and feeling, and turn my heart completely toward God. It was almost too much to ask. Way too much to expect from a boy who had a right to be hurt, a right to feel pain. Yet, I knew that if I wanted to progress, that I would have to give up all that pain and anguish that I carried around. I had to learn to forgive more completely than I ever thought possible (which is a subject for another forum).
Through all this, there was a major shift in my acronym. It went from the question Can I? To the statement I CAN!
.
I CAN - Part 2
Improvement was the key; Constant and Never-ending Improvement.
This became my acronym. C.A.N. I.? The question I would constantly ask myself.
I found that the more I applied this acronym, constant and never-ending improvement, the more my prayers were being answered. I began to experience waking visions, and would be receiving revelations that would unfold the mysteries of the Gospel. And even though it wasn’t anything like what I had previously understood, it was exactly what was written in the scriptures.
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This became my acronym. C.A.N. I.? The question I would constantly ask myself.
I found that the more I applied this acronym, constant and never-ending improvement, the more my prayers were being answered. I began to experience waking visions, and would be receiving revelations that would unfold the mysteries of the Gospel. And even though it wasn’t anything like what I had previously understood, it was exactly what was written in the scriptures.
.
I CAN - Part 1
'It is not how far along the path we are, but in which direction we are moving.'
When I was about 17 or 18 I was being prepared for a mission. It was an intense time in my life, a time of great change. I had been raised in a red neck family and had a lot of shortcomings, and was definitely not worthy of being a missionary for the Lord. And that bothered me. I did not want to go on a mission and give the Lord a bad name. I wanted to help, but I felt completely unworthy and completely incapable of being of any use to the Lord.
How could a guy who had done the things that I had done, ever have the Spirit enough to bring anyone to the Lord? It was a question that plagued me.
On one hand, I was begging the Lord to allow me to be of service somehow, then on the other, I knew that there were so many others who were far more worthy than me to go on missions. My heart was torn. I didn’t want to go, because I didn’t want to ruin the Lord’s work. As soon as people saw me and where I had come from, they wouldn’t want anything to do with God. Others were far more worthy than I, and I knew it. But even though they were worthy, so many of them wouldn’t go. And I begged the Lord to let me go, not because I was worthy, but because I was willing. My heart was broken because of my sins and transgressions, and I was willing to do anything the Lord required. I begged for Him to accept me.
Then I felt it; the undeniable presence of the Holy Ghost, which filled me and brought so much peace for my soul. I was accepted of the Lord.
Of course, that wasn’t enough for my brain, which reasoned; How can this be possible? How can I be accepted when I have done so many bad things? Perhaps being filled with the Holy Ghost was just a delusion of an unbalanced mind? Why would I be acceptable?
And the thought came to mind; ‘It is not how far along the path you are, but in which direction you are moving that makes a person acceptable.’
This was not just a random thought, because so much more was given with it, and of course being filled with the Spirit which showed how it all fit together. It was a totally new perspective for me, a new way to view God. He was really a loving Father, who has so much compassion for His children, as to pass all comprehension.
Oh, how I wish I could explain in words, the truth of who God actually is, of how He actually feels about us, but I am so inadequate in that area. Are there any words that can describe His feelings? Is it possible that a mortal tongue can do justice to a being beyond all description? I wonder if this was one of the reasons that the old prophets said things like, “no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard”, because there really is no way to describe the things of God.
In D&C 76:116, the prophet relates, “Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him;”
What a glorious thought! That we can purify ourselves, progress and move toward God, and He will show us who He truly is, who we truly are, and that we are acceptable to Him if we are moving toward Him.
'It is not how far along the path we are, but in which direction we are moving.'
So let’s move toward Him, the only true God, and His Son, Jesus the Christ!
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When I was about 17 or 18 I was being prepared for a mission. It was an intense time in my life, a time of great change. I had been raised in a red neck family and had a lot of shortcomings, and was definitely not worthy of being a missionary for the Lord. And that bothered me. I did not want to go on a mission and give the Lord a bad name. I wanted to help, but I felt completely unworthy and completely incapable of being of any use to the Lord.
How could a guy who had done the things that I had done, ever have the Spirit enough to bring anyone to the Lord? It was a question that plagued me.
On one hand, I was begging the Lord to allow me to be of service somehow, then on the other, I knew that there were so many others who were far more worthy than me to go on missions. My heart was torn. I didn’t want to go, because I didn’t want to ruin the Lord’s work. As soon as people saw me and where I had come from, they wouldn’t want anything to do with God. Others were far more worthy than I, and I knew it. But even though they were worthy, so many of them wouldn’t go. And I begged the Lord to let me go, not because I was worthy, but because I was willing. My heart was broken because of my sins and transgressions, and I was willing to do anything the Lord required. I begged for Him to accept me.
Then I felt it; the undeniable presence of the Holy Ghost, which filled me and brought so much peace for my soul. I was accepted of the Lord.
Of course, that wasn’t enough for my brain, which reasoned; How can this be possible? How can I be accepted when I have done so many bad things? Perhaps being filled with the Holy Ghost was just a delusion of an unbalanced mind? Why would I be acceptable?
And the thought came to mind; ‘It is not how far along the path you are, but in which direction you are moving that makes a person acceptable.’
This was not just a random thought, because so much more was given with it, and of course being filled with the Spirit which showed how it all fit together. It was a totally new perspective for me, a new way to view God. He was really a loving Father, who has so much compassion for His children, as to pass all comprehension.
Oh, how I wish I could explain in words, the truth of who God actually is, of how He actually feels about us, but I am so inadequate in that area. Are there any words that can describe His feelings? Is it possible that a mortal tongue can do justice to a being beyond all description? I wonder if this was one of the reasons that the old prophets said things like, “no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard”, because there really is no way to describe the things of God.
In D&C 76:116, the prophet relates, “Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him;”
What a glorious thought! That we can purify ourselves, progress and move toward God, and He will show us who He truly is, who we truly are, and that we are acceptable to Him if we are moving toward Him.
'It is not how far along the path we are, but in which direction we are moving.'
So let’s move toward Him, the only true God, and His Son, Jesus the Christ!
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Wednesday 23 April 2014
A Constant State Of Repentance
I once had a fair-weather friend who would always be trying to trick me and trap me. He would be kind to my face and ask for my help often. He would of course return the favour by asking me to accept his gifts, which were things that he would throw out or take to the dump. It was a very one-sided relationship.
This friend would often ask Gospel oriented questions and feign a genuine interest and agreement, then somehow his friends would find out and try to prove me wrong by twisting the scriptures out of context. At first I thought, perhaps I shouldn’t tell him so much since he was just using that information against me, but then I thought, if he would ask, then I would tell, and let him be accountable for his deception.
Of course, if the Lord says don’t reveal something, then it is best not to reveal it.
Yet, this fair-weather friend would always try to trap me, sometimes by playing devil’s advocate, sometimes by telling me only part of a dream and asking for the interpretation while hiding the other part, etc. And when the Spirit would reveal his deception, he would get angry or frustrated. One time I saw him get so frustrated that he went and being very physically assertive, he raised his voice and aggressively and intensely tried to convince my children false doctrine just so that he could try to hurt me by leading them astray!! It was crazy.
On another occasion, my fair-weather friend accused me of hiding information about God and about how to talk to Him in person, but I never did hide anything that would be influential in getting him an audience with the Big Guy. Instead I told him so plainly that he didn’t believe it could be that simple. Just repent and set your heart completely upon God.
Just repent completely. Be in a constant state of repentance, meek, lowly, broken heart, contrite, etc. Repent not only of actions, but also of inaction, of thoughts, words, and feelings. To bring ourselves into alignment with the character of God. To deny the world, and rid ourselves of every worldly desire and ambition, no matter how small or insignificant. To set our hearts so completely on God, that it is all we want, it is all we think about, it is all we communicate, and it is all we accomplish. It is really this easy! But my friend wouldn’t believe me. He was always trying to prove me wrong.
He would ask silly things like if there was a special position in which to pray. Or if you had to do strange hand signals, or some other weird thing to get God to answer you. He wouldn’t believe that it was his heart. That was too simple an answer. Too insignificant.
He reminded me of the Children of Israel, when they spoke against the Lord and went among the fiery flying serpents. “after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.”
I testify that this is the programme. If we turn our hearts to God, and seek Him only, then He will seek us. Stay strong, no matter what anyone says, and keep the faith of the Only Begotten, the Son of God. This is His doctrine, and it is the Father’s doctrine, that we have faith in the Son, and repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost.
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This friend would often ask Gospel oriented questions and feign a genuine interest and agreement, then somehow his friends would find out and try to prove me wrong by twisting the scriptures out of context. At first I thought, perhaps I shouldn’t tell him so much since he was just using that information against me, but then I thought, if he would ask, then I would tell, and let him be accountable for his deception.
Of course, if the Lord says don’t reveal something, then it is best not to reveal it.
Yet, this fair-weather friend would always try to trap me, sometimes by playing devil’s advocate, sometimes by telling me only part of a dream and asking for the interpretation while hiding the other part, etc. And when the Spirit would reveal his deception, he would get angry or frustrated. One time I saw him get so frustrated that he went and being very physically assertive, he raised his voice and aggressively and intensely tried to convince my children false doctrine just so that he could try to hurt me by leading them astray!! It was crazy.
On another occasion, my fair-weather friend accused me of hiding information about God and about how to talk to Him in person, but I never did hide anything that would be influential in getting him an audience with the Big Guy. Instead I told him so plainly that he didn’t believe it could be that simple. Just repent and set your heart completely upon God.
Just repent completely. Be in a constant state of repentance, meek, lowly, broken heart, contrite, etc. Repent not only of actions, but also of inaction, of thoughts, words, and feelings. To bring ourselves into alignment with the character of God. To deny the world, and rid ourselves of every worldly desire and ambition, no matter how small or insignificant. To set our hearts so completely on God, that it is all we want, it is all we think about, it is all we communicate, and it is all we accomplish. It is really this easy! But my friend wouldn’t believe me. He was always trying to prove me wrong.
He would ask silly things like if there was a special position in which to pray. Or if you had to do strange hand signals, or some other weird thing to get God to answer you. He wouldn’t believe that it was his heart. That was too simple an answer. Too insignificant.
He reminded me of the Children of Israel, when they spoke against the Lord and went among the fiery flying serpents. “after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.”
I testify that this is the programme. If we turn our hearts to God, and seek Him only, then He will seek us. Stay strong, no matter what anyone says, and keep the faith of the Only Begotten, the Son of God. This is His doctrine, and it is the Father’s doctrine, that we have faith in the Son, and repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost.
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Tuesday 22 April 2014
We Almost Hit A Bear!!
It was a beautiful day and we were having a nice leisurely drive through the mountains with the family. We were driving our old white cube van, which had a snub nose, so you could almost see straight down to the road while driving it. Then rather suddenly we spotted a big momma black bear crossing the road and her cub following behind.
I hit the brakes and held tight to keep from loosing control of the van. Slowing down so fast like that, Toni’s and my faces were right over the dash looking down over the snub nose of the van at the momma bear right in front of us. This bear was large enough that hitting it could cause us to lose control of the van, and even damage the tie rod or lock up the wheel and pull us right off the highway. We braced for impact, but no hit came.
I don’t know how to explain it. We could see the bear, and we could see the front of the van, and it doesn’t make sense, but it certainly seemed like we drove right through that bear! We looked in the large side mirror and watched the bear continue off the road and into the ditch. The cub was fine, it had slowed down as we passed, then hurried to catch up with it’s momma.
Thank the Lord for unexplained miracles!
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I hit the brakes and held tight to keep from loosing control of the van. Slowing down so fast like that, Toni’s and my faces were right over the dash looking down over the snub nose of the van at the momma bear right in front of us. This bear was large enough that hitting it could cause us to lose control of the van, and even damage the tie rod or lock up the wheel and pull us right off the highway. We braced for impact, but no hit came.
I don’t know how to explain it. We could see the bear, and we could see the front of the van, and it doesn’t make sense, but it certainly seemed like we drove right through that bear! We looked in the large side mirror and watched the bear continue off the road and into the ditch. The cub was fine, it had slowed down as we passed, then hurried to catch up with it’s momma.
Thank the Lord for unexplained miracles!
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Monday 21 April 2014
Darkened In Their Minds
I love this quote:
"President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel--said the Lord had declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church--that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls--applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall--that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy."
~ TPJS p. 237-238
If the minds of the Saints were darkened from depending on Joseph, how much more darkened are the minds depending on those leaders today who do not even have that discourse with heaven?
Go directly to God!!!!
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"President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel--said the Lord had declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church--that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls--applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall--that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy."
~ TPJS p. 237-238
If the minds of the Saints were darkened from depending on Joseph, how much more darkened are the minds depending on those leaders today who do not even have that discourse with heaven?
Go directly to God!!!!
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Friday 18 April 2014
Prophecy and Revelation
“Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?
“Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.”
The gifts of God often come in pairs, for example: gift of healing and faith to be healed, gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues, the gift to testify and the gift to believe on another's testimony, gift of knowledge and the gift of wisdom, etc. One of these pairs is the gift of prophecy and the gift of revelation. The Spirit of Prophesy is the means by which the Lord shows His servants what He will do in the future. The Spirit of Revelation is the gift which provides the meaning of the prophesy, the interpretation. It is by the Spirit of Revelation that the meanings of the parables are made known, and the meaning of the prophesies of Isaiah are understood. Both need to exist for God’s messages to be understood. I love this because it keeps people humble and lets us realize that we are all of eternal worth to Heavenly Father; that we have His gifts through His grace and love for us, not for any reason of our own. This way we can avoid the foul stench of priestcraft, where one person is elevated above another. Who is to say which is greater, the one who prophesies, or the one who interprets? What good would it do us to have a prophesy that no one could understand? And likewise, what truth would be revealed if there was no prophesy to interpret?
“Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.”
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Thursday 17 April 2014
Holes In Tire
A few years ago, my family and I were making a trek west. The Lord was leading us to a new land and a new life; a life of following Him. We had very little resources and were traveling by foot with three children. It was an amazing experience in our lives, filled with miracles, intense hardships, and the love of God!
While traveling through Ontario, we got to a point where there was only one road, the Trans-Canada Highway, which was really not that suitable to walk along with three small children. We took our concern to the Lord and asked for a ride. The next day was Sunday and we never traveled on the Sabbath, so we found a local church and attended services. In the course of meeting people, we told them our story and asked if they knew anyone that would be traveling north. And much to our joy, we were introduced to a man who was headed north to Thunder Bay with a truck and trailer to pick up his son from University.
As we met and explained our situation, and how we prayed for a ride, his eyes opened wide and his voice grew louder and he said something to the effect of: ‘So you’re the reason that my tire was flat this morning!’
This man loved the Lord and knew that God was still the same, and worked by miracles today, and was thrilled to be of help to us and to his God.
Grant was actually planning on leaving that Sunday morning to drive to Thunder Bay, but woke to find that his tire was flat and that no tire shops were open on Sunday. So he would have to wait until Monday morning to get his tire fixed.
At the tire shop, he found out that his tire had over 30 holes in it! It was apparent that the Lord really wanted to make sure that we got a ride, and Grant was an amazing servant of the Most High. He was so patient and kind to us and our children, he took us to meet his friends and relatives, who treated us like we were long lost relatives; May the blessings of the Father be poured out upon Grant, and his relatives. The Lord truly blessed us with a great answer to our prayer!
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A Bishop Preaching Against Christ
“And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, …”
I can’t believe it, did my ears deceive me?? I actually heard the bishop preach from the pulpit against the gifts of God being manifest in our day! This is crazy. What is the entire Mormon religion based upon, if not based upon the concept that God speaks and acts in our day?
The first thoughts to come into my mind are of chapters 7 & 10 of Moroni, and the teachings of Christ in the New Testament and 3rd Nephi. Perhaps I would not have thought it so bad if I hadn’t already heard this rhetoric a couple of times before, maybe I could have misunderstood the first couple of times, maybe I misunderstood this time, but if I didn’t misunderstand, this is a very dangerous game that the bishop is playing with other people’s souls.
There are many gifts of God, and they all come from the Spirit of God: faith, healing, dreams, visions, tongues, interpretations, prophecy, revelation, angels and ministering spirits, etc. Every good gift comes of the Spirit of Christ, and leads us to Christ. Can you believe that someone would so blatantly preach against the gifts of Christ? This is how God works, which will never be done away, unless by unbelief, by lack of faith. And if they lack faith in Christ, then they cannot lay claim upon the atonement.
Those who preach against God working the same as He has always done, are not of God. They do not have the gifts of God and therefore teach others that those things are done away, but it is a poor strategy to hold onto power and authority, which is like trying to hold onto the wind, as soon as it’s captured, it doesn’t exist.
“… For every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil…”
Have faith in Christ. Have faith in the Father. They are the same today as ever, and they work by the Holy Spirit according to our faith. The gifts of God are all real, and they are given to us by the Spirit of God, and by our faith do we lay hold on them as we lay hold on eternal life.
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Sunday 13 April 2014
Love Or Abuse?
I believe this thought was put out by a group called “We Love Atheism” and I felt the desire to comment on it.
This comment begs the question: “What crazy, nonsense were these people taught about God?”
This touches base with me, because I can relate. Growing up, I was taught this type of garbage about God, and when a teenager I got very angry at God for being this way, and using extortion to control people. I yelled and screamed and cried and said all sorts of horrible things to a God who would use this type of tactic. Most of all, I said that I would never follow or worship such a being. I cried myself out and called for any other God who was a God of mercy, and my prayer was answered. The Holy Spirit came to me and began to teach me about the God of Mercy. I was shown grand visions that I hope to share someday, but there was so much that I could not figure out how to write, how to describe. As my learning continued, I found out more and more about the true God, our Heavenly Father, and what His plan actually is, and why we are here, who we are, and what we are to become, and why it takes this kind of experience to get from where we were to where we hope to be.
Cast aside any thoughts of a God of extortion. The true God is a Father of love and is showing the way for His children to progress: repentance, forgiveness, and love.
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If one person were to say to another:
“I love you. You will love me too, and do what I say, without ever questioning me, or I will punish you with the worst torture you can imagine for the rest of your existence.”
We would, as a society, cry out loudly:
“That’s not LOVE, that’s ABUSE!”
But apparently it’s okay, if it’s coming from a Deity.
This comment begs the question: “What crazy, nonsense were these people taught about God?”
This touches base with me, because I can relate. Growing up, I was taught this type of garbage about God, and when a teenager I got very angry at God for being this way, and using extortion to control people. I yelled and screamed and cried and said all sorts of horrible things to a God who would use this type of tactic. Most of all, I said that I would never follow or worship such a being. I cried myself out and called for any other God who was a God of mercy, and my prayer was answered. The Holy Spirit came to me and began to teach me about the God of Mercy. I was shown grand visions that I hope to share someday, but there was so much that I could not figure out how to write, how to describe. As my learning continued, I found out more and more about the true God, our Heavenly Father, and what His plan actually is, and why we are here, who we are, and what we are to become, and why it takes this kind of experience to get from where we were to where we hope to be.
Cast aside any thoughts of a God of extortion. The true God is a Father of love and is showing the way for His children to progress: repentance, forgiveness, and love.
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Saturday 12 April 2014
One Of The Silliest Conclusions Ever
'If you really did see the Saviour, He would have told you to join our group.'
...
That's logic for you!
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That's logic for you!
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Friday 11 April 2014
Trust In The Lord Though He Slay You
I love to read journals of long ago, to learn how different people saw things, and one time a father gave this advice, ‘Trust in the Lord, though he slay you.’ That advice hit me hard. After all the trials I had lived through, it hurt to think that the Lord knew of them and had allowed them to happen. I found it a difficult struggle that took years, but eventually the Holy Spirit came upon me and I heard a voice say, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ I had several spiritual experiences over my struggles to overcome my anger at those who had hurt me, and some comforting things were told to me like the fact that God is with us and is acutely aware of every detail, and won’t let us go, that everything will work out for our good in the end, several of these things wouldn’t sink in until years later.
As I delved into the scriptures, I noticed that suffering was a common theme among the old prophets. Job had to live through some difficult trials, and we are made aware that he was a just and upright man and did not deserve, nor bring upon himself his suffering. We learn from reading Job that trials and suffering come to the righteous as well as the wicked. And Job, in his anguish, expressed this thought to the Lord, that he had been righteous and did not deserve his suffering. Yet Job trusted the Lord so much that he said: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”
Abraham also lived through some very huge trials and suffering, and he only sought God the more. His son and grandson were also afflicted with sometimes very severe sufferings and losses, and yet they continued to strive for perfection. Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, also had a few troubles and yet he continued to progress and perform the work of the Lord.
These disciples of the Father and several others were tormented and tortured with horrible heinous acts and yet they continued to trust in the Lord. Why should we want anything different? If that is what it takes to progress, then we should expect such things when we have asked to become like Him. And when sufferings come to us, perhaps we should emulate the example of the prophets, and draw closer to the Father even more.
Some of us have had to live through some terrible evils done to us, and just like those prophets of old if we set our hearts on God, He will come to us and make His abode with us. The two are inextricably tied. God is with us, He sees every detail, and is acutely aware of our sufferings as only He can. He will make all things work out for our good.
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”
~ Job 13:15
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As I delved into the scriptures, I noticed that suffering was a common theme among the old prophets. Job had to live through some difficult trials, and we are made aware that he was a just and upright man and did not deserve, nor bring upon himself his suffering. We learn from reading Job that trials and suffering come to the righteous as well as the wicked. And Job, in his anguish, expressed this thought to the Lord, that he had been righteous and did not deserve his suffering. Yet Job trusted the Lord so much that he said: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”
Abraham also lived through some very huge trials and suffering, and he only sought God the more. His son and grandson were also afflicted with sometimes very severe sufferings and losses, and yet they continued to strive for perfection. Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, also had a few troubles and yet he continued to progress and perform the work of the Lord.
These disciples of the Father and several others were tormented and tortured with horrible heinous acts and yet they continued to trust in the Lord. Why should we want anything different? If that is what it takes to progress, then we should expect such things when we have asked to become like Him. And when sufferings come to us, perhaps we should emulate the example of the prophets, and draw closer to the Father even more.
Some of us have had to live through some terrible evils done to us, and just like those prophets of old if we set our hearts on God, He will come to us and make His abode with us. The two are inextricably tied. God is with us, He sees every detail, and is acutely aware of our sufferings as only He can. He will make all things work out for our good.
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”
~ Job 13:15
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The Priestess' Dream
There were a long line of beds side by side, 20-30 beds in a row, and the old king was sleeping in the middle, laying on his side facing one of his wives. The priestess was also sitting on the bed brushing the hair of the king’s wife, when she dropped the comb, which fell between the beds. As she went to look for the comb, the king rolled over on his back and the royal ring fell from his finger between the beds. The priestess worried that she would be blamed for the king’s loss of power and searched for the ring. Even one of the king’s older wives came to help look for the king’s royal ring of power and authority, but it was lost. The power of the king was lost, and he remained in eternal slumber.
Wednesday 9 April 2014
The Mountain Is In Need Of Repair!
I have written about this topic already, perhaps a couple of times, once in the post Producing Good Fruit, but I feel to write a bit more about it today.
I saw a great mountain. It was large and beautiful and touched the clouds. But at the base of it was rottenness. The Lord sent His servant there to inspect it and see if it could be fixed. The servant strove with the Lord for time, and struggled to fix the rotten base of the mountain. But the rottenness was too deep, and the mountain would not accept any attempt at repair and so began to fall. It began to crumble in great avalanches, then suddenly the entire mountain exploded, sending rock in all directions. Many people were scattered, some were hurt and killed from the fall of the mountain, but only a few would allow themselves to be saved.
If the children are not instructed in and taught correct doctrine, then the children will go astray. Unless the people rid themselves of the false doctrine and accept, with all their hearts, the doctrine of the Fathers, then their lines will stop and they will lose their children and their hope of exaltation.
I saw a great mountain. It was large and beautiful and touched the clouds. But at the base of it was rottenness. The Lord sent His servant there to inspect it and see if it could be fixed. The servant strove with the Lord for time, and struggled to fix the rotten base of the mountain. But the rottenness was too deep, and the mountain would not accept any attempt at repair and so began to fall. It began to crumble in great avalanches, then suddenly the entire mountain exploded, sending rock in all directions. Many people were scattered, some were hurt and killed from the fall of the mountain, but only a few would allow themselves to be saved.
If the children are not instructed in and taught correct doctrine, then the children will go astray. Unless the people rid themselves of the false doctrine and accept, with all their hearts, the doctrine of the Fathers, then their lines will stop and they will lose their children and their hope of exaltation.
Monday 7 April 2014
This Is My Doctrine
67 … whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.
68 Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.
69 And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
70 And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Amen.
And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Amen.
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68 Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.
69 And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
70 And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Amen.
- whosoever repenteth [both reconcile and forsake, turning completely to Christ]
- and cometh unto me [go to Christ in Person],
- the same is my church. [He has His own Church that He talks to in Person]
- Whosoever declareth more or less than this [this is the Only way],
- the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church. [An easy way to know that someone is NOT of Christ]
- And now, behold, whosoever is of my church [His Church],
- and endureth of my church to the end [must still remain in His Church to the end],
- him will I establish upon my rock [revelation],
- and the gates of hell [sin, worldly desire, etc]
- shall not prevail against them. [they will be saved]
And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Amen.
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Liars and Deceivers
“Wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God."
Doctrine and Covenants section 10 is very aptly applied to the people of our day. It used to be that Satan was struggling to not let Mormonism take hold, but he has since changed his tactic in that he now wants as many polluted forms of Mormonism that he can get, so much so that if the boy prophet were born in our day, he would still be asking; ‘Wither is truth?’
This deception strategy applies very well today in that the evil one is still hard at work trying to destroy the work of God. The Art of Mis-Information is the main strategy of leaders in all areas, religious and secular. And they think they are so very clever and that the Lord does not know of their deception, and so they constantly strive to deceive the servants of the Lord whom He sends among them.
I have experienced this recently: I was sent to a certain people and they thought to work a strategy to try and deceive me, but the Lord knew of their strategy and informed me. How strange that they think they can deceive the Lord!
The Lord makes it painfully clear in the scriptures, that those people will be caught in their own snare, and will suffer that loss for eternity.
Some even claim that they are not trying to deceive, in which case we have to wonder, why then are they justifying themselves? Obviously, they are well aware of their own strategies.
D&C 10:28 reads: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God.”
To all good people, it seems rather ridiculous to try and deceive the Lord, but the wicked think, “…and we will do this that we may not be ashamed in the end, and that we may get glory of the world.” They think they will not be ashamed in the end, but if they actually thought they were not doing wrong, then they would not be trying to deceive in the first place. It is obvious that they only wants the glory of the world, or the glory of their little peer group. And that is what they will get, and in the next life, even that will end. God will not be deceived. It is quite sad.
It is important to find out if someone is telling the truth, and in D&C 9 the Lord tells us how to do that. The problem is that some think that the servants of God are not really of God, and because those people are evil and their deeds are evil, they will not ask of God to know the truth, that is, if the servants of God are really of God. And if they do not know if the servant of God is of God, then they think they are justified in following the strategy of the devil: “And thus he flattereth them, and telleth them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a lie, that they may destroy him.”
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God.”
The darkness here is not comprehending the light which God has sent among them. This light has been sent to build up His Church, not destroy it. The light was sent so that, “…whosoever might believe on this Gospel in this land might have eternal life;” D&C 10:50
It is Satan who doth stir up their hearts to contention and arguing about doctrine and wresting scriptures.
But if the people turn to God, He will gather them, if they will not harden their hearts. But if they turn away God, God will turn them away.
“Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely.”
~ D&C 66
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Doctrine and Covenants section 10 is very aptly applied to the people of our day. It used to be that Satan was struggling to not let Mormonism take hold, but he has since changed his tactic in that he now wants as many polluted forms of Mormonism that he can get, so much so that if the boy prophet were born in our day, he would still be asking; ‘Wither is truth?’
This deception strategy applies very well today in that the evil one is still hard at work trying to destroy the work of God. The Art of Mis-Information is the main strategy of leaders in all areas, religious and secular. And they think they are so very clever and that the Lord does not know of their deception, and so they constantly strive to deceive the servants of the Lord whom He sends among them.
I have experienced this recently: I was sent to a certain people and they thought to work a strategy to try and deceive me, but the Lord knew of their strategy and informed me. How strange that they think they can deceive the Lord!
The Lord makes it painfully clear in the scriptures, that those people will be caught in their own snare, and will suffer that loss for eternity.
Some even claim that they are not trying to deceive, in which case we have to wonder, why then are they justifying themselves? Obviously, they are well aware of their own strategies.
D&C 10:28 reads: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God.”
To all good people, it seems rather ridiculous to try and deceive the Lord, but the wicked think, “…and we will do this that we may not be ashamed in the end, and that we may get glory of the world.” They think they will not be ashamed in the end, but if they actually thought they were not doing wrong, then they would not be trying to deceive in the first place. It is obvious that they only wants the glory of the world, or the glory of their little peer group. And that is what they will get, and in the next life, even that will end. God will not be deceived. It is quite sad.
It is important to find out if someone is telling the truth, and in D&C 9 the Lord tells us how to do that. The problem is that some think that the servants of God are not really of God, and because those people are evil and their deeds are evil, they will not ask of God to know the truth, that is, if the servants of God are really of God. And if they do not know if the servant of God is of God, then they think they are justified in following the strategy of the devil: “And thus he flattereth them, and telleth them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a lie, that they may destroy him.”
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God.”
The darkness here is not comprehending the light which God has sent among them. This light has been sent to build up His Church, not destroy it. The light was sent so that, “…whosoever might believe on this Gospel in this land might have eternal life;” D&C 10:50
It is Satan who doth stir up their hearts to contention and arguing about doctrine and wresting scriptures.
But if the people turn to God, He will gather them, if they will not harden their hearts. But if they turn away God, God will turn them away.
“Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely.”
~ D&C 66
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Saturday 5 April 2014
Let There Be No Disputations Among You
“… neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.
For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.”
~ 3 Nephi 11:28-29
It is a law of God to have two or more witnesses. It can often be taken that something is true if two people, who are unconnected, have the same answer from prayer and inspiration. But this is not always the case if those involved didn’t actually get their answers from God.
I often hear arguments over doctrine, mostly who is right and who is wrong. It is strange that they don’t just go to God and get the answer. But it is also painfully obvious why they don’t. So many of them claim to have gone to God already and that He has “made it known to them” that what they think, is the correct answer. And since each of them say the same thing, that God told them what they believe is correct, then there is a definite problem somewhere along the line!
The world is so full of faithless people that they won’t correct their way of thinking and go to God to get the answer. Not just a ‘feel good’ answer, but an actual answer. What do I mean by actual answer? I mean just like you get when you have an argument with a fellow employee over the instructions left by your boss, and you call up the boss and ask what was meant, and then the boss answers you. You don’t just ask and hang up the phone, and then go about thinking about how your understanding of the instructions is correct until you are filled with a good feeling. You put the boss on speaker phone and ask him to clarify his instructions. You ask find out questions. You make sure that both of you understand the boss’ instructions. Both people involved in the argument hear the boss at the same time explain what he meant and what he wants done. It is that simple!!!!
This false doctrine that God won’t talk to both at the same time, or that God won’t answer out loud and the excuse ‘that’s what the Spirit is for’, is nonsense. God will answer. God wants you to ask. And God has often talked, in person, to more than one person at a time. And if you cannot approach God in person, to actually stand before him in person, then what are you arguing over doctrine for???? First seek the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, then all these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). That is what this scripture means!
Of course, as if often the case, the two or more parties involved cannot seem to reconcile and forgive each other enough, and love each other enough, and let go of their pride enough to be broken and contrite to hear the actual voice of God together. And yet, if they cannot do this tiny prerequisite to receiving answers to prayer, what difference does their argument over doctrine make? None!
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them…” ~ D&C 6:32 He will answer both at the same time, so repent and humble yourselves and go to Him together and obtain the answer.
I testify that God can and does talk to more than one person at the same time. I have personal experience with this. It is true, so don't get caught up in the arguments, or let yourselves be influenced by those who contend over doctrine. Instead, true disciples will follow the commands of Christ and avoid arguing over doctrine and go to Him in prayer and together get His answer.
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For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.”
~ 3 Nephi 11:28-29
It is a law of God to have two or more witnesses. It can often be taken that something is true if two people, who are unconnected, have the same answer from prayer and inspiration. But this is not always the case if those involved didn’t actually get their answers from God.
I often hear arguments over doctrine, mostly who is right and who is wrong. It is strange that they don’t just go to God and get the answer. But it is also painfully obvious why they don’t. So many of them claim to have gone to God already and that He has “made it known to them” that what they think, is the correct answer. And since each of them say the same thing, that God told them what they believe is correct, then there is a definite problem somewhere along the line!
The world is so full of faithless people that they won’t correct their way of thinking and go to God to get the answer. Not just a ‘feel good’ answer, but an actual answer. What do I mean by actual answer? I mean just like you get when you have an argument with a fellow employee over the instructions left by your boss, and you call up the boss and ask what was meant, and then the boss answers you. You don’t just ask and hang up the phone, and then go about thinking about how your understanding of the instructions is correct until you are filled with a good feeling. You put the boss on speaker phone and ask him to clarify his instructions. You ask find out questions. You make sure that both of you understand the boss’ instructions. Both people involved in the argument hear the boss at the same time explain what he meant and what he wants done. It is that simple!!!!
This false doctrine that God won’t talk to both at the same time, or that God won’t answer out loud and the excuse ‘that’s what the Spirit is for’, is nonsense. God will answer. God wants you to ask. And God has often talked, in person, to more than one person at a time. And if you cannot approach God in person, to actually stand before him in person, then what are you arguing over doctrine for???? First seek the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, then all these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). That is what this scripture means!
Of course, as if often the case, the two or more parties involved cannot seem to reconcile and forgive each other enough, and love each other enough, and let go of their pride enough to be broken and contrite to hear the actual voice of God together. And yet, if they cannot do this tiny prerequisite to receiving answers to prayer, what difference does their argument over doctrine make? None!
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them…” ~ D&C 6:32 He will answer both at the same time, so repent and humble yourselves and go to Him together and obtain the answer.
I testify that God can and does talk to more than one person at the same time. I have personal experience with this. It is true, so don't get caught up in the arguments, or let yourselves be influenced by those who contend over doctrine. Instead, true disciples will follow the commands of Christ and avoid arguing over doctrine and go to Him in prayer and together get His answer.
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Wednesday 2 April 2014
Meeting Toni
After returning from my mission, I was anxious to get married and start a family, so I would pray and pray, asking the Lord who I should marry. Then one day, I was on my way to my cousin's wedding, and I drifted off to sleep for just a few minutes (I was not driving). It was only for a few minutes, but in that few minutes I had a dream. This dream seemed different than other dreams, but at the time I couldn’t figure out how. I dreamed that I was a missionary again, discussing missionary work with a fellow missionary. When, in my dream I saw a beautiful face; the face of an angel. She turned, smiled at me and said hello. And I woke, and immediately told my mother, who was driving, about this different type of dream that I just had. The thing with this dream was that I could not get that beautiful smile out of my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see that smile. It never faded like other dreams.
Then a few hours later while at the wedding, I held the door open for a few people who were headed outside. One of the girls stopped in the doorway, turned, smiled at me, and said hello. I was stunned! It was the same beautiful face I saw in my dream, with that same gorgeous smile. So I thought I would put my foot in my mouth. All I could think of to say was, "I saw you in a dream." And the response was, "I've heard that one before." She thought I was giving her a line!
That was the very first time that my wife and I met, and the very first time that we had ever seen each other in this lifetime.
With a little time and a few more miracles, she consented to spend the rest of her life hanging around with me. It is pretty hard on a fella's confidence to know that he was not much of a catch and needed so many miracles to win a girl's heart, and yet at the same time how could I not feel blessed that the Lord would help me out so much. [Sometimes my dog won't play with me either, unless I have a bone for him.] As a child, I loved that ugly duckling story, and occasionally I feel I am still waiting for my metamorphosis.
It is amazing, how much interest Heavenly Father takes in our lives. He has things so well planned out that we can trust in Him implicitly.
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Then a few hours later while at the wedding, I held the door open for a few people who were headed outside. One of the girls stopped in the doorway, turned, smiled at me, and said hello. I was stunned! It was the same beautiful face I saw in my dream, with that same gorgeous smile. So I thought I would put my foot in my mouth. All I could think of to say was, "I saw you in a dream." And the response was, "I've heard that one before." She thought I was giving her a line!
That was the very first time that my wife and I met, and the very first time that we had ever seen each other in this lifetime.
With a little time and a few more miracles, she consented to spend the rest of her life hanging around with me. It is pretty hard on a fella's confidence to know that he was not much of a catch and needed so many miracles to win a girl's heart, and yet at the same time how could I not feel blessed that the Lord would help me out so much. [Sometimes my dog won't play with me either, unless I have a bone for him.] As a child, I loved that ugly duckling story, and occasionally I feel I am still waiting for my metamorphosis.
It is amazing, how much interest Heavenly Father takes in our lives. He has things so well planned out that we can trust in Him implicitly.
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Tuesday 1 April 2014
True Prophets
With so many “prophets” around, I thought I would write some very easy tell-tale ways to recognize whether they are prophets of God, or of something else.
First and foremost, true prophets of God do not set themselves up as a light, they tell us to go directly to God Himself.
Second, true prophets of God teach correct principles and let the people govern themselves. They do not set up a hierarchy that must be obeyed to get to enter heaven.
There are many different types of prophets from God; of this there are many examples in the scriptures. Not all of the prophets of God stood in His presence, and many only knew the limited amount that they were taught, as with all of us. The prophets learned line upon line, precept upon precept. And one thing that true prophets know is that they are not the only one, God has several prophets. But with so many people today claiming to have stood in the presence of God, and then their behaviour does not coincide with being taught in the presence of God, I feel to bear witness of God and testify of what standing in the presence of God is really like, so that any frauds can easily be spotted.
The very first thing we learn when standing in the presence of God is who He really is. We learn about Him, about His true identity, His true character. That is the first thing we learn.
The second thing we learn is how much we mean to Him, and consequently, how much others mean to Him as well.
Once we know how much we mean to Him, we know how much others mean to Him. And when we know how much others mean to Him, we cannot behave the same way toward others again without going against what we were taught in the presence of God. Those who have stood in the presence of the Father would never cast anyone aside.
God is real. Heavenly Father is real. The Father and the Son are real people, and love us very much. There is no way to describe the volume, the intensity of love they have for us. It is something that must be experienced to be understood. There is a line of Fathers that extends through the eternities, and they are a beautiful sight, and our place is among them, as they are. They want us to become like them. To become one with them, as they are one.
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First and foremost, true prophets of God do not set themselves up as a light, they tell us to go directly to God Himself.
Second, true prophets of God teach correct principles and let the people govern themselves. They do not set up a hierarchy that must be obeyed to get to enter heaven.
There are many different types of prophets from God; of this there are many examples in the scriptures. Not all of the prophets of God stood in His presence, and many only knew the limited amount that they were taught, as with all of us. The prophets learned line upon line, precept upon precept. And one thing that true prophets know is that they are not the only one, God has several prophets. But with so many people today claiming to have stood in the presence of God, and then their behaviour does not coincide with being taught in the presence of God, I feel to bear witness of God and testify of what standing in the presence of God is really like, so that any frauds can easily be spotted.
The very first thing we learn when standing in the presence of God is who He really is. We learn about Him, about His true identity, His true character. That is the first thing we learn.
The second thing we learn is how much we mean to Him, and consequently, how much others mean to Him as well.
Once we know how much we mean to Him, we know how much others mean to Him. And when we know how much others mean to Him, we cannot behave the same way toward others again without going against what we were taught in the presence of God. Those who have stood in the presence of the Father would never cast anyone aside.
God is real. Heavenly Father is real. The Father and the Son are real people, and love us very much. There is no way to describe the volume, the intensity of love they have for us. It is something that must be experienced to be understood. There is a line of Fathers that extends through the eternities, and they are a beautiful sight, and our place is among them, as they are. They want us to become like them. To become one with them, as they are one.
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A House Of Order
I often hear the argument that God's House needs to have one man to rule over it or it would be out of order and in chaos.
Well, to begin with, The word "house" does not refer to a church, or to a people. It refers to a family. It means God's family. Those who are begottens of God; the sons and daughters of God. And how do they become begottens? They communicate and are communicated with directly by God. And if they are communicated with, stand in the presence of God Himself, then how can they be out of order if they get their directions straight from the mouth of God?
God can direct His own House. Those who claim that God's House would be out of order if He didn't have someone earthly to direct it, are following Lucifer's "one man" plan. Unfortunately, that is the only thing the wicked can understand. They can only understand rule. They cannot understand people working in harmony with each other without a ruler or leader, or someone who can have final say.
It is the plan of God to exalt His children, and that means progression, progression to the point that they need not have anyone lead them, because they have learned to lead themselves. For example, upon the earth when a young lad enters the priesthood, he is to be guided by a leader of the quorum. The purpose of the quorum leader is to help the young priest progress beyond the quorum, and move to the next higher quorum, and so on. The purpose of God's true prophets is to help the people to progress to God, and God's purpose is to help us progress to be as He is. To follow the same Spirit that He follows. He is a being that follows a certain path, the path of Godhood, and it is His desire that all His children follow that self same path. If all are following, none need lead. Remember, Heavenly Father is the epitome of humility and meekness. He does not lead as men think of the word.
The doctrine of the evil one is very persuasive and catches many people in it's snare. But the elect of God will not be deceived. They are they who stand in the presence of God Himself. Not these wicked people that turn the priesthood into priestcraft.
The House of God is in order, because God directs it. He does not direct His House by a mortal man. He does expect that mortal man, who have not progressed enough to stand in His presence yet, have leaders who can teach them how. These leaders do not rule over the people, they teach them, they serve them, they show them how.
Anyone who says that you must submit to the church's hierarchy is worshiping the wrong god! They do not know the God of Heaven. Do not follow them!
Heavenly Father wants you to go to Him directly. God's House is a house of order, and you must get your directions right from Him. It is His House. It is true that He often sends prophets to deliver a message, and yet what does that message say but to repent and turn to God. Go to God. Seek the blessings of the Fathers. They can only be obtained from the Fathers themselves.
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