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.
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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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