Eternal Life

Eternal Life is a state of being, and our Heavenly Father has figured out how to be.

And all He wants is for us to have eternal life also. So he freely gives us the method that He follows.

If we want to have eternal life then we have to be as He is.

If we follow the method that He follows, then we will have what he has. We will have eternal life.

So here is what to do: Go through the scriptures and write down everything that God says to do, and do it. Then take note of the principles that govern those things. Now, go through the scriptures again and write down all the things that God is; patient, long suffering, etc. And notice how the principles, that you wrote down before, and characteristics of God match. This is a key. If we therefore, be as God is, have the same characteristics that God has, then we will have eternal life as He does.

"For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

All Can Be Prophets

Just a few scriptures out of many.

D&C 1:20 
But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;

Numbers 11:29 
And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them! 

D&C 88: 68 
Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

All can become prophets if they follow the principles of the living God.

No One Has A Monopoly On God

I have often heard people say that God would not do something without doing it through their priesthood leadership, but I must say, no one has a monopoly on God.   

It is true that God does give authority to some people, but that authority is to serve and not to control.  And if those to whom God gives His authority abuse it or misuse it, it is taken away and given to others, as is amply recorded in the scriptures.  

No one has a monopoly on God.   

If anyone should try and tell you that you have to do more than what Christ said, or they won’t give you the blessings that you seek, then know that that person(s) is not of God.  They are anti-God, anti-Christ.   

Go directly to the source, and He will answer you.  If you are having difficulty seeing His answers, keep going and follow that still small voice, you will improve and eventually be able to hear His actual voice very clearly, just as clearly as you hear someone standing right beside you.   

Don’t give up.  Go directly to God.  He has His own Church and will speak to you directly.  Only He can, and will, grant you exaltation and eternal life.  He will not deny you.  Just qualify yourself.  Don’t be afraid to do good.  

No one has a monopoly on God.  

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Faith And The Love Of God

I thought I would share a little miracle. 

A few years ago we were living on a small acreage outside of a little village.  It was a beautiful little location, and was ideal for raising a family.  On this acreage we got our water from a shallow well on the edge of the property.  The well had the best water in the entire county and the older generation of locals often commented on it.  Then one spring something went terribly wrong! 

At first the water began to have a slight odour, which continued to get worse day by day.  Soon, the water even began to taste bad.  In fact it got so bad that even the farm animals would not drink it if they had a choice.  Something had to be done, but we didn’t know what to do.  So we went out to the well and opened it up, shone the flashlight in and I got a terrible sick feeling in the pit of my stomach! 

The surface of the well water was covered in rats.  They were dead and rotting.  It was disgusting! And the smell!! 

We fished all the carcasses out of the well.  At least all we could get, because some of the bodies were so rotten that they just fell apart and dissolved into the water.  It was nasty! 

Then we tried several different methods to clean the well.  We drained it, bleached it, treated it with whatever chemical stuff they sell, but nothing worked. 

A couple of weeks later, when we had exhausted all other avenues, we went to the Lord in prayer.  Of course we had been praying all along, but this time we were desperate for help and direction.  And finally humble enough that we could at last hear the answer. 

The story of Elisha cleansing the well came into my mind.  It seemed like a huge leap of faith for me.  I mean to do a miracle of that magnitude seemed way too far out of reach.  But I decided to follow the Spirit and do as I was directed.  I re-read the story from the Old Testament, gathered all the supplies I would need; a bowl, salt, etc, and when no one was looking I went out to the well.  I performed the ordinance as best as I could, with all the faith that I could muster, then went back into the house to test the water. 

I failed! 

The water was drinkable again, but still tasted horrible.  The smell was perhaps slightly less strong, but …

I knew that I was just kidding myself.  I had failed.  What kind of miracle only worked half-way?  I was so ashamed.  I was ashamed to tell my children.  I was ashamed to face my wife.  And most of all, I was ashamed to even face the Lord.  I felt as though I failed Him. 

I fell to prayer.  What else could I do?  I apologized for failing and begged what to do.  What did I do wrong?  I followed the promptings, didn’t I?  Then the Spirit revealed it to me.  I failed because I feared.  I had snuck out when no one was looking.  I wanted to perform the ordinance in secret because I was afraid to fail in front of my children.  But that is not what the Lord wanted.  He wanted everyone to see.  He wanted all His children to see His love for them.  I asked Heavenly Father what I should do, and I was told to do the ordinance again, this time in front of my children. 

So I went to my family and confessed.  I told them that I prayed about what to do about the poisoned water in the well, and how I got the answer to perform the same ordinance that Elisha performed.  I also told them how I feared, and how I failed.  I confessed everything, and repented.  I told them the story of Elisha cleansing the well, then we gathered up the required ingredients, and the older children and I headed out to the well. 

The children were so excited to see the glory of the Lord performing a miracle just for them.  I, on the other hand, was terrified.  The more excited the children were, the more afraid I became.  What if I failed again?  What would that do to their faith?  Would they ever believe me again when I teach them about Heavenly Father?  Would my children go the way of the world and I lose them forever?  Then, I remembered what the Lord told me before, that I failed the first time because of my fear.  So I pushed all the fear out of me and gathered all the faith I could.  We prayed together, and my faith increased.  This time I dedicated and consecrated everything that was involved.  I wanted to leave nothing out.  Then came the big moment. 

With the faith of my children, we performed the ordinance as God wanted us to, and the Holy Spirit bore witness.  Then excitedly we went into the house to test the water. 

The water flowed clear.  We didn’t even have to run the system to clear it out.  It flowed clear from the moment we turned it on.  The smell, also, was completely gone!  Nothing, not even the slightest odour remained.  And best of all the water tasted great!! 

It wasn’t long after that we had another addition to the family.  And there in that county it is required to have all wells tested when a new baby is born.  And our well passed with flying colours!  Not a thing wrong with it.  And we had the certificate to prove it. 

Our Heavenly Father had shown forth His great love for us.  His tender care had certainly increased our faith in Him.  We were renewed.  Our faith in Him was renewed and strengthened.  May Glory and Honour be to His Name forever!! 

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Producing Good Fruit

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” 

The command to be fruitful was given to our first parents Adam and Eve, but what kind of fruit does the Lord want?  Almost anyone can bear fruit. 

In fact, the Jews at the time of Jesus were willing to justify themselves and claim that they were saved, just because they were the children of Abraham, the fruit of Abraham.  But John told them that just being children of Abraham was not enough, they were still expected to keep the commandments of God.  They were to be good fruit. 

“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” 

Hewn down and cast into the fire.  Our families will not last if we do not bear good fruit.  How could they?  In other words, how can we have our children with us in heaven, if they are corrupt?  No unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God.  We must have good children.  If we produce bad fruit, then that marriage/family will be hewn down and cast into the fire. 

The highest and noblest calling is to bear fruit.  It is what our Heavenly Father does.  Who imagines a God that refuses to care for His children?  When in all the scriptures do we read that God denied his children love and care because he had to go to work?  Where does he say ‘I’ll talk to you after the game?’  The care of children is not only His highest priority, but His only priority. 

“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

For those who want to become like our Father in Heaven, the care and salvation of children is the top priority. 

And those who would justify themselves by disclaiming any responsibility for the sins of their children, need to take another gander at the scriptures. 

The Lord taught this principle in the Doctrine and Covenants to the early Saints: 

“40 But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth. 

 41 But verily I say unto you, … , you have continued under this condemnation; 

 42 You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction. 

 43 And now a commandment I give unto you—if you will be delivered you shall set in order your own house, for there are many things that are not right in your house.”   

Here is one of my favourites: 

“For it is given unto them even as I will, according to mine own pleasure, that great things may be required at the hand of their fathers.”

How sad it is when a young couple is having so much joy in the birth of their new child, and our society strives with all it’s might to tear them apart.  Imposing their will by peer pressure to get the new parents away from the child, claiming such lies as ‘you cannot enjoy life with children.’  Children are a wonderful blessing, and bring joy and rejoicing to the family.  Stay strong, and raise good children.  You will have joy and rejoicing throughout the eternities. 

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Parable Of The Talents

On Sunday, April 2^nd, 1843, the Prophet Joseph went for a walk with Benjamin F. Johnson and opened to him the subject of plural and eternal marriage.  Brother Benjamin was shocked to say the least, and even though he expressed his trust in the Prophet, he stated that if he “ever should know that you do this to dishonor and debauch my sister, I will kill you as sure as the Lord lives.”  Joseph reassured Brother Johnson that the ancient order of marriage was indeed from God. 

Joseph asked Benjamin to talk to his sister Almera, to which Brother Johnson replied:  “But how, can I teach my sister what I myself do not understand, or show her what I do not myself see?”  Joseph replied, “But you will see and understand it, and when you open your mouth to talk to your sister, light will come to you and your mouth will be full and your tongue loose, and I will today preach a sermon that none but you will understand.” 

That sermon was taken from the text of the parable of the talents.  This parable can be found in Matthew 25:14-30, and in Luke 19:11-27.  I am not going to quote the whole thing here, but it is well worth it to read both versions again.  Basically, the parable relates that the Lord expects those who have been given talents, to improve on their talents and gain more talents.  This is pretty basic stuff and is often required in any aspect in life.  But in this situation the Prophet Joseph applied it to family.  That a man should improve on the gifts the Lord gives him. 

Over time, this doctrine grew and grew.  It was expanded and adulterated many times.  Until the modern false doctrine of ‘polygamy will save and exalt a man’ arose.  Polygamy and the Ancient Order of Marriage are most definitely not the same thing, but that is a topic for another post.  In this post I wanted to stick to the doctrine of increasing our talents in the way that the Lord expects us to.  For not only must it be done, it must be done in accordance to the way God wants it done.  No other way is acceptable to Him.  But, like I said, that is a topic for another post.  Back to the parable of the talents… 

Upon His return, the Lord calls his stewards forward and requires of them an accounting.  One gains many more talents than he was given, and he is received with gladness into the Joy of the Lord.  Another steward gains a few more talents, though not as many as the first, but he is still received with joy and given a proportionate reward.  In fact, as with all parables, the term reward is analogous.  The reward that we get is the fact that we have our families, our wives and our children with us for eternity.  Notice the fella that increased to ten talents, had the reward of ten cities, or in other words, ten families.  The rewards of God are in all actuality natural consequences to our behaviour. 

Then we come to the last steward.  Him who has been given but one talent, who when his Lord came, found that this slothful servant went and buried his talent in the earth and did nothing with it.  The Lord, of course, told him you should have at least lent out the money so that I could have my own with interest.  Then the talent that wasn’t taken care of, the talent that was abused and hidden away, that wasn’t even allowed to live up to the measure of it’s creation, was taken from that wicked servant and offered to someone who would cherish her and allow her to blossom. 

That statement; “I should have mine own with usury.”  An interesting concept!  Since this parable is being related to family, it is obvious that the “usury” refers to children.  If that slothful servant had of lent out the money to the exchangers, then he would have earned interest.  In other words he should have at least raised children.  Even if he couldn’t attract another wife, he should have at least had children, increasing his talent.  Then when the Lord comes he could have presented children.  Then his one talent would not have been taken from him.  He would not have been cast out. 

But a person cannot be expected to be saved to the highest heaven just because they can pop out children.  They, of course, must be good children, remember the parable of the fruit tree.  The exaltation and dominion of the Saints depends on the number of righteous posterity they have.  Not just the number of posterity, but the number of righteous posterity.  The Lord wants us to raise a righteous posterity.  To raise a nation of Priests unto the Most High God.  He wants a God fearing people, who love Him and have nothing but charity, the pure love of Christ, toward their fellow man. 

I will continue this topic in the next post Producing Good Fruit. 

Sealing and Authority

A strong belief in the Mormon world is the doctrine of Eternal Families.  It is a doctrine that was introduced by the Prophet Joseph Smith under the term Sealing.  To seal people together is to perform the priesthood ordinance under the direction of the Holy Spirit of Promise, promising the parties involved that they will have the opportunity to be together in the Resurrection and beyond.  I say the “opportunity” because we always have our agency. 

The Holy Spirit of Promise is a subject that can take up several posts, and perhaps I will get to that at another time. 

The types of sealings that go on today in most of the Mormon churches/groups that I have witnessed, are preparatory sealings.  They are (should be) performed by those who hold, at least the preparatory Patriarchal Priesthood, and they seal by stating something to the effect of; ‘According to your faithfulness.’  Of course if the ordinance was done with the proper authority, and according to the laws that the Lord set out to govern that ordinance, and if those parties involved qualify themselves, then they will realize that blessing. 

Most Mormons are aware of two priesthoods, the Aaronic, including the Levitical, and the Melchizedek.  The Aaronic tends to the temporal concerns, and the Melchizedek tends to the spiritual.  The Melchizedek Priesthood is the highest priesthood that can be given from one man to the other. 

But there is another priesthood that is not often spoken of or even named, though it is sometimes common knowledge; the Patriarchal Priesthood.  The Patriarchal Priesthood is given usually in two stages.  The Patriarchal Priesthood is often only given by revelation or when necessity dictates, but there have been many exceptions.  It is first given by the performing of ordinances often referred to as the Second Annointings or the Higher Endowment (actually it has many names).  In all actuality, this is just a preparatory endowment, and it is not complete until it is ratified by God.  (Another subject for a later post.) 

The Patriarchal Priesthood holds the keys of sealing, and even at the preparatory level, those keys are valid, as long as the priesthood holder uses them in accordance with the rules that the Lord has set forth to govern them.  If the sealing is not performed according to the laws that the Lord dictated, then of course it is not valid.  Oh, how many will be crying at that day! 

This brings up a whole new aspect.  Those who have not had the opportunity to have that ordinance performed by someone legally holding that authority, will have the opportunity at some future time, provided that they have lived in such a way as to have qualified themselves.  If they have not lived up to that standard, they do not qualify for the blessing.  The Lord is extremely kind to those who have kept, and are keeping His commandments.  Although, it is our responsibility to pray and find out who has that authority, so that we can have that ordinance performed, and live that covenant. 

Again, do not fear, Heavenly Father is extremely kind to those who are keeping His commandments, and will have abundant mercy on them.  They will have an opportunity to receive all the blessings that they have qualified for.  So do not fear, go forth in faith, be not afraid to do good, seeking His will in all things, and you will receive all that you have qualified for, nothing will be lost. 

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The Language Of God

2 Nephi 31:3

For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men.  For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding. 

This is a beautiful sentiment.  What a loving God to speak to us according to our understanding. 

Then why at times are the scriptures so hard to understand? 

God talks to man in the language of man, according to the understanding of man.  But when you hear God speak in His own language …   How can this be described?  It would take pages just to describe one aspect of what He says, and perhaps an entire book to relate the whole sentence… if He spoke in sentences.  :) 

One of the jobs of a prophet of God is to be an interpreter.  One of the gifts of God is the interpretation of tongues.  And the main language to be interpreted is the Language of God.  It is the prophet’s job to translate the message from God, from the language of God into the language of man, so that it can be understood by man.  It is a daunting task. And some of the prophets have even expressed this concern to the Lord, as recorded in the scriptures. 

And then of course we have all the nut cases and anti-God people that like to point out discrepancies in semantics as proof that God makes mistakes, or changes, and other such nonsense.  Or they attempt to say/prove that the prophet is false.  That just because a prophet describes the same event in two different ways, to try and convey a more accurate meaning, that he must be making it up, or doesn’t know what he is talking about.  Or they accuse him of changing his story.  Or worse, they claim that two prophets don’t agree.  All because they are so ignorant of God’s ways, and willing to justify themselves. 

It is true that we have to translate correctly, but translating the language of God into English is not easy.  We have no words in English to convey those meanings.  So prophets use a lot of analogies and principles in the relating of the word of God.   

3 Nephi 19:34 

Nevertheless, so great and marvellous were the words which he prayed that they cannot be written, neither can they be uttered by man. 

It is true that sometimes the things of God are forbidden to be written or spoken of, and everyone should respect that, but sometimes the reason that they cannot be written or spoken is because the language that God uses  to speak to His prophets is not compatible with our own.  Our words are often insufficient and cannot describe or convey the same meaning, so the only way to truly understand the things of God is to experience them personally. 

The language that God uses is so deep with love, it cannot be written, because we have no way of writing those things.  We have no words that can describe the depth of meaning of His feelings, of His words. 

Yet, how many people want more, even though they don’t understand or apply what has already been given?  It is obvious that they are looking for more things that they can say contradict, so they can feel better about justifying their sins and wicked desires. 

Sometimes it appears that two or more prophets say contradictory things.  But all prophets agree.  Just because one views the mountain from the North, and another views the mountain from the South, doesn’t mean that they are viewing different mountains.  In fact, it provides us with the opportunity to have a more complete understanding of His ways. 

Isaiah, Daniel, John the Revelator, all wrote with heavy use of symbolism to try to convey the meaning of what they saw.  Jesus spoke in parable and concepts, to try to relate a correct understanding of the principles of righteousness. 

It is important for us not to just dismiss the scriptures or the words of the prophets, just because some of them are difficult to understand.  Look for the principle behind the words, and notice how it relates to the character of God, then the meaning of the message will unfold before you. 

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Love Of God

In order for perfect faith to exist, we must have a correct idea of the character, perfections, and attributes of God! 

Without understanding who God is and what He’s all about, how can we have complete faith in Him?  How can we have absolutely complete faith, faith unto miracles, faith unto salvation, if we are pursuing a life that is against His will?  And in order to know His will, we must have a correct idea of His character, perfections and attributes. 

To quote from Lectures On Faith, canonical doctrine of early Latter Day Saints, Lecture Third, verses 13 – 18, we find a description of the Character of God:   

13.  First, that [God] was God before the world was created, and the same God that he was after it was created. 

14.  Secondly, that he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness, and that he was so from everlasting, and will be to everlasting. 

15.  Thirdly, that he changes not, neither is there variableness with him; but that he is the same from everlasting to everlasting, being the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and that his course is one eternal round, without variation. 

16.  Fourthly, that he is a God of truth and cannot lie. 

17.  Fifthly, that he is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that fears God and works righteousness is accepted of him. 

18.  Sixthly, that he is love. 

It is this last attribute that I would like to talk about; Love. 

It is my view that Love is an all encompassing attribute.  Without love none of the other attributes can exist in any sort of a permanent way.  Firstly, because it is out of love that God created all things.  Secondly, it is because of love that He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness.”  Why else would anyone be those things?  Thirdly, why would He stay exactly the same unless He loved us and wanted us to be able to have explicit faith in Him?  Fourth, a person who loves you would never lie to you.  Fifth, what parent would love one child more than the other?  So to me, the Love of God is the greatest of His character, perfections, and attributes. 

In fact, it is the very first thing that a person notices after the initial awe of being in His presence.  The plain fact that you know very well that He knows and can see everything about you, right through you, that absolutely nothing is hid to him; He knows every secret … and He loves you anyway!  

Absolute, 100%, complete, pure Love!  

I can personally testify, that the scriptures are correct when they say things like;

‘No tongue can express, no heart can conceive’ of the Love that you are filled with, that floods through you when standing in the presence of God. 

It certainly gives a whole new meaning to the phrase; “cannot be written, neither can they be uttered by man.”  The Love of God cannot be written, or uttered by man, because how can anyone describe such an extreme, all encompassing experience? 

The Love of God cannot be written, or uttered by man; it can only be understood by personal experience.  There is no other way.  

I testify, that it is worth it!  

Everything will be worth it.   Hang on, do well, it will all be worth it in the end.  As Jesus said;  "Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward."  

 

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To Know That He Is

D&C 93:1

Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am; 

What a glorious promise!   

If we:

1. forsake our sins and go unto Christ,

2. call on his name,

3. obey His voice,

4. and keep His commandments,

Then we shall see His face and know that He is. 

Stop trying to find salvation from a worldly church or person claiming that you have to go through him, and go directly to Christ!  This is a very simple list.  So let’s put it to the test. 

John 7:17

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 

All anyone has to do is follow this list and the Lord will make good on his promise. 

Titus 1:2 

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

But there is a caution.  If we are not doing these things with a pure heart, they won’t work.  No one can deceive God, who looketh upon the heart.  So, let’s just try a little experiment, and actually do this truthfully and see if it works. 

Exodus 33:20 

And he said unto Moses, Thou canst not see my face at this time, lest mine anger be kindled against thee also, and I destroy thee, and thy people; for there shall no man among them see me at this time, and live, for they are exceeding sinful. And no sinful man hath at any time, neither shall there be any sinful man at any time, that shall see my face and live. 

In order for this experiment to work, we must actually repent of our sins, actually forsake them.  Forsake is a big word, but we must actually forsake our sins and turn to Christ.  Then if we call on His name, obey His voice, and keep His commandments, we will see Him and know that He is.  

Let’s see what happens! 

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The Gate Keeper

Jesus Christ is the gate keeper, he employs no servant there.  If you want to get in, you must go directly through Christ. 

There is no enmity between Jesus and Joseph Smith Jr.  Joseph only taught people to go to Christ.  Do not believe any of the false reports of those who fear to be directed toward Christ. 

Joseph set up the church under the direction of Christ and it was supposed to stay that way, being led in their councils by the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation. He was even commanded to start a school to teach people how to actually talk to God face to face, just so that they could follow Christ directly, no intermediary, but they rejected his teachings as the children of Israel did with Moses.  Soon after the Saints betrayed and delivered Joseph and Hyrum to the ‘Romans’, the church broke apart into several different factions, each taking their own mix/version of the restored Gospel. 

One of the small factions took on a whole new agenda.  It patterned itself after the beast who sits upon the waters, and created a hierarchy of priestcraft (fulfilling prophecy).  It no longer directed people’s hearts toward Christ, but instead toward salvation in ordinances and submission to rulers. 

Originally the ordinances were intended to direct our hearts, our minds, and our lives towards Christ.  We are to follow Christ in all things, such as the ordinance of baptism.  Baptism itself does not save us.  But our following the commandments of the Saviour, does.  Entering the waters of baptism signifies our putting away our old life and being born again into a new life in Christ, yet we must actually put away our old lives, truly applying the meaning of the ordinance to our lives. 

Ordinances are designed to point us toward Christ, because it is only in and through Christ that salvation comes.  Those who think that they can obtain salvation through any prophet or through any ordinance are sadly mistaken.  It is only through the grace of Christ that salvation comes, even though we must keep the commandments and humbly walk the ordinances, submitting to all things through Yeshua Messiah.

The Nature Of God

It is the nature of God to perform miracles.  He can let water spring up out of the desert at His command.  He can feed us with manna if we believe in Him and ask Him.  When human reason has exhausted every possibility, the children can go to their Father and receive all they need. 
~ M. Basilea Schlink, Realities, The Miracles of God Experienced Today, chapter 35.

In order to have faith, faith unto miracles, we need to have a correct understanding of God and His ways.  This book is a great read, and these Sisters have it down.  They are women of honour, owning up to their sins, and making things right, humbling themselves before God and asking for His blessings.  Realities, sets down correct doctrine and glorifies the Father.  Anyone who follows the same principles these ladies followed will experience the same results. 

I highly recommend this book! 

Explaining The Gospel

When explaining the Gospel to a little child we must take great care not to go beyond the limits of their understanding. A little child can rarely see past the immediate cause and effect of their actions, and so we work within the limits of their understanding.

An older child can see cause and effect as it extends throughout the day, so we have a greater leeway in teaching Gospel principles and have them understood.

Teenagers who can see how their behavior in school at the beginning of the year, will give them certain grades at the end of the year, are more likely to make the decision to apply themselves early on.

Some young adults have even developed beyond high school, and can see what results their behavior will produce in, say, ten or twenty years time.

Many adults who have raised families can comprehend the span of a lifetime. With a few adults, their comprehension spans generations.

With each of these different categories we must teach the Gospel within their understanding. It is true that if we care for them, we will try to expand their understanding, but this must be done with love and kindness and patience, lest we confuse and discourage them, sending them into byways and their souls be lost.

Rarely can a person grasp the eternal aspect of their souls. To talk to them about what happened before they were born into mortality can send them into a rage. At best they just nod their heads, thinking you crazy.  :-)

Mostly, I have found, the discussion will just confuse them, and they will wonder why knowledge of their pre-mortal existence even matters, since they cannot remember it anyway. They just want to focus on the here and now, because that is the limit of their understanding. But it is important to know of the pre-existence in order to know of our next stage after this mortality. There is a connection.

Then to discuss what happened previous to the Gods coming here, or what will happen after judgment, or after this Eternal Round has finished...

Sometimes trying to show the eternal aspect of things is not the best idea. After all, if they didn't see it in vision, if they were not caught up, these things can be very difficult to understand.

We should follow the example of Christ and start line upon line, precept upon precept. That is why Christ spoke in parables.

It has been my experience that not only will the person not learn, they will not understand, and sometimes will do all they can to prove you wrong, and by so doing commit terrible sins in their attempt to prove you wrong.

So, we should be careful to only teach what they can handle, so that seeing, they don't see, and hearing they don't hear. So we don't teach something beyond their understanding, to the point that they feel the need to rebel and prove us wrong, and thereby eternally injure themselves by committing some great sin that may damn their eternal progression. The only time we do teach beyond their understanding is when the Spirit of God prompts us to, or when we are commanded.

After all, we are to gather the Lord's children, not scatter them.

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Do Not Interpretations Belong To God?

“And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.” 

A friend of mine had a dream that was very significant, and made a huge impact on him.  And since he did not know the interpretation, he asked for help. 

I thought him a good friend, who sought for the Kingdom of God, so I went to the Lord and requested the interpretation, and received it by revelation.  I returned to my friend and offered the information that I had received, but he rejected me.  He thought me low because I was beneath him in priesthood authority. 

He turned down the further light and knowledge that he was seeking because the messenger was beneath him!  

Such Vanity, such Pride!  

Unfortunately, my friend did not understand that the Lord gives different gifts to different people.  Not because one person is better than the other, but so that all can work together, living in peace and harmony as Jesus taught.  Instead my friend believes that God is a respecter of persons and will not give gifts to the lowly, while not giving better gifts to the special priesthood holders.  A false doctrine in direct opposition to what Jesus taught, and yet my friend believes it. 

The worst part is, that dream was instructing my friend in how to set his family in order, how to cleanse oneself for communication with God.  It was, I believe, an answer to a long term prayer of his, that God would talk to him.  And yet, because of his pride, because of his vanity, he rejected the information.  And sadly, there was a terrible price to pay.  It wasn’t long before his family began to fall apart. 

To approach the throne of God is not an easy task, and certainly not a task that anyone should take lightly.  It requires a tremendous amount of work and commitment.  Nevertheless, it can be done. We just need to know how and apply ourselves.  The answer of course is found in the teachings of Christ. 

Let’s purify ourselves as Jesus taught, purify our hearts, strip ourselves of pride and envy, and repent of all worldly desire, seeking only the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness.  Then let us approach Him in faith, nothing wavering, and He will answer. 

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Never Reject A Gift From God

It saddens me anytime I hear of a person who asks for a gift from God, then when the gift arrives, they are too afraid to accept it. 

Not too long ago, I was talking with a man who related to me that he was having extreme difficulty in his business affairs, and he wanted God to intervene and send him a miracle.  I got to know this man and he seemed very sincere in his desire to serve God, so I went to the Lord and petitioned on behalf of this man. 

The Lord consented, and gave the gift.  A huge, enormous gift! 

The man was ecstatic!  It was what he was praying for.  He was so excited that he began telling everyone close to him about this great miracle that the Lord had given him. 

But it was not to last.  In his enthusiasm, he cast his pearls before swine and told his competitors about this great miracle that happened.  And of course his competitors advised him to avoid the gift of God, to avoid it at all costs.  Their rhetoric scared him so much that he listened to the advice of his competitors, and he was afraid to accept the gift of the Lord. 

Needless to say his business deal failed horribly, all because he trusted in the arm of flesh, rather than trusting in God. 

Turning down a gift from God is a great sin.  Not to mention that it is very unkind and rude.  Then, to have the audacity to ask for a second gift!  Why should the Lord give another gift if a person turned down the first gift?  How can they make a mockery of God?  How can they treat Him and His gifts as things of naught? 

If God sends you a gift, accept it!  

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Meat In Due Season

Matthew 24

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 

46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 

47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 

49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 

51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Who are the Lord's servants, but the Priesthood holders?

What is the meat that the Lord's servants are to impart, but the ordinances and blessings of the fullness of the Gospel?

How often they say in their hearts, My Lord delayeth his coming, or I'm in charge, I'm special, so I'll do what I want?

How does the wicked servant smite, but by the rod of priestcraft, withholding the ordinances of the fullness of the Gospel, including higher ordinances such as Second Anointing, Patriarchal Marriage, etc, etc?

And to eat and drink with the drunken, or other special priesthood holders.
(It was never meant to be a closed club.) 

If you are one of these priesthood holders who are withholding ordinances, repent now before it's too late.

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The One Man

Those of my readers that do not have a Mormon background may not know about this tradition/doctrine, and may not know the cruelties and injustices committed in the name of this doctrine, but it is a doctrine that has been adulterated and used to justify the most abhorrent priestcraft from almost every Mormon group/church. 

The doctrine can be found in the 132^nd section of the current Doctrine and Covenants, published by the mainstream LDS church.  The reference reads:

Verse 7:

“And verily I say unto you, that the conditions of this law are these: All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that ate not made and entered into and sealed by him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too most holy, by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power (and I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred), are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made a unto this end have and end when men are dead.” 

I’m sure the reader can see the potential for evil men to twist this scripture to rule unrighteously over the hearts of the children of men.  But to the pure in heart, I say; have faith.  Those men do not hold the keys of Joseph.  Joseph still holds the keys to this day. 

The Section goes on to describe the use of those keys and also the use of other sealing keys that are conferred on others who receive the Patriarchal Priesthood.  And it is from the misreading of this section (not differentiating between the keys of Joseph and the keys of others holding the Patriarchal Priesthood) from which the false doctrine springs. 

The false doctrine is this:

That only one man at a time holds the keys of Joseph, and that when that man dies, or before he dies, the keys are passed to another man, and so on.  And by this, the person who holds those keys can wield all power over the hearts of their followers by claiming to be the one man, the only man, who has control over their condition in the afterlife. 

And of course if a follower does not do exactly what their leader wants them to do, then they are oppressed, held down, refused blessings, refused ordinations, refused endowments, refused second anointings, they could lose their wife/wives, lose their children, be excommunicated, and/or be cursed to Outer Darkness. 

The false belief that Joseph does not hold those keys to this day is ridiculous.  All the early Saints were well aware, and much was written on the subject, that Joseph continues to hold those keys, and that he is the only one who holds those keys. 

One of Joseph’s wives, Eliza R. Snow, the prophetess, wrote the doctrine into the hymn Praise To The Man. 

Brigham Young stated: “Are the keys of the kingdom taken from Joseph?  Oh no; well then he still lives.  He that believes in Jesus as Joseph did, they will never die. They may lay down their lives, but they still hold the keys.” 

~ DHC 7:287  

George Q. Cannon said that Brigham Young taught that the Prophet Joseph Smith stood at that head of this dispensation, that Joseph holds the keys, that although Joseph had gone behind the veil, Joseph stood at the head of this dispensation and that Brigham Young held the keys subordinate to Joseph.  President Cannon also said that John Taylor taught the same doctrine, “and you will never hear any other doctrine from any of the faithful Apostles or servants of God, who understand the order of the Holy Priesthood”

To Parley P. Pratt, the Lord said: 'Lift up your head and rejoice, for behold! it is well with my servants Joseph and Hyrum.  My servant Joseph still holds the keys of my kingdom in this dispensation, and he shall stand in due time on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfill that to which he is appointed'... [Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pg 333] 

Sidney Rigdon stated; "Joseph sustains the same relationship to this church as he has always done.  No man can be the successor of Joseph...  The martyred Prophet is still the head of this church; every quorum should stand as you stood in your washings and consecrations."

"the Prophet Joseph ... who still holds the keys of this last dispensation, and will hold them to all eternity, as a king and priest unto the Most High God, ministering in heaven, on earth, or among the spirits of the departed dead, as seemeth good to Him who sent him.
"Let no man presume for a moment that his place will be filled by another; for, remember he stands in his own place, and always will..." [HC 7:250] 

The Lord himself tells Joseph in Doctrine and Covenants 90:3

“Verily I say unto you, the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come;” 

Joseph still holds the keys of the last days. 

The one man referred to in D&C 132:7 is Joseph, who still holds the keys of this priesthood in the last days.  So read it in that context, and realize that it still says the same thing today, which certainly puts a stop to all the false claims of the various usurpers. 

I have talked to Joseph personally, and he is still the one who holds the keys. 

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Obtain The Spirit

Perhaps the most important ingredient for our eternal progression is to obtain the Spirit of God. How else can we know what is truth?

In February 1847 Joseph Smith appeared to Brigham Young in a dream and said:

"Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord, and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach you how to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits; it will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right. Be sure to tell the people to keep the Spirit of the Lord; and if they will, they will find themselves just as they were organized by our Father in Heaven before they came into the world. Tell the people to be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and follow it, and it will lead them just right."

[Brigham Young, vision, Feb. 17, 1847, in Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878, Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah; spelling, punctuation, and capitalization modernized.]

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" 

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." 

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Faith As A Grain Of Mustard Seed

Often thought of as an abstract quality, faith is really a principle of action.  It is no different than other words that are principles of action, like ‘want’, ‘need’, and ‘desire’.  It is this faith that Jesus referred to when he said; “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”  

But what does it mean to have faith as a grain of mustard seed?  

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”

Jesus tells them that it is the quality of faith that matters, not the quantity. It’s singleness of purpose.  The mustard seed has only one goal, one purpose, and that is to be a mustard bush.  And if we, as the mustard seed, have only one purpose, that being to glorify God, to have an eye single to His glory, doing His will, then nothing shall be impossible for us. 

Pure faith, … quality, not quantity. 

If we have faith in Jesus, pure faith in Jesus, in what Jesus taught, then we will do what He taught.  Faith is action, so saying we have faith and not doing anything, is a lie.  Faith is action. 

Faith is a principle of action.  Remember Jesus acted, he did not just believe, he acted upon that belief, which made it faith.  Faith is to act.  When the apostles asked him why could we not cast him out, Jesus answered “Because of your unbelief: … Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”  It took more than belief.  It took action.  It took prayer and fasting.  Faith is action. 

There is no such thing as faith without action.  Just like bread without flour is not bread, faith without action is not faith.  In order for belief to be turned into faith, we must add action. 

Belief + Action = Faith. 

If we want our faith to produce results, we must act, or it is not faith, it is only belief, and belief alone does not produce any results.  What good would it do for the children of Israel to believe that the serpent on the staff would heal them, if they wouldn’t do the work of looking?  Those who didn’t look, died. 

Belief must be accompanied with action to produce results.  Belief must be accompanied with action to become faith.  “But without faith, it is impossible to please him”.  We must have faith.  Jesus didn’t just talk about doing good, he went out and did good.  He acted, and we must act.  “Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” 

So let’s all imitate Jesus, and do as he did. Let’s go out and show our faith by our actions.  Let the Saviour be our guide, our example.  Let’s be a faithful people.