Reliving The Glory Days Of Sin

Repentance means you are sorry for it. So sorry that you admit it, stop doing it, fix it, and never do it, or anything leading up to it, nor anything like it, ever again; not in this life, nor in the next! If a person cannot meet these simple things, then they have not repented, and are totally guilty. An accounting will be required at the last day, because they have not forsaken the sin!

Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins — behold, he will confess them and forsake them.

~ D&C 58:42-43

If the people you harmed forgive you and treat you nicely, it means they are free.  Their forgiveness alone does not mean you are free from that sin. You must still admit it and forsake it, or you remain guilty.

If you are still enjoying that sin, or the results of it, then you have not forsaken it. You are keeping it, and therefore you are certainly not sorry for it. You have not repented, and are still guilty before God, and to whomever you betrayed!

Repent now! Stop it, now, and give it back!

Come Down Off The Mountain

Long ago, a friend told me to come down off the mountain to convert others. Of course this had no reference to seclusion, but rather to lifestyle.  And I had noticed many preachers who did this exact thing.  They made their converts and members feel good about themselves, because the preacher was just as immoral as they were.  The whole idea being, God loved them no matter what, therefore they felt privileged that they could do whatever they wanted.  They mixed up love and salvation.  They actually believed that just because God loved them, and they accepted that love, they could do anything they wanted, and yet still get into heaven.  What a crazy thought!

Ministering in prisons, I can tell you, there were many parents and loved ones who came to see the inmates.  These parents and loved ones truly loved their children and friends, but most of them understood the reason their loved ones were in this situation, and even agreed that they were a threat to society, and needed to be kept separated from society until they would behave.  It was not their love that would allow their criminal relatives all the privileges of society, it was proper behaviour!

Just because God loves you, does not mean you get a free ride into Heaven.  It means that He loves you! Father still expects us to change, to live a proper lifestyle.  It is why the call has gone forth so many times in scriptures, to repent!  To give up the bad lifestyle, and turn to the lifestyle the Son of God lived.  This is the only way to the Father, to follow the Son of God Himself!

I have never met anyone who said the reason they were converted was because the pastor lowered his standards, and began drinking, swearing, womanizing, flirting, gossiped just a little, etc.  I have seen people who joined churches, said they were converted, and looking at their lifestyle, they were also converted to immorality, rude jokes, vulgar behaviour, flirting, adultery, stealing, justifying, etc.  It is clearly apparent what they are converted to!

Do not be converted to lowering your standards.  Instead, maintain high morality and with kindness, help everyone you meet in their righteous endeavours, in whatever way you can within the bounds of the morality of the Son of God.  Most importantly, maintain the standards of Immanuel, so others may find their way to the Father of Lights.

Father Gives Grace To The Humble

 From time to time, I have received a question about the ministering of angels. Some folks being concerned with not having received the ministering of angels. They make statements like: God needs to give me the ministering of angels, so I can have faith; I have prayed like Enos, all day and all night, and still nothing; I need angels to tell me what to do; Angels come to others, they should come to me; etc.

I myself have found that angels come when it fits in with Father's plan. They do not come when there is no need. Everything must be done according to the plan, the purpose of this earth. I am reminded of the scripture from James, chapter 4, verse 3:

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Heavenly Father is not vain, and does nothing for vanity, and if we ask to see angels for vanity, then it is not likely that we will have our request granted. In fact, I would be more worried about a devil showing up, masquerading as an angel of light, and deceiving people who ask for their own desire.

Father gives grace to the humble. Humble means we are doing things for Father, the things He commands us to do, and when we ask for the assistance of an angel in doing the things Father commands us to do, then it is often at those times, when an angel will be requested to help us. Yet, we are to be the angels that Father needs to go do His work.

I came across a talk given by Brother Woodruff, from which I would like to quote just a small portion:

I am pleased to meet with so many of our friends this morning, and I feel desirous to talk to you upon a principle that I very seldom dwell upon before the congregations of the Saints. I have had my mind somewhat exercised of late on various thing, perhaps for the purposes known to the Lord better than myself, though they are principles we are all more or less acquainted with.

One of the Apostles said to me years ago,

"Brother Woodruff, I have prayed for a long time for the Lord to send the administration of an angel to me. I have had a great desire for this, but I have never had my prayers answered."

I said to him that if he were to pray a thousand years to the God of Israel for that gift it would not be granted unless the Lord had a motive in sending an angel to him. I told him that the Lord never did nor never will send and angel to anybody merely to gratify the desire of the individual to see an angel. I said to him that these were my views. The Lord had sent angels to men from the creation of the world, at different times, but always with a message or with something to perform that could not be performed without. I rehearsed to him different times when angels appeared to men. Of course, I referred to the last days an angel would fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwelt on the earth. The reason it required an angel to do this work was the Gospel and the Priesthood had been taken from among men.
Hence, God had to restore it again.

Now, I have always said, and I want to say it to you, that the Holy Ghost is what every Saint of God needs. It is far more important that a man should have that gift than he should have the ministration of an angel, unless it is necessary for an angel to teach him something that he has not been taught.

I am going to refer to some of my own experiences with regard to the ministration of angels and that operation of the Holy Ghost. I have never prayed for the visitation of an angel, but I have had the ministration of an angel several times in my life.

Lured By The Hypocrites

You know, I have many friends and associates who live the way of the world.  They swear, cuss, tell foul and degrading jokes, they spend their time and money on pleasures, watch foul movies, go to bars, listen to music with disgusting lyrics, lie a little, cheat a little, gossip, spread rumors, and bear false witness about all those who do not enjoy the filth they enjoy.  All this, and one of their biggest issues is, that others should accept them.  Yet, they cannot even find it in their hearts to accept those who do not enjoy the same filth as them!  O how they love to quote the scriptures for their own use; how drinking and smoking etc. are not against the commandments, but only a word of wisdom, not to be given by commandment, nor constraint.  How they love to say, they would rather a man swear a stream as long as their arm, instead of a pale faced preacher.  And yet use this as justification to put down the people who give all they have to help others, who work tirelessly in the service of their God, who do not lie, cheat, nor steal, who only help them.

My concern is to the faithful members of the Church, who are feeling the peer pressure to lower their standards and conform to that type of culture.  And so I would say to you, stay strong!  Stay devoted to the Lord and His lifestyle.  The Son of God came to show us the way to live, so we can walk back into the presence of Father.  The Saviour did not lie!  This is the only way back into the presence of the Father, and the faithful are guaranteed a place at His right hand.  If you have given in to the pressure of friends or family, then repent.  Return immediately to following the lifestyle the Saviour lived, and become His people once again.  Trust in the promise that the Father gives all those who repent and follow in the footsteps of His Son, that they will be forgiven and accepted into His family!

Seeking Pride

 It is amazing, how many people claim they want to get to the Saviour and will not follow what the Saviour taught.  I have watched for years, people struggle to get to the Saviour.  They do everything they can think of to get there, trying every crazy new idea, and year after year, they are no closer.  Yes, they do learn many things along the way, but so do we all.  The bottom line is, they are still no closer to a face to face with the Saviour, than when they first began their quest!  I watch as they do anything they can to avoid the way the Saviour taught.  I watch as they twist the Saviour's words, and still that does not work.  I watch as they deny His words, twist His words, change His words, go out of their way to do anything except keep His words.  The simple truth is, we can only get there by keeping the words of the Saviour, by walking the same path He walked, by going further than what He has gone.  "If ye love me, keep my commandments."  This does not mean that we pick and choose which commandments to keep, and which can be avoided.  We must do as the Saviour did, and He kept all the commandments of the Father.  It is all about our hearts, if it is truly in our hearts, then we will keep all the commandments!  No matter how long a person holds onto their pride, saying they will find the way to the Saviour by doing it their own way, it will still not work.  Heavenly Father has been around a long time, and He sent His Son to teach us how to return.  And the only way to return is to do things the way the Son of the Father has instructed!  Believe Father loves you, and only wants you to go further than what He has gone.  Keep the commandments, do not hurt others, only help and love others.  Seek after Him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength.  Live only the lifestyle He has lived, and you will soon find yourself embraced in His arms!

Traitors And Betrayers

Here are a few quotes, from the book Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Do Not Betray the Brethren

O ye Twelve! and all Saints! profit by this important Key -- that
in all your trials, troubles, temptations, afflictions, bonds,
imprisonments and death, see to it, that you do not betray heaven; that
you do not betray Jesus Christ; that you do not betray the brethren; that
you do not betray the revelations of God, whether in Bible, Book of
Mormon, or Doctrine and Covenants, or any other that ever was or ever will
be given and revealed unto man in this world or that which is to come.
Yea, in all your kicking and flounderings, see to it that you do not this
thing, lest innocent blood be found upon your skirts, and you go down to
hell. All other sins are not to be compared to sinning against the Holy
Ghost, and proving a traitor to the brethren.

I will give you one of the Keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom. It
is an eternal principle, that has existed with God from all eternity: That
man who rises up to condemn other, finding fault with the Church, saying
that they are out of the way, while he himself is righteous, then know
assuredly, that that man is in the high road to apostasy; and if he does
not repent, will apostatize, as God lives. The principle is as correct as
the one that Jesus put forth in saying that he who seeketh a sign is an
adulterous person; and that principle is eternal, undeviating, and firm as
the pillars of heaven; for whenever you see a man seeking after a sign,
you may set it down that he is an adulterous man.

 

The Lord Will Not Acknowledge Traitors

I testify again, as the Lord lives, God never will acknowledge any
traitors or apostates. Any man who will betray the Catholics will betray
you; and if he will betray me, he will betray you. All men are liars who
say they are of the true Church without the revelations of Jesus Christ
and the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which is after the order of the Son of
God.

Society in general seems not to acknowledge the degree of evil it is to betray. Yet it was the sin which killed the Son of God, along with so many others throughout the several books of scripture! To speak against our brethren, especially our own, is truly vile. May such an act never enter our hearts, let alone escape our lips!

The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers.
~ Captain Jack Sparrow

Just Fix It!

 I have always tried to include my failures and shortcomings in this blog, so people can see they can over-come their difficulties and still obtain the miracles, and still reach the Saviour!  It is all a matter of overcoming.

Just fix it!

Overcoming Worldly Behaviours

Good morning Brothers and Sisters,

This morning, I would like to address a topic that is dear to my heart.

Recently, it was brought to my attention that I made comments about women in the movies, and instead of commenting about the bad behaviour, I grouped the bad behaviour with women. This is Terrible! I have tried and tried to get this out of me, and I thought it was gone. Yet here it is again! I am mortified, because this is one of the worst things to me. And you can be sure, I will get this out of me, Permanently!!!

Just because a behaviour is common or acceptable in society does not make it right!  We should strive to get all these bad behaviours out of ourselves.  It does not matter what bad habits a person picked up, nor does it matter that a person was raised that way, nor does it matter that there is an entire genre dedicated to this behaviour, nor any other excuse.  It does not matter if it is a joke, or seen as humour; it is evil!  The only thing which matters is, we get that evil out of us, and never do it again!  

I have spoken several times about meeting my Heavenly Mother, and the purity and love which emanates from Her. I have spoken on the purity and fidelity of Mother Eve, of Her faithfulness and devotion to both Her husband and Her God. I have spoken and written about many prophetesses and priestesses throughout history. And all of these women had one thing in common, their undeniable love and kindness, and absolute devotion to Father in Heaven.

One of the most precious things my Heavenly Mother told me was that all of Her daughters have the potential to become like her. This is of course an important statement, which permeates all things! Since all of Her daughters have the potential to become like her, it is a terrible shame to feel, think, say, or do anything that would contradict this sublime statement!

Since this is such an important topic, and my words are so often misunderstood, I will show what this looks like in practical application. Never say things like: Women are so stupid; Dumb woman; Women do not know anything; Women are wicked; Women are evil; Only a woman would think like that; Women are selfish; Gossipy woman; Crazy women drivers; Spoiled little princess; Lazy woman; etc.

I hate writing these horrible things, but unfortunately some folks do not understand the damage of these sexist statements! For example, there are many men who gossip, so why categorize women in an evil category? There are many men who are spoiled little princess', so why categorize only women? There are many lazy men who do not contribute, so why categorize this evil to women? This principle applies to all wicked things. Categorizing women as evil is a sin, and must be stopped!!!

Being a dad who has daughters, it made me realize the damage that is done to women, by making such a wicked statement. All our daughters have the potential to become like their Heavenly Mother. And why would we say anything against our Heavenly Mother? For certainly the principle of, If ye have said it unto the least of these my daughters, ye have said it unto me, applies undeniably. Anyone who belittles or ridicules anyone else is definitely in danger of hell-fire!

Being a husband, watching my wife strive to overcome all things and do well, I have noticed the power of words. I am in a unique position to uplift my bride, and help her grow. I am in a position to strengthen her, to support her efforts to becoming like her Heavenly Mother!

Being a son, I have a mother here on earth whom I love dearly, and to whom I am eternally indebted. How could I ever say anything evil about her? It is solemn mockery before God, to ever speak evil of your mother!

Neither your mother, your wife, your daughter, nor anyone else’s mother, wife, or daughter, should ever be categorized as evil. It is true that we must all stand against evil behaviour, but never are we to categorize the daughters of God in this way! (This of course also applies when the genders are reversed.) And truly, anyone who does this heinous sin will NOT be received by the Lord.

I am sad to have written things that open the deep wounds of those who have had such things said about them, who have been categorized as evil. I would much rather preach a sermon to uplift the broken hearted, to send our minds and hearts flying Heavenward with the great hope and expectation of a glorious salvation, to rest with holiness in the presence of pure holiness itself, our Father and Mother in Heaven!

Wherefore I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ, that ye may know good from evil.

Turn away from every worldly thought, every worldly care. Leave behind every selfishness, and every worldly behaviour. Purify your heart and mind that ye may find yourselves wrapped in the loving arms of your Heavenly Parents!

Multiple Mortal Probations

From time to time I have received questions on Multiple Mortal Probations. And this morning I am in a melancholy type mood, and would like to write about this topic from a certain angle. As a general rule, I do not like to get too deeply involved in philosophical debates with others, preferring to address the heart of the matter, someone's character. To me, it does not really matter what a person think is happening beyond this life, only how a person interacts here and now.

Since we are not here to see what we know, we are only here to work on our hearts, then it really does not matter if a person believes in MMP or not. What matters is, how does a person interact with their fellow man. One of the main associative behaviours of those who promote MMP is the idea of "I will do better next life." Or, "No one is perfect, so I will fix that part of me next time." Etc. Yet, I have noticed, most situations with those who think this way, procrastination seems to set in. Contentment, and complacency, and apathy really, seem to dominate. This being the case, there is no reason to believe anything will be different in the next life. I am not trying to rule out genuine change and progression, for there are rare situations in which this occurs. I am only noticing when people make real change, they usually start early, and are committed to daily diligence. There are times in life when major events spark that change, but those events are rare, and as a general rule, do not happen often enough, nor impact us deeply enough to maintain that level needed for lasting change.

There is no reason to put off what we can do now, in this life. The time is now! We do not need many lifetimes to fix ourselves. It is easy to change now! All we need to do is give up our worldly desires, and ONLY fulfill Heavenly Father's eternal desires. The only people who have difficulty with this are those who want worldly things, and refuse to let go of those wicked desires!

Bottom line: It does not matter if a person believes in Multiple Mortal Probations, nor if a person believes Heavenly Father is a little green alien from Mars, nor if a person believes in multiple timelines all happening at the same time, nor if a person believes they are dreaming in a dream which is being dreamed by another dreamer in a dream, nor whatever! What matters is, How do you treat others? Let go of all worldly attachments, treat each other perfectly! Be perfect!!! And do it NOW!

Ye Are Gods

Father has not left us without instructions of how to fulfill the measure of our creation.

There are so many phrases of which we hear; like, rise up, become who you were meant to be, etc. But, what do these phrases mean? And, how do we achieve them?

The scriptures are full of examples of men and women who have touched the face of God. And, they show how they did it; by obedience to the commandments, by love unfeigned, by purity in heart, thought, word, and deed, by that total devotion to God and His Kingdom.

From the very beginning, it was the plan of the Gods, to pour out their knowledge upon us, and whosoever would come up, may come up, and they would make those equal to them!

This shows the humility and love of the Gods, that all they want is for us to arise and become like them, for their children to go further than they have gone, as any loving parent would want!!!

It is so interesting, how these four steps are repeated so many times throughout scripture:

1. by obedience to the commandments;
2. by love unfeigned;
3. by purity in heart, thought, word, and deed;
4. by that total devotion to God and His Kingdom.

Sometimes there are slight wording differences, but the steps remain the same.

8th Article Of Faith

We believe the bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

Having been asked about the scriptures, I would like to share a few reasons why the Book of Mormon is my number 1 go-to scripture.

Since the Bible has been translated so many times by both religious and civic leaders, to fit their agendas, it is difficult to accept anything there at face value. Not to mention, it is well recorded that the bible has been assembled by men. Councils have decided what books to add to the bible, what books to leave out, what doctrines to promote, and what doctrines to avoid. Books have been re-written to support their changing beliefs. Why would anyone suppose a collection of books like that will give the correct word of God, unless they mean the god of this world?

So, do I believe the bible? Yes, the few parts which have been translated correctly, but the Book of Mormon is the word of God!

The Greatest In The Kingdom Of Heaven

  There is too much teaching these days about not being a doormat. A doormat is good! Only a doormat can cleanse the feet(souls) of others, like the Saviour did.

The Lord Provides The Way

One thing is for certain, The Lord is Faithful.  Whenever the Lord sends out messengers to warn the people of impending danger, He always sends them out with counsel on how to have the best outcome.  If folks come claiming a message from the Lord and all it is is doom and gloom, and there is not a message of how to keep safe, then rest assured, it is not from the Lord.  But if a true prophet comes with a message from the Lord, that message will always include the solution.  The Lord is very faithful, and loves us very much!  He will never send a messenger without instructions of how to keep us safe.

Back in 2013, the Lord showed what was happening, and also showed how to keep safe through the events approaching.  At that time, we began sharing this information with everyone.  Sadly, not many responded to the message; after all, things were going great at that time!  In 2014, this message also began to be posted on the internet on this blog and in other places on the internet, and has continued to be posted since.  For example:
A Coming War
The Servants Of God Must Unite For Zion To Come
A Call To The Servants Of God
Questions About The Corona Virus
And many other posts.

There was seven years of good and plenty, both temporally and spiritually, then came the shutdowns.  In only the first year, people began losing their jobs, some sold themselves into serious debt, others turned to suicide, and many died of the effects of the shutdowns. 

Seven years.  People had seven years to get things in order prior to the shutdowns.  And this is only the beginning.  It will continue exactly as the Lord has said, and the only way through it is to comply to the new regime and become a part of them, or to turn to the way of the Lord and unite in holiness and righteousness and work together in holiness and righteousness as we were instructed.

Most have chosen to comply with the new world order, and they are so happy to do so that they use all their influence to compel everyone else to comply.  

Others know there is something wrong, and would like to preserve their freedom of choice, so they fight against the new regime, but without success because they do not know how to unite in holiness and righteousness.  Then of course, there are those who just stay quiet in the back of the class, hoping the teacher will not notice them. 

The problem is, this is only the beginning.  Things will not go back to normal.  This is a new world order.  It will change the world.  There is a new way of governing, and they are changing the world to this new way.  It will continue to change until it is accomplished. 

The only way to stay safe is to follow the Lord's advice: Gather together in holiness and righteousness, and work together in holiness and righteousness.  The way of the Lord is very specific.  Pride must be relinquished.  Meekness and humility must abound.  Things must be done in the Lord's way for it to work. 

If things are done the Lord's way, the Lord will give revelation and lead any group of people who are actually following His way.  This may not be as easy as it seems, since many folks believe they are doing things the Lord's way, and are still not receiving revelation.  They get thoughts, they get feelings, they get inspiration, but they do not hear the actual voice of the Lord talking to them.  When this is the situation, it is because something is out of alignment and needs to be corrected.  Find that thing or things that are out of alignment, and correct them, then approach the Lord and receive direction that will keep you safe.

Administrators Of Heaven

“The Kingdom of Heaven is within you!”, said the Messiah.

If heaven is within us, then hell is also within us. The question present is: Since heaven is not a place, but a state of being, What shall we build within ourselves?

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son we see the son ask for his inheritance, and then go off into the world to make his fortune. That parable revolves around only a few main characters, but let us today expand that parable by joining it with the Parable of the Talents.

In our new parable, we find the wealthy land owner has four children. In this story, we see that three of his children get together to ask the father to divide his lands, and give each one of his children their inheritance now. And so the land owner does.

Now that each child has their inheritance, three of them sell the land deeded to them, taking the monies into the world to improve upon their inheritance. The story of one of the young adults, is all too familiar; wasting his inheritance in riotous living, having only hard lessons to show for it in the end. The second young inheritor also spends a great deal of his money, but buys a little business before the money runs out, and at least can feed himself as he struggles along daily. The third child invests in a good education, apprentices under good instructors, works her way up in the company, attaining stability to raise a family as well. The fourth child, does not sell his land, choosing instead to continue in his father’s footsteps, and taking care of his dad, in his old age. The fourth son works hard, following his dad’s advice implicitly, which allows him to eventually buy back the other portions of land which his siblings sold. As his land holdings grew, the fourth son was soon able to hire back most all the workers, who were so faithful to his father.

Then one day, the father getting old, finds himself longing for his wayward children, sends messengers out to find his children, asking them to come home for a big celebration and reunion.

As each child returns, the father runs as fast as his old legs can carry him, throwing his arms around his children, weeping for joy! He calls to his fourth son’s employees, who already have baths drawn, clothing set out, rooms ready, to come and guide his children through the process.

The fourth child, being very hard at work, returns to find the celebration underway without him. After all he has done for his father, after all the expense, the setting up for this reunion so his dad could enjoy seeing his wayward children again, he was left out.

As the old dad comes out, he explains to his fourth son: Son, I just could not wait. I was so happy to see my wayward children and my grandchildren, I just could not wait.

The fourth child’s heart goes out in compassion for his dad. He realizes he also misses his siblings. And, the father and the son walk back to the house together arm in arm. Along the way, the dad whispers: I think a couple of these guys could use jobs.

Of course, replied the son, happy to bring great joy to his father, and to his beloved siblings.

The parable illustrates the eternal inheritance of each of us, which is represented by the temporal inheritance of the children in the story. Each of the children built their inheritance in a different way, some doing okay, and others not so good. This earth life is the parable, and we are all living through it, striving to improve on our inheritances. The question is now: What do we do to build our eternal inheritances?

Since heaven is within us, so is hell, and we can sure see how much heaven, and/or hell the children built their inheritances into.

The fourth child kept all his dad’s advice and instruction, and prospered exceedingly because of it, thereby gaining the greatest increase in his inheritance. The other siblings listening to various degrees of their dad’s advice had results in direct proportion to their adherence.

This parable shows us that we have already received our inheritance, and will not receive more. It shows us how we are directly responsible for our growth, and that we have not been sent out without instruction of how to build a perfect eternal inheritance.

What is that instruction of how to build a perfect eternal inheritance?

To build joy within ourselves, we are counseled to not hurt anyone. The commandments reveal to us not to hurt anyone. The commandments are a list of rules which teach a person not to harm another. If a person does not harm someone else in some way, there is not regret, nor guilt, nothing to cause a person the grief of building that type of hell within themselves.

The second thing we are instructed to do is to help people, to love people, to express to them all the virtues. This helps us build great joy within ourselves.

As we live those virtues, joy begins to grow within us, happiness being a natural result. This happiness endures, even when bad things are happening all around us, and even to us. These virtues are things which we would expect from Heavenly Father, like: Acceptance; Forgiveness; Love; Patience; Kindness; Charity; Humility; Diligence; Virtue; Knowledge; Wisdom; Temperance; Joy; Peace; Long-suffering; Gentleness; Goodness; Faith; Meekness; Humility; Selflessness; etc. This is how the heaven within us is created!

Once created within us, it devolves upon the servants to go forth and to administer this heaven to others. It is up to us, to go forth and show others the joy found in heaven, by administering these virtues to them: to accept them, to hold nothing against them, to love them, to have patience with them, to show forth kindness to them, administering all the virtues of heaven, as Heavenly Father would do for them. As representatives of our Lord Yeshua Messiah, it is up to us to do the same things Yeshua would do. This is our calling, this is our job. It is our joy to help others, just as Heavenly Father’s joy: To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Are we going to be good servants, administering these virtues to others in place of our Lord?

False Expectations

 Years ago, I had a friend who joined an United Order.  He was enthusiastic to go.  It seemed that he had finally found his place.  Yet, the experience was short lived.

As my friend settled in to his new home and order, he found there were rules of the order he was expected to keep.  Well, this did not sit well with him.  He was not expecting there to be order in this new order he joined.  And the rules of which he told me, were only simple rules of moral conduct, the kind that would be expected in many orders and churches.  But this was too much for him.

Another problem he found was of course, parents were expected to watch and care for their children, and teach them the ways of the Order.  This again seemed to rub my friend in the wrong way.  He was more of the opinion to allow the children free range to do whatever they wanted, then perhaps later in life they will choose to be good.

When joining an United Order, a person should be wise enough to investigate the order first.  Find out what the order believes, what the Order expects of it’s members.  There are often many benefits to joining an Order, but there are also many responsibilities to joining an Order.  It is because of everyone in the Order fulfilling their responsibilities, that everyone has the benefits of the Order.  It is utter foolishness, and selfishness, to join an Order for it’s benefits, and not it’s responsibilities.

As can be imagined, my friend did not last very long.  He soon took his family and left that United Order.  The concept of being united with the people of that Order, and working together for the common goal, was too much for him.  Yet that is exactly the purpose of the United Order.  My friend just wanted the benefit, without being united.  He loved the Spiritual benefit, but wanted to do none of the Spiritual work.  He just wanted the benefit of everyone else’s work, without lifting a finger himself.  He just wanted the benefit, but none of the responsibility, none of the work.  None of the physical work, and most certainly none of the Spiritual Work!  No sacrifice, no patience, no long-suffering, no contributing.  The behaviour of:  “I will not be kind to you in your way, but you must be kind to me in my way, and make me feel wonderful, or I am out of here!” certainly did not work.

Oh to be a leach, and live off the avails of others!

The Baptizm Of Fire

 It has been a while, since I last wrote on this blog.  There have been many exciting things occurring in the Church family which have required a great deal of time.  It is about time that I answer another question though, of which this topic is about.  Here is a short summary:

The Baptizm of Fire is when a person has repented of all thier sins, and the Holy Ghost purges them from all sin.  In other words, the person no longer has a desire for sin.  The recipient of the Baptizm of Fire no longer is tempted.  It is a clear sign of those who are baptized by fire, when they no longer struggle, but are constantly just going about doing well to people.

There are many things which people attribute to the Baptizm of Fire, which is not really the case, but the Baptizm of Fire is just as the Book of Mormon relates, to purge a person from all sin, and from all desire of sin.  (Of course, this process works in reverse as well!)

It is said:  Father dwells in Everlasting Burnings.  It is a good aim, to have the Baptizm of Fire with us constantly, just like Heavenly Father.

Entrance Exam

I have heard some talk, about receiving ordinances, and thereby being prepared for Godhood in the next life.  The concept being, that the ordinances hold some sort of magical power to secure their place among the pantheon of Gods.  This belief has led many astray, into the paths of sin, believing that the ordinance is all that is required.  The truth is, the ordinance should teach us something, should show us the way to live our lives in the service of our Saviour.  If we do not live our lives properly, then we will miss out on the promises contained in the ordinances.  A person could have an ordinance repeated a hundred times, and it would do no good, unless they changed their life!  And in reality, it will take a long time yet, even after this life, to reach the fulfillment of such a promise.

“When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave”
~ Joseph Smith

This is a big project, and, for those interested in actually becoming like our Father in Heaven, there is a lot of work to do. Once we come to terms with this, we can let go of the foolish notions of punishments and rewards, a God of extortion, a respecter of persons, and we can get to work and develop ourselves into the type of God we want to be.

This earth is really more like an entrance exam, so that we can get into Godhood University. It will take a while yet!

This being the case, that Father is only looking for those who are willing to pass the entrance exam, then we do not have to worry about being perfect in everything, all we need to do is to show forth the traits: Faith; repentance; forgiveness; love, and we will get in! They will train us how to become Gods, in the University. Right now, all we need to do is to create the prerequisites to get in. How nice is that?

Godhood University entrance exam is a regular aptitude test that measures your aptitude in various areas such as faith, repentance, forgiveness and practical love. These tests are not designed to measure what you have learned in Sunday School; rather, they measure your potential to perform well in the future.

Church and Sunday School classes may help you prepare for these exams. However, these are practicum exams. Real-life practice is the only way to achieve the correct aptitude, and the only submission that Godhood University will accept for apprenticeship programmes.

And now, my beloved brethren, after that ye have got into this strait and narrow path, I would ask:  If all is done?  Behold, I say unto you: Nay; for ye have not come thus far, save it were by the word of Christ, with unshaken faith in Him, relying wholly upon the merits of Him who is mighty to save, wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
~ 2 Nephi XIII:5

There is more than just hope, there is a promise!

Personal Commandments

The issue of Personal Commandments has been floating around recently, and I would like to comment for the sake of the faithful disciples of Messiah.  

There are many dangers in this world, and many deceptions that are prevalent and even almost convincing, but we must remember why we are here:  To overcome the world!  This is what the Saviour taught us, to overcome the world, as He has done.  We are to follow Him.  

From the beginning, when Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, the promise was made to them, that a Saviour would be sent to show them the way back into the presence of the Tree of Life.  This Saviour is Yeshua, chosen and annointed by the Father to show us the way back into the presence of the Father.  It is Yeshua that we are to follow, if we would ever like to return to our Father in Heaven!  

Yeshua, Son of the Father, came to earth to Walk the path of the Father, to show us the way back into the presence of the Father, so all who will, may proceed into the presence of the Father.  This path which Yeshua walked is the Strait and Narrow Path of keeping All the commandments of the Father.  Yeshua proved that a mortal man could, and did, keep All the commandments of the Father.  The Father witnessed to all creation that Yeshua was truly walking the correct way, by granting unto Him the Spirit and power of God.  

Yeshua fulfilled the commandments of God, and asked us to follow Him, in which we would also walk that same path, in keeping all the commandments of the Father.  Just because the Messiah told us that He had fulfilled the commandments, does not mean that we do not have to keep the commandments.  The commandments had an end in the Saviour, meaning he fulfilled them, to the end they were created, which was to walk back into the presence of the Father.  And accordingly, as we follow this chosen Saviour, in keeping all the commandments, fulfilling the law the same as the Saviour did, the commandments will have an end in us, or in other words, produce the same results for us:  We will walk back into the presence of the Father!  This is the promise of the Saviour, the fulfillment of the Promise of the Father to Adam and Eve, for them and their descendants.  

The danger presented to us, by those who have arrested the scriptures, is that we no longer have to keep the commandments, that God will give us only those commandments that are just for us, and that we can ignore the remainder of the commandments.  This of course is false, and is totally refuted by scripture multiple times, by multiple prophets.  Yet, the fallacy prevails.  

The Father giving personal commandments, is when He asks a person to go and do a job for Him, such as when He has sent out a prophet, or disciple, to go and do a specific work.  Personal commandments are not that the Father is telling anyone that it is okay to break any of the commandments.  In fact, keeping the commandments is a prerequisite to being called, and having the power of God manifested through a person. 

The Father does not contradict Himself, for He is the same today, as yesterday, and will be tomorrow.  It is still Yeshua Messiah, the Son of the Living God, which we are to follow in Walking the Strait and Narrow Path, back into the presence of the Tree of Life.  

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
~ 1 John 2:3-6

So, to the faithful Disciples of Yeshua, do not be discouraged, nor fooled, for Father will not be upset at you keeping all of the commandments.  You can maintain your standards.  You can maintain your integrity.  You can keep your honour.  May God bless you to continue to live in virtue, love, light, and truth!  


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Passover

The Feast of the Passover is an amazing celebration, probably the most important so far in the History of the world.  This is because it is the fulfillment of the Promise of the Father to Adam and Eve:  We will provide a Saviour for them, a Messiah who will redeem them, by showing them the way back into the presence of the Tree of Life.

Yeshua is that Messiah which was prophesied by Father.  He came to redeem His people.  He came to show us how to walk back into the presence of the Father!  This is why we celebrate Passover, to celebrate the triumph of the Saviour over the world, and over death itself!

Growing up in the modern Christian World, many understand the festival of Easter to have taken the place of Passover.  Easter being a time we hold in memorial the Lord suffering in Gethsemane; Being arrested, judged, mocked, and scourged; Crucified; and of course, We celebrate His Triumphant Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven!  This is Passover!  The Love Father has for His children, to actually condescend, to come here to rescue His children, to bring them Home!

Do You Care About Me?

"I do not care how much you know, until I know how much you care."

Years ago, I heard a speech that changed my approach to life. In the speech, the gentleman said an interesting phrase: "I do not care how much you know, until I know how much you care." 

This phrase has stuck with me over the past 30 years, and has served me well throughout my personal life, and throughout my career as well. 

The best way to teach anything is by example, and the best way to spread peace and love, is by actually living it. 

Let each action, word, thought, and emotion be consistent with each other in truly caring about others, and actually be the change you want to see in the world!

"I do not care how much you know, until I know how much you care."

Inasmuch As Ye Keep My Commandments

A man was talking about his shop, which has not been doing much business lately, and the conversation turned to being blessed for keeping the commandments of God. He did not think keeping commandments would help, since many other shops were also having difficulty since the pandemic began.

Why would a person want to have the same problem as others, when it is entirely possible to prosper and help others?

The Lord God of Heaven can do many miracles, including helping our businesses, even through the current pandemic.

Inasmuch as we shall keep the commandments, we shall prosper in the land;
But inasmuch as we will not keep the commandments, we shall be cut off from the presence of God.

The Voice Of The Lord

The strange thing for me is, sometimes people hear stories about me getting to the Lord, and then they want to ask questions, so that they can also get to the Lord. From time to time, people gather around to find out how I got to the Lord. I tell many amazing experiences, and how I did it, and the seekers are often amazed and motivated to also have those experiences, and they can, if they follow the process of how to get there. And this is where I usually lose them.  

For some strange reason, seekers can feel the Spirit of God when I tell of experiences, and they can even get an undeniable witness that it is true, they can even believe that I followed the method described in the scriptures to get to the Lord, but they get rather upset when I suggest that they can have the same experiences by following the same pattern. Then of course, for suggesting that they too need to follow the commandments, I get called all sorts of interesting names, fallen prophet, etc.

From time to time, I still do have experiences with the Lord, and I am still directed in doing the work I am asked to do. Even today, I have heard the voice of the Lord, and no matter what people say, I will not deny the method/pattern/process/programme/way/walk/road/gospel, or whatever way someone wants to describe it, of how to get to the Lord. Messiah taught us the programme, and it is Messiah's programme that works. Messiah's programme is the ONLY programme that will get to the Father!

It is an amazing experience to get to the Lord. And, I never know exactly what to say to seekers. In my best possible voice I say, the Lord's way works. Just humble yourselves to the Lord's way, and you will have the promises expressed in scripture; all those who humble themselves before the Lord's way, will receive not only the Lord, but the Father also. Those who fight against the Lord's way, will receive neither the Son, nor the Father, not in this life, nor in the next.