I will give you the key to understanding the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon itself is prophesy for our day. The cycle that is repeated in the book is repeating now again.
The Book of Mormon was brought forth because the Lord knew that we were going to repeat it at this time and we can learn from it and break the cycle in our own lives, because we know exactly what is going to happen next. At large, the Book chronicles the last days, it is history, but it is history that is repeating itself right now.
To understand it we need to realize that the timeline and events will be slightly different, in other words it will not be year for year, event for event. But the basic timeline and progression is the same. We are following the same basic history in the restoration of the Gospel. The same events are happening. In the beginning of the Book of Mormon we read that Lehi is spoken to by God and commanded to travel to a new location where he and his friends and their families can live the Fullness of the Gospel in peace. Similarly, Joseph was spoken to by God and was instructed to move to a certain area where he was to live the Fullness of the Gospel in peace. Lehi died on his way to the new location, and Joseph died before getting to the new location. Nephi continued to teach and move the families, as Brigham continued to teach and move people. Nephi’s brother Jacob continued in the work of the Lord, and it was supposed to be Hyrum and his descendants to continue with the Fullness, but Hyrum was martyred along with Joseph, and that line was in disarray until recently when the Patriarch passed away, at which time it ended. So it continued through a priesthood line. After the ending of righteousness in Jacob’s line, there was a new gathering under Mosiah/Benjamin… And so on.
It is quite easy to see how the Book of Mormon is prophesy for our day. And just as in the Book of Mormon, the two great prophet brothers Nephi and Lehi did a great work and gathered a few people in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, there will be such a preparation this time also.
This time when Christ comes again, he will set up his Kingdom for a thousand years. Then afterward the devil will be released for a short season, and the Book will continue it’s prophesy until it is done.
.
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Monday, 10 March 2014
Pride
Why would some people not want to listen to spiritually uplifting experiences? Experiences that show that God is real. That God really does talk to people today. That He still gets involved in people’s lives?
Why do some people not want to hear about miracles, visions, dreams, angelic visitations, yet they love to read the scriptures where those things are written????
For some it is pride. They want those spiritual things to happen, they just want them to happen to them, and they are angry when they happen to someone who they feel is inferior. This is not the way of God, and the prideful will never experience the things of God (unless it is to their condemnation).
For some it is too real. They love to live in their little bubbles, surrounded by excuses and justifications, all so they don’t have to give up anything or do anything. They are content with their life, and if they see that these things are possible, then they would feel guilty because they are not doing what it takes.
Oh God, who made the sun and the moon, the earth and the stars, the entire universe, everything that was made, Thou whose only desire is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, bless thy Holy Name!
All can become prophets, if they follow the principles of the Living God, give up the world and let God be their only desire.
.
Why do some people not want to hear about miracles, visions, dreams, angelic visitations, yet they love to read the scriptures where those things are written????
For some it is pride. They want those spiritual things to happen, they just want them to happen to them, and they are angry when they happen to someone who they feel is inferior. This is not the way of God, and the prideful will never experience the things of God (unless it is to their condemnation).
For some it is too real. They love to live in their little bubbles, surrounded by excuses and justifications, all so they don’t have to give up anything or do anything. They are content with their life, and if they see that these things are possible, then they would feel guilty because they are not doing what it takes.
Oh God, who made the sun and the moon, the earth and the stars, the entire universe, everything that was made, Thou whose only desire is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, bless thy Holy Name!
All can become prophets, if they follow the principles of the Living God, give up the world and let God be their only desire.
.
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Echad
In Genesis chapter 2:24 we read:
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh (echad).
This was the Law from the beginning. This is the very first Law that the Lord gave to Adam and Eve.
There are many arguments and justifications of the meaning of the word echad, which is most often translated as ‘one’. This verse taken in context, was when Adam was first divided into two beings, so it is quite easy to see that he was no longer echad, but it was still expected of him and Eve to be echad, a whole being. The word ‘echad’ was the original term for marriage.
In order to return to the beginning, we have to become whole (echad) again. And what does it take to become whole (echad)? We must have a God’s level of love for each other, complete forgiveness, complete caring, complete zion. Suddenly the commands of Jesus to love each other as we love ourselves becomes plain.
Then, of course, why is the Bible so full of laws that have to do with divorce and ‘putting away’?
The laws given to govern divorce and separation were given under the law of Moses. As I mentioned before in the post entitled “An Eye For An Eye”, the Lord offered the Children of Israel the Law that He first gave unto Adam, the Law that would bring them back into His presence, but they rejected it and so were cursed with a law of observances. And this applied to the law of marriage. The law of purity was too much for them. What if they didn’t get along with their spouse? What if they wanted another? What if they just grew apart? How were they going to move on to their next sexual partner if they had to follow the law of the Gods???? And so, the Lord condescended and gave them a lower law to at least limit their filthy adulterous desires.
When Jesus walked the earth in mortality, both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, challenged the Lord on this Law and began to question Him rather boldly. To which Jesus responded:
2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh(echad): so then they are no more twain, but one flesh(echad).
9 What therefore God hath joined together(echad), let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry(echad) another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married(echad) to another, she committeth adultery.
Why do so many Christian denominations struggle to justify themselves in following a lower law? Do we really need to ask? Isn’t it self-evident? Are they not the same as the children of Israel that rejected the Law of God for a lower law of observances?
If you really want to go back to Heavenly Father and live in His presence among the Gods, then you must abide the law of the Gods, including their law of echad marriage.
Echad is a Hebrew word meaning to be one, often translated to be one flesh, the original term for marriage. Echad/marriage is to be one flesh. Marriage is not a piece of paper, not a minister saying that you are married, not the government recognizing a marriage. Marriage is when two people join(echad). And once they are joined, let no man or church separate them. If two people echad, then go and echad with another person, they are breaking the command, thou shalt not commit adultery.
The Lord is going around testing the various fruit of the branches that he has planted and grafted in all over his vineyard. And He will destroy those branches that are not producing good fruit; the fruit being the people that the branches produce. The fruit is not the insignificant acts of charity with which they so often try to use to pay off God. If the branches are not producing good fruit/good people they will be hewn down and cast into the fire. If they are producing people who justify adultery under the guise of marrying under consent of the church, those branches will be hewn down and cast into the fire and the fruit will be destroyed. Of this I can personally testify, because God has shown me, and not me only but the prophetess as well. God is at this time tasting the fruit. We need to have good fruit for Him.
To those who love the Lord and keep His commandments, I say don’t fear, and don’t fall to the false doctrine and temptations that those who hate God thrive on. You will be blessed to live in the presence of the Father if you continue to live the Law of Echad as God gave to Adam and Eve.
.
A few references:
Matthew 5:27-32
Matthew 19:3-12
Mark 10:2-12
Mark 12:18-25
Luke 16:18
JST Luke 16:21-23
Luke 20:27-35
D&C 132:39, 41-44, 52, 54, 61-63
All of 132 is good
And there are many more …
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh (echad).
This was the Law from the beginning. This is the very first Law that the Lord gave to Adam and Eve.
There are many arguments and justifications of the meaning of the word echad, which is most often translated as ‘one’. This verse taken in context, was when Adam was first divided into two beings, so it is quite easy to see that he was no longer echad, but it was still expected of him and Eve to be echad, a whole being. The word ‘echad’ was the original term for marriage.
In order to return to the beginning, we have to become whole (echad) again. And what does it take to become whole (echad)? We must have a God’s level of love for each other, complete forgiveness, complete caring, complete zion. Suddenly the commands of Jesus to love each other as we love ourselves becomes plain.
Then, of course, why is the Bible so full of laws that have to do with divorce and ‘putting away’?
The laws given to govern divorce and separation were given under the law of Moses. As I mentioned before in the post entitled “An Eye For An Eye”, the Lord offered the Children of Israel the Law that He first gave unto Adam, the Law that would bring them back into His presence, but they rejected it and so were cursed with a law of observances. And this applied to the law of marriage. The law of purity was too much for them. What if they didn’t get along with their spouse? What if they wanted another? What if they just grew apart? How were they going to move on to their next sexual partner if they had to follow the law of the Gods???? And so, the Lord condescended and gave them a lower law to at least limit their filthy adulterous desires.
When Jesus walked the earth in mortality, both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, challenged the Lord on this Law and began to question Him rather boldly. To which Jesus responded:
2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh(echad): so then they are no more twain, but one flesh(echad).
9 What therefore God hath joined together(echad), let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry(echad) another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married(echad) to another, she committeth adultery.
Why do so many Christian denominations struggle to justify themselves in following a lower law? Do we really need to ask? Isn’t it self-evident? Are they not the same as the children of Israel that rejected the Law of God for a lower law of observances?
If you really want to go back to Heavenly Father and live in His presence among the Gods, then you must abide the law of the Gods, including their law of echad marriage.
Echad is a Hebrew word meaning to be one, often translated to be one flesh, the original term for marriage. Echad/marriage is to be one flesh. Marriage is not a piece of paper, not a minister saying that you are married, not the government recognizing a marriage. Marriage is when two people join(echad). And once they are joined, let no man or church separate them. If two people echad, then go and echad with another person, they are breaking the command, thou shalt not commit adultery.
The Lord is going around testing the various fruit of the branches that he has planted and grafted in all over his vineyard. And He will destroy those branches that are not producing good fruit; the fruit being the people that the branches produce. The fruit is not the insignificant acts of charity with which they so often try to use to pay off God. If the branches are not producing good fruit/good people they will be hewn down and cast into the fire. If they are producing people who justify adultery under the guise of marrying under consent of the church, those branches will be hewn down and cast into the fire and the fruit will be destroyed. Of this I can personally testify, because God has shown me, and not me only but the prophetess as well. God is at this time tasting the fruit. We need to have good fruit for Him.
To those who love the Lord and keep His commandments, I say don’t fear, and don’t fall to the false doctrine and temptations that those who hate God thrive on. You will be blessed to live in the presence of the Father if you continue to live the Law of Echad as God gave to Adam and Eve.
.
A few references:
Matthew 5:27-32
Matthew 19:3-12
Mark 10:2-12
Mark 12:18-25
Luke 16:18
JST Luke 16:21-23
Luke 20:27-35
D&C 132:39, 41-44, 52, 54, 61-63
All of 132 is good
And there are many more …
Excerpt From Praying Hyde
“’Who will go for us, and whom shall I send?’ Are you who read these words willing to be intercessors? If we are willing to put ourselves into God’s hands, then God is willing to use us. But there are two conditions: obedience and purity. Obedience in everything, even in the least, surrendering up our wills and taking the will of God. And the next step is purity. God wants pure vessels for his service, clean channels through which to pour forth His grace. He wants purity in the very center of the soul, and unless God can have a pure vessel, purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit, He cannot use that vessel. He is asking you now if you will let Him cleanse away part of your very life. God must have a vessel He can use.”
An excerpt from Praying Hyde, pg. 17.
An excerpt from Praying Hyde, pg. 17.
Monday, 3 March 2014
Whooping Cough
To this day, when I think of how sick my baby girl was …
It was when my eldest daughter was only three and a half months old. She was sick with Whooping Cough. She had been sick for a couple of weeks already, and her health was so bad that she wouldn’t sleep, but just stayed up all night coughing. She would barely eat, and she was loosing weight fast. My baby girl was dying.
She was so emaciated and weak that I was afraid that she wouldn’t live much longer. I would pray for my little girl, but she didn’t get better. I often thought of giving her a blessing, but because she was my little girl I was terrified that I would fail her. I struggled with thoughts of my own worthiness, or I should say, lack thereof.
Then one day, Toni asked me to give Amy a blessing. As a priesthood holder, it was my duty to administer should anyone ask, and so, with all my might I pushed my fears away, and held onto that glimmer of faith that I had in our Heavenly Father and His priesthood. We went upstairs where I administered to the baby.
With all the faith that I could muster, I pronounced her healed, and before I got to the word Amen, she had stopped coughing! It was a miracle! I couldn’t understand it. I wasn’t worthy. I could never do something like that. And so I began to fear. I began to fear, because it really worked. It worked! How did it work? It couldn’t be possible. I really did it? It couldn’t be. And as soon as I began to fear, the innocent baby girl began to cough again. I had failed.
I was so upset. How could I fail? How could I let my little girl down? It was too much for me; too much to ask. How could the life of my child be laid upon my shoulders like this? I felt so bad. I couldn’t let her down. I couldn’t give in to fear. I wouldn’t give in.
With a broken heart I turned to God. Oh, please help me. I picked up my child and bowed my head, and once again cast out all doubt and fear from my mind, and with perfect courage pronounced the blessing.
Heavenly Father heard. Blessed be His great name! Oh, how merciful! Oh, how kind! I was overwrought. Even before I got to ‘Amen’, my little girl stopped coughing, and began resting peacefully. I held tightly to the courage granted me by Heavenly Father, and wouldn’t let my mind wander. We placed Amy in her crib and let her sleep. This was the first time in so long that she could even sleep. We were so happy.
Fifteen minutes later I was in the kitchen preparing supper, when I allowed my mind to think on what just happened. And as soon as I thought, ‘Wow, did that really happen?’, fear entered my heart once again, and that tiny little precious angel began to cough.
I broke! God gave me a second chance to do it right and I broke! All my bragging to my wife and others, that God could do anything; that Heavenly Father loves each of us and is just waiting to do miracles for us, and I completely failed Him. What could I do now? I was traumatized. How could I face my wife, who asked me to heal her first born child? Who was I that I could be asked to do such a thing? How could I face my Heavenly Father? I was a tough, 100kg, 23 year old zealot, willing to do anything for God, and here I stood broken, with tears streaming down my face. A total and complete failure to my God. I couldn’t stand it. What would people think of Him?? How much doubt would this failure inspire? How many would be driven away from the God of Love? All because of my failure, my lack of faith!
I couldn’t take it anymore. I was traumatized. Then, something changed deep within my heart, and I resolved that I would try yet again to serve God, or I would die trying. I can’t explain it, but that is how I felt. I was willing to give my life for the child to be healed. I locked myself in the washroom, fell to my knees and plead with the Lord to forgive me; to forgive my weakness, my failure; only let my daughter live!
A third time, I pushed all fear out of my heart. I would have perfect faith this time. I wouldn’t allow myself anything less. The Lord’s will would be done. With tender care, I picked up my dying child, and in the name of the Lord Jesus, commanded that she be healed.
Instantly, the child stopped coughing. Her fever broke, and she fell fast asleep.
For the longest time after she fell asleep, I wouldn’t even think about what happened. I just believed with perfect faith, and never doubted. I would never give the sickness a chance to take hold again. And it didn’t. Amy slept through the night, and began to eat and gain weight. Health and colour returned to her and she began to thrive.
The Holy Spirit was shed forth and Heavenly Father blessed her with such a blessing that she has never gotten sick like that again. The Lord truly is a God of miracles! Praise be to His name!
.
It was when my eldest daughter was only three and a half months old. She was sick with Whooping Cough. She had been sick for a couple of weeks already, and her health was so bad that she wouldn’t sleep, but just stayed up all night coughing. She would barely eat, and she was loosing weight fast. My baby girl was dying.
She was so emaciated and weak that I was afraid that she wouldn’t live much longer. I would pray for my little girl, but she didn’t get better. I often thought of giving her a blessing, but because she was my little girl I was terrified that I would fail her. I struggled with thoughts of my own worthiness, or I should say, lack thereof.
Then one day, Toni asked me to give Amy a blessing. As a priesthood holder, it was my duty to administer should anyone ask, and so, with all my might I pushed my fears away, and held onto that glimmer of faith that I had in our Heavenly Father and His priesthood. We went upstairs where I administered to the baby.
With all the faith that I could muster, I pronounced her healed, and before I got to the word Amen, she had stopped coughing! It was a miracle! I couldn’t understand it. I wasn’t worthy. I could never do something like that. And so I began to fear. I began to fear, because it really worked. It worked! How did it work? It couldn’t be possible. I really did it? It couldn’t be. And as soon as I began to fear, the innocent baby girl began to cough again. I had failed.
I was so upset. How could I fail? How could I let my little girl down? It was too much for me; too much to ask. How could the life of my child be laid upon my shoulders like this? I felt so bad. I couldn’t let her down. I couldn’t give in to fear. I wouldn’t give in.
With a broken heart I turned to God. Oh, please help me. I picked up my child and bowed my head, and once again cast out all doubt and fear from my mind, and with perfect courage pronounced the blessing.
Heavenly Father heard. Blessed be His great name! Oh, how merciful! Oh, how kind! I was overwrought. Even before I got to ‘Amen’, my little girl stopped coughing, and began resting peacefully. I held tightly to the courage granted me by Heavenly Father, and wouldn’t let my mind wander. We placed Amy in her crib and let her sleep. This was the first time in so long that she could even sleep. We were so happy.
Fifteen minutes later I was in the kitchen preparing supper, when I allowed my mind to think on what just happened. And as soon as I thought, ‘Wow, did that really happen?’, fear entered my heart once again, and that tiny little precious angel began to cough.
I broke! God gave me a second chance to do it right and I broke! All my bragging to my wife and others, that God could do anything; that Heavenly Father loves each of us and is just waiting to do miracles for us, and I completely failed Him. What could I do now? I was traumatized. How could I face my wife, who asked me to heal her first born child? Who was I that I could be asked to do such a thing? How could I face my Heavenly Father? I was a tough, 100kg, 23 year old zealot, willing to do anything for God, and here I stood broken, with tears streaming down my face. A total and complete failure to my God. I couldn’t stand it. What would people think of Him?? How much doubt would this failure inspire? How many would be driven away from the God of Love? All because of my failure, my lack of faith!
I couldn’t take it anymore. I was traumatized. Then, something changed deep within my heart, and I resolved that I would try yet again to serve God, or I would die trying. I can’t explain it, but that is how I felt. I was willing to give my life for the child to be healed. I locked myself in the washroom, fell to my knees and plead with the Lord to forgive me; to forgive my weakness, my failure; only let my daughter live!
A third time, I pushed all fear out of my heart. I would have perfect faith this time. I wouldn’t allow myself anything less. The Lord’s will would be done. With tender care, I picked up my dying child, and in the name of the Lord Jesus, commanded that she be healed.
Instantly, the child stopped coughing. Her fever broke, and she fell fast asleep.
For the longest time after she fell asleep, I wouldn’t even think about what happened. I just believed with perfect faith, and never doubted. I would never give the sickness a chance to take hold again. And it didn’t. Amy slept through the night, and began to eat and gain weight. Health and colour returned to her and she began to thrive.
The Holy Spirit was shed forth and Heavenly Father blessed her with such a blessing that she has never gotten sick like that again. The Lord truly is a God of miracles! Praise be to His name!
.
Saturday, 1 March 2014
An Eye For An Eye
It is so distressing to see the wicked folks of the world turn the word of God into a justification for evil. The concept of ‘An Eye for an Eye’ was not meant to allow people to seek revenge. This is an adaptation of satanic men to justify their lust for blood.
When the Lord led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, He attempted to give them the Fullness of His glory, but to do that He had to first give them instructions of how to behave so that they could be pure enough to behold Him. The Israelites of course didn’t like the fact that they had to actually be good, cleanse themselves from the attachments of the world, and keep such strict commandments, so they rejected the higher laws of God, which instructed them to forgive each other, to not hold a grudge, to entreat kindly those who do them wrong.
Instead the Children of Israel wanted revenge on their enemies. They were not even content with simple justice, they wanted blood. To counter the hardness of their hearts, the Lord gave them limitations to their vengeful desires. He gave a strict commandment that if they could not forgive, if they had to give into their satanic desires to seek for vengeance, then they were not allowed to exact more than what had been done to them. Thus came the command to exact no more than ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
It was not a law of revenge; it was a law to limit revenge.
.
When the Lord led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, He attempted to give them the Fullness of His glory, but to do that He had to first give them instructions of how to behave so that they could be pure enough to behold Him. The Israelites of course didn’t like the fact that they had to actually be good, cleanse themselves from the attachments of the world, and keep such strict commandments, so they rejected the higher laws of God, which instructed them to forgive each other, to not hold a grudge, to entreat kindly those who do them wrong.
Instead the Children of Israel wanted revenge on their enemies. They were not even content with simple justice, they wanted blood. To counter the hardness of their hearts, the Lord gave them limitations to their vengeful desires. He gave a strict commandment that if they could not forgive, if they had to give into their satanic desires to seek for vengeance, then they were not allowed to exact more than what had been done to them. Thus came the command to exact no more than ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
It was not a law of revenge; it was a law to limit revenge.
.
Extortion - Punishment And Reward
I often read murmuring arguments from those willing to justify themselves, that God would have spoken in proper grammar, and because the Prophet makes a mistake in spelling, or in sentence structure, that this is reason to disbelieve. Those who argue these points are lost, and stand in need of repentance.
The lord speaks to man, in the language of man, unto the understanding of man.
He speaks in a way that we can understand, or rather to the prophet in the way that the prophet understands, who desperately tries to explain it in a way that the wicked can understand. This explains why the Lord talks to man according to punishment and reward, because that is what most men understand.
A selfish person only understands punishment and reward, which accounts for the scriptures being written in this manner. Unfortunately, this gives rise to the portrayal of God as a gangster, using extortion or bribery to get His way. By threatening punishment for those who disobey Him, or by offering a reward for those who obey Him. And since God is the only true source of pure good, how can He be a gangster? He must be speaking in terms of punishment and reward for the sake of people who cannot understand anything else.
Nevertheless, He has also spoken in other ways in the scriptures, such as the stewardship parables. These parables portray more individual free agency, instead of just using extortion or bribery as the means of motivation to choose good over evil. They portray a steward getting a promotion if he does well, and getting fired if he neglects his duties. I would hazard a guess that if he does his duty, and very little beyond his duty, that he would just remain in his job, but I hope not to inspire anyone to complacency, for we should always be striving to do better.
These stewardship parables can be easily applied to a more modern setting, helping some to understand God’s plan and our own accountability, such as a parable of an employee doing very well at his job and then at his job assessment, he is promoted to a better position. Many people are happy in the job that they have and do not desire a promotion, and they just do their duty and remain faithful in their current position. There are others that do their job poorly or cause problems, and these are demoted or fired, and sometimes they have legal action brought against them.
This parable can be expanded or modified to show many different aspects of life and judgment and the afterlife. This would be like doing well at school, studying hard, staying away from the popular people and parties and trouble-making, then getting good grades and going to university and getting a good education. Then comes judgment, or in other words, an employment opportunity. The better we did in school and the higher the education we obtained, the better the job that we may apply for. This shows God in a more kind light, as a willing employer, instead of a gangster. But if we spent our time goofing off and not studying, or partying and not doing our homework, or just spend our time trying to make friends or be popular or accepted, then when it comes to the time to get a job, we do not have the skills or education to get a good job and we have to settle for whatever we can get.
These type of parables, the steward/employee or education/job parables, portray God and judgment in a more loving light. The responsibility of our afterlife is more completely in our control, and we are not just choosing good under duress of punishment, nor is our love for our fellow beings degraded, by payment for our good deeds, thus making us selfish and greedy, and certainly uncaring and evil. Instead we are more free to choose the position in the afterlife that we want.
One of my favourite parables is the one of the two sons who work on their daddy’s farm. Both sons work very hard and do equally well in all aspects of the farm. Then the daddy asks the sons why they work so hard. One son says that he works hard because he loves his daddy and wants to please him. The other son says that he began working hard because he loves his daddy and wanted to please him, but after time he learned also to love the farm and all it could provide for others. Both sons did their duty; the son who did his duty would always have a place on the farm, but the son who loved the farm as his daddy did, and loved the work because he could provide for others, would inherit the farm.
Toni told me of a parable that she likes –
If a person had a garden, and worked in the garden, planting and weeding, watering and fertilizing, then that person will have a harvest according to his labours.
If the person were to goof around and neglect his garden, then he would have a harvest according to his neglect.
If the person neglected his garden and ruined plants, then he would have less plants to harvest from later. But if he later decided to repent and replant, tending to his duties, then he would be able to undo some of the damage that he caused and gain a better harvest, but still the harvest would not be as good as it could have been, if the person had done his duty from the beginning.
This parable shows that our afterlife is completely in our control and our harvest will be our decision. We reap what we sow.
I also like the parable of the bodybuilder. A person who is interested in getting stronger and healthier may do so according to his wants. If he eats healthy and exercises properly and makes the appropriate lifestyle choices, then that person may find the desired results. But if the person just says that he wants to have a strong and healthy body, and does not follow the appropriate method to obtain such, then he will not have the healthy body that he says that he desires. This is a simple cause and effect that most people can understand.
But if we apply reward and punishment to this, it almost seems ridiculous. Such as: If you eat properly, exercise properly, choose the proper lifestyle choice, then I will bless you with a strong and healthy body, but if you do not these proper things to build your body, then I will punish you with a weak and unhealthy body.
The scriptures were not written to the righteous, but to the wicked, so they at times may seem terribly cruel to the righteous. The scriptures say that God will punish people for evil and reward people for good, but in reality, a person punishes themselves and rewards themselves by living appropriately. It is the same as making our bodies healthy or not. It is not so much that the Lord is punishing us with an unhealthy body, or rewarding us with a healthy one, but more like a cause and effect of our own choice. So also do I view my life choices, that my judgment really is of my own making, not punishment or reward, but cause and effect, a direct result of my own making.
This parable shows God in a completely loving light, teaching us the methods to obtain a healthy body, or great afterlife, and letting us build ourselves as much as we desire. He is certainly sad if we do not progress as far as we could, but He is also very happy for us the closer we get to perfection. Either way it is our choice, and He is happy to allow us our choice.
Therefore, threats that we will not progress if we do evil are then really for the benefit of those people who cannot take responsibility for their own actions and they want to blame someone else, also for those who enjoy harming others. So ‘punishment and reward’ is a telestial level law. Earning a better job or position, is a little higher law. And doing good because you like good, not for reward or position, but because you like to help people, shows that you will become who you make yourself, and the things that you do wrong are really self inflicted hindrances and not punishments forced upon us.
The Lord loves those who do good for the sake of doing good. They are the ones who are true followers of the Father. They are they which pass on to the next stage of progression.
.
The lord speaks to man, in the language of man, unto the understanding of man.
He speaks in a way that we can understand, or rather to the prophet in the way that the prophet understands, who desperately tries to explain it in a way that the wicked can understand. This explains why the Lord talks to man according to punishment and reward, because that is what most men understand.
A selfish person only understands punishment and reward, which accounts for the scriptures being written in this manner. Unfortunately, this gives rise to the portrayal of God as a gangster, using extortion or bribery to get His way. By threatening punishment for those who disobey Him, or by offering a reward for those who obey Him. And since God is the only true source of pure good, how can He be a gangster? He must be speaking in terms of punishment and reward for the sake of people who cannot understand anything else.
Nevertheless, He has also spoken in other ways in the scriptures, such as the stewardship parables. These parables portray more individual free agency, instead of just using extortion or bribery as the means of motivation to choose good over evil. They portray a steward getting a promotion if he does well, and getting fired if he neglects his duties. I would hazard a guess that if he does his duty, and very little beyond his duty, that he would just remain in his job, but I hope not to inspire anyone to complacency, for we should always be striving to do better.
These stewardship parables can be easily applied to a more modern setting, helping some to understand God’s plan and our own accountability, such as a parable of an employee doing very well at his job and then at his job assessment, he is promoted to a better position. Many people are happy in the job that they have and do not desire a promotion, and they just do their duty and remain faithful in their current position. There are others that do their job poorly or cause problems, and these are demoted or fired, and sometimes they have legal action brought against them.
This parable can be expanded or modified to show many different aspects of life and judgment and the afterlife. This would be like doing well at school, studying hard, staying away from the popular people and parties and trouble-making, then getting good grades and going to university and getting a good education. Then comes judgment, or in other words, an employment opportunity. The better we did in school and the higher the education we obtained, the better the job that we may apply for. This shows God in a more kind light, as a willing employer, instead of a gangster. But if we spent our time goofing off and not studying, or partying and not doing our homework, or just spend our time trying to make friends or be popular or accepted, then when it comes to the time to get a job, we do not have the skills or education to get a good job and we have to settle for whatever we can get.
These type of parables, the steward/employee or education/job parables, portray God and judgment in a more loving light. The responsibility of our afterlife is more completely in our control, and we are not just choosing good under duress of punishment, nor is our love for our fellow beings degraded, by payment for our good deeds, thus making us selfish and greedy, and certainly uncaring and evil. Instead we are more free to choose the position in the afterlife that we want.
One of my favourite parables is the one of the two sons who work on their daddy’s farm. Both sons work very hard and do equally well in all aspects of the farm. Then the daddy asks the sons why they work so hard. One son says that he works hard because he loves his daddy and wants to please him. The other son says that he began working hard because he loves his daddy and wanted to please him, but after time he learned also to love the farm and all it could provide for others. Both sons did their duty; the son who did his duty would always have a place on the farm, but the son who loved the farm as his daddy did, and loved the work because he could provide for others, would inherit the farm.
Toni told me of a parable that she likes –
If a person had a garden, and worked in the garden, planting and weeding, watering and fertilizing, then that person will have a harvest according to his labours.
If the person were to goof around and neglect his garden, then he would have a harvest according to his neglect.
If the person neglected his garden and ruined plants, then he would have less plants to harvest from later. But if he later decided to repent and replant, tending to his duties, then he would be able to undo some of the damage that he caused and gain a better harvest, but still the harvest would not be as good as it could have been, if the person had done his duty from the beginning.
This parable shows that our afterlife is completely in our control and our harvest will be our decision. We reap what we sow.
I also like the parable of the bodybuilder. A person who is interested in getting stronger and healthier may do so according to his wants. If he eats healthy and exercises properly and makes the appropriate lifestyle choices, then that person may find the desired results. But if the person just says that he wants to have a strong and healthy body, and does not follow the appropriate method to obtain such, then he will not have the healthy body that he says that he desires. This is a simple cause and effect that most people can understand.
But if we apply reward and punishment to this, it almost seems ridiculous. Such as: If you eat properly, exercise properly, choose the proper lifestyle choice, then I will bless you with a strong and healthy body, but if you do not these proper things to build your body, then I will punish you with a weak and unhealthy body.
The scriptures were not written to the righteous, but to the wicked, so they at times may seem terribly cruel to the righteous. The scriptures say that God will punish people for evil and reward people for good, but in reality, a person punishes themselves and rewards themselves by living appropriately. It is the same as making our bodies healthy or not. It is not so much that the Lord is punishing us with an unhealthy body, or rewarding us with a healthy one, but more like a cause and effect of our own choice. So also do I view my life choices, that my judgment really is of my own making, not punishment or reward, but cause and effect, a direct result of my own making.
This parable shows God in a completely loving light, teaching us the methods to obtain a healthy body, or great afterlife, and letting us build ourselves as much as we desire. He is certainly sad if we do not progress as far as we could, but He is also very happy for us the closer we get to perfection. Either way it is our choice, and He is happy to allow us our choice.
Therefore, threats that we will not progress if we do evil are then really for the benefit of those people who cannot take responsibility for their own actions and they want to blame someone else, also for those who enjoy harming others. So ‘punishment and reward’ is a telestial level law. Earning a better job or position, is a little higher law. And doing good because you like good, not for reward or position, but because you like to help people, shows that you will become who you make yourself, and the things that you do wrong are really self inflicted hindrances and not punishments forced upon us.
The Lord loves those who do good for the sake of doing good. They are the ones who are true followers of the Father. They are they which pass on to the next stage of progression.
.
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