Tag: progression

The Sons and Daughters of God

While studying the scriptures recently, one particular point was brought to my attention that I would like to share with you today.  In the book of Revelation it is often mentioned that in the midst of all the plagues, destruction, and ruin, that there will be those that overcome the world.

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels” (Rev. 3:5).

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Rev. 21:7).

There are numerous other references to those great people who were clothed in white, who praised God and who were blessed by Him.  What stuck out to me, however, was the statement, “and he shall be my son.”  In a previous article titled, “Is Jesus the only son of God?” on this site, the nature of our relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ was explained.  Our opportunity to become sons and daughters of God was listed as the third point.  This is the entire reason behind our beliefs and the purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  As the apostle John wrote, “Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).  To become a son of God, in this sense, is to be like our Savior.  This is our ultimate goal for this life and all that we do ought to progress us further in pursuing that goal.

That goal, however, is impossible to achieve alone. In and of ourselves, we do not merit anything remotely approaching a return to our Father in Heaven or to be called sons of God. In spite of everything we could ever do, our mistakes and imperfections prevent us from ever returning to our God. He did not send us out from His presence for the purpose of losing us though. His perfect plan accounted for our weakness by including the infinite sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

It is through Christ’s suffering in Gesthemene and His death on the cross that He became our advocate to the Father.  Without Christ, we would have to accept all the consequences of our actions, that includes being forever separated from God.  Christ paid the price of justice on our behalf, making us debtors to Him and no longer to sin.  Sin would condemn us forever, but Christ has set His own conditions that allow us to obtain mercy.  Those conditions that He gave us are simple enough. He wants us to give Him our will, the only thing we really have of ourselves to give Him. He asked us to believe in His name, love Him, keep His commandments, enter into covenants, and to repent.

To fulfill those requirements He has given us, it first requires faith on our part.  Faith in His name and in His word causes us to follow His teachings, repenting when necessary.  Repentance leads to baptism which prepares an individual to receive the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost provides the guidance we need to further emulate Christ, particularly in serving our fellow man.

When baptized, an individual makes certain covenants or agreements with the Lord.  We agree to take His name upon ourselves and to always remember Him.  Taking His name upon us is a major step in becoming a son or daughter of God.  It means to act in His behalf and do as He would do.  If we are true and faithful to His name throughout our lives, we will become like He is.  We will be like our Father, just as we are commanded to be (Matt 5:48).

This is a great truth that has sustained me in this life.  We have infinite potential!  Even the lowest, meanest person on earth is spiritually a son of God and can become like Him.  We should all take strength in this knowledge and be faithful to it.  The greatest blessings of Heaven and Earth are available to the faithful.

Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.  For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed? -Abinadi (Mosiah 15:11-12)

Do Mormons ever have questions about what they believe?

In the course of my journey as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, there have been numerous times where I have questions come up that challenge my faith.   I can’t speak for all Mormons, but I would assume that we all go through these cycles from time to time.  I picked this topic to write about, because I want others who are not of our faith to know that I do have questions and from time to time finding answers to these questions causes spiritual turmoil.  However, it is during these times that I grow the most spiritually.

The foundation of my belief is rooted in Joseph Smith’s testimony that he was in fact visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ.  This visit came in response to Joseph’s prayer to know which church he should join.  They gave him specific instructions — he was to join none of the churches, because none of them were right (Joseph Smith History 1:1-20).  What followed next in Joseph’s life is phenomenal:  through him Jesus Christ re-established his Church, the Book of Mormon was translated, the authority to act and perform ordinances in God’s name was given to man again, and the list could go on.  I will always remember the day that the truthfulness of this man’s testimony was written upon my heart by the Holy Ghost.  I feel much the same as Joseph did:  I know it and I know that God knows it and I cannot deny it (JS-H 1:25).

However, even though I know Joseph Smith’s story to be true, from time to time, something will come up that causes me to wonder.  For example, polygamy, or how the priesthood was distributed prior to 1978.  These challenges of faith, no matter how big or small, cause me to reflect and evaluate.  Sometimes, they cause me to think, “how could God’s prophet do this, or say that?”  I learned a long time ago that there is a reason; however, in these times I have yet to discover the puzzle piece that makes the picture complete.  Often I have to go back to the basics that I know to be undeniably true–that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he did in fact translate the Book of Mormon.  In other instances, I have to sit down and think about other confirmations that I have received from the Holy Ghost about a particular piece of doctrine, whether it is prayer, fasting, scripture study, marriage, or the priesthood for a few examples.  As I do this and ponder my question throughout the day or weeks, eventually someone will say something, or I will have a thought that comes to me, always accompanied by another confirmation through the Holy Ghost.  Then I can clearly see what I was missing.

These experiences strengthen my faith and further buttress my basic testimony of God.  In this way I have been able to move from truth to truth and from grace to grace, learning about God and the grand plan that He has designed for our eternal happiness.  I am grateful that there is a God and that He loves me perfectly (as He does all of us), even if that means that from time to time I have to struggle in my faith, because it helps me to grow stronger.

Consistency

(As you can see, Freddy Rodriguez consistently strengthened his right arm, but not his left arm.)
As you can see, Freddy Rodriguez consistently exercised his right arm, but not his left.

It has been difficult for me to come up with a topic to write on this month.  There has been a lot of change in my and my family’s life in the last month.  Change always brings adjustment for me—adjustment to a new schedule, new places, new activities.  Interestingly, it is during these times that it is hardest for me to be consistent in those things that provide a solid foundation in my life, namely scripture study and prayer.   However, it is consistently doing the right things in life that brings the richest of experiences and the greatest of blessings.  By and large, one cannot experience the complete blessings of a commandment or good activity until it is done consistently.

When one is consistent at exercising for an extended period of time, exercise becomes an integral part of that person’s life.  Sure, one may miss a day here or there, but consistent exercise over time brings benefits that can only be known and felt by that person.  In the same manner, consistently adhering to God’s commandments, whether it is studying the scriptures daily, or being meek and lowly of heart continually, will bring blessings, peace, and joy that only that person can know.

If you don’t know what I am talking about, or have yet to experience the sweet fruit of consistency, pick a commandment that you could polish a little, or a good activity, like exercise, and live it daily.  Do it consistently for a week, then a month, then 3 months, then a year.  You will look back on that time and realize that you have truly changed, because something good; something God-like has become an integral part of you.  In some small way you will have fulfilled Christ’s commandment to “be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 6:48).

The Plan of Salvation

There are fundamental questions that everyone eventually must ask themselves.   “Why am I here?  Where did I come from?  Where am I going?”  Whether one asks these under the pressures of daily life or with preponderance of a larger scheme, knowing the answer in the larger sense give perspective and meaning to that same question in the smaller sense.  It is my endeavor here to put previously published articles on the subject into proper context and perspective in the meaning of life.

Before this Life

See: Where do babies come from?

Celestial bodies

Before the foundations of this world were laid, God presented a plan to us, which we gladly accepted.  This plan was to allow us to come to earth, gain bodies, experiences, learn, grow and prove (to ourselves) whether or not we would use our agency wisely and submit our will to our Father once we were down here.   The integral part of that plan was the Atonement, a perfect sacrifice that would afford us the opportunity to overcome our weakness.  Jesus Christ was chosen by the Father to fill this capacity and willingly submitted to His Father’s will.  God testified of His part in our happiness when He said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)  He is deeply involved and concerned with our personal salvation.

Our First Parents

See: The Fall of Adam and Eve

As the planning came to an end, the first step was to create a world where we could live.  This was done by Christ under the direction of the Father as told in the account given in the book of Genesis.  Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were placed in the garden of Eden where everything was provided for them.

While Adam and Eve lived in Eden, they lived in a state of innocence.  That is, they had no knowledge of good or evil, of joy or pain, of sickness or health.  They were limited in their capacity and opportunity to grow and experience life.  That is why God gave them the choice to stay in the garden of Eden or partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  They chose to partake of the fruit and as a result, they were cast out of the garden.  This was a known part of our Heavenly Father’s plan, however, and was provided for in the Atonement.  This separation from God caused two kinds of death to enter the world: physical death and spiritual death.  Physical death came in the form of aging and death.  Spiritual death is a separation from God caused by our decisions to disobey His will for us.

Our Lives

See: Our Life on Earth

To this day we must live in a world where spiritual and physical death as well as sorrow and pain exist.  That does not mean we must continually be mourning.  Our purpose here in life is actually to have joy.  The prophet Lehi of the Book of Mormon stated, “Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy.” (2 Ne. 2:25)  In other words, the fall was a necessary part of the plan so that we might exist.

While in this life, we ought to be happy and we ought to be preparing to join God in His Heaven after this life.  (Alma 34:32)  The two go hand in hand.  When we choose to prepare to meet God (that is, we choose to shun the evil and pursue the good), we will be happy because it is in God’s nature to be happy and everything that is good comes from God.  Every decision we have to make has consequences.  We are allowed in this life to choose but we cannot choose the consequences that our decisions incur.  God has given us commandments to guide our decisions so that we might more fully enjoy life without being encumbered with additional pains.  When we keep the commandments in our hearts and seek to obey them, God has promised a fuller and more abundant life.

The Everlasting Atonement of Jesus Christ

See: What Do Mormons Believe about the Atonement?

Jesus Christ cradling a lambEven after everything we could possibly do, there is no way to return to our Heavenly Father’s presence by ourselves.  Remember the effects of the fall: spiritual and physical death.  Every one of us has sinned, there is no way around it and even one sin would be enough to prevent one from living in the presence of God.  In addition, every one of us will die.  Our Heavenly Father knew of these things and, in His infinite mercy,  planned for them, giving us a chance to change our lives and return to His presence.

By the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that great sacrifice that Christ gave Himself up for us, we can be cleansed from our sins and we will be resurrected to a perfect and glorious body.  Christ has provided the way in which we can be perfected in Him, and only on the condition that we follow Him.  We follow Him by following His example and by doing what He wants us to do, not what we want to do.  We follow Him by believing in Him and loving Him.  That is all that He asks us to do and in return, He promises to take away our sins and help us bear our burdens in life.  What a glorious opportunity!

Beyond this World

See: Life after death – part 1

When death occurs, which it invariably does, the spirit is separated from the body and returns home to God who gave him life (Alma 40:11).  That cognizant spirit will then be received in a state of happiness or a state of misery depending on how their life was lived.  It is unknown exactly how this state is, what it’s like or even where it is but we do know that those that were righteous in this life will have rest and continue to teach others the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Thus, even those who never had the chance before to learn about Jesus Christ will be able to accept Him.  They will remain there to wait until the day of resurrection.

Judgment Day

See: Who gets to be Saved?

The weighing of the heart in Egyptian lore is similar to how our hearts will be put in the balance
The Egyptian belief of the afterlife involves one's heart being weighed against justice before being brought to the gods' presence. Should the heart be deemed unworthy, it would be devoured.

Eventually, every soul that has ever lived on this earth, be it an hour or a century, will be reunited with his or her own body.  Everyone will be restored to the nature and attributes of the person in this life.  The difference will be that everyone’s body will be perfect and immortal and that we will have a perfect knowledge of all our actions in this life, be they for good or for evil (2 Nephi 9:13-15).  In such a state, we will all be brought to the presence of God to be judged by the Son (John 5:22) who has selected certain men, such as His apostles, to aid Him (Matt. 19:28).  Our decisions in this life will be seen then by all and we will be exposed at that moment.  Undoubtedly, those that squandered their lives and wasted their chances will feel utterly naked, with nothing to shield them.  Others who followed Christ more fully will be able to stand joyfully before God and behold His face without shame, having been cleansed through Christ.

Our Eternal Inheritance

See: Life after death part 2

The Judgment will be to divide the sons of men from the sons of God.  Those that never accepted Christ, neither in this life nor in the spirit world, will receive Telestial glory, which is compared to the stars.  Those who accept Christ, but were not valiant in their belief will receive Terrestrial glory, which is compared to the moon.  The others who accept Christ fully and held onto that belief firmly throughout their lives will receive a Celestial glory, which is compared to the sun and is the presence of God.  These comparisons to the sun, moon and stars illustrate the differences between these kingdoms.  The moon can outshine any star but the sun outshines them all.  Even the smallest amount of this glory is more than we can imagine here on Earth and even the most vile of sinners can receive a portion of this unimaginable happiness.

In summary, the Plan of Salvation is a plan of happiness and progress to build us up and strengthen us through Jesus Christ.  We fall individually and have fallen collectively due to Adam but we can rise again to a higher plane.  We may not know what exactly the future will hold, but we do know that a loving Heavenly Father has created a plan for us to return to His presence.  He has provided the path and the means for us but it falls to us to accept them so that we can return to His presence.

Related Articles and Links:

Mormon.org – Purpose of Life