“Pass – Fail in Spiritual Preparedness” cji 10/13/08

So many attend regular Sunday services or Sabbath Day meetings – either as a ritual or family tradition – one must need wonder how many go willingly and wanting to learn about the Savior and the Eternal Plan of Salvation. Since there are no tests given – no essay questions or multiple choice (or guess) how many then prepare to pass or fail prior to their meetings and participation in these meetings. How many have prayerfully studied and read the week’s lessons and the attendant scriptures for these lessons? How many are willingly ready to participate in discussions and to glean further intelligence and light – further truth and understanding? Or rather how many attend to be taught or lectured to without any effort of their own to add to the classes or lessons?

In discussing this I’ll refer to the church I attend “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” for much of what I’ve to say or better write. In the beginning of each of the lesson manuals both student and teacher are comments from a Prophet of God and his two Counselors. These comments direct us to prayerfully prepare – to read the study manual during the week preceding the lessons and to be spiritually prepared to participate and to learn or grow in understanding. Some might suggest that these are only advice and not given in commandment – they would be wrong! When a Prophet of God in his calling as such – he doesn’t have to suggest – he speaks with the authority to which he’s been called in the name of the Lord and all should follow what he’s said. To follow what a Prophet of God has written or said is to never be led astray and to further open the windows of heaven in our individual lives and those who we interact with if the spirit is present.

Therefore why is it that week after week – month after month and class after class – most only sit and wait on the teacher to read the lesson material to them? Salvation is an active word and one must fully participate to the best of their ability(s) in endeavoring for Eternal Life and Salvation. To sit idly by would be like a member of a ‘crew’ to never lift his/her oar and expect to continue to be on the ‘crew’. It won’t happen – and even though after years for some – decades for others to have sat idly by it would mean the same end result – failure in either enduring or passing into Eternal Life. When in any church one sits back and lets another lecture or preach to them – pays their offerings and never questions – or prepares for full participation it’ll be the same. Some will say one doesn’t ask questions of a Priest or Minister or Pastor or Rabbi or whatever – for they know and we don’t. This is not true – for who was the greatest teacher ever on this earth? Jesus Christ and as he taught he also answered questions and got those around him to participate as he taught. Seldom did he lecture or preach – he was a teacher and knew through active participation others (especially his children) learn the best.

This is a pass – fail system – either one is obedient or they’re not – one cannot be obedient in one thing and disobedient in another and say they’re obedient – it doesn’t work in eternal matters. Obedience requires self discipline – one must be able to control their passions and appetites - otherwise someone else will control them for them. The end result of gaining a pass is to return to the presence of the Father and the Son – to have a physical body of flesh and bone and to be with our families eternally being like them – this is what is taught in the Scriptures. (See and read the following Scriptures: 2 Nephi 31: 18, 20; John 6: 54, 68; Ether 12: 32, 34, 37; and John 14:2.)

For those who choose to believe they’ll be playing harps – riding on clouds – they’re wrong – this is the rhetoric of those who know but little of heaven and/or hell and teach as if they do. The characters which reside in the comics and the in the teachings of men are wrong – yet too many have chosen to believe them instead of the Scriptures – which men too have changed and altered – edited and deleted – subjecting them to the wisdom of men/women and denying their goodness and truths.

Many hold classes – many teach of the philosophy of men/women and inject only bits and pieces of the doctrines of salvation – and many are beguiled because they’ve prepared not to learn, discern and return unto the Father and the Son – but only onto being ‘saved’ which is through no effort of their own – but through the Atonement of the Savior.

Which grade will you receive? Will you ‘pass’ or will you ‘fail’ – the choice is yours – remembering passing is to return to the Father and the Son – as a family unit – eternal and forever – enjoying life with them and to be like unto them in all ways and manners – having a body of flesh and bone. One need only reflect on Genesis 1:27 to understand this and other great teachings. Also see Genesis 3:21 – for further edification on who we are and what we can become.

In the above I’ve only touched on some of the teachings and lessons we can learn and participate in the classes we attend and those we teach (to our children and friends) or classes when called to do so. We can teach and learn from the Scriptures or from the concepts of men – one which lead to eternal life and one which leads to the rewards which men/women can give and not eternal life. We choose daily which we’ll do after this life in mortality – we will not judge ourselves – however we will not be able to deny which way we choose to live our lives and to be obedience in all things or just some. With one last Scripture I leave you, Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of flood or the gods of Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” One could substitute, ‘… either the gods of the heathens or the gods of mammon…’ for “whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of flood or the gods of Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: …” In the name of Jesus Christ amen – c/ork

“Without a Grade”

cji
10/13/08

Without a grade
no test to be given
only by self driven
into truth to wade;

Seeking after life
called eternal forever
mortal ties to sever
while amid its strife;

Which to choose
man or God’s way
choose ye this day
either to gain or lose!
Copyright © 2008 – cji
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