“Preparing for a Celestial Life”
cji
3/2/09
(Prelude: A Celestial Life is one of living with and in the presence of the Father and the Son – with our families and theirs, married for time and all eternity, with bodies of flesh and bone like theirs forever and ever. This idea is foreign to the worldly and the worldly wisdom teachings of men/women. The idea of being “saved” and a Celestial Life are quite different – all who don’t deny the Holy Ghost or shed innocent blood are “saved” through the atonement of the Savior and are subject to the Commandments having heard the Laws and Statutes of the Savior during their mortal probation. To live a Celestial Life in our next estate requires obedience to all of the teachings of Father, the Son and their Prophets during this lifetime.)
The idea of preparing for a Celestial life here is foreign to almost all - but it's the specific reason we came to this earth and mortality - this is simply a probationary window of time. The world has dismissed so many of the Commandments, Laws and Statutes of the Lord that most is totally unrecognizable to the average person trying to get by. The type of faith we're supposed to have and what the worldly call faith are two distinct different types. Most proclaim a faith in the Father and the Son - but don't believe they're two completely separate individuals with bodies of flesh and bone (thus confusion right from the start of something so clear in what remains of the Scriptures to make one wonder why all don't understand this).
Faith requires belief - it's not just another word or someone's name. Yet those same people who declare "I believe" haven't a clue as thinking of actually trusting the Lord and thus being totally obedient to Him. If one fails to see all that is available (in ancient Egypt - all included all that they could see and all that they couldn't see as well) - then they'll miss the simply stuff in the entanglement of the worldly view of things. This is as the adversary likes it to be and it would appear with the majority of the world he's already won the day. The scripture, "Many are called, but few are chosen" has a lot of bearing on this issue. The Scriptures clearly state there can only be 'one Church' 'one Prophet' 'one Baptism' and it follows then there can only be one or that there is then none. The Church has to be organized by the Father and the Son - they call who they want to be their spokesman on the earth (or the Prophet) - and it will be called by the name of the Son - who's Church it is on this world. There'll be no paid clergy - there will nothing for gain of the world - but of the blessings and surety of Temple Sealings and instruction of the wisdom of God the Father and God the Son (our Savior) so that one can prepare for eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom with them and their families (theirs and ours) for all time and eternity.
The worldly view is all about mammon and power - and rejects any such beliefs as the above paragraph - denying truth and truisms - creating their own instead and directing their clergy, priests, rabbis, clerics, ministers, etc. to teach what the people want to hear mixing some scripture with the Greek philosophy handed down in the schools. They deny current revelation saying they've got all that they need - they deny the heavens are open and God no longer communicates with men/women/children on this earth as being no longer needful. They deny the Temple Blessings of Sealing saying that when a person dies - they will no longer have a body of bones and flesh - and they'll no longer be married or live as families - and that all will be saved - or they teach there is nothing after death and it's just the end! Patti Page used to sing a song, "Is That All There Is" and the world used this as the lesson - with the definitive answer - "Yes - this is all there is!"
We come here with the gift of agency or the gift of choice. We can make our own choices based on the wisdom we're willing to gain or not gain. Worldly wisdom will lead one - one way and God's wisdom another - you cannot mix the two!! This would be trying to serve two masters and it cannot be done. Of course the world teaches that you can serve two masters - loving each - as long as you love the worldly more. The world uses fear and incentive motivation to entice, beguile, subject, hold dominion, seduce and otherwise lead men/women and children into their belief systems. The Father and the Son use 'attitude motivation' allowing men, women and children the ability to learn to choose right from wrong. There is no coercion on the part of the Father or the Son - no beguiling or otherwise anything which would take away one's agency.
We must remember there were two plans in the preexistence - the Saviors (and the Fathers) and Satan's. One was that man/woman would come to this earth and be able to chose to be good or evil - to be obedient or not, to seek to learn the wisdom of the Father and the Son - or to chose the worldly. The second plan was purely selfish - Satan offered to save everyone giving no one the choice of good or evil - right from wrong - that man/woman would come to this earth get their mortal body and then return - but that the glory would be his (Satan) forever and ever. The worldly love Satan more than God - people surrender their agency to others in Satan's world - something which could never be taken from them - by greed, lusts, avarice, envy, selfishness, etc. Each time a person chooses something wrong over something good - and then justifies their actions they've surrender more of their agency to another. This could be in a lie, stealing, immoral behavior and the like which the worlds condones readily as just getting by. Cheating on tests - rumors - denying another in need - all which the world condones as well.
Satan doesn't care if one is good or bad as long as they don't seek to find the Savior's one Church! Even then he doesn't care if one joins the Church of Jesus Christ - as long as they don't go to the Temple - and even then he doesn't care as long as one doesn't keep the covenants they make in the Temple (or House of the Lord). What he does care about is if you strive to keep all of the Commandment, Laws and Statutes of the Father and the Son - all of the time - everyday - and repenting when you slip - taking the Sacrament on Sunday's - and turning away from the worldly and staying on Zion's road only. He's very happy that most just want to be good - for he knows in the next estate they'll be as miserable as he's found to be all of the time denied a body forever and ever. He's happy that most will never join the one Church - will deny the Prophets, will deny the Plan of Salvation and will indeed deny the teachings of the Scriptures as being literal.
We each must understand that we're literally the children of Heavenly Father - and that the Savior is our literal older brother - and that as promised in the Scriptures we were made in their image and we can become like them eternally without end. This requires to be baptized by one having authority holding the Aaronic Priesthood and the office therein of a Priest or the Melchizedek Priesthood. Next, each person has to be sealed (for time and all eternity) to their ancestors and their families in the Temple (or House of the Lord). The sealing can only be done by those having authority to perform this sealing by one holding the authority to Seal here on earth. Finally and most importantly each have to life worthily of the covenants they make with the Lord - while on this earth forever and ever.
As It’s often said there is nothing easy about living fully the Gospel of Jesus Christ while on this earth - the worldly make this all but improbable. However the Lord giveth no commandment unless there be a way for it to be accomplished (see 1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them). We must live fully the Gospel of Jesus Christ if we’ve heard it, can read and understand and have had access to prayer and the Scriptures. Only those without knowledge of the laws of the Father and the Son will be the exception to these conditions! This would include those who’re unteachable with handicaps which would preclude them from learning and/or understanding; or little children under the age of eight (or accountability) or those who lived when the Gospel was not available to them because of the wickedness of the world and men/women within the world.
Preparation then requires one to seek as an individual recognizes that they’re a stranger here on this earth and that there are more than the teachings of men/women and the world or worldly. That each has a ‘mission’ to return home and to learn and know where and what home is. One also has to realize that they must reach and understand higher laws to achieve this wisdom. The commandment says to ‘Seek Wisdom’ which means sitting idle most likely it will not come to you. Where do we seek it – out of the best books which are those which can lead us to eternal life and home once more! When this commandment was given the best books were those of the individual Prophets as there was no individual Bible (in toto’) as we’ve been presented today. These books were known as the records of their fathers and thus were kept current as long as there was a Prophet upon the Earth. To curtail these teachings the masses would often kill by stoning the Prophets and once dead they could change or alter or interpret what the Prophet had actually taught or said. This practice continues even to us in these latter-days. Even Peter in a letter to James asked, “If the people change what I’ve said while alive – what will they do when I’m dead?”
Thus we cannot count on what man/woman or the world/worldly have altered, changed or deleted from the Scriptures – therefore we’ve to ponder, prayer and ask of God (see James 1:5) so we ourselves can discern what is true and what is not. This requires real effort and some sacrifice because you won’t find much assistance or encouragement from the world/worldly and those such employed to teach or instruct you in such things. The reasons for this state of affairs is legion but to give a couple they might fall into these reasons: 1) ignorance of the world/worldly; 2) avoidance of the truth; 3) denial of the truth; 4) to get gain from the world; and the one I tend to think about, 5) fear of what teaching the truth will mean to the world/worldly and their positions of power and dominion!
There’s a dynamic at play in the lives of all – whether fear, incentive or attitude motivation is at play. This dynamic causes an individual to cower – beg or act in their inner world seeking the answers to the questions; Why am I here – Where did I come from and Where am I going? Some have gotten beyond feeling and just don’t care, while others care but feel they’ve all the information they need to know and others yet will ask questions seeking truthful answers. The latter group tends to be in the minority and easily segregated from the world/worldly as trouble makers. This dynamic is the Spirit of the Holy Ghost which prompts us into action – or to recognize something just doesn’t make sense or answer the questions above. It’s the numbing of these ‘feelings’ or ‘promptings’ that the world/worldly work overtime to achieve. Heavenly Father or the Savior never spoke in rhetorical or attention getting theater – they spoke in the ‘Still small voice’ – yet today those who proclaim the world’s version of the Gospel rant and rave have wild music and even require audience participation. They put on an act – get the blood pressures rising and it become more zeal than truth or substance. Then each in turn passes the basket for your donations. In some churches of today they’ll tell you how much you should be paying to attend for one must pay for the preacher – his/her home and transportation, etc. And yes for the building(s), etc.
How we individually care for the Holy Ghost in our lives makes all the difference in whether we are seeking a Celestial Life or just being ‘saved’ is enough. If we nourish and find the wisdom in the best books – adhering to the promptings and assurance of what is true and what is not! We learn to recognize the voice of the Father and the Son. This is important so that we will not be led astray – unless we choose so to be. The dynamic of the Holy Ghost is the keystone to the Celestial Kingdom and a Celestial Life.
We need – better we absolutely need to prepare for a Celestial Life while here upon this earth! As an example – many feel awe and wonder when going to the White House – some even pay for the right to do so – and others need to be invited within. However, anyone can go to the White House – yet why the awe? It’s because of the power of those who reside or work there. Yet they are merely mortals like each of us and are performing either an elected role or appointed role or an employment role.
Yet those who have this awe and wonder over this mortal illusion of power ‘The White House’ – take no care in preparing once more to meet with our Father or His Son our Savior! The difference is one cannot pay or be invited within if they ARE NOT WORTHY and found OBEDIENT to the Commandments and have made Covenants which we’re to make while upon this earth in mortality. Many having not understood their divine relationship with the Father and the Son – they continue to live as though they cannot understand the Father and the Son. If this were indeed the case then the world/worldly and Satan has won the day. However this isn’t true – theirs is nothing we cannot learn about the Father and the Son so that we can feel worthy to reenter their presence. We in humility and a mortal understanding fortunately don’t make the final decision of our worthiness – we just have to live in total obedience literally to the commandments and covenants of the Lord. We do all we can do to be righteous – repenting when we slip – and quickly vowing not to again slip to that temptation. This in addition means living apart from the world/worldly and its teachings. Thus being in contrast to the worldly one will be quickly identified as being different – and thus treated as such for good or evil to the will of the world/worldly.
To not prepare to live a Celestial Life is to have fallen short of one’s probationary preparation in mortality. The last thing we did prior to leaving the presence of the Father was to promise (Covenant) to return! Interestingly we’ll be the ones to recognize this failure and what might have been. We will be unable to go near this blessing knowing we did not do all we could do – we did not learn all we could learn – and thus we did not enter into the covenants which can only be made on this earth to return to our Father and His Son – eternally in the Celestial Kingdom to live forever a Celestial Life.
“A Celestial Life”
cji
3/2/09
A family eternal
sealed for time
and all eternity
forever and ever
understanding
thus becoming
as one with all
as the Father/Son
we with our family
and thus with them
and their families
a Celestial Life
ever and forever!
Copyright © 2009 – cji
http://www.jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/ "http://dailypoems1.blogspot.com/" (new site to access poems) http://cjames127.blogspot.com/ (to access essays)
"Progress is unfinite – its beginning was before coming to this mortal estate and will continue after we leave mortality – it’s eternal and as such so are we if found obedient! One is always progressing – either forward or backwards – none ever remain where they were/are – treading water is a worldly term to justify doing nothing – but doing nothing means one is moving backward. Lessons learned are only as good as the application we make of them – nothing more or less," cji 1/23/09
cji
3/2/09
(Prelude: A Celestial Life is one of living with and in the presence of the Father and the Son – with our families and theirs, married for time and all eternity, with bodies of flesh and bone like theirs forever and ever. This idea is foreign to the worldly and the worldly wisdom teachings of men/women. The idea of being “saved” and a Celestial Life are quite different – all who don’t deny the Holy Ghost or shed innocent blood are “saved” through the atonement of the Savior and are subject to the Commandments having heard the Laws and Statutes of the Savior during their mortal probation. To live a Celestial Life in our next estate requires obedience to all of the teachings of Father, the Son and their Prophets during this lifetime.)
The idea of preparing for a Celestial life here is foreign to almost all - but it's the specific reason we came to this earth and mortality - this is simply a probationary window of time. The world has dismissed so many of the Commandments, Laws and Statutes of the Lord that most is totally unrecognizable to the average person trying to get by. The type of faith we're supposed to have and what the worldly call faith are two distinct different types. Most proclaim a faith in the Father and the Son - but don't believe they're two completely separate individuals with bodies of flesh and bone (thus confusion right from the start of something so clear in what remains of the Scriptures to make one wonder why all don't understand this).
Faith requires belief - it's not just another word or someone's name. Yet those same people who declare "I believe" haven't a clue as thinking of actually trusting the Lord and thus being totally obedient to Him. If one fails to see all that is available (in ancient Egypt - all included all that they could see and all that they couldn't see as well) - then they'll miss the simply stuff in the entanglement of the worldly view of things. This is as the adversary likes it to be and it would appear with the majority of the world he's already won the day. The scripture, "Many are called, but few are chosen" has a lot of bearing on this issue. The Scriptures clearly state there can only be 'one Church' 'one Prophet' 'one Baptism' and it follows then there can only be one or that there is then none. The Church has to be organized by the Father and the Son - they call who they want to be their spokesman on the earth (or the Prophet) - and it will be called by the name of the Son - who's Church it is on this world. There'll be no paid clergy - there will nothing for gain of the world - but of the blessings and surety of Temple Sealings and instruction of the wisdom of God the Father and God the Son (our Savior) so that one can prepare for eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom with them and their families (theirs and ours) for all time and eternity.
The worldly view is all about mammon and power - and rejects any such beliefs as the above paragraph - denying truth and truisms - creating their own instead and directing their clergy, priests, rabbis, clerics, ministers, etc. to teach what the people want to hear mixing some scripture with the Greek philosophy handed down in the schools. They deny current revelation saying they've got all that they need - they deny the heavens are open and God no longer communicates with men/women/children on this earth as being no longer needful. They deny the Temple Blessings of Sealing saying that when a person dies - they will no longer have a body of bones and flesh - and they'll no longer be married or live as families - and that all will be saved - or they teach there is nothing after death and it's just the end! Patti Page used to sing a song, "Is That All There Is" and the world used this as the lesson - with the definitive answer - "Yes - this is all there is!"
We come here with the gift of agency or the gift of choice. We can make our own choices based on the wisdom we're willing to gain or not gain. Worldly wisdom will lead one - one way and God's wisdom another - you cannot mix the two!! This would be trying to serve two masters and it cannot be done. Of course the world teaches that you can serve two masters - loving each - as long as you love the worldly more. The world uses fear and incentive motivation to entice, beguile, subject, hold dominion, seduce and otherwise lead men/women and children into their belief systems. The Father and the Son use 'attitude motivation' allowing men, women and children the ability to learn to choose right from wrong. There is no coercion on the part of the Father or the Son - no beguiling or otherwise anything which would take away one's agency.
We must remember there were two plans in the preexistence - the Saviors (and the Fathers) and Satan's. One was that man/woman would come to this earth and be able to chose to be good or evil - to be obedient or not, to seek to learn the wisdom of the Father and the Son - or to chose the worldly. The second plan was purely selfish - Satan offered to save everyone giving no one the choice of good or evil - right from wrong - that man/woman would come to this earth get their mortal body and then return - but that the glory would be his (Satan) forever and ever. The worldly love Satan more than God - people surrender their agency to others in Satan's world - something which could never be taken from them - by greed, lusts, avarice, envy, selfishness, etc. Each time a person chooses something wrong over something good - and then justifies their actions they've surrender more of their agency to another. This could be in a lie, stealing, immoral behavior and the like which the worlds condones readily as just getting by. Cheating on tests - rumors - denying another in need - all which the world condones as well.
Satan doesn't care if one is good or bad as long as they don't seek to find the Savior's one Church! Even then he doesn't care if one joins the Church of Jesus Christ - as long as they don't go to the Temple - and even then he doesn't care as long as one doesn't keep the covenants they make in the Temple (or House of the Lord). What he does care about is if you strive to keep all of the Commandment, Laws and Statutes of the Father and the Son - all of the time - everyday - and repenting when you slip - taking the Sacrament on Sunday's - and turning away from the worldly and staying on Zion's road only. He's very happy that most just want to be good - for he knows in the next estate they'll be as miserable as he's found to be all of the time denied a body forever and ever. He's happy that most will never join the one Church - will deny the Prophets, will deny the Plan of Salvation and will indeed deny the teachings of the Scriptures as being literal.
We each must understand that we're literally the children of Heavenly Father - and that the Savior is our literal older brother - and that as promised in the Scriptures we were made in their image and we can become like them eternally without end. This requires to be baptized by one having authority holding the Aaronic Priesthood and the office therein of a Priest or the Melchizedek Priesthood. Next, each person has to be sealed (for time and all eternity) to their ancestors and their families in the Temple (or House of the Lord). The sealing can only be done by those having authority to perform this sealing by one holding the authority to Seal here on earth. Finally and most importantly each have to life worthily of the covenants they make with the Lord - while on this earth forever and ever.
As It’s often said there is nothing easy about living fully the Gospel of Jesus Christ while on this earth - the worldly make this all but improbable. However the Lord giveth no commandment unless there be a way for it to be accomplished (see 1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them). We must live fully the Gospel of Jesus Christ if we’ve heard it, can read and understand and have had access to prayer and the Scriptures. Only those without knowledge of the laws of the Father and the Son will be the exception to these conditions! This would include those who’re unteachable with handicaps which would preclude them from learning and/or understanding; or little children under the age of eight (or accountability) or those who lived when the Gospel was not available to them because of the wickedness of the world and men/women within the world.
Preparation then requires one to seek as an individual recognizes that they’re a stranger here on this earth and that there are more than the teachings of men/women and the world or worldly. That each has a ‘mission’ to return home and to learn and know where and what home is. One also has to realize that they must reach and understand higher laws to achieve this wisdom. The commandment says to ‘Seek Wisdom’ which means sitting idle most likely it will not come to you. Where do we seek it – out of the best books which are those which can lead us to eternal life and home once more! When this commandment was given the best books were those of the individual Prophets as there was no individual Bible (in toto’) as we’ve been presented today. These books were known as the records of their fathers and thus were kept current as long as there was a Prophet upon the Earth. To curtail these teachings the masses would often kill by stoning the Prophets and once dead they could change or alter or interpret what the Prophet had actually taught or said. This practice continues even to us in these latter-days. Even Peter in a letter to James asked, “If the people change what I’ve said while alive – what will they do when I’m dead?”
Thus we cannot count on what man/woman or the world/worldly have altered, changed or deleted from the Scriptures – therefore we’ve to ponder, prayer and ask of God (see James 1:5) so we ourselves can discern what is true and what is not. This requires real effort and some sacrifice because you won’t find much assistance or encouragement from the world/worldly and those such employed to teach or instruct you in such things. The reasons for this state of affairs is legion but to give a couple they might fall into these reasons: 1) ignorance of the world/worldly; 2) avoidance of the truth; 3) denial of the truth; 4) to get gain from the world; and the one I tend to think about, 5) fear of what teaching the truth will mean to the world/worldly and their positions of power and dominion!
There’s a dynamic at play in the lives of all – whether fear, incentive or attitude motivation is at play. This dynamic causes an individual to cower – beg or act in their inner world seeking the answers to the questions; Why am I here – Where did I come from and Where am I going? Some have gotten beyond feeling and just don’t care, while others care but feel they’ve all the information they need to know and others yet will ask questions seeking truthful answers. The latter group tends to be in the minority and easily segregated from the world/worldly as trouble makers. This dynamic is the Spirit of the Holy Ghost which prompts us into action – or to recognize something just doesn’t make sense or answer the questions above. It’s the numbing of these ‘feelings’ or ‘promptings’ that the world/worldly work overtime to achieve. Heavenly Father or the Savior never spoke in rhetorical or attention getting theater – they spoke in the ‘Still small voice’ – yet today those who proclaim the world’s version of the Gospel rant and rave have wild music and even require audience participation. They put on an act – get the blood pressures rising and it become more zeal than truth or substance. Then each in turn passes the basket for your donations. In some churches of today they’ll tell you how much you should be paying to attend for one must pay for the preacher – his/her home and transportation, etc. And yes for the building(s), etc.
How we individually care for the Holy Ghost in our lives makes all the difference in whether we are seeking a Celestial Life or just being ‘saved’ is enough. If we nourish and find the wisdom in the best books – adhering to the promptings and assurance of what is true and what is not! We learn to recognize the voice of the Father and the Son. This is important so that we will not be led astray – unless we choose so to be. The dynamic of the Holy Ghost is the keystone to the Celestial Kingdom and a Celestial Life.
We need – better we absolutely need to prepare for a Celestial Life while here upon this earth! As an example – many feel awe and wonder when going to the White House – some even pay for the right to do so – and others need to be invited within. However, anyone can go to the White House – yet why the awe? It’s because of the power of those who reside or work there. Yet they are merely mortals like each of us and are performing either an elected role or appointed role or an employment role.
Yet those who have this awe and wonder over this mortal illusion of power ‘The White House’ – take no care in preparing once more to meet with our Father or His Son our Savior! The difference is one cannot pay or be invited within if they ARE NOT WORTHY and found OBEDIENT to the Commandments and have made Covenants which we’re to make while upon this earth in mortality. Many having not understood their divine relationship with the Father and the Son – they continue to live as though they cannot understand the Father and the Son. If this were indeed the case then the world/worldly and Satan has won the day. However this isn’t true – theirs is nothing we cannot learn about the Father and the Son so that we can feel worthy to reenter their presence. We in humility and a mortal understanding fortunately don’t make the final decision of our worthiness – we just have to live in total obedience literally to the commandments and covenants of the Lord. We do all we can do to be righteous – repenting when we slip – and quickly vowing not to again slip to that temptation. This in addition means living apart from the world/worldly and its teachings. Thus being in contrast to the worldly one will be quickly identified as being different – and thus treated as such for good or evil to the will of the world/worldly.
To not prepare to live a Celestial Life is to have fallen short of one’s probationary preparation in mortality. The last thing we did prior to leaving the presence of the Father was to promise (Covenant) to return! Interestingly we’ll be the ones to recognize this failure and what might have been. We will be unable to go near this blessing knowing we did not do all we could do – we did not learn all we could learn – and thus we did not enter into the covenants which can only be made on this earth to return to our Father and His Son – eternally in the Celestial Kingdom to live forever a Celestial Life.
“A Celestial Life”
cji
3/2/09
A family eternal
sealed for time
and all eternity
forever and ever
understanding
thus becoming
as one with all
as the Father/Son
we with our family
and thus with them
and their families
a Celestial Life
ever and forever!
Copyright © 2009 – cji
http://www.jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/ "http://dailypoems1.blogspot.com/" (new site to access poems) http://cjames127.blogspot.com/ (to access essays)
"Progress is unfinite – its beginning was before coming to this mortal estate and will continue after we leave mortality – it’s eternal and as such so are we if found obedient! One is always progressing – either forward or backwards – none ever remain where they were/are – treading water is a worldly term to justify doing nothing – but doing nothing means one is moving backward. Lessons learned are only as good as the application we make of them – nothing more or less," cji 1/23/09
here 
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment