I was ecstatic. Between these two men I had in one room the cumulative knowledge of 60+ years experience in teaching the gospel. It was time to ask the ultimate question of all the questions that weighed on my mind daily:
How do I know if I will inherit eternal life?
Their agreed answer was this:
"Be faithful and a good member of the church and endure to the end and you will inherit eternal life."
That was it. I sat there thinking, "I am 'enduring to the end'...I mean, I think I am. That's my problem, I don't know for sure. I am trying to do my best to be a good member. But how do I know if I am pleasing the Lord? Do I have to wait until I die to know? That seems risky. I might find out I failed to do something important. I feel like I'm living with my fingers crossed all the time hoping that my life is pleasing to God."
Have you ever wondered if your life was pleasing to God?
If you would inherit eternal life?
If you would inherit eternal life?
"Rich Young Ruler"
by Liz Lemon Swindle
Joseph Smith said:
"I want to ask this congregation, every man, woman and child, to answer the question in their own heart, what kind of a being God is? Ask yourselves; turn your thoughts into your hearts, and say if any of you have seen, heard, or communed with him. This is a question that may occupy your attention for a long time. I again repeat the question–What kind of a being is God?
Does any man or woman know? Have any of you seen him, heard him, or communed with him? Here is the question that will, peradventure, from this time henceforth occupy your attention. The scriptures inform us that “This is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”
If any man does not know God, and inquires what kind of a being he is,–if he will search diligently his own heart–if the declaration of Jesus and the apostles be true, he will realize that he has not eternal life; for there can be eternal life on no other principle." (TPJS, pp. 343-344)
What does "enduring to the end" mean?
D&C 93:
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;D&C 101:
38 And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life.
3 Nephi 9:
18: I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the END.
Jesus Christ IS the END.
Isn't seeking to "see" Christ in this life a mystery? I think we are told not to seek after mysteries.
Isn't that dangerous?
D&C 6:
7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded to you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.
D&C 63:
23 But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life.
D&C 107
19 To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and the church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.
Jesus Christ is the Mystery.
Isn't seeking to see the Lord and know Him personally "looking beyond the mark"?
Jacob 4:
14 But behold, the Jews were a stiff-necked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hat done it, that they may stumble.
Jesus Christ is the Mark.
Like the Jews in the verse above, are there any ordinances we do in the church today "which (we) cannot understand"?
Do we know what each step in the Temple endowment actually means?
What is "the end" for which the endowment was given?
Do you view the temple as mostly "work for the dead"?
D&C 84:
19 And this greater administereth the gospel and holdeth the of the of the kingdom, even the key of the of God (D&C 107:19).
20 Therefore, in the thereof (ordinance means order, or process), the power of is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof (without knowing the order, or process), and the of the priesthood, the power of godliness is manifest unto men in the flesh;
22 For without this no can see the face of God, even the Father, and live. (D&C 93:1 shows the order, or process.)
23 Now this plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to (D&C 88:68) his people that they might the face of God; (D&C 93:1)
24 But they their hearts and could not endure his ; therefore, the Lord in his , for his was kindled against them, swore that they should not into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. (D&C 76: 19-24; 107:19)
25 Therefore, he took out of their midst, and the Holy also;
26 And the lesser continued, which priesthood holdeth the of the of angels and the ;
27 Which is the gospel of and of , and the of sins, and the of commandments...
Lectures on Faith 6: 7 says,
"...salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things (the "sacrifice" spoken of in this instance is: "consecration". Have you ever made a covenant or a promise to consecrate everything to the Lord and then, after leaving the place you made that promise, returned back to only giving 10% of everything you are and have to the Lord? Wouldn't 10% be living an Aaronic or, "prepatory" gospel as spoken above in verse 26-27?): it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life...When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has, for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice, because he seeks to do His will (This is what living consecration looks like. You seek His will in all things.), he does know most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain..."
Jesus Christ is the End.
Jesus Christ is the Mystery.
Jesus Christ is the Mark.
Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteLoved your post! 3 Nephi 9:18 is so important because these are the Lord’s own words telling us who He is!
ReplyDeleteJesus is the end! We must endure and press forward even until we come unto him, even until we are in his presence (second comforter). Salvation and eternal life comes only in and through Christ!
Is the source of the clarification of what ordinances are - being the order/process, not the “rites” as we are taught in the church - something you received directly through revelation? I’ve started a personal study to look into available definitions and understanding that I may understand this also.
ReplyDeleteI for sure am not a good source to give definitions. They were words that I decided to use and when I did, I found the things I was studying began to make more sense when I used simplistic definitions. When I use the word 'order' or 'process', it is a very basic definition. I believe 'rites' and 'ordinances' have many layers and depth to be discovered. If you always pray and ask the Lord to tell you, He always will.
DeleteAlso, I'm not sure what 'rites' we are taught about in the church so if I didn't fully answer the question, maybe you could expand on what we are taught about rites, etc.
Thank you for your response. When I say rites, I mean the literal outward performances that we are taught to do in the church that are described as “saving ordinances” - baptism, confirmation, priesthood ordination, initiatories, endowment ceremony, and sealing. Each of these is essentially a “rite of passage” to the next ostensible level of closeness with God in discipleship, and without which we cannot hope to obtain it (understand that this in not necessarily my take on it, but a reflection of the standard understanding of the everyday member taught by leadership that I have observed). As such, with these so engrained as to what is meant by the “ordinances” through which the “power of godliness is manifest”, that is why I was curious where your definition of ordinances originated. I hope that clarifies! I look forward to your response.
Delete3 Nephi 11
Delete31 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.
32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.
38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.
That is my first answer. The second answer I would give is that the Lord is the greatest teacher - study it out in your mind and approach Him in prayer and He will answer.