skalenfehl

To the Lamanites To the Lamanites, Part 2

I've been looking forward to watching this all month!

There is no contradiction. I did not say 'a portion'. I said 'the greater portion.' In other words, the remainder of what has been hid up because of unbelief. Incidentally, I realize we use the word disbelief in modern English; however, the BoM prophets used the word unbelief, which word is found throughout the scriptures, including D&C, which is modern scripture. The "veil of unbelief" as Jesus Christ described can be parted by anyone who exercises the same faith, which the brother of Jared exercised and according to the conditions set by Jesus Christ according to His own explicit words in Ether 4. Indeed covenants are had through God's priesthood, which priesthood He administers according to His own words and by the calling of His own voice to them who "come unto me." The brother of Jared exercised the same faith as Melchizedek and Enoch, who in similar fashion, parted that "veil of unbelief." As we read in v. 27, this is the covenant, which God makes with one who comes unto Christ as Enoch, Moses, the brother of Jared and others. It is what the Lord requires of all who have been ordained in the church to the Melchizedek Priesthood: Once one has been faithful in the Aaronic and the Melchizedek Priesthood, which one was ordained to, one can then "also" receive the fulness of the priesthood, which one receives directly from God by His own voice and not by any ordination of man or men. One receives this "priest" HOOD (brotherHOOD, neighborHOOD, etc) by receiving the Lord Himself. It is an association with God and angels. One partakes in association with such High Priests after the order of the Son of God. It is the Father who gives the oath that one is a partaker of His glory, power, etc. God declares it. He alone confirms this priesthood by His own voice. And what is this priesthood and power associated with it? As quoted above: This has always been the pattern. Thus the brother of Jared could move Mount Zerin, as Enoch could turn the course of rivers. Though Enoch was first ordained to the priesthood by Adam at age 25 (D&C 107:48), he later received the fullness by God, Himself, as we read above in JST Genesis 14. The same thing with Moses, who was first ordained by Jethro (D&C 84:6), yet Moses received the fullness by God, Himself, just like Enoch did and had power to bring forth water from a rock and part the Red Sea. There are other examples. Thus by the "oath and covenant" that God personally makes to each who comes unto this priesthood as we read above in D&C 84 after previously being ordained by man, does one obtain that fullness from God directly, which power in the priesthood enables one to turn rivers from their courses, set at defiance the armies of nations, etc. unto the redeeming of Zion (bringing a Zion people back into God's presence by the parting of the veil). It is one thing to be ordained to the Aaronic priesthood and the Melchizedek priesthood as many men are in the church to administer saving ordinances. It is entirely another to be ordained personally by the calling of Jehovah's own voice, by an oath, which He swears and cannot break, enabling those who now associate as fellow "high priests" to have power over the elements. When Moses was taken, the Melchizedek Priesthood was taken. When Joseph Smith was taken, a portion of the Melchizedek Priesthood remained. It is up to each to come unto the priesthood offered by God alone by His own voice through that oath and covenant, which He cannot break. We as Melchizedek Priesthood holders have only a portion of the priesthood, but not the fulness, which is why the Lord admonishes us to "come unto him" and "obtain the fulness". By rending the "veil of unbelief" as the brother of Jared, one obtains the fulness, which includes a knowledge of all the Lord has revealed as contained in the sealed greater portion of the plates. The talent to do so was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles and today, the fulness of the Gentiles is found in the LDS church which is possession of the talent. Moroni laments that the church in their fulness may not make use of the talent and it be given back to the Jews. It is up to the Gentiles who are in possession of the fulness to "come unto this priesthood" to redeem Zion that the veil may be rent as with Enoch and Melchizedek. To such are given to be called "sons." Therefore: The Sons of Aaron are those who have been ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood and are faithful. The Sons of Moses are those who have been ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood and are faithful. However, as we read in the above posts: The Sons of God are those who have been confirmed by God, Himself by the calling of His own voice when they "come unto this priesthood." The brother of Jared became a "son." Jesus "ministered" to the brother of Jared, who "received" Jesus. And because he "received" Jesus, he became Jesus' son. Jesus also ministered to the Nephites and revealed to them everything, which He revealed to the bro of Jared, which we read about in 3 Nephi 26, but Mormon was forbidden to include it, but instead sealed it up. In any case, Jesus "ministered" to the brother of Jared who "receive" Jesus. Being "redeemed" from the Fall is to be brought back into Jesus' presence, which is to receive His fullness. This is what happens when one parts the veil as the bro of Jared parted the veil. This is what God wants us all to do and why we have been given this record. To reiterate what Jesus declared in Ether 4: One will know once one parts the veil and "receives" Jesus. It is to "receive" the Father. It is to "receive" the fulness of the gospel, which is the fulness of the priesthood, which power moves mountains, turns rivers from their courses, sets defiance the armies of nations...it is the power that defends a "redeemed" Zion. It brings with it knowledge of all things from the foundation of the world to the end thereof, or in other words, knowledge of what the sealed portion of the plates contains.

Anyone, be you Gentile or Jew (anyone of the ten tribes of Israel), may receive the greater portion. It is not a promise exclusive to the LDS as Jesus Christ declared above in the passage I just quoted. This is the fulcrum of the message of the Book of Mormon. It is an invitation to receive all and is not limited to any one person. From the same passage above, which I quoted: I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. My witness to everyone is these words are true. This promise in Ether chapter 4 are true and is available to anyone. You may or may not literally receive the plates, but you may know everything they contain from the foundation of the world to the end thereof. Rend that veil of unbelief that ye may be brought into a remembrance of the covenant made to our fathers.

IF (and when) the unsealed portion were made available today, it will only because certain people will have exercised faith in Jesus Christ even as the brother of Jared exercised faith in Him and became sanctified as the brother of Jared. Jesus Christ explicitly set the conditions upon which He will make such a revelation. Edited for emphasis. By commanding both the Gentiles and house of Israel, the Lord exempts no one. Only unbelief keeps one from rending that cloud--that "veil of unbelief."

New entry: The Strength to Endure

To the OP, I know this: I cannot pull myself up by my bootstraps. Akin to finding myself inside a bucket, I cannot lift myself up by pulling the handle, hard as I may try. I cannot remember the very first time in my life that I sinned. The moment I did, it was necessary for me to have a Savior who, by His sacrifice to satisfy the demands of justice, gained the rights of mercy. Furthermore, I do not have the power over death. Only a Savior could provide the means by which I can overcome death. None of the above can I hope for on my own merits, lest by any means, as Paul said, I should boast. I cannot save myself. I do not have such power. I am born into this fallen state and must remain fallen unless I come unto Christ and receive Him. By doing what Jesus Christ has said to do, I can become like Him--humble, meek, kind, charitable, etc. And by being obedient to Him as He was to the Father, and acknowledge that He is my God, my King, my Savior, and hold that light for the world to see, I know that He will claim me as His own and confess me before the Father. By His rights of mercy, the demands of justice for my sins are satisfied. I shrink just thinking about it. As for what kind of relationship we can have of Jesus Christ, I will share two talks: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1976/10/a-personal-relationship-with-the-savior?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/09/what-it-means-to-know-christ?lang=eng

This vision of glories happened after Joseph and Sidney moved to the John Johnson home in Hiram, Ohio, on September 12, 1831 to prepare texts of Joseph's translation of the Bible and had begun laboring with the Gospel of John. Upon examining John 5:29, they were shown a multifaceted vision beginning with a vision of the Father and the Son in the highest glory. One witness, Philo Dibble, present in the room recalled that the two men sat motionless for about an hour. One would say, "What do I see," and describe it, and the other would say, "I see the same" (Source: Juvenile Instructor 27 [May 15, 1892]:303-304). Both Joseph and Sidney gazed into heaven for “about an hour.” Furthermore, it is apparent that Joseph did not impart all that he saw in vision, for he later said, "I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them." (Source: TPJS, p. 305). He also said, “Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject.” (Source: TPJS, p. 324) If one could know more than all that was ever written on the subject by just gazing into heaven five minutes, what kind of knowledge, then, did Joseph and Sidney possess after gazing into heaven “for about an hour?” Certainly more than has ever been written on the subject by students and scholars.

I do not believe you are wrong, Vort. Furthermore, this section is a record of what both Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon saw while in the flesh, which includes an audience with Jesus Christ (v. 11-14). Furthermore, this can be tied with Ether 4:4-15.

Do you mean this concept? Just to name a few from the Book of Mormon.

Been a while since I've posted. Found this video this evening and it brought me to tears. I felt it was worth sharing.

There are three parables in this scene relating to the two groups of people: 1. The publicans and sinners and 2. The Scribes and Pharisees. In the first parable, the ratio is 100 to 1, the second parable the ratio is 10 to 1, but in the final parable, the ratio is 1 to 1. The Scribes and Pharisees, like the older brother were jealous of the attention given to the publicans and sinners and as the elder brother did not acknowledge his long lost returning brother, the Scribes and Pharisees do not acknowledge the publicans and sinners except with condescension. They consider themselves worthy of heavenly rewards, not considering the need to be reconciled with their sinful and then penitent counterparts and so Jesus addresses their preconceived notions by focusing on the joy of heaven when one of the least of their lost brothers is found. Jesus also once said that unless anyone's righteousness exceeds that of a Scribe or Pharisee, they will in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven. So the final parable does not serve to illustrate that the Scribes and Pharisees would indeed inherit all, but rather the focus was on their preconceived notions about publicans and sinners. Those are my thoughts, anyway, for what it's worth.

James, the entire 4th chapter of Ether is significant, or at the very least, vs 7-15. Your analysis hits the nail squarely on the head.

For #2, I chose other as I could not select multiple choices. Section 59 has always been my Sabbath focus, particularly v. 12. Verses 9-13 seem clear to me on the dos and don'ts: The dos: 1. Go to your house of prayer 2. Offer up your sacraments 3. Rest from your labors 4. Pay your devotions to God 5. Offer your oblations 6. Confessing your sins to your brothers and to God (I take this to mean be reconciled with those whom you have offended/sinned against, to be reconciled with them so that you can then be reconciled with God). 7. If you have fasted, prepare your food with singleness of heart and in prayer, communing with God. The don'ts: 1. None other thing. That means do not do it if it isn't on the list of to dos.

Hello, Grunt. I'm late to the party. I can see that the Holy Spirit is working in your life. The truth will set you free. Remember that in ancient times, it was not the scribes or the lawyers (Pharisees) and all their learning that saved the Jews. It was the truth and that was found in the scriptures. When a certain radical young man named Jesus came along with powerful teachings, those teachings seemed to challenge the traditions of the people and the church. Or rather, it was this young radical named Jesus Christ that saved and set free those who discerned the truths He taught and followed Him. There is always a difference between the truth and doctrine found in the scriptures and the traditions found in any church. It is up to you as a disciple of Jesus Christ (humble seeker) to discern truth from tradition. You will find the same truths and traditions practiced by the peoples in the Book of Mormon, but the patterns are the same. Never stop praying. It has taken me years and even decades to unravel much of it. But it doesn't take near that long to discern truth by the Holy Ghost. The journey is in reconciling what is written in scripture with the traditions of the churches you investigate. My witness to you is that the Book of Mormon is true. The more you read it, the more the answer will become clear what you should do. Hearing the answer(s) from me or anyone else may be helpful, but knowing the answer as it is given to you by the Holy Ghost will solidify your resolve and make your decisions clear.

New post: Lectures on Faith-My Witness

Dropping by to see what's new and saw I've been tagged. A regular act of service I have noticed is from my front door neighbors. They spend some of the Sundays at a local park where many other gather to set up food, donations and kindnesses for the homeless folks in the area who don't have anywhere to go and don't know where their next hot meal is coming from. Well, on those Sundays, they get a hot meal. I've helped out by collecting boxes of winter clothes and donating them so they can have extra clothes to wear and stay warm. I've met a lot of folks on the streets and had conversations with them and have helped them on their way, too. They are beautiful people just like the anybody else. They've just run of of luck and resources.

I appreciate the OP, Vort. I used to think nudity=bad. I don't see nudity as evil anymore. It just is. As you say, God created Adam and Eve naked, tabernacled only in flesh. We are spirits experiencing a temporal existence wherein the flesh is to be crucified (lusts, appetites, etc). It reminds me of what Paul wrote: God is pure and therefore created Adam and Eve as pure. It was they who disobeyed and became fallen, aware of their "nakedness." Worse still is if we are brought to stand before the Lord in our "nakedness" as so many passages in scripture suggest. I am more concerned about being clothed in "righteousness" and "glory." These are the "garments" that ought to become spotless. The "skin" we live in is just a vehicle to accomplish this and is susceptible to scrapes, cuts, bruises, disease, etc. When Moroni visited Joseph Smith in his room, Joseph could notice that Moroni wore nothing underneath. All my life, I supposed that Joseph was trying to peek under Moroni's robe with a boy's curiosity. When I told this to my wife, she told me that she had always thought that Moroni's robe was translucent. That makes much more sense to me. I do not consider celestial beings to be self righteous, pious/sanctimonious beings, but simply just celestial beings with no thought whatsoever of their bodies. "Nakedness" to me is to be clothed without glory, light, righteousness, etc and completely unrelated to all the traditional and fashionable coverings we put on every day to go to work, etc. I went to church today in the traditional priesthood uniform (white shirt, tie, etc, as my bishop describes it, but I am still "naked" until the Lord clothes me in glory at the last day.

My other blog thread was archived (it was really starting to get old) and I pondered starting another one. I have been experiencing much and there is much I want to share in the future as the Lord directs. This entry was a labor of love: Lecturas Sobre la Fe

I've read such things in these kinds of sites. I disagree with their interpretations.

The New Covenant

Thank you for sharing this!

Nothing Left to Give

I would like to suggest that the "powers of heaven" does not refer to abilities but rather beings such as angels, Seraphs, Gods, etc. We find clues alluding to these "powers" throughout scripture, which mentions powers of heaven, powers of earth and powers of hell. These "powers" of heaven seem to connote glorified beings. There are also powers of earth and hell. One might be familiar with the term "superpowers," which indicates very powerful nations. Anciently, Assyria was a superpower because of its military might. Today, the US could easily be considered a superpower with all its armed forces (powers). The above passage implies that the three Nephites had more power (ability/capacity) that no "power" of earth could hold them. And by their words could they smite indeed. Then there are the powers of hell, too. With all this mind, we go back to the scripture: The rights of the priesthood (the right to use the authority associated with) the powers of heaven (angles, Seraphs, Gods, etc) are both inseparably connected. Heaven is a place where righteous (just) beings dwell and associate with one another, never through compulsory means. In other words, there is no unrighteous dominion. Here on earth, we, in our fallen unredeemed state are unrighteous and have the natural tendency to exercise authority upon one another (I am your father/bishop/presiding authority and you will do what I say). Now consider why Jesus told his disciples that He could, if He chose, to send down twelve legions of angels to save Him from death, but He refrained. And why would they do so if He commanded it? I will leave that to you to ponder. Therefore, if you wish to have such association with the "powers of heaven" as Moses and Enoch and Nephi and others did, it must be upon the principles of righteousness. That is why priesthood (like neighborhood, brotherhood, etc) is an association with said powers and why they grieve when one attempts to handle (control) them unrighteously. There cannot be any degree of unrighteous dominion. We ought never to seek to exalt ourselves or gratify our pride, vain ambition, exercise any control over one another. A good example of this is Nephi in the book of Helaman. The Lord granted to Nephi power to seal on earth and to smite. And though Nephi had the authority to do so, throughout his ministry and efforts to suffer all their buffetings, he eventually pleaded with the Lord to send a famine to persuade the people to repent. Nephi was gentle and meek, showing love unfeigned to the degree that he pleaded with the Lord to send a famine to persuade the people to repent rather than be destroyed by one another. And rather than smiting them himself, Nephi deferred instead to the Lord to do the smiting. And it was done exactly as Nephi petitioned. At no point in time throughout this ministry did Nephi coerce, compel, or even attempt to control the people, even when he was given authority to do so. Such is the meekness, humility and longsuffering of one who possesses the rights this priesthood, or in other words, the association with the "powers" of heaven.

Scientists can explain how gravity works, but not what causes it. They can only measure what they observe in the material world. The answer is simple. The Spirit of the Lord governs all "natural laws." His Spirit upholds all laws. What prevents you from suddenly floating off the ground and into space or what prevents you from coming apart at every molecule? It is God's Spirit that governs these laws. When He grants to you further light and knowledge, according to your faith, you, too, will be able to defy the laws of gravity and all natural laws. You will be able to speak and move a mountain as the bro of Jared did, or cause an ax head to float to the surface of the water after falling in as Elisha did. And maybe one day in the distant eternal future, like Jehova did, by faith, you will say, "let there be light." And there will be light. And scientists in that future will try to understand and measure the observable material world that you created for them and call it physics in a weak attempt to understand it all. If you can get through this discourse by Orson Pratt, it will shed more light: http://jod.mrm.org/2/334