skalenfehl

It's important to understand context. Heavenly Father is the father of us all including Jesus Christ who is His firstborn in spirit and only begotten in the flesh. Our spiritual family tree as far as we are concerned goes back exactly one generation to Heavenly Father to whom we are literal offspring.
Jesus Christ, who is known by other names, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Jehovah of the Old Testament is our Father not through spiritual lineage, but via adoption through covenant making. We take upon us His name and are promised blessings as part of our baptismal and sacrament covenants which build as we progress through more ordinances in the gospel.
Now what follows is my personal conjecture as to how I currently understand things, but I can't say it is an official teaching of the church:
The scriptures speak much about the importance of birthright and how it belongs to the first born by birthright and to the righteous by covenant. As a result of the Fall of man in the garden we come to mortality in a fallen state that separates us spiritually from the presence of the Father. We further this separation by our own sins, as we are not held accountable for the transgression of our first parents (Adam and Eve). Jesus Christ is the only one who came through this journey in mortality who could return to the presence of the Father according to the laws of justice and by birthright.
I would hope none of that is terribly controversial yet, but here is where I get into areas I don't fully understand and am learning...
It is my opinion that as part of the Abrahamic Covenant, Abraham secured himself a place in Heaven by being sealed to Jehovah, who again is frequently cited as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thus the promises to become sons and daughters of Christ are contingent on being sons and daughters of Abraham by receiving the oath and covenant of the priesthood and being sealed into the covenant family of God. But, I'm thinking out loud here and reserve the right to change my mind as my understanding increases.
I would also add, that the scriptures use the word Father a little differently then we do modernly. We can find references to Abraham and Adam as our Father, but no mention of how many generations back or anything. A great grandfather does not require clarification as such, but can simply be a father. In this way as we are sealed to the great patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Adam and are adopted into the family of the Messiah we still have our Eternal father for our father with no special caveat required, and of course we are still His literal offspring.

Alma prayed to Jesus.
Other scriptures:
Jehovah goes on to call Moses His son. He has also called others His son(s)
D&C 109 where Joseph Smith prays to Jehovah as the Father in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ when dedicating the temple. The Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer was specifically given to Joseph Smith by revelation. He did not make these words up.
 

Alma prayed to Jesus.
Other scriptures:
Jehovah goes on to call Moses His son. He has also called others His son(s)
D&C 109 where Joseph Smith prays to Jehovah as the Father in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ when dedicating the temple. The Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer was specifically given to Joseph Smith by revelation. He did not make these words up.
 

Great topic! Abinadi got it right.
Jesus Christ is the very Eternal Father. When I pray to Father in Heaven, it is Jesus/Jehovah who answers. I still pray in the name of Jesus Christ. He is both the Father and the Son. He has a Father, too, who is also our Father in heaven. Both are Fathers, though one is also the Son because He came down to take upon Himself flesh. And He has commanded us to call upon His name. We know His name because He told us what it is. I spent years studying the Lectures On Faith, because this was a confusing subject for a long time. But after a lot of studying and praying, this is what the Spirit has taught me. I wrote up what I learned for a lot of friends/people who thought I was off the rails. I'm pretty used to being considered an oddball and that's okay. I hope it sheds light on the subject. Food for thought anyway:
Lectures on Faith-My Witness

Great topic! Abinadi got it right.
Jesus Christ is the very Eternal Father. When I pray to Father in Heaven, it is Jesus/Jehovah who answers. I still pray in the name of Jesus Christ. He is both the Father and the Son. He has a Father, too, who is also our Father in heaven. Both are Fathers, though one is also the Son because He came down to take upon Himself flesh. And He has commanded us to call upon His name. We know His name because He told us what it is. I spent years studying the Lectures On Faith, because this was a confusing subject for a long time. But after a lot of studying and praying, this is what the Spirit has taught me. I wrote up what I learned for a lot of friends/people who thought I was off the rails. I'm pretty used to being considered an oddball and that's okay. I hope it sheds light on the subject. Food for thought anyway:
Lectures on Faith-My Witness

From the Lectures on Faith
To be completely honest, my understanding and perception of God has changed throughout my lifetime.  When I first learned about God the Father in primary and Sunday School, I actually was thinking about Jehovah as He interacted with the prophets in the Old testament.  It took me many years and prolonged study to come to my present identification of GOD.  
Christianity has similarily transitioned over the years.  If we look at the background of Christmas and Easter we must see the obvious connections to pagan celebrations.  Similarly, there are parts of Egyptian, Roman, and Greek Gods that have bleed over into Catholicism and Protestantism.  I think that the LDS church also has a problem of these traditions and misconceptions within our own religion.  
When we pray, whom do we pray to?  All the artwork that we have in our homes, chapels, and temples are of Jesus Christ.  The only artwork that displays God the Father or Elohim is really depictions of the First Vision where Joseph Smith is the focal point of the artwork, and Elohim and Jesus Christ are illustrated as identical personages.
How do you differentiate between God the Father & Jesus Christ when you worship and pray?  
I would submit that most other Christian Churches don't even have a perception of God the Father.  I think that Elohim is a personage that only Latter-Day Saints worship.  The Jewish worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Who happens to be Jehovah).  The Catholics (and correct me if I am wrong - I am making assumptions from the various creeds) believe that God the Father is actually Jehovah and Jesus Christ is God made flesh.  
When you think of God the Father, of whom are you thinking?  Do we have a correct idea of His character?  Do we know when Elohim is speaking within the scriptures?  Do we worship Christ?  Is it OK to worship Christ?  Do you easily differentiate between Jehovah (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and his Father Elohim?  
 

I love this guy! 
 
 

I can understand that.  It reminds me of an old joke:
Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"
He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"
He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"
Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

Indeed. He has a plan that is simple to understand and follow, and yet immense and complicated in the details we won't fully grasp in this lifetime. Nothing wrong with enjoying a beautiful testimony.

He is certainly converted to its teachings. Or as Nephi wrote:
Perhaps you are puzzled at how he is not converted to the LDS church, though he is clearly converted to Jesus Christ.  Or why would Jesus Christ make appearances to people who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Who doubts the testimonies of the following two individuals? 
And:
Is this part of God's strange act in the last days? 
We read the same in the book of Joel:
Why did Jesus Christ not point Will and Afshin to our church? I don't know. But I certainly believe them. After all, we are in the last days. In 1836, the Lord told Joseph Smith the great and dreadful day is "near, even at the doors." (D&C 110:16) Anyway, I love their testimonies! 

@skalenfehl I believe I heard about this guy while serving my mission 15 years ago. It puzzles me how one can be so engaged with the Book of Mormon and early church teachings and not be converted, but I think he may be serving a valuable mission building bridges and reaching hearts and minds that otherwise couldn't be reached.
 

I love this guy! 
 
 

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 have a friend who often taught that we need not be self-reliant as much as we need to be Lord-reliant. Certainly, she understood the need for self-sufficiency but only to the point where we would remember the Lord and seek His influence in our lives. All too many times, I have neglected Him in my life, thinking I knew or had the better way. Or honestly, I probably just didn’t think to ask. (This is so vital that our children are taught how to remember Christ in their lives. In my parenting class, we have been reading a book by Gene R Cook titled, Raising up a Family to the Lord. It is fascinating! He gives such bedrock advice of how to teach children to learn from the Holy Ghost and to hear the voice of the Lord. There are many practical ideas and applications, I highly recommend it.)
 
Christ teaches He is the vine and we are His branches. With Him, we have life and without Him, we are nothing. He said, “abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:1-7). Have you ever thought about the word, abide? I always thought it meant, to stay, and it does. It means to remain, to stay.  Elder Holland describes this word a bit further in his 2004 conference talk. He teaches that in this context, the word abide would be to stay forever, to come to Christ with conviction and endurance, and to come permanently. Not only can we endure, he continues, but we can prevail and triumph in a holy cause that will never fail us.
 
We abide in Christ when we seek, ask, and show we love Him by trying to do His works. The parable of the husbandman found in John 15 allows us to see how our Father in Heaven sent many prophets to teach His children. And they learned many things, but it was not enough. He needed to send His son, Jesus Christ, who came to teach us how us to love. Elder Holland explained that Christ “came to improve man’s view of God and to plead with them to love their Heavenly Father as He has always and always will love them” (Grandeur of God, 2003). As we love God and daily commune with Him, we will abide in Him. Our thoughts will be turned to Him and to His Son, and we will welcome the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. We will seek Him and plead to have the gifts of the Spirit. We will become more Lord reliant. The Spirit will teach, comfort and guide us that we will understand the way: the law and the truths we need to follow.
 
The husbandman was seeking to have a vineyard that would bear fruit. As the branches abide in the vine, they are nourished and taught the words of God. Having the fruits of the Spirit in our lives bring joy to our Father in Heaven. He delights in the righteousness of His children. As He has always loved us, He would that we might have this joy for ourselves. Sending His Son to earth to teach us so that we might have a greater love for mankind, more than ourselves, brings joy. Elder Claudio R. M. Costa counseled “we can lay down our lives for those we love not by physically dying for them but rather by living for them—giving of our time; always being present in their lives; serving them; being courteous, affectionate, and showing true love for those of our family and to all men—as the Savior taught.” Living as Christ would do if He were here is the simplest of doctrine and the most essential. Listen to the spirit in the words of a Primary song written by Sally Deford.
“If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do? Would I think of His commandments, and try harder to be true? Would I follow His example? Would I live more righteously if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?”
“If the Savior stood beside me, would I say the things I say? Would my words be true and kind if He was never far away? Would I try to share the gospel? Would I speak more rev’rently if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?”
“He is always near me, though I do not see Him there, And because He loves me dearly, I am in His watchful care. So I’ll be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.”
I have always loved these words, and I will continue trying to live them. Happy Easter everyone!

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

Paul Apostle of  Christ Movie coming soon!  ? Only 3 days! 
https://ldsmag.com/paul-apostle-of-christ-movie-in-theaters-for-three-days-only/

I will share my own experience--which is different, but perhaps similar. I started attending church at 10, though my parents did not go. They'd had me baptized as an infant, in grandma's church. I did not want to disrespect my parents' decision, but I came to believe that I should be baptized as a believer. Nevertheless, I waited. At age 16 my father broached the subject with me, and said he would be proud to go to church and see me get baptized. So, in an ideal world, the child will reach an age at which both parents can assure him/her that whatever decision gets made will be honored and respected, without hard feelings. 

No, but I have heard rumors of it glowing when Lamanites were near!

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

I read and interpret this verse the same way you do. My mind believes these verses correlate with this verse, 2 Peter 1: 3-8 and Moses 6:60. If an individual is purifying themselves, this means they are exercising their faith unto repentance. This means they are continually reconciling themselves unto God.
This also reminds me of these two verses in Mormon chapter 9:
Well, I will raise my hand if the question was, "If you haven't experienced this yet"? This vision was my hope since I returned from my mission and when I first understood the principle of our calling and election made sure. I have sought it; however, sadly, I think my heart currently falls within "consuming it on my own lusts" rather than with a firmness unshaken. I wanted to tell all those damn dang anti-Mormons, "Screw you I know and you're wrong"! Fortunately, I have grown away from that mentality. I would still love this, but I am not sure I have yet accomplished what Omni said here, "offer your whole souls as an offering unto him." I think the world offers some luring things that I still love (i.e. a good worldly movie (Caveat: Marvel, DC, Lord of Rings, Van Damme pre-mission, and many more)).
I believe as with all of God's other promises that if we have the faith, the consistent actions to prove it, that God is bound to open the way. I struggle in the consistent actions to prove it though.

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.

Well, Im not sure about this particular vision but around the time of my sons birth 22 years ago I had several heavenly dreams and what could be described as visions of heaven. My vision was more along the lines of the traditional "heaven" and "hell" as taught by Christ. I do recall that time when my heart went through a mighty change. I also felt it had something to do with my son coming into tge world.
Im not sure if everyone saw a vision of heaven if they would all describe it the same. . 

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.

The end of Section 76 reads:
I interpret the above, specifically the part in bolded italic, as meaning that all those who love God and purify themselves through the power of the Holy Ghost (which presupposes baptism) are granted this same vision that Joseph Smith experienced in Section 76. Am I wrong?
If you think I am wrong, what exactly (or even approximately) do you think the promise means instead?
If you think I am not wrong...well, at the risk of shaming myself, to this point in my life I have not been granted this vision. Now I haven't specifically sought for it, which might be part of the problem; but I rather suppose that I'm simply not spiritually mature enough yet. I also suspect that those who have seen this vision probably don't talk openly about it, so I'm not expecting anyone to raise his/her hand. But does anyone have thoughts as to how this promise is fulfilled among men and women today?