He Can Also Sing: II

After the manner of C.S. Lewis' Anthology of George MacDonald, or Of All Things, Quotations of Hugh Nibley, I present my own quotations of Timothy Merrill from his Owl Of The Desert Blog. 

I must confess that some of these quotations might be hard to hear. You may have selected others, but these are some of the many that need to be said. We don't like to think that this time we are the ones who need to be called to repentance, but we are. 

The Lord’s directive to remove the stumbling blocks from the path of his people increases in urgency as his coming to the earth draws near. That mandate, however, translates into coming to terms with truths about ourselves that many among us will simply not believe let alone face head on. The longer the stumbling blocks Isaiah saw among us remain, however, the more God’s people of today—ourselves as members of the church—remain under condemnation for not addressing them, thereby compounding the covenant curses that accompany such negligence.

I may have only selected a single quote from each blog post, but the one I think best captures Tim's gift of the Spirit, and his desire that we overcome these stumbling blocks. 

Tim is not only a gifted writer of the words of God, an inspired poet, but he can also sing!

This is Volume II

JANUARY 2021

Why would Christians put up with this, when Christ is their anchor, and when Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever? Why do Christians permit a revolving political correctness when the gospel has not changed, and yet what was "safe" yesterday may lead to our shunning today?

So instead of becoming of "one heart" with each other, we have chosen to give our hearts to "one leader" (despite the fact that we already have One Leader, Jesus).  

Oddly, we seem to be going decidedly in the opposite direction, which has created some big problems for us: 

1. we are divided by status;
2. leaders' authority is treated    above the Holy Ghost's; and
3. obedience to leaders has substituted for the law of the gospel.

FEBUARY 2021

In fact, the only Royal Law we should be concerned with is this one:

   If ye fulfil the royal law
   according to the scripture,
   Thou shalt love thy neighbour
   as thyself,
   ye do well:

   But if ye have respect to persons,

   ye commit sin. (James 2:8-9)

An "adhesion contract" is a contract drafted by one party (the one with the power), and signed by another party in a weak bargaining position, who is unable to change the terms of the agreement. 

That's the whole point: the weaker party can't negotiate a better deal because they're stuck with "take it or leave it."

How can "obedience" be the first law of heaven? 

Can someone explain that to me? Because how can we know whether we should obey, in the first place, unless we know we are doing God's will?

Have we made "keys" into an idol, worshipping those that hold them, claiming they can never lead us astray (as through the creature were greater than God)? 

If the membership of the Church believes our agency is merely to do what the leaders tell us, then what about our accountability to God? Sometimes leaders give us inspired counsel; sometimes they do not. Isn't our accountability on being able to discern between the two?

So the problem we face is expecting "celestial blessings" from living a "telestial law." I mean, isn't that Lucifer's plan? To convince us we're progressing along the straight and narrow path when in fact we're knee-deep in the quicksand of a hollow religion, living on the scraps of a dead (i.e. lesser) law?

MARCH 2021

The Disciple Mormon taught:

   It was strictly contrary
   to the commands of God
   that there should be a law
   which should bring men
   on to unequal grounds.
   There was no law

   against a man’s belief. 
   (Alma 30:7, 11)

But as we go through life, does there come a point where we become, ourselves, guilty? Do we reach a time when we stop being pilgrims in a strange land and become proud owners of a beachside condo?

Jesus had no desire to play king. He did not want the status that Babylon confers to its children. So He conspicuously avoided being "made a king." After all, his kingdom was not of this world.

Wouldn't it be wise to follow His example, rather than creating a spiritual kingdom where we elevate those with "keys" and require obsequious​ obedience?

But the important point is that Jesus refused to be made a king so that He might make us into kings and queens.

APRIL 2021

Anyone who seeks to impose external controls upon Zion is misguided because they do not understand the fundamental, essential nature (or order) of Zion, which is common consent through love.

"When I (Robert Rees) spoke at the Berkeley Institute of Religion several years ago, I asked the students, “Whose church is this?” They responded, “It’s the Church of Jesus Christ.” I replied, “There are two possessives in the name of the Church: it is the Church of Jesus Christ, certainly, but it is also the Church of the Latter-day Saints. It isn’t the Church of the First Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve or the General Authorities, it isn’t the Church of conservatives or liberals or of any particular group, but rather the Church of all those who are or can be called saints. Thus, the Church is our joint stewardship. Ultimately, it will be no better or no worse than we ourselves choose to make it, than we ourselves choose to be."

Problem No. 1: "Melchizedek" is used as a nickname for the Priesthood of God itself. 

The use of nicknames in this dispensation is well established. As we all know, the "correct" name of the priesthood is "The Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God" (D&C 107:3).

Isn't using the name "Mormon" for the Church analogous to using the name "Melchizedek" for the priesthood? (And Mormon is easier to spell, too!)

But if we apply President Nelson's logic, would it be a "victory for Satan" to remove the Savior's name (or in this case, title) from the priesthood?

I mean, the priesthood is greater than the Church. We can have the priesthood without a church, but we can't have a church without a priesthood. 

The priesthood is without beginning of days, whereas the Church is a recent creation. The priesthood endures into eternity, whereas the Church is a product of this earth-time. 

So, should we stop saying "Melchizedek" Priesthood, too?

Most disagreements are over petty issues and do not elicit much emotion. 

But when we disagree over something like politics, religion, or money (notice: things that deal with power and control) then our voices can get heated.

When there is a conflict between the scriptures and Handbook, why do we choose to enforce the Handbook over the word of God?

Why have we trampled upon the word of God with hundreds of pages of pseudepigrapha?

MAY 2021

On the other hand, if we mean we are "worthy" because of our righteousness, then we might have missed the entire point of the gospel.

Question: Can a person whose spirit is filled with contention, pride, envy and lust go to the temple? 

Answer: Sure! As long as they don't drink coffee.

Our checklist of temple worthiness questions include "carnal commandments" (i.e., the requirements we associate with the lesser law). 

Are we surprised? The recommend questions appeal to our Pharisee-mindedness because they focus on the "outside" ― on the performances and obligations that are Old School (by which I mean, Levitical).

I think the point Isaiah was making is that people were going to the temple and just "going through the motions" ― comparing them to the dumb animals they brought for sacrifice.

JUNE 2021

In the year 70 A.D. the Roman general Titus destroyed the Jewish temple as Christ had prophesied (and remember, this was already the 2nd Temple since the previous one (Solomon's) had been destroyed by Babylon ― so we're seeing a pattern of temples getting destroyed by the wicked when the Lord's people turn away).  

What is the purpose of temple recommend interviews to determine our worthiness when none of us is "worthy" (except the Lamb)?

It seems like we've lost a lot in this dispensation already. (And here I thought we were doing better than the Nephites, spinning along on their hamster wheel of pride.)

The devil knows. All the worst sins, the devil knows, are gilt with gold. They shimmer like silver. They repose on scarlet cushions in the image of respectability and religiosity.

Who has heard something like, "I love being in the temple, where everyone is dressed in white and all of our differences disappear!"

Does the temple produce a feeling of unity merely by requiring everyone to wear the same attire?

Is conformity of dress the closest we're going to get to equality in the Church?

JULY 2021

"It's time we stop thinking of Babylon as a drunk john lying in a pool of vomit in some back alley in Amsterdam strewn with dirty needles and STDs. Because Babylon is beautiful."

The devil loves religion and all its trappings; he styles himself as our "great" high priest; he craves to have people "fall down and worship [him]" (Matthew 4:9).

Which is why, if you want your religion to survive, the best way is to make the members dependent upon your authority before they jump ship and chase authority elsewhere. 

And who perfected this practice and made it an art form? The Great and Abominable Church, of course. History shows that the most enduring religion of all time is the Church of the devil. 

He earned our loyalty ― ​not because He was the Firstborn (there are plenty of examples where "firstborns" got passed over, like Cain, Esau, and Judah) ― not because of His status as the Son of God (Satan makes the same claim) ― but because He showed us how much He loves us through His condescension and sacrifice.

So tell me, why would we think the sign of authority is a person's rank rather than their love, when Christ is the Great Exemplar?

I can imagine Nicodemus patting Christ's shoulder. "Ah, come now, Master. Things aren't so bad, are they? We've got a temple, a priesthood, prosperity, a covenant with God . . . . We're doing okay."

And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength. (Alma 1:26)

How can we to be equal in earthly and heavenly things in a hierarchy?

So I hope you're excited for this field trip. Come aboard the Good Bus Zion, and let's get started.

I know, I know, it used to be the Good Ship Zion, but the rowdy sailors tossed the kids overboard. So now we're on a magic school bus like little children. And remember, there are no seatbelts on school buses! But don't worry, we have an awesome bus Driver.

We know we're ripe for destruction when we reject and persecute those whom God has sent to warn us (example: the city of Ammonihah). Can I have an Amen(!) from Abinadi, Samuel the Lamanite, and Ether?

AUGUST 2021

Joseph Smith did not teach temple work for the dead other than baptism ― which will really be the work of the Millennium. (He did allude to a time when we would do anointings and other ordinances for the dead in Zion, but didn't live long enough to restore what he had in mind.)

Personally, I am not sure why we interpret scriptural prophecy in the most narcissistic way possible. But it might come as a big surprise to learn that we are not up for Best Actor, but instead are nominated only for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Sometimes as I sit in Church, or as I read press releases from the Church Newsroom, seeing all of the attention given to authority and to power and money and to the praise of men, I wonder:

   When did we stop being freemen and become king-men?

When the Church has advocated so fiercely (historically) for independence ― for self-determination and self-government ― why does the Church deprive its members of the privileges that it has fought to retain for itself as an institution?

SEPTEMBER 2021

In Zion, the Lord dwells among His people. Whereas in a theocracy you've got to burn incense and hold fast to your rosary beads.

But I've noticed that the ugliest contention comes when we try to defend what we believe to be right with righteous indignation (read: anger) ― when we think we are standing up for truth in our persecution of those who are "wicked.​"

So by appealing to authority, we're actually (ironically) creating more contention as we escalate the disagreement up the food chain, invoking others' names in defense of our position in a "Battle of the Experts" (or as I like to play, Battle of the Prophets).

You know, the one about Christ and His death and resurrections? Rather than carrying on ad nauseum about who gets to wear His Letterman Jackets while preaching "All is well in Zion, yea, Zion prospereth."

See, the problem is we use language from scripture as if we meant it, when our institution/hierarchy demonstrates we're only giving it lip-service.   

So I am not giving up. I am not going to stop declaring those things that God has placed in me like fire shut up in my bones. 

While our ethnic and national identities contribute to who we are, they shouldn't contribute to division among the body of believers when God Himself is "no respecter of persons," as Peter taught (Acts 10:34).

Discontinue the curriculum which requires us to rehash a General Authority's conference talk during sacrament meetings, priesthood and relief society. Does no one in this Church have the gift of the Holy Ghost? Why is God the Ghost benched while we play the second string of the junior varsity? It makes no sense. Our meetings are boring because people are not speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost: they're reading from a correlated message that was assigned. I don't understand why the leaders do not trust the members enough to let them be . . . themselves.

Do we deny the gifts of God when we defer to priesthood authority rather than to the urgings of the Spirit to us?

OCTOBER 2021

The old bottles and wine represent the status quo. The old law. The old way of doing things. In other words, pretty much everything we're used to.

We've seen all the good a temple did the Jews when they rejected the Lord. A physical temple is nothing without a Holy House to fill it. 

Among those that have bought into carnal security, into gold and silver, into religious pride and piety but who never knew the Lord and who took His name in vain while practicing priestcraft . . . what are they doing?

I want to remind everyone that the Book of Mormon doesn't say anything about priesthood keys ― yes, that's right: the Most Correct Book on Earth which contains, according to the Lord, "the fulness of my everlasting gospel" (D&C 27:5), is utterly blank about keys.

Does He mean the Church was meant to be a place of fellowship, where we gather as a family, and not a place for leaders to exercise authority: controlling who speaks and on what topics; dictating how funds are spent; ordering members into callings without counseling with them . . . . 

NOVEMBER 2021

I did not realize until much later who the most dangerous "enemies" to the Lord's people are. Now I know that the greatest threat to the Lord's people comes not from without, but from within.

The "wrong way" is to gullibly swallow up anything and everything an authority figure tells us without proving (testing) it by the Spirit within us.

I am filled with hope in the Holy One of Israel. I have hope to be numbered among the remnant of Jacob and I hold onto hope that we may yet become precious to each other as brothers and sisters, as equals, in order to preserve the Lord's fruit at the End HaHarvest.

You see, during my youth and my missionary years, I had been told that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was going to build Zion. 

. . . I had been taught that the Church was the "stone cut out of the mountain" and that "no unhallowed hand" could stop the work from progressing.  

. . . People said we'd follow the Prophet's call when it was time to return to Jackson County.  

. . . I understood that the early saints had missed their chance to see the New Jerusalem, but maybe this generation of members would succeed where our ancestors had not. 

Well, guess what?  

    That's all wrong.

Oh, how I wish we would learn this valuable truth:

"Rules and regulations cannot empower us. The potential for sin can be clarified by the law, but not eliminated by it. That is why the law can only be a schoolmaster to teach us of our plight and to encourage us to look for the remedy. The remedy is not the law. Redemption comes in and through the Holy Messiah."
("No Other Way," Blogpost, Given by the Finger of God, October 17, 2021)

DECEMBER 2021

The coming calamity, according to Joseph Smith, shall result in the ​"sweep[ing of] the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country." ("Letter to Noah C. Saxton, 4 January 1833," p. 17-18, The Joseph Smith Papers). This shall occur on the land of America when its peoples are "fully ripe."

Here Enos has got the Lord on the other end of the line and he asks for . . . some records to be preserved?

Now, I've saved the my most important question for last. Here it is: Is it possible to come unto Christ through a mediator or regent or prophet, such as a pope or president? Isn't it true that following our spiritual leaders is the same as following Jesus?

You see? We take the purity of the gospel and then we mix it with all of our worldliness, with the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, with our insurance liability concerns, our tax deductions, our false traditions, our cultural prejudices . . . and then what are we left with?

I want to suggest that "coming unto Christ" does not mean adding Christ to our religious and spiritual baggage; no, coming unto Christ means we set aside all our religious and spiritual baggage and just embrace Him.

Him alone.

Leaving the Church and the Gospel

I recently read an article in the Salt Lake Tribune by Jana Riess about Jeff Strong's book Torn, which is about what people get wrong about people leaving the church. You can find the article here.

As I read the article I was immediately struck with the idea that it only addresses the leaving the church part of the equation. It said nothing about leaving the Gospel. They are separate, but for many as described in the article, perhaps leaving the church is the all they can focus on, because they do not see nor do they understand that the Gospel is not the church, and that the church is not the Gospel. They mistake religious activities and church culture as the gospel. They do not understand the Gospel. I've written extensively about the difference in this blog.

You may ask is it possible to leave the church and not leave the Gospel? Of course before we can answer, we must understand that there is a difference, and understand what Christ means when He says "This is my gospel..."

The article focused on a survey completed by 11,000 people of which about 60% considered themselves active members, and about 40% were those who had left the church. 

The survey’s current members skewed active, meaning they were more likely than average members to attend church regularly and consider themselves devout.

The data showed that it’s the most devout members who have the hardest time understanding and relating to family members and friends who have left.

But to me the issue between those who considered themselves devout and those who left, is the same. Neither group seemed to understand the difference between the organization and the Gospel.

My questions of someone who has become inactive or has left the church, after teaching them His Gospel as He taught it, would be these:

1. Have you ever believed in Christ?
2. If yes, do you still believe in Christ?
3. Have you ever believed anything that Christ said?
4. If yes, can you give me an example?
5. Do you know what Christ taught about His and other churches? 
6. Do you feast upon the words of Christ?
7. Have you ever feasted upon the words of Christ?
8. Have you hardened your heart against the words of Christ? 
9. Have you ever had faith in Christ?
10. If yes, do you still have faith in Christ? 
11. Were you aware that Christ has defined His gospel in the Book of Mormon?
12. Were you taught His Gospel at home, at church, by anyone? 
13. Were you ever taught to understand the doctrine of baptism and repentance? 
14. And were you taught that only those who are repenting are of His church, and that many members of record of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not of His church because they are not yet repenting? 
15. Were you taught that there are only two churches, the Church of God and the Church of the Devil?
16. Were you taught the difference between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and His Gospel?
17. Were you ever taught that the word of God is truth, and that you do not have to believe anything in the church that is not true? 
18. Would you admit that your beliefs might be different than the truth?

Hopefully you can see that leaving the church is not the same as leaving His Gospel, but to most, who do or who do not leave the organization, they are not even aware that there is a difference! When we leave His Gospel, we leave Christ. We may even say that we still believe in Christ. But it is not enough just to believe in Him. We must move beyond mere belief, and actually repent, which means that we must believe Christ when He tells us that we must repent or suffer His justice. It is, afterall, not what we believe, but who we believe that matters.

My purpose in this post is not to expand on the difference, but simply to point out that there is a difference, and that many active and inactive members do not know of or understand the difference. I have linked a few posts at the end which will help you see and understand the difference.

But just so you can understand the consequences of not receiving and believing His words: "wo* be unto him that will not hearken unto the words of Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day;

And it would be better for them if they had not been born" (3 Nephi 28:34-35).

Or this: "Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works!

Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 29:5-6)!

*wo is used to indicate that he is talking of those who have entered into His everlasting covenant (been baptized). He is writing of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who do not receive His words. 

The paradox is that those who are repenting, have turned to, and have hearkened unto Christ, can be met with resistance by members and even leaders of the organized church.

"A comment was once made on a post that repentance as defined by Christ, is difficult for those who are part of the system which is the Organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The person commenting said that those who 'genuinely wish to reform and turn unto Christ, are likely to be cut off by the system,' or at least impeded by it. I would add that they find themselves turning away from the system of religious activities. They may even be criticized by members and/or leaders of the system who see them ‘leaving’ the church, or perhaps more accurately, as not being faithful or mainstream members.

But that is exactly what those who are repenting do--they are leaving behind their traditional religion, their old church life, and are turning and coming unto Christ to be “of His church.” They are leaving the system of justification by their works. It does not mean that they do not stay involved and attend church and activities, nor does it mean that they do stay involved, but it does mean that they will never see the organized church as they once did. But for those who decide to leave, as in become inactive, there is a danger. 

Christ as our Shepherd, invites us to leave the pen and follow Him to green pastures and clear waters, but those who leave without following the Shepherd are foolish and put themselves in a very precarious and dangerous environment. Neither are they led to green pastures and clear waters, but are left to their own devices in Babylon. 

Tim Merrill wrote the following in one of his posts, and it has occupied my thoughts for many months as I contemplate those family members that I am aware of who have left, and I am afraid that they have not followed the Shepherd.

'Where will we go once we’ve left the pen? Who knows the way? Leaving the pen without the Shepherd to guide us is more than foolhardy; it is perilous.'

The name of a sheep home is called a sheep pen, sheepcote or sheepfold. It is an enclosure made up of local earth and the floor of mud, and also has a strong fence. When we repent and turn to our Shepherd to guide us, we are invited to follow the Shepherd and leave the enclosure" (Repentance: Only Those Who Repent are of My Church).

But it does not follow that those who are repenting become inactive. In fact they are more likely to stay involved and teach others the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They desire that all receive the mercy of God, and know that mercy claims only those who are repenting. 

But for those who have only focused on the church, its policies, its history, its flaws, its culture, its values, the flaws of its leaders past and present, its teachings of men, and have not feasted upon the words of Christ, and who do not know the difference between the words of God and the words of men, are easily deceived. Their reliance on men has caught up with them, and they foolishly leave the pen without the Good Shepherd to guide them. They've thrown the bucket out with the bath water. These are they who leave His words by the wayside, and become ever more captive in Babylon. Besides, all but His very elect will be deceived.

I would also ask those who leave whom did they follow? To say that they “followed the prophet” implies that they subscribed to all that implies— that they were willing to follow a man rather than Jesus Christ.

On the other hand, to say that they “followed Jesus Christ,” not the prophet, might suggest to ecclesiastical authorities that they were disloyal to the church, perhaps causing them to feel like they did not belong. 

An eminent danger in following a man rather than Jesus Christ is that people so habituated, who become disillusioned with one leader will simply transfer their allegiance to another, or may leave the church when a leader says or does something that causes them to doubt the church and question their 'faith'.

Instead of sending sinners to the authorities to be “cast out of the synagogue,” Christ said, “Go and sin no more” (John 8: 11). Even to the prophet Joseph Smith the Lord responded, “Thou art not excusable in thy transgressions; nevertheless, go thy way and sin no more” (Doctrine & Covenants 24: 2). Because persons who judge others can’t progress spiritually until they love God’s children for who they are, can they truly love without first learning forgiveness? If some grow alienated because of flaws in the church, would they not do better by performing their own part more perfectly? And by that I mean obtaining and teaching His words to strengthen the faith in Christ of those we love?

Persons who feel compelled to subordinate their wills to the dictates of an institution, employer, or ecclesiastical leader can never know the empowerment that comes from answering solely to God.

Ultimately, no one is beholden to anyone but God although he accepts the ecclesiastical guidelines God has ordained to get him started on heaven’s quest. In the end, however, that quest, too, must take him to where he walks solely with God—“independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world” (Doctrine & Covenants 78:14).

I wrote this in a post for my grandchildren:

"I worry that you, like me, may have been taught only the traditional gospel, rather than the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of you may be struggling with the organized church, with religion in general, perhaps going through a destruction of what you have been taught. There is a lot to struggle with. 

Others of you may believe that all you have to do is "live the Gospel." Some may think that Conference talks are the word of God, but to assume so, without knowing the word of God could find you on the wrong side of God's words. And some of you may be questioning the Book of Mormon. 

There is so much noise out there that it is impossible not to hear it, read about it or see it. Some of it is valid, but it is usually delivered without any remedy, and it is the remedy that I want to emphasize.

Some of you may have already left the church because you no longer believe some or all of its teachings. Remember that belief is irrelevant. It is not what we believe or do not believe that matters, but whether something is true or not true. That is always the question--the only question. Do not assume that just because you believe something, that it is true. On the other hand do not assume that just because you do not believe something, that it is not true! Remember it is not what we believe that matters, but who we believe.

Christ does, however, invite us to leave the fold and follow Him to living waters and green pastures. And by 'leaving the fold' I mean leaving behind religion and coming to Christ, looking to Him and relying totally upon His merits and not upon any of our own merits. It will be because of His righteousness that you will be redeemed, not your own." 

There is another condition that is in play when someone leaves the church. Keeping in mind that apostasy is not a falling away from, but a perversion of the truth, those who leave the church are more than likely, by this definition, already in apostasy when they leave, having perverted His gospel, or having lived a perverted gospel. This can be either intentionally or through ignorance, but more likely the latter, and it goes hand in hand with not recognizing that His Gospel has been perverted.

If you want you can learn more about the Gospel and the church by clicking the link you desire to read.

Do We Really Understand Christ's Gospel?

I Know Your Doing

Obstacles to Hearing the Word of God

But We Have The Book! - Introduction 

Repentance: Bondage of Sin

Repentance: Only Those Who Repent are of My Church

Neither Do They Understand

Go Onto Perfection: Sanctification

This is the third of a trilogy of posts about going on unto perfection. If you have not already, first read Leave First Principles and Go On Unto Perfection. At the end of each post is a link to the next.

“May God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought unto repentance and good works (the fruits of their repentance), that they might be restored unto grace for grace, according to their works (which follow repentance according to their faith in Christ)” (Helaman 12: 24).

This post, which could also be named Sons and Daughters* Who May Also Become as Christ Is, adds more to the process by which we become perfect in Christ, how becoming perfect in Christ is the same as being sanctified by the blood of Christ, and how His truth or His words are not only part of the process but are also the result of being perfected in Him. I can't tell you how transformative it has been for me to discover the way to becoming like Him. 

If we continue from grace to grace on our journeys through mortality; and if, as Jesus was called the Son of God, so we are called Jesus’ sons and daughters; and if we go on and attain a “fulness” of grace as he attained it, what is the process?

The Lord said to Adam:

"Therefore I give unto 

you a commandment, 

to teach these things 

freely unto your children, 

saying:

This commandment is also a commandment to us to teach our children. He even tells us what to say.

"That by reason 

of transgression 

cometh the fall, 

which fall 

bringeth death, and

inasmuch as ye 

were born into 

the world by water, 

and blood, 

and the spirit, 

which I have made, 

and so became of 

dust a living soul,

We all are born of water, blood and spirit and become living mortal souls, and so begins the process of becoming more than we were in the pre-existence. And part of that process is that we all die as a result of the fall.

"Even so ye must be 

born again into 

the kingdom of heaven, 

of water, 

and of the Spirit, 

and be cleansed 

by blood, even the 

blood of mine 

Only Begotten; 

that ye might be 

sanctified from all sin, 

We can also experience several rebirths, first of the water by baptism unto repentance, then of the Spirit and then cleansed by His blood, that we may be sanctified from all sin. We must go through each of these early rebirths in order to eventually become sons and daughters of God, born into the kingdom of heaven. It is the process of receiving grace for grace. In the meantime we can:

"...enjoy the 

words of eternal life 

in this world,

His words of eternal life, His truth, are an integral part of receiving grace for grace, being made perfect and being sanctified, as will be made clear throughout this post.

"And eternal life in 

the world to come, 

even immortal glory;

Eternal 'lives' may be more accurate as we experience and become new creatures and ascend to higher glories and receive more grace, and if we desire, to become even as He is. 

"For by the water 

ye keep the commandment; 

by the Spirit ye are justified, 

and by the blood ye are sanctified..." (Moses 6:58-60 emphasis added).

The Lord's commandment to be baptized is set forth over and over again in the scriptures. As you teach your children as commanded here, you will teach them to understand not only the doctrine of baptism but also to understand the doctrine of repentance (D&C 68:25). Justification comes through the Spirit of God and is the process whereby we are no longer under the law, but under grace, set now to receive grace for grace which comes as a result of the blood of Christ shed for us.

To see how we are also sanctified by truth lets look to John. He said that Jesus asked His Father to

“Sanctify them through your truth— your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sake I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth. . . . And the glory you gave me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one— I in them and you in me that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me” (John 17: 18– 19, 22– 23 emphasis added). Imagine my joy as I read this and realized that in the process of obtaining His words for decades, I was in the path to becoming sanctified through His truth.

Receiving a fulness of grace thus goes hand in hand with receiving a fulness of truth: “The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth; And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things” (Doctrine & Covenants 93: 26–28 emphasis added). 

Paul alludes to this process as “the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20: 24), which gospel, he asserts, pertains to “the dispensation of God’s grace” (Ephesians 3: 2). The interrelationship of grace and truth tells us that we cannot benefit from the one without the other. Indeed, it seems self- evident that truth precedes grace, as God could hardly bless a person with His grace who pursues a course that isn’t grounded in the truth. On the other hand, our coming to the knowledge of God’s truth may itself depend on an endowment of God’s grace— on what we might call an infusion of grace to see what we will do with it. Either way, the truth that we seek, which leads to our continuing from “grace to grace,” pertains to the “gospel of grace”— the gospel of Jesus Christ.

More specifically, the covenant King Benjamin’s people made, involved their taking upon themselves the name of Jesus and doing all things in his name (Mosiah 5: 5– 15)— just as Jesus took upon himself the name of his Father and did all things in his name.

Just as Jesus saw himself able to “do nothing of himself” (John 5: 19, 30), so our viewing our own nothingness— while at the same time perceiving “the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long- suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world” (Mosiah 4: 6)— thus forms a prerequisite for our becoming sons and daughters of Christ. Taking upon ourselves the name of Christ, moreover, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14: 6), makes us witnesses of what He represents.

“And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10: 33 emphasis added). In either case, “all ungodliness” is absent. Also note the link between grace and being sanctified. 

He whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world” (John 10: 36), was “made perfect” (Hebrews 5: 9) by doing the things He saw His Father do (John 5: 19). This embodies the very means of our being sanctified and made perfect, He being “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14: 6 emphasis added).

The way, because He paves the path to our becoming “sons (and daughters) of the Most High” (Psalms 82: 6); the truth, because He personifies the truth and teaches the truth (Ephesians 4: 21); the life, because He has “life in himself” given Him of the Father (John 5: 26) and is the source of “everlasting life” (John 4: 14 emphasis added).

In that light, the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1: 16) parallels the power of God unto exaltation. We move from grace to grace by the power of God. Becoming Sons and Daughters of God thus is an exalted state that occurs in mortality.

Christ said that, “Strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me. But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also. This is eternal lives— to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law” (Doctrine & Covenants 132: 22– 24 emphasis added).

Unlike people on lower spiritual levels, who are “not valiant in the testimony of Jesus” (Doctrine & Covenants 76: 79) or in the testimony of the truth, Sons and Daughters of God “bear testimony of the truth in all places” (Doctrine & Covenants 58: 47)— that is, “of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1: 2 emphasis added)— and they are willing to “suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5: 41). And in this they are being valiant and doing the work of God in the world, acting as saviors of men, through faith in Him. They become "the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified" (Isaiah 60:21 emphasis added).

“He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things” (Doctrine & Covenants 93: 28; emphasis added). As we more fully “come unto Christ”— who embodies light and truth (Alma 38: 9)— we thus more fully grow in light and truth.

Being “glorified in truth” reflects a point of spiritual advancement far beyond the early learner stage. As Jesus was glorified by the works He performed (cf. John 11: 4), so may we be glorified by the works we perform. As we read earlier: “If you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace” (Doctrine & Covenants 93: 20 emphasis added)— the purpose being “that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1: 12 emphasis added).

He therefore counsels to “sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will” (Doctrine & Covenants 88: 68 emphasis added). Through that process men will “see my face and know that I am” (Doctrine & Covenants 93: 1).

As the Brother of Jared said. "Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you" (Ether 3:12-13 emphasis added).

The idea of our “knowing” all things (Doctrine & Covenants 93: 28) implies Jesus’ “showing” us all things.

“In that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Ether 4: 7 emphasis added).

Sanctification, faith, truth, grace and the power of God, here appear inextricably linked.

Abraham, whom God commanded to “walk before me and be perfect” (Genesis 17:1), wasn’t perfect to begin with. Born into an idolatrous civilization that suffered the curse of a famine (Genesis 26:1; Abraham 1:5, 30), Abraham not only took leave of his father and ownership of his generational iniquities—reversing the curse for himself and succeeding generations—he additionally “sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same” (Abraham 1:2). He desired greater light and truth, likely inspired by Melchizedek, his ancestor. 

Says, Abraham, “Having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers” (Abraham 1:2). In the process, God tried him with the potential loss of his life (Abraham 1:12, 15–19), his wife (Genesis 12:14–15), and his only begotten son by Sarah (Genesis 22:1–12). ​

To attain godhood as Abraham attained it, therefore (Doctrine & Covenants 132:37), we must “do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39) and “offer [our] whole souls as an offering” to God (Omni 1:26), “willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19 emphasis added). Those things also did Jesus: “I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” (3 Nephi 11:11). ​

Says Peter, “The God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect” (1 Peter 5:10 emphasis added). And again, “Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his footsteps” (1 Peter 2:21). As with Jesus, our suffering in His name forms an essential part of our attaining perfection: “If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23–24).

Indeed, “All who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12) so that it is a measure of our righteousness and a cause for our glory or exaltation: “If we suffer, we will also reign with [him]. But if we deny [him], he will also deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12); “All they who suffer persecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my sake yet shall they partake of all this glory” (Doctrine & Covenants 101:35 emphasis added). 

This is the pattern Jesus established: “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26). ​For that reason—in order to attain the same glory—we enter into these things with our eyes open: “We see that Jesus, who in suffering death was made a little lower than the angels, was crowned with glory and honor because through the grace of God he would taste death for every man. For it became him—for whom all things are and by whom all things are—in bringing many sons (and daughters) to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all of one, for which reason he isn’t ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrew 2:9–11 emphasis added).

And this, from Alma: “The people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure (Alma 4:8).

“They were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction. Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God” (Helaman 3:34–35 emphasis added). ​The suffering we incur for Jesus’ sake or for the truth’s sake thus purifies and sanctifies us if we bear it well.

“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12). In other words, it is inevitable that when you follow Jesus in all things you will be persecuted to the degree that people will single you out and speak evil of you, ignore what you teach and treat you with distain, arrogantly think you have nothing to teach them, and fighting against the truth while clinging to popular ideas that have no basis in scripture. You become the divisive one because of your 'radical' teachings and 'too close to home' prophecies.

The highest form of suffering we may endure, on the other hand, is redemptive suffering, suffering because of those who refuse Christ. In this we emulate Christ, who suffered for others’ sake, not His own. Becoming even more so at some point, paying the price for other’s temporal salvation, we fulfil the role of spiritual kings and queens as Nephi did in his day, of whom Jacob said, “unto whom ye look as a king or a protector, and on whom ye depend for safety” (2 Nephi 6:2). That defines the role of saviors on Mount Zion: “Saviors will come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord’s” (Obadiah 1:21). Sons and daughters of Christ also act as saviors by bringing others to Christ.

It is clear that sanctification or becoming Sons and Daughters of God is a promise to those who keep His commandments. "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day" (3 Nephi 27:20 emphasis added).

Our purification and sanctification will be assured: “The remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer” (Moroni 8:26 emphasis added). God promises us that in the midst of our trials “I will not leave you comfortless—I will come to you” (John 14:18).

"Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment" (Moses 6:58-61 emphasis added).

As you ascend, if you so desire, from just believing in Christ (Jacob/Israel) to actually repenting (Zion/ Jerusalem), to becoming saviors of men (Sons, Daughters/Servants), and beyond, you will experience His grace, His power, His truth, being sanctified and recreated by Him--eternal lives. Your works will be His works, the result of your great faith in Him, not withstanding being persecuted for taking upon you His name.

See two previous posts:

Leave First Principles and Go Unto Perfection

*Sons and Daughters of God

The Experiential Gospel: Introduction

This series The Experiential Gospel is based on some of my experiences with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.* It shares how I have and do experience some of the separate and distinct elements of Christ and His Gospel. To me they are the same, but also different. For example my experiences with the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of Christ have similarities, but are different. 

As we consider that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation, and that we are saved by the power of Jesus Christ, it stands to reason that we should experience His power in our salvation and in our exaltation. 

When I was younger I thought that to live the gospel was to keep a set of commandments (go to church, pay tithing, live the Word of Wisdom, attend meetings, be chaste, etc) and by keeping these 'commandments' we 'lived' the gospel. I had never thought of the Gospel as something that we experience, and that through His Gospel we experience beauty, joy, wonder, awe; but also evil, darkness, sadness and sorrow; and so much more. At the same time we experience ourselves, others, our Savior, the Holy Ghost, and our Father.

Think of the scripture: 

"Now, what do we hear in the 

gospel which we have received? 

A voice of gladness! 

A voice of mercy from heaven; 

and a voice of truth 

out of the earth; 

glad tiding...

of great joy" (D&C 128! 

Do we hear the voice of the Lord in His Gospel? In other words what do we experience in the Gospel which we have received? To hear the voice of the Lord is the experience which leads to countless other experiences of the power of God. 

Over the years I have had numerous and distinct experiences, many more than I could have imagined. It is clear to me why Paul said that the Gospel of Jesus Christ "is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16), and through the Gospel we experience God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost--all that we are capable of receiving and experiencing. This post is the introduction to what I call The Experiential Gospel.

Joseph Smith said, and as you read this, consider the multiple and different experiences enumerated:

"we consider that God 

has created man 

with a ¹mind 

²capable of instruction, 

and ³a faculty which 

⁴may be enlarged 

in proportion ⁵to 

the heed and diligence 

⁶given to the light 

communicated from heaven 

to the ⁷intellect; 

and that the nearer 

man ⁸approaches perfection, 

the ⁹clearer are his views, 

and the ¹⁰greater his enjoyments, 

till he has ¹¹overcome 

the evils of his life 

and ¹²lost every desire for sin; 

and like the ancients, 

arrives at that ¹³point of faith 

where he is ¹⁴wrapped 

in the power and glory 

of his Maker and 

is ¹⁵caught up to dwell 

with Him" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 51).

In this quote are identified several individual experiences which are available to us through our mind, intellect, faculties, views, enjoyments and senses, and also through the means of light, spirit, truth, power and knowledge communicated from heaven. The resulting experiences of having the desire for sin taken away, of increased faith, of being wrapped in the power and glory of our Maker, and of being caught up to dwell with Him, praising God, are very personal experiences with our Father in Heaven.

My experience with the Holy Ghost has been and continues to be as Joseph described:

"The ¹first Comforter 

or Holy Ghost has 

no other effect 

²than pure intelligence. 

It is more powerful 

in ³expanding the mind, 

⁴enlightening the understanding, 

and ⁵storing the intellect 

with ⁶present knowledge, 

of a man who is of 

the literal seed of Abraham, 

than one that is a Gentile, 

though it may not 

have half as much 

⁷visible effect upon the body; 

for as the Holy Ghost 

falls upon one of 

the literal seed of Abraham, 

it is ⁸calm and serene; 

and his ⁹whole soul and body 

are only exercised 

¹⁰by the pure spirit of intelligence.... 

The Spirit of Revelation 

is in connection 

with these blessings. 

A person may profit 

by ¹noticing the 

first intimation of 

the spirit of revelation; 

for instance, when you ²feel 

pure intelligence 

³flowing into you, 

it may give you 

⁴sudden strokes of ideas,... 

thus ⁵by learning 

the Spirit of God and 

⁶understanding it, 

you ⁷may grow into 

the ⁸principle of revelation"(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 149).

I have experienced my mind expanding. I have experienced an enlightening of my understanding. My intellect has been stored with present knowledge. I have experienced calm and serene feelings. I have discerned light. My whole soul and body have been exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence. I have heard His voice in His words. I have experienced pure intelligence flowing into me, and the sudden strokes of ideas that follow. I can see more clearly the causes of and the events associated with endtime prophecies. I have experienced my own lost and fallen state. I have experienced my need for an atonement. I have experienced His atonement. 

As these experiences continue, I am beginning to learn the Spirit of God, and the more experiences I have with the Spirit of God, the more I learn the Spirit of God. Notice I did not say learn about the Spirit of God. For me the word of God or the truth of God, has been the vehicle by which I experience the Spirit of God. The word of God is truth, light, spirit, even the spirit of God, and I have through His words, experienced each.

The experiences of the Gospel, by which I mean my experiences of the power of God in the Gospel, or the Spirit of God, are countless. They also change. The experiences can either be enriched or diminished depending on whether we are willing to experience more or less.

For example Alma said "It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not import only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he knows them in full" (Alma 12:9-10 emphasis added).

Often our experiences with what we call 'the gospel' are limited to actively congregating, "keeping the commandments," and religiously performing our ecclestastical duties. The writings of Isaiah, pertinent to our day, commence with his indictment of those who actively attend religious meetings, who multiply sacrifices at the the temple. 

This outward form of worship remained strong among the Jews, as Laman and Lemuel asserted, "We know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statues and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments" (1 Nephi 17:22). When we limit our gospel experience in this way, we fail to experience the Gospel as the power of God, and instead we deny the power and gifts of God and take strength unto ourselves (Moroni 10).

A simple illustration may help. In a Sunday school class, the teacher asks what is unconditional love? The class members then proceed to answer the question while the teacher makes notes on the board. When completed we have defined unconditional love. But if the teacher were to ask, have you ever experienced unconditional love or have you ever loved unconditionally, the response of the class would be much more limited, but more real. 

It is the same approach and response of far too many lessons. We attempt to define the difference between the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of God, without sharing our experiences or lack of experiences with the Spirit. Unfortunately for many their experiences with the Spirit are limited to what they may have heard others say or teach about the Spirit, or are limited by their lack of understanding of how to experience the Spirit. This is almost always the result of not recognizing that the word of God is the spirit of God. In fact "...the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (D&C 84:45 emphasis added). Instead we settle for sentiment and devotional experiences, calling them the Holy Ghost. I was introduced to Hugh Nibley by a friend who one day showed to me the following quote:

"Jospeh Smith commends their intellectual efforts as a corrective to the Latter-day Saints, who lean too far in the other direction, giving their young people and old awards for zeal alone, zeal without knowledge--for sitting in endless meetings, for dedicated conformity and unlimited capacity for suffering boredom. We think it more commendable to get up at five A.M. to write a bad book than to get up at nine o'clock to write a good one--that is pure zeal that tends to breed a race of insufferable, self-righteous prigs and barren minds. One has only to consider the present outpouring of 'inspirational' books in the Church that bring little new in the way of knowledge: truisms and platitudes, kitsch, and cliches have become our everyday diet" (Zeal Without Knowledge, Approaching Zion, Hugh Nibley).

Why settle for such limited human experiences, when we can experience the power of God in the Gospel which we have received? 

I can point out many experiences identified in scripture. I have even experienced many of them, but I can only share. You must experience for yourself, but you must first be open to new and enlightening experiences (which in itself is a Gospel experience), or in other words, you must desire to receive more (another Gospel experience). This series will explore The Experiential Gospel in the knowledge that when you experience some, you will begin, not only to know that you are experiencing Him, but will actually experience Him, His Father and the Holy Ghost. You will no longer deny the power and gifts of God.

*See Christ's definition of His Gospel

Next: The Experiential Gospel: Learning The Spirit of God