June 13, 2014

"Gnosis or Logismoi" (short essay)

“Gnosis or Logismoi” cji 6/14/14

This was written to me from a friend upon reading the writing “Dissembled” and what follows is my response:  “Wow is this not true???  I get ill just thinking about what is happening to people, how deplorable they act and treat others.  Why don’t those who are around us not see what the government is doing, what the illegals are doing and the druggies and deadbeats?  Are their eyes so closed that they do not see?”

Yup – but we’re not to worry about the world!!! Think of it this way – we’re to be humble – i.e. loving and serving Heavenly Father – anything else is to be prideful – we’re to be confident in what Heavenly Father represents in our lives – thus we live in such a way which honors Him and our beloved Savior! To honor means to be obedient in all that He’s asked us to do (nothing wavering) and thus to have no fear of the world or worldly. We know it’s a wicked place – and the world and worldly do too – as in their agency they’ve chosen to fear the world and thus are found in serving the world and not Heavenly Father. We must appreciate that all of the Prophets saw our day – some were able to describe it while others were told it was not their calling to do so.

Thus when one reads Isaiah and Revelations they can gain great insights to what is happening – but not only these two – Job, Joel, all of the Book of Mormon, James, John, Peter and much of what Paul wrote. Maybe Paul said it best, “…when the Gnosis is gone there will only be Logismoi…” (paraphrase) – we know the world worships Logismoi – while with the Restoration some have come unto the Gnosis as it has been restored once more.

As I explained to one of my sons – that we’re living in the latter-days and as a result much of the 1/3 of heaven that sat on their hands are most likely here in mortality – with only a couple of exceptions when has the world been such a wicked place? However, in addition much of the 1/3 of heaven which followed and fought on the side of the Savior are here as well. Some will be exposed to hear the Gospel in its fullness while others were so righteous they don’t have to hear it now – just have a physical body and endure to the end. This would help account for the billions in India/China and SE Asia who’ll never hear the Gospel taught in their mortal probations.

Thus we’ve to choose to worry about the world/worldly – or to do what we’re supposed to be doing in the gardens and vineyards we’ve been called upon to till and nourish. Too many it seems like in our agency Heavenly Father is giving us a choice of what to do – but in reality he’s not. Why can I say this – because Heavenly Father gives us various alternatives – but in each of them he also gives us the rewards and the penalties. Most never hear of the rewards or the penalties – they only hear there’s a choice. We’ve been told to keep the Commandments – but we’ve our agency to choose to do so or not – however, the real reason we keep the Commandments is because we love the Lord. One cannot love the Lord and the world – can’t be done – as they are totally opposites. One requires humility – honesty – virtue – obedience – morals – and truthfulness. While the world requires pride, fear, and a secret covenant to choose pleasure or selfish desires over service. Understandably they are not quite that clear cut – but when one does away with all of the fluff of the world that is basically what is occurring.

Many if not all religions have wavers for sinning – being carnal – and all will be forgiven. Many religions teach that anyone can be saved by various man-made ideas – and that’s all one has to do. Many religions do not (repeat do not) teach about the various degrees of Glory and what the differences are – but only that there’s a heaven or a hell – some going to one and many more to the other (depending on the belief system most religions condemn everyone not of their belief system that they will be going to hell). Almost all organized religions believe and teach that those who don’t accept Jesus as their Savior in this life are going to hell. Which denies the Atonement of the Savior! In addition, most of what is  taught is not contained in the Scriptures (either when first written or what the revisionists have done to them since). Therefore we come back full circle to the Logismoi of men/women which is taught as being greater than the Gnosis of Heavenly Father.

Therefore too many pray to be heard praying – without waiting for their answers – or when hearing their answers ignoring them as they did in the days of Jerimiah and other Old and New Testament Prophets (or those living today). This is called by the Prophets when they’ve been asked to pray for a people they address the peoples requests as being ‘dissembled’ or without any real intent to listen to the instructions given by the Lord in answer to their petitions. One can liken this to a friend, associate, professional asking your advice – then you give it is all sincerity and they ignore – or wait for someone else to offer it as if you were unheard. It happens a lot more than one would believe especially if you’re younger – or not as polished as an apple should be found.

There is almost nothing that can be said about our world today – if we choose to look at it this way – however, if we look at as one who’s read the Scriptures (all of them), pondered them – prayer with real intent – righteously – seeking to repent of our wrongdoings – and being humble to receive an answer to our petitions (even those we might not like) – then this is a great time to be alive and living on this earth. We’re in the Latter-days – the Gospel has been restored in its fullness and as the Jewish writings have pointed out over and over – that Messiah ben Joseph – would come before the Messiah ben David or Jesus Christ would return in all of his might and power. How greater could this be fulfilled than in Joseph Smith, Jr. called as a lad – who endured persecution all of his life – and never denied (as Paul) that he’d seen a vision – and followed the directions he’d been given in the Restoration of the Saviors Church and thus his Kingdom (which had to be restored for him to be able to come to it in the 2nd Coming) – and that all of the various prophecies given by Joseph Smith, Jr. and those who’ve come before and after are being fulfilled literally as we live today.

We’ve so much to be grateful for – each and every day – that we are saddened when many of those we love and cherish as family and friends have chosen not to share in this joy is but a part of the enduring in this life – to be found obedient – humble and selflessly service as we’re called – will resolve itself in Heavenly Father’s eternal Plan of Salvation. As a wise person once said, “If what you believe is true – and what I believe is not then what have I lost for I believe all that you believe and more? However, if what I believe is true then what have you lost?” (Note: this was said to one who was teaching there was no God and all we had to do was live with honesty, virtue – and there was nothing after death. And what the wise person was teaching that there is a God – and what we do in this life does matter – and will have a firm result in our eternal salvation.) Can it be said one only needs to read what is available in the Scriptures putting aside the commentaries and other persons interpretations – for the Scriptures really are quite clear and simple to understand unless we just don’t want them to be.

May we remember that this is only a mortal probation – a temporary blinking of the eye between the pre-existence and the passing through the veil into the next existence. Those who can read and have access to the Scriptures will be accountable for having done so – or allowing another do it for them. Remembering much of the educated world today doesn’t feel that God is even needed any more and that the heavens if ever opened are surely closed today. This is what is scary – but again we’ve to decide for ourselves and then do what is right.

May we remember to love and respect everyone’s right to choose for themselves – in the name of Jesus Christ – amen – c/ork

“Gnosis or Logismoi”

cji
6/14/14

Paul taught of choices
which men/women to make
disregarding the Gnosis
accepting instead Logismoi
wanting to allow their nature
which is carnal and selfish
to decide what’s right/wrong
can thus today it’s apparent
how the world/worldly view
our nation and their souls
believing one is true, theirs
and one is false, Fathers
for how to live one’s life
of which all Prophets taught
most especially did Paul!

Copyright © 2014 – cji


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