“Honoring and Knowing Our Heavenly Father!” cji 6/15/14
The
purpose of this mortal probation is to gain
the Celestial Kingdom in the highest degree of
glory (as told to us by Paul – 1st Corinthians 15). In order to gain
this Kingdom and to live once more with our Heavenly Father and our Savior with
our families and a physical body of flesh and bone as the Father and the Son
now have. (Every person is literally a son or
a daughter of God, having been born as a spirit to Heavenly Parents before
being born to mortal parents on the earth (Heb. 12:9). Each person
on earth has an immortal spirit body in addition to a body of flesh and bone.
As sometimes defined in scripture, the spirit and the physical body together
constitute the soul (Gen. 2:7; D&C 88:15; Moses 3:7, 9, 19; Abr. 5:7). A spirit can
live without a physical body, but the physical body cannot live without the
spirit (James 2:26). Physical
death is the separation of the spirit from the body. In the resurrection, the
spirit is reunited with the same physical body of flesh and bone it possessed
as a mortal, with two major differences: they will never be separated again,
and the physical body will be immortal and perfected (Alma 11:45; D&C 138:16–17).
To
gain the Celestial Kingdom and to live once more with the Father and the Son we’ve to know Heavenly Father personally –
as we’re to know the Son – via all of the Scriptures which speak on him and
what he himself had to say not only about himself but that like he was so was
the Father!!! The purpose of this life is to return to them – thus with the
Atonement the way was made that this could happen. John 17:3 (The importance of knowing Heavenly Father) 1 John 2:3–5; 4:7–8; Enos 1:1–7; Mosiah 4:9–12; 5:13; D&C 88:63–65; 93:1 (How we come to know Heavenly Father). Elder Robert D. Hales’s talk “Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His
Son, Jesus Christ.” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/seeking-to-know-god-our-heavenly-father-and-his-son-jesus-christ?lang=eng “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom thou hast sent”? (John 17:3)
Too often too many get caught up in the
giving of gifts – or otherwise worldly tributes to those father’s here on earth
or who’ve lived and died in our various genealogical lines. Forgetting all
about the Sabbath Day – and most importantly our Heavenly Father! Thus falling
into the various traps laid by the adversary of placing the worldly over the
eternal aspects of our personal mortality. Understand in many cases showing
appreciation to our earthly father’s (parents) is appropriate but this should
be done 24/7 in compliance with the Commandment #5: “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). This commandment
remains binding throughout our lives and can be understood in several ways: We
should honor our fathers and our mothers who are our ancestors; we should be
grateful to the father and mother who provided our earthly bodies; we should
honor those who raised us in the knowledge of the truth. Above all, we should
honor our Heavenly Parents. The way we honor all these fathers and mothers is
by keeping the commandments. https://www.lds.org/topics/ten-commandments?lang=eng
What does it mean to ‘honor’ – (Note: this is a topic I’ve
written on many times.) One honors another by being obedient in all things
righteous – worthy (eternally) – honesty – virtue – and otherwise anxiously
engaged in doing what is right. This shows ‘honor’ to those as we’ve been
commanded to do so – but in the idea of ‘Love’ it is something we should do in
understanding Father’s Will be done and not ours! To ‘honor’ means to be humble
(not weak or afraid) knowing our true relationship with our Heavenly Father –
and taking heed of the full instructions given by the Savior in the Bible (Old
and New Testaments), the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price and in the
Doctrine and Covenants. There is found all that is encompassed in ‘honoring’
both our progenitors and our Heavenly Parents.
To ‘honor’ does not mean to shower someone with gifts,
trips, idol worship, grand banquets, worldly praise or any of the myriad ways
men/women have found to do for a price in today’s world. Sadly, most feel this
is the only way to ‘honor’ – living a worldly life and seeking what the world
offers and not what truth, light and knowledge presents.
Maybe to better understand this – we’ve to remember we’ve
both a Spiritual Body and a Physical Body of flesh, bone and blood. The
Spiritual (some call this the Soul) is to help us to take control of the
Physical body which is carnal by nature; (1 Cor.
2:14The natural man is an enemy to God and should be put off, Mosiah 3:19 He
that persists in his own carnal nature). Too many put off the
Spiritual and thus become an enemy to God – and therefore cannot know him!
Without the knowledge of knowing God – then how could one possibly enter back
into his presence? Instead men/women choose to be impressed by worldly persons
– to the point of paying their obligations to them – even being in fear of
those with great powers – such as Kings/Queens/Rulers/Presidents – therefore
having no fear of the Scriptures or Heavenly Father and/or His Son and our
Savior Jesus Christ. Thus it is without ‘honor’ that they give any credence to
the Father and the Son.
Fear is an often misunderstood and misinterpreted word. By
definition, Fear can have two meanings: (1) to fear God is to feel reverence
and awe for him and to obey his commandments; (2) to fear man, mortal dangers,
pain, and evil is to be afraid of such things and to dread them. Thus
the conflict seems to be the application in reverse of these two meanings in
our world today (as often was seen throughout written history). Today men/women
reverence and stand in awe – being obedient to the tenants, logismoi and rules
of those with worldly powers. While on the other hand most only fear God as to
mortal dangers, pain and the evils found in the world – blaming him in all
things. Thus they ‘honor’ the worldly – while abhorring the eternal and
Heavenly Father and His Son! We must always remember, Doctrine and Covenants 76:5-6
(and 7-10) 5 For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and
gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me
in righteousness and in truth unto the end. 6 Great shall be
their reward and eternal shall be their glory.
Where will we be found on this day and everyday –
‘honoring’ Heavenly Father (thus being fully obedient in all of the
Commandments – remember there are many more than just the Ten oft repeated) –
or found ‘honoring’ men/women instead? When referring to the multiple Commandments
found in the Scriptures all are there to help us to hold fast to the Rod of
Iron (which is the Word of God) and bring us closer to happiness here in this
mortal probation and then into eternal salvation after this life. However, to
really simplify things one only has to be fully compliant with the first two
‘great’ Commandments – and then they’ll be found in total obedience to all of
the others! Matthew 22:38 This is the first and
great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets. It
is in verse 40 that we learn the importance of these two Commandments – and yet
most miss this completely!
What
are our eternal goals? Most have only to be saved – whereas all men/women and
all living things on this earth are saved via the Atonement of the Savior.
(Note: those who deny the Holy Ghost once having received it cannot be saved,
ever) The sin of denying the Holy Ghost, a sin that
cannot be forgiven. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men:Matt. 12:31–32; ( Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10; ) It is impossible for those who
were made partakers of the Holy Ghost to renew them again unto repentance:Heb. 6:4–6; If we sin wilfully after we
have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for
sins:Heb. 10:26; If ye deny the Holy Ghost and
know that ye deny it, this is a sin which is unpardonable:Alma 39:5–6; ( Jacob 7:19; ). Otherwise
all living things having lived on this earth are saved! Thus we then apply what
Paul taught as to where each will go depending on their worthiness, faith,
works and obedience to the Father and the Son – to one of the various Kingdoms.
Maybe
to go a bit further – being ‘saved’ is only the beginning of the journey to
return to the presence of Heavenly Father once more. It is the first step in
acknowledging who we are – sons and daughters of Heavenly Father – very
literally! In this relationship – we can ‘honor’ Heavenly Father – as the
Savior taught – “If you love me, keep my Commandments” and to love the Son – is
love his (and our Father) who sent him to this earth to Atone for the
sins/transgressions of all men/women – to meet the law of justice and provide
mercy so we could earn (EARN) our way back into their presence. Thus the first
part was not done by us – but by the Savior! We then have to live by their
Commandments – all of them (remembering the two great ones as the template for
full obedience). If we’re found doing this then we’ll find and understand more
clearly the Bible and thus understand and accept the 2nd Witness to
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – the Book of Mormon. One must remember the
Bible is under constant attack by the world – Heavenly Father and the Savior
knew this would happen – read almost any of the Old Testament Prophets
(especially Isaiah/Ezekiel) – thus they knew there had to be a 2nd
Witness of the Savior and of the teachings found in the Bible – (see Ezekiel
37:16, 19). One cannot prove anything to another without at least two witnesses
(or sources) as primary (without circular proofs) which stand alone and can be
verified. Both the Bible (Old and New Testaments – Stick of Judah) and the Book
of Mormon (Stick of Joseph) stand alone and testify of each other. The Bible
cannot testify of itself and since it is the House of Judah (it is one witness)
and the Book of Mormon cannot testify of itself and since it is the House of
Joseph (it is one witness) combined they become two witnesses which both
testify of Jesus Christ – his Mission – his Atonement and most importantly they
Testify of Heavenly Father as a separate person from that of his Son (who is
also a separate person).
Honoring our Heavenly Father on
Father’s Day (and everyday 24/7/365(6) is the most important thing we can do in
our mortal probation! We’ve to remember that the Savior constantly honored his
Father in everything he said and did! Can we do less if we want to return to
the Celestial Kingdom to live with them and our families? Thus on this Father’s
Day we can turn around – get ourselves back on the road to Zion and eternal
life and salvation – leaving Babylon behind – repenting – and showing forth
love to the Father and the Son – but as the Son taught – most especially to our
Heavenly Father! As quoted above, Doctrine and Covenants 76:5-6 5 For thus saith the Lord—I,
the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me,
and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth
unto the end. 6 Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be
their glory.
In the
name of the Son – even Jesus the Christ – amen c/ork
“To
Honor”
cji
6/15/14
Giving
place within our hearts
respecting
and loving fully
being
found obedient in all
cherishing
our relationship
knowing
our Heavenly Father
serving
in vineyards/gardens
feeding
both sheep’s/lambs
taking
no credit to oneself
enabling
then to honor one
our
Heavenly Father today
respecting
and loving fully
within
our hearts giving place!
Copyright © 2014 – cji
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