Who can be in God's presence?

Today's scripture mastery is Psalms 24:3-4

 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

If we want to return to God's presence, we must have clean hands, and a pure heart.  We must be obedient to the commandments.

Many wonder why we don't let just anybody enter in to our temples. (Note, the temples are different than our meetinghouses, where everybody is allowed, and even encouraged to come visit)

I have heard of people who are not members of our church, but who have children or other family members that are members, who get married in the temple, and wonder why they are not allowed in to witness the marriage.  The verse above is part of the reason why that is.  We believe that the temple is a holy place, to us, it is the House of the Lord.  In it, we make very important promises to the Lord.  And in order to enter in, we must make sure we have "clean hands and a pure heart"  We make promises to God that we will live according to his commandments.  It is a very personal and sacred promise that we make when we go to the temple.  It is a commitment not to be taken lightly. . .We would love for everybody to be able to enter in to the temple, but to do so, they must show that they are willing to make those promises to the Lord, and keep them.

Job's testimony of the Savior

Today's scripture mastery is from Job 19:25-26:

 25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Job was an amazing man.  He kept his strong testimony through all his many trials and tribulations. . .His testimony here is clear that he continued to have a strong faith in Christ, and in the resurrection.  He knew that he would be resurrected, and that he would be redeemed through the power and mercy of Christ.

He lost his riches, his family, his health, and his friends, and he still remained strong in his faith.  He did not give up.  That is, for me, an excellent example of "enduring to the end"

I also like these verses from the Doctrine and Covenants.  They come from a revelation given to Joseph Smith, as he was in Liberty jail  (Doctrine and Covenants 122:5-9)

 5 If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

 6 If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

 7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

 8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

 9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.

I like how God comforted Joseph with the promise that even though he would go through many trials (as we all do), that if we stay faithful, and if we don't fear man, that God will be with us.  Our trials, though painful, and difficult, are really for our good.  The trials we face can make us stronger, and better, and more Christlike.  If we trust in God, the trials we face are for our good.

The Lord sees things different than we do

Today's scripture mastery is 1 Samuel 16:7.  In this verse, the prophet Samuel is looking for a new king to replace Saul.  He sees a man that looks very kingly, and wants to anoint him to be Israel's next king.  The Lord tells him this:

7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

The Lord knows our thoughts and our desires.  He knows us better than anyone else does.  That is one of the reasons that the Lord has told us not to judge others unrighteously, as we don't know what is in the heart and mind of those we are judging.  (See my previous post on that)

It is way too easy to judge others quickly by their looks, or by what they wear, or what they say.  It is too easy to dismiss someone from being a friend because they look like they won't "fit in" with our current friends.  It may be that they are just what we need in a friendship.

Often the Lord chooses as his leaders those that we would not have thought of.  He can do that because he knows what is in their heart.  He knows the talents and gifts that that person has (or will develop) even if they may not be apparent to others.

That is one of the reasons that revelation is so important in God's church.  We are often blessed beyond what we would be if we only relied on what our eyes and other senses told us about others.

Choose you this day

Today's scripture mastery is found in Joshua 24:15

 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

This is some very good council.  Decide now whom you will serve.  Don't wait until temptation strikes before you decide.  Decide now to serve the Lord.  It is much more difficult to try and make a good decision when faced with a choice between doing the right, and not.  Especially with how the world makes sin look good. . .

Some of my heroes in the scriptures did this very thing.  They decided before they were faced with temptation that they would not sin.  The first of these that I am thinking of is Daniel.  This is the same Daniel who was thrown in the lions' den.  However, he showed much earlier than that that he would obey the commandments of God.  In Daniel chapter 1, it tells of how he would not "defile himself" by eating the king's food.  He requested the chief servant who was watching over them that he instead be allowed to eat grains and drink water, rather than the rich foods and wine that were being offered.  Because he did that, he was blessed with wisdom and knowledge--even more than all the wise men in the kingdom.

Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, are the others that I was referring to.  They also refused to do things contrary to the commandments of God.  When king Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden idol, and commanded all to worship it, they refused.  They stated boldly to the king that they would not worship the idol (Daniel 3:17-18)

 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

They were willing to die for their beliefs!  They did not know at the time that they would be saved from the furnace by Christ's power. 

We should also have that same determination as Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to do what is right--even before we are faced with the tough choices that will come in our lives.

Scripture study

Joshua 1:8 is today's scripture mastery:

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

The book of the law refers to the scriptures that the Israelites received from Moses.  Joshua, who was the next prophet and leader of the people was promised by the Lord that he would be a successful leader with the people.  One of the pieces of council that he received from the Lord was the verse above.  We learn that if we daily study and meditate on what is in the scriptures, and if we "do according to all that is written" that we will be prosperous.

I know that when I have been faithful in my scripture study, I have been able to find answers to the daily problems I face.

The scriptures have a lot of spiritual power that can be ours if we diligently study them.  Even the Savior knew that.  In fact, when he was being tempted by Satan after fasting for 40 days, he overcame Satan's temptations by the use of scripture (Matthew 4:2-10): 

 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

The primary age children (those under 12 years old) sing a song that teaches about the importance of scriptures.  It is called Scripture Power.  It is a song that my kids like to sing.

Read and study the scriptures each day.  They will help you with whatever challenges you are facing in life.  They do give the strength needed, and have the answers to the questions you are looking for!

The importance of choosing friends/spouse with the same values

Today's scripture mastery is found in Deuteronomy 7:3-4

 3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

Moses was teaching his people this truth while they were wandering in the wilderness for the 40 years after they fled Egypt.  While the council to avoid marrying those of other faiths seems harsh, the reason for that holds true.  If you decide to marry one of another faith, or who holds different values, then it makes it very difficult to hold to the truths that you know to be true.  It makes it difficult for your children to know what to believe, as the parents have different beliefs.  God wants us to be happy, so that is why he gives us that commandment.  If two people have the same values and the same faith, there is much less chance for conflict, and much less chance that one or both of the spouses, and their children will have to make very difficult choices with respect to what to believe.

That same council goes for choosing friends.  The friends that we choose have a huge influence on what choices we make in life.  They can either point us towards good things, or they can lead us away.  The "handbook" for the youth in the church, called For the Strength of Youth, has this council on choosing friends:

Choose your friends carefully. They will greatly influence how you think and act, and even help determine the person you will become. Choose friends who share your values so you can strengthen and encourage each other in living high standards. A true friend will encourage you to be your best self.

To have good friends, be a good friend yourself. Show interest in others and let them know you care about them. Treat everyone with kindness and respect. Go out of your way to be a friend to those who are shy or do not feel included.

Paul taught the Corinthians this (2 Corinthians 6:14):

 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

And Christ's teachings in the sermon on the mount are very relevant here (Matthew 6:24):

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Give Thanks!

With today being Thanksgiving, I decided to give my thoughts on one of my favorite verses about being thankful.  These verses are not one of the scripture mastery verses, but they teach us some very important things about being thankful.  The verses I chose today are found in Doctrine and Covenants 59:15-21

15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—

16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;

17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;

18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;

19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.

20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.

21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.

These verses teach us what the many blessings that are associated with keeping the sabbath  day holy.  Though the many blessings that it refers to are things that we should be grateful for all year long.  These and many other blessings are what I am thankful for, and wish to express my gratitude to God for them.

I also wish to express my gratitude for my family.  I am very grateful for my wonderful wife, and my children.  I am grateful for my parents, for my brothers and sisters.  I am grateful for my in-laws.  I am very grateful for the chance that I have to be on the earth at this wonderful time.  I am especially grateful for the restored gospel.  The knowledge that I have of the atonement of the Savior, and the chance that I have to repent of my many sins is perhaps the greatest blessing that I have to be thankful for.

Thank you!

Don't hold grudges

This is a tough commandment from God.  He has told us to not hold grudges, or to seek revenge. . .Today's scripture mastery is Leviticus 19:18

 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

 This tough commandment is also given to us for our benefit.  When we hold grudges, or seek revenge, it most often doesn't affect the other person much.  It most often affects us greatly though.  Often we think to ourselves "I am going to be mad at so and so, because of what they did"  That other person often goes through life not even knowing that they have offended us.  Sometimes the offense was even done without their realizing that they had hurt us. . .

In Matthew 7:1-2, Christ teaches us more on this:

 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

We don't have all the information in most cases.  It is not our responsibility to do the judging.  If we make a rash judgement, we have been told that the consequence is that we will also be judged rashly.  I know that I need all the help I can get.  I don't want to handicap myself when it is my turn for the final judgement by tipping the scales towards a rash judgement.  I want the judgement to be fair!

Joseph Smith was able to clarify those verses a little.  Here is how he translated those verses:

JST Matt. 7:1–2 Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people. Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged: but judge righteous judgment.

There are cases where people do need to judge.  One of them is a civil judge who has people brought to him in a court of law.  Another is a bishop who judges spiritual matters.  Those people do need to make judgements, but they need to "judge righteously"  They need to do their very best to make their judgement the best they can, without bias and taking in to account all the known facts.  The rest of us however should not presume to judge others.  We should not make ourselves judges.

Probably one of the clearest scriptures on the subject of holding grudges and seeking revenge is found in Doctrine and Covenants 64:9-11:

 9 Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

 10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.

 11 And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.

Moses saw God face to face

Today's scripture mastery is Exodus 33:11

11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

I have referenced this scripture in a previous post.  This scripture has reference to God's physical body.  If God didn't have a physical body, how could he then speak to Moses "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend"?  That verse is not a symbolic verse, as some think, but a literal one.  We know that because of the many other examples of people who have seen God, and have testified of what they have seen.  God establishes his truth to us through the law of witnesses.  The law of witnesses is that He teaches us his truths by at least two separate witnesses, but often many more than that.  The apostle Paul taught that law to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 13:1:

1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

See my previous post for a long list of those witnesses to God, and who have testified that he does have a body.  Though the best witness of any truth is the Holy Ghost.  When the Holy Ghost, who is the third member of the Godhead, testifies, he does it to our heart and mind in such a way that we can truly say for ourselves that we know that what He has testified is the truth.

If there is anything that you would like to know the truth of, if you ask God, in the name of Christ, truly wanting to know the truth of it, the Holy Ghost will teach you.  He will bear witness to you if it is true.  That is the secret of why so many people have come to know for themselves that these things that I have been blogging about here are true.  They are true.  I know it because I have had that witness to me by the Holy Ghost that they are true.  I know that Christ truly is my Savior and my Redeemer.  I know that only through Him can I be saved.  I am truly grateful for His love for me, and for all of us. 

The 10 Commandments

Today's scripture mastery is from Exodus 20:3-17  These verses contain the 10 commandments that God gave to Moses:

 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

 13 Thou shalt not kill.

 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

 15 Thou shalt not steal.

 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

I have highlighted the commonly heard portions of the verses by making those portions bold.

The 10 commandments are still valid today.  God has not rescinded them.  Some of the commandments are still thought to be in force, but others are commonly ignored.  For example, most still believe that "Thou shalt not kill" is a commandment that we should all follow--however, what about "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain", or "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy"?  Or even "Thou shalt not commit adultery"? 

Satan is real.  He is doing his best to erode the commandments given to us by God.  Those commandments have been given to us to point us to happiness.  They have not been given as a way to hinder us, or restrict us, as many believe.

Because God is perfect, He knows what will make us happy.  He knows what the consequences are of disobeying those commandments--and he desires that we be happy.  If we follow the commandments, we have much greater freedom than if we don't.  Satan tries to make us think that when we follow the commandments that we are restricted and limited--but that is a lie.

Think about it.  When someone kills another, they immediately begin fearing that they will be caught.  They then have to be very careful in all they do--they can't go out freely anymore, they must go in to hiding.  And when they are caught, they are put in jail--and eventually, they may even be executed according to the law.  The same happens when we disobey any one of the commandments of God.  We are limited in our freedoms, and it is much more difficult to be happy when we disobey the commandments of God.

The prophet Lehi taught his son Jacob that God wants us to be happy (2 Nephi 2:25)  He said "...men are, that they might have joy."  That desire that God has for us to have joy is why he has given us the commandments.  Lehi also taught Jacob about Christ and how His atonement relates to the commandments that have been given: (2 Nephi 2:9-10)

 9 Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

 10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement—

Our Heavenly Father knew that we would not be perfect, and that we would not be able to keep all the commandments. He knew that we would sin.  That is why he has given to us His Son, Jesus Christ.  Let us do better in keeping the commandments (all of them--not just the ones that are convenient)  Let us repent when we fail to keep them, so that we can take advantage of the mercy and grace of Christ!  Let us be happy as God intends for us to be!

Joseph in Egypt

Today's scripture mastery is about one of my favorite heros from the scriptures.  This is part of the story of Joseph, who was sold in to slavery to Egypt by his brothers, and overcame many many trials through his faith in the Lord, and through his integrity.  This particular verse comes from the part of the story where he is the chief slave in Potiphar's house.  The wife of Potiphar lusted after Joseph, and tempted him to sleep with her.  This is what he said: (Genesis 39:9)

 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Joseph had a great sense of integrity and honor.  He always did his best to do what is right--so he ran.  He ran from Potiphar's wife, and even left his coat there, as she had grabbed it, and wouldn't let go.  Joseph kept his integrity, even though he was wrongfully thrown in prison when Potiphar didn't believe that Joseph was innocent.

Joseph knew that to sin with Potiphar's wife in that way would be worse than if he were thrown in prison.  He knew the seriousness of that sin.  The prophet Alma taught his son Corianton about that as well.  His son had strayed, and Alma was teaching and pleading with him to repent.  This is what Alma taught his son about it (Alma 39:5-9)

5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?

 6 For behold, if ye deny the Holy Ghost when it once has had place in you, and ye know that ye deny it, behold, this is a sin which is unpardonable; yea, and whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea, I say unto you, my son, that it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness.

 7 And now, my son, I would to God that ye had not been guilty of so great a crime. I would not dwell upon your crimes, to harrow up your soul, if it were not for your good.

 8 But behold, ye cannot hide your crimes from God; and except ye repent they will stand as a testimony against you at the last day.

 9 Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things.

The world today teaches the exact opposite of what we are taught about the law of chastity in the scriptures.  The world teaches us that it is OK to have sex before being married.  It teaches that pornography is not bad.  It teaches that an extramarital affair is normal.  We see these false values in the media and on the internet and every place you look.  Those values are just what I said--false values.  If we break the law of chastity, it brings nothing but pain and misery.  It brings despair and darkness.  We must be as Joseph and flee when tempted.  In the world we are in today, we will be tempted. . .We must turn off the computer, cell phone, or the television set when the smut and evil is on it.  This is not an easy thing to do, but we must do it!

We are created in God's image

Today's scripture mastery is Genesis 1:26-27:

 26 ¶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

We have been created in the image of God.  What does that mean?  That means we look like He does.  In previous posts, I have talked about how others have seen God, and have reported that fact.  I have given the example of Joseph Smith, Stephen, Isaiah, and Moses.  God is called Father in Heaven not just in a figurative way.  He is the father of our spirits.  We are his children.   He loves us, and desires our success.  He wants us to return to His presence after our test here on earth.

There are many scriptures that teach us about how God wants us to be like Him.  For a large list of scripture references, take a look at the Topical Guide, under "Man, Potential to Become like Heavenly Father"

I think that one of the reasons families are so important to God, is that this life is a training for us.  One of the things that we are supposed to do while here on earth is to learn to be good parents.  The better parent we become, the more like God we become.  That is one of the reasons that the First Presidency and Quorum of the 12 issued The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  That is why we focus so much energy in the church in protecting and supporting the family unit in the church.

Life before birth

Abraham 3:22-23 is today's scripture mastery verse.  It reads:

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

 23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

Our existence does not begin at birth, nor does it end at death.  Our spirit is eternal.  God made the earth for us, and He made our bodies for us to dwell in while we are here.  God knows us each better than we know ourselves!  He told Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) those truths:

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Those that have been or will be leaders in life have been "called" for those roles before they were even born.  God knows what our talents and capabilities are.  He knows what good we can accomplish here in life. 

Now, I have mentioned in past posts about the importance of our "agency," or our ability to choose.  Just because we have been called to be able to do certain things in life, doesn't mean that we can't choose for ourselves.  That, I think, is one reason why God is angry when we choose to "hide our talents" as the wicked servant in Christ's parable of the talents (found in Matthew 25:14-30)  He has given our talents to us to help and serve others in this life. 

God is angry when we use our gifts and talents to suppress or hurt others.  Joseph Smith teaches us the difference between being called and chosen in Doctrine and Covenants 121:39-40:

 39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.

 40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.

Remember, you are very important to God!  He loves you, and knows you better than you know yourself!  He wants you to make the choices necessary to return to His presence.  That is why he provided the Atonement.  That is why we must have faith in and follow Christ.  For it is only through Christ that we will be able to return to the presence of God.

Zion

Here is another verse found in the Pearl of Great Price, written by the prophet Moses.  It is found in Moses 7:18:

 18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

The Lord wants his people to be united in righteousness.  When we do that, and when we freely give our time and money to helping the poor and needy, we become a Zion people.  The Lord has defined what Zion means in Doctrine and Covenants 97:21:

21 Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn.

King Benjamin taught his people that it is important to help the poor and needy(Mosiah 4:26):

 26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.

Christ taught us the importance of being unified in Doctrine and Covenants 38:27:

27 Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.

If we can be unified as a people in righteousness, and if we can do that, and serve others by helping the poor and the needy, we too can become a Zion people.  It is not easy to overcome our natural desire for selfishness.  But that is what we must do.  We must overcome these selfish desires we each have, and learn to be a Zion people.  Let us follow Christ's example in this--he was always unified with the Father in his desires, and he always helped the poor and needy around him.  Let us do the same.

The work and glory of God

The first of the scripture mastery verses that the youth of the church study along with the Old Testament is actually found in the Pearl of Great Price.  It is a verse written by the prophet Moses, and is found in Moses 1:39:

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

In this verse, Moses learned from Jehovah (Christ) that His work is two fold:
1)To bring to pass immortality for mankind
2)To bring to pass eternal life for mankind

What?  Aren't those the same thing?  No, there is a definite difference between the two.  Christ has given as a free gift to all who have ever lived, or who will live here on earth the gift of the resurrection.  It does not matter if they even believe in Him or not.  They do not have to repent, or do anything other than be born to receive that gift.  We will all be resurrected, and receive a glorified, immortal body.  That is the gift from God of immortality. This will happen sometime before the final judgement. (We believe that those who are righteous and believe in Christ will be resurrected first, and those who are not will have to wait until much later to be resurrected)  There is a good summary of the first and last resurrections in the Guide to the Scriptures:

All people will not be resurrected to the same glory (1 Cor. 15:39–42; D&C 76:89–98), nor will all be resurrected at the same time (1 Cor. 15:22–23; Alma 40:8; D&C 76:64–65, 85). Many Saints were resurrected after Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 27:52). The righteous will be resurrected before the wicked and will come forth in the first resurrection (1 Thes. 4:16); the unrepentant sinners will come forth in the last resurrection (Rev. 20:5–13; D&C 76:85).

The second great work of Christ that is mentioned is eternal life.  Christ gives eternal life only to those that repent and follow Him.  Eternal life is defined as returning to His presence to be able to dwell there eternally.  That is the greatest gift that He has for us.  Christ defined for us eternal life in his great intercessory prayer to the Father while he was in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17:2-3):

 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Alma teaches his people who were preparing to join the church by baptism what is need in order know God as Christ taught, and to receive eternal life (Mosiah 18:8-9):

 8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

Let us help Christ with his great work.  Let us strive to live our lives in such a way that we can receive from Him both immortality and eternal life!  Let us serve others, and comfort and help them, just as Christ would have us do!

Moving on to the Old Testament

I have now finished discussing the 25 scripture mastery verses from the New Testament--Now I will share my thoughts on the scripture mastery from the Old Testament.  Again, for those of you who don't know, these verses are what every young adult member of the church studies during the year (they are encouraged to memorize these verses) in the seminary program.  This is a program where they study one of the 4 books of scripture, known as the standard works(The Old Testament and New Testaments in the Bible, The Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants) each year.  By the time they are done with High School, they have studied all of the standard works of the church.

Judgment Day

Today's scripture mastery is found in Revelation 20:12-13:

 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

John teaches us here that when we are judged, it will be according to what has been recorded in the books that are kept.  The things that are written in those books are the works we have done.

We are also judged according to the thoughts of our hearts (Doctrine and Coventants 137:9)

 9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.

Christ is the Judge of this final judgement.  He will righteously pronounce judgement upon all of us who ever lived here on earth.

I hope to exercise my faith in Him, and obey His commandments, and serve my fellow man, so that I may be found worthy at the judgement day.  I know that if I am found worthy, it will not be because of my works, but rather because the Lord knows my heart, and makes up the difference.  He will do that for anybody who sincerely repents of his/her sins, and has a firm faith in Him.  I hope that I can continue to exercise my faith in Christ throughout my life, and not waver in my dedication to Him.

The everlasting gospel to be restored in the lattter days

Today's scripture mastery comes from the book of Revelation 14:6-7

 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The book of Revelation has a lot of prophesy in it that will happen in the "latter days."  This is one of those things that John prophesied would happen.

We believe that this is one prophesy that is mostly complete.  The angel has already come to restore the everlasting gospel to the world.  We have again on the earth the "fullness of the gospel"  I said that this is mostly complete, because the gospel is not yet being freely taught in all countries (though there are more and more of them each day), and there are members of our church in every nation around the world.

It is amazing to see how the hand of the Lord works in bringing forth his Gospel to those countries that have in the past been closed to it.  It is not very long ago that the "Iron Curtain" fell, and the Berlin wall came down.  We now have missionaries in countries that many thought would never be there.  My brother in law served his mission in Russia for example.  China is starting to open up little by little.  I was living in Rochester, MN a few years ago, and while I was there, there was a doctor from China that was on a medical exchange at the Mayo Clinic.  While he was here, he learned of Christ, and the church.  He joined our church, and has since returned to China.  The Chinese government has allowed him to practice his new faith, though does not yet allow him to share it with anybody outside of his immediate family.  I believe that it won't be long before this faithful man will be allowed to freely share what he has learned with those around him.

Faith and Works

Today's scripture mastery is James 2:17-18

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James here teaches what the correlation is between faith and works.  There are some misunderstandings between our church and other Christian faiths over our understanding of the importance of faith and works.  Some churches believe that faith only is necessary, and some claim that since we emphasize that we must have works, that we are somehow diminishing or denying the Grace of Christ.

Here is a verse that seems to teach that(Ephesians 2:8-9):

 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

I think that we sometimes talk past each other on this issue, based on our understanding of the scriptures.  I hope to explain what we believe in a way that doesn't do that.

We absolutely believe in the Grace of Christ.  Through his atoning sacrifice in Gethsemane and on the Cross, He made it possible for any of us to return to His presence.  Without His Grace, NONE OF US will be able to return to God.  We are all imperfect, and we have all sinned.  That is not something that we can overcome by ourselves, no matter how many works we do.  We absolutely need Christ.  Without question, we need Him!

The works in the gospel comes naturally in our lives when we believe the gospel.  When we have faith in Christ, we naturally desire to do what He wants us to do.  Christ himself taught this: "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15)

We teach the importance of works(works meaning keeping the commandments, and serving others,etc), because Christ himself taught that.  We know that any works that we do does not make up for our shortcomings.  But we do it 1) to show our faith as James taught, 2) to show our Love and gratitude to Christ, and 3) to try and bring the blessings we have received through the gospel to our fellow man.

Faith and Works go hand in hand.  It is very difficult, I would say impossible even, to really have one without the other.  If we don't yet have faith, but we follow the commandments, our faith will develop and grow.  If we really have faith, we will be restless and uncomfortable unless we DO the things that Christ has taught.

I really like the parable that Alma taught about faith.  He compared faith to a seed.  It is found in Alma 32:28-43.  I don't have room here to quote the whole thing, but Alma teaches that if we don't yet have faith, we can test it by "planting" the seed of faith, watering and nurturing it(i.e. works), and waiting for it to grow.  If it grows, we know it is a good seed, and we now have faith.  He continues to say that we must continue to water it and nurture that seed of faith (i.e. continue to do works)--because if we don't the seed will wither and die (our faith will diminish and die).  This is not because the faith was not true faith, but that without the works, our faith cannot be sustained.

Ask God. He Will Answer

Today's scripture mastery is probably one of the better known scriptures in our church.  It is James 1:5-6:

 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

This is a very neat promise from God.  Who among us doesn't lack in wisdom?  There is always something that we should know-something that will help us in whatever situation we may be in in life. . .

God is a God of Truth and Wisdom.  He is omniscient (all knowing).  And more than that, he is willing to impart of that knowledge to any who come to him in faith. 

This is not a promise only for certain people, such as Joseph Smith-no, this is a promise to "all men"!  God has promised that if we come to him in faith seeking wisdom, he will "upbraideth not" (The greek word that upbraideth was translated from means reproaches or censures.)  In other words, as you may have heard others say in school or work before: "There are no dumb questions."  God will not belittle us for coming to him with what we may feel are small questions, or hold back his answers.  He only asks that we come to Him in faith, believing that we will receive an answer.


That is what revelation is.  You are entitled to personal revelation, straight from God.  If you have need of knowlege or wisdom from God--just ask!


God really does answer prayers.  He always answers our sincere prayers.  Sometimes the answer doesn't come as quickly as we would hope, and sometimes the answer is "no" when we were hoping for a "yes", but he always does answer.

The Priesthood

Hebrews 5:4 is today's scripture mastery.  In it, Paul teaches about who will receive the priesthood:

4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

It is not up to us if we receive the priesthood.  We can not just decide one day that we want it, and take it upon ourselves to preach the gospel and baptize.  The priesthood is not something that we can buy the right to.  We learn that from Peter in Acts 8:18-20:

 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

We must prepare ourselves for receiving the priesthood by living righteously, by keeping the commandments.  We must desire to use it to serve others.  If we are living righteously, we may be blessed with the ordination to the priesthood.  We will receive it by "the laying on of hands by those who are in authority." (Article of Faith #5)

God is a God of order.  He has a very specific way of doing things.  I have heard it explained like this:

Suppose you, an ordinary citizen, saw a person speeding past you on the freeway.  You know that this is against the law, so you accelerate past them, pull them over, and try to give them a ticket.  Would the ticket you gave them be valid?  Would the judge in court honor it?  Of course not.  It is the same with the priesthood.  We must be given the priesthood by one who is authorized to give it to us.  Just as a police officer must receive the authority he has from those that have the authority above him.

Similarly, a police officer should be held to a high standard, and can't take his authority as an opportunity to take advantage of others.  He can not, for example, pull over anybody he wants, pull them out of the car, and beat them--just because he feels like it.  The authority he has must be used within certain bounds.  Similarly, a priesthood holder must not use his priesthood to hold a position of dominion over others.  Doctrine and Covenants 121:36-37 says this:

 36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

 37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

There is a sad story in the scriptures about a man who tried to use the priesthood for his personal gain. This is the story of Gehazi, who was a servant of the prophet Elisha.  Elisha had just healed the man Naaman from his leprosy, and had refused any payment for the service.  Gehazi had thought that he could profit from it, and followed after Naaman's party, and lied saying that Elisha had changed his mind, and wanted something in return.  This is found in 2 Kings 5:20-27.  We read in verse 27 that Gehazi was punished for this by receiving Naaman's leprosy.

The priesthood is given to us to bless the lives of others.  It is not given to prop us up in power over others, or to make us wealthy, or to make us better than others in any way.  Those who hold the priesthood, must follow the example of Jesus.  He never used his priesthood to bring himself glory or riches or honor--He used it freely to help the sick and needy, and to bless the lives of those around Him.

Scripture

Today's scripture mastery verse comes from 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

This verse ties in very well to the 8th Article of Faith, which I wrote about here, as well as the 9th Article of Faith, which I wrote about here.  We are unique among the Christian sects in that we don't believe that the scripture cannon is closed. 

This fits in very well with what we learn in Hebrews 13:8, that Jesus is "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."  Because He does not change, He still wishes to reveal to us (when we are ready) new things that will be for our benefit.  We learn in 2 Nephi 29:9 that He has promised to give us more scripture:

 9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

We often read in the scriptures that we must ask, and we will receive.  Many important scriptures have been given, because the prophets have followed that council.  They have been pondering a particular problem, and the Lord has then revealed to them additional scripture.  This is how we received the important revelations such as the Word of Wisdom, and that the priesthood can now be held by all worthy male members of the church.

I believe that we will continue to receive additional scripture that will benefit mankind.  God wants us all to come to Him, learn of Him, and be happy.  If we read and ponder the scriptures, we can know those things that will bring us closer to God, and help us avoid those things that will bring misery in our lives.

The state of the world

Paul taught Timothy what the world would be like in the last days.  It sounds an awful lot like the state of the world today. . .  2 Timothy 3:1-5 is today's scripture mastery:

 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

These attributes that Paul describes here are not attributes that I would like to be described by. . .

These are, unfortunately, attributes that can be used to describe many in the world today.  Just turn on the TV, or look around on the internet.  It does not take long to find people who these attributes describe very well.

I think the best advice from these verses is this "from such turn away."  In other words--don't "hang out" with, or spend time with those who (i.e. make friends with) those who do these things.  We especially don't wan't to accept their ways!  The reason is very simple--these are all attributes that describe the "natural man."  King Mosiah in the Book of Mormon describes the natural man as an enemy to God (Mosiah 3:19)

 19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Now, this doesn't mean that we should "shun" those that do these things.  Heavenly Father still loves them and wants the best for them that He can give them as well.  We should do all that is in our power to help them see the error of their ways.  We should help them to "put off the natural man" as Mosiah said.  We should continue to show love to them.  In short, we should love the sinner, but not the sin.

The Apostasy and the Restoration

Today's scripture mastery is 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.  In it Paul teaches that Christ won't come again, until after the church falls in to apostasy:

 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

We believe that Christ's original church did fall away in to apostasy.  That is why there are so many different Christian churches, but that all have different beliefs. . .

Now, we believe that the men that attempted to bring the Church back to the way Christ intended were inspired men.  But the time was not yet ready for the restoration.  Wonderful men such as John Calvin,  Martin Luther, and William Tyndale(and many others besides) did some very important things that helped prepare the way for the full restoration of the Gospel.

Just recently we celebrated the 400th anniversary of the translation of the Bible in to English (The work of John Tyndale)  Prior to his work, the common man did not have access to the teachings of Christ in the Bible--other than in Latin, or Hebrew, and then only what the priest wanted to share.  There is a wonderful documentary about the coming forth of the Bible that can be seen here:

The time for the full restoration (not reformation) of Christ's church came in 1820, when Joseph Smith was searching for which church to join.  He had been going to each of the different denominations, trying to figure out which was the "right" church that he should join.  After reading the Bible, and reading in James 1:5 that he should ask God--he did.  That is when he saw God the Father, and His son, Jesus Christ.  They told Joseph that the fullness of the gospel would be restored through him.  To Joseph, the priesthood was restored, additional scripture was given, and the organization of the church as Christ had set up was brought back.

Now, we still don't know when Christ will return in the second coming.  We do know that it is "soon"--though "soon" is in God's time frame, not ours. . .  We can see that the revelations in the scriptures that need to be fulfilled before Christ returns are being fulfilled more and more though.

If you are interested, here is a large list of scriptures that refer to the Apostasy, and the Restoration.

The purpose of the organization of the church

Paul taught about the purpose of the organization of the church in today's scripture mastery.  It is found in Ephesians 4:11-14

 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

We have the same organization that Christ used to organize his church when he set up his church anciently.  The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are in the church to help us learn, and they have the priesthood of God.  One of the biggest reasons for the church organization, is to lift and help the members of the church.  It is a good place to go to receive the word of God.  It is a place to learn of Christ.  It is a place where the members of the church can help and lift one another.  I like this verse in Doctrine and Covenants 50:22:

 22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are ^aedified and ^brejoice together.

When we meet each week in church, we are "edified."  Our spirits are lifted, and we gain strength to make it through the next week's challenges.  Each Sunday, we have the opportunity to learn and be edified in many ways.  Each Sunday, we have what we call the "3 hour block" of meetings.  The most important of those meetings each week is the sacrament meeting.  It is here where everybody gathers and partakes of the sacrament and sings hymns and listens to sermons.  The other two hours are for more individualized lessons.  The young children go to primary classes, where they learn about Jesus and sing songs.  The older children go to sunday school.  The adults go to their choice of classes--either "Gospel Essentials" (where the basics of the gospel are taught) or "Gospel Doctrine" (where the scriptures are studied and discussed more in depth).  The third hour is another set of classes.  The young children remain in primary.  They youth go to sunday school.  The women go to "Relief Society", and the men go to "priesthood quorum."  Here each of us learn how we can strengthen ourselves and help one another.  To read about how each group of people is taught and served individually in these classes, look here

Church is more than just a Sunday thing though.  If done properly, it is a lifestyle change.  We have ways in the church to help and support each other throughout the week.  Some of the better known ways are the program of Home Teaching, and Visiting Teaching.  At least once a month, every member is visited in their home by other members of the church.  A short gospel lesson is taught, and if there are other needs the family has, they can be assessed.  Needs such as illness or injury, or if the family needs help with other items (such as being out of work, or a death in the family, moving in or out of the area, etc) can be provided for.  The members visiting the family have an opportunity to serve each family they visit.  If the need of the family is larger than they are able to help with individually, they bring the need to the bishop of the local congregation, who has many other resources at his disposal to help that family.

The youth have the opportunity to learn from the scriptures each school day in a program called seminary.  College age people learn additional scripture from the institute program.

The church does much more than just help it's own members though.  The church helps millions around the world each day, regardless of their religion, or nationality.  It has a very well developed, and respected humanitarian program.  Every natural disaster the church has sent its resources to help those in need.  This includes famine, flood, earthquake, and all other natural disasters around the world.  It also includes programs to bring clean water to areas of the world that don't have it.  They also provide medical resources, such as wheelchairs and immunization programs, and teach local farmers how to better increase food production to feed their communities.  There are many more things that the church is doing to help God's children all around the world. Read more about the humanitarian outreach of the church here.  We are known as a service oriented people.  We have many opportunities to serve and help those around us.  Some of these service opportunities are also open to people who are not members of our church as well.  Take a look here to see what some of those service opportunities are for both members and non members alike.

In summary--the church is here to bless mankind.  It is here to bless the lives of all of God's children, both spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  God loves his children, and wants us to help and serve one another.  Pick a way that you can serve others, and feel the joy of service.  Use Christ as your example as you serve!

What happens after we die?

Today's scripture mastery is 1 Corinthians 15:40-42.  In it, Paul continues his teaching to the Corinthians about the resurrection, and includes these verses:

 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

Here Paul gives a glance at what is to come after the resurrection and final judgement.  These different glories that he compares to the glory of the sun, moon, and stars is a reference to where we may end up depending on how we live our lives.

Joseph Smith received a very detailed revelation about this subject, and it is found in Doctrine and Covenants 76

First, those that are faithful to their covenants, have been baptised, and "overcome by faith" with be given the Celestial Glory: (Doctrine and Covenants 76:70)

  70 These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.

Those who receive the next glory(The Terrestrial) are those who:

 74 Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it.

 75 These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men.

and this:

 79 These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.

Those who will receive the lowest degree of glory are those who were not good people here on earth, and who did not accept Christ, either here on earth or after they died:

 81 And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament.

 82 These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus.

 83 These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit.

 84 These are they who are thrust down to hell.

 85 These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work.

 Let us be faithful, and repent, so that we can live with God and Christ in the Celestial Glory!