It doesn’t seem to matter how I try
These thoughts just keep returning to my mind

 

Will He really answer me?
Will He see what my heart needs?
Will He have the time for me?
Will really answer me?

 

He’s never broken His promise, He’ll be there.
He hears each word and each heartfelt thought in prayer
He’s devoted to you. He’ll help you know what is true.
That’s what He’s promised to do.

 

He answered me.
(He’ll answer you.)
He answered me.
(He’ll answer you.)

 

“Will He Answer Me” by Michael McLean.

Can You Even Remember All of Their Names?

I remember wondering how He possibly could love everyone unconditionally and answer everyone’s prayers. I didn’t doubt His capacity to love, but there are 7 billion people on Earth then. So, really?

One day in Relief Society, someone I totally admired mentioned that as a young mom she struggled to understand how God could love everyone in the whole world. Did He really know her? As she wrestled with her question, she attended a family reunion with her husband and four children. She was the only member of the Church of Jesus Christ in her family and some members of her family considered four children to be excessive.

“That’s so many children! Can you even remember all their names?!”

Of course, she could remember all their names! What a silly question! She was offended that someone would even wonder if she could remember her children’s names.

At that moment, the Holy Ghost taught her that the number of Heavenly Father’s children isn’t too excessive for Him to remember all of their names either. Just as she loves and cares for her children individually and collectively, God does the same for each and all of His children.

They Are Mine

In his astonishing vision, Moses marveled at numberless amount of God’s children. So. Many. People. Why were they all created?

And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered. …

And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore. …

And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying … they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. …

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

Does God Really Know Who I Am?

Humanity wasn’t created as a bulk experiment! An infinitesimal glob of humanity wasn’t God’s intention.

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

He created each one individually in His image and with glorious purpose—immortality and eternal life!

He knows who we are because He created us! He knows our names, our personalities, our habits, and desires. He designs, if we will, to bring us back into His presence partakers of immortality and eternal life.

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

Will He answer your prayer? Absolutely, yes! I have no idea how He’s able to attend to each of our needs as a tender parent does. But I know that He does tend to me as a tender parent does. I see His hand in my life through miracles and blessings that specifically bring me joy, even through the simplest things like sequential green lights or new species of flowers I’ve never seen before.

As I believe in Him, I see His purposes unfold. I begin to hear His voice. I begin to feel Him near. I trust that He is my Father and I am His child, and so are you. And He promises us

I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, saith the Lord

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

The point of having pantry treasures is creation.

As the creator, I decide on an outcome. If needed, I consult a recipe. Sometimes I need to grab ingredients from the store.

I thought about the impact of one individual ingredient today as I stood on Aisle 15 scanning the shelves for my specific treasure. The end result is good without that ingredient, but fantastic with it. It’s a small thing with a unique flavor that can influence all the other flavors it combines with.

[O]ut of small things proceedeth that which is great.

Standing in the baking aisle looking for mint chocolate chips, the Holy Ghost taught me about spiritual gifts.

Seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;

For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do;

For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

As I plan my creation and follow my recipe, I gather the ingredients/treasures/spiritual gifts that I need. Then I combine those ingredients, usually by vigorous beating and intense heat, until each of the ingredient’s flavor and texture gives way to a united whole, blending together, and becoming something altogether new and delicious to me.

After my creation is complete, I exclaim, “It is good!”

 And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good.

One small ingredient combined with other ingredients produces amazing results.

In my mind, I saw many different people with spiritual gifts. I saw recipes to create families and unified wards and happiness. I saw recipes that looked like presidencies and spouses and friends. I saw the Lord’s work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children.

And His recipes called for all of His treasures, His children, with specific talents and abilities, visions and dreams, armed with spiritual gifts reflecting parts of His nature to build and lift each other and glorify Him.

So, we find ourselves in life’s mixing bowl with others who seem as fundamentally different from us as butter from sugar. However, as the beating begins, butter and sugar blend beautifully together, creating the perfect foundation for eggs and vanilla and flour, et cetera, to form a yummy dough.

But blending isn’t enough. The ingredients are then melded together in heat to become the perfect, delectable cookie.

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

Each ingredient is vital to the creator’s planned outcome. Each ingredient provides different yet perfectly suited properties to the cookie.

So is each person in our journey. Each is vital to our progress. We can learn from everyone, from an interaction’s happiness or triggers. Despite feeling intense mixing and heat, we can trust that the end result will be delicious and desirable.

A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

I am the small thing that, with great mixing and intense heat, becomes unified with others to fulfill God’s work and glory.

And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

Before Adam and Eve ever entered the Garden of Eden, or even before the world was formed, we lived with our Heavenly Parents. Through a process of creation that I don’t quite understand, our spirit/souls were created—with personalities, gender, & especially our divine characteristic of Choice. We lived in Heaven before coming to Earth.

God taught us, His children. We grew—all of us… Billions of souls. We wanted to be like Him, but we could not—yet. His experiences were so beyond the realm of our existence. Yet, like any mortal father, His greatest joy and desire was that we could gain experience and have joy and become like Him.

During the great council in Heaven, Father presented a glorious plan whereby an earth would be prepared. We would come to that earth, clothing our spirits with bodies of flesh & blood, learn of Him, and choose.

Father is perfect, pure & has said that no unclean thing can dwell in His presence. He knew we would often make poor choices and the eternal law of Justice would negate our ability to return to Him, so He prepared the most glorious Way. The Savior Jesus Christ agreed to break the bands of sin and death—to atone for all of our sins, the sins of others to us, as well as our grief, fears, burdens, and sorrows if we would choose to repent of those sins.

Some rejected the plan, objecting to the notion that through choice, we could choose to “fail” to return to God and ultimately desiring His honor for themselves. The book of Revelation records this event as war in heaven where Michael & his angels fought against the dragon, Satan; then, Satan & his angels were cast down to the earth.

The First Married Couple—Adam and Eve

God introduced Adam & Eve into the Garden of Eden—the first married couple on this earth. Father gave two seemingly opposite commandments—one to multiply & replenish the earth and the other to not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

I love how already in the story, the Father obviates the need for His Son—commandments enable us to see God’s standard and the paramount need for a Savior who can reconcile us with God. So, the couple realizes that without a Fall, they cannot keep the first commandment and they partake of the fruit, complete the Fall to mortality’s flesh and blood. Then, Adam and Eve are able to bear children and teach them of the Father’s plan of happiness and the commandments and necessary ordinances to return to Him.

And they also died.

When we die, of course, our body is buried in the earth until the Resurrection, but our immortal spirit goes to the spirit world to await the Savior’s triumphant Second Coming, our resurrection and final judgment. The Savior referred to this place to the thief on the cross.

Peter wrote of a vision where he saw the Savior’s spirit, while His body was in the tomb, going to the Spirit world and preaching to those who had been disobedient. How many people have lived and died without ever hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ!? And yet, God, in His infinite justice & mercy, prepares a way for all to learn of Christ and accept Him and the ordinances necessary for Salvation.

The Savior organized the hosts of the righteous to continue preaching to those who had not heard His gospel. That work still continues.

Jesus Christ’s Atonement—the most important event of our eternity—overcame all of the effects of the Fall and enabled the possibilities of Resurrection and life after this life! The scriptures speak of two types—immortality and eternal life. Immortality means to be saved from the awful grasp of death and hell and receive a resurrected body of flesh and bones. All men and women who have been born in this life will be resurrected because of Christ’s atoning grace.

Eternal life means to be saved from the awful grasp of death and hell, to be resurrected with a glorified body of flesh and bones, and to live eternally in the presence of God.

 Paul specifically taught of varying levels of salvation—one glory Celestial, one glory Terrestrial, one glory Telestial (sun, moon, stars). The scriptures testify that all will recognize Jesus is the Savior, but still not all will accept Him and repent of their sins (telestial). Some will accept Him as their Savior, but not choose to follow the ordinances He commanded (terrestrial).

Some, like Cain & Judas, have had great knowledge of Jesus Christ, but “crucified Him unto themselves & put Him to an open shame.” These become the sons of Perdition forever to dwell in the lake of fire and brimstone. Lucifer & his angels who originally rejected Jesus Christ during the War in Heaven are also in this group of damned souls. They will not be resurrected because they never received a body at all. (Eternal damnation means no salvation in any glory.)

The final group gains eternal life and are those whose faith and works are consistent with the principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Christ. They are valiant in their testimonies of Him (celestial).

New and Everlasting Covenant—A Celestial Covenant

God covenanted with Abraham that if he were righteous, He would establish a new and everlasting covenant with him. This covenant promised Abraham eternal life, priesthood, numberless posterity, and land.

Jacob sealed blessings on the head of his sons before he died. Some of those blessings related to their posterity.

Malachi declared that the hearts of the fathers must be sealed to their children and the hearts of the children sealed to their fathers or the whole world would be cursed and the whole purpose of the earth wasted.

Jesus promised His Apostles that what they sealed on earth would be sealed in heaven. Elijah sealed the heavens from rain. Jeremiah sealed prophecies about the destruction of the house of Israel. There are so many examples of how the sealing power of heaven functions on Earth.

One of the most important ways to participate in sealing is by fulfilling ordinances given by God to man. Ordinances like baptism, the confirmation of the gift of the Holy Ghost, sacrament, washing and anointing, marriage are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise.

Throughout the ages, consistently and with great promise, these ‘acts’ are mortal acts and they have to be done in the earthly sphere. If righteousness is maintained by works and through faith on the Savior’s grace, the ordinance is sealed on earth. And bound in heaven. And eternal.

So what about those who didn’t hear the “good news” while on Earth? The Savior’s vicarious act of ransoming us teaches us the way we can benefit others—not in the magnitude of ransoming sin, of course—but that the eternal principles to which God adheres is merciful, just, and fair to all of His children.

While teaching about the resurrection, Paul exclaimed, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?”

The Savior established His Holy House, the temple, as the authorized place for ordinances necessary for salvation to be performed on behalf of those who died without hearing the Gospel.

As genealogies are traced, a mortal person takes the name (one by one) of someone who has died and performs the ordinances for them, or on their behalf. Does this negate the deceased’s free will? Absolutely not! The spirit man or woman can decline the work. But everyone will be given the opportunity to accept or reject the work done for them.

The Savior taught that there will be so much work to do to ensure that every person has the opportunity to accept or reject His word that a Millennium would be necessary after His Second Coming to finish the work—before the resurrection & final judgment.

Once when the Sadducees and Pharisees were arguing about whether there be a resurrection, the Sadducees asked Jesus to which husband a woman who was married to a man who died and then given to each of his brothers would marry in the resurrection. Of course, these men didn’t believe in a resurrection at all anyway, but Jesus provided critical evidence that after the resurrection, these ordinances are not performed. Everything must be done before the resurrection.

Qualifications for Marriage in the Celestial Kingdom

However, marriage is not eternal unless—1) Performed by proper authority/priesthood, 2) Performed in the proper place, 3) the covenant (the couple & God) is upheld with pure fidelity and righteousness. This sealing is only efficacious for those who obtain the celestial kingdom and eternal life.

If one is not sealed in marriage, one cannot enter the highest realm of the celestial kingdom.

In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.

So, in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, families created on this earth continue with husband sealed to wife after the example of our Heavenly Parents.

Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world.

 

Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.

 

For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever.

 

And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife, and make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that covenant is not by me or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power, then it is not valid neither of force when they are out of the world, because they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by my word; when they are out of the world it cannot be received there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by whom they cannot pass; they cannot, therefore, inherit my glory; for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God.

 

And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.

So, What Does Celestial Marriage Mean to Me? Everything!

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

The sole desire of my heart is to be resurrected to eternal life and live with God forever. The majority of my life’s intent has been spent seeking, finding, understanding and applying spiritual truths through the Spirit of God.

I know I am His child. I know He has a plan for His children. Because of that plan, especially because of the grace of Jesus Christ, I act with faith and repent of my sins and strive to magnify the covenants I have made with God.

Marrying Anthony in the temple was, for me, the single most important decision I have ever made—the culminating decision of a lifetime of decisions. But, the journey didn’t end at the temple doors. We believe in an eternity together if we keep our covenants. Because of that possibility, I truly have joy!!!

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees

The Pharisees complained that the record Jesus bore was not true and that He shouldn’t be bearing record of Himself. Jesus declares that His testimony is, in fact, true.  But they don’t have to take only His word for it. In verse 18, Jesus said His Father also bore witness of Him.

I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

I love the image of the Savior knowing that He followed the Father’s designs and commandment exactly and, with full expectation, He knew that the Father would stand by Him and witness of Him.

While still pondering on that scripture, I tried to remember the ways Heavenly Father bore witness of His Son.

God the Father Spoke At Jesus’s Baptism

John the Baptist heard and bore record that the Father spoke at His Son’s baptism.

And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and John saw, and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Jesus.

 

And lo, he heard a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him.

The Father Testified of His Son on the Mount of Transfiguration

God the Father spoke to Peter, James, and John as they received keys on the Mount of Transfiguration.

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

 

And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

 

And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

 

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

 

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

 

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

 

And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

After His Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem, the Father Bore Witness

The Father bore record again of His Son. Some heard His voice, others heard the voice as a clap of thunder, while others still thought an angel spoke.

Triumphal Entry (Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem), by Harry Anderson

And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

 

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

 

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

 

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

 

Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

 

The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

 

Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

Heavenly Father Shares the Savior’s Mission with Moses

Moses’ great encounter with God the Father and Jehovah testified of Christ’s divine mission and purpose.

And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

 

But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

The Father Commanded Nephi to Follow His Beloved Son

While teaching his people about following Jesus Christ, Nephi shared that Heavenly Father spoke to him.

And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

 

And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.

 

And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

God the Father Bore Witness of His Son to the Nephites

Like those in Jerusalem who heard a clap of thunder and didn’t understand the Father’s voice, when the Father spoke to the Nephites, they didn’t discern His words. However, unlike those in Jerusalem who couldn’t understand the Father’s voice, the Nephites focused on the sound, straining to understand it. Finally, they all heard the Father’s witness of His Beloved Son.

And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

 

And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.

 

And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.

 

And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:

 

Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

 

And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them….

The Father Bore Witness of Jesus Christ during the First Vision

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

In this dispensation, God the Father again witnessed of His Beloved Son to Joseph Smith, appearing to the young man in answer to a fervent prayer.

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

These are the incidents I can think of where God the Father directly references Jesus Christ as His Beloved Son. The scriptures overflow with stories and commandments that directly or indirectly teach of the Father’s love for His Son and stand as the Father’s witness of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

Satan’s sole purpose in his life is to make everyone as miserable as he is, and the best way to do this is to battle truth. If he can turn people away from God, the Savior, and the saving doctrines, he can make people miserable and win his battle. He has a variety of methods he employs in this battle. Knowing some of them can help us protect ourselves from him. The Book of Mormon suggests several of these methods for us to evaluate and prepare to fight.

For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good. (2 Nephi 28:20)

Sometimes when I ask people visiting my church why they came, they tell me they attended some classes on “witnessing” to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes nicknamed Mormons) and were taken aback by the rage against our church expressed in those classes. They decided to come and see for themselves if the classes were telling the truth. They felt the church, to inspire such rage, must be truly evil or be so true Satan was afraid of it and trying to keep people away. Often those people convert after visiting a while and realizing the church had been unintentionally misrepresented, which led to a desire to find out for themselves what was true.

In the political field, we see great rage against those who choose to obey God instead of man. They are labeled bigots, old-fashioned, out of touch… anything that might embarrass them into “conforming.” True Christians understand that truth is truth and God’s truth matters more than the fleeting views of a self-centered world.

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. (2 Nephi 28:21)

Some people don’t need rage to lead them away. All they need to do is put on what is sometimes called rose-colored glasses. They go to church and then wander through their week, not doing anything to help themselves or others. They may see attacks on truth and on God, but trust everything will just go away on its own or won’t really cause any trouble. They tune out the need for good people to work incessantly until the battle is won. When those who know the truth do nothing, Satan wins, and, as this scripture points out, he can win us as well. We can be led carefully away, without even seeing it happen, simply because we aren’t paying attention.

We often focus more on the “Do Not” commandments than on the “Do” commandments. As we read the scriptures, we should note that there are things we are not to do, but there are many things the scriptures instruct us to do. When we neglect those, Satan gains an opening into our lives.

We can’t let those who oppose morality and truth do all the talking if we want God to win the battle for souls.

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. (2 Nephi 28:22)

“Don’t let Satan string you along” —New Era’s October 2010 Mormonad

This particular method seems to be one of Satan’s favorites today. We live in an atmosphere in which self-centeredness is celebrated. We’re told to do whatever we want and expect others to accept and applaud. Whether it involves turning God’s established family patterns upside down, leaving children to explore a world of freedom, or enjoying our favorite sin, many people give no thought to accountability. When we convince people that nothing is really wrong, that God won’t hold them accountable for things the scriptures clearly state are wrong, we let Satan win. After all, if we don’t believe there is consequence nor punishment for sin, most of us won’t bother to avoid it.

I find this verse’s use of the word flattereth interesting. Satan flatters people by saying there is no sin. I’ve heard people (typically people with no faith in God) state there is no higher power than themselves—a scary thought when applied to anyone but God—and I think this might be what the scripture refers to. When we believe we get to make all the rules for our lives without taking into consideration God, our families, or anyone else, we make ourselves the highest authority. That is flattery, and a powerful tool for Satan to employ.

These verses outlined three methods used by Satan to win his battle against us: getting us furiously angry at righteousness, causing us to ignore the evil around us, and convincing us there is no sin. If we stay alert, we can avoid getting caught up in these traps and stay safe.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

There are many people who don’t believe in God, and there are many others who believe in Him, but believe that once Jesus’ earthly ministry ended, God decided His work was done and lost interest in the people yet to come until after they died.

Nephi, an early Book of Mormon prophet, talked about this to his people:

3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord—
 

4 And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.
 

5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;
 

6 Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work. (2 Nephi 28)

At no time has God ever turned His back on His children. He’s our Father in Heaven and He loves us. There have indeed been times when the fullness of the gospel wasn’t on the earth and there were no prophets to guide us. For instance, after the Savior and his apostles were gone, there were no more prophets for a time, due to the way the world had treated the Savior and His followers. They killed the Savior and those who tried to carry on His work, so God stopped calling prophets. Had they reacted differently, an apostasy wouldn’t have occurred.

However, even during this time, God didn’t abandon us. We’ve always been able to turn to God on a personal level. People throughout history have prayed at critical moments in their lives and in the history of the world. Through the Light of Christ, God could allow even those without the gift of the Holy Ghost or access to a prophet to know what was true and right if they chose to ask.

The late Joseph B. Wirthlin, who was a high-ranking church official known as a General Authority, said:

“As the sun gives life and light to the earth, a spiritual light gives nourishment to our spirits. We call this the Light of Christ. The scriptures teach us that it “lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” 2 Thus, all mankind can enjoy its blessings. The Light of Christ is the divine influence that allows every man, woman, and child to distinguish between good and evil. It encourages all to choose the right, to seek eternal truth, and to learn again the truths that we knew in our premortal existence but have forgotten in mortality.

 

The Light of Christ should not be confused with the personage of the Holy Ghost, for the Light of Christ is not a personage at all. Its influence is preliminary to and preparatory to one’s receiving the Holy Ghost. The Light of Christ will lead the honest soul to “hearkeneth to the voice” 3 to find the true gospel and the true Church and thereby receive the Holy Ghost.” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Unspeakable Gift,” Ensign, May 2003, 26)

God knew we needed prophets to get us through the first days of the world and to prepare us for the arrival of the Savior. The final days are equally important and also require the guidance of prophets. God has restored the fullness of His gospel to help us prepare for the return of the Savior to the earth and is actively guiding His church.

While in the past, we had to seek out all answers from God on a personal level, we can now turn again, as did the people of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, to the prophets for guidance.

Our current prophet, President Russell M. Nelson

Of course, we are still free to turn to God individually, and in fact, He has instructed us to do so. He expects us first to find out who the prophet is and to know for ourselves what is true. Then He asks us to continue our personal relationship with God, integrating that with our willingness to follow the prophets He has lovingly sent us.

Would you like to find out how you can personally confirm the identity of God’s own prophet, receiving the answer from God Himself? Visit How Can I Know This is True?

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

The crux of the lesson revolves around a simple principle: understanding and knowing how and what you worship.

I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.

Alma told Korihor that “all things denote there is a God.”

The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

Not only do “things” testify of God, but they testify of the kind of God God is.

How Do You Worship Him?

Consider your worship. Do repetitive, bleary-eyed prayers represent your worship of your Creator?

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

Psalmists celebrated prophecy and ritual, life and death, grace and justice. The recorded prayers of Hannah and Mary and Deborah extolled God’s greatness while remembering the one—her. The transfiguration experience caused Peter, basically speechless, to instinctively build altars. Moses fell to the earth recognizing his own nothingness. Abraham contemplated the planets and souls worshipping God. Enoch, astonished to see Heaven weep, wept, too.

Do You Know Who You Worship?

Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation—

The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men.

The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him.

My worship falls flat compared to His majesty and grace. Yet He still accepts my puny offering of inept gratitude mingled with pride as I seek HIs sanctification of my soul.

“If the Stars Were Made to Worship, So Will I”

Last year, Christian artists Hillsong United released So Will I (100 Billion X).  The lyrics identified all my wide-eyed wonder as I contemplate the God I worship and invite me to purify my worship.

God of creation

There at the start

Before the beginning of time

With no point of reference

You spoke to the dark

And fleshed out the wonder of light.

And as You speak

A hundred billion galaxies are born

In the vapor of Your breath the planets form.

If the stars were made to worship, so will I.

I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made,

Every burning star A signal fire of grace.

If creation sings Your praises, so will I.

God of Your promise

You don’t speak in vain

No syllable empty or void

For once You have spoken

All nature and science

Follow the sound of Your voice.

And as You speak,

A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath

Evolving in pursuit of what You said.

If it all reveals Your nature, so will I.

I can see Your heart in everything You say,

Every painted sky

A canvas of Your grace.

If creation still obeys You, so will I.

If the stars were made to worship, so will I.

If the mountains bow in reverence, so will I.

If the oceans roar Your greatness, so will I.

For if everything exists to lift You high, so will I.

If the wind goes where You send it, so will I.

If the rocks cry out in silence, so will I.

If the sum of all our praises still falls shy,

Then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times.

God of salvation

You chased down my heart

Through all of my failure and pride.

On a hill You created,

The light of the world

Abandoned in darkness to die.

And as You speak,

A hundred billion failures disappear

Where You lost Your life so I could find it here.

If You left the grave behind You, so will I.

I can see Your heart in everything You’ve done

Every part designed in a work of art called love.

If You gladly chose surrender, so will I.

I can see Your heart

Eight billion different ways,

Every precious one

A child You died to save.

If You gave Your life to love them, so will I,

Like You would again a hundred billion times.

But what measure could amount to Your desire?

You’re the One who never leaves the one behind.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

I marveled at how different each of them was. Even the multi-generational women sitting next to each other had such diverse gifts.

A Puzzle Vision

I have an innate desire for all of them to feel like a part of the whole. Sometimes, I struggle with how to accomplish that when everyone is so different–personalities, likes/dislikes, family shape and size, jobs/no jobs, cultural and language differences, et cetera.

I don’t want them to be the same or feel the same, I want to embrace each sister’s diversity and be unified as a sisterhood.

Suddenly a vision consumed my mind. I saw a gigantic table with a large puzzle box. The person at the table opened the box and dumped the pieces onto the table until it was filled with puzzle pieces. The person began taking each piece, turning it right side up, separating out the edges, coordinating pieces by color.

A couple pieces came joined together out of the box. Some pieces were the same color but had really different edges. Several pieces looked almost identical to each other except for very slight differences. Some pieces sat alone, apparently totally different from the other pieces in every aspect.

The person at the table began fitting puzzle pieces together after examining each piece carefully, noting the unique nuances and shape and finding its perfect spot in the puzzle. Pieces linked together on the outer edges, a critical component to every puzzle. Pieces linked together in the center and became a foundation to connect other similar pieces together.

Some pieces looked like they could link up in multiple spots. The puzzler looked puzzled when the piece didn’t fit together as expected.

Putting the puzzle together clarified the totally unique pieces’ critical role of tying two seemingly unrelated sections together. Those pieces created the continuity of the puzzle.

As the puzzle neared completion, the puzzler scrambled to find missing pieces. Looking under the puzzle box and on the floor yielded the rogue pieces that snapped perfectly into their spots, completing the puzzle.

The sisters’ faces flashed before my eyes, each of them an integral piece of a gorgeous puzzle–joined with family pieces, on the edges pieces, in the middle pieces, the continuity pieces, and the lost but found pieces. Each unique piece’s purpose proved crucial to the overall design and completeness.

Members Being Many Are One

Paul taught the Corinthians the puzzle vision through the metaphor of a body.  Each unique individual completes the ordinance that’s requisite for everyone to become part of that body. And each part of the body (Go mRNA and telomeres!) promotes vitality to the whole.

He also reminds people how ridiculous it is to devalue or compare ourselves to other parts of the body that seem more or less important. Each part of the body is important.

His words are so beautiful. As I read it, I see the puzzle creation. Again, each piece is unique and critical for the masterpiece.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

 

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

 

But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body.

 

And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

 

For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

 

And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Purpose in an Eternal Puzzle

The Lord says “this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” So if the plan is collective salvation, does it really matter if we are all unique? Is our uniqueness really part of some Divine master plan?

Yes! Because like Paul says, if we were all the same, where would the body be? I’m not sure how it works or why it ultimately matters, but I do like having two eyes, and a liver, and skin cells, and DNA, and a brain.

If we can see our differences in that metaphorical perspective, Heavenly Father’s ultimate purpose is clearer. Different talents and personalities accomplish different things. Different kinds of everything supplies the tools and needed experience for a host of spirit children with the gift of agency.

Just because we’re a particular piece of the puzzle doesn’t mean we have to stay in that “spot” indefinitely.  If I’m a metaphorical edge piece and want to experience being a middle piece, I always have the choice to make that happen in my life. If I’m a lost piece ready to be found but no one has successfully found me, I can find myself through the Savior’s atonement and move back to the puzzle. Even though puzzle pieces are fixed, we are not.

No Waste and No Shortage

I love reading ancient stories of creation. Irrespective of the stories’ veracity, I love the visual contexts the ancients used to describe things otherwise inexplicable.

So in the context of purposeful uniqueness, consider Hugh Nibley’s paraphrasing a creation account from the Pistis Sophia, a 3rd or 4th century Coptic writing.

And so we have in the Pistis Sophia, continuing the Egyptian teachings, the picture of a constant remixing (kerasomos) going on in the universe in which old, worn-out, contaminated substances, the refuse (sorm) of worn-out worlds and kingdoms, is first thrown out on the scrap-heap and returned to chaos as “dead” matter, then melted down in a dissolving fire for many years, by which all the impurities are removed from it, and by which it is “improved,” and is ready to be “poured from one kind of body into another.”

 

This whole process by which souls as well as substances are “thrown back into the mixing” is under the supervision of Melchizedek, the great reprocessor, purifier, and preparer of worlds. He takes over the refuse of defunct worlds or souls, and under his supervision, five great Archons process (literally “knead”-ouoshm) it, separating out its different components, each one specializing in particular elements, whic

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

h they thus recombine in unique and original combinations so that no new world or soul is exactly like any other.

 

In this full-blown pleniarism there is no waste and no shortage: “If any were superfluous or any lacking, the whole body would suffer, for the worlds counterpoise one another like the elements of a single organism.” The worlds go on forever: “They come and come and cease not, they ever increase and are multiplied, yet are not brought to an end nor do they decrease.”

Our Eternal Heritage Is No Puzzle

God is not only our Ruler and Creator; He is also our Heavenly Father. All men and women are literally the sons and daughters of God. President Joseph F. Smith taught that “man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body.”

No two puzzle pieces are the same and if the puzzle’s missing one piece, the whole puzzle suffers. The same is true if the piece defaces/devalues itself and its contribution.

The infinite and eternal Creator of light and life knows you! He is mindful of you. … He loves you not only for who you are this very day but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become. More than you could ever imagine, He wants you to achieve your destiny—to return to your heavenly home in honor.

There is a place and opportunity for everyone because the plan and puzzle is God’s and His mind and will created all things from the edges to the middles of the puzzles in our universe.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

Adam and Eve

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. (2 Nephi 2:25)

 
This is a very interesting thought. We are that we might have joy. Notice the scripture doesn’t say we will have joy, only that we can have it. In a life that has trials and sorrows, how do we obtain that joy God wants us to have?

It’s important to recognize that joy, happiness, and pleasure are not always the same thing. Pleasure suggests something worldly and fleeting. We might find pleasure in a walk in the park, but then go home and start arguing. Some people find momentary pleasure in sin, but this can never bring true joy.

 
We are often happy when things are going well in our lives. We may be happy the day our child wins an award for best student, dinner turned out perfectly, and we got a raise at work. All of this, however, is momentary and depends on things going well.

While God certainly has no objection to our happiness, what He really wants for us is to find true joy. Joy is deep inside, and is present even in sorrow and trials. We can experience joy even when someone we love has died, we’re coping with unemployment, or a child is causing us heartache.

Joy is deeper than just smiling. We can feel joy even during grief.

Joy is based on knowing God is our Father and loves us with all His heart. It comes from knowing who we are—children of God—and letting that knowledge fill our lives and guide our choices. It comes from trusting God even when we see no way out of our current sadness or trial. It is the result of knowing that the trials of life are temporary and that someday we’ll live again with God in a perfect world.

A person grieving over the death of a loved one may not be happy at that moment, but she can be joyful, knowing the person has returned to Heavenly Father and is now living a wonderful life. She can be joyful because she knows family and love don’t end at death, and so there will be a time when they can be together again.

She can experience all this joy in a quiet way even as the tears fall. She knows why she is sad and that it will someday end. It’s a joy based on faith.

Parents are often devastated when a child who was properly raised makes terrible choices and turns his back on the values of the family. This is a time for genuine sorrow and fear.  And yet a parent, although very sad and frightened, can have a quiet joy resonating in the background because she knows she isn’t coping with this alone. God is waiting to offer her comfort and hope, and furthermore, He hasn’t abandoned her child, who is also His child.

While He won’t take away the child’s God-given agency, the right to choose for himself, God can be standing by to place small promptings into the child’s heart, based on the faith of the parents. When the child is ready to listen, God will be ready to step in and help the child return to his foundations.

To read more of Terrie’s articles, click the picture.

Joy is all about faith. When we trust God and really believe He is kind, loving, present in our lives, and ready to help, we can have a gentle joy that brings us through our greatest trials. We will still cry, still sometimes be afraid, and still experience trials, but we’ll always know we can turn to God to strengthen us as we’re going through them. Joy is all about knowing we’re never facing anything alone. We’re always in the care of a loving Heavenly Father.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

Of course, she was too young to realize no one is the highest power in the universe, even if you take God out of the picture. She still had to answer to the university she was attending and had to follow their rules. She had to obey government laws.

When she got a job she had to answer to her boss. If her parents were paying her tuition, she had to answer to them. Very few people really have absolute control over every aspect of life without consequences. There are always consequences.

That said, there is a God. I suspected she had enjoyed an easy and maybe even pampered life to that point. She’d never had any big problems her parents couldn’t fix for her. Now, though, she was an adult (more or less) and her parents would not be able to fix everything. Life would eventually send big trials her way.

How would she handle it when she first encountered a problem that was bigger than she was? What would she do when something happened she couldn’t fix herself? If she got cancer or found herself unemployed with bills to pay or she had a child who was struggling with a seemingly unfix-able problem, would she still be comforted to know she was the highest power in the universe?

I have been thinking about this girl lately because I realized that sometimes, even though I know God is real, I act just like her. I act as though I am the highest power in the universe.

One day, many years ago, I was struggling with a problem I’d been trying to resolve for two months. It was a big problem, but I stubbornly went at it on my own, trying one solution after another and not asking for help from anyone in Heaven or on Earth. Finally, I gave up.

I admitted to God I couldn’t fix the problem on my own. I’d tried everything I knew how to do and nothing was better. In fact, I’d only made things worse. Instantly, the impression came to my mind that God was putting the resolution into place at that very moment. He did and things were soon taken care of.

As I thought about this, and as I came to realize that the resolution required solutions I could not have obtained on my own, I thought I was a lot like this college girl. I had been acting as if I was the highest power in the universe.

I had acted like God wasn’t there. I knew that if He could start the solution in motion the very moment I asked, He had only been waiting for me to ask. The whole problem could have been resolved two months ago if I’d humbled myself from the start and asked for help.

Believing in God is not helpful if we treat Him like He isn’t there. I learned from that trial that when my problems are bigger than me, I need to turn them over to a higher power—God. I am grateful every day of my life now that I am not the highest power in the universe.

Mormonism
To read more of Terrie’s articles, click the picture.

I’ve lived long enough to know there is no comfort in such a thought and so, I thank my Heavenly Father for His very existence, and for being there when I need Him.

Questions: How do you decide when your problem is too big for you to handle alone? Do you find you’re good at taking it to God or do you find it challenging to let go of the controls?

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.