My Best Posts

As the year comes to an end, I thought I would make a post of some of my favorite posts.

I know that we get new visitors to this site all the time, and I would like them to see some of the best we have to offer, that may be buried back aways.

The Purpose of Mysticism
What Science Should Have Known
Salvation is Free
Holiness
The Word, Twenty-Two Letters of Creation
Oil of Gladness

The Seed of Faith
Are Mormons Christians?

HOUSEKEEPING II

This post is meant as an extension of Housekeeping.

I see Yosef has been trying to post, I see the emails, but they are not sticking for some reason. And it may be because of the amount of comments.

Anyways, this should be easier to navigate.

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I FOUND THE POSTING PROBLEM - BLOGGER HAS ENABLED A NON-OPTIONAL COMMENT SPAM FILTER. I CAN'T TURN IT OFF - BUT I CAN MANAGE IT - AND I WILL (AT LEAST TILL I GET ANOTHER BLOG FORMAT IN-PLACE). SO IF YOUR COMMENT DISAPPEARS, JUST GIVE IT TIME, I WILL MANUALLY FLAG IT AS NOT BEING SPAM, AND IT WILL RE-APPEAR. SORRY, AND THANKS! -DAVE
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Some of Yosef's comments below may be out of order.

Amazing Grace (my new book)

Announcing the first release candidate of my new book, Amazing Grace, One Mormon's View of the Atonement.

It's a short 117 pages.

This is my view of the Plan of Salvation. Your comments, constructive or otherwise are welcome.

To download it in PDF format CLICK HERE.

To see "Amazing Grace" in HTML, click HERE But for some reason the graphics are not working.

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Of Course I recommend my other books as well: Mormon Mysticism and Kingdoms That Clash.

As soon as I get the finishing touches on this book, I will begin my next researching the Tree of Life. So Stay Tuned!

HOUSEKEEPING

Hello All!

I appreciate the vigorous debate and discussion. And I don't want to interfer with any of that. And I try not to censor the discussion by cutting things out.

But, discussions of Masonry should be on the posts regarding Masonry;

http://mormonmysticism.blogspot.com/2008/03/did-temple-ordinances-come-from-masons.html

http://mormonmysticism.blogspot.com/2008/02/mustirra-master-mason-clang.html

http://mormonmysticism.blogspot.com/2007/10/templar-papers-to-be-released.html

http://mormonmysticism.blogspot.com/2007/08/mormon-masonic-clang.html

http://mormonmysticism.blogspot.com/2007/08/masons-friends-of-foes.html

And of course: http://mormonmysticism.blogspot.com/2007/09/why-i-apostatized.html

And I will be cutting out name calling, or disrespectful comments of LDS church leaders, like referring to the Prophet Joseph as "old Joe." You can disagree all you want, but on this blog, we will not be disparaging the prophets, whether or not you agree they are prophets.

Thank you, and let the debate resume 8-)

The Telestial Kingdom

“Wherefore, he [Christ] saves all except them [Son’s of Perdition]—they shall go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels in eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, which is their torment—” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:44)

The Telestial Kingdom is part of the Kingdom of God, it is a kingdom of salvation, bought and paid for by the blood of Christ and His infinite atonement. 

Like all kingdoms of glory, the only way to achieve this kingdom, resurrection, and glory is through the mercy, merits, and grace of Christ.

No one can pay for their own sins and receive a kingdom of glory. The only people paying for their own sins are the son’s of perdition. No one receives mercy and grace unless they repent and willfully take upon themselves Christ.



To see what is required to inherit the Telestial Kingdom we can go to our examples of the Plan of Salvation made of stone, the temples, and observe what is happening there in that sacred space. The temple space representing the Telestial Kingdom in Solomon’s temple was known as the “court.” Seeing the temple experience as a series of increasing commitments by men, and promises by God, memorialized by ritual acts know as ordinances, we can see what laws (the commitments by men) and ordinances must be kept to enter any particular kingdom.



Obedience is the first law of heaven. When we enter the the court area we first see the altar for animal sacrifice. The entire Mosaic sacrificial system is symbolic of Christ. To enter the telestial space we must be attached to, affiliated with, or joined with Christ. We do this by covenanting to, and keeping the law of the court, the Telestial Kingdom. 

The law of the Telestial Kingdom is the “Law of Obedience and Sacrifice.”

Whether we ritualize our commitment to the Law of Obedience and Sacrifice with animal sacrifice in Mosaic pre Messiah temples, or post Messiah temple, it is in effect the same. This is the “gate” and rejection of this is a rejection of the kingdom, and a rejection of Christ and his atonement.

Without Christ we are son’s of perdition.



In Solomon’s temple the initiate would ritualize his alliance with Christ by making sacrifice at the altar of sacrifice. He would then move on to the bath which sat upon the backs of twelve oxen, which we know is a baptismal font. The oxen represent the twelve tribes of Israel, which is a representation of the Kingdom of God. When we are baptized we become the blood of Israel, a citizen of the temple, or the kingdom.

Baptism is the initiation ordinance.

 There were other things going on in Solomon’s temple, in the court, that are not fully explained in scripture. These are the ordinances corresponding to the Law of Obedience and Sacrifice that must be kept to inherit a Telestial Resurrection.

If these ordinances are not sealed upon us by the Holy Spirit of Promise before the time of our resurrection, we will not receive a Telestial Resurrection. The ordinances must be done, and we must live the law of the telestial kingdom to dwell there:



“And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:24)

We can see that keeping the telestial law is akin to what is require to join the church at baptism. A newly baptized convert must only meet a certain minimum threshold of sanctification, but the church envisions increased commitments, ordinances, and levels of sanctification.

How do we reconcile the idea that a person must be baptized to reside in the Telestial Kingdom when we read about an innumerable<1> (appears to be a majority) amount of souls that inherit that kingdom, when they are described as “...liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:103) On it’s face, baptism does not seem to relate to the above list of sins. The resolution comes in understanding the time-line of events.



The majority of people who come to earth can’t even reach a telestial law while residing here. Telestial laws do not include; lying, witchcraft, adultery, whoring, or any such things.<2> The Law of Obedience and Sacrifice exclude such things. Those who can not live the telestial law in this life, when they die, will be “...cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God...” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:106)

This “hell” is the Spirit Prison where the wicked post mortals reside preparing for a resurrection. While there they are vessels of God’s wrath and vengeance.

 It is the authors understanding that when the vessels of wrath repent, they may leave prison and join the residents of Spirit Paradise. If they refuse (rebellion) to repent after receiving a full knowledge of essential things (revelation), they will be resurrected, but remain filthy still, and join the other Son’s of Perdition.

No unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of God, in any of it’s glories. No one is forced to repent, mercy comes only through Christ, only through Christ can we be cleansed of sin.



“And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.” (Alma 11:37)





It is the law a person can and will live that determines his or her resurrection and kingdom of glory, not lingering degrees of sin. All recipients of a glorious resurrection are cleansed in the end. 



“These all [telestial recipients] shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon the throne forever and ever;” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:110)



The bowing of the knee is a symbol of allegiance and subjection. We must all be allied with Christ, we must take him upon us, and repent, or become Son’s of Perdition.

The first degree or level of the temple is associated with being cleansed, and identification with Christ,<3> an allegiance with Christ, and bowing the knee.

“They [Telestial Kingdom recipients] have no part in the first resurrection and are not redeemed from the devil and his angels until the last resurrection, because of their wicked lives and their evil deeds. Nevertheless, even these [Telestial Kingdom recipients] are heirs of salvation, but before they are redeemed and enter into their kingdom, they must repent of their sins, and receive the gospel, and bow the knee, and acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:22)



Many faithful saints fret upon the fact that loved ones leave this world in a state of rebellion, and scared with sin. While a portion of that fret may be justified, much stems from a misunderstanding of the plan. The vast majority of those who enter mortality will at one point or another reconfirm the Covenant of Creation, that they agree to take Christ upon themselves. Most will inherit all they are willing and capable of inheriting, the Telestial Kingdom, part of the Kingdom of God.
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<1> Doctrine and Covenants 76:109
<2> These things belong to a fallen sinful world, not a redeemed mansion in God’s Kingdom. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Corinthians 6:9 & 10.
<3> “Then, when you were stripped, you were anointed with exorcised [blessed, made holy] oil, from the very hairs of your head to your feet, and were made partakers of the good olive-tree, Jesus Christ. For you were cut off from the wild olive-tree , and grafted into the good one, and were made to share the fatness [blessing and goodness] of the true olive-tree. The exorcised oil therefore was a symbol of the participation of the fatness of Christ...” Cyril on the Mysteries, Lecture 2, verse 3.

The Fall of Adam and Eve

The presence of the two trees in the garden provided the necessary choices for Adam and Eve to keep their agency, or break their covenants. It was given to Adam to choose, but God forbad the eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.



In the pre-mortal life God instructed Man and Woman to have children:

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth...” (Genesis 1:28)40



“...[F]or they [wives] are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be glorified.” (emphasis added Doctrine and Covenants 132:63)



This commandment and promise in the pre-mortal world are part of the Covenant of Creation. Family associations are central to the gospel plan.<1> In mortality Adam was again commanded to have Eve stay with him, to multiply, and the replenish the earth.

Lucifer, also know as Satan had been cast out of the pre-mortal realm, to a spirit realm in which he could interact in earth.

 Satan told a partial truth and Eve bought into the lie, and she ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (she was beguiled, or tricked). She approached Adam in an attempt to have him sin along with her, and he first refused. After a discussion, he realized two things:



1.) He would be alone in the world, and would not be able to keep Eve with him, and not keep that commandment (which was not his fault and would not have been a sin for him). Because of Eve’s sins Adam was faced with a problem, he could still keep the commandment, but some of the purposes of another commandment would not be met, he would be alone.



2.) Adam also understood that having children was central to God’s plan, and he would be alone in the Garden of Eden, yes there would have been no fall, but there also would have been no children (because Eve would not be there).<2> 

Adam made a choice, ate the fruit and brought sin and death into the world. “...Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe.” (Moses 6:48)



Adam could have kept all of God’s commands, it was within his power. The dichotomies came into play after Eve disobeyed. 



Just as the atonement was in effect prior to the crucification (applied to many worlds), the effects of the fall existed prior to Adam’s arrival to earth too.

<3> 

The fall was a universal fall, it applied to all the world, for the time of the temporal world, forward and backward.

 The justice, or reaction, for the sins in the Garden of Eden was:

• Physical death. Death came upon man and all of earthly creation. God said that man shall surly die.



• Spiritual death.<4> God can not dwell with the least amount of sin, man could no longer dwell in the Kingdom of God, in any of it’s degrees. Without some intervention Adam and the rest of us are all going to hell, outer darkness, and endless separation from God. (Moses 5:57)

 Spiritual death is the same state of being that the Sons Of Perdition are in. LDS theology includes a “Universal Fall.”

Adam and Eve explained their reasons for the fall to God. And God explained to them the consequences (justice) of their actions. Their eyes were opened, they would die physically, they would be cast out of the Garden of Eden, they would be separated from God, they were spiritually dead, Eve would suffer in child birth, and Adam would have to work by the sweat of his brow. Thus, the state of man. 

This spiritual death that Adam and Eve experienced brought some changes to them and to us. Man inherited a fallen nature, we became devilish, carnal, sensual, and sinful. We became subject to, and servant of the devil:

“For they [the wicked] are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil.” (Mosiah 16:3)

This is the state of mankind, unless and until a change takes place, we are sons of perdition. It is critical that we understand our fallen nature and position before God. We did not become recipients of the Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdoms because of the fall, we are justly cast out to outer darkness, separated from God forever.

“Wherefore, I, the Lord God, caused that he [Adam] should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say: Depart, ye cursed.” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:41)



The “first death” or the spiritual death is the “same” thing that is pronounced at the final judgement on the sons of perdition at the “second death.” And, unless there is some intervention we are all sons and daughters of perdition.



“And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence.” (Alma 42:14)

“Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be...” (1 Nephi 10:6)



“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...” (Romans 5:12)



“...the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.” (2 Nephi 9:6)

“Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation.” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:40)



“...Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.” (Alma 12:22)



“...spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.” (Helaman 14:16)



“For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless...” (Mosiah 3:19)



The fall that came upon Adam and Eve, and to each of us is real, and drastic. God did not spare the fallen angels in the pre-mortal life for their sins, and if we don’t find a resolution, he will not spare us.

The resolution is Christ.
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<1> “We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

<2> “And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden [alone]. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.” 2 Nephi 2:22

<3> “[plants and animals] ...lived and died, age after age, while the earth was yet unfit for human habitation." (Elder James E. Talmage, The Earth and Man.)

<4> “...from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death...” Doctrine and Covenants 28:41

Agency and Choice

In the pre-mortal world of spirits, the great Michael was chosen to come and represent all of us, and by our signing onto the plan, Michael represented each of us vicariously.



In Hebrew, Adam (אדם) means “man” and means “human.”<1> We are all Adams, following the path of the fall and redemption of our father Adam. In Hebrew the phrase “the man” is the word “the Adam” (חאדם). 

Michael’s spirit was breathed into a body on earth, and his earthly name was Adam. This was true with Adam with his mate Eve. They were introduced into a garden that represented a Terrestrial Glory.



Pursuant to the Covenant of Creation Adam and Eve were given their agency, “...in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency.” (Moses 7:32) God gave this agency specifically to Adam and Eve, and that gift extended to all humanity since they represented all men and women. 



Agency is not the same as free choice. The concept of free choice implies a choice without repercussions. If a person meets a beggar on the street and is asked for charity the person may choose to give or not give, but if the possible donor has made a covenant to give to the poor, he is an agent of that covenant and can’t withhold charity without a violation of the covenant.

God deals with man, and builds a relationship with man, by covenants, one covenant upon another, till a full reconciliation is achieved. 

Adam and the rest of humanity were never given “free choice,” we were given agency, and the choice to choose to keep our covenants, or turn away from them.

We all entered into the Covenant of Creation, and thereby accepted Adam as our representatives before God in the garden. This was a family event, our father Adam and his children.

 Adam was given commandments that defined the limits of his agency. Adam and Eve received the two commandments, one that Adam and Eve remain together, and second, that they do not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

A part of true agency is choice. Within the garden humanity was given agency and the choice to keep the agency or turn away from it. Without the choice to keep our agency or not, the purposes of the Covenant of Creation can not be met.

 “And to bring about his eternal [Covenant of Creation] purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.”

“Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself.

Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.” (2 Nephi 2:15 & 16)

In this life we have choice and agency, and we should understand each.

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<1> Strongs Hebrew #120

Consecration

In the pre-mortal world there was a plan put forward by God the Father that we now call the Plan of Salvation. Lucifer responded to the plan with a counter offer. His counter offer masqueraded as an acceptance, it contained limits and changes to the plan, and was geared to his personal benefit.



Lucifer is the archetype of an non-consecrated heart.



The Law of Consecration is the law of the Celestial Kingdom. If we wish to inherit a celestial glory we need to start demonstrating that we can live this law.



We follow Satan’s example when in our lives we wish to have, or attempt to negotiate a change from the plan. Before this world was created, certain rules were set in place that we must all abide by, that we trust will bring certain results.(1)

When we refuse to live by these rules we attempt to institute our own laws. As we become the instituter of new laws, we think to change the rules in opposition to God’s will. This is called becoming a law unto ourselves. The Plan of Salvation is the only way to Salvation and Sanctification.



“That [whoever] which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself [themselves], and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still.”(2) (Doctrine and Covenants 88:35)



If someone in this life decides they don’t want the saving ordinance of baptism for example (assuming it has been properly presented to them), thinking that they have some unique relationship with God, and they can have the blessing of salvation, and reject the ordinances, they seek to become a law unto themselves. Thinking they have carved out some special rules for themselves, and that God will have to take them as they come. What they will find is that they will either repent, or be cast off to outer darkness.



A consecrated heart is born of the understanding that there is not more than one plan, and that any counter offer is a rejection of the plan. A consecrated heart doesn’t resist God at some point of opposition (The trials of this world) and in effect say “this is as far as I go” as though they can stop the plan from working upon them. In the throws of opposition, a consecrated heart seeks strength, relief, healing, enlightenment, sanctification, patience, and the determination to endure to the end. A sanctified heart clings to the covenants, ordinances, and the knowledge of the plan.

The temple is where we receive the covenant of consecration.

(1) “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21.

(2) These people can’t be sanctified by law because they break the laws. They can’t be sanctified by mercy because they reject Christ and His mercy. Justice would condem them. They can’t be sanctified by judgment because they will be judged worthy of outer darkness, being filthy still.

Like a Fire Is Burning!

I want to apologize for my slacking on posts. To you faithful visitors that come in once in a while to see if I have posted anything lately, thank you!

I was going to keep today’s experience to myself, because it seemed a bit personal. But, I reconsidered, and thought that what I learned today is germain to the topic of this blog.

But first for those of you who do not know me, I am not easily flatted by rank, position, and so on. I try to live by Shakespeare’ s words, “to thine own self be true” which I take to mean; tell yourself the truth. I don’t pretend to be inspired when I am not, and pomp, circumstance, and crafted moments don’t inspire me. I don’t care if the crowd seems inspired, I try to see things clearly myself. In fact when I hear others speak I often arrogantly think to myself something like “if a truth fell from heaven and bonked you on the head you wouldn’t know it.”

I was invited to a priesthood leadership meeting this afternoon with Elder Bednar of the twelve apostles. I was looking forward to it a bit, even though it was a training meeting.

There was no hype, or silliness, just pure truth. The things that he said resonated so deeply into my spirits it changed my life. And that is the topic of this blog.

I am not going to share the things he said, but tell you a funny situation in my family. Almost two weeks ago my son Luke left to preach the gospel to the people of South Africa. Before he left we discussed that Elder Bednar was coming to our stake. He mentioned that he had never seen an apostle in person, but only on television. He joked, that since he had never seen an apostle, he will have to witness that if they do exist, they are true.



I have seen apostles before, and they have always been worthy of the highest respect, but never was I impacted as I was today. I can’t think of a time when the spirit touched me deeper than it did today. Elder Bednar’s apostolic promises and blessing will make me a better person.

I can witness that today I saw an apostle and the spirit witnessed that what he said was true. It is these experience that make the journey!