Temple Blessings

I realize I have not post for a couple of weeks but I have been working non-stop. I will be back to my Book of Mormon postings within a couple of days. In the meantime, I was asked to give a talk in my sacrament meeting last Sunday. Following is the talk I gave:

 

I know that many of you could stand here today and do a better job speaking about this topic. I don’t recall however, a time when the words of a talk came to me more clearly that this one and I testify that this talk is the talk the Lord wants me to share with you today.

I owe a profound debt of gratitude to the Lord for His love and marvelous gospel. He has been extremely good to me throughout my life and has given me many opportunities to learn and grow. Some of these opportunities have been very difficult… even to the point that I didn’t know how to move on… I’m truly grateful for these times and the way they have blessed my life. I bear testimony to you as solemnly as I know how that He lives! He lives and loves us.

The Lord has given us an invaluable gift to lead us back to His presence. That gift is personal revelation. Personal revelation comes by way of the whispering of the Holy Ghost, visions, dreams, angels, manifestations, and pure intelligence flowing into our minds. In the process of obtaining the blessings of heaven, the first step is learning to hear this revelation and then obey. There is no other process. There is no other path.

We live in a dispensation of the gospel that is glorious. Our primary objective is to build a society that is worthy to dwell in the presence of our returning Lord. We are preparing for a time when there will no longer be a veil between us and the Lord. It will already be parted. When we actually understand what we are being asked to do, we will be driven to work on it with great effort and zeal. If we have not yet caught the vision- then we have not yet understood the enormity of the reward. Our Savior wants to bless us with all that He has. He has given us a tremendous tool to help us along the path, and that is the temple endowment.

When I was in my mid-thirties, I was asked to be an ordinance worker in the Washington DC temple. I worked one shift per week for about two years. A shift consists of about 8 hours in the temple. It is here that I first learned that the temple ceremony contains eternal truths about our eternal potential, masked in allegory. During those hours in the temple… when I wasn’t rushed… I began to inquire of the Lord what the meaning was of parts of the ceremony. I wanted to understand and I learned He is willing to share.

In April conference 4 years ago Elder Scott gave a talk discussing his personal temple attendance. He said he attended the temple every week, and hadn’t missed for 14 years. This entered my heart very powerfully and has become one of the greatest blessings of my life. I was already waking early every day to exercise. It became obvious that missing one day of running or biking each week wasn’t going to make a lot of difference, so I began attending the temple on Wednesday mornings. This decision, along with a long standing commitment to have meaningful scripture study every day, and meaningful personal prayer at least twice a day… and never missing… was one of the greatest decisions of my life.

I would like to share with you one way temple attendance has blessed my life. I know that the temple endowment has many meanings. I have learned several of them myself. I of course will not discuss things here I have covenanted not to, but the one that seems to bless my life more than any of the others is the realization that the characters in the dialog are us. We must indeed consider ourselves Adam and Eve. The Plan of Salvation is explained to us in the endowment; where we came from, why we are here, and where we go after this life. It is a story of our eternal progression. We know very little of our pre-earth life. Some of the things we do know are that we lived with God, and it was some kind of probationary period because coming here was a type of reward. We lived with our Heavenly Father in a paradisiacal state. We made covenants and promises there. We chose to come to this fallen earth to learn by our own experience to choose good from evil. A Savior was required to allow us to return from the fallen world. The Lord sends messengers to us to help us find our way back; some we know, and some we do not. The Plan of Salvation is grand and glorious. It is powerful and encompassing. It is far more majestic than the kindergarten version we learn in our manuals. I testify that the Plan of Salvation is taught in the temple and the Lord will teach each of us the glorious version personally if we seek after it. I testify that we will one day feel the nail prints in his hands—and the spear wound in His side and know that He is our very Eternal God and Savior. He will welcome us into His presence.

The temple endowment teaches us the way back to Him. I testify that when we learn the way to seek Him, we will discover that the way to Him is natural and easy. We are indeed strangers here. The Savior wants us to become like Him and will teach us how to do so if we allow Him to change our hearts. 

For the majority of my life I believed that when it came to spiritual matters—that it was much like a pebble dropped into water and creating ripples. I believed that the church leadership was at the center and able to receive all knowledge, truth, and understanding—and we were on the outer ripples—receiving lesser and lesser portions. I have since come to know it is opposite. We are able to receive everything required for us personally and for our families, just as they are, directly from the source, and that they are called “general authorities” for a reason… they receive the general information for us. As Elder Bednar stated in the opening sentences of a recent book, “We are personally responsible to learn and live the truths of the Savior’s restored gospel. We should not expect the church as an organization to teach or tell us the things we need to know.” I testify that out Heavenly Father loves each of us enough to teach us directly.

I encourage all to heed the promptings of the Lord to recognize personal revelation and to act on it. I encourage all to make time for temple attendance… not only to devote the day on Stake Temple Day, but to devote more of our time to regular attendance. I encourage all to attend with an eager heart to learn the glorious truths taught there: To go hungering and thirsting after righteousness. I testify that as we do, the blessings of heaven will flow into our lives.

I testify that God lives and that Jesus Christ is our eternal Savior, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

1 Nephi 2:5-12

After traveling for three days, Lehi and his family set up camp near a river. The first thing he does is build an “altar of stones” and makes an “offering” to the Lord, and gives thanks to God. (See 1 Nephi 2:6-7).  The footnotes in these verses are worth reading, they refer to several scriptures where other prophets built altars. The most interesting to me, however, are two scriptures that tell us how to build this type of altar:

5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of ^astones: thou shalt not lift up any ^biron tool upon them. 6 Thou shalt build the ^aaltar of the Lord thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God: 7 And thou shalt offer peace ^aofferings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God. 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly. Deut. 27:5-8

30 ¶Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, 31 As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an ^aaltar of whole ^bstones, over which no man hath lift up any ^ciron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. Joshua 8:30-31

It appears altars are to be built from natural stones.

If I hadn’t actually lived through the past few years of my life, and experienced children that  “knew not the dealings of that God that created them”, then I couldn’t really understand how Laman and Lemuel became who they were. I feel Lehi’s pain as he pleads with Laman, saying: “O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness.” And to Lemuel: “O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!”

Much has been written on this blog about trials I have endured due to my sons’ choices. All of it shows my limited understanding of the love our Savior has for all of us. I have indeed murmured in the past about the stress of wayward children. Today, however, I thank the Lord for the wonderful teachers he has given me in my sons’; I am convinced they are old, wise souls that have condescended to come to be my sons. Their mission is to teach a stubborn, proud man how to love unconditionally. How can I do anything other than love and serve them?

1 Nephi 2:1-5

Once again we learn that Lehi has another dream where the Lord speaks to him. In this dream the Lord blesses Lehi for being obedient to the things the Lord asked him to do. Doing what the Lord asked him to do made him very unpopular and hated amongst the people of Jerusalem… to the point that they wanted to kill him. I ask again, how would we respond as members of the church today by someone other than THE prophet coming to us and telling us to repent; especially if it was based on his claiming revelation? If the Book of Mormon is written for our day, and I believe it is, why did the Lord include this? Will it happen again in our day?

Lehi is commanded in a dream to take his family into the wilderness. How do we respond when we receive dreams? What if Lehi had simply said “Sariah, I had the weirdest dream last night. I dreamed that I was supposed to leave all of our stuff and go into the wilderness. How weird is that?” I think it is significant that this story differs from the one found in the New Testament known as the Rich Young Man. In that story, the young man comes to the Savior and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, where the Savior tells him to keep the commandments. The boy boasts that he has done that all his life. The savior then says “sell all you have, and give it to the poor and come follow me.” The boy went away sorrowfully because he was at that time unwilling to do that. (see Matthew 19;16-22).

Lehi isn’t asked to “sell all he has” but leave it all behind. This becomes evident when Nephi and his brothers go back to get their possessions for a trade of the Brass Plates. How would each of us respond to a dream to leave all we have and depart… especially when the directive didn’t come from church leadership or the living prophet? Would we have enough faith to do it? Do we have enough faith in our own ability to get revelation for us and our families?

Lehi was obedient to the Lord. He was indeed willing to sacrifice all that he had to be obedient.

And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness. 1 Nephi 2:4

Verse 5 tells us that he took with him his family which consisted of “my mother Sariah, and my elder brothers Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.  Later, in 2 Nephi 5:6, as Nephi and those that will follow him separate themselves from the Lamanites, we read about Nephi’s sisters.

6 Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me.       

It makes me wonder how old Lehi and Sariah were when they left Jerusalem? We know they had at least four children in the wilderness since we know of two additional sons, Jacob and Joseph and since “sisters” is plural. How old were Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi? Interesting points to ponder.

1 Nephi 1:16-20

As I ponder this morning, prior to writing today’s post, I can’t help but feel awestruck by everything that has happened in the past 1000 years. It seems overwhelming to consider the many interactions God has had with his children since the year 1013. If I had access to the many spiritual interactions people have had with God in the past 1000 years, and was asked to abridge the most important ones into a single volume, how could I possibly pick the right ones? What about 100 years? What about just my lifetime? How was Mormon able to do it? Why did he choose to include the stories he did? Of importance in today’s post, why did Nephi include the stories of his father’s life that he did? What made them stand out over the others? In his own words he wrote:

16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account. 17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life.

We know that the Lord knew and prepared for the lost 116 pages, so why was Nephi inspired to write the things he did about his father’s life? This is a topic I will be discussing multiple times throughout the coming months.

Verse 18 seems to be where Lehi is called to be a prophet. It is here that he begins to go among the people and tell them of the pending destruction of their city. He testifies of the things that he has “seen and heard.” The people are angry with him and “mocked him” because of the things he had seen and heard. Verse 19 states that they were angry with him “yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain.”

I want to point out here that Jeremiah was THE prophet in Jerusalem at this time. The people Lehi was prophesying to were members of “the church.” They thought they were righteous, they thought they were obeying the law of Moses. Why did the Lord send another prophet? Were the people not listening to THE prophet? How would this happen today… among members of our church? Would we listen to someone who wasn’t THE prophet? Would we mock the things they said they “saw and heard?”  Would we be like the Jews and say “we’re fine!!! We’re righteous and doing all the things we’re supposed to. I have 100% home teaching after all. I’m the Elders quorum president… the Lord wouldn’t have called me to this calling if I wasn’t righteous! Of course all is well in Zion?”

Nephi  concludes his thoughts here by stating something at the beginning of the book that is found at the end… that he will “show us the tender mercies of the Lord.” Both the first and last chapters of the Book of Mormon comment on the tender mercies of the Lord.

“that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things,” Moroni 10:3

May we all remember the tender mercy of our Father!

1 Nephi 1:9-15

Lehi’s vision continues and he sees “God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.” 1 Nephi 1:8

He then sees “One” descending out of heaven and his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. The footnote in this verse refers to the first vision in Joseph Smith-History in the Pearl of Great Price. Verse 16 of Joseph Smith-History rehearses Joseph’s experience with the “thick darkness” that surrounded him prior to the Father and the Son appearing.

Please excuse my digression for a few minutes at this point. One of the great blessings of regular temple attendance, and serious inquiry of the Lord on the meaning of the Endowment, has been an understanding that the temple experience has many meanings. One that has become apparent to me is that the endowment is not only an allegory of Adam and Eve, but is also an allegory of our own existence: From the pre-existence, to this life, to returning to our Heavenly Father. I don’t think it is a mere coincidence that Lucifer is in the act of trying to destroy Adam and Eve just prior to the Father and the Son coming to meet Adam and Eve. I think it is a very similar circumstance to the power of darkness that overcame Joseph Smith prior to his vision. I haven’t yet concluded what the meaning of this is, but I don’t think it is a coincidence.

Lehi then appears to have seen the twelve apostles. I’m not sure of the significance of their brightness exceeding that of the stars. We all know the sun, moon, and stars are often compared to the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial kingdoms. I welcome thoughts on this idea.

Next Lehi is given a book. I’ve tried to do some research into what this book was but have been unable to find much. I did however, find the following at the Maxwell Institute:

Preserved in the Book of Mormon are seven of Lehi's inspired dreams and visions. Nephi mentions Lehi's dreams and visions being in his record: "[Lehi] hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams" (1 Nephi 1:16). Lehi himself considered that he was "a visionary man" (1 Nephi 5:4).

The earliest vision recorded in the Book of Mormon is the one that probably began Lehi's own record. Nephi describes it briefly: "As [Lehi] prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly. And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen" (1 Nephi 1:6-7). Nephi gives nothing more of the vision's content, but it may have included Lehi's call to the role of prophet, for soon afterward Lehi began to preach to the people (see v. 18; also 1 Nephi 2:1).

Nephi begins his summary of Lehi's second vision, the vision wherein he sees a book, by emphasizing that "being thus overcome with the Spirit, [Lehi] was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God" (1 Nephi 1:8). Lehi then saw "One descending out of the midst of heaven" and "twelve others following him" (1 Nephi 1:9-10).

Nephi continues: "The first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read" (1:11). Lehi then read of Jerusalem's wickedness and of its impending destruction. This same warning was the core message of other prophets in Lehi's time at Jerusalem (see 1 Nephi 1:4). Although Nephi does not mention it here, at some point in the vision Lehi also learned that the Messiah would come and save humankind: Lehi "testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world" (1 Nephi 1:19). Nephi also includes two apparent direct quotations from Lehi's record—his warning to Jerusalem (1 Nephi 1:13) and his psalm rejoicing in God's power and goodness (1 Nephi 1:14).

Much of what he read in the book was concerning the pending destruction of Jerusalem.

What is most impressive to me is the prayer that Lehi offers in verses 14-15.

14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! 15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

It is my prayer that I can love and praise God as Lehi did. This only comes by honoring God and keeping his commandments. Only He can change my heart.

Mosiah 8:13

I’m going to divert from 1 Nephi 1 for today’s post simply so I don’t forget something I read yesterday during my personal scripture study that I thought was quite profound. I’m going to write instead about Mosiah 8:13.

I have to admit that I am sometimes a bit dense when it comes to understanding certain gospel topics. I often have to read the same thing over and over again before I begin to comprehend what it is saying. This verse led me on a journey yesterday that was unexpected yet wonderful.

In the Book of Mormon we have record of at least two, and likely three records of the Jaredites that were found by the Nephites. The first one we read about is found in Omni 1:20 where we read about a large stone that had engravings on it. It is here we learn of Coriantumr living with them for “nine moons.” Several centuries later 24 gold plates were found by the people of Limhi (Mosiah 8:9). These are referred to as plates of ore in Mosiah 21:27.

I have never really paid attention to the fact that there were these two different records found and I never really paid attention to how significant they are in the Book of Ether. Yesterday I simply did a Google search on these two records and stumbled across one of the most interesting papers I have read in recent times. The article is titled “A Third Jaredite Record: The Sealed Portion of the Gold Plates.” The entire article can be found at: http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=11&num=1&id=281

I highly recommend reading the article in its entirety but the author argues a very compelling argument that the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon was written in full by the brother of Jared prior to his death and remained sealed up until at least the time of Nephi (AD 35) and then was inserted, still sealed, in the Book of Mormon by Moroni.

Below is a small portion of the article:

From the time of Nephi (ca. AD 35), there were two copies of the record of the great vision of the brother of Jared: the original, "in a language that . . . cannot be read" (Ether 3:22), and "the interpretation thereof" by Nephi in the Nephite language (Ether 4:5; see vv. 1–2). Moroni possessed both records and added a third copy by writing or copying the words of the vision upon "these plates" (Ether 4:4), that is, the gold plates. He most likely used Nephi's translation as his master copy because he was familiar with that language and not with the language of the brother of Jared. For the same reason, Moroni probably also turned to Mosiah's translation of the book of Ether to make his abridgment.
Moroni does remark on the wondrous power of the sealed account from the brother of Jared and, in comparison, on his own modest ability. Moroni's words offer a sense of the extraordinary character of the sealed record:

Thou [the Lord] hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them. Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words. (Ether 12:24–25)

 The sealed portion of the Book of Mormon contains the entire history of the earth from the beginning to the end. In Moroni’s words it contains:

25 And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth. 26 For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things. Ether 3:25-26

When the world is ready to receive “all things”, the Lord will give us the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon. This includes but is not limited to members of the church. As a people, we have much repenting to do.

1 Nephi 1:6-8

In yesterday’s post I mentioned that I thought the pillar of fire spoken of in verse 6 was actually a visit by the Lord. I’m going to be so bold as to say that the message of the Book of Mormon (and other standard works) is that we can have a personal visit by the Lord Jesus Christ. I think by the end of First and Second Nephi you will agree with me.  Let’s take a look at the scriptures the footnotes verses 6,7, and 8 refer us to:

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 ¶Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Isaiah 6:1-7

5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. 10 ¶And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. 11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. 12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Daniel 10:5-12

So these footnotes tell us that both Isaiah and Daniel saw the Lord. It is further confirmed in Alma 36:22-23:

22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there. 23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.

This one is Alma speaking of his conversion and seeing the Lord, confirming that Lehi saw the Lord.

Ezekiel

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1:1

Stephen

 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Acts 7:55-56

 Joseph Smith

1 The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell. 2 I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire; 3 Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son. D&C 137:1-3

As we read the Book of Mormon together we will discover that Lehi saw him, Nephi saw him, Jacob saw him, Enos saw him, King Benjamin saw him, Alma saw him, the brother of Jared saw him, the other Nephi saw him, Mormon saw him and Moroni saw him. This is the reoccurring theme of the Book of Mormon. It is the whole point of the endowment… to converse with the Lord through the veil. There are people today that testify they have seen him. Two have written books on the topic, I recommend both of them: “The Second Comforter, Conversing with the Lord through the Veil” by Denver Snuffer, and “Following the Light of Christ into His Presence” by John Pontius. Both books changed my life forever.