All flesh is in his hands. Eleven years ago, my wife and I were blessed with a new daughter. We are sons [and daughters] of God and the seed of Abraham.1. Adam and Eve in the Garden, by Stanley Galli, Detail from Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hofmann. We were placed here on earth to progress toward our destiny of eternal life. The doctrines of the Restoration declare unequivocally that we are eternal beings. A great many Latter-day Saints can bear witness to the joy that comes from receiving and obeying God's laws and ordinances. So many people I encounter have problems. I dont believe in that word. I lived in his shadow, ministering to his daily needs. I have reflected on our Father's plan often in the last few months, and I have thought much and prayed much about you. They are often the means by which faith, hope, and charity become integral parts of our character. My mother let me know in no uncertain terms that she expected me to be a good boy and do my very best. Improvement comes line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little (2Nephi 28:30; see also D&C 50:24). Luke followed through on the assignment for a few weeks without any success. As Paul taught, they become identified with Christ--they take on themselves His name, become His true followers and trusted servants. Check out our eternal purpose selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. You can change your preferences at any time by returning to this site or visit our how to upload resume on indeed. An unanticipated problem was encountered, check back soon and try again Is there not wisdom in his [Gods] giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.3. And that peace comes when our lives are so in harmony with the Lords that the Holy Spirit can heal our broken hearts and make us whole. This eternal perspective affects their choices and priorities. (Rev. And because we wanted to be like him, we are here. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. 158-159 "You will see the time when you will have millions of children around you. One thing we saw was how glorious he is. I so testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. . They will grow up in an eternal family founded on the teachings of Christ. As soon as I had those feelings, the thought of using pornography became abhorrent to me." As important as these dimensions of identity are, however, they are not who we really are. See also: Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:1891Nephi 22:3; see also Deuteronomy 28:64101 Nephi 19:16111 Nephi 10:1412This account is based on a true story but names and certain aspects of the situation have been changed.13Isaiah 35:4. At first I saw it as a sacrifice, but its the best thing I ever did, other than finding our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ., The greatest thing the Savior has done for him, Charles says, is to bring a meaning into his life that is inextricably bound to happiness. 3:2226; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. Luke still had hard things to overcome. Our true, eternal identity begins with our heritage as spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents. We taste the bitter fruits of life in order that we may grow and learn to prize the good (see Moses 6:55; D&C 29:39; 2Nephi 2:12, 11). (D&C 131:14; D&C 132:424.) They had appointed our group to be a family on earth, they said, patterned after our heavenly family, with a father and mother and children. Eternal Marriage - LDS Wedding Planner Marriage, For All Eternity Elder Jeffrey R Holland Photo Courtesy of Stacey Kay Photography "I don't know how to speak about heaven in the traditional, lovely, paradisiac beauty that we speak of heaven; I wouldn't know how to speak of heaven without my wife or my children. It is not our prerogative to counsel him. Member Education LDS doctrine declares that marriage is essential to God's eternal plan, the First Presidency has warned that disintegration of families will bring dire consequences,79 and presidents Spen- cer W. Kimball (1973-1985) and Gordon B. Hinckley (1995- 2008) have counseled that selection of an eternal companion is the most . The bishop thought he looked like a new person. (D&C 124:3841; D&C 131:14; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. We need to discover our talents and use them in his service. I knew straight away that I had to stop. And he did, but not without help. That image has a powerful influence on our attitudes and our actions. My wife, who had not left my bedside, told me of a blessing I was given at the most critical period, when I hovered between life and death. The truth is, happiness is not synonymous with pleasure or even freedom from pain. We are choosing friends, majors, careers, social activities, priorities, and many more things. He had not yet assigned any of us this mission, and I feared that it might fall to me. Additional dimensions of eternal identity flow from the Father's great plan of salvation for His children and the redeeming work of Christ in that plan. This is our eternal purpose: to become holy men and women in Christ. Luke foolishly ignored the teachings of the prophets and got involved with pornography. Men do not suddenly become righteous any more than a tiny acorn suddenly becomes an oak. This is the greatest gift that can be conferred on intelligent beings, to live forever and never be destroyed.". . First, Paul sets forth God's eternal purpose (3:9-11) and then he gives two practical applications (3:12-13). Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 25556). You are husbands and wives, mothers and fathers in God's eternal plan. Life is a battle and a sojourn in a strange land, and the fame that comes after is oblivion.1 Contrast that with the Prophet Joseph Smiths simple declaration: Happiness is the object and design of our existence.2. One evening the bishop was meeting with Luke when he received an impression to ask Luke a question. They are spiritually born of Christ and become new creatures, His sons and daughters. God is our Father.9 What could be more natural than for him to want his children to become as he is and enjoy all that he enjoys? Perhaps we were not so much concerned whether we should die of disease, of accident, or of senility. This is, in fact, the primary purpose of LDS temples. "The Purpose of Life," Ensign, Apr. The Lord declared, This is my work and my gloryto bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). But even if that premortal scene did not actually happen, the principle it taught me is true: Jenny is a child of God, a goddess in embryo, and we have much of life and love to learn from each other. The current cadre might be interested to know that my eight-year-old daughter discovered the answer not too long ago. Luke turned more powerfully and completely to the Savior. Vanessa is in second grade this year. Immortality is to live forever as a resurrected being. Jane Elizabeth Manning James (1822 - April 16, 1908), fondly known as "Aunt Jane", was one of the first recorded African-American women to enter Utah. You are who you are because of who He is. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and ETERNAL IDENTITY AND PURPOSE. Eternal Life Overview Eternal life is the phrase used in scripture to define the quality of life that our Eternal Father lives. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 255. But I have changed my mind on that subject. As members of your church, we promise to support it with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service. Eternal life, or exaltation, is to live in Gods presence and to continue as families (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:14). It must needs be, Lehi taught, that there is an opposition in all things. Without that opposition, neither righteousness nor joy is possible.3, Some of the trials we face in life we impose on ourselves. And we wanted to be like him. 3:2223. If we maintain faith in God, our trials in life will work together for our good and our eternal glory (see D&C 90:24; 58:24; 121:78; 122:59; Romans 8:28). (Alma 34:918.) Pornography became like a drug he took to satisfy his appetites and relieve his pain. It can strengthen each of us to make righteous choices and to seek the best that is within us" ( "Powerful Ideas," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 25). Through the redeeming and strengthening power of the Atonement of Christ, we may overcome the natural man, grow in knowledge and understanding, serve and obey, experience joy and happiness, and become more and more like the Savior. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive (2Nephi 31:1718). It affirms that this mortal life has a purpose. Thats part of the joy we experience in this life., At the close of his life and in an address that brought to a crescendo all he had been teaching the Saints, Joseph Smith declared: [God] was once a man like us; yea, God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did., Here, then, is eternal lifeto know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory.8, No concept thrilled me more thoroughly when I discovered the gospel as a teenager than the idea that I could become like God; it gave direction to my life at a time when I needed an identity and a reason to stay active in the Church. Did that scene really take place? 2 Samuel 7:1-14a. This view loses sight of the eternal perspective that God elected women to the noble role of mother and that exaltation is eternal fatherhood and eternal motherhood. 12:39; D&C 29:3637; D&C 76:2527; Moses 4:12; Abr. The ordinances of the priesthood place the powers of godliness within our reach (see D&C 84:1923). July 10, 2015. And it came, washing over me in waves of joy. But I have them for a purpose. 34647, 367.) 34849.) MORE OPTIONS AGREE. The Lord then listed tribulations the Prophet could face (and indeed, during his lifetime, did face), ending with words that undoubtedly sustained him through the terrible days ahead: Above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. There was an emptiness in our hearts, an aching need for some kind of assurance that Someone was in control. We can live our life with purposethe purpose to gain eternal life and be counted as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Did we live before? Mortal life allows us to learn by trial and error; and when we make the inevitable mistakes, the principles and ordinances of the gospel help us to bring our lives into harmony with truth. God provided the opportunity for us to obtain a physical body in mortality. Since the expression of agency is fundamental to our progress (2 Ne. We are commanded to become perfect as God is perfect (see Matthew 5:48; 3Nephi 12:48). He said to the bishop, "That is not who I am." Send me. It was Jenny. Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. All nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed. Then into my mind came a short conversation: One of you, I imagined our Father saying, will receive a body and mind with capacities different from the others. What did we do wrong? Here is the answer: All Human Beingsmale and femaleare created in the image of God. 15:5157; Mosiah 15:69; Mosiah 16:78. After we are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, much of our progress toward eternal life depends on our receiving other ordinances of salvation: for men, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood; for men and women, the temple endowment and marriage sealing. Those who learn obedience and gain self-mastery will return to live with God the Eternal Father. When you look in the mirror, you may not see what I have described today. Within a few minutes of her birth, we learned that our Jenny had Down syndrome. One of the primary reasons we came to earth was to gain a physical bodya temple in which our spirits could dwell and through which we could control the coarser elements of the universe called matter. 1) Children of God: we are spirit sons and daughters of God, born into mortal families with a divine nature and destiny. But these, too, are part of the path to perfect joy. 9:1516; D&C 76:33, 4448.). Mortal life is a probationary period, the time for us to prepare to meet God (see Alma 12:24; 42:4, 10; 34:32). 220, 308, 349, 367.) Advancement to perfection can nevertheless be rapid if one resolutely strides toward the goal (SpencerW. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness,210). 3:2226; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. In my mind I saw myself with a group of friends in the premortal existence. [77] Having an eternal perspective is in many ways the key to living a true Christ-following life. True happiness comes from the personal, spiritual growth that rises out of the fires of mortal experience. The time to do this is now, in mortality. But God's eternal purpose for us does not stop at the moment of salvation; it also involves our becoming more like Christ. ETERNAL LIFE - Decisions: LDS Lesson Activity - Path to Eternal Life . For many years the prophets have warned us about the terrible consequences that follow the use of pornography: marriages and families destroyed, loved ones wounded, the soul chained by addiction, the power of the priesthood lost, and spiritual death. 31:1021; Mosiah 5:25; D&C 66:2.) You have to choose to be a faithful, trusted servant of the Lord. Brothers and sisters, I pray that you will have spiritual vision; that you will make every decision, face every challenge, and take every action with faith in Jesus Christ fully conscious that you are on His errand, serving in His holy work, following the Father's glorious plan every day of your life. After serving as a missionary for the Church in Germany, he married his wife, Sue, in 1971. The Purpose of Earth Life Introduction Earth life, though brief, is crucial to us in our quest for eternal life. You are sent to this earth, not to ride merry-go-rounds, airplanes, automobiles, and have what the world calls fun.. Before our mortal birth we had a pre-existent, spiritual personality, as the sons and daughters of the Eternal Father (statement of the First Presidency, Improvement Era, Mar. [75] [76] This reflects Brigham Young`s earlier teachings that the primary purpose of polygamy was to bring about the millennium. We are now in a day of trial to prove ourselves worthy or unworthy of the life which is to come (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young,345). Moroni summarized his father's intent by saying that he hoped the record would help its writers to "rid our garments of the blood of our brethren" (Mormon 9:37) and that these brethren would be restored to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and that God, the Father, would "remember the covenant which he hath made with the house of Israel" (Mormon 9:37). (D&C 121:2632; D&C 124:3334; D&C 130:2021; Moses 5:57; Abr. The next few days were difficult. Seen with the perspective of eternity, a temporal setback can be an opportunity to develop soul power of eternal significance. You do not remember it, I do not remember it, but nevertheless there was a time before we ever came into this world when we dwelt in his presence. That powerful idea is a potent antidepressant. In fact, he grew even more discouraged. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is looking for Project Management interns to help our IT department to work with teams of engineers, product managers, developers . 1, pp. It is not like a checklist that you work through. The measure of our creation, through Gods grace, is godliness (see Ephesians 4:1213). For Latter-day Saints, death is merely the doorway that leads into the next life. But after his return he slipped back into using pornography. When combined, the spirit and the body compose the soul of man (see D&C 88:15; Genesis 2:7). Proverbs is a most peculiar book of our Bible. Calmly. God promised Abraham that his seed would take the gospel of Jesus Christ and the holy priesthood, including the ordinances of salvation, unto all nations to bless all the families of the earth. When I walked out that door, she wanted me to remember my heritage as a child of God and that I represented our family and the hopes and dreams of generations of faithful grandparents who had sacrificed so much to give me the great blessings I enjoyed. However, in mortality you have to choose your eternal identity. (D&C 88:1424.) All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not (Smith, Teachings,181). At one of the lowest ebbs in the Prophets life, Joseph cried, O God, where art thou? Indeed, without a body, we could not enjoy a fulness of joy. The bishop encouraged him, but Luke continued to struggle. Repentance is not a punishment and can be defined as any change in action, attitude, or belief that points us to Jesus Christ. We'd like to tell you tha The body should be a temple in which the Spirit of God may dwell (see 1Corinthians 3:1617; 6:1920; D&C 93:35). He knows you perfectly. TestimonyIf you seek to understand and live up to your eternal identity, it will grow in your mind and in your heart. There are certain challenges involved in possessing a body, of course, and it takes some experience to learn how to bring our bodies into harmony with our spirits. Our purpose [of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, S&I] is to help youth and young adults understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven. But that is not true. My life is here and now, he says. Four years ago, he and his wife came in contact with LDS missionaries. The Bible says that at the end of time almost the entire world will be deceived and will be led captive by the devil and end up worshipping evil spirits because of their lack of understanding about death. For our search of truth, we will turn to five witnessesfirst and foremost to the testimony of the scriptures; second, to the witness of the early Christian writers; third, to the wisdom of those poets and authors who drink from the divine well; fourth, to the power of logic; and fifth, to the voice of history. Why does the world reckon years from the birth of Jesus Christ? The 192nd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, returns with a Saturday . His conclusion? He became far more aware of the subtle ways Satan tried to lure him into the path of pornography. Their children will be born in the covenant and reared in light and truth. Are we investing, first and foremost, in the things that are eternal in nature? The Savior himself underscored that fact for the Prophet Joseph Smith. For those who accepted this gospel while they were in the spirit world, ordinances performed vicariously for them on earth would become effective, and they could join the society of the faithful. We are here that we may be educated in a school of suffering and of fiery trials, which school was necessary for Jesus, our Elder Brother, who, the scriptures tell us, was made perfect through suffering. It is necessary that we suffer in all things, that we may be qualified and worthy to rule, and govern all things, even as our Father in Heaven and His eldest son, Jesus (Snow, Teachings of Lorenzo Snow,119). (D&C 88:114; see 2 Ne. Coming to earth is part of God's plan for us to gain a physical body and learn to choose between good and evil. Nephi emphasized that after we have entered this strait and narrow path, we must endure to the end in faith: After ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Doug has diabetes, and one time it nearly killed him. Faith is developed in a setting where we cannot see what lies ahead (in Conference Report, Oct. 1985, 78; or Ensign, Nov. 1985, 63). Inseparably connected to the Spirit of God, we can then claim our birthrightthat peace, that joy which passes all understanding. It is in our days that "the remnants of the house of Israel, should . Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. President Clark earned bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in economics from Harvard University. And the full flowering of that seed is eternal life. So in a premortal council our Heavenly Father presented a plan of salvation. Doug Stewart, an institute teacher from Apple Valley, California, learned that truth for himself. We knew before we were born that we were coming to the earth for bodies and experience and that we would have joys and sorrows, ease and pain, comforts and hardships, health and sickness, successes and disappointments, and we knew also that after a period of life we would die. With that identity and purpose firmly in your heart and mind, you will see yourself and your life the way the Lord does. One day a young woman he had been dating asked him, "How do you deal with pornography?" (D&C 76:70; D&C 88:2829; D&C 130:22; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. Such is part of both the utility and the beauty of faith: a mess of pottage remains a mess of pottage and no more (Men and Women of Christ, 116). The body is sacred and should be properly valued (see Exodus 20:13; Genesis 1:2627; 9:6; D&C 42:1819). You are sent to school, for that matter, to begin as a human infant and grow to unbelievable proportions in wisdom, judgment, knowledge, and power. Kim B. Clark became the 15th president of Brigham Young University-Idaho in August 2005. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. She has learned to read well enough by now that she can almost keep up with her twelve-year-old brother when we read the scriptures together. When we are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we enter the path that leads to eternal life. I will then close with some thoughts on the way your eternal identity and purpose may give you perspective, strength, guidance, and hope as you face the critical decisions you must make and the actions you must take in your lives right now, even this very day. You have to become your eternal identity. I strive for happiness. There is nothing the Latter-day Saints can imagine that would afford them happiness that God has not unfolded to us. Sweet, National Estimates of Cohabitation, Demography 26, no.4 [November 1989]: 61525.) Exaltation consists in the continuation of the family unit in eternity (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:546). A knowledge of the resurrection thus leads to personal righteousness (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 2:396). We can, if we are not careful, feel the pressures of time and see things in a distorted way. I became more and more ill, Doug says, until finally I slipped into unconsciousness. In that moment he made a decision to be honest with her. One Sunday afternoon Luke walked into the bishop's office smiling. The divorce rate for temple marriages is well below that of civil marriages, and civil divorce rates are exceeded by separation rates for open marriages. We had just finished participating in that great council where the plan of salvation had been presented and the Savior offered himself as a sacrifice to assure our eternal lives. Each of these dimensions of identity carries with it eternal purpose. Later, I decided I must have chosen to live so as to be with my family and experience whatever else I needed to learn in this life.. Ye were also in the beginning with the Father, the Savior tells us; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth. (D&C 93:23.) (Job 38:47.) (Abr. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everyone will receive this gift. You have to act with faith in Jesus Christ to become holy men and women with your whole soul. You will see others, especially your children and your eternal companion, the way the Lord sees them. He would do fine for a while, but would then fall back into his old pattern. The purpose of life is joy through self-realization of our full nature as a child of God." Lowell L. Bennion, Introduction to the Gospel, pg 209 "When all is said and done, there is one purpose for this Church, and that is to assist our Father in Heaven in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters. 1983, 5; or Ensign, May 1983, 6). Wednesday night I was praying for help. Because the Savior paid for my sins, I dont have to be overwhelmed by them. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble, the Lord declared; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them., I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto methe fountain of all righteousness. (Ether 12:2728. When you face decisions or are tempted to do something that is wrong, when you face adversity and challenges, or when you are blessed with prosperity, the Holy Spirit will remind you who you are and will help you see your true identity and purpose with an eternal perspective. 34647. You may enjoy music, athletics, or be mechanically inclined, and someday you may work in a trade or a profession or in the arts. 27:19; D&C 67:13; D&C 76:6970), we faced a dilemma: How could we learn the lessons of our second estate without sinning? The path to happiness, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God., In obedience there is joy and peace unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances.5, A great many Latter-day Saints can bear witness to the joy that comes from receiving and obeying Gods laws and ordinances. The more clearly we see eternity, the more obvious it becomes that the Lords work in which we are engaged is one vast and grand work with striking similarities on each side of the veil (The Things of EternityStand We in Jeopardy? Ensign, Jan. 1977, 3). I know now that when death comes, it will be natural and normal. 1993, 22. Though I am weak, the Lord is strong; as I repent, he can help me overcome my imperfections. The dimensions of eternal identity we have discussed apply to all of God's faithful sons and daughters. He died and suffered so that each of us could realize in its fullness our true, eternal identity and purpose now and forever. It has profound consequences for every one of us and for every aspect of our lives. From July to September 1857, Mormon leaders prepared . Your eternal identity has been a part of you for a long, long time. The light he has given us provides solace at death, endurance in trials, and faith to work through the vagaries of life. No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. Each of us carries around with us an image of who we are and who we want to be. We are incredibly blessed in our day to have received from God himself answers to these questions. If you are tempted to walk down a wrong path, you, too, will hear that sweet angel voice say to you: "That is not who you are!" Here we receive bodies of flesh and bones and are tested in all things. Dimension #3: Fathers and Mothers in an Eternal Family. IdentityThe effects of identity on what we do and how we relate to others are important and powerful. Time is of this world; it is not of eternity. But learning involves making mistakes. His plan is truly glorious and powerful. While he lived, Shauna says, caring for him was a total commitment. We Are Within the Purpose of a Loving Creator. I used to think, if I were the Lord, I would not suffer people to be tried as they are. Introduction Our gender was established before we were born into mortality and is an essential characteristic of our eternal identity. Sharon and her husband live in Minnesota. God has said that His purpose is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" ( Moses 1:39 ). Life is not complicated. Eternal life is not, however, the same as immortality. Will we live after this life? All of us are separated by a thin veil only from the friends and fellow laborers with whom we served on the Lords errand before our eternal spirits took up their abodes in tabernacles of clay (BruceR. McConkie, in Conference Report, Apr. She encouraged him to see the bishop and told him that if he did she would support him. Strength is forged in adversity. Earth life, though brief, is crucial to us in our quest for eternal life. Said the Prophet Joseph Smith: We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. I have challengeslots and lots and lots of challenges. 25557. . Many of those who believe in some sort of afterlife are unaware that there was also a premortal life before we existed on earth. 2) Seed of Abraham: we are heirs to the promises of Abraham, true followers of Christ, His trusted servants with His name upon us. You may feel that being a holy and trusted servant or being sealed to a beloved companion and having children may be out of your reach. It is not all to be comprehended in this world.10 Still, our time on earth is of vital importance. But it is necessary, so that you all can learn how to love purely and unconditionally.. If we let this reality sink in, it will forever change the . Deeply passionate about Truth, Sharon loves serving as a full-time volunteer research associate with Mormonism Research Ministry. In 1978 Kim Clark became a member of the faculty at the Harvard Business School, and in 1995 he became dean of the school. Grant, chapter3, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: HeberJ. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven (OrsonF. Whitney, in Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle,98). And some just come because we live in a fallen, imperfect world. His plan is truly glorious and powerful. The Bible speaks of a war in heaven, and says that God created the earth through The Word (Christ), but very little else is available in the . Most of Heavenly Fathers children met the proposal with a shout of joy. Other times, they are in others. True followers of Christ are called the seed or the children of Abraham. He is also the father of our bodies. This will present some difficult challenges for all of you. Im not afraid of it anymore. Thirty-six years ago in Maryland her husband, Joseph, was paralyzed from the chest down in an auto accident. ), Trials, then, are a fundamental part of the plan of life. Why is there so much sorrow? First and foremost, we are spiritual beings. ) (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 548). 350-352) Those seeking to be obedient to God will not be tried or tested beyond their ability to bear it (see 1Corinthians 10:13; Alma 13:2830; 38:5). At the heart of every challenge in life is a seed of joy. What is our role when a general emergency arises? He did not come to leave you out of His blessings. Only as we overcome shall we become perfect and move toward godhood. We were willing to take life as it came and as we might organize and control it, and this without murmur, complaint, or unreasonable demands (Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle,106). They now continue their attacks on earth against those who sustained the Fathers plan. Marriage and the family unit are the central part of the plan of progression and exaltation. 354.). God is Our Heavenly Father Before we were born on earth we lived with Heavenly Father as spirits. 1912, p.417; also see Jeremiah 1:5). You may wonder if God has an identity and purpose like this for you. The sacred ordinances of the temple confer upon God's spirit children new dimensions of eternal identity. . You are all the seed of Abraham, for example, but with the Lord's help you become uniquely qualified to carry out the very specific work of salvation He will give you to do. Dora and I struggled with the usual terrible questions: Why us? 3:26; see D&C 138:56.) Look into the mirror with the eye of faith and see in the mirror not only your face but also the face of the Lord Jesus Christ standing beside you with power and glory and never-ending, perfect love. (John 10:1518; 1 Cor. The experience changed Dougs perspective on lifeand on death. The Importance of the Temple for Living Members. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 181; see D&C 88:1520, 2829; D&C 93:3335; D&C 130:22; D&C 131:78. . Amen.7. He was a remarkable man of many achievements. I close with this promise: a spiritual understanding and witness of your eternal identity and purpose will encourage you and give you hope. He is the father of our spirits and we are his children. I couldnt have quit drinking without help from the Holy Ghost, he says. It is our responsibility and our opportunity to be at peace in our minds and in our hearts, and to know that he is God, that this is his work, and that he will not permit it to fail (in Conference Report, Apr. God Sets Forth His Purpose for Man and Woman. 5:48; Heb. The laws our Heavenly Father instituted would allow his children to become like him. (Rev. . 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