One’s Calling and Election does not require that one see God

We should not be surprised that many prophets granted the sealing power had a theophany experience—those in scripture are often the founding prophet of a dispensation or for a specific group of people. A theophany is their only option, since no legal administrator is to be found.

In scripture receiving one’s calling and election does not require that one see God or Christ personally. Alma the Elder, for example, was one of the wicked priests consecrated by King Noah (Mosiah 17:2). Converted by Abinadi’s preaching, he escaped the king’s court and taught while in hiding (Mosiah 18). He eventually led a group of believers to Zarahemla (Mosiah 23–24), where King Mosiah made him the supreme head of the Nephite Christian church, giving him “power to ordain priests and teachers over every church” (Mosiah 25:19, 26:8). Later, when troubled by a matter of internal dissention, Alma received a revelation:

And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying: Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the waters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of thy exceeding faith in the words alone of my servant Abinadi…. Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep (Mosiah 26:14–15, 20).

Alma is the head of the church. He here has his calling and election made sure—he is promised eternal life. Yet, God explicitly points out that Alma has believed simply because of Abinadi’s words. Until now, he has had no theophany, seen no angels, nor seen the face of God. Even now, he only hears God’s words. Enos likewise hears a voice, but reports no vision (Enos 1:5, 10).

Being Pure in Heart

Written by missionaryforever

AVOW, September 2016

On this forum we talk a lot about the future and call-outs and the world as we know it collapsing, etc. And occasionally also the building of Zion. Frankly, the only thing that excites me about “tent cities” is that I see it as the prelude to building Zion, i.e., something we must go through on the path to Zion. If the future doesn’t lead us to Zion, then life would be pretty bleak.

The reason I bring this up is that in order for us to eventually make it to Zion we must become Pure in Heart. Only the pure in heart will be allowed to enter that great city, not those who have their year’s supply of food, and a tent that will handle high winds. So if you will permit me, let’s see what it will take for you and me to become pure in heart, because that is what it really is all about.

When Jesus spoke with those in ancient Israel and to the Nephites he said: “Blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God” 3 Nephi 11.

In Doctrine and Covenants Section 130:20-21 it reads: “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.”

So the key to the blessing of seeing God (and being allowed into the city of Zion) is to be Pure in Heart. Now let’s discuss those principles that will lead each of us to having this wonderful quality, which is what the Temple Endowment teaches by covenant (Note to reader: I am not revealing anything about Temple Covenants that has not been published on the church website, for example, see this link https://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/07/...h-god?lang=eng)

As I researched the phrase “Pure in Heart” I discovered many qualities that take a person on the journey to becoming pure. Keeping the commandments and repenting of sin is the first step. But the type of repentance and obedience described here is because we want to change, and we no longer have a desire to sin (which is the definition of being born again.) This is the repentance that King Benjamin spoke of in his great and final address to his people contained in the book of Mosiah.

Once we have a firm desire for obedience (the first temple covenant), then we move on to the second; sacrifice. As President Kimball spoke in his talk on Becoming the Pure in Heart (April 1978 ), he said “we must eliminate the individual tendency to selfishness”. This is the second covenant, that is, to live the Law of Sacrifice. The law of sacrifice is the opposite of the anti-Christ doctrine taught by Korihor in which he said “every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime”. Those who subscribe to Korihor’s doctrine think only of themselves and will go to any lengths to feed their selfish desires. Whereas, a true disciple of Christ is unselfish and has great desires to teach and serve others.

The third temple covenant is the Gospel covenant. To live the Gospel of Christ is to honor and worship him whose sacrifice for us allows us to be cleansed and sanctified. To live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord, to testify of him, to honor him, to have faith in him and repent and to be grateful for him is the Law of the Gospel. As we strive to become more like him each day, we in turn become more and more pure in heart as he is pure.

In a world where the evils of sexual immorality is everywhere, the next temple covenant and principle of purity is challenging to all who live at this time. I think this principle is more than just abstinence when you are single and fidelity when you are married; it is keeping from even the appearance of evil, and staying away from all forms of immorality, even in entertainment. To watch any form of media today that makes light of the sacred power of creation through casual relationships will keep us from being pure in heart.

Finally, the last temple covenant is that covenant that will make Zion possible. To consecrate is to set aside and dedicate to a purpose. When we give freely of our time, talents and means we are really giving ourselves. To give our all in the building up of the Kingdom of God and not our own kingdoms is the crowning principle that proves to the Lord that he is the most important person in our lives. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21

As we learn to live and love each of these covenants, we will become pure in heart, and as we become pure in heart we have the right by law to see the face of God and be a citizen of Zion.

Understanding the Atonement by Understanding the Body

Written by Steve Reed

November 1, 2010

Many of the following quotes were obtained by a presentation given at BYU by Philip A. Allred called “Made Holy in the Body“.

THE BODY IS A RECORDING DEVICE

Our body is literally a recording device, it is equipped with at least five known senses with which we take in the world around us. With our brain, we process the information and with our will we determine what to do with it. Here are some quotes from Presidents of the Church on this topic.


From President John Taylor:

“…I could show you upon scientific principles that man himself is a self-registering machine, his eyes, his ears, his nose, the touch, the taste, and all the various senses of the body, are so many media whereby man lays up for himself a record…” (Pres. John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 26:32.)

From Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

In a real though figurative sense, the book of life is the record of the acts of men as such record is written in their own bodies. It is the record engraven on the very bones, sinews, and flesh of the mortal body. That is, every thought, word, and deed has an effect on the human body; all these leave their marks… (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 97.)

Again from Pres. Taylor:

God has made each man a register within himself…. Your eyes and ears have taken it in, and your hands have touched it… (Pres. John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 11:77-80).

From President David O. McKay:

Psychology assures us that ‘We are spinning our own fates, good or evil… Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar…. Down among his nerve cells and fibers the molecules are counting it, registering and storing it up to be used against him when the next temptation comes. (Pres. David O. McKay, quoting William James in Conference Report, April 1956, 7-8.)

From Spencer W. Kimball:

There are dark, deep corners, locked rooms, isolated spots, but no act, good or bad; no thought, ugly or beautiful ever escapes being seen or heard. [Each] one will make the imprint on the individual and be recorded, to be met and paid for. (Pres. Spencer W. Kimball, Teaching of Spencer W. Kimball, 155.)

From our Church-produced manual Gospel Principles:

There is another record that will be used to judge us. The Apostle Paul taught that man himself is the most complete record of his life (see Romans 2:15; 2 Cor. 3:1-3). Stored in our body and mind is a complete history of everything we have done. (Gospel Principles, 284.)

From Pres. John Taylor:

Man sleeps for a time in the grave, and by-and-by he rises again from the dead and goes to judgment … it would be in vain for a man to say then, I did not do so-and-so; the command would be, Unravel and read the record which he has made of himself, and let it testify in relation to these things, and all could gaze upon it. It is not because somebody has seen things, or heard anything by which a man will be judged and condemned, but it is because that record that is written by the man himself in the tablets of his own mind—that record that cannot lie—will in that day be unfolded before God and angels, and those who shall sit as judges… (Pres. John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 11:78-79).

From Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

When the book of life is opened in the day of judgment (Rev. 20:12-15), men’s bodies will show what law they have lived. The Great Judge will then read the record of the book of their lives; the account of their obedience or disobedience will be written in their bodies. (quoted in LDS Church News, 26 June, 1993; from Mormon Doctrine, 97)

TRANSGRESSION CREATES A PHYSICAL RECORD

Sins and transgressions are not just ethereal ideas, but an actual, physical records we create that reside within us. This is why thoughts can be sins.

Whether you act it out or not, you have instructed the synapses in your brain, those little cells, to produce an incorrect or impure sequence of data; you have willed something evil into existence. It may not exist in the world as an action, but it exists in your brain just as data exists in a computer in the form of ones and zeroes. A being who uses their will to instruct matter to form into imperfect structures cannot ever participate in eternal life where creation and the instruction of matter and intelligences is the entire purpose.

In this life, your brain is your own private universe, with every facet and fragment created by you and through your actions, brought into the sphere of this world to influence the lives and futures of your fellow beings for good or for evil.

This is why we only receive a ‘remission’ of sin through baptism. Just like cancer in remission, it still resides in your body, but it doesn’t effect your progression and ability to act. The cancer may be removed through surgery or a change in the physical body. Likewise, sin, or ‘imperfect code’ must be removed from the body of man through another process we understand as ‘the resurrection’.

THE LIFE AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST CREATED A 'TEMPLATE'

Jesus never committed sin in his mortal flesh so that his body could be a ‘template’ for all the rest of mankind. He conquered death so that we might be resurrected and he lived perfectly so that we might be resurrected to a state of perfection.


From Brigham Young:

…if we take a course to promote the principles of life—seek unto our Father and God, and obtain his will and perform it, the spirit will become purified, sanctified, cleansed, and made holy in the body, and the grave will cleanse the flesh. When the spirit overcomes the evil consequences of the fall, which are in the mortal tabernacle, it will reign predominant in the flesh, and is then prepared to be exalted… (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 7: 287.)

Again from Brigham Young:

…by obedience to the Gospel of salvation, and the renovating influences of the Holy Ghost, and the holy resurrection, we shall put on the image of the heavenly, in beauty, glory, power and goodness. (Discourses of Brigham Young, 373-74)

From Joseph Fielding Smith:

If we will just be true and faithful to every covenant, to every principle of truth that he has given us, then after the resurrection we [will] come back into his presence and we [will] be just like he is. We [will] have the same kind of bodies—bodies that [will] shine like the sun. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Take Heed to Yourselves!, 345.)

FOR YE ARE ALL THE CHILDREN OF GOD BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS

The apostle Paul taught the Galatians: 

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29)

The phrase “put on” is from the Greek word “Enduw” (pronounced “en-doo’-o”) which means: “(in the sense of sinking into a garment); to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively):–array, clothe (with), endue, have (put) on.” This might be a link to understanding the connections that the Temple “Endow”ment has to the resurrection.

We will literally ‘put on’ Jesus Christ in the resurrection by receiving a new body formed by his ‘template’ that never had evil or imperfection recorded into it. This is how Jesus was able to atone for the ‘sins of the world’ and how there is no sin that cannot be cleansed by the atonement. It covers everything because he literally replaces corruption with incorruption. This is the miracle of the resurrection and why “when He shall appear we shall be like Him.” (1 John 3:2)