The year of 2010 was a big year for me. There was a lot of change for me during the year.
Back to School: This started in the fall of 2009, but got into high gear during 2010. In that time I have taken 6 classes on teaching vision impaired students. I have one B and 5 A's. I have really enjoyed these classes. I have one more class and then take and pass the PRAXIS test for VI, I will then be able to add on a VI certification for my teaching license. If I add 2 more classes after that from the VI program, then I can add the 30+ graduate classes as well. That is the step between masters and PHD. That will up my pay about $3,000.
Work: The 2009-2010 school year was a hard year for everyone. Because of budget cuts, we had a lot of changes through out the year. We had staff moved to other positions on campus. We had staff that were let go. The 2010-2011 school year has been better. There has still been some changes. For me I got offered a new position. I am now at the Blind School. I am the certified teacher for the VI Resource Room at Carver Junior High School and Spartanburg High School. I started in December. Another teacher took over my old class. Wow.
House: I refinanced my home loan in the end of August. What a blessing. I got a great deal. I had been paying to much for taxes on my home. So I got two big refund checks. I lowered my payment and my interest rate.
Svetlana: The best thing to happen to me in 2010 was getting to know and falling in love with Svetlana. We met in June on a dating site on line. She is from Russia. As I look back on it a marvel at the whole thing. It started out with me saying hi. She said hi back. I liked her pictures she had and asked her about them. That is how everything started. We started writing to each other. We went from writing on that site, to writing to our email addresses, then moved to Facebook, and finally to Skype. As we got to know each other, our relationship grew. Our feelings for each other grew. I feel in love with Sveta. She is such an amazing and beautiful woman. We started talking about marriage. I made the trip to see her during the Christmas holidays. During the trip we got engaged. I love her so much.
As I said 2010 was a year of change for me, all very good changes. Waiting to see what what 2011 has in store. I am looking forward to having Sveta come. We have to do a lot of paper work and stuff for the state department. I am so looking forward to starting our lives together. The big event in my life coming up will be when we are married.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Philosophy of Education
The idea of our own Philosophy of Education is a personal thing. It is ours and ours alone. Whether we realize it or not we all have one. Our philosophy is shaped from several sources. It is shaped from what we have learned from others. I have taken many graduate level courses on a variety of educational topics. It is shaped from what we have experienced. I have experienced eight years working in the classroom in some way or another. It also is shaped by our own personality and thoughts. I have pondered and questioned how I can improve as a teacher of children. Writing this Philosophy of Education paper allows me to put down what I believe about how to educate others. Four points I would like to make in this paper are: the purpose of education to gain tools to explore the world, always trying new things and make it fun, students are individuals and unique, and teaching is a partnership and respect them.
First, I believe the purpose of education is to help students gain the tools needed to explore the world around them. We are all learning as we go through life. The information we gain as we have experiences helps us to create the way we perceive the world. As teachers we help our students gain the tools to interpret and build upon the knowledge we are given from our experiences. Every single day we are evolving our perception of the world in which we live.
As teachers we should help the students learn the skills to gain knowledge for themselves to improve their lives. We teach facts. These facts tend to may stay constant or may change slightly from time to time. For example let’s take math. During a math activity a student was bowling. There were empty several soda bottles used as pins and a soft ball as the bowling ball. The student had two attempts to knock down the pins. After the two tries the student added the number of pins that were knocked down each try. So if the student knocked down two pins on the first try and five pins on the second try; the number of pins the student knocked down for that turn was 7. It does not change that 2 plus 5 equals 7. That is a fact that does not change. In order for the students to gain that knowledge for themselves they need to be taught the skills to interpret the experience of knocking down the pins and knowing how many were knocked down.
However sometimes facts can change. For example during a school year in which there is a presidential election, if you ask a student who is the president of the United States, you may get two answers depending on when during that year you ask the question. As our perception of the world changed so did the fact. As teachers we should give the students the ability to question and to find the answers out for themselves. They need to be able to think and reason for themselves to the best of their ability. In this example the students need several things such as: knowledge of government, what voting is, reading or being able to follow someone else speaking, and retaining the information. When they are able to do this then they gain knowledge to improve their lives.
Second, I believe that to be an affective teacher that you should always try new things and make learning fun. Do not be afraid to experiment in ways to present information from the lesson to your classroom. We can always improve. As such teachers should always be pondering on how I can present this material. How can I make the lesson real to them? How can I present the lesson in a way that they will remember the concepts? How can I grab and hold their attention? Teachers should talk to one another and share what has worked and what has not worked for them.
Teachers should try to make the lessons and activities as fun as possible for the students and for themselves. If you are not enjoying what you are presenting to students that can come across to the students and can affect their learning of the material. Also if the students are enjoying the learning process then it will be an experience they will want to remember. This will then affect the ability in retaining knowledge from the lesson. That is a reason it is important to try new things.
I have an example of the second belief. One thing I have worked on in my class is calendar systems. The calendar system is a way for the students to keep track of their schedule for the day. Every student has their own schedule to follow. I go over it in the mornings. The student’s calendar system is made up of tactile symbols that stand for activities during the day. There is a symbol for activities such as bathroom, eating, orientation and mobility, physical education, classroom lesson time, art class, etc. There are also symbols for the days of the week. Every day the students have a different schedule to follow.
So one of the things we have worked on is for the students to be able to identify the different symbols for their calendar system. As the year progressed I tried several different things in order to help learn the symbols. First I went over the calendar in the mornings at the same time every day. I took time for the students to feel the symbols as we discussed what was going to happen that day. Another thing I tried was to give a student a symbol to hold and explore. I then asked the student to choose between two choices and tell what symbol they had. I played board games with the students in order to help them identify the symbols. When we went over the schedule the students got to add the symbols to the calendar. When it was time for an activity on the calendar schedule the students got to feel the symbol for the activity and then when the activity was finished to put the symbol into the finished bag. I also made up a silly song about the symbols to help the students identify the symbols. Now I did not do everything at once. But as the year went on I kept thinking how we can help improve the way the students learned the symbols for the calendar system. I was willing to experiment. I was thinking of ways to make learning enjoyable and fun for the students and myself. All these things helped the student to learn to identify the symbols for their calendar system.
Third, I believe that each student is a unique individual. The students are coming from different backgrounds and experiences. The students have different strengths and weaknesses. The students have different challenges and opportunities. The students have different learning styles. All of these things must be taken into consideration by the teacher. As stated earlier, teachers need to ponder how to improve the lesson. Teachers need to be flexible and willing to try something new. As much as possible lessons should incorporate something from all the learning styles in them.
For example let’s go back to an example I had used earlier. One of the activities that students in my class enjoyed was the adding of bowling pins. The rules to the activity are stated previously in the paper. In this lesson the students got to do each of the learning styles audio, visual, and kinesthetic. During the lesson several things happen. The students have the auditory learning style when: I explain the rules to the activity, when they hear the ball knocking down pins, when they count verbally the number of pins were knocked down on each try, and when they state the answer to the how many pins where knocked down totally. The students are visually learning when they feel the ball and pins, feel each pin when they are counting, and feel all the pins they knocked down. The students are kinesthetically learning as they throw or role the ball toward the pins, as they move to touch the pins as they count, and as they move to take turns during the activity. Thus during this fun and simple learning activity all of the learning styles were incorporated for the students.
Fourth, I believe to be an affective teacher that you need to remember that it is a partnership between the student, family, and teacher. As such you need to respect the people you work with. I think if you are respectful and show it on a regular bases then the exchange of ideas can flow smoothly. It helps with the classroom management side of teaching. Being respectful is for you, students, other staff, and teachers. As stated everyone is in a partnership in the education process. Being respectful is not hard and just requires doing some of the little things. Some examples of this include: using words like please and thank you in your everyday conversations, telling others you appreciate their efforts, being upfront and honest with others, and being calm and patient with others. When you are respectful to those around you it helps to provide a safe and friendly atmosphere in which to exchange and practice ideas and concepts with others.
I have had experience with having students in my classroom who have reputations of having behavior problems. These problems can potentially affect everyone in the classroom as well as at home. I have seen by being respectful to the student with the behavior, the family, other students in the classroom, and staff; situations that had a potential to escalate were able to gradually die down. It really helped to realize it was a partnership and to be respectful to everyone involved.
Thank you for reading my Philosophy of Education paper. I hope that this gives you a better understanding about me. I believe that as a teacher I can better educate the students in my classroom by following the beliefs discussed about in this paper. I believe that by following these believes that I can have an effective classroom environment in which everyone involved can benefit.
First, I believe the purpose of education is to help students gain the tools needed to explore the world around them. We are all learning as we go through life. The information we gain as we have experiences helps us to create the way we perceive the world. As teachers we help our students gain the tools to interpret and build upon the knowledge we are given from our experiences. Every single day we are evolving our perception of the world in which we live.
As teachers we should help the students learn the skills to gain knowledge for themselves to improve their lives. We teach facts. These facts tend to may stay constant or may change slightly from time to time. For example let’s take math. During a math activity a student was bowling. There were empty several soda bottles used as pins and a soft ball as the bowling ball. The student had two attempts to knock down the pins. After the two tries the student added the number of pins that were knocked down each try. So if the student knocked down two pins on the first try and five pins on the second try; the number of pins the student knocked down for that turn was 7. It does not change that 2 plus 5 equals 7. That is a fact that does not change. In order for the students to gain that knowledge for themselves they need to be taught the skills to interpret the experience of knocking down the pins and knowing how many were knocked down.
However sometimes facts can change. For example during a school year in which there is a presidential election, if you ask a student who is the president of the United States, you may get two answers depending on when during that year you ask the question. As our perception of the world changed so did the fact. As teachers we should give the students the ability to question and to find the answers out for themselves. They need to be able to think and reason for themselves to the best of their ability. In this example the students need several things such as: knowledge of government, what voting is, reading or being able to follow someone else speaking, and retaining the information. When they are able to do this then they gain knowledge to improve their lives.
Second, I believe that to be an affective teacher that you should always try new things and make learning fun. Do not be afraid to experiment in ways to present information from the lesson to your classroom. We can always improve. As such teachers should always be pondering on how I can present this material. How can I make the lesson real to them? How can I present the lesson in a way that they will remember the concepts? How can I grab and hold their attention? Teachers should talk to one another and share what has worked and what has not worked for them.
Teachers should try to make the lessons and activities as fun as possible for the students and for themselves. If you are not enjoying what you are presenting to students that can come across to the students and can affect their learning of the material. Also if the students are enjoying the learning process then it will be an experience they will want to remember. This will then affect the ability in retaining knowledge from the lesson. That is a reason it is important to try new things.
I have an example of the second belief. One thing I have worked on in my class is calendar systems. The calendar system is a way for the students to keep track of their schedule for the day. Every student has their own schedule to follow. I go over it in the mornings. The student’s calendar system is made up of tactile symbols that stand for activities during the day. There is a symbol for activities such as bathroom, eating, orientation and mobility, physical education, classroom lesson time, art class, etc. There are also symbols for the days of the week. Every day the students have a different schedule to follow.
So one of the things we have worked on is for the students to be able to identify the different symbols for their calendar system. As the year progressed I tried several different things in order to help learn the symbols. First I went over the calendar in the mornings at the same time every day. I took time for the students to feel the symbols as we discussed what was going to happen that day. Another thing I tried was to give a student a symbol to hold and explore. I then asked the student to choose between two choices and tell what symbol they had. I played board games with the students in order to help them identify the symbols. When we went over the schedule the students got to add the symbols to the calendar. When it was time for an activity on the calendar schedule the students got to feel the symbol for the activity and then when the activity was finished to put the symbol into the finished bag. I also made up a silly song about the symbols to help the students identify the symbols. Now I did not do everything at once. But as the year went on I kept thinking how we can help improve the way the students learned the symbols for the calendar system. I was willing to experiment. I was thinking of ways to make learning enjoyable and fun for the students and myself. All these things helped the student to learn to identify the symbols for their calendar system.
Third, I believe that each student is a unique individual. The students are coming from different backgrounds and experiences. The students have different strengths and weaknesses. The students have different challenges and opportunities. The students have different learning styles. All of these things must be taken into consideration by the teacher. As stated earlier, teachers need to ponder how to improve the lesson. Teachers need to be flexible and willing to try something new. As much as possible lessons should incorporate something from all the learning styles in them.
For example let’s go back to an example I had used earlier. One of the activities that students in my class enjoyed was the adding of bowling pins. The rules to the activity are stated previously in the paper. In this lesson the students got to do each of the learning styles audio, visual, and kinesthetic. During the lesson several things happen. The students have the auditory learning style when: I explain the rules to the activity, when they hear the ball knocking down pins, when they count verbally the number of pins were knocked down on each try, and when they state the answer to the how many pins where knocked down totally. The students are visually learning when they feel the ball and pins, feel each pin when they are counting, and feel all the pins they knocked down. The students are kinesthetically learning as they throw or role the ball toward the pins, as they move to touch the pins as they count, and as they move to take turns during the activity. Thus during this fun and simple learning activity all of the learning styles were incorporated for the students.
Fourth, I believe to be an affective teacher that you need to remember that it is a partnership between the student, family, and teacher. As such you need to respect the people you work with. I think if you are respectful and show it on a regular bases then the exchange of ideas can flow smoothly. It helps with the classroom management side of teaching. Being respectful is for you, students, other staff, and teachers. As stated everyone is in a partnership in the education process. Being respectful is not hard and just requires doing some of the little things. Some examples of this include: using words like please and thank you in your everyday conversations, telling others you appreciate their efforts, being upfront and honest with others, and being calm and patient with others. When you are respectful to those around you it helps to provide a safe and friendly atmosphere in which to exchange and practice ideas and concepts with others.
I have had experience with having students in my classroom who have reputations of having behavior problems. These problems can potentially affect everyone in the classroom as well as at home. I have seen by being respectful to the student with the behavior, the family, other students in the classroom, and staff; situations that had a potential to escalate were able to gradually die down. It really helped to realize it was a partnership and to be respectful to everyone involved.
Thank you for reading my Philosophy of Education paper. I hope that this gives you a better understanding about me. I believe that as a teacher I can better educate the students in my classroom by following the beliefs discussed about in this paper. I believe that by following these believes that I can have an effective classroom environment in which everyone involved can benefit.
Journal of O&M Experiences
June 7 – It is the first day of class. I need a big note book for the class. We worked on sighted guide activity today. It was fun. We just went down the hall and back. We were in pairs. One person had a blindfold on and was holding on the other persons arm above the elbow. The person that could see led the other person around.
June 8 – We picked up canes today. It was a nice walk over to Spring Annex. The canes are measured from the sternum down to the floor. This helps to find the right size cane for you.
June 9 – Today we talked about guide dogs and did a little sighted guide work. We had a person come in talk about her experiences with using a guide dog. We saw the guide dog move through a little optical course. It was interesting to see the dog guide his master around. He shielded the master from the objects in the path. We practiced trailing down a wall and worked on sighted guide more. I learned what it feels like for my kids as they try to travel down the hall. You are dependent on your guide to keep you from hitting things as you travel. When you are trailing ye feel every little thing along the wall.
June 14 – Today we got to try on different glasses that simulated cataracts, glaucoma, and reitnitiour premotoma. It was very interesting to experience what it is like to have these eye conditions. I actually ran into a chair my first trip out in the hall. After that I grabbed my cane to travel.
June 15 – I tried a vision simulator that was 20/400. I could see real blurry shapes but not much detail. When I was moving around the room, I felt like I was on a ship that was rocking around. I felt very unsteady. I only had the simulator on for maybe 5 minutes, but since I was not used to the unsteady feeling I had, I started to feel motion sickness. Interesting experience.
June 22 – Today we practiced trailing and sighted guide again. I first worked on trailing. I started from the room and went to the part of the building with the elementary hall. There is a big tactile dragon on one of the walls. I took time to feel the dragon. I had one instance where I took a side trip into a bathroom. That was not intended. The sighted guide practice went well.
June 23 – We did a lot of cane work and trailing today. It was an interesting experience. It really is fascinating to experience what it is like to travel without being able to see. There were times that I ran into things on the walls like a fire alarm or into doors that were open. At other times I found that I got turned around and lost. I did not know where I was in space and did not know what direction I need to go. It was a real eye opening experience.
June 24 – Today we did a lot of work with the cane. We worked on the touch technique or the 2 point touch. This is when you hold the cane in the correct position, in front of you at the belly button, and move the cane from side to side an inch past your shoulders. You tap the can tip on the ground in each direction as you walk. We started close to some stairs outside an entrance to the building. We traveled down to the side walk until we found the curb to the parking lot. We then turned left and traveled down the sidewalk. The curb was our shore line or land mark to keep us from weaving around and to stay on the sidewalk. We followed the sidewalk until we came to the end and ran into the grass. We turned right as the sidewalk turned. We took a few steps and then turned around 180 degrees to the left. We then walked until we found grass in front of us again. It was a few steps. We then turned left and traveled down the sidewalk the way we had come. This time we had a shore line of grass on right. We traveled down until we lost the grass shore line. At this point we turned right and followed the side walk with the grass shore line. We traveled until we came to some steps. We walked up the steps and found the doorway into the building.
It was an interesting experience. You had to do a lot of things at the same time. You had to keep your arm in the correct position. You had to move the cane with your wrist and not your whole arm. You had to keep the shore line on your right and not lose it. You had to listen to instructions. You also had to keep in step with the taping of the cane. The left foot moves when the cane is taping on the right side and the right foot moves when the cane is taping on the left side. You also had to know where you are in space. All of these things came into play.
June 8 – We picked up canes today. It was a nice walk over to Spring Annex. The canes are measured from the sternum down to the floor. This helps to find the right size cane for you.
June 9 – Today we talked about guide dogs and did a little sighted guide work. We had a person come in talk about her experiences with using a guide dog. We saw the guide dog move through a little optical course. It was interesting to see the dog guide his master around. He shielded the master from the objects in the path. We practiced trailing down a wall and worked on sighted guide more. I learned what it feels like for my kids as they try to travel down the hall. You are dependent on your guide to keep you from hitting things as you travel. When you are trailing ye feel every little thing along the wall.
June 14 – Today we got to try on different glasses that simulated cataracts, glaucoma, and reitnitiour premotoma. It was very interesting to experience what it is like to have these eye conditions. I actually ran into a chair my first trip out in the hall. After that I grabbed my cane to travel.
June 15 – I tried a vision simulator that was 20/400. I could see real blurry shapes but not much detail. When I was moving around the room, I felt like I was on a ship that was rocking around. I felt very unsteady. I only had the simulator on for maybe 5 minutes, but since I was not used to the unsteady feeling I had, I started to feel motion sickness. Interesting experience.
June 22 – Today we practiced trailing and sighted guide again. I first worked on trailing. I started from the room and went to the part of the building with the elementary hall. There is a big tactile dragon on one of the walls. I took time to feel the dragon. I had one instance where I took a side trip into a bathroom. That was not intended. The sighted guide practice went well.
June 23 – We did a lot of cane work and trailing today. It was an interesting experience. It really is fascinating to experience what it is like to travel without being able to see. There were times that I ran into things on the walls like a fire alarm or into doors that were open. At other times I found that I got turned around and lost. I did not know where I was in space and did not know what direction I need to go. It was a real eye opening experience.
June 24 – Today we did a lot of work with the cane. We worked on the touch technique or the 2 point touch. This is when you hold the cane in the correct position, in front of you at the belly button, and move the cane from side to side an inch past your shoulders. You tap the can tip on the ground in each direction as you walk. We started close to some stairs outside an entrance to the building. We traveled down to the side walk until we found the curb to the parking lot. We then turned left and traveled down the sidewalk. The curb was our shore line or land mark to keep us from weaving around and to stay on the sidewalk. We followed the sidewalk until we came to the end and ran into the grass. We turned right as the sidewalk turned. We took a few steps and then turned around 180 degrees to the left. We then walked until we found grass in front of us again. It was a few steps. We then turned left and traveled down the sidewalk the way we had come. This time we had a shore line of grass on right. We traveled down until we lost the grass shore line. At this point we turned right and followed the side walk with the grass shore line. We traveled until we came to some steps. We walked up the steps and found the doorway into the building.
It was an interesting experience. You had to do a lot of things at the same time. You had to keep your arm in the correct position. You had to move the cane with your wrist and not your whole arm. You had to keep the shore line on your right and not lose it. You had to listen to instructions. You also had to keep in step with the taping of the cane. The left foot moves when the cane is taping on the right side and the right foot moves when the cane is taping on the left side. You also had to know where you are in space. All of these things came into play.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Spiritual Preparedness: Increasing Our Testimony
This Christmas when my family got together my folks decided that instead of presents the adults would do presentations and have discussions. I was given the topic spiritual preparedness. Here is my presentation. I used a lot of Church articles for my presentation.
Spiritual Preparedness: Increasing Our Testimony
Matt. 25:1-13 the parable of the ten virgins and the bridegroom. The wise virgins where prepared. Who are the virgins? What does the oil symbolize?
The ten virgins, according to Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “represent those church members who are looking for the Bridegroom to come; and the oil-filled lamps are symbolic of the Holy Spirit which lights the way before the saints.”
What does the Holy Spirit do?
• The Holy Ghost works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, fulfilling several roles to help us live righteously and receive the blessings of the gospel.
• He "witnesses of the Father and the Son" (2 Nephi 31:18) and reveals and teaches "the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5). We can receive a sure testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ only by the power of the Holy Ghost. His communication to our spirit carries far more certainty than any communication we can receive through our natural senses.
• As we strive to stay on the path that leads to eternal life, the Holy Ghost can guide us in our decisions and protect us from physical and spiritual danger.
• Through Him, we can receive gifts of the Spirit for our benefit and for the benefit of those we love and serve (see D&C 46:9–11).
What is a testimony?
A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior's true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel.
How can we gain a testimony?
• The first step in gaining a testimony is to want one (see 1 Nephi 2:16).
• We must ask our Heavenly Father to help us gain a testimony (see D&C 42:51).
• We must want a testimony enough that we are willing to work to gain one (see Ether 12:6).
• We will enjoy our testimony as we study and grow and increase in our knowledge of the truth (see John 8:32).
• We must care for our most prized possession, our testimony, by keeping the commandments of our Heavenly Father (see Mosiah 2:41, Alma 32:41).
Why is desire so important?
• The laws of God are concerned with spiritual things. Spiritual consequences are brought about by our thoughts or desires, as well as by our actions.
• God judges us not only for our acts, but also for the desires of our hearts.
• Our heart is right with God when we truly desire what is righteous. It is right with God when we desire what God desires.
• President Joseph F. Smith taught that the “education … of our desires is one of far-reaching importance to our happiness in life.” (Gospel Doctrine, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939, p. 297.)
• How do we educate our desires? We begin with our feelings. [W]e should pray to have the right kind of feelings about our experiences—positive or negative—and about the people we knew. If our feelings were right, the desires of our heart would be right and we would be more likely to take right actions.
• If we refrain from evil acts, we have clean hands. If we refrain from forbidden thoughts, we have pure hearts. Those who would ascend and stand in the ultimate holy place must have both.
Why is prayer important for us?
• We are all children of God. He loves us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. We should pray to Him and no one else. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name" (3 Nephi 18:19). As we make a habit of approaching God in prayer, we will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Our desires will become more like His. We will be able to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that He is ready to give if we will but ask in faith.
What kind of work must we do?
• President Kimball has given some direction on how to fill our lamps with oil: “Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching [and visiting teaching], control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute … to the oil with which we can [by] midnight [be ready].”
What does scripture study do?
• In order to come unto Christ and be perfected in him, each person needs to receive a testimony of the Lord’s words. Some individuals falter because they fail to open the books, others because they read casually. As one would expect, there is a difference between diligent searching or “pondering over the scriptures” and casual reading.
• A casual, infrequent exposure to the scriptures will generally not open the door to the whisperings of the Spirit or provide insights into the Savior’s life and character.
• President Howard W. Hunter said, “Those who delve into the scriptural library … find that to understand requires more than casual reading or perusal—there must be concentrated study. … One who studies the scriptures every day accomplishes far more than one who devotes considerable time one day and then lets days go by before continuing.”
• There are certain blessings obtained when one searches the scriptures. As a person studies the words of the Lord and obeys them, he or she draws closer to the Savior and obtains a greater desire to live a righteous life. The power to resist temptation increases, and spiritual weaknesses are overcome. Spiritual wounds are healed.
How does obedience help us?
• Many people feel that the commandments are burdensome and that they limit freedom and personal growth. But the Savior taught that true freedom comes only from following Him: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31–32). God gives commandments for our benefit. They are loving instructions for our happiness and for our physical and spiritual well-being.
• The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that obedience to the commandments leads to blessings from God. He said: "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" (D&C 130:20–21). King Benjamin also taught this principle. "I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God," he counseled. "For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it" (Mosiah 2:41).
• Our obedience to the commandments is an expression of our love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The Savior said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). He later declared: "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept
• my Father's commandments, and abide in his love" (John 15:10).
Now that you have a process to follow, what should you do first?
• First take time to ponder your life and your testimony. Ask yourself what you would like to improve and work on. You can do this both individually and as a family.
• Make a plan on how you would like to accomplish this goal. Use the steps in your plan. Go and do it.
• Take regular times in your life to repeat the pondering of your life and make improvements as needed.
Are there any thoughts or comments?
Spiritual Preparedness: Increasing Our Testimony
Matt. 25:1-13 the parable of the ten virgins and the bridegroom. The wise virgins where prepared. Who are the virgins? What does the oil symbolize?
The ten virgins, according to Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “represent those church members who are looking for the Bridegroom to come; and the oil-filled lamps are symbolic of the Holy Spirit which lights the way before the saints.”
What does the Holy Spirit do?
• The Holy Ghost works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, fulfilling several roles to help us live righteously and receive the blessings of the gospel.
• He "witnesses of the Father and the Son" (2 Nephi 31:18) and reveals and teaches "the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5). We can receive a sure testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ only by the power of the Holy Ghost. His communication to our spirit carries far more certainty than any communication we can receive through our natural senses.
• As we strive to stay on the path that leads to eternal life, the Holy Ghost can guide us in our decisions and protect us from physical and spiritual danger.
• Through Him, we can receive gifts of the Spirit for our benefit and for the benefit of those we love and serve (see D&C 46:9–11).
What is a testimony?
A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior's true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel.
How can we gain a testimony?
• The first step in gaining a testimony is to want one (see 1 Nephi 2:16).
• We must ask our Heavenly Father to help us gain a testimony (see D&C 42:51).
• We must want a testimony enough that we are willing to work to gain one (see Ether 12:6).
• We will enjoy our testimony as we study and grow and increase in our knowledge of the truth (see John 8:32).
• We must care for our most prized possession, our testimony, by keeping the commandments of our Heavenly Father (see Mosiah 2:41, Alma 32:41).
Why is desire so important?
• The laws of God are concerned with spiritual things. Spiritual consequences are brought about by our thoughts or desires, as well as by our actions.
• God judges us not only for our acts, but also for the desires of our hearts.
• Our heart is right with God when we truly desire what is righteous. It is right with God when we desire what God desires.
• President Joseph F. Smith taught that the “education … of our desires is one of far-reaching importance to our happiness in life.” (Gospel Doctrine, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939, p. 297.)
• How do we educate our desires? We begin with our feelings. [W]e should pray to have the right kind of feelings about our experiences—positive or negative—and about the people we knew. If our feelings were right, the desires of our heart would be right and we would be more likely to take right actions.
• If we refrain from evil acts, we have clean hands. If we refrain from forbidden thoughts, we have pure hearts. Those who would ascend and stand in the ultimate holy place must have both.
Why is prayer important for us?
• We are all children of God. He loves us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. We should pray to Him and no one else. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name" (3 Nephi 18:19). As we make a habit of approaching God in prayer, we will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Our desires will become more like His. We will be able to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that He is ready to give if we will but ask in faith.
What kind of work must we do?
• President Kimball has given some direction on how to fill our lamps with oil: “Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching [and visiting teaching], control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute … to the oil with which we can [by] midnight [be ready].”
What does scripture study do?
• In order to come unto Christ and be perfected in him, each person needs to receive a testimony of the Lord’s words. Some individuals falter because they fail to open the books, others because they read casually. As one would expect, there is a difference between diligent searching or “pondering over the scriptures” and casual reading.
• A casual, infrequent exposure to the scriptures will generally not open the door to the whisperings of the Spirit or provide insights into the Savior’s life and character.
• President Howard W. Hunter said, “Those who delve into the scriptural library … find that to understand requires more than casual reading or perusal—there must be concentrated study. … One who studies the scriptures every day accomplishes far more than one who devotes considerable time one day and then lets days go by before continuing.”
• There are certain blessings obtained when one searches the scriptures. As a person studies the words of the Lord and obeys them, he or she draws closer to the Savior and obtains a greater desire to live a righteous life. The power to resist temptation increases, and spiritual weaknesses are overcome. Spiritual wounds are healed.
How does obedience help us?
• Many people feel that the commandments are burdensome and that they limit freedom and personal growth. But the Savior taught that true freedom comes only from following Him: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31–32). God gives commandments for our benefit. They are loving instructions for our happiness and for our physical and spiritual well-being.
• The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that obedience to the commandments leads to blessings from God. He said: "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" (D&C 130:20–21). King Benjamin also taught this principle. "I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God," he counseled. "For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it" (Mosiah 2:41).
• Our obedience to the commandments is an expression of our love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The Savior said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). He later declared: "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept
• my Father's commandments, and abide in his love" (John 15:10).
Now that you have a process to follow, what should you do first?
• First take time to ponder your life and your testimony. Ask yourself what you would like to improve and work on. You can do this both individually and as a family.
• Make a plan on how you would like to accomplish this goal. Use the steps in your plan. Go and do it.
• Take regular times in your life to repeat the pondering of your life and make improvements as needed.
Are there any thoughts or comments?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Temples
I spent a couple of weeks studying the topic of Temples. Here are some of the things that I learned or relearned.
Temples (from gospel topics at lds.org)
Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship where individuals make sacred covenants with God. Because making covenants with God is such a solemn responsibility, individuals cannot enter the temple to receive their endowments or be sealed in marriage for eternity until they have fully prepared themselves and been members of the Church for at least a year. Throughout history, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples. The Church is working to build temples all over the world to make temple blessings more available for a greater number of Heavenly Father's children.
Temples are places of learning. Their principal purpose is to provide ordinances necessary for the children of God to enable them to return to dwell with Him. Temple ordinances lead to the greatest blessings available through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Everything in the Church—the meetings and activities, the missionary efforts, the lessons taught and the hymns—all lead to the work done in holy temples.
One ordinance received in the temple is called the endowment. The word endowment means "gift," and the temple endowment truly is a gift from God. The ordinance consists of a series of instructions and includes covenants to live righteously and follow the requirements of the gospel. The endowment focuses on the Savior, His role in Heavenly Father's plan, and the personal commitment of each member to follow Him.
Another temple ordinance is celestial marriage. In this ordinance husband and wife are sealed to one another for eternity. A sealing performed in the temple continues forever if the husband and wife are faithful to the covenants they make.
Children born to parents who have been sealed in the temple are born in the covenant. These children automatically become part of an eternal family. Children who are not born in the covenant can also become part of an eternal family once their natural or adoptive parents have been sealed to one another. The ordinance of sealing children to parents is performed in the temple.
People who have died without these essential gospel ordinances may receive those ordinances through the work done in temples. Acting in behalf of ancestors and others who have died, Church members are baptized and confirmed, receive the endowment, and participate in the sealings of husband to wife and children to parents.
Those who enter the temple must be worthy, which means that they keep the commandments and are prepared to make and keep sacred temple covenants. In two interviews—one with a member of a bishopric or a branch president and another with a member of a stake presidency or a mission president—Church members certify their worthiness to enter the temple. In these interviews, the priesthood leader asks about the individual's personal conduct and worthiness. Those who are worthy receive a temple recommend, which allows them to enter the temple.
In addition to being a place where sacred priesthood ordinances are performed, the temple is a place of peace and revelation. It is a place where spiritual guidance can be received for crucial decisions or concerns.
The Lord blesses those who attend to the sacred ordinance work in the temple. And the blessings He gives will not be limited to the time spent in the temple. Those who do temple work will be blessed in all aspects of their lives. Their labors in the temple will strengthen them and refine them spiritually.
Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings - Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Ensign, May 2001, 32–35
As temples are prepared for our members, our members need to prepare for the temple.
In preparing to receive the endowment and other ordinances of the temple, we should understand the sealing authority of the priesthood. Jesus referred to this authority long ago when He taught His Apostles, “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” That same authority has been restored in these latter days. Just as priesthood is eternal—without beginning or end—so is the effect of priesthood ordinances that bind families together forever.
Temple ordinances, covenants, endowments, and sealings enable individuals to be reconciled with the Lord and families to be sealed beyond the veil of death. Obedience to temple covenants qualifies us for eternal life, the greatest gift of God to man. Eternal life is more than immortality. Eternal life is exaltation in the highest heaven—the kind of life that God lives.
Preparation also includes qualification for a temple recommend. Our Redeemer requires that His temples be protected from desecration. No unclean thing may enter His hallowed house. Yet anyone is welcome who prepares well. Each person applying for a recommend will be interviewed by a judge in Israel—the bishop—and by a stake president. They hold keys of priesthood authority and the responsibility to help us know when our preparation and timing are appropriate to enter the temple. Their interviews will assess several vital issues. They will ask if we obey the law of tithing, if we keep the Word of Wisdom, and if we sustain the authorities of the Church. They will ask if we are honest, if we are morally clean, and if we honor the power of procreation as a sacred trust from our Creator.
Why are these issues so crucial? Because they are spiritual separators. They help to determine if we truly live as children of the covenant, able to resist temptation from servants of sin. These interviews help to discern if we are willing to live in accord with the will of the true and living God or if our hearts are still set “upon riches and … vain things of the world.”
Such requirements are not difficult to understand. Because the temple is the house of the Lord, standards for admission are set by Him. One enters as His guest. To hold a temple recommend is a priceless privilege and a tangible sign of obedience to God and His prophets.
One prepares physically for the temple by dressing properly. It is not a place for casual attire. “We should dress in such a way that we might comfortably attend a sacrament meeting or a gathering that is proper and dignified.”
Within the temple, all are dressed in spotless white to remind us that God is to have a pure people. Nationality, language, or position in the Church are of secondary significance. In that democracy of dress, all sit side by side and are considered equal in the eyes of our Maker.
Brides and grooms enter the temple to be married for time and all eternity. There brides wear white dresses—long sleeved, modest in design and fabric, and free of elaborate ornamentation. Grooms also dress in white. And brethren who come to witness weddings do not wear tuxedos.
Wearing the temple garment has deep symbolic significance. It represents a continuing commitment. Just as the Savior exemplified the need to endure to the end, we wear the garment faithfully as part of the enduring armor of God. Thus we demonstrate our faith in Him and in His eternal covenants with us.
In addition to physical preparation, we prepare spiritually. Because the ordinances and covenants of the temple are sacred, we are under solemn obligation not to speak outside the temple of that which occurs in the temple. There are, however, some principles we can discuss.
Each temple is a house of learning. There we are taught in the Master’s way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism. We can learn much by pondering the reality for which each symbol stands. Teachings of the temple are beautifully simple and simply beautiful. They are understood by the humble, yet they can excite the intellect of the brightest minds.
Spiritual preparation is enhanced by study. I like to recommend that members going to the temple for the first time read short explanatory paragraphs in the Bible Dictionary, listed under seven topics: “Anoint,” Atonement,” “Christ,” “Covenant,” “Fall of Adam,” “Sacrifices,” and “Temple.” Doing so will provide a firm foundation.
One may also read in the Old Testament and the books of Moses and Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price. Such a review of ancient scripture is even more enlightening after one is familiar with the temple endowment. Those books underscore the antiquity of temple work.
With each ordinance is a covenant—a promise. A covenant made with God is not restrictive, but protective. Such a concept is not new. For example, if our water supply is not clean, we filter the water to screen out harmful ingredients. Divine covenants help us to filter out of our minds impurities that could harm us. When we choose to deny ourselves of all ungodliness, we lose nothing of value and gain the glory of eternal life. Covenants do not hold us down; they elevate us beyond the limits of our own power and perspective.
A Temple-Motivated People - Pre. Howard W. Hunter Ensign, Feb 1995, 2
Yet there are many members of the Church who have only limited access to the temples. They do the best they can. They pursue family history research and have the temple ordinance work done by others. Conversely, there are some members who engage in temple work but fail to do family history research on their own family lines. Although they perform a divine service in assisting others, they lose a blessing by not seeking their own kindred dead as divinely directed by latter-day prophets.
I recall an experience of a few years ago that is analogous to this condition. At the close of a fast and testimony meeting, the bishop remarked, “We have had a spiritual experience today listening to the testimonies borne by each other. This is because we have come fasting according to the law of the Lord. But let us never forget that the law consists of two parts: that we fast by abstaining from food and drink and that we contribute what we have thereby saved to the bishop’s storehouse for the benefit of those who are less fortunate.” Then he added: “I hope no one of us will leave today with only half a blessing.”
I have learned that those who engage in family history research and then perform the temple ordinance work for those whose names they have found will know the additional joy of receiving both halves of the blessing.
Furthermore, the dead are anxiously waiting for the Latter-day Saints to search out their names and then go into the temples to officiate in their behalf, that they may be liberated from their prison house in the spirit world. All of us should find joy in this magnificent labor of love.
What a glorious thing it is for us to have the privilege of going to the temple for our own blessings. Then after going to the temple for our own blessings, what a glorious privilege to do the work for those who have gone on before us. This aspect of temple work is an unselfish work. Yet whenever we do temple work for other people, there is a blessing that comes back to us. Thus it should be no surprise to us that the Lord does desire that his people be a temple-motivated people. I repeat what I have said before: It would please the Lord for every adult member to be worthy of—and to carry—a current temple recommend, even if proximity to a temple does not allow immediate or frequent use of it. The things that we must do and not do to be worthy of a temple recommend are the very things that ensure we will be happy as individuals and as families.
Let us truly be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people. We should hasten to the temple as frequently, yet prudently, as our personal circumstances allow. We should go not only for our kindred dead but also for the personal blessing of temple worship, for the sanctity and safety that are within those hallowed and consecrated walls. As we attend the temple, we learn more richly and deeply the purpose of life and the significance of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us make the temple, with temple worship and temple covenants and temple marriage, our ultimate earthly goal and the supreme mortal experience.
Let us share with our children the spiritual feelings we have in the temple. And let us teach them more earnestly and more comfortably the things we can appropriately say about the purposes of the house of the Lord. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it. Teach them about the purposes of the house of the Lord. Have them plan from their earliest years to go there and to remain worthy of that blessing. Let us prepare every missionary to go to the temple worthily and to make that experience an even greater highlight than receiving the mission call. Let us plan for and teach and plead with our children to marry in the house of the Lord. Let us reaffirm more vigorously than we ever have in the past that it does matter where you marry and by what authority you are pronounced man and wife.
All of our efforts in proclaiming the gospel, perfecting the Saints, and redeeming the dead lead to the holy temple. This is because the temple ordinances are absolutely crucial; we cannot return to God’s presence without them. I encourage everyone to worthily attend the temple or to work toward the day when you can enter that holy house to receive your ordinances and covenants. As the prophets have said, the temple is a place of beauty; it is a place of revelation; it is a place of peace. It is the house of the Lord. It is holy unto the Lord. It must be holy and important to us.
Temples (from gospel topics at lds.org)
Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship where individuals make sacred covenants with God. Because making covenants with God is such a solemn responsibility, individuals cannot enter the temple to receive their endowments or be sealed in marriage for eternity until they have fully prepared themselves and been members of the Church for at least a year. Throughout history, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples. The Church is working to build temples all over the world to make temple blessings more available for a greater number of Heavenly Father's children.
Temples are places of learning. Their principal purpose is to provide ordinances necessary for the children of God to enable them to return to dwell with Him. Temple ordinances lead to the greatest blessings available through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Everything in the Church—the meetings and activities, the missionary efforts, the lessons taught and the hymns—all lead to the work done in holy temples.
One ordinance received in the temple is called the endowment. The word endowment means "gift," and the temple endowment truly is a gift from God. The ordinance consists of a series of instructions and includes covenants to live righteously and follow the requirements of the gospel. The endowment focuses on the Savior, His role in Heavenly Father's plan, and the personal commitment of each member to follow Him.
Another temple ordinance is celestial marriage. In this ordinance husband and wife are sealed to one another for eternity. A sealing performed in the temple continues forever if the husband and wife are faithful to the covenants they make.
Children born to parents who have been sealed in the temple are born in the covenant. These children automatically become part of an eternal family. Children who are not born in the covenant can also become part of an eternal family once their natural or adoptive parents have been sealed to one another. The ordinance of sealing children to parents is performed in the temple.
People who have died without these essential gospel ordinances may receive those ordinances through the work done in temples. Acting in behalf of ancestors and others who have died, Church members are baptized and confirmed, receive the endowment, and participate in the sealings of husband to wife and children to parents.
Those who enter the temple must be worthy, which means that they keep the commandments and are prepared to make and keep sacred temple covenants. In two interviews—one with a member of a bishopric or a branch president and another with a member of a stake presidency or a mission president—Church members certify their worthiness to enter the temple. In these interviews, the priesthood leader asks about the individual's personal conduct and worthiness. Those who are worthy receive a temple recommend, which allows them to enter the temple.
In addition to being a place where sacred priesthood ordinances are performed, the temple is a place of peace and revelation. It is a place where spiritual guidance can be received for crucial decisions or concerns.
The Lord blesses those who attend to the sacred ordinance work in the temple. And the blessings He gives will not be limited to the time spent in the temple. Those who do temple work will be blessed in all aspects of their lives. Their labors in the temple will strengthen them and refine them spiritually.
Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings - Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Ensign, May 2001, 32–35
As temples are prepared for our members, our members need to prepare for the temple.
In preparing to receive the endowment and other ordinances of the temple, we should understand the sealing authority of the priesthood. Jesus referred to this authority long ago when He taught His Apostles, “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” That same authority has been restored in these latter days. Just as priesthood is eternal—without beginning or end—so is the effect of priesthood ordinances that bind families together forever.
Temple ordinances, covenants, endowments, and sealings enable individuals to be reconciled with the Lord and families to be sealed beyond the veil of death. Obedience to temple covenants qualifies us for eternal life, the greatest gift of God to man. Eternal life is more than immortality. Eternal life is exaltation in the highest heaven—the kind of life that God lives.
Preparation also includes qualification for a temple recommend. Our Redeemer requires that His temples be protected from desecration. No unclean thing may enter His hallowed house. Yet anyone is welcome who prepares well. Each person applying for a recommend will be interviewed by a judge in Israel—the bishop—and by a stake president. They hold keys of priesthood authority and the responsibility to help us know when our preparation and timing are appropriate to enter the temple. Their interviews will assess several vital issues. They will ask if we obey the law of tithing, if we keep the Word of Wisdom, and if we sustain the authorities of the Church. They will ask if we are honest, if we are morally clean, and if we honor the power of procreation as a sacred trust from our Creator.
Why are these issues so crucial? Because they are spiritual separators. They help to determine if we truly live as children of the covenant, able to resist temptation from servants of sin. These interviews help to discern if we are willing to live in accord with the will of the true and living God or if our hearts are still set “upon riches and … vain things of the world.”
Such requirements are not difficult to understand. Because the temple is the house of the Lord, standards for admission are set by Him. One enters as His guest. To hold a temple recommend is a priceless privilege and a tangible sign of obedience to God and His prophets.
One prepares physically for the temple by dressing properly. It is not a place for casual attire. “We should dress in such a way that we might comfortably attend a sacrament meeting or a gathering that is proper and dignified.”
Within the temple, all are dressed in spotless white to remind us that God is to have a pure people. Nationality, language, or position in the Church are of secondary significance. In that democracy of dress, all sit side by side and are considered equal in the eyes of our Maker.
Brides and grooms enter the temple to be married for time and all eternity. There brides wear white dresses—long sleeved, modest in design and fabric, and free of elaborate ornamentation. Grooms also dress in white. And brethren who come to witness weddings do not wear tuxedos.
Wearing the temple garment has deep symbolic significance. It represents a continuing commitment. Just as the Savior exemplified the need to endure to the end, we wear the garment faithfully as part of the enduring armor of God. Thus we demonstrate our faith in Him and in His eternal covenants with us.
In addition to physical preparation, we prepare spiritually. Because the ordinances and covenants of the temple are sacred, we are under solemn obligation not to speak outside the temple of that which occurs in the temple. There are, however, some principles we can discuss.
Each temple is a house of learning. There we are taught in the Master’s way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism. We can learn much by pondering the reality for which each symbol stands. Teachings of the temple are beautifully simple and simply beautiful. They are understood by the humble, yet they can excite the intellect of the brightest minds.
Spiritual preparation is enhanced by study. I like to recommend that members going to the temple for the first time read short explanatory paragraphs in the Bible Dictionary, listed under seven topics: “Anoint,” Atonement,” “Christ,” “Covenant,” “Fall of Adam,” “Sacrifices,” and “Temple.” Doing so will provide a firm foundation.
One may also read in the Old Testament and the books of Moses and Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price. Such a review of ancient scripture is even more enlightening after one is familiar with the temple endowment. Those books underscore the antiquity of temple work.
With each ordinance is a covenant—a promise. A covenant made with God is not restrictive, but protective. Such a concept is not new. For example, if our water supply is not clean, we filter the water to screen out harmful ingredients. Divine covenants help us to filter out of our minds impurities that could harm us. When we choose to deny ourselves of all ungodliness, we lose nothing of value and gain the glory of eternal life. Covenants do not hold us down; they elevate us beyond the limits of our own power and perspective.
A Temple-Motivated People - Pre. Howard W. Hunter Ensign, Feb 1995, 2
Yet there are many members of the Church who have only limited access to the temples. They do the best they can. They pursue family history research and have the temple ordinance work done by others. Conversely, there are some members who engage in temple work but fail to do family history research on their own family lines. Although they perform a divine service in assisting others, they lose a blessing by not seeking their own kindred dead as divinely directed by latter-day prophets.
I recall an experience of a few years ago that is analogous to this condition. At the close of a fast and testimony meeting, the bishop remarked, “We have had a spiritual experience today listening to the testimonies borne by each other. This is because we have come fasting according to the law of the Lord. But let us never forget that the law consists of two parts: that we fast by abstaining from food and drink and that we contribute what we have thereby saved to the bishop’s storehouse for the benefit of those who are less fortunate.” Then he added: “I hope no one of us will leave today with only half a blessing.”
I have learned that those who engage in family history research and then perform the temple ordinance work for those whose names they have found will know the additional joy of receiving both halves of the blessing.
Furthermore, the dead are anxiously waiting for the Latter-day Saints to search out their names and then go into the temples to officiate in their behalf, that they may be liberated from their prison house in the spirit world. All of us should find joy in this magnificent labor of love.
What a glorious thing it is for us to have the privilege of going to the temple for our own blessings. Then after going to the temple for our own blessings, what a glorious privilege to do the work for those who have gone on before us. This aspect of temple work is an unselfish work. Yet whenever we do temple work for other people, there is a blessing that comes back to us. Thus it should be no surprise to us that the Lord does desire that his people be a temple-motivated people. I repeat what I have said before: It would please the Lord for every adult member to be worthy of—and to carry—a current temple recommend, even if proximity to a temple does not allow immediate or frequent use of it. The things that we must do and not do to be worthy of a temple recommend are the very things that ensure we will be happy as individuals and as families.
Let us truly be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people. We should hasten to the temple as frequently, yet prudently, as our personal circumstances allow. We should go not only for our kindred dead but also for the personal blessing of temple worship, for the sanctity and safety that are within those hallowed and consecrated walls. As we attend the temple, we learn more richly and deeply the purpose of life and the significance of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us make the temple, with temple worship and temple covenants and temple marriage, our ultimate earthly goal and the supreme mortal experience.
Let us share with our children the spiritual feelings we have in the temple. And let us teach them more earnestly and more comfortably the things we can appropriately say about the purposes of the house of the Lord. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it. Teach them about the purposes of the house of the Lord. Have them plan from their earliest years to go there and to remain worthy of that blessing. Let us prepare every missionary to go to the temple worthily and to make that experience an even greater highlight than receiving the mission call. Let us plan for and teach and plead with our children to marry in the house of the Lord. Let us reaffirm more vigorously than we ever have in the past that it does matter where you marry and by what authority you are pronounced man and wife.
All of our efforts in proclaiming the gospel, perfecting the Saints, and redeeming the dead lead to the holy temple. This is because the temple ordinances are absolutely crucial; we cannot return to God’s presence without them. I encourage everyone to worthily attend the temple or to work toward the day when you can enter that holy house to receive your ordinances and covenants. As the prophets have said, the temple is a place of beauty; it is a place of revelation; it is a place of peace. It is the house of the Lord. It is holy unto the Lord. It must be holy and important to us.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Atonement of Jesus Christ
I have studied the Atonement of Jesus Christ for several weeks now. Here are some things I have learned on the subject.
President Faust said, “... I wish to speak about the greatest event in all history. That singular event was the incomparable Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. This was the most transcendent act that has ever taken place, yet it is the most difficult to understand. My reason for wanting to learn all I can about the Atonement is partly selfish: Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement. 1 Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully. The Atonement advances our mortal course of learning by making it possible for our natures to become perfect. 2 All of us have sinned and need to repent to fully pay our part of the debt. When we sincerely repent, the Savior’s magnificent Atonement pays the rest of that debt.”
As used in the scriptures, to atone is to suffer the penalty for sins, thereby removing the effects of sin from the repentant sinner and allowing him or her to be reconciled to God. Jesus Christ was the only one capable of carrying out the Atonement for all mankind. Because of His Atonement, all people will be resurrected, and those who obey His gospel will receive the gift of eternal life with God.
As descendants of Adam and Eve, all people inherit the effects of the Fall. In our fallen state, we are subject to opposition and temptation. When we give in to temptation, we are alienated from God, and if we continue in sin, we experience spiritual death, being separated from His presence. We are all subject to temporal death, which is the death of the physical body.
The only way for us to be saved is for someone else to rescue us. We need someone who can satisfy the demands of justice—standing in our place to assume the burden of the Fall and to pay the price for our sins. Jesus Christ has always been the only one capable of making such a sacrifice.
From before the Creation of the earth, the Savior has been our only hope for “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23).
Only He had the power to lay down His life and take it up again. From His mortal mother, Mary, He inherited the ability to die. From His immortal Father, He inherited the power to overcome death. He declared, As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself” (John 5:26).
Only He could redeem us from our sins. God the Father gave Him this power. The Savior was able to receive this power and carry out the Atonement because He kept Himself free from sin: “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them” (D&C 20:22). Having lived a perfect, sinless life, He was free from the demands of justice. Because He had the power of redemption and because He had no debt to justice, he could pay the debt for those who repent.
Jesus’ atoning sacrifice took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. In Gethsemane He submitted to the will of the Father and began to take upon Himself the sins of all people. He has revealed some of what He experienced as He paid the price of our sins”
“I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
“Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink he bitter cup, and shrink—
“Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men” (D&C 19: 16-19)
The Savior continued to suffer for our sins when He allowed Himself to be crucified—“lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 11:33).
On the cross, He allowed Himself to die. His body was then laid in a tomb until He was resurrected and became ‘the first fruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Through His death and Resurrection, He overcame physical death for us all.
Jesus Christ redeems all people from the effects of the Fall. All people who have ever lived on the earth and who ever will live on the earth will be resurrected and brought back into the presence of God to be judged. Through the Savior’s gift of mercy and redeeming grace, we will all receive the gift of immortality and live forever in glorified, resurrected bodies.
Although we are redeemed unconditionally from the universal effects of the Fall, we are accountable for our own sins. But we can be forgiven and cleansed from the stain of sin if we “apply the atoning blood of Christ” (Mosiah 4:2). We must exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Bruce R. McConkie, “The Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign, May 1985, 9
"His rising from death on the third day crowned the Atonement. Again, in some way incomprehensible to us, the effects of his resurrection pass upon all men so that all shall rise from the grave.
As Adam brought death, so Christ brought life; as Adam is the father of mortality, so Christ is the father of immortality.
And without both, mortality and immortality, man cannot work out his salvation and ascend to those heights beyond the skies where gods and angels dwell forever in eternal glory.
Now, the atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths.
Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life.
But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived.
May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement.
We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth.
We must search the scriptures, accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation.
As we read, ponder, and pray, there will come into our minds a view of the three gardens of God—the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the Empty Tomb where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
In Eden we will see all things created in a paradisiacal state—without death, without procreation, without probationary experiences.
We will come to know that such a creation, now unknown to man, was the only way to provide for the Fall.
We will then see Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman, step down from their state of immortal and paradisiacal glory to become the first mortal flesh on earth.
Mortality, including as it does procreation and death, will enter the world. And because of transgression a probationary estate of trial and testing will begin.
Then in Gethsemane we will see the Son of God ransom man from the temporal and spiritual death that came to us because of the Fall.
And finally, before an empty tomb, we will come to know that Christ our Lord has burst the bands of death and stands forever triumphant over the grave.
Thus, Creation is father to the Fall; and by the Fall came mortality and death; and by Christ came immortality and eternal life.
If there had been no fall of Adam, by which cometh death, there could have been no atonement of Christ, by which cometh life.
And now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person.
I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears.
But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."
Spencer J. Condie, “The Fall and Infinite Atonement,” Ensign, Jan 1996, 22
"The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 121).
Let us briefly review the remarkably clear teachings of the Book of Mormon regarding the relationship between the fall of man and the Savior’s infinite atonement.
The Fall
Inspired Book of Mormon prophets repeatedly teach us that the Fall was a necessary and foreseen part of the great plan of happiness and that “the way [to salvation] is prepared from the fall of man” (2 Ne. 2:4; see also Mosiah 4:7). Far from being a great disappointment and disgrace to their Heavenly Father, Adam and Eve were his instruments to further the divine plan “which was prepared from the foundation of the world” (Mosiah 15:19). Indeed, Father Lehi taught his son Jacob that “if Adam [and Eve] had not transgressed [they] would not have fallen, but [they] would have remained in the garden of Eden. …
“And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin” (2 Ne. 2:22–23; see also Alma 12:22–24).
The purpose of the Fall is succinctly summarized by Lehi: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25). Much of this joy is found in our posterity.
The Atonement
One of the most profound and unique doctrinal contributions of the Book of Mormon is its teachings on the principle of restoration as this relates to Christ’s infinite atonement. In atoning for our sins, he made it possible for us to be restored, after the Resurrection, to the state of existence for which we are prepared.
Alma teaches us that “there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment” (Alma 42:22). By atoning for our sins as our Father planned, the Savior stands “betwixt” all of us sinners and the demands of justice, “having … taken upon himself [our] iniquity and [our] transgressions” (Mosiah 15:8–9). An atonement which could satisfy justice required the sacrifice of an innocent person who would vicariously suffer the punishment for the sins of others (see Alma 34:8–16). Justice demanded death, and the Redeemer died that he might become the firstfruits of the Resurrection and overcome the bonds of death. Mercy opened the way for the resurrection of all.
Spiritual restoration. To his struggling son Corianton, Alma clearly explained that “it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works” (Alma 41:3). Thus, after the Resurrection and Judgment some will be “raised to happiness according to [their] desires of happiness … ; and the other[s] to evil according to [their] desires of evil” (Alma 41:5). Continuing, Alma explicitly taught that “the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful” (Alma 41:13). Alma cautioned Corianton not to suppose “that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10).
Amulek taught Zeezrom that “we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt” (Alma 11:43). Alma explained to his son Corianton that “the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all” (Alma 41:15). That is the hard, wintry side of justice, judgment, and restoration.
But there is also a merciful side of restoration. Alma declared that “mercy cometh because of the atonement,” and though “justice exerciseth all his demands, … mercy claimeth all which is her own” upon conditions of true repentance. Alma then posed the provocative question: “What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God” (Alma 42:23–25\).
It is impossible for each of us to overcome the demands of justice solely through our own individual efforts. Nevertheless, we have been promised that “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). Contrary to the distorted doctrine of being saved solely through grace and by predestination, the Book of Mormon teaches us that we must strive to keep the commandments and repent of our sins, and then the Savior makes up the difference.
A necessary part of “all we can do” includes participation in essential ordinances of the gospel.
Physical restoration. In writing of the Resurrection, Jacob taught the exquisite completeness of a physical restoration in which “the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal” (2 Ne. 9:13). Amulek also testified that in the Resurrection “the spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame. …
“And even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame” (Alma 11:43–44; see also Alma 40:23).
Alma adds his testimony to those of Jacob and Amulek in testifying that “there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works” (Alma 40:21; emphasis added).
An Infinite Atonement
The Book of Mormon teaches us of an infinite atonement (see 2 Ne. 9:7; 2 Ne. 25:16; Alma 34:10, 12, 14), an atoning sacrifice by Christ that is unbounded by time, ethnicity, geography, or even kinds of sins, save for the unpardonable sin of denying the Holy Ghost (see Alma 39:6). The Resurrection includes all people “from the days of Adam down” to the end of time (Alma 40:18), those “both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female” (Alma 11:44). The Atonement is also infinite in the sense that the Savior not only overcame death and sin, but he also took upon himself “the pains and the sicknesses” and the “infirmities” of his people (Alma 7:11–12). The Atonement is infinite, too, in that because of the redemption made possible by his beloved Son, our Heavenly Father is able to forgive us “as often as [we] repent” (Mosiah 26:30–31; see also Moro. 6:8).
The Miracle of Forgiveness
The Lord himself revealed to Alma that “as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.
“And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation” (Mosiah 26:30–31).
Does this mean that I am expected to forgive my neighbor whose dog dug up my garden? Yes! Is an injured wife required to forgive her unfaithful husband? Yes! Are parents required to forgive their prodigal child who has besmirched their good family name? Yes! Are children required to forgive abusive parents? Yes! Must I really forgive a business associate who bilks me out of my pension? Yes!
But where do we acquire the spiritual and emotional strength to forgive those who have offended us and sinned against us? Mormon provides the prescription: “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love … ; that when [Christ] shall appear we shall be like him … ; that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moro. 7:48).
The goal of the great plan of happiness is to become like Christ so that we may someday dwell in his presence and in the presence of our Heavenly Father. An unforgiving and vengeful heart is unholy, as is the heart of an adulterer or someone addicted to pornography. Any inability we might have to forgive others becomes a barrier between us and the Savior. If we are to become like him, we must freely forgive others as he has forgiven us (see 3 Ne. 13:11; D&C 64:10).
From Precept to Practice
It is, of course, always easier to speak of Christlike attributes in the abstract than to practice them in the heat of battle, but if we are to become like Christ, we must learn to forgive as he forgave.
Our Savior, at the close of his brief ministry among the Nephites, posed the following soul-searching question: “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Ne. 27:27). And what manner of Son was he? Abinadi foresaw that Christ would suffer but not yield to temptation. He would “be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people” (Mosiah 15:5). He would be “crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father” (Mosiah 15:7).
When our will is swallowed up in the will of the Father and of the Son, then we are truly reconciled unto them. We will then be full partakers of the Savior’s atonement and experience the greatest miracle of all—the miracle of forgiveness.
President Faust said, “... I wish to speak about the greatest event in all history. That singular event was the incomparable Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. This was the most transcendent act that has ever taken place, yet it is the most difficult to understand. My reason for wanting to learn all I can about the Atonement is partly selfish: Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement. 1 Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully. The Atonement advances our mortal course of learning by making it possible for our natures to become perfect. 2 All of us have sinned and need to repent to fully pay our part of the debt. When we sincerely repent, the Savior’s magnificent Atonement pays the rest of that debt.”
As used in the scriptures, to atone is to suffer the penalty for sins, thereby removing the effects of sin from the repentant sinner and allowing him or her to be reconciled to God. Jesus Christ was the only one capable of carrying out the Atonement for all mankind. Because of His Atonement, all people will be resurrected, and those who obey His gospel will receive the gift of eternal life with God.
As descendants of Adam and Eve, all people inherit the effects of the Fall. In our fallen state, we are subject to opposition and temptation. When we give in to temptation, we are alienated from God, and if we continue in sin, we experience spiritual death, being separated from His presence. We are all subject to temporal death, which is the death of the physical body.
The only way for us to be saved is for someone else to rescue us. We need someone who can satisfy the demands of justice—standing in our place to assume the burden of the Fall and to pay the price for our sins. Jesus Christ has always been the only one capable of making such a sacrifice.
From before the Creation of the earth, the Savior has been our only hope for “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23).
Only He had the power to lay down His life and take it up again. From His mortal mother, Mary, He inherited the ability to die. From His immortal Father, He inherited the power to overcome death. He declared, As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself” (John 5:26).
Only He could redeem us from our sins. God the Father gave Him this power. The Savior was able to receive this power and carry out the Atonement because He kept Himself free from sin: “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them” (D&C 20:22). Having lived a perfect, sinless life, He was free from the demands of justice. Because He had the power of redemption and because He had no debt to justice, he could pay the debt for those who repent.
Jesus’ atoning sacrifice took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. In Gethsemane He submitted to the will of the Father and began to take upon Himself the sins of all people. He has revealed some of what He experienced as He paid the price of our sins”
“I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
“Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink he bitter cup, and shrink—
“Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men” (D&C 19: 16-19)
The Savior continued to suffer for our sins when He allowed Himself to be crucified—“lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 11:33).
On the cross, He allowed Himself to die. His body was then laid in a tomb until He was resurrected and became ‘the first fruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Through His death and Resurrection, He overcame physical death for us all.
Jesus Christ redeems all people from the effects of the Fall. All people who have ever lived on the earth and who ever will live on the earth will be resurrected and brought back into the presence of God to be judged. Through the Savior’s gift of mercy and redeeming grace, we will all receive the gift of immortality and live forever in glorified, resurrected bodies.
Although we are redeemed unconditionally from the universal effects of the Fall, we are accountable for our own sins. But we can be forgiven and cleansed from the stain of sin if we “apply the atoning blood of Christ” (Mosiah 4:2). We must exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Bruce R. McConkie, “The Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign, May 1985, 9
"His rising from death on the third day crowned the Atonement. Again, in some way incomprehensible to us, the effects of his resurrection pass upon all men so that all shall rise from the grave.
As Adam brought death, so Christ brought life; as Adam is the father of mortality, so Christ is the father of immortality.
And without both, mortality and immortality, man cannot work out his salvation and ascend to those heights beyond the skies where gods and angels dwell forever in eternal glory.
Now, the atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths.
Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life.
But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived.
May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement.
We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth.
We must search the scriptures, accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation.
As we read, ponder, and pray, there will come into our minds a view of the three gardens of God—the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the Empty Tomb where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
In Eden we will see all things created in a paradisiacal state—without death, without procreation, without probationary experiences.
We will come to know that such a creation, now unknown to man, was the only way to provide for the Fall.
We will then see Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman, step down from their state of immortal and paradisiacal glory to become the first mortal flesh on earth.
Mortality, including as it does procreation and death, will enter the world. And because of transgression a probationary estate of trial and testing will begin.
Then in Gethsemane we will see the Son of God ransom man from the temporal and spiritual death that came to us because of the Fall.
And finally, before an empty tomb, we will come to know that Christ our Lord has burst the bands of death and stands forever triumphant over the grave.
Thus, Creation is father to the Fall; and by the Fall came mortality and death; and by Christ came immortality and eternal life.
If there had been no fall of Adam, by which cometh death, there could have been no atonement of Christ, by which cometh life.
And now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person.
I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears.
But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."
Spencer J. Condie, “The Fall and Infinite Atonement,” Ensign, Jan 1996, 22
"The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 121).
Let us briefly review the remarkably clear teachings of the Book of Mormon regarding the relationship between the fall of man and the Savior’s infinite atonement.
The Fall
Inspired Book of Mormon prophets repeatedly teach us that the Fall was a necessary and foreseen part of the great plan of happiness and that “the way [to salvation] is prepared from the fall of man” (2 Ne. 2:4; see also Mosiah 4:7). Far from being a great disappointment and disgrace to their Heavenly Father, Adam and Eve were his instruments to further the divine plan “which was prepared from the foundation of the world” (Mosiah 15:19). Indeed, Father Lehi taught his son Jacob that “if Adam [and Eve] had not transgressed [they] would not have fallen, but [they] would have remained in the garden of Eden. …
“And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin” (2 Ne. 2:22–23; see also Alma 12:22–24).
The purpose of the Fall is succinctly summarized by Lehi: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25). Much of this joy is found in our posterity.
The Atonement
One of the most profound and unique doctrinal contributions of the Book of Mormon is its teachings on the principle of restoration as this relates to Christ’s infinite atonement. In atoning for our sins, he made it possible for us to be restored, after the Resurrection, to the state of existence for which we are prepared.
Alma teaches us that “there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment” (Alma 42:22). By atoning for our sins as our Father planned, the Savior stands “betwixt” all of us sinners and the demands of justice, “having … taken upon himself [our] iniquity and [our] transgressions” (Mosiah 15:8–9). An atonement which could satisfy justice required the sacrifice of an innocent person who would vicariously suffer the punishment for the sins of others (see Alma 34:8–16). Justice demanded death, and the Redeemer died that he might become the firstfruits of the Resurrection and overcome the bonds of death. Mercy opened the way for the resurrection of all.
Spiritual restoration. To his struggling son Corianton, Alma clearly explained that “it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works” (Alma 41:3). Thus, after the Resurrection and Judgment some will be “raised to happiness according to [their] desires of happiness … ; and the other[s] to evil according to [their] desires of evil” (Alma 41:5). Continuing, Alma explicitly taught that “the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful” (Alma 41:13). Alma cautioned Corianton not to suppose “that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10).
Amulek taught Zeezrom that “we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt” (Alma 11:43). Alma explained to his son Corianton that “the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all” (Alma 41:15). That is the hard, wintry side of justice, judgment, and restoration.
But there is also a merciful side of restoration. Alma declared that “mercy cometh because of the atonement,” and though “justice exerciseth all his demands, … mercy claimeth all which is her own” upon conditions of true repentance. Alma then posed the provocative question: “What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God” (Alma 42:23–25\).
It is impossible for each of us to overcome the demands of justice solely through our own individual efforts. Nevertheless, we have been promised that “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). Contrary to the distorted doctrine of being saved solely through grace and by predestination, the Book of Mormon teaches us that we must strive to keep the commandments and repent of our sins, and then the Savior makes up the difference.
A necessary part of “all we can do” includes participation in essential ordinances of the gospel.
Physical restoration. In writing of the Resurrection, Jacob taught the exquisite completeness of a physical restoration in which “the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal” (2 Ne. 9:13). Amulek also testified that in the Resurrection “the spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame. …
“And even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame” (Alma 11:43–44; see also Alma 40:23).
Alma adds his testimony to those of Jacob and Amulek in testifying that “there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works” (Alma 40:21; emphasis added).
An Infinite Atonement
The Book of Mormon teaches us of an infinite atonement (see 2 Ne. 9:7; 2 Ne. 25:16; Alma 34:10, 12, 14), an atoning sacrifice by Christ that is unbounded by time, ethnicity, geography, or even kinds of sins, save for the unpardonable sin of denying the Holy Ghost (see Alma 39:6). The Resurrection includes all people “from the days of Adam down” to the end of time (Alma 40:18), those “both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female” (Alma 11:44). The Atonement is also infinite in the sense that the Savior not only overcame death and sin, but he also took upon himself “the pains and the sicknesses” and the “infirmities” of his people (Alma 7:11–12). The Atonement is infinite, too, in that because of the redemption made possible by his beloved Son, our Heavenly Father is able to forgive us “as often as [we] repent” (Mosiah 26:30–31; see also Moro. 6:8).
The Miracle of Forgiveness
The Lord himself revealed to Alma that “as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.
“And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation” (Mosiah 26:30–31).
Does this mean that I am expected to forgive my neighbor whose dog dug up my garden? Yes! Is an injured wife required to forgive her unfaithful husband? Yes! Are parents required to forgive their prodigal child who has besmirched their good family name? Yes! Are children required to forgive abusive parents? Yes! Must I really forgive a business associate who bilks me out of my pension? Yes!
But where do we acquire the spiritual and emotional strength to forgive those who have offended us and sinned against us? Mormon provides the prescription: “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love … ; that when [Christ] shall appear we shall be like him … ; that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moro. 7:48).
The goal of the great plan of happiness is to become like Christ so that we may someday dwell in his presence and in the presence of our Heavenly Father. An unforgiving and vengeful heart is unholy, as is the heart of an adulterer or someone addicted to pornography. Any inability we might have to forgive others becomes a barrier between us and the Savior. If we are to become like him, we must freely forgive others as he has forgiven us (see 3 Ne. 13:11; D&C 64:10).
From Precept to Practice
It is, of course, always easier to speak of Christlike attributes in the abstract than to practice them in the heat of battle, but if we are to become like Christ, we must learn to forgive as he forgave.
Our Savior, at the close of his brief ministry among the Nephites, posed the following soul-searching question: “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Ne. 27:27). And what manner of Son was he? Abinadi foresaw that Christ would suffer but not yield to temptation. He would “be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people” (Mosiah 15:5). He would be “crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father” (Mosiah 15:7).
When our will is swallowed up in the will of the Father and of the Son, then we are truly reconciled unto them. We will then be full partakers of the Savior’s atonement and experience the greatest miracle of all—the miracle of forgiveness.
Thoughts and Impressions on Mosiah 4
These verses are great in explaining the atonement of Jesus Christ. The people felt their own inadequacy. They knew they needed to take part in the atonement. They had felt the spirit prick their hearts. They humbled themselves before the Lord. We need to do the same. We at times feel our own inadequacy. We need to humble ourselves before the Lord. We need to have the spirit in our own heart. It is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we are able to return to our Heavenly Father. The Atonement was prepared from the foundation of the world.
King Benjamin taught how his people and everyone can receive the Atonement. We should put our trust in the Lord. We should diligently follow the commandments of the Lord. We should continue in faith through out our lives. This is how we can receive the Atonement in our lives.
We need to believe in Heavenly Father. We need to believe that through Him all things are possible. We need to believe that He has all wisdom. We need to believe that we need to repent and forsake our sins. We need to humble ourselves before Heavenly Father. We need to pray for forgiveness with all sincerity of heart. If we stay humble before Heavenly Father, by calling on Him daily, and standing steadfast in the faith; we can always have happiness and feel the love of Heavenly Father with us all ways.
I find it interesting that after King Benjamin taught his people about the Atonement of Jesus Christ he then taught the people to teach their children and to take care of the poor. It is a smooth transition from the three subjects. As we have the Atonement in our lives we will want to teach our children the same truths. Parents have a responsibility to teach their children. Also when we move beyond our family we are instructed to serve others who are in need. In the ministry of the Savior where was he found? He was found with the children and with the poor. As we follow Him shouldn’t we do like wise?
King Benjamin taught how his people and everyone can receive the Atonement. We should put our trust in the Lord. We should diligently follow the commandments of the Lord. We should continue in faith through out our lives. This is how we can receive the Atonement in our lives.
We need to believe in Heavenly Father. We need to believe that through Him all things are possible. We need to believe that He has all wisdom. We need to believe that we need to repent and forsake our sins. We need to humble ourselves before Heavenly Father. We need to pray for forgiveness with all sincerity of heart. If we stay humble before Heavenly Father, by calling on Him daily, and standing steadfast in the faith; we can always have happiness and feel the love of Heavenly Father with us all ways.
I find it interesting that after King Benjamin taught his people about the Atonement of Jesus Christ he then taught the people to teach their children and to take care of the poor. It is a smooth transition from the three subjects. As we have the Atonement in our lives we will want to teach our children the same truths. Parents have a responsibility to teach their children. Also when we move beyond our family we are instructed to serve others who are in need. In the ministry of the Savior where was he found? He was found with the children and with the poor. As we follow Him shouldn’t we do like wise?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
