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We've discussed how to tune out the world -- and tune in to God -- by pondering the word of God...an act which by itself can part the veil. One method by which we can use the scriptures to part the veil is by visualizing the scenes articulated in them.
Find your own sacred grove. Enjoy it at a time when you feel peace. There, you can more easily calm your body, still your mind and you lose yourself.
I've given quite a bit of time in between my past posts so you could have more time to experiment on these concepts and gain a testimony of them. I myself have such a testimony, for as I have pondered the scriptures, the veil has parted for me, allowing me to see my Savior tenderly, compassionately ministering to others, motivating me to do the same in my life. As I have meditated, I have succeeded in dispelling telestial tendencies and worldly inclinations.
And now...we move forward
Having now passed into the presence of the Lord (through the peace and selflessness of meditation), we next prepare ourselves to enjoy and seek fulfillment and enlightenment within the presence of the Lord.
Many people believe that prayer is sufficient, it's all we ever need, to enjoy the Lord's presence in our lives. And yes, it can help us enjoy the Lord's divine presence.
However, I believe the Lord wants you to aim higher, reach farther and attain greater...to not just speak with him, but to rend the heavens, pierce the veil, see the visions of eternity and greater.
Your Promise of His Literal Presence in Your Mortal Life
Can you imagine the joy the Lord must feel when we come to Him with the tender faith of a little child and accept the love he has for each of us? He wants us to come to Him and has promised that He will be there to welcome us. In the Doctrine and Covenants he has said,
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you” (D&C 88:63)This is our invitation from our Father in Heaven to share in the wondrous blessings he has in store for us. He then gives explicit directions on how we can find him:
“Seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (D&C 88:63)Then he said:
“Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.” (D&C 88:68)Sanctify means to make sacred or holy — to make free from sin, to purify. This we do to be in tune with his Spirit.
The Lord has combined all these doctrines into an outline, the steps we should follow to draw near unto him. It is a promise so profound, so wonderful, that our mortal minds may have a tough time believing it. Still, the Lord is not one to make hollow promises; we are wise to take him at his word, at face value.
Here now, by his own mouth, is a promise he has made to you:
“Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.” (D&C 93:1)
The Fine Print?
The Lord didn't say "after you die". No. He placed no limitations as to when such an event could occur. In fact, Spencer W. Kimball once stated that those
"who know God and love him and live his commandments and obey his true ordinances may yet in this life, or the life to come, see his face and know that he lives (D&C 93:1) and will commune with them." (Spencer W. Kimball, "For They Shall See God", Ensign, May 1964 p. 94).The Lord didn't say "only apostles and prophets", "only church general authorities", "only priesthood holders", "only church members who have faithfully served in major leadership positions for decades", "only church members are married and sealed to a faithful, soon-to-be-translated spouse" or even "only church members". Did you see any qualifiers in that verse? No. He simply said "every soul".
The Lord didn't say you "shall see dead ancestors" or "shall entertain angels", although such events are possible. No. He said you "shall see my face."
The Lord didn't say you "shall believe" or "shall rely on the testimony of others." No. The implication is that every soul -- including you -- shall know that he lives.
With respect to that last note, Isaiah had a word or two to say about the righteous in the latter days who would know the Lord:
"Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I." (Isaiah 52:6)
I find this so wonderful. Could you please make mention that you do not have to be a temple going member to have this experience? I find that so many people think this is a prerequisite.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
DeleteI agree; D&C 93:1 doesn't say anything about needing to be a regular temple-going member in order to qualify for D&C 93:1's promise.
However, it does say that we should come unto Christ. Does that mean we should come unto him in the temple (as this good brother did)? Maybe. That's for God to define for each of us, on a personalized basis.
Love your post.Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYour words remind me of a talk given by Bruce R. McConkie in April 1981, titled "How to Get Personnel Revelation" where he talks about ths true promise:
" each individual member of the Church can come to know of the divinity of the work, can have the whisperings of the Spirit in his heart and soul, and in addition, can see visions, speak with angels, BEHOLD THE FACE OF THE LORD, and receive all the knowledge and wisdom that has been poured out upon faithful people in any age".
"Every member of the Church is entitled to get revelation from the Holy Ghost; he is entitled to have angels visit; he is entitled to view the visions of eternity; and he is
ENTITLED TO SEE GOD THE SAME WAY THAT ANY PROPHET IN REALITY HAS SEEN HIM."
I just wanted to thank you for doing your blog. I read several blogs regularly, yours being among them. As I was reading this today (before you got to telling what your next post will be about...which I await with anticipation, btw), I was thinking how beautifully said everything was and how it lifted my spirit. My thoughts were going to how glad I was that the Lord has given us this modern means of communication, the internet, and how I have been the beneficiary of so much light and truth from reading blogs like yours that have encouraged me onward and upward in my personal quest to KNOW the Lord. My thoughts were on how much I have learned in the last year from reading what other "kindred" spirits are inspired to share and how amazing this internet has been in actually moving quietly but steadily the voice of the Lord to be heard/read by those that are truly seeking His face. I can feel that He is preparing His children for a mighty work. My thoughts were on grateful I am that there are some of you out there, like yourself, that are willing to follow the promptings to write and share for others things that are so full of hope, light and truth. I know it is probably a lot of work and time. I look forward to your next post and am sure it will give me added hope in my personal journey. Just wanted to say thanks.
ReplyDeleteKaren
Karen,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words! It's an honor and a privilege to be blogging about these truths.
I, too, rejoice in making new friends who are on a similar path, and are learning profound truths which bring them -- and me -- closer to the Lord.
Kind of reminds me of the movie "Contact", where the main character (Ellie Arroway) meets with a representative of an alien species, who's taken on the appearance of her father. Very sweetly, very gently, the alien says to her, "You're an interesting species, an interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you're not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable...is each other."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5frxyEVfL7g
The Lord has taken ancient prophets to exceeding high mountains to show them wonderful things through the power of the Holy Ghost. Since all things are spiritual to God, then perhaps the phrase “tops of the mountains” could have reference to a spiritual minded group gathered wherever the Lord desires them to be. The Temple is referred to the mountain of the Lord’s house. Those who are truly converted to the Lord have drawn near to Him and He has drawn near to them as He promised He would. If we like Moses unto ourselves this can be explained. Moses at age eighty personally climbed Mt Sinai and there waiting for him was Jehovah (Jesus Christ) standing behind a bush and it was the glory of the Lord ( It appears as bright white flame). Jesus stepped from behind the bush and then spoke to Moses face to face "as one man speaketh to another." We as members of God's earthly kingdom must make our own journey, as it were, up our spiritual Mt Sinai and there Christ awaits for us at the summit. Only the Holy Ghost can bring us to Christ. So we take His hand and step where He, the Spirit of the Lord, steps and even though we, as fallible humans, will find ourselves letting go of the Holy Ghost's hand from time to time and then stumble and fall upon jagged rocks and we skin our knees and elbows and even bump our heads. We pray for deliverance and with forgiveness obtained the Holy Ghost is there with his outstretched hand again. We take hold and he again begins to guide us up the narrow and difficult path that will if we persevere lead us to Jesus Christ at the summit. Each of us has made an appointment with the Lord. The date and time were set before we came here. It now behooves us to prepare to keep our appointment with Our Savior. Gathering to the tops of mountains is the spiritual journey that those who seek the face of the Lord make to gather unto Him. May it be so with each of us. Ken H
ReplyDelete