Adam = mortality; Christ = immortality

Therefore, as Adam brought about mortality, Christ brought about immortality and for those who accept Him, eternal life. But, if Adam had not partaken of the fruit, there would be no need for Jesus Christ, and Lucifer would never have had to display his incredible temper and prideful, rebellious personality.

The fall is the child of the creation and the atonement is the child of the fall (McConkie, A New Witness for the Article of Faith, pg. 81). Salvation was made available in and through the creation, the fall, and the atonement. These three are each part of one divine plan.

I and my Father are One

Perhaps the primary example of scripture in support of the one substanced god without body, parts, and passions is John 10:30.

“I and my Father are one.”

At the cost of critical thinking, which is to say, never to question the accepted incomprehensible dogma of centuries, this scripture seems to overlook the potential connection to the word purpose. Is it possible Christ meant one in purpose?

John 17:20-21
- That they may all be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee…
  - Are we to assume that Jesus wants the Quorum of the Twelve to absorb into one entity with the Father and the Holy Ghost and become 15?

The Fall, the Atonement, and Mercy

Just as God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are one in purpose but three distinct beings, so the pillars of the gospel share a like similitude. Although we view the atonement as the center and core of our religion, without the fall, there is no atonement.

Adam’s fall brought about temporal and spiritual death and from this death all must be ransomed. The ransoming act must be carried out by a person without sin and He must be known to all creations. (This is the primary source of God’s power; see D&C 29:36).

New Addition to the Site

Yesterday I spent the morning training the Silverdale Zone on the Currency of Trust for Missionaries.

My attempt to send each missionary copies of the reports and slides failed, so I’ve assembled a fair collection of everything and created a library site for all to enjoy.

Just above this post you will find at the bottom of the header the following: Gospel Knols Library.

Click on that and you will have a plethora of articles, talks, and reports available.

If I’ve mentioned a talk or report that isn’t there, send me a note.

Br. H

A Trinity of Purpose, Beings, and Pillars

The three greatest events ever to occur are:

The Creation
The Fall
The Atonement

They are inseparably woven together in to a tapestry exactly as the Godhead is woven into a numeric count of one.

To most of Christianity, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are mysteriously connected into a single essence or substance. This is often called the Trinity Doctrine.

The history of the Catholic Church seems to be swept under the rug and the argument between Arias and Athanasius all but dismissed (James L. Barker, Apostasy From the Divine Church, pp. 238-271).

Every Soul is Free

The hymn Elder Hales quotes in his talk summarizes my thoughts in this manner:

Know this, that ev’ry soul is free

To choose his life and what he’ll be;

For this eternal truth is giv’n:

That God will force no man to heav’n. (Hymn no. 240)

God gave us the freedom to choose which side we’ll take in the pre-mortal existence. Once we made the choice, we became moral agents unto Him and His law. Furthermore, he teaches us that each person born should be free to act upon their covenant and that action will determine their agency.

Agency: An Exalting Power

God or the Laws of Nature dictate that men are free to choose so we can be tested on how we will act according to our covenant. According to our foreordination (some of which can be found in each of our Patriarchal Blessings), each of us will be given agency, the power to act righteously, during some part of our mortal probation.

Consider the implication of sin. When a person sins, the spirit immediately vacates his person. Sin brings upon an individual darkness and isolation from God. Can anyone act righteously when under the influence of sin?

Lucifer’s Plan Violated Law

His suggestion was a violation of a law that has no beginning and has no end. To say I don’t comprehend eternity, where God came from, how I’ll become a God, or how Christ brought about the atonement is an understatement, but to requisition the power of the universe as a spirit entity, before ever going through the required mortality of the system, is absurd.

After the eternal law of no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God and Adam remove Lucifer, the physical creation of the earth is completed and Adam and Eve are placed thereon.

Lucifer’s Temper Tantrum

In the council of heaven as found in Moses 4, the Father explains that Jehovah was the chosen one from the beginning. It’s at this point that Lucifer tries to change the rules of engagement for exaltation. Notice that he (Lucifer) offered no agency in either sense of the word. He offered 1) no freedom of choice and 2) no power to act righteously.

In fact, Lucifer only addressed one aspect of God’s plan, the law that states: no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God. He overlooked in his haste to formulate a competing plan, the aspect of becoming like God versus simply being with God.

Agency: A Basic Tenet of Mortal Probation

The war in heaven was the proving grounds for the initial choice of God’s creations. There we were, in effect, free agents. God was our Father and Creator, and He proposed a plan (system) whereby we could all become like Him, if that was what we wanted. Some did not want to follow His system.

There was only one plan on the agenda during the council in heaven as taught in Abraham 3 when Lucifer got his feelings hurt. Notice verse 27 when the Father rhetorically questions, Whom shall I send? In verse 28 Lucifer becomes angry. Up until that time, Jehovah is already creating worlds and organizing universes. There is still no second plan. Lucifer has only lost his temper; he doesn’t formulate his plan, a non-functioning one that cannot exalt, until the next council as found in Moses 4.

2 Definitions of Agency

Prior to Elder Hales talk, I understood freedom of choice as a requisite step to obtain the power to act righteously. In this way, choice and agency are connected. The freedom comes from God, however, when government removes the freedom of choice, the ability to act righteously is also at risk.

Since Elder Hales has chosen to insert freedom of choice into the definition, it seems logical to separate the two as follows:

Agency as a basic tenet of our mortal probation
Agency as an exalting power

Elder Hales expands the definition

In order for agency to be free, there cannot be consequences imposed by nature or by Nature’s Law. Nature’s law, as I understand it, is one and the same with God. Since God has become the law, He is no longer subjected to the law because He can act in no other way except righteousness. He has lost the ability to sin or to act capriciously. Therefore, God is the law.

For many years I have held to a strict definition of agency as: The power to act righteously. In a recent talk Elder Hales explained he could not find the definition of agency in the dictionary as we use it in the church. He then expounded the definition of agency to include freedom of choice.

Self-Imposed Governors

Opening the Mind to a Deeper Doctrine

The self-imposed governors we as humans place upon ourselves fascinates me. In this self-imposed state, we have become conditioned to avoid questioning the accepted. As such, many deep doctrines are never explored, discussed, or understood. (Deep doctrine is not the same as fringe doctrine.)

Our priesthood lesson this morning began with a discussion on agency. Unless freedom of choice is in the definition, it seems members are blind to anything else. So what is the definition, application, and role of agency?

Exalting Faith

The Exalting Power of Faith

There is another level of faith that is not just an increase in valiancy but it is a magnitude of transcendent power even unto exaltation.

Alma explains that this level faith can know the mysteries of God. (Alma 26:22) What are the mysteries of God? This is deep doctrine. Not to be confused with fringe doctrine, deep doctrine consists of the restored gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith and the prophets, seers, and revelators since his time.

The Two Levels of Faith

Faith: a complete awareness of a power not discernable by the five senses of the body.

There are two primary levels of faith according to my understanding today.

The Basic Power of Faith

This level of faith starts the process to exaltation. We use this level of faith to obtain a testimony of truth (Lectures On Faith, p. 33). It’s the lowest common denominator discussed in church and at General Conference.

Faith is not a perfect knowledge. (Alma 32:21)