Jesus Christ – Page 2

How Nephi understood Isaiah

The third reason the writings of Isaiah provide such difficulty is his education. Isaiah was among the educated elite of his day. He was raised in the big city of Jerusalem and spent his entire life preparing to serve the Lord. He was aggressive in dealing with the skeptics of his day for he was a prophet in his own city and did not use diplomacy with his tongue:

“The Lord…hath made my mouth like a sharp sword…and made me a polished shaft[1]. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary[2]. “

Who Has Seen the Personage of the Holy Ghost?

Prophets and saints of all ages have seen the Lord, Jesus Christ. He is manifested in dreams in the night, visions during day, and face-to-face as with Moses and Joseph Smith. There are a few who have been honored to see the Father, however, seeing the personage of the Holy Ghost in another matter.

His presence is manifested, his influence is felt, his voice is heard, but his person is kept hidden from view except in rare instances[1]. Man’s attention is not intended for any being except the Father whom we worship, and the Son, through whom we worship.

What is Repentance?

Elder Burton explains repentance by going to the Old Testament. The OT was written in Hebrew and the word for repentance is shube. The meaning of the word is ‘to turn away’ or ‘to change.’

We are commanded to preach repentance. If you consider the meaning of shube, then we are commanded to preach the concept of living differently, to turn away from sin or to change the way we live.

When the Bishop exhorts us to repent, he is suggesting we change or turn away from harmful habits and turn unto the Lord.

Teaching An Agnostic

Here is the setting, Elder Jackson from my home ward of Gig Harbor, is serving a mission in SLC, UT and sent me an email telling the story of Tony the agnostic. He wanted to have a better understanding of what an agnostic is. I sent him a short definition and then received this email:

Brother Himmer,

Faith vs. Knowledge – con’t

Which comes first, faith or knowledge?

Is faith a vague uncertain hope in something that, with proper attention grows into knowledge? Or is faith something that grows based on a foundation of knowledge?

Faith, as I understand it, carries two levels of commitment and two levels of knowledge. The first level is that of action. You exercise your faith that you may receive an answer, direction, confirmation, clarity, or greater knowledge. In order to exercise said faith, it must be based on something.

Which comes first: Knowledge or Faith?

Is faith an action that sprouts knowledge? Does the action come first before knowledge is present or created?

Or is faith based upon truth and existing knowledge? Is faith therefore, something that grows out of and comes because of a prior knowledge of the truth?

Answer: Faith is the child of knowledge! It is reserved for those only who first have knowledge; there neither is nor can be any faith until there is knowledge. No one can have faith in a God of whom he knows nothing. No one can have faith unto life and salvation in a false god; no idol ever had power to raise the dead or stop the sun. (McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, pg. 166.)

True Doctrine of God

Accepting the true doctrine of the Fall is also accepting Jesus as the Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, and a separate, glorified and eternal Being as the Second God of the godhead. Having faith in Jesus Christ means you know His true identity (John 17:3).

Believing in a Christ that is of one substance with the Father may bring about many blessings and be a strength to the soul, but it is not worshipping God as commanded in Exodus 20:3

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

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).

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).

The Final Plague

Of the ten plagues Moses called down upon Egypt, the first 9 had little if any impact upon the Israelites. The final plague however, not only impacted the House of Israel, but a meditative study will reveal its applicability today.

As you know the final plague was the destroying angel going forth at the stroke of midnight to kill the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, Israelite and Egyptian.

The Lord gave Israel and anyone else who cared to listen, a list of instructions for how to avoid death. This is another way of saying the Lord gave mankind the Rules of Engagement for living.

Yeast and Unleavened Bread

Yeast is the leaven in bread.

Before the Passover evening, the Israelites were commanded to remove all the leaven or yeast from their houses. During the Passover meal, they were to eat unleavened bread.

WHY?

Anciently, yeast was viewed as a corruptible agent. Although yeast makes bread rise, it also causes fermentation. Perhaps it was Jehovah’s way of teaching Israel to remove all corruption from their lives.

It may have also represented man’s inability to rise from corruption and put on incorruption without the gospel and without the Savior. Without the atonement, no man can put on incorruption for resurrection is not possible without Jesus Christ.

The Great I AM

What’s In A Name?

For years I have been fascinated with the account of Moses and the burning bush found in Genesis. How many times have you heard someone say, “Well, I haven’t seen a burning bush but I know its true?” or “I’m waiting for the burning bush, just a small ember will do.”

When Moses went up to Mt. Sinai, it was familiar territory for him. He had been there many times before. It was to him, the temple. Here he received his endowment. Christ had visited Gethsemane many times before his final atoning visit. That’s how Judas knew where to find Him.

Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael – The types of…

Abraham – the Father

Isaac – the Son

Ishmael – You and me

Let’s take another story and run the characters through our truth filters. In Genesis 17, the Lord positions Abraham for the news that Isaac will be born. Here is the story thus far:

Abram’s name is changed to Abraham and Sarai’s is changed to Sarah.
Abraham is 99 and Sarah is around 89.
When Abram was 86, Ishmael was born through the handmaid Hagar.
Three angels/messengers show up promise Abraham and Sarah a son
They laugh; notice how the angels handle it…