One of my favorite books in the Book of Mormon is the Book of Ether. It contains the condensed history of the Jaredite people starting with their journey to a promised land and ending with their ultimate destruction. We learn about the Lord's promises to lead these people to a promised land and make them a great nation. This land is a choice land, requiring a convenant whereon they must serve Christ or be swept off. Wars, dissensions, and wickedness dominate the Jaredites. Secret Combinations result in the destruction of the nation. The Spirit of the Lord ceases to strive with them and millions are killed in battle, The Jaredite nation is utterly destroyed. We are warned specifically that this is a pattern of how pride, greed, secret combinations destroy a once prosperous nation.
Moroni is commanded to seal up these writings of the brother of Jared—They will not be revealed until men have faith even as the brother of Jared who pierced the veil.
I wanted to share this verse from the 12th chapter, verse 19:
"And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad."
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This scripture says... "And there were MANY" .. not just one, or a few select people, .. but MANY, who were not kept from within the veil. Is this something we should seek after? Is this something we should talk about? What does the church handbook say about piercing the veil? Do our leaders encourage this or should we settle for less."
My grandma is the youngest granddaughter of Parley P Pratt. This is what my great great grandpa had to say about his desire to be like one of the MANY who we read about in Ether.
"For my part I never can rest until my eyes have seen my Redeemer. Until I have gazed like Nephi upon the glories of the Celestial world. Until I can come into full communion and familiar converse with the angels of glory and the spirits of just men made perfect through the blood of Christ. And I testify to all, both small and great, both male and female, that if they stop short of the full enjoyment of these things they stop short of the blessings freely offered to every creature in the Gospel."
(Parley Pratt letter to John Taylor, November 27, 1836; spellings and punctuation corrected.)
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Are we stopping short of the blessings freely offered to every creature in the Gospel?
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Not only are we stopping short of these blessings, we are losing knowledge of them. The Lord said he would take the fulness from among the gentiles. I have always wondered what that would "look" like when it happens.
ReplyDeleteI have come to believe it will "look" like what we are witnessing right now. We are losing knowledge and we don't even know it.
I believe that the ancient Israelites probably believed that they had the "fulness". They were probably unaware that they had actually lost something, during their "provocation". It wasn't until many generations later that people began to realize what the Israelites had lost.
I think we find ourselves in the same position. Sure we have a little more priesthood "authority", but we still had the fulness taken from us, just like they did. And yet we are almost totaly unaware of this fact. Surely the Lord has sent a strong delusion among us, because we do prefer the lie.
reese
Right on. I have thought a lot myself about what it will look like. I think John in the NT, Abinadi, Samuel the Lamanite, Lehi, Nephi (the first) in the Book of Mormon, and your pick of the OT prophets are all types.
ReplyDeleteSo does Parley Pratt record or testify that he has this desire fulfilled?
ReplyDeleteMy mom sent me a letter on my mission describing her experience with seeing the Lord's face. The Lord commanded her to share her experience with her children when they were prepared to receive it.
ReplyDeleteMy mom has since moved on to the next life, but knowing that she was able to do it has given me faith to pursue the same.
Yeah, there's not much talk about seeing the face of the Lord by the leaders. I searched the scriptures and could find no occasion in the scriptures where the Lord commanded someone that had seen Him to NOT tell others that they had seen Him. Joseph Smith made no bones about seeing the Father and the Son.
I have close friends that have seen Him, it is happening. It just sad calling and election and seeing the Lord is not being taught more.
Thank you Anon above ... This gives me hope perhaps I may too see Him.
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