What I share is simply my personal discoveries. I do not claim my way is the only way and I have nothing to gain if you accept it, reject it or debate it. I have compiled, studied and researched the information I share with you over several decades. I have benefited from the information based in Religion, Science, Philosophy, Biology, Psychology, Astrology, Anthropology, etc.. As a profession, I am an entrepreneur and corporate development consultant involved in several business projects. The things I share have helped me greatly in my career. My hope is you’ll find something from this page or my site that will assist you navigate your life.
last updated 02/02/2023
In my experience, I have found it necessary to address the most important fact before instructing anyone. I realize that people have different methods for learning, or in other words, receiving, accepting and retaining information. I have an understanding regarding the psychology of people and behavior patterns of people, for the most part, I know what and how people take in and decern information. This is not to say, I’ve got it all figured out, or anyone for that matter and for all science has learned about human being, does not mean we are doing it right or that there is something we are overlooking when it comes to gaining and retaining valuable information.
–
However, an important element to learning that I am sure is being overlooked, and it may seem very simple to you, but it impacts our learning in a very significant way. As a human race, we take for granted language and the many different dialects we use to communicate and convey a message. The internet reports there are 7,000 languages spoken in the world. Clearly, if an interaction between people who speak contrary languages, we can expect there to be misunderstandings. What we don’t tend to realize, is the same can be said about interactions between people who speak the same language.
–
Genesis 11
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do:…
7 …let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
–
Whether or not you accept this event occurred, it would have had important purpose to us mortal humans and that purpose, in my opinion, would be to compel us to recognize our external instincts and to learn to master the ability to communicate accurately beyond the words. Human beings are complex organism. Most agree that “we” are made of physical and spiritual elements. The physical part of us relies on the physical senses (sight, sound, touch, smell and taste) to make sense of the world. The spiritual part of us, not to be confused with religious, is intelligent energy or matter that cannot be seen with natural eye’s. Although science and religion are antagonistic about principles of our purpose, path and principles of existence, they do agree people are physical and non-physical entities. The non-physical entity is far more expansive and powerful than the physical entity.
–
Written words are symbols and the pronunciation of those words are vibrations humans use to convey and communicate one with another. Researchers in the study of linguistics have done much to learn how the words and vibration of those words effect our understanding of what is being communicated to us. It is far more impactive than we may think.
–
Throughout our childhood, as we begin to learn words and then sentences, we are taught the proper definition of those words. As we advance in our education and more words, definitions and rules for how to properly speak are taught to us, it becomes difficult to keep up. Furthermore, we are interacting constantly with a variety of people from all walks of life and we pick up habits and inaccurate uses and definitions of words and phrases, not to mention slang and jargon, which adds to the misunderstandings.
–
This is the point. Regardless of proper definition of a word, the meaning that matters is the meaning that individual gives it. When we communicate using words that the other person interprets properly or not, will effect the message being conveyed. We have all experienced interactions that have gone sideways because of a misunderstanding. Often times an apology follows when the intent of the message was misinterpreted or misspoken, either way there was a disconnect. Where there is a disconnect, there is a misalignment and no rapport or cooperation and that could lead to a loss of the relationship, but most certainly there will be no “buy-in” of the message that is trying to be conveyed.
–
To avoid this common “mishap” from occurring it would be important to tap into your “spiritual” instincts. Religion may refer to this as the Gift of The Holy Ghost, Science may refer to it as the Frequency, others have referred to is as the Third Eye or Intuition. We could go on for day’s regarding this topic, but suffice to say, this topic should be considered as you progress through this page.
–
The only thing that may need to be said regarding this top, is that the frequency or non verbal element critical to making your point understood is, intent, feeling, character and past experience with the same person. My point is for what I share with you, is that I will likely use words throughout this site, that could carry misunderstanding or misinterpretation, before discounting my intended meaning, pause and search your feeling or perspective before landing on a conclusion. (Just food for thought)
–
more to come…
last updated 02/02/2023
Jim Rhon said, “the most important question that can be asked of us is; whose plan are you buying? Whose got you talked into doing what you are doing?
–
Jim Rhon also said, “Spending time at your job will make you a good living, spend time on personal development will make you a fortune.”
–
One of my favorite quotes is; “there are three types of people – those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen and those who wondered what happened.”
–
I find for the most part that people in general hope for more. They want more than they currently have, they wish to be better than they are. I see the emotional rollercoaster most of us (if not all of us) are managing every day. I have interviewed thousands of people and I can say with confidence, that even the seemingly happiest of people are battling something challenge.
–
The more time passes, the more influence the worlds calamities, scandals and tragedies have on us. The more confused and less trust people have in one another, leaders, government, religion, and other processes.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 88
91 And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.
–
My wish is to help instill in people that there is hope for them in peace, joy, fulfillment and abundance. Regardless of what surrounds you; what influences, what resources, what oppositions – you are designed to create fulfilling experiences and to prosper and live in peace. This won’t come without an offering; putting forth a good faith effort, committing yourself,
–
2 Corinthians 9
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
–
Matthew 7
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
–
Everyone applies effort towards something. Either the effort applied is much or little and either the effort is applied toward a good thing or a bad thing – the principle here is, whatever you give will be revealed to the whole world by the “fruit” your efforts bare. The question now is, how do you do it? How do you produce good results or in other words, the results you desire most and then turn that into prosperity and abundance?
–
The first step is to get clarity on what it is we want. You must understand the difference between an emotion and a physical reality. For instance, to say I want to be “happy” is an emotion that is an by-product of creating something physical. I would want something like a house on the beach. That is physical, but still very vague. We need to use our imagination to create the details in our mind. Where is the beach, how big, and what color, etc.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 88
64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;
65 And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.
–
Although religion may debate the promise throughout scripture that God will give to us anything we ask; meaning, that what is often “preached” is that God will give you anything he see’s fit to give you. My belief, according to the passage I shared above, is that God will give you ANYTHING regardless of what you ask for. You will find that most all philosophers, motivational speaker and even ancient theologians will teach that the universe will grant you anything you can imagine. The caveats however, is that what you ask for should be “expedient” for you, meaning appropriate and moral although it is not required as you can see from that passage. If you ask for something not expedient for you, it will turn to your condemnation or in other words, disappointing. The other caveate that is often mentioned, is to demonstrate faith.
–
Enos 1
…Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
–
The next step is to state your meaningful purpose, in other words, your “WHY.” Why do you want this thing? What will it do for you? How will it effect your life? How will acquiring this thing cause you to feel? It is a “given” that possessing this thing will cause you to feel happy, but there needs to be a deeply rooted purpose to attaining this thing, and it manifests quicker when there is an unselfish purpose behind the manifestation. Perhaps, this thing will improve the quality of life for your children, or cures a solution for humanity, or benefits family member in need, or a host of other similar reasons.
–
Very important next step and that is to believe this thing is possible for you! No doubt this is where most people get “sideways” and adverse thoughts, feelings and trust get twisted and clouded and faith and hope fades. This battle produces discouragement, frustration and even anger. Figuring out how to keep in front of the weight pulling us down and away from our dream would be a great value to each of us. I am confident I have the solution, the instruction and the code to a happy, fulfilling life experience.
–
Unfortunately or fortunately for us, there is no shortage of evangelists, counselors, therapists, doctors, philosophers, psychics, politicians, scientists, professors, the affluent, celebrities, gurus, and people with strong opinions about how things work. The variety of different resources for information creates another hurdle. Who do you give your attention to? Who is providing the best guidance? The challenge for us is that there are good sources of information and there are bad sources. It is up to us individually to decern and decide what path will produce best results for us, what’s truth and what’s vapor.
–
Galatians
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 46
8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;
–
For me, I have found through my deep research, there are some commonality with core principles amongst those I have studied, that align with my personal experience, standards and values. I am comfortable with the discoveries I have landed on. I share them with you and hope helps you improve your journey:
–
Albert Einstein said, “If we look deep into nature, we begin to see how all things work.
–
There is a pattern throughout the universe by which all things move in a particular order and how things are created and grow. If we will just pay attention to the seasons, behaviors of people, the teachings all around the world, and ourselves; we will recognize the clues to how to achieve a happy and successful life experience.
–
Albert Einstein also stated, “Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.”
–
If you choose to continue, I will walk you through the “paradigm” I have used to guide me through my earth experience. This model doesn’t have to be for you and you can select what you think will help you – you can search more and determine if what I share makes sense for you. The objective, again, is to help provide you with insight to improve your life.
–
more to come…
last updated 02/03/2023
Every person who is living upon this earth, and who has ever lived or yet to live; began as a spirit before coming to earth in physical form:
–
D&C 93
29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
33 For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy;
–
Moses 3
5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.
–
What is meant by “spirit?” We need to think of spirit in a “non-religious” perspective. Spirit, is a non-physical substance that, in our mortal state, we can not detect with our human eyes. When it is said that “we” (humans) are spirit, it is also important to understand that we are spiritually created from “light” and light as I understand it is energy. The energy every one of us on this planet were created, is ‘intelligent energy.” Science agrees that all physical life and things are created from energy. What separates us (human beings) from any other physical things, is that we are intelligence.
–
Thomas 50
If they say to you: Whence have you come?, tell them: We have come from the light, the place where the light came into being through itself alone. It [stood], and it revealed itself in their image. If they say to you: Who are you?, say: We are his sons, and we are the elect of the living Father. If they ask you: What is the sign of your Father in you?, tell them: It is a movement and a rest.
–
Every living thing that was created on earth in physical form (natural), was first created in spirit.
–
Genesis 2
7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
–
Although, there are several theories for how we came to be, I believe in the teaching that we began as spirits, created by a master creator with a plan for our exhalation. Our existence did not begin when we were born into this world. We existed long before our birth.
–
1 Corinthians 15
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
–
If we catch this vision, we all can rest assured that each of us are the literal off spring of a Heavenly Father (God). At this stage of our existence, we were being taught and tutored of our purpose. we would be presented the plan of our creator for our existence. I believe among the first lessons, was to understand the difference between LIGHT and DARK.
–
1 Thessalonians 5
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
–
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
–
1 John 1
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
–
D&C 88
11 And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space
13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
–
Our creator has a “plan” for each of us, his children (intelligent light). The objective is for us to complete a process that qualifies us to comprehend our maker and to be in his presence for all eternity.
–
Moses 1
39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
–
Our immortality and eternal life is a process that we do not fully understand, particularly in this inception phase, but it becomes more clear as we progress through the process. The process requires us to have a mortal experience, whereby we will attain a physical body, comprehend faith, and learn wisdom
–
Doctrine and Covenants 138
56 Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.
–
Our education of the plan or process began before we were born in this earth. As the plan was being taught to all us spirit children, as the plan was being presented a dispute broke out between two sides. Each side had a leader who stepped up to present their proposal for executing the Father’s plan. The one proposed a to return the spirits to the Father and that would be to force the behavior, this would guarantee the return of the spirits and all this leader asked for was glory. The other option was to give agency to each spirit. This idea would allow an experience to each of us to progress in wisdom. Although our ignorance would undoubtedly cause us to make poor choices that could derail our journey back. However, the leader of this option also proposed that he would guide us and teach us if we so choose.
–
Abraham 3
27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.
–
Revelation 12
7 And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
–
Moses 4
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;
–
This war in the pre-earth life divided the spirits into two, 1/3 followed satan (the prince of dark) and 2/3 followed Christ (the Light of truth).
–
Doctrine and Covenants 29
…for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;
37 And they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels;
38 And, behold, there is a place prepared for them from the beginning, which place is hell.
–
Those spirits who followed the light will advance to the next phase of progression by receiving a physical-mortal body by being born into this earthly experience to continue our education and prove ourselves worthy and prepared to advance to the next phase of our eternal progression toward immortality.
–
Those spirits who chose to follow the prince of darkness will not be permitted to move on to this mortal existence. Because the prince of darkness and those who followed became angry at their proposal being rejected, they vowed to persuade the spirits who chose light by casting all manner of temptation (deceit, lies, fraud, etc.)
–
more to come…
last updated 02/03/2023
This Earth life is a temporary state where the spirit (light) and body (flesh) of each individual are united until death, which is a temporary separation of the mortal body from the spirit which, is followed with a “resurrection” – the rise of the body in a perfected state and the spirit reunited with that perfected body for eternity.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 88
15 And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.
16 And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.
–
1 Corinthians 3
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
The physical body is often referred to as a “temple”
–
John 2
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
–
John 3
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 130
22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.
–
Genesis 1
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
–
At this stage of our progression, we experience birth. We also learn that our physical image is after the image of our creator. Although the following passage is interpreted literally, it is metaphorical, depicting the physical element of and the event of our being placed on this Earth.
–
Genesis 2
7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
–
We also, need to realize that our mortal experience is temporary or temporal, it will come to an end. Not our spirit entity and ultimately not our physical entity either. However, this phase of our experience will end upon death. As the saying goes, “we are spiritual beings having a mortal experience.” At this stage, we are mortal working towards immorality. Every person born into this world kept their first estate and became worthy to come to earth and receive a body. Even though, we share this world with some bad an very bad people, at one point we all did good. This phase of the process will end and that event will cause some to be sad, hurt, and uncertain. The fact is, all who experience death, will rise again ushering in the next phase of our progression.
–
Alma 12
24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.
–
In this mortal state, we will learn how the body and the spirit will influence our earth experience. Managing the body and the spirit will prove to be our mortal human beings most challenging duty. Because of the degree of adversity, we will have access to a guide and “angels” to help us navigate our earthly journey. Jesus Christ, the Son of God is sent to guide us the way back to God (Father in Heaven)
–
Matthew 26
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
–
John 1
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
–
In this mortal experience, we do not recall our pre-earth existence because of a “veil” that boarders the pre-earth from the present-earth existence. The purpose of this veil of memory loss is so we can tap into our spiritual senses and choose to align ourselves with a frequencies that enlightens our understanding and brings that pre earth time to our present memory.
–
John 14
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
–
Esther 3
19 And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
–
D&C 101
23 And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together.
–
Our memory of premortal life is kept from us to assure that this phase of our experience will be a valid test, but there is guidance given us to show how to live. Our Father’s plan for salvation in this life with the opportunity of returning to Him is called the gospel of Jesus Christ.
–
We will receive guidance, instruction, and confirmation through the spiritual frequency. To access this mode of truth requires faith.
–
Abraham 3
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
–
The fundamental principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ is FAITH:
LDS Articles of Faith #4
The first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
–
Alma 32
21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.
–
Mortality is a privilege. In spite of the calamities, tragedies, heartbreak, disappointment, frustrations, etc. that we all will experience, it will pass and the experience will be of benefit to us. No matter what we want to believe about why we are here, we should seek to tap into the truth that we each did something extraordinary to be worthy of this mortal experience. Furthermore, we each inherit a glorified promise.
–
more to come…
last updated 02/03/2023
Our earth experience is designed to educate us (mortals) and lead us to return to our creator as immortal and exalted beings. We are expected to fulfill the requirements in this mortal period that rewards us the privilege of spending our eternal life in the presence of our creator – with the promise that our earthly experience is supposed to be GOOD (joy, happiness, fulfillment); although we will experience the dark energy (what we call bad) that we might grow in our understanding of our creators purpose and his purpose for each of us
–
Moses 1
37 And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.
38 And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.
39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
–
2 Nephi 28
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
–
2 Nephi 2
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
–
We should accept that we are in a mortal state in-which we are innocent and do not understand all the workings of our creator neither are we at his level of understanding, however, our Father in Heaven will not leave us in the dark, so to speak. He will provide us information and insight (so far) as we are prepared to receive it.
–
1 Nephi 10
19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
–
This “mortal state” is a step in the process, all be it, to give us a joyful experience, nonetheless it is still a process. After all, we are here to learn. Our Father in Heaven is a God of order and thus to for us all to journey through this earthly experience equally, there must be laws.
–
1 Corinthians 14
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 132
8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 88
13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 14
7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
–
While on this earth we will not have a recollection or remember the pre-earth experience for a specific reason. We must heighten our spiritual instincts, senses or in other words our spiritual eyes.
–
“The children of God who come into this world pass through a veil of forgetfulness, or spiritual amnesia. They forget who they were, what they did, and why they came to earth. Part of this mortal journey is for men and women to discover their true identities and act accordingly.”
–
As we become more in tune with our spiritual being, the veil becomes thinner and we begin to recall our pre-earth life – primarily through the aligned energy or emotion, we call enlightenment. Through this experience our faith grows, or in other words, our trust in the process becomes more sure.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 110
1 The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.
2 We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.
–
However, our experience on earth is not without opposition. Although going through opposition will feel cruel and painful, the experience serves an important purpose in our quest for exaltation. The experience will teach us the difference between good and bad, joy and pain, it will teach us about choice and decision, freedom and bondage, faith and hope as well as endurance. All important qualities to that lend to our advancement.
–
Doctrine 122
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
–
We will all have experiences and although those experiences will vary from one person to another, the experience will either be for our good or for our bad, but we can learn something from every experience that can serve us well as we journey through this mortal state. The experiences we have will be largely up to the choices and decisions we make. Every person on this world made the free decision to come to earth and receive a body. While here, we will continue to freely decide if we will be obedient to the principles that will lead to joy and fulfillment.
–
Receive a mortal BODY
Doctrine and Covenants 129
1 There are two kinds of beings in heaven, namely: Angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones—
2 For instance, Jesus said: Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
3 Secondly: the spirits of just men made perfect, they who are not resurrected, but inherit the same glory.
–
Develop our FAITH
Alma 32
21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.
–
1 Nephi 7
12 Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him.
–
Matthew 17
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
–
Become a Disciple of Jesus Christ, by Repenting of wrong doing (we’ll cover this in the next section) Being Baptized, and Receiving the Holy Ghost,
2 Nephi 31
13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
–
John 14
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
–
1 John 5
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
–
Our education would not be effective if there was not choice and free agency to decide for our selves.
–
Moses 4
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;
–
Abraham 3
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
–
2 Nephi 2
16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
–
As FREE AGENTS, we also take upon ourselves the consequence of those decisions
–
Helaman 14
30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.
–
Although we exist in a mortal world with opposition, the choices from trials and temptations will occur from three sources;
1. The World we live in — “indifference and opposition to God’s design”, “empty, passing values”;
2. The Flesh — “gluttony (greed, excess eating, bad habits) and sexual immorality, … our corrupt inclinations, disordered passions”;
3. The Devil — “a real, personal enemy, a fallen angel, Father of Lies, who … labors in relentless malice (desire to do evil) to twist us away from salvation”.
–
Regardless of the decision, the choices can only be light or dark energy, which is referred to in our world as good or bad, right or wrong, righteous or evil.
–
Helaman 14
31 He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.
–
more to come…
last updated 02/03/2023
This is where we each find ourselves currently, navigating ourselves through life – not sure about anything and experiencing ups, downs, uncertainty and misfortunes, successes and failures. Sometimes we are happy and a lot of the time we are sad (depressed, frustrated, upset, disappointed, etc.). No one really seems to have the answer for getting through it, but there are many who claim to know how. We observe and try – we model others, but our results seem to not match what we perceive that of the one we copied. We believe and we follow instructions (sometimes to the T) with floundering results or at best hit-and-miss. Other times we get to experience a pleasurable result, but not sure how it happened exactly. So now we conclude that it must be luck. The ones that get the positive results claim that they achieved their results through “hard work”, and yet upon a closer look, we find that they had access to resources and circumstances that paved their path to “success” often on a seemingly smooth road. I am not taking away from the fact that it takes dedication, commitment and perseverance, but that to me is very different than working hard. As humans we are wired to move toward pleasure and away from pain. It is an oxymoron in my opinion to claim to secret to success is hard. To me this language causes a conflict within the mortal mind.
–
Whatever the achievement we experience in this earth-life the fact remains, our purpose is the same for every living soul and that is to pass through this experience and enters into the next phase where we may rest in the presence of our maker. We will all have our own variety of experiences in this life, but we all have the same promise that we are entitled to a joyful experience – accepting, of course, there will be temptations, trials and tribulations of every kind.
–
Though, we do not know what the experiences will be, neither do we know how long we will have to experience this life. However, there are experiences that we can count on;
– We will experience a physical body
– We will experience free agency (choice & decision)
– We will experience pain & pleasure
– We will experience death (separation of our spirit from the mortal body)
– We will experience a resurrection (uniting of the spirit with a restored and perfected body)
– We will experience immortality (exist with the resurrected soul for eternity)
–
Alma 12
24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
–
We are in this moment to gain a physical body (that will in next phase become a perfected body worthy to host the spirit that is our true identity). We are also here to develop Faith, we can only attain this through practice. We must also, through practical experience, know what “light” is. We have already talked about our Creator (God) being light and we’ve covered that we are children of the light and thus created from light. Although no one has yet to come up with a good explanation of what light is, I have referred to it as “energy”, which mainstream science also agrees with.
–
We learn through the study of Quantum Physics that there are two forms of energy, Light and Dark. Science has declared that Light Energy is Creative and Dark Energy is Destructive
–
Center for Astrophysics and Supercomputing:
*Dark Energy is a hypothetical form of energy that exerts a negative, repulsive pressure, behaving like the opposite of gravity.
–
*Light energy is a kind of kinetic energy with the ability to make types of light visible to human eyes.
–
This is where, in my opinion, we mortals get knocked sideways. There is so much emphasis in religion and in society about what’s “right” and what’s “wrong” – the definition is how we’ve come to judge behavior and determine societal consequence or punishment and reward. I am not saying society has it all wrong, but I believe we do not understand the root of what, or better yet why, a behavior is deemed right or wrong other than it opposes a standard or rule for a particular organization, group or society. People seem to place more weight on the worldly rules rather than the higher power that truly guides us. The higher power being the light. When we choose dark energy over light energy, we need to reverse the decision and move back into the light. That move from dark to light, in my opinion, is repentance. What makes this the only choice we have to grow and prosper is because we are made from light and can only associate with light
–
For there to be repentance, there must be choice and for there to be a choice of right and wrong. We call Light = Right and Dark = Wrong. This is so, because we are created from Light and our creator is Light and thus Light is what we relate to. We can only progress and create with Light Energy and the Dark Energy’s purpose is to destroy. This is not the design of some pretentious God. This principle is governed by law.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 130
20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
The consequence of the decision we make by the choice is important because whatever energy we (as intelligent light) choose will draw to us the same energy and then consume us.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 88
40 For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light leaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.
–
Moroni 7
15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.
18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.
–
Point is, you and me and every person on this planet will be pressed to make decisions. Our decisions will determine our destiny. our decisions by universal law carry a consequence, that consequence or result will affect your emotions or feelings. Feeling is an energy and that energy can grow in you and empower you if it is a light energy. The better we can get at denying and overcoming opposition, the more our life will be filled with joyful and fulfilling experiences.
–
more to come…
last updated 03/08/2023
This Earthly experience will undoubtedly pose obstacles, what is an obstacle? I have had to rethink this opinion of mine from my last post. What I have come up with, which is different from my original thought is, that an obstacle is an “illusion” or in other words, a misperception, or inaccurate idea of the truth.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 123:12
12 For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it
–
Making an appropriate decision that serves us for good, that aligns our natural spirit towards joy and progress requires each of us to be in tune with a frequency of energy that we cannot see with our natural (mortal-physical) eyes. Faith, which we have defined, is a power available to every living human being. That power flows through each of us by emotion. We refer to emotion as “feeling” and what we feel is a compass to point us to light. Emotion is Energy-in-Motion and energy can only be “Light” or “Dark”. Again, because all human beings originated from LIGHT, we relate to light and cannot comprehend (mix or become) DARK energy. We are all wired the same, we move toward pleasure and away from pain. This seems simple enough, however, this principle derails many people who struggle to decern
–
The adversary and conflicting energy has one purpose, and that is to apprehend light energy, although by the law of the universe is not possible, however the adversary considers it a victory if it can derail the progress of light energy and defuse the light within the human being. The tool is confusion.
–
Moses 4:4
4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
–
Isaiah 5:20
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
–
Ephesians 4:14
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
–
Doctrine and Covenants 8
2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 11
12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.
13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;
–
Doctrine and Covenants 9
8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.
–
Acts 1
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:…
–
1 Corinthians 2
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
–
Most people do not have a strong fundamental belief system because as the years pass and the witness of tens of thousands of experiences and the mortal wiring, confusion sets in and there is little we are obsoletely sure about. We may come to some trust in what some people say we should do, but that is a lot of the problem, there is no shortage of advice, counsel and the “to do’s” – not much (in my experience) of instruction regarding the “how to do it.” Before I get into the how to overcome obstacles, I wish to share with you a couple of very basic truths that you must be aware of before you will ever be able to overcome the resistance that will hold you back from the breakthrough.
–
First, all people, regardless of where in the world they live, regardless of age, regardless of education, wealth, gender, etc.. are wired the same. People move toward what they believe will be pleasurable and away from that which they believe will be painful. We covered in an earlier section that we all have choice and we get to decide. If we choose something that results in pain, we can choose again and either we will avoid that same situation or maybe we need more experience to obtain a knowledge to make an improved decision.
–
It is also important to understand that as mortals, we operate in conscious states or modes. At any given moment we are either in a conscious state, which is an awareness of the present moment, or we are in a subconscious state, which is an automatic state or in other words “auto-pilot” – and that is a state in-which our behavior is being controlled by thoughts, experiences and paradigms we store in that part of the mind. For the purpose of this topic, these are the only two consciousnesses I will mention. There have several studies regarding this topic and experts will report anywhere from 85% to 95% of our waking day is spent in a subconscious state. Which, leave only 5% to 15% of our waking moment is in an awareness state. It would then seem obvious that most our challenges come from our inability to manage our conscious states. If we are not paying attention to the clues that leads to joy and happiness that life offers us is it a wonder we are tripping over ourselves trying to figure out life?
–
Our actions and behaviors are the result of the information we store in the subconscious compartment of our mind. That information is the repeated data you have allowed to enter that valuable part of your mind. Most the information passed the gate of your subconscious and entered undetected and now, like a warehouse, all the thoughts, words, actions, feelings, and experiences you have ever had are being stored in order of priority you give to the call to action. For instance, look in your refrigerator, and the items you use most are in the front where you can access it easily. Same with your subconscious mind. The things you do repeatedly and up front and the thoughts you value least are in the back.
–
I am sharing with you this concept from a very high level, there is so much more I can share, but this is the basic gist. It is important to understand how the subconscious “warehouse” got filled up with all the data it is currently storing. I believe there are three programs that affect the subconscious mind. Now, I am not saying that all the information in your subconscious is garbage, but you do need to know what is in there and how it got there and how to clean it up if it needs to be. The three programs are Dogma, Stigma and Enigma. in very simple terms, dogma is the beliefs you grew up with and the influence of your environments. For instance what your parents taught you, and what relatives, neighbors, religious leaders, government, school, peers, etc. taught you. You established your beliefs in large part by what people you valued believed. These beliefs can serve you well or they can be an obstacle you are unaware of that you need to climb over to get to what you may be compelled to do or be for yourself. Stigma on the other hand are labels other people or society has placed on you that you think are true. Often times these are negative. You might think you do not deserve good things to happen to you because you do not have a college degree, or you are of a certain ethnicity, or you lived on the other side of the tracks, or you are not a woman or a man, or you don’t have the right friends, or any of a thousand other ideas about what or why you are undeserving. The last program is Enigma, which is a mystery or a complex problem you can’t solve. Enigma is an obstacle because it can keeps us from the powerful element of faith. Faith, does not mean to blindly accept something because another claims it’s true. We’ve covered this in another section, faith is substance. physicists and philosophers will tell you there is an invisible field that governs matter and when energy from thought (hope) focuses on the manifestation of the desire it becomes physical form. You can know all things through faith. Enigma will limit your growth and ability to achieve abundance and prosperity if you believe it is not possible because you cannot solve the how dreams become reality.
–
Let’s talk about the how. Again, I will give the high level answer. My website is dedicated to providing the “how to” instruction. So, I encourage you to browse the site and take advantage of all the content. The first step to fulfillment in this life is to determine what you want. What do you want your experience to be. Be clear and define the meaning, what do these things mean to you. As you move towards your vision of what you want, you will have to expect resistance, this does not necessarily mean it is wrong for you. You will interpret the resistance as something going wrong, often times this means the “universe” (for lack of a better word) is working all the unseen elements to put together what it is you want. you must be careful not to give up because you think something is fighting you. The next important principle, is to control your focus. What you focus on you feel and feeling is an emotion or energy-in-motion. it is this energy, the energy of your thought, faith and desire that manifest the thing you want in physical form. you cannot afford to have conflicting emotions. because most your feelings come from the subconscious mind, you need to practice on a conscious level focusing on empowering thoughts until it becomes automatic in your subconscious. Furthermore, you really need to be mindful of the stories you tell about yourself. If you see your world in dark and dreary way and you speak as though you are a victim and nothing goes your way, that energy, which is a dark and destructive energy, we have already spoken about, will be counter to the energy you need to manifest your dream.
–
Alma 12
14 For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 121
45 …let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God;…
–
It all begins with our thoughts – our thoughts come from the questions we ask ourselves. We must practice questions that provide us with empowering answers. When we ask “why” questions, this will often lead to a negative answer. Example, why do these things always happen to me? Perhaps we can frame a question with; “what can I do to have a fulfilling day? What am I willing to do today to get me closer to my goals? Pay attention to your feelings and make the adjustments to instill an empowering emotion and you will see obstacles in a much different way than you previously have.
–
more to come…
last updated 02/14/2023
It is important to realize that our time on earth, however short or long, is an experience in creation. Creating experiences, obtaining knowledge, developing wisdom, and manifesting dreams into physical reality. For most people, this stage is the only phase that “is” – there is nothing before this moment and there is nothing after this moment. This life experience would be more fulfilling if it were understood by us mortals the meaning of the drive instilled within us to progress, grow and acquire possessions.
–
This earthly phase is a period within the larger process, Origin to Post Earth. Due to our mortal state, we lack a full understanding of why, when we pass on from this life, we are not permitted to take our possessions we’ve accumulated from this earth experience, but we do maintain our knowledge and our relationships including our family.
–
Doctrine & Covenants 130
2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 130
18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
–
The point is, and proof is, all the temporal possessions we accumulate in this life, no one that has passed on has ever taken with them past the veil of death. Those possessions may be passed on to family survivors and when they pass on, so too, are the possessions. understanding and accepting this truth ought to point our focus and efforts on what matters beyond this stage of our existence.
–
Matthew 6:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
–
Giving focus and effort to developing our character, personality and associations with our fellow brothers and sisters will serve us beyond this earth existence. This truth however, does not mean that possessing earthly wealth is a bad thing. In fact, whatever possessions we acquire in this phase, is an exercise in creation, which will be useful in the next phase. In other words, taking an idea and manifesting that idea into physical form will be advantageous to our eternal progression. The master creator shows us the way when he created humans and all things on this earth and then turned it over to us to have dominion and to multiply.
–
Genesis 1
27 God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
–
Doctrine & Covenants 9
13 Do this thing which I have commanded you, and you shall prosper. Be faithful, and yield to no temptation.
–
Matthew 6
32 …your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
–
Deuteronomy 8
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
–
It is our inheritance to progress and become prosperous. our work is to understand how that works in mortality and in the eternity following this material earth experience
–
Matthew 6
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
–
We are blessed or in other words, divinely and supremely favored; because we all have access to an ability to be prosperous and accomplish great things.
–
Moroni 7
33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 6
7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.
–
What we achieve in this earth life will be of benefit as we progress past this mortality, but our physical possessions we cannot take with us, however the knowledge, our character and wisdom we attain will carry on throughout eternity.
–
Ecclesiastes 9
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength:…
–
17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
–
Monetary wealth is not a sin, and how we attain the temporal riches can be achieved by either the righteous or unrighteous. However, what we do with the assets can either advance our spiritual development or cause our condemnation, particularly in the post earth phase of our progression.
–
Malachi 3
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
–
more to come…
last updated 02/14/2023
Our Earthly experience will end with death. As mortals, we do not understand this event, so we tend to handle it in an emotional sad manner. We say goodbye to our loved ones with an uncertainty if we will ever see them again. Even if we subscribe to the belief we will see them again in heaven, we cannot be sure that is a true fact. Maybe our decision to be sad may have something to do with our having to move on in this earth life without the mortal association of the ones we care about. Nonetheless, death raises many questions about our existence and what actually occurs when we move past earth and did we accomplish what we needed to during our time on earth or in other words, this probationary period..
–
Doctrine and Covenants 29
43 And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;
–
There is a plan, there has always been a plan. The plan was designed by our great creator. An omnipotent, omniscience, and all loving God. There is nothing evil about the plan
–
Alma 42
6 But behold, it was appointed unto man to die—therefore, as they were cut off from the tree of life they should be cut off from the face of the earth—and man became lost forever, yea, they became fallen man.
7 And now, ye see by this that our first parents were cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will.
8 Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness.
9 Therefore, as the soul could never die, and the fall had brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal, that is, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord, it was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual death.
10 Therefore, as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state.
11 And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord.
12 And now, there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state, which man had brought upon himself because of his own disobedience;
13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.
14 And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence.
15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.
16 Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the soul.
17 Now, how could a man repent except he should sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there was a punishment?
18 Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which brought remorse of conscience unto man.
19 Now, if there was no law given—if a man murdered he should die—would he be afraid he would die if he should murder?
20 And also, if there was no law given against sin men would not be afraid to sin.
21 And if there was no law given, if men sinned what could justice do, or mercy either, for they would have no claim upon the creature?
22 But 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 claw, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.
23 But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice.
24 For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.
25 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.
26 And thus God bringeth about his great and eternal purposes, which were prepared from the foundation of the world. And thus cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men, and also their destruction and misery.
27 Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds.
28 If he has desired to do evil, and has not repented in his days, behold, evil shall be done unto him, according to the restoration of God.
29 And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance.
–
So, there is indeed a plan for our existence. Perhaps it is somewhat difficult to understand or accept as truth, nevertheless, there is a plan to consider. For me, I accept the plan so far as I understand it. Among the most prevalent questions, we humans ask, ‘where do we go after this life” is among the most asked. There are a plethora of scripture references and ancient writings that all point towards are eternal existence.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 81
6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father.
–
Doctrine and Covenants 14
7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
–
We are to endure this mortal state and we will recognize our reward as we pass from being mortal to being immortal, but the exaltation process is not complete instantly at death.
–
2 Nephi 9
6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.
–
Alma 40
6 Now there must needs be a space betwixt the time of death and the time of the resurrection.
–
11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.
12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
–
more to come…