Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Diagram of the Doctrine of Christ

26 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by in Heritage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

This drawing is a very basic illustration of the doctrine of Christ or as prophets who wrote their records as found in the Book of Mormon referred to as the plan of salvation and also the plan of happiness. Although it is unlike the traditional illustrations familiar to most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is consistent with the teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ to the people at Bountiful and also with Nephi, Jarom, Alma, and other prophets of the Book of Mormon. I have been wanting to draw this for about a year now after many of the scriptures I cited kept floating around in my head. Lehi’s dream of the straight and narrow path that leads to the tree of life set the stage and provided the foundation upon which prophets consistently built until the last prophet, Moroni was taken and the Nephites had been swept off the face of the land, having dwindled in unbelief. I hope my writing is legible to the reader. It is also my hope that the humble seeker of Jesus Christ takes the time to prayerfully look up the supporting scriptures I included in the diagram. There are many more scriptures in the Bible and the standard canon of the church that support this, but I did not want to clutter up the drawing. What I have included more than suffices. Incidentally, the term “strait gate” is deliberate and was used by authors such as Matthew and Nephi to indicate the strait and also the straight and narrowness of the way to eternal life, which is not to be confused with the broad gate, which leads to destruction.

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

2 Nephi 9:41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

Plan Of Salvation

The Economics of Gifting

29 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by in Heritage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

As one who speaks three languages, I find it interesting that the word gift is almost never used as a verb, though gift giving isn’t uncommon among friends. It is less common among acquaintances and even less so with strangers. I have heard it more commonly used in Spanish (regalar) and also in German (schenken) in daily use. But gift giving is detrimental to economics. How can you get people to pay you for what others give away for free? This also applies to religion and it’s why the Pharisees hated Jesus; He was bad for their business. Why pay ministers when the Son of God offers salvation for free? He gave the earth to Adam and Eve to cultivate freely without price.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

But fallen man exacts a price and he over exacts much. Modern economics deals with the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth, or in other words, money. You can buy anything in this world with money. But you must first get gain. This cannot happen except by extortion. Man robs God, takes ownership of the earth, then with his ill gotten gain, he does not transfer it unless he profits thereby. God has forbidden this or as we read in Matthew 6:24, you cannot serve God and Mammon (Hebrew Mamonut=finance, Mamonai=financier, Mamoni=monetary, etc.). This is the way of the world, or in other words, Babylon. It is the continual exchange of substance. But God has something else in mind:

D&C 59:18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.

It is by such extortion that  makes thieves of beggars like Jean Valjean and harlots like Fantine who after selling her hair and her two front teeth in order to provide for her child, resorts in desperation to surrender her virtue by prostituting herself so that she might survive.

A young man who wanted to follow Jesus, having kept all the statutes from his youth up lacked just one thing to become the Lord’s disciple. He needed only sell all his possessions in order to give of all his worldly wealth thereof to the poor. But the young man coveted his own substance and abandoned the Lord because his heart was set upon his worldly treasures. Such can never hope to become pure in heart for it is the pure in heart that constitute Zion. The pure in heart are pure, that is, unmixed, unadulterated, unalloyed by any other substance or material.

D&C 101:18 They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion.

And who are the pure in heart that constitute Zion?

Moses 7:18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

“There was no poor among them.”

Isaiah 14:32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

And why does nobody suffer poverty in Zion? Because they are one. One heart and one mind. They are righteous, or in other words just. There is no injustice and there is no injustice because there is no excess and no extortion. Like the saints in the first  few chapters of Acts, they have all things “common” among them. All of it is God’s who multiplies and gives freely.

Acts 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common…

Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

They embodied the two great commandments for they loved God and also one another as themselves. The same discipleship was found in the Book of Mormon after Jesus Christ’s visitation:

4 Nephi 1:3 And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.

Gift giving is kind. It is brotherly and selfless. It is faithful. Gift giving is Godly. Of such is the true disciple of Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

 

Good Friday, Good Father.

18 Thursday Apr 2019

Posted by in Heritage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

I’ve spent the last year rehabilitating my Father-in-law’s garden, pulling up a jungle of weeds, tilling the soil, making countless trips to collect truck loads of shredded wood chips offered freely in my community, mixing the chips with many bags full of lawnmower clippings, and creating compost over the summer and winter. And now that it has finally quit snowing (crosses fingers) and after many rainstorms, the sun has begun to finally shine for a while. I turned over one of the piles of compost that had been decomposing over the winter and with all the recent rainstorms, percolating all that natural goodness to the bottom, I discovered earthworms as fat as my thumb and at least twice as long doing their thing, making rich brown gold to spread all over the garden. I am eager to see how big our vegetables get this year! As I mowed the lawn today, to begin making new batches of compost, I thought about all those earthworms and how beneficial they are to soil. It’s an odd thing to think about how much life is created from death with last years lawn clippings, dead leaves, and dead tree trimmings that have been processed, etc. When you mix it all in just the right proportions, you get worms, flowering plants, bees, butterflies, vegetables, and so on.

And now Good Friday is upon us. This Friday, those who believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him, commemorate the day that His death brought about life. His death makes all things new (Revelation 21:4-5). The process of destroying and breaking down trees, grass, leaves, and other living things to create an environment where life can begin anew and thrive, although violent, is a beautiful thing to consider when you think about the new birds singing, bees buzzing, pollinating new vegetable plants, and flowers blooming. Jesus Christ suffered violently as He was broken down by Roman soldiers and unjustly condemned to die brutally on the cross. He did not deserve to die, yet He, an innocent man, paid a price that was not His to pay. Since the sixteenth century, Lady Justice has been depicted wearing a blindfold suggesting that justice should be applied regardless of one’s wealth, status, or power. This image suggests impartiality. But this only works properly in a moral society. In the case of our sinless Lord, justice had been robbed. Jesus Christ came into the world knowing it would be so.

Alma 34:9 For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.
11 Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.
12 But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.
13 Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) but because Jesus was sinless, and being God, having eternal life, what was unjustly taken from Him was His life, which is eternal and infinite, having no end. And while God’s own justice must reject evil, which has no place in His kingdom, His own sacrifice makes possible His right of mercy. Justice can demand of us death, and rightly so, for the wages of sin is death. But Jesus Christ who is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) and our intercessor (Hebrews  7:25) with the Father can, in effect, hold back Justice and say, “my life was taken unjustly, which is endless and infinite. Therefore, in restoring to myself what is infinite, I can claim ALL life.” Justice is necessarily satisfied. And because He suffered all things in the flesh, including temptations, and all manner of afflictions (Hebrews 2:18, Alma 7:11-12), He is able to succor His people according to their infirmities.

This is how Jesus Christ has created the environment where life can begin anew and thrive just like the bees and butterflies and flowers in our gardens. Our lives begin anew as His children, for He is the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6).

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…

Those who believe in Jesus and believe Jesus will keep His sayings and do His will (John 7:17). This is how we come to know Him–by doing His will. Those who do His will are those who love Him. Personally speaking, I love Him because He first loved me.

Ether 3:14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.

Mosiah 15:1 And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.
2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—
3 The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—
4 And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.
5 And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.

It was necessary for Him to take upon Himself flesh, a son of man (Mark 10:45) with the capacity to die. And it was necessary for Him to die unjustly so that He could reclaim His life and all who believe in Him, repenting continually, drawing near to Him, becoming His children through His grace and mercy. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! Worthy is the King who conquered the grave! He is worthy of our love! He is worthy of our discipleship! For while we were yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8). This is amazing grace!

Lamb

Believe Jesus.

06 Wednesday Mar 2019

Posted by in Heritage

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

,

My writings have been a labor of love. Because this blog has been receiving visitors from all around the globe on a daily basis, I have decided to upgrade it to remove all advertisements so that everyone may read without the distraction of all the banner ads. As a side note, the primary purpose of this blog is to persuade all visitors to believe in Jesus Christ, but not only to believe in Him, but also to believe Him. Believe His words as found in the scriptures. And if you do believe, please go and do the things that He has said to do. May your faith be demonstrated by good works, not in order to be saved though, for it is only by the grace of Jesus Christ that one may be saved, but that your good works bear witness to Him that you believe the words He has taught. Find His words in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 where He explicitly teaches us how to live and Matthew chapter 25 where those who keep His sayings find themselves at the last day.

And to the Lamanites of these last days, I reiterate what the prophet Mormon wrote specifically for you:

Mormon 7:1 And now, behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared, if it so be that God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel; and these are the words which I speak:
2 Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.
3 Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.
4 Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.
5 Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up…
10 And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.

Believe. Be baptized with water and with fire. Demonstrate your belief by your good works.

John 3:5 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.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

What Seek Ye?

04 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by in Heritage

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

This is the first question on page 2 of a New Testament study guide that I’ve been looking at. As I have thought about this question, I find myself rewording it to “whom seek ye?” The answer that comes to mind is in the form of a series of passages that I have found and have been bookmarking:

Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
31 (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Proverbs 2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

D&C 130:3 (John 14:23)—The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.

Ether 4:7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.
8 And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh.
9 And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire.
10 And he that believeth not my words believeth not my disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye; for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day.
11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall knowand bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.
12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.

2 Nephi 32:4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.
5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.

D&C 93:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

Second Lecture of the Lectures on Faith, Question 146: How do men obtain a
knowledge of the glory of God, his perfections and attributes?
Answer: By devoting themselves to his service, through prayer and supplication
incessantly, strengthening their faith in him, until like Enoch, the brother of
Jared, and Moses, they obtain a manifestation of God to themselves. (See
2:55)
Lecture 2:55 Let us here observe, that after any portion of the human family are
made acquainted with the important fact that there is a God who has created and
does uphold all things, the extent of their knowledge, respecting his character
and glory, will depend upon their diligence and faithfulness in seeking after him,
until like Enoch the brother of Jared, and Moses, they shall obtain faith in God,
and power with him to behold him face to face.

jesus

Image credit and copyright owner: Akiane Kramarik