Stared them in the face

And it came to pass, because of the greatness of the number of the Lamanites the Nephites were in great fear, lest they should be overpowereed, and trodden down, and slain, and destroyed.
...and the judgments of God did stare them in the face.
For behold, they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was a great as their strength, even man for man. And thus had they fallen into this great transgression; yea, thus had they become weak, because of their transgression, in the space of not many years. (Helaman 4: 20, 23, 26)

A couple of subjects that occur to me here. One is the in-your-face statement is that the judgments of god stared them in the face. It seems to me that God's judgments are usually indirect, delayed, not obviously directly causal. For example, if I knew I would stub my toe if I got up after 7:30 am every morning, it would be easier for me to get up earlier than that. God doesn't work that way. The causal relationship can't be so direct, or there would be no room for faith.

Yet here we are with a group of people who have God's judgments staring them in their face. I guess this is probably obvious (the staring) to a man of God, who sees that this group of people are sewing unhappiness and getting it, then being unhappy about that. But maybe it's not so staringly obvious to the people who are causing themselves the problems.

But the book was written for us, now. God's judgments will also stare us in the face, the question is whether we allow ourselves to see the staring. I go to a friend of Julie's, a man who had greatness in his genes. Great parents, a kind and loving man, yet whenever I see him, he's drunk to the point of being barely able to walk or speak. This man's huge gifts are wasted - at least from my viewpoint - because he's always drunk. He will die, like others I've known, never knowing his gifts or finding his potential because he was drinking. Such a monumental potential, wasted. I know that's my opinion, and the facts may be somewhat different as viewed by the Lord, but all I can write about is what I see.

So here is his alcoholism staring him in the face. Does he recognize it? Maybe, maybe not. He would probably argue the merits of being able to drink. He might acknowledge that he shouldn't drink, but can't stop. Who knows? But in his case, the truth is certainly staring him in the face. To what degree he can acknowledge the staring, I don't know.

And people who chose "living for today", who find themselves living an empty life, same thing. I know certain people who do that, and charity to those people just goes toward further destroying their enabled lives. And across the nation, people wonder and are angry and hateful that some are "privileged" while they are not. I often think that it's more about not recognizing that your choices have created a lifestyle that you don't like. Then, rather than staring at our face in the mirror, we glare at others.

I didn't mean this to be about me being judgmental about others. I mean this to be my thoughts about me looking inward first when a part of my life isn't awesome. Maybe it's because the Lord is trying to stare me in the face to get my attention.

Then there's the thing about weakness. Guess that's something for another day.

Greatness isn't always recognized

3/30/17

... but great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether; but they esteemed him as naught and cast him out; and he hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people.

.... and in fine, there were none of the fair sons and daughters upon the face of the whole earth who repented of their sins, 

And it came to pass that Coriantumr repented not, ...and the wars ceased not; and they sought to kill Ether  (Ether 13: 13, 17, 22)

For at least 10 years of my life, I have been - and let's pick this word carefully. Is the word haunted? Searching? Nagged? Obsessed isn't the right word, but if you mix those four words together, it's in there somewhere. I'll make a new word up - NOSHed. It's an acronym of all the above.

So the nosh was unrelenting. Every day. Year in and out. And the subject? Greatness. What is greatness? What is it not? What is it to me? Is it the same for everyone? I learned that greatness is not about being very good at something, or even achieving a particular title. There are great basketball players who I wouldn't want in my home. Being a great drummer or sculptor doesn't mean that one is a great person (I met a great sculptor doing a home inspections that I can't spend 5 minutes with). Even being an accomplished politician is not greatness - I live in a day when politicians from both sides of the aisle are very disappointing as individuals, who once again, I wouldn't want in my home. 

So then my journey continued - what is greatness? If it's not a title or an accomplishment, what is it? One of my big steps forward is to understand that it's service. Greatness isn't your title - it's who you are; who you have served; how you have affected the lives of others for the better; how you have made substantive changes to the quality of the lives of others. 

You can do that as a politician, or as a sculptor or drummer, or as a rich person, but the greatness isn't the title, it's what you do with the resources and gifts available to you.

So that's a long background to what I saw in this scripture. But before I go there, one more story.

I met a man in Highland who I recognized to be a highly gifted man of God. He had a pipeline to God, and understood his laws. He had gained wisdom from years of dedicated service to God - not the bible thumping sort of data knowledge, but wisdom. When he spoke, he spoke with the power and authority of God, and he did so in a way that was so meek and humble that his power was often mistaken for mere sentences.

I yearned (that's a weird word, I know) to hear him speak. I had an opportunity to do so at a ward other than mine one day. I went to an extra church meeting just to hear him. He spoke as powerfully as always, and I tried to hear every word, hear the tone, the meaning, the meaning between the lines, and the power of the Holy Ghost that could carry the full meaning of his intent into the best storage spots of my brain. I wanted to keep everything he said where it would never be forgotten. That happens a lot with my brain - forgetting that is.

Then during that speech, for a moment, I looked around. Are others gathering the power of this delivery? Do they understand that this man speaks as if he were an angel of God? Were they getting this? Nope. I noticed someone randomly check the clock to see how much longer. Others were half in and half out. I thought what a tragedy this was: greatness right in front of you and you just can't see it. A treasure chest of gold being handed to you, but you can't take it because you're checking your phone.

One of my first guidances/revelations was that greatness is about service. Service is the key. That just confused me more. How can something so common be so supreme?

All of which takes me to this scripture. Here's Ether, a man that Moroni understands to be great. He called him great and marvelous. I don't know if Moroni's meaning of great is the same as mine, but I suspect it is.

Here is a great man. A marvelous man. Is he recognized by his peers? They certainly have access to him as much as they allow themselves to be accessible, they have his words, he's available to them. Yet they don't see the giant in the room - he annoys them and they want him out. Not just out of the room, but they want him dead. It takes another great man like Moroni to recognize Ether's greatness 1000 years later. How would Moroni respond to Ether when they met? Probably the same way I would when I meet Moroni, yet none of that affected how both Ether and Moroni were treated by others around them. They weren't great enough to recognize greatness. they were ungreat. Let's pick a word for that - self centered, self serving, evil maybe. They were offended by the truth to the point of silencing it by the sword. Many in my day are almost that offended by the truth as well.

So how do you know when you have achieved greatness? The crowds won't give you any inclination of it. The crowd doesn't see greatness. If the crowds think you're awesome, it might be time to worry actually. 

I should probably stop there - it's a good way to end - but one more point. Greatness isn't a destination; there is an infinite set of shades of greatness. This might be the problem with thinking we've made it by simply accepting Christ. That's a good thing, but it's one of the first steps of a ladder that goes eternally into heaven. To think we've achieved for climbing the first two or three steps - and staying there - has to be one of the greatest ideas Satan has ever had. 

May we put our lives and our souls in such a place that when greatness walks in the room, we respect. We revere. We reverence and admire, and replicate. And may we also compare ourselves to another yardstick - when greatness enters, may we never reject. 

Because they saw not

And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not. Ether 12:5

This scripture reminds me of one of the audio books I was reading. I was thinking about that earlier today before I read this passage. Basically that book referred to a big shot in a company somewhere who said that if something can't be measured, it doesn't exist.

It could be an easy argument for an engineer/math type to make. It might work in business because things that are measurable might be easier to improve - or at least to know when you're making progress. But it would also qualify as a bit arrogant - a quality not uncommon for people who have convinced themselves that they're awesome in business or other pursuits.

But that's a very small world - like looking at your environment through a straw. The tiny bit of the world you see may make sense to you, but there's so much more. Those with straws and their share of closedness to truth however, will insist that their world is the world. Regardless of the position of power they have to claim it, they will still be pitifully wrong.

Love is the first thing to come to mind. Is love real? For hopefully most of us, it is. Yet it cannot be measured. It can't even be seen as described above. Yet does one know when it's felt?

This scripture also connects with me in another way. I'm 56 at the moment, and still playing ultimate frisbee. I play with kids half or a third my age. And I'm a better overall player than most of them. Why? Because I have field vision and know how to pass. I have learned over decades who will make the right cut, what kinds of cuts they make, how fast they are, and how much I can rely on them. I've also learned to recognize the lazy player. These are guys who perhaps get behind their defender with a clear pass to the end zone. They give me that look: "pass to me!" I give them the look back, because the play is all set up - now all we need is the execution. They think "if only he'd throw it to me, this play will go for big yards" and I think "when is he going to move?" I recognize at a point that he wants me to throw it first, then he'll run. That play has a very poor probability of working. Instead, my receiver must run. This lets me know which way he is going, how fast he is running, and how committed he is. It also opens up a much bigger window of area I can successfully throw to - and the play does 1000 times better. I will sometimes tell them after the play "you look at me like - are you going to throw it? And the answer is yes - run!"

This applies to the scripture above. We have to run first. When the Lord sees our direction, our commitment, our effort, he knows when and how to deliver. If we're just standing there on the field of life waiting for the Lord to make it happen - well, that's just frustrating to everyone.

Cut off

And he did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself because of his many whoredome; werefore he was cut off from the presence of the Lord  - Ether 10:11

So I've see where there the phrase "cut off" has been used in the scriptures. In many cases it seems to have an ominous tone to it. It has always seemed to me that similar words to "cut off" might be words like ostracized, deposed or even eliminated. I think this phrase in this scripture better describes - at least to me - what the phrase "cut off" means to the Lord. Here is a man who is good by comparison - at least he is fair with his people - but he hasn't allowed himself to be square with the Lord.

So as a result of his whoredoms, he is "cut off" from the presence of the Lord. He has chosen the ho's over the Lord, and in so doing has cut off (he did it - not the Lord) what I will call the pipeline between him and his Savior. He is cut off, but he remains the king. He is a man who is described as doing justice, but he is still cut off as relates to his Savior.

We all do this; we all chose our own versions of whoredoms when the other choice is having a relationship with the Lord. I think if someone were asked if he wanted a relationship with his god, we'd all say yes, but do we want it more than whatever our whoredoms are? Whatever those are for each of us, based on our actions (not our words) we want those more than a relationship with our God.

Yet who can argue against a real relationship with God? Not that I am the person to describe what that is completely, as I have no idea myself. I do know that a person can be guided, can turn his life and family into an environment of love. Abundance in the material sense may or may not happen, but I suspect that if we ask for it and we don't require some form of poverty to keep us humble, why wouldn't the Lord provide us with everything that we need, and perhaps more? If the Lord knew that we would spend our time serving others and growing personally, why wouldn't he take the money issue off the table so we can focus on maximizing ourselves and our impact?

So the choice then, is our own ho's versus power, guidance from above, love, and abundance? I hate that last word by the way - it's used the wrong way in certain places. I don't think any of us perhaps see the big picture that way, and the day to day reality is that our own vices are here, now, today, while power and pipeline seem so distant.

Yet we understand that God is as close as we allow him to be. Words expressed or a momentary wish, or a claim to want His presence does not bring Him to us - he's smarter than that. He knows that his presence in our life subjects us to a higher set of laws. For example, if he were in my room tonight communicating directly with me, I suspect that he would expect me to never deny that moment, and always live the words that he spoke to me. I suspect that if the Lord knew that I might weaken and doubt that moment for whatever reason (it was a hallucination/I was dreaming/somebody spiked my food) then that moment would only condemn me. Knowing that, I think the Lord lovingly only gives us what he believes we can manage - he doesn't want to give us a gift that will only condemn us in the end.

God is the only judge, but he will judge us based on the justice we provide to others and to ourself. This king (Morianton) may get a pass for how he dealt with his people, and a fail for not doing justice with himself. I like those words: "he did do justice with the people, but not unto himself". He didn't do justice unto himself. Reminds me of a book Pele had me read- Leadership and Self Deception. When we break laws we know are true, we're not cheating the system, we're cheating ourselves - aka self deception. This was probably written by a psych who never heard of the LDS religion, but he was studied enough to have gained the gift of understanding in this area: it's self deception, and it hurts one's self.

So. Now we have a clearer choice. God and his gifts, or the land of self deception? The choice seems like it ought to be clear. Based on our actions though, it's not clear at all.

People who saw God

Reading Ether today - still looking for Moroni's testimony while I find so many other things.

"And Emer did execute judgment in righteousness all his days, and he begat many sons and daughters, and he begat Coriantum, and he anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead.
And after he had anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead he lived four years, and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace." Ether 9: 21-22

So it occurs to me that we often hear about the brother of Jared who saw God in the flesh, and Stephen from the bible when he saw the resurrected Christ, and there's a lot of discussion about that - most notably the brother of Jared - but here's a reference that I had never heard about. A brief mention about greatness that is like a country town - blink and you miss it.

The scriptures do that. They hide the most amazing stuff simply by mentioning it briefly, or a person speaking of it in third hand. I'm thinking about the reference where Jesus says something like "He that doeth the will of the father, in Him there is no sin", an oblique reference to me that he is testifying of himself as the Savior of the world.

So in the category of people I know of that saw God, we have Emer, the brother of Jared, Stephen, Moses and Joseph Smith. I suspect that every modern day prophet of God did as well, as they are "special witnesses" of God. Again, an oblique reference. Then we have Adam of course, and those who saw him after his resurrection - the 12 and the dude he talked to on the pathway to wherever that was. And Mary, after his resurrection.

Those are the people I can name from knowledge about who saw Christ in a condition other than his mortal life on earth. How many more are there? Maybe hundreds. Only Christ knows what that number is.

Clearly, Christ has allowed a number of us to see him. And we could spend time discussing what "see" might mean, but the point is that he allows that. Like all gifts, the gift of seeing Christ is surely available to all - we just have to take whatever steps are necessary so that Christ knows he can give us that gift. I think he must require some level of assurance that us having possession of that gift won't potentially hurt us later - due to lack of spiritual maintenance.

Once again, the parable of the talents, and to him who much is given, much is required. It beats being rebuked for burying your talents though.

3/28/17 More on this: And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and were glad.

Same date: And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man teleth another in mine own language, concerning these things Ether 12:39

As always, it seems that the Lord and his prophets have a way to gently touch a subject - touching it so soft that it's easy to gloss past it. I've read this verse I don't know how many times but I never connected that Moroni was like the Brother of Jared in this way. I think we focus on the brother of Jared to show that it's possible, but this is so possible that there are many.

For as horrible as Moroni's life was: bloodshed, seeing everyone around him die, everyone wanting to kill him, being a witness to genocide of his people, continuous loneliness over his adult life, yet he saw God, and wrote powerfully about faith, hope, charity, and so many subjects, but one subject that is close to me: gifts of the spirit.

And he knows that his written word is weak, but he also knows that the Lord will strengthen his words. For me, the Lord did that through translation, and also individually to each of us to the level we're ready to receive.

Being reviled and love

So I'm reading Ether today. This is a follow on to my originally searching for Moroni's testimony which I was looking for as part of my research for the testimony subject.

 And it came to pass that the people did revile against the prophets, and did mock them. And it came to pass that kind Shule did execute judgment against all those who did revile against the prophets. Ether 7:24

But the people believed not the words of the prophets, but they cast them out; and some of them they cast into pits and left them to perish. And it came to pass that they did all these things according to the commandments of the king, Heth. Ether 9:29.

This could start a discussion on leadership, as the first group prospered and the second got destroyed. It could also start a discussion on the mercy of God, to allow a group that has destroyed itself spiritually to destroy themselves physically so their sons and daughters to be don't have to be raised in spiritual emptiness.

It could start a discussion on how the people put in leaders that reflect the spiritual emptiness of the people.

But the reason I picked this one is the whole issue of being reviled. In all cases where there are prophets, they will be followed by some and not followed by most. Whether they are followed probably has more to do with the followers and their own preparation than with the prophet.

And the message? It is true, regardless of how it is received. It is likely to be more reviled if it's true than if it's a concocted mixture of truths and shades that's calculated to be more acceptable to the masses. Does that mean that a prophet should shade his message? Thinking it might save his life but not his soul - or the souls of the people he is called to lead. He would lead an empty life attempting to lead his people toward nothing. If it's not truth that he's leading them to, he's not a prophet - just a guy who calls himself something.

In a way, we all meet that description. While we are not necessarily prophets by calling, we all have a certain set of truths that we know. When given the opportunity to teach (when that opportunity is right) We could hide them or shade them - those are choices we have, but it probably doesn't follow God's plan for us.

So the scene I'm thinking of is a group where some don't believe, and stand ready to mock those that do. Maybe it's a beer thing. The goal now is to stand firm in what you know, but still do so lovingly. An argument means you lost. Losing your temper means you lost. The content of the truth must be delivered in the Lord's way - with love - and unshaded with falseness.

I'm thinking that a person can start down that road, and test the crowd to see if it can manage the truth. It is not loving to give a person a gift that you know he will not accept, because the act of not accepting the gift sends him backwards spiritually. That's what damning means - you're stopped.

So - I'm thinking what if the crowd perhaps has some who are not ready, and will be damned, while perhaps others are ready and may accept the seed you plant through the guidance of the Lord? It occurs to me that Abinadi did that. He testified long and boldly. It got him killed - flames - but it accomplished the Lord's work. Abinadi knew that and was prepared for it. I think he is very glad now with the results. His words damned Noah and 11 of the 12, but Alma was ready enough that he began the Lord's work and saved many souls.

So Abinadi was given the guidance to go ahead and say the required words, knowing the costs. The Lord knew the costs and benefits and provided the approval. It's not our thing to assess the costs and benefits - that's the Lord's job. He doesn't give us the calculus, just the guidance. Go or no go. We can leave the decision making to him and just feel from him whether and how far to take the discussion. When the guidance tells us to go, we go. When it says stop, we're done.

It occurs to me that a person who is reviling what he thinks is you, is really just describing himself. His own hates, his own lack of understanding. He may be trying to direct blackness at you, but in reality there's a mirror there - he's showing you who he is inside. You don't have to take that personally at all - just see the blackness and try to help him through it and past it.

So a discussion on being reviled really comes down to practicing our ability to communicate with love, and with a mind that's open to being guided as to what the audience is ready for.

True Religion

Feeding His lambs

Back story

·       Homeless lady story: I was in West Valley and a homeless lady was sitting to the side of a gas station. Not asking for anything, no sign. Just sitting there. She had a dog that was drooling (hot day) and sleeping next to her. They had obviously been there for a long time. I didn't know what to do - she wasn't asking for money. Should I give her money? Should I say something uplifting? Acknowledge her as a daughter of God? The church and governmental organizations all ask us to give to organizations, not people, but she wasn't asking. Did that change the rules? What would Christ do for this lady?

August Ensign, Deiter Uchtdorf, “After love, then what?”
                            Elder Don Clarke “Practice Pure Religion”

Love is everything

Thomas S Monson  - Love is the very essence of the gospel          

Jesus called love “the first and great commandment” and said that every other particle of the law and words of the prophets hang on it

Love is the central motive for all we do in the Church. Every program, every meeting, every action we are part of as disciples of Jesus Christ should spring from this attribute—for without charity, “the pure love of Christ,” we are nothing.

Feeding the Lord’s lambs – and his sheep

The victim

·       John 21: 15-17

·       Feed my lambs

·       Feed my sheep

 What was Jesus trying to portray?

·       What is the difference between lambs and sheep

·       Sheep and sheep

·       Impact of three questions

·       What did he mean when he said feed? (mentor, spiritual, physical, more)

·       Why did Christ ask that question? 

We feed our souls when we feed His sheep, it’s about love

·       Judgment - eternal life eternal punishment

·       Mere declaration of love for God will not qualify us for exaltation

·       Those who demonstrated their love through action were saved

·       We feed others and ourselves through our own actions

True religion Howard hunter October 1978 I pray we may serve our fellowmen and remain unspotted from worldly influences, so that we may be worthy to be considered truly religious and receive the approbation of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1: 27

The rest of the Lord

What is the rest of the Lord?      Moroni 7

Gained by learning to have sufficient hope in this life. Knowing that we have hope in Christ gives us a confidence or a rest as we move through our life

·       In this life

·       In eternity

Is the rest of the Lord also known as peace?

Is the Prince of Peace the source of the Lord’s rest? 

This must be one of the Lord’s greatest gifts?

Times when the rest of the Lord is pretty awesome

·       When you lose a child

·       When a death is nearby

·       Losing a job

·       Money issues

·       Day to day stresses

Testimony

The power of testimony

What: A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost

Foundation of a testimony (note the order)

·       Heavenly Father lives

·       Loves his children

·       Jesus Christ Lives

·       He is the Son of God and carried out the infinite atonement

·       Joseph Smith is the prophet who was called to restore the gospel

·       The church is the Savior’s true church on the earth

·       It is led by a living prophet

Why: Happiness in this life and in eternity depends largely on being “valiant in the testimony of Jesus”

How: Development of a Testimony

·       Begin: Quest for a testimony begins with a righteous, sincere desire (Alma 32:27)

·       Delivery: It comes through the quiet influence of the Holy Ghost. It is a gift of the Spirit. It comes as a quiet assurance without spectacular displays of God’s power.

·       Growth: No one receives a complete testimony all at once. Must show willingness to serve, to study, pray and learn. Me - God’s mercy will not allow us to be given a gift we cannot handle – it would set us back. Line upon line. To gain more testimony, serve more

·       Growth: Testimonies are developed when they are shared          

o   Fast and testimony meetings

o   Church classes

o   Conversations with family and friends

Alma’s testimony

Moroni’s testimony
And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall kow that my garments are not spotted with your blood. 
And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things; 
And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father,; and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen. Ether 12:38, 39, 41 March 28 2017. I found this finally!


Christ

Joseph Smith’s testimony

·       And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! “For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father”

Gordon B Hinckley’s testimony

Alma (this is not the Alma testimony I’m looking for) 7  16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.

General Conference Oct 2004 M Russell Ballard

This experience impressed upon me how deeply grateful we must all be to know that after ages of darkness and apostasy, Joseph Smith beheld a remarkable vision of the Father and the Son in the Sacred Grove. Clearly, in our world today it is a rare and precious thing to have a testimony that God our Heavenly Father lives; that His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer; and that priesthood authority to administer the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored once again upon the earth. The profound blessing of having a testimony of these truths cannot be measured or ever taken for granted.

According to Alma the Younger, “it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves … the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28)

To have a real and abiding testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be “spiritually … born of God,” to “[receive] his image in your countenances,” and to experience a “mighty change in your hearts” (Alma 5:14).

the Spirit cannot be restrained when pure testimony of Christ is borne.

Joseph Smith’s testimony:

 22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

 23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

 24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.

The testimony of Enos
This is a powerful one. It might have been the one I was looking for when I began this over a month ago. Enos 1:27 And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest; And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and I shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.

How would it be if we look forward to standing before our God? Many of us are afraid to see his face, but not so with Enos. The reasons for this may be many - I suspect that when we actually do cross the veil, we'll all (or at least most of us) will very much look forward to being with God - even if that means it's judgment day for us. We know there will be Love. But we may not know that now. The sin is never loved, but the sinner is. And in Enos case? He doesn't have to wait to cross before understanding to some level what his God's love is for him.

Now this is not to say that we're all going to be placed in happy land regardless of what we do, but as in other places where I've written, we get placed where we're comfortable, with people that we're comfortable with. I think it's like this: if you're not comfortable hanging out with a prophet 24/7, the Lord wouldn't do that to you. We choose our level of glory - at least to some extent - based on what level of life we build. That's what I believe. I certainly make no claim to understanding it fully. 

Nephi's Testimony (2 Nephi 33)

10 And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. 11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye- for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness...14 And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day.

In this chapter Nephi laments about his inability to write powerfully. He knows that he can speak powerfully and with the gift of the power of God, but in the written form he says he can't get it there. This means a number of things to me - first is a confirmation that there are different gifts - everybody gets a different mix of them. Secondly I suspect that to some extent he's being humble. This passage is about as powerful as anything I see in the scriptures anywhere. It's one of the testimonies that got me going down this road of hunting for great men in the scriptures' testimonies. It's one of the most meaningful paragraphs ever written.

I originally found this while on my mission - I had read the book of Mormon earlier than that, but at that time I was only reading it. I was doing perhaps as well as a teenager could be expected to do - I read it. But on a mission, now greater meaning pops out, and this passage has great spiritual power to it. Combine this with the other passages listed above, and we have pure testimony of God. There's always room for discussion, but I believe that these passages are to me the most powerful in the scriptures, and in all of literature.

Shakespeare wrote well, but his works didn't guide people to God like Nephi does. Or Moroni. Or Alma. Words written for entertainment will never be in the same league as words written to create greater children of God.

The thought occurs to me that Paul and others in the new testament may have been as great. Certainly Isaiah and Melchezideck were. And Adam? He may have been supreme above the rest of the list, but we don't know as much about him. Why (at least in my estimation) were their words not as powerful? I suspect that the primary reason is that the greatness of their words was lost in multiple translations by well meaning but uninspired people.