Abraham: The Binding.

It has been a good while since I blogged about our Old Testament lessons at Institute.
A good while ... with three weeks left in the second (last) semester.

I don't know if this is interesting or helpful for anyone out there is the big wide world, but I really should finish what I started.  Yeah!


I have some great news - I found the video I wanted to post back here.
I still remember the time I showed this video to my class, and how it really impacted on the students.  The spirit was strong that night.



I'll get you started by thinking about the following:

Upon what do blessing from God depend?

There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated --
And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.  [1]

What is the relationship between obedience and faith?

"The fact that certain laws must be observed and ordinances complied with is not the ruling of the Latter-day Saints, but the divine mandate of the Author of our salvation, who has said he will judge all men according to their works and opportunities.  We are merely complying with the teachings of the Master which we have received and which are requisite to salvation.

"If belief alone were sufficient, then even the devils, who fear and tremble, would be saved.  They recognised the Saviour and declared on several occasions that he was the Son of God."  [2]

[1]  Doctrine & Covenants 130:20-21
[2]  Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p.204-5

Adam and Eve .. still in the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Even truly had agency in the Garden of Eden.

We looked at the principles of agency, making choices freely, but what about the other part of agency - accountability?
Were Adam and Eve really held accountable for their choices?

Of course they were!  I just told you that if agency exists, so does accountability.
Now see here:  (Lion King, anyone?)

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.   (Genesis 3:7-13; or see Moses 4:13-19)

Do you see all the questions the Lord asked them?  Where were you?  What did you do? 
The Lord already knew the answers, obviously.  But He still asked the questions, and gave Adam and Eve the opportunity to explain themselves.  (um, good parenting tip to follow?)

Now some people feel that God gave Adam two commandments that were in conflict with each other, and that that was an injustice.

Fair enough.  It certainly looks that way.

"If all decisions had but two alternatives, one clearly marked 'right' and the other clearly marked 'wrong', our personal development in spiritual muscle-building would not be nearly so strengthening.  Quite conceivably, the Lord recognised that man would gain much more learning and experience through dealing with conflict than with simple, clear-cut alternatives, and he therefore provided for this in our mortal period of life.  If it is not so, why did he place a set of principles in conflict before Adam and Eve in the very beginning?"  [5]

Well, say hello to Quinn McKay.  He offers three different ways to handle such situations created by principles in conflict.  His first is relevant here:

"Choose to obey the higher law when two principles are in conflict.  This is exactly what Adam and Eve did when they elected to eat of the fruit, what Nephi did when he slew Laban, and what the Saviour did when he forgave the adulteress.  And one of the important keys to obeying the higher law is to approach the decision with prayer."  [6]

So if alternatives seem to be in conflict, and an individual chooses to obey the higher law, or the most important principle, he does not sin.

Good to know.

It really becomes a matter of priorities - select the alternative that, in our judgment, is most consistent with gospel principles.

Elder Marion D. Hanks said "Never let things which matter most be at the mercy of things which matter least."

Maybe you should read that again.  Coz that is gold.


According to one of the many books I read, some people have wondered, since the Fall is so necessary for eternal progression, why God didn't just place Adam and Eve in a fallen condition to begin with.  I confess, that's never crossed my mind.  Has it yours?

If so, think on this:  If Heavenly Father caused men to become mortal then, He would ultimately be responsible for all the pain, sin, and sorrow that would come to man. 

Adam needed to have the freedom to choose to eat the fruit and fall.


How's this for a change in subject ...  enter the adversary, Satan.
Satan seeks to thwart (what a great word) the Lord's plan - we briefly looked at that the other week as a key truth found in chapter 1 of Moses.  But it is important to know that Satan live, and that he seeks to destroy the work of God.

Elder Marion G. Romney stated:  "We Latter-day Saints need not be, and we must not be, deceived by the sophistries of men concerning the reality of Satan.  There is a personal devil, and we had better believe it.  He and a countless host of followers, seen and unseen, are exercising a controlling influence upon men and their affairs in our world today."  [7]

The methods he used on Eve are the same methods he uses on people today.
Let's compare:

Can you think of specific examples of these methods today?

The reason I briefly look at this, is because knowing how Satan works helps us avoid being deceived by him.

As a side note, even though Eve was deceived, she still brought about the purposes of God.  And even though Satan thought he was impeding or preventing God's plan, he in fact helped it along because he didn't understand God's plan.  Not very bright.

Look at Genesis 3:15.  What does "the seed of the woman" refer to?
The seed of the woman actually refers to Jesus Christ.

"The promise concerning the bruising of the heel and head means that while Satan (as the serpent) will bruise the heel of the Saviour by leading men to crucify Him and seemingly destroy Him, in actuality that very act of the Atonement will give Christ the power to overcome the power that Satan has over men and undo the effects of the Fall.  Thus, the seed of the woman (Christ) shall crush the head of the serpent (Satan and his kingdom) with the very heel that was bruised (the atoning sacrifice)."  [8]


Note in Genesis 3:16 - 'sorrow' should read distress; 'rule' should read preside.


Adam and Eve then had the gospel of Jesus Christ explained to them.  The Lord explained to them that redemption should come through Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father.  Read their reaction to this teaching in Moses 5:10-11.

Of course Heavenly Father's plan also includes the means by which He can redeem all of His children from this fallen state, but they must again exercise their agency and choose to accept the plan.

We see that in Genesis 3:14-15.
Physical death and Spiritual death came into the world because of the fall of Adam.

What is the difference between physical and spiritual death?
Physical death is the actual separation of the spirit and the body.  Dead.
Spiritual death is the actual seperation from God's presence.  We hang out, no more.

And the Saviour overcame physical death, and made it possible for us all to overcome spiritual death.

Yup.

WOO!!  That's pretty much what Adam and Eve said, when they were taught about the Saviour's mission and atonement.


And ... then they were cast out of the garden.  Bye bye paradise.  Hello weeds.

[source]

[5] Quinn G. McKay, "Principles in Conflict", Ensign, Jan. 1971
[6] ibid
[7] Marion G. Romney, in Conference Report, Apr. 1971, p.25
[8] Old Testament student manual, 3-8

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I had hoped that my Institute class had read the readings I set in the book of Genesis. 

They had not.
(I shall chastise them with love, as the scriptures telleth us)

Which meant we needed to spend time looking at the events in Genesis, and then at the same events as recorded in the book of Moses.  Moses holds the doctrine lost from Genesis.


We left off around Genesis 2, when Adam and Eve had just been physically created, and were placed in the Garden of Eden.  Do you remember?

Before moving on, I want to recap a few points about the physical creation of man.
(Someone in my class asked about Eve being created out of the rib of Adam ...)

[source]

Have a look at Genesis 2:18.  As indicated by footnote 18b, the Hebrew term for the phrase "help meet for him" literally means 'a helper suited to, worthy of, or corresponding to him'.  The King James translators at the time rendered the phrase 'help meet' because the word meet in sixteenth century English meant 'fitting' or 'proper'.

But language changed.  And other silly translators came along.  In the seventeenth century, the two words help and meet were mistaken for one word.  So 'helpmeet' came to me 'a wife'.  THEN, in the eighteenth century, in a misguided attempt to make sense of this scripture, the spelling 'helpmate' came about.  The original meaning of the phrase had been obscured.

Why do I tell you this?  I want to understand the relationship God intended for Adam and Eve better. 

President Spencer W. Kimball taught that the term man in the story of the creation refers to "a complete man, which is husband and wife".  [1]  I should hope so!  He also taught that the detailed description of the creation of Adam and Eve describes their relationship (i.e. help meet) as "corresponding to each other", and prescribes the ideal of unity between a man and a woman.  The significance of the phrase "help meet" is that the woman is a creation who is a fitting and proper companion for Adam, because she is like him and corresponds to him.

I like that.

That concept is further solidified by the description of the creation of woman as being formed from the rib of Adam - a rib being a metaphor for a person corresponding to Adam.  It is to be taken figuratively.  [2]

"I presume another bone could have been used, but the rib, coming as it does from the side, seems to denote partnership.  The rib signifies neither domination nor subservience, but a lateral relationship as partners, to work and to live, side by side."  [3]

This proper role of the man and woman is clarified in the scriptural injunction that they should leave their parents and cleave unto each other, and become one flesh.

Yup.

Talking about flesh, read Genesis 2:7.  Note the word 'flesh'.  It means mortality.

Last week, we discussed the spirit creation of man - that all things were created spiritually long before they were created physically.  Which means they could not die.

When Adam and Eve 'fell', a change took place (it's described here in Moses chapter 4), and all things became natural, meaning they were now subject to death.  So Adam and Eve had natural physical bodies (go and read 2 Nephi 2:22).  If I were you, I'd mark the difference between spiritual and natural in your scriptures.  Or at least note their meanings.
(None in my class marked them ... do people still mark their scriptures these days?)

Here is a diagram of the difference stages in Adam's existence (as described in Genesis 2 and Moses 3):

(source: Old Testament Seminary Student Manual)

Hello.

Now let us look at how that Fall happened.
Remember, the world only has the Genesis account, which doesn't discuss any doctrine at all.
Also remember, the overall purpose of the events in Genesis 3 is this, as taught by Lehi:

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."  (2 Nephi 2:25, bold obviously added)

Before reading about the fall, consider these basic principles:

1. When Adam and Eve were placed in garden, they were not subject to the power of death.  They could have lived there forever, in a state of innocence, forever.  And if that happened, the earth would have remained in that same state forever too.  And everything on the earth.  In a type of limbo, if you like.
2. In that situation, there would have been no children.  No making babies.  No experiencing joy, sadness, labour pains, tough decisions, none of that stuff.  Hence the limbo.
3. By eating the forbidden fruit (and violating the law under which Adam was placed), their nature was changed.  It all changed.  Man became subject to (1) spiritual death, which is banishment from the presence of God; and (2) temporal death, which is separation of spirit and body.
4. So .. this transgression brought about mortality, and the children of Adam and Eve inherited mortal bodies and became subject to the mortal death.
5. And .. obviously the state of the earth and everything on it changed to suit the mortal condition of man.  Everything became subject to mortality, even the earth.
6. The is the best bit : to defeat the power which death had gained, it became necessary that an infinite atonement be offered to pay the debt.  It was necessary; it would restore Adam and Eve and all their posterity - in fact all things - to immortal life through the resurrection.

With these principles in mind, we now need to read Genesis 3:1-6 (and/or Moses 4:5-12):

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

So "... the forbidden fruit had the power to create blood and change his nature, and mortality took the place of immortality."  [4]  Woah.

Here's an interesting side note for ya:  Who did Satan tempt?
According to Genesis and Moses, he only approached Eve.  But he actually approached Satan first.  There are other scriptures that confirm this, as well as latter-day revelation.  Have a look, you'll find it's in there ...


Now let's talk about the agency that the Lord gave Adam and Eve.
Agency is the ability to make choices and be accountable for them.  It's absolutely necessary for everyone who desires to become like God.  Which means Adam and Eve needed to exercise their agency and partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, so they could progress to become like Heavenly Father.

PLUS, eating that fruit made it possible for the rest of Heavenly Father's children to come to earth and exercise their own agency.  Yay for fruit!

For agency to exist, four principles must be in operation:

1. You must have a choice.
2. You must know the alternatives.
3. You must have an indication of divine will.
4. You must have absolute freedom to choose.

Yup.

So were all four principles operating for Adam and Eve?

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.  (Moses 3:17)

What do you think?



[1] Ensign, Mar. 1976, p.71
[2] Spencer W. Kimball, ibid
[3] Russell M. Nelson, "Lessons from Eve", Ensign, Nov. 1987
[4] Doctrines of Salvation, 1:76-77

Remember, Remember

What is the most important word?


Remember, remember,

the fifth of November

the gun powder, treason and plot.

I know of no reason

why the gunpowder treason

should ever be forgot.

The Fifth of November was a few days ago.  I'm a bit late.

Boo woo.  But I'm such a fan of the movie!  And the poem.  Do you know about Guy Fawkes?

And, today being the Eleventh of the Eleventh month, we Australians remember our brave and fallen.  I see people wearing their poppy flower.  There are wreaths on memorials.  A minutes silence.

Actually, the word 'remember' is a favourite of mine too. 
And it is used often throughout the scriptures.  Have you noticed that?

And now, O man, remember, and perish not.  (Mosiah 4:30)

It's actually used 352 times in the scriptures, or more than 550 times including all its variants.

President Spencer W. Kimball once said that 'remember' could be the most important word in the dictionary.  "Because all of [us] have made covenants ... our greatest need is to remember.  That is why everyone goes to sacrament meeting every Sabbath day - to take the sacrament and listen to the priests pray that [we] 'may always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us].' ... 'Remember' is the word."

If you remember ... you won’t forget to pray. You won’t forget to serve or love. You will remember to read the scriptures. You will not forget your family and friends. You will remember to obey the prophet. You’ll keep in your heart the knowledge that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for us, and you will love him as he loves you. You will remember why you came to this earth. And you will remember you are sons and daughters of God. You can return home to him if you remember to keep his commandments and live your lives the way he has asked.  (source)

What about you?  What things are in your rememberance?

Do you see evidence of God in today?
Trying to remember will allowed God to show you what He has done for you.
Find ways to recognize and remember God's kindness.

The Book of Mormon will answer your questions - part 4.

Most of us have some hard questions in the back of our minds – the kind no one else can really answer for us.  Some are far-reaching questions about the nature of our existence …  

Do you believe we are accountable for our choices or actions, and to what extent?

I posted this question on Facebook.  My Dad messaged me his answer: “Yes.  Lots.”

Accountability – being held responsible for your actions – is an eternal principle.  That is, it’s been around since the beginning.

Take Adam, for example.  He did a few booboos in the Garden of Eden, like eating some forbidden fruit.  He then hid from God.  Now God, of course, knew the fruit had been eaten and by whom.  God also knew which bush Adam was hiding behind.  But God still had to ask: Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9); Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? (Genesis 3:11) God then asked Eve: What is this that thou hast done?

God made Adam and Eve accountable for their actions; they were given opportunity to explain themselves.

And so it will be with us.

The Book of Mormon does teach us that every can be saved.  It also confirms what the Bible teaches us - that Jesus Christ is our Saviour, and that Jesus Christ “will never cease his work until all [mankind] are brought up to the enjoyment of a kingdom in the mansions of his Father…” [1]

And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. (2 Nephi 9:21)

The Book of Mormon then goes on to remind us that Christ commanded all men to repent, be baptised in His name, and exercise faith in Him.   You cannot claim Jesus as your Saviour, and then not act on His teachings.
And if they will not repent and believe on his name, and be baptised in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it. Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon then, because of the atonement … (2 Nephi 9:23-25)

This is brilliant stuff.  The Book of Mormon is teaching us in depth about our accountability – and that we will be held accountable, so far as we know.  “To him who has never been made acquainted with a higher law, the requirements of that law do not apply in their fullness. For sin committed without knowledge – that is, for laws violated in ignorance – a propitiation has been provided in the atonement wrought through the sacrifice of the Saviour; and sinners of this class do not stand condemned, but shall be given opportunity yet to learn and to accept or reject the principles of the Gospel.” [2]

Everyone has the freedom to make their own choices.  We can live and worship “how, where or what we may” (see our eleventh Article of Faith).  We can listen to the words of Christ and not accept them.  We can try our upmost and have faith that Christ will help us, after all we can do.

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, accordingly to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.  (2 Nephi 2:27)

We are free to choose.  And we are accountable for our choices.

The Book of Mormon teaches us the key:

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.

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.
(Helaman 14:30-31)





If you wish to order a free copy, let me know or click here.
Feel free to read or listen to it here.


[1] Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 56
[2] James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, 12th ed. [1924], 58

The Book of Mormon will answer your questions – part 2.

Most of us have some hard questions in the back of our minds – the kind no one else can really answer for us. Some are far-reaching questions about the nature of our existence …


What is my purpose? Why do you believe we exist?

The Book of Mormon teaches us: Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Read all about it here.

“Adam fell” is referring to the expulsion from the Garden of Eden.  When he and Eve ate the fruit, it was an act of disobedience and they were cast out of God’s presence.  But it was a necessary act – for they were then able to have children.

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained why the Fall was necessary:

“The Creation culminated with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were created in the image of God, with bodies of flesh and bone. Created in the image of God and not yet mortal, they could not grow old and die. ‘And they would have had no children’ [2 Nephi 2:23] nor experienced the trials of life. . . . The creation of Adam and Eve was a paradisiacal creation, one that required a significant change before they could fulfill the commandment to have children and thus provide earthly bodies for premortal spirit sons and daughters of God.

“. . . The Fall of Adam (and Eve) constituted the mortal creation and brought about the required changes in their bodies, including the circulation of blood and other modifications as well. They were now able to have children. They and their posterity also became subject to injury, disease, and death”. [1]

So Adam fell that men might be … and we exist so we might have joy.

JOY is a word I have always wondered about – it seems too high and glorious to comprehend or explain.  But thankfully, the scripture continues on the subject:

And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall.  And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God have given.

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man.  And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. (2 Nephi 2:25-27)

This scripture from the Book of Mormon is key in understanding how the Fall affected (blessed) us, and how we are capable of experiencing joy.  Adam and Eve’s posterity were likewise banished from the physical presence of God, but we are all innocent from the original sin because we had no part in it.  “It was therefore unfair for all of humanity to suffer eternally for the transgressions of our first parents, Adam and Eve.  It became necessary to settle this injustice; hence the need for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus in His role as the Savior and Redeemer”. [2]  It is possible of every soul to obtain forgiveness of sins – to have them washed away and be forgotten!  The transcendent act of the Atonement saves us from the fall, and we are free to know the joy of our redemption, to know good from evil, and to act for ourselves.  And to have kids.


Do you believe we are saved by grace?

Grace refers to the divine help or strength given to us through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.  The grace of Jesus is made possible by his atoning sacrifice, enabling mankind to be raised in immortality, receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life.

It is also through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we may receive strength and help to do the good that we cannot on our own.  It is an enabling power that allows us to “lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after [we] have expended [our] own best efforts”. [3]

This is what the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi meant when he said:  For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. (2 Nephi 25:23)


It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible.  This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–11).  But grace “cannot suffice without total effort on [our] part” – hence Nephi explaining we will be saved by the grace of Christ after all we can do.

“Some Christians accuse Latter-day Saints . . . of denying the grace of God through claiming they can earn their own salvation. We answer this accusation with the words of two Book of Mormon prophets. Nephi taught, ‘For we labor diligently . . . to persuade our children . . . to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23). And what is ‘all we can do’? It surely includes repentance (see Alma 24:11) and baptism, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end. Moroni pleaded, ‘Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ’ (Moroni 10:32).

“We are not saved in our sins, as by being unconditionally saved through confessing Christ and then, inevitably, committing sins in our remaining lives (see Alma 11:36–37). We are saved from our sins (see Helaman 5:10) by a weekly renewal of our repentance and cleansing through the grace of God and His blessed plan of salvation (see 3 Nephi 9:20–22).” [4]

What happens to us when we die?

Rather than a short form answer, which may very well raise further questions, I want to answer this as comprehensively as my little bloggy can go.

Both the Book of Mormon and the Bible are pretty clear that we lived with God before we were born.  The Bible refers a lot to people being chosen and ordained prior to being born on Earth (see Ephesians 1:3-4  and Jeremiah 1:5, where prophets were comforted, knowing God knew them before they were born).
And good old Job was not only told he was around when God laid the foundations of the earth, but that we all shouted for joy when the creation was planned and done! (Job 38:4-7)

And clearly for Satan and his minions to be cast out of heaven into the earth, we all had to be in that heaven to begin with. (Revelation 12:9)

The Book of Mormon refers to our pre-mortal life in more detail:

And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such. (Alma 13:3)

This is such a wonderful piece of knowledge!  You must read about it here.

So we know we lived in heaven a long time ago.  And that our Heavenly Father created a plan for us all to live on Earth, have experience and joy, be tried and tested, and to be given the choice of returning to Him.

The scriptures are also clear we will live after we die.

We know that when we die, our body and spirit separates.  Where our spirit goes is another great question (go on, ask me ...).  But the atonement of Jesus Christ conquered death, making it possible for us to be resurrected after death.  Woo!  AND such resurrection is a free gift to all!  Double woo!

This is what the prophet Alma is talking about here:

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.

The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.

What a happy thought for the disabled, the handicap, the bald.

The prophet Alma then goes on to explain the relationship between our lives on earth and where we end up afterwards:

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.

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil. (Alma 40:11-13,23)

This is another sound example of how the Book of Mormon helps us to understand what we already know from the Bible, and in greater (perhaps even simpler?) detail.  Do you agree?

Note: I’ve tried to make this answer as simple as possible.  I’m sure it raises further questions and thoughts, for example I’ve totally skipped over the Judgment part and Christ’s role as our mediator in determining ‘were we end up afterwards’.

But know this: we existed before this life, and we will continue to exist after it.

We are currently in Act II of a 3-part play.

“The assurance of resurrection gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love, such things as the physical, mental, or emotional deficiencies we bring with us at birth or acquire during mortal life. Because of the resurrection, we know that these mortal deficiencies are only temporary!” [5]


Why was Christ baptised?

Jesus Christ is the perfect example.  Being holy and without sin, Christ physically showed us how to be baptised and why.  What an example of humility and obedience – for that is what it was; an act of obedience.

Although Jesus Christ was baptised by John the Baptist far away from the Americas, the people there knew this event was taking place.  Prophets taught (and recorded in the Book of Mormon) the people of baptism, and carefully taught why their Saviour would do so:

Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world.

And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!

And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

Know ye not hat he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.

And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them. (2 Nephi 31:4-9)

We believe that “entering into the kingdom of God is so important that Jesus was baptized to show us ‘the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which [we] should enter’ (2 Nephi 31:9).” [6]
“Born of a mortal mother, Jesus was baptized to fulfil His Father’s commandment that sons and daughters of God should be baptized. He set the example for all of us to humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father. We are all welcome to come into the waters of baptism. He was baptized to witness to His Father that He would be obedient in keeping His commandments. He was baptized to show us that we should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“As we follow the example of Jesus, we, too, demonstrate that we will repent and be obedient in keeping the commandments of our Father in Heaven. We humble ourselves with a broken heart and a contrite spirit as we recognize our sins and seek forgiveness of our trespasses (see 3 Nephi 9:20). We covenant that we are willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ and always remember Him” [7]

Good thing the Book of Mormon expands upon this subject, as the Bible isn’t quite as clear …


Why is the atonement necessary?


Do you believe we are accountable for our choices or actions, and to what extent?

These are big topics, but the Book of Mormon can answer these questions too.
I’ll show you soon …


Can you see just how useful companion scripture can be?  The Bible and the Book of Mormon go hand in hand.  Once we have a testimony that they are both indeed the word of God, we can then dive into the life and teachings of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  I love reading the scriptures!  I love the happiness I feel when I understand something more fully, the enlightenment I feel and the peaceful assurance that brings.




If you wish to order a free copy, let me know or click here.
Feel free to read or listen to it here.

[1] Russel M. Nelson, Ensign, Nov. 1996, 33
[2] James E. Faust, Ensign, Nov. 1988, 12
[3] Bible Dictionary, “Grace,” 697
[4] Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, May 1998, 56 - bold & underline added
[5] Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, May 2000, 14
[6] Robert D. Hales, Ensign, Nov. 2000, 7–8
[7] Ibid