Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Last Days

If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear
Elder Quentin L Cook, Shipshape and Bristol Fashion: Be Temple Worthy—in Good Times and Bad Times, October 2015 General Conference
"...the storms and temptations of this life are often unpredictable. But this we know: they will come! In order to overcome the challenges and temptations that each of us inevitably faces, it will require righteous preparation and the use of divinely provided protections. We must determine to be temple worthy regardless of what befalls us. If we are prepared, we shall not fear."

Last Dispensation
Bishop Gérald Caussé, Is It Still Wonderful to You?, April 2015 General Conference
"In no previous dispensation have so many missionaries been called, so many nations been opened for the gospel message,"

Two Witnesses
Isaiah 51:18-20
18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.

19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.

2 Nephi 8:18-20
18 And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up.

19 These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee—thy desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword—and by whom shall I comfort thee?

20 Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.

Revelation 11:3-12

3 And I will give apower unto my two bwitnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to aturn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all bplagues, as often as they will.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall aovercome them, and bkill them.

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was acrucified.

9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Gods

Mark 9:23
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.



1 Corinthians 8:5-6
 5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
 6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

There are gods (lowercase) many. The is one God (uppercase), the Father.
There is one God to us. "One God, the Father". No one else holds that title for us.
These gods lowercase are in "heaven and earth" both.

Isaiah 44:6,8
6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

There is one God to us. "One God, the Father". No one else holds that title for us.

Malachi 2:10
10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

There is one God to us. "One God, the Father". No one else holds that title for us.

Psalms 82:6
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

"I have said, Ye are gods"

John 10:33-36
 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

  • "I said, Ye are gods" 
Romans 8:16-17
 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Doctrine and Covenants 84:37-38
37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;
38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.


My Thoughts
Man is the one who has put barriers between himself and God. He is the one that has put the limitation on God that he can not raise up his children to be equals with Him and He still be God.

The father lost nothing by Christ being a god also, because they are one. We are told to be one even as the father and son are one. We are told to be perfect as Christ is perfect. You can argue what the word perfect means and what it means to be one, but with God all things are possible.  Including creating me with the capability to grow to be more than I am.

I loose nothing by my child growing into a functional adult through their hard work and my assistance, molding, and nourishing. If fact that is one of my greatest desires and arguably my primary work.  
I also find nothing offensive in them having the desire to be an adult like me.