Jodi Stoddard - Two Different Testaments, Two Ways to Receive, One People
Jesus unites, Satan divides.
The judgement and condemnation from Saints to other Saints in this mixed-reality world of covid-19 and more, must stop.
Is it possible for the Prophet to be wrong? Is it possible to have more than one "correct" way to follow the Prophet? Why does the Lord sometimes have us choose between different "good" options? How can we know and choose the "better" option?
A HUGE thank-you from us all to you, Sister Stoddard!
Enjoy!
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Two Testaments, Two Ways to Receive, One
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TWO Different Testaments – TWO ways to receive – ONE People
Compiled and presented by: Jodi Stoddard
…. from the perspective of a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
While the primary content of this presentation consist of scriptures and quotes from the Prophets and Apostles, my additional commentary is my own and in no way represents an official position of the Church.
I admonish everyone to pray for the power of discernment in ALL things, including this presentation, and seek to be taught by the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, and/or the Lord.
SLIDE:
“The Bible is divided into two testaments—testament meaning, in this case, a solemn covenant between God and man. In the Bible we have a fairly clear record of two different covenants or testaments between God and man—the Law of Moses found in the Old Testament, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the new testament.”
Why did God have to give TWO different sets of laws to His Children? The Law of Moses encompasses most of the Old Testament, and the Law of the Gospel of Jesus Christ encompasses the New Testament. Yet those of the OT times KNEW about the future coming of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon covers this belief extensively prior to the Savior’s birth. Why couldn’t God have just given them the higher law first?
Some of this will be a little bit of a review if you have watched my other productions… HOWEVER, stick with it because I hope to shed light of a slightly different understanding on the following scriptures, which will help you see more clearly where this presentation is heading.
SLIDE:
D&C 84 (which Pres. Nelson admonished the Brethren and Sisters to study on two separate occasions) 19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his danger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.
25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;
SLIDE:
Realize that this didn’t happen in one day…. We don’t know how long there were in the desert PRIOR to being invited up Mt. Sinai.. but because of their lack of desire to get their instruction directly from God, He made them wander in the desert for FORTY years – until they were all dead – rather than allow them to ‘enter into His rest’ and enter into the Promised Land.
These two are synonymous. If they would have sanctified themselves and gone up to speak to the Lord directly, this accomplishment would have been their Calling & Election and Second Comforter experiences and they would have created a Zion society like Enoch’s people did.
Moses spends a good deal of time discussing Enoch and the City that eventually became a translated Zion society. (see the book of Moses)
SLIDE: And how do we know that: JST Genesis 14: 28 It being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; BUT OF GOD;
29 And it was DELIVERED UNTO MEN BY THE CALLING OF HIS OWN VOICE, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.
30 For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;
31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.
32 And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven.
SLIDE:
D&C 76: 114 But great and marvelous are the works of the Lord, and the mysteries of his kingdom which he showed unto us, which surpass all understanding in glory, and in might, and in dominion;
115 Which he commanded us we should not write while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter;
116 Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him;
117 To whom he grants this privilege of SEEING AND KNOWING FOR THEMSELVES;
118 That through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his presence in the world of glory.
SLIDE:
We may say that we have been to the Temple, and therefore we have the ‘higher law’… but receiving an ordinance and learning what that covenant encompasses, verses actually realizing the blessings of those covenants are not necessarily synonymous.
For example – what is the ultimate blessing we are shown in the Temple? How to part the veil and speak with the Lord and the Father. That is what Moses told the Children of Israel to do.. become sanctified and to talk to God face-to-face…. The temple is an exact recipe of how to do that in this life, and yet we get to that point and we stop. We don’t go further. And we are still in essence asking the prophet to tell us what the Lord wants us to know. By doing that, are we rejecting the gift that has been offered to us?
SLIDE: … and what has President Nelson has told us we need to do???
“SEEK TO BE TAUGHT BY THE LORD HIMSELF," and to “HEAR HIM”.
SLIDE:
Are we are watching this same scenario unfold again before our eyes? President Nelson said “The time is coming when those who do not obey the Lord will be separated from those who do.”
We know we are to become Zion. We know a separation is coming.
(see Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/04/the-future-of-the-church-preparing-the-world-for-the-saviors-second-coming?lang=eng
By the way, Pres. Nelson also expressly told the sisters and the brethren in recent conference addresses that we needed to study D&C 84 and 107. There is much information that relates to this presentation in those sections.
SLIDE:
Here is where we are going to move into the crux of this presentation. Consider this question…
Will there be a prophet in the Millennial Terrestrial World?
NO! There will not be a prophet. We will get our direction from the Lord through personal revelation.
How do we know this?
SLIDE:
The appearance of Christ at Adam-ondi-Ahman. Before the great and dreadful day when Christ will come both to claim his own and to bring judgment upon the wicked, before he descends openly and publicly, he will appear privately and quietly to some of the faithful Saints of all ages in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman. Here those who have held keys and powers from the time of Adam to the present will account for their stewardships. They will return their keys to Adam, who in turn will RETURN ALL KEYS TO CHRIST. All will thus be readied for Christ to commence his millennial reign.
(D&C 116; Dan. 7:9–14, 21–22). (end quote) (quote from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/1986/06/questions-and-answers/questions-and-answers?lang=eng)
Those keys are returned PRIOR to the great and dreadful day.
SLIDE:
D&C 49:
25 Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed.
26 Behold, I say unto you, go forth as I have commanded you; repent of all your sins; ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you.
27 Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded.
28 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, and I come quickly. Even so. Amen.
SLIDE:
3 Nephi 20: 22 And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you.
D&C 45: 58 And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.
59 For the Lord shall be in their amidst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.
SLIDE:
Is that perhaps part of what Pres. Nelson has been trying to tell us – especially when he said this “In a coming day, only those men who have taken their priesthood seriously, by diligently seeking to be taught by the Lord Himself, will be able to bless, guide, protect, strengthen, and heal others. Only a man who has paid the price for priesthood power will be able to bring miracles to those he loves and keep his marriage and family safe, now and throughout eternity.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/the-price-of-priesthood-power?lang=eng)
If we don’t have a prophet to rely upon (because of war, downed communications, etc), then the ONLY way we will know what to do is if we are able to get direction from the Lord Himself…. And again – will there even be a ‘Prophet’ at that point if the Prophet has turned his Keys into Adam, and Adam has given them back to the Savior???
Does this add more urgency for us to apply the Temple path in a LITERAL way so that we can speak to the Lord face-to-face as we have been shown and admonished repeatedly?
SLIDE:
So, we have a couple of things going on here…
In the example of the Children of Israel, they had the option to get their direction from the Lord, or have Moses tell them what He said.
If they had gone to the Lord, would the message would have been different ? YES– it WAS different. We know this because Moses took the Higher Law down to them so they could see what they could have had. That was a Celestial Law. But they had reverted to a telestial behavior, so Moses went back up and got the Terrestrial Law from God because it was all they were capable or willing to live.
SLIDE:
I don’t want to turn this into a discussion about the current issues – but only to make a generalized point using this example - Joseph said (quote)
“I preached to a large congregation at the stand, on the science and practice of medicine, desiring to persuade the Saints to trust in God when sick, and not in an arm of flesh, and live by faith and not by medicine, or poison; and when they were sick, and had called for the Elders to pray for them, and they were not healed, to use herbs and mild food.” Joseph Smith Documentary History of the Church, Volume 4, p. 414.
And yet today we have been encouraged to pray and fast for a medical fix for Covid. Could BOTH be correct? YES!
If we as a people are not strong enough in our faith to be healed from or excluded from getting a disease (for which a Celestial amount of faith is required), then God will help us by assuaging our fears with a man-made remedy which will allow us to continue developing our faith (which shows we have obtained a Terrestrial faith).
BOTH are OKAY! It all depends upon where an individual is in that one portion of their spiritual journey. It isn’t right or wrong. It isn’t good or bad. It just is where we are, each on our own individual path.
Was it okay for Adam and Eve to remain in the garden? YES!
Was it okay for them to leave the garden? YES!
SLIDE: When are a Prophet’s Words ‘Doctrine’?
D Todd Christopherson April 2012 talk The Doctrine of Christ
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2012/04/the-doctrine-of-christ?lang=eng
“….it should be remembered that not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. It is commonly understood in the Church that a statement made by one leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, not meant to be official or binding for the whole Church. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “a prophet [is] a prophet only when he [is] acting as such.”Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 5:265.
SLIDE: President J. Reuben Clark observed:
“To this point runs a simple story my father told me as a boy, I do not know on what authority, but it illustrates the point. His story was that during the excitement incident to the coming of [Johnston’s] Army, Brother Brigham preached to the people in a morning meeting a sermon vibrant with defiance to the approaching army, and declaring an intention to oppose and drive them back. In the afternoon meeting he arose and said that Brigham Young had been talking in the morning, but the Lord was going to talk now. He then delivered an address, the tempo of which was the opposite from the morning talk. …
“… The Church will know by the testimony of the Holy Ghost in the body of the members, whether the brethren in voicing their views are ‘moved upon by the Holy Ghost’; and in due time that knowledge will be made manifest.”
SLIDE:
The next natural question, and one I see being asked frequently of late is “Will the Lord tell you to do something different than the Prophet?” The answer, as shown in the previous examples is sometimes YES!... and there are plenty more examples where those came from….
What causes there to be a difference between what the Lord would tell an individual verses what the Prophet would tell the Church as a whole?.... The answer is in the question… the difference is where we are spiritually and individually verses where the general membership of the Church is collectively.
For Example: While everyone has been invited to build Zion and the New Jerusalem, we know that not everyone will go… any why not? … Is it perhaps that some won’t be prepared?
SLIDE:
The Prophet is telling the Ten Virgins, which represents the Church, to be prepared – but as the prophet said, there will come a day when we will be separated – the five unwise virgins will not be prepared despite being members of the Church, and the door to the wedding feast will be closed.. and this happens PRIOR to His official Second Coming… and we can know this because according to D&C 45:43-47 and D&C 88:95-98 shows that the Lord appears to the saints prior to his arm falling on the nations… but that takes us off on another direction which has been and will be covered in other videos…
Meanwhile, I don’t think that means the five unwise virgins are going to hell… the scriptures say they were foolish, not the vilest of sinners. The consequences they will traverse will be to continue on through the tribulations which is a learning process perfectly designed by the Lord. As they learn what they need to learn, they will then be blessed in their personal journey.
We see through the five wise virgins that there will come a time when those who qualify will have direct communication with the Lord…. We know He will be in the New Jerusalem as well as the Old and will appear to various groups of people at least seven times prior to His official Return. I have put a refence to some of those appearances in the references #7 http://ldslastdays.com/category/appearances-of-the-savior/
The five unwise virgin will be cut off, locked out of the feast…
SLIDE:
Sometimes the Lord even changes His instructions. Does that mean He changed His mind? No…. it means that out of mercy, He is lowering His expectations to a level we are capable of… Other times he gives us what we ask for – even if it isn’t good for us. Martin Harris and Joseph pestering God over the 116 page manuscript comes to mind….
Often times we are given a good, better and best choice…. ALL of which are fine – but some have more rewarding consequences than others… and those also require more desire, more effort, and more sacrifice…
… at times it may be possible that even the Lord will direct us toward a lessor law even if we are getting our instruction directly from Him, because we are not ready individually for the higher laws … but He will guide us there eventually. So he may have us leave our training wheels on a little longer when it comes to a certain issue, doctrine, or question between good, better and best.
SLIDE:
Understanding everything we have covered so far brings up the fact that the shaming HAS TO STOP! The judgement and condemnation are not only affecting others but damning ourselves as well. If we are pointing the finger of scorn, the scriptures are clear as to where we are standing, and it is not along the rod of iron… it is with those in the Great and Spacious Building. They are the ones who judge and condemn.
SLIDE:
To add further emphasis might I add that Jesus comes to teach and heal, and it is Satan that condemns. Jesus UNITES. Satan divides.… We need to allow others the agency and respect to experience their own trial and error, and eventual success that comes with repeated attempts to HEAR HIM! As long as we continue to seek the Lord, we will be alright no matter how many course corrections we need along the way.
SLIDE:
It is IMPERATIVE that we learn to HEAR HIM and be TAUGHT BY THE LORD HIMSELF because we won’t always have a prophet…. Despite that we might have him removed because of our desire to worship the golden calf, there is also the HIGHER reason for having the prophet taken from our midst… that is that at some point the goal would be that we have learned to get direction for ourselves directly from the Source.
SLIDE:
Many fear deception. YES! There is always a risk of deception – But remember, Joseph was attacked by Satan prior to having his vision…
But by looking at that example we can see that Satan tried to STOP Joseph by causing fear!!!! Can you see the pattern there? If Satan can cause us to be afraid, we will not seek more. In that sense, we are already deceived! If it were not so, then we would have already parted the veil!
As we become more aware of that and continue to SEEK the LORD and to feel the presence of the Holy Ghost then even if you are deceived, you will be brought back around. Remember, coming to this earth where Satan reigns was the largest risk we had ever taken! We are here to learn to overcome him. And we are also shown how to get direct revelation from God. If we seek it and are willing to DO what He tells us, then we will eventually get that gift.
SLIDE:
Now, where does that leave us?
It brings to mind young adults who are getting ready to leave home. They have been learning under the direction of their parents, imperfect people who have never been parents before. We are learning under the tutelage of prophets, who are also imperfect and have never been prophets before.
BOTH examples are good and they are BOTH necessary! Both warrant our respect. Both examples have hopefully prepared us for the world, prepared us with moral values, helped us tap into our inner voice and the Spirit, warned us of the dangers. And there comes a time when we need to no longer rely on the testimony of others, but have our own witness. We already know this…
SLIDE:
We also know that we are not to be commanded in all things… It is no coincidence that these scriptures are found in a section describing end time events:
D&C 58: 26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.
SLIDE:
Soon the keys will be returned from our prophet to Adam, and from Adam to Christ…..If the keys are to be taken from the Prophet, and we are to receive our direction straight from the Lord in a future day, and our current prophet is telling us it is vital that we learn to “Hear Him!”, when do we start doing that?
Many people are already feeling this pull. They are being taught by the Lord, but they struggle because if they hear something different from the prophet, then does that mean he is wrong? NO! It means that we have the choice to access Terrestrial Laws & Blessings AND we have the choice to access Celestial Laws & Blessings…. The Celestial ones will be harder to access, and may take time.. and yes, because the prophet is human and has his own opinions and views of life sometimes he is wrong – but God uses him for good even on the occasion of him being wrong. EVERY prophet throughout the history of the earth has had ISSUES and has been wrong here or there!
SLIDE:
We need to get over expecting the prophet to be perfect. Because when we do that, then the only way to reconcile when he is wrong is to dismiss him completely! Why do we do that? Why do we place him on a pedestal and then our world crashes when he is not perfect? We are so silly! That doesn’t make him any less important. It is okay if he is wrong sometimes. AND there is a difference between him being wrong now and then, and in the concept of him ‘leading us/the Church astray’.
A caution for those who have given up on all modern prophets (other than Joseph Smith)…. You have done what I mentioned above that we all tend to do. You put the prophet on a pedestal and then have dismissed him when he has erred.
Please re-evaluate your understanding of what a prophet is and what he is called to do. A prophet is called to lead a people to Christ; which people initially have a Telestial understanding, and then lead them through a fallen Telestial realm ruled by Satan. Does that sound easy? Even if perfect would that be easy? Christ patiently struggled to teach the disciples who were actually in His presence daily and get their finite minds to grasp the principles He taught.. How much more difficult it must be for a mere mortal prophet then… We need to have some patience and empathy for them.
Then the prophet is instructed to give them Terrestrial Laws and lead them to the temple where they will receive Celestial laws, and admonish them to live those laws at whatever level those individuals are at. Because there are so many levels of understanding among all those he is leading to Christ, the prophet must teach at levels that EVERYONE will understand, and hope that those with more light will SEEK to be taught BY THE LORD HIMSELF. Meanwhile everything the prophet does is pointing to Christ (not to himself).
President Hinckley asked for all the skeletons in the Church’s closets to be brought into the light and dealt with once and for all. Some of them were, but his request was not completely honored. That speaks volumes of just those who he entrusted with this admonition. They were so worried that we wouldn’t be able to handle it, that they didn’t complete the task.
And yet, those who are ready to dismiss the prophets are proving their point.
We can’t handle it because we have hung our testimonies on the prophets instead of taking responsibility to do what WE have been admonished to do and seek to be taught by the Lord Himself!.... CAN WE SEE THE PARADOX and HYPOCRISY? Come back around PLEASE…. We NEED BOTH! We need the prophets to show us the way to Christ!
If we fail to have Grace for the prophets who desire to help us find Jesus Christ, then how can we expect to have Grace from Christ for our own foibles?
SLIDE:
What type of organization will the Millennium have? The Terrestrial Millennial world may have leaders and an organizational structure… or it may not? If everyone in Zion awakens each day and KNOWS what the Lord wants them to do, and they DO IT, do we need anyone else telling us who to minister to? Or what good work to accomplish that day? NO! We will just know and we will do it. When we seek enlightenment on an issue will we need to sit at the feet of a Gospel Doctrine teacher? Or will we just ASK the question and the answer and understanding will be shown to us – or minimally we will be sent to a pure source of information for the answer which will be clear and free from the false doctrine of men. ….. hmmm I vaguely remember something about being given a white stone or Urim and Thummim upon which everything we needed to know would be written… It’s not just me, right?
You can see the similarities here… does that concept open up a new life vision for you? A new mode of operandum? A new source of light and truth?
In some ways I would guess that the white stone we are promised is in and of itself another set of training wheels and that eventually we will not need it either. We can see a pattern of this in the steps Joseph used in translating the Book of Mormon… from needing an aid to not needing anything…
SLIDE:
Many are beginning to feel the call to move up. The City of Enoch will be coming down and we will be going up to meet them as we leave Babylon. This is a spiritual event as much as it is a physical one. As we feel the pull to communicate directly with Jesus more and more, and His word being perfect, and intricately designed for each individual, then we will need the voice of our Telestial/Terrestrial tutor, the prophet, less and less… and just like growing up and preparing to leave our earthly home and parents, we will graduate into the next level up… as has been prophesied we would and need to do.
This is not an opinion.. this is what we have been taught. We are at the threshold of crossing into the Millennial world. We believe the Lord is returning soon, and that is where our vision of the future ends. We need to begin picturing- through revealed doctrine as well as personal revelation– what that next level will be like. What will change? What will remain the same? How can we know? Do we embrace or reject change? Can we picture ourselves starting out a new day and knowing instinctively from personal revelation directly received from Christ what our day will entail? Where we are needed? What joys await us?
Moses 7: 62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.
63 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom,
SLIDE:
The Bridegroom is calling… Remember, other than those of Enoch’s City, what is prophesied to happen in our day has never happened before on this earth… are you hearing Him?
As a young adult preparing to leave home, we will feel pulled in two directions… stay where it is safe and let our parents/prophet tell us what to do? OR go out into the world with the faith of what we have been taught by them, and with a direct connection to our REAL Master who tells us minute by minute what to do because we have learned to rely on Him exclusively, and we OBEY because we know it is what will bring true joy and happiness.
Meanwhile, for a time, we will need to rely on BOTH the prophet and direct communication with the Lord… like college kids going home for Sunday dinner and breaks, and calling home… Both have vital insights that we need to succeed.
SLIDE: REFERENCES:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/45nelson?lang=eng
Joseph Smith Documentary History of the Church, Volume 4, p. 414. (6)
Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 5:265. AND https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2012/04/the-doctrine-of-christ?lang=eng
Additional quotes, references, scriptures and personal commentary NOT used in the presentation….
Joseph Smith quote...
"We have heard men who hold the priesthood remark that they would do anything they were told to do by those who preside over them (even) if they knew it was wrong; but such obedience as this is worse than folly to us; it is slavery in the extreme; and the man who would thus willingly degrade himself, should not claim a rank among intelligent beings until he turns from his folly."
Brigham Young quote...
"What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to utter destruction! Are you afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders, that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not. This has been my exhortation continually.
Ephesians 4
There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism—Apostles and prophets are essential to the Church—The Saints are exhorted to live righteously—They are sealed unto the day of redemption.
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the bold man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the a new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
What is Celestial Faith verses Terrestrial Faith? it may boil down to perceptions of what 'Celestial faith' means to each person.
I have Celestial faith in a few things - but no where near in everything...
My definition of Celestial Faith is PERFECT FAITH.
The story of the man who came to Christ and begged for Him to heal his son who was vexed with evil spirits comes to mind. Christ asked him if he had faith and the father replied "I believe. Help Thou mine unbelief"....
For me that translates to I have Terrestrial Faith, help me have more in this thing.
The way I define Celestial Faith is that once I have it in everything, I will be perfect.. and that likely isn't going to happen in this life. hope that helps clarify. (Jodi Stoddard)
Good Better Best...
I got Covid. It is a Telestial disease. Brigham said all diseases, pain and illness are put there by Satan (not God). We are here to overcome Satan. If we were always spiritually healthy with the best and highest understanding and faith, we would never get sick. Period.
But we live in a fallen world and are here to LEARN Faith and to overcome the world... so we need afflictions and opposition of all kinds to help us practice FAITH.
Remember the Children of Israel? They could be healed from the death bite of the fiery flying serpents simply by looking at the brass serpent on the rod that Moses fashioned. That emblem represented CHRIST. All they had to do was LOOK UP at it with faith - (look to Christ with faith) and be HEALED... they didn't need medicine - just faith - and they would LIVE and not die. But many of them refused to look!
Same concept.
Not sure if this is still the same in Japan - but they used to treat people emotionally before they treated them medically because they knew that emotionally/spiritually healthy people seldom got sick!
Also in Jesus earthly ministry, in well over half of the scriptures where he was out healing the first thing listed in the scripture is that He cast out devils - THEN He healed them...
There is a pattern there... Sickness is not happenstance. Satan is allowed afflict us as part of the plan for us to learn what we need to learn.... it is a paradox.. because once we learn what we need to know from an affliction, then we don't need to learn from that type of affliction again - we are perfect in that thing. (Jodi Stoddard)
Elder Oaks: Two Lines of Communication:
The personal line is of paramount importance in personal decisions and in the governance of the family. Unfortunately, some members of our church underestimate the need for this direct, personal line. Responding to the undoubted importance of prophetic leadership—the priesthood line, which operates principally to govern heavenly communications on Church matters—some seek to have their priesthood leaders make personal decisions for them, decisions they should make for themselves by inspiration through their personal line. Personal decisions and family governance are principally a matter for the personal line.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/10/two-lines-of-communication?lang=eng&fbclid=IwAR37LkQ6wJA3FxvSr97qSTwHPTuXRIzMbOwjb9970bNBHITtPMVIl6PI-Tg
..,,,……
Concerning Pres. Nelson’s comment of returning his keys - eventually all the prophets will give their keys back as the quote in the presentation mentions.
The statement was made almost as a side remark in another part of a video he did and I am having trouble finding it. Others heard it too and commented on it afterwards..
The way he said it could be taken in a generalized way - but several people mentioned that it struck them that it almost sounded like it would be soon.. in fact he may have said 'soon', but he is 96... so at his age, it might be 'soon'... whether he lives until the Second Coming or not. But even if a prophet replaces him if he dies prior to Adam Ondi-Ahman... that prophet would still be turning over his keys, and Adam Ondi ahman happens several years prior to the Second Coming - so either way... (Jodi)