"There is a Spirit in Man"

It was Job who is quoted as having said, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding” (Job 32:8). Concerning this concept, President Joseph F. Smith taught: “There is not a man born into the world but has a portion of the Spirit of God, and it is that Spirit of God which gives to his spirit understanding. Without this, he would be but an animal like the rest of the brute creation, without understanding, without judgment, without skill, without ability, except to eat and to drink like the brute beast. But inasmuch as the Spirit of God giveth all men understanding, he is enlightened above the brute beast. He is made in the image of God Himself, so that he can reason, reflect, pray, exercise faith; he can use his energies for the accomplishment of the desires of his heart, and inasmuch as he puts forth his efforts in the proper direction, then he is entitled to an increased portion of the Spirit of the Almighty to inspire him to increased intelligence, to increased prosperity and happiness in the world; but in proportion as he prostitutes his energies for evil, the inspiration of the Almighty is withdrawn from him, until he becomes so dark and so benighted, that so far as his knowledge of God is concerned, so far as the future or hopes of eternal life are concerned, he is quite as ignorant as a dumb brute” (Journal of Discourses, 25:53-54 as quoted in Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Old Testament, 267). I sense that some pet lovers will be uncomfortable with this statement, nevertheless, it is true from at least the standpoint of the gospel.

While the spirit of man may be inspired by the Almighty through three identifiably different means, it is one of these namely, the Light of Christ to which President Smith has major reference here. The Light of Christ fills the immensity of space and is that force for good that stands in opposition to the spirit of the evil one. When we speak of the “conscience” of mankind, we speak of the most obvious effect of the Light of Christ upon our persons. If we do not seek to drown out the direction our conscience would give us, then its direction will guide us toward beliefs and actions that are good and consistent with God’s will. A conscience fettered by a repeated rejection of what is good will leave us more exposed to the temptations of the evil one and of his minions. For those who leave themselves open to the inspiration of the Light of Christ are encouraged toward ends of enlightenment, discovery, and creativity not only for themselves but also at times for the betterment and the refinement of the human family.

The Holy Ghost is a testifier of the truth. The unrepentant will at best experience a personal brush with the Holy Ghost as they have witness born to them of the truthfulness of the restored gospel and the re-establishment of the Lord’s one true Church upon the earth in these last days. If the investigator seizes upon this witness of truth and exercises faith and repentance unto baptism and confirmation, then will the convert receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift from God is the right to have the constant companionship of His Spirit to guide us, to encourage us, to warn us of impending danger, and to comfort us in times of trials. What is often not mentioned in such a discussion is that the Holy Ghost will not strive with the disobedient. It follows, therefore, that we will reap the promised benefits the Holy Ghost has to offer only if we are living worthy of those blessings.

The third way that “the inspiration of the Almighty giveth [us] understanding” is by means of the Second Comforter, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. The Savior taught: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (see John 14: 18-23). To be worthy of and receive the Second Comforter is expressed in the scriptures in several different ways. The Apostle Peter taught that we should seek to make our “calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). To the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord said, “The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood” (D&C 131:5). On another occasion, the Lord taught that those “who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. They are they who are the church of the Firstborn” (D&C 76:53-54). Of course, the members of the church of the Firstborn are those who inherit eternal life. While speaking concerning John 14:23, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “the appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false” (D&C 130:3). For “the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us” (D&C 130:22).

There are those writers who diminish the importance of Job’s pronouncement that “there is a spirit in man” as not being an exceptional concept. I beg to differ with them. The spirits that inhabit human beings consist of two identifiably different parts and are the spirit offspring of our heavenly parents. The spirits of which I speak are not those that naturally inhabit the bodies of animals, and spirits destined for the bodies of animals can never be the life force in a human body. Thus the spirit that inhabits the human being is materially different from those inhabiting all other life forms. The spirits of which Job speaks consist of an intelligence that is co-eternal with God and that is the life force within the spirit body created by our heavenly parents. In our pre-mortal experience, we participated in a maturation process that allowed us to progress according to our Father’s desires for us to the extent we were willing to obey His dictates. The mortal probation in which we presently find ourselves is a continuation of this maturation process the object of which is to become as our parents in heaven are. The success of our earthly progression is possible in the final analysis because of “the inspiration of the Almighty” that provides to the obedient the necessary understanding of God’s prescribed course of action during this period of testing.

Gratitude

Some years ago, our ward had a bishop who displayed a Gertrude Stein quote on his office wall: “Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.”

From our early years, we were taught to say “please” and “thank you” as well as use other expressions whereby we demonstrated common courtesy to others. We were made to understand that we belonged to a larger society of men and women, and that the peace and good order of that community depended upon each member showing respect for others in ways appropriate to the ages and roles of those with whom we interacted. We were expected to demonstrate deference toward our elders and authority figures.

Another aspect of our becoming aware of our place in society was the appreciation we were taught for all those in our society who provided us benefits. We came to realize how our lives were made safer, more comfortable, more rewarding, and happier because of policemen, firemen, trash haulers, teachers, doctors, and so on. When someone did anything for us, even the smallest gesture, we were taught to show our appreciation or gratitude by at the very least saying “thank you.” If this was true of the larger society, then it was more so when considering our immediate family members. That is not to say that my brother and I did not engage in sibling rivalry, but our parents were not tolerant of it at any level. Therefore, my brother and I matured in an environment in which such conflict was minimal. Showing appreciation and respect for our parents was simply the order of the day. Rarely did the thought to do otherwise seriously enter our minds.

Now, asks the Apostle Paul, if we show respect to our parents, ought we to respect our Heavenly Father less? “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9)

King Benjamin places the matter of our thanks and gratitude to God in sharp focus: “I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another--I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants” (Mosiah 2:20-21).

If “actions speak louder than words,” then words alone will not suffice as the sole means of thanking God for our lives and the privilege to experience this mortal probation. As King Benjamin taught, actions in the form of service to our fellowmen are required of us, for we have no other means by which we may fulfill the covenants we made with God at the time of our baptism and confirmation “to serve Him.” Selfish inaction on our part when we are presented with an opportunity to share our blessings from God with others or to profess that God’s blessings to us are really of our own making is to heap condemnation upon our own heads.

Thus it should be clear that we have an obligation to outwardly manifest through overt expressions of appreciation and acts of service the blessings we receive from God and the favors we receive from the hands of our fellowmen. Well it would be for us that we not forget the Lord’s insight on this matter: “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21).

The Abrahamic Covenant

An understanding of the covenant the Lord made with Abraham in Old Testament times is necessary in this the dispensation of the fulness of times in order that we may more fully appreciate the historic mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If we were forced to rely solely on the information contained in the Old Testament for such an understanding, we would have little clarity on this subject [Genesis 17:3-8 and 22:15-18, for example]. Thus, revelations and sacred writings made available in modern times are invaluable for this study.

In the Book of Mormon, the House of Israel is emphasized as the means by which the terms of the Abrahamic Covenant will be fulfilled. An example of this approach is found in 2 Nephi: “And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews. And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever” (2 Nephi 29:13-14).

The most complete presentation of the Abrahamic Covenant is found in the Book of Abraham. Here is a consideration of verses eight through eleven in chapter two:

Verse 8 This is a covenant between God and Abraham. As with all such covenants, God determines the conditions or particulars of the agreement.

Verse 9 Abraham’s descendants are given the exclusive right to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the “ministry,” and bear the Melchizedek Priesthood “unto all nations.” We may assume, therefore, that the Savior will be born within Abraham’s lineage, which He was.

Verse 10 “And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after they name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father.”

Those who accept the gospel and join the Kingdom of God and who are not of the literal blood of Abraham are adopted into his lineage. This fact is confirmed in Paul’s teachings to the Galatians, who were not of the House of Israel and also apparently were not numbered among Abraham’s posterity before their baptism: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught concerning the role of the Holy Ghost in this adoption process: “This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body, and visible to the eye, than upon an Israelite” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 149-150).

Verse 11 The core of this verse reads as follows: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.” The portions of this verse that I have not quoted are important clarifications of this core promise. Without their possession of the Melchizedek Priesthood, this promise to Abraham and his posterity would be meaningless. Also, Abraham’s posterity is defined as being those who are his “literal seed” or the seed of his body.

The Abrahamic Covenant was reaffirmed with Isaac (Genesis 24:60; 26:1-4, 24) and with Jacob (Genesis 28; 35:9-13; 48:3-4). It might also be worth noting in passing that Abraham received the land of Canaan as an inheritance (Genesis 17:8; Abraham 2:19).

Earlier in this writing, I mentioned that the teachings of the Book of Mormon tend to emphasize the role of the House of Israel down through the ages as fulfilling the conditions of the Abrahamic Covenant. This is no less the case today when we consider our perspective of the role of Israel in the modern Church. However in light of all this, there is an important lesson to be learned concerning the role of the Covenant down through the ages. If we consider the seven major dispensations of the gospel from Adam to the present day, one of these commenced with Moses. What was Moses’ priesthood line-of-authority? While he was an Israelite, a Levite, his Priesthood came by way of a non-Israelite. Moses received the Melchizedek Priesthood from his father-in-law, Jethro, a Midianite, who was a descendant of Abraham through Keturah, Abraham’s concubine and later his wife (Genesis 25:1-2; 1 Chronicles 1:32-34). Moses’ priesthood line-of-authority is outlined in D&C 84:6-17. Clearly both Abraham and Isaac had posterity who were not of the House of Israel. Thus it would be well for us to remember that Israel is not the sole means by which the peoples of the earth have been blessed under the terms of the Abrahamic Covenant.

One further matter is worthy of reconsideration here. In a previous writing, I introduced the Prophet Joseph Smith’s teaching concerning the Kingdom of God. “I say, in the name of the Lord, that the kingdom of God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam to the present time. Whenever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word and gave power and authority to administer in His name, and where there is a priest of God--a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God, there is the kingdom of God; . . . Where there is no kingdom of God there is no salvation” (Teachings, 271-272). If we take this statement literally, then the Kingdom of God in some form has been on the earth from the days of Adam to the beginning of this, the seventh dispensation. This position appears to be supported by the writings of Moses. “And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost. And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof; and thus it was” (Moses 5:58-59).

The possibility that the Kingdom of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ have had a continuing presence somewhere upon the earth from the days of Adam through to our day is a thrilling concept. If we are worthy, the time is coming when we will be shown a panoramic history of the world just as many prophets have already been privileged to see it. Until that time, we glean what understanding we can from the sacred writings in our possession and look forward to the day when the promised additional records are made available to us. For they will reveal the works of God down through the ages, and we will then understand fully how, where, and when the literal seed of Abraham and of Isaac as well as of Jacob have blessed all of the families of the earth, “even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:11).

Job: Our Exemplar Amidst Trials and Tribulations

I maintain a list of subjects that may lend themselves for future blog writings. For months, the subject of adversity has been on that list. Recently, I was asked to teach the Gospel Doctrine lesson on Job. What a fitting opportunity to consider the role of adversity in our lives.

This being a world-wide Church, we should consider that our brothers and sisters around the world are living in most of the possible national societies, and many of them are experiencing the effects of political, military, economic, and social upheavals. Indeed, some of the world’s societies are laboring under multiple of these debilitating crises. Closer to home, the present economic recession must have at least touched everyone of our citizens in some minor way. For many individuals and families, the ramifications of this economic downturn have been devastating. When to these circumstances we add the normal and expected personal crises resulting from accidents, illness, and death, the results for those so effected are personal trials coming in layers. If to this mix we add the sorrows of personal relationships gone wrong, we may rightfully speak of people in these times as experiencing trials and tribulations.

But as severe as our individual tests are or will be, few if any of us will ever face trials the likes of which befell Job. Here was an individual the Lord, Himself, declared to be a “perfect and upright” man (Job 1:1 & 8). And this favorable judgment is all the more revealing when we come to understand that Job possessed great personal wealth and secular power. Princes and nobles were apparently his inferiors (Job 29:9-11), and the services he provided to his fellow citizens ran the gamut from those of social welfare to law enforcement (Job 29:12-17). At the nadir of his agony, he had suffered, save for his wife, the loss of his entire family. His sources of income were taken from him, and he was cast out by his friends to exist alone suffering unimaginable pain from physical, mental, and spiritual torment. He came to view death as a means of welcome relief from his misery. However, through all of this, “Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:22).

Because Job managed to survive this period of extreme testing with such success and dignity, he provides for us a great example of how we ought to deal with the trials and tribulations we will encounter during our mortal probation. Job revealed three personal traits that were key to his success. First, “trust in the Lord.” “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him” (Job 13:15). Second, Job’s testimony of the Savior remained firm. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25-27). Third, through his suffering, Job never lost his integrity. “As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me” (Job 27:2-5). Integrity, taught Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, is “always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences. It means being righteous from the very depth of our soul, not only in our actions but, more important, in our thoughts and in our hearts. Personal integrity implies such trustworthiness and incorruptibility that we are incapable of being false to a trust or covenant” (Conference Report, April 1990, 38).

While the question is often asked, I do not see any real purpose in discussing here the sources from which our trials may come. Our reality is that trials and tribulations assuredly will come to each of us if our days on this earth are prolonged. Thus to my way of thinking, spending much time contemplating their possible sources or even asking the question “Why me?” are not really productive pastimes. Elder Richard G. Scott said: “When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help?” (Elder Richard G. Scott, Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 18).

As we face the trials of life, we will be able to better maintain our desired course of conduct if we apply the wisdom gleaned from Job’s experience. We should “trust in the Lord,” maintain a strong testimony of Christ and of His mission as they apply to us, and never lose our integrity concerning those principles we know to be true.

In the second of Mormon’s epistles to his son, Moroni, Mormon affirms a form of conduct that greatly applies during times of tribulation. “And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of god” (Moroni 9:6). Both Job and Mormon understood that quitting was not an acceptable option. No matter how desperate our situation may become, our only course must be the one that carries us forward toward the fulfillment of our eternal potential. If the matter comes down to the need that we just keep putting one foot ahead of the other, then that is what we do. Quitting is not an option.

Obedience

Please consider the following scriptures:

“I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:10).

“And again I say unto you, if ye observe to do whatsoever I command you, I, the Lord, will turn away all wrath and indignation from you, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against you” (D&C 98:22).

“And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; . . . and they who keep [this] second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever” (Abraham 3:24-26).

It should be apparent from these few references and my last writing entitled, “Eternal Progression,” that the key to our fulfilling our God-given potential is the obedience we demonstrate relative to God’s law i.e., His commandments, revelations, ordinances, covenants, judgments, etc. (Mormon Doctrine, 149). There is no compulsion that we be obedient. The gift of agency places the decision as to our relative obedience squarely within our power. However and absolutely, the degree of salvation we will enjoy in eternity will be commensurate with the degree of obedience we have demonstrated toward God’s law during this period of probation or our “second estate.”

Even at its longest, mortality is a brief period within the expanse of our existence. Thus we have precious little time, relatively speaking, to demonstrate our true level of commitment to God’s way. Under these circumstances, we ought to be asking ourselves on a regular basis if we are making the personal progress that is required? In this mode, we ought to determine those aspects of our life that are not consistent with our established goals and commit ourselves to taking specific, identifiable steps to make the necessary adjustments to our practices. In this manner, we will be able to bring our conduct into more conformity with our Heavenly Father’s expectations for us.

If we are seeking an important area of our lives in which we may be significantly astray of our desired path, one in which meaningful course corrections may require even extraordinary efforts, in my opinion we should revaluate the time we spend on the various forms of entertainment that occupy our time. The enticements of the world are mostly presented in the context of entertainment and its sensual rewards. Given that these rewards span the full gamut of possibilities from the heavenly to the hellish, our constant vigilance as to the sources of our rewards in fact is imperative. Substantive course corrections in our habitual entertainments may prove, given their nature, very difficult. However, remember that Lot’s wife was so taken by the enticing rewards to be found in the likes of Sodom and Gomorrah, that her reluctance to make a clean break with the unacceptable was cause for her destruction. Her experience should serve as a powerful lesson for us in our pursuit of truth and light. What a waste it would be if we were to give up our birthright for a mess of pottage.

Now a word concerning an activity that will enhance our ability to be obedient. For most of my life, the Church’s membership has been admonished by its leaders to study the gospel on a daily basis. During certain periods, I have successfully rationalized my way out of daily gospel study. However, with time may come a better understanding of what is truly best, and I now know that the advice I heard many years ago on this subject is valid. It is also clear to me today that the rationalization of true principles cannot withstand honest, gospel-based scrutiny.

The summation of this writing I will leave to the author of Ecclesiastes: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:3-14).

Eternal Progression

Having wrestled on and off for years with the interrelatedness of light, truth, intelligence, and law and the role they must play in our individual eternal progression, I took the opportunity some years ago while teaching an Institute class on the Doctrine and Covenants to formulate for my own purposes a possible answer on this subject.

I believe that Godhood is a state or condition of being (See D&C 132: 19-24 and Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:35-36). When an individual becomes a God, he has come into the possession of all the attributes we ascribe to a true God namely, being all-knowing (omniscient) and all-powerful (omnipotent), a supreme intelligence. There are Gods who provided the way for our Father in Heaven (Elohim) and his son, Jesus Christ (Jehovah), to become Gods, thus necessarily preceding them. More recently, at least several of our mortal brothers, Elohim’s spirit sons, have become Gods. “[A]nd because they [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob] did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods” (D&C 132:37).

In that portion of the universe under the control of Elohim, countless worlds have been created and have passed away through the power Jehovah exercises under the direction of his Father. This Light of Christ fills the immensity of space and is the power that governs it and provides to it light, life, and law. In other words, such is the impact of an all-powerful God upon his creations.

Truth, the “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come” (D&C 93:24), as revealed by the Holy Ghost (D&C 79:2), is the power of knowledge that fills the immensity of His creations because He is all-knowing. Thus from the time we were born as spirit offspring of Elohim in the pre-mortal existence, light and truth have provided us the direction by which we progressed (matured) toward becoming as our heavenly parents are.

An understanding of the intelligence must go beyond just the realization that this “light and truth” (D&C 93:36) element of our being is co-eternal with God, and that when “this intelligence [is] combined with the spirit [it] constitutes a spiritual identity or individual” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Progress of Man 11). An infant intelligence possesses the capacity to grow in understanding, power, and light through obedience to law until it becomes like unto our Heavenly Father, the Supreme Intelligence (Mormon Doctrine 387). Joseph Smith taught that “God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself” . . . [i.e., gaining in] “knowledge, power, glory and intelligence” until they are as He is (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 354).

So how do I understand these pieces work together? Truth and light emanating from the presence of God provide us direction at all stages of our progression enabling us to return to our Heavenly Father, if we so desire, and eventually become as He is. Like a directional beacon for an aircraft, we can find our way through the trials and circumstances of the pre-mortal, mortal, and post-mortal phases of our existence if we but follow God’s light and truth.

Because we did so in heaven, we received an opportunity to come to earth as opposed to being cast down to Hell with Satan. In this world, we are responsible to find light and truth and cling to their direction as opposed to following the ways of the world that are really the ways of the devil. If we fail to recognize and follow the correct path, we will be condemned (D&C 93:31-32). How is this fair? Our intelligence, that is light and truth, recognized light and truth while we were in Elohim’s presence. With that experience, we should be able to detect light and truth even in this darkened existence. However, our Father has not left us entirely alone in this pursuit of his “way.” The Light of Christ seeks to direct all men toward doing what is righteous as opposed to that which is sinful. If we respond to the promptings of his Spirit, we can find the gospel and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The latter will serve as a powerful ally in our efforts to remain on course. If we are worthy when we leave this world, we will have the benefit of Christ’s presence, the Second Comforter, to provide us even more potent assistance in our pursuit to become as our Father in Heaven is.

In mortality, God’s law manifests itself in the form of commandments, revelations, ordinances, covenants, judgments, etc. (Mormon Doctrine 149). These are the steps we are to follow in the “way” that light and truth delineate for us. The degree to which we are obedient to God’s law will determine the nature of our resurrection (D&C 88:28-45). In addition, we will be resurrected with a body that is materially consistent with the degree of glory (celestial, terrestrial, telestial) or non-glory (hell) we have earned in this life as a result of our obedience or disobedience to God’s law. The Savior said, “He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things” (D&C 93:28). Having progressed to that end by means provided by a loving Father and a loving Savior, we will have fulfilled the full measure and purpose of our creation.

The Church of Jesus Christ in All Dispensations

During August, Priesthood brethren and Relief Society sisters should study lesson #16 in our lesson manual, Gospel Principles, entitled “The Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times.” I was delighted to see this lesson title inasmuch as we spend precious little time discussing this topic. As I read the lesson, my delight diminished. “Former times” as used in the lesson title is interpreted to mean the two Churches organized by the Savior in Asia and America during the meridian of time. Unfortunately, this lesson will tend to perpetuate the mistaken notion that the Church of Jesus Christ did not exist on the earth before the Lord’s birth. This situation is only slightly mitigated by the contents of lesson #15 that concerns the subjects of covenants and the Abrahamic covenant in particular. The purpose of this writing is to set forth materials that substantiate that the Church of Jesus Christ has existed on the earth since the days of Adam.

An individual might begin his or her consideration of this subject by turning to the “Bible Dictionary” that is located near the back of the Holy Bible published by the LDS Church. It is well worth the space needed here to quote from the material that appears there under the topic heading “Church.” “The church is the organized body of believers who have taken upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ by baptism and confirmation. To be the true church it must be the Lord’s church, and must have his laws, his name, and be governed by him through representatives whom he has appointed. In this sense, the church began with the days of Adam, and has been on the earth among mankind whenever there were a group of believers who had the priesthood and revelations of heaven. . . . The O.T. uses the term congregation for church. The word kingdom is often used in the scriptures to mean the church, since the church is literally the kingdom of God on the earth.”

The Prophet Joseph Smith bore testimony to the truthfulness of this statement. “I say, in the name of the Lord, that the kingdom of God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam to the present time. Whenever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word and gave power and authority to administer in His name, and where there is a priest of God--a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God, there is the kingdom of God; . . . Where there is no kingdom of God there is no salvation” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 271-272). Unless I am misreading the Prophet’s first sentence, we may assume that somewhere on the earth the Kingdom of God has existed unabated from the days of Adam to our very day.

In what the Prophet Joseph Smith called “a revelation on priesthood,” he was instructed concerning the lineage through which the Melchizedek Priesthood passed from Adam to Abraham. The Lord concludes this discussion by saying, “Which priesthood continueth in the church of God in all generations, and is without beginning of days or end of years” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:17). About three years later in another revelation on the Priesthood, the Lord explained the reason for the renaming of the High Priesthood. “Before [Melchizedek’s] day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood” (D&C 107:3-4).

Book of Mormon prophets spoke clearly upon this subject. Nephi taught his people concerning the baptism of Jesus Christ and the importance of following His example. “Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. . . . And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there in none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end” (2 Nephi 31:17 & 21) In all dispensations beginning with Adam, baptism and confirmation have been the necessary means by which all individuals were required to enter the Kingdom of God or His Church on the earth. Nephi’s teachings preceded the condescension of Jesus Christ as savior by well more than five hundred years.

And if the point has not been made sufficiently, then I will conclude this writing with the words of God spoken to Adam: “I am God. I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh. If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you” (Moses 6:51-52).