2 Nephi 33: 5-6:
Nephi knew Christ had redeemed his soul from hell, for He had declared it to Nephi. The reason Nephi understood the fullness of Christ's Gospel, could declare the doctrine of Christ, and was a prophet given a commission to teach was because he had been taught by the Lord. (2 Nephi 11: 2.) The return to Christ's presence was not merely a spectacular event to write in a journal, or a bragging point to claim among others. Indeed, much of what Nephi obtained from the Lord was never recorded for us or Nephi's posterity. The return was to obtain light and truth, or intelligence, which is the glory of God. It was to be ministered to by the Perfect Teacher. This, in turn, made Nephi the great minister he became.
"And it speaketh harshly against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written save he shall be of the spirit of the devil. I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell."
Nephi's writings "speaketh harshly against sin."This is because of "plainness of the truth." If you're going to speak plainly about sin, the words are necessarily harsh, because there's no other way to be plain about it. Warning against sin and pride is offensive. (2 Nephi 4: 13.)
Those who become angry at the truth have "the spirit of the devil" in them. That is, they are under the devil's influence and deceived. Nephi understood this principle because of his older brothers' reactions. (1 Nephi 16: 1-2.) So when someone becomes angry at the truth, they are in darkness.
Christ gave this as one of the signs of the deceived. They argue against the truth and become angry. (3 Nephi 11: 29.)
Those who are Christ's, however, join with Nephi in glorying in plainness, even if it cuts or requires repentance. They appreciate the plain direction which allows them to follow in the true path. They appreciate truth, even when it condemns their acts and requires them to change. They glory in Christ, preferring Him to unbelief, traditions of men, and the arm of flesh.
Nephi knew Christ had redeemed his soul from hell, for He had declared it to Nephi. The reason Nephi understood the fullness of Christ's Gospel, could declare the doctrine of Christ, and was a prophet given a commission to teach was because he had been taught by the Lord. (2 Nephi 11: 2.) The return to Christ's presence was not merely a spectacular event to write in a journal, or a bragging point to claim among others. Indeed, much of what Nephi obtained from the Lord was never recorded for us or Nephi's posterity. The return was to obtain light and truth, or intelligence, which is the glory of God. It was to be ministered to by the Perfect Teacher. This, in turn, made Nephi the great minister he became.
The Greatest Servant teaches servants to serve. They are not chosen to be idolized. They are not chosen so a band can strike up "Hail to the Chief" when they enter a room, as everyone rises in adoration and respect. Nor are they chosen to wear silk robes, with subservient sycophants kissing their ring in adoration, hoping for favors. They are chosen instead to serve, while being discarded, challenged, rejected and scorned. Yet in this they only follow their Master, who came not to be served, but to serve. Christ disparaged us gentiles because we submit to abuse and call our abusers our benefactors. (Luke 22: 25-27.)
We hardly understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ at all because we utterly reject its principles. We won't live them to know if they are true. Then in our ignorant darkness we judge the light. All the while Nephi's words invite us to choose a different route, act with real intent, with full purpose of heart, repenting of our sins to find our way back into the light. Instead, we cling to the false traditions of our fathers, claiming for ourselves the prerogatives of God Himself, believing we are better than others, and failing to see the burden of sin we carry in our blind ignorance.
Nephi may have gloried in plainness, but we glory in positive messages telling us we will be saved in our sins. Nephi may have gloried in Jesus, but we use His name to endorse our products and ratify our false teachings. Nephi may have urged the plainness of truth itself, but we market based on focus group tested and opinion polled results so our product line should get good market acceptance.
Nephi may have gloried in plainness, but we glory in positive messages telling us we will be saved in our sins. Nephi may have gloried in Jesus, but we use His name to endorse our products and ratify our false teachings. Nephi may have urged the plainness of truth itself, but we market based on focus group tested and opinion polled results so our product line should get good market acceptance.
Nephi's way would work better, you know. The truth attracts those who seek truth. No matter how utterly it may fail in market testing, truth sells. Truth attracts. At least it attracts the Master's sheep, and we'll never be able to save any others anyway. So we should offer the truth to make a clarion call to those sheep. When we dilute it with the theories of marketing, the arm of flesh, salesmanship and branding, the sheep have no idea that there is any truth under the slick presentation. How can you hear the Master's voice in such a cacophony of Wall Street gibberish? Truth alone wins, prevails, succeeds against all opposition and will have its final vindication in the triumph of the Lamb!
I appreciate Nephi's plainness and preference for the truth. I think I may join him in that view. I suppose, however, it'll make some folks angry.
"We hardly understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ at all because we utterly reject its principles. We won't live them to know if they are true. Then in our ignorant darkness we judge the light."
ReplyDeleteThis statement reminds me of D&C 58:30-33
30 Who am I that made man, saith the Lord, that will hold him guiltless that obeys not my commandments?
31 Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled?
32 I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing.
33 Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled. But wo unto such, for their reward lurketh beneath, and not from above.
I have been guilty of this sin in the past as well. But amazingly enough, when true principles are sincerely sought and lived, the Lord is always true to His word.
Thank you for the insights you have shared Denver. It has been most helpful and illuminating.
You are right Denver. The more I seek, ponder and pray, the harder it appears to get into the church of the Firstborn. I use to be like the majority of "saints"... thinking I had it made, at least until I studied the gospel with real intent. I am sorry for our false traditions, our lack of love of truth and light, our lack of desire to truly learn all about Him to come unto Him and become like Him. I'm sorry for our lack of belief in celestial manifestations that could be had if we just sought and inquired with pure hearts. I'm sorry for out turning away from so many revelations alrady given to the church... for our picking and choosing what we want to follow, instead of following and living by EVERY WORD given us already... which is enough to exalt us. How to obtain a Fulness with the Father has been revealed to us... and we have treated lightly and more than that, lost our true focus and vision to become the Lord's true Zion people. But when we think we already have all we need, we don't even understand we need to seek for more... we are carnally pacified and slowly led to a place we never intended.
ReplyDeleteI love all of the gospel. I love everything the Lord asked us to establish and live. I understand the reasons, benefits and blessings that can come from living "true mormonism". Joseph taught mormonism is about embracing all truth and living acordingly. We have already lost so much, and still call our selves blessed. So many alienate themselves from those in the church who begin to question their own religion and truths given us. We mock the people who have tried to keep alive truths that we gave up on... we call them "those people"... in fact, it seems the church is most offended if you associate with such people. Those people are holding to the truth, while we give up on it. But I also see that so many among "those people" get complacent with what they have, and call it good enough. Until we are sitting at the Lord's feet, listening to Him personally... we "have not arrived yet" (my GPS likes to tell me this often... I laugh everytime). I just want to know how to arfive in our day. I want to learn all the truth I can from everyone, especially if their words are filled with light. I want to sit at the feet of my Lord who can tell me best how to live in our day, so I can best know how to bring others to Him. But, I have quickly learned, that if others don't want to obtain the knowledge and truth necessary to bring us there, they won't budge. They pacify themselves, they will say our prophet has that duty, that he will tell us all we need to know and do. I wish that was happening. I wish we had leaders truly entering therein and helping the least of these do the same.
So this is the message I give out to all... we must always be searching and seeking for more, for better ways of doing things, for more revelation, more truth, more personal connection with the Father and Son throughout the entire body of so called "saints" of today. There is so much the Lord wishes to bestow upon us and the world in our behalf, if we'd only do our part to merit those things. If we'd only get down on our knees, repent for our backsliding and only living what we wish to live, for treating lightly many of the revelations we have received. My words may seem harsh, but they are my heart felt words. I do not wish to offend or turn people away, I only want solutions, I want a fulness among our people and all those who love truth and are willing to live up to it. I wish we were wrong. I wish all was well in Zion. But I am optomomistic the Lord will come thru for those of us truly seeking with all our hearts to come unto Him, even in a strange intermission such as ours. It appears we must do this personally, and help others all we can to do the same.
It may be that Solomon provides a parable for our day. He heaped up wives and concubines to himself and who could argue that that wasn't his right? Only the prophets could say which he did sinfully and which he didn't, but the people are subject to the king. Solomon had gained great wisdom from dallying with all these other kingdoms and sought for a time to use the council for the good of the Lord's kingdom, but it was too cumbersome a system of council and support, and his wives overran his efforts, and even his own mind. Solomon learned true wisdom after it was too late, and likely tried to disseminate this "aha" information under the pseudonym "The Preacher" in Ecclesiastes. By that time, his reputation as a wise man was shot, so he likely couldn't put it under his own name. He was probably penitent and trying to undo some of the damage. Read that book when you get a chance.
ReplyDeleteEnter Jeroboam, a chief local architect that Solomon put in charge after he was trained by the expertise of Lebanon and Syria. Solomon's son Rehoboam followed the wicked ways of Solomon. Jeroboam was given 10 parts of the kingdom by prophecy and support of the Lord, and Rehoboam only 2. Jeroboam was of Ephraim, and the new kingdom is our history, since we claim to be Ephraimites.
Shall we now, as Ephraimites, claiming to be better than Solomon's folly, turn to the very thing we despised so long ago?
Who can argue it is the right of the leaders of the Church to hire opinion pollsters and social scientists (wives and concubines) to gain wisdom thereby? But shall the warning of Solomon not teach them to be careful? Shall they not be polluted in some way by this folly, and the wisdom of our wise perish like Solomon's did as well, and then the Lord be justified to turn the kingdom from Ephraim back to Judah?
The scripture says "they [meaning us, the Gentile Ephraimites] shall not have any power but to confer the blessings upon another". True, richer blessings are promised us for blessing the returning Israelites, but only if we merit the crown of the servant and give them back their title, and thus emulate Christ.
Like Solomon, even the very elect will be deceived. Are we not told that plainly? Divorce these foreign wives and concubines. Purge out the iniquity. Repent in dust and ashes. We must all do it in our hearts, I believe. Food for thought. I could be wrong.
Such a great post Denver! Thank you for writing it.
ReplyDeleteI continually find & don't understand why almost every single person I talk with, LDS or not, gets angry & upset when I talk about Christ's 'Gospel of Unconditional True Love' & having it for your spouse, no matter what, even for a wicked, adulterous or abandoning spouse.
Every other doctrine Christ taught stems from having True Love.
But then, I guess even his disciples had a hard time with the idea of True Love & thought it might be better to just not marry at all, if that was the requirement.
Anonymous 1:35pm One reason why some LDS people may feel the way they do is because we are taught that God's love is NOT Unconditional.
ReplyDeleteEnsign » 2003 » February
Divine Love
By Elder Russell M. Nelson
"While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional."
I think there are two concerns in this thinking. 1.Does any mortal man know God's attributes well enough to put the bounds on his attributes? 2.By putting conditions on God's love, don't we open the door to put conditions on loving our neighbor?
Reading the talk, makes one think..
AK,
ReplyDeleteElder Nelson was mainly pointing out that we often assume "Unconditional love' as unconditional blessings & rewards. Such rewards & blessings are in fact 'conditional' but Heavenly Father's & Christ's love for us is 'Unconditional' They love & care about us & give their life for us no matter what we may do.
They ask us to have the same 'unconditional love' for our spouse & children & others.
In fact, it is impossible for any marriage to be ever be eternal unless at least one spouse has Unconditional True Love for the other in this life to hold it together in case the other falls & breaks their covenants.
Other Prophets have affirmed that 'Unconditional love' is the kind of love God & Christ have for us & that they expect us to have it also:
True Unconditional Love is the power by which Christ saved us & is also the way & the love that we can save our spouse & children. It is the greatest power in the universe.
"The unbelieving husband is sanctified (cleansed) by the wife, & the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, else where your children unclean (unsaved, but now are they holy (saved)." 1 Cor. 7:14
The above scripture teaches that if a spouse will save their errant spouse (by keeping their covenants of True Love) they can then save their children.
"As our perfect parent, God loves us all unconditionally. It is his desire that we give each other the same unconditional love."
Family Home Evening Resource Book
"A marriage that is built on this foundation of Unconditional Love is the covenant & oath of the eternal dimmension does not know the two self-centered individuals living together as we often observe in today's society."
F. Enzio Busche, CR Apr. 1982.
"In fact, did not Jesus counsel Peter to feed his 'lambs' as well as his 'sheep'? (John 21:15-16) There is no human condition in which the unconditional love of a true shephard is wasted."
Neil A. Maxwell, Ensign 1985.
"It is within our families that we learn unconditional love, which can come to us & draw us very close to God's love."
M. Russell Ballard, Liahona, Nov. 2003.
"True Love. It is there through thick and thin. It endures through sunshine and shadow, through darkest sorrow and on into the light. It never fails. So Christ loved us, and that is how He hoped we would love each other. Of course, such Christlike staying power in romance and marriage requires more than any of us really have. It requires something more, an endowment from heaven. You want capability, safety and security... in married life and eternity? Be a true disciple of Jesus. Believe that your faith has everything to do with your romance. Jesus Christ, is the only lamp by which you can successfully see the path of love and happiness for you and your sweetheart. How should I love thee? As He does, for that way "never faileth"."
Elder Holland, "How Do I Love Thee?", BYU Speeches 1999-2000, 158-62, 15 Feb. 2000.
Unconditional True Love never ends or gives up no matter what & those who possess it care more about their spouse's happiness & welfare than their own. Their spouse & keeping their covenants of True Love to their spouse means more to them than their life.
They would rather die than lose their marriage to their spouse or hurt or abandon them in any way.
That is 'Unconditional True Love' which I have found most people get to defensive & angry about.
"The term unconditional means “without condition or limitation; absolute.”
ReplyDeleteIs God's love “without condition or limitation; absolute.”?
Yes AK,
ReplyDeleteAgain, I do believe that God's love is 'without condition or limitation & absolute'. I know I try to have that kind of love for my spouse & children.
Dying for & making an atonement for your enemies, as Christ did, is about as 'unconditional' as you can get.
The same goes for a spouse who gives their life one day at a time to stay faithful to & keep their covenants to love & serve a wicked adulterous abandoning spouse, in order to save that wicked spouse & be able to bring them into the Celestial Kingdom to be with you forever, when they would not have earned it otherwise.
It's not a pretty thing for it requires great & painful daily sacrifice but it's real & it's definately unconditional, without limit or condition.
the term "unconditional love" is not scriptural and imo, using causes more trouble than it solves.
ReplyDeleteThe whole gospel is one of conditions, including conditions on God's Love.
D&C 95:12:
12 If you keep not my commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you, therefore you shall walk in darkness.
Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ben. My thoughts exactly. When I read Elder Nelson's talk years ago, I thought..."Hallelujah, finally dispelling this prevailing attitude that creates apathy in our conduct...the old "chances are you'll be exalted" attitude, rather than a recognition that we must move beyond our mediocrity in our obedience and not just think the Lord's love for us will override consequences we sow by our behavior. The thing I got out of his talk is that there is a link between charity and obedience. Christ had perfect charity because he also obeyed His Father perfectly. Obedience, as typified by not only Christ, but by Nephi's walk, also, is a crucial factor in one's abililty to receive the gift of charity. There is a link between obedience and perfect love...that's what I got out of the message. Perhaps I am in error in my thoughts. But I believe I was taught this by the spirit many years ago when I was inquiring and Elder Nelson's talk came years later and seemed to confirm that truth. (although I am inadequate at explainging the whole connection and this venue makes such explanation impossible, anyway).
ReplyDeleteWho really understands charity which is defined as the Pure Love of Christ? Moroni says if we are found with it in the last day it will be well with us. It is obviously the 'love' which is synonymous with Christ's atoning sacrifice. It "is" what it "is" - which is what Christ "IS" - until we understand Christ we will not understand Charity.
ReplyDeleteMoroni explains how it is obtained:
Moroni 8:24 Behold, my son, this thing (infant baptism) ought not to be; for repentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse of a broken law.
25 And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;
26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.
J
Suggesting God's love is conditional seems strange to me. That's like trying to suggest that because God still progresses that He just may not be completely perfect yet. What good comes from such thoughts? Jesus has never given a caveat, as far as I know, to the commandment to love our enemies and to bless those and pray for those who persecute us. Why would He, who is perfect, not be perfect in love? Why would He love us any less when we sin? Especially since He is omniscient and knows the end from the beginning. Perhaps we are less able to feel His love when we do not have the Spirit but even then I think God can make His spirit and love felt and known to whomever He wants, I.e. Saul, Alma the younger, etc. Are you suggesting that God hates Satan? Or the sinner? Wouldn't you think Satan would like God to hate him? What would that achieve? If the love of the Book of Mormon prophets was such that they could not bare the thought of even one soul perishing, would God's love be any less? It all reminds me so much of the self righteous BS wielded by priestly authorities to scare you into repenting. I thought anonymous did a pretty good job citing "scripture" from General Conference, and IMO, we should be more focused on loving unconditionally than looking for some cutesy loophole that lets us off the hook.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the love of the Father not continuing with you is very different than God not having love for you.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean the Lord does not love the sinner? Of course not. Divine love is infinite and universal. The Savior loves both saints and sinners. The Apostle John affirmed, “We love him, because he first loved us.” And Nephi, upon seeing in vision the Lord’s mortal ministry, declared: “The world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.” We know the expansiveness of the Redeemer’s love because He died that all who die might live again.
ReplyDeleteOf course there are conditions to receive the blessings of the Fathers, BUT my brothers and sisters, GOD IS LOVE! If He loves those who keep His commandments, this does not suggest He loves those who don't. Remember He leaves the 99 to go after the 1! Does He do this grudgingly, without love like most of us do?
Romans 8:35-39
ReplyDelete35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalms139:8
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Sounds pretty unconditional to me.
As for D&C95:12, I believe it is OUR love for god which fails when we are disobedient and we cannot feel his love for us, though as he is constantly reaching out to us. "How oft would I have gathered you . . . "
Also check out Hosea, where he and his prostitute wife are symbolizing the Lord, and the church. Hosea is quite ready to take back the unfaithful wife, but she must go her own way first, and "make her bed in hell" before she is ready to come back.
Simply said Gods love is not conditional, His blessings are.I love him for that.My heart breaks at the thought of me, myself turning away from him and getting into bed with other gods.
ReplyDeleteI love you TV (well I must I have spent so much of my life with you). I love you my job, you provide for me and my family,even when I am old and grey you will help me and care for my many trips to all kinds of peaceful nice places.I have even snuggled right up to the Church, The sweet songs and praise helping me to know I am one of gods chosen, why I am one of his poeple I know so much about eternity and how things really are(if only these poeple would listen I could show them how to live).
It would seem to me that every cute distraction with a short skirt that passes by me becomes a god to me for a while.So many of you feel like you are part of those who are the humble followers of Christ and I truly pray you are. As for me, I know in my heart that I am one of the whores who has turned away from the One, who has ever loved me with out condition. No I do not feel his love when I am with another.
Thank you Nephi for cuting my heart with the truth.Thank you Denver for using another prophets words to help me to feel and see. I have much to repent of, after all are not these words for me.
Ben,
ReplyDeleteThe scripture you used means that the Father's Spirit, which is love, will not remain with us, if we are not worthy. The Spirit is love.
But though we may not be able to 'feel' the Father's love for us does not mean in any way that he loves us less or conditionally.
Our feeling his love is based upon 'conditions' of our righteousness though.
It doesn't matter that the scriptures don't use the words 'unconditional love', there are many things not talked about or as plainly talked about in the scriptures, as Prophets do today. It's pretty common sense that our Father & Christ love us unconditionally. The Spirit can teach you this even if the Prophets haven't spoke enough on it yet.
I have found that often those who don't believe in Unconditional True Love are those who often don't want to have to give it. It's a very convenient belief for them.
But anyone who has learned to love unconditionally, like especially mothers, can tesify of it's truthfulness. Women usually understand it more than men for women must put their life on the line unconditionally & repeatedly to give life.
No love is even real or sincere unless it is 'unconditional'.
I can't help but think we (myself included) sound like Laman and Lemuel in the way Denver described: debating points of doctrine rather than getting to know the Doctrine-Maker and feeling His love.
ReplyDeleteAnnonymous @ 3:32 AM (wow, that's early) said: I have found that often those who don't believe in Unconditional True Love are those who often don't want to have to give it.
ReplyDeleteI believe this answers the whole question of whether God's love is conditional or not. It depends on what condition I am in. If I am living the Celestial Law and the law of sacrifice, then I am in a state of BEing, dwelling in God's love. If I am living the Terrestrial Law or the Law of Justice, then I am defining God's love as conditional (fairness or justice), thus it becomes so. God is not putting the conditions on it, I am. The love is there. I am just limiting access to it because the conditions I choose, and put upon myself. Am I in a Telestial, Terrestrial or Celestial state (or condition)? That will define the state or condition of how God's love is received. Much like if I forgive others, I am practicing the law of mercy, and I, in turn, will be forgiven. As a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he."
Doug
I think we're missing a bit of the point, the most interesting conditions with regard to God's love aren't on the bottom end, but on the top end, where a greater and more profound portion of God's Love can be merited and enjoyed.
ReplyDeletePut your "Denver" glasses on when reading these scriptures, they don't make sense if you already have decided no conditions are possible. Read the verses for what they say. Its all to easy to see the word "love" and try to define it away as not really meaning "love" at all.
Here's the most profound example of the upward conditions on God's love, from John 14.
21 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.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto 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.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
The point is that by making covenants, keeping the commandments and loving the Father and His Christ, we can enjoy a greater portion of his love. Notice, "if a man love me..." is a conditional statement.
Very good, Ben.
ReplyDeleteI also go back to the fruit of the tree in Lehi's dream. The fruit was the love of God. Did Laman and Lemuel partake? No. Was it offered? Certainly.
What if the only condition is to forsake all conditions?
ReplyDeleteTo be disobedient is to put a condition upon His words.
To not sacrifice is to put a condition on His gift for you, saying you will not accept it unless you can keep what is not yours yet.
To not live the law of chastity is to want cause without effect, a condition upon the laws of the Universe.
To not live the law of consecration is to make conditions as to when you will give and when you will not give, causing the beggar to put up his petition to you in vain.
The covenants are the absence of man's conditions. Commandments are a man-made thing. The Lord condescends to call His absence of conditions "commandments" to show the insanity of man's conditional living with covenants, contracts, bonds, oaths, vows, performances, and all other types of vanity in the face of what is offered.
The New and the Everlasting Covenant is a covenant that is a paradox in the Universe, a thing that destroys all bonds and slavery.
"If a man love..." Indeed! If a man love! If a man love he shall no longer be a man! The irony! If a man love, he will make no oaths anymore, forever and ever (unless he condescends)! Truly his yes shall be yes, and his no shall be no! Truly, indeed! Nothing shall be impossible (conditional) for such!
Notice it again:
"If" (a condition) "a man" (a thing full of conditions) "love" (possess a thing which is unconditional), he shall become an uncondition, and the veil will burst! He will negate all conditions keeping him from the Father and the Son.
Thank you, Ben.
To quote Lehi, "Salvation is free."
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like everyone is saying the same thing. But I love all the different angles.
ReplyDeleteThe vicious cycle in my mind is this: If (a conditional word) all conditions are dropped, and we accept God (love) then we can live in the world without conditions. We need to have conditions to not have conditions. (smoke coming out of ears)
This reminds me of Denver's point of the Hindu's mantra: Get off the wheel and return to God.
Doug
Well said Doug.
ReplyDelete"Knowest thou the condescension of God? And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."
Most of us are like Nephi and we don't understand the meaning of all things BUT we can know that God loves us all, without conditions. True, we will receive a greater portion of His love when we abide by His laws, but that is wholly different from whether God loves us or not. I think this is an important point and I am glad it is making people think. After all, love is, or ought to be, at the core of it all right? I don't think we are all saying the same thing here though. To suggest that God sets conditions on how much love we can receive is very different from whether or not God sets conditions on His love for us. That, I do not believe He does.
I do think a book should be written entitled - "Odds Are, I Am Going to Hell, but at Least I know God loves Me." I could author it as well as anyone. ;)
Thanks everyone for keeping kindness, forgiveness, love and a pinch of humor at the heart of this blog.