My Preface
The Savior of the world said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.[1]
The purpose of this blog is to help encourage all who labour for Christ (Greek kopiao: those who “grow weary, exhausted with toil or burdens of grief; to feel fatigue[2]) to come unto Christ ever more fully and “enter into His rest.” My intention is to awaken you to certain scriptural passages that detail events experienced by many others of past gospel dispensations, over hundreds of years of religious history. The detailed descriptions of these events articulate powerful testimonials achieved by those who valiantly took to heart our Savior’s invitation to: “Come unto me,” that He might show us the greater things, the knowledge which is been hidden up because of unbelief;[3] and “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”[4]
As a significant and powerful side-note, these events weren’t experienced by Holy prophets alone, as some may suppose, but by an exceedingly great many other saints while yet in mortality; though hard to imagine, but nonetheless true.[5] This you will soon see in following posts. And, because these profound experiences are so vividly chronicled by prophet writers of the Book of Mormon (and other books of the standard works), it becomes apparent they are intended to be stepping-stones leading to the fullest blessings of the gospel of Christ, even while living within the confines of our mortal lives. And because of the sheer numbers, it seems they are intended to be universally available to all saints, of all gospel dispensations. In reality, the realization of the greater spiritual experiences boils down to the strength of one’s faith and how he or she perceives spiritual matters.
With this being said, it seems these events are intended to lure our faith to the highest levels of spiritual altitudes and possibilities; yea, to the highest levels of mortal man’s spiritual maturity. This should be both encouraging and exciting to every Latter-day Saint that wishes to access the fullness of the gospel of Christ. As we will see in the next few posts, the Lord does NOT intend that His covenant people should stagnate in the shadows of limited knowledge or testimony; but instead, to increase in the brilliance of God’s light and understanding–until that perfect day. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord said: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.[6]
I would like to add a crucial piece of advice to every reader, going forward: please give special attention to the footnoted material sighted herein: this is an important and irreplaceable key to the evidence of the thoughts presented. Most will be tempted to simply read-on without considering the evidence of the referenced material. But, each and every footnote is important and carries much weight to the thoughts expressed. The homilies and important doctrinal instructions will be found in the referenced material throughout the upcoming blog posts, not in my limited thoughts or inadequate expressions.
It’s my intent to lend great emphasis to a number of scriptural passages by throwing a beam of light upon them. Some of the crucial subjects we’ll be discussing going forward, include: the process of being born again; the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; justification; sanctification; and eventual redemption. What do these words really mean and are they important to us today? Together, we’ll investigate their significance and their scriptural definitions. I maintain they are critical to my own individual spiritual advancement and maturing, but you’ll need to find out for yourself if they are important to you, as the Spirit of the Lord graciously speaks to your heart and mind.
All too often, when we open the scriptures for daily reading, we have the tendency to gloss over certain words without giving technical thought to their meaning; and by so doing, we sometimes fail to understand the greater message–the greater portion of the word! But, if we ponder the scriptural definition of each word, and carefully consider the powerful effects each of these words play upon the eager beneficiary, they take on a whole new light and give way to a far deeper understanding of the context in which they are used. By so doing, they will resonate with much greater meaning deep within our souls, and at the same time, draw us ever nearer to God if we believe and obey.
So, come with me, and let’s open our eyes together as we consider some of the greater portions of the word. But remember, view these things with your spiritual eyes, that your heart may correctly discern between truth and error. Take the time to pray, and absorb that which seems to speak truth to your soul; discard all the rest!
I wish to make perfectly clear to everyone that may continue to read this blog, going forward. I’m obviously not a spokesman for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in any way. I hold no significant priesthood office of responsibility. I am no one of any prominent or particular importance. My only calling of influence is with my family, as a father and a husband. Outside this boundary, my responsibility lies no further than that of any other lay member of the church, which is the mandate to teach and edify one another. So, take my words as with a grain of salt. I only ask that you seriously and prayerfully consider the words and verses we’ll be turning a spotlight to and discussing. It’s my hope that we each come away with a greater understanding by gleaning all we can from each highlighted word and verse. So again, come with me; let’s venture out to the deeper waters of the gospel sea together, and experience a greater portion of the word, as the Spirit takes us there.
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[1] Matt 11:28
[2] New Strong’s, p. G143; See also Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, by Robert Young; Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC, Peabody, MA; August 2014; p. 581
[3] Ether 4:13-14
[4] John 7:37
[5] See Alma 13:12
[6] D&C 50:24 (I believe this to be the day we are consumed in the Light of lights; consumed in the brilliance of Christ’s love and His person and glory: a day greater than any other day. Indeed, a most perfect day)