Christ's Infinite Grace

Have you ever laid in bed at the end of a long day and just reflected? Have you ever experienced feelings of remorse or regret for something you wish had never happened, feelings of guilt for a temptation you succumbed to or intentionally chose, feelings of confusion, sorrow, or rage because of someone else's actions, or feelings of hopelessness for dreams that have shattered or loved ones you've lost?

After a time you may fall asleep, but in the morning the weight is still there, heavy on your heart. You try to smile and face the day, slowly putting one foot in front of the other. You struggle day after day searching for a brief moment of relief from the weight in your chest or the memories you wish you could undo. Where can you turn to feel the hope and peace that have long since disappeared?

Throughout my life I have had many experiences where I have felt lost and had difficulties and struggles that no one had any idea I was going through. At times I felt like I had hit rock bottom and the heavens were closed. There are other times when I have done things I knew would drive away the spirit, but did them anyway. All of us have regrets, sorrow, and heartaches that we wish we could change.

But, as we all know, sometimes when we are in the middle of our trials we can lose sight of hope and the promise of good things to come. Life is not fair, and it is hard. Bad things happen to good people. We all make mistakes, sometimes the same mistakes over and over again. Where do we turn for answers? For hope? For peace when we are struggling just to make it through the end of the day, or even the hour?

Several years ago I was sitting on my bed. It was 10:00 in the morning and I was pretty much worn out, tired, and exhausted. I had no idea how I was going to make it through the rest of the day. I pulled out my scriptures and read in 2 Nephi, 

“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23).

My heart ached and I wanted to cry. “All we can do” seemed like such a burden. I turned to my Father in Heaven in prayer and said, “What if I’ve done all I can do for today?” 

As I waited, a peaceful feeling came over me. I knew He understood my capacity and limitations and that He understood that I really had done all I could that day.

Joseph Smith taught, 

“Our Father in heaven is more boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive” (Joseph Smith, History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]).

He loves us, in spite of our weaknesses and shortcomings. He has known us, His spirit children, for millions and millions of years. He knows what He is doing. He is not a junior God. He has created “worlds without number” and this world we live on is merely one of so many.

He has been where we are. He knows how hard life can be. He also knows what it will take to make it back to Him.

In Jesus the Christ we read, 

“The Eternal Father well understood the diverse natures and varied capacities of His spirit-offspring; and His infinite foreknowledge made plain to Him, even in the beginning, that in the school of life some of His children would succeed and others would fail; some would be faithful, others false; some would choose the good, others the evil; some would seek the way of life while others would elect to follow the road to destruction. He further foresaw that death would enter the world, and that the possession of bodies by His children would be of but brief individual duration. He saw that His commandments would be disobeyed and His law violated; and that men, shut out from His presence and left to themselves, would sink rather than rise, would retrogress rather than advance, and would be lost to the heavens” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, Deseret Book Company, 1990).

Our Father in Heaven knew we would make wrong choices and that is precisely why we are here! Life is about making mistakes, big and small. It is not about doing everything perfectly. We came to earth to learn by our own experience, to see what kind of choices we will make, and ultimately to find out what kind of person we want to be. 

President Dallin H. Oaks taught,

“The revealed doctrine of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all the children of God—with exceptions too limited to consider here—will ultimately inherit one of three kingdoms of glory, even the least of which 'surpasses all understanding.' After a period [of time] all will be resurrected and proceed to the Final Judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ. There, our loving Savior,…will send all the children of God to one of these kingdoms of glory according to the desires manifested through their choices” (Dallin H. Oaks, "Kingdoms of Glory", General Conference, October 2023).

The plan of our Heavenly Father was based on agency, the ability to choose. In the pre-mortal world we had agency. The war in heaven started because “Satan rebelled against [God], and sought to destroy the agency of man.”

I love the perspective that Elder D. Todd Christofferson gives about this. He said,

“This was not simply a case of Jesus supporting the Father’s plan and Lucifer proposing a slight modification. Lucifer’s proposal would have destroyed the plan by eliminating our opportunity to act independently. Lucifer’s plan was founded on coercion, making all the other sons and daughters of God—all of us—essentially his puppets….

“And let us remember, Satan was not volunteering to be our savior. He was not interested in suffering or dying for anyone. He wasn’t going to shed any of his blood. He wanted the glory, honor, and power of God without paying any price.…Lucifer was seeking for power without goodness. He supposed that he could be a law unto himself, meaning that the law would be whatever he said it was at any given moment and that he could change his mind at any time. In that way, no one could count on anything, and no one would have the ability to be an independent actor. He would be supreme, and no one else could advance” (D. Todd Christofferson, "A Message at Christmas", BYU Speeches, Dec 12, 2017).

The plan of our Heavenly Father was that Jesus would come down to earth and offer His life as a sacrifice for the demands of justice. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained, “our Lord voluntarily abased himself, or, rather, emptied himself of all his divine power, or enfeebled himself by relying upon his humanity and not his Godhood, so as to be as other men and thus be tested to the full by all the trials and torments of the flesh” (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p 119).

The price that was paid for us to have agency, the ability to make our own choices, cost  the life of His beloved Son and one-third part of all of our Father in Heaven’s spirit children. We had agency before we came to this earth, and it was so important that He allowed our spirit brothers and sisters the to use their agency to make that choice, knowing full well the eternal consequences of their decision.

Sometimes I have wondered why that third part was willing to follow Lucifer when they understood the eternal result of their choices. In response, Elder Robert D. Hales asks us an interesting question, “Do we ever do things that aren’t good for us, knowing full well what the consequences will be?”

In Matthew 25 the Savior teaches the parable of the talents. 

A man traveling to a far country called his servants together, “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability;” and then he left. To clarify, in this context, "several" is an archaic term that means "individual" or "distinct." It doesn’t mean multiple abilities but instead emphasizes that each person has their own unique ability (Explanation from Duck.AI).

The one with five talents made five more and the one with two made two more. The servant who was given one talent hid it until the master returned. The first two servants were rewarded for their efforts and the last servant was chastised for not even trying. 

The Lord expects from each of us according to our individual and unique abilities. The Lord wants us to try with what we have (even on those days where all we can do is get out of bed), and to keep moving forward, which can be especially challenging on the hard days.

There may be some days where you feel like the widow of Zarephath who had done all she could do, and had nothing more to give. She was living during a famine and was using the last of her food to make a meal for herself and her son and then was planning to slowly die of starvation. In this crucial situation the prophet Elijah came and asked her to give even more. It was a test of her faith. In response to her faith, the Lord took her simple offering, 'an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse' (1 Kings 17:12) and made it enough for her and her family to thrive on until the famine was over.

There was a time in my life when I was overwhelmed with more than I could handle. I had tried to do everything I could do to find help and answers and had nothing more to give, and yet I was still lacking. I asked for a priesthood blessing and in the blessing I was told that the Lord was not going to take away this trial, but that He was aware of me. 

Honestly, my heart sank. I had always relied on priesthood blessings for comfort and had been hoping for that again. Just as with the widow of Zarephath, I had to trust that the Lord had a plan for me.

When we are doing everything we can, but know that we are still falling short, by a long shot, how can we be expected to do more? The simple answer is through the grace of God. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our abilities and limitations.

Orson F. Whitney reminds us, “Our little finite afflictions are but a drop in the ocean, compared with the infinite and unspeakable agony borne by him for our sakes because we were not able to bear it for ourselves”  (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p128).

However, it is through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we are able to access His grace, his enabling power, his comfort, his help, and His love. 

Brad Wilcox shared a story that helped me understand grace a little better. He said: 

A BYU student once came to me and asked if we could talk. I said, “Of course. How can I help you?” 

She said, “I just don’t get grace.” 

I responded, “What is it that you don’t understand?” 

She said, “I know I need to do my best and then Jesus does the rest, but I can’t even do my best.”

She then went on to tell me all the things she should be doing…that she wasn’t doing.

She continued, “I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part?”

She then went on to tell me all the things that she shouldn’t be doing… but she was doing them anyway.

Finally I said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”

Seeing that she was still confused, I took a piece of paper and drew two dots—one at the top representing God and one at the bottom representing us. I then said, “Go ahead. Draw the line. How much is our part? How much is Christ’s part?”

She went right to the center of the page and began to draw a line. Then, considering what we had been speaking about, she went to the bottom of the page and drew a line just above the bottom dot.

I said, “Wrong.”

She said, “I knew it was higher. I should have just drawn it, because I knew it.”

I said, “No. The truth is, there is no line. Jesus filled the whole space. He paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished.”

She said, “Right! Like I don’t have to do anything?”

“Oh no,” I said, “you have plenty to do, but it is not to fill that gap. We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to God’s presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there.”

Brother Wilcox continued, Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice—not even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires immediate perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took that punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what justice never could (Brad Wilcox, "His Grace is Sufficient", BYU Speeches, July 12, 2011).

I want to share what Tad R. Callister taught about what Jesus Christ went through for us.

“The Savior’s sacrifice required inexhaustible stamina in order to bear the consequences of our sins and weather the temptations of the Evil One. But his suffering must have been more than a resigned submissiveness or a fist-clenching ‘taking of the stripes.’…There was a need to rescue and deliver souls from ‘the chains of hell’….

“The Savior’s redemption was a one-man rescue mission to deliver the prisoners of all ages from death and hell, of which Satan was the ever-so-vigilant guard….

“With merciless fury Satan’s forces must have attacked the Savor on all fronts—frantically, diabolically, seeking a vulnerable spot, ,a weakness, an Achilles’ heel through which they might inflict a ‘mortal’ wound, all in hopes they could halt the impending charge, but it was not to beg. The Savior pressed forward in bold assault until every prisoner was freed from the tenacious tentacles of the Evil On….

“[On the cross] the Savior’s ordeal had reached its climax. The storm of guilt, remorse, embarrassment, shame, and hopelessness that accompanies sin pressed with its full weight and fury upon him. His pure and sensitive soul, which had no blemish, no spot, which had never known sin in any degree, at any time, at any place was now facing evil of cataclysmic proportions. The price for evil in infinite measure was accounted for and paid for. All the senses a man has—intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and psychological…—were monopolized by thew effects that follow evil. the last trace of God’s healing light withdrew, to let the unrestrained effects of evil run their full course. No longer could the Father’s Spirit remain in the presence of infinite evil, now being assumed by the very one who embodied infinite goodness. At that point, the Son of Man, acutely alone in the fullest sense of that term, cried out in a moment of ultimate pathos, ‘My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?’. No one could claim he was spared any consequence of sin. There was no softening of the blow. He descended beneath it all” (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p129-130, 143).

Jesus Christ suffered more than we can ever imagine for you,,,and for me, because He loves us.

Now, when you lay in bed at the end of the day take time to reflect of God’s love for you. Rather than wonder if you deserve His sacrifice or His love—and none of us do—take time to ponder what He gave freely because of His love for you. Turn your thoughts from thinking about what you haven’t done and remember what He has done for you, and just celebrate it. Live in the wonder of it.

I testify that He is there. He is always there. He will always be there. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Plan of Salvation: Overview

Premortal World

Many years ago, perhaps even millions and millions of years ago, we lived as spirit children with our Father in Heaven. The Family: A Proclamation to the World states, "IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).

Architects create structures, and can call them their creations. However, these creations don’t have the potential to become like their builder. Our Heavenly Father has created us. We, as His spirit children, have the potential to become as He is. President Uchtdorf said, “My dear brothers and sisters, if we look at ourselves only through our mortal eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our Heavenly Father sees us as who we truly are and who we can become. He sees us as His sons and daughters, as beings of eternal light with everlasting potential and with a divine destiny” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “It Works Wonderfully!”, Ensign, November 2015).

It was in our pre-earthly estate that our Father in Heaven introduced His plan to us, His spirit children. Elder Robert D. Hales explained,

“In a premortal council, Heavenly Father explained to us His plan of redemption. The plan was based on doctrine, law, and principles that have always existed. We learned that if we accepted and followed the plan, we would be required to willingly leave our Father’s presence and be tested to show whether we would choose to live according to His laws and commandments. We rejoiced at this opportunity and gratefully sustained the plan because it offered us the way to become like our Heavenly Father and inherit eternal life.

“But the plan was not without risk: if we chose in mortality not to live according to God’s eternal laws, we would receive something less than eternal life. Father knew we would stumble and sin as we learned by experience in mortality, so He provided a Savior to redeem from sin all who repent and to heal the spiritual and emotional wounds of those who obey.” (Robert D. Hales, “The Plan of Salvation: A Sacred Treasure of Knowledge to Guide Us”, Ensign, Oct 2015).

The Atonement of Jesus Christ, is a critical piece in our Father’s Plan. In the Bible Dictionary we read that, “All are covered unconditionally as pertaining to the fall of Adam. Hence, all shall rise from the dead with immortal bodies, because of Jesus’ atonement…The atonement is conditional, however, so far as each person’s individual sins are concerned, and touches every one to the degree that he has faith in Jesus Christ, repents of his sins, and obeys the gospel” (Bible Dictionary: Atonement).

We know, however, that not everyone was joyful about the news, nor did everyone accept the Father’s plan. We had agency in the premortal world, just as we have it now. Joseph Fielding Smith taught, “God gave his children their free agency even in the spirit world, by which the individual spirits had the privilege, just as men have here, of choosing the good and rejecting the evil, of partaking of the evil to suffer the consequences of their sins. Because of this, some even there were more faithful than others in keeping the commandments of the Lord” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:58-59).

We know through the scriptures that Lucifer turned,

“a third part of the hosts of heaven…away from [our Father in Heaven] because of their agency;

And they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels;” (Doctrine &Covenants 29:36-37).

These spirits, just as we, lived in the presence of God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. They were given the opportunity to make a conscious, informed choice, and made their choice knowing full well what the consequence would be.

Elder Tad R. Callister, in his book The Infinite Atonement noted that, “All premortal spirits commenced their spirit sojourn innocent (i.e., meaning free from sin), but all such spirits lost their innocence through individual sin” (Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p77). He also reminds us that, “the two-thirds that remained were not all equal in their allegiance and obedience to God. At their spiritual birth they were ‘on the same standing as their brethren’, but through the laws of agency each spirit advanced at his own rate so that only some became ‘noble and great ones’” (Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p76-77).

Birth

From our premortal life, we came down to our second estate on earth, through the miracle of birth. A veil of forgetfulness was placed over our memories so that we would have to live by faith in this life. In the Book of Mormon Alma taught that, “this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32). And from the Book of Abraham we learn that we are here on earth to be tested, and “to see if [we] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command [us]. And they who keep their first estate [that is to be obedient in the premortal existence] shall be added upon; … and they who keep their second estate [that is, to be obedient during mortal life] shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.” (Abraham 3:25-26). Of these verses Elder Richard G. Scott stated,

“So that the period of mortal testing and growth would yield its greatest benefit, you were taught and prepared for the circumstances you would personally encounter in mortality. Our Father’s pattern for guiding you through mortal life was explained. …God would give each child moral agency, the right to choose His counsel or to ignore it. All would be encouraged but not forced to obey. You understood that while you could choose your path on earth, you could not determine the outcome of your choices. That would be decided by eternal law” (Richard G. Scott, “Truth Restored”, Ensign, November 2005).

Mortality

We are now here in mortality. We have some glimpses of what happened before this life, but we were sent here to live by faith and to use our agency to learn for ourselves; to choose between good and evil, right and wrong, and sometimes between something good and something even better.

This life is a time where we will be tried and tested, again and again. The adversary is very aware of who we are, and who we can become; he and his minions do not have a veil covering their memories. But the Lord does not either. And, with Him at our side we can succeed because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Understanding the Atonement of Jesus Christ is essential to our eternal success on this earth. As we come to understand the power that is available to us through the Atonement, not just the power to repent but also the power to change, we can gain confidence as we make our journey back to our Father in Heaven.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “God knew the challenges [those in mortality] would face, and He certainly knew how lonely and troubled they would sometimes feel. So He watched over His mortal family constantly, heard their prayers always, and sent prophets (and later apostles) to teach, counsel, and guide them” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Angels”, Ensign, Nov 2008).

Through miracles too numerous to be counted we have the fullness of the gospel on the earth. The gospel of Jesus Christ was restored by Jesus Christ, through the prophet Joseph Smith. We have the Priesthood restored to the earth through which we can make covenants that will help us on our path back to our Father in Heaven. In fact, we have everything that we will need to make it back to Him, if we will do what He asks and endure to the end.

Lorenzo Snow taught, “The Lord has placed before us incentives of the grandest character. In the revelations which God has given, we find what a person can reach who will travel this path of knowledge and be guided by the Spirit of God. I had not been in this Church [very long] when it was clearly shown to me what a man could reach through a continued obedience to the Gospel of the Son of God. That knowledge has been as a star continually before me, and has caused me to be particular in trying to do that which was right and acceptable to God” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, “Chapter 5: The Grand Destiny of the Faithful”).

Death

Our days are known to the Lord, and when our time on this earth is done we will pass into the spirit world. Brigham Young taught the following about our life after this one,

“We shall turn round and look upon [the valley of death] and think, when we have crossed it, why this is the greatest advantage of my whole existence, for I have passed from a state of sorrow, grief, mourning, woe, misery, pain, anguish and disappointment into a state of existence, where I can enjoy life to the fullest extent as far as that can be done without a body. My spirit is set free, I thirst no more, I want to sleep no more, I hunger no more, I tire no more, I run, I walk, I labor, I go, I come, I do this, I do that, whatever is required of me, nothing like pain or weariness, I am full of life, full of vigor, and I enjoy the presence of my heavenly Father” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 17:142; quoted in Doctrines Of The Gospel Student Manual, “Chapter 30: Death And The Postmortal Spirit World”).

What a marvelous day, when that time comes.

One of my favorite scriptures is found in the book of Alma, where Alma is speaking to his son Corianton. He said, “Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life” (Alma 40:11, emphasis added). We have a loving Father in Heaven who is watching over each of us, and will be there to welcome us home. President Ezra Taft Benson also taught that, “Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar His face is to us” (Ezra Taft Benson, "Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations", Ensign, December 1988). I am looking forward to that day, even though I know it is probably many years away.

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma describes two divisions among spirits in the Spirit World. We usually refer to these divisions as Spirit Paradise and Spirit Prison.

Bruce R. McConckie described Spirit Paradise as follows: “Paradise—the abode of righteous spirits, as they await the day of their resurrection; paradise—a place of peace and rest where the sorrows and trials of his life have been shuffled off, and where the saints continue to prepare for a celestial heaven; paradise—not the Lord’s eternal kingdom, but a way station along the course leading to eternal life” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, 4:222). 

We have learned the following about Spirit Prison: 

“The Apostle Peter referred to the postmortal spirit world as a prison, which it is for some. In the spirit prison are the spirits of those who have not yet received the gospel of Jesus Christ. These spirits have agency and may be enticed by both good and evil. If they accept the gospel and the ordinances performed for them in the temples, they may leave the spirit prison and dwell in paradise.

“Also in the spirit prison are those who rejected the gospel after it was preached to them either on earth or in the spirit prison. These spirits suffer in a condition known as hell. They have removed themselves from the mercy of Jesus Christ” (Gospel Principles, “Chapter 41: The Postmortal Spirit World”).

Through the restoration of the gospel we know that, “Through the work we do in temples, all people who have lived on the earth can have an equal opportunity to receive the fulness of the gospel and the ordinances of salvation so they can inherit a place in the highest degree of celestial glory” (Gospel Principles, “Chapter 46: The Final Judgment”).

“The spirit world is a place of waiting, working, learning, and, for the righteous, resting from care and sorrow. Our spirits will live there until we are ready for our resurrection”. (Gospel Principles, “Chapter 41: The Postmortal Spirit World”)..

Resurrection

After some amount of time in the spirit world all will be resurrected. In the Bible Dictionary it states, “All will not be raised to the same glory in the resurrection nor will all come forth at the same time. Christ was first; the righteous have precedence over the wicked, and come forth in the first resurrection, whereas the unrepentant sinners come forth in the last resurrection….

“The resurrection consists in the uniting of a spirit body with a body of flesh and bones, never again to be divided. The resurrection shall come to all, because of Christ’s victory over death….[A] resurrection means to become immortal, without blood, yet with a body of flesh and bone. To obtain a resurrection with a celestial, exalted body is the center point of hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Bible Dictionary: Resurrection).

Judgment

In the scriptures we read that all of us will be judged. In the Book of Revelation, John records, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). Joseph Smith explained that these books refer to, “the books which contained the record of [our] works, and refer to the records which are kept on the earth. And the book which was the book of life is the record which is kept in heaven;” (Doctrine & Covenants 128:7).

Alma explains that not only will we be judged according to our works, but also our words, and our thoughts (see Alma 12:14). And, lest we think we can hide anything from the Lord, Nephi teaches that Jesus Christ will be, “the keeper of the gate…and he employeth no servant there [and] he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name” (2 Nephi 9:41).

In Gospel Principles we read, “There is another record that will be used to judge us. The Apostle Paul taught that we ourselves are a record of our life. Stored in our body and mind is a complete history of everything we have done. President John Taylor taught this truth: “[The individual] tells the story himself, and bears witness against himself. … That record that is written by the man himself in the tablets of his own mind, that record that cannot lie will in that day be unfolded before God and angels, and those who shall sit as judges” (Gospel Principles, “Chapter 46: The Final Judgment”).

Depending on how we have chosen to live our lives in mortality will determine which kingdom of glory we will inherit. The Doctrine and Covenants specifies three kingdoms of glory: the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial.

Those in the Celestial Kingdom are those who “received the testimony of Jesus…believed on his name and were baptized…[kept] the commandments…[received] the Holy Ghost...[overcame] by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:51-53). These are those who were sealed as husband and wife in the Holy Temple, and kept the covenants therein. These are those who are obedient and valiant in their testimony of Jesus Christ. “These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:62).

Bruce R. McConkie gives quite a detailed description of what it means to be valiant in the testimony of Jesus. He said,

“Now what does it mean to be valiant in the testimony of Jesus?

“It is to be courageous and bold; to use all our strength, energy, and ability in the warfare with the world; to fight the good fight of faith. ‘Be strong and of a good courage,’ the Lord commanded Joshua, and then specified that this strength and courage consisted of meditating upon and observing to do all that is written in the law of the Lord. The great cornerstone of valiance in the cause of righteousness is obedience to the whole law of the whole gospel.

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘come unto Christ, and be perfected in him’; it is to deny ourselves ‘of all ungodliness,’ and ‘love God’ with all our ‘might, mind and strength.’

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to believe in Christ and his gospel with unshakable conviction. It is to know of the verity and divinity of the Lord’s work on earth.

“But this is not all. It is more than believing and knowing. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only. It is more than lip service; it is not simply confessing with the mouth the divine Sonship of the Savior. It is obedience and conformity and personal righteousness. ‘Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.’

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.’ It is to ‘endure to the end.’ It is to live our religion, to practice what we preach, to keep the commandments. It is the manifestation of ‘pure religion’ in the lives of men; it is visiting ‘the fatherless and widows in their affliction’ and keeping ourselves ‘unspotted from the world.’

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to bridle our passions, control our appetites, and rise above carnal and evil things. It is to overcome the world as did he who is our prototype and who himself was the most valiant of all our Father’s children. It is to be morally clean, to pay our tithes and offerings, to honor the Sabbath day, to pray with full purpose of heart, to lay our all upon the altar if called upon to do so.

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to take the Lord’s side on every issue. It is to vote as he would vote. It is to think what he thinks, to believe what he believes, to say what he would say and do what he would do in the same situation. It is to have the mind of Christ and be one with him as he is one with his Father.” (Bruce R. McConkie, “Be Valiant in theFight”, Ensign, November 1974).

That is a tall order, and can only be accomplished by relying consistently and continually on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But, those who do this, “shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths…. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power” (Doctrine & Covenants 132:19-20).

That is our goal.

We know the following about those who will inherit the Terrestrial Kingdom. “These are they who rejected the gospel on earth but afterward received it in the spirit world. These are the honorable people on the earth who were blinded to the gospel of Jesus Christ by the craftiness of men. These are also they who received the gospel and a testimony of Jesus but then were not valiant” (Gospel Principles, “Chapter 46: The Final Judgment”). This would include those members of the church who are not valiant in their testimony of Jesus Christ.

We know that hard times are ahead for us, before the Second Coming of the Savior. In the early days of the church, Heber C. Kimball said, “The Saints will be put to tests that will try the integrity of the best of them” (as quoted by Ezra Taft Benson, “May the Kingdom of God Go Forth”, Ensign, May 1978). And more recently, President Russell M. Nelson reminded us,

“[D]ifficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord ‘shall suffer persecution.’ That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.

“How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth” (Russell M. Nelson, "Face the Future with Faith", Ensign, May 2011).

How we deal with our trials will also be a determining factor in where we go after this life.

The lowest Kingdom of Glory is the Telestial Kingdom. In the Doctrine & Covenants we read,

“These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus.

“These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit….

“These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:82-83, 103).

Those who do not inherit a kingdom of glory will be cast into what is referred to as outer darkness. Regarding them, in the Doctrine & Covenants, the voice of the Lord was recorded as saying,

“Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—

“They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born;

“For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity;

“Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come—

“Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame.

“These are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels—

“And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:31-37).

I don’t think this means those who have a testimony, and failed to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, or those of us who make poor choices more often than we want to admit.

This is for those who knew God, had a witness of Him, but rather than relying on the power of the Atonement, these are they who allowed themselves, through their agency, to be overcome by the power of the devil, and follow him as their master.

Alma puts it this way, “But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out, and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter cup” (Alma 40:26).

Where we end up after this life is determined by our choices here on earth. The Lord’s Plan of Happiness is a plan of agency. Our agency.

Eternities

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said this about the Plan of Salvation.

“The Savior’s sacrifice opened the door of salvation for all to return to God. His ‘grace is sufficient for all [who] humble themselves before [God].’ His grace is the enabling power that allows access into God’s kingdoms of salvation. Because of His grace, we will all be resurrected and saved in a kingdom of glory.

“Even the lowest kingdom of glory, the telestial kingdom, “surpasses all understanding,” and numberless people will inherit this salvation.

“But the Savior’s grace can do much more for us. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we aspire to something unimaginably greater. It is exaltation in the celestial kingdom. It is life eternal in the presence of our Father in Heaven. It is the greatest gift of God. In the celestial kingdom, we receive ‘of his fulness, and of his glory.’ Indeed, all that the Father hath shall be given unto us” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “It Works Wonderfully!”, Ensign, November 2015).

How grateful I am to have the Plan of Salvation. To know where I came from, and that I’m a daughter of God; why I’m here on earth, the steps I need to take to return to my Father in Heaven, and what comes after this life. How grateful I am for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength and support it provides to me each day; when I remember to ask. I know that God lives, that He loves us, and watches over us. He will give us the experiences we need to progress toward perfection and our destiny as heirs of eternal life if we will let him.

Parable of the Sower (Part 1: Physical State of Soil)

Jesus taught a parable that has got me thinking this past week.

“Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

“And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

“Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

“And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

“And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

“But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:3-9).

Jesus taught His disciples that the seed is “the word of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:19). I take this to mean the word of the kingdom of God, or the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have had two trains of thought regarding this parable – both which seem to make sense to me. The first one is looking at the parable from the “physical” state of the soil – where it was already in its varied states when the sower went out to sow. The second one is from a more “spiritual” angle, where the soil started out good, and over time it changed.

“Physical” State of Soil

In thinking about this parable, if it represents those who have the opportunity to hear the word of God why didn’t the sower make sure that all of the seeds landed in good soil (why waste good seed on poor soil)? Why does mortality require that we face thorns and thistles, scorching sun, or stony places? Why didn’t the sower make it so every seed had a chance? Doesn’t he care about where his seeds fall?

If we look at the soil as earth life, and how each of us was placed into different circumstances, we may wonder how life can be “fair”, when some may seem to have it so easy (having things given to them so readily). We may get caught up in all the differences that we find surrounding each of us. However, Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge reminds us:

“Regarding the few things that matter most in life, no one is disadvantaged or privileged. Everyone is on equal footing. This is surprising because there is otherwise so much inequality in life.

“In the end it does not matter how well liked you are or how much money you acquire or how beautiful you may be. The greatest gifts are equally available to everyone” (link to talk).

We are here on earth for a purpose. Nephi taught that, “it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11). We knew that the plan of our Father in Heaven would include trials, challenges, and opposition, to help us grow and develop into the person He knows we can become. We knew we would struggle, but we were willing to come down to earth because we knew our Heavenly Father and wanted more than anything to become as He is. We knew life would be hard, but were willing to accept the challenge despite the difficulties. Elder Marlin K. Jensen Jensen taught,

“There is no formula for guaranteeing happiness every day of our lives; in fact, scripture suggests that God did not intend for every day to be entirely happy. There is eternal design and purpose to be seen in suffering, sadness, and adversity” (link to article).

We are each given the joy, trials, hope, sorrow, and everything else we will need in this life to return to our Father in Heaven (see 2 Nephi 2:27). We are each on a specifically, uniquely individual path. Our circumstances—good or bad—are for our good (see Doctrine & Covenants 122:7).

Sometimes we may think that life would be much easier if everything could work out perfectly for everyone—but that can never be. I love the way Dallan R. Moody phrased it, when he said:

“A plan in which supposedly everything would go right so nobody would be lost was 
already proposed and rejected. The plan of salvation, on the other hand, allows for opposition in all things: sadness and sweetness, wrongdoing and repentance, trial and testimony” (link to talk).

How could we ever learn the godly attribute of patience if we never had to wait? How could we learn to love without loss; find virtue in a world filled with vice; or know joy without sorrow? We can’t. Sometimes we need to pass through the trials of life in order to more fully understand them. Brother Moody also stated,

“From time to time the Lord puts certain truths into our hearts that affect our future destiny. We may not fully understand His 
reason for teaching us these principles at these particular times. Instead, it is often once we have passed through the ensuing experiences that 
clarity comes. We can then look back through life’s lenses and more fully see that God does prepare a way for us to accomplish what He 
commands” (link to talk).

The Lord knew, when He presented the Plan to us, that not everyone would have a chance to have the gospel during their mortal life. He did, however, provide a way that all of His children could enjoy the blessings of the gospel. Through the atonement of His Son the way was opened for all to receive these blessings either in this life or in the life to come. Through the restoration of the gospel, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, we now have temples that dot the earth making saving ordinances available for both the living and the dead.

Through the Atonement we are able to not only receive the blessings and ordinances of the gospel, but also the healing power that comes through the use of its divine power. Elder David A. Bednar taught,

“because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, [the Savior] has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power….The unique burdens in each of our lives help us to rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (link to talk).

We were given the very trials we face because the Lord knew they would bring us closer to Him. We don’t see everything, because we have limited vision, but He does.

I had an interesting experience that helped teach me more about the Lord’s perspective. I took an art class where I learned about “perspective drawing”. This method is a more realistic way of drawing where things that are closer appear larger and things that are farther away appear smaller. As you look at the picture, you will see that far off on the distant horizon is a place where everything seems to come together. This is known as the “vanishing point” (photo taken from here).

Imagine if you will, that you are part of a finished painting. From your vantage point you can see what is in front of you, but not behind, above, or below you (because people in paintings can’t move). You are limited in your vision. The artist, however, can see the complete picture.

After taking that class I looked at things in a new way – I saw everything from my new “perspective” point of view. I saw how I could change the vanishing point of what I saw by changing where I looked. Everything, no matter where I stood, eventually led to some distant point on the horizon.

I started seeing the world in a new light, and gaining a greater understanding for how the Lord sees it. Taking it a little deeper, for example, when I look at a bird I see an animal with feathers, eyes, a beak, and sometimes can watch it fly or hear it sing. The Lord, with an intricate understanding of how the bird was created, has a much deeper understanding of the bird. He not only knows the details of every feather, and shape of the eyes, but every bone, organ, internal and external feature, the mechanics of how they create their song, and everything else about them.

In like manner, when we look at our own life we may see ourselves, our strengths, weaknesses, circumstances, trials, hopes, dreams, joys, sorrows, and everything else that surrounds us. When the Lord looks at us, however, He sees the whole picture. He sees where we are in the canvas, and also the point on the horizon where everything in our lives will come together and we will see ourselves as He sees us. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught,

“We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming” (link to talk).

In the end the Lord won’t judge us by our circumstances or situation in life. What He will look at is not where we are or what we may have (or feel we lack), but what we are doing with the life He has given us. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminds us,

“The Lord doesn’t care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are, no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use—in His own way and for His holy purposes—those who incline their hearts to Him.

“God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good” (link to talk).

If we feel that life has planted us in undesirable soil, remember that there is a way to be transplanted to the good soil. It comes only in and through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We may have plenty of thorns to untangle or stones to move, but if we turn to the Lord we can gain comfort in His promise,

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30.)

About this scripture President Howard W. Hunter stated,

“This marvelous offer of assistance extended by the Son of God himself was not restricted to the Galileans of his day. This call to shoulder his easy yoke and accept his light burden is not limited to bygone generations. It was and is a universal appeal to all people, to all cities and nations, to every man, woman, and child everywhere.

“In our own great times of need we must not leave unrecognized this unfailing answer to the cares and worries of our world. Here is the promise of personal peace and protection. Here is the power to remit sin in all periods of time. We, too, must believe that Jesus Christ possesses the power to ease our burdens and lighten our loads. We, too, must come unto him and there receive rest from our labors” (link to talk).

Let us work to allow the Atonement of Christ to help us move to good ground. Then we can bring forth fruit to help further the work of the Lord's kingdom in these, the last days.

<to be continued...>