Deep Obedience - Exact Obedience brings Miracles and Gospel Blessings

Elder Nelson said a mission is an exercise in obedience training. “Obedience brings success; exact obedience brings miracles.”

“Deep Obedience"

Kim B. Clark

Obedience connects us to the Savior and opens channels for His love and power to flow into us, much like life-giving nutrients flow from the trunk of a tree into its branches. The Savior said:

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; . . .

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.²

The Lord gives us commandments so that we might have His love, joy, and power in our lives. When we disobey those commandments, we weaken our connection to Him. If we do not repent, we become cut off from the source of divine power and joy in life. But the more we obey His commandments, the more we draw near to Him, the stronger the connection becomes, the greater the joy we experience, and the more we become like Him. We abide in Christ, and we prosper in the land. 

Once we see commandments as a blessing, our whole attitude towards obedience changes. Obedience stops being something that weighs on us because we are supposed to do it and becomes something we want to do because we know it brings blessings and joy, and we know it is the way to become more like Christ. The kind of obedience that connects us to Christ and brings divine love, power, and joy into our lives is not a reluctant, surface kind of obedience. It is obedience of the whole heart and soul.  It is deep obedience. 

President Ezra Taft Benson described that change of attitude and deep obedience in this way:  

“When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.”³

We have been called to discipleship and leadership in the great work of the Lord in the last dispensation. And the way forward and upward, the way to prosper in the land, is deep obedience to the Lord.

As we read section 59 together, I will highlight five dimensions of deep obedience:

(1) love God with all your heart;

(2) walk the strait and narrow path;

(3) bring to the Lord a sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit;

(4) keep the Sabbath Day holy; and

(5) do all these things with gratitude and a cheerful heart.

The Joy and Importance of Motherhood

My Mom's mother, my grandma, wasn't able to have children for the first 16 years of their marriage, so when they were finally blessed with children, they became the joy and center of their lives. This focus on the blessing of having children became ingrained in our family culture.

My mother taught me that being a mother is a gift to look forward to. I also remember her saying many times, "When you are a mom you give up your own life for 30 years." I realize this isn't a popular principle right now and I acknowledge we need to take care of our own needs. But now that my 30 years are past, I can see the great blessings that have come from that sacrifice. As the Savior taught, "He who loses his life shall find it." The joy that motherhood has brought into my life can't be expressed in words.

For me, one of the biggest challenges of being a stay-home mom is that much of what we do isn't visible. What we cleaned in the morning doesn't stay clean, the laundry pile never stays down, and the time we spend reading, teaching and talking with our children usually isn't immediately apparent. Over the years when I would get discouraged and tired, I would read General Conference talks to remind myself that what I was doing was highly valued. Here are some of my favorites:


First Presidency Letter Regarding Parents Teaching Children  Published: Saturday, Feb. 27, 1999

We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility.

We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.

 Russell M. Nelson, “Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women,” Ensign, May 1999

 “May years ago the First Presidency issued a statement that has had a profound and lasting influence upon me. “Motherhood,” they wrote, “is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.”

Because mothers are essential to God’s great plan of happiness, their sacred work is opposed by Satan, who would destroy the family and demean the worth of women.”  

Elder Richard G. Scott, “The Power of Correct Principles,” May 1993

When as mothers, you are consistently in the home, at least during the hours the children are predominantly there, you can detect the individual needs of each child and provide ways to satisfy them.  Your divinely given instincts help sense a child’s special talents and unique capacities so that you can nurture and strengthen them.

Parents don’t make the mistake of purposefully intervening to soften or eliminate the natural consequences of your child’s deliberate decisions to violate the commandments.  Such acts reinforce false principles, open the door for more serious sin, and lessen the likelihood of repentance.

You must be willing to forgo personal pleasure and self-interest for family-centered activity, and not turn over to church, school, or society the principal role of fostering a child’s well-rounded development.  It takes time, great effort, and significant personal sacrifice to ‘train up a child in the way he should go.’  But where can you find greater rewards for a job well done?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Moral Force of Women.” Oct. 2013

Certainly there are trends and forces at work that would weaken and even eliminate your influence, to the great detriment of individuals, families, and society at large. Let me mention three as a caution and a warning.

A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career. Some view homemaking with outright contempt, arguing it demeans women and that the relentless demands of raising children are a form of exploitation. They ridicule what they call “the mommy track” as a career. This is not fair or right. We do not diminish the value of what women or men achieve in any worthy endeavor or career—we all benefit from those achievements—but we still recognize there is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority, or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family. Whatever else a woman may accomplish, her moral influence is no more optimally employed than here.

Jeffrey R. Holland, “Because She Is a Mother” Ensign, May 1997

“In speaking of mothers generally, I especially wish to praise and encourage young mothers. The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work. Through these years, mothers go longer on less sleep and give more to others with less personal

Remember that families are the highest priority of all, especially in those formative years.  

Do the best you can through these years, but whatever else you do, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones.  Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever. When you have come to the Lord in meekness and lowliness of heart and, as one mother said, “pounded on the doors of heaven to ask for, to plead for, to demand guidance and wisdom and help for this wondrous task,” that door is thrown open to provide you the influence and the help of all eternity.”

PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER, Children of God, BYU Women’s Conference, May 5, 2006

There is another dangerous trend as mothers, sometimes beyond their control, are being drawn out of the home. What could a mother possibly bring into the home that can equal her being at home with the children while they grow and mature?

Now the birthrate is declining in every country in the world. In order for a nation’s population to remain stable, the birthrate must be just over two children per woman of childbearing years. That trend is seen in the Church. Worldwide, the birthrate among members married in the temple is notably higher than in the world, but this rate too has been declining. Worldwide, the birthrate of Church members is only slightly higher than the world at large.

The First Presidency has written, “Marriage is ordained of God, and the paramount purpose of this sacred principle is to bring into the world immortal spirits to be reared in health and nobility of character, to fill the measure of their mortal existence.”   In the ordinary home and the ordinary family, in almost every conceivable way, the destroyer leads humanity carefully away from the source of all happiness.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Behold Thy Mother” Oct. 2015

Today I declare from this pulpit what has been said here before: that no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.
This kind of resolute love “suffereth long, and is kind, … seeketh not her own, … but … beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Most encouraging of all, such fidelity “never faileth.” “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,” Jehovah said, “but my kindness shall not depart from thee.” So too say our mothers.

To all of our mothers everywhere, past, present, or future, I say, “Thank you. Thank you for giving birth, for shaping souls, for forming character, and for demonstrating the pure love of Christ.” To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle—and all will—I say, “Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are. In fact, you are saviors on Mount Zion, and like the Master you follow, your love ‘never faileth.’” I can pay no higher tribute to anyone.

How to Come Unto Christ – The Final Plea of Book of Mormon Prophets

In my recent reading, I was noticing that the final plea of many Book of Mormon prophets were all about the invitation to Come Unto Christ !

2 Nephi 2:6–8, 26-30 : Lehi’s Final Plea

6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they reredeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen.

2 Nephi 33:4, 10-11: Nephi’s Final Plea

4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.

10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.

Omni 1:25–26: Amaleki’s Final Plea

25 And it came to pass that I began to be old; and, having no seed, and knowing king ^aBenjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall ^bdeliver up ^cthese plates unto him, exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil.

26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Mormon 7:5–9 : Moroni’s first final plea

5 Know ye that ye must come to the ^aknowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.

6 And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat.

7 And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the ^echoirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are ^fone God, in a state of ^ghappiness which hath no end.

8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.

Moroni 10:30, 32-33 : Moroni’s second final plea

30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God.

Temples: Understanding Temple Ordinances and the Endowment

THE TEMPLE ORDINANCES ARE SYMBOLIC

“Why Symbols? The Lord uses symbols to teach eternal truths in the temple. Here’s why.” Ensign, February 2007

President Boyd K. Packer, “The Holy Temple,” Ensign, Oct 2010

Before going to the temple for the first time, or even after many times, it may help you to realize that the teaching in the temples is done in symbolic fashion. If you will go to the temple and remember that the teaching is symbolic, you will never go in the proper spirit without coming away with your vision extended, feeling a little more exalted, with your knowledge increased as to things that are spiritual.

The teaching plan is superb. It is inspired. The Lord Himself, the Master Teacher, taught His disciples constantly in parables—a verbal way to represent symbolically things that might otherwise be difficult to understand.

Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” April 2001

In the temple we receive an endowment, which is, literally speaking, a gift. In receiving this gift, we should understand its significance and the importance of keeping sacred covenants. Each temple ordinance “is not just a ritual to go through, it is an act of solemn promising.”⁶

The temple endowment was given by revelation. Thus, it is best understood by revelation, prayerfully sought with a sincere heart.⁷ President Brigham Young said, “Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, … and gain your eternal exaltation.”⁸

Each temple is a house of learning. There we are taught in the Master’s way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism. We can learn much by pondering the reality for which each symbol stands. Teachings of the temple are beautifully simple and simply beautiful. They are understood by the humble, yet they can excite the intellect of the brightest minds.

Spiritual preparation is enhanced by study. I like to recommend that members going to the temple for the first time read short explanatory paragraphs in the Bible Dictionary, listed under seven topics: “Anoint,” “Atonement,” “Christ,” “Covenant,” “Fall of Adam,” “Sacrifices,” and “Temple.” Doing so will provide a firm foundation.

 

OVERVIEW OF THE TEMPLE ORDINANCES 

President Boyd K. Packer, “Come to the Temple,” Ensign, Oct 2007

The ordinances we perform in the temples include washings, anointings, the endowment, and the sealing ordinance—both the sealing of children to parents, and the sealing of couples, spoken of generally as temple marriage.

Here is a brief summary of the information that is available in print with reference to the temple ordinances.

The ordinances of washing and anointing are referred to often in the temple as initiatory ordinances. It will be sufficient for our purposes to say only the following: Associated with the endowment are washings and anointings—mostly symbolic in nature, but promising definite, immediate blessings as well as future blessings. Concerning these ordinances the Lord has said, “I say unto you, how shall your washings be acceptable unto me, except ye perform them in a house which you have built to my name?” (D&C 124:37).

In connection with these ordinances, in the temple you will be officially clothed in the garment and promised marvelous blessings in connection with it. It is important that you listen carefully as these ordinances are administered and that you try to remember the blessings promised and the conditions upon which they will be realized.

To endow is to enrich, to give to another something long lasting and of much worth. In the temple endowment ordinances, “recipients are endowed with power from on high,” and “they receive an education relative to the Lord’s purposes and plans.”2

President Brigham Young (1801–77) said of the endowment: “Let me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.”3

UNDERSTANDING THE ENDOWMENT

Elder Bruce C. Hafen, “Covenant Marriage,” Gen. Conf. Oct 1996

Christ’s life is the story of giving the Atonement. The life of Adam and Eve is the story of receiving the Atonement. [We learn] through the story of Adam and Eve about life’s purpose and how to return to God’s presence through obedience and the Atonement.

John A. Widstoe: The Temple endowment relates the story of man's eternal journey; sets forth the conditions upon which progress in the eternal journey depends; requires covenants or agreements of those participating, to accept and use the laws of progress; gives tests by which our willingness and fitness for righteousness may be known, and finally points out the ultimate destiny of those who love truth and live by it (Priesthood and Church Government, p.333).

Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” April 2001

The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant—the heart of the plan of salvation—is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Elder James E. Talmage, formerly of the Council of the Twelve, has given a clear description of the endowment:

“The Temple Endowment, as administered in modern temples, comprises instruction relating to the significance and sequence of past dispensations, and the importance of the present as the greatest and grandest era in human history.

This course of instruction includes:

·         a recital of the most prominent events of the creative period,

·         the condition of our first parents in the Garden of Eden,

·         their disobedience and consequent expulsion from that blissful abode,

·         their condition in the lone and dreary world when doomed to live by labor and sweat,

·         the plan of redemption by which the great transgression may be atoned,

·         the period of the great apostasy,

·         the restoration of the Gospel with all its ancient powers and privileges,

·         the absolute and indispensable condition of personal purity and devotion to the right in present life,

·         and a strict compliance with Gospel requirements. …

“The ordinances of the endowment embody certain obligations on the part of the individual, such as:

·         covenant and promise to observe the law of strict virtue and chastity,

·         to be charitable, benevolent, tolerant and pure;

·         to devote both talent and material means to the spread of truth and the uplifting of the race;

·         to maintain devotion to the cause of truth;

·         and to seek in every way to contribute to the great preparation that the earth may be made ready to receive her King,—the Lord Jesus Christ.

“With the taking of each covenant and the assuming of each obligation a promised blessing is pronounced, contingent upon the faithful observance of the conditions.”

“No jot, iota, or tittle of the temple rites is otherwise than uplifting and sanctifying. In every detail the endowment ceremony contributes to covenants of morality of life, consecration of person to high ideals, devotion to truth, patriotism to nation, and allegiance to God.” (The House of the Lord, pp. 83–84.)

See Also:

Elder M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct. 1998

Elder Bruce R. McConkie, “Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice,” General Conference, April 1975

UNDERSTANDING THE TEMPLE GARMENT

Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” April 2001 (see footnotes)

In a letter dated 10 October 1988, the First Presidency wrote: “Practices frequently observed among the members of the Church suggest that some members do not fully understand the covenant they make in the temple to wear the garment in accordance with the spirit of the holy endowment. “Church members who have been clothed with the garment in the temple have made a covenant to wear it throughout their lives. This has been interpreted to mean that it is worn as underclothing both day and night. … The promise of protection and blessings is conditioned upon worthiness and faithfulness in keeping the covenant. “The fundamental principle ought to be to wear the garment and not to find occasions to remove it. Thus, members should not remove either all or part of the garment to work in the yard or to lounge around the home in swimwear or immodest clothing. Nor should they remove it to participate in recreational activities that can reasonably be done with the garment worn properly beneath regular clothing. When the garment must be removed, such as for swimming, it should be restored as soon as possible. “The principles of modesty and keeping the body appropriately covered are implicit in the covenant and should govern the nature of all clothing worn. Endowed members of the Church wear the garment as a reminder of the sacred covenants they have made with the Lord and also as a protection against temptation and evil. How it is worn is an outward expression of an inward commitment to follow the Savior.”

THE OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE TEMPLE

President Nelson "Hear Him" April 2020

We can also hear Him in the temple. The house of the Lord is a house of learning. There the Lord teaches in His own way. There each ordinance teaches about the Savior. There we learn how to part the veil and communicate more clearly with heaven. There we learn how to rebuke the adversary and draw upon the Lord’s priesthood power to strengthen us and those we love. How eager each of us should be to seek refuge there.

Please schedule regular time to worship and serve in the temple. Every minute of that time will bless you and your family in ways nothing else can. Take time to ponder what you hear and feel when you are there. Ask the Lord to teach you how to open the heavens to bless your life and the lives of those you love and serve.

While worshipping in the temple is presently not possible, I invite you to increase your participation in family history, including family history research and indexing. I promise that as you increase your time in temple and family history work, you will increase and improve your ability to hear Him.

Russell M. Nelson, “The Atonement,” General Conference, Oct. 1996

The Savior’s gift of immortality comes to all who have ever lived. But His gift of eternal life requires repentance and obedience to specific ordinances and covenants. Essential ordinances of the gospel symbolize the Atonement. Baptism by immersion is symbolic of the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Redeemer. Partaking of the sacrament renews baptismal covenants and also renews our memory of the Savior’s broken flesh and of the blood He shed for us. Ordinances of the temple symbolize our reconciliation with the Lord and seal families together forever. Obedience to the sacred covenants made in temples qualifies us for eternal life—the greatest gift of God to man 40—the “object and end of our existence.” 41

The Creation required the Fall. The Fall required the Atonement. The Atonement enabled the purpose of the Creation to be accomplished. Eternal life, made possible by the Atonement, is the supreme purpose of the Creation. To phrase that statement in its negative form, if families were not sealed in holy temples, the whole earth would be utterly wasted. 42
The purposes of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement all converge on the sacred work done in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The earth was created and the Church was restored to make possible the sealing of wife to husband, children to parents, families to progenitors, worlds without end.

This is the great latter-day work of which we are a part. That is why we have missionaries; that is why we have temples—to bring the fullest blessings of the Atonement to faithful children of God. That is why we respond to our own calls from the Lord. When we comprehend His voluntary Atonement, any sense of sacrifice on our part becomes completely overshadowed by a profound sense of gratitude for the privilege of serving Him.

Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” April 2001

With each ordinance is a covenant—a promise. A covenant made with God is not restrictive, but protective. Such a concept is not new. For example, if our water supply is not clean, we filter the water to screen out harmful ingredients. Divine covenants help us to filter out of our minds impurities that could harm us. When we choose to deny ourselves of all ungodliness, we lose nothing of value and gain the glory of eternal life. Covenants do not hold us down; they elevate us beyond the limits of our own power and perspective.

These temple blessings include our washings and anointings that we may be clean before the Lord. They include the … endowment of obligations and blessings that motivate us to behavior compatible with the principles of the gospel. They include the sealing ordinances by which that which is bound on earth is bound in heaven, providing for the continuity of the family.


President Brigham Young - Opposition to Temple Work
We cannot … administer the further ordinances of God, in the fullest sense of the word, legally unto the people … until we have a temple built for that purpose (DBY, 394–95).


Some say, “I do not like to do it, for we never began to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring.” I want to hear them ring again. We completed a temple in Kirtland and in Nauvoo; and did not the bells of hell toll all the time we were building them? They did, every week and every day (DBY, 410).

What Happens When We Die? What We Know about the Spirit World

Joseph F. Smith.  If we can see, by the enlightening influence of the Spirit of God and through the words that have been spoken by the holy prophets of God, beyond the veil that separates us from the spirit world, surely those who have passed beyond, can see more clearly through the veil back here to us than it is possible for us to see to them from our sphere of action. I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separated from them. We begin to realize more and more fully, as we become acquainted with the principles of the gospel, as they have been revealed anew in this dispensation, that we are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors, to our friends and associates and co-laborers who have preceded us into the spirit world. We cannot forget them; we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by ties that we cannot break, that we cannot dissolve or free ourselves from. If this is the case with us in our finite condition, surrounded by our mortal weaknesses, shortsightedness, lack of inspiration and wisdom, from time to time, how much more certain it is, and reasonable and consistent, to believe that those who have been faithful, who have gone beyond, are still engaged in the work for the salvation of the souls of men, in the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound and proclaiming liberty to the captives, who can see us better than we can see them-that they know us better than we know them. They have advanced; we are advancing; we are growing as they have grown; we are reaching the goal that they have attained unto; and therefore, I claim that we live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever. For now they see the dangers that beset us; they can comprehend better than ever before, the weaknesses that are liable to mislead us into dark and forbidden paths. They see the temptations and the evils that beset us in life, and the proneness of mortal beings to yield to temptation and to wrong doing; hence their solicitude for us and their love for us and their desire for our well being must be greater than that which we feel for ourselves (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 430). 

Gordon B. Hinckley.  To lose [a] much-loved [family member]  with whom one has long walked through sunshine and shadow is absolutely devastating. There is a consuming loneliness which increases in intensity.  It painfully gnaws at one’s very soul.  But in the quiet of the night a silent whisper is heard that says, “All is well.  All is well.”  And that voice from out of the unknown brings peace, certainty, and unwavering assurance that death is not the end, that life goes on, with work to do and victories to be gained.  That voice quietly, even unheard with mortal ears, brings the assurance that as surely as there has been separation, there will be a joyful reuniting.  And so with that firm assurance you will go on.  There will be days of loneliness and nights of longing, but the sunlight of faith will shine again and the fires of love will warm you (Gordon B. Hinckley, Funeral Service for Neal A. Maxwell, 27 July 2004).

Ella Jensen.  I  could see people from the other world and hear the most delightful music and singing that I ever heard. This singing lasted for six hours, during which time I was preparing to leave this earth, and I could hear it all through the house. . . .Everybody appeared to be perfectly happy. I was having a very pleasant visit with each one that I knew. Finally. . .I opened a door and went into another room filled with children. They were all arranged in perfect order, the smallest ones first, then larger ones, according to age and size, the largest ones in the back rows all around the room. They seemed to be convened in a sort of Primary or Sunday School presided over by Aunt Eliza R. Snow. There were hundreds of small children. . . .all dressed in white. . . .[I] sat and listened to the Sunday School songs which they sang, being songs which are now sung in Sunday Schools among us, and. . .was perfectly contented and happy. It was a heavenly place. . . .[I] felt that [I] never wanted to leave it. . . .Everyone appeared busy and very happy (Leroi C. Snow in “Raised From the Dead,” Improvement Era, 32, September 1929, no pages given).

D&C 130:2.  The same sociality we experience here will continue in the spirit world, only it will be coupled with glory.

Jedediah M. Grant.  When in the spirit world, I saw the order of righteous men and women; beheld them organized in their several grades, and there appeared to be no obstruction to my vision; I could see every man and woman in their grade and order. I looked to see whether there was any disorder there, but there was none; neither could I see any death nor any darkness, disorder or confusion." He said that the people he there saw were organized in family capacities; and when he looked at them he saw grade after grade and all were organized and in perfect harmony. . . .He saw the righteous gathered together in the spirit world, and there were no wicked spirits among them. He saw his wife; she was the first person that came to him. He saw many that he knew, but did not have conversation with any except his wife, Caroline. She came to him, and he said that she looked beautiful and had their little child, that died on the Plains, in her arms, and said, "Mr. Grant, here is little Margaret; you know that the wolves ate her up, but it did not hurt her; here she is all right.". . . "To my astonishment," he said, "when I looked at families there was a deficiency in some, there was a lack, for I saw families that would not be permitted to come and dwell together, because they had not honored their calling here" (As reported by Heber C. Kimball,  (JD, 4:135-37).

Ezra Taft Benson.  On the other side of the veil, the righteous are taught their duties preparatory to the time when they will return with the Son of Man to earth when He comes again, this time to judge every man according to his works. These righteous spirits are close by us. They are organized according to priesthood order in family organizations as we are here; only there they exist in a more perfect order. This was revealed to the Prophet Joseph (Teachings, 35-36).

Joseph F. Smith.  Now, among all these millions of spirits that have lived on the earth and have passed away, from generation to generation, since the beginning of the world, without the knowledge of the gospel–among them you may count that at least one-half are women. Who is going to preach the gospel to the women? Who is going to carry the testimony of Jesus Christ to the hearts of the women who have passed away without a knowledge of the gospel?  Well, to my mind, it is a simple thing. These good sisters who have been set apart, ordained to the work, called to it, authorized by the authority of the holy Priesthood to minister for their sex, in the House of God for the living and for the dead, will be fully authorized and empowered to preach the gospel and minister to the women while the elders and prophets are preaching it to the men. . . .Some of you will understand when I tell you that some of these good women who have passed beyond have actually been anointed queens and priestesses unto God and unto their husbands, to continue their work and to be the mothers of spirits in the world to come. The world does not understand this-they cannot receive it-they do not know what it means, and it is sometimes hard for those who ought to be thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the gospel-even for some of us, to comprehend, but it is true (Gospel Doctrine, 461).

Joseph F. Smith.  The righteous spirit that departs from this earth is assigned its place in the Paradise of God; it has its privileges and honors which are in point of excellency, far above and beyond human comprehension; and in this sphere of action, enjoying this partial reward for its righteous conduct on the earth, it continues its labors, and in this respect is very different from the state of the body from which it is released.  For while the body sleeps and decays, the spirit receives a new birth; to it the portals of life are opened. It is born again into the presence of God. . . .to enter a state of joy, glory and exaltation; not a fulness of any one of them but to await the morning of the resurrection of the just, to come forth from the grave to redeem the body, and to be reunited with it and thus become a living soul, an immortal being, never more to die (Gospel Doctrine, 440).

Harold B. Lee.  To those who are righteous, [the spirit world] will be a paradise. There they will rest from all their earthly labors, and there shall be peace and harmony, joy and love, all described by a great Book of Mormon prophet. But to those who die in their wicked state, not having repented, the scriptures say the devil shall seal them as his own (see Alma 34:35), which means that until they have paid the uttermost farthing for what they have done, they shall not be redeemed from his grasp. When they shall have been subjected to the buffetings of Satan sufficient to have satisfied justice, then they shall be brought forth out of the grasp of Satan and shall be assigned to that place in our Father's celestial, terrestrial, or telestial world merited by their life here upon this earth (Teachings, 59).

Joseph Fielding Smith.  All spirits of men after death return to the spirit world. There, as I understand it, the righteous–meaning those who have been baptized and who have been faithful–are gathered in one part and all the others in another part of the spirit world. This seems to be true from the vision given to President Joseph F. Smith. . . . The righteous may now go among the other spirits, and there the gospel is being taught, but the spirits barred from the association of the righteous cannot go where the righteous are.  According to the story of Lazarus and the rich man, there was a gulf which separated the righteous from the unrighteous (which included all the spirits not baptized), and neither class could pass into the other until the Savior bridged the gulf, so those holding the priesthood then could cross over to teach the others (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2.230).

Brigham Young.  We have more friends behind the veil than on this side, and they will hail us more joyfully than you were ever welcomed by your parents and friends in this world; and you will rejoice more when you meet them than you ever rejoiced to see a friend in this life; and then we shall go on from step to step, from rejoicing to rejoicing, and from one intelligence and power to another, our happiness becoming more and more exquisite and sensible as we proceed in the words and powers of life ( Brigham Young, Discourses, 379-80).

Melvin J. Ballard.  You mothers worry about your little children. We do not perform sealings for them. I lost a son six years of age, and I saw him a man in the spirit world after his death, and I saw how he had exercised his own freedom of choice and would obtain of his own will and volition a companionship, and in due time to him, and all those who are worthy of it, shall come all of the blessings and sealing privileges of the house of the Lord (Sermons, 260)

Joseph Smith.  The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work; hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire, they are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained therewith (Teachings, 326).    

Joseph F. Smith.  We are told by the Prophet Joseph Smith, that "there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it." Hence, when messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants (Gospel Doctrine, 435).

Book of Mormon Themes: The Lord Will Prepare a Way for Us to Overcome our Trials

Once in a while for my gospel study time, I enjoy going through my Book of Mormon from the beginning and reading just the passages I underlined. As I did that this week, the following theme was very apparent throughout 1 Nephi, – the Lord will “prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which He commandeth them.” Many of us are familiar when Nephi says it in 1 Nephi 3:7, but the same wording is used in other places as well.

In Chapter 1, Nephi himself explains that he is going to show us this principle.

1 Nephi 1: 20 But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

Examples of This Wording

·         1 Nephi 3:7: I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

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            1 Nephi 5:8: And she [Sariah] spake, saying: I know of a surety that the Lord has given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them.

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         1 Nephi 9:5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these [2^nd] plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I now not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works.

·         1 Nephi 17:3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them.
   
      1 Nephi 17:13  And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

     
      1 Nephi 17:19: And thus my brethren did complain against me…we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work.

Examples of How the Lord Prepares a Way

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        Sending promptings is one way the Lord helps us accomplish things:

 After they give their best efforts to get the plates but nothing works, Nephi makes a third attempt. This time he says:

1 Nephi 4:6-7: I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.  Nevertheless I went forth...

·         Strengthening us to endure is sometimes the way the Lord “prepares a way...”:

1 Nephi 17:2-3 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, ...our women were strong, yea , even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.

And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

·         We have to be given power from the Lord:

       1 Nephi 4:31 ...having received much strength from the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban...

1 Nephi 7:17 ...I prayed unto the Lord...wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.

·         The Lord prepares us for an unseen future event:

1 Nephi 9:5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these [2^nd] plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I now not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works.

·         The Lord provides miracles:

1 Nephi 16:16 And we did follow the directions of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness.

1 Nephi 16:29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.

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         The Lord shows us from time to time how to do something we can’t accomplish on our own:

1 Nephi 18:1 And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.

1 Nephi 18:2 I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men.

1 Nephi 18:3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.

I love this related video by Elder Gary Stevenson:

No Blessings Denied the Faithful