Laura and I (John) are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints. Why you may ask. There are so many that blog
against religion and this particular church; why do we include
religion as not only an area in which to become self reliant but
this faith particularly?
Both Laura and I believe we were born into the Abrahamic
Covenant. For those who don’t know what this means. Both her
parents and my parents respectively were married for time and
eternity before we were born. We believe this was done by the
authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
I know, many people wonder what’s so different between what
we believe and all the other Abrahamic Religions with their rights
and rituals? Well, God has always had a presence here on Earth…
Adam and Eve down to just Noah’s family. Then it went to
Abraham’s family, Israel's family (the Hebrews) where Joseph’s
family (the younger brother sold into Egypt) remained worthy to
receive the birthright blessing as Reuben lost the blessing by bedding
Bilhah. In which case, the blessing fell to the oldest son of the second
wife, Joseph. Eventually the blessing rested on Ephram’s
family were the Abrahamic Covenant sets today for the bulk of the
people.
After the crucifixion of Christ, John the Revelator and Beloved
remained on earth with the three Nephites maintaining the
priesthood’s earthly presents through the Dark Ages. We
believe the Dark Ages ended when the resurrected John the Baptist
brought back the Aaronic Priesthood and Peter, James, and John
restored the Melchizedek Priesthood to the Covenanted People.
However, all things being what they are. Abraham was given a
blessing from God that he would be the father of many nations. So he
is. From Abraham we get the Arabic nations. We also get the Jews (through Judah of course) and
the Christians (through Christ and Joseph’s worthiness and
Birthright blessing). And... including a few scattered members of the
other lost ten tribes (that we know of), we assume Abraham has ten
more nations out there somewhere that may still hold true to the
Covenant.
The beauty of this is that anyone from any walk of life can accept
to live under the Covenant if they’re sincere in their desire to be
directed to it. However, the Covenant has a few hoops to jump
through. First, is understanding what the Covenant is. Second, is
using the proper tools God gave us to manage it. And third, is living it
religiously (pun intended). This is all based on becoming teachable,
mild, loving, obedient, and committed to service. Even as Adam, being
approached by the angel, as he was offering sacrifice, “Adam,
Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?” To which Adam
responded “I know not, save the Lord commanded me.”
Moses 5:5-8 (PoGP)
Understanding the Covenant is to know that we are eternal beings.
That we can choose to learn what is needed to be able to receive the
greater blessings of God. His eternal blessings. Even insomuch that
we can continue His linage for eternity.
Our Heavenly Father gave us a great set of tools in the gift of
His Son’s Atonement. Before the Earth was, and in the grand
council of our Heavenly Father, we (His prodigy) were given an
opportunity to mature spiritually. Father presented a plan by which
we could receive the blessing of Eternal Lives. The first test was
all about our agency and using it to grow more like Our Father.
Father outlined his plan to us and gave us a choice to follow the
plan or not. Jehovah stood, if a spirit can stand, and committed to
the Father to follow His plan. But, this plan had a catch. It
required one of us to commit to be Perfect to God’s will on the
Earth and to die in this Complete state. When Jehovah signed up... He
was the first, He knowingly signed up to usher in mortality, agency,
and to atone for the weakness of the rest of us. In mortality we know
Jehovah as Jesus The Christ.
Lucifer, in contrast, threw out the Father’s plan and
offered one of his own. He removed agency. His plan was to force all
of us to be complete and perfect. In so doing, Lucifer stopped his
eternal progression because agency is an eternal law. There are laws
that even God must honor. At that point Lucifer drew away a third part of
the hosts of heaven (our spiritual brothers and sisters). They were
eventually cast down to this world as demons without tasting of
mortality or receiving a body. And so, Lucifer became Satan here on
Earth.
Now, Christ’s Atonement is a box full of gifts. The first
gift was agency and our ability to practice it. This world and
everything in it and a mortal body came next. The light of Christ in
which we were born and the veil over our minds. The ability to grow
and learn, the scriptures, and our parents followed next. Things get
really exciting then. God sends us angels and knowledge according to
our sincerity and desire to know Him. He gave us Baptism and the Gift
of the Holy Ghost; if we want to act on the knowledge we receive. By
following the Holy Ghost’s promptings we can continue to
receive The Preparatory or Aaronic Priesthood to which, if we stay
true, The Greater or Melchizedek Priesthood is added. All things
being in order, the next steps are receiving the Endowment of our God
and Marriage for both Time and Eternity. Hopefully, raising children comes
into our life to fulfill the Covenant between Abraham and God.
Moses 1:39 (PoGP)
“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to
pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
As we enjoy our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,
we believe we are striving to show God our interest in eternal growth
not just immortality (which is a free gift to all who received a body through Christ’s Atonement).
Getting back to our personal interaction in the Covenant, Laura
and I married under the Covnent and are now one in the preisthood. I can’t think of anyone else I would rather
enjoy eternity save my companion and family. As members of this church, we track our line of
preisthood authority from Jesus Christ down to ourselves through the laying on
of hands. In so doing, we know who we are and what we have accepted
to bear. We’re members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints and strive to be worthy of the joy in our lives.
