Jesus prayed, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). Apparently, knowing God is paramount.
I want to talk about three ways of knowing God: knowing about God, having a personal relationship with God, and being like God.
Knowing About God
"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God..." (Joseph Smith, King Follet Sermon). This stands in sharp contrast to the creeds of modern religions the world over. The majority of them—Islam, Creedal Christendom, Buddhism, etc., revel in the incomprehensibility of God. If eternal life consists in knowing God, then such belief systems damn their adherents. Also, when we see God as a distant and alien creator, it also relegates us to the level of pets, home-made pottery. I wonder if this inevitable conclusion spurs much religious violence on the part of various religious zealots and extremists; anyone will step on a bug, but who will kill a brother, a fellow child of God? How we view God affects how we view ourselves, and how we view, and treat, others.
Our identity crisis is resolved in the most satisfying manner possible when we learn that we are children of God. Moses was called by God to do a great work: "...the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." Moses is understandably worried: "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" "...behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee." "I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."
God answers his concerns by defining Himself and Moses: "...I Am That I Am..." and, "Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years..." "And, behold, thou art my son...I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten..."
Moses is then given a vision of the whole earth, every inhabitant, and every particle, and he exclaims in his new-found weakness, "Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed." You would think this was evidence of diminished courage and confidence, a low estimate of himself and others, but he repulses Satan's attack ("...son of man, worship me...") by exclaiming, "...I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten..." and by commanding Satan to depart in His name. Moses knew God from a face-to-face encounter, and he could discern between Him and Satan.
The Lord reappears, and continues to teach Moses about himself and God: "Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God. And lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days; for thou shalt deliver my people from bondage, even Israel my chosen." "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. And now, Moses, my son, I will speak unto thee concerning this earth upon which thou standest; and thou shalt write the things which I shall speak" (excerpts from Exodus 3, 4; Moses 1). It is like reading a paragraph from Moses' patriarchal blessing.
I want to talk about three ways of knowing God: knowing about God, having a personal relationship with God, and being like God.
Knowing About God
"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God..." (Joseph Smith, King Follet Sermon). This stands in sharp contrast to the creeds of modern religions the world over. The majority of them—Islam, Creedal Christendom, Buddhism, etc., revel in the incomprehensibility of God. If eternal life consists in knowing God, then such belief systems damn their adherents. Also, when we see God as a distant and alien creator, it also relegates us to the level of pets, home-made pottery. I wonder if this inevitable conclusion spurs much religious violence on the part of various religious zealots and extremists; anyone will step on a bug, but who will kill a brother, a fellow child of God? How we view God affects how we view ourselves, and how we view, and treat, others.
Our identity crisis is resolved in the most satisfying manner possible when we learn that we are children of God. Moses was called by God to do a great work: "...the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." Moses is understandably worried: "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" "...behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee." "I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."
God answers his concerns by defining Himself and Moses: "...I Am That I Am..." and, "Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years..." "And, behold, thou art my son...I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten..."
Moses is then given a vision of the whole earth, every inhabitant, and every particle, and he exclaims in his new-found weakness, "Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed." You would think this was evidence of diminished courage and confidence, a low estimate of himself and others, but he repulses Satan's attack ("...son of man, worship me...") by exclaiming, "...I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten..." and by commanding Satan to depart in His name. Moses knew God from a face-to-face encounter, and he could discern between Him and Satan.
The Lord reappears, and continues to teach Moses about himself and God: "Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God. And lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days; for thou shalt deliver my people from bondage, even Israel my chosen." "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. And now, Moses, my son, I will speak unto thee concerning this earth upon which thou standest; and thou shalt write the things which I shall speak" (excerpts from Exodus 3, 4; Moses 1). It is like reading a paragraph from Moses' patriarchal blessing.
Notice how correct information about God's and Moses' identities provided Moses with confidence to do the difficult.
The opposite is also true; sour attitudes and poor behavior result from an incorrect or incomplete knowledge of God: "And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them" (1Ne. 2:12). "They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me" (John 16:3). "God is good, therefore everything should feel easy and convenient," seems to be the tacit opinion of the world in general. They assume that God is as tepid and bland as we are.
"Our heavenly father is more liberal in his views, and boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive, and at the same time is as terrible to the workers of iniquity, more awful in the executions of his punishments, and more ready to detect every false way than we are apt to suppose him to be" (The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, Dean C. Jesse, p. 509). In other words, when dealing with the Lord, expect the unexpected. This is not a description of the mundane quaintness that often infects depictions of the Savior. Our finite minds cannot even begin to guess what He has in store for us.
[Update, 17 Jan. 2013: Occasionally, I will hear or read comments like, "The Heavenly Father I know would never..." We are talking about the Being who asked Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac on a mountain. To those who dilute God by passing Him through their own limited personal experiences and expectations of cuddly, insipid tepidness, I paraphrase the quote from Charles Dicken's Ghost of Christmas Present: "Come in, and know me better, man!" Our current cultural bylaws and mores demand Niceness above all else, even at the expense of truth, when it is painful or embarrassing to others. Heaven has a different culture; I doubt anyone who wants to live there, and is mentally accountable, will get through this life without heart-wrenching experiences, all administered by God Himself. If God merely liked us, this life would be typified by ease and comfort. But God loves us; He will not settle for anything less than making us like Him, and that means chastening and trials (see Rev. 3:19; Hel. 15:3).]
Interacting With God
Far from the accepted idea prevalent in most religions that the heavens are sealed and the cannon is closed, Joseph Smith said that "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things..." (Articles of Faith, v. 9). "God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what he will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them..." (Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 150-151).
"For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" (Mosiah 5:13).
Book knowledge, theoretical knowledge, and correct descriptions of God are a good beginning, but they are not enough; "...thou must commune with God" (TPJS, p. 137).
How do we even begin to attempt to communicate with God? Why should He deign to interact with such lowly beings as ourselves? When we recognize that we are His sons and daughters, it becomes easier to imagine Him communicating with us—not because we are good, but because He is good.
We begin to communicate with Him via prayer; He communicates with us via the whisperings of the Holy Ghost: "...whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me..." This is all after obeying and receiving the first principles and ordinances—faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (3Ne. 11:35-36).
Learning to discern the voice of the Spirit, to distinguish it from other voices, and to heed it wholeheartedly, is a life-long pursuit. As we are reborn, the voice comes ever clearer and more frequently; "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). The Spirit carries us about if we heed its direction, leading us to answer prayers of others, doing and saying the things Jesus would do if He were in our place. And we know better than to take credit for it: "...he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:21).
Truman G. Madsen noted that "What would Jesus do?" is a good question, but "What wouldst thou have me to do?" is a much more compelling, incisive one. Getting personal revelation and guidance is greater than trying to use our wits to answer the question of what we should do.
If we are already doing the right thing, we need no new revelation; however, if we need course correction, the Lord will give it to us. In light of this fact, it should come as no surprise that revelations will compel us to do things that do not (initially) make sense. We are already operating according to our best understanding of present circumstances, therefore revelations about what we should do will typically not make sense, i.e., they will test our faith in the Lord. This takes us from the realm of theoretical belief in God to willing trust in Him, taking risks at His request. It highlights our humility or pride, along with the rest of our virtues. A car that is low on oil will manifest various symptoms; our performance as disciples with heeding the Spirit will show whether the levels of our various virtues are "topped off."
When we muster the courage, faith, trust, love, humility, submissiveness, etc., to follow the Spirit and make (seeming) sacrifices, we see our faith confirmed in miraculous ways, our hearts draw closer to God, and a pattern of direct interaction and continuing revelation begins in our lives: "...you have been baptized, you have had hands laid upon your head for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and you have been ordained to the holy priesthood. Now, if you will continue to follow the leadings of that spirit, it will always lead you right. Sometimes it might be contrary to your judgment; never mind that, follow its dictates; and if you be true to its whisperings it will in time become in you a principle of revelation so that you will know all things" (Joseph Smith to John Taylor, Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, 15 Jan. 1878, 1).
To Be Like God
What a joyful thought—to be like God, rid of all our imperfections and stumbling and weaknesses! Though it sounds incredible, Jesus assures us, "...I am able to make you holy..." (D&C 60:7).
Paul describes the leap from our present condition that will happen after the resurrection: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1Cor. 13:12).
Mormon elaborates: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen" (Moroni 7:48).
D&C 88 speaks of the earth being celestialized because it fulfills the measure of its creation; we also can be on a celestial track if we fulfill the measure of our creation in this mortal life, and have the same result: "They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened. Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness" (v.s 28-29).
Jesus taught us to pray to "our Father...in heaven" (Matt. 6:9).
I wonder if all our attributes that we strive earnestly to cultivate in this life were far greater before we came to this earth. Perhaps only the abilities associated with having a body surpass what we used to be able to do in premortal realms. Chief among those abilities is the capacity to beget offspring, to become parents ourselves. If we spend our whole lives cultivating virtues we lost at birth, and neglect parenthood, are we really becoming more like God?
President Packer was much maligned for giving the talk, "Cleansing the Inner Vessel." Here is a part of what he said in October 2010 General Conference: "To be entrusted with the power to create life carries with it the greatest of joys and dangerous temptations. The gift of mortal life and the capacity to kindle other lives is a supernal blessing. Through the righteous exercise of this power, as in nothing else, we may come close to our Father in Heaven and experience a fulness of joy. This power is not an incidental part of the plan of happiness. It is the key—the very key.
"Whether we use this power as the eternal laws require or reject its divine purpose will forever determine what we will become."
President Packer offered this insight in the devotional talk, Truths Most Worth Knowing, Nov. 6, 2011:
"I have asked young missionaries, 'Do you know what the word father means?' They say, of course, they do know. I respect their answer, but deep down I think, 'You know so very little.' They do know what the word father means, but their knowledge is immature.
"To you who are married and have a child, the word father takes on a new meaning; the word father comes into clearer focus.
"Perhaps there will come a day when a doctor tells you, 'I think you are not going to keep this one.' Finally, you learn about the Father and about yourself.
"We had been married for nine years when we first heard those words from the doctor: 'I’m afraid you’re not going to keep this one.' As parents, we looked at our tiny baby son and did the only thing we could do. He was named and given a father’s blessing in the hospital. We prayed, had faith, and said aloud, 'Thy will be done.'
"Hours passed, and then days. The doctors and nurses continued to work with our son.
"At last we heard the words from the doctor, 'I believe you will keep this one.'
"As parents, we grew in understanding and strength and drew closer to each other and to the Father.
"Thirteen years later, in a much larger hospital, that experience was repeated with our tenth child. He was given a name and a father’s blessing in the hospital. We prayed, had faith, and once again said aloud, 'Thy will be done.'
"Hours crept slowly by. Once again we were greatly blessed. He would live. The lessons learned years before had been repeated.
"Such experiences will teach you what father and mother mean. Then you know that you would give your life if that little son could live to experience mortality. You then can begin to understand our Heavenly Father. Then you will truly know what the words father and mother mean."
Two young parents learn more from personal experience about what it means to be like God than than an army of celibate philosophers can learn from drawn out debates and theoretical exercises. We are limited in our mental faculties compared to what we could do as premortal and postmortal spirits (the phrase "perfect remembrance" is used to describe our mental capacities in the next life), and we are also prone to all kinds of stumbling and rebellion because of our flawed mortal bodies. But the one capacity that no disembodied spirit can claim is procreative power.
In D&C 132, Jesus calls "exaltation and glory in all things" "a fulness and a continuation of the seeds (procreative power) forever and ever" (v. 19). "For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives (procreation after resurrection), and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me. But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also" (v.s 22-23).
This may seem like a sudden and sharp digression from a pedestrian discussion about having a personal relationship with one's Creator, but Jesus pulls back the curtain in modern revelation, lowers the boom, and blasts us with the fuller meaning of knowing Father—being like Him and doing what He does, here in our miniature way on earth, as well as fully in the eternities.
The parable of the talents comes into sharper focus: "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matt. 25:23). It is not about understanding physics or learning to play the piano (which we mastered in another realm before this life); it is about creating families, the nucleus of an eternal kingdom.
How many have been decoyed away from this simple answer in pursuit of something less commonplace, less vulgar? Yes, they reject evil, but the good and the better can consume life until we find we have been tricked into neglecting the very best of all. We can run from the devil through asceticism and celibacy, but also ironically run away from God. There are many middle mansions for those who want to avoid evil, but refuse to keep God's first commandment—to do what He does; to be parents.
In D&C 132, Jesus calls "exaltation and glory in all things" "a fulness and a continuation of the seeds (procreative power) forever and ever" (v. 19). "For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives (procreation after resurrection), and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me. But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also" (v.s 22-23).
This may seem like a sudden and sharp digression from a pedestrian discussion about having a personal relationship with one's Creator, but Jesus pulls back the curtain in modern revelation, lowers the boom, and blasts us with the fuller meaning of knowing Father—being like Him and doing what He does, here in our miniature way on earth, as well as fully in the eternities.
The parable of the talents comes into sharper focus: "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matt. 25:23). It is not about understanding physics or learning to play the piano (which we mastered in another realm before this life); it is about creating families, the nucleus of an eternal kingdom.
How many have been decoyed away from this simple answer in pursuit of something less commonplace, less vulgar? Yes, they reject evil, but the good and the better can consume life until we find we have been tricked into neglecting the very best of all. We can run from the devil through asceticism and celibacy, but also ironically run away from God. There are many middle mansions for those who want to avoid evil, but refuse to keep God's first commandment—to do what He does; to be parents.
