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Three themes of Salvation: Light, Truth, and Grace

Three themes of Salvation: Light, Truth, and Grace. D&C 93. The Glory of God is Intelligence. D&C 93.

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Three themes of Salvation: Light, Truth, and Grace

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  1. Three themes of Salvation: Light, Truth, and Grace D&C 93

  2. The Glory of God is Intelligence • D&C 93 • We are not capacitated to throw off in one day all of our traditions, and our prepossessed feelings and notions, but have to do it little by little. It is a gradual process, advancing from one step to another, and thus we grow in grace; and if we continue so to grow we shall be prepared eventually to receive the Son of Man, and that is what we are after. • Brigham Young, July 8, 1855, Journal of Discourses 2:315-16

  3. D&C 88 1. Sanctify, purify, cleanse (88:68, 74-76) 2. Draw near to Christ, ask, seek, knock. Keep eye single to the Glory of God (88:62-67) 3. Obey Law as the way to Godhood (88:21-45) D&C 93:1 Forsake sin, Come unto Christ, Call on his name, Become one with God 3. Obey my voice, keep my commandments Compare Requirements

  4. Sanctification • “To the degree that you are still attracted to sin, you are not sanctified.”

  5. Watch for “If-Then” ClausesD&C 93: 1-5 • IF we • Forsake Sins • Come unto Christ • Call on His name • Obey His voice • Keep His commandments • THEN we • See His face and know He is • "If you would see God, you must be pure” • Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye In Holy Places, 345

  6. The Way of Progression • The Spirit of the Father . . . is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments; and all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of him who fills all in all; being filled with the fullness of his glory, and become one in him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one • Lectures on Faith, Lecture 5th

  7. Light • How is light an aspect of glory? • “God’s glory is not just something He bestows on others; glory is associated with His very nature. . . . Light is used to describe that aspect of the nature of God which radiates out from Him, expanding with His work and will, enlightening, organizing, capacitating, and quickening as it does.” • Richard D. Draper, “Light, Truth & Grace,” In Sperry Symposium Classics: The Doctrine and Covenants, 236, 238. • Light is a constituent part of glory (JS-H 1:16-17)

  8. Grace • Elder David A. Bednar – Oct 2004 Conf. “Please pay particular attention to the word grace . . . In the Bible Dictionary we learn that the word grace frequently is used in the scriptures to connote ‘enabling power.’ The main idea of the word grace is the divine means of help given to you through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.”

  9. Grace = Enabling Power “It is through the grace of the Lord (the enabling power of the atonement) that individuals, because of their faith in the atonement of Christ and their repentance, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to do if left to their own means. “This grace is also the enabling power that allows men and women to gain eternal life and exaltation, after they have expended their own best efforts.” -Elder Bednar

  10. I and the Father are One • Christ is “in” the Father and vice versa because he received the Father’s “grace” or “enabling power,” and glory (17), life (9), light (9), spirit (23), intelligence (36), truth (36), and power (17) in “fulness” (19). • “I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father; And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him” (16-17) • “If you are faithful you shall receive the fulness of the record of John” (18)

  11. How and What we Worship • I give you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness. For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace [enabling power] (DC 93:19-20)

  12. Truth • Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come (93:24) • Truth is only accessible by revelation that comes by obedience until one arrives at “fulness.” Truth impels further righteous action • No man receives a fulness unless he keeps the commandments. He that keeps the commandments receives truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knows all things (27-28)

  13. Intelligence • I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn (21) • Ye were also in the beginning with the Father (23) • All those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn (22) • Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be (29).

  14. Now, the word create came from the word baurauwhich does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. • Hence, we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos—chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. • Element had an existence from the time he had. The pure principles of element are principles which can never be destroyed; they may be organized and re-organized, but not destroyed. They had no beginning, and can have no end. • Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 350-52

  15. Agency of All Intelligence • All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. • D&C 93:29-32

  16. Agency of All Intelligence • Unless intelligence is independent of God, it has no agency and cannot therefore be held accountable • God therefore placed intelligence in a sphere outside of his immediate oversight, making it independent, and thus accountable • He declared laws with inevitable consequences, thus empowering free agents with choice and making them accountable • “Otherwise there is no existence” (93:30)

  17. Opposition • So there must be an opposition, an adversarial force which takes away light and truth for disobedience even as God gives light and truth for obedience (93:39-40) • “Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receives not the light is under condemnation” (31-32) • 2 Nephi 2:13-16, 26, Alma 12:31, Helaman 14:30

  18. The Purpose of Law • The first principles of man are self-existent with God. God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have the privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has the power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with himself, so that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them in the world of spirits. • Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 354 http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/?m=200706

  19. Spirit • “For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element inseparably connected receive a fullness of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple.” • D&C 93:33-35, cross ref. D&C 88:15, 2 Nephi 2:13

  20. Spirit as Substance • In tracing the thing to the foundation, and looking at it philosophically, we shall find a very material difference between the body and the spirit; the body is supposed to be organized matter, and the spirit, by many, is thought to be immaterial, without substance. • With this latter statement we should beg leave to differ, and state the spirit is a substance;that it is material, but that it is more pure, elastic and refined matter than the body; that it existed before the body, can exist in the body; and will exist separate from the body, when the body will be mouldering in the dust; and will in the resurrection, be again united with it. • Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 207

  21. Intelligence = Light and Truth • The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one. • Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God. • And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. • D&C 93:36-39

  22. You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction. And now a commandment I give unto you—if you will be delivered you shall set in order you own house, for there are many things that are not right in your house. D&C 93:44 Frederick G. Williams, Counselor, First Presidency

  23. Sidney Rigdon • I say unto my servant Sidney Rigdon, that in some things he hath not kept the commandments concerning his children; therefore, first set in order thy house. • D&C 93:44

  24. Newel K. Whitney • My servant Newel K. Whitney also, a bishop of my church, hath need to be chastened, and set in order his family, and see that they are more diligent and concerned at home, and pray always, or they shall be removed out of their place. • D&C 93:50

  25. Even the Prophet • I say unto you Joseph Smith, Jun.--You have not kept the commandments, and must needs stand rebuked before the Lord; Your family must needs repent and forsake some things, and give more earnest heed unto your sayings, or be removed out of their place. • D&C 93:47-48

  26. Stand in Zion • If you expect glory, intelligence, and endless lives, you must get them in God’s work [Moses 1:39]; for nowhere outside can you get them. Therefore, let every sympathy and interest be centered in this cause [Zion]. Let all your love go out toward this cause, and this alone. Let the world [Babylon] go. • Joseph F. Smith, Deseret Weekly (May 5, 1894), 608

  27. Imagine • Draw a graphic flow chart or a picture, or make a collage of how you see these terms connecting: • Light • Truth • Intelligence • Wisdom • Knowledge • Power • Add yourself and the Savior into your picture. Where do you stand? Where is He in relation to you? In relation to the other terms? • Write an explanation of what you discovered.

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