"Shewing Himself that He is God"

"Lesson 31 of the Sunday School curriculum includes some very familiar verses from the apostle Paul concerning the relationship between the Second Coming of Christ and the Great Apostasy that was to precede his coming. To correct the Thessalonian saints concerning their expectation that Christ would return in their day, the apostle Paul wrote:

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)

These verses were, and continue to be, favorites used by missionaries. They establish the fact of a universal apostasy following Jesus Christ. They further create the condition that necessitated a restoration of the true gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. This application of these verses, however, is not what I desire to write about in this blog. Rather, I would like to focus my comments on the man of sin, the son of perdition, that is to be revealed and, moreso, the fact that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

"Anti" Christ Defined

"Anti" is a "a preposition signifying against, opposite, contrary, or in place of" (see Webster's 1828 Dictionary). Hence, when applied to a belief in Christ, two types of antichrist appear; one being, by far, more dangerous and seditious than the other. The first that poses the least threat to God and His saints are individuals, like Sherem, Korihor, or Zoramites, who argue that there is no Christ (see Jacob 7:2, Alma 30:6, 12-44, Alma 31:16). Inasmuch as Christ is the emblem of their religion, it does little good for one to tempt Christians to deny Him or to declare that his works do not redeem. Such antichrists, who outwardly adorn the wardrobe of wolves, are easily discerned and turned out by the congregations of the righteous.

Contrary, the second type of antichrist--the one who argues that he is Christ--is, indeed, a peril to the Saints. Some might argue that such wolves, dressed in their "Sunday best", are easily diagnosed and separated from the flock. NOT SO!! Such antichrists are far too subtle and, in fact, most Latter-day Saints have already embraced their philosophy.

"Anti" Christ Revealed

When he speaks of “the temple of God,” without other qualification, the apostle Paul appears to refer to the existing Temple of Jerusalem (comp. Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11, cited by our Lord in Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). Attempts have been made to show that the Apostle’s words were literally fulfilled by certain outrages committed by the Herods upon the sacred building (see Meyer's NT Commentary). The shout of the populace at Cæsarea, hailing “the voice” of Herod Agrippa as that “of a god and not of a man,” illustrates the lengths to which a corrupt and servile crowd was prepared to go in worshipping an unclean beast (Acts 12:20-24).

But the Herods were not alone in demonstrating that the intoxication of supreme power can cause even the vile and common to declare that they are God. Eventually, Sebastos, the Greek rendering of the imperial title Augustus, signified “the one to be worshipped.” Caesar or Christ became the martyr’s alternative after Augustus "consented to be worshipped with temples and statues as a deity." Augustus Caesar died in the midst of the Savior's mortal probation. He believed that his empire was "secure and at peace." His reported last words were twofold. To his subjects he said, “I found Rome of clay; I leave it to you of marble.” But to the friends who had stayed with him in his rise to power he added, “Have I played the part well? Then applaud me as I exit.” Soon after his acknowledgement of this human frailty that visits paupers and kings alike, the Roman Senate officially declared their departed emperor, like Julius Caesar before him, to be a god. These emperors, however, considered individually or together in one big black ball, do not fit the crowning act of profanation described by the apostle Paul. At best, these kings were but a type--a dark shadow--of a day to come.

The Man of Sin Revealed
In his book called Revelation, the apostle John described a day wherein the devil would come "down to earth, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (JST Revelation 12:12). The apostle John was undoubtedly identifying the day seen also by the apostle Paul wherein the man of sin, the son of perdition, would be revealed. During a conference held June 3-6, 1931 in Kirtland, Ohio, the apostle Paul's words were, in part, literally fulfilled. In the journal of John Whitmer, Jr., he recorded that "Joseph Smith, Jr., prophesied . . . that the man of sin should be revealed" during the conference. Continuing, Brother Whitmer recorded that, on the following day, "while the Lord poured out his spirit upon his servants, the devil took a notion, to make known his power, he bound Harvey Whitlock and John Murdock so that they could not speak, and others were affected, [B]ut the Lord showed to Joseph the Seer, the design of the thing, [and] he commanded the devil[,] in the name of Christ[,] and he departed to our joy and comfort." Concerning events of that day, Joseph Smith likewise noted:

On the 3rd of June, the Elders from the various parts of the country where they were laboring, came in; and the conference before appointed, convened in Kirtland; and the Lord displayed His power to the most perfect satisfaction of the Saints. The man of sin was revealed, and the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested and conferred for the first time upon several of the Elders" (see History of the Church, 1:175).

Sanctuaries of the Holy Spirit

Notwithstanding how precisely these accounts accord with Paul's prophecy, the manner in which the man of sin is revealed and reigns, as God, in the temple of God is more subtle and, certainly, more personal than portrayed by the foregoing events. In our day, the great Usurper, who claims for himself that he is God, appropriates the sanctuaries of the Holy Spirit (compare D&C 88:137) and prostitutes them to his own worship. He seeks to possess the dwelling places that are not his (Habakkuk 1:5-11, 6) and to reign “within the temple of God—not in Jerusalem alone,” says Chrysostom, “but in every person's body.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges). 

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?", wrote the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). The Lord requires the hearts of the children of men (D&C 64:22). Unfortunately, this is also the residence of evil spirits (Mosiah 3:6; also D&C 45:55). It is where "anger rages" against that which is good (2 Nephi 28:20). Thus, speaking more precisely of the manner in which the apostle Paul's words would be fulfilled, the prophet Joseph Smith wrote:

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares:
Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed;
And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness (D&C 86:1-3).

Those who are Babylon--the nations of the world enveloped in spiritual wickedness (see D&C 133:14)--are the means whereby the man of sin, the son of perdition, reigns in the temple of God! Their hearts are his throne and gross darkness is the hue of their minds (D&C 112:23).

Avodah: Sorrow and Joy

Avodah is a Hebrew word used in the Bible whose root has three distinct yet intertwined meanings. In some verses the word, Avodah means work, as in to work in the field and to do common labor. To illustrate, speaking to Moses God said, “Six days thou shalt work (adovah).” In other verses, Adovah means service. For example, Joshua declared, "as for me and my household, we will serve (avodah) the Lord.” Finally, Avodah means worship. Such was its meaning when Moses went to Pharaoh and declared: "Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve (avodah) me."

Taken together, Avodah suggests that our work can be a form of service wherein we worship God. Concerning how to worship, we are instructed to offer up sacrifices in similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten. Two words of this instruction—in similitude—are essential. They mean in likeness of, or emulation. “Perfect worship is emulation,” Elder McConkie wrote. “We honor those whom we imitate. How do we worship the Lord,” he added. “We do it by going from grace to grace, until we receive the fulness of the Father and are glorified in light and truth” (McConkie, B. R. (1981). The Promised Messiah: The first coming of Christ. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company., pp. 568-569).

When Adam and Eve were admonished of the Lord, Eve was instructed that "in sorrow" (i.e., in labor) she would "bring forth children" (Moses 4:22) from the dust of the earth (Moses 4:25), whereas, Adam was instructed that "in sorrow" (i.e, in labor) he would "bring forth bread" from the dust of the earth (Moses 4:23, 25). What is often missed in this equation is that both body of man, and the bread of man, are derived from the dust of this earth and that the dust was to come forth into its several shapes and usefulness by the labor, work, or Avodah, of Adam and Eve. In short, "Mother Earth" is more than a beautiful metaphor.

Although Eve's Avodah, labor, or sorrow, lacked duration, it was with an intensity that brought her into the shadow of death. Although lacking intensity, Adam's Avodah, labor, or sorrow, was protracted for a lifetime. And, even while cursed, the ground was also blessed to bring forth beauty and splendor from the labor of the married couple; Adam's labor caused the earth to bring forth its dust to form and sustain the life given by him and conceived and brought forth by Eve. This labor, or Avodah, of Adam and Eve shaped the highest form of their worship, or emulation, of God--the procreative act, whereby, they obtained joy and rejoicing in their posterity. And thus, by labor, sorrow, or Avodah, we worship, rejoice, or Avodah! Indeed, sorrow is rejoicing. Such was the final observation made by Adam and Eve:

And in that day Adam blessed God . . . saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God. 

And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. (Moses 5:10-11).

This paradox whereby sorrow equals rejoicing is confirmed by the related practice of the Fast, or "afflicting of the soul" (see Isaiah 58:3, compare Leviticus 23:27-29). According to D&C 59:14, fasting, or afflicting the soul, is rejoicing! Such rejoicing or sorrow was experienced by the prophet Joseph Smith as described in D&C 21:8:

Yea, his weeping for Zion I have seen, and I will cause that he shall mourn for her no longer; for his days of rejoicing are come unto the remission of his sins, and the manifestations of my blessings upon his works.

Importantly, the joy, rejoicing, or worship that is borne of sorrow, labor, or affliction can only be realized through Him, and the works of Him, who descended below all things that we might obtain a fulness of joy.

". . . there is none Good but one, that is, God"

17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. (Mark 10)

Why would Christ say that "there is none good but one, that is God"?

Note that the word Good in verse 17 is CAPITALIZED. Hence, the man who came running to Christ was using the word as a noun rather than as an adjective. As a noun, the Greek word for Good is agathos' which means "intrinsically good and is often used as a noun." A person who is intrinsically Good is One who, by His very nature, has the characteristic of good belonging to Him. Hence, since the man used the word as a noun, it was appropriate for Christ to refer to His Father as the only One who is Good, for even Christ obtained "grace for grace" from His Father (see D&C 93:12-14; compare D&C 50:26-27). Christ was simply pointing this out and reminding the man that God, the Father, "should be the only being whom [we] should worship" (see D&C 20:19).

If the man had used the Greek word kalos' instead, it would have been recorded "good Master" by the disciple Mark. Kalos' means "beautiful, morally good, better, fair, honest, or worthy." In that case, the Savior would have made no correcting comment for, indeed, Jesus Christ is these things.

It is instructive to note that the man dropped his usage of Good and afterwards referred to Jesus Christ as "Master" (see Mark 10:20)

Our Duty to FIND

I found myself awake at 12:30am Monday morning simply because I’m getting older. Between then at now, I have found myself studying the Statistical Records of the Church as it pertains to missionary work. Since the time that the number of full-time missionaries has been made public in the Statistical Record (1977), the average number of annual convert baptisms per missionary has fluctuated between a high of 8.03 in 1989 to a present low of 3.4 in 2013 and 3.5 in 2014.

The most interesting result from this exercise shows that substantially increasing the number of missionaries during the past two years, in connection with hastening the work of the LORD, has resulted in NO STATISTICAL INCREASE in the total number of converts!!

So, how should we interpret this anomoly, wherein, a 44% increase in the number of missionaries has resulted in a 9% increase in the number of converts? Following are several of my thoughts on the subject:

First, the number of converts each year is not a function of the number of missionaries in the field. Rather, it is a function of whether or not the members are doing their job of finding the people. It is not the missionarys’ job to find investigators; it is their job to teach and to baptize. In his address to new mission presidents in June 2000, Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught the role of members in conversion:

President Hinckley has called us to make a concerted effort to double the number of converts who are currently being baptized each year. “The big initial task,” he said, “is first to find interested investigators.” To do that, he said, we must join in what he called the “better way”:

That [better] way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system.

Continuing, Elder Oak reiterated what President Hinckley had previously requested in 1999:

I request each stake and district president to accept full responsibility and accountability for the finding and friendshipping of investigators within your stake or district. I request each bishop and branch president to accept the same responsibility within your ward or branch. (Oaks, Dallin H., The Role of Members in Conversion, Ensign, March 2003).

In keeping with this directive, sections 5.1.1 through 5.1.6 of Handbook 2 provides that “the bishop and his counselors give priority to member missionary work. They teach the doctrines of missionary work regularly. They encourage ward members to work with full-time missionaries to find, teach, and baptize investigators. They set an example by finding and preparing individuals and families for the missionaries to teach.” The Handbook further stipulates “find[ing] and prepar[ing] people to be taught” as the primary way that members participate in missionary work. To complement these efforts, ward missionaries are likewise called to “find and prepare people for the full-time missionaries to teach.”

Conversely, the Handbook states that “full-time missionaries have the primary responsibility for teaching investigators.” Notwithstanding the dramatic increase in the number of full-time missionaries, members have not likewise increased their efforts to FIND people to be taught. As a result, the number of converts has remained stagnant.

Second, the Statistical Record will show that missionary work enjoyed it greatest success as a result of President Benson’s request for members to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon, on the heels of President Kimball’s emphasis—every member a missionary. The ultimate purpose for increasing the number of full-time missionaries by 44% may yet be known. But one thing is certain, it is a spiritual testimony of the First Vision and the Book of Mormon that brings about conversion and not an increase in the number of missionaries. This conclusion accords with the scriptural mandate that--

--righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem (Moses 7:62).

The “righteousness” that comes down out of heaven is, without contradiction, the prophet Joseph Smith! This is confirmed a hundred times over in other biblical verses (see Romans 11:25-27; Isaiah 57:1; compare 2 Kings 22:19-20; D&C 1:17, D&C 136:33-40). And “truth that comes forth out of the earth” is the Book of Mormon! According to scripture, these two things--the prophet Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon--were sent forth out of heaven and earth to “bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and . . . to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth.” Scripture cannot not be recorded more clearly. As far as I recollect, no other program can replace this divinely-prescribed means of gathering God’s elect. In 1975, Elder Ezra Taft Benson confirmed that “THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF MORMON IS STATED ON THE TITLE PAGE. IT IS ‘TO THE CONVINCING OF THE JEW AND GENTILE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST.” (Benson, Ezra Taft, The Book of Mormon is the Word of God, General Conference, April 1975).

Again, the LORD has prescribed the means whereby conversion comes. We do not convert individuals by programs or any other writings of prophets, priests, and kings. True conversion is discovered in the declaration that Joseph Smith is the Lord’s servant through whom the gospel and priesthood keys are restored, that

• he translated the Book of Mormon “by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation”;
• the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on earth, and the keystone of our religion;
• the Book of Mormon was written to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever;
• the Book of Mormon was written “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations,” and
• “a man [or woman] will get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

Those who gain a divine witness of the Book of Mormon from the Holy Spirit “will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah” (Book of Mormon, Introduction).

And it is our solemn duty to unashamedly FIND those who are to be gathered by these testimonies so that the increased missionary force will bear an increase of fruit. I bear witness that Joseph Smith is God's prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Faith and Emulation according to Abraham and Isaac

In the Joseph Smith Translation of Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 1, the apostle Paul defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for.” An assurance is a promise. Importantly, one cannot make an assurance, or promise, to themselves and expect the thing hoped for to come to pass. In other words, we cannot generate our own faith in our mind or our heart. Rather, Elder Bednar taught that “faith is not a personal trait to be developed”.[1] Thus, the assurance of which Paul is writing about comes from someone other than the individual expressing the thing hoped for. In Galatians 5:22, the apostle Paul identifies the Spirit as that personage. Elder James E. Talmage likewise taught that “faith is … a divine gift, and can be obtained only from God.”[2]

In his eleventh letter to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul then recounts significant events from the lives of various Old Testament saints, beginning with Abel and concluding with a reference to Isaiah, who was sawn asunder. He recounts the things that each of these individuals “hoped for”, and how, by assurances given to them from God and their supporting works, they were able to have those promises fulfilled and obtain the things hoped for. For example, Paul taught that Sara, whose womb was dead, “received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age.” Why did this happen? Paul says it was “because she judged him faithful who had made the promise that she would, in fact, have a son.” In Romans 4, the apostle Paul notes how Abraham “staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, … And [was] fully persuaded that, what [God] had promised, he was able also to perform.”

Something that is often overlooked in all of these examples that Paul recounts is the hidden similitude of Jesus Christ. In each instance, the individual named in the verse can be replaced with Jesus Christ and, with few alterations, the event of that individual’s life emulates an event from the Savior’s life. To illustrate, Paul notes in verse 23 that “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.” Replacing Moses with Jesus Christ suggests that the same events happened in the life of Jesus Christ—that “by faith Jesus Christ, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the herod’s commandment.” Indeed, the emulation exists. In the verse that follows, Paul writes: “By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter”. In other words, Moses emulated the Christ child who, when He came of age, taught in the temple and when questioned as to His whereabouts, refused to be called the son of Joseph and reminded Mary that He was about His Father’s business. As a final example, in verse 7, Paul writes concerning Noah: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not yet seen as yet . . . prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith”. Do you see the emulation? Noah perfectly emulated Christ who, being warned of God of the end results of sin, offered an atonement for sin (i.e., the ark of redemption) through which His house is saved and through which He becomes heir to the righteous (who come by faith in His name) and condemns the wicked.

My first invitation to you is to work through all of the verses of Hebrews 11 and identify how each of the individuals and events recounted therein emulate Jesus Christ.

Continuing, “perfect worship is emulation,” Elder McConkie taught. “We honor those whom we imitate. The most perfect way of worship is to be holy as Jehovah is holy. It is to be pure as Christ is pure. It is to do the things that enable us to become like the Father.”[3] Thus, another fundamental point that the apostle Paul is driving home is that faith must be accompanied by an emulation of Jesus Christ, or worship, if the assurances are to mature into, and produce, the thing hoped for. In short, faith must be the prompting motive and cause of our worship.

This pattern of emulation, or worship, connected to faith, is illustrated best by Abraham in offering up his son Isaac. Jacob wrote:

Behold, they believed in Christ (i.e., FAITH) and worshipped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son (Jacob 4:5).

Abraham increased in faith until he received the assurance that he would be the father of many nations. He received the added assurance “that in Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Genesis 21:12). These were the certain eventualities that surely would come to pass—provided the faith given was exercised. Throughout his life, Abraham was tried until, having shown obedience in all things, he was given a commandment that would stretch his faith in God to its eternal limits—he was to take his son Isaac, through whom the promises were to come, and offer him up as a complete sacrifice—a burnt offering unto the Lord. The lot now fell upon Abraham to either exercise his faith in God by keeping the commandment or to walk away from the awful challenge. If obedient, he would perfectly emulate the Father who offered up His Only Begotten Son. Trusting that God, who cannot not lie, would yet bring about the promised blessings through Isaac, Abraham offered him up on the premise that “God was able to raise him up, even from the dead”. So taught the apostle Paul.

Now, turn to Hebrews, chapter 11, reread verses 17 through 19 in the context that Abraham’s offering of Isaac is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son. What questions arise when, in these verses, Elohim is substituted for Abraham and Isaac for Christ:

By faith Elohim, when he was tried, offered up Jesus Christ: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Of whom it was said, That in Jesus Christ shall thy seed be called:
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Now, I invite you to ponder the following questions:

1. Is the entire plan of redemption a plan premised on faith, or the assurances made to God, the Father?
2. From whom did Elohim receive the assurance?
3. What were the assurances that were given to Him? Are they the same assurances that God, the Father, gave to Abraham?
4. Was God, the Father “tried” when He offered up his Only Begotten Son?
5. What does it mean to be “tried”?
6. Was God, the Father, present in the offering of His Son? Consider the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. Who was the active participant and who was the passive participant in Abraham’s offering of Isaac? To find out the answer to this question, answer each of the following from the facts of the story:

Who ROSE UP EARLY in the morning, and SADDLED HIS ASS?
Who TOOK TWO OF HIS YOUNG MEN with him, AND ISAAC his son?
Who CLAVE THE WOOD for the burnt offering?
Who ROSE UP, and WENT UNTO THE PLACE of which God had told him?
Who LIFTED UP HIS EYES, and SAW THE PLACE afar off?
Who said unto his young men, ABIDE YE HERE with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you?
Who TOOK THE WOOD of the burnt offering, and LAID IT UPON ISAAC his son?
Who TOOK THE FIRE IN HIS HAND, AND A KNIFE; and WENT WITH his son?
Who REPLIED “Here am I, my son” and SAID, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”
Who BUILT THE ALTAR there?
Who LAID THE WOOD IN ORDER?
Who BOUND ISAAC his son?
Who LAID HIM ON THE ALTAR upon the wood?
Who STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND, and TOOK THE KNIFE to slay his son?
DO YOU GET THE POINT that “the shedding of the blood of Christ…is in the covenant of the Father” (Moroni 10:33)? 

7. Was God, the Father’s faith, or assurances made to Him, perfected in the offering of His Son, Jesus Christ? Consider what James writes in James 2:20-24.
8. Are all of the Father’s children called in the name of Jesus Christ?
9. Was Jesus Christ the first of those whom God, the Father, raised up from the dead to eternal life?
10. Does the fact that God, the Father, had received promises and that these promises were made perfect in the offering of His Son prove out what Joseph Smith taught in his King Follett discourse—that “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! . . . . that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did”? (see King Follet discourse conclusion).

ENDNOTES

__________

[1] Bednar, “BYU-Idaho, A Disciple Preparation Center (DPC),” BYU-Idaho Devotional Speeches, Rexburg, ID: Brigham Young University-Idaho, 31 August 2004.

[2] Talmage, A Study of the Articles of Faith, 97.

[3] McConkie, Bruce R., The Promised Messiah, 568-569.