This is always fascinating!
Mosiah 18:9 - Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as a witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection that ye may have eternal life
Showing posts with label Heaven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heaven. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Monday, January 21, 2019
Two Must-Watch Videos!
So many videos have grabbed my attention this week, but I must say that these two videos are top priority, so I will share the others in a later post.
I have a great respect for Hank Kunneman, and have shared his words in past video messages. My spirit bumps were present during his portion of the video and my spiritual antennas were were in full receiving mode. Everything he shared confirmed what I have been feeling for this year. Yes, something amazing truly is coming to the Northern Hemisphere! I will share more about that in my next video message.
Last night there was an incredible sign in the heavens - a super blood wolf moon! I knew when I looked at it, that I was witnessing something prophetic. It matched the way I felt when I first began paying attention to blood moons back in 2014. This was when I learned about the blood moon prophecies - a series of prophecies in the Bible preached by Christian preachers John Hagee and Mark Biltz, which state that a tetrad (a series of four consecutive lunar eclipses—coinciding on Jewish holidays—with six full moons in between, and no intervening partial lunar eclipses) which began with the April 2014 lunar eclipse is the beginning of the end times as described in the Bible in the Book of Joel, Acts 2:20, and Revelation 6:12. The tetrad ended with the lunar eclipse on September 27–28, 2015. The second video below is a presentation/sermon of Pastor Steve Cioccolanti debunking skeptics who claim "nothing has happened" since the Blood Moons. This is a powerful reminder and witness of how signs work. It lines up beautifully with what Hank Kunneman shared in the prior video about President Trump and God's plans for America.
The following links below, are the posts and videos that separated the wheat from the tares amongst my subscribers over the past years. These videos and blogposts spoke to people on a very deep, emotional level - emotions of joy, wonder, and awe - or emotions of anger, rage, and hatred. The most unkind words I have ever received from viewers and readers came because of these posts and videos - on the contrary, the kindest and most sincere comments I have ever received also resulted from these videos and posts. With such a contrast, I knew I was on the right track during this period of division on by blog and YouTube channel. There was great truth in what I shared, and the battle of dark vs. the light was unfolding right before my eyes, in my own corner of cyberspace. I heard, "pay attention"!
https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-great-american-eclipse-what-it.html
https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/2015/11/finding-joy-in-last-days-part-2.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtECnJmezm8&t=2519s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XyL3TgnUBw&t=2s
I have a great respect for Hank Kunneman, and have shared his words in past video messages. My spirit bumps were present during his portion of the video and my spiritual antennas were were in full receiving mode. Everything he shared confirmed what I have been feeling for this year. Yes, something amazing truly is coming to the Northern Hemisphere! I will share more about that in my next video message.
Last night there was an incredible sign in the heavens - a super blood wolf moon! I knew when I looked at it, that I was witnessing something prophetic. It matched the way I felt when I first began paying attention to blood moons back in 2014. This was when I learned about the blood moon prophecies - a series of prophecies in the Bible preached by Christian preachers John Hagee and Mark Biltz, which state that a tetrad (a series of four consecutive lunar eclipses—coinciding on Jewish holidays—with six full moons in between, and no intervening partial lunar eclipses) which began with the April 2014 lunar eclipse is the beginning of the end times as described in the Bible in the Book of Joel, Acts 2:20, and Revelation 6:12. The tetrad ended with the lunar eclipse on September 27–28, 2015. The second video below is a presentation/sermon of Pastor Steve Cioccolanti debunking skeptics who claim "nothing has happened" since the Blood Moons. This is a powerful reminder and witness of how signs work. It lines up beautifully with what Hank Kunneman shared in the prior video about President Trump and God's plans for America.
The following links below, are the posts and videos that separated the wheat from the tares amongst my subscribers over the past years. These videos and blogposts spoke to people on a very deep, emotional level - emotions of joy, wonder, and awe - or emotions of anger, rage, and hatred. The most unkind words I have ever received from viewers and readers came because of these posts and videos - on the contrary, the kindest and most sincere comments I have ever received also resulted from these videos and posts. With such a contrast, I knew I was on the right track during this period of division on by blog and YouTube channel. There was great truth in what I shared, and the battle of dark vs. the light was unfolding right before my eyes, in my own corner of cyberspace. I heard, "pay attention"!
https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-great-american-eclipse-what-it.html
https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/2015/11/finding-joy-in-last-days-part-2.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtECnJmezm8&t=2519s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XyL3TgnUBw&t=2s
Monday, April 23, 2018
An Interview You Need to Watch!
Today this video caught my attention when I saw that it was 1:13:52 in length. There's that number! After watching it I felt the importance of this man's message as he truly operates in third day power in the eleventh hour. This is the kind of faith that's needed in this eleventh hour and these are the kinds of miracles we need to be claiming. I feel we have a lot to learn from our Christian brother's and sisters when it comes to faith.
I've always been a fan of the Sid Roth show because I love the miracles and experiences that the guests often share. Miraculous healings, angelic visitations, the glory of God working in the lives of the believers. I remember at times feeling a little envious that we as Latter-day Saints aren't having these same kinds of experiences in our conferences and meeting houses. I would think about how awesome it would be if members could experience healing at church. If the hand of God would fall upon congregations and we'd witness miracles just like during the time of the Savior. How come so many other Christian leaders and congregations were experiencing these powerful miracles, acts of faith, and witnesses, but it seemed to be lacking or seldom spoken of in our services? Our members have access to the power the Priesthood. We have the restored gospel, yet more and more of our members deal with depression, anxiety, mental illness, and suffer from physical ailments. They accept it as their cross to bear rather than asking for healing miracles through priesthood power. Why?
I was beginning to lose hope in our Latter-day generation, and felt we were slipping away from the powerful faith held by our early fore-bearers of the Church, especially in such a critical time as this eleventh hour. And then...
... at the recent General Conference, President Nelson spoke these powerful words that ushered a wake-up call to the Saints, especially the brethren. I could feel it in the sound of his voice and see it in his eyes. He knows. He knows our potential that we are not tapping into. He knows who and what this generation of Saints is supposed to be. He knows, and he'll see to it that we step into our divine roles and become powerful sons and daughters in the Lord's Kingdom.
He said;
"We see faithful women who understand the power inherent in their callings and in their endowment and other temple ordinances. These women know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen their husbands, their children, and others they love. These are spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God!1 How thankful I am for them!
Likewise, we see faithful men who live up to their privileges as bearers of the priesthood. They lead and serve by sacrifice in the Lord’s way with love, kindness, and patience. They bless, guide, protect, and strengthen others by the power of the priesthood they hold. They bring miracles to those they serve while they keep their own marriages and families safe. They shun evil and are mighty elders in Israel. I am most thankful for them!
Now, may I voice a concern? It is this: Too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. They act as though they would rather satisfy their own selfish desires and appetites than use the power of God to bless His children.
I fear that too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs. Some of our brethren, for example, act like they do not understand what the priesthood is and what it enables them to do.
Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That’s a tragedy that we can eliminate.
Brethren, there are doors we can open, priesthood blessings we can give, hearts we can heal, burdens we can lift, testimonies we can strengthen, lives we can save, and joy we can bring into the homes of the Latter-day Saints—all because we hold the priesthood of God. We are the men who have been “called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of [our] exceeding faith,” to do this work."
Back to the video. As wonderfully bizarre as this man's experiences may sound, I believe his example to be a blueprint for all Christians (especially Latter-day Saints), who believe in the Lord and His power, who understand prayer, who have unwavering faith, and who hear the Lord's voice and obey. The Lord can and will use us as instruments in His hands in these last days - if we are willing.
I have included a link to the full version of this interview that contains extra awesomeness, as well as a link to the transcript for the interview, if you'd prefer to read. :) Enjoy!
https://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/henry-gruver/
https://ofm6z46z825qpxk83fa00q1a-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IS947Transcript_Gruver.pdf
I've always been a fan of the Sid Roth show because I love the miracles and experiences that the guests often share. Miraculous healings, angelic visitations, the glory of God working in the lives of the believers. I remember at times feeling a little envious that we as Latter-day Saints aren't having these same kinds of experiences in our conferences and meeting houses. I would think about how awesome it would be if members could experience healing at church. If the hand of God would fall upon congregations and we'd witness miracles just like during the time of the Savior. How come so many other Christian leaders and congregations were experiencing these powerful miracles, acts of faith, and witnesses, but it seemed to be lacking or seldom spoken of in our services? Our members have access to the power the Priesthood. We have the restored gospel, yet more and more of our members deal with depression, anxiety, mental illness, and suffer from physical ailments. They accept it as their cross to bear rather than asking for healing miracles through priesthood power. Why?
I was beginning to lose hope in our Latter-day generation, and felt we were slipping away from the powerful faith held by our early fore-bearers of the Church, especially in such a critical time as this eleventh hour. And then...
... at the recent General Conference, President Nelson spoke these powerful words that ushered a wake-up call to the Saints, especially the brethren. I could feel it in the sound of his voice and see it in his eyes. He knows. He knows our potential that we are not tapping into. He knows who and what this generation of Saints is supposed to be. He knows, and he'll see to it that we step into our divine roles and become powerful sons and daughters in the Lord's Kingdom.
He said;
"We see faithful women who understand the power inherent in their callings and in their endowment and other temple ordinances. These women know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen their husbands, their children, and others they love. These are spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God!1 How thankful I am for them!
Likewise, we see faithful men who live up to their privileges as bearers of the priesthood. They lead and serve by sacrifice in the Lord’s way with love, kindness, and patience. They bless, guide, protect, and strengthen others by the power of the priesthood they hold. They bring miracles to those they serve while they keep their own marriages and families safe. They shun evil and are mighty elders in Israel. I am most thankful for them!
Now, may I voice a concern? It is this: Too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. They act as though they would rather satisfy their own selfish desires and appetites than use the power of God to bless His children.
I fear that too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs. Some of our brethren, for example, act like they do not understand what the priesthood is and what it enables them to do.
Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That’s a tragedy that we can eliminate.
Brethren, there are doors we can open, priesthood blessings we can give, hearts we can heal, burdens we can lift, testimonies we can strengthen, lives we can save, and joy we can bring into the homes of the Latter-day Saints—all because we hold the priesthood of God. We are the men who have been “called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of [our] exceeding faith,” to do this work."
Back to the video. As wonderfully bizarre as this man's experiences may sound, I believe his example to be a blueprint for all Christians (especially Latter-day Saints), who believe in the Lord and His power, who understand prayer, who have unwavering faith, and who hear the Lord's voice and obey. The Lord can and will use us as instruments in His hands in these last days - if we are willing.
I have included a link to the full version of this interview that contains extra awesomeness, as well as a link to the transcript for the interview, if you'd prefer to read. :) Enjoy!
https://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/henry-gruver/
https://ofm6z46z825qpxk83fa00q1a-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IS947Transcript_Gruver.pdf
Thursday, December 14, 2017
From Burdens to Blessings – Accessing the Power of Faith, Hope, and Charity
What does a throw pillow, Mylar balloon, and ham sandwich have to do with turning burdens into blessings? Well, you'll just have to watch to find out! :)
Monday, October 16, 2017
From Telestial to Terrestrial - Translation in These Latter Days!
My most favorite book in the Book of Mormon has always been Third Nephi - especially Chapter 17.
16 - ...the eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;
Someday we will get to see what the Nephite people witnessed and I can't wait for that day! Surprisingly, as much as I love this chapter and its telling of the heavens opening, angels coming down and encircling the children with fire and ministering unto them, and Jesus saying that His joy was full because of the Nephites' faith, so much that He wept tears of joy - it isn't the only chapter that overwhelms my heart.
In Chapter 28 we read of that beautiful moment when When Jesus Christ asks each of His twelve Nephite disciples what they desire of Him. Nine requested to speedily return to Him when their ministry on the earth was complete, however three desired to remain on the earth to bring souls to Him until His Second Coming.
6 And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me.
7 Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.
8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father.
9 And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.
10 And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one;
And there we learn that the Lord blesses us according to our righteous desires and that He is pleased when we desire to help others come unto Him. But are we asking Him often enough for blessings and gifts that will help us better minister unto others and lead them to Him?
In 1 Corinthians 12:31 we are taught to covet the best gifts:
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
What is the more excellent way that the Lord promises to show? The footnotes take us to Ether 12:11-12 in which we learn that it is through the gift of Jesus Christ that this more excellent way is prepared. I have found chapter 12 in its entirety to be a chest full of heavenly treasure! Well worth the read.
If we back up just a little we learn about the key that opens the door to this more excellent way.
8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.
9 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.
The key is faith! The way, is through Jesus Christ and the word (I'll expound in a minute - think Lehi's dream and the Brother of Jared), And the heavenly gift is the baptism by fire (fullness of the Holy Ghost) which allows us to pierce the veil, be in the full presence of the Lord, and is accompanied by prophecy, revelation, visions, heavenly visitors, angels, the Holy Ghost and more.
In verse 17, Moroni references back to those three Nephites. He tells us,
And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
4 Nephi 1:3
And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.
Hebrews 6:5
They have also “tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,”
So great is this gift, that if it is denied after receiving it, one becomes a son of perdition.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:31-32
Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—
They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born;
If we covet this gift, we must do all that we can to keep ourselves pure and worthy of it. Like Alma the Younger, we must be born again of the Spirit and baptized by fire. We must have that mighty change of heart and lose our desire to sin. In the meantime, while we prepare ourselves, the Lord is preparing a place for us in His Kingdom. However, even with faith and hope, there is an additional requirement that qualifies us for that mansion with the Lord. Without it we cannot receive this inheritance. That requirement is charity. Our hearts have to be changed, pure, and filled with love. We cannot be a tare.
Ether 12:37
...except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.
Jesus Christ - the Way or the Gift?
Some have argued that the fullness of the Priesthood is the way to the heavenly gift. What exactly is the fullness of the Priesthood? It is simply to be brought into the presence of the Father, by the Son, to be fully endowed with God’s power and being a possessor of all things, which can then be used to bless our fellow beings and to build the kingdom of God on the earth preparatory to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and those who come with Him in great glory. (reference link)
It is the Second Anointing. Whereas the "first anointing" promises blessings in the afterlife contingent on the patron's faithfulness, the second anointing actually bestows those blessings. (reference link)
Doctrine and Covenants 50:26-30
26 He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all.
27 Wherefore, he is possessor of all things; for all things are subject unto him, both in heaven and on the earth, the life and the light, the Spirit and the power, sent forth by the will of the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son.
28 But no man is possessor of all things except he be purified and cleansed from all sin.
29 And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done.
30 But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask; and as ye are appointed to the head, the spirits shall be subject unto you.
This comment I found on another blog, best supports and describes how I feel about the Heavenly Gift.
"To me, from everything I’ve studied and read, the Heavenly Gift is to come into the presence of the Son. I have the gift of the Holy Ghost, so do you. I have been ordained to the priesthood, so have you. We have been endowed and taught sacred things about how to come into the presence of the Lord that are ONLY revealed in the temple.
The power of the priesthood, think about that phrase, can ONLY be received directly from God. It is not the same as authority or simply an ordination. Those are both invitations to go and get the real thing. We know we can’t pass the power of the priesthood from one man to another. We can only confer and ordain – invitations to go and get the real thing.
My conclusion: the Heavenly Gift is to receive power, directly from Christ, either by hearing his voice or by having him lay his hands upon our head. This fits the scripture that power cannot be passed from man to man – only authority can be given – an earthly authority at that. It is when we are in the presence of Christ we receive the fullness of the priesthood. The Heavenly gift IS the fullness of the priesthood."
Another commenter pointed out,
"Why are the Gentiles failing to partake of the Heavenly Gift? We lack faith, hope, and charity."
Doctrine and Covenants 109:14-15
"And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house may be taught words of wisdom out of the best books . . . And that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost”
From this scripture I have always believed that the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Fulness of the Holy Ghost are two separate things. We get the gift when we are baptized and the fulness occurs only after we are baptized by fire. The fulness of the Holy Ghost accompanies the fulness of the Priesthood - something that only God can give, and He is no respecter of persons when giving this gift.
Translation - Part of the Heavenly Gift?
The Heavenly Gift, is something God bestows upon us to help further His work. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught, “It is a very reasonable thought to believe that both Moses and Alma, like Elijah and John [the Revelator], were translated to accomplish some work which the Lord had in store for them at some future day”
Whether in or out of the body, transfigured or translated while having these Heavenly experiences, it is by the glory of God that we can endure His presence. Translation operates at the Terrestrial level, and it isn't until resurrection that we can fully operate in the Celestial realm. Resurrection is the next step.
According to Parley P. Pratt, ordinary human beings are said to have a telestial body; people who are translated are said to have a terrestrial body; and people who are resurrected are said to have a celestial body. The terrestrial body would be different from the Terrestrial glory of heaven, just as the present world is considered "telestial" but is not the Telestial glory of heaven. Translated beings with terrestrial bodies can appear or disappear the way the resurrected Jesus did in the 24th chapter of Luke. However, those who have resurrected "celestial" bodies have more power than those with terrestrial bodies. Thus when the wicked are resurrected, they will have power over Satan - a teaching we learned from Joseph Smith.
What is Translation and What is it's Purpose?
I once had an experience back in 2013 that really got me thinking about this subject. It was so profound for me that I wrote a post about it. I truly felt the men I encountered were either resurrected or translated beings. Here is what I have since learned about both types of beings.
Both translated and resurrected beings are eternally young and fit, not subject to illness or injury and spend their existences as ministering angels doing things that require physical bodies to perform; for example, where a disembodied spirit can record events as a witness and offer comfort or advice, a physical body is required to perform ordinances such as laying on of hands.(reference link)
When righteous individuals are translated, their bodies are changed so they are not subject to mortal pain or death. Sometimes translated beings are taken from the earth without experiencing death in order to fulfill the Lord’s purposes. Translated beings, however, will undergo a future change as they pass from a translated state to a resurrected state.
https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-study-guide/alma-45?lang=eng
And according to The Encyclopedia of Mormonism translation is defined as,
"changed from a mortal state to one in which they are temporarily not subject to death, and in which they experience neither pain nor sorrow except for the sins of the world. Such beings appear to have much greater power than mortals. All translated beings will eventually experience physical death and resurrection.Translation is a necessary condition in special instances to further the work of the Lord."
"...Resurrection is a step beyond translation"
"Translated beings are assigned special ministries, some to remain among mortals, as seems to be the case of John and the Three Nephites, or for other purposes, as in the case of Moses and Elijah, who were translated in order to appear with physical bodies hundreds of years later on the mount oftransfiguration prior to the resurrection of Christ. Had they been spirits only, they could not have laid hands on the mortal Peter, James, and John. the Prophet Joseph Smith explained the role of translated beings thus: "Many have supposed that the doctrine of translation was a doctrine whereby men were taken immediately into the presence of God, and into an eternal fullness, but this is a mistaken idea. Their place of habitation is that of the terrestrial order, and a place prepared for such characters He held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets, and who as yet have not entered into so great a fullness as those who are resurrected from the dead. The scriptures do not define differences between transfiguration and translation, but it appears that transfiguration is more temporary, occurring primarily to permit one to behold spiritual things not possible in the mortal condition."
Bruce R. McConkie has said,
"In this state they are not subject to sorrow or to disease or to death. No longer does blood (the life-giving element of our present mortality) flow in their veins. Procreation ceases. If they then had children, their offspring would be denied a mortal probation, which all worthy spirits must receive in due course. They have power to move and live in both a mortal and an unseen sphere. All translated beings undergo another change in their bodies when they gain full immortality.... Millennial man will live in a state akin to translation. His body will be changed so that it is no longer subject to disease or death as we know it, although he will be changed in the twinkling of an eye to full immortality when he is a hundred years of age. He will, however, have children, and mortal life of a millennial kind will continue."
Translation - a Fruit of Zion?
Are we ready to build the City of Zion? The answer to this question will better help us understand our proximity to the gift of translation in these latter days. A better question might be, are we ready to leave this world (Babylon) behind?
Here's what the prophets and modern day leaders have told us about translation;
"Zion is the great moment of transition, the bridge between the world as it is and the world as God designed it and meant it to be."Hugh Nibley; Approaching Zion, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989), 3-4.
"Jesus will never receive the Zion of God unless its people are united according to celestial law, for all who go into the presence of God have to go there by this law. Enoch had to practice this law, and we shall have to do the same if we are ever accepted of God as he was. It has been promised that the New Jerusalem will be built up in our day and generation, and it will have to be done by the United Order of Zion according to celestial law." Wilford Woodruff; Journal of Discourses, 17:250.
"First, if the Saints are to become part of the great celestial system of eternity in the resurrection, they must, as a people, practice the law of Zion. Second, essentially the same program was required of Enoch and his people, so that they might enter into the presence of the Lord and be translated to a state of glory.
Finally, the same challenge confronts the Saints in the last days. They, too, must build up Zion so that Christ can receive them unto Himself when He comes to reign on earth in His glory. This means that there are certain prerequisites that must be achieved by the Saints before Christ comes. The Lord told Enoch that in the last days Zion, the New Jerusalem, would be built 'that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming.' The implication in this statement is that the Saints cannot look intelligently for the Second Coming and expect to be accepted by Christ unless they have built the society of Zion. When the New Jerusalem is built, Zion will be established upon the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom. Here is a prerequisite that must be fulfilled before the coming of Christ; and here is the challenge of the Saints." Hyrum L. Andrus; Doctrinal Commentary on the Pearl of Great Price, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1969), 315-316
"...and he will purify the sons of Moses and of Aaron, until they shall be prepared to offer in that Temple and offering that shall be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. In doing this, he will purify not only the minds of the Priesthood in that Temple, but he will purify their bodies until they shall be quickened, renewed and strengthened, and they will be partially changed, not to immortality, but changed in part that they can be filled with the power of God, and they can stand in the presence of Jesus, and behold his face in the midst of that Temple.This will prepare them for further ministrations among the nations of the earth, it will prepare them to go forth in the days of tribulation and vengeance upon the nations of the wicked, when God will smite them with pestilence, plague and earthquake, such as former generations never knew." Orson Pratt; Journal of Discourses, 15:366.
"How perfect it was in the days of Enoch we are not told, but everything that they had revealed to them pertaining to the organization of the Church of God, also pertaining to doctrine and ordinances, we have had revealed to us, excepting one thing, and that is the principle and power of translation; that, however, will in due time be restored also." President John Taylor; Journal of Discourses, 23:33
"The principle of translation was a principle that at that time existed in the Church, and is one of the principles of the Gospel, and which will exist in the last days." President John Taylor; Journal of Discourses, 26:90
"Many have supposed that the doctrine of translation was a doctrine whereby men were taken immediately into the presence of God, and into an eternal fullness, but this is a mistaken idea. Their place of habitation is that of the terrestrial order, and a place prepared for such characters He held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets, and who as yet have not entered into so great a fullness as those who are resurrected from the dead." Joseph Fielding Smith; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1993), 169-171
"Although they had the ability to live in the earth among men, they had power over the elements of earth, power over the law of gravitation, by which they could move over the face of the earth with the speed f their own thoughts, power to reveal themselves to men; and yet power to mingle and move among men unobserved and hidden." N.B. Lundwall; Early Masterpieces of Latter-Saint Leaders, (Leatherwood Press 2005), 99.
Translation in the Latter Days
While pondering this topic I was intrigued to learn one day of a Christian pastor (Bruce Allen) who passionately speaks and writes on this topic. I have studied his experiences and messages and though he mostly speaks of translocation (travel through heavenly portals by faith) experiences, he terms these experiences under the umbrella of "translation". He speaks of his body changing (through a process) and not responding to the laws of time. He speaks of getting younger.
In this article posted in 2008, Bruce expands on his story, which I found very interesting.
At the tender age of four, Bruce Allen was playing with his brothers and sisters when he suddenly blurted out, "We are going to be here when Jesus comes back." One of his siblings asked, "Who's Jesus?".
The four‑year‑old Bruce only shrugged and went back to play.
"All my life I've had premonition of things to come before they happened," said Pastor Bruce
According to Pastor Bruce, the Third Day is the times we are now living in which is the beginning stages of paradise. After the Old Testament period, comes the Gentile period and then paradise when Jesus returns. Although Jesus has not yet come, the ending of the Gentile period signifies us entering into the last or third stage where Satan is defeated and the spiritual temple raised in the New Jerusalem.
"However, we are not called to follow the signs and wonders or the people behind them. What we are called to do is press on to be mature sons and daughters of God and set ourselves apart as Holy vessels for the glory of God. Then signs and wonders will follow us," warns Pastor Bruce.
Pastor Bruce Allen has been blessed to experience these signs and wonders in a way very few people have. He was translated in the spirit while ministering before a full congregation at Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, USA at Rending The Heavens conference in December 2002. He was suddenly caught up in the Spirit and found himself looking down on the continent of Europe. He was taken to a city and God told him it was in the nation of Latvia. He then came to a block of flats and was led to enter flat number 212.
"In that apartment I saw a little girl kneeling beside her bed, crying and praying to the Lord. Instantly I knew her name. It was Natalya. She didn't seem surprised or afraid to see me. I asked her why she was crying and she told me that she and her parents were hungry and cold, her parents had lost their jobs and now they were being evicted by the landlord. I was led of the Lord to comfort and encourage her and pray with her. Once I had finished praying with her I returned to the conference.
"The congregation did not suspect anything amiss because my body was still there in their presence. They did not know my spirit had left, gone to Latvia and returned. However, when Robert Bartow, a professional photographer took a photograph of me while in translation my body looked transparent as if it were an apparition," said Pastor Bruce. (Photo below was taken by Robert Bartow of Pastor Bruce in translation).
"Translations, being taken up to heaven, visitation by angels and Jesus are getting more common now in this third day…In Iraq today there are a few hundred churches when there were hardly any before. And most of the people came to the Lord through a personal encounter with Jesus. The time is short and that is why He is appearing to more people, even non Christians and more people are being taken up to heaven," said Pastor Bruce.
Pastor Bruce teaches that as a part of this end time gathering and harvest, translation will be a necessary gift for many of God’s servants to do His work upon the Earth. In order for His servants to enter dangerous and forbidden locations throughout the world to share the gospel, they will need this gift.
“We all want the finished product not recognizing the process. But let me give you an encouraging word. What took some of us years, doesn’t have to take you years. There is a grace in this hour because it’s the final hour, the day of conclusion. It’s the day of completion. The finish line is in sight and the Lord promised a quick work. If you’ve been struggling with your ability to recognize the voice of God…if you’ve been having difficulty in seeing into the realm of the Spirit, there is a grace here. God wants you to have that ability in the days ahead because you are going to need it…it’s the third day and what He’s doing, he’s doing quickly. And what you could never do for yourself, God’s going to intervene into your life, and bring you through a process very quickly. But He’s looking for willing hearts, hearts of passion, hearts that say, ‘here am I Lord’. Who qualifies to walk in this? Those who render Him total obedience. They will receive a unique manifestation of the reciprocation of His love by way of disclosing Himself. This is a promise for you right now." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWvwcCDdl-U
The day I discovered Bruce Allen, I was shown many other Christian evangelical ministers who are also teaching that the day of the Gentile is over, and the new day that we have entered in will be accompanied by the gift of translation, as we prepare the earth meet the Savior when He comes. I was reminded that God is no respecter of persons as I shared in my post "Unity Among the Churches? - Part of Zion",
"Evangelical, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Jehovah Witness, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, Protestant, Mormon, etc. if our hearts are in Jesus, we are all on the Lord's team. Doctrinal differences aside, we all believe Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Together we make up the children of God. We are brothers and sisters. As Moroni tells us, God gives gifts unto all of His children, not just members of a particular church. These gifts are used to bless and benefit all. On this earth, it is the Lord's Kingdom against Satan's Kindom - there are no other teams to be on. When we try to be like Christ, and serve like Him, love like Him, we become His hands on this earth. We truly are on the same team and He uses all of us for His different purposes. He is gathering us all together into one fold. Let's not forget that. We should be rejoicing in this!
We know that during the Millennium, good and just members of many religions will be living upon the Earth. It will be Zion on the Earth. Leading up to that time, as the earth gets more wicked, I believe many people of different faiths will come together as there is strength in numbers. It will no longer be this church vs. that church but instead a united stance of righteousness vs. evil."
All who are willing to testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, of His Atonement, and that He lives, God is going to use. Jesus is visiting Jews, Muslims, atheists, occult members, and those in communist countries where Christianity is forbidden and they are being taught who He is. Just as Samuel Hislop said in this Mormon Channel "Hope Works" series on lds.org,
"We know that there are fifteen million Latter-day Saints in the world...but we should also put into context that among seven billion people we're still a pretty tiny minority...you would need a pretty powerful microscope to even see us there. We're small. Among the seven billion, there's lots of other Christians, Jews, Muslims and others who are doing great good, they have great influence and there's opportunity to partner with them in our communities to show the world at large the fruits of good faith. Now that considered, we have to remember something from Elder Orson F. Whitney...he said this 88 years ago,
'God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work. The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. It is too vast, too arduous, for any one people.'
Of course we have a message that other people need to hear. We have a very special thing - the restored gospel, but we also need to remember that God expects us to learn from others as well. And we can't do that unless we're willing to open our hearts and our minds and our ears to those who think, and act, and believe differently than we do."
Here is an older video of Pastor Bruce sharing some of these experiences.
In the book Visions of Glory - One Man's Astonishing Account of the Last Days, "Spencer" (a pseudo-name for the anonymous LDS man who shares his personal story) shares his account of translation;
"...I knew we were all experiencing the same thing. We were being empowered to complete our missions, but I believe only a small percentage of those assembled there experienced this additional change into the translated state...I believe that all of the Twelve were likewise changed, for they thereafter did marvelous things no unchanged mortal could have done...They simply came and went by the power of God. (pg. 149)"
"Here in our little part of Zion, our hearts were changing, our bodies were changing, and our spiritual IQ was changing. We still had a fulness of the priesthood, as we first discovered just before the first great conference, and were learning every day what that meant. It took us years to understand that we had to evolve into Zion, not just march to it. It was a process that involved stripping away everything belonging to the world and replacing it with total faith in God. We had to learn that we did not need anything from the telestial world. All we needed was complete faith in Christ. It was a hard transition to make, but it was one of the reasons our journey to Zion took so many years - not to cover the distance, but to evolve spiritually so that we would be worthy to be in Zion when we actually arrived there. (pg. 168)"
"Those of us who had experienced the actual physical change of translation were somewhat different than others. We had clearer views of things and greater spiritual gifts. Unless we were speaking to another translated soul, we kept our translated status and these greater views to ourselves, as the Spirit seemed to require.
We were learning that translated people didn't get tired like normal people. Everything took less effort and taxed us less. We recovered quickly and could work long and hard and then recover in a few minutes. We still ate and slept, but we talked amongst ourselves, wondering if eating and sleeping was even necessary. After a big day's work, I felt hungry and tired but much less than in my previous life. I chose to eat, but it was different. I needed less food, slept better and far shorter, and felt absolutely wonderful. I could awaken in a second, even after just a few minutes of sleep, and feel perfectly awake and ready to go forward. At the end of the day, I was no more fatigued than when I slept a full night. I found that injuries, cuts, and scratches healed in days instead of weeks. If I wished it away, and prayed to the Father, it would heal in a matter of minutes. I expected in time to be impervious to injury, but I wasn't at this time.
I was physically stronger day by day. My mind grew clearer and much quicker. Things that would have taken me long study before now came to me in flashes of understanding. I grew in my ability to understand complex situations, and I could instantly come up with complex answers that were completely correct and inspired. My hearing was actually attuned to the word of the Lord. Revelation became constant and unending. I no longer experienced temptations of any kind. I no longer walked through mists of darkness. I didn't hold onto the Iron Rod because it became part of me, a part of my soul, what I was.
My capacity to love was profoundly enhanced, which made meetings and partings even sweeter, and more difficult. If anything had the power to make a translated soul sorrow or feel pain, it was this infusion of charity, because my heart wanted everyone to be blessed, uplifted, and supplied with every need. This wasn't always possible, and people I loved sometimes chose to transgress, and this caused deep sorrow at times.
Every new gift I had was focused upon our new mission. The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost was an ever-present reality, and we knew the mind and will of the Lord. There was no guesswork and no more fear.
...Some of us had participated in the creation of worlds before we were born, and those divine sciences we understood then were slowly piercing the mortal veil, replacing mortal sciences.
It was fascinating to watch our society leap forward, even while becoming simpler, less industrial, and non-commercial, with no consumer mindset.
To my spiritual eyes, translated people just looked different. I could discern them far off. So when I had the chance to talk with another newly translated person, we occasionally took the time to discuss what this all meant, and what experiences and new priesthood gifts we had experienced.
...We also knew that even though the gift of translation had been fully given to us, that we still were in the process of becoming, of learning our duties and our abilities and when it was appropriate to use them. When I met an old translated being, there was a power and righteous serenity about them that I did not possess. Seeing and experiencing their highly developed state motivated me to yield to whatever process I needed to endure to become fully evolved in my new status. I knew I was changing. I also knew it was going to take years for the process to be fully implemented.
There was a direct and constant influence of the Holy Ghost in the camps that could not be denied. It was a new phenomenon among the Saints that had begun that day of the great conference. Everyone was adjusting to this new level of spiritual power. There was a lot of conversation about whether this was the "millennial state" or if it was part of the process to the greater change of translation. (pg. 172-174)"
From Telestial to Terrestial
From Spencer's account we learn how and where we can gauge our own transition process from a telestial body to a terrestial body - should this be a gift that we ask for, or are given.
Are we needing less sleep and feeling refreshed? Are we needing less food and feeling energized and well nourished? Are we letting go of the foolish traditions of Babylon? Have we been made aware of what they are? Are we losing the desire to be of the world? Has our taste in music and media changed to not only less of it, but only that which is wholesome and uplifting - evoking the Spirit within us? Has our love for our fellow man increased so much that we sorrow at the thought of their needs not being met? Do we see a change in our physical strength? Are our minds becoming more clear? Are we able to process things much quicker than before? Does it take us less time to learn more? Are we experiencing quick and miraculous healing? Have we experienced an increase in spiritual gifts? Have they been magnified? Have we lost the desire to sin and be tempted? Have we let go of addictions of any kind? Are we at one with God's will? Do we hear His voice? Do we feel purified and sanctified?
16 - ...the eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;
Someday we will get to see what the Nephite people witnessed and I can't wait for that day! Surprisingly, as much as I love this chapter and its telling of the heavens opening, angels coming down and encircling the children with fire and ministering unto them, and Jesus saying that His joy was full because of the Nephites' faith, so much that He wept tears of joy - it isn't the only chapter that overwhelms my heart.
6 And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me.
7 Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.
8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father.
9 And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.
10 And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one;
And there we learn that the Lord blesses us according to our righteous desires and that He is pleased when we desire to help others come unto Him. But are we asking Him often enough for blessings and gifts that will help us better minister unto others and lead them to Him?
In 1 Corinthians 12:31 we are taught to covet the best gifts:
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
What is the more excellent way that the Lord promises to show? The footnotes take us to Ether 12:11-12 in which we learn that it is through the gift of Jesus Christ that this more excellent way is prepared. I have found chapter 12 in its entirety to be a chest full of heavenly treasure! Well worth the read.
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| The Brother of Jared |
If we back up just a little we learn about the key that opens the door to this more excellent way.
8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.
9 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.
The key is faith! The way, is through Jesus Christ and the word (I'll expound in a minute - think Lehi's dream and the Brother of Jared), And the heavenly gift is the baptism by fire (fullness of the Holy Ghost) which allows us to pierce the veil, be in the full presence of the Lord, and is accompanied by prophecy, revelation, visions, heavenly visitors, angels, the Holy Ghost and more.
In verse 17, Moroni references back to those three Nephites. He tells us,
And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
4 Nephi 1:3
And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.
Hebrews 6:5
They have also “tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,”
So great is this gift, that if it is denied after receiving it, one becomes a son of perdition.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:31-32
Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—
They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born;
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| Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah |
If we covet this gift, we must do all that we can to keep ourselves pure and worthy of it. Like Alma the Younger, we must be born again of the Spirit and baptized by fire. We must have that mighty change of heart and lose our desire to sin. In the meantime, while we prepare ourselves, the Lord is preparing a place for us in His Kingdom. However, even with faith and hope, there is an additional requirement that qualifies us for that mansion with the Lord. Without it we cannot receive this inheritance. That requirement is charity. Our hearts have to be changed, pure, and filled with love. We cannot be a tare.
Ether 12:37
...except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.
Jesus Christ - the Way or the Gift?
Some have argued that the fullness of the Priesthood is the way to the heavenly gift. What exactly is the fullness of the Priesthood? It is simply to be brought into the presence of the Father, by the Son, to be fully endowed with God’s power and being a possessor of all things, which can then be used to bless our fellow beings and to build the kingdom of God on the earth preparatory to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and those who come with Him in great glory. (reference link)
It is the Second Anointing. Whereas the "first anointing" promises blessings in the afterlife contingent on the patron's faithfulness, the second anointing actually bestows those blessings. (reference link)
Doctrine and Covenants 50:26-30
26 He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all.
27 Wherefore, he is possessor of all things; for all things are subject unto him, both in heaven and on the earth, the life and the light, the Spirit and the power, sent forth by the will of the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son.
28 But no man is possessor of all things except he be purified and cleansed from all sin.
29 And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done.
30 But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask; and as ye are appointed to the head, the spirits shall be subject unto you.
This comment I found on another blog, best supports and describes how I feel about the Heavenly Gift.
"To me, from everything I’ve studied and read, the Heavenly Gift is to come into the presence of the Son. I have the gift of the Holy Ghost, so do you. I have been ordained to the priesthood, so have you. We have been endowed and taught sacred things about how to come into the presence of the Lord that are ONLY revealed in the temple.
The power of the priesthood, think about that phrase, can ONLY be received directly from God. It is not the same as authority or simply an ordination. Those are both invitations to go and get the real thing. We know we can’t pass the power of the priesthood from one man to another. We can only confer and ordain – invitations to go and get the real thing.
My conclusion: the Heavenly Gift is to receive power, directly from Christ, either by hearing his voice or by having him lay his hands upon our head. This fits the scripture that power cannot be passed from man to man – only authority can be given – an earthly authority at that. It is when we are in the presence of Christ we receive the fullness of the priesthood. The Heavenly gift IS the fullness of the priesthood."
Another commenter pointed out,
"Why are the Gentiles failing to partake of the Heavenly Gift? We lack faith, hope, and charity."
Doctrine and Covenants 109:14-15
"And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house may be taught words of wisdom out of the best books . . . And that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost”
From this scripture I have always believed that the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Fulness of the Holy Ghost are two separate things. We get the gift when we are baptized and the fulness occurs only after we are baptized by fire. The fulness of the Holy Ghost accompanies the fulness of the Priesthood - something that only God can give, and He is no respecter of persons when giving this gift.
Translation - Part of the Heavenly Gift?
The Heavenly Gift, is something God bestows upon us to help further His work. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught, “It is a very reasonable thought to believe that both Moses and Alma, like Elijah and John [the Revelator], were translated to accomplish some work which the Lord had in store for them at some future day”
According to Parley P. Pratt, ordinary human beings are said to have a telestial body; people who are translated are said to have a terrestrial body; and people who are resurrected are said to have a celestial body. The terrestrial body would be different from the Terrestrial glory of heaven, just as the present world is considered "telestial" but is not the Telestial glory of heaven. Translated beings with terrestrial bodies can appear or disappear the way the resurrected Jesus did in the 24th chapter of Luke. However, those who have resurrected "celestial" bodies have more power than those with terrestrial bodies. Thus when the wicked are resurrected, they will have power over Satan - a teaching we learned from Joseph Smith.
What is Translation and What is it's Purpose?
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| Enoch |
Both translated and resurrected beings are eternally young and fit, not subject to illness or injury and spend their existences as ministering angels doing things that require physical bodies to perform; for example, where a disembodied spirit can record events as a witness and offer comfort or advice, a physical body is required to perform ordinances such as laying on of hands.(reference link)
When righteous individuals are translated, their bodies are changed so they are not subject to mortal pain or death. Sometimes translated beings are taken from the earth without experiencing death in order to fulfill the Lord’s purposes. Translated beings, however, will undergo a future change as they pass from a translated state to a resurrected state.
https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-study-guide/alma-45?lang=eng
And according to The Encyclopedia of Mormonism translation is defined as,
"changed from a mortal state to one in which they are temporarily not subject to death, and in which they experience neither pain nor sorrow except for the sins of the world. Such beings appear to have much greater power than mortals. All translated beings will eventually experience physical death and resurrection.Translation is a necessary condition in special instances to further the work of the Lord."
"...Resurrection is a step beyond translation"
"Translated beings are assigned special ministries, some to remain among mortals, as seems to be the case of John and the Three Nephites, or for other purposes, as in the case of Moses and Elijah, who were translated in order to appear with physical bodies hundreds of years later on the mount oftransfiguration prior to the resurrection of Christ. Had they been spirits only, they could not have laid hands on the mortal Peter, James, and John. the Prophet Joseph Smith explained the role of translated beings thus: "Many have supposed that the doctrine of translation was a doctrine whereby men were taken immediately into the presence of God, and into an eternal fullness, but this is a mistaken idea. Their place of habitation is that of the terrestrial order, and a place prepared for such characters He held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets, and who as yet have not entered into so great a fullness as those who are resurrected from the dead. The scriptures do not define differences between transfiguration and translation, but it appears that transfiguration is more temporary, occurring primarily to permit one to behold spiritual things not possible in the mortal condition."
Bruce R. McConkie has said,
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| Bruce R. McConkie |
"In this state they are not subject to sorrow or to disease or to death. No longer does blood (the life-giving element of our present mortality) flow in their veins. Procreation ceases. If they then had children, their offspring would be denied a mortal probation, which all worthy spirits must receive in due course. They have power to move and live in both a mortal and an unseen sphere. All translated beings undergo another change in their bodies when they gain full immortality.... Millennial man will live in a state akin to translation. His body will be changed so that it is no longer subject to disease or death as we know it, although he will be changed in the twinkling of an eye to full immortality when he is a hundred years of age. He will, however, have children, and mortal life of a millennial kind will continue."
Translation - a Fruit of Zion?
Are we ready to build the City of Zion? The answer to this question will better help us understand our proximity to the gift of translation in these latter days. A better question might be, are we ready to leave this world (Babylon) behind?
Here's what the prophets and modern day leaders have told us about translation;
"Zion is the great moment of transition, the bridge between the world as it is and the world as God designed it and meant it to be."Hugh Nibley; Approaching Zion, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989), 3-4.
"Jesus will never receive the Zion of God unless its people are united according to celestial law, for all who go into the presence of God have to go there by this law. Enoch had to practice this law, and we shall have to do the same if we are ever accepted of God as he was. It has been promised that the New Jerusalem will be built up in our day and generation, and it will have to be done by the United Order of Zion according to celestial law." Wilford Woodruff; Journal of Discourses, 17:250.
"First, if the Saints are to become part of the great celestial system of eternity in the resurrection, they must, as a people, practice the law of Zion. Second, essentially the same program was required of Enoch and his people, so that they might enter into the presence of the Lord and be translated to a state of glory.
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| City of Zion |
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| Orson Pratt |
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| Spencer W. Kimball |
"O my beloved hearers, what a world it would be if a million families in this church were to be on their knees like this every night and morning! And what a world it would be if nearly a hundred million families in this great land and other hundreds in other lands were praying for their sons and daughters twice daily. And what a world this would be if a billion families through the world were in home evenings and church activity and were on their physical knees pouring out their souls for their children, their families, their leaders, their governments!This kind of family life could bring us back toward the translation experience of righteous Enoch. The millennium would be ushered in." Spencer W. Kimball, “The Family Influence,” Ensign, July 1973, 15
"There is a Priesthood in the heavens, and we have the same Priesthood on the earth, but there should be a closer communion between the Priesthood on the earth and the Priesthood in the heavens; it is desirable that we should be brought into closer proximity, we want to be advancing as Enoch advanced." President John Taylor; Journal of Discourses, 25:308
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| John Taylor |
"How perfect it was in the days of Enoch we are not told, but everything that they had revealed to them pertaining to the organization of the Church of God, also pertaining to doctrine and ordinances, we have had revealed to us, excepting one thing, and that is the principle and power of translation; that, however, will in due time be restored also." President John Taylor; Journal of Discourses, 23:33
"The principle of translation was a principle that at that time existed in the Church, and is one of the principles of the Gospel, and which will exist in the last days." President John Taylor; Journal of Discourses, 26:90
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| Joseph F. Smith |
"Although they had the ability to live in the earth among men, they had power over the elements of earth, power over the law of gravitation, by which they could move over the face of the earth with the speed f their own thoughts, power to reveal themselves to men; and yet power to mingle and move among men unobserved and hidden." N.B. Lundwall; Early Masterpieces of Latter-Saint Leaders, (Leatherwood Press 2005), 99.
Translation in the Latter Days
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| Pastor Bruce Allen |
In this article posted in 2008, Bruce expands on his story, which I found very interesting.
At the tender age of four, Bruce Allen was playing with his brothers and sisters when he suddenly blurted out, "We are going to be here when Jesus comes back." One of his siblings asked, "Who's Jesus?".
The four‑year‑old Bruce only shrugged and went back to play.
"All my life I've had premonition of things to come before they happened," said Pastor Bruce
According to Pastor Bruce, the Third Day is the times we are now living in which is the beginning stages of paradise. After the Old Testament period, comes the Gentile period and then paradise when Jesus returns. Although Jesus has not yet come, the ending of the Gentile period signifies us entering into the last or third stage where Satan is defeated and the spiritual temple raised in the New Jerusalem.
"However, we are not called to follow the signs and wonders or the people behind them. What we are called to do is press on to be mature sons and daughters of God and set ourselves apart as Holy vessels for the glory of God. Then signs and wonders will follow us," warns Pastor Bruce.
Pastor Bruce Allen has been blessed to experience these signs and wonders in a way very few people have. He was translated in the spirit while ministering before a full congregation at Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, USA at Rending The Heavens conference in December 2002. He was suddenly caught up in the Spirit and found himself looking down on the continent of Europe. He was taken to a city and God told him it was in the nation of Latvia. He then came to a block of flats and was led to enter flat number 212.
"In that apartment I saw a little girl kneeling beside her bed, crying and praying to the Lord. Instantly I knew her name. It was Natalya. She didn't seem surprised or afraid to see me. I asked her why she was crying and she told me that she and her parents were hungry and cold, her parents had lost their jobs and now they were being evicted by the landlord. I was led of the Lord to comfort and encourage her and pray with her. Once I had finished praying with her I returned to the conference.
"The congregation did not suspect anything amiss because my body was still there in their presence. They did not know my spirit had left, gone to Latvia and returned. However, when Robert Bartow, a professional photographer took a photograph of me while in translation my body looked transparent as if it were an apparition," said Pastor Bruce. (Photo below was taken by Robert Bartow of Pastor Bruce in translation).
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| Unedited original photo taken by Robert Bartow |
"Translations, being taken up to heaven, visitation by angels and Jesus are getting more common now in this third day…In Iraq today there are a few hundred churches when there were hardly any before. And most of the people came to the Lord through a personal encounter with Jesus. The time is short and that is why He is appearing to more people, even non Christians and more people are being taken up to heaven," said Pastor Bruce.
Pastor Bruce teaches that as a part of this end time gathering and harvest, translation will be a necessary gift for many of God’s servants to do His work upon the Earth. In order for His servants to enter dangerous and forbidden locations throughout the world to share the gospel, they will need this gift.
“We all want the finished product not recognizing the process. But let me give you an encouraging word. What took some of us years, doesn’t have to take you years. There is a grace in this hour because it’s the final hour, the day of conclusion. It’s the day of completion. The finish line is in sight and the Lord promised a quick work. If you’ve been struggling with your ability to recognize the voice of God…if you’ve been having difficulty in seeing into the realm of the Spirit, there is a grace here. God wants you to have that ability in the days ahead because you are going to need it…it’s the third day and what He’s doing, he’s doing quickly. And what you could never do for yourself, God’s going to intervene into your life, and bring you through a process very quickly. But He’s looking for willing hearts, hearts of passion, hearts that say, ‘here am I Lord’. Who qualifies to walk in this? Those who render Him total obedience. They will receive a unique manifestation of the reciprocation of His love by way of disclosing Himself. This is a promise for you right now." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWvwcCDdl-U
"Evangelical, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Jehovah Witness, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, Protestant, Mormon, etc. if our hearts are in Jesus, we are all on the Lord's team. Doctrinal differences aside, we all believe Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Together we make up the children of God. We are brothers and sisters. As Moroni tells us, God gives gifts unto all of His children, not just members of a particular church. These gifts are used to bless and benefit all. On this earth, it is the Lord's Kingdom against Satan's Kindom - there are no other teams to be on. When we try to be like Christ, and serve like Him, love like Him, we become His hands on this earth. We truly are on the same team and He uses all of us for His different purposes. He is gathering us all together into one fold. Let's not forget that. We should be rejoicing in this!
We know that during the Millennium, good and just members of many religions will be living upon the Earth. It will be Zion on the Earth. Leading up to that time, as the earth gets more wicked, I believe many people of different faiths will come together as there is strength in numbers. It will no longer be this church vs. that church but instead a united stance of righteousness vs. evil."
All who are willing to testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, of His Atonement, and that He lives, God is going to use. Jesus is visiting Jews, Muslims, atheists, occult members, and those in communist countries where Christianity is forbidden and they are being taught who He is. Just as Samuel Hislop said in this Mormon Channel "Hope Works" series on lds.org,
"We know that there are fifteen million Latter-day Saints in the world...but we should also put into context that among seven billion people we're still a pretty tiny minority...you would need a pretty powerful microscope to even see us there. We're small. Among the seven billion, there's lots of other Christians, Jews, Muslims and others who are doing great good, they have great influence and there's opportunity to partner with them in our communities to show the world at large the fruits of good faith. Now that considered, we have to remember something from Elder Orson F. Whitney...he said this 88 years ago,
'God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work. The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. It is too vast, too arduous, for any one people.'
Of course we have a message that other people need to hear. We have a very special thing - the restored gospel, but we also need to remember that God expects us to learn from others as well. And we can't do that unless we're willing to open our hearts and our minds and our ears to those who think, and act, and believe differently than we do."
Here is an older video of Pastor Bruce sharing some of these experiences.
In the book Visions of Glory - One Man's Astonishing Account of the Last Days, "Spencer" (a pseudo-name for the anonymous LDS man who shares his personal story) shares his account of translation;
"...I knew we were all experiencing the same thing. We were being empowered to complete our missions, but I believe only a small percentage of those assembled there experienced this additional change into the translated state...I believe that all of the Twelve were likewise changed, for they thereafter did marvelous things no unchanged mortal could have done...They simply came and went by the power of God. (pg. 149)""Here in our little part of Zion, our hearts were changing, our bodies were changing, and our spiritual IQ was changing. We still had a fulness of the priesthood, as we first discovered just before the first great conference, and were learning every day what that meant. It took us years to understand that we had to evolve into Zion, not just march to it. It was a process that involved stripping away everything belonging to the world and replacing it with total faith in God. We had to learn that we did not need anything from the telestial world. All we needed was complete faith in Christ. It was a hard transition to make, but it was one of the reasons our journey to Zion took so many years - not to cover the distance, but to evolve spiritually so that we would be worthy to be in Zion when we actually arrived there. (pg. 168)"
"Those of us who had experienced the actual physical change of translation were somewhat different than others. We had clearer views of things and greater spiritual gifts. Unless we were speaking to another translated soul, we kept our translated status and these greater views to ourselves, as the Spirit seemed to require.
We were learning that translated people didn't get tired like normal people. Everything took less effort and taxed us less. We recovered quickly and could work long and hard and then recover in a few minutes. We still ate and slept, but we talked amongst ourselves, wondering if eating and sleeping was even necessary. After a big day's work, I felt hungry and tired but much less than in my previous life. I chose to eat, but it was different. I needed less food, slept better and far shorter, and felt absolutely wonderful. I could awaken in a second, even after just a few minutes of sleep, and feel perfectly awake and ready to go forward. At the end of the day, I was no more fatigued than when I slept a full night. I found that injuries, cuts, and scratches healed in days instead of weeks. If I wished it away, and prayed to the Father, it would heal in a matter of minutes. I expected in time to be impervious to injury, but I wasn't at this time.
I was physically stronger day by day. My mind grew clearer and much quicker. Things that would have taken me long study before now came to me in flashes of understanding. I grew in my ability to understand complex situations, and I could instantly come up with complex answers that were completely correct and inspired. My hearing was actually attuned to the word of the Lord. Revelation became constant and unending. I no longer experienced temptations of any kind. I no longer walked through mists of darkness. I didn't hold onto the Iron Rod because it became part of me, a part of my soul, what I was.
My capacity to love was profoundly enhanced, which made meetings and partings even sweeter, and more difficult. If anything had the power to make a translated soul sorrow or feel pain, it was this infusion of charity, because my heart wanted everyone to be blessed, uplifted, and supplied with every need. This wasn't always possible, and people I loved sometimes chose to transgress, and this caused deep sorrow at times.
Every new gift I had was focused upon our new mission. The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost was an ever-present reality, and we knew the mind and will of the Lord. There was no guesswork and no more fear.
...Some of us had participated in the creation of worlds before we were born, and those divine sciences we understood then were slowly piercing the mortal veil, replacing mortal sciences.
It was fascinating to watch our society leap forward, even while becoming simpler, less industrial, and non-commercial, with no consumer mindset.
To my spiritual eyes, translated people just looked different. I could discern them far off. So when I had the chance to talk with another newly translated person, we occasionally took the time to discuss what this all meant, and what experiences and new priesthood gifts we had experienced.
...We also knew that even though the gift of translation had been fully given to us, that we still were in the process of becoming, of learning our duties and our abilities and when it was appropriate to use them. When I met an old translated being, there was a power and righteous serenity about them that I did not possess. Seeing and experiencing their highly developed state motivated me to yield to whatever process I needed to endure to become fully evolved in my new status. I knew I was changing. I also knew it was going to take years for the process to be fully implemented.
There was a direct and constant influence of the Holy Ghost in the camps that could not be denied. It was a new phenomenon among the Saints that had begun that day of the great conference. Everyone was adjusting to this new level of spiritual power. There was a lot of conversation about whether this was the "millennial state" or if it was part of the process to the greater change of translation. (pg. 172-174)"
From Telestial to Terrestial
Are we needing less sleep and feeling refreshed? Are we needing less food and feeling energized and well nourished? Are we letting go of the foolish traditions of Babylon? Have we been made aware of what they are? Are we losing the desire to be of the world? Has our taste in music and media changed to not only less of it, but only that which is wholesome and uplifting - evoking the Spirit within us? Has our love for our fellow man increased so much that we sorrow at the thought of their needs not being met? Do we see a change in our physical strength? Are our minds becoming more clear? Are we able to process things much quicker than before? Does it take us less time to learn more? Are we experiencing quick and miraculous healing? Have we experienced an increase in spiritual gifts? Have they been magnified? Have we lost the desire to sin and be tempted? Have we let go of addictions of any kind? Are we at one with God's will? Do we hear His voice? Do we feel purified and sanctified?
What Does This Mean for You and Me?
I believe that the Lord wants us to know and understand our purpose in these last days. He has given us each specific missions to fulfill. Many are called but few are chosen. By pondering our Patriarchal blessings and going to the Lord in fasting and prayer, we can better understand how He would like to use us, what He has planned for us, and we can say 'Here am I Lord. Choose me' and 'What lack I yet?'.
Are we all going to experience translation? No. Resurrection? Yes. Regardless, the Lord has asked us to covet the best gifts. If our desire is to truly build His Kingdom however He sees fit, then we can ask Him for anything if we feel it will serve that purpose, and we will receive.
This new era that we have entered into is unlike any before. If we haven't already, we are expected to become new creatures in Christ - to be born again of the Spirit and baptized by fire. We are to be changed! Accompanied with faith, our changes can bring about the greater manifestations of the Holy Ghost, the Heavenly gift! We are invited to become partakers, and we should not take this invitation for granted. As we muster up our faith, hope, and charity, never letting go of our Savior's hand, He will lead us to new horizons that will exceed our greatest expectations!
I testify of this in Jesus' name amen.
I believe that the Lord wants us to know and understand our purpose in these last days. He has given us each specific missions to fulfill. Many are called but few are chosen. By pondering our Patriarchal blessings and going to the Lord in fasting and prayer, we can better understand how He would like to use us, what He has planned for us, and we can say 'Here am I Lord. Choose me' and 'What lack I yet?'.
Are we all going to experience translation? No. Resurrection? Yes. Regardless, the Lord has asked us to covet the best gifts. If our desire is to truly build His Kingdom however He sees fit, then we can ask Him for anything if we feel it will serve that purpose, and we will receive.This new era that we have entered into is unlike any before. If we haven't already, we are expected to become new creatures in Christ - to be born again of the Spirit and baptized by fire. We are to be changed! Accompanied with faith, our changes can bring about the greater manifestations of the Holy Ghost, the Heavenly gift! We are invited to become partakers, and we should not take this invitation for granted. As we muster up our faith, hope, and charity, never letting go of our Savior's hand, He will lead us to new horizons that will exceed our greatest expectations!
I testify of this in Jesus' name amen.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
My Eclipse Experience and Some Profound Dreams
It certainly has been an incredible week! In my own personal life I have been experiencing a flood of dreams - one each night since the 13th of August. Each dream has been personally prophetic and as I have shared them with my husband and wrote them down in my journal along with interpretations, we have watched as each one has come to pass.
The last two nights my dreams were of a larger nature - meaning I don't feel they were just personal messages for me. With permission from the Spirit, I'll do my best to share what I can.
Before I share my dreams, I first want to say that I feel changes happening in my own life. Over this last week I feel like I have been immersed in an advanced level of personal tutoring from the Spirit. It's like I was dipping my toe in the water and admiring how beautiful the water is, and then suddenly got pushed in and quickly learned to swim. Once I was able to keep my head afloat I began to enjoy the pool and it felt natural to be in the water.
Now, I'd like to talk about the incredible eclipse on Monday. I checked my daughter our of school because the best part of the eclipse was happening during her lunch period, and I wasn't sure if the teacher would show her class. The night before I did a special family home evening lesson with my kids and shared with them some spiritual insight about the significance of this eclipse. To prepare, I decided to do a spiritual fast on Sunday which I feel truly helped open up my eyes and ears to more whispers from the Spirit.
In the morning, I ran to the store and grabbed a bunch of moon and sun themed items for our eclipse picnic. I had planned to take my youngest two to the park where we would watch the eclipse and have lunch together. I'll never forget when I first put the glasses on and looked up. I felt emotional as I saw that first part of the moon covering up the sun. I tried to imagine if this was just a tiny bit of what the Nephites felt when they witnessed the signs in their day. My kids as young as they are, very much enjoyed the eclipse and were in awe the entire time. I knew this was a day they would always remember and tell their children about.
As I looked around at all the strangers in the park, with their glasses on looking up at the sky, I noticed how different we all were. People of different ages, ethnicity, and cultures all "gathered together" and looking UP. It was the most beautiful thing to witness! Cars came in lines into the park, as people on their lunch breaks gathered with fellow employees to witness this Heavenly phenomenon. There were motorcycle bikers, millennials, elderly grandparents and their grand kids, young moms on play dates with their little ones, families with both parents and their kids, and people who came alone. Everyone was gathered together admiring this grand spectacle in the sky. I heard in my mind, "Look Up to God and live."
This is the brilliance of the Lord. He uses events such as this to get His children to look up to where He is. Even in that short moment, I know all of those people at that park felt something. I could tell by the smiles on their faces and the things they spoke as they smiled and stood in awe. It was like a reverent hush followed by celebration.
My kids and I went around and shared our glasses with those we could tell came without. It was so incredible to see them go from looking through a cereal box to seeing the "bigger picture". One grandmother said, "Wow! We were really missing out. This looks so much better than through our box. This is magnificent. Thank you!"
For me that statement had a profound meaning. I thought of all the people on the earth who see God through a narrow lens and perspective. They are afraid to step outside of their "box".When they finally experience Him through the fullness of the gospel - everything they thought they knew about Him changes. They see "the bigger picture" and it's beautiful!
Later, I decided to search "Look to God and Live" on lds.org and found several incredible conference talks and Ensign articles with that name - including an amazing talk by Elder Holland and President Monson which I have pasted below (I highly recommend reading them as they go along with the topic of this post).
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1993/10/look-to-god-and-live?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/04/look-to-god-and-live?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1978/10/look-to-god-and-live?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/03/look-and-live?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/dont-look-around-look-up?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/it-is-better-to-look-up?lang=eng
Remembering that it was president Monson's birthday, and that for his birthday wishes he asked the members of the Church to find someone and serve them on his birthday, I smiled as I realized we were doing just that by sharing our glasses. This beautiful video of people in down down Salt Lake watching the eclipse outside and singing Happy Birthday to President Monson when they noticed him watching the eclipse from his window, was very touching.
When the eclipse had ended, and life seemed back to normal I continued to ponder about it. I felt that changes would begin to happen to me, and many others who are seeking the Lord each day. Even those who are not seeking the Lord, would experience changes in their life that would lead them to seek Him. As I pondered on this I began to feel a not so pleasant change happening in my body. I began to feel sick and the Spirit told me that junk food I indulged on at our eclipse picnic gave the Adversary permission to wreak havoc on my body.
At first, I didn't understand. I hardly ever buy or eat junk food, but when I do eat it I never feel sick - not like this. I knew it wasn't food poisoning because I've had that before and know what it's like. Also, no one in my family had it, and we all ate the same food. Based on the symptoms I knew it was what is know as Gut Flora Overgrowth - something I have had before after indulging during Thanksgiving.
During the past couple weeks I had lost 8 pounds, as the Spirit prompted me to start getting my physical health in order. The day I got the prompting, I immediately changed my eating habits and as well as my diet and began losing weight. The Spirit told me that this new era was ushering in changes and restoration for everyone on the earth. As I restored my body back to a healthier me, it would go through changes that would make it extremely sensitive to what I'll call "Telestial foods". These are foods that are more chemical than actual food. I felt the Spirit tell me that High Fructose Corns Syrup was worst of the worst for me personally. It was the common and dominant ingredient in everything I ate at our picnic, and my body wanted it out. The old me could tolerate these foods - but the new me is changing. I feel that as I seek God and become closer to Him and His glory, my physical body will experience changes that will no longer tolerate things of a Telestial light. This wasn't just foods - but music, TV, movies etc. - all of it! Even if the music & movies have all the bad language deleted, or bad scenes edited out, there's still a dark vibe attached to them. As crazy as that might sound, it made perfect sense to my spirit and I heard the Lord say,
"It is easy for me to come to you, but for you to come up higher and be where I Am, you must go through change. You must be sanctified and purified of all that is Telestial within you. You have asked for this, and I am answering."
That was right. I had been asking and praying to be further sanctified as I have been seeking the Lord. I couldn't help but feel grateful that this was happening to me. Through my own agency (choice of foods) I had given the enemy permission to attack me physically (not to mention we didn't bless our food at the picnic), however - God was going to use this torment for my benefit. Let me just say, all evening and into the morning I went though a painful cleansing. The pain was so severe in my abdomen that it felt like being in labor without an epidural - like knives to my abdomen. I heard "birth pains" in my mind and was reminded of my previous post. I knew there was significance to these "birth pains" coming right at the end of the eclipse. In the darkest hour of my pain, I cried out to the Lord for deliverance and He came and took that pain away.
The symptoms lingered but the severe pain was gone. I felt He was teaching me something and I was listening. By morning the symptoms were still there and I felt sad as I had promised to take my son to Lagoon (our local amusement park) that day. It was the last weekday that Lagoon would be open for the season and I wanted to have a special day with him while the other kids were in school.
After I got the older kids off to school, I had the thought that with God, I was bigger than my enemy. Why did I assume that the enemy was in control? That was a lie. I knew that my faith could overpower him. With that reminder, I got up out of my bed and began to call upon the Lord in prayer. I thanked him for the illness and what it had taught me, and then told Him that I was ready to be healed. I then thanked Him for healing me and allowing my plans to not be spoiled by the Adversary. As I got dressed and loaded up the car I heard a voice say,
"Are you crazy? You're still sick! It's a hot summer day, you're already dehydrated, and your going to ride on rides? This isn't going to be pretty."
I recognized that voice and I commanded it to leave in the Lord's name. And just like that I got in the car exercising full faith that all would be well. Demonstrating my faith that I was already healed, my son and I spent the entire day at Lagoon. He made me go on all the dizzy rides, and never once did I regret it. I felt hydrated and energized and we had a wonderful time! When I came home, I found that my body naturally wanted a very healthy dinner.
Over the past year, I have realized that I have grown sensitive to chemical smells. I have always had a sensitive nose and can pick up on scents when no one else can, but this was different. I found suddenly that body sprays, soaps, cleaning products and candles all gave me headaches. Even my favorite products, I could no longer tolerate. Even back then, I felt I was going through a physical change.
Then this morning when I woke up, I felt the Spirit say, "Early to rise". I knew I wasn't tired and had the energy to get up, but because of habits I decided to lay in bed a little longer. Twenty minutes later I had a headache from sleeping too long. That headache has lingered all day as a reminder that I shouldn't sleep longer than needed. I heard the Spirit say,
"Through these changes, your body won't require as much sleep."
As I've continued to ponder on these changes, the Lord has sent little confirmations here and there to remind me that I'm on the right path. In fact, yesterday a video popped up in my facebook feed and I felt prompted to watch it. The presentation in the video was titled, "Anticipating the Restoration of all Things." Over the past year, many in the evangelical Christian community have been saying that we are entering a time of the restoration of all things. A restoration of the fullness. As Latter-day Saints we understand this period very well, and we know that there is still so much that has yet to be restored. I have written about this before and it's a topic I love to study. It has crossed my mind many times that this new era signaled by August 21st and September 23rd could mean preparing to receive the sealed portion - everything that the Brother of Jared saw. Wouldn't this be amazing!
So, as I watched this video and heard this man (Anthony Stephen) confirm all that I have been pondering - I felt it was a gift from the Lord. I highly recommend that you watch this video. I believe it is from a recent LDS conference called "Preparing A People", and is a must see! I loved that he added that the 12 stars above the woman's head in Revelation 12 represents the 12 tribes of Israel and that Jesus is the Lion of Judah. He suggests the possibility of this new era ushering in the return of the lost tribes. Click on the blue button to access the video.
Anthony Stephan - John the Revelator, the Eclipse & Sept. 23 2017 from Color My Media on Vimeo.
This same day I had the thought to type in "Christian Indian Prophet" on YouTube, it was such a random thought but when I did it, this video popped up. This man confirmed what I had shared in a previous post, that these coming years would be a grace period for the unrepentant. This was so random but it was nice to have a confirmation. Because my husband is a green card holder I loved that part of the video and had my husband listen. Interestingly, this man prophesied prior to the 2016 election that Trump would be America's next president. He said:
"He will be used to clean and purify the nation. As hard as he is, he has been prepared for this. As Cyrus was used to discipline Israel, and then to restore Israel, likewise trump will be used in the U.S. He will be God's mouth and hand for this nation."
Now, back to my dreams. The night of the eclipse I had a dream in which I saw a gray sky with a black crescent moon and a star. It didn't look like a real moon and star but a graphic design. It looked just like the image I created below. Black symbolizes death and endings and I felt the dream tell me that this image would come to an end. When I woke up, I did not understand what the image was. It felt familiar as though I had seen it before. Gray skies symbolize sadness and coming trouble. I knew that this image was going to experience trouble and sadness. It was very strange to me. I wondered if it was some type of constellation with an additional meaning. After I took the kids to school, I had the feeling I may have seen this symbol on a flag. Maybe it represented a country or a nation? So I Googled it and sure enough it was a religion! Many countries where this religion is dominant use this symbol in their flag. Could the dream mean an end to the dark, violent, extreme groups connected to this religion?
Then I had the thought come into my mind that a follower of my blog a few days prior had emailed me a PowerPoint by Val Brinkerhoff, that he suggested I check out. He said it was similar to my post on the eclipse. It also again confirmed many of the points I had shared. However, it wasn't until I came across this slide that I felt confirmations from head to toe. It confirmed what I felt the interpretation of my dream was about. But strangely, it was tied in with the verse in Revelation 12 and the alignment on September 23rd.
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
When I saw the image on this slide, I saw a moon under her feet and it looked just like the moon in my dream. However the scripture on this slide references horns. To me, the woman in this image has the crown of stars, and the moon under her feet. As I read on in the slide I saw that Val also made the connection. The moon is under the man child's feet. Here is a screenshot from my phone.
Now on to last night's dream. I had a dream I was at a restaurant and the owners and employees were Asian, Middle Eastern and Indian. They were serving Asian and Middle Eastern food. While there they saw that I had a pack of gum and confiscated it, telling me that gum was forbidden in their culture and restaurant. It was offensive to them. When they saw how sad I was that they had taken my gum, they told me that if I desired, I could purchase it back a stick at a time for 25 cents each over a period of time. The pack of gum had originally cost me a $1.00. When I went to pay for my meal, it took 15-20 minutes for them to process my debit card. Later, I became angry about what had happened. Why should I pay 25 cents per stick of gum when I could just go buy another pack? Then I thought, why should I buy another pack when they stole what was rightfully mine? I decided I would walk back into the restaurant and boldly claim my gum, which I did.
If you remember from my last dream about gum, I realized that the "sticks" represented scripture and the pack as a whole is the scriptures. I believe the dream revealed how Christianity and scripture has been confiscated from many Eastern countries. It is forbidden. To many, it is even offensive. My debit card represented something of great value "the gospel", it was slow to "process" on their machine. The "process" of getting the gospel into these countries has seemed slow but things are about to change. As many of God's children in these countries discover that Jesus is their Savior, they will boldly begin to claim what has been stolen from them.
This is currently being fulfilled, as many in the Middle East are having visions of Jesus Christ and accepting Him as their Savior. There are many videos on YouTube that share many testimonies of this phenomenon, however this is one of my favorites!
Now the numbers in my dream are significant and represent something personal for me. 100 represents initiating a spiritual course of advancement, and the challenges that are likely to come up during this voyage. By having faith in God, all obstacles can be overcome. The path will be directed by Divine forces and information will flow through a sixth sense (the Spirit). The number 25 represents that life transformations will happen in astonishing ways and we must have faith in Divine forces. Whatever happens will be for your benefit, and angels will be by your side in times of turmoil.
Now, you just can't make this stuff up! If you Google the meaning of the number 100 and 25 that is exactly what comes up. The Spirit confirmed the truth of it to me, and that not only will this be my experience with wonderful changes expected on my path, but the experience of many of God's children on the earth who are also seeking the Lord.
Simply put, these glorious signs we are witnessing are confirmations from the Lord of the incredible changes that are coming among the children of God and the earth itself. Things are going to get really amazing, very soon. If we can lean on the Lord through our birth pains - He will change us into something incredible. As we are born again of the Spirit, we realize just how much value our trials and pains bore for us. We will have much gratitude for them and give thanks to the Lord for how perfect His plan truly is for us!
I say this in His Holy name, Jesus Christ amen.
The last two nights my dreams were of a larger nature - meaning I don't feel they were just personal messages for me. With permission from the Spirit, I'll do my best to share what I can.
Before I share my dreams, I first want to say that I feel changes happening in my own life. Over this last week I feel like I have been immersed in an advanced level of personal tutoring from the Spirit. It's like I was dipping my toe in the water and admiring how beautiful the water is, and then suddenly got pushed in and quickly learned to swim. Once I was able to keep my head afloat I began to enjoy the pool and it felt natural to be in the water.
Now, I'd like to talk about the incredible eclipse on Monday. I checked my daughter our of school because the best part of the eclipse was happening during her lunch period, and I wasn't sure if the teacher would show her class. The night before I did a special family home evening lesson with my kids and shared with them some spiritual insight about the significance of this eclipse. To prepare, I decided to do a spiritual fast on Sunday which I feel truly helped open up my eyes and ears to more whispers from the Spirit.
In the morning, I ran to the store and grabbed a bunch of moon and sun themed items for our eclipse picnic. I had planned to take my youngest two to the park where we would watch the eclipse and have lunch together. I'll never forget when I first put the glasses on and looked up. I felt emotional as I saw that first part of the moon covering up the sun. I tried to imagine if this was just a tiny bit of what the Nephites felt when they witnessed the signs in their day. My kids as young as they are, very much enjoyed the eclipse and were in awe the entire time. I knew this was a day they would always remember and tell their children about.
As I looked around at all the strangers in the park, with their glasses on looking up at the sky, I noticed how different we all were. People of different ages, ethnicity, and cultures all "gathered together" and looking UP. It was the most beautiful thing to witness! Cars came in lines into the park, as people on their lunch breaks gathered with fellow employees to witness this Heavenly phenomenon. There were motorcycle bikers, millennials, elderly grandparents and their grand kids, young moms on play dates with their little ones, families with both parents and their kids, and people who came alone. Everyone was gathered together admiring this grand spectacle in the sky. I heard in my mind, "Look Up to God and live."
This is the brilliance of the Lord. He uses events such as this to get His children to look up to where He is. Even in that short moment, I know all of those people at that park felt something. I could tell by the smiles on their faces and the things they spoke as they smiled and stood in awe. It was like a reverent hush followed by celebration.
My kids and I went around and shared our glasses with those we could tell came without. It was so incredible to see them go from looking through a cereal box to seeing the "bigger picture". One grandmother said, "Wow! We were really missing out. This looks so much better than through our box. This is magnificent. Thank you!"
For me that statement had a profound meaning. I thought of all the people on the earth who see God through a narrow lens and perspective. They are afraid to step outside of their "box".When they finally experience Him through the fullness of the gospel - everything they thought they knew about Him changes. They see "the bigger picture" and it's beautiful!
Later, I decided to search "Look to God and Live" on lds.org and found several incredible conference talks and Ensign articles with that name - including an amazing talk by Elder Holland and President Monson which I have pasted below (I highly recommend reading them as they go along with the topic of this post).
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1993/10/look-to-god-and-live?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/04/look-to-god-and-live?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1978/10/look-to-god-and-live?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/03/look-and-live?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/dont-look-around-look-up?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/it-is-better-to-look-up?lang=eng
Remembering that it was president Monson's birthday, and that for his birthday wishes he asked the members of the Church to find someone and serve them on his birthday, I smiled as I realized we were doing just that by sharing our glasses. This beautiful video of people in down down Salt Lake watching the eclipse outside and singing Happy Birthday to President Monson when they noticed him watching the eclipse from his window, was very touching.
When the eclipse had ended, and life seemed back to normal I continued to ponder about it. I felt that changes would begin to happen to me, and many others who are seeking the Lord each day. Even those who are not seeking the Lord, would experience changes in their life that would lead them to seek Him. As I pondered on this I began to feel a not so pleasant change happening in my body. I began to feel sick and the Spirit told me that junk food I indulged on at our eclipse picnic gave the Adversary permission to wreak havoc on my body.
At first, I didn't understand. I hardly ever buy or eat junk food, but when I do eat it I never feel sick - not like this. I knew it wasn't food poisoning because I've had that before and know what it's like. Also, no one in my family had it, and we all ate the same food. Based on the symptoms I knew it was what is know as Gut Flora Overgrowth - something I have had before after indulging during Thanksgiving.
During the past couple weeks I had lost 8 pounds, as the Spirit prompted me to start getting my physical health in order. The day I got the prompting, I immediately changed my eating habits and as well as my diet and began losing weight. The Spirit told me that this new era was ushering in changes and restoration for everyone on the earth. As I restored my body back to a healthier me, it would go through changes that would make it extremely sensitive to what I'll call "Telestial foods". These are foods that are more chemical than actual food. I felt the Spirit tell me that High Fructose Corns Syrup was worst of the worst for me personally. It was the common and dominant ingredient in everything I ate at our picnic, and my body wanted it out. The old me could tolerate these foods - but the new me is changing. I feel that as I seek God and become closer to Him and His glory, my physical body will experience changes that will no longer tolerate things of a Telestial light. This wasn't just foods - but music, TV, movies etc. - all of it! Even if the music & movies have all the bad language deleted, or bad scenes edited out, there's still a dark vibe attached to them. As crazy as that might sound, it made perfect sense to my spirit and I heard the Lord say,
"It is easy for me to come to you, but for you to come up higher and be where I Am, you must go through change. You must be sanctified and purified of all that is Telestial within you. You have asked for this, and I am answering."
That was right. I had been asking and praying to be further sanctified as I have been seeking the Lord. I couldn't help but feel grateful that this was happening to me. Through my own agency (choice of foods) I had given the enemy permission to attack me physically (not to mention we didn't bless our food at the picnic), however - God was going to use this torment for my benefit. Let me just say, all evening and into the morning I went though a painful cleansing. The pain was so severe in my abdomen that it felt like being in labor without an epidural - like knives to my abdomen. I heard "birth pains" in my mind and was reminded of my previous post. I knew there was significance to these "birth pains" coming right at the end of the eclipse. In the darkest hour of my pain, I cried out to the Lord for deliverance and He came and took that pain away.
The symptoms lingered but the severe pain was gone. I felt He was teaching me something and I was listening. By morning the symptoms were still there and I felt sad as I had promised to take my son to Lagoon (our local amusement park) that day. It was the last weekday that Lagoon would be open for the season and I wanted to have a special day with him while the other kids were in school.
After I got the older kids off to school, I had the thought that with God, I was bigger than my enemy. Why did I assume that the enemy was in control? That was a lie. I knew that my faith could overpower him. With that reminder, I got up out of my bed and began to call upon the Lord in prayer. I thanked him for the illness and what it had taught me, and then told Him that I was ready to be healed. I then thanked Him for healing me and allowing my plans to not be spoiled by the Adversary. As I got dressed and loaded up the car I heard a voice say,
"Are you crazy? You're still sick! It's a hot summer day, you're already dehydrated, and your going to ride on rides? This isn't going to be pretty."
I recognized that voice and I commanded it to leave in the Lord's name. And just like that I got in the car exercising full faith that all would be well. Demonstrating my faith that I was already healed, my son and I spent the entire day at Lagoon. He made me go on all the dizzy rides, and never once did I regret it. I felt hydrated and energized and we had a wonderful time! When I came home, I found that my body naturally wanted a very healthy dinner.
Over the past year, I have realized that I have grown sensitive to chemical smells. I have always had a sensitive nose and can pick up on scents when no one else can, but this was different. I found suddenly that body sprays, soaps, cleaning products and candles all gave me headaches. Even my favorite products, I could no longer tolerate. Even back then, I felt I was going through a physical change.
Then this morning when I woke up, I felt the Spirit say, "Early to rise". I knew I wasn't tired and had the energy to get up, but because of habits I decided to lay in bed a little longer. Twenty minutes later I had a headache from sleeping too long. That headache has lingered all day as a reminder that I shouldn't sleep longer than needed. I heard the Spirit say,
"Through these changes, your body won't require as much sleep."
As I've continued to ponder on these changes, the Lord has sent little confirmations here and there to remind me that I'm on the right path. In fact, yesterday a video popped up in my facebook feed and I felt prompted to watch it. The presentation in the video was titled, "Anticipating the Restoration of all Things." Over the past year, many in the evangelical Christian community have been saying that we are entering a time of the restoration of all things. A restoration of the fullness. As Latter-day Saints we understand this period very well, and we know that there is still so much that has yet to be restored. I have written about this before and it's a topic I love to study. It has crossed my mind many times that this new era signaled by August 21st and September 23rd could mean preparing to receive the sealed portion - everything that the Brother of Jared saw. Wouldn't this be amazing!
So, as I watched this video and heard this man (Anthony Stephen) confirm all that I have been pondering - I felt it was a gift from the Lord. I highly recommend that you watch this video. I believe it is from a recent LDS conference called "Preparing A People", and is a must see! I loved that he added that the 12 stars above the woman's head in Revelation 12 represents the 12 tribes of Israel and that Jesus is the Lion of Judah. He suggests the possibility of this new era ushering in the return of the lost tribes. Click on the blue button to access the video.
Anthony Stephan - John the Revelator, the Eclipse & Sept. 23 2017 from Color My Media on Vimeo.
This same day I had the thought to type in "Christian Indian Prophet" on YouTube, it was such a random thought but when I did it, this video popped up. This man confirmed what I had shared in a previous post, that these coming years would be a grace period for the unrepentant. This was so random but it was nice to have a confirmation. Because my husband is a green card holder I loved that part of the video and had my husband listen. Interestingly, this man prophesied prior to the 2016 election that Trump would be America's next president. He said:
"He will be used to clean and purify the nation. As hard as he is, he has been prepared for this. As Cyrus was used to discipline Israel, and then to restore Israel, likewise trump will be used in the U.S. He will be God's mouth and hand for this nation."
Now, back to my dreams. The night of the eclipse I had a dream in which I saw a gray sky with a black crescent moon and a star. It didn't look like a real moon and star but a graphic design. It looked just like the image I created below. Black symbolizes death and endings and I felt the dream tell me that this image would come to an end. When I woke up, I did not understand what the image was. It felt familiar as though I had seen it before. Gray skies symbolize sadness and coming trouble. I knew that this image was going to experience trouble and sadness. It was very strange to me. I wondered if it was some type of constellation with an additional meaning. After I took the kids to school, I had the feeling I may have seen this symbol on a flag. Maybe it represented a country or a nation? So I Googled it and sure enough it was a religion! Many countries where this religion is dominant use this symbol in their flag. Could the dream mean an end to the dark, violent, extreme groups connected to this religion?
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| Image in my dream |
Then I had the thought come into my mind that a follower of my blog a few days prior had emailed me a PowerPoint by Val Brinkerhoff, that he suggested I check out. He said it was similar to my post on the eclipse. It also again confirmed many of the points I had shared. However, it wasn't until I came across this slide that I felt confirmations from head to toe. It confirmed what I felt the interpretation of my dream was about. But strangely, it was tied in with the verse in Revelation 12 and the alignment on September 23rd.
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
When I saw the image on this slide, I saw a moon under her feet and it looked just like the moon in my dream. However the scripture on this slide references horns. To me, the woman in this image has the crown of stars, and the moon under her feet. As I read on in the slide I saw that Val also made the connection. The moon is under the man child's feet. Here is a screenshot from my phone.
Now on to last night's dream. I had a dream I was at a restaurant and the owners and employees were Asian, Middle Eastern and Indian. They were serving Asian and Middle Eastern food. While there they saw that I had a pack of gum and confiscated it, telling me that gum was forbidden in their culture and restaurant. It was offensive to them. When they saw how sad I was that they had taken my gum, they told me that if I desired, I could purchase it back a stick at a time for 25 cents each over a period of time. The pack of gum had originally cost me a $1.00. When I went to pay for my meal, it took 15-20 minutes for them to process my debit card. Later, I became angry about what had happened. Why should I pay 25 cents per stick of gum when I could just go buy another pack? Then I thought, why should I buy another pack when they stole what was rightfully mine? I decided I would walk back into the restaurant and boldly claim my gum, which I did.
If you remember from my last dream about gum, I realized that the "sticks" represented scripture and the pack as a whole is the scriptures. I believe the dream revealed how Christianity and scripture has been confiscated from many Eastern countries. It is forbidden. To many, it is even offensive. My debit card represented something of great value "the gospel", it was slow to "process" on their machine. The "process" of getting the gospel into these countries has seemed slow but things are about to change. As many of God's children in these countries discover that Jesus is their Savior, they will boldly begin to claim what has been stolen from them.
This is currently being fulfilled, as many in the Middle East are having visions of Jesus Christ and accepting Him as their Savior. There are many videos on YouTube that share many testimonies of this phenomenon, however this is one of my favorites!
Now the numbers in my dream are significant and represent something personal for me. 100 represents initiating a spiritual course of advancement, and the challenges that are likely to come up during this voyage. By having faith in God, all obstacles can be overcome. The path will be directed by Divine forces and information will flow through a sixth sense (the Spirit). The number 25 represents that life transformations will happen in astonishing ways and we must have faith in Divine forces. Whatever happens will be for your benefit, and angels will be by your side in times of turmoil.
Now, you just can't make this stuff up! If you Google the meaning of the number 100 and 25 that is exactly what comes up. The Spirit confirmed the truth of it to me, and that not only will this be my experience with wonderful changes expected on my path, but the experience of many of God's children on the earth who are also seeking the Lord.
Simply put, these glorious signs we are witnessing are confirmations from the Lord of the incredible changes that are coming among the children of God and the earth itself. Things are going to get really amazing, very soon. If we can lean on the Lord through our birth pains - He will change us into something incredible. As we are born again of the Spirit, we realize just how much value our trials and pains bore for us. We will have much gratitude for them and give thanks to the Lord for how perfect His plan truly is for us!
I say this in His Holy name, Jesus Christ amen.
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