How knowth a man the master

The following are some of my favorite scriptures. I pieced this chain together during my morning scripture study in Mt. Gambier. They teach the great lesson of who I am, what my purpose on earth is and what my potential is. I just wanted to get the thoughts down on paper. I doubt I'll edit it this first time around, my apologies. 

Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

What is the difference?

They sound the same, don't they?

Immortality is to live forever with a perfect body.

To understand what eternal life is one must first understand that eternal can also be used as a title for our Heavenly Father. (D&C 19)

With that in mind read John 17:3, Mosiah 5:13 and Romans 8:16-17 below. Then think about what eternal life or life eternal means for us.

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Mosiah 5:13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?

Romans 8:16-17

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:   

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

I love these scriptures. For me they lay out who I am and give me a eternal prospective of what I can become. In John 17:3 I would ask an investigator how they would go about knowing and understanding, truly understanding another culture. I believe we can best know another by doing the things that they do. If we wants to learn about the Maori people of New Zealand one needs to spend time with them, learn how to do the Hakka.  Try to see things from their perspective. I would apply this knowing to our Savior. We need to strive to rely on our savior and his atoning sacrifice. We would need to keep God's commandments and I promise that as you do so you will "know of the doctrine," that it is true. (John 7:17) You  will know and become more and more like the father. You will grow grace from grace. You will become more like him through the Holy Ghost more then you could ever come to know another culture, because the Holy Ghost will carry you further then you can go on your own.

In Mosiah 5:13 I feel this principle of how to know our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by doing is stated again as another witness.

Roman 8:16-17 teaches us our identity. That we can gain a witness for ourselves that we are the children of God. I know for myself that I am a spiritual child of God and that he loves me beyond my understanding. I know we all lived with him before we came to earth. In verse 17 we are reminded that we are heir of God. That we can become like our Heavenly Father through Christ. That we can to have children and help bring to pass their immortality and eternal life. We do not destroy or replace God, we join him in His work. Like a son can one day become like his father and have a family of his home. God uplifts and that is what we too must do to become like him. We lift other up and growth with them forever.

No Worries

There was a priesthood lesson about forgiveness that has always stuck with me. In this lesson a story was told about a woman that was a holocaust survivor. After the war she became a missionary and spoke in many places. She gave the following account.

“It was in a church in Munich that I saw him, a balding heavy-set man in a gray overcoat, a brown felt hat clutched between his hands. People were filing out of the basement room where I had just spoken. It was 1947 and I had come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. ...

And that's when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were!

Betsie and I had been arrested for concealing Jews in our home during the Nazi occupation of Holland; this man had been a guard at Ravensbruck concentration camp where we were sent. ...

"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard in there." No, he did not remember me.

"But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, ..." his hand came out, ... "will you forgive me?"

And I stood there — I whose sins had every day to be forgiven — and could not. Betsie had died in that place — could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

For I had to do it — I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." ...

And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion — I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand, I can do that much. You supply the feeling."

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!"

For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely as I did then.”

I have always loved Corrie ten Boom’s response to do that which the other party needed, the act of forgiving in all her actions and her plea for help in to forgive in her heart. I try to do the same. If I have been offended I do my best not to enact offended actions. I pray that the lord can help me forgive in my heart as I forgive in my actions.

This is why I love the aussie saying “No worries, mate.” This phrase is in essence forgiveness, frank forgiveness just as Nephi forgave his brothers that tied him up and plan on leaving him for dead. If Nephi could forgive frankly that, then why shouldn’t I forgive quickly?