My Uncle Bob passed away last week. He will be sorely missed by the family who loves him so much. I felt quite strongly that I needed to be in Arizona for his funeral, so I made a quick trip down this week. During my layover in Denver my cousin Julie messaged me asking if I could pick up her son that was also coming in late. Shen then said, "Oh, by the way, Sam (her brother) wants to know if you will speak on the Plan of Salvation. I said, "sure," and then spent my next flight working on it. I told my parents that in a way I prefered to be asked to talk with very little warning since I was sure that the Lord would bless me and He certainly did. I received insights I had not previously considered. It is hard to explain the feeling I had giving this message to my extended family. I felt such a closeness and a feeling of love between all of us. The text follows:
God's Plan of Happiness
In the scriptures God's plan for his children is referenced in several different ways. It is known as the Plan of Salvation, the Plan of Redemption but my personal favorite is "God's Plan of Happiness." The whole point of our existence is that we may experience joy and happiness. To understand this plan and our place in it, we first must understand the nature of God.
Like his plan, God has been referred to by many different names, such as the Supreme Being, the Great Creator, the Great Spirit, Jehova and many others. Of all the titles that have been given, the one that He has chosen for us to refer to Him, to honor Him the most is simply, "Father."
Paul taught:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17).
And to the Romans he proclamed:
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8).
He created our spirits before we came to this earth. We lived with Him and knew Him but he wanted more for us than just blissfully coexisting in His presence. Like any other Father, my Uncle Bob included, He wants the very best for his children. He wants us to grow and develop and be even like He is. This is why he developed the Plan of Happiness. This is why he told Moses:
39 For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
The plan was presented in the councils of Heaven before we were born. We read in Abraham:
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.
After Adam wasplaced in the Garden of Eden, Our Father immediately knew that His work was not complete and so He created a family by giving him Eve, the mother of all living. The very first commandment that they received was to bring children into this new family. This was not possible in the Garden of Eden. I truly believe that at some level Adam and Eve understood this dilemma and chose the path that would take them out of their Father's presence and into a world full of heartache, pain, sorrow and even death. It was a world, though, that allowed God's children to learn, to grow and be part of a family.
Truly, "25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."
I believe Eve understood this best. After she and Adam left the Garden, she declared,
Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. (Moses 5:11).
Adam and Eve were instructed in the plan by heavenly messengers. They were told:
56 And it is given unto them (referring to the children of Adam and Eve) to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment.
57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children (Moses 6).
Twice God commanded them to teach the plan to their children. Early this morning on a plane from Denver to Phoenix, I received an unmistakable impression that this is the message that my Uncle Bob wanted me to share with his children. With him I testify that
"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15).
Due to the fall, physical and spiritual death was introduced into the world. Alone, we would be lost but,
7 Behold, he [Jesus] offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered (2 Nephi 2).
As risen Lord, he declared to the Nephites:
32 And this is my doctrine, whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
As we choose to have faith in Christ and to turn from our sins, we will feel the power of the atonement in our lives. We will have a natural desire to take part in his ordained ordinances. We will remember our baptism and commit each and every week to walk in His footsteps as we partake of the sacrament. His spirit will be with us to guide is in all that we do.
I testify that the sealing power given to Peter is on the earth today. This is the promise as found in the 132nd section of the Doctrine and Covenants:
19 ...if a man marry a wife by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, it shall be said unto them--Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, and if ye abide in my covenant, it shall be done unto them in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels to their exaltation and glory in all things, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. (D&C 132).
This morning as I lay in bed, pondering on the words which I should say, I felt impress to discuss this verse further. In the next life, we are told that we will no longer be organized in congregations called wards or stakes. Callings such as Bishop, Clerk or President will be replaced by "Father," "Sister," "Uncle" or "Daughter." Yes, the reason why families are so important here in this life is because they prepare us how to live in the next. What we call family reunions now will be simply "church meetings" there.
My son Devin is currently serving in Russia as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When he was first called, I worried about him a lot. I worried for his safety and couldn't imagine sending my young son somewhere where he could be abused or beaten or worse. About this same time, my other son, Sterling, through family history, found some names of our family to take to the temple. On a Saturday when he and his mother were away, I went to do the beginning temple ordinances or initiatories for five of those names. While doing these ordinances, I felt the usual calm peacefulness I feel in the temple until the second name was presented, Clement Crennan. When I had to say his name, I choked up a bit and as the prayer and blessings were pronounced on my head for him, I felt an amazing warm, tingling feeling all through my body. I felt a feeling of love and of gratitude. It was gone as I moved to the next area, replaced by the usual confirming feeling of peace. When I was done, I decided to take his name through an endowment session. While waiting, I started reading the Book of Mormon from the first chapter knowing that Clement would be listening and would not have had that opportunity while in mortality. I read the first seven chapters of the first book of Nephi. The endowment ceremony proceeded in its usual fashion till we arrived at the part where we are instructed how to pray. During the prayer, the officiator asked that the missionaries around the world would be blessed. He then asked that the patrons in the company would be blessed and at the end said that we would leave the temple knowing that God's angels would have charge over us. At that moment I had the distinct impression that God would allow Clement to be that angel for me and for my missionary son. In the Celestial room, I bowed my head in prayer, thanking my Heavenly Father for such an experience and felt his love wrap around me and confirm to me that what I had felt was real. My experience ended downstairs reading from the Book of Mormon as I waited for the names to be recorded. I came to chapter eight and read Lehi's dream of the tree of life. These familiar words came to me in a new way:
12 And as I [Lehi] partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
Lehi's son, Nephi was shown the meaning of this tree and its fruit when 600 years before it occurred he was shown in vision the vigin birth and the life and ministry of the savior. When asked the interpretation, he responded:
22 Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. (1 Nephi 11).
Going back to the 132 section of the Doctrine & Covenants when it states that through the sealing power we will "pass by the angels," I used to think that these were sentinels, guarding the entrance to heaven. This morning as I pondered this verse, my understanding was broadened and I knew that they would not be any old angel, they would be our angels, lining our way to God like a glorious, heavenly parade down Main Street in Magrath on the 24th of July. Clement will be there, my Grandpa Toomer, who I have felt watch over me from a young age will be there, hand in hand with one of the greatest matriarchs this earth has ever seen and of course, there will be my Uncle Bob. He will be there waiting for his family with open arms wanting to embrace you with the precious love of God.
I would like to conclude with the words of a father, Mormon, brought to us by his son Moroni in the concluding chapters of the book of Mormon after he had lost his own father:
47 charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren [or in this case my beloved cousins and family], pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure." In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
