Q: If “natural men”
1 are so prone to choosing the way that leads to corruption and destruction as both scripture
2 and history document (and as we are now witnessing on a global scale),
why does God’s plan give them innumerable opportunities to advance in power and authority to the harm of others?
Q: Why do
we frequently allow laws, governments, and authorities
3 to become self-serving, corrupt, and abusive to the harm of ourselves and others?
Q: Why does God tolerate so much censorship and persecution by corrupted authorities of those who seek the narrow way? Why do we?
Perhaps the answer is more simple than we imagine if we asked more questions.
Q: If this earth-bound mortality is a
probation4 as in
a period of time at the start of a new job when you are watched and tested to see if you are suitable for the job,5
then what could the new
job entail?
Could it be love of God and neighbour? as in:
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (New Testament | Matthew 22:36–40).
Q:
But what if Love is not the job, but the gateway to the job? What if the prospective job is Power6? What if our probation here is to see if we can be trusted with Power? not just with the exercise of power in mortality, but with how we respond to abusive power that harms us or others?
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire [burning of conscience?] on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (New Testament | Romans 12:17–21).
What better Plan than agency, time, and opportunity could there be to test for who can be advanced to eternal Power and who cannot?
So, how are we each doing with our individual power? in our families? relationships? jobs? positions? assignments? organizations? social circles? communications? influence? etc.
A: Perhaps honest self-reflection would tell us most of what we need to know about how our probation is presently going and whether we can be trusted hereafter.
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*Recent Power / Authority Posts:
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/10/respecting-obeying-authority-what-did.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/10/respecting-obeying-authority-what-of.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/10/when-to-disrespect-authority.html
1.
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2010/05/natural-man.html
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19
19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
2.
New Testament | Matthew 7:13–14 13 ¶ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
3.
Pearl of Great Price | Articles of Faith 1:12 12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
4.
Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 10:20 21 20 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.
21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your
probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment–seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:21 21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of
probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:27-28 27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his
probation, for awful is his state!
28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 33:9 9 I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of
probation.
Book of Mormon | Alma 12:24 24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a
probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
Book of Mormon | Alma 42:3-4, 10, 13 3 Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit—
4 And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a
probationary time, a time to repent and serve God. ...
10 Therefore, as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature, this
probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state. ...
13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this
probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.
Book of Mormon | Helaman 13:38 38 But behold, your days of
probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.
Book of Mormon | Mormon 9:28 28 Be wise in the days of your
probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 29:43-45 43 And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his
probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;
44 And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not;
45 For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey.
5.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/probation
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-plan.html
6. Past power / authority posts:
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-spirit-of-power.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-test-of-power.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2019/07/is-it-not-blatantly-obvious.html
https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-theory-of-powers-use-abuse.html
