Echoes from Eden?

More and more we hear of those who recommend the use of psychoactive substances to explore expanded consciousness,¹ but could this be like an echo from Eden?

“Here is some of the [natural? processed?] fruit of that tree. It can make you wise. It can expand your awareness. It is delicious to the taste and very desirable for obtaining knowledge and increased consciousness.”

Is the psychedelic option really the siren call of a “shortcut”? as in: let's skip (or speedup) those generally incremental wake-up and growth stages that prepare us for expanded awareness? If wake-up and growth seem to take such a ruddy long time; if they require such persistent learning, relearning; aligning, re-aligning; action and correction, why not just pop a pill — snort, inject, ingest — a substance to blow our minds open to new vistas — new vistas that might hook us into repetitive cravings for (synthetic?) enlightenment.

What if knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and discernment do not come by “eating,” but rather by 1) observing things as they really are? and 2) experiencing the growth and just recompense of right action?

Are we just repeating the déjà vu on déjà vu of trying to use the physics of this world — the flesh (i.e., grosser matter²) component — to shortcut to spiritual experience?³

What if chemically-stimulated (synthetic?) enlightenment is a totally different experience (an illusory psychedelic) from the endowments experienced with non-chemical enlightenment?

What if the search for enlightenment that we initiate here below through manipulation of the physical is not the same as enlightenment initiated from above according to spirit and eternal principles?

What if the unified ground of all being that some experience during “trips” is not a present, undifferentiated state, but an original (recalled / remembered) “state of being,”  and that in our present condition we are progressing through states and stages of differentiation, “transcending and including” all that harmonizes with higher states as we move to those higher states of being and awareness?

What if unified ground is like a stem cell⁴ that appears like every other embryonic stem cell until some mysterious moment of “choice” or trigger when it begins to differentiate? What if the pre-trigger state is where the sense of unity with all things originates, and is thereafter transcended but included?

What if the unity ahead for evolving souls is as different as the unified body is from the stem cell; and that to conflate past unity with future unity is a fundamental error in perspective and understanding?

------------------------/
1. Mark Passio On Psychedelics Used For Consciousness Expansion Documentary (Time 3:02:18) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39i-50UFYn4&t=9331s
2. Doctrine and Covenants | Section 131:7-8 ~ There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.
3. Though Passio rejects religion and man-made law as corrupting and enslaving, which much of it is because of the nature of the Natural Man to become obsessed with pursuing and protecting power and gain, yet some of Passio's own dogma seems to suffer from absolutes and generalizations that do not accord with observing or understanding the world as it really is or would be under his absolutes; so despite his views, I quote scripture which seems to me to illustrate a better understanding of this world's duality and the purposes of combining spirit and flesh.
New Testament | Romans 8:4-8 ~ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
New Testament | Galatians 5:16-18 ~ Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
New Testament | Galatians 6:8 ~ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
New Testament | John 3:6 ~ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
New Testament | John 6:63 ~ It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

Improving on God? Part 3

"nothing less than the
 wholesale redesign of humans"

“Even Daniel was mystified by [the fourth creature]. He described it as exceedingly powerful, destructive, and terrifying. But he used another Hebrew word over and over again to describe it. The word is shainah. Shainah can be translated to mean different. The fourth creature is especially different from all the creatures that went before it. Thus, the civilization of the last days will be different from every civilization that preceded it. The word shainah also means changed or altered. Thus the state of the last days will be a changed state . . . an altered civilization. The first three creatures were based on the forms of nature. But the fourth creature has no clear grounding in nature. Its teeth and claws are of iron and bronze. It’s different . . . altered . . . changed.”

“Sounds more like a machine,” I said.

“The revelation of the fourth creature is this: End-time civilization will be based not on the natural, but on the unnatural. It will exist against nature. It will be of an altered or transmuted nature . . . a civilization at war with creation, with nature, and with the order of God.”¹

If we only knew how much has been hidden by secret combinations; how much they have hinted at over the years, yea even revealed, in Technicolor as if ‘twere science fiction — satanic (mocking?) parables for the blind and deaf!

Here are more warning voices to awake us from a sleep of death:

It all started innocently enough. Decades ago, newspaper articles began to tell the story of scientists’ successful experiments with hybrid crops that grew faster and in harsher climates, resisted diseases better, and yielded more food per acre than previously thought possible. Later, TV programs touted artificial insemination and test-tube fertilization, which allowed infertile couples to experience the miracle of life. Not long after that, stories were popping up on the World Wide Web about monoclonal antibodies that promised cures for dreaded diseases, robots that looked and acted human, and the mysterious Human Genome Project— a massive effort to reverse engineer the very operating system of the human body.²

Science is on the verge of a quantum advance, one that will bring into existence objects and creatures we have never seen before having abilities we cannot imagine. The ultimate objective of this new science is nothing short of revolutionary— to transform and recreate mankind itself.³

Our version 1.0 biological bodies are frail and subject to a myriad of failure modes. The Singularity will allow us to transcend these limitations. We will gain power over our fates. Our mortality will be in our own hands [and] the nonbiological portion of our intelligence will be trillions of trillions of times more powerful than unaided human intelligence.⁴

As a result of this bridge between technology and human biology being attained this century, nothing less than the wholesale redesign of humans, including genetic integration with other life-forms— plants, animals, and synthetic creations— will be realized. This vision— the borgification (marriage between biology and machine) of man— is supported in the latest “State of the Future” report (2010) by the global think tank, the Millennium Project, founded after a three-year feasibility study with the United Nations University, Smithsonian Institution, and the Futures Group International, where synthetic biologists affirm that “as computer code is written to create software to augment human capabilities, so too genetic code will be written to create life forms to augment civilization.”⁵

… scientists inside Britain are comfortable now with up to 50/ 50 animal-human integration. The article implied that not all the research currently under design is kept at the embryonic level, and that fully mature monstrosities (like the creature in the 2010 movie Splice) may be under study as “some scientists in some places want to push boundaries.” National Geographic magazine speculated in 2007 that within ten years, the first of such human-animals would walk the earth[.]⁶

The language in this section of the document actually speaks of eliminating “cell death” through creation of “a new generation of regenerative cells that could ultimately be programmed to live indefinitely.” In other words, whatever this synthetic life application is (Wired magazine described it as “living, breathing creatures”), the plan is to make it immortal.⁷

[T]echno-utopians believe they will triumph over prophets of doom by “stealing fire from the gods, breathing life into inert matter, and gaining immortality. Our efforts to become something more than human have a long and distinguished genealogy. Tracing the history of those efforts illuminates human nature. In every civilization, in every era, we have given the gods no peace.” ... Such men are joined in their quest for godlike constitutions by a growing list of official U.S. departments that dole out hundreds of millions of dollars each year for science and technology research.⁸

Prof. Mark Walker spoke on “Becoming Godlike,” James Hughes offered “Buddhism and Transhumanism: The Technologies of Self-Perfection,” Michael LaTorra gave a “Trans-Spirit” speech, nanotechnologist and lay Catholic Tihamer Toth-Fejel presented “Is Catholic Transhumanism Possible?" and Nick Bostrom spoke on “Transhumanism and Religion.”⁹

[But] man is not just a series of biological functions. We are spirit and soul and vulnerable to spiritual, not just environmental, dangers.¹⁰

… we are in this war whether we want to be or not, so we need to be equipped and informed.¹¹

There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan. —C. S. Lewis¹²

----------------------/
1. Cahn, Jonathan. The Book of Mysteries, Charisma House, Kindle Edition (p. 114).
2. Horn, Thomas; Horn, Nita. Forbidden Gates: How Genetics, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Biology, Nanotechnology, and Human Enhancement Herald The Dawn Of TechnoDimensional Spiritual Warfare (Kindle Locations 308-313). Defender Publishing LLC. Kindle Edition.
3. Ibid. Kindle Locations 304-306
4. Ibid. quoting Ray Kurzweil, Kindle Locations 1886-1888
5. Ibid. Kindle Locations 1910-1916 (bold emphasis added)
6. Ibid. Kindle Locations 1937-1938
7. Ibid. Kindle Locations 2164-2166
8. Ibid. Kindle Locations 2389-2394
9. Ibid. Kindle Locations 3507-3509
10. Ibid. Kindle Locations 2849-2850
11. Ibid. Kindle Location 400
12. Ibid. quoting C.S. Lewis, Kindle Locations 1222-1224
Additional ibid. quotes:
--Developers at Toyota and the University of Utah are also working on brain transmitters, which they hope will contribute to building a global “hive mind.” (Kindle Locations 3017-3018)
--[T]he U.S. National Science Foundation (nsf) and the Human Enhancement Ethics Group (based at California Polytechnic State University, whose advisory board is a wish list of transhumanist academics and institutions worldwide) released its fifty-page report entitled “Ethics of Human Enhancement: 25 Questions & Answers.” (Kindle Locations 3747-3749)

God’s Will ?

Why do God and His servants repeatedly say:

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Old Testament | Psalms 14:2-3; 53:2-3);

… we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (New Testament | Romans 3:9-12);

I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? (New Testament | 1 Corinthians 6:5);

For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made (Book of Mormon | Alma 34:9);

They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 1:16);

Wherefore, I will that all men shall repent, for all are under sin, except those which I have reserved unto myself, holy men that ye know not of  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 49:8);

And the anger of God kindleth against the inhabitants of the earth; and none doeth good, for all have gone out of the way  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 82:6);

And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 84:49);

Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 112:23)?

So how should we understand this universal accusation of ALL being under sin? Is it because God’s Plan¹ for this earth and for every individual soul was “good,” (like unto His creation), but because of the flesh,² “The Three Temptations,”³ and the way we exercise our agency,⁴ every one of us falls short of “The Good Plan” for our life? Every one of us misses the mark.

So with everyone (except Christ) straying from the “good” plan of our life (in varying degrees), what becomes of God’s will? What is His will:

▪ when our life plan is off-track?
▪ when we sin, transgress; make mistakes; offend goodness, truth, etc.?
▪ when we are injured by another’s actions, choices, or words?
▪ when nothing seems to work out?
▪ when life hurts unbearably?
▪ when the powers that be perpetuate inequality and injustice?
▪ when the wicked (seem to) prosper?
▪ when Heaven seems as brass?
▪ when we don’t understand?
▪ and so forth.

Perhaps God’s overarching will, when all seems to have gone awry, is and has always been, that whatever our sins, injuries, failings, or circumstances, that:

▪ We believe in Him and His Plan of Redemption.⁵
▪ We repent.⁶
▪ We forgive.⁷
▪ We love.⁸
▪ We listen and obey.⁹

All these are within our choice and capacity (even in our weakness) if we seek His grace, strength, and promises:

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (New Testament | Revelation 7:17; see also Revelation 21:4)

------------------------------/
1. The Plan: http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/03/the-plan.html ; http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-choice.html
2. The Flesh: http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/11/the-flesh.html
3. The Three Temptations: http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2010/05/natural-man.html
4. Agency: http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/search/label/Agency

A small sampling of supporting scripture:
5. Believe / Trust:
New Testament | John 1:12 ~ But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 20:29 ~ And we know that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
Book of Mormon | Alma 22:13 ~ And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 29:43-45 ~ 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; And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not; For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey.
Book of Mormon | Alma 12:32-34 ~ Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God. But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son; Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
Old Testament | Proverbs 3:5-6 ~ Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 4:6 ~ I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body—
6. Repent:
Old Testament | Ezekiel 14:6 ~ Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. (Also 18:30)
New Testament | Matthew 4:17 ~ From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
New Testament | Acts 3:19 ~ Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 10:18 ~ For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:21 ~ 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 | Mosiah 4:10 ~ And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.
Book of Mormon | Alma 5:51 ~ And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people—Repent, for except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Book of Mormon | Alma 29:2 ~ Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 9:22 ~ Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.
Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:20 ~ Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 18:11-13 ~ For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 19:15-16 ~ Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 20:29 ~ And we know that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 39:18 ~ And inasmuch as they do repent and receive the fulness of my gospel, and become sanctified, I will stay mine hand in judgment.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 133:16 ~ Hearken and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen, ye elders of my church together, and hear the voice of the Lord; for he calleth upon all men, and he commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
Pearl of Great Price | Moses 6:23, 27-28 ~ And they [the sons of Adam] were preachers of righteousness, and spake and prophesied, and called upon all men, everywhere, to repent; … Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off; And for these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark; and in their own abominations have they devised murder, and have not kept the commandments, which I gave unto their father, Adam.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 1:32 ~ Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
7. Forgive:
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 64:10 ~ I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.
New Testament | Matthew 6:14-15 ~ For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Also New Testament | Mark 11:25-26, etc.)
New Testament | Luke 6:37 ~ Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
New Testament | Matthew 18:21-22 ~ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 82:1 ~ VERILY, verily, I say unto you, my servants, that inasmuch as you have forgiven one another your trespasses, even so I, the Lord, forgive you.
8. Love:
New Testament | Matthew 22:36-40 ~ Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 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. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
New Testament | 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 ~ And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
9. Listen and Obey:
Book of Mormon | Jacob 2:16 ~ O that he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination. And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 35:1-2 ~ LISTEN to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God, even one in me as I am one in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we may be one.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 39:1-6 ~ HEARKEN and listen to the voice of him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I AM, even Jesus Christ— The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not; The same which came in the meridian of time unto mine own, and mine own received me not; But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons; and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons. And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me. And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 45:6-8 ~ Hearken, O ye people of my church, and ye elders listen together, and hear my voice while it is called today, and harden not your hearts; For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world—a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not. I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not; but unto as many as received me gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God; and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life.
New Testament | John 14:15 ~ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
New Testament | 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 ~ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 64:34 ~ Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 4:10 ~ And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 5:8 ~ And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
Book of Mormon | Helaman 12:23 ~ Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved.
Pearl of Great Price | Abraham 3:25 ~ And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:1-2 ~ VERILY, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am; And that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world;
[See also http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/06/law-order-obedience.html ]

Feelings

(Words for a suffering friend who cannot yet hear)

You feel that no one listens to you, but (however you perceive it), we have listened and this is what we have heard. You have said how you feel and have felt*:

empty	discouraged	abused	guilty
numb	disappointed	rejected	shamed
worthless	angry	unlovable	“I have no family.”
hopeless	alone & lonely	distrusting	“No one understands.”
not deserving	bullied	self-loathing

And yet you also say: “I do not need to be ‘fixed’. There is nothing wrong with me.” (An exact quote.)

Dear, dear Friend: Please, please know—there was only ONE person ever born into this world who did not need to be “fixed.” ALL the rest of us desperately need fixing¹ (healing) with His help and by His grace, WITHOUT exception.

You have also said: “I cannot help the way I feel,” but that is one of the great and chief deceptions of the adversary and is contrary to the Word of God and to passing this mortal probation.

We are here in large measure to manage (control) our feelings with God’s help; NOT for our feelings to manage (control) us.

IF natural feelings were the true measure, there would have been:

▪ No atonement

And [Jesus] went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matthew 26:39);

▪ No Moses or Joshua to lead the Children of Israel because these prophets (like most all the others) felt afraid, insecure, unworthy, inadequate, & so forth;

▪ No Esther to save a nation (& hundreds of other examples).

IF “true” feelings were to govern, there would be:

▪ No loving of one’s enemies
▪ No forgiveness
▪ Fewer tithes and offerings
▪ Less Sabbath observance
▪ More pride and narcissism
▪ Less confession and repentance
▪ More pursuit of the things, praise, and approval of the world (The Three Temptations)
▪ & so forth

Almost nothing of God’s will would be accomplished in this life if we were governed by our feelings, because we ALL must overcome the natural man / woman:

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. (Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19)

We make right choices according to God’s Will and Word, often against how we feel, because God gives us the strength to do His will; to keep our promises and covenants when we have no strength or feeling for it.

▪ We feel hungry, yet we fast.
▪ We feel angry, yet we strive to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving.
▪ We feel afraid, but we commit to walk in His Word and Will.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)

Satan wants us to feel guilty for what others have done to us or have wrongfully blamed us for.

Satan wants us to feel condemned and rejected for mistakes and sins, when Jesus has already paid the price if we will just confess our wrongs and weaknesses and ask for His help and forgiveness.

Satan wants us to think peace and happiness are to be found in changing our circumstances instead of changing ourselves, our perceptions, our attitudes, our pursuits.

Beloved Friend: please, do as Jesus did when he was tempted / attacked by Satan (Luke 4). After each encounter, the Savior responded, “It is written, …”; (and then He quoted scripture); SO when you have feelings like anger, worthlessness, emptiness, etc.—feelings that have been recycling in your life for decades—feelings that do not have their source in God—know that you are under attack, and then counter those negatives and lies, ten-thousand times ten-thousand, if necessary, with the power of God’s word:

… the worth of [my] soul is great in the sight of God; (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 18:10)

… for in his strength I can do all things; (Alma 26:12; 20:4)

Find words of God that counter Satan’s emotion-based lies—find words that sustain gospel values and flood your mind with those words of truth to drown-out the whisperings, lies, distortions, and confusions of the adversary.

This is my witness: that whatever burdens you carry, whether self-inflicted or other-inflicted, you are a soul of great worth who yet needs healing—like the rest of us. You are a soul whose mission and purpose must be higher than the pursuits and rewards of this world. God has not brought you thus far or allowed so much suffering in your life, except He has a spiritual place and purpose for you in helping build His kingdom, if you will but see and hear and do.

---------------------------/
1. There are many who say we do not need to be “fixed”; that we are whole and complete as we are; that, like an acorn, we have the “complete tree” within us; BUT if we run this philosophy through scripture, we see that agency can warp the development / perfection of the seed; that because the blueprint shows one thing, the building may end up being constructed quite differently, thus needing to be fixed. As to “affirmation” therapy, that too needs to be run through scripture. God affirms our self-worth, but laments a great deal about the continual déjà vu of His children rejecting Him plan and will as they continually pursue their “our way.” Perhaps “affirmation” of our thoughts, feelings, and actions has done more damage to the plan of God for our lives than we can possibly imagine.

PS: For those who really want more help in healing, the ministry of Joyce Meyer may be eye- and heart-opening.

The Choice

This Easter season is an opportune time to ponder the fundamental choice facing every soul as it relates to The Plan.*

On one hand, we have ONE Who

▪   “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”;¹
▪  is “the way, the truth, and the life”;²
▪  is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness, and full of loving-kindness;³
▪  is just, equitable, changes not, and is no respecter of persons;⁴
▪  is a God of truth and cannot lie;⁵
▪  is a God of justice and judgment;⁶
▪  is “more intelligent than they all”;⁷
▪  seeks to guide sons and daughters to their best potential;
▪  will share His power and glory with those who ascend to attain His attributes.⁸

On the other hand, we have another who

◦  is NOT at all as the First IS;
◦  seeks power, gain, and glory without integrity or being honorable;⁹
◦  rants and raves when he does not get his way;¹⁰
◦  wishes to enslave and captivate;¹¹
◦  seeks to destroy the souls of men and women;¹²
◦  (has been profiled in several prior Déjà Vu~Times II posts herein.)¹³

So what has been the déjà vu disposition of man in his exercise of agency?—in this choice between life and death?¹⁴

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (New Testament | John 3:19-21)

They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 1:16)

So whose path are we choosing?¹⁵

------------------------------------/
* The Plan: http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/03/the-plan.html
1. New Testament | John 3:16
2. New Testament | John 14:6
3. See Lectures on Faith, Lectures 3 & 4 ~ Doctrine & Covenants, 1835 and supporting scriptures therein; http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#!/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835&p=13  [use the side arrows to navigate].
4. See Lectures on Faith, Lectures 3 & 4 ~ Doctrine & Covenants, 1835 and supporting scriptures therein; http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#!/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835&p=13  [use the side arrows to navigate].
5. See Lectures on Faith, Lectures 3 & 4 ~ Doctrine & Covenants, 1835 and supporting scriptures therein; http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#!/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835&p=13  [use the side arrows to navigate]
6. For scripture references see http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/01/whither-justice-and-judgment.html
7. And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all.” (Pearl of Great Price | Abraham 3:19)
8. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (New Testament | 1 John 3:2-3)
9. … for he [the devil] rebelled against me [God], saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 29:36)
10. And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook; and Moses received strength, and called upon God, saying: In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan. And it came to pass that Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and he departed hence, even from the presence of Moses, that he beheld him not. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:21-22)
11. And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my [God’s] voice”. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 4:4) [In modern lingo, Satan could be called a psychopath.]
12. And thus he [Satan] goeth up and down, to and fro in the earth, seeking to destroy the souls of men. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 10:27)
13. See http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/search/label/Satan OR
http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/search/label/Devil
14. Old Testament | Deuteronomy 30:15-19 ~ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Old Testament | Proverbs 11:19 ~ As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 21:8 ~ And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
New Testament | Romans 6:23 ~ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
New Testament | Romans 8:2-6 ~ For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
New Testament | 2 Timothy 1:10 ~ But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:27-29 ~ Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit; And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:39 ~ O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally–minded is death, and to be spiritually–minded is life eternal.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 10:23 ~ Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.
Book of Mormon | Alma 29:4-5 ~ … I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction. Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.
Book of Mormon | Helaman 14:31 ~ He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.
15. Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:33 ~ And it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings he said unto his disciples: Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein, until the night cometh, wherein no man can work.

The Plan

KJV above: English Standard Version :
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD,
plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

When an idea arises, its first construction begins in the mind. Then taking the elements of matter, the work can materialize under the labor or direction of the creator / originator. When completed the creator can observe it as “good,” if it conforms sufficiently to the mental image or expectation; or if not, the creator can deconstruct or sometimes adjust things to attempt greater conformity to the mental image or idea.¹

Let’s assume that this describes (in part) the Plan of Salvation² and the creation of the earth that made the Plan’s implementation possible. The physical creation of the earth turned out to be “good” and “very good.”³

And then the “probation”⁴ and agency⁵ aspects of the Plan began. But a probation of what? Let’s consider it as being two-fold:

~ a general probation being whether we will choose obedience to universal principles that foster growth, and unfolding potential?—like “being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and doing good to all mankind,” etc.;⁶

~ the second probation being whether we would work the plan, purpose, and mission of our own unique life that was envisioned before our birth. This unique, individual plan could have been freely chosen, or maybe assigned, or perhaps ascertained with counsel and guidance.

The scriptures seem full of evidence for the general probation, but what about the second probational aspect?

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (New Testament | 1 Peter 1:19-20; bold emphasis added.)

And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 11:11; bold emphasis added.)

And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. (Pearl of Great Price | Abraham 3:23; bold emphasis added.)

There are other scriptures that suggest special missions and purposes;⁷ and if “all are alike unto God” and if He is “no respecter of persons,”⁸ perhaps we can assume that each one of us has a good purpose and a good mission; particularly when we reference Lectures on Faith 6:1, 4 [Doctrine and Covenants 1835]:

1. … we next proceed to treat of the knowledge which persons must have, that the course of life which they pursue is according to the will of God, in order that they may be enabled to exercise faith in him unto life and salvation. … 4. Such was, and always will be, the situation of the saints of God, that unless they have an actual knowledge that the course they are pursuing is according to the will of God they will grow weary in their minds, and faint; for such has been, and always will be, the opposition in the hearts of unbelievers and those that know not God against the pure and unadulterated religion of heaven (the only thing which insures eternal life), that they will persecute to the uttermost all that worship God according to his revelations, receive the truth in the love of it, and submit themselves to be guided and directed by his will; and drive them to such extremities that nothing short of an actual knowledge of their being the favorites of heaven, and of their having embraced that order of things which God has established for the redemption of man, will enable them to exercise that confidence in him, necessary for them to overcome the world, and obtain that crown of glory which is laid up for them that fear God.

So how are we doing on our dual probation? Have we become so distracted by the lures of the world, the flesh, and Babylon such that we don’t have a clue whether we are in or out of the way? Though, perhaps “not having a clue” is the first clue.

Missions and purposes vary. They can be as solitary and sacrificing as care-giving a disabled child of God or as global as a documentary filmmaker. In God’s plan, every individual purpose and mission was, is, and will be to improve and better the world, for all good things come of Him. But as we see: the world, its ways, and all the opposites (defining agency) have taken a terrible toll. Refining flesh and matter to its optimum without God’s help is impossible because the “drive” of flesh is so powerful and so opposite to the drive of Spirit;⁹ and because we don’t grasp how vast the Plan or how infinite the atonement that makes it possible.¹⁰

Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out. His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand. From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 76:2-4)

Now, these are not concepts that most new-agers and “rational” humanists can abide—this yielding “to the whim” of some invisible Being—but amygdale doesn’t readily understand cerebral cortex, and inflated cerebral cortex will never grasp Mind.

Thus, too many of us just drift along or insist on revising the plan—“doing it our way”—which is God’s great lament.¹¹ He laments because we have shunted ourselves to a lesser outcome than what could have been had we been humble enough to accept things unseen.

We read about the high expectations for kings Saul, David, and Solomon; about the promises and prophecies regarding Oliver Cowdery, Sydney Rigdon, Frederick G. Williams, et al. al. al. and sometimes debate about God’s choice and “misplaced” confidence, but what if God is just revealing the individual “Plan” for these souls?—like a patriarchal blessing? Some will fill the measure of their plan and others will succumb to ego, temptation, confusion, fear, or those innumerable sins that king Mosiah gave up enumerating.¹² But all the while, God is continually guiding and revealing individual life plans and we are forever wandering off into by-ways or sink-holes.¹³

If only  we would put more thought into remembering: Telestial (earth level) isn’t the end-game. It’s the bottom of the ladder and if we think a backpack is the priority, how will we ever get off the ground?

So how to figure things out? It takes singular effort AND an eye single to the glory of God. Perhaps we can begin here:

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 32:3)

and here:

Lectures on Faith: Lectures 1-7 [Doctrine and Covenants 1835] available online at
http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#!/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835&p=13
[use the side arrows to navigate].

---------------------------------/
1. In some ways, the philosopher Plato discerned aspects of invisible design, plan, mental construct, etc. when developing his theory of forms. (See Q2: What is the meaning of “good”? at http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/09/questions-of-evidence.html ; also http://www.dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/2014/04/a-mathematical-ceiling.html)
2. Pearl of Great Price | Abraham 3:21-28 ~ … for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen.
Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said:
These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
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;
And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.
And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.
Pearl of Great Price | Moses 6:56-62 ~ And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment.
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, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.
Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying:
That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory;
For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;
Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.
And now, behold, I say unto you: This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time.
3. Pearl of Great Price | Moses 2:4-31 ~ And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good; and the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (v. 31)
4. Probation: Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 10:21 ~ 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 | 1 Nephi 15:31-32 ~ And [Laman and Lemuel] said unto me: Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body, or doth it speak of the things which are temporal? And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:21 ~ 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. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:27 ~ 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!
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 33:9 ~ 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 | Helaman 13:38 ~ 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 ~ 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 ~ 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;
5. Earth Agency:
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:31 ~ Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:15-16 ~ And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter. Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:26-27 ~ And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
6. Pearl of Great Price | Articles of Faith 1:13 ~ We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
7. Old Testament | Jeremiah 1:5 ~ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
New Testament | John 5:30 ~ I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 15:7 ~ Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 19:24 ~ I am Jesus Christ; I came by the will of the Father, and I do his will.
New Testament | Romans 8:29-30 ~ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to his own image, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
New Testament | Ephesians 1:3-5 ~ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
New Testament | Ephesians 1:10-11 ~ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
And others including Noah, Moses, John the Baptist, Joseph Smith, etc.
8. No Respecter:
Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 26:33 ~ For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 1:34-36 ~ And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh; For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion. And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 38:16 ~ And for your salvation I give unto you a commandment, for I have heard your prayers, and the poor have complained before me, and the rich have I made, and all flesh is mine, and I am no respecter of persons.
Lectures on Faith 3:23 [Doctrine and Covenants 1835] ~ But it is also necessary that men should have an idea that he is no respecter of persons, for with the idea of all the other excellencies in his character, and this one wanting, men could not exercise faith in him; because if he were a respecter of persons, they could not tell what their privileges were, nor how far they were authorized to exercise faith in him, or whether they were authorized to do it at all, but all must be confusion; but no sooner are the minds of men made acquainted with the truth on this point, that he is no respecter of persons, than they see that they have authority by faith to lay hold on eternal life, the richest boon of heaven, because God is no respecter of persons, and that every man in every nation has an equal privilege.
New Testament | Acts 10:34-35 ~ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
9. Flesh: http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/11/the-divided-soul.html
http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/11/the-flesh.html
10. Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:6-15 ~ For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.
Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.
O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.
And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.
O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.
And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.
And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.
O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.
Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness.
And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment–seat of the Holy One of Israel; and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God.
Book of Mormon | Alma 34:9 ~ For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
11. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/01/gods-lament.html
12. Book of Mormon | Mosiah 4:29-30 ~ And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.
13. A classic example is found in the two Doctrine and Covenants sections 39 and 40 that relate to the promises and failings of James Covill.

The [Other] Imitation Game*

In 1950, Alan Turing, (star-subject of the 2015 Oscar-nominated film, The Imitation Game) wrote a paper entitled “Computing Machinery and Intelligence.” He began his paper with these words: "I propose to consider the question 'Can machines think?'"¹

Before he began considering the machine question, he laid out a human scenario as follows:

“The original Imitation game that Turing described is a simple party game involving three players.

▪ player A is a man,
▪ player B is a woman,
▪ player C (who plays the role of the interrogator) can be of either sex.

In the Imitation Game, player C

◦ is unable to see either player A or player B
◦ (knows them only as X and Y),
◦ can communicate with them only through written notes or any other form that does not give away any details about their gender.

By asking questions of player A and player B, player C tries to determine which of the two is the man and which is the woman.
Player A's role is to trick the interrogator into making the wrong decision, while player B attempts to assist the interrogator in making the right one.”²

So, let us consider Turing’s “original imitation game,” BUT with a twist:

▪ player A is Lucifer (the liar);
▪ player B is God (the Truth-teller);
▪ player C is your average human with limited perspective.

The question is: “Can humans spot the imitation?”

Since both “players” A and B are what we might call extra-dimensional, and thus beyond experimental controls, let us first look at a few scriptural examples of attempted imitation. (Additional supporting text can be found in the footnotes.)

MOSES: “And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? … and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee? For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely? … where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God;” (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:13-15)³

PHARAOH: “Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh hardened his heart that he hearkened not unto them.”  (Old Testament | Exodus 7:10-13 JST) ⁴

KORIHOR: “And Korihor put forth his hand and wrote, saying: … behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God.”  (Book of Mormon | Alma 30:52)

MICHAEL: … “The voice of Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting the devil when he appeared as an angel of light! …” (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 128:20) [Note: Did Michael have to make this detection because the human witnesses to the event were not yet fully versed in such discernment?]

HIRAM PAGE: Joseph Smith was known for using a seer stone to receive revelation. At some point, a associate, Hiram Page, obtained a stone that purported to reveal things until revelation directed that: “thou [Oliver Cowdery] shalt take thy brother, Hiram Page, between him and thee alone, and tell him that those things which he hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him;” (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 28:11)

Next, let us consider some general forms and evidences of imitations versus revealed truths. The A and B designations do not refer to a speaker per se, but to scriptural observations. When we see similar things in our day, can we discern the imitation / distortion?  (Again, see the footnotes for additional examples.)

LOVE, JUSTICE, MERCY⁵

A: For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. (Book of Mormon | Mormon 8:37)
A: And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. (Old Testament | Ezekiel 33:31)
B: He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Old Testament | Micah 6:8)
B: 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. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (New Testament | Matthew 22:37-40)
B: For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.(Old Testament | Deuteronomy 10:17-19)

MIRACLES⁶

A: And he [the beast with two horns like a lamb] doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; … (New Testament | Revelation 13:13-14)
B: For I am God, and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe on my name. And whoso shall ask it in my name in faith, they shall cast out devils; they shall heal the sick; they shall cause the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 35:8-9)

SIGNS & WONDERS⁷

A: For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (New Testament | Matthew 24:24)
A: And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. (New Testament | Revelation 12:3)
B: 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: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. (New Testament | Revelation 12:1-2)
B: And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: (Old Testament | Deuteronomy 6:22)

SACRIFICE⁸

A: And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. (Old Testament | Jeremiah 32:35)
B: Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away. And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal. And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption. (Book of Mormon | Alma 34:13-16)

WORSHIP⁹

A: And now, when Moses had said these words, Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:19)
B: Behold, it is my will, that all they who call on my name, and worship me according to mine everlasting gospel, should gather together, and stand in holy places; (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 101:22)

COMMUNICATION

A: And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 28:22)
B: And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul— (Book of Mormon | Helaman 5:30)

PEACE / SECURITY

A: And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 28:21)
B: And it came to pass that there came a voice unto them, yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper, saying: Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world. (Book of Mormon | Helaman 5:46-47)

MARKS & SEALS¹⁰

A: And he [the beast with two horns like a lamb] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: (New Testament | Revelation 13:16)
B: And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (New Testament | Revelation 7:2-3)

OATHS, COVENANTS, PRIESTHOODS¹¹

A: And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant. And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God. (Book of Mormon | Helaman 6:22-23)
A: And my vineyard has become corrupted every whit; and there is none which doeth good save it be a few; and they err in many instances because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 33:4)
A: … for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 26:29)
B: He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; (Old Testament | 1 Chronicles 16:14-16; Psalms 105:9)
B: For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him. And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 84:36-40)

ANGELS¹²

A: … the father of lies … who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:9)
B: And now, verily saith the Lord, that these things might be known among you, O inhabitants of the earth, I have sent forth mine angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, who hath appeared unto some and hath committed it unto man, who shall appear unto many that dwell on the earth. And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 133:36-37)

What is the purpose of all these imitations and others? In short:

Satan stirreth them up [and deceiveth], that he may lead their souls to destruction. … And thus he goeth up and down, to and fro in the earth, seeking to destroy the souls of men. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 10:22, 27)

And Satan put it into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away many after him,) and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 4:6)

And so, in perennial déjà vu, here is a re-statement of the “problem, reaction, solution” (from God’s scriptural perspective):

Yea, as one generation passeth to another there shall be bloodsheds, and great visitations among [the children of men]; wherefore, … I would that ye would hearken unto my words. O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, … (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 1:12-13)

But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils. Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given; (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 46:7-8)

And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations—Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 52:14-15)

So, the gist of this?—discerning imitations is more than a game.

He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you. (Book of Mormon | Helaman 14:31)

Final question for the d-llumati, et al.: What if deception is a two-edged sword?

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (New Testament | 2 Timothy 3:13)

-----------------------/
* But not really a game considering the corruption and devastating consequences. And truth be told, this war is as old as the liar’s pride and anger.

Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 4:3-4)

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test#Imitation_Game (2nd paragraph)
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test#Imitation_Game . See Subhead; “Versions of the Turing Test”
3. Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:2, 9-16, 18-22 ~ And [Moses] saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence. … And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth. And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him. And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me. And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee? For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely? Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve. Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten. And again Moses said: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him: for his glory has been upon me, wherefore I can judge between him and thee. Depart hence, Satan. And now, when Moses had said these words, Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me. And it came to pass that Moses began to fear exceedingly; and as he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell. Nevertheless, calling upon God, he received strength, and he commanded, saying: Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory. And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook; and Moses received strength, and called upon God, saying: In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan. And it came to pass that Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and he departed hence, even from the presence of Moses, that he beheld him not.
4. Old Testament | Exodus 7:20-22 ~ [Aaron] lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
Old Testament | Exodus 8:6-7, 12-15 ~ Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt…. and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them;
5. LOVE, JUSTICE, MERCY
A: For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, (New Testament | Matthew 23:4-7)
A: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: (Old Testament | Jeremiah 5:31)
A: And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms. She doted upon the Assyrians … she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion, … she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea. And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. (Old Testament | Ezekiel 23:11-12, 14, 16-17)
B: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (New Testament | Matthew 5:44)
B: But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (Old Testament | Leviticus 19:34)
B: Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. (Old Testament | Deuteronomy 7:9-10)
B: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (New Testament | John 13:34-35)
B: … wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 26:30)
B: O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever. (Book of Mormon | Jacob 3:2)
B: ... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (New Testament | Romans 8:37-39)
B: But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest. (Book of Mormon | Alma 13:28-29)
6. MIRACLES
A: And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (New Testament | Revelation 16:13-14)
B: Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. (Old Testament | 1 Kings 18:38)
B: Now when he [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. (New Testament | John 2:23)
B: And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. (New Testament | John 6:2)
B: And that he [Jesus Christ, the Eternal God] manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 26:13)
7. SIGNS & WONDERS
A: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. (New Testament | Mark 13:22)
A: And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (New Testament | 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9)
B: Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. (Old Testament | Isaiah 8:18)
B: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (New Testament | Mark 16:17-18)
8. SACRIFICE
A: Moreover [Ahaz] burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 28:3)
A: And [Manasseh] caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 33:6)
A: My fathers having turned from their righteousness, and from the holy commandments which the Lord their God had given unto them, unto the worshiping of the gods of the heathen, utterly refused to hearken to my voice; For their hearts were set to do evil, and were wholly turned to the god of Elkenah, and the god of Libnah, and the god of Mahmackrah, and the god of Korash, and the god of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; Therefore they turned their hearts to the sacrifice of the heathen in offering up their children unto these dumb idols, and hearkened not unto my voice, but endeavored to take away my life by the hand of the priest of Elkenah. The priest of Elkenah was also the priest of Pharaoh. Now, at this time it was the custom of the priest of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to offer up upon the altar which was built in the land of Chaldea, for the offering unto these strange gods, men, women, and children. … Even the thank–offering of a child did the priest of Pharaoh offer upon the altar which stood by the hill called Potiphar's Hill, at the head of the plain of Olishem. Now, this priest had offered upon this altar three virgins at one time, who were the daughters of Onitah, one of the royal descent directly from the loins of Ham. These virgins were offered up because of their virtue; they would not bow down to worship gods of wood or of stone, therefore they were killed upon this altar, and it was done after the manner of the Egyptians. And it came to pass that the priests laid violence upon me, that they might slay me also, as they did those virgins upon this altar; … And as they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and he filled me with the vision of the Almighty, and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands; (Pearl of Great Price | Abraham 1:5-8, 10-12, 15)
A: The ritual sacrifice of thousands of human victims (especially children) has occurred over the millennia (including to this very day).
B: Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (New Testament | Hebrews 7:25-27)
B: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; (New Testament | Hebrews 9:27-28)
B: And [the Lord] gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord. And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 5:5-8)
9. WORSHIP
A: [And the devil] saith unto [Jesus], All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (New Testament | Matthew 4:9)
A: And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. (New Testament | Luke 4:6-7)
A: And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:12)
B: Wherefore, I [God] will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 10:19)
B: And he also gave me [Moses] commandments when he called unto me out of the burning bush, saying: Call upon God in the name of mine Only Begotten, and worship me. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:17)
B: BEHOLD, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy. (Book of Mormon | Alma 45:1)
10. MARKS & SEALS
A: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; (New Testament | Revelation 20:4)
A: And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed. (Book of Mormon | Alma 37:27)
A: And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant. And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God. (Book of Mormon | Helaman 6:22 - 23)
B: And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Old Testament | Ezekiel 9:4)
11. OATH, COVENANTS, PRIESTHOODS
A: And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed. (Book of Mormon | Alma 37:27)
A: Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel. (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 30:2)
A: … At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them. (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 16:10)
B: That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day: That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day: (Old Testament | Deuteronomy 29:12-15)
B: And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen. Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish; (Book of Mormon | Alma 13:6-10)
B: And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen. Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish; (Book of Mormon | Alma 13:6-10)
12. ANGELS
A: New Testament | 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 ~ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
A: Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:16 … they who are filthy are the devil and his angels;
A: Doctrine and Covenants | Section 29:36-37 ~ … the devil … rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; And they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels;
B: The references to God’s angels are too numerous to list, but here is a reference that has been roundly ridiculed by many, but in this age of technology, holograms, avatars, disembodied spirits, etc. perhaps it might prove more useful than we think
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 129:1-9 ~ THERE are two kinds of beings in heaven, namely: Angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones—For instance, Jesus said: Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. Secondly: the spirits of just men made perfect, they who are not resurrected, but inherit the same glory. When a messenger comes saying he has a message from God, offer him your hand and request him to shake hands with you. If he be an angel he will do so, and you will feel his hand. If he be the spirit of a just man made perfect he will come in his glory; for that is the only way he can appear—Ask him to shake hands with you, but he will not move, because it is contrary to the order of heaven for a just man to deceive; but he will still deliver his message. If it be the devil as an angel of light, when you ask him to shake hands he will offer you his hand, and you will not feel anything; you may therefore detect him. These are three grand keys whereby you may know whether any administration is from God.