Number one was my realization that Lehi's family was sealed together and that consequent righteous generations after were sealed as well. How did I come to this conclusion? We know that Nephi built a temple as one of the first things he did when coming to the promised land, so the ordinances were available. The thing that dawned on me as I read and pondered the explanation of the tree of life analogy was that the promise made to Nephi concerning future generations of Nephites and Lamanites sounded familiar. More so than that I have read it hundreds of times. To me it suddenly sounded like this:
"The Prophet Joseph Smith declared-- and he never taught more comforting doctrine-- that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father's heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God." Orson F Whitney, quoted by Elder Faust in his talk "Dear to the heart of the Shepard" April 2003
Sounds the same, doesn't it.
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Last week I bought the movie "Oz, the Great and Powerful". The first time the girls and I watched it, they could not stop asking questions and just watch the movie. It was frustrating to me. The movie was confusing to them.
They wondered why Oz, (the wizard) had so many people angry with him. They wondered why there was only one woman that he really loved but wouldn't give up his travelling life and philandering ways for. They really worried about Theodora and her turn to wickedness. In the movie, to avoid the pain of a broken heart, Theodora allows her sister to magically harden her heart. Theodora becomes more wicked than her evil sister could have imagined, turning into a monster. Even with a withered, hardened heart, she was given the opportunity to redeem herself. She refused. However,it wasn't her fault, the girls argued. Would she ever turn good again? No. She gets melted in "The Wizard of Oz".
It took me back to something that happened to one of our gospel discussions awhile ago. We were talking about Satan and his role in the war in heaven. The little girls prayed for awhile after that Satan would repent and turn his life around.
We had to have another discussion. There is only one way that Satan and 1/3rd of the host of heavens were cast out. It was that they had full and complete knowledge that what they were choosing was wrong and they rebelled anyway. It wasn't that Christ had more knowledge or understood better. Satan understood exactly. His minions weren't confused or dazzled when he "talked fancy to them". They understood exactly.
Heavenly Father gives us so many chances-- He is eternal and has always done so. He will let us choose our way to heaven or hell.
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