23 May 2017
“The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth.” (D&C 93:36) Truth is knowledge of things as they really are, were, and will be. But even greater than truth is light. Light is wisdom, knowing what to do in the midst of truth to be wise, to be righteous in all things. To be fully or wholly righteous is to bless everything and everybody one has influence over, which is the way of godliness. To bless someone or something is to increase their freedom and happiness. God acts only to bless His children in righteousness, thus He is wholly righteous, holy. And he wants His children to be holy also. God said to ancient Israel: “For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44) Again Jehovah said to Israel: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5–6) Israel failed to keep God’s covenant at that time, and has mostly failed to do so since then. Every time the children of God are wholly faithful and keep the New and Everlasting Covenant, they are able to and do establish Zion.
How can we of Israel sanctify ourselves, become a holy people? Knowing what to do is easy. Doing it is what is difficult. What we need to do is simply to obey God in all things. When we are obedient to all His commandments we will be wholly given to Christ, holy. The New and Everlasting Covenant maps out the strait and narrow path we may follow to become holy, sanctified. We follow that path by simple steps: Repentance in Jesus Christ, faith in Jesus Christ, Hope in Jesus Christ, and charity in Jesus Christ.
Repentance in Christ is turning from the ways of the world and focusing wholly on the path Christ has shown us.
Faith in Christ is striving every minute to discern and do the will of Christ, wholly giving up ourselves to His tasks and will.
Hope in Christ is desiring and working wholly for the goals and blessings Christ has laid out for us.
Charity in Christ is seeking in mighty prayer to attain unto this the greatest of all gifts, the pure love from Christ to be able to bless all others with a pure intent, motive and gift.
When we have finally laid a sure foundation for the pure love of Christ through repenting, faith, and hope, we will then gain that charity and cut a swath of godliness wherever we pass.
The ordinances of the New and Everlasting Covenant are helps to attain the power of godliness that God gives us so that we really can repent and have faith, hope and charity in Christ.
If and when we press on till we gain the prize, we will then have power in the priesthood of God to do everything God asks us to do. Then we also can control the waves of the sea, turn rivers out of their course, move mountains, and establish Zion.
Then we shall have health in the navel of our children, that they also may have the opportunity to grow up unto the fulness of the stature of Christ through the New and Everlasting Covenant.
Then we shall have marrow in our bones to produce the life blood that sustains us in all our acts of faith in the New and Everlasting Covenant, and spirit matter to sustain our bodies in the resurrection.
Then we shall have strength in our loins unto the begetting of all the children the Lord will bless us with in the New and Everlasting Covenant, and will not deny their coming.
Then we shall have strength in our muscles and sinews to perform all the acts of faith in Christ that He would have us do in His New and Everlasting Covenant.
Then we shall have power in the Holy Priesthood to establish Zion on this earth and to prepare to administer light and truth to our own kingdoms on earths we are privileged to create and people with our own children to all eternity.
Then the New and Everlasting Covenant will not have been wasted upon us.
In the holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.