LeGrand L. Baker

Blog

  • The Fall of Adam: Part One

    October Message 2019
    by Chauncey C Riddle

    In recent years there has been a great emphasis in the Church on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That emphasis is well-deserved, for that atonement is the most important event in the history of mankind. But as we dwell on that atonement, we must not forget the second most important event in the history of mankind: The Fall of Adam. The Fall is important because it is the event that makes the atonement necessary.

    An understanding of the Fall of Adam has three necessary parts: 1) The condition of Adam and Eve before the Fall. 2) What happened in the Fall. 3) The condition of Adam and Eve and all of their posterity after the Fall.

    Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were immortal beings. They were children of the Gods, having the same DNA as the gods (as made evident by the fact that God the Father became the literal father of Jesus Christ by siring Jesus Christ with his mortal mother, Mary.) They did not have blood in their veins, but rather spirit matter (which is why they were immortal beings who never would die if they remained in that unfallen condition. And they were like children, not knowing very much, and especially not knowing the difference between good and evil. But they knew enough to tend the Garden of Eden and to enjoy its delights.

    The Fall itself came as Adam and Eve deliberately disobeyed God the Father and did obey Satan by partaking of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, a simple physical act having eternal consequences.

    That disobedience to the Father and obedience to Satan gave Satan power over Adam and Eve and their posterity, the power to tempt them and to try them in every way. Now that they knew the difference between good and evil, they became free to choose between the two. They had the light of Christ to show them the good, and the constant companionship of Satan to tempt them to do some degree of evil.

    (Evil is anything that is less than the best thing to do. In any human situation there is one best thing to do, the Good, and an infinite variety of other things to do other than doing the Good. Thus evil ranges from lesser goods than the Good which God would have us do, to opposites which are totally evil. All evil is inspired by Satan to try to get human beings not to do the will of God.)

    Father in his mercy decreed that the power to choose and do good would always be preserved to Adam an Eve as long as they chose good. If they chose evil, the influence of God would be lessened in their lives. If they chose evil repeatedly and continually, the enticement to do good would eventually be taken away. The person who does this can eliminate the influence of God in their lives, having killed their conscience, which is the light of Christ in their lives. If a person chooses good continually, that does not eliminate the power of Satan to entice them to do evil. In fact, the more faithful they are to the influence of the Father and the Son, the more powerful become the temptations of Satan. The godly enticement to do good is always balanced by an equal and opposite temptation from Satan. Thus the person retains perfect freedom to choose.

    And thus Adam and E became free to choose for themselves, either The Good or some degree of evil. But they are also accountable for their choices and the results of those choices. On the day of Final Judgment each of us humans will come before God having a perfect memory of all the choices we made in our mortality. The evil choices we repented of and made restitution for through the power of Jesus Christ will not be brought up, but all other choices will be manifest then. Each of us will see and know exactly what we deserve at this bar of judgment, so no one will argue with the judgment they receive.

  • Notes on having a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ

    1. A testimony of the gospel is a matter of heart more than mind. The mind must be involved to form a content of ideas, but the acceptance or certification of those ideas is a function of the heart. It is our hearts that are being tested and proved, not our minds. This is important because whatever a normal human being does stems from the desires of the heart. The mind furnishes alternatives for the heart to consider, but the heart is the ruler. Thus we always do what we want to do. Wants are of the heart.
    2. Thus testimony of the gospel, or the absence thereof, is a spiritual matter, not basically an intellectual one. The heart entertains spirits, and the mind entertains ideas. There are two spirits, the Holy Spirit and the unholy spirit. The Holy Spirit testifies of truth, but the unholy spirit tells us that whatever we want to believe is true and whatever we want to do is the good thing to do. The unholy spirit is the influence of Satan. The unholy spirit tells us humans that there is no such thing as Satan, and those who like the unholy spirit agree, and say that Satan is not real. So having a testimony of the Restored Gospel depends on how much we are influenced by either or both of those two spirits.
    3. Then there is desire. Some people do not want to have a testimony, no matter what. Sometimes this stems from their ancestors belonging to another church. Sometimes it stems from a desire not to be in the minority. Sometimes it stems from specifically wishing to break one or more of the commandments. Those who are hungry to know the truth and to live it will eventually find a testimony and will live by it.
    4. And there is selfishness or a lack thereof. Those who are intent on doing their own will and in obtaining the pleasure or worldly rewards that are dear to them will not seek nor often find a testimony. But those who enjoy ministering to the needs of others and heavily invest in doing so will eventually find their way to the Restored Gospel and its ordinances because there one finds the power to bless others maximally.

    My most precious possession is my testimony that Jesus is the Christ and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living church on the face of this earth. My personal testimony rests on three pillars. First, I can pray and get answers to my prayers. I do not get answers always or about every matter, but I get enough that I am completely sold on prayer to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. The second pillar of my testimony is the Book of Mormon. As I read and study it, I receive revelation that quickens my understanding and often shows me the path I must follow to do good. The third pillar of my testimony is the power of the Holy Priesthood as I see it exercised by those in authority and also by others and by myself.

    One strong component of my testimony is an awareness of the existence and power of Satan. I find I must struggle with his temptations every day, almost every minute. It is as if I were walking on the top of a wall where there is a path just wide enough to walk comfortably. But there are ropes attached to my arms and legs which someone uses to pull me to one side or the other to try to topple me from the wall. I find that by paying very careful attention to what I am doing, I can resist the tugs when they come. If I do not resist, then I am pulled off the wall. Only by arduous effort can I then get back on the wall (the arduous effort is sincere repentance and then partaking of the sacrament). It is my firm belief that the many persons who do not believe in the existence of Satan and his power to tempt us have no real defense against his power.

    Every normal adult has a testimony of something. But those who have a testimony that Jesus is the Christ and how to come unto him are very specially blessed.

    May each of you be blessed.

    C. C. Riddle

  • Sealer’s Message, May 2019

    11 May 2019
    amended 18 May 2019

    The core of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to act always in faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ is to trust Jesus Christ in all things and willingly and gladly obey the instructions that He gives us as attested by the Holy Ghost. Trust is essential, the same trust we give as we cross the bridge spanning a deep canyon. Obedience is not enough, for the devils also obey Christ, but not willingly. It must be done gladly for a grudgingly given gift is not given for the right reason. And one does not pick and choose among the instructions given, pleasing only oneself, for that is opportunism, not faith.

    The core act of living by faith in Jesus Christ is repentance. Repentance is changing our actions from whatever we have been doing to act in faith in Jesus Christ. Repentance is complete when one acts only in faith in Christ. It involves changing motives and actions until faith in Christ only becomes our deeply ingrained habit of action. It is not done in a day, but may be done rapidly if one tries with all of one’s heart, might, mind, and strength. The goal of repentance is to become a new creature, transformed into the same character and actions as Christ Himself. Our character is our habits. We form habits each time we choose a thought, a feeling, an action. As we choose the same way repeatedly, the choice becomes a habit. Most of our daily actions are performed out of habit. Our habits are our character, who and what we have chosen to be.

    Two factors are of special importance in relation to repentance. The first is sanctification. The word “sanctification” means to make whole, or holy. It is a gift from God to those who sincerely repent and it happens when we have the gift of the Holy Ghost as our companion after baptism and confirmation. It is in essence the forgiveness for past sins we have committed. A sin can be forgiven only if there is a firm determination never to commit that sin again accompanied by recompense for the damage caused by that sin in the past. If an individual makes recompense for having damaged another person or thing, they must restore at least one for one: eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But if the person making restitution for a sin really wants to do it a celestial way, they will restore four-fold. We human beings cannot make restitution for some sins, but it is important that we do so where we can, and the sooner the better. Full restitution for sins is possible only through the mercy of Jesus Christ, He making restitution for us where we cannot.

    Our Savior can and will and does make recompense to each individual for every sin committed against them whether we repent or not. That restitution counts for our sins only if we are faithful covenant servants of Christ. Thus sanctification is real and complete only in Christ and only for His faithful servants. Those who will not put their trust in Christ and thus be forgiven of their sins must personally pay the debt of justice which thy have incurred in each of the sinful acts of their mortal lives. They do this by going to hell, the place of suffering for sin, and there personally receive the same amount of suffering that they have caused others to suffer by their sins. Thus going to hell and suffering for the sins one has committed is a blessing and a privilege, for then one can become clean and inherit glory from God. But those who do it this way will never be trusted like those who have repented in Christ.

    The second factor of special importance to repentance is justification. The word means “to make just.” There are two kinds of justification: human and divine. Human justification is doing wrong and then finding a good reason for having done that wrong. It is pretending to be just. Divine justification is replacing the character flaws that cause us to sin. It comes as we repeatedly act in faith in Christ to gain the habits and character of Christ. Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the indispensable key to both sanctification and divine justification. Knowing the Gospel lays out the path one must follow to gain each of them, and the temples of Jesus Christ give the specific knowledge and power to obtain divine justification.

    Sanctification normally comes at the time of baptism by water and the spirit. It leaves whenever we sin after baptism and can be regained only by partaking worthily of the sacrament. Being in a state of sanctification and having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost are the same thing. And that companionship, sanctification, is necessary for any of the process of justification to take place. Complete justification normally consumes a lifetime of strict and conscientious endeavor to come into the measure of the stature of the fulness of the character of Jesus Christ. But only those humans who use their probation time to acquire full justification can ever be fully trusted. These are they who are just men made perfect, the only heirs of exaltation through Christ.

    Some members of this Church think that justification is something Christ will bless a person with if they give keeping their covenants a good try but can’t really keep all of His commandments. I think that idea is whistling in the dark, hoping for something that is impossible. That makes God a liar, saying someone is just when they are not. The point of justification is to become perfect, completely like Christ so that we can be trusted always to do the right thing with no one looking over our shoulder to mop up for any mistakes we make. Only such a person can be exalted. Real justification is to make righteousness our unshakable character through step by step repentance, changing ourselves from a natural man into the likeness of Christ Himself. We cannot do this by ourselves, no matter how hard we might try. But the power and grace of God assisting us make it possible if we will love and obey God with all of our heart, might, mind and strength. We are saved to exaltation by grace, but only after we have done all we can do.

    Every person in every kingdom of glory is there because they do keep some of the law of God. Some keep a lesser law, and the good they produce is like starlight. Some keep a greater law, and good they produce is like moonlight. Some keep most of God’s law, and the good they produce is like sunlight. Those who keep all of God’s law produce a good and light that is brighter than the noonday sun, for they are exalted, and their course is one eternal round of creating and blessing. Sanctification is all or nothing, but justification is a matter of degree.

    The capstone question is, does one have to keep all of God’s law in mortality to receive exaltation? The answer is no. But what one does have to do is to give everything they have to God. This is to learn to love Him with all of our heart, might, mind and strength. One does not have to become exactly like Christ in mortality to be exalted, except in one regard: To give ourselves completely to God in that we always do His will and not our own.

    Thus every human has an equal opportunity to be exalted. What each must do is to obey God, live His law, until one can finally deliver all of one’s will to God. Those of lower gifts or quickness of mind are thus on the same footing as those having great gifts and great intelligence. They may not be equal in earthly attainments, but they can be equal in giving all they have to God. Giving all they have to keep God’s law makes them just persons. Then in eternity God can add upon them until they are perfect, complete in all the abilities, powers, and dispositions of a god. Thus we have just men made perfect. And only just men made perfect can be trusted with exaltation.

  • On this Christmas Day:

    The most important thing for any human being to understand: We humans are all literal children of the Gods who control this universe, and because we have their DNA in us and they have made us free to choose, we have the potential to become gods also or any lesser thing of our own choosing.
    The most important thing for any human being to do: Pray to the Father, using the key name of his Son, Jesus Christ, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, asking and seeking what we most desire. If we are persistent enough to show them we really mean what we ask for, they will bless us, and if we do what they say through the Holy Spirit, we will inherit all we can stand to receive.

  • Christmas Message 2018

    from C C Riddle
    Only Two Churches – Only Two Foci

    Know ye that in the Latter Days
    There will be only two churches.
    The one will serve the Lamb of God
    The other will serve the devil.
    The first will be few in number
    The second will dominate every land and people.
    How to tell the difference between the two?

    By their fruits shall ye know them.
    One creates a Master State to save everyone temporally
    (except those who are unwanted).
    The other raises up a people whose are sent to bless everyone
    Especially with eternal blessings from the Lamb.

    One church creates converts by force and by controlling information,
    The other creates converts by revelation.
    The one insists upon a party line,
    The other leaves each person to conscience.
    The one operates on pride and glory,
    The other grows on humility and service to others.
    Neither can prove it is correct by science;
    Both prosper only by faith in the unseen.

    Know ye that you are free to choose either church
    And that your choice will last forever.
    By the end of this mortal scene
    You will have chosen your eternal path.
    Forever hence you will seek to please yourself
    Even as Satan does
    Or you will lose yourself in the service of others
    Even as Christ does.

    There is no middle ground.

  • Oh Say What is Real?

    A lecture was given by Dr. Melvin Morse, 28 October 2018 at the IANDS meeting in Salt Lake City. He is a pediatrician in Washington State who is studying near-death experiences in young children (10 and under). He is attempting to get the scientific world to recognize the validity (the reality) of what these children experience when they die and then come back and bring reports back of their experiences while dead. At issue is the question: What is real? What follows here are my answers to that question.

    The scientific definition of reality is usually something like: Something is real if it is observable by more than one person, testified to by more than one person, can be reproduced at will by some procedure, and can be quantified (measured in some way). The purpose of these strictures originally was to separate false traditions and claims from things that really are so and do work. The germ theory of disease is a good example. Many people once thought that disease was a spiritual matter, caused by evil spirits. Since evil spirits are not observable nor measurable, that explanation was rejected in favor of the germ theory which postulates that disease is caused by microbes which are observable and measurable: the identifiable germs are present and observable in every instance of a given disease. So the germ theory is scientifically acceptable, and the evil spirit theory is rejected as unsubstantiated folklore. (The germ theory does falter a bit because sometimes the germs are present and the individual carrying them does not get sick.)

    The problem that then arises, however, is that there are many things we want to think of as real that are not observable by more than one person and do not have a perceivable (materialistic) cause. The love of one person for another is such a matter. So shall we say that a specific love-bond is not real because it is personal and limited to one subject and perhaps to one object? Those who feel love for another person are often convinced it is very real, even more real than the material things on which scientists focus their attention.

    To understand and clarify this question of reality we must explore human knowing.

    We understand the following things about human knowing:

    1.   To know something is to be assured by evidence that our ideas are correct. Sensory experience is one of those evidences.

    2.   There are about 25 human senses which report evidence about the universe to our human minds.

    3.   But we do not see in our eyes, hear in our ears, touch with our skin. Our human organs of eyes, ears and skin all report their sensations to the cerebral cortex in the back of the human brain.

    4.   The cerebral cortex assembles all of the sensory evidence that comes to it from the 25 human senses and sorts and groups those sensations into an image of what might have caused those sensations. The brain thus forms a hypothesis as to what might have caused the sensations reported by the body. The brain then usually tests the hypothesis by asking questions such as:

    • a.   Can I predict what sensations I will have next?
    • b.   If I move my hand or foot to the object I think I perceive, can I predict what will happen?
    • c.   Do repeated observations give me the same hypothesis as to what I am experiencing?

    5.   The short version of this account of human knowing is that our consciousness of the universe we live in is all invented by us, an attempt of a sometimes rational mind to imagine the universe in which it finds itself.

    Conclusion: This I have given is a very short account of an important, complex matter. But it must suffice for present purposes. Moving from that description, I now state the following conclusions about human knowing and “reality.”

    1.   We do not really know anything about the universe (that which exists beyond our selves) we live in for sure. The fact that we are sure about some things about the universe is a measure of the strength of our belief in something. If I am really sure about something “out there,” that is simply to say that I really believe it. I believe that this mortal state was carefully designed by a loving Heavenly Father so that we would have to live our lives according to our beliefs, not knowledge. His purpose is to give us an opportunity to find out who we, ourselves, really are, by allowing us to construct a universe in our minds as to how we think the universe really is.

    2.   The best we can do in imagining the universe is to be able to do something again and again. So you and I believe strongly that we understand the universe in relation to what we can accomplish. Rene Descartes, the French philosopher, took this tack by saying: “I think, therefore I exist.” The thing we are most sure about is our own existence, because we can think and plan and do things. Even here we sometimes are not successful, not being able to do something we have done before many times. What this teaches us is to be humble. We are not great “knowers.” But we are good believers, even convincing ourselves that we are so right that we can tell others what to believe. Some people believe what others tell them, but the more thoughtful people are, the less they tend to believe what others say.

    3.   The purpose of human life, I believe, is for each of us to construct a universe in our minds, then to live in the universe to see if we can become happy persons. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the plan of happiness, and those who live it fully are the happiest people I know. Those who reject it or who play around the edges of it, never fully embracing it, are less happy in my observation (my belief) than those who fully embrace and live it.

    4.   One marvelous blessing the Christ brings to our lives is understanding. He gives us a set of beliefs that make sense as to who we are, where we came from, what we can and cannot do, and where we may likely find ourselves in the future. The Gospel message makes full “sense” to me. All of my life I have sought to make “sense” of this world and all that goes on in it. The Gospel, the scriptures, the revelations of the prophets of God fill in the blanks so beautifully that I am able to live my life in a very satisfying way. Obviously, what is true and real for me, that which I believe and live by, is not true and real for many others around me, including many in my own family. But, thankfully, what I believe and live by is true and real for some others also, including many in my own family.

    5.   The bottom line is that each of us is constructing and living in a universe of our own choosing. I think God designed our existence to be this way so that we would be able to choose our own future out of a myriad of possibilities. I believe God will give us to live for the rest of eternity in just that universe we choose and want, and thus each of us will be as happy as he or she can possibly be. That happiness will be God’s gift to each of us, His children.

    6.   Meanwhile, we get to live, act and believe according to our own choosing. I believe that there is a universe out there that is real. We interact with it all of the time. But we do not “know” it. We simulate what we think it is and act accordingly. Some of us are very successful in accomplishing what we desire to accomplish, I think because those who are successful have better beliefs and better discipline to do what they think should be done than those who are not so successful. But all of us are successful in building and living in a universe that suits our desires, and we each call that universe of our desires “reality.”

    7.   No person can know what is “real” to another person unless it is revealed to them by God. The Holy Ghost is specifically sent to us to bear testimony of what is true and what is not true. The only way that you and I can know that Jesus is the Christ or that Joseph Smith is the head prophet of this dispensation is to have those truths revealed to us by the Holy Ghost. The only way we can know that the gospel taught in the Book of Mormon is the true doctrine of Christ is to have it revealed to us by the Holy Ghost. The only way I can know if someone who is telling me of their experiences is telling the truth is if the Holy Ghost reveals that to me. That is why the gift of the Holy Ghost is the Pearl of Great Price. Anyone who understands what that gift is and does and who has good sense would be willing to give all else he possessed to obtain that most precious gift.

    So, are the experiences people have of near-death experiences real or not? They are very real to the persons who have them. But of course such experiences could also be “pretended,” conjured up by a vivid imagination, and possibly some are.

    The answer is that one person cannot be the final judge of the experiences of any other person. Each of us is the master of what we ourselves believe and do, and none of us is or can be the master of what any other person believes and does.

    Isn’t it comforting to believe that an omniscient, divine being, a loving Heavenly Father, will be our judge at the end of our mortal lives? He will see things as they really are, and because He is pure, will judge those things and reward each of us as the best we can be judged and rewarded. No partial, twisted view of us will be the basis of how we will be judged.

    That is why I try with all my heart, might, mind and strength to serve that God whom I worship. I just wish I could fully deliver in that attempt.

  • Tributes to LeGrand

    Hi Everyone!

    This is Tonya Baker Miller, LeGrand’s daughter.

    As many of you already know, LeGrand passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 2, 2018. He left such a legacy of love – love for the gospel coupled with love for each one of us! I miss him so much, but have a strong sense that he is thrilled with what he is learning and experiencing now!

    His funeral will be a week from today, Saturday, August 11th, at 1:00 p.m. (Please email me if you would like more details.)

    I am currently compiling tributes to my dad and want to invite any of you who are interested to share a story of time spent together, a favorite passage of scripture you read with him, etc. Please email your tributes to me at tonya_b_miller@yahoo.com

    This website will continue to be maintained but not added to, and my family and I hope that you will still use it!

  • Christmas Letter, December 2017

    Chauncey C. Riddle
    December 2017
    Provo, Utah

    1. We are the literal children of an all-knowing, all-powerful Heavenly King and Queen who love us with a pure love and want to share with us all they have and are.

    “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27)

    “And then shall the angels be crowned with the glory of his might, and the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him.” D&C 88:107

    2. We can inherit all our Heavenly Parents have and are only if we change our natures to become as they are. Otherwise that inheritance would crush us.

    “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11-13)

    “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a fur more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

    3. The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that if we put our full trust in Jesus Christ through baptism and actually receiving the Holy Ghost, our Savior will help us change to become like our Heavenly Parents so that we can inherit all things as he did (save us from ourselves). He also saves all of us from the grave in resurrection, and might save us from having to pay for our sins in hell, depending on our own actions.

    “And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying alone upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father, Ye shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:19–20)

    4. Whatever we make of ourselves by our choices and actions in our mortal probation determines how we will spend the rest of eternity. We will live forever in a level of knowledge and power, happiness or misery, of our own choosing.

    “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.” (2 Nephi 2:27–29)

    5. Righteousness is blessing others, usually at a sacrifice of ourselves. Prayer, scripture reading, taking the sacrament, etc., are good preparations for being righteous but are not righteousness.

    “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)

    6. Everything that happens to us is God’s hand helping us to receive all the blessing we can stand.

    “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” (D&C 59:21)

    7. The family: husband, wife and children, is the most important social unit in time and eternity.

    “The family is ordained of God, … is the fundamental unit of society.” (Proclamation, 1995)

    8. Rejoicing and profound gratitude should be the daily stance of every human being. (Psalm 32:11)

    “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”

  • John 21:20-25—The Closing Testimony of the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

    At the conclusion of his Gospel, when John writes that Jesus promised him that he would never taste death, he identified himself as “that disciple whom Jesus loved.”

    20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
    21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
    22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
    23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
    24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
    25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. (John 21:20-25)

    John, still in character, is not telling us more of his personal details than he feels we need to know, so we have to go to Jesus’s explanation to his Nephite disciples to learn more about John’s mission.

    6 And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me.
    7 Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.
    8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father.
    9 And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.
    10 And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one (3 Nephi 28:6-10).

    Even though that concludes John’s Gospel, it does not end his testimony. He bore that testimony in his epistles. Some of the most beautiful and profound literature in the New Testament is the First Epistle of John where we read:

    1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
    2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
    3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
    4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
    5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
    6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
    7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:1-7).

    15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
    16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
    17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
    18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
    19 We love him, because he first loved us.
    20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
    21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also (1 John 4:15-21)

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

  • John 20:1-18—Jesus’s Resurrection

    Chapter 58 *

    John 20:1-18—Jesus’s Resurrection

    Jesus made a very important statement about his resurrection when he tried to tell his disciples about the world wide breadth of his kingdom. However, their lack of knowledge about the earth’s geography made it impossible for them to understand. This is what he said:

    14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
    15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
    16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
    17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
    18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father (John 10:14-18).

    Here, as is so often the case in the scriptures, the key to the meaning of the passage in the verbs and the conjunctions. The verbs in verses 17 and 18 are about his power. They teach us that Jesus is not going to be killed but he is going to die of his own accord.

    17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
    18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father (John 10:14-18).

    The verbs in those sentences tell what is going to happen, but it is the conjunctions that give us the underpinnings of why Jesus, unlike ourselves, had the power to remain alive or to die. It is the conjunction in verse 17 that teaches us why it was necessary that Jesus would not be killed by others, but rather that he would will his spirit to leave his body. The simple word “that”adds an important facet to our concept of the Atonement.

    In verse 18, Jesus says, “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”In verse 17, he gives the reason for his choosing to exercise that power. He said “I lay down my life, that [in order that] I might take it again.”He chose to die so he could choose to be resurrected. When we die our spirit no longer has the power to govern our body. However, because Jesus exercised his power to leave his body, he still had control of it so he could return at will. Therefore, his explanation, “I lay down my life, that I might take it again.”

    As we watch the events at the tomb after Jesus’s resurrection, but before he returned to his Father, we see again the propriety of the order of things. He first appeared to a special woman. Then, again it was Peter and John who were the first apostles able to testify of Jesus’s resurrection.

    1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
    2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
    3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
    4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
    5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
    6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
    7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
    8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
    9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
    10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
    11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
    12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
    13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
    14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
    15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
    16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
    17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
    18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her (John 20:1-18).

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>