Hercules - Resurrection and Eternal Life

What happens After we Die?

When we die, our bodies go into the Ground, but our Spirit lives on and goes to the Spirit World.

Meg's body is still outside against a rock, but Hercules comes to the Underworld to retrieve Meg's Spirit from the grasp of Hades.
2 Nephi 2:27
Jesus Christ also came to make the 'Resurrection' possible.  He is the 'First Fruits of them that Slept'.
Because of the Resurrection of Christ we shall all be Resurrected.
Alma 12:24-25

Hercules (the Son of Zeus) was willing to give up everything, even his own life, to save Meg.

Christ (the Son of God) was willing to give up everything, even His own life, to save us all.
Alma 7:12, John 15:13
After having reunited Meg's Spirit with her Body, the two of them are 'called up' to mount Olympus.

During the Millennium, After the Second Coming of Christ, the Resurrection will take place, and After the Resurrection we will all be 'called up' to be Judged before God.

This Judgement is the Final Judgement.  Our Eternal Destiny will be decided on the Choices we made in Mortality.  Alma 12:27

Only when he is with Meg is Hercules Happy.

Even if he had stayed at Olympus, Hercules would not have been a God.  Only because of Meg had he learned where he belonged, and it was wherever Meg was.

We often refer to our Spouses as our 'Better Half'.  Then why should that 'Better Half' of us be separated from us in the Eternities?

Even Zeus has Hera.

See 1 Corinthians 15 for more information.

Who is REALLY in Charge Here?

Just in case you were wondering, I do not like sports.

However I do like looking at symbols, and most sports teams have an animal as the symbol of the team.

Lion

Penguins

Bears

So why do we used all these animals as a symbol of strength for the team? We are higher on the totem pole than they are right?

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
-- Genesis 1:26

So if we are the ones who attach specific symbols to animals, wouldn't God help us learn through symbols as well?

Christ sacrificed His life for us Vicariously.  His suffering can take away our sins.

In the same way He commanded us to be baptized.  This allows us to follow His example more fully.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
-- Acts 2:38


There must be an opposition in all things.  Think about it, if you never got hurt at all, would you really know what it felt like not to be in pain?  If you never saw the sunshine, would dark clouds really be that gloomy?  If you were never alive, would you be able to die?

 "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.

If not so, ..., righteousness could not be brought to pass,

 neither wickedness,

neither holiness nor misery,

neither good nor bad.

Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one;

wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead,

having no life neither death,

 nor corruption nor incorruption,

happiness nor misery,

neither sense nor insensibility."

-- 2 Nephi 2:11

So there is opposition in all things, and they compound in one.  The Ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol of life, but it closely resembles a cross which we see today as a symbol of death.  This is where we may easily see that opposition must be a part of mortality.  Through the Resurrection of Christ we shall all be made alive, but with His Death on the cross He would never have been Resurrected.

God can see everything.  Below is the Eye of Ra as well as the 'All Seeing Eye' that is on the back of American currency.  Egypt again has the ancient form of a symbol we recognize today.  They knew that God could see everything, and used this trait to depict Ra, the false 'Sun God' of Egypt.

As we read the scriptures, we should look for those symbols that help us to understand the True nature of God, as well as our purpose in life.  These Symbols will make it so we know exactly who is in charge here on Earth, and it is the same person who has been in charge forever.

Restoration of the Priesthood - Anniversary

Do you know what today is?

Today is the 183rd Anniversary of the Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.

On May 15th, 1829, John the Baptist (as a resurrected being, see Matthew 27:52-53 and 3 Nephi 23:11) came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on the bank of the Susquehanna River.  He then Ordained them to the Priesthood which he held, which is the same Priesthood that Christ was Baptized by.

Without this Authority nothing that we do in this life would be of any effect out of this life.

When asked who the Apostles said Jesus was, Peter replied,

"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

-- Matthew 16:16

It was upon this, the Testimony of the Godhead, that is the keystone of the Church, upon which the Devil has no power to overthrow.

Christ then stated:

"I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth

shall be bound in heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth

shall be loosed in heaven."

-- Matthew 16:19

It is through this Sealing Power, to bind on Earth and in Heaven, that we may be with our Families Forever.
Without the proper Authority of the Priesthood, nothing done in any religious ceremony is of any effect after we depart this life.  Only by doing what God has Commanded, in the way He commanded it, may we truly be saved at the last day.

Easter Remembrance

How Do We Glorify God?

This is a story about me, my breakfast cereal, and JEEPs. (I LOVE JEEPs, just in case you didn't already know that.)

So there I was, eating my breakfast cereal, when out of the middle of nowhere I had a bit of revelation.  I was thinking about how to "Be an example of the Believers"(1 Timothy 4:12), and the thought came to me of what we were commanded to do.

"Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

-- Matthew 5:16

Then I thought, "How exactly do we Glorify our Father in Heaven?"

"For behold, this is my work and my glory

—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

-- Moses 1:39

So if God's work and glory is immortality and eternal life, then to glorify Him would be to help others find this eternal life.  Everyone will be resurrected and become immortal, because the Savior was resurrected.

"And, if you keep my commandments 

and endure to the end 

you shall have eternal life, 

which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God."

-- Doctrine and Covenants 14:7

So I thought about how we gain eternal life, or rather how do we keep the commandments.  Those who keep the commandments have Faith, Repent of their sins, are Baptized by someone holding the Priesthood Authority, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then Endure to the End.

Baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost are ordinances, something that takes place at a specific place and time, and is performed by someone holding the proper Priesthood to do so.

Faith and Repentance however are both principles of the Gospel that we must have every day of our lives in order to truly Endure to the End.

But my original question was How do we apply this in our lives?

Basically everything we do should be to Glorify the Father.  This doesn't mean we shout praises and sing hymns all day long although there is a time to do so.  This means that everything we do should be an example, to help others make that decision to exercise their Faith in Jesus Christ by, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then to help them stay strong and Endure to the End throughout the rest of their lives.

Being this example and striving to help others to also come into the waters of Baptism will qualify them for eternal life, which brings much more Joy and Happiness to God then any amount of praise or singing.  

Our Heavenly Father is most happy when we keep His commandments, so as we help others come closer to Him, we are only giving Him praise and glory by our works.  Let His work and glory, become what we work for, and we can truly Glorify Him.

If you are wondering when I am going to get to the JEEPs I mentioned, I will start now.

So my favorite car in the world is a JEEP.  I don't have one yet but I really really want one.

Why do I want one?  Because I think it will make me happy, but that happiness will only last a short time in this life.

So why would someone want to be Baptized?  Because the example of those who have been Baptized makes them think that being Baptized will help them be happy, and this happiness can last forever and extend beyond this life.

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The JEEP will represent Baptism.  I don't have a JEEP, but the JEEPs I see around me look cool in my eyes, and I desire one.

So since I have been Baptized, I need to be just like a JEEP and my example should help others desire to be Baptized.



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People are there to Glorify the Father by helping others get Baptized!!

JEEPs are there to make me want a JEEP!!



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Keep Your Eyes Where They Should Be

"Look eye, always look eye!"



This is one of my Favorite parts of the Karate Kid.  You show respect by looking into your opponents eyes, and you can also learn how they are feeling.  Today, I want to relate looking into someone's eyes to looking towards Heaven.

When you look in someones eyes while they are speaking you show that you want to know what they are saying.  So when we look to Heaven we are saying that we really want to know what God has to tell us today.  You don't sit and wait for someone to say something yesterday, you wait for them to speak today because you don't need yesterday's instructions for todays problems. 

While it is true that "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever", He gives us knowledge "line upon line, precept upon precept."  This is done through a Prophet, like Moses, who can speak with God and then reveal to us what is going to happen.

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing,

but he revealeth his secret

unto his servants the prophets."

-- Amos 3:7

The other part I wanted to point out is that when you are looking in the eyes, you are showing respect for them whether you agree with what they are saying or not.  Not everyone believes the same, not everyone likes the same things or wears the same clothes.  This is because we are all different, and if we weren't we would be quite annoyed all the time because the wouldn't be any flavor to life.  However, just because we have differences doesn't mean we should rule out anything else just because it is in opposition to our own view.  By the time the Christ shall come and reign we will all be united in one faith.

"One Lord, one faith, one baptism,"

-- Ephesians 4:5

Lets do as Mr. Miyagi says, and "always look eye."  Always look to God for the truth, always follow His chosen Prophets, and always respect what He says, even if we don't understand it.

Deliverance Comes from the Deliverer

We might not be able to stop our children from sticking their fingers in the toaster.  We might not be able to stop them from putting a knife in the power outlet.  We might not be able to have them understand why certain things are bad for them, and we might not be able to stop them from placing their hands on the red hot stove.  But we can always give them a band aid and kiss it better and tell them they shouldn't do it again.  Sometimes they listen, Sometimes they don't.

But just like that bright red on the stove, which is interesting and unknown to them, so is sin.  Something about it seems to attract us to it.  Our Father in Heaven repeatedly tells us, Don't do this...Don't do that.  He also has told us repeatedly, DO this, DO that, and DO them all the time, not just when you feel like it.

Again, like the red hot stove, when we sin we must take the consequence.  Sin brings Spiritual pain.  The only band aid strong enough to help is the Atonement of Christ.  He can kiss it better, and wipe away the tears.  But we have to be DOing what He has told us to DO in order for the Atonement to have any effect.

This is the method of us being Delivered from sin by Jesus Christ.  When we are obedient we receive blessings.  When we sin we we lose those blessings, and things always turn into problems because of our choices.

However, when the Children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt, the Lord raised up a Deliverer for them.  This came after they had Prayed and asked for His help in their afflictions.

"The Lord thy God

will raise up unto thee a Prophet

from the midst of thee,

of thy brethren, like unto me;

unto him ye shall hearken;"

-- Deuteronomy 18:15

Moses was sent to redeem, or save, his people from slavery to the Egyptians.  Jesus Christ came to redeem and save all people from slavery to sin, and the bondage of the devil.

"And I,

if I be lifted up from the earth,

will draw all men unto me."

-- John 12:32

Through Jesus Christ we are able to repent of our sins, and then receive forgiveness.  He was raised up to be our Deliverer.  We must do our part, for the Atonement to have effect in our lives.  We have to be full of good works and righteous actions, or we will stand before the Judgement bar knowing that we have sinned and cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

"And for this cause have I been lifted up;

therefore, according to the power of the Father

I will draw all men unto me,

 that they may be judged according to their works."

-- 3 Nephi 27:15

"The spirit and the body shall be reunited again

in its perfect form;

 both limb and joint shall be restored

to its proper frame,

even as we now are at this time;

and we shall be brought to stand before God,
knowing even as we know now,

 and have a bright recollection of all our guilt."

-- Alma 11:43

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that which Christ taught pertaining to the requirements for us to return and live with God. 

These requirements are:

 Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement, 

Repentance,

Baptism,

Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost,

and Enduring to the End.

Faith in Jesus Christ is more than just Believing He lived and died for us.  Faith is an action word.  When we have Faith, we do things that we otherwise wouldn't, to try and help others.  We show our Faith by our actions.  Faith can be shown by attending church, praying both vocally and within our hearts, giving service to others in need, reading the scriptures, and following the teachings of the Savior.  Through Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed from all of our sin.  This is possible because of His Atonement, where He Suffered, died, and was Resurrected three days later.

"For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come;

yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth,

to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead,

that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord."

-- Helaman 14:15

Because of this Atonement we have the ability to repent, which is to confess to the Lord and ask for forgiveness.  We can be assured that we have truly repented of our sins when we can look in the mirror, thinking of what we did, and not have feelings of guilt or shame.

"Then Peter said unto them,
Repent,

and be baptized

every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ

for the remission of sins,

and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

-- Acts 2:38

After we repent, we must follow the Lord into the waters of Baptism.  Jesus walked many miles to get to John the Baptist because John had the authority to perform this ordinance.  That authority is called the Priesthood.  Today, we must be baptized by that same priesthood which John had in order for our Baptism to be of effect in Heaven.  When Christ was on the earth, He gave this Priesthood Authority to His Apostles.

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

-- Matthew 16:19

The Gift of the Holy Ghost is having the right to the constant companionship of the Spirit.  The Spirit is the Third member of the Godhead, and as such He testifies of the truth and divinity of Jesus Christ.  He also can give us guidance and help us avoid danger and make good decisions.  Although we can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost before Baptism we don't have the gift of the Holy Ghost until after we are baptized.  This gift is also given by the laying on of hands, through Priesthood Authority.

"He said unto them,

Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?

And they said unto him,

We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

 And he said unto them,

Unto what then were ye baptized?

And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Then said Paul,

John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,

saying unto the people,

that they should believe on him which should come after him,

that is, on Christ Jesus.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them,

the Holy Ghost came on them"

-- Acts 19:2-6

After we have done all of this, we are qualified to return to live with our Father in Heaven.  However, we will continue to be tempted and will sin again.  This is why we must pray always for help and guidance from the Lord.  We must Endure to the End of everything.  To the End of the Day, the End of the Week, and the End of our Lives.  We must continue in fighting for what we know to be just and true.

"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 wholly upon the merits of him

who is mighty to save."

-- 2 Nephi 31:19