Building a Celestial Culture

Stake Conference 2/19

 Elder Richard J. Maynes

Those who drift off the path are those who have forgotten who they are - a child of a loving Father in Heaven. If He loves us like we love our own children, then he MUST have a plan for us to succeed in this life; for us to be happy; for us to return to Him. When people have forgotten that, then they forget other things, like to read the Book of Mormon daily and to pray. And that He loves us and gives us gifts to help us get back to Him. In the scripture, "God so loved the world", 'world' means US! God so loved US that He gave His Son. That was the first gift.

The 2nd great gift was that He gave us the Holy Ghost. God gave us the 2 other members of the Godhead to help us return to Him.

In 1839 there was so much persecution that the saints were forced to move to Nauvoo. At that time Joseph Smith went to Washington DC to meet with President Martin Van Buren to ask for protection. He basically said, "there's nothing I can do for you." But then he asked Joseph, "What makes you so different?" The answer that Joseph Smith gave was regarding our mode of baptism and that we believe in the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This underscores the importance of the Holy Ghost in our Church, our religion and our lives as members.

When Christ visited the Nephites, one of the first things He did was to teach them to pray to the Father in the name of Christ. Then He taught them to pray for “that which is right.” They did this by praying for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Then Jesus went apart to pray and this is one of the few places where His prayer is recorded in scripture, and in this prayer we see the three members of the Godhead. Christ is praying to the Father to thank Him for sending the Holy Ghost.

The best part of the week is Sunday

The best part of Sunday is Sacrament meeting

The best part of Sacrament meeting is the Sacrament. When we partake of the Sacrament, we know we renew our baptismal covenants. But we need to remember that if we’ve been to the temple, when we partake of the Sacrament, we are also renewing our temple covenants. Partaking of the Sacrament gives us the opportunity to renew ALL of the covenants we have made.

We covenant to

1.      Take His name upon us

2.      Always remember Him

3.      Keep His commandments.

We can look at those in reverse:

1.      We keep the commandments because we always remember Him.

2.      We always remember Him because we have taken His name

Then we can have His Spirit, which is the Holy Ghost. Whenever scriptures talk about His Spirit, it is referring to the Holy Ghost.

This is why it is so important to be worthy and have His Spirit with us.

What do we know about Celestial life? Paul refers to it in 1Corinthians as the 3^rd heaven, but other than that, there isn’t scripture that tells about Celestial life.

1.      We know that our Heavenly Father and Mother are there

2.      Our brother Jesus is there

3.      We know it is HOME

4.      D&C 130 says we will enjoy the same sociality there that we have here, but coupled with Eternal Glory. SOCIALITY refers to FAMILY. Eternal Glory refers to our Temple Sealings.

Alma & Lehi defined the family as a state of probation. Probation means TEST. Family life is a test in mortality. Like in a test, you read the question, then you make a choice from the multiple choice answers. Life is full of choices.

Whenever you make a choice, you are, in that instant an advocate of teacher of that decision. Like if you don’t do FHE, you are teaching your children that FHE isn’t important, that you don’t have to obey the prophet, and that what he says isn’t important.

The Book of Mormon says, “Generation after generation they follow the traditions of their fathers. Our choices quickly become habits. Habits become traditions, and traditions become your culture.

There are 2 kinds of traditions:

1.      Celestial Traditions: The kind that take you to the Celestial Kingdom. There are 42 of these. (That’s the # of things missionaries have to check before a person can be baptized.

2.      False Traditions: these are the kind that don’t take you to the Celestial Kingdom. Things like not obeying the commandments, violence, abuse, immorality, prejudice, corruption, language, anger, pride, etc.

The Principle of Responsibility: we need to choose the right when we are baptized we choose the covenant path. On that path we have the laws of Christ.

There is a little room for mistakes, and then we repent and can know that we are forgiven through the Holy Ghost. We aren’t perfect and aren’t expected to be perfect. Our goal is to be WORTHY.

As we make fewer mistakes, we are on the path of SANCTIFICATION. The Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ bridges the gap between WORTHY and PERFECT.

As we repent we change our traditions

D&C 88: 28 They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a 

natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that 

glory by which your bodies are quickened.

29 Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive 

of the same, even a fulness.

30 And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.

31 And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall 

then receive of the same, even a fulness.

32 And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall 

return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.

In Spanish, the word for ‘quickened’ is ‘vivificado’ (In English - vivify) which means to give life or make alive. So every time the scriptures say we are quickened, it means we are given life.’

When we have the courage to acknowledge our FALSE TRADITIONS, and work to change them, requires meekness. That’s why the poor and meek will inherit the earth. We need to be sanctified or purified through the laws of Christ - the 42 covenants. This is a process of sanctification.

D&C 19:15 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.

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

We are commanded to repent, or CHANGE OUR TRADITIONS, or we will be smitten by the wrath of His mouth. This is the purpose and essence of the Plan of Salvation. Elder Ballard said that all questions can be answered with the Plan of Salvation.