Love Thy Neighbor
The following is based on a portion of a transcript from a sermon from November 21, 2015.
In the Torah, in Leviticus 19:18, the Lord says, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord” (Holy Bible, KJV). This is an interesting concept, love thy neighbor as thyself. Sure, it’s not unfamiliar to Jews, Christians, or really any religion. This statement reflects the point of all world religions.
The Internal Struggle
“Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof.” -3 Nephi 4:11 RAV, 4:28 OPV
I’ve seen a number of posts on social media basically stating that God murders children. The idea is that when Jesus was crucified, the cities in the New World that were destroyed meant that innocent children were killed as well. At one point another gentleman, a faithful Latter-day Saint, pointed out that the same thing happened with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in defense of the cities destroyed in the Book of Mormon. However, this really misses the point of the scripture.
Ordination
David’s ordination by the hands of the archangel Raphael.
Teshuvah: The Return
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation.” -Isaiah 12:2 KJV, 2 Nephi 9:133 RAV, 22:2 OPV
We have traveled through Keter, being Born Again. Next is Gevurah, Hebrew for “strength.” This is the fifth Sephirah in the Tree of Life. It is below Da’at, across from Chesed, and above Hod. Gevurah is the essence of Din (Arabic, “way of life”), or judgment, and limitation. And, it is fire. It represents the Left Hand of God; the Holy Spirit. It’s fire will cleanse us and prefect us. Or, it will condemn us and destroy us if we do not allow it to use Christ’s Grace to perfect us.
Air: Rod of Aaron
“The rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.” -Numbers 17:8b KJV
Avoiding the Appearance of Evil
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23
Paul told the Thessalonians to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). This is a very hard task indeed. Even Jesus Christ couldn’t avoid the appearance of evil. Sure, his accusers could find no fault with him, but they still saw him as evil (See John 5:8-12, 6:41-42, 7:12, & 9:16).
In the Garden
Several years ago I had a dream, this dream is what led me to the path I am now on; from this dream came a series of dreams and revelations about the ministry the Lord called me to.
What is the Priesthood?
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” -1 Peter 2:5
I received a very long, but well thought out set of questions from a seeker. To summarize, they wanted to know what the priesthood is, how it works (is it “magic”), why women can or cannot receive it, and what its limits are. We’ve already spoken on women and the priesthood. And, we’ve touched upon the priesthood generally as well. Let’s dig a little deeper.
Air, Earth, Water, and Fire
“And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord, I beheld a large and spacious field. And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.” -1 Nephi 2:48-49 RAV, 8:9-10 OPV
Before we go any further into Teshuvah, we need to go over some more advanced information. We’re going to dive into the Mormon Kabbalah’s Tree of Life, and the elements, and introduce some of the Sephirot. While the Godhead or Trinity, however one sees Him or Them, are all one in purpose, They are still divided as to Their roles and how we understand Them. We need to understand these differences before we move any further.
Teshuvah: Born Again
“Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.” -Isaiah 62:3
Hebrew for “Crown,” Keter is the topmost of the Tree of Life. It is the highest Sephirot above and between Da’at (knowledge) and Chokmah (wisdom). “It is the principle of all principles, the hidden Wisdom, the Crown which the Highest of the high, and by which all crowns and diadems are crowned” (Zohar 7:p.146).
The Creation
The account of David’s visions of the premortal world and the creation, fall of 1989.
Teshuvah: The Gospel of Jesus Christ
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” -Mark 1:15
Teshuvah is a Hebrew word translated in the Bible as “commandment“ or “repentance.” However, it’s true meaning is “return,” as in one returning to their original state. We use the term Teshuvah in Mormon Kabbalah for a few reasons. The main reason is because we are not leaving our old lives or old paths when we set Ego aside for something new. Rather, we are returning to the path we were already on.