I've been pondering lately on what brilliant beings we are...how our spirits are drawn toward light and truth and how if we could see each other in all our glory, we would be tempted to worship even the least of the people on the earth. All of this, and at the same time, the scriptures often refer to our nothingness, and we often have to learn the same seemingly simple lessons over and over again.
Our Spirit
"Our spirits want only to be with God." (audio recording Goshen fireside - John Pontius) I have felt that pull from my spirit over and over in my life as I have tried desperately at times to not be a spiritual being, while something inside of me could not live there forever and had to have something more. This is why "wickedness never was happiness." (Alma 41:10) Because even though the veil is drawn, and we don't recall our divine nature, it is nevertheless there, and our spirits are unhappy when we are not choosing God. Our spirits will continue to tug on us, and that is a gift in this fallen world.
Fallen Man
"The natural man is an enemy to God, and has been since the fall of Adam..."
Here are some scriptural phrases associated with the natural man: enemy to God, bonds of iniquity, contrary to nature of God, devil has all power over, evil continually,nothingness, less than dust of the earth. (Mos 3:19, Alma 41:11, Mos 16:5, Alma 42:10, Ether 3:2, Mosiah 4:5,11 , Hel 12:7) Satan does in fact have a lot of power on this earth and when we follow the desires of the flesh, or the carnal man, we are under that power. Sounds harsh, but it is true.
Opposition
We come with our divine nature into this fallen world. We come pure, innocent and beautiful. We come with our conscience, the light of Christ, and we recognize good and evil. And as we are divine beings in this carnal flesh, in this fallen world we FEEL and recognize this opposition daily. This opposition is part of our very flesh.
We have the opportunity, the blessing (that 1/3 the hosts of heaven do NOT have) to overcome the flesh, to strengthen our spirits and purify the flesh little by little as we choose God over and over every day of our lives. The more we choose God, the more light, knowledge, and healing we receive, the more we live after the "nature of happiness" (Alma 41:11), and the more we prepare our flesh, through the atonement, to one day live in the presence of God.
"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
And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken
unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal
life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit."
2 Ne 2:27-28
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