teddyaware

One of the things I find most interesting in this particular controversy is that if the Catholics and Protesters have it right — that there is no continuance of heterosexual sexual marriage and family life after the resurrection due to the fact that heaven is a unisex neuter world where gender is rendered obsolete and meaningless — it can only mean that the anti-traditional family LGBTQ advocates are going to win in the end and that they’re correct in their belief that the concept of gender is nothing more than a human construct. In other words, the LGBTQ activists are simply ahead of their time.

It’s always interesting to observe how unbelievers will put the worst possible spin on any scriptural concept, principle or narrative in order to justify their unbelief. God forbid that it should ever be considered for a moment that there might be a positive and spiritually edifying way to understand what the Apostle Paul was referring to when he spoke of being slaves to Christ. Why give Paul the benefit of the doubt long enough to to conduct some research to determine if being a slave to Christ might have some positive connotations when hastily jumping to the worst possible conclusions will serve to validate the predetermined conclusions of the unbelievers that Paul, a man highly favored of God, was morally deficient, knuckle-dragging ignoramus? After reading a few of the latest posts on this thread, I immediately went to Goggle and AI provided the following perspectives on what it actually means to be a slave to Christ. And heaven forbid, there’s actually a positive way to understand what Paul meant when he spoke of being slaves to Christ as being the only way to be truly and fully liberated from sin and the grim servitude of spiritual death. To be a "slave of Christ" means to completely belong to Jesus, surrendering one's will and life to Him because He has redeemed them from sin. This is not a call to grim servitude, but a voluntary, loving submission to a "good Master" who is faithful and provides for His followers. It involves living with singular devotion, total dependence on Christ, and being personally accountable to Him. Characteristics of being a slave of Christ Complete submission: It means one's life is not ruled by their own will, but by the will of Christ, whom they follow and obey. Singular devotion: A slave of Christ is completely devoted to Him, as no one can serve two masters. Total dependence: This includes depending entirely on Christ for provision, not on oneself. Personal accountability: Christians are accountable to Christ for their actions and will give an account to Him. Freedom from sin: The term also signifies a release from the slavery of sin and death, resulting in freedom to serve God. Motivated by love: The servitude is motivated by love, not fear, and is a willing surrender to follow His commands. Exclusive ownership: Christians are not their own, but belong to Christ, who paid the price to redeem them from slavery to sin. Key implications A reversal of the master-slave relationship: While modern interpretations of slavery are negative, this term is used to emphasize the unique relationship with Christ, who is a loving and benevolent master. A higher calling: It is not a lesser status but a higher privilege, as Paul considered it the highest honor to be a slave of Christ. A life of purpose: It means surrendering one's will to God's glory, resulting in a life of righteousness and eternal life.

In 2 Nephi 2 the Prophet Lehi testifies that if Lucifer and his followers had succeeded in dethroning God the only thing their rebellion would’ve accomplished would have been the annihilation of existence. Lucifer’s supposed “plan of salvation” was nothing less than a cosmic suicide pact! 13 And if ye shall say there is no lwa,ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away. (2 Nephi 2)

How silly it is to believe that exalted men and women are going to dwell on planets! Anyone with a lick of sense knows it’s a ‘one off’ that God created, was born on, grew to maturity, died and then rose from the dead on this absurd material planet! It makes perfect sense that what happened on this earth with regard to God is never, ever going to happen again throughout all eternity! I guess it proves that even the All-Knowing God can make mistakes. Going forward, what’s actually going to happen is exalted men and women are going to reign as crowned heavenly kings and queens over dominions that are located in large patches of empty space! Instead of living on beautiful material planets filled with fertile lands, forests, mountainous regions and vast sparkling bodies of water, all of which are teaming with staggering varieties of plant and animal life, we’re all going to just float around in space where we won’t have to worry about raking leaves, climate change and the drudgery of having to be wise stewards over creation. Can’t wait! Setting up “dominions” in empty space will be far less complicated and troublesome than the silly way God is compelling us to exist on this annoying, cumbersome planet! I’m so looking forward to the day when the enthroned sons and daughters of God, who will be crowned as reigning kings and queens and joint heirs with Christ in all he possesses, will be able to enjoy performing endless pirouettes and flawless acrobatic moves in the uncluttered expanse of empty space. So glad to know that this well meaning but ultimately failed experiment of living on planets, instead of in the glorious void of empty space, will never happen again! Planets?! Who needs them?! P.S. But I have one question: If planets are going to be a thing of the past, I’m wondering why the universe is filled with billions of them? Asking for a friend.

Excellent! The King Follett Discourse obliterates the “no individual personhood prior the first estate” narrative. The only way to escape the clearly stated revelatory disclosures of the King Follett Discourse is to simply ignore them. But even if one puts the King Follett Discourse aside, Doctrine and Covenants 93 also testifies that mankind, the intelligence that dwells within both the spirit bodies and flesh and blood bodies of each man and woman, had no beginning and will have no end. This is the beautiful “one eternal round” concept presented in the King Follett Discourse! Further, Doctrine and Covenants 93 testifies that not only is the intelligence of man eternal, without a beginning or end, but that each man always was a man from all eternity, regardless of the particular realm he or she presently inhabits. In other words, we didn’t start as intelligences that later became men, but we always were men of a race that had no beginning. Just as it is with God we are eternal, having no beginning and no end. 23 Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth; and… 29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. 30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. Verse 30 reveals that truth and intelligence do not exist as amalgamated “oceans” of spiritual energy in which there is no place for individuality. Rather, uncreated truth and intelligence are spiritual oceans composed of of individual intelligences who are endowed, through the infinite and eternal atonement, to be able to think and act for themselves, and if this were not so nothing could exist. Why? Because agency is the fundamental building block of existence, and without all things (even individual atoms and subatomic particles) having the ability to think and act for themselves existence would be devoid of meaning. When the Lord turned water into wine, the atoms joyfully obeyed his command.

Because the term “multiple wives” includes both full status wives and the wives of lesser status known as concubines. Even so, the early Latter-Day Saint practitioners of plural marriage didn’t engage in concubinage, so why unnecessary draw attention to a controversial ancient marital practice that wasn’t practiced by Latter-Day Saints? You’ll surely understand that the inclusion of the term concubines could easily cause some modern readers to get the wrong idea that the early Latter-Day Saint practitioners of plural marriage engaged in concubinage.

The theological concepts set forth in the King Follett Discourse are elaborations of the same doctrinal principles the prophet set forth in Doctrine and Covenants 93. 29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. 30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. (Doctrine and Covenants 93) Verse 29 predates by 11 years the assertion made in the King Follett Discourse that “the intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end.” It appears that man in his native primeval state is composed of a combination of pure spiritual light and truth. This helps to explain that one of the reasons why God is able to justly punish men for sin is because when they choose to transgress his holy laws they are acting in direct defiance against who and what they really are at the core of their being. Verse 30 goes on to make the astonishing assertion that rather than being a catalogue of lifeless abstract ideas, uncreated eternal truth is comprised of self-aware independent entities that are able to think and act for themselves; the same holds true for uncreated intelligence. Eternal truth and intelligence are both spiritually alive and self-aware, and if this weren’t the case nothing could exist. These profound revelation's lead me to believe that Max Planck was on to something when he postulated that all things that exist are self aware and to some extent intelligent.

In his King Follett Discourse, the Prophet Joseph Smith appears to contradict the idea that men and women weren’t always intelligent, self-aware free agents who had no beginning and will have no end. It would be most interesting if you could focus on each of the following bolded passages and demonstrate how you are able to square the Prophet’s teachings with your idea “that mankind does not exist until they are organized from that pre-existing matter as spirits?” We say that God Himself is a self-existing being. Who told you so? It is correct enough; but how did it get into your heads? Who told you that man did not exist in like manner upon the same principles? Man does exist upon the same principles. God made a tabernacle and put a spirit into it, and it became a living soul. (Refers to the Bible.) How does it read in the Hebrew? It does not say in the Hebrew that God created the spirit of man. It says, “God made man out of the earth and put into him Adam’s spirit, and so became a living body.” THE MIND OR THE INTELLIGENCE WHICH MAN POSSESSES IS CO-EQUAL [co-eternal] WITH GOD HIMSELF. I know that my testimony is true; hence, when I talk to these mourners, what have they lost? Their relatives and friends are only separated from their bodies for a short season: their spirits which existed with God have left the tabernacle of clay only for a little moment, as it were; and they now exist in a place where they converse together the same as we do on the earth. I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it has a beginning? The INTELLIGENCE of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are co-equal [co-eternal] with our Father in heaven. I want to reason more on the spirit of man; for I am dwelling on the body and spirit of man—on the subject of the dead. I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man—the immortal part, because it had no beginning. Suppose you cut it in two; then it has a beginning and an end; but join it again, and it continues one eternal round. So with the spirit of man. As the Lord liveth, if it had a beginning, it will have an end. All the fools and learned and wise men from the beginning of creation, who say that the spirit of man had a beginning, prove that it must have an end; and if that doctrine is true, then the doctrine of annihilation would be true. But if I am right, I might with boldness proclaim from the housetops that God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all. God himself could not create himself. Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from age to age and there is no creation about it. All the minds and spirits that God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement. (King Follett Discourse)

But in spite of it all, if Tim Ballard’s legal team can prove in a court of law by a preponderance of the evidence that Doug Anderson lied when he told reporters from the now defunct Vice magazine (why the bottom feeding Vice Magazine?!) that M. Russell Ballard renounced Tim Ballard when Elder Ballard hadn’t actually done so, then like it or not, and in spite of all of Tim Ballard’s imperfections, he’s is going to emerge from most of his legal troubles smelling like a rose, while the corporate church is going to going to get hit with a serious public relations black eye that will give the church’s enemies a propaganda bonanza. And it’s hard to imagine that if Doug Anderson is legally demonstrated to be a liar who ran to sleazy, salivating reporters with a juicy though untrue story, it’s hard to imagine that he’s going to be able to continue to have a smooth sailing career going forward. And it must be said that whether Tim Ballard is legally vindicated or not, it’s always a sin to lie, even when it’s believed that someone is evil enough to deserve to be accused of wrongdoing without evidence. I’m reserving judgement on this case because the legal annals are now too full of instances where the innocent people were convicted of serious crimes because law enforcement, prosecuting attorneys, witnesses, judges and juries were absolutely certain that the innocent who later be totally vindicated deserved to be thrown into the slammer for life because they were absolutely convinced they were guilty as charged because “guilt” was written all over their unlikeable personalities and faces.

Modernist members of the church can parse out Genesis 3:16 anyway which way they want in order to make it comfortably conform with their spiritual frame of reference, but, like it or not, the following very clear declaration of gospel truth from the Apostle Paul settles the issue once and for all. And I must say that I confidently believe one of the main reasons the world is in an ever accelerating downward spiral toward oblivion is that the institution of the traditional family, presided over by a righteous, manly father, is rapidly going the way of the dodo. People may shriek in horror at what I’m saying, but I’m also supremely confident that the day is going to come when even the most ardent feminists are going to be so humbled by the obvious monumental failures of their ideas that they’re going to contritely admit that Paul had it right all along. Flame away! 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. (Ephesians 5)

There are a number of direct descendants of the Prophet Joseph Smith who have joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who are presently making meaningful contributions to the cause of Zion; and there’s plenty of time between now and eternity for the descendants of Joseph Smith Junior to continue to multiply and have a major impact on the spiritual enlightenment and development of the human family. The seed spoken of in the bolded portion of the quoted verse will continue to expand by increasing multitudes into the far reaches of eternity, far beyond the first generation of the prophet’s immediate family.

While I do believe there are many heretofore unrevealed gospel mysteries that the spiritually unprepared would find hard to comprehend and swallow, I must say that Barnes’ proposition seems highly unlikely and even absurd. Why in the world would Lucifer be considered as a viable candidate to become Adam after his bogus plan of salvation rejected the absolute need for an atoning sacrifice for sin, which rejection amounted an act of ultimate defiance against God that would have destroyed the agency of man and put true salvation forever out of reach. From the moment Lucifer hardened his heart in total rebellion against the Father’s plan of salvation he became the first anti-Christ, therefore he was totally unworthy to be placed in consideration to hold any priesthood office. After Lucifer’s rebellion against the Father’s plan of salvation and his rejection of the Only Begotten of Son of God (Barnes’ First Agenda item) he was no longer worthy to even be considered for the position of first earthly dog catcher. And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son. (Doctrine and Covenants 76)

In Moses 7, it appears that the prophet Enoch at one time also entertained the erroneous notion that for God “there is no real suffering,” but Enoch soon learned that he was totally mistaken. Whether the following verses are speaking of Enoch encountering Christ in heaven prior to the Lord’s incarnation, or if Enoch is actually beholding and conversing with God the Father himself, the fact is that even in heaven God is capable of experiencing an overwhelming degree of emotional and spiritual suffering, belying the false belief that the God of heaven exists in some kind of passionless, emotionless bubble because he’s “above it all” and nothing really bothers him. This false idea hearkens back to ancient Greek philosophy where God is thought to be more of an abstract idea rather than a material being with powerful emotions, emotions that are that are a natural part of an existence that requires struggle against great opposition in order for existence to be meaningful. In 2 Nephi 2, the prophet Lehi masterfully affirms the absolute necessity of there being diametric opposition in all things, for without everything having its opposite nothing could exist. Therefore there must good and evil, there must be pleasure and pain, and there must be sorrow and happiness, etc., otherwise there would be no point to existence. God and the children he created in his image are not now and never will be passionless automatons who are emotionally aloof and above it all. There always has been and there always will be the ability to feel emotions, for without emotions, especially the deep emotions that flow out of love, existence and life would be utterly meaningless. There never was a beginning to the feeling of emotions, and as the following verses so powerfully demonstrate, God was experiencing acute sorrow for the sins of the world long before Christ ever came to earth… 28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains? 29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? 30 And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations, and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever; 31 And thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and naught but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep? 32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; 33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; (Moses 7) and… 35 Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name , also. 36 Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren. 37 But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer? (Moses 7)

For many years, I’ve been utterly bewildered and perplexed by the fact that the vast majority of temple going members of the church will confidently make the claim that the church doesn’t place any emphasis on the symbolism of crucification of Christ because the most important phase of the atonement of Christ took place in Gethsemane. Meanwhile these same members appear to be inexplicably unaware of the undeniable fact that there’s no Christian religion on the face of the earth that places more symbolic importance and salvative efficacy on the symbolism of Christ’s crucifixion than do the Latter-Saints! How is it humanly possible that any temple going member of the church can miss the fact that there’s no reaching out to God in the true order of prayer, no passing through the veil into the glory of the celestial kingdom, no eternal sealings of husbands and wives and no children being born under the covenant without the graphically applied symbolism of the Savior’s crucifixion employed in the higher ordinances of the gospel? How in the world can anyone be so blind? I comprehended all of this on the day I received my own personal endowment back in 1975! This phenomenon is a perfect example of the Lord’s warning when he testified there are many who see but do not see, and many who hear but don’t hear. I wonder if there’s anyone beside Yours Truly who’s come to the realization that the reason why the church doesn’t openly display crosses on the outside of our buildings because the symbolism of the Lord’s crucifixion is too sacred?

The two great Latter-Day Saint biographers of the life of Christ, ApostlenJames E Talmage and Apostle Bruce R McConkie, both testify that when Christ was suffering for the sins of the world on the cross that his sufferings in Gethsemane recurred and were intensified, during the three hours of darkness, to the point that Jesus the Christ, the immortal Father of Heaven and Earth, was weakened physically and spiritually sufficiently to the point that was able to yield up the ghost and die. This means that while on the cross Christ not only suffered the horrific physical agonies attendant to crucifixion, and the terrible emotional agonies that were heaped on him by his tormenting enemies, but he simultaneously also suffered the unfathomable spiritual agonies of Gethsemane a second time! I believe one day it will be understood by all Latter-Day Saints that one of the greatest incorrect doctrines ever propagated by the restored church is that Christ’s sufferings in Gethsemane were far worse than the agonies he was called upon to endure while on the cross. It’s a shame because this well meant but erroneous teaching has caused an unnecessary doctrinal rift to exist between the Latter-Day Saints and their traditional Christian neighbors; an uncalled for doctrinal point of contention that’s embarrassing because non-LDS Christians can point to the many verses in the New Testament that make it quite clear that Christ’s atoning sacrifice took place primarily while he suffered on Calvary’s cross. I find it deeply frustrating because this overemphasis on Gethsemane enables our critics to be somewhat justified when they assert that the Latter-Day Saints are heretics who contradict the plain testimony of the Bible with regard to Christ’s atonement. I inwardly cringe each time I hear it. It would be much better if we could call the suffering of infinite and eternal spiritual alienation from God that Christ experienced in both Gethsemane and on Golgotha as “Gethsemanic” suffering, “Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did, with evil venom, for three hours from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as though the very God of Nature was in agony. And truly he was, for while he was hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon to 3:00 p.m., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred.” (Bruce R McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith) and… “… in addition to the fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the agony of Gethsemane had recurred, intensified beyond human power to endure. In that bitterest hour the dying Christ was alone, alone in most terrible reality. That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fulness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death. (James E Talmage, Jesus the Christ)

One aspect of this subject that I find particularly intriguing is if the Lord was indeed fertile while living on earth, this means that unlike every other member of the human family he experienced fertility while inhabiting a body that was able to live forever. To my mind, this increases the likelihood that the resurrected celestial bodies of both men and women may continue to be fertile and able to produce offspring while in the eternal world, and this due to the fact that the Lord’s earthly experience with being a fertile sexual being suggests the ability to produce reproductive male seed isn’t a biological function that’s strictly limited to mortal bodies.

At the outset, I must say I fully realize this thread’s topic could turn out to be very controversial and contentious, to say the least, although stirring up heated debate and Ill will is not at all my intention. Rather, what I’m submitting here are two very simple questions that I’m hoping can thoughtfully considered and addressed in a dispassionate, level headed manner. Here’s are the questions: 1) If the Lord was both fully divine and fully human while he sojourned in this mortal realm, do you believe it’s possible that he carried within his holy body living seed (spermatozoa), and if he did what are your thoughts about the reasonable probability that the Father of Heaven and Earth — God the Son — had a sexual nature? 2) Are there any inferences or implications that might be drawn, or interesting speculations that might be entertained, while focusing on this apparently very rarely considered possibility that God the Son had a fully functioning reproductive system, with living seed that might very well have been able to produce human offspring?

I was simply putting the Apostle Paul’s laser sharp words of inspiration on the subject of spiritual enlightenment into my own words. I’m glad to be found in the company of the great Paul, whom I love. It’s easy to imagine that you would respond dismissively to Paul’s revelatory observations in the same way you responded to mine, so no offense taken. It’s only par for the course for natural men to come to the conclusion that the spiritually enlightened are deluded fools. Next time surprise me with a response that isn’t so cliche. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2)

The answer is yes. One of the fundamental doctrines of the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that all men and women are coeternal with God and that at the very core of the being of each individual is a portion of God’s own divine nature. Then as we progressed on the road of eternal progression our native, uncreated intelligence was clothed upon with an organized spirit body by which means our uncreated divine nature was further enhanced and amplified when our spirit bodies were created in the image of God, inheriting from our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother a portion of their divine nature in what could be called inherited spiritual DNA. The reason why spiritually minded men and women hunger to become holy like God is because the human family has a divine spiritual lineage and heritage. After all, I presume that even you believe we were created in the image of God, so why wouldn’t we want to become what we were created to be? 29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. (Doctrine and Covenants 93)

Unbelievers will always find it impossible to comprehend that there comes a point in the process of true spiritual enlightenment and growth when living faith becomes much more more powerful, clear and convincing than sight. But as you say, there will come a point when even the unbelievers will find the proof of God’s existence to be so powerful that it will become undeniable.

Is Ballard saying that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints is practicing Satanism, or that there’s some evidence of a subset of corrupt church members who are secretly practicing Satanism while using their activity in the church as an effective cover for their wickedness? And based on the following dire words of prophetic warning from the Lord himself, should we be at all surprised if it turns out that there are desperate forms of wickedness going on among some of the members of the church, and that in accordance with the adversary’s long practiced ancient design he has made some successful diabolical inroads into the church? 23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face. 24 Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. 25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; 26 First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord. (Doctrine and Covenants 112) The sins of the wicked members of the church alluded to in verses 25 and 26 must be very severe if the offenders are going to die by fire. At very least, it’s safe to say it’s likely that abominations highly offensive in the eyes of the Lord are going to be committed by some members of the church. It’s always been this way…

What is it that causes some men and women to aspire to become godly partakers of the divine nature? Perhaps you will find some clues below? 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1)

When Tim Ballard’s lawsuit is fully presented and litigated in a court of law, where verifiable evidence and full disclosure of all the evidence reign supreme, It will likely be quickly determined if he’s an arrogant, bald-faced bloviator, or if he’s an innocent man who has boldly chosen to pursue a provable case of character assassination. Until then, many of the comments on this thread will amount to the prejudicial surmisings of those who, for whatever reason, desperately need to believe Tim Ballard is guilty, even before all the evidence is heard, litigated and adjudicated. To put it gently, these are the kinds of people who would have to excuse themselves from jury duty on this case. But one thing’s for sure, if Doug Anderson isn’t able to present evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that proves M Russell Ballard did indeed condemn and withdraw his support from Tim Ballard — in contradiction to Katherine Ballard’s claimed phone conversation with an allegedly still supportive M Russell Ballard — then Tim will likely be able to prove his case and some highly placed church employees will be proven to be either scheming liars or the victims of some kind of deception. But conversely, if Tim Ballad’s case is proven to be based on nothing more than the audacious fantasies of fevered and delusional mind, his life and reputation will be ruined for the remainder of his life on earth. For those who are fair minded, it’s now time to reserve judgement and allow the legal process to unfold. But it must also be said it’s highly likely that for the unfair even a full legal vindication of Tim Ballard, based provable evidence, will not be enough to prevent them from considering him to still be fully worthy of the slander and grossly unfair character assassination he endured because they simply don’t like the way he thinks. This attitude can be summed up in not caring in the slightest if a conservative is wrongfully convicted of a murder he didn’t commit because, after all, he’s a lowlife who doesn’t deserve fairness or due process under the Constitution of the United States.

These verses are simply testifying that the time is going to come when all the mysteries of God and his kingdom are going to be laid bare with full clarity and comprehensive detail in a manner that will go far beyond than the rudimentary way the mysteries of God were understood.at the time of the writing of Section 121. It’s the simple concept that the day is going to come when God unveils a much more complete revelation of the truths of his kingdom than we now possess. These verses are pointing to the day when the prophecies like the following prophesy of the Prophet Nephi are going to be fulfilled: 10 But the words which are sealed (the sealed and thus far untranslated portion of the Book of Mormon) he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof. 11 And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth. (2 Nephi 27)